Saint And Sinners (99 page)

“I’m sorry, Zoo. It looks as if your sacrifice may have been in vain, but it wasn’t.
Regardless, I shouldn’t have gotten you involved, accepted your offer for assistance.
I’m not disappointed in you, but you will pay for failing, regardless.” He tossed
the head into the flame and watched it burn, the flesh falling from the skull like
freshly carved meat. He took a seat in front of the fire, and tapped his fingers along
the arm of the blue velvet chair.

This mothafucka really thinks I’m just going to let him waltz back here in my city,
and have his way. I haven’t come this far to fail. And I have a little surprise for
Cruz. That half-breed is finally going to get what his confused ass deserves…

*

X
enia sat in
the parlor, in a daze. She ran her hand over her long, sheer sea green gown with
lavender trim, waiting for what felt like an eternity. Saint had returned fairly quickly,
just as he promised. Earlier, it had taken all of her remaining strength to lie to
her mother’s face, to tell her she was fine though she was clearly shaken up from
the evening’s disturbing events. Jagger was rather attentive on the ride back, explaining
to her that she did nothing wrong…though it sure as hell felt like it. What disturbed
her most of all, however, was that, despite what had transpired, the moral weight
of the situation, she was lusting heavily for her husband…

Filled with fermented shame, she looked down at her lap, wondering how she could think
of sex at a time like this. She’d pulled a trigger and killed a man and though her
back was turned and her sight inhibited by Jagger’s barreled chest, she knew Saint
was doing something absolutely horrific. Her soul told her so; therefore, she’d heeded
Saint’s advice to look away until it was all said and done. Jagger didn’t blink an
eye; nor did Lawrence, the peaceful one of the bunch. She was astonished at how methodical
the three men moved about afterward, as if they’d only played a spirited game of ball,
and now it was time to retreat. As she tumbled through her emotions like a pile of
Autumn leaves, she’d never forget the power, pain and love thrust upon her when that
man, her husband, pressed his body hard against her, almost toppling her over. He’d
held the gun and intertwined their fingers, making them both responsible for that
murder. Saint told her it was not homicide but suicide on Zoo’s part…

Regardless, Saint refused to let her take the fall by herself, and since she had to
do it, he’d be damned if she’d do it alone. He was her Clyde to her unwanted position
as ‘Bonnie’, but he’d stepped right in and taken control. She smiled at that notion,
and swiped a tear away from her eye while Sons of Funk, ‘Pushin’ Inside of You’, played
all throughout the house. Saint had put it on, and she trembled deep within, wondering
what he was up to. She sniffed and brushed another tear away.

The tears were no longer on behalf of the man called Zoo, who came like a wrecking
ball and tried to destroy her bond with her man. The tears were for Saint…the thought
that this was the everyday life he lived, and he
had
to do it, in order for balance to be restored.

In the car, Jagger had compared it to animals in the wild—how someone has to die in
order for others to survive. When the balance is unequal, sometimes a great flood
comes and wipes out the ones taking over, or a fire moves through the brush, or a
great drought overtakes the land. These are checks and balances—and Saint, was definitely
a one-man check and balance.

“Okay, baby.” His deep, silky voice shook her from her thoughts. “I’m ready.” He extended
his hand towards her as he stood barefoot at the bottom of the steps with only a pair
of silky black pajama pants on. His skin looked oily and slick, and a scent permeated
off of his flesh, one of musky masculinity mixed with the perfect amount of aftershave
and cologne. He’d even brushed his hair just how she liked it, and those luscious,
dark waves, flawlessly tapered sideburns and shiny, golden eyes lured her in hook,
line and sinker. She could tell by the gleam of his smile, he knew she was back, and
she was ready. A dam of wetness accumulated between her thighs in that very instant…

Getting to her feet, she walked towards him. She couldn’t get to the damn man fast
enough. He wrapped his hand snugly around her neck, firmly bringing her lips to his,
and laid a kiss on her that made her weak at the damn knees.

“Ahhh….” She whimpered as he shifted positions and lifted her up, placing one arm
around her waist and the other under the backside of her knees, to cart her up the
steps. Strangely enough, he practically floated up the damn things, all the while
looking down at her, unblinking, his eyes on her. Once they arrived at their bedroom
door, he pushed it open with his shoulder to reveal his romantic masterpiece.

“Oh my God, Saint.” She gasped, her eyes looking on in amazement. In the middle of
the bed sat a large, clear bowl of fruit. On the nightstand, a chilled bucket of wine
with two flute glasses, a strawberry on each rim. All around the room, the place was
aglow with soft, purple candles and the fireplace roared, danced and flickered. Across
from the bed, the wall-mounted television sported a scene of the ocean. It looked
as if she could jump right into it from the shore. The waves moved back and forth,
and the sound of the water crashing did something strange to her…filled her with peace.

He gently placed her down on her feet, removed the bowl from the bed and set it to
the side. He sat down and motioned for her to do the same.

“Come here, I need to talk to you for a second.” He huffed, as if a lot sat on his
mind.

She did as asked, and grasped his hand. He gave a smile full of melancholy as he traced
the side of her face with his fingertips. “I know there was no way around it, but
I’m sorry for tonight. I can’t stand that you were involved, in any capacity. And
I hate to bring this up right now, but we can’t ignore the elephant in the room. How
are you feeling?”

