💍Ring💍


The final story in the Locke and Key Trilogy

First Chapter of Ring!
The First Chapter of Locke
Latest Chapter of Ring!
The first Chapter of Key

The trial may be over, but the tribulations aren’t.

With newfound success comes attention, but not all of it is good. After the death of the killer, Jasper and Bella thought they could finally move on with their lives, but a vandalized car is just the start of a rollercoaster of events that will change them for the rest of their lives- in both remarkable and catastrophic ways.

The best revenge is finding happiness in the face of real evil. But not is all as it seems, and there is more than one kind of mask. Will they be able to see who is behind it before it’s too late?

Warnings: This story contains violence and graphic sexual content. 18+ only.


 
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10/30/2020

Ring: Chapter Six: Around the House

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Chapter Six: Around the House


I didn’t want to go home.

It was such a reversal from just a month before, when we were in Albany.

Neither did Jasper. We couldn’t live in Vegas, though. It was too busy, too bright. 

He spoke to Sam before we left, making sure the house was fine and that everything that he ordered was installed and working correctly. The FBI was still looking into the car. The only camera in the neighborhood was four houses down, and all it caught was a woman jogging in the middle of the night. Her face was covered so we couldn’t even tell if she was one of our neighbors so we could ask if she saw anything. It wasn’t as if I would know them on sight, anyway. I hadn’t introduced myself yet.

The whole situation was extremely frustrating, and it made him feel out of control. 
The story hadn’t gotten onto the news, but people were calling Eric. They wanted statements from me, or to do interviews. Several local newspapers were especially interested in sitting down with me. I had no comment for any of them. I didn’t know what was going on, and I didn’t feel like reliving the stress of it repeatedly. Annoyingly, I knew I would talk about it for a long time, whether I wanted to or not.

I texted Alice and Tanya to let them know we were coming back into town. They were hanging out with Rosalie, shopping. They were all worried about me, which was sweet. I missed my friends. We agreed to meet up in a few days for lunch.

Our townhouse looked perfectly normal when we arrived back from the airport with ten times more than what we left with. Jasper was still concerned, though. He went through it, clearing each room like he was on an active scene. Once I was settled inside our bedroom with the door locked behind me, he went outside to go around it with his gun.

Our neighbors were going to think we were freaks.

We were, but not because my romantic partner was sneaking around the house at nine o’clock at night with a loaded handgun. He was actually trained to do that, and at least if the cops were called, we had a good excuse.

After coming back upstairs, he put it back in the safe that was hidden away in the closet. He had a small collection, but they were mostly for work. He wasn’t a gun nut. There were a couple that meant something to him, a BB gun from his childhood and his grandfather’s hunting rifle. He also had one that was a gift from his parents. It was engraved with the date of his graduation from West Point. It was an old-fashioned six-shooter with a mother-of-pearl handle. Jasper had gone through a cowboy phase as a child, which is why he wanted to be a ‘sheriff.’ The idea was very cute. He kept it clean but had only fired it a few times. It was more of a showpiece than a weapon. It stayed in the closet in his old bedroom until just a couple of weeks before.

I considered getting him a display case for it for Christmas. We could stick it up somewhere in the office. I could have it engraved, too. The day was approaching so quickly. I hoped I could find something else to go with it in New York.

My mind was lost in thought as I unpacked. When the doorbell rang, I jumped a mile. Just being in the house made me on edge. Jasper and I looked at each other. He pulled his gun right out and stuck it in his back pocket after making sure the safety was on. He tugged his shirt over it and went to go get it. I was grateful he wasn’t drawing his weapon on random people yet.

Following behind, I stopped at the top of the stairs. It was easy to observe from there, but anyone at the door wouldn’t be able to see me. The angle was too steep. The bell rang again. I could only see someone’s hair through the small glass window at the top of the door. It was a man or a very tall woman.

Jasper peeked through it, then groaned. “It’s fine,” he grumbled softly before opening it wide. It was Edward, appearing nervous with his hands shoved into his scrub pockets. He must have come from work. “What are you doing here?” He rudely greeted him. 

“I’m sorry. I just… Um,” he paused, staring down at his feet as he rocked. “I wanted to make sure you and Bella were alright. I know we’re not friends anymore, but she was terrified the other day and… And it scared me.”

I came down the steps, using the railing so I didn’t trip down them. “That’s nice. We’re fine, though. Thank you.” Nodding, Edward’s cheeks were slightly pink as he looked away in embarrassment. “Has everything been okay?”

“Yeah. Nothing has happened at the apartment. Tanya stayed with me for a couple of days, but she’s gone back. She prefers her bed,” he explained while still not looking at either of us.

“This might be the time to think about moving in together seriously,” I suggested.

He chuckled, nodding again. “Yeah. You’re probably right. But she enjoys having her personal space, though. You know her.”

“I’m going to put my gun away,” Jasper muttered in a low tone, trudging up the stairs. He didn’t want to be a part of the tedious small talk. He pulled it from his pocket and removed the clip, loudly taking each step. With a sigh, I shook my head. He was still in his work boots, so he used them to send a noisy message… which was ‘not welcome, go away.’ He wasn’t subtle.

“Oh, that’s a real pistol,” Edward murmured to himself, leaning over to watch him go up to our room. “He had-” He looked at me in surprise. His mouth opened and closed several times as he peered towards our bedroom.

I snorted because I couldn’t help it. “Yup, he did. Don’t worry, he won’t shoot you. Just make sure you properly announce yourself, and I would suggest visiting during the daylight hours. For your own protection.”

Laughing, he shook his head. “So, you’re okay?”

I leaned against the door frame with one shoulder and sighed. “Yeah. I’m a little stressed, but I’m really happy overall. Everything isn’t perfect, but some remarkable things have happened to me this month. The house and our trip. Other stuff.”

“Where did you end up going?” He inquired, continuing the small talk. I hadn’t spoken to my roommate much. He seemed genuinely curious.

“Vegas,” I replied with a smile, absently pushing my hair out of my eyes and behind my ear. “I’ve never gone. It was so much fun.”

His expression changed, and his face dropped. “Oh, that is a very big ring on your finger,” he breathed and became visibly redder. “Did- Did you… get engaged?” He gazed at my left hand. Then it fully dawned on him. “You got married in Las Vegas.”

“Um, yeah,” I grinned at his stumbling summary. “It’s not as cheesy as it sounds. We got married outside in the desert. Red Canyon. It was beautiful.” I took a deep breath. “Could you not tell T yet, please? We’re telling his family in a couple of days, and she’ll definitely tell Rosalie. Family needs to be the first to know.”

His eyes were a little glazed over, and he had an odd smile. When he glanced in my direction, it was somewhere past me. “Oh, yeah. Sure. Of course. I won’t say anything.” He laughed awkwardly. “God, Tanya would just tell everyone, wouldn’t she?”

“Oh, everyone,” I agreed with a laugh. “This is too dramatic and romantic not to share.”

“I hope you don’t plan on keeping it from her for long.”

I shook my head quickly. “Of course not. I was going to tell her and Alice at the same time. I’m not sure how either of them will react, so I’m nervous.”

“They’ll be thrilled for you, just like I am.” Jasper came down and sort of glared at him. He grimaced and swallowed before forcing a grin. “Congrats, man. That’s awesome. You are very, very lucky.”

“I am,” he remarked as he put his hand on my spine. I rolled my eyes at his possessiveness. It was silly.

“Hopefully, uh, we’ll be making that trip next year too. Down the aisle, I mean,” he added. “I was thinking of proposing either New Year’s or Valentine’s Day. Haven’t decided,” Edward blurted out as he looked down at his feet.

“Oh! Great! Let me know if you need any help setting that up. I’d love to make it special for her,” I offered right away. “I’ll be happy to distract or decorate or whatever.”

“Thank you,” he said in surprise. He bowed his head and cleared his throat. “Okay, so you’re good. That’s why I came. I just wanted to make sure. I’m certain you’re tired, so I’ll talk to you later.”

“Alright, bye,” I called softly, watching him turn around to go to his fancy silver sports car. It was too cold for his motorcycle, which he preferred. It was brand new, and I had never seen it before. He loved his shiny toys.

“Goodnight,” Jasper sarcastically sang in a thick southern accent. I glanced at him, and he raised his eyebrows innocently. Silently, I tilted my head to the side.

Suddenly, Edward turned back around. “Oh, wait.” He pulled a box from his jacket pocket. “I got you something. I got one for Tanya, too. Here.” He shoved it in my hand before rushing away. When I looked down, I realized it was a can of mace in a fancy silver metal key chain in the shape of a cat. The ears were slightly sharp for poking or stabbing in the eyes. It was heavy and would do some damage.

My husband took it from my grip. “I don’t like him giving you a gift, but I understand why he gave you this.”

“It’s nice,” I remarked with a smirk. “He’s trying harder to be a decent human.” Taking the box from his hands, I put it in my purse. “Do you want to order a pizza? I’m hungry, and there isn’t any food in the house.” 

