Defied: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (The Devil's Syndicate Book 2)

by Sarah Bailey

  “To what do I owe this wake-up call?” I muttered groggily without opening my eyes.

  “I missed you.”

  The ache in my chest at her words had me wrapping my arms around her. My little girl. So soft and warm. So pliant.

  “I thought you’d be with Xav… Is he okay? What’s going on with Julian?”

  “He’s… dealing. Julian has prostate cancer. He’ll have surgery and we’ll see I guess. Xav said they caught it early so he’s probably going to be okay.”

  I opened my eyes and looked down at her blonde hair covering my chest. Her eyes were closed and she looked a little melancholy.

  “And are you okay?”

  She shook her head.

  “Little girl…”

  “He told me what Julian did in… graphic detail and… I know Eric is in love with him.”

  Well, that’s just… great.

  She raised her head and opened her eyes, blinking as she met mine. There was pain in them which made my chest tighten significantly.

  “And I’m really sore.”

  I frowned.

  “Why?”

  Her cheeks went bright red.

  “Um…”

  That’s when I noticed she had fading marks on her neck. I raised an eyebrow wondering what on earth she and Xav had got up to yesterday. They hadn’t emerged from his room all night, forgoing dinner. It hardly surprised me given what a state Xav had been in, but I did worry.

  “He was a bit rough.”

  “A bit?”

  She bit her lip and fuck me, I hated it when she did that. I wanted to bite it so badly and mixed with morning wood, it made my cock throb.

  “Okay, he was very rough… but he’s hurting.”

  “Ash…”

  “I wanted it too.” She shifted to straddle me and her cheeks darkened further when she felt me between her legs. “And now I really don’t want to talk about it any further.”

  She leant down and kissed me. It wasn’t a gentle kiss. Her lips pressed down hard and her tongue probed the seam of my mouth, urging me to open for her. And when I did, our tongues tangled in a mess of desperation. My hand dug into her hair, holding her to me like my life depended on it. My other hand snaked around her behind, cupping and squeezing until I felt her wince. I pulled her face from mine, finding her eyes wide.

  “When you said rough…”

  “Quinn, he didn’t do anything I wasn’t okay with.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking.”

  I don’t even know why I wanted to know.

  She let out a long sigh and sat up, dragging her nails down my chest which made me jerk upwards, pressing my cock against her heat.

  Damn it, now all I can think about is being buried in her, but I can’t if she’s in pain.

  “Fine, you want details, I’ll give them to you. He pinned me down on his bed, told me he didn’t want to fuck my pussy, worked me up and then fucked me harder than I’ve ever been fucked before. So yeah, I’m sore… there, but it’s okay because I wanted it. I wanted his pain so I could drown in something other than my own misery.”

  I was a little taken aback by her outburst. The way her blue eyes blazed and her breath came faster.

  “Little girl…”

  Her nails dug into my abs, making me wince.

  “No, I’m not done! You promised me you were okay with this. I don’t need more bad fucking news right now. I’m so done. First, I had to deal with stupid Viktor who terrified the shit out of me, then Xav’s breakdown over Julian and finding out Eric is in love with him and then to top it all off I ruined everything between me and Rory because we kissed and it’s all fucked up. So excuse me for needing to get lost in a moment and it being amazing even though it hurt.”

  I blinked. What made her think I wasn’t okay with this? I’d been trying to help her get closer to them. She must know I’d do anything for her. She must know how I felt even if I hadn’t told her I loved her yet.

  “Wait, hold on, you kissed Rory?”

  She threw her hands up and made to scramble off me when I caught her arm and pulled her closer.

  “Don’t tell me you’re upset with me about it. He told me to get out afterwards like he was so afraid of hurting me he couldn’t even let himself be near me. It hurt, Quinn, it damn hurt to see the horror on his face and so yeah, I went and had rough sex with Xav to save myself from drowning in my own miserable shit.”

