Savage Kingdom: A Dark Romance (Sekten Book 1)

by C. Lymari

  Gideon pulled something from his pocket and faced me. “Sorry, love, nothing personal.” His voice was low, emotionless.

  My veins filled with ice. I should have been expecting this, but a part of me hoped he was different. I should have known mercenaries don’t have hearts.

  The collar got snapped on my neck. It fit perfectly, the material red velvet that seemed like a beacon against my pale neck.

  “Kneel, Petal,” he ground out.

  Swallowing my emotions, I did as he asked. My knees met the cold surface. The floor felt clean against my knees, so that was something.

  The next thing I did was get on all fours and followed his lead. With every step, my veins became icy. I felt people’s eyes on me, making me feel uncomfortable. No one was making fun of me; these depraved fuckers wanted me. I had never trusted anyone, but at this moment, my trust was in Gideon, and I hoped like hell just like everyone else he didn’t let me down.

  By the time we made it to the entrance of the hallway, my knees ached from crawling. My throat was dry, and it hurt. I was seething. I said my name in my head, and I should be revered like a queen, but I was nothing but a whore. Less than that, I was the Sekt’s pet. I should be feared—that’s why everyone wanted to join because, with them, no one dared cross you. But here I was on my knees like a dog, all because I was sold as a young girl.

  We stepped into the hallway. It was hard to see except for a few red dots on the wall. Cameras from whoever was running this place. Then there was a faint red glow. A window appeared to my right, and I realized it was a showroom. It was rather tame compared to what I expected.

  They were pulling a train on a woman. It took me a second, but I saw it. The blood. She wore white lace, but now it was slowly turning red. My eyes scanned her face, and she was crying.

  My breath hitched. I felt too much sometimes. My babushka said it was my saving grace, and my father said it was my ultimate weakness.

  My collar tugged at the sides twice before Gideon pulled it so I would keep crawling. He was telling me to get my shit together again. I wanted to laugh for a second at how ironic this was. My trip to Chicago started in a bar with a man on his knees crawling for me, and here I was again, but now I was the one kneeling.

  The next room was different, and it made me want to throw up. It looked beautiful, white accents with butterflies and pastel colors, but inside were kids. They were just fucking children. I wanted to go in there and kill every single man involved. I wanted to carve a blade into their chests, feel as blood the essence of life spilled from their bodies and watch as their souls left back to hell.

  Some people didn’t believe in heaven or hell, souls and fate, but have you ever looked into the eyes of a corpse? After seconds of them being dead that glow, that spark of life, is gone. If that wasn’t a soul, then what was?

  I forced myself to look away, the image hitting too close to home.

  The rooms were soundproof, but I heard the pleas. They echoed in my heart. They mirrored the pleas of a scared little girl.

  I was a weapon, and it was time I started acting like one.

  We passed rooms all sinister in their own way. None of them could be considered fetishes. This was a sickness, a fucking disease for devils. We made it to the end of the hallway, and I knew this room was the most depraved of all. There was no window to see what was happening inside, just a black door. I had a feeling a snuff room awaited behind those doors.

  Gideon crouched so he was looking at me. He gave me a sad smile, his hands coming to my cheeks, his thumb to my lip. “You are, by far, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

  I stopped breathing because I knew he meant them. He wanted me, I knew that, but right now there was no sexual desire in his tone. He was speaking his truth, and that made me feel dizzy.

  Gideon leaned into me, his body heat providing a layer of warmth and security. “Would it be too much to ask for one kiss?”

  The place started to thump, my ears ringing, but then I realized it was just me. My emotions. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

  I looked up at him through my lashes, and my admission had his chest heaving. His gaze was dark. He liked what I said—he liked it a lot.

  “You’re lying. You’re saying Morozov never took that mouth?”

  “Everything I’ve done has been taken from me. I’ve never had the luxury to decide for myself.” The air was thick. Maybe it was because we were about to walk through the doors, not knowing what awaited us. “Even if it’s just once, I would like to know how it feels to do something because I want to…” The words hung in the air before he pressed his mouth to mine.