After dinner, we went to bed. We woke up slowly in our new room. It felt like staying in a hotel. I wasn’t used to my surroundings and needed to make it our own. No place felt like home yet, and I didn’t like it.

The movers brought my things along with our pod. It didn’t take us long to take all our stuff out. It would go back the next day. After that, we showered and went to the market to fill our pantry with all the staple items we needed. There was nothing but some liquor in there from when he proposed.

Once we dropped off the groceries, we went to the kitchen store so I could buy some new pots and pans. Everything was perfect in our place, and my old things just wouldn’t do. I wanted everything to be pretty. When my mother-in-law came over for dinner, I wanted to show off. I had the money to change the world around me.

I needed a fresh start.

We were so tired afterward that we ordered a ton of Chinese. Sitting in the sunroom, we listened to music and enjoyed our meal. It was quiet and comfortable, but I still felt uneasy. My anxiety was on edge. Every movement in the backyard made me nervous, even though it was just the wind. I told myself it was only in my head. A million lights and alarms would go off if someone stepped foot on our property.
​
The next morning, I woke up determined to make Jasper a big breakfast. Muffins, eggs, bacon, and coffee with fruit. I put it on the tray he used for that special night and brought it up to the bedroom. He was still asleep. It was late in the day for him, almost nine. He was enjoying the rest. I loved seeing him like that. I liked watching him sleep, and I knew he enjoyed it too. His art books were proof of that.

I put the food on the dresser so I could kiss him awake. He grinned drowsily at me, his fingers coming to my hair. “I made you something. Go wash up real quick.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled, brushing his other hand over his face. When he saw the tray, he impishly smiled. “Oh, darlin. You are so damn good to me.”

Giggling, I brought it to the bed. I also arranged his laptop so we could watch something while we ate together.

We were about halfway through our feast when his phone dinged. He smirked a little. “Mama says to text her when you get a chance.”

“She could just text me.”

“She could, but she has to talk to as many people as possible,” he chuckled.

I sent her a message. I needed to speak to them about getting together that night, anyway. Everyone had already agreed, but we hadn’t discussed the spot. With something in mind, I only had to make reservations.

“Are you busy right now?” His mother asked promptly.

“Nope,” I responded. Almost instantly, my cell rang. Putting it on speaker, I answered while holding my husband’s gaze. “Hi, Caroline. How are you?”

“I’m so good, baby. How are y’all?”

I smiled. He was shaking his head as he nibbled at the end of a piece of bacon. “We’re great. I brought your wonderful son breakfast in bed, and we’re watching Netflix. So, it’s a perfect morning.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. I’m just so excited about tonight. I miss y’all so much,” she said in a thick Texan drawl.

“We miss you, too,” I replied softly.

I nudged Jasper. “We do. Very much so. We’re excited about tonight, too.”

“Is there anything I need to bring?” She questioned. “Did you decide on a place?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m working on that now. I’ll text you the name and directions when I get it all confirmed. You don’t need to bring anything. This evening is all my treat,” I informed her quickly. Jasper made a little face. I put my hand in it, pushing him away slightly. It made him snort. I didn’t care if he didn’t like me paying for things. I had the money, and I could do whatever the hell I wanted with it, which included taking my new in-laws to a fancy-ass steakhouse.

“Okay, honey. I only wanted to check and make sure everything was still on. Oh! Did y’all want to come to the house this weekend to grill out? Sunday? We can go to church first.”

I looked at her son and smiled. He did too. “Sure, Mama. Sounds good. Love you. See you tonight.”

“Love you both!” She cooed before she hung up.

We stared at each other for a moment. He smirked before he took a sip of his coffee. “Are you ready, Mrs. Hale?”

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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✨The next chapter of✨ 
💍Ring💍
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10/27/2020

Ring: Chapter Five: On the Big Screen

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Chapter Five: On the Big Screen


I was lying flat on my stomach when I woke up. My ass was so sore. Jasper was pressing tiny kisses on my shoulder, his hand massaging my back. I whimpered softly as I stretched, lifting both my arms and legs off the bed. My face was still shoved into the pillows. The smell of sex lingered in the air, clinging to us.

“Good morning, Goddess. How are you?” He questioned in a tiny voice with an enormous smile. His fingers walked up my spine to my hair, pushing it out of my eyes. It was a wild, tangled mess.

Turning my head to the side, I rubbed my nose against his. We pecked light kisses against our lips for a moment before I took a deep breath. “Amazing.” I kissed him several more times. Each became deeper than the last. “Do you still want to worship me today?” He nodded, his grin somehow growing. I loved his excitement. I rolled over onto my back. “Hm, should we go out and play in public again, or should we just stay in so I can tie you up and use you like a sex toy. Decisions decisions,” I teased. 

“Whatever my Goddess desires.” He kissed my temple as his fingers moved over my stomach lightly. It was as if he couldn’t keep his lips off of me. They traveled over my breasts and the marks he made the day before. I wouldn’t be able to wear anything but turtlenecks and jeans in public for weeks. And I didn’t care one bit. I wanted them, and I needed more. “Did I hurt you any last night?”

“No,” I promised, petting his hair as he kissed my stomach. He asked the evening before when the scene ended, too, giving me the exact aftercare I needed. My tummy grumbled in hunger. He chuckled against it, running his nose over my belly button. His bright blue eyes flicked up to mine. “But, you did give me a magnificent workout.” I wiggled my eyebrows as I played with his curls.

“That was, without a doubt, the best scene I’ve ever done. It’s not even on the same scale. Just the entire day from start to finish was perfect. Thank you.” He looked at me and smiled. “I feel more relaxed than I have in years.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize my pussy was that powerful,” I joked as dryly as possible.

He was halfway through a kiss on my hip. Laughing, he made it come out as a raspberry on my skin. I giggled and squirmed as he buried his face in my soft stomach. His jaw was a little rough, and it made me ticklish.

“Really? I call you a goddess for a reason.”

Cackling, I threw my head back against the pillows with my hands over my eyes, then I shook it. He continued to chuckle as he kissed between my legs, his mouth exploring my thighs. Jasper’s arms wrapped around them, pulling them further apart. My laughter turned into a moan.

“Make me cum,” I breathlessly ordered after a few minutes. He had yet to touch what he craved, waiting for me to tell him what to do. 

“Yes, Goddess,” he whispered against my clit.

Deciding to return the favor, I made him wait before he could. The evening before had been magical for me, and I wanted him to feel some of that pressure. I wanted it to build up throughout the entire day until he was begging. Teasing him, I edged Jasper until it was nearly unbearable. Every time he came close, I would stop and make him get me off again.

After at least a dozen times, I pulled myself off the bed with another lazy stretch of my arms. I was feeling completely at ease and happy with the world.

“Let’s take a shower and order food. I’m starving. And I still haven’t decided what I want to do tonight,” I said to myself with a shake of my head. He was lying on his back with an erection that tented the sheet. I ignored it. “Go start the shower.”

Sighing softly, he shoved himself up. “Yes, ma’am.” He scrubbed his hands over his face and took a deep, calming breath. He glanced at his lap for a moment and sulked before standing up.

I swatted his ass as he walked by. Playfully, he wiggled it back at me, making me giggle. It was so much fun when he was mischievous, and I adored it. I went to pick up my phone to look at our food options, but then it started ringing. Pouting, I was a little annoyed. If it had been anyone else but Eric, I would have ignored it. But not him. Just like Jasper couldn’t ignore his mother.

“Hello?” I said into the speaker with a sigh.

“Bella! Hey! So, the FBI just talked to me about your car. Are you okay?” He inquired nervously. The words were rushed.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I promised right away. “It’s just… a little scary. And weird. I don’t know. We actually skipped town for a few days to get away from the stress. And it’s helped a lot.”

My agent let out a puff. “Oh! Oh, good. That’s nice,” he breathed in relief. “Ugh, it was such a beautiful car, though. At least you can replace it. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Yup, it’s just an object. They’re always replaceable,” I agreed. “It’ll be fun to pick something out for me this time.”

He cleared his throat. “Um, so I have news. I was going to call you today anyway when I heard from them.”

“Oh?” I sat on the edge of the bed.

He paused for a moment. “So, we’ve gotten several offers to option the book. For filming. Both television and big studios. None of them have really impressed me so far, but I got one this morning that I wanted to share with you.”

“What’s different about it from the other ones?” I hadn’t even known about them. We had spoken about the possibility of movies, but not the specifics. But I had been so busy.

“Okay, so, normally, when an author sells a book to a studio, it’s a percentage. Two or three percent of the budget and then you’re done. You don’t get anything else, and you have nothing to do with the movie. At the very least, I’d want you involved, so it turns out like your vision. But there is something called points in a contract. There are two kinds. One is garbage, and we don’t care about them. The other makes people very rich. Like JK Rowling or Stephen King’s levels. They’re offering those, and they’d like you to work with a screenwriter. So, at minimum, they’re paying a million for the rights and your script, plus a portion of the gross profits. That means you get your cut before the money men. Big. Fucking. Bucks.”

