by Dani René
Knocking him to the ground, I straddle his middle, my fists raining down on him, again and again. Blood splatters everywhere as I take out the rage I feel on his face. A loud crack tells me I’ve broken his nose.
Caia’s hand on my shoulder is the only thing that breaks through the darkness consuming me, and I still. The wrinkled skin of the man on the floor beneath me is bloodied, his teeth red, his nose at a strange angle, but he’s still alive.
My sweet little bird crouches down, a smile on her face, causing me to frown. She looks at the man for a long while, then pushes the gun I gave her into his mouth and pulls the trigger, shocking me once more today.
“Goodbye, Mr. Yeoman,” she utters, then glances at me. “I’m ready, Drake. I can do this.” Her confidence shines through her fear, and I rise, pulling her along with me. River sidles up to us. The eight men and three women who were here for the gala are all dead.
“This wasn’t as much fun as our last kill, but I can safely say I’m hard as fuck right now,” River chuckles beside me, winking at Caia who instantly blushes, and I’m certain she’s recalling last night.
“Get the men to clean up. We’ll head back to the house.” My order is swift, and my best friend nods. Lacing my fingers through Caia’s, I pull her along as we make our way down the long hallway toward the exit. We pass a few closed doors, and I wonder just what’s inside them.
Before we hit the staircase, I shove one door open to find a bathroom. I tug my little raven into the space and shut the door, pressing her against the hard wood.
“What are you doing?” she questions breathlessly. The gentle sound is an aphrodisiac I didn’t need, but welcome anyway. Lifting her dress, I tug her panties to the side and dip two fingers into her cunt. She’s drenched, tight, pulsing around the digits.
“I’m going to fuck you.” I don’t ask; I don’t need to, because she wants this as much as I do. Her delicate fingers fumble with my zipper, and soon, her fist is wrapped around my hard shaft. Pulling my fingers from her core, I place them in her mouth, shoving them into her throat, coating her tongue with the sweet essence of her pussy.
“We need to talk,” she tells me as I sink into her body.
“Then talk,” I smirk, rolling my hips, causing her to whimper. Her hands grip my shoulders, and I hold onto her pert little ass. My body fits within hers perfectly.
“Last night,” she starts, then a soft moan falls from her lips when I pull out and slam back in. “I want this.” I still at her confession, her eyes wide with lust, emotion, and want.
“River and me?”
She shakes her head, then nods. “I’m intrigued. I’m . . . I’m new to so much, and last night was just the first taste of it. Drake, I’m not refusing, but I need time to get used to this life.” She’s right. But I shake my head and continue fucking her. I can’t love her. This is just a fuck. “For now, though.” She gazes at me with a plea in her eyes. “Hurt me,” she begs, causing my dick to jolt inside her, thickening farther, stretching her.
Gripping her throat, I squeeze, and her cunt pulses around me. I choke her, reveling in her eyes tearing up as I use her for my pleasure, but I know it’s not only mine. She’s getting off on this. She loves the pain. I lean in, my mouth latching onto her fat bottom lip, and I bite down hard, drawing blood from her flesh. I savor her flavor.
“Please,” she mumbles, her gagging, choking sounds make me harder than I’ve ever been before as I pump into her faster and faster. “Oh god, please.” Her plea causes my balls to draw up, and I empty myself inside her.
I’ve marked her.
I’ve fucking claimed her.
And I have no idea how to undo it.
But I don’t think I want to.
18
Caia
My nerves are shot. They’re fucking obliterated. I’d never thought I could kill someone, let alone two people within a few days of each other. But the moment I looked into Yeoman’s eyes, I felt it, the need to purge the filth from my body. And Drake was right there to give me what I needed after. He fucked me against a bathroom door, and I begged for more.
The house is silent when we enter, and I wonder where my sister is.
“Dante took Harper out,” Drake tells me as if he can read my mind. I turn to him, meeting those blue eyes that disarm me. They look into my soul, they chip away at the walls I’d built to shield myself, and they see right through my pain.
