Severed: A Dark Romance (The Taken Series Book 1)

by Dani René

  “Killing a few birds with one stone,” I offer with a satisfied smirk.

  “Indeed, brother,” Dante responds. “I have a show tonight; would you like to watch?”

  This causes me to sit up straight. “Please don’t tell me you’re fucking around on Harper?”

  “Not at all, dear brother. In fact, my little minx is going to be playing with a friend we found at the local club downtown.” I consider it. A show would be fun, but my mind is filled with one girl and one only. And she’s down the hall, within reaching distance. For the first time in my life, I might attempt to talk to her about my feelings.

  “I’m busy tonight, but you enjoy yourself, Dante.”

  “Always do,” he chuckles, then hangs up before I can get another word in.

  Saturday. That’s two days away. Tomorrow, we’ll plan. But tonight, I need to shower first, then perhaps pay my little bird a visit.

  Strolling through the quiet house, I head into the living room, following the soft tinkling of the piano. Each moment I’m around Caia, I find myself more and more intrigued by her. I’m hungry, and she’s the only thing that will satiate me. Leaning on the doorjamb, I watch her at the instrument. I bought it years ago, but never bothered learning to play. Dante is the one who enjoys it, who loves sitting on the bench and getting lost in the music.

  I wanted to go to River, but I know he needs time to come to terms with everything he learned. The clock dings at three a.m., and I wonder why Caia is awake. A smile plays on my lips, and I find myself calmer than I’ve ever been. Perhaps on some level, I always knew I’d have her in my life.

  Her delicate fingers dance across the keys — the expensive ebony and ivory — creating a melody that’s both passionate and melancholic. A contrast. Just like the girl herself. She hums along with the song she’s playing, and I don’t recognize it. Her eyes are closed, and her head is bowed in concentration.

  A memory of a song I’d like to play for her comes to mind. One that talks about devouring her. Where she’s dressed in a pair of yellow cotton shorts, her long tanned legs hide under the piano. The black, form-fitting tank top hugging her soft frame makes my dick hard.

  Only a few days have passed, but I can no longer deny it. All those years ago, I told myself she’s just a new toy, but now I know she’s so much more. Each night she was gone, I would still find myself stroking my shaft at night with her on my mind.

  I pad into the room, trying to be quiet and not startle her. I know she realizes she’s not alone because her finger hits the wrong note before once again finding her stride. I’m inches behind her when she finishes up the melody.

  Silence engulfs us.

  It holds us in its safety before she turns to face me over her shoulder. The pose innocent but sultry at the same time, and my dick responds in kind with a jolt.

  “Do you do that on purpose?” I question, my eyes meeting hers. Those orbs that see right through my hardened exterior, right to my very core. The dark, depraved soul of who I am. And yet, she still wants it. She still wants to hold my evil in her angelic hands. She still wants to shield my dark heart in her light.

  “Do you like watching me?” she asks with a knowing smile. I don’t respond; instead, I hold out a hand to her, which she accepts. I pull her up from the small bench. Her frame is cocooned by mine.

  Our bodies are inches apart when I lean in, feathering my lips over the shell of her ear. I can’t stop my own desire burning me from the inside out, so I allow myself to let it consume me. Even for tonight, I just want to attempt to be normal.

  “When you’re alone at night hiding, you know I would seek you out. Don’t you, little bird?” My words send a tremble over her frame. “Why don’t you show me exactly what you do at night while you think of me?”

  I step back, watching her. She stares at me for a moment, her lips parting with a soft gasp before hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts, shoving them down. Once they pool at her feet, she steps out them, and I notice she’s naked beneath.

  “Good little raven. A pretty bird, and I want to watch you fly,” I say, never allowing my gaze to leave hers. I smile when she glares at me. I love when she’s angry. There’s something delicious, tempting, and alluring about the way she pins me with anger.

  I had a plan. I ensured that there was nothing that could go wrong, but of course, when you allow emotions to get involved, there’s always danger. When I first laid eyes on her, she was part of the hell. But now she’s part of my salvation. She’s become my light, and I no longer want to be in the dark. She may not need me, but I require her for much more than the jobs we will be doing together.

