Revenge (Out For Blood Book 1)

by CY Jones

  “Oreo, it’s been a long time,” Gabriel says in a smooth Italian accent.

  The photos did not do the man justice. He is way prettier up close. Why doesn’t this man already have a woman?

  “Gabriel,” Oreo says socially, acting surprised to see him. “I hope it’s pleasure and not business that brings you here tonight,” Oreo continues calmly. I’m no idiot. Even though the words are nice enough, the threat is still clear in his voice.

  “No business tonight, my friend. I am here strictly for pleasure,” Gabriel answers as he turns his eyes to me. “And who is this, bellezza?” Gabriel asks looking my body up and down.

  “This is Angel, a beauty I found on the lower west side. Isn’t she exquisite?” Oreo asks, giving me a spin to show me off. For tonight I’m a possession. His to flaunt as he chooses.

  “That she is, my friend. Is she taken?” Gabriel inquires. The lust in his eyes is clear, and even without me trying yet, I know he wants me.

  “Everything is negotiable,” Oreo answers in a bored tone. He is playing a game, and he plays it well. No need to alert Gabriel that he’s being lured into a trap.

  “Shall we continue this conversation somewhere more private with a drink in our hands?” Oreo says, clapping Gabriel on the back like they’re old friends. “Angel has a performance she needs to get ready for, don’t you, Pretty?” Oreo nods his head and immediately a young redheaded man with deep blue eyes walks over to us before I can answer. “Romeo, take Angel here backstage. She will be performing after Candy,” Oreo says, handing me over to the guy without a second thought, and then turning to walk off with Gabriel and his guards.

  “Come on sweets,” Romeo beckons, grabbing my arm and steering me towards the stage. “Are you new?” he asks looking his fill.

  “Yeah,” I answer in a bubbly, sweet American accent.

  “That’s cool. Where did Oreo find you? The boss usually doesn’t show up with the merchandise,” Romeo says innocently.

  I’m guessing he thinks I’m just some whore to be sold off. Calming my anger, I just shrug my shoulders, and give him the same information Oreo told Gabriel. “Oreo found me on the lower west side, so here I am.” I don’t offer him any more information as it’s none of his business, and I have no intention of keeping up with a trail of lies the whole night. The less time I’m able to maintain my ditzy, I - have - no - clue - what's - going - on persona, the better. Falling into my trap, Romeo shrugs.

  “That’s cool. None of us here came from happy situations. I would ask you out, but it looks like that guy Gabriel is trying to strike a deal with Oreo over you,” Romeo says, pouting. He has really full lips, and a baby face that is probably distracting to others, but not me. I see straight through him. He is a player, and probably the type to make a game out of how many notches he could put on his bedpost.

  I have a part to play, so tuning into my sultry self from my earlier lessons with Oreo, I turn towards Romeo. With a flirtatious smile I giggle and ask, “Really,” while I spin my shorter hair around my finger. He really is hot, and he eats my act up, caught in a web of lust. Pushing him further to the edge, I lick my lips, causing Romeo’s gaze to eagerly follow the movement, making his blue eyes darken and dilate in a lusty fog.

  “If it doesn’t work out, you know where to find me,” Romeo says with a wink.

  “For sure,” I answer, smiling wide.

  Our conversation cuts off when an older man in a tuxedo and top hat motions that I’m up next. Romeo gives me a slight shove towards the man, and I walk over obediently to the curtain. Shite, I forgot to ask Oreo what I’m performing. Hopefully I’ll be able to guess from the music, if not I’m screwed, and I will have to blame the bad performance on nerves.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I have someone real special coming up next. She’s a woman whose beauty surpasses all the angels in heaven, and whose body is as sinful as any demon in hell. It’s her debut, so let's give a hand to the beautiful Angel singing Ariana Grande’s 7- Rings,” the announcer bellows through the mic, and I step out onto the stage.

  Bloody hell, I’m going to kill Oreo. Out of all the bubbly pop songs he could have chosen, he chooses this one. Putting aside how much I’m going to hurt Oreo when we get home, I concentrate on my task. The arse is lucky that I even know the words to this song.