My head swam. Jasper came out of the bathroom, leaning against the frame. His face was concerned. I doubted he had heard the phone ring in the first place. “Do you think I could write a movie script?” My husband nodded, but I was asking my book agent. He crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk. He was still beautifully nude, and he exuded confidence. “I’ve done nothing like it before.”

Eric laughed. “With someone to help you? No doubt. Your dialogue is so natural. They’ll be able to pluck most of it straight from the novel. You only need someone to teach you how to write it.”

Biting my lip, I rubbed the back of my neck. “That’s crazy. A million dollars, really? Just to start? That’s what they offered?”

Jasper’s eyes got gigantic. He walked over to the bed. I reached for his hand.

“Yes, ma’am. This movie will be amazing. It’ll be a hit no matter what. Everyone will want to see this on the big screen with a colossal tub of popcorn.”

Laughing, I gazed out at the strip. Everything seemed so incredibly bright. “That’s… Wow. Are you sure they’re legit?”

“Mmhmm,” he hummed. “We’re having our lawyers look it over, of course, but it’s a standard contract from a production group that I’ve worked with before. Their parent company is one of the big ones.”

“Who is it?”

“Universal Pictures,” Eric replied. All the air was sucked out of my lungs. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to answer now. We need to arrange a meeting, so we can talk about this in person. When should I come down to Dallas?” He offered. “How long will you be out of town?”

Gazing at Jasper, I thought about how I loved going to New York City with him, but we only got brief spurts of time when we were filled with exhaustion and stress. I wanted to go back there and have it be different.

“Actually, why don’t we come to you? We can stay in Manhattan. Do a little Christmas shopping. Maybe stay for a couple of days.” My husband smiled as he nodded. I gave his hand a big squeeze.

“Sounds good. When would you like to?”

By the time I hung up the phone, we had arranged the time in a couple of weeks. I made sure it was okay at every step. That meant that Jasper would possibly take at least a month off from work. I would need his support if I decided to sell the rights to the book. If anything else, I wanted him there to celebrate with me. It would be a monumental moment for me. And then he might as well take Christmas and New Year’s off, too. The anniversary of the event would doubtless be tough for him. And honestly, me too. 

Slowly, I put the device down. The room was silent except for the hum of the heater in the background. “I think might be sick,” I whispered before I threw myself off the bed and ran into the bathroom. The shower was still going, filling the area with steam. We had both forgotten about it. It was too hot and humid and didn’t help at all.

I didn’t have much in my stomach, so I mainly gagged and dry heaved for a few moments into the toilet. Jasper turned it off and sat beside me on the floor as he rubbed my back. He pulled my hair away from my face so it wouldn’t get grosser than it already was. When I sat back against the wall, I was sweating, and it was matted to my cheek and neck. 

Wordlessly, he got up to fetch a washcloth soaked in cool water, then wiped my chin. I felt the opposite of sexy.

He picked me up off the ground and carried me back to our bed like it was nothing. It was noticeably cooler, which was nice. The bottles of waters in the mini-fridge were freezing and felt amazing against my skin. 

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as he dragged one lightly over my forehead.

Jasper laughed. “For what, Goddess?” He stroked my cheek as he leaned over me. I just shook my head, unable to speak. “So… It’s going to be a film? An actual movie?” I nodded, failing to find my words. “And they want you to write it. Damn. It’ll be so good. I can’t wait to see it.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “Thank you.”

“For what?” He repeated as he flicked one of them away with his thumb. His smile was so gentle and warm, his palm resting against my jaw as he looked at me adoringly.

“For always believing in me.”

He pursed his lips, grinning a little to himself as his fingers smoothed over my jaw. “I don’t have to believe in you. I just have to step back and watch you go. I know what you’re capable of because I’ve seen what you can do. This isn’t blind faith, so there is no reason to thank me. They’re going to talk about Isabella Swan in the same breath as the King, Brown, Patterson, Christie... because you’re as good as them, if not better.”

“Hale,” I corrected him. His smile grew so much wider. Leaning down, he pressed his forehead against mine. I took several deep, calming breaths as I smiled. He was, without a doubt, my biggest fan. I didn’t know how I got so lucky to marry him.

Exhaling, he closed his eyes. “Mrs. Hale. What do you want to do now? What are you feeling up to?”

“I really need a shower.”

Jasper nodded. We both stank, especially after I got all sweaty in the bathroom. It was a whole other kind of odor. “You should get something to eat after that,” he encouraged in a gentle voice. “It’ll make you feel better. You’re just feeling a little overwhelmed.”

I nodded in agreement. “So. Um, shower… and why don’t we get dressed, go eat, then go play at the casino for a while?” I needed to be distracted.

“If that’s what my goddess wants,” he breathed. “Do you still want to play today, or do you want me to take care of you?” He stroked my cheek. “It’s up to you.”

“I could just order you to take care of me,” I jokingly stated.

He chuckled. “Mm, very true. Tell me what to do, Mrs. Hale. I am your slave.” He brought my hand up to his mouth, kissing my wedding ring.

“Go start the water, and let’s try this again.”  


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


Click to download the epub of this chapter!!
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✨The next chapter of✨
💍Ring💍
will post on
October 30th!
💛See y'all then!💛

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10/23/2020

Ring: Chapter Four: Under his Coat

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Chapter Four: Under his Coat


Vegas was such a bright and loud place, but all I could see or hear was my husband. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him on the way back to our hotel room. We weren’t alone in the elevator, but we clung to each other, my arms around his waist. He kept kissing my temple.

He unlocked the door before scooping me up in his arms. My head fell back against his shoulder, my arms around his neck. Once inside, he kicked it shut and kissed me soundly.

Giggling, I tossed my flowers onto the couch while still in his grip. He marched me purposefully toward the bedroom. He put me to my feet in front of the bed, taking his coat from my shoulders.

“My beautiful blushing bride,” he murmured as he pecked my cheek. “My wife is a goddess.”

“Please get me out of this dress,” I begged as I tugged on his shirt so it came out of his tuxedo pants. “I need you.”

He turned me around and helped me get out of it as fast as he could. Underneath, I was wearing a red bustier and matching boy shorts, both lacy. Jasper worshipfully slid his palms over my ass.

Unbuttoning his shirt, I pushed it off of his shoulders. I lightly kissed his scar that was still bright pink. Moving my mouth to his throat, he held the back of my neck. His head fell back, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the attention. My fingers quickly worked on his pants, pushing them down to the floor.

Jasper lifted me up onto the bed, laying me back so he could crawl over me hurriedly. His mouth explored the tops of my breasts, his fingertips moving down my ribs. The way he touched me was so adoring. Reverently, he placed each kiss so he didn’t miss a single spot. No other person could make me feel like this. He was utterly devoted to me and my happiness.

“I’m so glad I’m yours,” I breathed as the emotions spilled over, my fingers in his hair. I gripped it gently, tugging it at the roots.

Stopping to look up, his eyes peered into mine. “I am so lucky to be your husband.”

I wickedly grinned as I pushed his underwear down. “You enjoy it that much?” I teased as I massaged his erection gently. It was as swollen and as hard as it could be, already aching with his desire. It jumped against my palm. He nodded slowly.

“Knowing you’re mine and I’m yours completely is definitely exciting.” He brought my left hand up to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. I dragged them over his jaw, smirking at him. My grip on him tightened, making his eyes roll into the back of his head. When my fist moved over the tip, I felt him drip with need.

I shoved him onto his back since I had control, straddling his waist. He lifted so he could undo the hooks of my bra. Jasper pushed the straps down my arms, letting it fall to the mattress beside us. The curtains were open, the lights from the city dancing on the bed over my skin. Pink, green, yellow, blue, and red all moved over our bodies as it flickered.

Slowly, he traced the lines my underwear had left on my flesh. “I’m going to make love to you all night,” he declared, pulling me down to his mouth to kiss me furiously. His other hand slid down to my ass, gripping it tightly through the fabric. His nails dug into the lace until I heard it rip.

Jasper was always so good at keeping his promises.

He was still asleep when I woke up at noon. I had covered his chest in hickies, and there were dozens on his legs and thighs, too. Neither of us held back when it came to marking each other’s body. There was one the size of a saucer on my ass cheek. I could see his teeth marks.

Taking a shower, I pampered myself with all the fun cosmetic stuff I purchased the previous day. Expensive shampoo and conditioners made my hair extra soft, and the moisturizer made my skin feel like satin. I even got the eye creams and serums I usually ignored. I wanted every inch of me to be perfect for him. Then I blow-dried my hair and straightened it with my new mini straightener. It would be useful for traveling.

When I came out in my new silk robe, he was awake and reading the news on my iPad. He raised his eyebrow, looking me over lazily. He liked what he saw. “Well, good afternoon, Isabella.”

“Good afternoon, sir,” I smiled back as I crawled onto the bed on my hands and knees slowly. “What would you like to do today? I’m yours to do whatever you please. I’ll even be a good girl, I swear.”