  I put a hand over her mouth to stop her talking. Her eyes went wide and her body stiffened.

  “Will you be quiet for a moment and let me speak?”

  I kept my tone very soft so as to reassure her I wasn’t angry. Quite the opposite. I was concerned. Very concerned about her and especially concerned about Rory.

  She nodded and I dropped my hand.

  “I’m not upset or any of those other things you’re imagining, little girl.” I dug my hands in her hair and pulled her down, resting her forehead against mine. “I’m worried about you.”

  “Quinn…”

  “Shh, don’t interrupt me.” She shut her mouth. “I’m sorry you’re suffering so much. I know this has all been a lot for you to handle. You’re so brave and strong, but it’s okay to fall apart sometimes. It’s okay not to be okay… do you understand me?”

  “Yes.”

  I placed a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Now, to address your concerns. Eric has been in love with Xav since forever and whilst Rory and I want him to tell Xav the truth, we can’t push him into doing it. You needn’t worry about it changing how he feels about you and trust me, little girl, he likes you far more than he wants to admit to. Have a little faith and patience with him.”

  This was getting messier by the minute, but we were going to have to navigate it somehow. One way or another, the truth would eventually come out. All the things I was keeping from her would too and I was dreading those even more.

  “As for Rory… I don’t know what to tell you, Ash. I warned you about pushing him too hard, but I’ve never seen him care about anyone the way he does you, so maybe you haven’t ruined anything. I wish I could tell you why he is the way he is, but it’s not up to me. I’ve already said enough as it is.”

  “You can’t tell him I told you about it.”

  As much as I wanted to talk to him about it, I wouldn’t. He’d already got a little pissed at me over my encouragement of their relationship. I had a feeling interfering further wouldn’t help. If he wanted to talk, he knew where to find me.

  “I won’t.”

  “Thank you… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  She laid a hand on my heart. I was pretty sure she could feel how hard it was racing in my chest. Only she did that to me.

  “I won’t punish you for your little outburst… However, you’re more than welcome to make it up to me.”

  A smirk crossed her lips. Her hand dragged down my chest and my stomach until her fingers brushed over the head of my cock.

  “And how would sir like his little girl to pleasure him?”

  I groaned at her words and her touch. She would be the death of me at this rate.

  “Suck me.”

  I didn’t want to fuck her if she was too sore to handle it, but her mouth… well, that was still fair game. And I certainly didn’t complain as she burrowed under the covers, peeled back my boxers and went to town on me until my eyes rolled back in my head. My little girl certainly knew exactly how to drive me over the edge and drag me under.

  I’m going to tell you tonight, little girl. Tell you just how much I love your tenacious little soul.

  Chapter 32

  I ambled into the kitchen finding Eric alone nursing a cup of coffee. He looked up when I came in and smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes. I narrowed mine when I noticed the dark circles under his like he hadn’t slept properly. Me, on the other hand, I’d slept like the fucking dead after Ash wore me out. It’s like she knew I needed
to lose myself in her to regain control of my emotions.

  “Hey man.”

  I dropped myself into a stool and rubbed my face.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Okay, I guess.”

  The whole thing with Julian was fucked up but at the end of the day, Eric was right. I didn’t have to see him. I didn’t have to go to the prison just because my father was sick. It would only make me feel worse. He showed no remorse for killing Mum and Katie. Why was it up to me to be there for him when he was suffering?

  “I thought Ash would be with you.”

  I smirked remembering how she’d come apart below me. How she’d begged me to fuck her. How tight her little arse had been around my cock. How well she’d taken it even though it must’ve hurt. I’d not been gentle. The sex had been rough and raw. Both of us needing the pleasure and pain to take the edge off our fucked up emotions.

  “She wanted Quinn.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “What?”

  “Nothing… I’m just surprised she isn’t with you is all.”