  It was a real kiss. Something that started in your lips and you felt running through your veins, hitting every artery, every muscle begging your body to wake up and go into overdrive. It was the kind of kiss that ruined you. That stabbed your chest and spread a fucking poison to your heart. It was the first kiss I’d ever given anyone, and I was sure it was set to kill me.

  In no time, Gideon took control, forcing my mouth to submit to his. He prodded my lips open, and I felt his tongue inside of me. His hand was on the back of my head, gripping me, at the same time he took my lip and bit so hard I howled out in pain. My senses were all focused on my mouth, and between my legs, and it was too late when I felt a sting behind my neck.

  I looked straight at him as my body started to shut down. There was no remorse in his whiskey eyes. The thing about growing up with monsters…you get so used to them you let your guard down.

  “I’ll never give you any…” The words died on my lips before I could vow that he would never get a thing from me.

  Before I succumbed to the darkness, I heard him speak so low, like a whisper lost in the wind.

  “That’s okay, Petal. I’m going to take it all anyway.”

  One way or another, I always got what I wanted. I wasn’t cocky or overconfident; it was a fact. You know how I got my way? I didn’t let emotions get in the way of what I had to do. Did my cock get hard when I looked at Daphne? Fuck yes. Did I want to know everything about her? Yes, even if I had to torture it out of her, but my government came first. What’s a man without his word? He’s nothing, so my loyalty was to my country.

  As Daphne fell backward, I caught her. The toxin hit her hard and fast. I didn’t have a lot of time. I leaned into her, my body covering hers so the camera that was outside the door couldn’t see what I was about to do.

  There was so much more to Daphne that met the eye. You know what I found out about her? Nothing. She was a fucking ghost. Her face didn’t show up in any database. You don’t become a ghost in this world for no reason. There’s always a trail, and she had none.

  Since we walked through the doors to Sinestre, I’d been slowly building my weapon. The dart with poison was hidden in the seams of my hair. The gel I used helped keep it in place. No one ever checks your fucking hair, and I was tall enough that most guards were at eye level with me. The sides of the dart were made of rubber, making it stay in place. As for the little blade I had now? That was stashed inside the body of my suit. The plastic around the metal was thick enough to block metal detectors. When we went to the bar, I hid behind Daphne, slowly getting it out and as she walked, leaving behind the shell of the plastic. Everyone was looking at the beautiful woman I brought to heel; no one paid attention to what I was doing. The blade was thin but sharp enough to cut off skin. I left the cap on along with a little string I attached at the bottom.

  Before I carried Daphne, I hoped like hell I could put my trust in her. The dose of tetrodotoxin was diluted enough it was just to knock her out for a few minutes. I hoped that was enough.

  I looked at her one more time, trying to forget her words and the way her eyes became like a snowstorm. She hated me. Good—maybe that would fuel her to fight like hell.

  As I knocked on the door at that moment, I kinda hated myself too.

  The door opened, and a light-skinned man in a suit opened the door.

/>   I smiled at him like I didn’t have a care in the fucking world. “Mate,” I said, already shedding my lambskin—I became a wolf. “I have a gift.”

  He eyed Daphne’s limp body that I offered up like a lamb to the slaughter.

  “You know the rules?”

  “Till death.” I grinned despite the way those words made me feel.

  Since I was already searched, he just did another swipe of the metal detector. Once he was content, he stepped aside, and right away, the temperature in the room dropped. It felt colder than the rest of the building. There was a bed in the middle with chains in case the girls were too much, but all of these sick fucks, they loved the fight. They loved to take until there was nothing left. Chairs that felt like thrones made half a circle around the bed. Men jacking off to what played out in front of them. I made a show of sitting down and looking straight at the woman who was getting raped, then adjusted my dick.

  I wasn’t hard, and I wouldn’t be. I liked my females legal and willing. I looked at Daphne in my arms. Well, almost willing. She wanted me, even if she didn’t admit it, and that was more than enough for me.

