Wicked Love

by Michelle Dare

  “Hey, Girl.” Paula grins as she finds an empty seat beside me. She’s dressed in a tight pair of yoga pants and what I’m hoping are fake snakeskin boots. Her top is tight against her curves. The neckline dipping just far enough to make me blush. Tamika is in jeans, along with a band tee that hangs off one shoulder. Casual, yet sexy. And Miriam has her hair pinned up messily, wearing a long-sleeved knee-length, peach knitted dress. With her shiny, black boots, she looks like she’s just stepped off a teen TV show.

  “Hi,” I whisper at them. “I wanted to ask all of you something.” But before I can get it out, Professor Langley rises and clears his throat, and I know I won’t be able to chat with them until we’re released from English class.

  An hour later, I’m chomping at the bit to get the information I need, so when we’re finally allowed to leave, I’m on my feet in seconds, waiting for the girls to join me, before we head out of class.

  Out in the hallway, I turn to find the three of them staring at me. “What?”

  “You look like shit.” Paula is the honest one. I can’t deny it, but I still flinch at her words. “Sorry, but someone had to say it. Are you okay?”

  “Not really,” I tell her. “I got this yesterday, and I needed to know if any of you have any idea who sent it and why.” I pull out the card, and the audible gasp that comes from the girls is evidence they most certainly do know exactly what it means.

  “Oh, shit,” Miriam mumbles with a grin on her face. It’s only then I really look at her, noticing the freckles that dot her nose. Similar to mine. Being redheaded, I’ve lived with freckles over my nose and cheeks, and even though they’ve always been the bane of my existence, I feel a connection with Miriam, because we share something I’ve always been bullied having.

  “What? What is ‘oh shit’? Is this bad?”

  “You’ve been summoned,” Tamika tells me in an overly dramatic tone, which makes a cold chill take hold of me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is a Haven invite,” Miriam says, plucking the card from my fingers, turning it front to back. She scans the writing on the one side, then nods. “Yeah, you’ve been invited to the Haven castle,” she tells me. “They have an annual Halloween party, and this is the official invite. This wasn’t sent by one of the townsfolk, since we’re all allowed to invite one person to join us. You’ve been invited by one of the Haven boys.”

  I point at Paula before speaking. “The same one—”

  “Indeed. I can’t tell just from this which one invited you, but there are three brothers in the Haven clan. Not by blood, but their bond is strong.”

  “Adopted?”

  She nods. “Octavius Haven, the father, adopted three boys when they were young. I think the eldest boy, Creed, was only about five when he came to Thorne Haven. You then have the second eldest, which is Keirin, and the youngest one is Brody.” Miriam’s explanation stops as she looks at the card again.

  “So, what’s with the fascination?” I ask, my gaze flicking to each girl. They all seem less than enthused to talk about the boys, but I need to know what I’m getting myself into. Not that I agreed to go, but I have thought about it.

  All three girls look uncomfortable. It’s as if there’s a big secret and any outsider shouldn’t know about it. Because that’s what I am. Merely an outsider to the secrets that lie within the walls of this town.

  “Come on, it can’t that bad,” I tease, but deep down, I have a feeling it is that bad. But I don’t say anything more.

  “The party is good fun. You should go,” Paula finally speaks up. But the flicker of uncertainty in her gaze makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  “So, all three brothers are bad boys, but you’re telling me to go to the party,” I say, giving each of them a look of indignation.

  “If it were Brody or Keirin, it’s fine,” Tamika says.

  “But Creed is . . . different,” Miriam announces, the word she uses to describe him making me shiver involuntarily. I don’t mind different, but it’s the way she says it.

  My earlier thoughts come to mind—the fact that I don’t want to get involved with anyone. My time here is limited. I won’t be in Thorne Haven forever, but perhaps I was hasty to think such a thought.

  “How different?” I ask, my curiosity peaked. “Come on, you have to give me something here.” Even though they owe me nothing, I still feel like I’m about to be blindsided.