“Where did they go?” I question, walking beside Drake into the living room.
He shrugs. “Not sure. He mentioned he wanted to get to know her.” I watch as he strolls up to the bar, filling two glasses with a deep red wine. The color so dark it’s almost black.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” I tell him when he turns to me. He hands me the glass, which I gratefully accept. Alcohol will hopefully calm my nerves that are frazzled by this evening’s events.
“They’re both adults. We can’t tell them what to do,” Drake tells me, settling on the sofa. His suit is stained with blood, but he doesn’t seem fazed by the fact. “I want to talk to you. About tonight,” he says, gesturing for me to sit beside him.
Perching myself on the sofa, I wait for him to continue. I’m not sure what he wants me to say, and I certainly don’t know how to explain what happened. Something took over me. Rage. The anger of years of abuse finally let itself out.
“You told me you wanted this, to get revenge on your father, and I will certainly help you with that,” he starts. “But I need to know one thing before we continue here, Caia.” His gaze pins me to the spot. It steals my breath and causes my heart rate to spike. “Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I wanted you. I was planning to steal you from my father all those years ago.”
“I didn’t—”
“I’m not done,” he interrupts me, and I allow him to. “You told me while I was fucking you that you wanted this.” He gestures around us. “Did you mean River and me, because we’re a package deal, or did you mean you wanted the vengeance?”
What did I want? Him. If he and River are the only way I’ll have Drake, then I’ll have to live with it, because as scary as it is, I can’t live without Drake.
“I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to, little bird,” he tells me. Scooting forward, he takes my hand in his. “But you need to know, I’m indeed savage. I’m angry, I’m dangerous, and I like the darkness. I’ve become accustomed to it.”
“I’m not sure of everything right now, Drake, but I just can’t be alone. The world out there scares me. I’ve been afraid for so long I’m not sure how to be anything else.”
“You’re strong as well,” he affirms, sipping his wine as he regards me. “I’m not sure how to be anything other than violent.”
“I guess the namesake runs deep.” I shrug, earning me a smile from his handsome mouth. His face lights up with the action, and I find myself entranced by him. “What happened to your father?”
He shakes his head, lowering his gaze to the glass. “He died. Breathed his last breath a six months ago. River, Dante, and I made sure he saw our faces the moment he died. He suffered. Each day I poisoned his whiskey until the day it finally ate away at him and he was bedridden. Then, we took the final step and killed him,” Drake says proudly. “There are a few things he left me with though. Things I haven’t told River or Dante.”
“Why? Aren’t they your only family? Surely they need to know if something is wrong.”
He lifts his blue eyes to meet my hazel ones. There are so many emotions flickering in his gaze it’s startling to see. The windows to Drake’s soul are tarnished with pain and agony, with violence and mayhem, and I have no idea if he would ever be free of them.
“My father held so many secrets from us, from River, it’s worrying. We found his sister in Thanos’s house,” he tells me.
“The wild girl?” Drake nods. “She’s not the only family he has, is she?”
“No. River’s mother worked for my father. She was on his p
ayroll, and she sold River to the Savage Organization in the hopes of getting her ass seated in the White House.”
A shocked gasp comes from the doorway. Both our heads whip toward the entrance to find River staring straight at his best friend.
“Shit,” Drake hisses, rising from his seat, but River is gone. I follow quickly, wanting to comfort the man who’s slowly becoming part of my life. I watch him race up the stairs, ignoring Drake calling his name. “Fuck it.”
“I’ll go.” Placing a hand on his shoulder, I press a kiss to his cheek and follow River up to the second level of the house. When I reach the door with the large, ornate R carved into it, I knock tentatively. It flies open, and I’m met with the striking gaze of River.
“Can we talk?”
He shrugs in response. Leaving the door open, he makes his way into the room. When I enter, I take in the rich browns and golds in the room. Deep, warm colors furnish the space, offering a homey feel. He turns to me, his green gaze penetrating mine with curiosity.