  “Why because we’re supposed to be joined at the hip? Ash was there for me last night. It’s a lot for her to deal with too, you know.”

  “That isn’t what I was implying.”

  “Then what? Do you need me to spell out what sharing means? I’m not selfish, E. I respect her relationship with him just as he does mine.”

  He looked a little contrite. I had no idea why he was acting as if Ash spending time with Quinn was a cardinal sin. Besides, I wasn’t falling apart. I felt better this morning even if the whole thing with Julian had still really fucked me up. Letting my father get under my skin all over again wasn’t healthy nor would it help matters.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Really? It sounded like you were judging her.”

  He put his hands up, his green eyes wide with apology written all over his face.

  “I swear to god I’m not.”

  I narrowed my eyes. He looked sincere, but something about his demeanour was off.

  “Do you have a problem with Ash being with both of us? Do you think it’s wrong for a woman to take two men to her bed?”

  “What? No! Jesus, Xav, I really don’t care if you two want to sleep with her. She’s an adult.”

  “And here I thought you were all super protective since she’s so young.”

  He scowled and turned away from me, sticking his middle finger up. So I shoved his shoulder, grinning.

  “Come on, E, don’t be so serious all the time.”

  “You’re a dick.”

  “You love me really.”

  He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

  “You fucking wish I did.”

  I pouted. He did love me as a friend, I knew that much. I was just pissing him off.

  “Yeah, actually I do.”

  He was silent at that, his body going still. I prodded his side and he looked up at me. When he noticed I was grinning, he shoved me away.

  “Whatever, your ego doesn’t need stroking any further and especially not by me.”

  I slung an arm over his shoulder.

  “Aww, E, I had no idea you felt that way. I’m flattered.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “Nah, man, I can see it in your eyes. You love me so much. I bet your dick is hard right now thinking about how much you want me.”

  He shoved me off and scowled.

  “Shut up.”

  “Go on, tell me, do you like to top or bottom when you’re with a guy?”

  “I’m not talking about this with you.”

  I poked him in the ribs. I’d missed our banter so much when he stopped talking to me. He always kept me grounded.

  “I think I already know.”

  I don’t know why I was pressing him on this subject. It amused me to watch him get worked up about stupid shit when it was clear he was really fucking embarrassed. Talking about sex with him was like pulling teeth. I knew he’d been with men and women so it’s not like it was a mystery what they got up to in the bedroom.

  “Would you shut up already? Not everyone wants to broadcast their sexual preferences to the world.”

  “It’s just the two of us. I won’t tell.”

  “You can spend the rest of your life fucking wondering.”

  I leant closer to him.

  “So repressed. If you let it all out then you wouldn’t get so worked up, hmm? Look at me, I’m sexually free and happy.”

  I could see his agitation and it only made me want to dig deeper. Find out what was really going on in that little head of his.

  “Cut it out.”

  I leant back and pointed at him.

  “Oh, I know what your preference is. You totally want to get pinned down and fucked.”

  He stood up abruptly, his whole body shaking and I wondered if I had pushed him too far.

  “Seriously, Xav, enough. Stop being a cunt.”

  He took his cup of coffee and walked away towards the stove. He set about putting a pan on and diving into the fridge to make breakfast.

  “You mad at me now?”

  He looked over his shoulder.

  “No.”

  I wasn’t sure if I believed him or not but I decided to drop the subject. I didn’t want to push things too far after our falling out. He went back to making breakfast and I stared at his back. Ever since Ash told me she wanted him, I wondered if he’d ever join us in this endeavour. Of course, I wasn’t going to say a word to him about Ash’s feelings, that was her deal. It didn’t stop me thinking about whether or not he’d join in. Out of everyone, I was pretty surprised about Quinn being down with the joint fucking aspect, but Eric was so fucking cagey about sex, who knew if he’d ever let himself go like that. Maybe it weirded him out. The whole concept of fucking the same girl as his friends.

