by Vic Tyler
Goddammit, I really don’t want to see the look on her face when she realizes I was threatening West.
Wiping any traces of the sudden panic and adrenaline off my face, I turn around.
There’s no one there.
But I realize what happened too late when I’m already seeing stars, the impact from the side of my head driving me straight into the ground. My face collides into the floor.
West’s large, leather shoe presses unforgivingly into my neck.
Peripherally, I watch the door inch shut.
Of course it’d be remote controlled. On his watch? His ring? How the hell did he do it without my noticing?
“Do you remember what I said about having weaknesses?”
I grit my teeth, holding back from making any sound as his heel digs into my skin.
“Answer,” he commands in a deep growl.
“You said they’ll kill me,” I snarl.
“And?”
My struggling breath slithers through my crushed throat. “And if others discover them, they’ll be used to destroy me.”
“Do you understand why I said that?”
I snap, “I’m gone either way, so what does it matter?”
“You fool. Have you learned nothing?” The pressure on my neck makes me wince, only increasing threateningly when I try to move. “You think men like us will be kind enough to kill you?”
My heart sinks steadily at his words.
“It’s never about using them as bait.” His heel grinds against my bone, and white–hot pain sears down my spine and into all my muscles. “It’s to break men like you. There’s no need to lay a single finger when you’ll destroy yourself in the process.”
“More reason not to go,” I growl. “I’d rather he tries while I’m here than leave her defenseless.”
I choke through clenched teeth when West presses his weight into my neck.
Fat fuck. He’s going to do some real damage, maybe even fracture my vertebrae, if he continues.
“You’ve done enough damage with your transparency.” West’s feral tone simmers even in its containment. “You think staying here will protect her? He enjoys the chase, and he’ll stop at nothing if you stand in his way.”
“What did he do?” I demand. “What aren’t you telling me?”
My chest burns as I gasp in breaths when West releases me.
“Adriana will be safe with me.” His voice grows distant as he walks to his usual perch. “Don’t insult me by staying.”
“You can’t protect her all the time,” I protest, the words choked and scratchy. “What if something does happen to her? You’re going to regret it. It’s going to destroy you too.”
West turns around, and the look on his face sends an icy shiver down my spine. It’s manic and inhuman as he bares his teeth sinisterly.
“You stupid, insignificant dog.” His voice is soft but dripping with mocking disdain. “Why do you think I let her stay here for so long?”
I stare at him, lost for words.
“Because I care for her? Because I want to protect her?” His chuckle grows louder in an amused laugh. “What did I just tell you?”
Clenching my fists, I snarl, “You can lie all you want, West, but your bullshit act isn’t fooling me.”
His expression flashes into derisive pity. “Do I need to spell everything out for you, boy? I gave her everything she needed.” He motions all around us. “The safety of a home, the comfort of a family, the replacement for her dead, cold father. At first, I was keeping her around long enough for you to get over your incestuous obsession with your sister, but when that transferred onto her instead, I nurtured her.”
My mouth dries at his words.
No. It’s a fucking lie. He’s lying. He has to be.
“She’ll never run from me.” His lips curl triumphantly. “I tell her to jump, she won’t even ask how high because she’s already climbing to her death, her guard dog following diligently at her heels.”
His teeth bare in a snarl. “I don’t want East’s bloodthirsty pip pushing her off first. She’s so useful when all I need to do is point to which tower I want you on, and she’ll lead you there.”
My ears ring with an anguished roar, my chest vibrating with my own war cry.
In a split second, West already has a gun pointed at me before I can take mine out of the holster.
“Don’t make me shoot you,” he warns. “I don’t want to put my Dog down yet.”
My hands shake as I try to contain myself.
“I’m going to kill you, West,” I grit. “I’m going to be the one to put a bullet straight through that thick fucking skull.”
West smirks. “You’re centuries too early to do that, boy.”
Pivoting on my heels, I storm out, almost exploding when the door opens on its own.
Sadistic bastard.
In long strides, I stalk straight to the Twelve’s quarter.
As much as I want to check on Adriana, I don’t.
West will keep her safe as long as she’s here. As long as he thinks she’s useful.
Besides, if he knew what happened between Kaden and me in the foyer, he’s probably watching me through the goddamn security cameras.
The door slams into the wall as I shove it open.
Kitty looks curiously at me as she stops to look curiously at me, dressed in skimpy sheer lingerie. The rest of her clothes lie forgotten as she studies me, unfazed.
I’m sure I look more roughed up than when she last saw me ten minutes ago, and this rage bubbling through my veins is probably radiating dangerously out of every pore.
“Tell me about him,” I demand.
She blinks, widening her eyes.
“Who?” she asks innocently.
“Kaden Eurus.” My body vibrates impatiently, and I stalk up to her and grab her arms roughly. “Don’t fuck with me, Kitty. What was in the information you gave West?”
Her lips curl into a lazy smile. “Can’t say.”
“Kitty,” I growl. My hands grip her arms tightly before I pull away, squeezing my eyes shut and taking a deep breath. “Kitty. Please.”
