Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  “Rae, promise me you’ll take Dylan and get out of here once the fight starts. Promise me.” His voice sounds gruff in his throat.

  I say nothing and bury my face into his shoulder. Letting the familiar scent of his skin wash over me. I say nothing because If I don’t agree to his stupid plan then he can’t get mad at me if I break it.

  10

  Darius

  The day before the fight, I wake early, stretch and then head down to the gym. After the usual workout, I take a swim in the rooftop pool, then head to the showers.

  Rae was meant to meet me in the gym after training for a pre-fight check up but she never showed. Just as well. By tomorrow this will be over. It’s best she distances herself now rather than get snared in whatever the hell this is between us. Fuck knows, it’s hurting me to be apart from her more than I want to admit. Not just because she drives me crazy.

  Knowing I knew her before, it’s all the more harder to let her go now. For the longest time, I had no idea who I was until she walked in. She sparked something inside of me, a hunger I never knew existed or needed. If only things had been different. If I had my memories back. If I’d never betrayed her father, never fucking gone to that club that night…

  I used to hate not knowing. I used to sit in the dark and try to grasp those fragments of memories that were shattered, broken, no longer whole. Each time I snagged the edge of something important, it would slide away into an abyss. The dark recesses of my mind swallowing it up before I’d even had the chance to unravel it. Like the name of a song that won’t stop going around and around in your head on the tip of your fucking tongue. All it would take was a sound or a certain smell and those fragmented pieces would float back.

  Rae being here has woken me up, brought me back to life. Even if I can’t remember who I was, I feel like the old me again. If anything, that’s not something I’m ever going to give up on easily.

  With a sigh, I get dressed into the monkey suit Alexei asked me to wear. I shouldn’t be thinking of Rae right now. I need to focus. For the bigger fights, there’s a lot of fanfare, usually a week before the event. Because of the short notice of this one, everything is happening the day before.

  The Twins want me to meet with some rich prick or other, an elite who likes to feel like they own us. Then there will be a load of posturing and a pre-show party at the Twins’ uptown nightclub the eve before the fight. All of which, it has been stressed, I need to attend. The only reason I’m going is because Rae will be there. I can’t change the past, but I can change her future. There’s no future for me, even if I win. I hate to think what losing Rae would do to me.

  I straighten my blue tie as best I can and grimace.

  For the first time in forever, I would rather lose.

  The club is pure chaos, the pre-fight kind. Elias waves off the staff milling around asking questions on the arrangements as we climb into the waiting blacked out town cars, and head to an early dinner. The Twins love to show off and a table at one of the top venues is typical of them.

  At the restaurant, I taste a few bites of food, but I can't seem to take anything in but Rae. As soon as I walked in, I spied her sitting next to one of the ring girls, deep in conversation.

  Next to me some big-shot is talking and all I can do is nod and smile, while my eyes are glued down the other end of the table. She’s breathtakingly beautiful. I'd forgotten just how graceful and vibrant she is compared to everyone else I’ve ever met. Even the cat-eyed girl she’s talking to doesn’t half compare.

  Rae must sense my attention because halfway through one of the dessert courses she looks up at me, a slight tug of her lips making my heart soar.

  “You have the worst taste in women, you and my brother,” someone drawls next to me. I turn to the person, expecting to see one of the promoters who was sitting beside me all through dinner, and instead find Alexei in his place.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re both obsessed with females who need rescuing.”

  I regard him as blankly as I can, steeling my emotions from the surface. It wouldn't do to be hot headed right now, not with Alexei around.

  “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

  He narrows his gaze at me, twin daggers that know exactly how to slice through my bullshit. “Oh, don’t be coy, Darius, we both know you’re fucking her. Give me some respect here,” he says as his eyes dart over to where Rae is sitting.

  “I’m not—”

  He holds up a hand, raising a brow.

  “It’s so obvious it hurts to look at you both.”

  “Okay,” I say, waiting for the catch. There’s only one reason Alexei wastes his breath on any small talk; he wants something. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because, dear Darius, I want to make money. Contrary to what you might think, I don’t give a damn who you are screwing , but I would be careful of flaunting this one too much in front of my brother. He has a soft spot for the doctor for some obscure reason I can’t even begin to understand. It would be a shame if he ripped your heart out before the fight now, wouldn’t it?”

  Even though what Alexei is saying is true, it doesn't stop me bristling at the thought of Elias laying claim to her.

  “Just make sure the undercard is as we agreed. I’ll deal with Elias.”

  He stares at me. “This isn’t a negotiation. I’m telling you to back off, nicely, before you regret it.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then you’ll find that I might have very little control over Elias this evening.” He picks up his drink and swirls the golden liquid in the glass, eyes igniting into a vermillion glow.

  The old rage inside me suddenly rears up and I have to grip the chair to stop my inner beast from doing something I might regret. I force my breath to slow and hold myself back, containing the urge to rip the bastard’s throat out. This is not the time and certainly not the place to attack one of the twins. Too many of their men surround us. Ironically, the one location I can kill them both without worry or fear of retaliation is The Pit. All of a sudden it hits me—killing them both is the only way out of this. I had been so focused on saving Rae I’d forgotten the rules of cage combat. All death is warranted.

