by Rose, Louise
“No, sir.”
“So then why would you tell my enemies information I gave you in confidence?”
Without warning, my father lunges forward and grabs a fistful of Dave’s hair. Pulling on it hard, he forces Dave down to his knees.
“Urgh!” Dave grunts. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I swear! I haven’t told anyone anything.”
“Oh, Dave, Dave, Dave.” My father tuts. “It’s pointless trying to maintain this façade. I have irrefutable proof that you are the mole. The only thing I want to know is why? Why turn your back on me when I’ve treated you like one of my own, cared for you and your family? You’d have wanted for nothing if you only stayed loyal.”
“But I have!” There are tears in Dave’s eyes from the pain of my father twisting his hair.
“I suppose I’ll have to spell it out.” My father sighs dramatically. “I knew that someone was passing on my secrets, but I didn’t know who, so I gave out a number of false stories to different people. Depending on which story made it out to the rumour mill, I’d know who couldn’t keep their mouth shut.” He casually slaps Dave across the face. “And it turns out that the lucky winner is you. You are the only person who thought I was going to sell my plane.” He looks up at me with a smile on his face that says, isn’t that ridiculous? “Like I would ever be without my plane when I’ve got so many more trips to Italy planned. I knew my darling daughter was still talking to my enemies, so I relied on her to let me know which story had made it back to them. The second she told me, I knew it was you. And I have to say, Dave, I’m disappointed. Of all my guards, you were the last I thought would betray.”
“But I didn’t, I promise.” Dave is begging, and it breaks my heart to see him so pitiful. “All I did was have a chat with Archer Knight during the party. I didn’t tell him anything he didn’t seem to already know.”
“And yet no one else thought I was selling my plane.” My father shrugs. “But thank you for your honesty. I suspected Archer was still managing to weasel information out of my daughter and it doesn’t surprise me he was able to play you like that, although I had hoped you had sense enough to resist.”
He let go of Dave’s hair and helps him up, kissing him on both cheeks.
“So I’m forgiven?” Hope shone in Dave’s eyes.
“Of course.” My father pulls out a gun from his shoulder holster and shoots Dave square in the forehead. “Not.”
I scream as Dave collapses to the floor.
“Let that be a lesson to you, Ivy.” My father calmly returns to his chair as if nothing happened. “Be careful who you trust. Not everyone is who they appear to be. And now that you have a husband, I have a second heir, so be careful who you choose to associate with in the future. It would be better for you if you became pregnant sooner rather than later to guarantee the continuation of my line. Take that as a simple piece of fatherly advice. You may leave.”
He waves me away, and I am glad for the opportunity to escape. I edge round Dave’s body, trying not to get any blood on my shoes as I practically run to the door and up to my suite.
“Is everything okay, Ivy?” Lucas is already in our rooms and he immediately comes over to hug me when he sees my face.
“No, everything’s not okay.” I am shaking uncontrollably. “My father just shot Dave.”
“Dave? Security guard Dave?”
“Yes, Dave. Dave with the two kids who was one of the few people in this prison who treated me like a half decent human being. That Dave.” I am practically screaming hysterically. I know my father is a monster, but this is something else.
“Calm down, Ivy.” Lucas holds me by the shoulders, looking me straight in the eye. “Breathe with me. Come on. In… and out… In… and out…”
I hate having to rely on Lucas, but without him there to bring me back down, I probably would have done something really stupid. As it was, although I am still traumatised by what I’d witnessed, I’m not as lost.
“Feeling better?”
I nod, still feeling shaky as Lucas guides me over to the couch.
“I’ll get you a brandy.” Lucas walks over to the fully stocked drinks cabinet we had in our room and pours me a generous dose of alcohol. He presses it into my hands, keeping hold of me, guiding it up to my mouth so I can take a large sip. “Now, tell me what happened.”
