Twelve For Two Hundred (Men of the Vault Book 1)

by Aria Grace

  With Damon open and begging for me to enter him, I slide my hand up his spine and gently hold his neck while I push into his hole. He moans low and deep, but it’s not the right sound. He sounds too hungry to feed that craving inside me. Damon loves having a thick dick inside him, and when he shrieks, it’s always in pleasure. Definitely not what I want to hear right now.

  I’m not a sadist, per se. But my dick gets an extra surge of blood when I hear someone shriek in pain. I don’t like to hurt others, but I do get off on their pain. It’s sick and demented, but it’s just how I’m wired. That’s why my body instantly tunes in to the small sounds coming from the room next door. I don’t know what they’re doing in there, but Jackson must be putting that kid through his paces. Every sound he makes moves me closer to my own climax. At least until Jackson’s gravelly laugh comes booming through the vent and from the hallway behind me.

  “A little help in here.” I don’t know if it’s because he’s laughing or because he’s just a fucktard, but the urge to punch Jackson in the face is back with a vengeance. “We’ve got a fainter in here.”

  Pulling out of Damon isn’t easy. He knows how to ride a cock like a champion bull rider, but the instinct to check on the Nicola kid outweighs my burgeoning need to empty into Damon’s tight ass. “I’ll be right back.”

  Damon lets out a sad moan but doesn’t try to stop me as I pull my pants up from my ankles and step into the hallway. “Should I finish or wait for you?”

  Fuck, he’s gonna make some guy very happy someday. “Just finish up. This might take a minute.”

  Tanner turns the corner down the hallway at the same time that I step out of the small room.

  “Everything okay?” Tanner glances from me to the open door Jackson just called from.

  “He said something about a fainter.” I take two long strides to the doorway then rush through it, instantly pissed off by the scene in front of me.

  “What the hell happened, man?” I hate this dude more with each passing second. Pathetic is the first word that comes to mind when I look at him. Asshole is the second.

  Jackson has his dick in his hand and is rubbing it across the kid’s cheek. “He just needs a minute, and then we can try again. You got any smelling salts, Tanner?”

  The kid scrunches his eyes and then a moment later, they flutter open. He turns toward Jackson just in time to get that stubby little dick right up his nostril. The kid makes a face and instinctively pulls back in disgust. I don’t blame him.

  Tanner takes a shallow breath beside me, and I know he's trying not to laugh. I don't bother trying and let out a low chuckle. “I think you’re aiming for the wrong hole, Jackson.”

  Nicola’s eyes pop open and lock right on mine. He holds his blue gaze on me for just a moment before looking to Tanner. “I'm sorry, Tanner. I didn't mean to. I want to do this. I know I can do better.”

  Tanner shakes his head and motions for Jackson to back away. “Don't worry about it, Liam. Jackson can get somebody else for tonight. Why don't you head back to the dorm and have some orange juice or something? You're still looking a little pale.”

  The guy, Liam, stands up on shaky legs, cupping his flaccid cock with his hand. With a quick look in Tanner’s direction, he immediately releases himself as if realizing his mistake. “Sorry. I won't do it again. I promise.”

  “You're fine, Liam. There's always tomorrow.” Tanner still sounds more amused than upset, but I know he’s actually pissed. Jackson has had more than a few incidents in the past, and the warnings don’t seem to be doing any good. If I didn’t think Tanner could handle things himself, I might step in and give Jackson a little warning of my own. But it’s not my place to butt in. Tanner will handle things. “Grab a robe for the walk back.”

  Liam hurries to the closet and pulls a robe out then slips it around his slender body. With his eyes downcast and his hands fisted by his sides, Liam steps around Tanner and heads to the door. From the corner of my eye, I see him sway and reach for the door frame to steady himself. He’s definitely not ready to be walking around by himself.

  Releasing a deep sigh as if I’m already put out, I reach for his elbow. “I'll walk you back. I'm done here anyway.”

