Falcon's Prey: A Dark Romance

by C. Lymari

  I let go of her chin to grab the ring from my pocket.

  “I’m not asking you, princess. I’m telling you that you’re never going to get away from me,” I told her as I slid the ring on her finger.

  Tears were sliding down Ember’s face, messing with her makeup, but to me, she’d never looked more beautiful. She marveled at the ring on her finger. There was barely enough light for her to see it properly, but she was smiling. It was a black emerald-cut ring with a ruby in the middle and small rubies in the band. The design was perfection, Michael’s best work.

  Ember threw her arms around me, and I lifted her to kiss her.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  “I didn’t ask,” I said against her lips.

  “I need you.” She did that whiney high-pitched voice that went straight to my dick.

  With her in my arms, I walked us back to the shadows and pushed her against the wall. My hands came to her tulle skirt, lifting it slowly, savoring her.

  “Fuck,” I groaned against her cheek as I felt her soft pussy. “You’re bare.”

  “I need you right now,” she breathed again, knowing what her begging did to me. I undid my belt quick, then lifted her using the wall for support and thrust inside her hard. She was wet, tight, and forever mine.

  I fucked her cunt hard and raw, watched as her head slammed back from pleasure, and when we came, we did it fast.

  “‘Til death do us part,” I vowed against her lips.

  A Few Months Later

  Daphne

  Location: Colombia

  The warm summer breeze hit my skin, caressing. It was almost comforting. The ocean was deep; although it was a thing of beauty, it was also deadly…like me.

  “You’re exquisite, love, but you already knew that. Too bad it’s just another weapon in your arsenal. So beautiful, yet deadly.”

  The wind seemed to mock me, whispering words in my ear I didn’t wish to hear.

  “How are you holding up?” Bastian barged into my room with a small briefcase in tow.

  He had already showered, his hair slicked back, that three-piece suit that cost as much as the view I was paying for wrinkle-free. You could take the socialite out of the spotlight and teach it to live in hell, but the roots of his upbringing would never go away.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” I started strapping my weapons on.

  Twin knives on the inside of my leather boots. A small survival bracelet at my wrist next to my coiled snake saw bracelet. Two small Glocks, one in the front compartment of my leggings, the other in the back, and my small rose pendant that contained a deadly vial of T. Nothing too alarming—we didn’t want our host to get suspicious or anything. We were in Barranquilla today for a small gathering; depending on how things went, we would move things to the jungle.

  “It’s not like I’m scared they’re onto me or anything.”

  “Not funny. You die, I die with you. Your head and mine on neighboring spikes.”

  I rolled my eyes. Bastian was a drama queen, something no amount of torture managed to take away. I guess that was his tell that he was nervous. Mine, well, I didn’t think I even knew them. Being the devil’s pawn for so long, you got used to living in hell, and your stomach was a bottomless pit of despair.

  “Do people still use spikes?” I humored him.

  “Even worse, we’ll be in some unmarked cooler in the middle of the Siberian tundra,” he deadpanned.

  “You’re foolish if you think they’ll bury me anywhere near home. They’ll probably cut me up into tiny little—”

  “Okay, enough,” Bas shouted. “Do we have time for fun right now?”

  I stopped braiding my hair long enough to glare at Bastian. “Keep your dick on a leash.”

  “Just ‘cause you’re allergic to some vitamin D doesn’t mean other women should have the same deficiency.”

  If looks could kill, Bas would be dead at my feet, but what good would that do me? It took years of training to mold him into my right hand, years of breaking the chains of his righteous pedigree upbringing. It took blood, sweat, tears, and lots of bone breaking to make him into the beast before me. Well, I broke everything but that pretty face of his…and his dick. He begged me not to break his dick.

  “So beautiful yet deadly.”

  It was much easier to follow an angel into heaven than the devil into hell—too bad looks could be deceiving.

  “Let’s go. We don’t want to be late. You know how temperamental these men can get,” I said.

  I walked out of my room, leaving Bastian to lock up. If he wanted to have a key to my room, he might as well be of use.

