Aric: The Boundarylands Read online

  He waited for her to get out of the car, thinking about how he'd show her what it meant to take an alpha all night long. He'd drink in her fear and give her hours of screaming orgasms in return.

  "Come on, Jo," Courtney shouted. The other three women were already halfway to the door, but the new girl was still in the car.

  "Give her a break," Hannah said, always the considerate one. "She's nervous."

  "I don't care if she's having a damn panic attack. I'm getting my ass to work." Courtney flipped her hair over her shoulder as she started up the steps. Her face lit up when she spotted Aric. "Hey there! Looks like my luck just changed, if you're still free."

  "Try inside," Aric said, keeping his eyes on the car. "I'm off the menu."

  "Maybe next time, then," Courtney said, shrugging off her disappointment. Aric didn't feel too badly for her; there was plenty of work waiting for her just inside the door. As usual, Nicky's girls were outnumbered by would-be clients.

  Aric started down the stairs.

  Hannah had gone back to the car and was leaning down, talking to the new girl. Jo had rolled the window down only a couple of inches.

  "Sweetie, you're gonna have to come out sooner or later," Hannah cajoled. "Let's you and me go in together, how's that?"

  "I got this, Hannah," Aric called, taking the porch steps two at a time.

  Hannah straightened to face him, giving him an uneasy smile. The girls were naturally hesitant to tell any alpha no, but Aric could tell that Hannah was particularly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving them alone.

  "It's just that she's new," Hannah began.

  "I know."

  "And scared."

  "Got it."

  "And—"

  "Hannah," Aric interrupted. "Have I ever treated you or any other of the other girls badly?"

  Hannah shook her head.

  "Then how about you trust me on this?"

  Hannah hesitated only a moment longer before nodding and walking away.

  Aric waited until Hannah was inside the bar before crouching down on his haunches so his face was even with the window. He knocked gently on the glass.

  The woman nearly leapt out of her seat, turning away so her hair hid her face completely.

  "Time to come out, Jo," Aric said mildly.

  A fresh wave of fear rolled out of the car, and his cock hardened even more. God, how he was going to love every moment of screwing that out of her.

  "I'm fine right here," she mumbled. Even quivering with fear, her voice had a lilting, melodic quality.

  "Look at me," Aric said.

  But Jo only seemed to shrink into herself further, wrapping her arms around her torso. He wondered briefly if this was some sort of act Nicky had taught her—that she sensed that refusing him only made him crave her compliance all the more—then discarded the thought. Fear like that couldn't be faked.

  "Look at me, Jo," he repeated in a tone that made it clear that this time it was a command, not a request.

  He saw her draw in a breath before she slowly uncoiled her body and faced him.

  The new girl was just as pretty as Aric had expected, with big brown eyes and full pink lips that would look especially good wrapped around the head of his cock.

  "Now, get out of the damn car."

  She did as he asked…sort of. Instead of opening her door, she slid all the way across the seat and out the other side, then stood there watching him warily with the car between them.

  Aric couldn't help but chuckle at her cunning. Damn, this was going to be good. He'd go along with her little games for now, but the moment he finally managed to get her underneath him, she'd be all done pretending to be the boss. He'd make sure that she went for hours without letting up.

  "Okay," she said, an edge of determination to her voice. "I'm out of the car. Now you can go back to your—" She squinted at the nondescript building. "Bar? Roadhouse? Club? Whatever this place is."

  Aric narrowed his gaze. He'd expected her to relax once she saw that he wasn't an ogre, that he could be chivalrous while at the same time making it clear that he wanted her. Hell, he thought she might even be flattered, like some of the other prostitutes were when he chose them.

  But he couldn't seem to get past her fear for some reason. The scent of panic was so thick that he could catch little else.

  "Are you trying to tell me that Nicky didn't tell you where you'd be working tonight?" he asked, even though he found it hard to believe.

  A spark of hope flashed in her eyes as she clutched her big brown purse more tightly to her chest. "Listen, I really need to talk to this Nicky. Do you know where she is?"

  "Sure. She's inside." Aric inclined his head toward the door. The porch now overflowed with alphas, some with prostitutes on their arms, others alone, everyone in a boisterous mood. Music spilled out from inside, and he could hear Mia, the bartender's mate, scolding people to make room for her to get through the crowd.

  Jo's face paled as a roar of excitement went up. Aric suppressed a smile, wondering who was getting their ass kicked at the pool table.

  "On second thought, maybe I don't need to talk to her right this second," she said.

  "You don't need her at all," Aric assured her. "Hannah was right. Everyone's nervous their first night. But I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. In fact, I'm going to do you so well that every other man who comes after me will pale in comparison."

  Jo's eyes grew even wider. "Oh, God."

  "Come here, Jo," he told her.

  She raised her hands, not budging from the other side of the car. "Okay, listen, I know you want to hire me, but—"

  "No, that's not what I want, Jo," Aric said forcefully. "What I want to do is fuck you harder and longer than you've ever been fucked before. I want to leave you shaking with pleasure, and yes, there's a nice pile of cash in it for you, but believe me, neither of us is going to be thinking about that when you're taking my cock."