“I’m all over the place.” She offered a half-smile. “I know in my heart that I had
no choice. I made peace with that while waiting in the restaurant actually.” She looked
down at her lap then back into his eyes. “It all seemed to come together. I was still
scared though…not of doing it, but of getting caught and the repercussions behind
that. I never wish to repeat the experience though. Even though he was evil, a terrible
person, he was still a human being…but do I regret that he’s dead?” She looked at
him thoughtfully. “Not really…not with everything that was at stake. I had to come
to grips with the fact this was not just about sex, it was bigger than that, and he
knew it, too. But I meant what I said to you…”

“And what was that?” He leaned in closer to her, laid a delicate kiss across her temple.

“I would let you go before you remained endlessly miserable. Because I really love
you, Saint. My love for you never ceased, even during all that we endured. That is
what made it all the more unbearable, actually. The curse didn’t take away my love
for you, only the physical manifestation of that love. It was so upsetting, distressing.”

“I thought about that, too.” He swallowed and looked at her seriously. “I thought
about how you were suffering just as much, if not more than I was. You wanted to make
love, too… just not to
me
.” He paused, a pain deep within him obviously agitated by the current conversation.
She caressed the side of his face as he stared down at her lap and his jaws tensed.
“I thought about how selfless you are, to try to tell me you’d leave me before you
let me suffer due to this. Woman, you’re crazy!” He cracked up laughing as he gently
cupped her neck, tilted her head upward, and kissed her forehead.

“That’s not crazy, that’s love!” she protested with a smile.

“No, you’re crazy if you thought you were getting away from me that easily.” His eyes
darkened as he moved a few curly strands of her hair out of her face. “I was in this,
I
am
in this, Xenia, with you for the long haul. I’d just be a masturbating fool.” He
chuckled. “No…I wasn’t going any damn where, regardless. If I had to spend my entire
life trying to get to the bottom of it, I just would have…but without you, Xenia,
I’m not happy. You’re
more
to me than what’s between your legs, baby.”

“…But sex is important. You couldn’t be in a sexless marriage, Saint. And a woman
like me knows this.”

“Sex is important, Xenia…but to me,” he said, touching his chest. “What’s worse than
a sexless marriage is a
loveless
marriage…and we had plenty of love between us before.” He kissed the side of her
face as he slowly lowered her down onto the bed. “During…” He landed a perfect kiss
across her lips. “…And after all of this confusion.” He sucked on her neck as he pinned
her down, making her damn groin quake with the heat of his mouth.

“Mmmmm!” She couldn’t help but moan. “Saint, you smell so good.” She relished in the
moment, grateful that she had her mojo back. She’d missed him so much! This almost
felt like the first time… It had been so long, and she didn’t want the man to leave
her side. He kissed down her body, dragging the sheer layers of the fabric of her
gown as he went, messing her up, making her feel how much he wanted, no…
needed
her.

Without warning, he rose to his feet.

“Stand up for me, baby.” She rose from her seated position, clasping her hands together,
then paused in bewilderment as he pointed across the room. “Go over there, please.”

He stroked his chin, and a rascally sparkle gleamed in his eyes. She did so, looking
over her shoulder every now and again, wondering what he was up to. She arrived at
her new location and turned to face him, planted her feet on the carpet.

He then approached her, leaving about four feet between them. Cocking his head to
the side, his eyes turned a brilliant shade of lavender—her most favorite color in
the whole world, radiated from his irises once again. He pointed at her, and appeared
to be concentrating with all of his might as the vein in the middle of his forehead
bulged. Suddenly, she felt a yank at her gown…yet he was not at her side. The damn
shoulder strap fell along her arm…and then the other. Like invisible elves pulling
at the fabric, she giggled in astonishment as the man removed her clothing, one tiny
tug at a time until she stood there completely naked—nothing but her birthday suit
and a smile.

He surveyed her, then got closer, walked around her body several times, eyed her with
hunger. He repeated his watchful rounds, and she stood a bit straighter, enjoying
the attention.

“Are you taking it all in?” she teased.

“Nope. But
you
will be in a minute…”

And with that, the moisture grew between her legs.

Suddenly, as if on cue, he stood behind her and brought his lips close to her ear.
He inhaled loudly. “I just love that…mmmm, I can smell your excitement, baby. Oh how
I’ve missed the scent of your wet pussy, Xenia…damn,” he whispered, then continued
to circle her, one finger caressing her shoulder. “I missed your soft, buttery thighs
wrapped around my head. I missed tasting your hot honey dripping into my mouth. I
missed watching you cum, over and over again, the way your eyes roll back. I missed
making you pass the fuck out. I missed sinking my aching cock into your soft, warm
pussy…” He continued his examination, keeping his eye on her as his expression grew
serious and grim.

“I missed fucking that tight, little asshole of yours…giving you pleasure in a way
you never dreamed possible. I missed the way you suck my dick with precision; you
know
just
how to do it, you make me blow my top… but do you know what I missed
most
of all, Xenia?”

“What?”

“Your kiss…” He suddenly grabbed her in a possessive clutch and pressed his need into
her as he devoured her lips. His rock hard dick thumped against her stomach like a
police baton…and she knew he was going to beat… her …shit…up!