by Ginna Moran
Bronx sets me on my feet. “Please show us the accommodations.”
Nodding, she opens the door.
Bronx pushes her inside.
Chapter 14
Getting Answers
PRESSING MS. STEPHANIE’S BACK AGAINST the nearest wall, Bronx leans close and locks his gaze on her. Her eyes widen, her body going slack. Without having to ask, I know he’s opening her mind to be manipulated.
“What are you doing?” I hiss, trying to rush closer.
Mikkalo blocks my way. “Shhh. Keep your voice low.”
Bronx cups the woman’s face, pulling my attention away from trying to burn Mikkalo’s back with my glower. “Don’t move. Don’t make a sound. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Anger explodes through me. I mean, what the actual fuck? Bronx knows how I feel about mind manipulation, and yet he’s using it on an unsuspecting woman.
“You will not tell your misters of this,” Bronx says, keeping his voice even.
Shoving my hands into Mikkalo’s back, I manage to push him out of the way like the time I did when he found out I was a dhampir. He releases a growl, catching himself on his hands. I rush past him toward Bronx, fully determined to interrupt his mind manipulation.
Jameson clasps me by the waist, and I automatically swing my arm out and punch him in the jaw. He growls at me too, the force of my fist enough to get him to release me.
“Bronx,” Everett calls. “Brace yourself.”
Bronx breaks his eye contact with the woman, and she heaves a breath. I crash into Bronx, knocking him off his feet only to land on top of him. I don’t know if he lets me do it or not, but I manage to grab his wrists and yank his hands over his head to pin him in place. Silence falls over the room, the only noise I hear coming from my rapping heart pounding in my head.
Silver flashes in Bronx’s eyes and he scowls, baring his fangs at me. “Gwen, what are you doing?”
I swallow the burning in my throat. “What am I doing?” My voice rises with my anger. “What the fuck are you doing?”
The look he gives me shouts that I should know the answer. “Getting the information we need,” he responds, his brows furrowing.
Everett touches my shoulder. “Come on, Gwen. Let Bronx up. You look like you might lose control.”
I hiss. And I mean full-on hiss, the noise something strange and unfamiliar, feral, coming from my mouth.
Everett raises his hands in surrender. “You’re on your own, brother.”
Bronx takes advantage of my distraction and breaks my hold. Flipping me off of him, he thumps me on the floor beside him and pins me down just the same as I did to him. I thrash, trying to kick my legs to throw him off me.
“Mr. Royale, please. Don’t hurt her.” Ms. Stephanie’s soft voice trickles through the room. “I will answer any question you ask.”
Bronx stiffens, the woman’s words clearly getting to him, because we both know he’d never hurt me. By his expression, he looks ready to attack me with his soft lips, if anything. And damn my body. It should know better than to react, especially when I’m pissed off.
“Please,” Ms. Stephanie repeats.
Her pleas dig into me. I’ve never had anyone, let alone a stranger, beg for mercy on my behalf. She even risks taking a step closer.
Bronx heaves a breath, the intensity of his gaze warming my skin. His hold on my wrists loosens, and I jerk upright and slam my palms into his rock-hard chest, pushing him off me. Because if I don’t, I might give into his nearly palpable lust for me and start making out with him, even in front of this frightened woman.
Bronx somersaults to his feet, leaving me a panting mess on the floor. Mikkalo, Everett, and Jameson stand nearby, but none of them come to my side. They watch Bronx straighten his shirt and close the space to the woman. She bows her head again, staring at the floor.
“I’ll know if you’re lying,” Bronx says, keeping his hands at his sides.
Ms. Stephanie straightens her shoulders. “I will not lie nor will I tell my misters. Please, just don’t hurt the girl.”
Bronx doesn’t respond to her request, taking full advantage of her fear. “We’re looking for a donor. Would have come in within the last week.”
“What’s her name?” she asks, lifting her gaze to meet Bronx’s gaze. I can’t help but appreciate this woman’s bravado.
“His name is Silas Gallagher.”