  I supposed I’d have to wait and see. After all, Ash was taking her sweet time in telling him. She’d had a lot to deal with so I could hardly blame her. Still, didn’t stop my curiosity and I wondered if eventually, it might end up getting the better of me. I would never turn down a new experience. And maybe this is exactly what Eric needed to stop being such a little repressed shit over sex. Fuck knows he needed to get laid. I was well aware there’d been no one since he broke it off with that Hank guy months ago. And before that, it’d been Mia, but even that only lasted a couple of months.

  I guess time would tell whether Eric was on board with our arrangement or not.

  Chapter 33

  I rubbed my face, leaning back in my chair as Eric walked in. He had a scowl etched on his features but what he had in his hand caught my attention.

  “This was hand-delivered to the Syndicate by one of Russo’s lackeys. Is there something you haven’t told us?”

  Eric had been over there this morning to sort out the rest of the accounts with Geoff.

  I put my hand out. “Give it here and get the others.”

  He tossed the envelope at me before stalking out of the room.

  Didn’t take fucking long for her to spill the beans.

  I ripped open the envelope. The single sheet of paper dropped out onto my desk. Why he’d not just come in all guns blazing surprised me, but then again Russo wasn’t stupid. He knew my reputation.

  I scanned the handwritten note.

  Il Diavolo

  You will return my daughter to me by eight pm this evening at your casino.

  Russo

  No threats, just a plain and simple demand. Give me back my daughter. I almost laughed. Did he think I would ever return her? She was mine.

  I threw the note down on my desk and rolled my eyes. If I didn’t meet his demand, I’d be fucked. He would come after me and the boys directly. I was in no doubt there would be no way out of this.

  Rory, Xav and Eric all piled in the next moment, grim expressions on their faces.

  “Where is she?”
r />   “She’s watching TV. You worried she’ll escape when our attention is elsewhere?” Xav asked with a smirk.

  “No, I don’t need her eavesdropping. Shut the door.”

  Rory closed it and stood by the bookcase. His usual perch. Xav and Eric stood in the middle of the room waiting.

  “Yesterday we had a little visit from Viktor Bykov at the Syndicate. He came to check on Ash. No doubt her mother sent him, they’re lovers after all. Now she’s told her husband we have her and he’s demanding we return her this evening.”

  “There is no fucking way in hell we’re handing Ash back to that cunt,” Xav growled, clenching his fists.

  “Hold on, Isabella wanted us to get Ash away from Frank in the first place. She invited us to his party so we could take her,” Eric interjected. “Why on earth would she renege on our deal now?”

  I drummed my fingers on the desk.

  “Ash told Viktor her place was by my side and she won’t go back to her father. I imagine that didn’t sit well with Isabella. After all, I’m sure she didn’t imagine her daughter would become attached to her captors.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Xav scoffed. “More like she’s pissed off you lied to her about your real reasons for taking Ash.”

  I shrugged. I may have sold her a story. Isabella wanted Frank taken down just as much as I did. She despised being married to him. So what if my little white lie had been I’d protect Ash? I had no plans to protect her. My intention was to punish and force her into helping us. And I wasn’t sorry my plans had veered so far off their original course either.

  “It really doesn’t matter why. We’re going to have to take Ash to the Syndicate tonight whether we want to or not.”

  “Like fuck we are.”

  I stood up and leant over my desk, giving Xav a hard stare.

  “Do you think I want to do this? She belongs to us not him. He will come for us if we don’t bring her. I’m not risking our fucking lives. We agreed if it came down to it, we would pull back.”

  “What the fuck, Quinn? You would sacrifice her for us? Do you even give a shit about Ash?”

  I growled, the sound cutting through the tense atmosphere. Having my feelings questioned pissed me off. Rage coursed through my veins. I hated the situation we were in but I wasn’t driven by emotions. The only logical and safe decision was to bring Ash to her father. I never said anything about giving her over when we got there.