  As soon as the music starts, I take my cue and start singing, moving my body to the music. I forget about the audience, all the reasons behind me being here, and just perform, losing myself to the music. Just like when I was in my wolf form running through the forest, I feel free, not weighted down by real life. It’s one of the best feelings in the world, and by time the music ends I’m sort of disappointed. A thunderous applause pulls me from my head, and I bow before exiting the stage through the velvet curtain.

  “You were amazing,” Romeo says as soon as I’m backstage.

  “Thanks,” I gush.

  “I can see why boss man scooped you up, besides your beauty of course,” Romeo adds sheepishly. “Come on. Boss wants you at his private booth.” Romeo grabs my arm and leads me through the club.

  Taking me over to a roped off area, Romeo leaves me with Oreo and Gabriel, who steps out from the booth allowing me to slide in the middle of the two of them. I notice the same two guards from earlier standing alert around the booth, taking everything and everyone in. Must be Gabriel’s personal guards. The ones that go everywhere he does.

  “You were fantastico, bella.” Gabriel says, taking my hand and kissing it a little longer than necessary. “How long have you been performing?” he asks setting my hand dangerously close to his cock on his lap.

  Instead of snatching my hand back like I would normally do, I force myself into the role I’m here to play. Using the lessons from earlier, I smile and giggle like a brainless idiot.

  “I’ve been performing since I could talk. I’ve always wanted to sing,” I answer excitedly. I know I have him. Just like Romeo backstage, Gabriel is entranced by the beauty, just like I want him to be.

  “It shows. You are very talented, bella.” Gabriel coos.

  “Thank you,” I gush, batting my fake eyelashes and pretending to be flattered.

  “Angel, my sweets,” Oreo says, interrupting our conversation, and I immediately snap my attention over to him. “Gabriel would like to take you to dinner tomorrow night. How would you like that?” Oreo asks palming my cheek. His incubus ability slips in with his touch, and I can’t fight the wave of arousal that sweeps over me. We both know this is a rhetorical question. I’m the slave and Oreo was my master. I would go if I wanted to or not.

  Giving Gabriel a look of dumb adoration, which is easy to do with how turned on I am, I answer in a breathy tone, “I would love that.”

  Smiling, Gabriel leans forward and kisses me softly on the lips. Biting my tongue, I fight my urge to punch him, and push down the thought that I’m somehow betraying the guys. I hope they aren't close enough to see that.

  After that, Oreo and Gabriel ignore me and start talking business while I drink enough to drown my thoughts, and forget that kiss. By the time Oreo is ready to go, I’m already piss drunk.

  “Until tomorrow, Bella,” Gabriel says kissing me again, this time deeper, before walking off with his guards following him.

  Once we’re safely in his car, Oreo grins and says, “That went well.”

  Too buzzed to care, I lean my head against the headrest.

  “When your brother said you could sing, I had no idea you were that good,” Oreo tells me as he pulls onto the street. This late at night there isn’t any traffic out, which will make the trip back home much faster.

  “I didn't lie. I’ve been singing since I could talk. It was the only good thing in mine and Row’s lives. Every time he had a nightmare he would crawl into my bed at night, and I would sing for him until he fell asleep,” I say honestly. I blame the alcohol for making me open up. Under normal circumstances, I never would have told Oreo that. It is way too personal, and I don’t do sharin
g.

  “Gabriel was right, you do have talent,” is all Oreo says, letting what I just told him go. I don’t know the exact logistics of my brother’s and his relationship, but I can tell he cares for him. Humming to the radio, I fall asleep thinking about the little girl who would sing her brother’s nightmares away.

  Thirty

  I’m still Shadow. She will never go away

  I don’t remember getting back to the house. Oreo or one of the guys must have carried me inside and put me to bed, because the next morning I wake up by myself in bed with a pounding hangover. When I step into my bathroom, I see that I’m still wearing the illusion Cody put on me. Closing my eyes I reach for the magic I can still feel wrapped around my body like a warm blanket. I unravel it slowly, pulling it away from me, and the illusion shatters with a pop. When I open my eyes my own reflection stares back at me. Smiling at my success, I’m happy I did something on my own. Ever since Silas advised me to feel for my magic, I found it much easier to wield. Each of my men’s gifts feel different from each other, which goes a long way in learning how to us them. At least it isn’t as difficult as it was at first.

