Page 1 of Unmasking Her Shadow

Prologue

Kioni

A dark chuckle rumbles in my throat as I finish tying the fishing string around the last severed finger. Each one has a large sinker attached to the end. “Here fishy, fishy,” I whisper, tossing them one by one into the large pond. There’s a tiny splash and ripple, then they disappear beneath the dark, glassy surface. There wasn’t enough evidence to keep the man in jail…more like he had enough money to make it all go away. So my partner and I took it upon ourselves to make sure he would have a much harder time should he ever attempt to lay hands on a minor again. See…if you commit murder it triggers a massive investigation. Removing a few body parts, however, likely means authorities will prioritize more significant crimes, diminishing the importance of a case of missing fingers.

Is this something I do all the time? No. Only with cases that really tug on the heartstrings and the bastards get away with it. And only if I know we can also get away with it. Sometimes, it’s not about bloodshed and more about fucking up their day…like stealing their hidden money they can’t report because it shouldn’t exist in the first place or destroying something that means a lot to them. Anything to make it hurt. At least for a little while. When you are a shitty human, payback is a bitch.

A scream in the distance has me freezing in my tracks. What the fuck? I pull my balaclava over my nose and tug my hood over my head before making my way in that direction with my gun in hand. The sounds of a struggle has me picking up my pace, but doing my best to remain silent. A woman is struggling beneath the man on top of her, trying her best to get away. I raise my gun, but before I can pull the trigger, a smile graces the woman’s face, stopping me from blowing his brains out and painting her crimson.

The moon highlights her features, and my knees threaten to buckle. She is the most devastatingly beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. The fire behind her blue eyes burns me from within the shadows. Strands of her red hair fall from her hair tie when he wraps her ponytail around his fist. Despite her ongoing struggles, it’s obvious she’s not making any genuine effort to escape, and she’s enjoying it. Well, she was enjoying it until he pushes inside of her. A look of annoyance crosses her face, and I chuckle inwardly.

I need to get closer to her. A twig snaps beneath my boot, and her head jerks in my direction. Shit. The spark that was there moments ago is back again. Smirking, I step on the next one on purpose this time. She squirms again, fighting the man thrusting inside her. She couldn’t care less about his dick, though. Her focus is on me. I stroll past a space between the trees where the moon is shining through. I’m nothing but a shadow to her, a movement in the dark. She comes, looking right at me, without even knowing it.

She’s fucking astonishing. And deserves someone that will play with her a hell of a lot better than that dickhead. Such lazy thrusts and strokes on her clit. Don’t worry, little wolf, I’ll run with you under the stars. But when I catch you, there’s no getting away. She pulls up her pants and tells the man she thinks someone is out here. He dismisses it as a raccoon or deer, then proceeds to walk out of the woods without her. Without her! I should have just shot the motherfucker. You should be carrying her, or holding her hand at least. She’s a fucking goddess for crying out loud.

She keeps glancing over her shoulder on the way out. I’m still here, pup. I’m not going anywhere. We’re just going to need to work through some obstacles before I can call you mine.

Once I get the license plate number off their car, I walk back in the other direction to my bike and call my partner. “Run this license plate for me,” I say in greeting, reading it to him. He provides me with an address, and I’m off.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” he asks.

“I found her.”

“Found who?”

“My future fucking wife.”

1

Sam

“Get on your fucking knees,” he growls, gripping a handful of my hair and pushing me to the floor. The carpet cushions my knees, but the pain from his firm grip in my hair makes my eyes water. “Open,” he demands, his cock jutting towards my lips. I glance up and stare into the black void where his eyes should be. The mask covers his entire face and muffles his voice. “I said open your fucking mouth.” A whimper escapes my lips when his grip tightens even further, making it feel like I lost a few strands of hair. He stills when it reaches his ears, so I open my mouth wide and stick out my tongue like a good little whore would do.

He guides his cock into my mouth, and I wrap my lips around his smooth, hard length, gagging and moaning simultaneously when he reaches the back of my tongue. The rope rubs against the skin around my wrists when I try to wriggle my arms free. He thrusts into my mouth roughly, temporarily taking my air away. I’m at his mercy, and I shouldn’t love it as much as I do. A tear leaves a wet trail down my cheek when I gag again. I couldn’t get away…even if I truly wanted to. He pulls out, causing drool to drip over my lip and off my chin. My heart pounds frantically in my chest when he walks behind me and shoves my chest to the floor. Without the use of my arms, my cheek slides across the carpet, and my breath hitches from the burn.

His fingers wrap around my tied wrists, keeping my ass in the air for him. He pushes up my skirt, and a breeze brushes across my skin as he rips my tights over my ass and down my thighs, exposing my bare pussy to him. My fight kicks in when his cock nudges my entrance.

“Don’t, please,” I beg. The carpet burns my cheek as I writhe beneath him. All I’m able to do is move my hips, which causes his hard length to rub against me. He groans and grips my hip, digging his fingertips into my skin.

“Fight all you want. You’ll still end up my whore in the end,” he warns, lining himself up and thrusting inside me, fully seating himself in one quick motion. I scream and try to jerk my hands free, but it’s useless. They’re tied too tight. “Ple—,” I stammer, his cock hitting deep, silencing me with bursts of pleasure.

One moment, he’s pounding inside me, and the next, I’m being pulled into his chest. His cock falls out of me, and then I’m whipped around and falling backward onto my ass. My bound hands struggle to keep me upright. I try to scurry away, using my legs to push myself backward, away from him.

He chuckles at my pathetic attempt. “Nice try, bitch,” he laughs, grabbing my ankles and pulling me back towards him. I gasp when my hands are crushed beneath me. “Shit,” he barks, jerking his mask off and tossing it to the floor next to him. “Sam, are you okay?”

Fucking hell. Seriously? One gasp of pain and you’re done?

I groan, dropping my head back to rest against the floor. “Yes,” I snap. When he reaches for the mask, I tell him, “Forget it. The thrill is gone now.”

Disappointment drips from his face. “I’m sorry, babe. It’s so hard to hurt you and not feel terrible about it.”

I inhale slowly and give him a fake, reassuring smile I’ve mastered. “Just fuck me,” I tell him.

He helps me sit up and quickly unties the ropes, pulls my tights the rest of the way off and climbs on top of me. Oh, how fun. He could have at least left my wrists bound. When his cock pushes back inside me, it doesn’t feel the same. Doesn’t feel as good. The puddle of warmth and ecstasy that was there moments ago has vanished. Stolen by the sex gods that blessed me with the most fucked-up kink of all.

I force breathy moans to spill from my mouth and gently dig my nails into his back. “Oh, Xan,” I moan in his ear dramatically, rolling my eyes when he groans. How wonderful it would be to be a man? To get off so easily with just a wet hole and fake sounds of pleasure.

I picture his hand wrapped around my neck while I struggle to get away and a real moan escapes. Squeezing my eyes shut and holding my breath, I attempt to make my own fantasy come true. Dots flicker behind my eyelids and my lungs burn by the time he gets off and rolls to his side, pulling me into him. All I want to do it get up and leave, but I can’t be that mean. I kiss him softly and run my hands through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. He’s a decent kisser, at least.