  I bite down my anger and continue softly. “There’s nothing going on between us, not anymore. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Good, good. I’m glad we see eye to eye on that.”

  “I just have one question.”

  He takes a swig of his drink and then cocks his head. “Oh?”

  “You promised me pick of the undercard…”

  “I did nothing of the sort.”

  I feel the rage inside me mounting once more, like a storm rising out of control. The bastard had better be joking.

  He chuckles. “I can see your sense of humor is broken. I would fix that if I were you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “It’s done, as we agreed. Getting him for you wasn’t easy. My brother is livid, hence the warning, but I agree with your choice. Seems fitting for the end of an era. I’m surprised though, that you remember him,” he says, the humor all but gone from his features. All that’s left is a dark look, one that makes my skin crawl and my blood run cold as he looks up.

  “Remember who? The rookie?”

  Alexei smirks and stares at me with that cold, calculated mask of his, looking nothing like his twin in that moment. “Hunter is hardly a rookie, Darius. Hunter might be the one to kill you before we even step into the ring.”

  11

  Rae

  The pre-fight party at Purgatory Nightclub is in full swing when I first see Darius, standing talking to Alexei. The elder twin is leaning in and both of them are smiling like they’re best friends. But it’s not hard to notice occasionally Darius’s shoulders stiffen or his brow furrows. I wouldn’t be surprised if his eyes are also turning ice-cold blue. I can’t tell this far away, but I’ve been watching Darius my entire life so I know when he’
s itching to tear something or someone apart.

  What the hell are they talking about?

  Those two were discussing something at dinner too, if I’m not mistaken. It must be something upsetting, or Darius wouldn’t be losing it.

  “Rae, are you listening?”

  “Sorry? What?” I say.

  Nadine taps her teeth with her tongue and then sucks air into her mouth, clearly annoyed with me. “You’re staring at your lover again, aren’t you? Christ, you’ve got it bad for him. Honestly, seeing it up close makes me want to throw up in my mouth.” She leans back and takes a gulp of her wine. “Love is overrated, you know.”

  I shoot her a rabid look. “I thought you were in love with your last husband?”

  “I was, but not to the detriment of my wits. It’s like talking to Little Red Riding Hood. Every time the big, bad wolf so much as licks his chops at you, your heart bleeds to be eaten.”

  “It does not!”

  “Not your heart, then… other parts of you, sweeter parts,” she says with a glint in her eye, taking another sip of her cocktail.

  I roll my eyes for the hundredth time. “So, when are we doing this?” The sooner I can find this evidence, the sooner Nadine can help me find my brother.

  And Darius won't need to fight.

  I hadn’t planned on helping Nadine, but I can’t let Darius fight just so I can get my brother back. If anyone is going to save Dylan, it should be me.

  After I called her, she appeared and bullied the security staff into letting her into the party. In the end, Alexei came over, gave me a weird look and then authorized her invite. I find it slightly strange that the brothers didn’t invite their own sister to their party, but who am I to judge, my family are just as dysfunctional.

  “All in good time… we need to wait until Elias has finished sucking up to the Russian mob,” Nadine says under her breath.

  At the other side of the club suite, Elias is laughing and drinking with a handsome but intense looking aristocrat from Eastern Europe, who just happens to be our VIP guest for the event tomorrow. Behind him, an entourage of extremely good-looking, unnaturally pale, half starved to death models sit in attendance, glancing about the room like we’re a bunch of insects.

  “The one Elias is talking to gives me the creeps,” I say out loud.

  “Oh, he’s not half bad. Let him choke you up while he fucks you, once in a while, and he’s putty in your hands. ”

  I give a sideways look at Nadine. “You’ve done that?” I can’t help but clutch at my throat.

  She grins. “Oh, Rae, so innocent, it’s actually quite fun. I like to think that’s why the French call it ‘Le Petite Mort’. Orgasm by asphyxiation was all the craze in eighteenth century Paris, you know”

  “You say it like you were there.”

  She tips her head back to laugh, her large earrings catching the light. Rooks. She’s wearing antique black rook earrings.

  I’m about to ask her about them when Darius appears. I wasn’t expecting him to come over and now that he’s here I feel all flustered.

  Darius raises a brow at me. “You’re friends with Nadine now?”

  “Why what’s wrong with Nadine?”

  “For fuck’s sake. Tell her she looks exquisite, beautiful, glorious first… before insulting me.” Nadine cuts in.

  “Nadine…” I start, but then Darius comes between us, blocking Nadine out, giving me a wolfish grin, his blue eyes seeing nothing and no one but me.

  “You look absolutely stunning tonight, Rae,” he says in a low voice. Nadine needs to stop interfering. He looks me up and down. “Killer shoes.”

  I stare at my very painful, very tall and pointy, gold designer shoes. They’re Nadine’s, not mine, but they match the strapless, ruffled, champagne-colored dress that’s hers too. It was her idea to dress up tonight. I was going to wear jeans and a cute top, but she said I could look common in my own time and that I needed to dress up for her plan.

  But, I feel fucking ridiculous.

