Claimed By My Father’s Outlaw

Chapter18

Raine's POV

Cole Maddox sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, before replying. "I need you to listen to me."

"Get the f**k off me so I can leave!" I yelled, shoving at his chest.

He didn't budge. "I don't want you to go."

Something in his voice made me pause. It wasn't aggressive or demanding. It was very desperate. I looked up at him and saw it written all over his face, that he was struggling with something and he was tearing himself apart from the inside.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked as my anger faded into confusion.

He let out another long and heavy breath. "I didn't want to tell anyone this before, but I found out..."

"Found out what?" I asked him.

"My girlfriend has been cheating on me with Ambrose."

My mouth fell open. "What?"

"I found out about two weeks ago, and it had been going on for most of our relationship, really," he continued. "I haven't confronted her yet, haven't even told her I know. But I'm going to, especially after meeting you."

I didn't know what to do with what he had just said, or how to reply him. My brain was busy spinning, trying to piece together what he was saying and what it had to do with me.

"What the hell does any of this have to do with me?" I finally demanded. "You literally met me a week ago, Maddox."

He looked at me then, with this hungry and desperate look in his eyes, and his hand came up to cup the side of my face. His rough, warm thumb brushed against my cheek, and I held my breath, waiting for what he would do next.

"You," he whispered, leaning in closer. "You're all I can think about, Raine. Every single day since I walked into that garage, you've been in my head. I can't shake you off me."

Before I could respond, his lips pressed against the side of my neck. It was just soft at first, testing and teasing and then firmer as he kissed his way down to my collarbone. My knees went weak, and I had to grab onto his shoulders just to keep myself upright.

"Maddox," I breathed, but I didn't know if I was trying to stop him or urging him on.

His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the way his fingers held on to me like he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go. His erection pressed against my groin, and that sensation forced a gasp from my lips. He kissed the curve of my shoulder, then back up to the spot just below my ear, and I felt a shiver run all the way down my spine.

"This is crazy," I whispered.

"I know," he murmured against my skin, his breath hot and making my head spin.

His hands roamed, sliding up my sides and back down again, delicately as if he was memorizing every inch of me. One hand moved to the small of my back, pressing me even closer, and the other tangled itself in my hair, tilting my head to give him better access to my neck.

I should've pushed him away and told him this was wrong, that he needed to figure out his mess before dragging me into it. The mere fact that he was years older than me still bothered me so much.

But I didn't push him away. Instead, my hands fisted in his shirt, holding him there because I needed him just as much as he needed me. I needed him in and around me so badly.

He kissed the hollow of my throat, lingering there for a moment before trailing his lips back up to my jaw. The stubble on his jaw scraped against my skin, and I heard myself let out a sound I didn't recognize.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered. "Tell me to stop and I will."

But I knew from his tone that he didn't want me to tell him that, and I didn't want to tell him either. I wanted him to keep going. God, I wanted him to kiss me properly, to touch me everywhere, to warm me up and make me forget about the stupid Conclave and Blackjack's speech and everything else that had gone wrong tonight. My body was bellowing at me to just let it happen; I should stop thinking and just feel him.

"No." I snapped, gathered every ounce of willpower I had left and shoved him back, away from me. He stumbled slightly, his hands falling away from me, and I took the opportunity to put some distance between us.

"No," I repeated. "I'm not doing this with you. Not until you break up with your cheating girifriend."

He stared at me with a shocked look on his face. "Raine..."

"Let me finish." I raised my bandaged hand again. "I don't care if she's cheating on you with Ambrose or anyone else. You're still with her, and I'm not going to be the other woman in whatever mess you've got going on."

He opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but I didn't give him the chance. I turned and headed for the door. I was almost out when his voice stopped me cold.

"I'm going to kill someone tonight, Raine."

I paused at the door and at first I thought I'd misheard him. Maybe he had meant to say something else. But when I turned around to look at him, what I saw terrified the s**t out of me.

He wasn't looking at me. He was staring straight into the mirrors above the sinks, and his reflection was eerily dark. His eyes were redrimmed, and there was a set to his jaw that told me he had meant every single f*****g word.

Kill who?!

My throat went dry. This wasn't the man who had just been kissing my neck and whispering in my ear. This was someone else entirely. This was someone dangerous that I needed to stay the hell away from.

"What did... what did you just say?" I stammered.

He finally looked at me, his eyes cold and flat in a way that made my stomach sink to my feet.

"Who are you going to kill?" I asked again. "Maddox..."

He turned back to the mirror, his hands gripping the edge of the sink so hard that his entire body was trembling.

"I'm going to kill Ambrose."