  Too bad for her, I didn’t feel. Not with my heart, and what I felt with my cock was always temporary.

  Discreetly as I could, I checked out the room. There were two guards and five men. My eyes clashed with the other guard, the one who hadn’t searched me, and he eyed me curiously. Then his eyes raked over Daphne. I fought the urge to glare.

  The pounding increased, chains rattled, screams started to subside. The jacking got faster. The smell of sex mixed with death overpowered the room. One last grunt and a heartbreaking cry, and then it was all silent.

  I forced myself to look up the woman who had been on the bed—she was already dead. Her lifeless eyes stared right at me. Her neck was purple, heavily bruised in such a short time. I bet her larynx broke. The fat, rich arsehole was still on top of her, his flaccid dick at her bloody entrance. He had a euphoric look on his face. When you were rich and powerful, limits didn’t exist. Someone could and would always cater to your needs. It didn’t matter what they were—money made the world go round, right?

  “Gentlemen.” I grinned at them.

  I watched as the arsehole tucked his bloodstained dick back into his trousers, and the guards took the body, putting in a black bag and then tossing it out.

  Inhumane.

  Fucked-up.

  Depraved.

  “What do you want?” One of the men spoke. He was by the wall. He was older, maybe in his fifties, thin with black and gray hair. He seemed familiar, but I couldn’t tell from where.

  “I’m willing to exchange this girl for a name.” I leaned back, letting them know I wasn’t scared of them.

  He smiled, his eyes cold. “Lack of women isn’t a problem.”

  This time my smile matched his. “Yorovich’s woman.”

  His eyes grew wide. Everyone in the room turned to look at me. Then their eyes greedily took in Daphne, the woman Yorovich had claimed as his own, and I felt a twinge of emotions. It was a pain in my chest, anger spreading in my veins. Their eyes, I wanted them off her—but it was now too late.

  Yoro had many enemies, but somehow the bastard was untouchable. He had an alliance with someone, and I wanted to flush out who, but first, I needed to find the man I’d come here to look for. I figured that in a room with sick fuckers offering them a gift, they could take it one of two ways. One, they would love nothing more than revenge and give me what I wanted and take Daphne as their own to get back at him. Two, they would give me what I wanted, take Daphne, and rat it all out to Yoro there for ensuring his loyalty.

  Either way, I wasn’t leaving this room without a name. Whether I lived or died remained to be seen, but I’d like to think my odds were favorable.

  “So, what’s it going to be, gentlemen?” I asked as I fixed my tie.

  “What name?”

  I cocked my head, studying trying to see what side the coin would land on.

  “Adrian, he was one of his advisors, except no one has heard from him.”

  It was quick, but recognition passed through his eyes. It was too soon to call a victory.

  “Shall I put her on the bed? She’s going to wake up soon. If you’d rather I can leave, wouldn’t want to waste my time.” I made a show of getting up with Daphne, still sleeping in my arms. She looked like a Disney princess, Snow White, with all that black hair and pale skin.

  “Put her on the bed,” the man said, and I felt like he was calling the shots.

  Inwardly I grinned. I got up and laid Daphne on the table, making sure that her legs were closed so the fuckers couldn’t see between them. Then I removed her collar.

  “I like to collect the leashes of my pets,” I told them as I put the collar in my pocket. They didn’t say anything because they kept memorabilia of their victims. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I need this information.” I pretended to look at my nonexistent watch.

  “He came a few times.”

  What.

  “With Yoro?”

  “Alone,” he said. “Now, it’s time for you to go.”

  “Now, now, mate, you have to give me more than that.” I walked back to the bed and pointed at Daphne, just stalling until she woke up. “Look at her. She looks like Snow White—I think that earns me a little bit more than ‘he was here alone,’ don’t ya think?”

  He gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed that I didn’t bend to his will. Fucker. He could get in line and suck my dick.