“Oh, Silas. Yes. He’s been quite the talk among the girls.”
I scrunch my nose. Of course he is. He always has been popular with the tiny amount of women we helped escape cities.
“They’ve been anticipating for Mr. Brentwood to release him so that they can properly mingle.” Mingle? Yeah, no. The way she says it sounds more like they’re interested in boning Silas. Silas would most definitely give in.
“Do you know how Brentwood acquired Mr. Gallagher? Mr. Royale put a block on transfers of more males to this household. The staff population growth has maxed out for the year.” Bronx shifts on his feet to glance at his brothers.
Ms. Stephanie bobs her head. “There was an accident. It opened up a few spots for groundskeepers.”
An accident?
She glances at me. “We lost our three eldest staff members. It was unfortunate considering they were only a year away from exemption.”
“How convenient,” Jameson says.
I sit up on the floor and pull my knees to my chest.
“What can I say? The girls were unhappy with...” She lets her voice trail off.
From the way she says it, it sounds like it wasn’t actually an accident and these supposed girls she keeps mentioning wanted a different selection.
“What the fuck?” I whisper to myself.
Bronx straightens his back. “Will you tell me where he’s being kept?”
Her eyes widen. “You can’t take him. The girls will be so disappointed.”
And funny enough, this concept isn’t exactly new to me. I just didn’t know it until now. Blood Rebels do something similar, at least, according to my dad. He once told my brothers he chose not to join a rebel community because I’d be separated from them and kept with the other women. Women who are treated far better than soldiers.
Vampires aren’t the only ones concerned with population growth. Dad said only the best of the best men get the privilege of being among the women. It’s where he met my mom and how he found out the truth about our lineage. Dad wasn’t chosen because he was an amazing soldier. He was chosen for carrying the dhampir gene.
“The hell we can’t,” I snap, getting to my feet.
Jameson cuts me off from closing the space to her to give her a piece of my damn mind. There is no way in hell that I’m letting her stand between reuniting me with my family all because some girls will be unhappy. My brother isn’t a plaything to be discarded once they no longer find him interesting.
Ms. Stephanie glances at me. “You want him for yourself.”
I inwardly cringe at her assumption. “He’s my brother.”
“Then you should be thankful he’s found himself in such a position.”
Jameson cuts off my oncoming remarks with a kiss. “Chill out, Gigi. She’s only being honest.”
I glare at him. “You agree with her?”
He smirks. “Could be worse.”
I whack him on the shoulder. The woman gasps from behind Jameson, and I meet her narrowed eyes. Without her having to say anything, I know she realizes that I wasn’t ever in any danger. Her pleas of mercy were unfounded, and she risked her life for no reason.
Opening her mouth, she releases a shout that Bronx quickly cuts off with his hand. He leans into her, trapping her in his gaze. A burst of fear ignites inside me at the deep growl that escapes his throat. I can’t stop myself from pushing past Jameson to stand behind him.
“Gwen, do not interfere with me,” Bronx snaps.
I take an automatic step back like he physically pushes me even though he doesn’t even look my way.
> “Do not speak or scream,” Bronx says to Ms. Stephanie.
She slackens in his arms with only Bronx holding her up by her waist.
“Tell me where to find Silas Gallagher,” Bronx commands.
“He’s in Lady Tori’s quarters. Down the hall, sixteenth door on the left,” she automatically says, unable to resist Bronx’s mind manipulation.
Bronx pinches her chin. “Good. You will not speak of this conversation to anyone. If you do, you will suffer great agony. Now, leave us.”
Breaking his eye contact, Bronx releases Ms. Stephanie from his mind manipulation. She falls to her knees and gasps a breath, hanging her head for a moment. I don’t get a chance to move before Bronx spins and snatches me off my feet. The world blurs at his speed until I find myself standing in the middle of a small bathroom with only a toilet, sink, and shower. I can’t even step away from him if I wanted to.
“What the hell, Gwen?” Bronx asks, scowling at me hard enough that I press my back into the sink.
