by Raven Scott
“You know, maybe I was wrong about your oral skills.” Panting harshly, his toned muscles twitching under skin taut and glistening with sweat, Carlyle’s voice trembled. Gulping down my mouthful, I licked his softening cock before he tugged on my hair, and he captured my lips voraciously. “I could get used to that.”
“I love sucking your cock . . . ugh . . . ” Hooking his arm around my waist, Carlyle smirked at my groan, and I let the residual emptiness of my mind linger. Resting my cheek on his shoulder, I closed my eyes and heaved a hot breath, and his taste tingled my buds. “Why didn’t you like it?”
“I guess it was just something degrading to me, something humiliating. It’s just how I’ve always felt about it. The last time I got a blowjob, the slut talked more than anything else, too . . . it was really irritating.” I didn’t have the mind to argue with those points, and even if I did, I probably wouldn’t. “I thought you didn’t like it?”
“I don’t, but when you pulled my hair, and I didn’t have to sprain my neck, or choke myself . . . ” My mouth watered just talking about it, and I sighed shakily as Carlyle flopped forward to spoon me. Powerful arms wrapped me up, legs tangling, and I closed my eyes as he took a deep breath against my back. “I’d go through that again. Every guy I’ve been with expects me to do all the work.”
“When we get back, I’ll face fuck you before I go to work. Deal?” Chuffing a rasping giggle, I nodded, and Carlyle tightened his arms around me as he exhaled over my shoulder.
27
Carlyle
Zipping my pants on my way down the stairs, I ran both my hands through my hair before checking the time on my phone. Despite the sex, the late-night, the traffic, I wasn’t going to be too late this morning. When I emerged from Valerie’s apartment building, Carl was waiting, and the car I’d driven around yesterday had disappeared back to my garage.
“Step on it. I’ve got shit to catch up on.” Before I even shut the door, Carl was pulling off the curb, and I propped my elbow on the door as the past day raced through my mind’s eye. I didn’t want to ruin my time with Valerie, but gears were starting to turn, and I, unfortunately, had to have a little chat with the Italian princess rotting in her own piss and shit in my basement.
At least Jerry’s replacement wasn’t entirely incompetent and found out the original voice in that video.
Glancing over at Theo, a scowl on his face and his knee bouncing from agitation, I cocked my head in silent question. He scoffed quietly, turning away from me, but I knew he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut for long.
“Illya’s been restless for weeks.” Grinding my teeth at that, I only nodded, and Theo rubbed his mangled palm against his jeans as if it itched. “I’ve felt the same anxiety since she brought it up, like some shit’s gonna go down. I don’t think Vegas is a good idea right now, Carlyle.”
“We’ll see what information Isobel coughs up after marinating in her own shit for a few days before we make any decisions.” I tapped my cheek as my mind raced, still scrambled from Valerie’s voracity, and I cleared my throat roughly. “Who’s voice is it?”
“Diamon’s.” A harsh bark of laughter burst from my chest at Carl’s reply, and I clenched and released my fist in my lap. “How’d he know whatever he knew, though? That’s kinda the real question.”
“Oh, I have a feeling I know exactly how he figured it out.” That Italian scum was smarter than I gave him credit for— not by much, though. Apparently, he was capable of some rudimentary scheming, even if it was crude. Carl sped up at my growl, and my heel tapped against the floor mat as a few more pieces fell into place.
Isobel wasn’t good for much but being a pawn. When her plan with Wren fell apart, she must’ve had him assassinated at Diamon’s suggestion. Because he’s a spineless, dickless piece of shit, who thinks he’s too good to get dirty. When she started making infiltration moves on her own so sloppy, he needed to get rid of her.
That much was obvious. The only part that didn’t fit was how did he know my father was going to hand me the reins when it wasn’t decided until Mateo fucked up?
“Theo, what do you say we have a boys’ night out at a certain bar?” Casting him a dark smirk, I sat up a little as Theo shrugged, rolling his eyes a little. “I think that snake slithered into the wrong fucking bed.”