  “He’s just intense,” Tamika says. “He doesn’t usually have a type of girl he goes for, but he does like his Finders Keepers game. Rumors are, it’s his idea of foreplay.”

  “Finders Keepers?” The girls don’t have a moment to respond to me because I feel heat at my back, the moment I utter the words. Their gazes all flick over my shoulder, and my spine goes rigid with fright.

  Slowly, I turn to see who’s entered our personal bubble, and I’m not prepared for what I find. A boy, no, a man, with blue eyes and blond hair, stands confidently with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

  His face is chiseled, with sharp features and a jawbone that would make a sculptor jealous. The corner of his mouth is tilted in a casual grin, but it’s the look in his eyes that makes me tremble.

  “Girls,” he greets, looking at us for a long moment before he steps even closer. “I take it invitations have gone out,” he says. “I haven’t had a chance to do mine yet.”

  “Keirin,” Tamika greets him, but Paula doesn’t utter a word. Her cheeks, however, tell a different story. They’re bright red. Her mouth is pursed as she regards him with an equal mix of rage and desire.

  “You’re one of the Havens?” I ask stupidly. Of course, he is; the girls had just told me their names, but right now, I’m dumbfounded.

  “I am indeed. I see my reputation precedes me.” He grins playfully at me.

  “It does,” I tell him, finding my footing in our confrontation. I can see why Paula is so attracted to him; he is breathtakingly handsome.

  “What are you doing here, Keirin?” Miriam asks. “The rest of the Havens overtaking the school as well?” Her biting tone has me snapping my gaze toward her.

  But if the man before us is perturbed, he doesn’t show it. He laughs. The sound is low, throaty, and it doesn’t seem to echo. It’s for us, alone, a secret.

  “I’m visiting,” he tells her. “And I guess I’ll see you at the party,” he whispers, his gaze turning to me.

  “Do you know who would’ve sent me the invite then?” I ask, needing to know what the hell is going on and why I’m suddenly a person of interest.

  “I would definitely know that, Darling. That would be my big brother.” He winks, the amusement brightening his face makes him seem innocent, but I know it’s a lie. This guy is so far from innocent.

  “Creed?” The moment his name leaves my lips, I feel it, as if I’m being wrapped in an icy-cold blanket of danger. I can’t explain it in any other way. And the look on Keirin’s face tells me I’ve guessed correctly.

  “Take care, Darlings,” he says, before offering us one last, long look, then disappearing into the classroom to our left. I notice it’s the history class, and I wonder why he would be visiting.

  All the way to my next class, I can’t shake the ominous feeling that’s wrapped itself around me. And I have a feeling it’s going to linger until the day I finally come face-to-face with Creed Haven.

  4

  Creed

  I’ve spent the better part of the past couple of days researching everything there is to know about Micaela McCray. It helps when your father is rich, and you can pay people to find out shit for you. Thankfully, I now know more about the beauty who’s captured my attention. When new girls move to Thorne Haven, news travels quickly, and even after Keirin’s interaction with her, I still don’t know if she’s actually going to attend the party.

  When my brother told me he had been to the college visiting an old friend, I knew he only went there as an excuse to get closer to her. I don’t mind. My
brothers know when I’ve chosen a girl, they need to steer clear, but they’re welcome to poke around and find out more information for me.

  “Creed,” my stepmother calls to me the moment I walk into the house. She married my dad almost two years ago, and even though I don’t mind her, there are times I feel like she’s sticking her nose into my business. I made it clear I’m not her son, and she needs to realize I’m a grown man who doesn’t need, nor want a mother figure.

  But after a couple of arguments, she’s stepped back, allowing me to do my thing, without her constantly checking up on me.

  “Mallory,” I say when she appears from the kitchen. She’s dressed in a flirty white dress that doesn’t hide the outline of her bra. Jesus, my dad really knows how to pick them. However, with Mallory, she’s the first woman he’s brought home who’s actually my dad’s age.