  “All I know is that he had a falling-out with Yorovich and went on the run. What happened to him after that, I don’t know.”

  That’s what I was afraid of. Fuck. Now I needed to figure out what Adrian might have said if he turned rat or died honorably.

  It was barely there, and if I wasn’t paying so much attention to my Petal, I would have missed it. Her breathing pattern changed, and her eyes fluttered but remained closed. She was awake.

  With that thought in mind, I smiled.

  “Well, I guess I’ll let you gentlemen have your fun now.” I walked back from the bed, toward the last chair in the room. “One last thing,” I said, turning the chair around so I could straddle it. “I’d like to watch. Make sure you got the job done.”

  The man in charge smiled. It was a sadistic smile, and he looked at Daphne with hate and revenge. Yup, he hated Yorovich. “Don’t worry, I’ll see to it myself.” His dick was hard, tenting his trousers as he went to the bed and rubbed his fingers through Daphne’s hair. He leaned down and smelled her neck, and it made me see red.

  I’d never had this shit happen to me before. Caring about someone else like this. I’d seen people get tortured, raped, killed, and it never bothered me. She was different, and I didn’t like it one bit.

  “She smells divine,” the bastard moaned.

  When I saw his hand go for her pussy, I planted my feet on the floor, ready to get up and use the chair as a weapon.

  Could I really let them fuck her to death?

  “You’re going to bleed for everything Yoro has done to my city,” he spat.

  Turns out, I didn’t have to make a decision; she did it for me.

  One of the most terrifying moments in life was that disorientated feeling after being drugged. Your body felt weird in a weak state. All your limbs, muscles, and senses felt violated. There was an alert going through your body, and you usually woke up gasping for air because you subconsciously recalled that you didn’t go to sleep willingly.

  That happened to me the first few times. Mind you, I was a teenager, and my father loved to torture me and call it training.

  My eyes fluttered when I came into consciousness. I kept them closed. As soon as your captors saw your eyes open, it was game over and they had the advantage. I forced myself to lie still and kept my breathing even. The air was chilled, and I was lying down on a bed. Slowly I moved my ankles and wrists, testing my restraints but was surprised to have none.

  That was when my br
ain started to move in sync with my senses, and I heard talking. It felt like there was a ball clogged in my throat when I heard Gideon’s voice offering my body for answers.

  I immediately knew what this room was used for. It’s what got the last ring here in Chicago busted. This was the type of live coverage that made millions on the dark web. The girl gets taken until she takes her last breath.

  I’d witnessed it once a few months back; it took everything in me to stop Bastian from barging in and getting his so-called girlfriend. It was already too late for her.

  Maybe for not helping her out, our roles were now reversed. Usually, I didn’t believe in karma, but even I had to say this was poetic justice. My trip to Chicago started with Adrik crawling on his knees, and my night had started that way too.

  Since I couldn’t make a movement to avoid alerting the men I was awake, I clenched my core in anger and frustration. I felt it then—something was in me. I’d been guilty of shoving a weapon up my pussy to avoid detection. Again, nothing new.

  Hatred ran through my veins at the venom he was spitting. I knew that nasal voice. I’d heard it a few times and not only with Yoro. In the underworld, even if you were a criminal, that wasn’t carte blanche to kill other criminals. There was a code.

  Geoffrey White was no exception. He was the current senator of Illinois with ambitions for presidency. He despised corruption. Funny meeting him here.

  “You’re going to bleed for everything Yoro has done to my city.”

  I held my breath, knowing that I needed the upper hand. I knew Gideon was still in the room. There had to be a guard and White. That was three men, at least. I was sure there were more. I had a weapon between my legs, Gideon must have brought something else, and the guard had to be carrying too. What happened in this room didn’t leave these walls, so I had a feeling that gave me a small window to try and escape.

  My options were limited, and I was fucked, but the senator was a pain in Yoro’s ass, therefore he was a pain in Damian’s ass, so if I ever had blessing to kill, this was it.