The walls between us were breaking. Eden Lachey and Eden Carrera were battling for control, and my wife had an iron will.
As if hearing my thoughts, she rose to her feet. “I should go.” After tucking Lola safely in my arms, she bolted toward the door without another word.
“Eden wait...”
She paused, her slim fingers gripping the doorframe. “She’s been a little fussy, but I took her temperature and it’s normal, so she’s probably just teething.”
Fuck this. I’d had enough.
“Well, you would know,” I muttered.
Sharp blue eyes sliced toward me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“How long are you going to do this to them?” I growled, nodding first to Lola and then down to where Santi played with a toy firetruck. “To us? To our family? You’re remembering.” Before she could protest, I added, “Don’t lie to me. Even if I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I see it in your eyes.”
“You see what?”
“Love.” The word seethed out of me as I stepped toward her. “You can’t hide it, Eden. You never could.”
Even when we both wanted you to.
“Yeah?” she challenged, calmly holding my stare, her face melting into that look. The pursed and twisted lips. The wrinkled nose. The deep vertical line sinking between her eyes. “Well, you want to know what you can’t hide, Val?” She took one step, putting us nearly chest to chest. “Where were you tonight?”
Those four words were the catalyst to the storm. Four words stirred the cauldron of my sins, resurrecting the devil from the shadows. I clenched my teeth as El Muerte gnashed his directly behind them.
Four words summoned hell, but my silence opened the gate.
“That’s what I thought,” she muttered, but there was no satisfaction on her face as she walked away.
Only the sharp sting of truth.
“¡Puta madre!” Kicking the bedroom door closed, I pounded my fist into the wall, hoping for a satisfying crack of plaster or bone; at this point, I didn’t care which. I didn’t get either, which only served to fuel my rage.
A war brewed within me, and every day that passed was another battle lost. Another slip into the abyss. I knew the man I’d become was dangerous, but I’d never feared for the safety of those within the walls of this house.
Until now.
I’d held on for eleven weeks. I’d ignored the suspicious looks. I’d excused the icy responses, telling myself it wasn’t her fault. This wasn’t my Eden. She didn’t remember.
But she was starting to remember.
And week twelve was my breaking point.
Letting out another string of curses, I swept my arm across a side table sending picture frames and fucking candles flying. But that wasn’t good enough. It didn’t appease the need to hurt and destroy. So, picking up the table itself, I hurled it across the room, sending it crashing against the far wall.
Still not enough
The monster inside me roared so loudly, I didn’t trust myself around my own children. When Eden walked out, I’d yelled for Luisa, quickly handing Lola to her and then storming out.
That was then.
Now here I stood with clenched fists, the steady thrum of blood rushing in my ears. I needed to diffuse this rage boiling inside me, or I’d do something I couldn’t take back.
However, there were only two ways to fully expel my demons.
Take a life or take my wife.
And since the only lives within reach had my blood running through their veins, the first option was off the table.
Nine months ago, the second option wouldn’t have been a problem. Eden knew what I needed and catered to it. But now… Cursing again, I shoved my hands through my hair and paced. Now, that wasn’t a choice either. As much as I needed to fuck, I’d put a gun to my own head before I took Eden against her will.
She was my wife, not my whore.
But El Muerte would. El Muerte would shove her to her knees and fuck her mouth until she begged for mercy.
But there would be none.
El Muerte knew no mercy.
He would get off on her struggle. She’d call him the devil, and he’d laugh because it was true. Then the devil would take what was his and drive inside her so hard all of Mexico would hear her scream.
“Dios mío.” Opening my eyes, I found myself braced against the wall, stroking my already hard cock through the thin layer of my pants.
Fuck this.
Pushing off the wall, I stalked toward the attached bathroom, ripping buttons and tearing fabric as I went. By the time I made it to the shower, my dick was already in my fist again. I didn’t bother to wait for the water to warm up before ducking under the spray. It could’ve been straight from fucking Antarctica. I didn’t care.
My body was on fire.
Images of Eden’s naked body spun through my mind as I slammed a hand against the tile and viciously worked my cock with the other. I didn’t bother with soap. I wanted it as rough and raw and fucked up as we were.
I was almost there. My dick throbbed with need, and the more my head filled with sadistic thoughts of punishing the woman I loved, the harder I jerked.
“Dios mío, fuck...yes, Cereza!”
“Val?”
My hand froze, and I opened my eyes to see Eden standing there, her blue eyes as wide as her rounded mouth. The barrier between fantasy and reality came crashing down when I realized, in my rush to release, I didn’t bother closing the shower door.
“I’m sorry,” she said, pressing her palms together under her chin in what looked to be prayer. For what, I had no idea. If it was forgiveness, she’d come to the wrong place. “I didn’t mean to barge in. I…I heard a loud noise and shouting. I thought…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes lowered to my ass. “I guess everything’s fine.”
We’ll see about that.
Pushing off the tile, I turned to face her, my hand still wrapped around my swollen cock. “Is it? You tell me, Cereza.”
A bright red stain burned her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Instead, that fucking pink tongue darted out and licked her bottom lip as I continued to stroke myself.
“I shouldn’t be here.”
“But you are,” I taunted, her eyes still transfixed on my hand. “Why is that, Eden?”
“I told you, I heard—”
“You heard shouting; I know. But once you walked in here, you and I both know what kind of shouting you heard. You heard me call your name while getting myself off, and you know what I think, Cereza?” She shook her head, and I smirked as her eyes bobbed along with my hand. “I think hearing it made that wall inside your head crack even more.” Caught up in my own web, my voice became thick and rough. “I think you remembered how much you used to love this.” Grabbing her wrist, I wrapped her small hand around my cock. “And the unspeakable things it does to you.” Eden resisted at first, then quickly let out a shuddering breath as I worked our hands in tandem up and down my shaft.
“You’re wrong,” she groaned.
“Prove it.”
Her hand stilled. “What?”
“Lift up your dress and show me your pussy.” I flashed her a wicked smile. “If it’s not dripping wet for me right now, I’ll never touch you again.”