Violent Heart: A Dark Reverse Harem (A Death So Sweet Book 3)

by Candace Wondrak

  The men standing across from me still didn’t move, nor did they shoot me. The small victories, I supposed.

  “Now,” I went on, “unless you’re going to put a dozen bullets into my body, I suggest you let me walk out of here. This gal’s got someplace to be.” Or, technically, some people to catch up with and a story to tell.

  Bianca DeLuca was dead. I still couldn’t believe it, and yet it was her blood dripping from my fingernails.

  When no one said anything, I took a step away, never breaking eye contact. I wouldn’t put it past them to try to shoot me in the back or something. What a way to go, huh? Being shot in the back. The absolute disrespect.

  But they didn’t shoot me.

  One of them did glance at the driver and ask, “What do we do now?”

  Since the driver seemed to be at a loss for words, I chimed in, “You make your way in the world how you want to… or you find someone else to follow. It’s up to you.” And then, with my shoulders squared and my head held high, with my hands covered in fresh blood, I walked out of that mansion, grinning beneath my mask.

  At the time, I never expected to ever set foot in that house again, but I’d soon find out I was wrong on that count. When things changed, well, they tended to, you know, actually change. The change that swept over the city was quiet and subtle if you weren’t paying attention, but for those of us that were…

  Let’s say the fun was just getting started.

  Chapter Thirteen – Lola

  My dreams were nothing but blackness, but I’d take that over the suffocating ones I used to have. They no longer kept me in a fitful sleep at night, nor did I wake up with a rapidly-beating heart and feel like clawing my own skin off.

  I was trying to turn a new leaf, at least where that was concerned. No more Lola Harding. I was someone much more important now.

  A while ago, I’d killed Bianca DeLuca, ended the Bloody Princess’s reign… but it seemed this city hadn’t quite had enough of me yet. I wasn’t shot when I left the DeLuca house, and I had been giddy as a school girl when I went back to the bar, where my guys had been waiting. When I told them the good news, well… what happened next was a bit bloody, a tad psychotic, and a whole lot sexy.

  And, the funny thing had been, that guy was still sitting in the back of the bar, drinking his sorrows away, completely unaware of the orgy taking place near all the corpses.

  Later that night, Roman and Carter crashed a poker game, and made sure to put a bullet in the head of anyone there, even if they weren’t necessarily involved in shooting up the Dollhouse. Couldn’t let any of them live, no one who hurt us. We would find the remaining man who’d shot up Mike and Viper someday, but for a while, we let ourselves revel in our victory.

  We’d met Roman and Carter back at the cabin that night, and when we shared our good news—that Bianca was no more—everyone was happy. Everyone except, as it turned out, Daddy Luciano, but that was because he’d got it in his head he was done with the games. I would never understand why anyone could ever be done with them; the games were fun, and they made me feel alive. An addicting feeling, let me tell you.

  Things had changed since that night all those weeks ago, but I found myself loving where we were. I wouldn’t change anything.

  I lay in bed, breathing deeply, and I rolled onto my side, setting an arm on the tattooed body next to me. My eyelids peeked open, and I raked my gaze down Viper’s bare chest, taking in all his snake tattoos. The sheet hung just above his privates, blocking my view of his cock, but that was fine. Every morning didn’t need to start with sex.

  A lot of them did, which was quite fun, but today was set to be a busy day.

  Quietly, I got out of bed, tiptoeing across the hall to the bathroom. The big house was quiet; some would say too quiet, but I liked it. It helped me relax. I went into the bathroom that, frankly, I still wasn’t used to—the style of this house was gaudier than the Luciano’s, which wasn’t really my thing, but eh, I’d learn to deal.

  Already naked, all I had to do was turn the water on in the walk-in shower and step inside. The water pelted my back, the top of my head, its clear liquid coursing down my body. I breathed in the hot air, humming to myself.

  The Night Slayer had her own abode now. Granted, it used to belong to the DeLucas, but now that they were all gone, it was mine. Sylvester and Maddox had to flash their name and their money around to get the deed put in my name, but everything in this town was doable, as long as you had the green to back it up.