“He didn’t want you to find out like this,” I start, unsure of how to speak to him.
“And you know my best friend so well?” His voice is low, but I hear him. I don’t respond, because I can’t say I do. Drake is mostly a stranger to me, but I don’t feel it. For some reason, it’s as if we’ve known each other all our lives.
“Perhaps not as well as you, but I can see the pain he holds onto. This can’t be easy for him,” I implore, wishing he would see that this wasn’t a plot to hurt him.
“You know,” River breathes as he nears me. Our bodies inches apart, and the spark that ignites between us is something new.
Drake has always been the one to make my body come alive, but with what happened last night, it seems River can ignite my desire just as much.
He leans in, closing the distance between his mouth and my ear, before he whispers, “Drake didn’t give up looking for you, even though I told him it was futile.”
Even though the room is empty, I feel the nervous fear that I’ll be ripped away from them both. That I’ll be severed from my links to both men, and I’ll once more be shoved into a hole in the ground.
“And each time he tried to find you, I watched the agony on his face when it was a dead end. I’ve seen his pain. I’ve tasted it, savored it. Don’t tell me that you’re the only one who sees it.”
His words cause me to snap my gaze to his. “I want this,” I tell him then, offering the same words I gave Drake moments ago. Placing my hand on River’s chest, I smile up at him. “I told him as well. I want you both in my life. There isn’t a fight for who he’ll choose, because I don’t want him losing either of us. This isn’t a game, River.”
“I know it’s not, darling,” he smirks. Lifting his hand, he trails his knuckles over my cheek, causing chill bumps to rise over my skin. “You see, Drake is all caught up over you, and that makes this vendetta dangerous for him, for me, and for you,” he tells me, glancing behind me, and I wonder if there’s someone there. If Drake has silently entered and he’s watching our exchange. “Soon you’ll learn all there is to know about Drake and me. Our past goes back so far into this shithole, we’ve survived so many things, and I just hope you’re strong enough to stomach the truth.” He shakes his head as if the memories are attempting to drag him under. When he meets my stare once more, he smiles sadly. “My best friend cares far too much about you.”
“Are you jealous?” I bite out, confusion sizzling wildly in my chest.
River laughs, the sound almost melodic when he does. There’s something he’s not saying, and I know it’s the fact that he’s in love with his best friend. Green orbs trap me in a gaze so piercing I hold my breath for a moment.
“Caia, if I were jealous, I’d have ended you already. The thing is, I know you want him, and yes, he does want you as well. The way I see it, sweetheart, everything is better in threes,” he tells me with a cocky wink, turning to walk away, but I grab his arm to halt his steps.
“Then accept me,” I say. Right now, I know River is my only way to get Drake, his brother, and him out of here. To find the family they’ve lost, and to figure out how to end the monsters we all face.
“Are you sure you want this, Caia? Because once I agree, we will be bound by our promise.” A dark brow arches at me in question.
“I do,” I affirm with a nod. “You, Dante, and Drake have been in here for far too long. It’s time to set yourselves free.” This time my voice is a rushed whisper. “And your sister, we’ll heal her somehow.”
River nods once. Tugging his arm free, he smiles and turns his back to me. I follow behind him as he heads out of his bedroom, and I know we’re going to Drake. The plush carpet muffling our steps as we make our way down toward mahogany double doors. I know what’s on the other side. The room where I lost my virginity. It’s not the first time River is leading me here, and I know it won’t be the last.
19
Drake
When the doors open and both River and Caia step inside, I offer them a smile. Thankfully, my best friend seems calmer than he did earlier.
“We need to talk,” River says, settling on the antique leather sofa. Caia strolls over toward me, seating herself on the stool against the bar counter where I’m standing. I wait for River to start his demands. He’ll want to know about his mother, his sister who we have in one of the cells downstairs. I don’t know if he’s been down there to talk to her, or try to at least, but if he has, he doesn’t mention it.