“I don’t believe you,” he teased, running his fingers underneath my jaw lightly. “I think I want a shower and some lunch. And tonight we’ll go to dinner and the casino. I also got us tickets to Cirque du Soleil. You’ll wear that new dress this evening.”

Wildly, I grinned. “Yes, sir.”

He held my chin, gazing into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready to do a scene all day, Isabella? If not, I would understand-”

Leaning forward to keep him from babbling, I kissed him deeply. “I’m yours, sir.”

“Tell me everything you need. It’s my job to take care of you, more now than ever before. Don’t be afraid to use your safe words for any reason, even if you’re just bored and want to stop.”

I laughed loudly as I sat back on my ankles. “I have never been bored with you before during a scene, ever. Seriously. How could I? Ugh, Daddy is spanking me again-”

I didn’t get to finish that sentence because I was tackled to the bed. Squealing, I giggled as I struggled. He pulled my robe open so he could see my bare skin. I was still nude underneath.

“Damn, you smell so good,” he mumbled to himself as he pushed it further to the side so he could peck down my abdomen. He moaned when he got to a cluster of bruises on my hip. He nipped and kissed there. “So pretty. I’m going to give you so many more of these.”

“You should see what you’ve done to my ass,” I snickered. He swiftly rolled me over to my stomach, making me laugh again. He pushed the robe over my head. I wiggled my rear at him for good measure. “Do you like it?”

Jasper smacked the spot hard with his palm. Moaning quietly, I pushed my face into the sheets. “You’re going to be able to see my hand on your skin for days after tonight.”

The words made me wet.

“Can you spank me now?” I begged softly, lifting on my elbows to look at him. He didn’t even peek at me. “Please, sir.”

He pulled my robe down, smirking. “No. I think I’ll-” His phone began to ring on the bedside table. Jasper groaned but reached for it. “Shit, it’s my mom.”

“Oh, put it on speaker.”

My new husband looked panicked. “What are we going to tell her?”

“Nothing. Give nothing away.” I took it from him and answered, putting it on speaker. “Hi, Caroline!” I said cheerfully.

“Hey, honey! How are you?”

I brought my feet up, crossing my ankles as I continued to lie on my stomach. “Fantastic! How are you?”

“Great. So, is my son with you, or did you steal his phone?”

“I’m right here,” he responded with a nervous laugh. “Hello, Mama.”

“Hey, baby. Do y’all wanna come to dinner tomorrow night? Daddy and I were thinking about ordering pizza and playing cards. We were going to invite everyone.”

We looked at each other, and he raised his eyebrows. I laughed as I sat up, picking up his phone as I did. “Um, actually, we’re not in town right now. I surprised Jasper with an impromptu trip for our anniversary.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“How sweet! Where did y’all go?”

If I said Vegas, she would know right away. He couldn’t keep that from her. “The Grand Canyon.”

That was a lie. We did go to a canyon and had a grand time, though. Jasper was smirking, tilting his head to the side to look at me.

“A trip into nature. That’s perfect. Are you having fun?”

He cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. A lot. It’s been very relaxing, and the views are stunning.”

“I cannot wait to see all the pictures.,” she responded. “Justin, they can’t. Bella took Jasper on a trip for their anniversary to the Grand Canyon. I know! Isn’t that sweet? We should go soon,” she spoke to her husband before turning her attention back to us. “Okay, well, I guess we’ll have to do that another night,” she finished with a playful pout. She didn’t actually mind.

“How about when we get back I take everyone out to dinner? My treat. We miss you guys and want to see everybody,” I insisted.

Caroline instantly loved this idea. “Fantastic! Call us when you get back into town.”

“Yes, ma’am. Love you,” I cooed sweetly. We were going to end the call perfectly. His mom was happy and knew nothing about what was going on.

“I love you, too, sugar. And you, too, baby,” she quickly added to her son.

“Love you, too, Mama. Have a good day,” he mumbled before he hung up the phone. He took it from me and placed it on the nightstand. “Ooh, little girl. You just straight up lied to that woman. I wasn’t going to give you spankings before, but now I think you’ve earned them.”

Giggling, I nibbled on my fingertip as I gazed at him. “Only a little. I lied for the greater good.”

He scoffed. “The greater good. Maybe so, but that was still very naughty. And you even promised to be good today, Isabella.”

My brain went ‘fuck, yes.’ “I guess I lied then.”

Grabbing my arm, he pulled me over his lap. Repeatedly, he smacked my ass through the robe until I was squirming. Forcefully, he yanked it over my head. He didn’t even slow down. He just kept whacking. Switching cheeks, he moved the strikes around. My eyes watered as my legs shook.

Sharply, he pushed his fingers inside of me from behind. I was incredibly slick. With the other hand, he snatched all of my hair and jerked my head back roughly. “That’s perfect. I can already see my prints on your lovely skin. You’re going to be so sore. I don’t think I’m done yet, though. Go get my belt on your hands and knees.”

When I sat up from his lap, he pulled my robe off completely. Carefully, I got off the mattress and got onto my knees. His belt was in his luggage in the closet. It was an annoyingly long way to crawl, but he wanted to stare at his handiwork in action.

“Carry it to me in your teeth,” he ordered.

He stood from the bed as I drew near. His smirk was so cocky, his arousal straining at his briefs. Jasper took the strap from my mouth and lifted my chin to make me look at him with the other. “Only bad girls lie. Do you want to be naughty?”

“Yes, sir,” I responded confidently.

His palm slapped across my cheek. “Are you going to lie to her again?”

Grinning, I glanced up at him. “Yes, sir.”

He slapped me again. “Bend over the bed.”

He thrashed me until I was crying with my toes dug deep into the carpet, and my fingers twisted into the blanket. It felt so good. When his cool fingertips dragged over my thigh, I gasped in pleasure. 

Then he pushed inside of me. The sting surprised me, and I moaned loudly. Both of his hands wrapped around my cheeks and pulled me back against him.

“No cumming yet. Only good girls get to cum.” I whimpered, and he smacked my ass with his bare hand. “Shut up, slut. You’re getting exactly what you wanted.”

He wrapped his fist around my hair, pulling my head back as he fucked me. My eyes rolled into the back of my skull. My man knew the second I was about to finish because he pulled out. He stroked himself until he came on my red ass.

He shoved my face back into the mattress. “Stay exactly like that, and don’t move an inch. I’m going to come back and fuck you again when I get done in the shower.”

I loved my husband so much. Especially this confident, cocky version of him. It had been so long since he had come out to play. We had been too busy. Between this, the trial, and the book, both of us were mentally and emotionally drained.

It was so hard not to move until he came back. Jasper took his time, too.

Fresh and warm from the shower, he moved behind me with his erection poking me in the ass. “Good girl,” he cooed. “You still don’t get to cum yet, though.”

An hour later, I was in the sexy skin-tight dress he picked out for me. He didn’t allow me to wear underwear, just a bra. Some of the marks he left, either from his belt or his mouth, were visible on my neck and thighs. His hand never moved away from my ass as we walked to the restaurant downstairs.

“Hm, I think I’d like to go to the Venetian after the show. I want to play some blackjack,” he mused as he gazed at me from across the table. He had a couple of beers with his lunch and was totally relaxed.

The circus had individual tables, and they were serving drinks. Jasper pulled my chair close enough to his that he could wrap his arm around my shoulders, and I could lay my head on his. I kept my coat on because it was cold, and I snuggled into him for warmth.

When the house lights went down, everyone became quiet. Then the beautiful, intense music started. I loved every second.

About halfway through, Jasper began to kiss my neck. We were in a far corner. The table beside us was empty, and we were against a wall. It was cozy and almost private. I watched with my lip between my teeth, my head lolled to the side.

When he licked my ear, I shivered. “Are you cold, darlin?” He teased.

“As a matter of fact, I am.”

He removed his coat and laid it across my crossed lap. Once settled again, he rested his hand on my thigh. “Uncross your legs.”

I did as he asked, and he pushed them further until he could easily move between my thighs. His cool finger stroked my warm lips. They became slick at his touch.

“Keep your eyes on the stage,” he ordered in my ear, pushing between them. When he touched my clit, I gasped. “No noise. You can’t in here.”

Closing my mouth tightly, I pushed my lips together hard. It was so difficult to keep my eyes forward. After a while, I couldn’t see anything. I could only hear the music as he continued to stroke and play. It went on for so long, building up slowly. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Jasper leaned over and kissed my neck again. “You may cum now, Isabella.”

My head fell back as I rocked against his hand. All of my built-up tension was released in this orgasm. It was powerful for a long second but instantly melted away. I relaxed into him, closing my eyes. He removed his finger from between my legs and brought it to his lips to suck clean. After, it dragged over my chin to make me look at him. He brought my mouth to his, and when we kissed, I could taste myself on them.

A few minutes later, a waitress came by to ask if we wanted more drinks. He ordered us another round. When she left, he put his hand under his coat again on my thigh. It stayed there for the rest of the show.