  With a quick look at Tanner, I wait for confirmation that he's alright with me helping Liam get back to his room. Tanner’s steely grey eyes lock with mine for a long moment before he nods once. “Thanks, Edge.”

  “Yep.” I gently tug Liam forward, happy to put some distance between him and that douchebag, Jackson. “Let’s get you home.”

  4

  Liam

  I’ve never been more humiliated in my life. Passing out within the first ten minutes of my very first night was bad enough. But having to rely on this godlike specimen I saw earlier to get me back to the dorm is just mortifying. I try to pull away so I can walk back on my own. “I think I’m okay from here.”

  The man’s fingers tighten at my hip instead of loosening, and he doesn’t break his stride at all. “I told Tanner I’d get you to your room. We’re almost there.”

  My chin drops to my chest as I continue to shuffle beside him. At least I’m not still naked. That’s probably the only thing that would make this walk of shame even worse. “Sorry.”

  From the corner of my eye, I notice him duck down to catch my attention. I see him, but I can’t bear to face him. What did he see when he first walked into that room? Was that…thing…still hanging from my dick? He probably thinks I’m some kind of freak. Oh, wait, I’m a prostitute and he’s a john.

  I guess he’d be right.

  “Why are you sorry?” His tone seems annoyed but quiet. Like he doesn’t want to be here with me, but he’s trying not to scare me. Well, mission not accomplished. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  I choke out a laugh and finally glance at him. It’s the first time I’ve dared to look at his face this close up, and it’s too much. I have to turn away or risk stumbling. His wide jaw and thick lips make my insides melt. What would it feel like to have those on my mouth…or my body? God, I’m an idiot. “Well, it’s my first night, and I scared away that, um, customer. Tanner probably hates me right now.”

  The man slows his pace and loosens his grip slightly. But now, the action is unwelcome. I’m not surprised, but I’m disappointed. And knowing this guy’s just as disappointed in me as Tanner probably is brings on a whole new level of embarrassment. I try to pull out of his arms, but those fingers dig in once again, holding me in place. “No one hates you right now, kid. Not even Jackson. He’s probably proud of himself for coming up with something so extreme for your first night that he was able to knock you unconscious. That dude has issues. But Tanner isn’t mad at you.”

  “How do you know?” We start walking again, and this time, I allow myself to relax against his side instead of constantly tugging away. I wouldn’t say I trust him, but I’m not as distrusting as I was a minute ago. “Do you know Tanner pretty well?”

  “You could say that.” He clears his throat and lowers his voice as we approach the bunkhouse where all the employees live. “I’ve known him for a while, and he takes the health and safety of you guys seriously. He needs you just as much as you need him.”

  I don’t think that’s possible, but I don’t bother disagreeing. If he’s Tanner’s friend, anything I say will probably get back to my boss. And I don’t need any trouble. I just need to grow a pair and psych myself up for whatever crazy shit is in store for me tomorrow. Because if that Jackson guy comes back for me, I am going to be ready this time.

  Amateur hour is over.

  I’m ready to take on whatever kind of kinky perv pulls my tag next.

  Scotty is still working when I get back to my room. After a quick thanks to the man Tanner called Edge, I close the door behind me and march straight to the shower. It’s connected to another room shared by two other guys, but they aren’t around either, so I’ve got a few minutes of privacy to wash away the stink of humiliation and that man’s musky colo
gne from my body.

  The hot water helps to loosen my tense shoulders and jaw, but once the water starts to run cold, I know it’s time to start training. And by training, I mean watching a whole new kind of porn that I didn’t even know existed an hour ago.

  I’m only wearing a towel around my waist when I see Scotty sprawled out on his bed, staring up at his phone. “Oh, hey. I didn’t realize you were back already.”

  He glances at me with a smile. “Yeah, just walked in a few minutes ago.”

  I slide onto my bed and pull the comforter over my legs and hips. “So, how was it?”

