There was no doubt in my mind when I saw Reign about who his father was. Dexter told me last night he thought the same. I watch Reign eat his breakfast just as Dexter strolls in the room, talking on his phone.
"Yes, yes, that's fine. Call me with updates," he mutters, ending the call and smiling when he sees us at the table. "That was your father."
"Is she alive?" I ask, my voice heavy. By some miracle, Lily Anna landed on a rock about a third down the cliff. The rock blocked her fall, but also broke both her legs. But the worst part was the root that pierced her body, rendering her unconscious. I don't know whether I want her dead or alive, but one thing's for sure. If she survived that fall, she'll be wishing she was dead.
"Yes," Dex nods, glancing at Reign. "In a chair, though."
I nod, knowing he doesn't want to upset Reign. "Forever?"
"Likely." Dex is about to go on when he notices Reign glancing between the two of us. "You okay there, kid?"
"Where's Mommy?" Reign asks, batting his long lashes.
I feel the words like a stab to the back. Mommy. I want to scream. Tell him she's not his Mommy, I am. But I force a smile on my lips.
"We'll explain everything, darling. She's okay."
"Will I see her again?"
My nails dig into my palms painfully. I glance at Dexter for help, and he seems as dumbfounded as me. Is it possible our son formed a bond with a monster? How long will we have to put up with it?
"Please." Reign is crying now. "I want to see Mommy again. I'm scared."
"It's okay," Dex says softly, kneeling down next to him. "We'll talk about everything. Do you want to see something?"
The boy nods, wiping the tears from his face. Dex winks at me, and I follow them down the hall, remembering the first time Dex showed me the nursery he furnished for Reign.
Since then, he has updated it every year. On Reign's birthday, like clockwork, the room was re-designed with Reign's age in mind. As if he was going to walk into the Manor any time. Sometimes I loved Dex's dedication, sometimes it unnerved me. But today, I was grateful for it. We believed he would come back, and he did. A happy, healthy boy.
Or is he?
I shake my head to get rid of the traitorous whisper in the back of my mind.
He's not a monster. Just because he spent the first years of his life with one doesn't mean he'll end up like her... I hope.
I swallow as we enter the room. The previous night, Reign slept between us in our bed. I didn't catch a wink of sleep. I was too busy counting my son's thick, heavy lashes. Admiring his rosy cheeks. I'm already as in love as I always knew I would be.
"Wow!" Reign spins around the room. "Is this for me?"
"Yes it is," Dex nods with a big grin. "Check out all your new toys. Look at this. It's a real train set."
"Wow," Reign repeats, sitting down in front of the tracks. "This is so cool."
Dex joins me and we watch him play with the trains, joining in some time later. We eat lunch a few hours after that. We can't seem to tear ourselves away from our son, but when he can't stop yawning after lunch, we realize he's probably still exhausted.
Reign doesn't even fight us as we put him down for a nap. He's fast asleep before I close the bedroom door.
Dex and I are now alone. I lean against the door of Reign's room, exhaling. Dex's palm lands on the door to the left of me and he grins.
"He's perfect." He cocks his head to the side, sensing that I'm nervous. "You okay, toy?"
I nod. I agree with him, I'm just overwhelmed by emotion yet again.
"Let's go to the bedroom," he says, hungrily grabbing my throat and bringing it to his mouth. He bites and sucks on my skin, making me giggle. "I want to fucking devour you, toy."
"Please," I whisper. "Shhh."
I take his hand and we run down the hallway to our bedroom. His body comes crashing against mine the moment I close the door behind us. His mouth is fast, desperate, as it latches onto mine and steals kiss after kiss from my lips. I remember the news I need to share with him, fighting the smile off my face.
"Dex, wait," I say softly. "Please."
"Why?" he snarls. "I want you naked on the bed. I want to fuck you. Now, toy."
"Wait." I take his hand.
"Why are your hands trembling?" He glares at me. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I take a deep breath, guiding his palm to rest over my belly. "Just... feel..."