When we walked outside to get a taxi to go to the casino, he leaned over to whisper in my ear once again. “You were such a good girl. You stayed so quiet. I would have loved to make you moan, though,” he continued dirtily. Goosebumps rose across the back of my neck, making him chuckle. “Tonight I’ll make you scream through the gag, and I can’t wait. I’ve been thinking about it for hours. How I’m going to tie you to one of those chairs. I think I’ll force you to sit on a vibrator until you’re crying.”

I whimpered when the car pulled up. “I want to go to the hotel, sir.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Not yet. I want to play a little first.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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10/20/2020

Ring: Chapter Three: The Shared Path

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Chapter Three: The Shared Path


I woke up the morning of our wedding lying beside my future husband. He was nude and awake, sprawled out next to me. The sheet was barely draped over his thighs. The day before, he purchased himself some art supplies so he could relax and draw while we were here. I made sure he got the nicest pencils and markers. His glasses were perched on the end of his nose.

It was so sexy.

“So, if it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, what is it if I stare at her while she sleeps?” He presented a colored picture of me, a smile on my slumbering face. My lips were so pink in the image. Jasper made me feel beautiful when he drew me like that. He flipped the page and showed me another that he did. This one had me kneeling on the bed with the Vegas Strip as the backdrop. I was only wearing his white t-shirt, and my breasts were stretching it tight. My nipples were visible through it. With my fingers in my hair, I pushed it up to the top of my head while I bit my lip. My lock and key and my ring were all done with a metallic marker, so they stood out.

“Romantic. A sweet man in love,” I finally answered his question. “I wouldn’t want to be away from you all day, anyway. I couldn’t handle it.”

He brought it to his lap. “Well, we’ll spend part of it apart. But would you like to get breakfast downstairs before we do?”

Rolling onto my back, I stretched as I grinned. “I’d love to. Just like in the beginning,” I mumbled as I thought about our first months together, stealing time in hotels and flirting in the restaurants.

“We’ve really come full circle, haven’t we?” He smiled. “So, I was too excited to sleep, and I was looking at the menu. It looks delicious. They have a buffet on the weekend that I’d like to go to while we’re here. It’s fancy as hell.”

“Sounds marvelous to me. Do you already know what you want to eat?”

Jasper laid down beside me, putting his book on the side table with his drawing bag. Slowly, he pulled the sheet away from my body. His smirk was confident and cocky. “Yes, I do,” he responded as he tugged my legs apart. 

I flushed at the predatory way he stared at me, his eyes on mine. They were glowing in the sunlight from the opened curtains. “Oh, I walked into that one.”

Chuckling, Jasper’s fingers curled around my thighs. “Yes, you did.”

There was nothing wrong with starting the wedding night early, especially the way he was doing it. My future husband wanted to get a head start on his promise to worship me.

It was a good thing we purchased a gag the day before. Our shopping had been so much fun. I wasn’t usually the type to enjoy it, but it was so different when you didn’t have to look at the prices at all. Cuffs, collars, paddles, a riding crop, lube, plugs, and vibrators. It left nothing to the imagination. I even got a sexy dress with a corset to wear when we played. Jasper picked it out for me.

After a pleasant shower together, we enjoyed a relaxing meal while holding hands. We were both quiet and nervous, but so happy. Neither of us had any cold feet, though. This was anticipation.

It took a surprisingly long time to get ready. They did my eyebrows, gave me a manicure and pedicure, and then styled my hair on top of my head so that my curls were spilling everywhere. The stylist French-braided it up the back, weaving a red silk ribbon in it to pair with my dress. My eyes and lips matched. They were a deep crimson. 

I brought my clothes with me to change into so Jasper could get the full effect when I saw him again. I returned my things back to the suite, but he wasn’t there. On the table in the living room area, there was a large white box. I walked to it and opened it slowly. Inside was a beautiful buttercream cake with fresh glazed fruit. 

It was our wedding cake.

It was an immeasurably great thing that all of my makeup was as waterproofed as it could be. The stylist said it would take scrubbing to get the lipstick off. It’s exactly what I needed.

There was also champagne and wine in the fridge. I smiled to myself. The evening would be amazing. I was ready.

“Where are you?” I typed to him on my phone. “I’m finished.”

“I ran out for a few minutes. I’m heading back to the hotel now. I should be there soon.”

“I’ll come down to meet you.”

I slipped my cell into my clutch purse with all the things I would need for the night. Giving myself one last spritz of perfume between the breasts, I went to the elevator.

We saw each other at the same time. Jasper had gotten a haircut, his skin was freshly shaven. He was wearing a fitted black tux, complete with a bow tie. In his lapel was a red rosebud. He was so beautiful and all mine. His smile grew so wide. When I got close enough, he pulled something from behind his back. It was a bouquet of red roses, perhaps two dozen, all tightly wrapped together with a crimson silk ribbon. It matched the one in my hair.

He didn’t know I was doing it, and I didn’t realize he was getting me flowers. I had forgotten I would need them. Somehow they went together perfectly.

Stopping, I put my hand over my mouth. It was so hard not to cry with happiness. Blinking, I tried to keep the tears from coming. He rushed to me, pulling me into his arms.

“You’re so beautiful,” he declared in a laugh thick with emotions. “Oh, my god. You’re perfect.”

I took the flowers from him, turning only a little while still in his grasp. I didn’t want to smash them as we embraced. “Thank you. I love them. The cake, too. Thank you for thinking of everything and always taking care of me.” I pecked his soft cheek.

“You’re welcome,” he said as he brought my hand up to his mouth to kiss. “We should go before we draw any more of a crowd,” he mumbled as he looked around. The whole lobby had stopped to watch us, the room still for only a second. “The limo just got here.”

Red Springs was lined with a wooden boardwalk. It was tranquil and quiet since it was December, not many people were around. The Justice of the Peace was waiting for us there, as well as the witness who was their assistant and the photographer and videographer. He went all out and would have every moment captured to give to his mother. He was hoping it would quell some of her anger.

We held hands as we walked to the spot where we would get married. As we did, the pair moved around us. For once, I really didn’t mind having my picture taken. I wanted to remember this for the rest of our lives, too.

We kept stealing glances at each other, grinning as we caught the other’s eye. It was still in the sixties, so I wasn’t cold with my bare shoulders. The sun was just starting its descent below the horizon. Everything was glowing with the blue skies behind us. It was like stepping into a painting.

Stopping in front of the official, we continued to hold hands as we turned to look at him. I thought my face would break open with my joy. The older man smiled at us before glancing down at the little black notebook that he carried with him.

He cleared his throat. “Usually, I make some grand speech about love, maybe even read a poem, but looking at you both, I can see I don’t need to do that. It’s literally pouring from you both. Keep that. Hold on to that for the rest of your lives. This bond you’re creating is not one you make lightly. Never let go of that adoration. Be always worshipful, and you will never lose the spark you’ve created. Nourish it and help it grow, so it can light the shared path you will build together from now on.”

Jasper squeezed my hand and smiled at me.

I said everything when I was supposed to, but I wasn’t listening to him anymore. I couldn’t take my eyes off of my man. He was looking back just as happily. His smile was so beautiful. My hands were shaking when I slipped his ring onto his finger. I almost dropped it. But he was trembling, too. He held my fingers, twisting his with mine, after slipping my band into place next to the engagement ring that had only been there for three days. 

“You may kiss the bride.”

My husband placed both of his palms on my cheeks and pulled my mouth to his. It was so intense, my eyes fluttering closed as my arms snaked around his neck. I giggled as he dipped me back, all the blood rushing to my head. One hand purposely slipped to my ass to help keep me up.

Luckily, my lipstick was kiss-proof.

We posed for pictures until the sun went fully down. It was a stunning sunset, pink and orange with clouds streaking the sky. Too quickly, it turned to a velvet purple before fading totally to black. As it did, it got colder. By the end, Jasper wrapped his jacket around me.

I couldn’t wait to see all the photos. We were told they would be sent to us by the end of the week.

My new husband made reservations at one of the nicest steakhouses in Vegas called Edge. They aged their steaks for forty days, according to the menu. I instantly understood why he would want it. The limo dropped us off there and left us for the night. With my bouquet in hand, we went to the hostess stand.

“Dr. and Mrs. Hale,” he told her proudly, smiling.

“Yes! Dr. Hale,” she answered in recognition as she looked at the screen. “Congratulations! Let me get your table ready, and I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks.”

I giggled at my thoughts. “Mrs. Hale. Oh, my god. It sounds so authoritative,” I joked, making him chuckle. “Ms. Swan sounds like the meek book nerd who would get pushed around the library. Mrs. Hale could kick someone’s ass while not spilling her champagne.”

He leaned in and kissed my shoulder. “She could, and it’s so fucking hot.”

Laughing loudly despite myself, I shook my head. “Maybe I’ll make you call me that when we play.”

“I’ll call you whatever you want, Goddess. I’d be more than happy to,” he continued to beam. He was radiating joy.

Looking at him and feeling the overwhelming bliss made me realize we were doing the right thing. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was worried. There would be people who weren’t pleased and maybe some who would judge us for what we did, but it was exactly what we needed for us. We were taking control of our moment and going forward together as equals.

