by Penelope Sky
I got off him then grabbed the knife from the ground. “Alix failed you, so you’re next.” I sliced the ropes around Eric’s wrists and yanked him to his feet. The knife went into my pocket before I shoved him forward into the ring, where Alix still lay, on the verge of passing out.
Eric stumbled forward then quickly turned around. “You win.”
My eyes narrowed at his admission. “That’s fucking pathetic.” I came at him with my knuckles red from Alix’s blood as well as my own. “I’m gonna beat your ass anyway—and I’m gonna like it.”
All four of them were beaten bloody, beyond facial recognition.
No one helped them to their feet and back to their cabins until Fender ordered it. “Get these guys to bed. Give them ice and meds. They’ve been punished enough.” The guards helped all of them to their feet and escorted them to their cabins, leaving the clearing.
I stood there and watched them go, my body dripping with sweat, the blood creating drops of red in the dirt beneath my feet. I’d given Eric, Nathan, and Karl the same punishment as Alix because they were the ones who had tortured me more by forcing me to listen to Raven beg for my help. I’d beaten them senseless and enjoyed every second of it.
Fender left his chair and walked to me, approval in his eyes. “Practice much?”
“Only every goddamn day.” I had a punching bag in the gym, and I strapped on my gloves and beat it every day. There were splits in the seams from the use after all these years.
He looked at my bloody knuckles before he looked at me again. “Did that satisfy you?”
I nodded.
“The pain? Or the shame?”
“Both.”
He gave me a slight grin before he moved his hand to my shoulder. His fingers dug into me slightly, like he was proud of me for being able to fight like that, to maintain my endurance through four different men who were all my size.
But he didn’t understand how much rage I had.
He dropped his hand and nodded to my hands before he walked away. “Put some ice on those.”
I listened to his footsteps grow quieter as he headed back to his cabin.
I turned around, my hands on my hips, my skin shining in the light from the nearby cabin because I was drenched in sweat. “I want to leave tomorrow.”
Fender stopped and paused before he turned around. “You aren’t scheduled to leave for two more days.”
“I know.” I wanted to get out of there sooner rather than later. I wanted to get Raven to a place where she felt safe so she could shake off the whole thing.
He considered my request in silence before he gave a slight nod. “You’ve earned it.”
Twenty
Eyes to the Dogs
I’d installed a new door, so I opened it and stepped inside the cabin.
She was there, wearing my t-shirt as she sat on the bed. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, seeing how sweaty I was. Then her eyes dropped down to my bloody hands. “Are you okay?”
“Never been better.” I went into the bathroom and got under the cold water, washing away the sweat, feeling the coldness numb my inflamed knuckles. A red line trailed down to the drain, a mixture of my victims as well as myself.
When I turned off the water and opened the curtain, she stood there.
I stilled and stared at her for a second before I grabbed the towel off the rack and dried myself.
“What happened?”
I scrubbed my hair dry then stepped out of the tub. “I punished Alix and the others.”
She stepped back to give me room in the small bathroom. “How?”
“I fought them.”
“You fought four men?”
“I hurt them until they asked me to stop—with all the other men there to watch.” I dried my body and returned the towel to the rack to be used again.
She stared at me in disbelief.
“I said if Alix didn’t beat me, I would move on to Eric. And if Eric didn’t beat me…on to the next guy. None of them did, so I beat each and every one of them to within an inch of their life—with my bare hands.” I skipped the shave and the rest of the shower routine and went straight into the bedroom, pulling on a new pair of boxers.
She followed me.
With my back to her, I grabbed a bottle of scotch and filled the glass. “And I did that for you.” I took a drink before I turned around and looked at her.
She stared at me like she didn’t know what to say. “All I care about is that you’re okay.”
“Like I said, I’ve never been better.” I set the glass down then walked to her. “It felt good…really fucking good.” My hands moved into her hair and cupped her head, looking into her soft blue eyes that cared about my well-being more than her revenge. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Her excitement was impossible to hide. “I thought we were here for a few more days.”
“I said I wanted to leave early. Need a break from this goddamn place.” My hands dropped from her face as I turned back to my scotch.
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, wanting my eyes on her face.
I stared at her and would do so as long as she wanted.
“Thank you.” Her fingers pulled me closer, bringing my body into hers so she could kiss me. It was a soft kiss, but a deep one, her hungry mouth parting my lips and giving me her tongue instantly.
Adrenaline was still in my veins, and my heart still beat a million miles a minute. High off endorphins and scotch, there was nothing I wanted more than to be between her legs, to be with the woman I’d just destroyed four men to avenge.
She pulled her shirt over her head then pushed down my boxers.
I ended the kiss and looked into her face. “We can wait as long as you want.” My hands moved around her wrists and kept her still, ignoring my rock-hard cock that was right against her stomach, begging for entry. “No rush.”
