Mafia Beasts: The Complete Series, page 12
The blindfold disappeared. I blinked up at him. A smug grin played across his lips. It fell away as he let his hand drop to his slacks. He adjusted himself. I reached for the bulge in his trousers, and he caught my chained hands.
“No, no,” he said. “You have to earn the privilege to have that.” His dark orbs bored into mine. He was serious. Arrogant asshole. Like I wanted his dick anyway.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
He gripped my chin—hard. “You betrayed us tonight. You put yourself, and us, in danger with your actions. Do you understand?”
I held his gaze. “I need to find my brother.”
“I told you we’d find him—”
“And you think I trust you?” I broke free of him. “Orion is my responsibility. I’m the only one he can count on, and if he’s in trouble, I’m not leaving it to you people to help him.”
Zane glared down. “You belong to us. I have a contract that you signed, stating as much.”
“Go shove your contract. It can’t keep me here forever.” I tried to fold my arms, but my wrists were still cuffed together. “Its magic didn’t stop me from escaping.”
“No, it didn’t,” he said through gritted teeth. “But if you leave here without our permission, your brother dies. A life for a life.”
I gaped up at him for a second, then clamped my jaw shut. Was that really what the contract did? “You’re lying. I read it—”
“What did you think was meant by your life for his? You break the contract and Orion will suffer his original punishment—death.”
I searched his eyes, seeing the truth. “I hate you.”
“That doesn’t change anything.” He braced his hands on the desk at either side of me, leaning in close. “You’re stuck here, with us, forever.”
18
ZANE
Emma sat across from me at the chess table by the window. The dim early evening light was easier on my eyes than the glaring winter sun when it beamed down on the snow. I focused on my captive, the honey taste of her blood still lingering on my tongue from last night.
“Have you played chess before?” I asked Emma.
She nodded. “A few times. It’s one of my favorite games.” She glanced away from my intense gaze, seeming nervous in my presence. Probably still conflicted over her punishment and what had happened between us earlier. My cock twitched at the thought. I had the most demanding urge to drink from her again, then open my vein for her to suckle. Blood bond. A voice in my mind whispered those two words. I shook it off, that was never going to happen.
I refocused on the board. “Good. Maybe you’ll be a worthy opponent.” I moved a pawn forward two squares. Let the game begin.
I tried to shake the overwhelming need to make her mine—fully. The blood bond was reserved for mates, and a lifetime commitment. My gums ached where my fangs fully extended, ready to claim my woman. Emma was the one. For all three of us. I let that thought sink in. We’d finally found her, and she hated us.
Her first move was bringing out a knight, and I smiled. Acceptable, but bold. She’d never win with such assertiveness. Chess was a game of cunning and strategy. My expertise.
I moved another piece but focused on Emma and let the game fall to the background. I refused to pretend to be a kind and gentle man or play games to win her over. No, if she was to supposedly love me, she would know my true self.
I should just chain her up—to my bed—until she couldn’t hate me any longer. Except I didn’t think that would work with Emma. She had to choose me for herself. She had to want to stay here with us. Some twisted part of my soul desired more than her acceptance; it wanted her happiness. What a ridiculous notion.
I’d already promised we’d find and protect her brother to make her happy. What would she demand next? More importantly, could I deny her? I already knew the answer and shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
The more pressing question, however, was could she come to want us under our current arrangement? She was bound here by contract and held against her will, with her brother’s life on the line. At least clarifying the contract’s terms had put an end to her next escape plan. I knew for certain Emma would not risk Orion in any way.
A slithering coil of jealousy wrapped around my black heart. What did I have to do to earn her affection? Luckily, I would never be inflicted with love, as I was incapable of the emotion, so there was no need to guard my heart from this woman. Was there?
I pushed the thought away. She was ours. She would stay here and learn to like it. That was final. In exchange, I would give her riches—anything money could buy.
“What do you do?” she asked, jolting me out of my musings. “The Penumbra Syndicate, I mean.”
