Cruel Crown: A Dark Romance (Sekten Book 2)

by C. Lymari

  “That right there, Petal, is why I can’t kill you,” he said, referring to how wet I was. “I made you kneel.” His hand ran down to my knees, rubbing circles on them. “I humiliated you, and you still fucking want me.” He cupped my cheek. “But for you, it was so easy—”

  Having sex came easy for me. There was no intimacy anymore; it was like doing a chore, but that all changed the moment Gideon came into the picture.

  I flirted with danger on a daily basis, teased death at every chance I got, seduced my enemies to the point where I made myself believe I was invincible. And Gideon, he was a reminder that I was human. He was a blessing and a curse. So it made baring my soul to him ten times harder than giving him my body.

  Tentatively I brought my hands up to cup his cheek, cutting off what he was going to say. I opened my mouth, but the words I wanted wouldn’t come out. It was like trying to push an antidote past the venom that resided in my mouth. I leaned up and kissed the scar.

  “Leaving you in Colombia is how I learned why they teach us not to fall in love.” I whispered the words against the scar.

  Gideon pulled back, his whiskey eyes dark, alluring, and I was getting lost in them. He bent his head and kissed me as he had never done it before—and it killed me on the inside a little bit more.

  My hands wrapped around his shoulders, touching every inch of skin I could find. Our lips moved in harmony for the first time since I met him; there was no longer a battle to see who would bend. Gideon let go of my mouth, and I moaned in protest. He smirked at me, no longer angry but playful. He removed my shirt and brought his lips to my neck, his mouth worshiping every scar until he made it to my breasts.

  I rocked against him as he sucked the pebbled nipples, and I moaned, not caring if they could hear me across the castle.

  “Gideon.” I said his name like a curse. He thrust faster, his hands coming to my waist and his fingers digging into my hip bones.

  “Fuck,” he groaned.

  When I came, he took my mouth more forcefully and swallowed my moans. He rested his forehead on mine as he finished inside of me, both of us panting, trying to catch our breaths. “Thanks for that, love. I really needed it.” He grinned, and something about it felt off, or maybe I was just paranoid.

  I brought my hand up and ran it through his hair. “I meant what I said—we can’t be together.” He glared at me and pulled away. I immediately felt the loss of our connection. “I don’t want to be forced to watch as Damian kills you to get to me, nor do I want you to watch me get used in any way that might cause you pain.”

  He didn’t say anything. Instead, he got up and put on his pants. Then he pulled out a cigarette and smirked at me when he took out the lighter.

  I watched him take a hit as he put on his shirt. Meanwhile, I sat up, hugging my knees to my chest.

  “I meant what I said, Daphne. You don’t do as I say, I’ll go and tell Damian everything. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Francesca is probably waiting for me.”

  “You’re going with her?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Actions speak louder than words, love, and your actions have always been painful. This was just a fuck, because you are nothing to me, but make no mistake, love, I own you now.”

  My chest hurt. Worse than any stab or bullet ever did. It felt like it was cracking open, and I couldn’t breathe. I watched him walk out, but before he did, he turned around and looked down at me with an evil grin. “What, you didn’t think I’d forget about you trying to kill me, did you?”

  He closed the door, and I hugged myself tighter as the cold started to spread over my body, and tears fell down my cheeks.

  The worst of all was that I understood where he was coming from. You cannot set a foundation based on lies because once revealed, you have nothing.

  Sleep didn’t come easily last night, and I knew I was going to pay for it in training today.

  When the door to my room opened, hope flailed in my chest, thinking it might be Gideon, but all of that deflected the moment I saw Bastian.

  I grabbed the first thing I could reach and threw it at him.

  “Fuck did I do?” he said as he deflected the phone thrown his way.

  I walked up to him, raised my arm, and was about to slap him when he caught my arm with a viselike grip before I could reach his cheek.

  He pulled me so I was closer to him, those dark eyes annoyed. “Careful, D, I bite.”

