by Katie May
“Holy shit!” Rion curses. I drop my hand and shake out my fingers. There’s a dull pain, but it’s nothing I can’t handle, especially comparatively. “You actually punched me in the face.” He sounds awed.
Heat blossoms in my cheeks, and I duck my head sheepishly. “You told me to,” I murmur shyly.
Crap, did I do it wrong? Did he want me to punch him in the stomach?
Why did he even want me to punch him in the first place? Is it a guy thing?
Rion throws back his head in hearty laughter before pulling me into his arms. “Fuck, sweetheart, if I didn’t love you before, I definitely love you now.” A field of flowers blooms in my chest at his words leaving me light-headed. “But you want to know who else you should punch some sense into?”
I have to punch someone else?
“Who?”
“A certain little sex demon who’s still wallowing in guilt and self-loathing.” Rion pinches my butt cheeks making me squeal and blush hotter. He leans forward to nip my bottom lip. “Let’s go. Before I tie you up and spread you on Kai’s bed like my own personal feast.”
He really, really isn’t giving me a good incentive to leave.
I wouldn’t mind being Rion’s dinner…
Chapter 48
Nina
We find Cain sulking in one of the hallways in the Labyrinth.
Through Rion’s eyes, I see the golden-haired twin sitting against the wall, eyes shut and lips curved into a despondent frown. He doesn’t seem to notice our presence until we’re directly above him. One eye lazily opens until he sees who it is. Scowling, he climbs to his feet and levels his penetrating glare at Rion.
“Why the fuck did you bring her here?” he demands, and the venom in his tone makes me flinch. His face softens slightly as he glances toward me before his emotions once again shutter closed. “Leave.”
“Nope,” Rion says with a giddy laugh. “You two need to talk and sort out your shit. And please, don’t take that literally. The last thing I need is your shit in color-coordinated boxes.” Rion gently places my hand on Cain’s. The sex twin eyes the limb distastefully, lips pursed like he ate something sour, but he doesn’t remove it. “I’m leaving. I need to find my bro toy.”
“Bro toy?” I query, cocking a brow.
“Damien. We totally have a bromance. You know, the one where I sort of want to suck his dick,” he teases, laughing at the delighted flush that rises to my cheeks.
“I will cut you and eat your guts if you come even close to my dick,” a dark voice warns from behind us. We all turn, startled to see Damien lurking in the shadows. He doesn’t even bother to glance up from his knife.
Was he following...?
You know what? I’m not even surprised anymore.
“And then I’ll take my knife and cut off your sweaty balls,” Damien continues nonchalantly.
Rion leans forward to whisper to me, “Awww. He likes my balls. Isn’t it cute?”
Damien, in answer, lifts his knife.
Once more, Rion says, “Knife play is his kink, FYI. He likes it on his nipples.”
I’m pretty sure the only reason Rion lived was because I stepped in between them.
“Can you guys wait over there?” I implore, sliding gracefully out of Rion’s head. I place a hand on his chest, the muscles contracting beneath his thin shirt, before he presses his lips to my forehead.
“Of course. Anything for you. But please don’t let the psychopath murder me.” The last sentence is said in a hushed murmur. Damien scoffs.
“Just what type of man do you think I am?” he questions, amused.
“Umm...a stabby one?” Rion fills in. Damien snorts again in response.
As their footsteps retreat, I turn toward Cain. I know Rion and Damien are only a few feet away, pretending to give us privacy, but I still feel incredibly nervous. I never know how Cain will react to something. He’s volatile and moody, a combination that’s perfect for shredding my heart.
It’s like I’m giving him a fragile, invaluable gift, awaiting his reaction. He holds it in his hands, throws it on the ground, and now I’m staring at the shattered pieces unsure how I’m supposed to put them back together again.
I can admit to myself how utterly besotted I am by this demon, but I know he doesn’t feel the same way.
He uses his anger as a shield, a weapon, a way to eradicate the hurt over the years. And I know he’s been hurt. He wears it on his sleeve, an indecipherable symbol I yearn to learn more about. I want to know everything.