“I love you, sir,” I breathed. He bumped his forehead to mine.

The hostess came back, smiling at us. “All ready! Follow me this way, please.” She picked up two menus before typing something onto her computer screen.

“Oo! They have shrimp in sweet chili sauce,” I said once we sat, glancing at the menu. It was the first thing on the starters and was one of my favorites. I had finally gotten my appetite back and was ready to eat. My stomach growled quietly.

He ordered them as soon as the waitress came to the table and the five glasses of wine flight that paired with the meal for both of us. “I’m so hungry,” he told me, taking a sip of his water as he shook his head. “Breakfast feels like months ago.”

“Me too. But it’s so hard to decide. I definitely want an aged New York strip. But the seafood sounds so good too.” I bit my lip, reading the words again. “I might add some.”

He hummed. “The lobster tail, the scallops, or the crab legs?”

“Both the lobster and the scallops, actually.”

“I’ll get the ribeye, you get the lobster, and I’ll get the scallops. We share everything?” I nodded, my curls bouncing around my ears as I did. “Okay, what about sides?”

I looked down at them again. “Grilled asparagus, the potatoes Au gratin, or the wild mushrooms.”

“We’ll get them all and split them too?”

“We’ll be so full,” I laughed. He chuckled, too. My husband just shrugged. He was so relaxed. “I guess we’ll need our energy for the next couple of days.”

The waitress came to the table to take our order after bringing the first glass of wine. He ordered confidently for us, passing her the menu after. When she left, he took a sip of his drink. Jasper nodded his head at the flavor, licking his lips.

“Oh, darlin. The things I plan to do to you over the next few days…” He chuckled in a low tone, the sound deep and sexy. “You’ll need all the energy you can get.”

I ran the tip of my shoe over his ankle. “We might need to stay longer just to recover. I’ll have to go back to the spa for a massage myself.”

He leaned his head to the side slightly as he thought about it. “Oh yeah, let’s do that together in a couple of days. We’ll go get massages and whatever else they have because we’ll need to go back to Dallas as relaxed as possible. We should take turns being in charge then do it. That would be great for aftercare.”

“What if they see all the marks I’m planning to leave behind?” I asked before taking a sip of my drink. I liked the wine, too.

He smirked. “I want them to. I want them to see our skin and see what we do to each other. How we turn each other on and what we’re willing to do to give each other pleasure.”

Blushing uncontrollably, I laughed as I grinned. “That’s so dirty,” I said into my glass.

“And you like it, too. So… shall I plan that?” He was so self-confident and bold.

“I will.” I reached for his hand. “You’ve made today perfect. I want to do something nice to thank you.” 


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10/16/2020

Ring: Chapter Two: Hit a Threshold

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Chapter Two: Hit a Threshold


After a meal I could barely eat, we went to the airport. We got there way too early, so we had a few drinks at the bar to help relax. Jasper had already spoken to his boss, taking an indefinite leave of absence. Something in him snapped. He was angry beyond words and scared something would happen to me. We had been on the edge of this stressful cliff I thought we were stepping away from. Now I felt as if we were hurtling over it.

I had done nothing like this before. Admittedly, it was fun to go into the first-class section. The chairs were undoubtedly nicer. I saw four people reading my book in the waiting area, but they were selling it at every newsstand and gift shop. It looked as if it would be number one for the tenth week in a row.

Only one person asked for an autograph. It was happening more and more when I went out. It made my man anxious, though. His eyes kept darting around, but in my heart, I knew whoever it was couldn’t follow us here. We would be safe. It was probably easy to get our address in Dallas. They couldn’t guess we were suddenly flying out of state. We had told no one but Sam. Even Tanya only knew we were going out of town, but we didn’t say where.

On the flight, I dozed on his shoulder while he planned our wedding on the iPad he had gotten me for my birthday. We would get married in the Red Canyon’s Red Springs, and he reserved the license so we could just pick it up. When he finished that, he started making a list of things we would need when we went shopping.

“We’ll have to get me a wedding band,” he whispered. Smiling, I peeked at him. “I already have yours. Would you choose mine, Goddess?”

My cheeks warmed up. “I’d love to, sir,” I replied, giving him a light kiss. My lips lingered on his rough skin. He hadn’t shaved that morning. “I need to get my hair and makeup done. I want to be perfect for you.”

He brought up the website for the hotel to search the spa services. He quickly arranged it for me, getting everything I could need to look gorgeous for the day. Jasper ordered a massage for himself, too. Most of his morning would probably be spent alone, though.

I couldn’t enjoy the view when we got to our beautiful suite. He looked out the window after putting our things in the closet. Falling back on the mattress, I let my arms go above my head as I closed my eyes.

“Well, this wasn’t how I was expecting the day to end,” my fiancé mumbled to himself as he shut the curtains. “I figured we would have been asleep already after a long day of moving.”

“Me too,” I breathed. My face lolled to the side so I could gaze at him. “But I don’t hate this.”

His eyes met mine in the darkness as he walked to the edge of the bed. He removed my shoes before pulling off my blue jeans. It reminded me of when we went to Six Flags the year before. I lifted to discard my sweater. He crawled over me, so we were at eye level.

“I am so sorry about your car. I feel responsible.” He shook his head. “I haven’t gotten my shit together and bought all the security stuff you require now as a star in the limelight. I know we have the basics-”

Lightly, I covered his mouth with my hand. “Stop it. It’s not your fault. Someone is trying to rattle us.”

“And I’d say they were successful, too.”

Frowning, I nodded as I pushed his hair out of his eyes. “We just need a quick vacation to get our minds right. We’ll get married, have a little honeymoon, and then we’ll go back and deal with this stupidity.”

He leaned down to kiss my lips softly. “I’m glad we’re here. You’re right. I didn’t want to wait, anyway. I’m so damn ready for this.”

“I think you have been way longer than me. I’m sorry that-”

“No,” he interrupted before kissing me again. “No. If you weren’t ready, then neither was I. It’s like… I can only be a Dom because you allow me to be. I can only be your husband if you permit me the honor.”

It was hard not to smirk at his words. “I hope you don’t think they’re similar jobs.”

“Some duties do overlap,” he joked with a grin. He got more serious. “I have been since we got the house. I was such a shit when we got back, and you still wanted to deal with me... I knew then I had to stop screwing around, pull my head out of my ass, and act as if I deserve you. You’ve blossomed so much this year, and I feel as if I’m just basking in your light.”

Laughing, I kissed him again. “I already said yes. Stop sucking up and get naked.”

He snorted, lifting so he could yank off his shirt. He threw it to the floor. “Are you really in the mood? You look exhausted.”

“No, but I want you to make me forget.”

“Yes, Goddess,” he purred before he spent a glorious amount of time making my legs shake.

We slept until one in the afternoon. It was the latest we had in months. Ordering breakfast, we shopped online for our basic hygiene items and would just have it delivered so we wouldn’t have to search for it. It was so easy to do it in our underwear. I stole his glasses, laying my head on his lap. We somehow spent four hundred dollars, but I got him some nice cologne and perfume for me. The mimosa I was sipping helped. They would bring it in the evening. The stuff the hotel provided was more than good enough for the day.

When we finished that, I started looking at rings. “I think I want it to go with mine. Gold. Is that okay?”

“Whatever you want, darlin.” He kissed my neck. I was wearing his t-shirt, and it was stretched tight over my breasts. He loved it. Jasper especially liked how he could see my nipples through it. His big palm smoothed down my thigh.

It didn’t take me long to find a simple band with the diamonds embedded inside, lining the ring like mine. I showed him, and he grinned slightly but said nothing. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s perfect, but I don’t know what size I am.”

I rolled over to peer at him. When I did, he pulled his glasses off gently and put them back on. “There is a store close to here. We’ll go look.”

After we showered and got dressed, we headed down to the Strip. We were alone in the elevator. We definitely looked like tourists in our jeans and sweatshirts. It wasn’t too cold, especially after being in Albany for so long.

“We should play one night while we’re here in public. You can be in control while we’re in the casino,” I blurted out suddenly, just spewing my thoughts.

He chuckled softly. “We didn’t bring any toys. We should have.”

“That’s a problem easily solved,” I spoke in an impish voice. “Add it to your list. I’m sure there is a sex shop around here somewhere.”

Jasper leaned down so he could speak in my ear. “All we really need is some lube for a good night, but I think picking out some new things sounds like a lot of fun. I assume you don’t mean tomorrow, though. I don’t think it’s a brilliant idea for either of us to be in control of our first evening together.”

Thoughtfully, I nodded. “Mm, maybe the day after. We could each take a turn and have a night.”

“How long are we staying?” I shrugged in answer. “We can’t run away forever, even if I want to. And we should plan a proper honeymoon, too. Somewhere relaxing. As distracting as this is, it’s not.”