She stares at me with a blank expression. “What does it matter?”
“He’s dangerous.”
“We’re all dangerous,” she says, smirking.
“I want to know how much.”
“Afraid he’ll hurt someone?” There’s a knowing glint in her eyes that makes me falter.
My teeth clench down as my heart plunges through my stomach. My senses heighten as I watch her with renewed wariness.
When did I stop questioning her motives? When did I let down my guard this much?
I calm down, masking my face. She smirks when she notices.
Getting emotional will only give her ammunition. I’ve already given her enough of it. No more.
“What do you want?” My voice is flat and cold.
“How much is it worth?” she muses, slinking around me with an appraising look. She taps her finger to her pursed lips. “How about ten thousand?”
“Fine.” Pulling out my phone, I transfer the money in a matter of seconds. I don’t worry about her not carrying out her side of the deal. We both know what’ll happen if she doesn’t. “Done.”
“So easy,” she says with a mixture of amusement and disappointment. “How about I provide you with some other juicy information?” Her lips curl into a suggestive smile. “About Adriana?”
My head snaps in her direction, and I narrow my eyes. “What about?”
“Can’t say.”
I scowl. “Then it’s not important enough to pay for.”
“Let’s say it has to do with her safety. Her future.” Her smile widens. “Or lack thereof.”
My eyes lock onto Kitty’s, and every worst–case scenario runs through my mind.
What’s she talking about? Has Adriana’s safety been compromised?
“She’s not in danger.” Kitty laughs in a carefree manner. “Not yet.”
Inhaling heavily, I try to calm myself down when I let it all out, but my fists remain clenched by my sides. “What do you want?”
“I’ll make this one easy for you,” she husks, sliding her hand over my groin.
Grabbing the back of her neck, I slam her onto the desk. With one hand keeping her still, I rip off her thong before snatching the spare condom in my wallet and deftly undoing my pants.
She giggles, shimmying her hips against me.
Once I sheathe myself, I drive into her, hard and mercilessly. She bites back a pained cry, not having been prepped enough for the sudden, forceful entry of my big cock ripping into her.
I keep her pinned down as I fuck her hard. The desk clatters and shakes with each thrust, and all her belongings drop onto the ground, creating its percussion to her moans and screams.
Her breaths hitch with giggles, sounding more like hiccups, as she grabs my hand and wraps it around her neck.
This fucking bitch always wants to push my buttons.
Fisting her hair, I yank tightly until her back arches as far as it’ll go.
She comes in a matter of seconds, and the moment she does, I drag her onto the ground by her hair. She collapses on her hands and knees, dazed as she comes down from her orgasm.
Ripping the condom off, I drive my steel–hard length into her mouth while she’s still gasping for air.
If she wants to be choked so bad, she can do it on my cock.
She gags, but I keep her in place with my long dick buried all the way down her throat, her eyes widening and tearing with alarm and excitement.
I’m unfairly punishing her for my sins. But who am I to deprive her of that when she fucking loves it?
Even as she chokes, her fingers dig into my hips and ass, trying to take me in deeper.
I come without warning, flooding her tight throat. The ecstasy running through my body is agonizing and heavy, a much–needed release that’s weighed down by anger and contempt.
She’s still coughing as I shove myself back in my pants and zip up.
And I wait.
As I let the shame flood my body.
So much shame. For letting myself get played. For getting so blindsided by what I wanted. For the stupidity of thinking I could have it all.
Warmth, affection, hope.
A home.
I deluded myself into thinking that I could have a sliver of normalcy in my life.
And now, it’s my fault that Adriana is deep in the devil’s claws, and I can’t do anything about it. Not if I don’t want us to get chased down to the ends of the earth, and even then, West will only be there to push us off.
Weak, weak, weak.
Kitty laughs huskily even after I abused her mouth, and she hands me a folder, identical to the one West was holding earlier.
When I open it, my throat tightens, and a heavy weight plummets through my stomach.
My eyes glaze over the text as the crimson photographs demand my full attention.
“The more fun he has, the more unrecognizable his victims are.” Kitty slips onto her desk and crosses her legs. “He’s a real piece of work.”
Pale faces etched with horror and fear, guts and organs strewn out of sliced torsos, dismembered limbs, and just so much blood.
“The next contender for Eastwood,” Kitty purrs.
I close the folder, and my gaze drifts out onto the green lawn.
It feels like only yesterday when I was sitting out there with Adriana.
As much as I hate to admit it, West is right.
If Kaden Eurus is going for the Cardinalship, I can’t do anything to protect her. Not until I take the Westlake name.
Now, I have a reason to aim for the top beyond just inheriting it when I kill West.
To become the Cardinal for a reason that actually matters.
“What do you want for Adriana’s future?”
I glance at Kitty, frowning. “What kind of question is that?”
She smiles coyly. “Humor me.”
What?
Hell, what do we know of or care about civilian futures? What do they normally want? University, a nine–to–five job, marriage, kids, vacations to Aruba?
Wait. Is that what Adriana wants?