  And they did. They most certainly did, especially since they were now the ones in charge.

  Well, them and me.

  I had been right when I’d thought there was a vacancy after Bianca’s death. Never thought I’d be the one to fill it, but I guess that just went to show you that princesses were so last year and serial killers were all the rage.

  I heard the bathroom door open, someone slipping inside. Within the next moment, Viper’s head poked around the glass door, his hazel eyes giving me an appreciative once-over before he stepped in. “I hope you don’t mind that I join you,” he said, the ends of his mouth quirking into a smirk.

  He’d been in a good mood ever since I invited him and his brother to move in. Mike hadn’t wanted to, but since their apartment had been riddled with bullet holes, it didn’t take much convincing on Viper’s part.

  “Of course not,” I spoke. Maybe I would get some morning sex after all. Shower sex wasn’t exactly the same as morning sex, but it was still hot. I’d take it anywhere I could get it.

  Funny, you’d think with a steady three boyfriends, I’d be tired of sex by now, but I wasn’t. Sex was great, and when you had men you would die for without any hesitation, the sex was even better. Wild and passionate, no holds barred. I lived a life not many could, and I loved it.

  Viper’s hands found my sides, and in the next moment, my back was to the tiled wall. A chill swept up my spine, but I knew soon enough I’d get warmed up. Viper was good at that. Lips curling into a devilish smirk, Viper dropped to his knees before me, the water now hitting his head as his hands helped to spread my thighs.

  I shut my eyes the moment I felt that tongue lap at me, and I let out a low moan when he started to suck on my clit. When I was naked, it was like no one ever saw the scar on my belly anymore, and that was nice. The guys had given me a good scolding for thinking that they’d abandon me after everything was said and done, and sometimes they still needed to remind me that they weren’t going to let me go.

  It was nice. It was so fucking nice. They were everything I ever needed and more, and now with Richard gone, they wouldn’t be pressured to kill me. You know, since I was only here because I’d killed their brother.

  God, time could change everything. Time did change everything, and that was the miracle of it.

  My hips started grinding against Viper’s face, and his fingers dug in deeper into my thighs. My blood ran hot, and I felt the wave of pleasure building almost immediately. Viper was damn good with his mouth, let’s just say.

  When my orgasm came, I cried out, the muscles in my body tightening as my hips bucked of their own accord, and Viper pulled his face away, smiling up at me. In the next moment, he was on his feet, stroking his hard cock, and within a blink, he pushed inside of me.

  This, I thought as I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close, this is the life. I wouldn’t change any of this for the world. I’d accidentally stumbled upon where I belonged, and now I would fight tooth and nail to keep it. To keep them.

  They were mine, and they always would be.

  Viper’s moans filled the air of the shower, and I focused on the feeling of his body pinning mine back, the way his cock felt buried deep inside of me. Like he was taking charge, taking what he wanted from me. A far-cry from the Viper he was when we’d first met, always keeping himself from me, never wanting to cross the line.

  Again, funny how things changed.

  Now was not the time for a never-ending sex session, so
when Viper’s body started to tremble, I kissed his neck, sucking and nipping, helping to further him along. The most husky, sexy sound came from his lungs when he erupted inside of me, filling me up with cum.

  Another good thing about shower sex: easy clean-up. Even though, usually, I wasn’t the kind of gal who cared about cleaning up after a messy fuck.

  He stayed buried in me for a few seconds, and then pulled out. Viper and I hurried to rinse off, and he got out before I did. Having long hair took a bit more work in the shower—I was trying to grow it out, so I’d been using some deep conditioner. Plus, I didn’t think blood was too good for the tips, and I was never one to tie my hair back before going batshit on someone.

  By the time I got dressed, Viper was already out of the bedroom. Men had it so easy when it came to getting ready for the day. I chose a pair of sleek black pants, along with four-inch killer heels, pairing it with a dark red blouse.