Again, I nodded as I leaned against the wall. “Let’s stay here a week before we go back, at least. I agree about the honeymoon. We’ll deal with the fallout from the car and… this, and then we’ll plan a long getaway. We’ll need it after that. But what about your job?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted slowly after moistening his lips. “I think I hit a threshold yesterday I didn’t realize existed. My work is affecting my personal life too much. Even when things were supposed to be going back to normal, they’re not. I feel so out of control there.” He sucked in a deep breath through his nose. “I thought I had such a handle on it when I put in for my new position and made all these plans with you. But I can’t put you in harm’s way-”

“No.” I stopped him from reaching too far. “This is just probably a crazy groupie. We may have overreacted yesterday.”

“That was a frightening message, Bella. They were willing to do that all night. I think you’re right that it was someone at the trial. Something in my gut tells me this is dangerous.”

Turning towards him, I took both of his hands. “We’re both safe. We can relax for the next few days. Before we head out, let’s go to the front desk and extend our stay, okay?” He nodded in agreement.

The elevator doors opened. We walked out into the afternoon crowd together. “I can’t feel this out of control. I should have power at my job and in my own home, but someone is threatening my wife because I got her involved with my work. I’ve never experienced this before, and I’m not sure I can handle it, to be honest. It’s gotten me to the core.”

“Are you going to quit?”

He shrugged. “I have more than six months of paid time before I have to decide, but I feel like kind of a prick for leaving them hanging. My new boss was pleasant enough, and she was trying so hard. She keeps getting screwed in this. She deserves someone more excited, who can be dedicated to the job.”

I waited until we finished at the front desk before I spoke about it again. We stepped out into the bright street together. “Well, you won’t take six months, but you can at least take two weeks after everything you’ve gone through. They’ve gotten by without you before, they can do it again.”

“Yes, you are exactly right, which may be a check in the ‘reasons to quit’ column.”

We stopped and stared at each other for a long minute. “I’ll support you no matter what.”

Sighing, he pulled his sunglasses down as he tugged me along. “I know. But you seriously need a bodyguard now. If it’s not me, it’s got to be someone else. I think I can do the job, but I’m sure there are those who are more capable.”

“I’d rather have you,” I smirked. “And I think you may be over-qualified, Doctor.”

He squeezed my hand. “Let’s see how I feel after a couple of weeks, but it’s a serious consideration. At least until we can hire someone.”

I had never gone to a jewelry store with Jasper before. It wasn’t the kind of place I went to often. Most of mine was the cheapest you could get. A salesman descended on us right away to assist. We must have had a flashing light above our heads. ‘Happy couple!’

“How can I help you today?”

“We’re looking for a wedding band for him,” I explained as I held onto my fiancé’s arm.

“Congratulations!” He beamed, delighted he would make a quick and easy sale. He must have heard it thirty times a day, at least. Everyone was coming to Vegas to do the same things. Getting married, going to the casino, and now smoking the legal weed while doing it.

There weren’t a lot of men’s options to choose from compared to women’s. I spotted the one I was looking at online, and we found the right size with a sizer the man pulled out in a second. He searched for one we needed before handing it to me. “If you’d like to practice and see what you think.”

I laughed a little awkwardly. Jasper held out his hand and put the other on his heart as he fluttered his eyelashes at me playfully. “Oh, my stars,” he said in a thick southern accent in a feminine voice. Snorting loudly, I swatted at him. “Sorry, sorry. I’m an idiot. Go ahead.”

Giggling at his silliness, I slipped it onto his finger. He lifted it up to his face to look at it. “What do you think?”

“I think that’s something I would be proud to wear for the rest of my life.”

“Good answer,” the salesman responded with a chuckle.

Jasper took it off and passed it to him. “We’ll take it.” He reached for his wallet, but I retrieved my debit card first. While holding his gaze, I gave it to the gentleman. “Really?”

“You bought my ring!”

“I purchased the diamond and had it redesigned-”

“Shut up,” I scoffed. I looked at the guy. “I’ll buy it. Thank you.”

My future husband shook his head, rolling his eyes. “You heard the lady.” The salesman rushed off before we could get in a fight in front of him.

Beaming, I quickly tilted in for a kiss. “Thank you. I want to do this as equals.”

“Me too,” he agreed, kissing my forehead. “Well, that was easy. Should we take this back to the hotel?”

“Probably a good idea. I’ll look up where the sex shop is next,” I replied just as the man returned with my card. I smiled at him, hastily snatching it back. “Thank you.”

He passed me the bag with the black velvet box. “I’d tell you to enjoy your night, but I think you’ve got that covered.”


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10/13/2020

Ring: Chapter One: Where We Live

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Locke: Chapter One
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Chapter One: Where We Live


The sun was blinding bright when we left our townhouse. Groaning, I covered my eyes as I twisted my head away from the light. Jasper was holding my other hand as we walked to the car. When we got to the bottom of the three stairs, he stopped. I turned to look at him in confusion. My fiancé looked… horrified and angry. His cheeks were red hot, and his forehead was wrinkled. Slowly, I followed his gaze. It took a moment for my new automobile to come into focus.  

“Hello, Bella,” was etched into the shiny red paint job repeatedly.  

“King,” I whispered, fear instantly filling me.

“No, it couldn’t be,” Jasper mumbled as he pulled out his phone. “Get back inside the house. Now.”

“But it has to be him. He-”

My fiancé shook his head, his messy blond curls falling in his eyes. “I saw his body. Sam, too. It was him. He’s dead.”

Clutching his arm, I looked to see if anything on the outside of the townhouse was damaged. The windows seemed fine, and there was no spray paint on the garage door. “Then it has to be someone close to him. They had to be at the trial, too.”

“Yeah, I know!” He thundered to get my attention because I was panicking. “Now get your ass in the house. I’ll call the police. You call Tanya to make sure she’s okay, and that nothing has happened there.”

I gasped. The thought hadn’t occurred to me yet. “They know where we live,” I mumbled stupidly as I pulled my cell out of my purse, retrieving my keys too. Hurriedly, I unlocked the door and stepped inside the living room as I dialed her number. “Please pick up. Please. Oh, please,” I begged.

Every second hurt. It ticked on, my heart thudding in fear for my friend and former roommate. I thought I might be sick all over the beautiful bare cherry wood floors. My hands trembled.

Finally, after the third ring, her groggy boyfriend answered the phone. “Hello?”

My stomach, which had been in my throat, bounced dramatically down to my feet at the sound of his voice. “Edward! Is Tanya with you? Is she okay? Where are you?”

He instantly woke up, the sounds of blankets rustling in the background. My tone was frantic and scared. I had never felt like it before. “What’s wrong? We’re at my place. She’s fine, she’s just asleep.”

Leaning against the wall, I put my hand on my thumping chest. I was sweating despite it being a mild December day in Texas. “Oh, thank god. Someone vandalized my new car, and it looks like it might have something to do with the case.”

“Jesus,” he breathed. “Are you okay? Where’s Jasper? Have you contacted the police?” He questioned in a rush. I could hear him moving. Tanya spoke, but I couldn’t make out what she said. He pulled the speaker away from his ear. “Somebody did something to Bella’s car. She called your phone, and I picked up,” he answered her. “I don’t know. Honey, what did they do to it?” He directed towards me.

“I… I don’t know exactly. They keyed it for sure. The whole thing.” I moved to the bay window to look outside at the driveway. My man was speaking into the phone as he searched around the vehicle, his eyes scanning the neighborhood uneasily. Then I realized all the windows were smashed, and the tires slashed. “Holy shit, they took a bat to it and popped my-” I stopped myself, putting my hand over my mouth. “Oh, god. I hope they didn’t do anything to the truck!”

He scoffed. “They couldn’t take a bat to it, it would break the damn thing. The frame is solid steel. Now, where’s Jasper?”

“He’s outside, looking at it and talking on the phone. He told me to make sure Tanya was okay,” I quickly rambled.

“I’ll go check the apartment.”

“Wait!” I blurted out. “What if they’re still there?”

“It’s daylight. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to do it when everyone can see, hopefully. It’ll be fine,” he swiftly promised. “Have the cops showed up yet?”

As he said that, a cruiser drove up to the driveway. “They just got here. I got to go. Please be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Be safe and call me when you can. I’ll let you know if I find anything,” he declared before he hung up.

I jogged back outside to Jasper as they were coming out of their car. Another pulled up behind it. He protectively tugged me to his side as he slid his phone in his pocket.

“Good morning,” one of them called to us as their partner walked around my vehicle. The other two were going around the building after a swift glance at it. “Jesus almighty,” he mumbled in a thick Texan accent.

Reaching out, he offered him his hand. “I’m Special Agent Dr. Jasper Hale. I’m with the Behavioral Unit down here. Thank you for coming so quickly. Just to let you know, there will also be the FBI arriving soon.”

“Why?” He muttered in shock. He was just a regular beat cop and was only told there was a vandalism issue, I had no doubt. They arrived too fast to know any real details about what could be happening.

“Because we believe this could be a possible threat from a serial killer,” he said plainly.

The officer laughed and then saw our faces. He blinked once. “Wait, are you serious?”

