Soft white lights barely illuminated the room in the basement. But they were bright enough to cling to that shrouded thing at the end of the leather bench. It was that thing that had called me down here. That thing I couldn’t get out of my head.
That thing that made my pulse race and my core quiver.
Just like it was quivering now as I stared at the hulking outline. I clenched my grip, and the teeth from the master key bit into the soft flesh of my palm. The pain pulled me back to reality. I eased my hold, took a deep breath, and looked over my shoulder.
I shouldn’t be here…
Not with Colt asleep, badly wounded upstairs.
He could wake any moment. Would he come looking for me?
Maybe…I wasn’t sure.
So I had to hurry.
I moved through the doorway and made my way closer, then skirted the machine and reached out, touching the cloth.
“Why the fuck do you want me?” I yanked, revealing a black, brushed steel casing. “What could I possibly have that you want this much?”
My heart kicked at the sight. The device was discreet, and terrifying all at the same time. A thick pink dildo with bulging veins was attached to a piston arm. I froze, my pussy clenching at the sight. Hard breaths consumed me. I dragged my teeth across my lips and reached out, touching the soft silicone, imagining what it might feel like to be impaled by this toy.
But it was more than that, wasn’t it? My pulse skipped as I neared the truth of it. The real trigger was how it would feel to be controlled by him. Bits of clear plastic sheeting were still embedded in the bolt holes, as though they’d been torn free in a frenzy. Because it was brand new.
Something to be used on me.
“No part of the party-slash-parties,” I whispered, still hearing Carven’s threat ringing in my ears. “Sonofabitch,” I moaned, closing my eyes as a wave of desire washed through me.
“Does it interest you?”
I wrenched my gaze to the doorway. London stood there, cloaked in shadows, that predatory stare fixed on me. He sucked in hard breaths as he stepped inside, glancing at the exposed machine beside me. My mind raced, my gaze fixed on the way his chest expanded and fell. Had he been running?
In the corner of my eye, the tiny blinking red light drew my attention. I didn’t need to look away to know the reason for his urgency. “You saw me on the camera…you watched me.”
He didn’t answer, just stalked closer, his baritone voice hitting me in all the wrong places. “Would you like me to use it on you?”
Oh, Jesus…I swallowed hard, watching him as he came closer, one achingly slow step at a time.
“Well?” He stopped on the other side of the machine. “Would you like me to use it on you?”
Yes. “No.” The tremble in my voice made me a liar. “You like it so much, how about I use it on you?” There was a twitch at the corner of his mouth. Still, those bottomless eyes picked me apart. “Take the tracker out of me.”
“Take it out? Why?”
“Why?” Annoyance flared. “Why? Because I’m not—”
“Mine?”
I froze, giving him all the time he needed to step around the machine. I stumbled backwards until I hit the bench, trapped between him…and getting nailed by a goddamn machine.
“Where are you going to run to, Vivienne?” He grabbed the back of my neck, spearing his fingers through my hair and stared into my soul. “Where are you going to go?”
Panic filled me. Inside my head, the screams from The Order mingled with Colt’s cries of pain. I still felt the son’s big hand clasped around mine, still felt every catch of his breath as his brother picked shard after shard of glass from his side.
“You’re not going anywhere,” London answered for me. “It’s about time you understood that. You’re one of us now. You’re family.”
My face heated. “Family? We’re no fucking family, London. If we are, then we’re one sick version of one.”
His hold tightened and dragged me closer. I bucked, fighting. But it was pointless against his strength and I slammed against his hard chest. His body was so goddamn warm, so strong, so—Christ, he smelled good—forceful as he leaned down and murmured against my ear. “We are family, Vivienne. You want to call me daddy? Will that make you feel better about this?”
The heat from my face plunged to my core.
I bit down on my lip and closed my eyes.
I couldn’t speak, only shake my head.
“I bet if I reached into your panties, I’d make you out to be a liar.”
A whimper tore free.
One hand slowly trailed down, while the other around the back of my neck pressed against me. “I bet you’re practically dripping.” The back of a curled finger skimmed the outline of my breast before brushing my waist and moving lower. “I could take care of that. Right here. Right now. I’d control the machine. I’d control you.”
He was going to make good on his promise, going to sink his fingers inside me. He was going to—break the contract.
No…no, this isn’t happening. I jerked backwards, tore out of his grasp, and pushed away as I stared up into those dark eyes. “Fuck you.”
His smirk only grew bolder. “I want to fuck you, Vivienne. I think I’ve made my intentions clear. I want to lose myself inside you and find out just how tight you are. I want you to remind myself exactly what I’m fighting for.”
“You don’t need to fuck me to know that,” I snapped. “Greed, pure and fucking simple.”
He stilled, and a crease furrowed his brow.
“Tell me, London, am I worth it?”
“Worth…what?” He scowled.
“The three million dollars you paid for me.”
He stepped closer, pushing me hard against the bench so I overbalanced, falling for a second, before he grabbed my arm to answer. “To me you are.”