  I was meant to save her, but it seems she was the one who saved me. She’s become an endless shot of heroin to my veins. With every pull on my cigarette, each sip of alcohol, there’s only one thing that can truly calm my anxiety.

  Caia Amoretto.

  20

  Caia

  There were times in my life I knew what I wanted to do. When I was stolen, I didn’t give up hope until I watched the blood draining from the wound that threatened to steal my life. Rolling over, I find the warm body of Drake Savage beside me.

  He was the only sure thing I’d ever had. Even when I lived with Thanos, it was Drake who had given me hope. His long lashes flutter on his cheeks and his soft snores rumble through his chest. The smooth skin is enticing, and I can’t stop my lips from pressing a kiss on the smooth curve of Drake’s shoulder.

  A click sounds from the entrance, and I turn to see River standing in the doorway. He smiles, entering and shutting the door without a sound. I take in every inch of him, the low hanging pajama pants he’s wearing offer a glimpse of his hips, the dips of his oblique muscles clear as day. River is handsome. His eyes glint with mischief when he settles on the bed.

  “We need to get planning,” he tells me in a hushed whisper.

  I nod. I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the next few days, or weeks even, but one thing is for sure. I want to be here, with them.

  “Are you both here to piss me the fuck off?” Drake rumbles, his voice heavy with sleep, which makes me giggle. The sound is so foreign to me. And I let it take over, allowing myself to laugh for the first time in years. For the first time since I was stolen from my family, then severed from Drake.

  I didn’t know what was going to happen then either, and somehow, through all the darkness, I’m still here. “Don’t be a grouch,” I whisper, curling myself into his body. The heat of him makes me tingle on every inch of my skin.

  “We do need to plan though,” he responds, pulling me tighter in to his hold. “River, do we have the team on standby?”

  “Yeah,” River mutters, looking down at us both. “I’ve also got clean up ready. We need to tell them when and where to be.”

  Drake nods, groaning before planting a kiss on my head, then releases his hold on me. He swings his legs over the edge of the bed, rising from the mattress. His bare ass on view to both River and me.

  “You’re both fucking perverts,” he chuckles, sauntering into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. Every inch of Drake is hardened, toned, and muscled. And I can’t help smiling at the thought of him being mine.

  “He’s an asshole at times,” River tells me. “But I love him.” Green eyes pin me to the bed when he looks at me. An inquisitive arching of his brow as he regards me. “Do you love him?”

  I’m not sure what to say, how to tell him that I can certainly see myself falling for them both, but right now, I can’t. “It’s too soon for that,” I respond. Scooting up the bed, I lean against the headboard as I regard him.

  “I get that,” he agrees. “But if you find at any point you can’t love him, you need to walk away. I can’t see him hurt again.”

  “I’ll never hurt him.” This time, my words are even more confident. “I just need time to come to terms with everything that’s happened so far.”

  “Hey, you two need to stop with the emotional shit,�
�� Drake says, stalking closer to the bed. He’s pulled on a pair of low-slung gray sweatpants and a white tank top that offers sneaky glimpses of his toned torso.

  “Let’s get to the office,” River says, rising from the bed.

  “I’ll see you guys soon.” They both nod in response, leaving me in the bedroom to mull over what River said. My feelings are all heightened. The fact that I’ve been here nearly a week now and I’m still jarred from being with Thanos, I’m unsure of my emotions.

  Love.

  It’s a word I never thought I’d use again. Even considering it now, I’m fearful of the pain it could bring. There aren’t any guarantees that this relationship between the three of us can work, but then again, you have to take a chance to find your happiness.

  Walking into the office, I notice Drake behind his desk before he looks up. His head is bowed over the iPad as he taps away on the screen. The room smells of his spicy cologne, which makes me smile. The man is an Adonis, with his almost-black, tousled hair, those ocean-blue eyes that seem to look right through you, and his sinful smirk that tilts just the corner of his mouth up.

  As dangerous as he is, he’s also pure sex.