  Standing taller, I raised my chin defiantly and stared him down. “Don’t forget, I made you, and if I want, I can annihilate you.”

  He smiled, all his teeth showing. “You’re so cute when you’re mad.” Bas let go of my hand and patted my head.

  Lifting my knee, I hit him in his balls. He doubled in pain, holding on to his crotch.

  “Fuck you do that for?”

  “Why is he here!” I was seething. He deliberately went behind my back to get Gideon inside the Sekt.

  “Hate to break it to you, babe, but you fucked up,” he said as he sat on the edge of the bed, still massaging his balls. “The day you said no, you exposed he was something to you. You’d have to be blind to see the look you both shared. If I noticed, you know Damian did too.”

  I stayed quiet because I knew he had a point, especially after what had happened in Chicago. Damian knew there were things he was missing from the ordeal. The smart thing would have been to kill Johnny and then say whatever, he could join. Positive or negative, it didn’t make a difference; instead, I showed something, and now it was going to get used against me.

  Bas took hold of my hand. “It can’t be you against the world, babe. The closer I get with Damien, the further away from you I become. I saved him because you need allies—”

  “He wants to kill me, Bas.”

  He rolled his eyes. “He’ll probably fuck you half to death, but I doubt he’ll kill you… I trust him. Damien could send me away, and I’d know you were in good hands, making going ghost easier.”

  That was the plan all along. For Bastian to get close enough to Damien and work as a double agent in my favor. The whipping he’d given me was hard on him, but it had to be done, and I didn’t hold it against him.

  “The betrayal was written all over your face. Had you known I’d found him and kept him alive, then you would have been stoic, and Damian wouldn’t have gotten the satisfaction of enjoying your pain.”

  “I left him there with hopes that if he survived, he’d hate me so much he’d never want to hear from me again,” I hissed the truth. “By bringing him here, you made him into another chess piece between Damian and me.”

  “You need to stop thinking of the worst outcomes and start trusting that we all know what we’re doing. You cannot win a war all on your own.” He squeezed my hand lightly.

  “If this goes wrong, I’ll kill you,” I vowed.

  Bas smirked, not caring that my threat was real. “Yeah, sure, whatever. Now help me out and massage my balls.” He dragged my hand to his crotch before I could protest.

  “Really, you’re hard? I thought you were in pain.”

  “What can I say? I’m just a little fucked-up.”

  I removed my hand from his hard-on and patted his cheek. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty.”

  “Beauty and brains, baby.” He grinned proudly. “Now that you got reacquainted with my dick, you can tell me…I’m bigger than G, right?”

  Without answering, I turned around and left my room. There was someone I had to go see before practice today.

  My eyes kept searching for Daphne but kept coming up short. I knew she wouldn’t be happy with me, but I also didn’t know what she would do or say about it. Who knew, she might not care. When she didn’t show up for breakfast, I was itching to go find her, but I knew I couldn’t risk trailing after her.

  “You’re ready for today?” Francesca’s sultry voice whispered in my ear.

  “Ready for what?” I replied with a smirk.

  “To fight.” She cast her eyes slyly at me.

&
nbsp; After breakfast, Bas said we were meeting in the gym. It was time to test our skills against other members. No holding back, anything went, as long as you didn’t use weapons.

  He also explained that if you were older they sent you elsewhere to get updated on other types of skills such as computing and engineering and all that other fun, brainy stuff. All members younger than forty were required in the gym.

  The gym was in the upper levels with panels on the top, making daylight filter through. The place was state-of-the-art, the newest models on the machinery and black, cushy mats covering the floor.

  “The question is, are they ready for me?”

  Daphne walked into the room, and people cleared out of her way while others greeted her, and then there was the guy from earlier and Francesca, who weren’t fans. She was all in black with her hair braided.

  “Paco,” Francesca said. “You should go in the ring with her, make her pay back for what she did to Johnny.”

  I pretended to be interested elsewhere while they chatted. Francesca had said people weren’t happy about the kill, and she was instigating a fight.

