Antidote (Beasts of Prey Book 1)

by LC Lehesaho

He looks at Falcon, who is still staring at him, and clicks his tongue. "You know where to find me, mina." Then he disappears into the crowd, and I gape at Falcon.

  "What the fuck was that? Is there something I should know about?"

  She shakes her head and pulls me toward the deck. "No, but you can't deny that he is hot as hell."

  I laugh out loud. "Oh, yes, I can. Havoc is far from hot on my scale."

  "Oh, yeah, right, I forgot that you fuck only choir boys with halos and make them sinners on Sundays.” She laughs out loud, just when we get to the deck, pulling everyone's eyes to us.

  "What in the hell are you two wearing?" Dad growls.

  "And then she sends them a bill afterward," Bear snickers in response to Falcon's statement, and Puma smacks him straight on the nose with a backhand. They're sitting next to each other on one of the couches.

  "She is your sister, you manwhore."

  "I knew I should've stayed at home," Wolf states over everyone and folds his arms over his chest with a disgusted look.

  The only one who is not saying anything is Tiger. He is watching me, but there's no expression whatsoever on his face. It’s like he is watching golf.

  Dad repeats his question, and everyone else shuts the fuck up. The boys are all wearing black fitted suits, even the dress shirts are black.

  Obviously, Dad is not wearing any makeup; he hates playing hide and seek. But the boys? They have their A game on. They all have the same skull paint on their faces, but their hair is all different colors that separates them easily, even if you’re not looking closely. I can't deny that I'm fond of Tiger's dark chocolate brown hair with highlights in it. It's not colored, but it is sun-kissed in the summer.

  His hand is draped casually over the backrest of the couch, and he's sprawled his legs out wide. I would like to crawl between them. Taste him. And fuck, he looks marvelous in a suit.

  The things I would do to him...

  "We dressed up as agreed." I hear Falcon's voice when she answers Dad's question, but my heartbeat is drumming in my ears so loudly that it's hard to concentrate. I tear my eyes away from Tiger and catch the bartender coming up the stairs with a tray in her hands. Everyone is silent as she offers the full glasses to us and places two bottles of Grey Goose and Jameson on the low table. Only after she leaves does the arguing continue.

  "I specifically said, only if you keep it classy." Dad throws his hand toward us, and the look on his face says everything. "That is everything but. Is that a collar? Jesus Christ, Falcon. Go change."

  "Who's the one with the leash?" It's Bear again.

  "I wear what the fuck I wanna wear," Falcon retorts and gulps down her drink in one take.

  I lift my hands up in surrender. "Can we just chill? Dad, I know that you disapprove, but just this once, let's not make a scene. We are all adults here."

  The boys have enough brains to keep their mouths shut, and I can see that Dad controls his emotions the best he can. His eyebrows furrow, the bullet wound scar disappears inside the lines, and he takes a deep breath. "I don't want to see you two near those poles. Remember who you are and act like it. Do you understand?"

  We both nod and talk in unison. "Yes, Dad."

  Falcon is smart enough not to push him too far because she knows that Dad would actually drag her home himself if he got angry enough. It doesn't matter that we are all twenty years old, he would still do it.

  She sits down beside Wolf, and the only free seat is next to Tiger, but that doesn't surprise anyone. It's my place, always side by side with him, and everyone knows it. But secrets are lingering under the surface, and now it makes my skin prickle more than usual. The heat grows step by step as I get closer to him. When I'm in front of Tiger, blocking the view of his face from everyone else, he shows it to me.

  Desire. Lust. Craving. It all leaks out from his eyes when he looks up at me.

  Tiger resembles the devil himself, the skull paint oozing sinister vibes, and the fire in his eyes makes me want to burn myself in his flames. I know better than to give in to my urges, but I can't deny it. Tiger is my poison, and I'm ready to die.

  He fixes his face in a nanosecond when I sit beside him, so no one can see what I saw. The leather couch sticks to my thighs, and it feels cold against my hot skin. Everyone else is talking about business and how things went with Snow, so no one is paying any attention to us. Tiger leans closer to my ear, and I feel his breathing on my skin. It gives me goose bumps all fucking over. "You look deadly."