“He didn’t have me…”
“I know.” It was still traumatic for her, and I understood why.
“And when I’m with you, I don’t think about anything else.”
When we left the camp the next morning, I didn’t take her through the gate or via a circuitous route.
I walked her straight through the clearing, right by Alix, and I gave him a cold stare as I did it. The guys had to report for work despite their injuries because they would appear weak if they didn’t. And Fender wouldn’t give them the option either.
Fender joined me at the wagon, which was already full of product that I would take with me. It wasn’t everything, but Fender would take the second load when he left in a few days. “How’re your hands?”
I lifted them, showing the wrapping that covered both.
“Must have hurt this morning.”
“Worth it.”
He didn’t smile, but his eyes had a slight look of affection. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Anything you want me to do for Melanie while I’m there?”
He suddenly turned cold. “My woman is taken care of.”
After the way he’d intervened for Raven, I felt even worse about not telling him the truth, that Melanie was just using him in the hope of freeing her sister. But his possessive response told me his obsession was deep, and even if she felt nothing for him, he would still keep her. Might as well let him enjoy the fantasy.
Raven came from behind me and joined us, her eyes on Fender.
I had no idea what the fuck she was doing.
I turned to her, giving her a glare that told her to leave—now.
But she was too absorbed in Fender’s gaze to notice mine.
Fender stared at her with narrowed eyes, the energy around him immediately menacing, like he might grab her by the throat and choke her to death right then and there.
But she held his look anyway. “I just wanted to say thank you…for what you did.”
Her appreciation would mean nothing to him, and I wished she hadn’t come this close to him.
He held her gaze in silenc
e, his eyes becoming more terrifying with every passing second. His stillness was sinister, and his clenched jaw showed how hard he was working not to strike the woman I had claimed as mine. “Your appreciation means nothing to me because my intervention had nothing to do with you. My only interest was keeping my brother’s dick clean. Speak to me again, and I will cut those blue eyes out of your skull and feed them to my dogs.” He shook slightly, like it took all his strength not to make good on that threat.
My hand moved to her stomach, and I forced her to back away and give my brother space. “Get in the wagon. Now.”
She did as she was told and walked away.
Fender continued to stare at her, his face flushing slightly, like her proximity was borderline insulting. It took a few seconds for him to look at me again, to pull his look away from the woman who had destroyed his camp and brought him humiliation. “If you want your whore to keep sucking your dick, make sure she stays away from me.”
We took the journey down the path to where my car waited at the end.
She didn’t speak for hours, just looking at the luscious landscape around us.
I didn’t speak to her either. I was annoyed with her stupidity, and I needed time to calm down. My hands gripped the reins of the horses, my knuckles aching every time I made a fist.
She seemed to feel my anger because she waited until it was at a simmer before she spoke. “I just thought—”
“You thought wrong.” I watched the road ahead.
She stared at the side of my face. “I thought if I was kind to him—”
“Doesn’t work that way.”
She faced forward again and sighed.
“Don’t speak to him. Don’t look at him. Keep your head down when you’re near him.”
“I’m not a dog.”
“To him, you are.”
She shook her head as she sighed loudly. “I know I pissed him off—”
“Just leave it alone.”
She turned quiet and swallowed the response sitting in her throat. “I’ll probably never be near him again, so it doesn’t matter.”
“You will on Saturday. Don’t embarrass me again.”
“Embarrass you?” Her head snapped back in my direction. “I was just trying—”
“I know what you were trying to do. But as you can see, that got you nowhere. Just leave it alone.”
She studied me. “You’re mad at me.”
“Yes.” I continued to avoid her gaze.
“Why?”
“Because you were fucking stupid. That’s why.” I turned to look at her, so she could see just how furious her little move made me. “He has bent for me many times, and the last thing you should do is get in his face after what you did.”
“Wow.” She shook her head. “He should be grateful I’m even thanking him given all the shit he does in that godforsaken camp. Let’s not rewrite history here. He captured me, and I escaped—just as he would escape if this were flipped around—”
“This conversation is over.” I looked ahead and gripped the reins in my hand. There was no point in discussing my brother when there was nothing we could do about it. We’d established the unbearable moral dilemma I had to suffer. It didn’t need further debate.
She watched the scenery around her, letting the conversation die. But minutes later, she addressed it again. “Wait…what do you mean, I’ll see him on Saturday?”
“He’s having an event. I’m bringing you.”
“An event?”
“A party.”
“And he’s fine with that?”
“He was when I talked to him about it…before you pulled your little stunt.”
It was hard for her to swallow her retort, but she managed it by clenching her jaw. “I don’t even want to go, but I know she’ll be there.”
“That’s why I wanted to bring you.” I hated get-togethers and conversations. It was all just a bunch of bullshit, rich people talking about how rich they were. Fender had a god complex, so he enjoyed flaunting his wealth and success, like it was a big fuck-you to our father…who’d been dead for nearly ten years at this point. “So, I suggest you swallow your pride and do as he asked because you’ll never see Melanie without him.”
