Chapter 11: Crown of Smoke: Chapter 11

Oh, my God. My breath is ripped from me as Flynn drives into me, fills me. I should push him away. This is exactly what I promised myself I wouldn’t do. But my fingers curl into his sweat-dampened hair instead, pulling him closer. His growl vibrates through my chest as he presses me against the wall.

“Fuck yes… you feel so good.” Another searing kiss steals any verbal response I might have. His hands slide down my sides, gripping my hips. The rational part of my brain screams that anyone could walk in, that this is insane. But when he begins to move, all rationality dissipates. There’s only sensation.

I melt into him, letting out a small whimper as his fingers dig into my skin. Every touch sets my nerves on fire. My head falls back against the wall as his mouth finds my neck, teeth scraping sensitive flesh.

The bathroom door rattles. My heart leaps into my throat.

‘Occupied!’ Flynn’s growl carries enough menace to send whoever it is scurrying away.

‘Someone could walk in,’ I gasp, even as my body arches into his touch.

‘Let them try.’ His voice is dark, possessive. His hands mold over my dress-covered breasts, making me wish we were somewhere else and naked. His thumbs circle my nipples, forcing a moan from me.

His mouth captures mine again, hungry and demanding. My hands roam his bare chest, tracing the ink decorating his skin. He’s still slick with sweat from the fight, muscles rippling under my fingertips.

‘Tell me you want this,’ he breathes against my lips as his body rocks into me again.

‘Yes,” I respond on a harsh breath.

Another knock at the door sends adrenaline racing through my veins. The threat of discovery only heightens every sensation as Flynn moves in and out of me, his hands roaming over me.

‘Please,’ I whimper, not sure if I’m begging him to stop or keep going.

My cheeks burn at another loud knock on the door, but Flynn’s touch erases any coherent thought. He drives in, harder, faster. I bite my lip, trying to stay quiet as pleasure builds.

‘Open up in there!’ a gruff voice calls from outside.

The forbidden thrill of getting caught sends electricity racing through my veins. My head falls back against the wall as each stroke brings me closer to the edge.

More pounding at the door. Heavy footsteps in the hall. Flynn’s mouth captures mine, swallowing my moans as I rush closer and closer to the edge.

“Oh, God.” My fingers dig into his shoulders. The world narrows to his touch, the heat of his skin, the way his muscles flex under my hands. Even the angry voices outside fade away as pleasure crashes over me in waves.

‘That’s it,’ he growls against my neck. ‘Let go for me.’ He thrusts in, grinds against me, filling me with warmth as his own release overtakes him.

He holds me steady as I come down, his lips brushing soft kisses along my jaw. My heart races, partly from the orgasm, partly from the knowledge that we could be discovered any second.

I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m always the careful one, the planner, the one who thinks everything through. Sure, sometimes things happen that I don’t anticipate, but I’m usually sensible. Why does Flynn make me want to throw that all out the window?

My legs still feel wobbly as we slip out of the bathroom stall. I smooth down my skirt, trying to tame my disheveled appearance while avoiding eye contact with him.

“Ready?” Flynn asks, a mischievous smile on his face as he reaches to undo the lock on the bathroom door.

I’m already mortified, but what can I do? It’s not like we can stay here until everyone leaves the warehouse. Can we?

He flips the lock and opens the door, putting his arm around me as we exit. A petite redhead stands by the door, arms crossed and foot tapping. Her eyes widen as she takes in Flynn’s shirtless state, his boxing shorts riding low on his hips. Heat floods my cheeks as understanding dawns on her face.

‘About time,’ she mutters, pushing past us into the bathroom.

I want to sink through the floor, but Flynn just chuckles. He tugs me closer against his side. The casual possessiveness of the gesture makes my pulse jump.

‘Looks like we had an audience waiting.’ He drops a kiss on my neck, right where anyone can see. ‘Hope we didn’t keep them waiting too long.’

‘Oh, my God, stop.’ I bury my burning face in his chest, his skin still warm, slightly damp with sweat. ‘This is mortifying.’

‘Why? Because they know I just made you come?’ His voice carries down the hall, making me cringe. A couple of guys walking past shoot us knowing grins.

‘Flynn!’ I smack his chest, but he catches my hand, bringing it to his lips.

‘I like seeing you blush.’ His teeth graze my knuckles. The predatory glint in his eyes sends heat pooling low in my belly again. ‘Makes me wonder what other ways I can make you turn this pretty shade of pink.’

The raw sexuality in his voice makes me shiver despite my embarrassment. There’s something intoxicating about his boldness, the way he claims me so openly.

“I need to change. Wait here, okay?” He settles me near the exit. “Stay out of trouble, would ya?” He winks.