  Unadulterated, devilish, and he knows it.

  “Are you going to stand there all day?” he questions without looking up. I don’t respond. Instead, I shut the door and make my way toward the chair I sat in the other night while we had our filthy scene. Only, I’m no longer a stranger in his office. No. I’ve become more. I’m the girl he wants in his life.

  “River is with the men. He’s briefing them, and I’ll be giving you the rules of what we’re about to walk into.” He doesn’t look at me when he tells me this, but the tension in his shoulders seems to tighten with his confession. Finally, after a long moment, his eyes lift lazily up to me. From the black heels I’m wearing, up my bare legs, to the short black dress which hugs my slim frame, stopping momentarily on my breasts, then finding my hazel eyes.

  “Sit,” he orders, tipping his head to the side. The corner of his lips quirk, and I’m afforded a panty-melting grin. He sits back and regards me with those sky-blue eyes. I settle on the chair, relaxing back in the large wingback covered in a soft red leather.

  “What is happening?”

  “You play quite the innocent woman, little bird,” Drake says with a soft smile.

  “Perhaps,” I grin, crossing my legs, one over the other. I know I’m taunting him. He expects me to be the broken girl. Maybe he wants me to be that, but I’m far from it. Something inside me clicked last night. Drake offered me the confidence I was sorely lacking. He’s given me so much more than I’ve ever dreamed he could.

  “This weekend, there’s a party happening,” he tells me. “Your father will be there, Caia.” His words still me for a moment.

  Swallowing the fear, I nod.

  I rise. Stalking over to his desk, I lean my ass against it beside his chair. Gripping the edge, I lift myself onto the rich, varnished oak. He doesn’t move. A statue. But I feel his eyes; they bore into me, burning me from the inside out.

  That’s when I spread my thighs, wide enough for him to see I’m not wearing anything under my skirt. No words, only a guttural sound resounds deep in his chest. The sky-blue that was present only second ago turns molten. They darken to a shade that reminds me of a stormy sea.

  “Jesus,” he growls, running his fingers through his dark hair. His other hand grips my thigh painfully as his fingers press into the soft skin. “You’re a bad girl, Caia. Do you know what happens to girls like you?” he asks, snapping his glare to mine.

  “They get what they want, Mr. Savage.” The game I’ve played for four long years is ingrained in me. I’ve become something else. I’ve become something I no longer recognize, but I’m stronger for it.

  “Very true, little bird. Very true,” he agrees. “Tell me about the first time you had to use your body to get something from one of Thanos’s clients. I need to know if you’re ready for this weekend.”

  I close my eyes, sitting on his desk, and recall the moment I turned off all my emotions. The day I became a whore for Thanos. Not by choice, but because the moment I refused, I’d bleed, for days.

  The dress he’s given me to wear is long, falling to the floor. The material a soft silk that hugs my slim frame, and the neckline is cut low in the front. He knows what his clients want, and tonight, I’ll be the pawn in the game this man plays.

  My owner.

  Strolling through the room, I exit and head into the hallway. He’s waiting at the end of the passage, dressed in an immaculate suit.

  I’m no longer scared. I spent far too long being afraid of what was going to happen to me. But I’ve finally accepted that this isn’t going to change a thing. Thanos will still hurt me. He’ll use me like a toy, a piece in the puzzle game that will someday come to an end.

  Thanos smirks when I reach him. I can’t cower, or he’ll get angry, so I straighten my spine and meet his stare. There’s nothing good inside this man. He’s filth.

  He reaches for me, his large hand gripping my arm, and my stomach bottoms out. I recognize the feeling immediately — rage.

  “I trust you’ll get the information from him this evening,” he says close to my ear, allowing his alcohol-scented breath to fan over my face.

  “As you wish,” I tell him with a small smile. If I don’t, he’ll hurt me. He gave me the rules early on, informing me of what I’m here for. A whore for his needs. The men he brings here are powerful, their positions in government and various businesses give him the information he needs to blackmail them into doing his bidding.