  “You got the kill part alright. They’re cutting off the circulation to my toes.”

  “Maybe I should carry you home then, give you medical attention. I know the kiss of life.”

  “You can’t give the kiss of life to toes,” I say with a half snort.

  “Sure, you can,” he says, eyes twinkling devilishly.

  “Okay, enough, you two. Darius, piss off. Rae, it’s time.”

  “Oh sorry, I’ve got to go,” I say as Nadine finds her way to my other side and links her arm through mine.

  “Later, then?”

  Without thinking I nod, just as Nadine drags me off into the crowd. I shoot her a look but she just smiles more brightly. “Couldn’t let that go on any longer. You’re not fishing for a boyfriend tonight, remember? We want bigger prey.”

  “Elias, yes, I know.” Dread fills the pit of my stomach where only moments ago butterflies were swarming.

  “Yes, Elias, he’s coming over so we need to move fast. Remember the plan; flirt, get him upstairs, and while he’s distracted get the key to the office safe.”

  “I don’t understand why you can’t just audit him like any other business partner would.”

  “My family is complicated. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “And how am I going to distract him again?”

  “I’m sure you'll think of something.” Her iron grip digs into my arm as she drags me over to my boss as he crosses the room. “Elias, my darling little brother, we were just coming to see you.”

  “What are you doing here, Nadine? You weren’t invited.”

  “Alexei invited me.”

  “He did?”

  Underneath our linking arms, Nadine elbows me sharply in the ribs.

  “Hi, Elias,” I croak.

  His brow creases when he sees me with Nadine. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

  “Oh, we met the other day,” I say cheerily. Much too cheerily.

  “Elias, I was just telling Rae about your fascinating bone collection. As a physician herself she’d love to see it, wouldn’t you Rae?”

  I nod and beam like an idiot. This is the worst plan in the world. Bone collection?

  Elias’s eyes brighten, lifting the scowl from his face. If he wasn’t such a dick, he’d be quite attractive.

  “You like bones?”

  “I do, actually, I studied osteology as a part of my medical degree.” Fuck, I’m going to hell for such awful conversation.

  “Oh, then you must see it. We’ll make a day of it. I keep mine in an environment-controlled vault, at the family home just outside the city.”

  “Don’t you have some of your pretties here?” asks Nadine, practically nudging me into Elias’s arms.

  She looks up and calls the waitress to come over with fresh champagne. I end up taking a glass but when no one is looking I pour it behind me into a potted plant—as I have been doing most of the night—while Elias and Nadine simply down theirs. It’s a wonder they’re able to stand given the amount of alcohol they’ve both consumed already.

  “I do have one or two pieces upstairs, yes, in the penthouse,” Elias says, placing his empty flute glass back on the tray.

  “Oh, you have to show Rae,” Nadine says, sipping the last of her champagne.

  “What? Now?”

  “Yes, now, I was just telling Rae how exquisite they are. Alexei and I can entertain the guests.”

  He glances at his watch. “I suppose we could, just for a minute. That’s if you want to? There’s more champagne upstairs.” His twinkling gray eyes hold mine expectantly, and Nadine elbows me again.

  I give a weak smile. “Sure.”

  His eager grin gives way to triumph and Nadine hands me over like I’m a prize to be won. As Elias leads me out of the club suite, suddenly I feel exposed and uncomfortable, like a lamb knowing it’s off to slaughter. Going upstairs to Elias’s apartment alone with him is wrong, this whole thing feels wrong.

  My eyes somehow collid
e with Darius’s. And in a split second his smile fades. With narrowed eyes and mask of confusion, he watches me leave in the arms of a Lexington.

  “Wait, I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “We have one upstairs,” Elias says, suddenly looking between me and Darius. His grip tightens on me just as Alexei appears out of the crowd and puts a hand on Darius’s shoulder. Panic settles in the space of my heart and every part of me screams at me to run, but I don’t.

  Instead, I shake my head and mouth one word at Darius. No.

  Behind Darius’s eyes, a thousand hurts rain down on him. The last look he gives me as I’m swept from the room, is one of betrayal.

  Upstairs in the penthouse, hidden from the rest of the world by a wall tapestry and secret door, Elias pours me another glass of champagne. As I survey his collection—a strange array of prehistoric jaw bones—he occasionally glances over from the mini bar at me. I bow my head, gluing my gaze to the mandibles behind the glass.

  I hear him walk over, and my heartrate speeds up as I smell the scent of his signature aftershave—the faint tang of vanilla and bergamot. I’ve no idea why I let Nadine talk me into this; This was such a big mistake. As usual, my confidence has turned tail, so I’m truly all alone. No one here to save me this time. Not even Darius.

  A pang of sadness cuts through me. He must really hate me right now.

  I sense Elias behind me. I spin around to find myself trapped between a glass case and him towering over me. He looks me up and down, the dark of his eyes fading back into winter gray as they adjust to the light.

  “You seem nervous,” he says, handing me a glass flute full to the brim of bubbles. “You didn’t bring me up here to see fossils, did you?”

  He knows. Fuck, I need to flirt more.

  “No… No, I didn’t,” I say, as I take the glass.