She dozed off on the drive.
I listened to the radio as I drove down the country roads toward Paris, the occasional headlights coming at me from a passing car in the other direction. With one hand on the wheel, I counted down the time until we arrived at my apartment, where this long day could finally conclude.
I used to spend my time in solitude, enjoying my cabin at the camp alone, having a lover in Paris who was only there in the evenings and gone in the morning. The rest of my time was spent with my laptop, in front of the TV, or working.
But now, Raven was with me every single day.
When she worked in the clearing, I didn’t have her around, but that time alone stopped feeling like a respite from her company. Her presence in the cabin didn’t feel suffocating. And when we arrived at my apartment, I knew she would sleep with me tonight, even if we wouldn’t have sex beforehand.
That was our life now.
Even though I was still angry with her after what happened with Fender, that anger didn’t change my feelings. When someone pissed me off, our interaction was usually over for good. If a woman said the wrong thing, she was no longer my lover. But no matter what Raven did…nothing changed.
We arrived in Paris hours later, driving through the streets that were still busy despite the hour, and passed the lit-up tower before I pulled into the park and slowed down in front of my apartment. I hit the button to open the gate and then the garage and pulled into the driveway.
She woke up when the car came to a stop. “Are we here?”
I hit the clicker, and the garage door closed behind us. “Yes.”
“Oh, thank god…” She stretched in the seat with her arms behind her head, making a loud yawn. “I have to pee. And I just fucking hate that place.” She opened the door and ran her fingers through her hair as she moved to the elevator.
I joined her in the elevator, and we rose to the entry level.
Her eyes were heavy like she was still half asleep.
I leaned against the wall and watched her.
She sighed when the doors opened, and she went first, in a hurry. “Gotta pee…gotta pee.” She went into the nearest bathroom and disappeared.
I made my way into the parlor and saw that it was meticulously clean because Miranda had taken care of it once we’d left. Groceries were in the fridge, clean linens were on the bed, and fresh vases of flowers had been placed everywhere…because she thought my guest would enjoy them.
I went upstairs and rinsed my face and got ready for bed.
I got under the sheets and plugged in my phone so it would charge, the bedroom door open because I assumed Raven would join me.
Minutes later, she did. She was in just her black thong with her hair up because she’d washed her face over the sink. She went to her side of the bed and pulled back the covers, getting in beside me, turning over to face me, and closed her eyes. She didn’t cuddle with me, like she was too tired and just wanted to go to sleep.
My hand moved behind my head as I turned to study her face, to watch her sleep.
She drifted off instantly.
I was tired, but I watched her anyway, thinking about one of my conversations with Fender. I’d asked if I could buy her freedom, and he said no. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that, and I didn’t think I ever would.
Twenty-One
Old Scars
I walked downstairs and found her on the couch, reading a book, fully dressed for the day, even though we had no plans. With her legs crossed, she absentmindedly reached for her coffee and brought it to her lips for a sip. She was in a green sundress, her full lips vibrant with a shade of lipstick, and the color over her eyes complemented the colors she wore.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked up at me
, seeing me in nothing but my sweatpants. A night of sleep had seemed to wash away her anger because she looked at me with subtle softness. “Morning.”
I nodded then went into the kitchen to pour myself a mug of coffee. I took it black, while she drank hers with a gallon of milk. I grabbed a banana off the counter and stripped it so I could eat it in a couple bites. I usually went for a run every morning, but I was too tired for that today.
She closed her book then joined me in the kitchen. Whenever we were in Paris, she looked like a completely different person in her dresses with her hair done. She behaved differently too, a lot more relaxed, and the closer we came to returning to the camp, she reverted to her withdrawn existence. “Do you have plans today?”
“I have to work this evening.”
“So, you’re free during the day?”
I already knew what she wanted. “We can’t go anywhere today.”
“Why?”
“Because—” I was caught off guard by the sound of the doorbell.
She turned to the entryway, her eyebrows raised. “Who is that?”
I pulled out my phone and fired off a text to Miranda. Come up. “My property manager. Assistant. Whatever you want to call her.” I grabbed the mug and took a drink as I stood at the counter, listening to the elevator hum as it brought her to our level.
“Should I leave?”
“No. You’re the reason she’s here.”
The elevator doors opened, and Miranda came into the room, carrying a long plastic bag to protect the dresses underneath, along with a few bags for the shoes and other accessories. “Good morning, Magnus.” She was a few years older than Raven, always dressed in heels and a skirt, even when she brought me heavy groceries and everything else I asked for. She moved to the couch and laid down the hanger over the back, placing the extra bags on the table.
Raven was quiet, like she didn’t know if she was allowed to talk.