“They did a real number on your car,” the other called. “I’m going to take a walk around the property,” they continued as another took pictures.

“We were involved in the Royce King case in New York,” Jasper explained. “Have you heard of it?” The man nodded, his eyes looking off to the distance for a moment as he blinked again. It didn’t sound like something real.

Finally, after he gathered his thoughts, he licked his lips and looked at me. “So, I take it you’re the Bella that’s being threatened here?” I nodded my head, resting it on Jasper’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me tightly again. “Is this your car?” I nodded once more.

“It was a gift from... work. I only got it a few days ago.”

We talked to them for about thirty minutes before Sam showed up. He was just in a t-shirt and jeans, his pants tucked into his worn-out cowboy boots. “Holy fucking shit,” he muttered as he presented his badge to an officer, hurrying up the pathway. “Who the hell did you piss off?”

“Someone close to Royce,” Jasper replied. He stopped, and they stared at each other. “I have no fucking clue who, though. It has to be someone up there, or at least in contact with him. That’s too-” He shook his head. “Accomplice or groupie. Shit! It’s something the fucker kept saying to Bella. He practically sang it to her when she saw him.”

My phone rang. It was from Edward. I turned away from the men so they could keep talking. “Hey! Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, your truck is fine, and the apartment seems alright. Nothing is out of place. How are things going there?”

“The cops are looking around. Please have Tanya stay at your place for a few days, okay?” I begged. “Or stay with her, just in case.”

“Don’t worry. I was planning on it. Anyway, I’ll let you go. Text us with updates,” he answered earnestly.

Shoving my phone in my pocket, I closed my eyes. I rubbed my left hand across my face, on the edge of tears as I rested against my fiancé again. But I was too tired to be pushed over it. I felt dry.

Sam leaned in with his fists in his pockets. “Wow, nice rock, kiddo. Where did you get that from?” He questioned. “That looks like an engagement ring.”

“Real subtle,” Jasper declared with a shake of his head, but he smiled briefly. “Yeah, she said yes.”

He clapped his hands together as he grinned. “Hey! Congrats! I’m sorry this is happening and ruining your special day, though,” he stated as he touched my arm. “Goddamn, this is stupid. What are you going to do?”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to do anything. There was too much going on in my mind, and I was frankly scared. Cognitive function was shutting down. Even if King was dead, it still felt too dangerous, too frightening. “I want to run away. I just want to get as far away from this and our problems as possible,” I admitted. It was childish and stupid, but it’s what I wanted.

“I do, too,” my future husband agreed, his eyes exhausted. “We’ll need to get as much security stuff as possible put in this place. The best cameras, lights, alarms. Damn, my head hurts,” he grumbled the last sentence, tilting it back towards the sky. “Yeah, let’s just get out of town for a few days. I’ll take a leave of absence. I can’t deal with this shit right now.”

Peering up at him, I saw him more resolute than ever before. We had joked about it so much, but this was for real. “Where should we go?”

His smile grew, pushing to one side of his face before peeking down at me. “Vegas?”

I laughed in surprise because I couldn’t believe it. “Really?”

He shrugged, making Sam laugh. “So, what? You’re going to elope? Uh, I’ve met your mother… She’ll kill you.”

“She’ll get over it,” I told him, only looking at my fiancé. It was exactly what I wanted to do. “Yeah. Let’s go to Vegas. Let’s get the hell out of here and get married.”

Jasper laughed happily, leaning down to kiss my lips. It was the first time he had since before we stepped outside, and it felt like it had been months. “We’ll go to your place and pick up your stuff. I moved most of mine here last night. The rest of it, I put in the pod. Shit, I got to cancel the movers.”

“Okay, you do that. I’ll buy our plane tickets. Let’s try to leave tonight.”

“Y’all are serious about this,” Sam remarked in astonishment. I nodded at our friend once again. “Alright, I’ll keep an eye on this place for you while you’re away. I don’t want anything else crazy to happen to it, especially if you think it’s connected to King. If it is him, it means my job’s not done yet.”

“Actually, if you could, that would be great. I’ll give you a key,” Jasper accepted right away.

One of the FBI agents that showed up in a suit walked over to the two men. He was a young man in a different division from them, but you could tell how much they respected each other. “Sir, we’re going to have the vehicle towed back to the lab. It looks like they destroyed the engine too, cut the brake lines and everything. We’ve done what we can here.”

Since it was almost a half-million-dollar car, without all the bells and whistles Justin added to it for me, they were taking this seriously. This wasn’t the kind of vandalism you just paid a fine for.

“Any other damage to the place or the neighbors?” The other agent shook his head at Jasper’s question. “Okay. Darlin, give him the key.”

I took it off the ring. It had been there for less than a week. It instantly felt so much lighter. “Thank you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

“I’ll make sure everything is done properly. You two get your shit together for a trip.” Sam pulled me to him for a hug, lightly kissing the top of my head. “It’ll be okay. You’ve got insurance. They’ll get you a new one.”

“I don’t even care about that. At least it wasn’t Jasper’s.”
​
Snorting, he shook his head. “No. This is worse in a hundred ways. I hate that it happened right outside my window, and I never heard it. I feel like a terrible cop.”

“Um, we wouldn’t have heard anything last night with what we were doing,” I immediately countered. His friend laughed loudly. “Well, it was our anniversary, and we got engaged. We were rightfully distracted.”

Sam pointed at me. “Listen to her. She’s right. I’ll look into this personally and make sure they handle this thing by the book. We’ll view this as a terrorist-type threat.” He waved his hand behind him. “It’s a scare tactic to get your attention.”

“They certainly got it,” I informed him.

After getting done with the cops and packing Jasper’s things, we took an Uber to my apartment. He inspected the truck even though he knew an officer came to glance at it earlier. I bought one-way first-class tickets to Vegas for seven that evening. It was around a three-hour flight.  I booked the presidential suite at the Four Seasons with a view of the Strip, not caring about the cost. I got it for at least three days. If we wanted to stay longer, I could extend it, or we could go somewhere else. Maybe we could really run away to Europe.

In the cab, he was looking at something else. Wedding stuff. Jasper was biting his lip as he did, his thumbs moving furiously. He waited until we got into the building to speak about it. He began by clearing his throat. “So, the Clark County marriage license office is open until midnight, but I don’t think we want to get married today.”

“No. We’ll both be exhausted by the time we get there. And tomorrow, I want to sleep all day.”

“That sounds perfect. So, we could get married on the tenth?” I nodded, giving him a slight smile. “We can get the license tomorrow then. Um, I was looking at places we could do it, and I think I have somewhere you might like.”

“Oh, we’re not just going to go through a drive-thru with an Elvis impersonator?” I teased.
He chuckled softly as he shook his head. “Uh, there is actually this company that does weddings in the desert canyons. They provide pretty much everything, including pictures. They have an opening for a sunset service on that day if we want to do that. It looks beautiful.”

I leaned in to study the photos on his phone. He wasn’t kidding. I was a little afraid anything we did would be cheesy, but it didn’t seem that way at all. This instead sounded magical. “Oh, I love it. That’s perfect.”

He beamed. “Okay, I’ll book it, and now all we have to do is figure out what we want to wear.”

“I’ll just buy everything I need when we get there. I don’t want to worry about packing,” I grumbled. “I want to hurry and leave.”

“So, we’ll sleep in tomorrow then go shopping after we get the license?”

I walked towards my room. “Yeah, sounds good. Let me get a few things, so I don’t shop naked.”

“I’m going to run to the restroom. When you’re done with that, we’ll take a shower and get something to eat before heading to the airport.”

Most of my stuff was in boxes because I had been getting ready for the past couple of days. I had packed items into my suitcases to make it easier to move. I just dumped the smallest one out with all my notebooks and pens onto my bare mattress. Most of my clothing was in my laundry basket and hamper. I quickly sorted through them to find a few things I wanted.

Next, I looked at the shoes in my closet. I grabbed slip-ons and some flip-flops, tossing them on top of my luggage. One of the few objects I still had hanging up was the beautiful red dress I had for the pictures all those months ago for the book’s marketing. It was in a garment bag, dry-cleaned and everything. It felt too extra to go out in, even for fancy dates, so I hadn’t put it on again. It was so low-cut and revealing, the mermaid skirt making me look like a princess.

I remembered the feelings it gave me as I stared into the mirror in that hotel room. How strong, confident, and powerful I was. On that rooftop with my hair flowing around me, I felt ethereal. I was a Goddess. I wanted to feel like that again. Biting my lip, I only considered it for a moment. I took the dress down and placed it beside my suitcase.

Just as I came out of the bedroom, Jasper walked out of the bathroom. “I’m done. Ready for a shower?”

“Wow, that was quick.”

“Yeah, I’ve already got everything I need,” I replied as I held my hand out to him.

Locke: Chapter One
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Thanks to Gina for Proofreading!


Click to download the epub of this Chaptere!!
Click to download the pdf of this chapter!!

✨The next Chapter of✨
💍Ring💍
will post on
October 16th!
​💛See y'all then!💛

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