“We do need to talk. There are things that I’ve kept from both you and Dante, and I think it’s time we reveal the secrets that Malcolm kept.”
He nods, watching me as I pour us all a drink. Setting his down on the table, I straighten and take a seat in the wingback chair that faces the door. Dante will be home soon, and I don’t want him walking in on our conversation.
It’s late. I can’t deal with both River and my brother, and after the night we’ve had, all I want is a shower and to sleep between Caia and River.
“Why did my mother leave me here? I want to know everything. Is she alive?”
“When Malcolm died, I found records, contracts between him and a lot of people I don’t know. But there was one folder with your mother’s name on it. When I opened it, there was a photo of you and her along with the agreement that she relinquishes all custody to Malcolm.”
“But why would a mother do that?” Caia questions. Joining us, she settles beside River.
“To be honest, she was a power-hungry bitch.” I shrug, not caring if it was my best friend’s mother. It’s the truth. And I’m not afraid to say it. “She’d asked my father to ensure her seat on the White House cabinet was confirmed, but when that didn’t happen, she threatened to expose Savage Organization. That’s when my father requested the gift of her daughter.”
“But when I came here, I was young. I don’t even remember Rayne being able to walk at that stage.”
I nod at River’s comment. “Yes, you came here at the age of ten. Rayne was about two-years-old, I think. At least that’s what the paperwork says. She offered up her baby girl to Malcolm Savage for a CEO seat within the Organization, which she’s currently running in Thailand. She left the US years ago,” I tell him. Gulping down the drink, I set the empty glass on the table. I pull out a pack of cigarettes and light one before continuing. “I don’t know if she’s alive or not. She must’ve heard about Malcolm’s death, because she’s disappeared.”
“So, my mother is a monster, just like the rest of them,” River utters with so much sadness in his voice it grips my chest in a fierce hold.
“River, I—”
“No, it’s fine,” he says. Rising from the sofa, he stalks to the bar, refilling the glass I’d given him with a triple shot of whiskey. The amber liquid sloshes around the crystal as he swirls it. “I’ve lived with enough of this fucked-up shit in my life to know that having hope is pointless.”
“That’s not true,” Caia pipes up. She’s on her feet,
closing the distance between her and my best friend. She gently places a hand on his shoulder, and I watch the scene play out before me. “Hope is something that may feel out of reach, but deep down, right here” — she places her finger tips on his chest, right where his heart is — “that’s where you hold the people who matter, and they’re the ones who offer you hope. Drake, Dante, and me.” She whispers the last word, but I hear her. She’s really in this. When she told me in the bathroom and then again in the living room that she wanted this, River and me, I didn’t believe her. I’m not sure why, but I couldn’t bring myself to hold out hope.
River nods, downing the alcohol in one long gulp. He winces, his face screwing up for a second. When he opens his eyes, he meets mine. “I’m going to bed. I need time.”
“Okay.” I only offer him one word because there’s nothing more to say.
Once Caia and I are alone again, she sighs. “He’ll need more than time.”
“I know.” My response earns me her stare. Those beautiful hazel eyes land on me as if she’s seeking more from me right now. But I don’t have anything to give. I’ve just fucked over my best friend with the news of his family, and now I have a girl I’m falling for looking for a knight.
I may have saved her, but I’m definitely not the good guy.
“I think I need to get some sleep,” she tells me. Lowering her gaze to the floor, she smiles, twirling her toes into the carpet. “Thank you for keeping me.”
“You’re not a possession, Caia.”
She doesn’t respond. I watch her leave, the door clicking closed, and I’m alone once more. I wish I had time to do all the things I’d planned, but we don’t have that luxury. My phone vibrates on the coffee table, and I pick it up to see Dante’s name.
“Brother,” I answer easily, leaning into the back of the chair.
“Saturday night, Amoretto is having a party. The list will be there. It could be the only chance we have to annihilate them all in one day.”