  The sun was out full blast, the hot rays burning me through my gear. I hated warm locations. It was such an inconvenience to cover up just to hide all my weaponry. When I got to the last step, years of training was the only reason why I didn’t gape. There, tall, slim, hair as dark as mine, stood Damian.

  Damian had a scowl on his handsome face, looking down at me from head to toe. “Why aren’t you dressed in something more appealing than your commando getup?”

  I guess he meant something like his. He was in a pair of Bermuda shorts, loafers, and a light white shirt.

  “You can tell them I’m your bodyguard.”

  “Speaking of guard dogs, where is yours?” Damian fell into step with me, his sunglasses blocking the sun’s glare.

  I didn’t wear them, especially not on a day like today. I didn’t need my eyesight hindered.

  “I’m right next to you, which you would have noticed if it weren’t for the glasses,” Bas said, coming from out of the shadows.

  A small smile passed between us.

  “Good thing I have the Sect’s top two dogs,” Damian spat.

  There was no point in answering him. One day, he would get what was coming. Revenge was a dish best served cold, and mine had been freezing for years. If I closed my eyes, I could still see droplets of blood in the snow.

  “Mis amigos.” Damian opened his arms in greeting at the men seated at the table.

  Casting my eyes over them, I saw Sergio at the back with his most trusted mercenary, Robinson, who was an expert with scissors—he liked to take out the trachea.

  Next to Sergio was a man who’d recently taken over for the old Chihuahua cartel. Julian Rivera. Seated next to him was his son and behind them Lobo, his son’s second-in-command.

  Next to them was a man I hadn’t seen in a year. He wasn’t Latin like the rest of them, nor Russian like me; he was English. There was a cruel smile on his face, making those amber eyes light up with wicked delight. I didn’t have to turn to Bastian to know he was smirking at me. My eyes left Gideon’s as quickly as they landed on him, effectively dismissing him.

  “Hello, Petal. You can’t deign yourself to say hello?” he quipped with that smooth accent of his. “Or can you only do that if I’m chained up?”

  The men at the table all looked at me, some with more interest than others. Sergio always looked at me like I was his next meal. Rivera was a piece of shit who thought women were better left in the kitchen, and his son looked like he wanted to give me a wild ride. With one quick look at Bas, he pulled out the chair in between Damian and Gideon.

  “You wouldn’t know what to do with me otherwise.”

  I threw a carefree smile, crossed my legs, and didn’t say a word as these men planned on how to take over the world. I caught sight of the intricate S tattooed on Damian’s forearm. The Sekten—an alliance, a shield, and a warning. A mockery of what it once was.

  “Por que tan calladita?” Julian Jr. teased. Why so quiet?

  I couldn’t let them know that while they discussed their biggest rivals, all I saw was potential allies. So I smiled and gave them what they wanted.

  “With the Sect at your back, no one will be able to touch you. Daran mas miedo que ni el mismo Diablo.” You’ll be feared more than the Devil himself.

  All the men nodded in agreement. Damian didn’t even bother to look at me while I felt a slig
ht touch on my knee. The reaction caused me to sit up straighter. Turning my head to glare at the man responsible, he was already grinning at me.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, turning to the man who made my blood boil.

  Rivera and Sergio, I knew they wanted to expand their cocaine empire, and we had the resources to bypass any government. Feared by all, bowed to none. But Gideon was a mercenary, a lethal one. One who was crazy enough to do the contracts no one else dared touch. They called him the lone wolf because he had no alliance. No mob, cartel, or government was watching his back. It was rare to survive in this world on your own.

  “I did a little job for Sergio; he asked me to stay.”

  Alas, Sergio wanted more manpower in this meeting.

  “Petal,” he murmured.

  My skin broke out in hives.

  Gideon’s eyes went molten, and a seductive smile flashed from that pretty mouth of his. “Why won’t you look at me? Is it because the last time we saw each other those pretty thighs were wrapped—fuck.”

  My little scalpel was lodged between his middle and index finger, a small clean cut staining the white tablecloth red. Everyone was looking at us, a smile on most of them, thinking I was cute.

  Leaning into Gideon, I ignored the smell of his cologne. “Yes, handsome. It was just a fuck.”

