The baggers … people Max called to clean up the mess and make it like it never happened.
He explained that they’d tell her parents she died in a freak accident during her vacation and just wipe away her very existence in this place. And when they’re done, it’ll be like she never even existed.
I shake my head. What money can buy you still scares me sometimes. Not that I should be surprised; they managed to get to all of us so easily. It’s a wonder they even care about the contract. They could’ve just kidnapped us instead. But I bet that’s all part of the game they play. After all, where’s the fun in taking what you can already have freely? It’s much more fun if it comes to you instead.
The talking dies out slowly. As nighttime approaches, the girls push their beds toward each other and come together for support. I’m the only one who doesn’t need to be cuddled as I fall asleep.
However, in the middle of the night, whispers in my ear wake me.
“Naomi …”
I turn around and see Max holding his finger over my mouth. “Don’t say a word. Just come with me.”
I take his hand and let him take me from my bed and out of the room. When he shuts the door, the girls are still fast asleep. Max holds my hand firmly as he pulls me downstairs and into the room with the red bed sheets again, where he opens another door into a private bathroom.
He turns on the bright lights and beckons me. “C’mon. I won’t bite.”
I step inside the bathroom and look at my own reflection in the mirror. Max stands behind and places his hand on my shoulder, sliding aside my hair. At first, I think he’s going to kiss me, but he carefully slides his fingers into my nightgown and the thin bands around my shoulder, pulling them down one by one until the nightgown drops to the floor.
I’m naked in a room alone with him, and I wonder if this is the moment he’ll take me for himself. He’s been craving it all this time; I know it, and I can see it in his eyes. The hunger when he sees my naked body. I can feel it from his fingers, softly trailing down my back. It’s electrifying. Dangerous.
“Are you going to take what’s yours now?” I ask.
He gazes back at me through the mirror. “Is that what you want?”
I swallow away the lump in my throat, not knowing how to choose between two possible responses. One is a lie … the other is the truth.
He smirks. “It’s okay; you don’t have to answer. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to. Yet.”
That last word spreads goose bumps all over my body.
He pulls open a cabinet to the left and grabs some sort of lotion, which he pours into his hands. Then he starts to massage it onto my back slowly, carefully crossing over the wounds on my back. I hiss from the pain, which makes him go even slower and softer. Not a word is spoken between us as he rubs it into my skin. The look in our eyes speaks volumes. He knows what I think of him … but he doesn’t care, and I know he doesn’t.
He’s here with a purpose—a goal in mind—and that’s to take care of the wounds his brother inflicted. Even though bruises and cuts cover his own face, he’s solely focused on me now. As if he’s trying to repair what’s broken … trying to keep together the tainted picture of perfection.
Despite the fact that a girl just died.
***
Accompanying Song: “Eyes On Fire” by Blue Foundation
Max
“How can you live with yourself?” she suddenly asks.
I cock my head but continue to scrub her, this time a bit harder. “Easy. Just shut everything and everyone out.”
“That’s avoiding the truth,” she says.
“The truth is someone died. It happens.”
“It happens … so it’s normal to you?”
I stop with the lotion and put it away. Questions like these are hard, and I don’t always have an answer to them. “It’s never normal to watch a girl die.”
“Then why didn’t you do anything about it?” When I turn around, she’s facing me, still naked, her nipples peaking like she’s cold. She’s beautiful, perfection itself, and I can’t help but wonder how they would feel in my hand while I kissed her until morning.
Not now, Max.
“I couldn’t,” I say, letting out a sigh. “She’d already made up her mind.”
“You knew?” Her eyes widen.
I close my eyes. “We talked about her parents and how they wouldn’t accept her back. She wanted to leave but couldn’t. I told her there’s a place here for her. She said she didn’t want any of this, and that she was going to leave. That’s all I knew.”
I go to my knees and lift up her gown, pulling the straps back on her again. That way she’s much less of a distraction to my eyes. Still, they can’t help but wander off from time to time, trying to get another peek at her body that’s so ready to be mine.
“Why did you let her leave your room then?”
“Because my brother came to me,” I explain. “And he told me about you, so I came looking for you after telling the girls they were free to go.”
“And then we went to Anthony,” she says, frowning.
“Yes.”
She closes her eyes and sighs. “Someone just jumped out of a window, and you’re massaging my back with lotion.”
“It’s not just lotion; this helps to prevent it from getting infected.”
“Someone died,” she reiterates, clearly angry.
“Yes, indeed, and no matter what I do, I can’t change that fact. I can only clean up the mess that’s left and give her a proper grave.” I clear my throat. “However, what I can do is help those who are still alive. Like you.” I place a hand on her arm. “I know it’s tough to accept, but I do care about you, despite what it may look like.”
“You care about me because I’m to become your wife.”
I smile. “Yes, indeed. Make no mistake, you will become mine, and when you are, I will take proper care of you. You won’t have to wish for anything because you’ll have it all. Life can be good with me by your side. All you have to do is accept it.”