  Jo's face lit up in the prettiest shade of pink he'd ever seen. A blushing whore? That was a new one—but Aric was sure he could get used to it.

  "Okay…I need a drink," she said, finally meeting his eyes. Her own filled with desperation. "If I agree, will you go inside and get me a drink, please?"

  Finally, a need he could understand. "What do you like?"

  "I don't care. Something strong."

  Aric knew just what would do the trick. A shot of his whiskey was like magic. It had loosened up more than a few uptight betas. Shit, after a couple of slugs of his stuff, one of his alpha brothers had actually taken a beta home. Not just to his bed…but to be his fucking mate.

  If anything was going to get this whore in the mood, it was Aric's moonshine.

  "Come with me," he said, holding out his hand.

  Jo shook her head emphatically, her jet black hair fluttering around her face. "Oh, no, I don't—I think I'll just get back in this car and wait for you there."

  That made sense to Aric. Every woman who walked in the door on Friday nights, with the exception of his brothers' mates, was subjected to a lot of attention. The fact that it was appreciative probably didn't make it easier for a woman as shy as he judged Jo to be.

  And keeping her here would also prevent another alpha from swooping in while he was at the bar and trying to take his fun for the night.

  "I'll be right back," he said.

  The bar was jammed full with Nicky's girls and their clients, as well as a big group gathered around the pool table to watch Zeke and Faith finally battle it out. It took Aric a while to get Ty's attention.

  "Hey, Aric," Courtney called to him from a few stools down while he was waiting for his drinks. "I'm still free if you are."

  Aric had to give the woman points for trying. "Sorry, darling," he said, grabbing the two shot glasses and heading back toward the door. "I've got my night lined up already."

  As it turned out, he shouldn't have spoken so soon.

  When he reached the car, it was empty.

  Jo was nowher
e to be seen.

  Aric tilted his back his head and drew in a deep breath, but there were too many scents—too many alphas, too many women—for him to distinguish just one out of the crowd.

  But his eyes told him everything he needed to know. His date for the night had bolted.

  "Fuck."

  Aric kicked a rock for no good reason, sending it slamming into one of the brand new trash cans Ty had just bought to replace a few that had been run over, crumpling the shiny side. Add that to his tab, and it was turning out to be one damn expensive evening—especially since Courtney was going to expect a hell of a tip after the way he'd strung her along.

  Chapter Three

  Jocelyn stood frozen as the door closed behind the freakishly large alpha, her heart pounding with fear and horror. But it took another few seconds for her body to get the message from her brain.

  Get away! Oh God, run!

  The only problem was that there was nowhere to run, not without instantly getting lost in the woods. Jocelyn had a poor sense of direction, and only knew she was in the Boundarylands thanks to the sign they'd passed on their way in.

  She looked around frantically for a hiding place, but there were only neat rows of parked trucks and a few metal trash cans on the side of the building. The best she could do was scurry behind the weathered wood roadhouse and flatten herself against the wall in the shadows.

  Jocelyn racked her brain for a new course of action. She couldn't stay here all night. Someone would soon find her—one of those alphas. And when they did…

  What I want to do is fuck you harder and longer than you've ever been fucked before.

  A fresh bolt of electricity shot up Jocelyn's spine as the alpha's deep, rumbly voice echoed in her memory. That hadn't been some idle boast or threat. It was a promise.

  Jocelyn bent over with her hands on her knees and took a few deep breaths to prevent hyperventilating. What the hell had she done?

  She'd give anything to be able to go back in time. This time she would ignore the tickle of suspicion that had nagged at her all morning after she linked the site of a recent murder that had been all over the news and the name on an invoice for "consulting services" that had crossed her desk the day before.

  Stratford Field.

  Why, oh why couldn't she have simply let it go? Or at the very least, stopped digging when she'd found the first piece of evidence, as anyone who valued their own safety would do.

  But Jocelyn had never been able to let things go. She always had to keep tugging at loose strings until things completely unraveled.

  And that's exactly what had happened this time.

  In the course of three hours on her computer and in the company files, she'd been able to link her boss to almost a dozen murders that had taken place in the city over a four-year period. No—not murders: professional executions...because her boss was nothing if not professional, the type who would never allow an open issue or a loose end to go untended.

  And those murders were only the ones she could find records for. Deep down, Jocelyn knew there had been more.

  A lot more. And if she didn't stop her boss, the killings wouldn't stop either.

  Damn her conscience. Jocelyn had only been trying to do what was right, and where had that led her? To hookers’ night at a goddamn alpha bar in the middle of the Boundarylands. This was her reward for trying to be a good person.

  I want to leave you shaking with pleasure, and yes, there's a nice pile of cash in it for you, but believe me, neither of us is going to be thinking about that when you're taking my cock.

  Another electric jolt ran up her spine. The sensation was terribly uncomfortable, seeming to take over her whole body. Strangely, it didn't feel entirely like fear. There was…and Jocelyn wished it wasn't so, but the goosebumps on her arms didn't lie…there was an element of excitement, too.

  And something else. Something even worse. Because the truth was, even though the alpha was terrifyingly massive, he wasn't ugly. Far from it.