  “Pretty awesome.” He tosses his phone onto the bed and rolls onto his side to face me. “This guy was gorgeous. Dark skin and huge muscles. Mmm…”

  “That’s great.” I hope my words sound genuine. I truly am happy for Scotty. He’s a cool guy, and I wouldn’t wish a bad night on him just because I had one. “I’m glad you had fun.”

  “Yeah, it was definitely fun. I just wish it lasted longer.” Scotty cocks an eyebrow as he eyes me curled up in bed. “What about you? Everything go okay?”

  I consider lying to him, but I can’t. The emotional toll of my night is finally catching up to me. I held my shit together when I had to, but in the privacy of my bed, I can’t be strong anymore. If I verbalize even a single word, I know I’ll burst into tears. And that would be silly. Weak.

  I don’t want Scotty to think something even worse happened, so I just shake my head and pull the comforter over my face, praying the tears bubbling behind my lids stay hidden.

  “Oh, shit.” I feel his weight against the side of my body as he lays across my bed and wraps an arm around my chest. “What happened?”

  I try to calm myself enough to explain that it wasn’t as bad as I’m making it seem, but a sob comes out instead of words. Not cool. After taking a deep breath, I start to count backward in my head.

  Ten.

  Nine.

  Eight.

  Seven.

  I will not cry. I will not cry.

  Six.

  Five.

  Four.

  I am a grown man, and I had a bad day. No big deal.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  “I passed out when a guy stuck a piece of metal into my dick.” The words come out in a single breath that Scotty can probably barely hear. But they come out, nonetheless.

  Scotty’s body goes still beside me, and I wonder what he’s thinking. Is he worried for me? Sad? Disgusted?

  His body shakes silently, and my curiosity gets the best of me. I peek out from under the covers and see Scotty trying to hold back a wide grin. As soon as my eyes connect with his, he busts out laughing. “Seriously? You passed out? Like unconscious, passed out?”

  “Shut up!” I shove his chest hard enough that he almost falls off the bed. But his toothy grin is contagious, and I can’t hold back one of my own. “It was humiliating. And it fucking hurt! Have you ever tried to shove something into your pee hole?”

  “Hell no.” Scotty sits up with his legs crossed beside me and tries to school his features into a serious expression. He doesn’t do a very good job, but I appreciate the effort. “Are you okay?”

  I sit up too, so he has more room. “I’m fine. He didn’t get it very far before I passed out. When I woke up, Tanner and some hot dude that I could have been with were standing over me. I wanted to die right there.”

  Scotty’s lips pull up, but he keeps it together. “That sucks for your first night. But I’m sure tomorrow will be better.”

  God, I hope so. “Do you think I should learn how to do that?”

  “What? Shove shit in your dick? No way. If someone asks for that, just make yourself pass out again so you can get out of there. Or refuse. My uncle had a catheter when I was a kid, and he used to get infections all the time. I’d stay as far away from that shit as possible.”

  “Sounds like a pretty good plan to me.”

  5

  Edge

  What is Liam Nicola doing in Nevada? Are they all back, or did he come alone? It can’t be a coincidence. As much as I want to believe his appearance has absolutely nothing to do with me or my personal mission to eliminate Joseph Nicola, I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing something.

  Something important.

  Something obvious.

  I thrash around in my bed for another hour before I finally give in and fall asleep. Even in my sleep, my mind is churning through the possible reasons for Liam’s appearance at The Vault. I know Tanner isn’t setting me up. He wouldn’t do that to me, and if he did, he wouldn’t do it anywhere near his business.

  I try to ignore the images of my brother that keep focusing and blurring in my head. I don’t want these random thoughts to turn into a dream. And I definitely don’t want to deal with a nightmare from the night my brother was killed. But my subconscious takes me back there anyway. And I’m just a fifteen-year-old kid waiting for my big brother to come back.

  Hurry up. I know better than to text David when he’s working, but he’s been gone for almost an hour. He said he’d be back in ten minutes, and I’m freezing.