He stares blankly ahead until it hits him. Then, his eyes snap to mine and the smile he can't hide begins to tug his lips upward. "Are you..."
"Yes," I whisper.
As we look deep into one another's eyes, I see the boy I fought so hard. The boy who loved me even when he hated me. Dexter is a man now, but his boyish charm hasn't gone away. And I realize I'll never stop falling in love with him, over and over again.
"You're pregnant," he mutters.
"I am," I smile. "And Dex? It's twins."
He laughs out loud, shaking his head. It's the most genuine moment of happiness I've seen him have. While saving Reign made him feel like a savior, a superhero, this had made him humble, made him feel like a man. And as his eyes lock with mine, I read all that and more in the silent whisper of his lips. They move to the words, and I repeat the same - I love you.
We don't need to say it. We never had to.
The next few things happen so fast I barely get the chance to react. Dexter rips my clothes off and tosses me on the bed like I weigh nothing. I brace myself against the mattress as he climbs on top of me. His smile is devious as he tears my panties off, revealing the round globes of my ass.
"I'm not coming in your pussy tonight, toy," he warns me darkly, and my skin bristles at the possibilities.
Dex cages me beneath his lithe, muscular body. His teeth dig into my skin. He bites, sucks, licks and teases every inch of my skin, and I do my best to fight the moans escaping my lips. But we both know what he's going to escalate to.
Ever since we lost Reign, Dexter has been treating my sadness with pain.
But now that there's nothing to be sad about, I find myself still addicted to the hurt.
The searing slap of his belt against my skin. The whoosh of the whip through the air. My screams, his groans. It's what I need. What I thrive on. And I made Dexter Booth swear he'll never stop giving it to me.
My body shivers in anticipation as he parts my ass and I hear him spit. Drool dribbles down my ass, and I clench, my cheeks turning red as he begins to run the clear liquid into my hole.
"I've neglected your other two holes," Dex mutters. "But we're going to have some fun now. I'm going to make you beg..."
"Yes, Master," I whisper as I feel him pressing his cock against my tight entrance. His firm hand wraps around my ponytail and he yanks my head back, making me look up and at him.
"Tell me you want me to fuck your ass," he drawls out, the words deliciously dark and ominous.
"Fuck my ass, Master." I lick my lips, crying out as he pushes his tip inside me. "Oh god, Master, please..."
"Beg to be an anal slut," he grunts.
"I want that." I'm rushing to get the words out, tripping over them in an effort to get what I want sooner. "I want to be your anal slut, Master, please..."
"A mouth toy," he growls in my ear. "Just your mouth and ass. You can forget about your cunt while you're pregnant. You're only going to get used this way."
"Master," I cry out in frustration.
He yanks on my hair harder and I cry out, the sound turning into a moan and making him smirk at me.
"Beg me." Dex looks like a dark god of vengeance, and I can't resist any longer. "Beg to be an anal slut... a mouth toy... beg for me to lock up your slutty little pussy."
"Please," I rasp. "Lock me up. Don't touch it."
"For the whole nine months?" he grins.
"Y-Yes." I swallow my fears down. "Yes, Master..."
He pushes his whole length inside me then. The pain is excruciating and delicious, and my mouth waters as he star
ts to fuck me. He's gentle but insistent, allowing my ass to stretch so I can fit him in me. He keeps a firm grip on my hair, making me look at him as he fucks me.
"Such a good toy," Dex mutters. "You're going to get used so hard... You'll regret it all."
"Never," I hiss.
"Never?" He laughs, pinching my nipples with one hand while the other wraps around my throat in a deathlock. My eyes roll back. He's cutting off my air supply, and yet I want to taunt him even more. "Never ever ever, toy?"
I try to say something but it comes out muffled because of the way he's holding me.
"Can't hear you, toy," he smirks, knowing full well he's the reason I can't speak properly. "Louder."
I repeat the word, but it's just a whimper now.
"Louder!"
"Never," I manage, and he kisses me, his hands going to my tits. My back arches as he twists my nipples, bruising me, hurting me - just the way I love it. I let out a cry as I feel him coming inside me, and as always, feeling him leak his creamy seed inside me makes me tremble with an orgasm, too.
