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Pierce seems to read my mind. "Don't worry about them, Mariposa," he says. "I've got them under control. They won't bother us tonight."

I relax against him, feeling safe for the first time in an incredibly long time. We sit there for hours, just talking and holding each other, the fire slowly dying down.

Eventually, we make our way back upstairs to the bedroom. Pierce looks me in the eye and smirks. It’s a devilishly handsome smirk that makes my belly do somersaults, while simultaneously making me wet. Yikes.

I can feel his desire for me just in the way he looks at me. There’s such an intensity in his gaze that it could bring me to my knees.

He reaches for my hip and inches his hand up my shirt slowly, leaving goosebumps across my skin. The gentle touch sets me ablaze and I quiver. The anticipation is a physical weight in my chest, making it hard to inhale as he traces the outline of my breast, sending jolts of electricity straight to my core.

Pierce’s hand cups my breast firmly and the friction against the sensitive skin drags a low moan from my throat that sounds foreign even to me.

His eyes darken, devouring me with a hunger that matches my own, and he captures my lips in a kiss that is anything but gentle before he trails his lips down the side of my neck, biting and licking at the sensitive skin. His hand moves to pull his zipper down. The sound is sharp in the quiet room, making me shiver with anticipation. I’m desperate for him, aching for the connection that only he can give me. I reach up to tangle my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, and he groans into my mouth as he kicks his pants aside.

He works to get my clothing off, tossing each piece aside one by one. I tug at the hem of his shirt and he puts his arms up, allowing me to remove it. Pierce pushes me back until the back of my thighs hit the bed. He quickly spins me around and I nearly lose my balance. My hands go out and flatten on the mattress instinctually. Pierce runs his knuckles from my neck down to my tailbone gently before I’m surprised with a searing slap to my ass. The burning sensation makes me moan and push my ass back into him even more and he lets out a dark chuckle.

“Naughty, naughty, Mariposa.” He soothes his hand over where he slapped before speaking again. “Do you like the pain, my love? Are you desperate for more?” He grips my hair in his hand and pulls back, yanking my head back, stretching my body in all the right ways.

“Pierce, please. Please just give me what I need”, I whimper. I spread my legs further as he trails his fingers up the inside of my thigh. The gentlest of his touch sends electricity through me and I drop to my elbows as he releases my hair slightly. “I need you, Ghostie. Please!” I sound fucking pathetic but I can’t help it. I’m obsessed with him, dead or alive.

Before I can finish my thought, Pierce rams himself into me, not leaving me any time to adjust. A gasp leaves my lips as I brace myself for what’s to come.

His strokes are relentless and burn in the best way. He slams into me over and over until I can’t take it. My belly tightens and the base of my spine heats. I’m seeing stars as my orgasm crashes over me. It only takes him a few more pumps before he comes inside me.

We sit there in silence for a few minutes, trying to compose ourselves. Pierce picks me up and fully places me on the bed before he curls behind me and we drift off to sleep, fucked, satiated, and complete.

ten

River

Iwake up to the sound of rain tapping against the window. Pierce is already up, watching the storm outside. He looks peaceful and calm.

As if he senses my gaze, he turns to me. “You're trembling," Pierce says softly, sensing my anxiety. His expression shifts from serenity to concern. "You've been sleeping restlessly."

I nod, pulling the thin blanket tighter around my shoulders. "I had another nightmare about Dean."

Pierce reaches out, his fingers brushing against my cheek, wiping away a tear. "He won't find us here, River. We're safe for now." But his words don't comfort me. I know what Dean is capable of. He wouldn't stop until he had me back.

Pierce hands me socks, a sweatshirt, and sweatpants and I dress before he pulls me in for a tight hug. His arms around my body immediately makes me feel reassured.

Just then, the sound of the front door creaking open echoes through the house. Pierce immediately grabs me, pulling me close. Quietly, he opens the bedroom door and drags me through the hallway. Pierce opens a heavy wooden door at the end that leads to an old wooden staircase that goes downward into darkness.

Slowly, I make my way down without a word and he closes the door behind me. There’s a faint glow from the minimal moonlight once I reach the bottom. I take a few steps, my eyes adjusting to the gloom, when I stop. Lying in the dust and debris on the floor are several human bones. And next to them, a silver necklace with a simple pendant. Slowly, I reach down to pick it up and see that it says "Pierce."

My heart skips a beat. The realization hits me like a physical blow. These are Pierce's bones. I look at my hand and inspect the necklace, my fingers tracing the engraving.

Pierce walks up next to me, watching with little to no expression. "You found me," he says. “No need to be sad, Mariposa. I’ve accepted my new life and I love it.” I carefully tuck the necklace into my pocket, my hand trembling as I do so. I give him a small smile.

As I look around, I memorize the location of the bones. I hear footsteps on the stairs above us. Heavy, aggressive footsteps. Dean.

Pierce grabs my arm and pushes me toward the back of the room, where an old, hidden archway leads to even darker depths.

As he shoves me through, I push my back up against the wall on the other side, trying to process the shock of finding Pierce's skeleton. Trying to understand how the fuck Dean found me. I hear the heavy wooden door above us creak open, and then a voice that makes my blood run cold.

"River!" Dean shouts, his voice echoing through the basement. "I know you're down here, bitch!"

My heart hammers against my chest as I slowly look around the corner. But before I can see anything at all, a hand wraps around my throat.

Dean stands there, his face twisted in rage. "Found you, you little bitch." He tightens his grip, cutting off my air. My vision begins to blur, my lungs burning as I gasp for breath.