  “I’ve gotten all the arrangements ready for the party. I have a couple of things you asked for that need signing off. Can you come through and make sure you’re happy?”

  This is more like it. When she said she would organize everything, I put in my own special requests. I had the sweet redhead in mind when I asked for those items, and I look forward to using them on her. Halloween is one of my favorite celebrations in Thorne Haven. Our home, a fucking castle, is turned into a myriad of scary rooms along with creatures that jump out at you. But what I enjoy most is the back garden, which is turned into a house of fear that will scare even the most seasoned horror fan.

  I follow Mallory into the kitchen where she’s got a laptop set up on the kitchen counter. The email she’s received from the supplier confirms the maze can be set up in time. Along with the centerpiece that will be for me and my little mouse. A cage that locks the moment the prey steps foot inside. The floor will take her weight, and immediately snap the door closed, allowing me to toy with her while watching her squirm. It’s big enough for one person. And I can’t wait to see her locked inside.

  “This is perfect.” I scroll through the information. On a normal day, this would be frowned upon, but for Halloween, it’s perfectly acceptable to order a cage and maze to be set up in your garden in order to lock a girl inside who’s caught your attention.

  “Great. And I also got all three of your costumes you asked me to collect,” Mallory tells me. I’ve opted for a Phantom of the Opera mask, along with the cape and all the trimmings that go with it.

  My little mouse will be able to see part of my face, but the other will be covered. And in the dark, I’ll be even more menacing than if I were to stand up on a well-lit stage.

  “I want it in the left corner,” I tell Mallory. “And when it’s set up, I want to confirm I’m happy before they leave.”

  “That’s fine. I’ve asked for them to come through the day before, so everything can be confirmed. It also gives us some time before the party.”

  “Good.” I nod, offering my stepmother a smile. It’s one of those instances that I’m happy, and she’s slightly taken aback from the surprise currently painted all over her face.

  She’s nothing like my first foster mother. Octavius was married before Mallory came along. The woman was much older, more aloof, more like me. But when she died, it wasn’t long until Mallory appeared. It took them a while to get their relationship off the ground, but when they did, it was as if overnight our dad was in love and putting a ring on her finger.

  I leave the kitchen, heading up the steps when I see Keirin exiting his bedroom with a redhead in tow, and my heart stops dead in my chest.

  But when she turns around, I recognize Genevieve as she smiles at my brother. She hates me, and I don’t blame her. I’m not proud of what I did. I recall the night our lives fell apart. It was the night her sister died. After all the years of playing games in the woods, the darkness had overtaken my hunger for the chase, and I fell in love with it.

  I was chasing her sister, racing behind her with a smile on my face when suddenly, out of nowhere, I watched as the game we’d become accustomed to tore apart our lives. It was an accident, that’s what I told Damien. The same story I told the cops. And in my heart, I believed I was innocent. But deep down, I don’t know if I was. I’m still eaten by the guilt of that night every single day, and I know it will never ease.

  Shock. Fury. Fear.

  The emotions took hold of me and didn’t let go. I just stood by. I knew if I went closer, if I moved toward her, I would be dead too. Self-preservation kicked in, and I stood back and watched.

  It didn’t take long for the wail of sirens to echo around the thick tree trunks, and Damien pulled me away. Him and Genevieve were fucking or something, so they were always together. She, my former best friend, and I watched as her sister was mangled by a hunter’s trap, but Genevieve never forgave me for that incident. And I’ve never forgiven myself.

  She glides past me on her way to the exit, but she doesn’t greet me, and I don’t acknowledge her, not verbally anyway. Keirin’s gaze locks on mine, a satisfied smirk tilting his lips. He’s fucked her.

  I close the distance between us, stopping in front of my brother. “You taking leftovers to your bed now?” I ask, knowing I’m going to piss him off with the question. He knows Damien and Gen were a thing before D moved to London.

