Outside, the city continues to breathe, filled with sirens, bars, neon lights, and people sleeping soundlessly and safely in their beds. Inside this place, under the sterile glare, we decide what happens, who lives and dies. I wrap both my hands tightly around the mole's neck, choking him and forcing the light fromhis eyes, while never breaking our connection. I need to be the last thing he glimpses before he meets nothingness. The shadows applaud loudly, urging me on. The drain waits for what our hands will leave behind. I look down at the mole and feel nothing on the surface but a prolonged, cold exhaustion that tastes like sour metal.
When he finally stops moving, and his eyes stare back at me like dead fish, I release my grip and unbutton my pants. The shadowy voices instantly flood back, louder now because they know their appetite is damn near sated. I hum with them, half-prayer, half-madness as I force the mole's face toward my aching, hard cock. I'm not a liar, and I did make a promise to fuck all his holes, and his mouth will still be warm. What better place to start than the instrument he used to betray us?
No one fucks with Mayhem and survives. He'll be a warning to the others that I'm coming for them.
CHAPTER 20
OLLY
Idrive up the long, winding driveway to the mansion I now call home, my head pounding from the lack of sleep, dehydration, and my core so sore and achy that it's uncomfortable to sit.Fucking little lion cub.I should have never allowed Sim to give me two more orgasms. I certainly shouldn't have allowed him to talk me into spending the night in his bed.What the hell happened to my willpower, or common sense, for that matter?
Now, I have to do the walk of shame or, in my case, the drive of shame, back to this overpriced museum, wearing a pair of Sim's boxer shorts and shirt, because the barbarian destroyed my clothes last night. "Ah, fuck my life with a rusty spoon," I mutter as I get a glimpse of douche stepdaddy's car. Great, my mom and her new husband are back from wherever they fucked off to when they disappeared, and left me in this hell with my new psycho stepbrother, and his pals.
At least I'm not having the day Rawdon is. I know for a fact that he's been barred from his expensive gym today, after all, numerous anonymous complaints from female gym members, about his inappropriate conduct, will do that. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when he was escorted out bymanagement. The pic I received, of his enraged face, from the pretty receptionist, who gave me her number after I flirted with her, was well worth it.Guess you'll have to find somewhere else to work out, cunt.
I wonder how he'll react when his condo management receives the same complaints from female residents. Yeah, I did my homework, I know where the prick lives, and it wasn't too challenging to get the names of his female neighbors. By the time building management figures out the complaints are false, his reputation will be ruined there too, and people will be scrutinizing his every action.
I pull into the open garage door, and immediately spy a sexy, sleek matte black and neon blue Ducati bike, all tricked out and parked in the spot closest to the door leading inside the house. I instantly know who that belongs to, and the temptation to hit it with my car almost has me swerving in that direction, but it would really be a damn shame to damage something so beautiful, regardless of who its prick owner is. As I climb out of my vehicle, a hiss departs between my clenched teeth at the way my core spasms, causing a bolt of heat and pain to travel along the length of my spine, and forcing my nipples to harden into stiff points inside my sports bra, the one and only piece of clothing to survive my lion cub.
You know, when they describe sexy book men with massive cocks, that make you crave fictional men who know precisely how to use them, and you sit around and feel sorry for yourself, because you've never encountered one out in the wild? Yeah, well, when you do find thatmagical unicorn,they fuck you so good they break your pussy. I'm definitely walking funny right now, thanks to Sim, and his massive, girthy elephant trunk. A goofy smile crosses my face at the memory of Sim's horrified and amused expression as I darted out of his bed, and literally ran out of his loft half-naked, and as if my vagina was onfire, after stealing his clothes, rather than fuck him again this morning, after he surprised me with coffee in bed. I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't realize I'm walking toward the kitchen instead of my bedroom, until a booming male voice shocks me and pulls me from my reverie.Shit, get it together, Olly.
"There she finally is! We were so worried about you, Olivia! Why weren't you answering your phone?" My eyes meet a pair of stern, dark chocolate eyes in an age-lined face, before forcing myself to break the connection. The expression he's wearing isn't giving off concerned vibes, it's giving off spiteful wrath. I force myself not to roll my eyes, and to hold my tongue about where he can shove his'worry'.I look around his large, muscular body, to my petite mom, sitting daintily at the kitchen counter, in a powder-blue sleeveless jumpsuit and matching heels. As for why I wasn't answering my phone, the stupid thing was dead, and I was too busy getting my guts rearranged to charge it, but I doubt my new daddy-wannabe wants to hear that.