“As soon as I came home, I went to see him,” I say. “I made a stupid comment about him selling his plane and he called Dave in. Apparently, it was a story he’d made up to find out who he can trust, and because Dave told Archer about it, my father shot him right in front of me.”
“Wow. That’s rough. But Dave brought it on himself.”
“Are you kidding?” I jerk away from Lucas. “He talked to someone he knew really well, someone who worked for my father for a while, and he deserved to be shot?”
“Solomon told me he was worried that someone was leaking his secrets, so he was going to set them up. This was going to happen sooner or later.” Lucas shrugs. “With Dave out of the picture, your father has sent a very powerful message to the rest of his team. No one’s going to be talking to anyone outside of the household now. I wonder what he would have done if you’d say anything.”
“Me? My father was testing me?”
“Solomon was testing everyone,” Lucas confides. “You, Isabella… me. I don’t know what the tests were for us, but I knew we were being tested. Your father’s paranoid and with good reason. You’ve got to understand what it’s like for him, Ivy. He’s under incredible pressure. He’s had to cope with a number of assassination attempts over the years and he’s trying to build a legacy which will last forever. Ivy, your father is going to eliminate all the other Houses and when he’s achieved that, you and I will be the most powerful couple in the world. There’s going to be a few bumps along the road, but we’re all headed along a path to glory.”
“You’re crazy.” I stand up and back away from him. “You’re all crazy. Who cares if my father sells his plane or not? It’s not important. A man lost his life. He has a wife, children. They’re going to miss him for the rest of their lives. His daughters are only four and two, for Christ’s sake. And you’re defending my father?”
“Wake up, Ivy.” Lucas stands up, raising his voice. “We aren’t like normal people. We’ve got to think about the House. That’s a massive responsibility and one you clearly aren’t ready for. If you were, maybe we wouldn’t be married. If you would face up to your legacy, your father wouldn’t have had to get me involved to keep you on the straight and narrow. What happened to Dave is a tragedy, but if he’d kept his mouth shut, he’d still be with us. But now everyone else knows what will happen if they betray your father. Dave might have lost his life, but he’s potentially saved many more. Try stepping back and seeing the big picture instead of thinking about yourself all the time. You’re so selfish, Ivy.”
“Selfish?” I’ve had enough. “You really are delusional. I’m outta here.”
“Ivy…” Lucas reaches out to grab me, but I shake him off. I can’t bear to be in the same room as him.
“Let me go, Lucas, or I swear I will not be responsible for what I do.”
Lucas has enough sense to let me leave, and I practically run out to the garage and get on my bike. One of the advantages of being married is that I’m not kept locked in my room all the time, and I am glad for that freedom. If I have to be in that house a moment longer, I don’t know what I’d do, but it wouldn’t be pretty.
Chapter Sixty-Two
“I’ve called Declan and Romy. They’ll be here in a minute.”
Archer hands me another glass of brandy as I sit on his couch, shaking with rage and stress.
“I just can’t believe he did that, Archer. How could he? He murdered a good man, a really sweet man, right in front of me just because he had a conversation with you.”
I burst into tears, and Archer pulls me into his arms. He takes the brandy from me and places it on the coffee table s
o I can lean into him more.
“I’m sorry, Ivy,” he says. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to get information about your father from the guards.”
“No, you absolutely should,” I tell him. “We have to find a way to stop him before anyone else gets hurt. After what I saw today, it’s clear my father will do anything to further his ambitions. The sooner we deal with him, the better. And I want Lucas gone as well. He thought that what my father did to Dave was justified.”
“I can see where he’s coming from.” Archer’s words stun me, and I look at him in disgust.
“Not you, too.”
“No, no. I don’t mean it like that,” he says. “There were other ways of dealing with Dave that didn’t involve shooting him in the head right in front of you. But for a new kid on the block like Lucas, someone who’s still trying to establish himself in this town? It makes sense for him to align himself with Solomon. It’s not like the House heirs are interested in dealing with him, not when he’s taken you away from us.”