I smirk but do as he asks. My head is still reeling from what just happened. When I headed to the bathroom, sex was the last thing on my mind. I was feeling nauseous watching Flynn and the others beat each other to a pulp. I still didn’t know what happened to the first guy who was beaten unconscious.

The blood. The roar of the crowd demanding more violence. It made my head spin and my stomach sour. I had to get out of there before I passed out. I made a beeline to the bathroom. The last thing I expected was for the bathroom door to crash open and Flynn to appear.

I can’t deny there’s a part of me that likes his protectiveness. What woman doesn’t like a man to look at her like she’s the center of his world? But I know it’s not something I should encourage or get used to. There’s too much I don’t know about Flynn, and I suspect what I don’t know would be a deal breaker for me. Plus, I’m an independent woman. I don’t need a man in my life, especially one whose protectiveness borders on possessiveness.

I lean against the wall near the exit, my legs still trembling from both the bathroom encounter and the violence I witnessed earlier. The crowd’s roar from the boxing ring echoes all around, but I focus on the people around me, not on the violence in the ring.

A fighter stumbles past, blood dripping from his nose. I press myself closer to the wall, averting my eyes. The metallic scent makes my head spin again. I focus on breathing through my mouth.

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to sort through the chaos in my head.

‘First time at the fights?’ A middle-aged man in an expensive suit sidles up beside me, cologne heavy enough to mask the smell of blood and sweat permeating the hall.

‘That obvious?’ I force a laugh, wanting to appear friendly. Perhaps I’ll learn something about the Keans.

‘Tom Mellon.’ He extends his hand, holding mine a beat too long. ‘I’d be happy to explain things to you.’ His eyes rake down my body. ‘Give you a… private tour of operations.’

Funny how when Flynn looks at me like that, my insides light up like a Christmas tree, but this guy makes me feel creeped out. “That’s very nice of you, but⁠—”

He steps closer, backing me against the wall. My skin crawls as his hand settles on my hip. ‘Maybe start with dinner?’ His thumb strokes my side. ‘Unless you’d rather skip straight to dessert?’

‘I should really get back⁠—’

‘Come on, don’t be shy.’ His other hand braces against the wall beside my head, caging me in. For a moment, I’m back in the alley with four men threatening to violate and then kill me.

‘Pretty thing like you shouldn’t be here alone, anyway. Let me take care of you.’ The stench of his cologne suffocates me as he leans closer. “I can make you feel⁠—’

A blur of movement. Tom’s weight vanishes as Flynn rips him away from me.

‘Touch her again and I’ll break more than your shoulder.’ Flynn’s voice is deadly calm, belying the savage fury in his eyes. He twists Tommy’s arm at an unnatural angle. A sickening pop. Tom’s scream pierces the air as his shoulder dislocates.

Flynn pushes him against the wall, looming over him, muscles coiled tight. ‘She’s off limits.’ Each word drips with menace. ‘Spread the word. Anyone who comes near her answers to me. Understood?’

Tom nods frantically, scrambling away. “Fucking lunatic.”

Flynn’s hand settles possessively on the small of my back as he guides me away. His touch is gentle, so different from the brutality I just witnessed. But I can feel the tension thrumming through him, like a predator ready to strike again at the slightest provocation.

When we’re outside, he stops me. ‘You okay?’ His fingers brush my cheek, tilting my face up to his.

I nod, still processing the whirlwind of violence. The way he went from playful lover to deadly fighter in an instant makes my head spin. The casual violence of Flynn’s response should terrify me. But beneath the confusion, an undeniable thrill races through me at his fierce protectiveness.

‘You sure?’

I nod again, even though I’m not sure. This is madness. In the span of a few hours I’ve witnessed this man beat up a man for sport, let him take me against a bathroom stall wall, and then watched him dislocate a man’s shoulder like it was a toothpick. He touches me with such tenderness, yet he can snap into savage violence in an instant.

“Let’s get out of here.” His arm slides around my waist again, pulling me against his side. The heat of his skin seeps through my clothes, and despite everything I’ve just witnessed, my body responds to his proximity. What does it say about me that his dangerous edge doesn’t repel me? I should be running in the opposite direction. Instead, I lean into his touch, craving more of this electric connection between us.

Something about the way Flynn makes me feel—protected, desired, alive—drowns out my usual cautious nature. Even knowing he’s capable of such violence, I’ve never felt safer than in his arms.

I need to guard against this. I don’t belong to Flynn. I can’t come to rely on him whenever I get into scrapes. Moreover, he can’t beat up every person who hits on or leers at me. Somehow, I need to set boundaries. The hard part will be enforcing them.