  I know. A blouse. It was kind of funny; in a way, these clothes were the type of clothes my parents always wanted me in. That and dresses—ew. But I found the red and black combo suited me. Not many people could pull it off; so many idiots out there tried to look intimidating but failed more often than not. Me, on the other hand? I didn’t need to try. I simply was.

  The first thing I’d done when getting this house was to throw out everything of Bianca’s. All of her clothes, all of her pictures… basically, everything that had a teeny, tiny bit of sentimental value was gone. I didn’t need that shit. I’d fill this house with my own memories.

  Mike was in the kitchen, sipping coffee. He’d healed up pretty good, though he hadn’t gone out with us yet. He was still a little slow, but his reaction time would come back soon. He, at least, didn’t walk like he was on death’s door anymore. His long brown hair was pulled back in a low, loose pony, his lumberjack frame wearing a tight black t-shirt.

  Viper was beside him, wearing all black, making a bagel, and when he saw me, he asked, “Do you want anything?”

  I shook my head. “No, I’m good.” Out of all of the meals of the day, breakfast was my least favorite. The only saving grace was bacon, and this morning was not a bacon kind of morning, unfortunately.

  Not saying today was going to be bad. It was just going to be interesting.

  “You know,” I started, leaning on the large island in the kitchen. “You guys don’t have to come with me. I’m more than capable—”

  Mike said nothing, though he did narrow his stare at me. Viper, on the other hand, immediately shot me down by saying, “Anywhere you go, we go.”

  Ah, yes. Because after what I did to Bianca, there were surely some people out there who wanted to see me dead, to pay for what I’d done. Always had to be on guard, but that’s what today was about. Visiting the normal hangouts. Introducing myself. Making it known that I was a girl who could handle myself, and I had a whole host of psychos at my back, ready to protect me should I fail to do it myself.

  Hmm. I couldn’t wait to see that Mina chick again. I bet she’d shit her pants when she saw me again. She might still want to fight me for Maddox, but you didn’t fight me now unless you were willing to die for whatever it was you stood for—and color me psychic, but I didn’t think Mina would die for the chance to be with Maddox again.

  As if on cue, the doorbell to the house rang, and we exchanged glances.

  Mike set down his coffee, muttering, “I’ll get it.” As he went, he reached beneath his shirt and pulled out the gun he had tucked between his pants and skin.

  I didn’t hear any gunshots after the door was opened, so I figured I knew who it was, and when Mike reappeared with the man himself in tow, I gave him a smile. “Harvey,” I said, addressing the man who had, at one time, been Bianca’s driver. A man who almost killed me when she and I were in the middle of our scuffle. “What are you doing here?”

  Harvey glanced to Mike and Viper, looking just a tad uncomfortable near them. He was a younger man, around their age, in his early thirties. He wasn’t sleazy or rude or even mean; I liked him. It’s why I kept him around.

  Plus he never looked at me like he wanted to fuck me, and that was rare in a man.

  “I know you have a busy day ahead of you,” Harvey spoke, doing his best to ignore the glares he received from the twins—Viper and Mike still didn’t trust him. “I figured I’d offer you my services for today.”

  “I told you,” I said, “you don’t have to drive me around like you did for her.” I’d learned it was best not to use Bianca’s name out loud unless I had to.

  Harvey nodded. “I know, but… it isn’t like I have anything else planned for today.”

  I knew arguing with him would get me nowhere. He was a nice guy, but stubborn as all hell. So, I simply said, “Fine, but that means you’re carting these assholes around, too.” I flicked a thumb towards Viper and Mike, and my choice of words earned myself scowls from each of them, which made me chuckle.

  Fifteen minutes later, we were ready to go.

  The Luciano house was just as I remembered it from the last time I was there, which, granted, wasn’t too long ago, since I made it a habit of seeing Sylvester and Maddox anytime I could. That’s the thing about not having a nine-to-five job: you could do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted, and there was no one to stop you.