"Hey, sweetie, Gerald and I were so concerned, after Cross mentioned you were all hanging out last night with his friends from school, and you left with some sketchy, random guy.Really, Olivia, I've taught you better," my mom chastises, her red-painted lips pursing, and her eyes narrowing with disapproval.
Say what now? What the fuck?I'm going to break Cross's pretty-boy nose. I'm unsure whether the look my mom's wearing is one of annoyance, or embarrassment, at my supposed actions. Pussy shaming, really, Mom? Honestly, after abandoning me here alone, I don't really care very much. I scan the room, looking for my asshole stepbrother, but don't immediately see him. So he's been telling the parentals a bunch of lies.Hanging out with his friends, my ass.As for Sim being some random guy, I guess she's got me there, but he's not sketchy, at least not the same way Cross and his deviant buddies are. Besides, I'm agrown-ass woman, and I don't need permission to have a one-night stand.
That's what Sim is, right?The little doubt-filled voice inside my head questions. My core clenches again, as if to state its protest to the very thought of never seeing him again, and experiencing what I did last night.
Aggravation at this whole situation fills me, making my skin feel hot and prickly. "Hi, Mom, I'm so happy to see you too.Yes, of course, I'm settling into this gigantic, pretentious castle wannabe that you abandoned me in, when you took off with a dude you barelyknow, and married,and left me to fend for myself withliteralstrangers. Thanks so much for asking."
A snort from inside the open doorway to the pantry catches my attention as Joffrey makes his way out, wearing navy suspenders with little, red crabs on them, and immediately sets about serving me a plate of the amazing-smelling breakfast he has on the stove. I instantly feel like shit when I get a glance at my mom's hurt expression. She seems to cave in on herself and instantly refuses to meet my glance. I take a closer look at her appearance.Are those bags under her eyes, despite all the makeup she's wearing? Is she not sleeping well? When did she get so thin?My eyes slide over her frame, inspecting her for all the changes I haven't noticed, including the way her collarbone seems now to protrude, and the hollow of her cheeks.Does this fucker have her on drugs?Dammit, I can't deal with her if she goes on another bender, I already have so much on my plate. I open my lips, about to ask my mom to step out of the room with me, so I can question her on if she's okay, when her shit husband's voice breaks through my spiraling thoughts.
"Who was the guy, Olivia?" Gerald demands as he comes around the counter, forcing my attention back in his direction, his large, tattooed arms crossed over his dark aubergine polo shirt. "Did he give you those bruises?" His chin nods in thedirection of my face, where I know the sexy vampire left a mark on my cheekbone with his massive fist.
There's nothing remotely threatening about his actions, and yet my hackles rise. My internal radar is telling me to run, to protect myself and my mom, that this man, despite his facade, is a bad man. In spite of the alarm bells getting louder by the second in my head, I refuse to back down. Instead, I straighten my shoulders and hold my head high, allowing him to see that I'm not afraid of him, and that I don't give a fuck what he thinks of me. Now that he's moved closer, I crane my neck to look up at him, and I immediately realize that his son is a younger version of him in the looks department. A cold shiver races down my spine at the thought of two of them walking around, terrorizing the world at large. The brat inside of me who doesn't answer to anyone, especially not this guy who wants to play concerned daddy all of a sudden, rears her snarky head. "Didn't get his name, to be honest, I was too busy getting railed hard, and having my organs rearranged, to ask."
My mother releases a loud, ungodly screech that seems to bounce off the walls, and Joffrey makes a choking sound, as I move around Gerald and head for the coffee pot.Take that, motherfucker.I internally high-five myself. The tension in the room seems to vibrate and build, the walls feeling like they're holding their breath, waiting for an inevitable explosion. I, too, am biding my time, waiting for an opportunity to express my displeasure at being treated like a hormonal teenager breaking curfew.Never a better moment than the present.
