Trembling With the Strings
Open Books And Lost Chapters
“Excuse me?” I was trying not to glance at the phone I so desperately wanted.
“You heard me, babe,” he purred, smirking. “You want Johnny and I want what Lynn got. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that.”
“Darius, please,” I begged softly, managing to keep my eyes on him.
“It’s just one little kiss, love. Or are you afraid it will turn into something more?” He grinned mockingly and I growled in my throat.
“It won’t!”
“Let’s find out,” he murmured in my ear, suddenly right behind me and holding my back to his chest. I rolled my eyes and turned around in his arms.
His hands slid to the small of my back and I opened my mouth to tell him just how wide of the mark he was when his lips crashed to mine roughly. I gasped for breaths as my heart pounded, racing. Darius pulled me closer still and I could feel his chest rising and falling with each shallow, raspy breath he took. His tongue darted past my lips and was exploring virtually every square inch of my mouth. I could barely keep up. Not even thinking much, I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. Darius managed to set the phone down on the bed as he pushed me onto the bed as well and crawled on top of me. I tried to get his shirt off, but I took too long and he carelessly tossed it aside before taking mine off and kissing my neck roughly. I kicked myself as a soft moan escaped my lips and Darius smiled against my skin.
“Gracie?”
Darius and I both jumped at the sudden noise and I worked hard to even out my breaths. Slipping out from under him, I grasped the phone Darius had set aside.
“Sorry, Johnny. I’m here now,” I panted, returning to my seat. Darius smirked, pulling me into his lap in an odd way so that I was facing him. I shivered as chills went up my spine thanks to him breathing so softly on my neck. I bit my lip as his hands trailed all around my exposed upper body.
“What kept you? Are you okay? You sound tired,” Johnny observed plainly, skepticism blatant. I took in a deep, shaky breath as Darius kissed from my jaw to my collarbone.
“I’m fine, I promise. Darius was giving me a lecture, so I had to run to come get the phone.” I absentmindedly drew small circles on his bare chest. Darius held me closer and tighter.
“Oh, yeah: Darius. He’s kind of hard for me to place, but Marcy—on the other hand—is like an open book! She called asking so many questions regarding you and our family. Gracie, she sounds like she’s only eight years old!” Johnny joked, laughing heartily.
“What kind of questions?” She was prying, I knew, so I turned my full attention to my brother rather than the taunting boy who was doing manipulative things to my poor body.
“Well, she asked if we like it here and how our dad is. Gracie, I guess I should tell you this. Marc’s been getting the beatings since you left. He doesn’t cry or anything, but Dad gets him pretty good. He pulled out the belt just last night.” John took in a shaky breath. “We can’t do this without you. We need you, Gracie.”
As if my heart hadn’t already shattered!
“I know,” I mumbled. “I promise I’ll bring you guys out soon, okay? We’ll be together again and eventually it’ll just be us. No mom. No dad. Just you, Marc, Marty, and me. My word is my bond.”
“I know it, Grace. Dad’s home and I think he’ll yell at me if he finds out I’m on the phone. He got mad last time. I’ll tell Demetrius and Marcus that you love them. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Bye.” I dropped the phone with a heavy heart. Darius sighed.
“I suppose this means I’m only getting to second base?” I rolled my eyes.
“That’s the most you’re ever getting.”
“Oh?” he challenged. “I think not. So why are you promising your kid brothers that they can stay? You didn’t tell me of this.”
“Please?”
“Hold on there, Missy. You never told me who gave you these bruises,” he reminded me, grasping my arm from his seat on the bed and poking at a welt. I cringed, not liking the shock of pain that shot through me.
Damn.
“You heard me, babe,” he purred, smirking. “You want Johnny and I want what Lynn got. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that.”
“Darius, please,” I begged softly, managing to keep my eyes on him.
“It’s just one little kiss, love. Or are you afraid it will turn into something more?” He grinned mockingly and I growled in my throat.
“It won’t!”
“Let’s find out,” he murmured in my ear, suddenly right behind me and holding my back to his chest. I rolled my eyes and turned around in his arms.
His hands slid to the small of my back and I opened my mouth to tell him just how wide of the mark he was when his lips crashed to mine roughly. I gasped for breaths as my heart pounded, racing. Darius pulled me closer still and I could feel his chest rising and falling with each shallow, raspy breath he took. His tongue darted past my lips and was exploring virtually every square inch of my mouth. I could barely keep up. Not even thinking much, I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. Darius managed to set the phone down on the bed as he pushed me onto the bed as well and crawled on top of me. I tried to get his shirt off, but I took too long and he carelessly tossed it aside before taking mine off and kissing my neck roughly. I kicked myself as a soft moan escaped my lips and Darius smiled against my skin.
“Gracie?”
Darius and I both jumped at the sudden noise and I worked hard to even out my breaths. Slipping out from under him, I grasped the phone Darius had set aside.
“Sorry, Johnny. I’m here now,” I panted, returning to my seat. Darius smirked, pulling me into his lap in an odd way so that I was facing him. I shivered as chills went up my spine thanks to him breathing so softly on my neck. I bit my lip as his hands trailed all around my exposed upper body.
“What kept you? Are you okay? You sound tired,” Johnny observed plainly, skepticism blatant. I took in a deep, shaky breath as Darius kissed from my jaw to my collarbone.
“I’m fine, I promise. Darius was giving me a lecture, so I had to run to come get the phone.” I absentmindedly drew small circles on his bare chest. Darius held me closer and tighter.
“Oh, yeah: Darius. He’s kind of hard for me to place, but Marcy—on the other hand—is like an open book! She called asking so many questions regarding you and our family. Gracie, she sounds like she’s only eight years old!” Johnny joked, laughing heartily.
“What kind of questions?” She was prying, I knew, so I turned my full attention to my brother rather than the taunting boy who was doing manipulative things to my poor body.
“Well, she asked if we like it here and how our dad is. Gracie, I guess I should tell you this. Marc’s been getting the beatings since you left. He doesn’t cry or anything, but Dad gets him pretty good. He pulled out the belt just last night.” John took in a shaky breath. “We can’t do this without you. We need you, Gracie.”
As if my heart hadn’t already shattered!
“I know,” I mumbled. “I promise I’ll bring you guys out soon, okay? We’ll be together again and eventually it’ll just be us. No mom. No dad. Just you, Marc, Marty, and me. My word is my bond.”
“I know it, Grace. Dad’s home and I think he’ll yell at me if he finds out I’m on the phone. He got mad last time. I’ll tell Demetrius and Marcus that you love them. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Bye.” I dropped the phone with a heavy heart. Darius sighed.
“I suppose this means I’m only getting to second base?” I rolled my eyes.
“That’s the most you’re ever getting.”
“Oh?” he challenged. “I think not. So why are you promising your kid brothers that they can stay? You didn’t tell me of this.”
“Please?”
“Hold on there, Missy. You never told me who gave you these bruises,” he reminded me, grasping my arm from his seat on the bed and poking at a welt. I cringed, not liking the shock of pain that shot through me.
Damn.