She can’t stay here forever. And she can’t work in our world. Even if she wants to, I won’t allow it.
But the longer she stays, the more dangerous it’ll get. The bigger liability she’ll pose for me. Especially if I become the Cardinal.
Then, she’ll become more of a target than she already is, and yet, I can’t not become a Cardinal because I won’t be able to protect her.
My jaw clenches tightly as it all clicks together.
First, West, and now, Kitty. How did everyone except me see it?
It’s me. I’m the greatest danger to Adriana.
My life has been on this path for as long as I remember — anger, death, revenge. I drove myself into hell because that’s the only way I could meet the devil and kill him.
And when Adriana found her way here and gave this godforsaken place a touch of heaven we never deserved, I lost myself in the promise of salvation.
But I don’t need to be saved.
To protect her, I need to dive even deeper into hell.
To protect her, I need to overthrow the devil.
To protect her, I need to become the devil.
She can’t be my savior. She can’t be my lifeline.
As long as she is, she’ll forever be tethered to hell. To me. To everything that endangers her very being.
And as long as there’s that thread leading to her, the others will follow.
They’ll sniff out her trail and yank her back to tear her apart. She’ll be hunted by the other demons and gods who play with human lives in this organization.
I thought that releasing her from West’s clutches would mean she’s free. But in order to truly live her life to its fullest extent, I need to let her go.
She needs to be freed from me.
I lost Elena when she had the chance to live, but I helped Adriana gain her life back. I can help her fulfill it for years to come. She can be normal. She can be happy.
She doesn’t need me for that. If she’s alive and well, that’s good enough for me.
“I want her to get out.” My voice is unrecognizably flat. “She doesn’t belong here.”
Kitty watches me carefully. Cautiously.
Looking squarely at her, I mask my resignation, letting my new motivation harden my tone. “I’m going to New York.”
Her lips slide into a pleased smirk. “Good to have you back.”
My muscles tighten and flex. Is that how they saw it? That I was the only one ‘gone’?
By the sudden guardedness in Kitty’s amused expression, I can tell what my own must look like.
“When do you plan on leaving?” She jumps off the desk, sidling up to me and trailing her finger down my chest.
I should leave now before I do any more damage.
But I can’t help wanting to be selfish for a little bit. For the last time.
“Next month.”
Kitty traces along the dips of my muscles, around my pecs, down my abs. “Did you ever figure out Adriana’s little crush?”
My face twists into a scowl, and I pivot, heading towards the door. “Don’t you have anything better to do than gossip?”
She giggles. “Don’t you want to know about the boy your little sister likes? The one she wants to fuck? The one she masturbates to?” her taunting voice purrs.
I slam the door behind me, her words reminding me of the things I overheard Adriana and her friend talking about.
Of course, there’d be a day when Adriana has sex. Actually has sex, instead of the atrocious things that happened to her before. And when she does, I can only hope the person she’s with genuinely cares about her and that she enjoys it.
It’s a nauseating thought. She’s still so young. So innocent and pure.
I swallow painfully t
hrough a dry throat, feeling a strange queasy uneasiness churn in my gut.
As soon as I enter my room, I open Kaden Eurus’s file again, half to distract myself and half to really get to know the bastard on paper.
I’ll figure out something to ensure Adriana’s really safe before I leave.
I have to.
chapter twenty-three
When I slip through the secret entrance to West’s den, I find him sitting in his brown leather armchair as usual.
“West!”
Running up to him, I throw my arms around his rotund but surprisingly hard frame.
“You’ve been so busy lately,” I say wistfully, scooting the settee closer to the table between us. “But I’ve been practicing playing chess with Jura and the others. I actually beat Jura once, and he got so mad!”
West chuckles. “Is that so?”
There’s a soft smile on his face that warms my heart.
Even when we’re in front of other people, even if it’s just Turan or Damien or Kitty, West is so closed off. And on the rare occasions I catch him unawares, I hardly even recognize the cold persona he puts up.
It throws me back to when I first met him, but I’ve since forgotten what that version of West is like since I only know this jolly, sweet man that sits in front of me now.
“Be careful, old man,” I tease. “If you let your guard down, I’m going to beat you too.”
West smirks as his hand waves over the gem and gold chessboard, motioning for me to start. “We’ll see.”
We play in silence with the crackle of the fire as our soundtrack. A little less than an hour later, Wes checkmates me, and I groan, slumping back into my chair.
Chuckling, he motions me to sit back up for our usual closing game overview.
“If you kept your bishop here, you would’ve been able to take my queen.” West points at the red and black squares. His voice is deep and smooth like he’s telling me a bedtime story. “Leaving your rook and your queen to corner me into a checkmate.”
“I can’t think that far ahead,” I complain, rubbing my throbbing temples. “I’d have to map every single possible move ever. That’s like thousands of games in one hour.”
“That’s how you find the path to victory.”
“That’s impossible, West.”
He nimbly reorganizes the pieces, lining the black ones in front of me and the white in front of him. “You’re getting better. I look forward to the day you win.”