  "So do you," I counter and turn to look at him.

  He is close, very close, but I don't believe anyone thinks it's weird because the music is so loud that it's better to talk closer. Or at least I hope that is what everyone is thinking. Tiger smells delicious; cigarettes and a dark, leathery scent. So mouthwatering that I have to swallow to keep talking. "Your hair looks really good like that." His brown, usually a bit tousled hair, is pushed back and sleek, so there is not even one loose strand.

  "It better, I hated every second of the fucking pampering Puma gave me," he states and takes a sip from his drink.

  I burst out a laugh. "Why am I not surprised?" I try to relax a bit and make a gesture toward the wall with my hand. "Those paintings are stunning. You did a great job."

  "Worm, are you nervous around me?" he asks, humor coloring his voice.

  "No, what the fuck? Of course not."

  After speaking, I realize that I just confirmed it to be true.

  Tiger laughs, with his low and sexy tone, making me want to die. He's irresistible.

  "Yeah, right." He leans closer to my ear. "I know you, baby girl. Better than anyone. Remember, don't lie to me, because I catch you every time."

  "What happens if I do?" I know I shouldn't play his game, but… how can I not?

  "Turn your head toward me," he whispers in my ear, and I do as he tells me, not knowing what to expect. Tiger keeps his face next to mine, so no one sees what he is doing. I feel it. His hand on the backrest moves my hair aside, and his tongue slides on my neck, causing me to have shivers of lust and fear. I can't even imagine what would happen if our family could see what he is doing, so I stay still, frozen and not wanting to cause a scene. He kisses the spot behind my ear and then bites my earlobe, and I almost flinch. Almost. "If you ever lie to me... I will make you beg for forgiveness, baby."

  I feel the dampness between my thighs when my abdomen tightens.

  We are so fucking twisted and so fucking doomed.

  8

  "I'm going for a smoke, you coming, bro?"

  Puma calls out for me, and for a second, I freeze. The tip of my tongue is right behind Cobra's ear.

  "Laugh," I whisper to her ear before moving further away from her. She does exactly what I tell her and bursts out laughing like I was telling her the best joke ever.

  She should reconsider her major because that was an Oscar-worthy performance.

  I force my eyes from her to Puma, giving him a nod for an answer. Cobra stands up with me, and for a second, I’m stunned by her height before dropping my gaze down at her feet. Even though I told her earlier that I'll make her life a living hell until she gives up… well, she's making my worst nightmares come to life with her outfit. There's nothing wrong with it, no.

  Only that it's so fucking hot it gives me a rock-solid boner.

  Right in front of her father and brothers.

  Cobra either sees it, or I'm just lucky, but she steps in front of me, so no one else sees it and talks to Falcon. "I wanna go dancing, c'mon."

  Leo lets out a massive sigh. "Can you at least wait until I'm out of here? I don't want to see my own daughters in those clothes, out there." He nods toward the dance floor, which is perfectly placed so we can see the entire floor from up here.

  "Oh, please, like you’re some monk. We're living proof you're not," Falcon states and gets up. Her outfit is really… something. "Besides, I saw that chick the other day wandering from your side of the mansion. How old was she? Two years older than
us?"

  Considering Leo is only thirty-eight, it wouldn't be so scandalous if he banged someone our age. Maybe I'd think otherwise if he'd been my birth father, but he isn't, so there's that.

  "She wasn't mine. Your brother didn't bother to guide her out, so she was lost." Leo glares at Bear, who shrugs.

  "Rose called, so I was occupied."

  "Oh, was Rose sorry that she didn't have time to have a threesome with you and some skank?" Puma mocks, his shoulders tensing. He doesn't have anything against one-night stands, but Puma doesn't get why some of us have relationships. I don't have one, and neither does Cobra, and I hope her excuse is the same as mine. Also, Wolf doesn't date. Hell, I don't even know if he’s even fucked anyone, nor do I care.

  What I do know is that Cobra fucks guys on a regular basis. She keeps her one-night stands far away from us, which is probably smart. When I see someone touching her, it makes me a bit murderous.

  Maybe a lot more than a bit.