She jerks away. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this now.”
I grab her wrist as she tries to walk away and pull her back to me. “Stop fighting. Stop resisting me. I know you feel what I feel.”
“Money isn’t worth dying over …” she spits.
“No, but marriage is. Especially when it comes to marrying the most beautiful, smartest woman I’ve ever met.” My index finger brushes her cheek, and I lean into her ear. “I need you by my side, Naomi.”
“To be your wife … but you do realize marriage is also about love?” she murmurs.
My thumb lingers on her lips as I’m reminded of the last time I kissed her. I can still remember the way she tasted … like heaven.
“I already love every little bit about you.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Oh, my god …”
“I’m serious. I love your scheming. Your devious little ways. You’re just like me—cunning, not afraid to stand your ground—and I adore that.”
I wonder if I should kiss her.
If my brother did when he had her.
If he touched her in places I have yet to discover. Doubt eats away at me as I think of how he’s tainted her. I want to erase him from her mind. Replace his mark with mine. And I will make it happen … no matter the cost … no matter how long it takes me to get to that point.
“Why don’t you go for the easy girls? The ones who really want this?” she asks.
“You’re lying to yourself now,” I muse. As I lean in, she steps back against the sink, and I cage her with my arms. “You have no idea how valuable you really are. How long I’ve waited for a woman like you. Someone who I can not only marry but who will also be my equal and give me something no other woman can.” I smile when I see her blatant death-stare.
“If only you knew,” I mutter.
“Knew what?” she asks.
I bite my lip. Should I even tell her?
/>
If I do, she’ll scheme more and maybe try to overthrow me in my own plan. Then again, if I want her by my side, maybe I should let her in on the details.
However, if my brothers find out …
“I won’t tell a soul,” she adds.
Narrowing my eyes, I wonder if that’s a lie or the truth. This time it’s hard to tell, but I suppose telling her might make her trust me more. Maybe then, she’ll finally see things from my view. I need her by my side, and she needs me. End of story. It’s time she knew just how important she was.
“We didn’t just bring the girls in to fuck them … to find out if one of them is the one we want as a partner … a bride,” I say, my lips so close to hers I can feel her breath on my skin. I look her deep in the eye and swear to myself that I will kiss her right there and then. Because when she finds out … it may be our last time.
“It’s to find out who we could see ourselves with forever … and to make an heir.” Her pupils dilate, and her breathing stops. “A baby, Naomi. And I will be the one to impregnate you.”
15.
Accompanying Song: “Sweet Dreams” by Emily Browning
Naomi
“Wait, what?” I stammer in complete and utter shock.
Babies.
This is all to make babies? Heirs?
Suddenly, he presses his lips to mine, taking me by surprise. I’m overtaken by the sudden kiss, which feels too good, too surreal. I can’t let him get to me. Not now. But he won’t stop, so I bite his lip.
He draws back and touches his bloody lip with his fingers. “Ouch. Is that what I deserve?”
“Kissing me after telling me that? Really?”
He seems unapologetic. “Yes, really. Especially after that. For all I know, you could be gone in the morning now that you know. I just had to kiss you one last time … if it is.”
I lick my lips to try to get rid of his taste, but it only makes me remember how good of a kisser he is. Goddammit.
“Why tell me? Why now? And why not the other girls?”
“Because I want you as my mate,” he says, stepping closer again.
“Whoa, whoa … hold your horses … mate?”
“Yes, to make a baby. That’s why we need to marry.”
“Jesus.” This explains everything. The need to test us. All of the games that involve fucking. It’s not just to find out who the best sexual match is … it’s to get us pregnant.
“Heirs to what?” I ask after a few seconds.
“Our company. Our father wants us to marry and have a kid. It’s tradition. This is how it went for him, and now, it’s how we do it.”
“Your father … You do this all because he wants you to?”
His nostrils flare. “We have no choice in the matter.”
I blink a few times and take in that information, forcing myself to remember that for later. It’s important because it could mean that his father is his enemy too … and I can use that to my advantage.
“So that’s why we’re here …”
“This was all planned a long time ago, Naomi. You and I were meant for each other.” He grabs my face just below my chin and pushes me against the wall. “I want your pretty lips … your pink, flushed cheeks … those beautiful dark eyes that haunt me … that body I’d die for… that mind I’d kill for. I want it all, Naomi. And I want to see it in my child. All of it.”
He inches closer and smells my skin like some kind of animal. “I’ve never craved a woman as much as I crave you. What is it about you that makes me so desperate? So needy?” he growls, and he stomps the wall beside me, making me jolt up and down briefly. “So fucking violent …”
I know what it is. It’s infatuation but telling him is no use. He already knows the answer to his own question. Just like I do.
“What are you going to do now?” he murmurs.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Are you going to leave?” He licks his lips and stares at mine like he wants to ravage them again.