  “Fuck you, Creed,” my brother says, but he’s smiling like the fucking Cheshire Cat. “I needed to get my dick wet. She was available.”

  “She’s always available. You know she’d jump on anyone’s dick just to say she’s been laid by a Haven or a Thorne.” Damien Thorne, my former best friend, and his youngest brother have had the feisty redhead in their beds. It’s only the middle brother she hasn’t managed to seduce. Yet.

  “Are you worried about me catching something, Creed?”

  Shaking my head, I chuckle. “Not at all, brother. I know you wouldn’t put your mouth where your wrapped-up dick goes. Just be careful.”

  “Always.” His promise is one I trust. Yeah, we may have our disagreements, but the two boys I grew up with will always have my back. “Did you get the cage and maze approved?”

  “Yeah.” The smile on my face says it all. It’s only a few more days before the party, and a few more days I can spy on my little mouse before I take her for my own. “I think it’s going to be our best year yet.”

  “Do you think Cass and Finn will come?” Keirin asks with a hopeful lilt to his voice. Cassian and Finn Thorne are practically family. Their ancestors, along with ours, founded this town, hence the name Thorne Haven. We grew up as best friends. It was only Damien and I who fell out, but Keirin and Brody and the two younger Thorne brothers are as loyal as I would expect them to be and keep to themselves over the bust up.

  But even so, we still attend parties at each other’s houses. We tolerate each other, but I can tell Keirin misses Cassian. They were thick as thieves growing up.

  “I don’t know. Maybe you should go up there and ask him.” I shrug, but I know he’ll take my advice and go before the sun sets tonight. “Where’s Brody?”

  “In his room. Busy with . . . something.”

  “Something or someone?” I ask, making my way down the hall. Our youngest brother has taken up residence in one of the far corners of the monstrous castle that’s been our home since we were little.

  “Who knows?” Keirin winks before he leaves me in the hallway. Shaking my head, I get to my room and shut myself inside. I’ll talk to Brody later. I can’t deal with more of my brothers’ fuck buddies.

  I make a beeline for my desk. Opening my MacBook, I log in and open the browser. By the time I’ve logged into my email, I find the message from Dad with the information that I asked for. He’s been forthcoming with anything I request, rightly so, because this is all his doing.

  The subject line catches my attention first, Micaela McCray, daughter of Irish Crime Syndicate Leader, Eagan McCray. So, my little redhead is Irish with a bad daddy to match. When I think about her, about the violence she must’ve witnessed growing up, I ponder just how innocent
she really is.

  My eyes scan the first few lines of the email, and I can’t stop the smile from spreading on my face.

  Micaela McCray, nineteen, studying her final two years in Thorne Haven due to a mishap with her ex-boyfriend. She was sent to Thorne Haven to hide out until her father’s dealt with it, but perhaps we can do something about that. Looks like your girl’s got herself mingled with the wrong kind of guy. Interesting enough, there are photos of her on social media, but none with the two of them together. She hasn’t mentioned anything about him in her updates, and even now that she’s suddenly disappeared off social media for a few days has been suspect. But the moment I questioned it I found her father’s team have continued posts on her profiles which link to a burner based in New York where she’s from.

  Her dad is trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes. I know we will find out what and who this ex-boyfriend is, so patience is something I need to learn to have. I have another couple of days to watch her, learn about her, before the party.

  And by the way, she’s a fucking stunner, Creed. Boy, I will be proud if you can bring her home, into the family. Give me another twelve hours. I’ll have the ex’s name for you and the rest of the info.

  He signs off there. My father is away until the day of the party, but even with him out of town, he keeps in contact with us, ensuring we’re looking after the house. He’s also included attachments to his email: files that contain her medical records, her birthdate, and all the details about her growing up, the schools she attended, her doctors’ visits, even the date she had her wisdom teeth removed.

  Bring on Halloween.

  Because this little mouse has just been caught.