He reaches out to pulls me into his arms. I resist a little at first, still feeling wary, but my attraction to Archer wins out and I let him hold me.
We sit in silence, waiting for the other two to arrive. I am grateful Archer isn’t forcing me to talk. My mind is running at a million miles a minute. I am never going to forget what I’ve seen. I’m not sure what is more frightening. Seeing a man die, or the cold, dispassionate look on my father’s face when he pulled the trigger.
There is no way I am going to get pregnant by Lucas, not now, not ever. Not only had I no interest in sleeping with him, the second that baby was born, I’d be expendable and I am not sure I can trust Lucas to keep me alive. His loyalties lay with my father, not his wife.
There’s a knock at the door. As Archer goes to answer it, I pick up my brandy and take a sip. It feel like there isn’t enough alcohol in the world to numb my feelings, but it takes the edge off a little.
“Ivy! Are you okay?”
Declan comes rushing over to my side, Archer sits back where he was while Romy perches on the edge of the coffee table sitting immediately in front of me.
“Not really.” I take another large swig of brandy. “Although I shouldn’t be all that surprised that my father’s a murdering scumbag. The story about him selling the plane was a ruse put out there to flush out the mole my father thought he had in his security. The stupid thing is, I don’t think Dave was a mole. I don’t think there is a leak in security. My father’s just stupidly paranoid. Dave wasn’t feeding us information. He was simply making conversation with Archer. And what does it even matter if my father was selling his plane? That’s not something you kill a man over. It’s just too messed up to even think about it.”
I finish the last of my brandy, grateful for its warmth, and flop back into the cushions.
“So, what are we going to do now?” I ask. “Maybe some of my father’s paranoia is rubbing off on me, but I have a funny feeling he’s aware of our plot to assassinate him.”
“There’s no way he could be,” Declan says. “We’re the only ones who’ve talked about it and none of us would have told Solomon. So, unless he’s managed to bug us…”
We all look at each other, eyes wide. Of course! It made perfect sense. That’s why my father knew so much about my life. He’d bugged me.
“That’s impossible,” Romy says, gesturing to the rest of us to pretend we agreed with him. “Solomon isn’t intelligent enough to think of something like that.”
I have to stifle a laugh at that. If my father was listening to us, he’d hate hearing Romy say that.
Archer gets up and leaves the room. He comes back with a pen and paper. He scribbles a note and holds it up.
Ivy-–give me your phone. I’ll get one of our security experts to check it over right now. And it’s probably best if you strip off so we can check your clothes for bugs. Meantime, change the subject. Talk about school.
Take my clothes off? I grab the pen from Archer and scribble underneath his note.
Any excuse to get me naked…
Archer shrugs unapologetically. His suggestion does make sense. If my father is bugging us, we need to know now before we say anything else we don’t want him to hear.
I immediately hand Archer my phone, but I decide to have a little fun with getting him my clothes. I gesture to Romy to get off the coffee table as I stand up. He takes my place on the couch as I climb onto the table to give the boys a show.
“So, have you finished the music homework, Declan?” I ask, gesturing to them to keep the conversation going.
“Almost,” he replies, as I pull my T-shirt out of my jeans and play around with the hem pretending to lift it up, but then dropping it down before I expose my breasts.
I turn round, slowly lifting up my shirt to pull it over my head as the boys make small talk about an economics assignment. I look over my shoulder, covering my breasts with one arm as I spin my T-shirt over my head, dramatically throwing it off to one side before turning around.
Wearing nothing but jeans, I turn back to face the boys. Still covering my breasts, I slowly sink down to my knees, finally moving my arm so they can see everything. Leaning forward, I panther-crawl across the table, going over to Declan. I put my hands on his thighs to balance myself as I slowly kiss him.
The fake conversation falters as I move over to Romy and kiss him before finally kissing Archer. Faced with me half naked and kissing them hard, it is impossible for any of us to pretend we are just talking about school and I don’t care. If my father hears me making love to my three men, I don't care.