“You think she made a deal with Diamon?” I almost cringed, hearing that idiot’s name so often in such a short time frame, but I managed to simply shake my head. Theo frowned under furrowed brows, and I knocked my temple softly before his face morphed in a scowl. “You think she interfered somehow, though. Fuck this shit, Carlyle, you know I suck at this shit.”
“She sells girls she sees no potential in. What if she unknowingly got a girl that wasn’t as downtrodden as she seemed? And what if that girl wiggled her way into my operation somehow? This is starting to get exciting.” He only sneered at me, turning back to the window, and my smirk widened. “Yes, it really is. At least I know one thing right now. Valerie’s not going to get caught up in the middle of this, which is nice. Not to say she’s not going to get caught in her own shit, but I don’t have to worry for right now.”
“You don’t buy girls, boss.” Piping up from the driver’s seat, Carl took a hard turn, and I suddenly felt even better about today.
“I don’t, no, but my brothers do.” And that was all that needed to be said. I’d get the Italians, one or both of my brothers, and Valerie and her sister were going to be fine. Everything was fucking peachy. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
My body moved on autopilot when we finally pulled into the compound, and I rode the elevator to the basement as my thoughts consumed my attention. How was I going to personally kill Isobel? There were so many options! So many, it was almost dizzying. Just this once, I was going to enjoy it, and she would know who the haunt when her fake ass got stuck in limbo.
When I opened the metal door to her room, she jumped with a petrified shriek, and I downright grinned. The rank stench of piss-stained her dress and pooled at her feet, eating away at the fabric and her skin, but it barely registered. Huge, terrified eyes met mine, bloodshot and bulging, and I clapped my hands exaggeratedly as Theo closed the door behind me.
“Congratulations, you dumb cunt! I’ve decided that since I’m in such a good mood, I’ll let you go as soon as you answer my questions. And be truthful— lying will just sour my day, and you don’t want that.” I hauled myself onto the table to rub my neck and shoulders with both hands, just needing to do something. Isobel was quiet, a hope flickering in her eye, and I cocked my head. “Did Diamon know you tried to meet with Esmarissa?”
“Yeah. He tried to talk me out of it because she wouldn’t listen, and he was right.”
“How long ago did the meet happen? Did he know then, or did he find out afterward?” She was so fucking stupid, and I held up my hand when Isobel opened her mouth instantly. “Also, where did you meet?”
“I invited her to New York about a year and a half, maybe twenty-one months ago. Diamon knew about it at the time, and he knew when it fell through. He made sure to rub it in my face.” I nodded when Isobel confirmed my suspicion, and she leaned forward in the chair despite her arms tied behind the back. “Can you at least untie me? I’ll tell you anything you want to know, Carlyle. You promised to let me go.”
“Theo.” He was already fishing his knife from his pocket, and she slumped in relief as I calculated my next question. “Diamon mentioned you talked to someone from Texas about killing Wren. What about?”
Isobel didn’t say anything as she was cut free— her arms, at least— and she rubbed her wrists and rolled her shoulders. I let her have this moment, and she sat up a little straighter before clearing her throat.
“The guy had an accent, but he was who I hired to kill Wren. He’s worked for me before, so I knew I could trust him to get the job done. Standard stuff, mostly.” She panted a little from talking so much after such an ordeal, and I licked my teeth as my eyes narrowed on her. “T
here was no way Diamon could know he had a Texan accent unless he bugged my phone. We were never that close, and I don’t have names or any personal details on the guy. I don’t even know if the accent is real. I don’t care. He killed Wren like I needed him to. That’s all the information we ever shared.”
“Really? Diamon made it seem like you were your usual, whiny cunt self. It’s probably the most believable lie he could sell me, of course. He might’ve been smart enough to think I was already going to kidnap you and wring your neck, and he gave me a little push. Then, after I had you, he sent me a video intended for my father, which, well, let’s face it, that’s not going to do anything, anyway.” Big, brown eyes widened, and I hopped off the table to circle Isobel, still sitting in her own puddle of filth. My brows furrowed over my slight frown, and I waved a thoughtful hand as her information gave me a full picture. “I feel so bad for your father for having such idiot children. Not a good single one in the whole bunch. I mean, when you name your kid ‘Diamon,’ I suppose it’s expected that he’ll be a fucking imbecile. It only makes me want to crush you grease monkeys even more finely under my heel.”