“Why?” I barked. “Why? Tell me…tell me why any of this?”
His lips curled, flattening as he drew in a deep breath. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Wouldn’t I?” I met his glare with one of my own. “Try me.”
For a second, I thought he was going to tell me. That he was going to own being the fucking snake he was, until in an instant, he closed down. The mask slipped into place. Gone was the man who seethed with desire and in his place was the player. The mastermind who moved the pieces behind the scenes—who’d made me stand there and watch as my best friend and her brothers were gunned down before lifting a finger to help them.
“You’re playing a very dangerous game here, wildcat.”
“So are you,” I answered. “When you play with me.” He gave a soft chuff, causing me to jut my chin higher and lift my hand. “I suppose you’ll beat me senseless just to take this from me.”
His nostrils flared and a glint of rage sparked as he slowly looked down to the key as I unfurled my fingers. “Keep it,” he said, slowly sliding his hand down my arm, and stepped away.
Keep it? I shook my head, confused, then looked down and froze. “You’re bleeding.”
“What?”
I grabbed his hand, hating it felt so fucking good. “There’s blood on your hand, London. You’re bleeding.”
He slowly pulled back, sliding from my grasp, a look of exhaustion weighing him down. “That’s not my blood, Vivienne,” he said carefully. “Besides, I’ll bleed for better reasons this year.”
He took a step backwards, giving me space. “It’s late, you should be in bed.”
The fighter rose inside me. I opened my mouth to tell him to go to hell, but stopped. There was exhaustion in his stare, a weariness. I glanced again at the crimson smear on his hand. Whatever had happened tonight weighed him down…
As much as I hated it, he was right. My body was heavy, my soul just fucking sad after the things I’d endured today. Christ, it felt like I’d lived an entire lifetime in one day. I stepped sideways, keeping him in the corner of my eye, and clenched my hand around the key once more before hurrying from that room and the basement.
I moved fast, my bare feet soundless as I made my way up the stairs, glanced at the sons’ closed bedroom door, and slipped through my own, then closed it behind me. Heavy, sawing breaths filled me as I pressed against the door, staring at the murky outline of my waiting bed.
I stumbled toward it, collapsed, and lay down, then pulled the comforter up high. You want to call me daddy? Will that make you feel better about this? My nerves were raw. My body was plump, swollen and aching. I didn’t want to feel that desire for him. But I did…Jesus, I did.
I closed my eyes and reached down.
Would you like me to use it on you?
“Yes,” I whispered as I plunged my hand under the waistband of my bottoms and drove my fingers inside myself. “Yes, I want you to use it on me. I want you to use it. I want you to fucking use it, London.” I was so wet, squelching and slick, coating all the way along my fingers.
I’d barely brushed my clit before I was clamping, releasing…and coming hard.
I wanted it again and again.
I wanted to beg him. Because I would beg, I’d crawl on my hands and knees when it came to that. I’d be anything he wanted. I rolled, slid my fingers free, and curled my knees to my chest.
Sleep…
I closed my eyes and waited for darkness to come.
I didn’t have to wait long, plunging headlong into the emptiness. And into the hell of that place once more. Screams filled me, terrifying, shrill screams. Screams of children and them…
YOU’RE NOTHING! DO YOU HEAR ME! YOU MEAN NOTHING! YOU EXIST BECAUSE OF The Order!
I bucked and wrenched free from the nightmare with my heart booming in my ears and the shrill sound of my own scream bouncing off the walls. I tried to catch my breath as I opened my eyes to stare at the ceiling. Tears welled, tickling the corners of my eyes. I sensed movement before I saw the shadow shift next to my bed.
I lurched backwards, staring at the large, looming figure beside me, until I realized who it was. Fear moved through me as Colt stared down at me. Then he turned and slowly stepped away. But he didn’t leave. No. He walked to the wall and turned. With his hand pressed against his side, he slowly slid down to sit on the floor.
I didn’t understand what he wanted. My tears blurred his face as he drew his knees up to his chest. He didn’t speak a word, just watched me, and it took me a second before I understood what he was doing.
He was watching over me…
I caught the movement of his head as he slowly nodded. The gesture said it all…
No one will hurt you, not while I’m here.
Warmth slid down my temple and leaked through my hair as I rolled on my side, faced him, and closed my eyes. I’d never had anyone do that for me before, never had anyone look out for me. I was the one who’d protected, the one who’d fought. I was the one who’d dragged the ones I cared about out of hell as we ran for our lives.
But as I stared at Colt, sitting with his back against the wall, I realized I didn’t have to do that here.
I didn’t have to do that for them.
Family. London’s voice echoed as I closed my eyes once more.
Sleep came for me again. Only this time it wasn’t cruel or brutal. This time, it slid around me, pulling me in close. I let myself succumb and slipped away, knowing I was safe here. Because I had a guardian…
One who was as soundless as the night.
