Our Darkest Maze

by Sarah Bailey

  “It is my business when you have our sixteen-year-old daughter pinned up against a fucking wall. Do you know who you’re talking to?”

  I looked between the girl and the two men. Then it registered with me what he’d said.

  Sixteen.

  This girl did not look sixteen. Yes, she was young, but I’d assumed she was at least eighteen being in this casino.

  And here I was checking her out. Wow, fuck.

  “No, clearly I don’t.”

  The man stepped back, dropping his hand from me. The girl looked at me with satisfaction written all over her features. I didn’t know what she had to be so smug about. It’s not like I’d done anything other than ask her a few questions.

  Who the fuck are you kidding right now?

  “Allow me to remedy that,” the girl said, her brown eyes twinkling, “Eric and Xavier, two of the owners of the Syndicate.”

  She waved a hand at each of them in turn.

  I tried not to allow my shock to show on my face. Everyone knew who owned this place, although they were rarely seen in public. I had no interest in pissing them off. If I got us kicked out of the casino, it would ruin Ant’s stag do. I couldn’t do that to my best mate.

  “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I was merely interested in why she was staring at me and my friends. That’s it. I apologise for any distress I’ve caused.”

  I wasn’t sorry at all. This girl had pissed me off. She looked like the cat who got the cream. I didn’t care if she was only sixteen. No one fucked with me and got away with it. No one at all.

  The one I assumed was Xavier looked between me and the girl before shaking his head.

  “Is that true?” he asked her.

  The girl looked like she was about to say something, but then she nodded instead. He turned to me.

  “Fine, no harm done. Just stay away from her, you hear me?”

  I nodded, staying against the wall in case he changed his mind. I might not be scared of this guy, but he was huge. I didn’t want to get into an altercation. It wouldn’t end well for me.

  Xavier pointed at the girl.

  “And don’t think you aren’t in trouble for being down here in the first place. Come with us. Now.”

  The other man he was with pulled the girl away towards the door with Xavier following him. She looked at me over her shoulder, her brown eyes narrowed. Then her face cleared and she winked at me. She fucking had the audacity to wink at me.

  Who the fuck does this girl think she is?

  I shook myself. No. I would not allow myself to get annoyed over a stupid girl who I had no business speaking to. Striding away back to the table, I decided to forget all about this little incident. Even if I’d enjoyed the way she spat at me and the ire in her tone.

  What is wrong with you?

  I was a grown man. I should not be playing games with a teenager four years younger than me, let alone thinking about how I could wind her up further. What did I even know about the girl other than she was the daughter of the men who owned this place? Nothing. My intrigue needed to die. Right fucking now.

  I sat back at the table. Ant eyed me with a frown.

  “What was that about?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Logan…”

  “It was nothing, Ant. Let’s just enjoy your stag do, hey?”

  I picked up my tumbler and sipped at the whisky. The burn of it as it slid down my throat helped bring my focus back to the game at hand. I would not think about that fucking girl. As far as I was concerned, it was the last I’d ever see of her. Thirty minutes in her presence was enough.

  It’s enough to make you want to know more.

  I refused to allow the thought to encroach on me any further. It didn’t matter if she was the first girl in a long time to pique my interest. I did not get involved with teenagers who didn’t know any fucking better. And certainly not smug ones who had the audacity to hide behind their parents when they should stand and fight.

  I tipped my whisky back, downing the whole glass before I stood up and asked the boys if they wanted another drink. They eyed me with surprise. I rarely ever overindulged. The girl had rattled me far worse than I wanted to admit.

  “You going to get fucked up with us?” Jude asked.

  “Yeah, I guess I am.”

  “Fuck yeah!” Ant fist-pumped again.

  I shook my head as I wandered over to the bar. If getting drunk would make that fucking girl leave my thoughts, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

  I could kid myself into thinking she hadn’t left an impression on me, couldn’t I?

  Couldn’t I?

  You can if you want to, Logan, but good luck convincing yourself of that tomorrow.

  My thoughts and my brain could do one right now.

  I arrived at the bar and decided I didn’t care any longer. It was as Roger said earlier.

  Time to get wrecked.

  “Hello, can I have eight shots of the most expensive tequila you have, a bottle of champagne and another whisky please?”

  Chapter Three

  As soon as Eric pulled me into the lift, Xav turned to me, his blue eyes full of irritation.

  “You know better than to go out on the casino floor.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “I was bored.”

  “That is not an excuse, Rora. We could get into serious trouble if anyone found out you’re sixteen. You promised us you wouldn’t do this.”

  I shrugged. Not like I’d got into any trouble. Well, if you didn’t count that man, Logan, getting up in my face for no reason. I wasn’t going to think about him. Especially not the way his ice-blue eyes had taunted me, nor how the heat of his body seared into mine when we stood inches apart.

  Nope. He is irrelevant to me.

  “I see what’s going on,” Eric interjected, “You think because Quinn isn’t here, we’re going to go easy on you.”

  I looked up at him, hating the way he’d cottoned on so fast.

  “Are you going to tell Dad?”