  "No, in fact, I was just wondering if you could fuck her tonight because I saw something more interesting." Bear throws back to Puma with a straight face. When it comes to Bear, you can't be sure if he is serious or not. He treats women like trash, and I don't get why anyone wants to date him. Not that I'm a fucking saint, but I don't let them believe that I have feelings for them.

  "You're a piece of shit, did you know that, brother?" Puma scowls at him and turns to leave.

  "At least I'm not a—"

  "Enough, both of you." Leo lifts his hand, motioning between the glaring roosters with a frustrated look. "I don't know how you managed to get this club ready without killing each other."

  "Because of me," Wolf grunts, glaring at all of us. "It's like trying to get a bunch of monkeys to work together."

  Whatever.

  "Let's go," I say to Puma after making sure my dick has chilled out. Cobra and Falcon walk down from the deck with us, and I feel the urge to kill every guy who turns to stare at her when she walks toward the dance floor, her hips swaying temptingly. Luckily the smoking lounge has a straight view of the dance floor, so I'm not missing anything. We sink to the soft leather couch, side by side, and I ignore the curious gazes people give us.

  "I'm so done with Bear's bullshit," Puma tells me when he lights up a smoke.

  "He can be an asshole, but don't take it so personally. Bear is your brother, and you know how Leo feels about your arguing."

  "Our brother."

  I keep the sigh inside me because yes, they're my brothers, but right now, when I want to fuck Cobra like there's no tomorrow, I really try not to think of her as my sister. I'm not a paragon of mental health, but I'm not that twisted. At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

  "Yeah, that's what I meant." I drag in a smoke. "What's going on? You've been a bit tense tonight."

  Puma shrugs. "Nothing, everything is fine. It's just my blue balls giving me a hard time."

  "Well, dude, do something about it. There's a lot of volunteers to help you out, I'm sure."

  I'm not into guys in that way, but Puma has the looks that separate him from the crowd. Just like his father and his brothers. They're all big guys with clear, manly features. Only Puma and Bear have inherited the blond hair from their father; others have their mother's hair. Wolf is as dark and serious as his pitch-black hair. Falcon is everything but serious, but her hair is just as dark. Cobra, on the other hand, dyes her hazel brown hair to pink.

  "Hmph," he mumbles, and his eyes travel lazily over the crowd. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll just go home and smoke. That's easier."

  Some days I worry about him. There are days when he seems like he is giving up, and it stresses the shit out of me because I don't know why he's down or what I can do to help him.

  "We are supposed to have fun tonight, bro. What's wrong?"

  "Nothing." He pulls on a fake smile, and I could tell him that his acting skills are nothing like his sister's. Puma nods toward the dance floor. "Girls are definitely having fun. I'm not so sure if this mask thing was a good idea though, 'cause I have no clue who the fuck that guy is talking with Cobra."

  What?

  My eyes swing from Puma back to the crowd, and I see her instantly. There is no one else with pink hair and a top hat.

  And she is talking with some big, muscular guy with a drink in her hand. She left her drink up on the deck, I'm sure. The guy is blond, but that's all I get because of the mask.

  "Who the fuck is that?" I growl, my fists clenching and getting ready to beat the shit out of that guy.

  "How should I know?"

  My skin prickles when I watch her talking to someone else. She even laughs. Why? What could possibly be that funny? The guy leans closer to her, placing a hand on her back, and talks in her ear.

  "Hey, man, you okay?" Puma draws my attention to him, but I don't turn my eyes from her.

  "Fuck, no." I instantly regret saying it, so I turn my eyes to him and crack a smile. "Just kidding. All good." I lift my empty glass up. "But I need a drink."

  I leave him wondering and walk, not to the bar, but straight to the dance floor. Anger tingles in my spine like an electric wire. When I get closer, I hear her snorting laugh even through the music. Then I get them in my sight. The guy keeps his hand still in her back, leaning toward her, and Cobra doesn't even look bothered. What the fuck?

  When she sees me, I can almost hear the sigh she lets out. The guy turns to look at me too when I close the distance between us. Before I get to open my mouth to tell him to go to hell, Cobra slaps her palm to my chest, stopping me from getting too close.