  Taking it a step farther, I stare at the dark blue strands of my hair. I remember dying it after I fully accepted being Shadow. An emotionless killer, assassin, and monster, just like the man who raised me. It was when I lost myself after the rape. All the naive thoughts Maddie used to fill my head with about being free, I let go. For a brief time, I’d hated him for trying to fill my head with such foolishness. I became Shadow, and she became me. Now I wanted that girl who use to dream of a better life back. Closing my eyes, I picture my hair the color it used to be before I dyed it. It’d be the same color as my brother’s and dads. When I open my eyes, my reflection shows long darks locks, making me smile. This is me. I’m still Shadow as she will never go anyway, but I’m still me too.

  After taking a quick shower, I run off to the kitchen in search of food. The smell of pancakes and bacon fills my nostrils, and my stomach immediately grumbles. When I step into the kitchen, I laugh when I see Conner in front of the stove flipping pancakes with a pink frilly apron on.

  “Morning, sweetheart,” he says, doing a double take when he sees my hair. Smiling, he says, “You look beautiful,” before turning back to the food on the stove.

  Taking a seat at the table, I pour a glass of OJ from the pitcher sitting in front of me, while the rest of the guys stare at me like I’ve grown a second head. I know it’s different but it’s not that dramatic of a change, especially compared to last night, so why are they making such a big deal out of it?

  “I like the hair,” Cody finally says to break the silence.

  “Me too,” Hunter adds, giving me an appreciative glance. My brother gives me a bright smile, and Caleb nods his head in approval. We really look a lot alike now.

  Placing a plate stacked with pancakes and bacon in front of me, Conner kisses the top of my head, and then joins us at the table. We all eat breakfast together, talking and smiling like I would picture a regular family doing. It’s a glimpse of what our life could be when it isn’t tainted with O’Donnell’s existence, and I’m soaking it all up like a sponge.

  “You’re with me and Hunter today,” Cody says, giving me a knowing smile, and cutting into my Brady Bunch daydreams.

  We finish our meal and afterwards my dads leave with my brother for some last minute supplies. Turning to Cody and Hunter I follow them out the house to the dark tinted SUV parked outside.

  “What are we doing today?” I ask as we all pile into the car. “We’re going back to the forest so you can let your wolf stretch her legs,” Cody answers, taking the driver’s seat. I wonder why Hunter never drives? Was he a bad driver, or doesn’t 't care to do it?

  “You’re not going to teach me anything today?” I ask with a frown, forgetting about Cody the driving Nazi. I’m confused. I’ve already had a wolf lesson from my dads, so why isn’t he teaching me anything new? Besides dreamwalking, and what I did to my hair this morning, I haven’t really learned anything from Cody.

  “We might work on some things while we’re out, but mostly you already know what to do. You’re working on pure instinct, and you’re really good at it,” Cody answers, nodding at my hair that was currently French braided and lying over my shoulder.

  “Silas gave me some really good advice about how to access my powers, and it’s helped,” I explain, trying not to think about how much I missed the mage. Our little moment at breakfast this morning would have been perfect with him there.

  “I’m glad the mage has helped with something,” Hunter grumbles under his breath.

  “Hey,” I say, feeling the need to defend Silas. Especially after him telling me about his family and why he works for O’Donnell. “Silas has to pretend he’s still looking for me, and my brother. He’s not only putting himself, but his family in a lot of danger by helping us. You both know what O’Donnell will do if he finds out the truth. “

  Looking thoroughly chastised, Hunter turns his attention back to the road. We’re silent the rest of the way to the forest, all of us lost to our thoughts. When we park and step out of the SUV, Hunter hands me my rucksack and kisses me tenderly.

  “I’m sorry,” he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

  I get it. I really do. Hunter is just like me in some ways. We both find it hard to trust people. Plus, I’m sure it's hard on him to have to share his mate with someone who is practically a stranger to him. It’s not like our relationship has been an easy one. It’s been utter chaos since I met him in Russia.