  The money they’d inherited made it easier, of course, kind of like me. Along with Bianca’s house, I got all the DeLuca money. Felt wrong somehow, like I was right back in Lionsgrove where I’d started, but I wasn’t. This place was so different and so much better.

  I found Sylvester in his father’s office—or, well, technically it was his office now, since his father wasn’t here. I knocked on the door, even though it was open, before stepping inside. Sylvester sat on the high-backed leather chair I’d seen Richard in a few times, looking quite stressed out. A bunch of papers sat before him, scattered on the desk, his blonde hair sticking every which way, as if he’d woken up and gotten straight to work.

  He wore bedhead well, the bastard.

  Maddox was somewhere else in the house, and I’d sent Viper and Mike to find him. Harvey waited in the car for us; there was no way in hell he’d ever step foot in this house. Maddox and Sylvester didn’t trust him either, which was fine.

  When I knocked, Sylvester’s blue eyes glanced up, and his face lit up the moment he saw me. “There you are,” he said, immediately standing and walking around the desk to greet me. He swept me into his arms and planted his mouth on mine, kissing me hard and fast and hungrily. It was a kiss that stole all the air from my lungs and more, and after he pulled back, I was already panting like a bitch in heat.

  That’s how much these guys affected me. I hoped that feeling never went away.

  “How are you?” he whispered. “Ready for today? If you’re not, we can push it off—” He didn’t completely let go of me; his hands still hung on my hips, our bodies leaning against each other’s.

  “No,” I spoke with a shake of my head. “We’ve already pushed it off enough. It’s time to show this city who’s taking up the Bloody Princess’s mantle.”

  With a sigh, he took a step back and said, “You’re probably right.” Sylvester turned his back to me, facing the desk. He set both palms on it, leaning over it, and I moved beside him, staring at all the papers. “I don’t know how my father did it,” he mumbled. “So much is going on all the time, and all the blackmailing—is that really how we kept up our fortune? I don’t know if I want to continue down that path. Seems to be a good way to get people to turn on you the first chance they get.”

  Ah, and that was something the Lucianos knew all too well. Sylvester was probably right; if he had any hope of salvaging the Luciano legacy, things had to begin anew.

  Speaking of… “Have you talked to your father?” I asked, leaning my ass on the edge of the desk.

  He looked at me, and I knew the answer before he said it. “No. He asked for time, so I’m giving it to him.”

  “Fuck that,” another
deep, masculine voice spoke from the doorway, and I looked up to see Maddox standing there.

  Grinning, I slid off the desk and sauntered over to him, rubbing myself against him like a cat. He took hold of my throat, fingers curling around my neck, and his mouth crashed to mine for only a split-second, enough to give me a taste of his heat and passion, enough to make me want more.

  “He never should’ve left,” Maddox finished after letting me go. “You don’t just… leave. That’s not how things are fucking done.” Unlike his brother, Maddox held some rage over their father’s exit.

  “He’s a grown man and can do whatever he wants,” Sylvester told him, not for the first time. And, I’d bet anything, it wouldn’t be the last time he had to say something like that, either. “Let’s not talk about him right now. Today is about Lola.”

  “Oh, yes,” Maddox spoke, rolling his dark eyes. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the black, intricate tattoos on his light skin. He’d gotten his hair cut—the side of his head that had grown out, anyway. Now it hung only a few inches long, whereas the side he used to shave he’d let grow out a bit. Once his hair was a uniform length, he’d hardly look like Mad Maddox.

  But, I think, that was the point. He and Sylvester were now the Lucianos. He had to take some responsibility for that, even if he didn’t want to.

  “Today is all about Lola,” Maddox said, eyes dropping to my feet and checking me out as they traveled back up. The cut I’d landed on his face in that hotel room all that time ago had healed, not even a scar in its place. “I can’t wait for someone to try to make a move on you. I’ll fucking rip them apart limb by limb—”

  I pressed a finger upon his lips, smirking. “Now, if anyone’s going to do some killing, it’s me. The city needs to know just who I am.”