God, if I let him, I know I’ll be hooked for good.
“Thanks for the lotion,” I say, and I push past him and walk out.
“Naomi,” Max calls out, but I don’t turn around. “Don’t go.”
It doesn’t sound like a question.
It sounds like a command.
One I might listen to … but I’ll sleep on it before I make my decision.
I make my way back to the women’s bedroom and sneak across the floor as quietly as I possibly can. Latisha snores as she rolls over, probably disturbed by my entry. However, she doesn’t look up or even speak, so I guess she’s still asleep.
I quickly go to my bed and crawl under the blanket, where I can safely think about what I just learned.
Babies.
We’re here to marry and make babies. Like real fucking concubines.
Wow.
I can’t believe this is real. I wonder if the guys do it because they want to … or because their father forced them. Maybe the company is due to be taken over by one of the guys, and he’s trying to decide which one to pick. If it’s the latter, I can definitely see the real enemy here. It would explain why the guys are in such a hurry to get married and fuck all the girls on the premise. Three weeks to make sure you win.
If I’m right, this is one monster of a bomb.
One I’m not sure I’m willing to share with the girls.
Max would probably allow me to tell them, but do I really want to, when there’s so much at stake? If I win—if I marry Max and get pregnant—I will get half his share of the company. It’s quite a lot.
Still, it doesn’t explain the rivalry between the brothers. It’s like they fear they’ll get kicked out if they don’t win this game quick enough. Like their father will do something crazy if they don’t marry and make an heir.
It’s a possibility.
I should ask next time I talk to Max. If I ever do.
Because let’s face it—I’m very tempted to go home after all that’s gone down lately. I’m just not sure if the money is still worth it. Doubts are chipping away at my otherwise absolute resolve, and I don’t like it one bit.
The girls will probably find out later on anyway … it’s only a matter of time. I’d just rather have it later instead of sooner. They are my competition, after all.
Guess I’ve decided then. No sharing from my side.
***
Accompanying Song: “I Am A God” by Kanye West
Max
Day 12, evening
Anthony sits across the room, as far away from me as he possibly can. We haven’t made up after our fistfight, and I don’t intend for that to happen either. He crossed a line when he put his hands on her and hurt her. I won’t forgive him.
Still, we can’t keep our eyes off each other. Probably because we’re both thinking of ways to kill each other. I can tell from the way he flips the pages of his book and sips from his wine that his eyes are boring a hole in my head.
Devon leans back in his chair and burps after taking a long sip of his beer. He laughs a little when he looks at me and then at Anthony. He picks up the cue and walks to the pool table, playing the balls by himself.
Then he grabs a cigarette and lights it, blowing smoke in my direction.
“You two look horrible. Got into a fight?” he muses.
“Shut up,” Anthony mutters.
I don’t respond.
Devon grins. “Suits you well.”
“I said shut it,” Anthony barks.
“What? It’s not my problem you two can’t keep your damn heads straight.”
“What are you talking about?” I mumble.
“That girl’s playing you both, man,” he says. “Naomi. She’s trying to get between us. Can’t you see?”
“No,” I say. “Anthony tried to fucking kill her.”
“No fucking way I did,” Anthony growls. “I was teaching her a lesson. The rules are there for a reason. She defied me, so she got punished.”
“You didn’t have the right to touch her!” I yell. “She’s mine!”
“Did you forget this is a three-way deal? We’re all in it together,” Anthony muses.
“Not when she has a special contract that allows her to take over my fucking shares of the company if she gets any permanent scars.”
“That’s on you for including that, not me. Not my circus, not my monkeys.” Anthony takes another large sip from his wine glass.
“Fuck you,” I mutter.
Devon laughs again. “You’re hilarious, guys.” He takes a second drag from his cig. “I’m so fucking glad I found some girls who have exactly what I need and aren’t already claimed by you whiners.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right … like any of the girls would want you after realizing what you love.”
“What? One of them actually likes the fucking pain.” He shrugs. “Not my problem you don’t believe me.”
I narrow my eyes. “Who?”
“Latisha.”
“Really?” I frown. “Hmm …”
“Yup, she’s a kinky motherfucker.”
“You think she’s got a thing for you, but she’s got a thing for all of us. She just loves sex. That’s all,” Anthony retorts, looking away.
“Right. Whatever. Doesn’t matter. I like Lauren too.” Devon smirks and takes another drag. “Anyway, the point is … just get a fucking grip. Get a girl. Get married. Get it over with.”
“You forgot the last step …”
“Oh, right.” Devon points at me. “The fucking baby!”
“It’s not as easy as you think.”
“Like I care,” Devon sneers. “I’m only in it to get Dad on my side.”
“As if he’d ever choose you,” Anthony sneers.
“Fuck off,” Devon retorts.
“You know he meant what he said,” I say. “About the whole heir to the throne thing …”
Indecent Games Duet - Boxed Set Page 12