“Are you kidding me? You’re asking me what the hell?” I snap.
“You could’ve endangered us all.” His muscular body creeps into my space as he bends his head closer. “What you did, interrupting my mind manipulation like that, was stupid as hell.”
“And what you did was invasive and wrong.” I jab him in the chest. “You could’ve given her a chance to see if she was willing to answer your questions.”
“She wouldn’t have.”
“How would you even know?”
Bronx growls at me, his eyes flashing crazy silver. “You know what? We don’t have time for this. I did what I did for you, Gwen. Do you fucking want your brother back or not? Because right now, I don’t give a shit.”
The second the words escape his mouth, he closes his eyes.
And then he disappears, leaving me alone in the bathroom.
I spin around and face the mirror, clutching the marble countertop as my knees threaten to buckle and send me to the floor. Soft murmurs come from the open door, but I can’t gather my nerves quick enough to return to my guys. A door slams, and I groan and bend over, planting my forehead to the cool sink.
What the hell just happened? I can’t even process things. I feel like shit, and I can’t tell if it’s because I’m pissed off at Bronx or myself.
Everett clears his throat in the doorway, drawing my attention to him. I glance at him and then back to the mirror without saying anything. Unlike Bronx, Everett remains expressionless. His calm, rhythmic heartbeat helps settle the wild and out-of-control beats of mine.
“You okay, Gwen?” Everett asks, stepping into the small bathroom. “I’m sorry about Bronx.”
I flare my nostrils. “Don’t apologize for him. What he did—what he said? I have every right to be angry.”
Shuffling up behind me, Everett slides his arms around my waist. He rests his chin on my shoulder and stares at my reflection in the mirror. “Of course you do. But so does he.”
“Seriously?” I step back to push away from the sink so I don’t have to look at his unreadable expression.
Everett follows me from the bathroom and to the empty guestroom. Bronx, Jameson, and Mikkalo have all disappeared. So has Ms. Stephanie.
Materializing in front of me, Everett rests his hands on my shoulders to get me to look at him. “I’m not taking either of your sides, so please stop looking at me like that.”
I frown at his words. “Like what?”
“Like you did the first day we met. Like I’m the bad guy.”
I puff out my bottom lip, my anger melting into regret. I thought I felt bad before, but now I feel damn right awful.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “You’re not. None of you are. I’m just—I hate mind manipulation.”
“I know.”
Everett pulls me into a hug and kisses my temple. I breathe into the front of his shirt, smelling his sweet skin until I get my emotions under control. Now is not the time to flip my shit and have a meltdown.
We stand in silence for a few minutes until Everett thinks I’m calm enough to put space between us. But he doesn’t allow much. Only enough to lean down and brush his lips to mine. Something comes over me, and I hook my hands around his neck and draw him in closer, kissing him deeper.
One second I’m in his arms, and in the next, my back hits the bed. Everett presses his body to mine, combing his fingers through my hair to kiss me more fervently. I devour his affection, gliding my tongue over his while trailing my hands down his back. I snatch the back of his shirt and yank it off him, setting him off with desire that lights his blue eyes as they rove over me.
Bending up, I nip his shoulder and draw my tongue over his sugary skin and up his neck. His fingers unfasten the button on my pants, and he pulls them down only enough to slide his hand between my legs to touch me through the soft fabric of my thong. And then he rips it off and steals the gasp from my lips with another hot kiss that leaves my whole body buzzing.
“Gwen, I want you,” Everett says, licking his lips as he pulls away and searches my eyes. “Let me distract you until my brothers return. You’re all I ever think about, and it’s driving me crazy.”
I smile and lean back in to kiss him. “Is that so?”
“Mmmhmm. I don’t want to pass up any spare moment that I can be with you how I want.” Damn. Everett’s desperate touch continues, turning me on so much. I’m nearly certain I’d never deny him.
“I want you too,” I whisper.