  He leans in. His scent is heavy, surrounding me like a cloud, making my stomach recoil. His mouth is on my neck, suckling the flesh, while his teeth bite down hard causing me to whimper. “I’m certain Harrison will show you what filthy little toys like you deserve.” His promise triggers horrific images to race through my mind.

  Without another word, he pulls me down the hallway and shoves me into the room. I can’t help stumbling into a solid wall of a man on the other side of the threshold. When I lift my gaze, I find green eyes staring down at me. There’s desire dancing in them, need for something I’m meant to offer.

  “Such a pretty little whore,” he smirks, then glances behind me, offering my owner a nod. He kicks the door shut behind me, and I know there’s no escape. I don’t respond. I’m not allowed to, so I follow him deeper into the room. There’s a long table that sits only inches from where we stop, and he pushes me onto the surface. His hand on the middle of my back forces me down. My breasts squashed against the wooden top, while my ass juts out toward him.

  “Open your legs.” I do as he instructs. He lifts the skirts of my dress, bunching it around my hips, and then his hands are on the fleshy globes of my ass. He squeezes them harshly, spreading them open. “Filthy holes. Do you want them abused, fuck-toy?”

  “If you wish.” My words are broken, cracked with sadness.

  I tremble with fear when a harsh spank on my ass causes me to yelp. Closing my eyes, I hear the shuffle of material, but he doesn’t enter me. Instead, he wraps his tie around my head, the material pressing between my lips, making me gag.

  “Your owner tells me you’re obedient. I buy girls all the time, and some of them are far too annoying with their whining,” he chuckles. That’s all he says before he slams into me so fast it steals my breath. He slides out, and in. Back and forth. One long stroke after another. My cries are muffled by his tie. His grunts are low and feral. Basal. He’s animalistic as he takes me. “Fucking little slut. Coming in here, making me hard. This is what you wanted. Isn’t it?” he hisses under his breath as he tugs me back by my hair.

  Our bodies slap together, echoing in the room. The burn of his cock inside me only makes me whimper in agony, which he thinks is pleasure. His hands grip me painfully, and I know I’ll be bruised tomorrow. He suddenly pulls out of my body, the heat of his release splatters on my ass, running down my thighs.

/>   Tears trickle down my cheeks as the agony takes hold. I’m about to rise when he presses a finger between the cheeks of my ass, forcing it into the tight entrance. My body tenses in shock. It’s not the first time someone has touched me there. Thanos has been inside every part of me, but fear still grips me. He rips the tie from my mouth, and I’m free to cry out, but I don’t. I’ve learned not to make a sound.

  “You’re tighter than my whore,” he grunts.

  “How many girls have you done this to?” I question, knowing my owner wants all the information I can get out of this man. “Does your wife not allow you to do this?”

  He chuckles. “My wife is a frigid bitch. That’s why I have you little sluts to give me what I need.” His response drips with malice as he opens me, stretching the tight ring of muscle painfully. “So pretty.” Another dark chuckle vibrates in his chest. Spit drips onto my ass while he uses two fingers to spread me. Seconds later, I’m filled, and it feels like I’m being torn in two.

  My eyes shut tight as I cry out. I can no longer bite my tongue because the pain is far too much. Everything stills, and I feel him throb.

  “I’ve paid a pretty penny for you to take my dick.” He leans in, whispering in my ear. “But I didn’t ask you to talk.” His fat hand wraps around my delicate throat, and he squeezes. “You like this, don’t you? A broken toy who gets off on being abused.” His words are vile, and my stomach turns. The bile that rises to my throat burns its way onto my tongue. That’s when he pulls out of me and drags me to the floor. Shoving me to my knees, he grips his dick and forces it into my mouth. A groan of pleasure rockets through him as I choke and gag on the tip of his dick prodding my throat.

  I wait for it. My hands gripping my ankles and soon enough, he empties another load of semen onto my tongue. The sour flavor causes my puke to overflow, and it hits the carpet in a splatter.

  “Stupid bitch,” the man groans. “Tell your owner that if he wants to partner with me, he needs to find younger, more useful toys.”