I spin round on my butt, putting one foot on Romy’s lap and the other on Declan. I wiggle my feet, making it clear I want them to undo my laces and pull off my boots. They’re happy to oblige, as Archer sits forward and massages my thighs.
I feel incredibly brazen sitting there with my legs wide open in front of three men, even though I still have my jeans on. After the threesome, I never thought I’d be in a situation like this again, let alone with Declan here as well, but I am going to make the most of it. I am Ivy Archaic, and I deserve this.
Romy and Declan get my shoes and socks off pretty quickly, so I pull myself back to standing on the table again. Slowly, slowly, I unsnap my jeans button and then tug down the zipper, taking my time. The three boys each have clear bulges in their trousers. I carefully peel my jeans off, dropping them in Archer’s lap.
I turn round and tuck my fingers in the elastic of my thong. I look over my shoulder.
“Ready?”
“Oh yeah!”
I lean forward as I pull my thong down, giving them a good view of my backside as I step out of my underwear. Then I slowly walk away from them, stepping off the other side of the table before coming round, giving them all a good view of me as I head towards Archer to give him my thong.
“Are you guys going to be all right here on your own?” Archer asks. “I’ve just remembered I need to go and see my dad about something. I won’t be long.”
Romy, Declan, and I exchange a glance. “I think we’ll be okay,” I say, as Archer gathers up all my clothes. We all know he isn’t going to see his dad, but if anyone is listening, it is as good a cover as any.
“I’ll be back soon,” he says, heading outside, leaving me completely naked with Romy and Declan.
“I must admit, this wasn’t what I was expecting when I came over today,” I say, gesturing to my body.
“Same here, but I’m not complaining.” Romy grins.
“Yeah, any day I get to see Ivy naked is always a good day,” Declan says. “But I’m worried about you getting cold sitting there like that. Why don’t you come over here so we can keep you warm?”
I don’t need to be asked twice. I sit between Declan and Romy, putting my arms around them as the two men cozied up to me. It seems like the most natural thing in the world for them to start playing with my body, fondling my breasts and thighs.
“We have to do
this,” Declan says solemnly. “This is how we make sure you don’t get too cold.”
“Is that right?” I smile knowingly. “In that case, you’d better keep doing what you’re doing.”
I turn my head to kiss Declan, as Romy lowers himself to take one of my nipples in his mouth. I feel his tongue dancing around it as Declan’s tongue explores my mouth, and I wriggle about, knowing I need to feel them both inside me in the not too distant future.
My eyes close, I am completely lost in the moment when I hear someone say, “Is this a private party or can anyone join in?”
I open my eyes to see Archer standing in front of us, an appreciative look on his face.
“Well, not just anyone,” I purr, opening my legs to create space for him.
Archer takes the hint and pushes the coffee table back so he can kneel in front of me. I feel his hot breath against my pussy and I moan in anticipation. I’m done for, utterly helpless as three men kiss and lick me all over. I have no idea who is doing what to me and I don’t care. My body dissolves into bliss. An orgasm would almost be a disappointment in comparison to how incredible I was feeling. I want this to go on forever, my body worshipped by adoring admirers.
“I love you all,” I murmur, as someone puts their fingers inside me. The combination of being finger fucked and licked is too exquisite and I come almost immediately, crying out in pleasure.
“Have you had enough?”
I open my eyes to see Romy grinning at me as he brushes hair out of my face.
“Never.” I shake my head. “But I think you all need to get naked. It’s a little unfair I don’t get to see you all, don’t you think?”
The three men look at each other and shrug, quickly getting out of their clothes. It’s practically a race to see who can get naked first, and I love it.
Three men stand before me, their cocks all standing proud. They are all such beautiful, stunning Greek gods, and they were all mine. I have no idea who I am going to fuck first, but I know I am going to have all of them inside me.