  “Ah, Paco, are you sad about your cousin getting his brains blown out?” Bastian taunted when he came to stand by us.

  “Sooner or later, everyone will pay.” Paco spat and walked away.

  “Hey, Bas,” Francesca purred. “Haven’t seen much of you. You’d think you’d be more accessible now that you aren’t wrapped around that bitch’s finger.”

  “I’m always around. It’s you that’s wrapped around Damian’s cock like you own it.” Bas tapped her nose with a smirk.

  I walked away, and that’s when I saw Paco walking to where Daphne was standing. Her back was to his, and I slowed my steps to see what he would do.

  He reached out and grabbed the tail of her braid, pulling it back, making her head snap back.

  Slowly I kept walking toward them, close enough that I could hear him.

  “Before I kill you, I’m going to fuck you just like this,” he taunted, tugging at her hair more. My blood boiled, but then I saw Damian, and he was seated on a bench looking our way. I made my way past Daphne and Paco like I didn’t care.

  “I heard guys with small dicks prefer doggy-style; otherwise, their dicklets don’t hit the spot,” Daphne said in a sweet voice, and I wished I could turn around to see the look of fire shining in her eyes as she told him off.

  Damian rose from where he was on the bench. I looked at the fucker because he didn’t look like his usual self. He wore gray sweatpants, a white T-shirt, and sneakers.

  “Before I pull random names, does anyone want to work out ill feelings on the floor?”

  No one said a word. Then Daphne stepped forward.

  “Daphne?” Damian said with an arrogant smirk.

  She brought her nails up, pretending to inspect them. “I get the feeling Francesca is holding resentment towards me, and I don’t know what I could have done to offend her, so I want to give her a chance to work those feelings out.”

  No one was buying her fake humility. I bit my lip to stop myself from smiling. She was jealous. Francesca stood next to Bastian, who was talking lowly to her. If I had to guess, he was spurring her on so she’d step on the mat.

  “Just thought I’d offer.” Daphne shrugged. “Everyone will understand if you don’t come up here.”

  Francesca looked at Damian, and when he didn’t so much as acknowledge her, she took a deep breath and walked into the makeshift ring.

  “Very well, then,” Damian said. “Rules are simple: no weapons, and you can’t kill your opponent. Do keep in mind we go hunting next week, so if you break, twist, dislocate anything, you still have to participate in all activities.”

  With my arms crossed, I watched the fight that was about to take place. Daphne started to stretch her arms and roll her neck around.

  “You may begin,” Damian announced.

  Daphne and Francesca circled each other both with slow steps and determination. If I wasn’t looking so intently at Daphne, I might have missed the little smirk that passed over her features. I stood taller, knowing she was up to something.

  She made the first move and punched, missing Francesca by a few inches when she moved out of the way. She took a step to the side instead of one back, allowing Francesca to punch her. Daphne’s face turned to the side, and when she turned to look at Francesca, she did it smiling.

  I couldn’t see Francesca, but when Daphne went on the defensive, throwing rapid punches, I forgot the bitch was also trained because she managed to block almost all of them.

  Francesca threw a punch that Daphne not only ducked, but she dropped to the floor and extended her foot to trip her. As Francesca was falling, Daphne put her hands behind her head, raised her feet, and jumped up. Once up, she kicked Francesca on the side of her stomach.

  Fuck. Me.

  I was turned the fuck on right now, I felt like everyone could see my dick pointing at her.

  Francesca held on to her stomach in pain. Before she could regain her composure, Daphne straddled her, and one of her hands came to her neck, choking her.

  Everyone in the room was silent, watching intently to see what Daphne would do. I thought they were a little scared she might actually kill her.

  “Next time you want to talk shit about me, do it to my fucking face.”

  Like everyone in the room, I expected Daphne to get up now that she’d humiliated Francesca, but that’s not what she did. She grabbed both of her cheeks and bent down to kiss her.

  Catcalls went around the room with Bas yelling, “Kiss and make up, baby.”

  Francesca started to buck and mewl underneath Daphne, but Daphne didn’t budge.