“We own businesses. Some are more legal than others.” I slid a bishop into place and changed the subject. “How are you feeling? Now that you’ve recovered from purging the pills you were taking?”
She frowned. “Strangely, okay. I mean, I don’t have my wand, so my magical energy could be gone, and I just don’t know it yet.”
“I think you’d feel something if you were truly weakening. Perhaps your condition was actually limited to your adolescence. That happens. People can grow out of certain afflictions.” I studied her. If anything, her color had improved. She radiated a stronger sense of power than when we’d first met. If I had to guess, I’d say those medications had actually flattened her magic. But why would anyone have done that to her?
“I guess it’s possible that I don’t need those pills anymore.” She met my gaze. “I do feel different. It’s like there’s unfamiliar magic humming through my body and I—” Her expression closed as though she just realized she was opening up to me.
Her pulse sped up, and I wanted to nibble where it throbbed under the milky skin of her throat. Instead, I said, “Unfamiliar magic? In what way?”
She shook her head, moving a bishop to avoid my attack, her lips pressed into a thin line. My initial impulse was to wrap my fingers around her long neck and demand she tell me. Emma might be stubborn, but she would learn to submit. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The chessboard rattled, lights flickered, and a crashing noise sounded in the garden. As soon as the earthquake came on, it ended. I righted a couple of toppled chess pieces and made my next move.
“What was that?” Emma asked.
“A tremor.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I know there’s something strange going on around here. This place isn’t normal. What is it?”
I opened my mouth only to find my tongue thick and uncooperative. The enchantress had made sure we couldn’t tell anyone about the curse or how to break it, at least not directly. The quakes were growing more frequent, our mansion slowly deteriorating, and in less than a year, our souls would be reaped.
“I have no fitting explanation for you.” I laced steel into my tone. “But I warn you to drop it.”
“You don’t want to tell me? Fine.” Her chin jutted at a stubborn angle. “Check.”
Jaw clenched, I scanned the board. Sure enough, she had my king in check. Furthermore, she had me surrounded and any move I made now would only delay the inevitable. Sly minx. I glanced up. “You’re good. I’ll make sure to never underestimate you again.”
She grinned, and I was pretty sure it was the first time I’d seen her smile. It made her even lovelier. I could get used to that expression on her beautiful face, especially when it was aimed at me.
A shocking, sudden warmth flooded my chest. The sensation made me both queasy and giddy at the same time. How strange.
I sipped a blood martini while sitting in the leather chair before the blazing hearth. Cade glowered into the flames, a scotch in one beefy palm. The door opened and Lucas waltzed through, popped open a beer, and joined us.
“I have news,” the wolf said. “Eclipse has challenged me in the ring. We’re going to the New Year's Eve shifter fight.”
I lifted a brow. “Who will you be fighting?”
His grin was feral. “Maddox. Who else?”
I sighed, peering into my drink as if it held the answers. Maddox. Fucking mad dog, that’s what he was, and the only member of Eclipse that could give Lucas a good beating one-on-one.
“You should spar with Kevin,” Cade said. “If you can take down the bear shifter, you can handle Maddox fine.”
Lucas smirked. “I already set it up with him for first thing in the morning.”
“You need to win,” I said.
He rolled his eyes. “No shit. And I will win. Bet on me, will you?”
“Oh, I will.” My smile showed my fangs. “I’ll make sure you win too. We’re bringing Emma. I believe her presence will motivate you—”
A growl rumbled in Lucas’s chest, and he took a swig of beer.
Cade finished his drink. “We need to talk. About the little witch.”
“Yes, we do,” I confirmed. “She’s Lucas’s fated mate, and I… well, desire to forge a blood bond with her. Which proves—”
“You can’t.” The Fae set down his empty glass with a thud.
Lucas and I exchanged a confused glance. “Why not?” I asked.