Trailing my hands down his tight stomach muscles, I fiddle with the button of his pants until it releases and I can slide the zipper down. He moans into my mouth, kissing me with a passion that sends electricity zinging through me. I blindly tug his pants and boxers down, wrapping my fingers around his raging boner. He only lets me play with him for a moment before he pulls away and flips me onto my stomach to bend me over the edge of the bed.
I moan so fucking loud into the blankets at the sudden pressure between my legs. Everett thrusts deep inside me, holding my hips to create resistance so that I feel every amazing inch of him.
The spontaneity of this moment, the heat of his desire, and the tangle of emotions coursing through me leave me gasping with every rock of his body to meet mine. He moans softly with each thrust, and I dig my fingers into the bed, enjoying the sensation of one of his hands roaming down my pelvis so that he can rub my clit.
A burst of incredible sensations builds my desire more intensely that it takes everything in me not to scream out my pleasure. I bite the blanket between my teeth as I reach the point of orgasming. His need to assure I get off as much as him is nothing like what I experienced before being claimed. All of them are like this, really cementing exactly where I belong. And I enjoy it.
I shudder with a long moan, my legs shaking so hard at the amazing rush that collides into me to steal my breath. Everett whispers how good I feel, how sexy I am, how happy I make him through his own gasping.
Not long after my body stops shuddering, Everett moans and sinks onto me, pushing as deep as he can as he cums. His breath tickles my shoulder and he kisses my skin through his panting until he gently slides out of me and rolls me over to meet my mouth for another kiss.
“I wish we were home,” he murmurs. “I want to ravish you all night. You’re addicting, Gwen. Every time you allow me to be close, I want more and more of you.”
“And I’m happy to give you more,” I say, mapping my fingers down his back until I reach his ass to squeeze.
He graces me with a smile that I can’t resist reciprocating. “My brothers will never give me anymore of their time with you if they knew that.”
I tilt my head. “What does that mean?”
“Bronx needed Mikkalo, so Mikkalo picked me to stay with you,” he says, grinning.
“Instead of Jameson.” I fill in the blanks, realizing that Mikkalo only picked Everett over Jameson because he doesn’t know Everett and I have already reached this level of intimacy. While we’ve all agreed to
this, I’m sure their deep-seated nature will always influence their decisions in regards to me. “You guys,” I say. “I swear. This isn’t a competition.”
He bends down and wiggles his nose to mine. “I know, but I would be lying if I apologized. Because I’m not even sorry. After...I just feel so much better now. It’s more difficult than I imagined not getting you every moment I want, but it’s getting better.”
I cup his cheeks and stare into the endless blue depths of his eyes. He doesn’t have to say anything else for me to know that he might’ve been struggling with the new levels of my relationships I’m exploring with his brothers. And I can’t really blame him. I’m not sure how I’d feel if I were in their positions no matter what was agreed upon. Even though this feels incredibly right and normal already, I know it goes against the possessive nature of vampires.
“Everett, next time, will you just talk to me? While this was...so, so hot, I don’t want you to hold your feelings in,” I say. “Is this the real reason you blew up at Jameson over the attack?”
He tightens his jaw. “Now that I will apologize for.”
I slide my fingers over the scruff of his face until I comb my fingers through his hair. “I want you to know that what I have with you means a lot to me, okay? I’ve never felt like this with anyone. You have no reason to be jealous. And if you do get jealous, let me know. I know a cure for that.”
He rests his forehead to mine. “You’re not obligated to do anything. This was our agreement. I’m happy to have this with you.”
“I’m happy too, and I know I’m not obligated. I want to.” I glide my tongue over his bottom lip and pull it into my mouth. “Especially if they turn into moments like this.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re so incredibly sexy. The way you—” I shiver. “So good.”
He kisses my throat. “And you’re amazing. I wish I could savor you more, but then it’ll give our little secret away.”
I grin. “We can’t have that now, can we? I mean, those are the rules.”
He eases off of me and scoops my ripped thong from the floor. I laugh and bat his arm as he tucks it into his pocket and picks me up to take me to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Everett fixes my messy hair for me, tucking the strands behind my ears.