“W-what-t?” Looming over her as her face paled a sickly yellowish-green, I frowned at the alarm brightening her fevered eyes. “You promised to let me go!”
“Go where, though? When? How? See, if you were smart, Isobel, you’d realize there’s no way you’re getting out of this room. You could’ve kept your mouth shut, and the outcome would’ve been the same, but you could’ve still stuck it to me. You should’ve been more specific with your demands. Instead, you wasted away here, simmering in your own piss like the ugly creature you are.” Holding out my hand to Theo, I took the warm gun he always carried and pressed the barrel to Isobel’s cheek. She whimpered pathetically even as the light died in her eyes, and I hadn’t even pulled the trigger yet. For a second, I watched her slump in defeat and man! It felt so good! “You know what, I’m not going to kill you, Isobel. You’ve been so helpful, after all.”
But she knew dying was her best option, and I was kind of disappointed when he just sunk so low in her chair. Piss dribbled on the floor, the disgusting reek of shit pluming all around her, and I walked out before handing Theo his gun back.
“Guard the door.” Carl waited patiently, a huge toolbox by his feet, and I nodded curtly at him. “Weld it shut.”
28
Carlyle
Leaning back in my chair, I ran my hand over my head as my father and brothers waded into the room. I could tell just from a glance that they knew something was up, and I honestly enjoyed watching them squirm— well, not my father. He never squirmed.
Oran probably had the best picture of them all, and I’d taken all night to figure out how I wanted to approach this. My eldest younger brother had his kittens, and he gave them a fair amount of trust. Granted, he supposedly thoroughly ensured they were completely and utterly helpless by that time. Of course, Mateo’s little problem had been rectified, so he was out.
Illya slipped into the room behind them to stand next to Theo, and I drummed my fingertips on my desk as I gazed at the four of them. Despite what she said, she hadn’t made any friends with anyone since coming here. It was a telltale indicator she wasn’t as ‘good’ as she pretended to be.
This was going to be hard on her.
“I’ve decided to let the Italian problem go for now. We have a bigger issue to deal with.” I’d been working on this a long time, well over a year now, and Oran opened his mouth only to pause when I held up my hand. “I said ‘I have decided’ not ‘this is open to debate, but . . . ’, so allow me to continue before you start screeching.”
I let the silence stretch right to the cusp of discomfort before nodding, and I sat up to take a breath in preparation.
“I wondered about it at the time, but never got a real answer. How could a woman get you to fall in love with her, Mateo? Of course, money is a motivator, and that thing certainly had some need for it, if what I understand is true.” Illya pulled an uncomfortable face at my words, but Theo grabbed her arm to stop her from sinking back. “I’ve thought about it a lot, and while it’s not entirely unreasonable, you’re stupid enough to get a random pregnant, you were very torn up about its passing.”
“You made me kill her.” Mateo’s snarl wasn’t nearly as nasty as he thought, and I held up a hand quickly to silence him.
“The details don’t matter. The point is that you fell hook, line, and sinker for it in a very short amount of time. You were in California for a while, and yet, it wasn’t until late last year that your whirlwind romance happened. While I’m all for young love, life doesn’t work like that. So . . . ” Clapping my palms on the desk, I stood up to stare my youngest brother in his haggard, drawn face, and I had to actively fight back a smirk. “Was it your money it was after, or did someone pay it to like you? Honestly, the second option there seems far more likely.”
“You’re an asshole, Carlyle.” My eyelid twitched at Mateo’s grumble, my lip curling up instead of out, and he visibly shrunk. “So, what’s your point?”
“My point is that my darling Isobel and her idiot brother knew Dad was going to hand me ownership of everything, and I certainly didn’t tell them.” My gaze flickered to Oran to narrow, and I stood up straight as the cogs worked behind his hazel eyes. “One of you bought an Italian slut sent to spy on you.”