“You know I’ve been inside her head, but I’ve not told you everything.” Cade deeply inhaled. “She’s being hunted. The girl and her brother have been on the run for many years.” He held up a hand to silence Lucas, who had opened his mouth. “But I have a suspicion she’s a hybrid, which would mean she’s being hunted by none other than 5th Circle.”
I swept my dreadlocks over one shoulder and leaned back in the chair. “Why have you kept all this information to yourself?” I asked in a low tone.
Cade avoided my gaze. “Because I plan to confirm my suspicions and, if she’s an abomination, turn her over to 5th Circle. We need to keep to our agreement with them.”
Lucas lurched to his feet, snarling. “Over my dead body!”
“I concur.” I swept my palm over my lips. “Hybrid or not, I believe she is the girl for us. All three of us, and that includes you, Cade. She is the only one who can break the curse. I’d rather take my chances with 5th Circle than lose her to them. She’s our one and only hope.”
Cade’s lip curled. “Bullshit. You’re just drunk on her blood.” He glowered up at Lucas. “And your beast is in control of you.”
Lucas’s hands balled into fists at his sides, his body tense. At any moment he could snap, and my parlor would get wrecked—again.
I returned my attention to the huge Fae. “And you’re a blind, stubborn son of a bitch, Cade. Are you really going to ruin this for all of us over your pride?”
He gained his feet, ignoring the seething wolf shifter. “My pride?” He pointed to his scarred face. “The day the little witch wants to look at this, is the day I’ll join you two. In the meantime, she’s trouble. She’s going to get us all killed. If we cross 5th Circle, we won’t have to worry about the girl, the enchantress, or the curse because we’ll be dead!” He stormed from the room and slammed the door.
The heavy silence was only broken by the crackling fire. Cade had two valid points. If we got in 5th Circle’s way, they would destroy us, no doubt about it. And as for Emma… Could she ever look past his scars and sullen disposition to the man beneath? Could she ever learn to love that? The fact he was so insecure about it made me wonder if she’d already gotten under his skin too. I sure hoped so.
The enchantress really had saddled us with an impossible task. For fate to send us one woman to share between the three of us… Perhaps we really were doomed.
“We need to keep an eye on him,” Lucas said, glaring at the door. “I don’t care what she is, she’s mine.”
I sighed. “She’s our only hope. I wish Cade would see it.”
“He’s a thick-skulled bastard.” Lucas sat down with a huff.
I couldn’t have agreed more.
Though this new information about Emma was most interesting. Was she a hybrid? Was that why her blood tasted so exquisite?
19
EMMA
“It’s here, miss!” Maeve rushed through my door carrying a large, rectangular box. She set it on the bed and grinned, waiting. “Aren’t you going to open it?” Her gaze flicked up to mine.
I’d never seen her this excited about anything before. It made me nervous. I licked my lips and asked, “What is it?”
“Your dress. For tonight.” She searched my face for a sign of comprehension. With a sigh, she said, “None of them bothered to tell you, did they? Tonight, you’re attending the New Year’s Shifter Fight Night with the lords. Lucas is fighting a member of Eclipse, Mad Dog Maddox. We need to get you ready.”
Oh shit. “No, they didn’t tell me any of this.” I crossed my arms and frowned at the box. Were they springing this on me last minute in hopes I wouldn’t argue? They wanted me to be arm candy at a shifter fight? A chill raced through me. How many people would be there? What if the hunters or my stalker saw me?
I inwardly groaned. A few nights ago, I’d been all about escaping from here, and now I was afraid to leave these walls. Pull it together, Emma.
I hauled the top off the box to reveal a shiny, red satin dress. My breath caught. No, not a dress, this was an evening gown. Gorgeous. I trailed my fingers over the smooth material. In a different life, it would have been delightful to have nice things. Gently lifting it, I caught sight of the label and froze. It was from a designer I’d seen in fashion magazines. I could never afford a dress like this in my wildest dreams.
A couple of younger women entered my room. Maeve clapped her hands. “Let’s get you ready, miss.” She turned to one of the girls. “Lily, show her the shoes.”