  “Oh, we’re going to tell him all right,” Xav said, “After we finish making sure you don’t pull a stunt like this again.”

  My eyes darted to my other dad, wondering whether I’d miscalculated everything.

  “Oh really? Nothing you could do would be as bad as Dad.”

  I shouldn’t have said it, but I didn’t take it back. Xav raised his eyebrow and looked at Eric. I knew then I had screwed up. Royally.

  “Give me your phone, Aurora.”

  “What? No.”

  He put his hand out.

  “Hand it over. Now. You seem to think this is funny. I assure you, it isn’t.”

  I scowled before digging into the pocket of my jeans and slapping my phone into Xav’s waiting hand. He slid it into his back pocket and levelled me with a stern gaze.

  “You won’t be getting it back for a week. We’ll also be taking away your laptop when we get home and you’re grounded for two weeks. Is that understood?”

  I blinked. No phone. No laptop. No going out for two weeks. What on earth did they expect me to do? It was the summer holidays. This was so bloody unfair.

  “You can’t do that!”

  “I think you’ll find we can.”

  I looked up at Eric again, hoping he’d come to my defence, but I realised it was futile when I took in his expression. He looked just as annoyed as Xav.

  “Don’t even try it, Aurora. Xav is right. We don’t care if Quinn and Ash aren’t here. You aren’t going to get away with behaving like this.”

  The lift dinged. Eric pulled me out when the doors opened. I said nothing, knowing it would be futile to argue with them. When we got to the office, they made me sit in the corner by the windows, telling me if I moved from that spot, there would be more consequences. Since when did Xav and Eric start ganging up on me? This was unfair.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out the
window. My dads had ruined all my fun. They’d never allow me back here with them, no matter how much I begged. I dread to think what Dad would say. My eyes flicked over to Eric and Xav, who was on the phone. His eyes met mine and a smile appeared on his face.

  “I don’t know why you’re surprised about Rora getting into mischief whilst you’re not here.”

  I scowled. Now I was in for it. I should never have left the office. Not only had I got in trouble with my parents, but I’d met that infuriating man. Something about him made my blood boil. How dare he push me into an alcove and make demands of me. No one pushed me around. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but my dads had intervened. I hated it. He probably thought I was weak, hiding behind my parents like a coward. I had little choice since I didn’t want to get into further trouble. Turns out, I needn’t have bothered. I was in the doghouse with everyone now.

  “She thought she could get away with it … no, I grounded her for two weeks and revoked her privileges… see, I’m not terrible at parenting… oh, you want me to tell her that? Well, fine, but don’t be surprised if she doesn’t talk to you when you get back… whatever, Quinn, we’re handling it.”

  Xav hung up and took a step towards me.

  “He wants you to know he’s extremely disappointed in your behaviour… and your privileges are revoked for the rest of the summer.”

  I jumped out of my seat.

  “What! He can’t! How am I going to live without my phone?”

  “You should’ve thought about that before you broke a promise you made us.”

  “I hate him!”

  Xav grinned.

  “Oh boy, here we go, teenage tantrums are the very best kind.”

  He nudged Eric, who rolled his eyes.

  “I hate both of you too!”

  “Come along, Miss Hissy Fit, time we took you home.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “I don’t want to go.”

  My dads looked at each other before Xav shrugged and walked over to me. The next thing I knew, he’d slung me over his shoulder and was carrying me towards the door.

  “Hey! Put me down!”

  “You’re so much like your mother,” Xav chuckled, but otherwise ignored me.

  I stared at Eric, who was following us, but he didn’t look remotely sympathetic. If anything, he was outright amused.

  “Put me down!”

  “If you behave like a child, we’re going to treat you like one.”

  “I hate you. I hate you so much.”

  “Why did we sign up to have kids again, E?”

  I bashed my fists against his back, outraged about being carried out of the casino. I could walk perfectly fine, but no, my dads had to make this embarrassing for me.

  “You know, I’m beginning to wonder that too.”

  “You two are horrible fathers,” I screeched.

  “Did you hear something, E? I swear there’s a ghost in this place,” Xav said.

  “Nope, I didn’t hear a thing.”

  Why did Mum and Dad leave me with them? I hated them for this. Rory would never treat me this way. Maybe I should have stayed at home. But then my brothers would be driving me crazy. They were irritating as hell.

  “I’ll never forgive you for this,” I told them when we were in the car after Xav had dumped me in the backseat.

  “You told me that yesterday after you got in trouble for locking Cole in a cupboard,” Xav said, turning to look at me.

  As Eric was driving, he didn’t look at me, but he was definitely listening.

  “You ruin all my fun.”

  “Locking your eleven-year-old brother in a cupboard is not fun, Aurora.”

  “He was annoying me!”

  “He’s a child and you should know better. If you want us to treat you like an adult, you need to start behaving like one.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out of the window. I knew I shouldn’t have done that to my brother. He was pestering me to take him to the park down the road as our dads were too busy. I loved Cole, but he didn’t half like to push my buttons. He wasn’t as bad as Duke. The two of us were always at each other’s throats. He was constantly giving me a hard time and I gave it right back.