“Even if she was working for the Italians, she’s dead. What’s that got to do with not taking them over?” Even now, after knowing how stupid and impractical he was, Mateo still sounded incredibly sad, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“You really haven’t learned anything, have you? You didn’t even know about my promotion, Mateo, which just leaves . . . ” Training my gaze on Oran, I stalked around my desk, and he tensed as his expression washed in stone. “Where are your whores now, Oran?”
“In case you didn’t remember, I properly break them, and if they don’t pass, I put them down myself.”
“Oh, I remember. Even if it was one of your kittens, you’ve been living in England and have too much jealousy over me to go to the Italians, of all people— you know just as well as I do that they can’t get the job done.” I really, really, really enjoyed the confusion in the room right now, and I smirked at the irritation on Oran’s face. “I don’t think you’ve quite broken them as hard as you thought, Oran. That thing Mateo got pregnant was probably contacted by Isobel. Since it’s only fair, put all your kittens down.”
Oran paled, and for a brief second, I saw how much it pained him to contemplate what I’d demanded. Money aside, he loved his kittens in some fucked up way, but now was not the time to fight for their rights to live. He nodded, raking his hand through his perfectly styled hair, and I thought for a moment that his glasses fogged up.
“Illya.” Turning to her, I pursed my lips thinly, and Illya looked ready to just throw down. “I need you to prove your loyalty to me. Considering that thing was your friend, I can’t rule you out as a possibility.”
“Fine.” Croaking harshly, she had to physically pry Theo’s hand off her finger by clawing finger, and a thick bruise was already budding on her wrist. She pushed back her hair, her chin jutting out and determination glimmering in her bright, green eyes even as she gulped nervously. “What do you want me to do?”
Just at that moment, Carl popped open the door and wheeled in a sizeable box with just one item on it. The pliers were brand new, never been opened until today, and all eyes turned to him as he shuffled through the crowd. Theo sucked in a sharp breath, but I ignored him, glaring daggers at me to watch Illya’s birdlike features twist.
“Pick a limb— hand or foot.” This time, the demand rolled heavily off my tongue, and she shuddered noticeably as my brothers and father moved to the corner of the room. “You only have to do one.”
“That’s so dumb. Of course, I’m gonna do my foot, you . . . you . . . you asshole.” I let that slide as she sputtered wildly, her nerves stringing her voice like a bad v
iolin. Kicking off her sneaker and yanking her sock, she straightened her shoulders before glaring me in the eye. “Theo leaves.”
“Fine.” Theo might actually kill me if he stays, anyway. He started hyperventilating the way a bull did right before bursting from the pen, and the veins bulged around the reddening scars on his face. His teeth ground loud enough to hear, and I almost grabbed the phone on my desk to call for someone to escort him out.
“I’m gonna kill you one day.” A sliver of fear struck me right between the eyes at his whisper— not a growl, not a snarl, but a very, very quiet, very shaky whisper. Theo shuffled out, his shoulders trembling, the back of a broken man.
For the first time, I realized how much it must suck to be in a relationship in which both participants work for me.
“Why did you chose this?” Snapping from the empty doorway, my gaze narrowed on Illya as she folded and worked her hands. “If it was about the pain, you could just poke me in the tit, and it’d be worse.”
“I don’t want your pain, Illya. I want proof. I believe wholeheartedly, you had nothing to do with that thing or any of this, but you know that’s not enough. I can’t have anyone question my employees. Just like Oran, I’m telling you to do something that will be very difficult on you, something that goes against everything you are. There’s nothing I can do that’ll cause you more pain than you’re constantly in. It’d be stupid to ask you to do anything else, too, because I need you for your looks. You need all your fingers, so I can’t just cut one-off.” Everything Illya had been through had been of someone else's making, and she’d fought so hard to getaway. Now, she’d have no choice but to inflict damage on herself. As someone who put self-preservation above all, it was the worst thing I could demand of her.