"Seems the wayward, missing, slutty princess has reappeared, relatively unscathed, but still uncivilized, I see," a growly-toned, deep voice utters from behind me, causing the hairs on my arms to stand on end. I instantly turn my head to stare at my new stepbrother, otherwise known as the asshole who had his cock shoved down that poor girl's throat yesterdayin the courtyard. He stands in the kitchen doorway, blocking that exit like a Neanderthal. I give him a nasty smirk, one filled with the desire to see him dead and buried, and force myself to ignore his comment as he comes closer, sizing me up, and my hand clenches tightly on the handle of the metal coffee carafe. He must see the direction of my thoughts, and know that I'm mere seconds away from throwing it at him. "I wouldn't if I were you, slut. You'd just give Joffrey more work cleaning it up,sis." His dark, volatile eyes meet mine, daring me to act, and he has the audacity to wink at me.Motherfucker, I'll end you.
"Cross..." Gerald growls with a warning, but the two of us ignore him, lost in the malice radiating between us. He, too, is sporting bruises, I see, but I know that I didn't give him them, and that makes me irrationally sad.
I allow my eyes to slide along his tall, broad form, admiring how he fills out the gray sweatpants he's wearing, which hang so low on his hips that it's a wonder how they stay up. I feel a bolt of heat rising up the back of my neck, at the memory of what he's hiding with that material, and how it's pierced.Jesus, get it together, Olly. It was just a cock.The white, sleeveless shirt Cross is wearing displays his thick, muscular arms, and the intricately snaked black tattoos down his right arm, ending at his veiny hand, intrigue me. Everything about his appearance is right out of my personal spank bank. Well, that is, until he opens his heinous mouth.Pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside.The same can be said for me, I suppose.
"I'm not your fucking sister, creep." I force myself to return the carafe to the counter, even though everything in me is screaming to slam it across his temple, and make him bleed. I bet he would look even more attractive with blood pouring down his face. A memory instantly rises of a pretty, pale vampire, with deranged hazel eyes, flecked with amber and green, daring me tostrike him, and the aftermath that followed when I fulfilled his very wish.
"Language, Olivia!" My mom shouts, a pink tinge rising across her cheeks, and I roll my eyes in her direction. Is she really going to pretend to be some great mom with perfect manners for this guy? Come on, lady, this act isn't fooling anyone.
Gerald turns his attention to his malignant son, breaking the heaviness that I feel across my skin with his gaze, and I finally remember how to take a deep breath. "Who was the guy, son?"
A look of vexation briefly makes an appearance on Cross's face, before he forces his glance away from his father's and meets mine. His eyebrow rises dauntingly, and I know whatever he's about to say is going to have my blood pressure soaring. I contemplate launching my hot coffee at his face, but I'm in dire need of the caffeine. "Does it matter? It looks like my new sister is a cheap skank." His lips twitch, as he leans nonchalantly against the kitchen counter, as if he doesn't have a care in the world, and doesn't fear me.Time to fucking change that.
"Skank?!Are you fucking serious right now,asswipe, especially after what you pulled in the courtyard yesterday?!" I take a step closer to him, my fist tightening at my side, and my other hand clenched so harshly around the coffee cup that the hot liquid spills over the edge onto my fingers. My adrenaline is rising to the occasion, daring me to resort to my favorite activity,violence.His mocha-brown eyes accost me with unmasked heat, sliding down my body as if they have every right to, and can see beneath the fabric I'm wearing. My nipples pebble in my bra in response to his stare, and I feel a wave of heat up the back of my neck.
"That's his shirt, right?" He straightens his large form and takes a step closer to me, until I can feel the heat radiating off his impressive body, and get a whiff of his scent. The smell ofrich cloves, mandarins, and cardamom teases my senses, and I have to hold in the urge to take a deep sniff of him. "See,little sis, you prove my point." He points his chin at Sim's oversized T-shirt. "Only a nasty skank would do the walk of shame in her one-night-stand's clothes." I don't hesitate. My hand rises in the direction of his face, fully prepared to reorganize his pearly whites. Instead of turning away, Cross leans closer as if he can't wait for me to strike him, and that gives me pause.
"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!" Gerald shouts so loudly that the whole room goes still. "Whatever this is, whatever is going on between the two of you, knock this fucking shit off! You're family. She's a Weyburn now. I won't have you at each other's throats under my fucking roof. Do you both understand me?"