Lily stepped forward with a pair of crimson satin heels. I almost had a heart attack when I read the brand. I couldn’t wear these; I’d be terrified of blemishing them.
I must have blanched, because Maeve patted my arm and said, “You’ll do fine. Let us take care of everything.”
I gave her a wavering smile and nodded.
They descended on me, and for the next two hours I was pampered, primped, and transformed into an almost unrecognizable version of myself. I wasn’t supermodel skinny, but the outcome was even better. The satin hugged my curves in the most flattering way. In the heels, I was taller, almost regal. I grasped the gold locket at my throat, wishing my mother could see me at this moment.
With one last glance in the wardrobe’s full-length mirror, I steeled my nerves and followed Maeve out the door. We descended the stairs to the main floor. Zane, Lucas, and Cade, all wearing tuxedos, waited in the foyer. We were going to a fight all dressed up? Well, it was New Year’s Eve. Maeve shot me a reassuring grin and disappeared down the hallway.
Three sets of eyes landed on me, and I halted on the stairs. Lucas’s jaw dropped and he snapped it closed. Zane raked his heated gaze down my body, making me feel naked. He knowingly smiled. Cade stared; his features surly. Even so, the three of them looked good enough to eat.
Zane approached and held out his palm. I took it, stepping down the last few stairs. My stomach fluttered with nerves and… anticipation?
“You’re a vision,” he said softly in my ear.
“Thank you.” I straightened my spine. “I don’t think I should go with you tonight.”
“Why is that, sweetheart?” Zane’s grip tightened on my hand.
“As I’m sure you already know,” I glanced at Cade, “there are people out there looking for me. This is a public event and I prefer to stay in the shadows. It’s not safe.”
“We’ll protect you,” Lucas said. “I promise.”
I turned my frown on him. No one could protect me from the hunters.
“You have to trust us,” Zane murmured.
I shot him a doubtful glance. “I need my wand.”
He shook his head. “Out of the question.”
“I need to be able to protect myself—”
“No.” His tone was firm. “We will protect you. Leave it to us. Now, let’s go.”
Annoyed, I let him lead me out of the mansion to the waiting car. Trust them? Did they think I’d lost my mind? The only person looking out for me was… me. I hated being this vulnerable. If anything happened, I was so screwed.
Cade drove, with Lucas in the passenger seat. Zane scooted in next to me in the back, taking up too much space. His thigh rested against mine. As soon as we settled, he laid a possessive hand on the top of my leg.
We pulled out, following a black SUV which was probably filled with guards. Another SUV was behind us.
The drive into Seattle took about an hour, but the minutes flew by. Cade and Lucas chatted about the upcoming fight. Zane added his opinion now and then. The rest of the time, his focus was out the window, though his thumb drew circles on my thigh.
The atmosphere in the car seemed so normal, relaxed—just friends heading into the big city, looking forward to a night out and ringing in the new year. My shoulders gradually loosened, and I fell into the rhythm of the car ride.
We pulled up to a large rectangular building that didn’t seem like much from the outside. Zane helped me out of the car and the four of us, flanked by Penumbra Syndicate guards, made our way to a side door. The overly muscled bouncer nodded as we passed.
Inside, we wound through a long corridor. Lucas ducked into a room with his duffel bag in hand, while the rest of us continued through yet another door. This one opened out into a huge arena.
The center held a fighting pit. All around was a variety of seating from chairs to benches to private boxes in the balcony. Patrons, all dressed to the nines, mingled, as waiters served drinks. It was like a cocktail party at a boxing event. Neither of which I’d ever attended.
Anxiety rolled through me as several heads turned our way. Most offered polite nods, while others glared. I wondered how many of them were members of Eclipse.
Zane’s arm encircled my waist. “Come.” He led us down an aisle to the very front row of seats. This was going to be an up close and personal kind of fight from this viewing point. I sat down next to Zane, and Cade settled on my other side.