“Cain...” I reach for him, but he steps away the moment my fingers graze his shoulder. That hurts, more than I’ll ever show him.
“What are you doing here, Nina?”
Nina. Not Trouble.
Instead of the anger I expected, he sounds tired and sad. His tone of voice matches the face I had seen through Rion’s eyes only a minute earlier.
“I wanted to see you,” I admit with a shrug.
“No.” He scoffs at once. “You don’t want to see me.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
Anger burns through me, briefly overshadowing the hurt. “Yes. I. Do.” I stand toe to toe with him, eyes spewing fire. My blood simmers in my veins. Why does Cain frustrate me the way he does? Why am I still drawn to him like a moth to a flame?
Cain is so mercurial. Sometimes I want to shake him, and other times I want to kiss him senseless.
“Why?” he asks flippantly, and his tone only serves to piss me off further. “Because I saved you? I didn’t do anything. I only fixed what I broke.”
“What the heck are you talking about?” I explode shoving a finger into his chest. He captures it in both his hands, holding it still.
“I’m talking about how you should be furious with me. Pissed. I left you. At the fight, I left you. I ran like a little bitch boy with my tail between my legs.” He takes a shuddering breath that stirs the hairs around my face. “Because of me, you nearly died. How can you stand to look me in the face? Aren’t you furious at me?”
What the...?
His words leave me gaping. Stunned. Never once did that cross my mind. Even now, I struggle to understand why he thinks he is to blame. It was my own decision to not fight back, and though it did nothing to save Tessa, I don’t regret my decision. I’d never forgive myself if I had hurt Tessa. She was angry and violent, yes, but she was also hurting. I could sense her pain like it was an extension of my own.
“Are you blaming yourself for what happened?” I ask in disbelief. Rion’s right. Maybe I should punch some sense into him. But I doubt it’ll make a crack in his thick, stubborn skull.
“Of course I fucking am!” he roars. “If I would’ve been in the ring, I would’ve been able to treat you right away. Instead, the guys had to stumble around looking for my dumb, selfish ass. I’m such a fuck-up—”
“Stop it,” I snap, cutting him off. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.” When he makes a sound of protest, I talk over him. “Do you want to hear me say I’m a dumb bitch for not fighting Tessa? Is that what you want to hear? I’m a dumb, stupid bitch.”
Cain growls, the sound more animal than human. More animal than demon.
“Don’t you dare,” he hisses. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“Then stop it,” I retort angrily. I step even closer, my feet on top of his, and rise up on my tiptoes. “It’s not your fault what happened. I lied to you. I hurt you. You had every right to leave—”
“But I didn’t,” he interrupts vehemently. “I didn’t have a right to leave. Not over that. I was hurt, yes, but I did what I always do and ran. I run, Nina. It’s my thing. I run and pray to God that my emotions won’t catch up with me.” He grabs a strand of my thick hair and wraps it around his finger. “You’re right,” he admits at last. “You did hurt me. A lot. But I think what scared me most of all was what you heard when you were in our heads. Why did you keep it a secret?”
I take a deep breath, stomach h
eaving. “When I was in Abel’s mind... I saw him with Lionel Green. They seemed to know each other intimately. But then, I saw Lionel kiss Abel, and I saw Abel’s face through your eyes afterward, when you came back here. I saw terror in his eyes, Cain. And I...” I scrub a hand down my face. “I recognized it, okay? I recognized the fear because it’s what I saw on my own face every day at the Compound.”
“Ask me,” Cain says briskly. His breath wafts over my lips. “Ask me what you want to know.”
“Did Lionel do something to Abel?” I finally ask, trembling. I don’t know if I’ll survive the answer. Not my sweet, fun twin...
“Abel and I...” Cain seems to be searching for words, struggling to form an articulate sentence. “We were like you, in a way. Prisoners before we technically arrived at prison. When we were in our teens, we were kidnapped by this man named Boris and brought to a club. A sex club.”