  “It’s ok, Hunter, I know you meant well,” I tell him to let him off the hook.

  “Come on, princess, I’ve been told we have a long hike ahead of us,” Cody says as he pulls me forward.

  The hike through the forest seems a whole lot faster with the guys than it was with my dads. Maybe because we’ve joke and laugh the whole way. Cody’s embarrasses Hunter by telling me stories from when they were little, and Hunter just glares at him the whole time.

  “How did you two meet anyways if he’s a wolf, and you’re a fairy prince? Didn’t you live in a castle or something?” I ask them, curious.

  Smiling, Hunter says, “He literally popped out of thin air while I was in the woods hunting, and he was like, “hey mate want to be friends?” Scared the shit out of me and almost got bitten.”

  “Yeah, and after he figured out I wasn’t going to attack him, and that I’m awesome, we’ve been best mates ever since,” Cody says, finishing the story.

  “Wow, that’s incredible. How old were you guys when that happened?” I asked.

  “Hunter was ten, and I may have been twenty human years maybe more,” Cody answers, shrugging his shoulders.

  “What?” I screech. Twenty? How is that even possible and how can he say that likes it's no big deal? How old is Cody now? The questions just keep coming, overloading my brain.

  Laughing at my face Cody, answers my unspoken questions. Sometimes I feel like the cheeky fairy can read my mind.

  “Time flows differently on the other side of the veil versus here, and it’s really hard to keep track, plus fairies are immortal. Unless we’re killed, we don’t die.”

  “Wow.Um...I don’t know what to say to that,” I admit. “Does that mean when Hunter and I grow old and eventually die, you’ll be all alone?” I question. The thought makes me sad. It hurts my heart too much to think of my Cody alone. Another reason why I think the stars, or whatever the fuck aligned us together made a mistake.

  “Wolves age slower as well, they have very long lives, like in the five hundreds or some shite like that before they die, but since you’re my soul bound mate you’re immortal too, and that extends to the rest of your mates. It all ties in with that whole you die, we die thing,” Cody explains, shrugging.

  “Just when I thought I had this supernatural thing figured out another curve ball is thrown my way,” I mumble mostly to myself.

  Chuckling, Hunter sa
ys, “You’ll figure it out.”

  Like it’s that easy. Well, I guess now I’ll have a long time to do just that if O’Donnell doesn’t kill me first.

  “So since we’re immortal and all, what about growing old and getting wrinkles? A lifetime of arthritis does not sound like a good time. Fuck, you’re practically a hot grandpa,” I say, looking over at Cody skeptically.

  “You’ll also eventually stop aging somewhere in your mid-twenties in human years,” Cody answers, shutting down that line of thought.

  “Well isn't that just lovely, Wait! You mean to tell me I have to deal with Caleb’s grumpy ass for another four hundred years,” I grumble. Ignoring my comment, the guys laugh and make fun of me. Ha, they think it’s funny now. They forget they’ll have to deal with him too.

  Soon we get to the spot where my dad's and I left our clothes before I get undressed and call on my wolf. Unlike last time, the shift is easier, and it doesn’t hurt as much. Immediately I feel my wolf’s relief at being free. When a giant reddish brown wolf steps in our path, my wolf growls determined to show Hunter who the Alpha is here. She may have submitted to my dads, and felt comfortable enough for them to take lead, but Hunter is another story. She can tell he is an Alpha, just not a True Alpha like her.

  Hunter resists at first, but eventually his wolf concede and lowers his eyes, and whines in submission.

  “Alpha,” Hunter’s voice growls in my head.

  “How is it that I can hear you? My wolf didn’t bite you,” I ask.

  “Our blood is already in your system, and we’re mates, so you’ll always be able to hear us in your head, no matter what form we’re in,” Cody answers.

  “That’s cool. Wait! When I’m human you can talk to me telepathically?” I ask, intrigued.

  “Yes. We haven’t done it yet, because we didn’t want to frighten you, or overwhelm you since you already have so much going on,” Cody says, looking apologetic. I can’t argue with what he just said. I don’t know what I would have done with this new information. I’m already feeling overwhelmed.