  After five minutes of waiting for a response, I get out of the car and walk toward the back of the casino parking lot. David made me promise never to get involved in his business. And I won’t. But if he needs my help, I’m not just going to sit in the car like an asshole. I’m going to help my brother.

  A group of people is talking in front of two large SUVs. David is standing between the vehicles, surrounded by several men in dark suits. The fattest of the men in suits tosses a duffle bag at David then climbs into the back of his SUV. The rest of the men follow him into the vehicles and the engines roar to life.

  Ducking behind a trashcan so they don’t notice me, I breathe a sigh of relief that he’s almost done. We can go home now. David starts walking in my direction with the duffle in his hand but one of the SUVs slams on its brakes and a window opens. As if it’s happening in slow motion, I watch an arm jut out of the window and point a gun right at my brother.

  I’m frozen in place as I watch several bullets slam into my brother, tearing his chest and arm to shreds as he convulses and contorts in weird angles before collapsing to the concrete beneath him. The SUV lunges toward me before turning onto the ramp to exit the structure.

  Several seconds go by while I just sit there, waiting for my brother to get up and tell me he’s okay. I need to hear him say it was all a prank and he’s ready to go home. But he doesn’t move. And when my feet are finally able to support my weight, I run to my brother’s side, praying it’s not too late.

  Even in a nightmare, my brain has enough self-preservation instincts to avoid conjuring the images of David’s ravaged body. Thankfully, those are repressed deep enough in my psyche that I hope to never bring them to the surface again.

  The next moment, I’m back in David’s car with a duffle bag full of cash beside me. Even though I’m not old enough to drive legally, David taught me how to drive when I was thirteen, when he started taking care of me after our mom took off with some loser boyfriend of hers.

  I sit straight up in bed with sweat pouring down my head and chest. Fuck. I hate when that dream comes back to haunt me. It’s been months since I’ve thought about that night. After leaving the casino, I drove up and down the highway for hours, trying to decide what to do next.

  I considered going to the police, but they’d just take the money as evidence and put me in the system. I considered heading north to see if I could find my mom. She said she was moving to Montana when she left. I don’t know if she ever made it there, but I wasn’t willing to hunt her down. She clearly didn’t want me when I was thirteen, and she definitely wouldn’t want me at fifteen.

  So, I went to the one person David told me I could trust if I was ever in a jam. His best friend, Rod Tanner.

  Tanner took me in with no questions asked. It almost seemed like he expected me. He handed me a pillow and comforte
r and let me camp out on his couch. I was quiet at first, unsure what to tell him about David. But after a few months of living with him, I opened up and told him everything.

  Since then, he's been like the brother I missed so desperately. He could never replace David, but he’s done one helluva job trying. He’s even used his connections to help me track down the names of those involved in David’s murder. The people I’ve vowed to hunt down and end the way they ended my only blood relative.

  My need to exact my revenge on everyone involved was all-consuming when I turned eighteen. I took stupid risks and almost got myself killed on more than one occasion while trying to get to those men on my list. But I haven’t been able to get close enough to the man who matters most. Not yet, anyway.

  But I’m nothing if not patient. I’ve waited this long, and I will continue to bide my time until I work my way down the list. Until I get to the one name that means more than all the others put together. The man who turned my world upside down and set me on this path for vengeance that I just can’t seem to veer from.

  The man who pulled the trigger that night.

  Joseph Nicola.

  Tanner eventually learned that David had been involved in selling drugs for a competing cartel. One out of Canada that was making a grab for the Nicola territory. We don’t know how or why David got involved with them, but the Nicola family was very protective of the Vegas drug scene.

  They’d gained control during a bloodbath in the late eighties and threatened to burn down the city before allowing someone else to come in and take what was theirs.

  But David was a stubborn kid who had me to look after. He had more loyalty to me than brains, and he didn't heed the warnings he’d received. That night was a setup. Nicola gave him some excuse about needing to buy some of David's merchandise for a hotshot client, but his intention was to use David to send a message. A warning to anyone considering entering his town.