Tears fill my eyes, trailing down my cheeks, but I don’t avert my gaze. I hope he sees something other than pity and sympathy in my eyes.
I understand his pain. I empathize with him.
I also know that his past doesn’t define his future. His demons aren’t chains weighing him to the ground. I want him to see how incredibly strong I think he is, how much he inspires me, how I’ll be with him every step of the way as he recites his story.
“As you can probably guess, Abel and I were the star clients. There were some days I prayed for death, and there were other days I wanted to fight. I never understood why, though. Why fight? What was the point? And now, I know it was for you. To come here. To meet you. To be with you.”
He captures one of my tears with the pad of his thumb, wiping it away.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” I whisper, envisioning two scared demons in a cage similar to mine fighting their own monsters. I know how long and tedious that battle can be. I know how seductive giving up, giving in, sounds. I know...because I experienced it myself. “I’m so grateful you continued fighting. Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I’m happy I met you, Cain. So freaking happy.”
His lips are inches from my own, breath warm, when he asks, “What did you see in my mind?”
The color drains from my cheeks.
“What?” I ask meekly.
“What did you see in my mind, Trouble?”
Instinctively, my gaze drops to his crotch despite not being able to see it. I can hear the smile in his voice when he speaks next.
“Oh. You saw that.”
Is it possible to die from embarrassment?
“Did you like it?” Cain lowers his voice to a soft, seductive purr.
“Like it?” I squeak, stumbling back a step. His arms immediately hook around my waist to hold me steady.
“My cock, Trouble. Did you like it? Did you like hearing me say your name as I came?”
My breath hitches, heart thundering, as I place my hands on his chest.
“You’re not a prisoner anymore, Cain,” I whisper, fisting my hands in the fabric of his shirt.
“Then what am I?”
“You’re mine.”
He doesn’t ask. He just takes—my lips, my soul, my heart. All of them have always belonged to him, anyway.
He kisses me feverishly. Brutally. And I know bruises will sprout on my waist from his hold.
“I’m not letting you go, Trouble,” he gasps, wrenching his lips from mine. “So stop me now if you don’t want that.”
“I want you. All of you. All of your darkness and pain. Your ghosts and demons. Give them to me, Cain. Give me all of it.”
Cain and I are like fire and gasoline. When we come together, we explode.
When his lips move back to mine, I’m drowning in him. Drowning in his taste, his scent, his touch. I can’t get enough of him. One kiss just isn’t enough; I’m insatiable.
It only takes us seconds to remove all of our clothes. My body still hurts from Bronson, but in a good way. I have a moment of panic that someone will walk down this hall and see us, but then I remember that Rion and Damien are only a few feet away, guarding us. The thought that they’re here, probably watching, should fill me with a sense of self-consciousness, but it doesn’t. Instead, my lust only increases.
I want them to watch. To want me.
Without preamble, Cain enters me, lifting my legs so they wrap around his waist. It’s hard and fast and brutal. Pain briefly erupts down below, but it’s quickly replaced by an agonizing need. I need more of him, all of him, everything this broken demon is willing to give me. I’ll take it greedily.
His hips roll against mine, filling me even more completely. I know his eyes are on mine without me having to slip into his head. It’s intimate, almost too intimate. Despite being already naked, I feel as if he’s staring into my very soul, stripping me bare. Seeing the ugly but loving me in spite of it.
“You ruined me, Trouble. Ruined me.” Cain’s voice is muffled where his lips are now pressed to my neck.
“It’s only fair,” I reply back as his hands knead my bare ass. He pushes me backward until my back is flush against the wall. “You already ruined me.”
I brush the tips of my fingers across his taut stack of abs.
“You can’t leave me, okay? Not after this.” He begins to move faster and faster, our breaths intermingling. It’s different than the others but no less intense. Lightning shoots through my bloodstream.
“Never,” I whisper back.
And when we come together, the entire world burns.
Chapter 49
Bronson
I bounce my knee, nervous energy coursing through me.