"My toy," he breathes against my lips as he empties himself inside me. Our eyes connect and we look deep into each other's souls. It feels as if we're becoming one tonight, with the knowledge of another two babies on the way, and our Reign back home. Our family is finally full, and I'm happy.
But then I remember Reign's beautiful, handsome face. The hurt behind his eyes, the hint of cold darkness I had always sensed in Lily Anna.
As Dexter holds me in his arms and we lazily roll around in our bed, I try not to think about all the things that worry me about my handsome son.
He's just a little boy. It's too soon for him to be hurt by Lily Anna's actions. We got him back just in time. She couldn't have spoiled him in the six years she had him. He's pure, innocent. He's just a little boy. My worries are for nothing, and I need to get a grip.
But I remember Reign's eyes again, and a chill goes down my spine. The blue of his irises is like ice. And I'm not sure whether there's something sinister lurking beneath... Lily Anna's final attempt to ruin our little family.
She won't.
She can't.
Epilogue
Dexter
5 years later
"Adeline! Flora!"
His melodic voice rings out in the garden. I look at my wife, lying on a lounger in a one-piece white swimsuit and looking as sexy as ever.
"Which one do you think he'll find first?" I grin.
"Well, Flora will probably giggle so much he'll spot her right away," Pandora grins, pushing her sunglasses up her nose and meeting my gaze. "But Adeline might try to get busted first just so she can make her sister happy."
"Are you happy, toy?" I asked in hushed tones, my voice soft enough so the kids won't hear.
"Yes, Master," she whispers, giggling. I've been loving playing these games with her when the kids can't hear. And I live for the traitorous rouge in her cheeks every time I make her blush.
"Good girl." I return to my newspaper, keeping an eye on the kids while I read. But really, I'm not worried about the girls misbehaving. It's Reign that's got me worried.
At almost twelve years old, my son is my pride and joy. And yet there's something about him, something almost cold, off-putting. It's as if Lily Anna has left her mark on him. Like her shadowy fingers are wrapped around his soul, clenching, gripping it for dear life. He has such a pure soul. But that bitch tried her hardest to spoil it.
It's been years since I've seen her.
She lives with Emilian now, suffering as his victim. We could save her. Pandora and I could work out a way to get her away from my toy's twisted father. Use our influence to make ourselves her legal guardians. But neither one of us is willing to do that. And even though I can still hear the ring of Lily Anna's screams as she was locked up at Oakes Estate, I have no regrets.
She deserved what she had coming.
It was lucky enough she survived the fall off the cliffs. But when Lily Anna found out the fall had broken her spine, that she'd be forced to a lifetime in a wheelchair, she broke.
There's gossip among the help. They say Lily Anna hasn't spoken in years. That Emilian Oakes is just as obsessed as her. That's she's more beautiful than ever. That he ruined her.
I don't care about any of it.
Since my parents died in the fire she lit, I've been looking for vengeance. And watching Lily Anna lose everything that mattered to her one by one has more than fulfilled my need for revenge.
"Think we can sneak off?" I mutter as Reign starts running toward a figure giggling behind an old oak tree.
"Now?" Pandora glances nervously at the kids, and guiltily, I realize she's probably thinking the same thing I am.
Is it safe to leave Reign alone with the twins?
I never believed he'd hurt them, and my son never gave me a reason to worry. But sometimes, his behavior is truly troubling.
I've caught him hurting animals before. I've seen him pin a butterfly down by its wings. I've seen him poking at dead birds in the garden. Reign is a polite, well-mannered young boy. But on the rare occasions we had to punish him, Pandora and I witnessed anger and stubbornness neither of us had seen before. He'd lie through his teeth to get out of trouble. But if you caught him in a lie, the kid lost it. He'd hurt himself to get his way. He'd threaten you. Those moments were rare, but they happened. And they made me worry.
But I shake my head to get the thought out. I can't allow the negative thoughts to take over now. I can't let Pandora see I'm worried, too.