  "You met before," she says to the guy. "Luke, this is my brother Tiger, Tiger here's Luke."

  Then I recognize the guy behind the half skeleton mask—the fucking Aussie from the cafeteria. And did she just introduce me as her brother? She is fucking with me so hard. Yeah, basically, that's true, but right now, I'm not her brother, and this shitface will know it pretty soon.

  "Hey, sorry 'bout earlier, mate, I really didn't mean to hurt her." Luke puts his hand out, but I ignore it, so he drops it down, looking awkward as fuck. "Well…"

  "Don't worry, it's not you, it's him." Cobra rolls her eyes, and I can't help but glare at her audacity. What the fuck is wrong with her?

  "A word with you, sister," I hiss at her between my teeth.

  She gives her drink to Luke with a beaming smile. "I'll be back, hold that for me, will you?"

  The fucker smiles at her like she is the best thing he's ever seen. She is, but she's not his. Cobra is mine.

  "Sure, I'm not going anywhere."

  Oh, you are. To an early grave, that's where you're going, mate.

  Cobra takes me by my arm and pulls me to the bathroom area, and when we're in the dark hallway, she turns to me.

  "Tiger, you have to stop. That shit you pulled up on the deck is too fucking much, and you know it. We're not happening—"

  I don't let her finish. I grab hold of her and haul her to the smaller hallway beside us, which leads to the cleaning closets. Her back makes a thud when I push her against the wall and slam my body to hers.

  "You asshole, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Her eyes flicker with anger, but that’s not all there is. Her pupils widen like she's on drugs, and the way her body bends against mine tells me that she wants to fuck me right here, right now.

  "I'm going to do you, sister," I snarl back because I'm so fucking mad at her. At the situation. At the world. At that fucking Aussie for making a move on her. I grab her wrists and pin her hands above her head, placing my other hand on her throat. "Stop playing games with me."

  She grits her teeth, scowling at me. "I'm not playing games, you are. Are you trying to get us killed?"

  I lean closer, pressing our brows together, our lips almost touching. "I would die for you."

  "Then you're a fucking idiot, Tiger. I'm not worth dying for, and I'm not letting you ruin your life for thinking that this could work," she states, but her voice is just a hoarse whispe
r. Maybe because I keep the pressure on her throat or perhaps because she actually thinks that she's not worth it.

  She is worthy.

  She is everything.

  "When have I asked for your permission, baby girl?" I whisper to her lips before I close the distance and kiss her. She tastes even better than I've imagined, and I’ve had high expectations about her. For years I've wanted to do this, and now… she is fucking everything.

  Cobra doesn't resist even a bit, her plump lips open up for me, and her tongue welcomes me to explore her mouth. She tastes sweet like sugar, but there is a spike from the vodka, or maybe that's from me, who knows. Probably from both of us.

  She arches her hips toward me, like wanting me to show how much I want her. I'll give her what she wants, I will always give her what she wants, so I press my body harder against her. Cobra moans into my mouth, swaying her hips against my hard-on. She jerks her hands, but I don't let my hold loosen.

  "Tiger," she breathes, and I'm about to combust in my slacks from the way she says my name.

  "Yeah?" I answer and bite her lower lip, knowing that I don't have to do it hard to get blood out. The way she bucks against me tells me that she enjoys it just as much as I do. Sucker for pain.

  "Let me touch you."

  "No," I tell her firmly. I know the type of guys she usually fucks, the choir boys, as Falcon said. I'm far from being one, and I'm going to let her know it. "I'm going to fuck you senseless, and all I want from you is you keeping your mouth shut. The only thing that's allowed to come out is my name when I make you come. Do you understand me?"

  "Yes," she vows and lifts her other leg around my waist.

  "Good girl, baby," I purr next to her mouth while sliding my hand from her throat to her firm and full tit, giving it a squeeze before continuing to my destination. Even through the fabric of her bodysuit, I feel the wetness between her thighs. She shivers against me, and a low hum comes from her throat when I rub her clit over the clothes. Cobra is fucking putty in my hands, and I love it.

  I love every goddamn thing about her.

  Just when I'm about to unfasten the snap under my fingers, a sound from the hallway stops us both in our tracks.