This will be the first time I have seen my momma and sisters in...who knows how long.
When the guards arrived at my cell, I was ready. I didn’t even flinch as the mage asshole sent a wave of power at me, knocking me unconscious.
I stare around the barren visitation room with the stark white walls, metal table, and two plastic chairs. It’s as unwelcoming as the rest of the prison. A tool designed to warn people away.
When the door to the room opens, a brilliant smile is already spreading across my face.
“Oh, my baby boy!” Momma calls, rushing to me and peppering my face in kisses.
“Momma, stop it,” I growl half-heartedly, cheeks flaming at being doted on like a little boy. If Nina could see me now...
“Let me get a look at you, boy!” She whacks my shoulder, pulling away to give me a critical once-over. Her shrewd eyes narrow. “Are they feeding you right? Don’t make me march to that Warden and give him a piece of my mind. I’ll beat him with my purse. Don’t even test me.”
I smile softly at the ferocious woman. I have no doubt she will.
Standing at barely five foot, Gemma Ferguson is a sight to behold. Her blond hair, peppered with silver, hangs in a loose braid over her shoulder. Today, she wears a purple flannel shirt and ripped blue jeans. Despite her small stature, she looks plenty capable of charging into a battle head-on. Her pouty lips and long lashes make her look younger than her actual age, emanating an innocence that contradicts the badass I know her to be.
“Are you going to ignore your favorite sister?” Marbella snarks, already sitting indolently on the plastic chair opposite the table.
“You dyed your hair,” I observe, staring intently at my sister’s indigo locks.
“I did.” She nods her head once, a familiar smirk playing on her lips.
“And,” my younger sister, Lola, pipes up, “she has a boyfriend.”
“Lola, shut up!” Marbella hisses immediately.
Boyfriend? Bella has...a boyfriend? I’m suddenly grateful I’m restrained by cuffs. If I weren’t, I might run out of this prison, track this boy down, and castrate him.
“Don’t start growling, boy!” Momma whacks me again on the shoulder. For a little old lady, she packs a mean punch. “She’s sixteen. Heaven only knows what you were getting up to at that age.”
That only makes me madder. I know sixteen-year-old
boys because I was one. All we think about are sex and drugs, not necessarily in that order. I’ll be the first to admit I slept around and experimented with weed during my high school years.
“Who is he?” I growl, voice nearly unrecognizable.
“For fuck’s sake, Bron!” Bella flicks a wadded up gum wrapper at my head.
“Don’t use that language, missy,” Momma scolds, diverting her attention off of me. “Or else I’ll go over there with my purse and beat you silly.”
Bella pouts her lips out petulantly while Lola cackles. Those two always got on each other’s nerves. Ali was the unofficial peacemaker.
At the thought of Ali, I instantly sober. Momma must read the change in my expression because she gives me a side hug.
“I miss her too. More than anything,” she whispers, voice choked with emotion and pain. I lost my sister, but my mom had lost her daughter. I can’t imagine what she must be going through. I don’t have children yet, but already, I can see dozens of little babies with Nina’s glorious black hair. I don’t want to know what I’ll do if anything happens to them, these babies that don’t even exist yet.
“This place is crazy,” Lola interrupts. I love my younger sister, I do, but sometimes, she’s oblivious to the emotions of others. She’s not purposefully trying to be malicious or rude; she just gets trapped in her own mind. “It’s like a soap opera.”
“Soap opera?” I scoff. Nightmare Penitentiary is a lot of things, but a soap opera isn’t one of them.
“I heard some of the guards talking. Did you know that one of the guards, some dude named Rook, fucked and mated with an inmate? I heard the girl, the cockatrice, had a pretty badass shank business.” Lola’s face seems to glow as she talks, eyes bright with excitement. She feeds off the drama like vampires do blood. “While we were walking through the halls, we came across this siren named Selena. She was really pretty. Have you met her? You should mate with her. Unless...” She flashes me a Cheshire cat grin. “Unless you already have a mate.”