  Bastian pulled my chair out for me so that I could get up. My hand was resting on the table for support…and then I heard the loud thud and felt sharp metal between my index and middle finger. I looked at the black dagger—my black dagger—that was now lodged between my fingers. Unlike me, Gideon didn’t pierce skin.

  “Did you not like my message?” Gideon mocked.

  “Los veo mañana para irnos a la selba.” I’ll see you tomorrow so that we can go to the jungle.

  I ignored Gideon and walked away. Bastian kept a distance from me, appearing to be aloof like he was just my guard dog and I his master. In reality, he was my crutch; he just didn’t know it.

  And he never would.

  That dagger was from early imperial Russian and worth millions, and now it was missing the fucking rubies, and I’d just left it behind because I couldn’t stand the English prick. I’d seen him from afar the day of the Estacado fight. I’d kept a reasonable distance as I watched Ren Falcon and tried to gauge what kind of man he was.

  As soon as he lost his job and went off the grid, I was sent to kill him. Damian was not happy with me, but what use could we have with the Ember? Other than having another thing no one else could. It was nothing for us. So I was punished by doing all the shit work, but I liked it better that way.

  “I need a favor,” I said as soon as we walked into a room and checked it for bugs.

  “You know my offer to give you a good dicking still stands.”

  I rolled my eyes at Bas. That was his thing—humor and sarcasm to cover up the fact that we were knee-deep in shit.

  “Come on, Gideon couldn’t have been that big… He’s not bigger than me, right?”

  “I need a meeting with Franco,” I told him.

  Bastian started coughing.

  “Estacado?” He gaped. “The man who they were just discussing—that Franco?”

  “Yes.” I opened the balcony doors, looking out at the ocean.

  “So beautiful, yet deadly.” Gideon’s words rang louder than before.

  “Why?” Bas glared at me.

  What I was doing was reckless; to set foot in Italy to go see the king of the Estacado's was suicide.

  I made a vow covered in snow and dripping in blood. That I would burn down the pillars in which our kingdom stood. Watch the ashes blow as I laid the foundation for something new—something better. I vowed I was going to make them all pay. The time had come.

  “It has begun.”

  The Sect does not forgive.

  The Sect does not forget.

  Keeper of secrets and dealers of lies.

  We bow to no king, nations, or men.

  Crossing us is certain death.

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  If you liked this book, I would be forever grateful if you left a review :)

  I want to start off by thank you, the reader, for picking up Ember and Ren. When I started writing this story, it was for another project, but these two did not fit that mold. When I added them as an intro in the Sect world, it felt like coming home. I love all my books, but the Sect series has been a work in progress for the last five years, and I am so ecstatic to finally share it with the world.

  Thank you to Becca Steele, who is not only my work wife but one of my best friends. Who has been through every mental breakdown and managed to cheer me up. If you loved the epilogue, thank her. She dragged me back to do this book justice.

  Jenny Dicks, thank you for braving the rough waters of my alpha file lol. Seriously you two made this book shine. When I said this shit just got darker, you two psychos cheered.

  To Katherine Lopez, who has been so fantastic with all her help and input. Thank you for making me go back and add more depth.

  Andrea, Mercedes, Shonte, thank you so much for taking the time to beta this baby. This meant so much.

  To all the girls in the promo group, I adore you all. You’re all fantastic, and I can never say thank you enough.

  My Coffee Shop babes, you guys make my day.

  To my Chaddettes, thank you for always being in my corner. It takes a tribe, and I am glad I am part of yours.

  Sandra, thank you for kicking ass at editing and making my baby be the best.

  Carmen Richter, you are an amazing proofreader and a great friend. I know my books are always in great hands.

  My fabulous cover designer, Jeannette from Net Hook & Line Designs, you fucking rock.

  To my family, thank you for being patient with me when I was focused on my writing.

  Brenda Hawkins, you waited for the man when he was just an idea. I hope I did him justice, and your man is everything you hoped for.

  Xo

  Claudia lives in the Chicagoland suburbs, and when she’s not busy chasing after her adorable little spawn, she’s fighting with the characters inside her head. Claudia writes both sweet and dark romances that will give you all the feels. Her other talents include binge-watching shows on Netflix and eating all kinds of chips.

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