  He reminded Jocelyn of a statue that might have been carved by an ancient Roman sculptor, with a classically handsome face, a strong jaw contrasting with a full, lush mouth. He had wavy hair of the sort that would be unruly if it grew longer, chestnut brown with glints of gold. And his body might as well have been made of marble considering how perfectly formed and massive his muscles appeared to be under his faded blue Henley.

  Damn—even his shirt sent her senses into overdrive, begging to be touched. Maybe it was the contrast between the soft, much-washed fabric and the man's powerful masculinity that both attracted and repulsed her. Maybe it was something else.

  Either way, it didn't mean Jocelyn wanted to screw him. There was no way she would ever let that creature touch her, not for all the cash in the world.

  His hands were so big they could crush her bones. The weight of his body on top of her would crack her ribs and drive the air from her lungs. His thrusts would split her in half. Thank God there were a bevy of willing professionals inside to attend to his needs while she…

  Jocelyn had no idea.

  She obviously had to get out of the Boundarylands, but she had no car. Traci had taken the keys with her, and while Jocelyn no longer cared if these women found out she'd lied to them, she really didn't want to go inside and risk encountering the alpha.

  And even if she managed to find Traci…what then? It wasn't like the woman could do anything for her. Even if Jocelyn could talk her into driving her back to her car, something worse would be waiting.

  John would be waiting.

  Ravaged by an alpha or taken out by a hitman—surely these couldn't be her only choices.

  "Hey," a soft voice called.

  Jocelyn jumped, looking wildly around to see who was talking. What she saw surprised her: it was no alpha standing a few yards away, studying her cautiously, but a woman.

  One with bright pink hair and an even brighter smile.

  Another of Nicky's girls? Jocelyn didn't think so. There was something different about this woman that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something…reassuring.

  Jocelyn did her best to match the woman's cheerful expression, even though every muscle in her face felt tight and shaky.

  "Oh…hi," she said. "Sorry, I was just..."

  That was as far as she got, unable to come up with an explanation for why she was hiding behind a bar instead of inside drumming up business.

  "It's okay," the woman said, taking a tiny step forward. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're in trouble, though, aren't you?"

  Was it that obvious? And if it was, why hadn't the other women noticed her distress?

  Jocelyn didn't know if she could trust this stranger, but at least she wasn't actively trying to assault her. That had to be a good sign.

  Besides, Jocelyn had to start somewhere, and it wasn't like she had to share her whole life story. She settled for a nod.

  The pink-haired woman seemed to take the gesture as permission to press a little further. "You don't want to be here, do you?"

  Of course she didn't. What woman would voluntarily be in the Boundarylands? Other than a well-paid prostitute, of course.

  This woman, apparently. And since Jocelyn really didn't want to risk offending her, she simply nodded again.

  "Is someone chasing you?"

  Okay, no.

  Jocelyn involuntarily shuffled backward, putting distance between them. That question was far too close to home. How the hell could she know?

  It was one thing for a stranger to be able to tell that Jocelyn was in trouble, and didn't want to be surrounded by drunk alphas in the middle of the Boundarylands, but it was another to hit the bullseye in the center of the bad luck target.

  A horrifying thought occurred to her. Did this woman somehow know about John? Could she be working for him? Until this morning, it had never occurred to Jocelyn to wonder what a professional killer looked like. Pink hair would certainly help her stay above suspicion.

  The delicate threads
of trust she'd begun weaving frayed, and she tensed, ready to run.

  "No, wait, it's okay," the stranger said hastily. "Please, I won't come any closer. I only asked because I understand, it's how I came here too—running from someone who wanted to hurt me. But I can help. I can get you out of here."

  Jocelyn hesitated. She didn't buy the stranger's story, at least not completely. How likely was it that two women would be chased into the Boundarylands?

  But she had no other options. And this woman was offering her the one thing she couldn't refuse.

  A way out.

  "How?" Jocelyn asked, her voice a dry husk.

  "I have a car—"

  Oh, hell no. God only knew where she'd end up this time.

  "I'm not getting in a car with you or anyone."

  "That's fine." The woman held up her hands in surrender. "You can just take it. It's the blue two-seater around the corner. The keys are in the ignition."

  Jocelyn narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Nothing was making sense. "People don't just give cars away for nothing."

  "The omegas around here do," the woman replied. "Besides, I don't need it, and you do."

  So that's what was so different about this woman—she was an omega. Jocelyn had never seen one—not in real life, not even in pictures. The drawings in her high school textbooks showed wan, cowering women with long scraggly hair, dressed in rags.

  But this woman looked surprisingly normal, other than her hair and flashy clothes. She wasn't malnourished, and nothing about her appearance suggested she'd been beaten or mistreated. In fact, she seemed healthy and strong. She could be any stranger Jocelyn passed on the sidewalk without giving a second glance.

  Well, except for that special, indescribable sparkle.

  Jocelyn swallowed the urge to take the stranger up on her offer. Not only could she not pay the woman back for her kindness, but the omega's car would likely end up destroyed in vain.

  "Thank you, I guess. But it won't do any good. The people I'm hiding from will be waiting on the other side of the boundary for me."