  My mind circled back to earlier. To Logan and his friends. Why was I thinking about him again? The stupid man had irritated the shit out of me. I didn’t allow anyone to walk over me. Perhaps I was more annoyed about not being able to give him shit and call him what he was. An arrogant prick. Anyone who goes around accosting girls the way he did clearly needed putting in their place.

  I shouldn’t want to see him again, but I did. Giving him hell would make me happy. Wiping that smirk off his face and making him understand I was far more than just the sixteen-year-old girl he no doubt thought I was. My dads had come at the wrong time. I could have handled Logan myself. Dad had made sure I knew how to deal with men like him.

  “Come on, trouble,” Xav said, “We’re home.”

  I hadn’t realised the car had come to a standstill. Hopping out, I followed my dads up to the house. When Eric unlocked the door, I barged my way in and stomped off down the hall in search of Rory. I found him in the games room with my brothers reading a comic. I hurtled towards him. He looked up in time to raise the comic away before I landed in his lap. I curled myself up against his chest.

  “Rora?” he murmured.

  I was well aware of my dad’s tendency not to like people too close to him, but he’d never been that way with us kids. If anything, he allowed us as much affection as he gave to Mum.

  “I hate everyone.”

  He set the comic down on the arm of the chair and stroked my hair.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Xav and Eric are mean.”

  “Don’t listen to that little madam,” I heard Xav’s voice from behind us, “She’s sulking because she snuck down onto the casino floor and now she’s grounded for two weeks. No phone and no laptop until the summer is over.”

  “Not to mention we found her talking to a member when she knows better,” Eric added.

  I raised my head and glared at them.

  “A man or a woman?” Rory asked.

  “A man.”

  Rory looked at me, his eyebrow with the scar curling upwards.

  “Did you tell Quinn?”

  “Fuck no, he’s already pissed off with her antics enough as it is,” Xav said, “She’s lucky he isn’t here right now.”

  “I didn’t do anything with him,” I said.

  Dad would go ballistic if he found out I’d spoken to a member, especially one of the opposite sex. He hadn’t outright banned me from having a boyfriend, but I was in no doubt he would disapprove of any boy I brought home.

  What the hell? I’m not getting involved with that stupid man!

  Even if I wanted to see Logan again and give him a piece of my mind, it’s not like I wanted anything else from him. I’d rather die.

  “He seemed awfully interested in you.”

  “He can go to hell. I’d rather eat dirt than be near him again.”

  Rory’s expression shifted from curious to amused.

  “Well, I don’t think we have anything to worry about if you dislike him that much. No point telling Quinn.”

  I wouldn’t tell my dad about Logan. He didn’t even deserve me mentioning his name or thinking about him. Except the damn man had taken up residence in my brain for some unfathomable reason.

  I tucked myself back against Rory’s chest. He stroked my hair again. Even when I got in trouble, I could always rely on at least one of my dads to comfort me. It was usually Rory. He never treated me too harshly. He tended to use logic and reason to make me see sense rather than punishing me when I did something wrong.

  “You need to stop pushing your luck, Rora,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “I know,” I mumbled.

  How was I going to surviv
e without my phone for the rest of the summer? I couldn’t even contact Colleen and tell her about what happened today.

  And you can’t go give that man shit.

  Or could I?

  A plan formed in my mind. One which was reckless. But since when had I been anything but? I wanted to know who he was. And there was one way I could find that out.

  I smiled to myself. Logan better watch himself because I would stop at nothing to make sure he knew never to mess with Aurora Knox ever again.

  Chapter Four

  It was a stupid plan, but this time, I was sure I wouldn’t get caught. Checking the coast was clear, I snuck out of my bedroom and along the hallway to Dad’s office. I’d procured the key from the kitchen where my dads kept a spare. Unlocking the door, I slipped in and shut it before going over to the desk and turning on Dad’s laptop. When it came up with the password, I typed it in, grinning when it let me through.

  Next, I signed into the Syndicate portal and pulled up the membership list. I shouldn’t be doing this, but I didn’t care. My need to know who the hell this Logan was had overridden my sense of right and wrong. The way he’d assumed I wasn’t somebody rattled me. I was the daughter of the devil himself, Quinn Knox. I knew all about my dad’s past and what they’d been through as a family. It didn’t particularly bother me to learn about my parents’ background. It was exciting in a way, finding out your mother was raised as the daughter of a notorious crime family. And how your parents took him down without mercy.

  It didn’t take me long to find him. The moment I saw the words, Logan Reid Benson, I knew it had to be him. When I searched for his name on the web, there were stories and pictures of him splashed all over the place, confirming my assumption.

  Logan Reid Benson, the twenty-year-old son of Dante and Liora Benson, heir apparent to the fashion house, Bensons.

  Of course, I knew Bensons. Their clothes were exquisite. Grandma shopped there and had taken me to their flagship store on a few occasions. Hell, the most beautiful dress I owned was from there. The fact Logan was one of the owners’ sons irritated me no end.

  That’s why he’s such an arrogant prick.

  He’d clearly been raised to think he was better than everyone else. Well, he wasn’t better than me and I was going to prove it to him.