"Let's stay until they finish their game," I decide for us. Her relieved smile tells me everything I need to know.
We watch the kids play until they come back to where we're lounging, giggling and laughing. My wife admires the twins' daisy crowns while I ask Reign to come over.
"Having a good day, son?" I ask him, and he nods. He won't quite look at me, probably still upset with me for scolding him the previous day. The kid sure can hold a fucking grudge.
"It's alright," he drawls, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Reign," I speak up calmly. "You're being such a good brother to your sister."
At this, he lights up. He really does love the girls, has formed a bond with them like nothing I've ever seen before.
"When are we going back to Grandfather's?" Reign asks.
My expression darkens. Despite my best efforts to keep the kids away from Emilian, Reign has formed a bond with the man. He's been insisting we let him visit his grandfather. All the other visits have been on our terms, at our home, but now Reign wants more freedom to visit his grandfather whenever he wants.
"I can invite Emilian over for tea," I offer.
"No." Reign's eyes are dark and stormy. "I want to go to Oakes Manor. I deserve it, I've been good."
I don't bother arguing with him. He hasn't been good. He's misbehaved multiple times in school only this week. I haven't even told Pandora yet, not wanting to worry her, but the kid needs a firm hand, and we both love him too much to discipline him properly.
I also have another reason I don't want him at the Manor - Lily Anna. He doesn't know she's there. We thought it best to tell Reign she was gone, dead. We didn't want to hurt him any more by preventing him from seeing the woman. But now it's been six years, and the kid still hasn't stopped asking about her. And every time he brings her up, I see the fire in Pandora's eyes die down a little.
Lily Anna's shadow is still here, and will follow us for a long time to come.
"We'll arrange something," I tell Reign, but his dark expression tells me he doesn't buy it.
I shift my attention to the girls and Pandora while watching my son out of the corner of my eye. He's an unusual kid. And as much as he frightens me sometimes, I love him more than I ever thought possible.
We never got a paternity test.
We didn't need to.
Lily Anna was right about one thing, if nothing else. One look at Reign tells me whose son he is.
Lai is ri
ght there - in the blue of his eyes, in the smirk on his face. He looks just like him. And in a way, I'm happy things worked out the way they did. This way, we have a reminder of the boy who died much too soon by Lily Anna's cruel hand. Lai is still with us. And one day, when Reign is old enough, we'll explain everything to him.
I just hope he'll understand.
"Let's head inside, it's getting cold." I usher my family into the Manor. It's been a few years since Anders passed away, but we have a full new staff headed by a wonderful woman who makes sure we're all fed and taken care of. Most of my days are spent at the office now. I've taken a big role in my father's company, and Pandora is busy running the town until Reign is of age.
We both worry about what will happen after. The moment Reign turns eighteen, he'll be the most powerful person in Eden Falls. But power corrupts people. And our son is susceptible to it, to being overwhelmed by the possibilities. So we need to steer him on the right path before we hand over the responsibilities.
We settle in front of the fireplace. It's too early for a fire, but when my son asks to set one up, I allow it.
Pandora and I watch hand-in-hand as Reign starts a fire and the girls read a book in front of it. It's the picture-perfect image of a family, and it's our well-earned reward after everything we've been through.
Not everything is perfect.
Nothing can ever be perfect - it's one lesson I've learned since I was nineteen and lusting after a girl I wanted to hate. The girl, who is now a woman, sitting by my side and watching me with love in her eyes.
I'd do anything for her.
I will do anything for her.
"Pandora." I speak up, and she turns to face me, the ghost of a smile making her face prettier than ever. "Are you happy?"
I can't help but ask her that, all the time, any chance I get. I need her to tell me this is what she wants. I took everything from her when we were younger. I tortured her, made her life a living hell. It's a wonder these days, the only thing that matters to me is her happiness.
"I'm happy, Dexter," she whispers in response. "I'm happy because of you."
A Hurt So Sweet Volume Four: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Elite of Eden Falls Prep Book 4) Page 15