  I nearly came in my trousers at the sight before me. Daphne pulled away with blood all over her lips, and she cut me with a quick glance that was full of triumph, but the one who had won was me. As for Francesca, she wouldn’t be kissing nor blowing anyone in a while.

  She held on to her lip, looking from Daphne and Damian. The cold bastard didn’t even fucking care, and everyone knew she was fucking him.

  “You may go to the infirmary and get stitches. Hurry before you get more blood on the mat.”

  Francesca glared at Daphne. “You will pay for this.”

  Daphne removed her long-sleeve, leaving her in only a sports bra and all her scars on full display, and I got the feeling that was a statement all of itself. That’s when I scanned the room, and out of everyone here, she was the most scarred one. She had survived more than anyone, and she wanted them to know it. Daphne wiped her mouth with her shirt before she replied.

  “Now imagine how much more I can make you bleed with a weapon?”

  Francesca left the room without another word. Just as Daphne started to walk away, Damian spoke.

  “Not so fast, little flower.” Damian smirked, and I wanted to punch him. Call me irrational, but no one got to call her anything other than her name but me. “You might not have broken the rules, but you know damn well you bent them.”

  We all watched as he pulled out a black tactical hunting knife.

  Daphne’s chest rose and fell, but she didn’t say anything more. She went to the other side of the mat and waited for further instructions.

  Paco took a step forward and opened his mouth to speak, but before he did so, Damian called my name.

  “Yes?” I replied casually.

  “Since Daphne here stepped a little out of line, she gets another go, but this time there will be one weapon allowed.” He wiggled the knife between two fingers. “You will go to the opposite side of the mat, and I will throw this in the middle. The fight doesn’t stop until the knife makes a cut. Just one cut and it can’t be used to kill.”

  “And maim?” I asked, grinning.

  Damian guarded me with a look, “As long as the opponent doesn’t die, everything else goes.”

  I made my way to the opposite side of Daphne and watched her as she looked at the middle of the floor, waiting to see w
here the knife would land.

  The sound of the metal hitting the mat echoed in the silent room. I didn’t bother to look at Damian when I noticed he threw it closer to my side.

  I grabbed the knife and saw the blur of Daphne’s feet retreat with my fucked-up eye. When I looked up, Daphne was looking at me those silver eyes, no longer like a lover or someone who she’d slept with but an enemy.

  “The handle is nice and thick.” I winked at her. When her nose flared, I knew she caught the meaning of my message. She moved slowly because I had the upper hand, and she didn’t know how or where I would cut her.

  She started to circle me, and I humored her, moving in the opposite direction. Guess we’d never had this dance before, and I just hoped people couldn’t see how hard my dick was.

  Daphne made the first move and stuck her hand out with her pointer finger directed at my eyes. With my forearm, I pushed her away; that’s when she turned her heel and lifted her leg, trying to kick the arm that had the knife. I turned my body to the side, so her kick landed on my shoulder. I hit again, making sure the blade wasn’t pointing at her, but she blocked all my shots with her forearms.

  When she threw a punch at me, I caught it and twisted her arm and pulled her toward me, making her arse push against my hard cock. “I’m so fucking hard right now, Petal.”

  The words were barely whispered in her ear when she threw her head back, slamming it against my jaw. Her elbow came down to hit my side, and her leg stomped on my toes.

  She got out of my hold easily enough and tried to flip me over, but I pulled my leg out, standing more firmly, and then since she was holding on to me for balance, I flipped us both. The blade cut into my skin a bit, making me bleed. Both Daphne and I got up right away. We continued to fight, both of us causing enough damage to make it hurt both not enough that it would incapacitate.

  Sweat was starting to drip from both of our foreheads, and neither one of us was ready to call it quits. I cut a quick glance at Damian, watching the impatient look in his eyes. That’s when I felt Daphne’s kick on my cheek.

  I took a step out to her, and then I faked a right and took a left. She tried to throw another kick at me, but I ducked it, and then from behind, I held her neck in a viselike grip.