by Savanna Gray
SAVAGE KING
SAVANNA GRAY
Contents
Also by Savanna Gray
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Broken Empire
Also by Savanna Gray
About the Author
Also by Savanna Gray
BROKEN EMPIRE DUET
Savage King | Broken Empire
CORRUPT KINGDOM SERIES
Fallen Prince | White Knight
Lost Heiress
THE CIRCLE SERIES
Secrets and Lies | Breaking His Oath
For more information, visit SavannaGrayBooks.com.
Become a Savanna Gray Insider
Savage King
One look from Marco Salvatore made my heart pound. The slightest touch from his skilled hands set my skin on fire. With Marco, I felt alive for the first time in my life. Until the cruelest man I’d ever known stole me from him.
Caged like a bird, I begged to break free from my prison. I counted the days until I could make my escape. Waited patiently for Marco to free me.
I knew he’d start a war to get me back. I’d hoped he would kill the man responsible. He even warned me that every war has casualties. But I didn’t expect to be one of them.
Copyright © 2019 by Savanna Gray
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, both living or deceased, establishments, businesses, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Chapter One
MARCO
THE FIRST TIME I saw Sienna York it was as if I’d been struck by lightning, and not for the reason most people would think. It wasn’t love at first sight. But I couldn’t deny I had an immediate need to possess her, claim her as mine. A girl as forbidden as Sienna spoke to the darkness in my soul, made me feel something I didn’t know was there.
I watched her walk across campus, with her head held high and her dark curls hanging over her right shoulder. She was talking to a new transfer student, a girl from Brooklyn who was attending Columbia University on a scholarship. Sienna never looked down on anyone. Ever. That was what I liked about her. Her family practically ran New York and owned just about everyone in it. But so did mine.
Most of the girls in her social class were rude, entitled brats, but Sienna was different. She knew what it was like to belong to a family like mine because her father was even more unforgiving. He caged her like a bird, my pretty little damaged raven-haired girl. I wanted to hold my delicate girl in my arms and take away her pain. Because I understood her suffering.
Sienna had no idea that I knew. No one knew about the parts of her life she hid from the world. All fake smiles and forced pleasantries, I saw behind her mask. She hid it well, but Sienna could never hide from me.
As she passed me in the hall, our eyes met for a split second. The air between us sizzled. She made me hungry, starving for one taste.
We weren’t supposed to speak to each other. Our fathers were old friends who pretended to be enemies, fighting for power. But that didn’t stop them from working together behind our backs. They had kept in touch over the years, unable to avoid each other if they’d tried. Senator York’s business interests aligned with my father’s, which made Sienna even more of an interest to me.
As I walked past Sienna, I winked.
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her red-glossed lips parted for me. I thought I saw her suck in a deep breath, and then she dragged her teeth along her bottom lip, her eyes still set on mine.
She had no idea what she’d done. One simple gesture drove me wild. I had to send her a message. It was time to make my move. The velvet pouch hidden in my glove compartment haunted me. I’d bought it for her months before, choosing this day to give it to her.
Because today was special.
Sienna York was mine.
She belonged to me.
Even if she didn’t know it.
Chapter Two
SIENNA
ONE LOOK from Marco Salvatore made my heart pound in my chest, my pulse instantly quickening in his presence. He was gorgeous, tall with short, dark hair, tanned skin, and enough muscle to fill out the light gray sweater and dark jeans that hung low from his hips.
When he winked at me, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, something I didn’t do as often as I would have liked. But Marco had a way of pulling one out of me every time I saw him.
His twin brother, Antonio, was at his side, two disgustingly handsome men capturing the attention of every woman on campus. Even though they were identical, it was easy to tell them apart. At least it was for me.
Marco looked angry, even when he was in a good mood. His jaw was always set hard, his expression unreadable, where Antonio had a softness to his features that was more inviting and friendly. Despite their similarities, Marco’s darkness called to me. I understood what it was like to live in the light, all while hiding in the shadows. He knew my darkness and welcomed it. If I allowed him, he would consume me.
“Who are they?” Avery Black, the new transfer student, said to me. “They’re hot.”
Switching my bag to my left shoulder, I glanced over at her. “Who? The Salvatore twins.”
She bobbed her head. “Yeah. Who’s the one who winked at you?”
“Marco Salvatore.”
Avery hooked her fingers through the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder and licked her lips. “Marco… what a sexy name. It matches the man attached to it.”
For a second, I caught myself thinking of how his strong hands would feel against my skin.
“There’s two of them,” she cooed, clapping her hands together. “One for each of us.”
Marco and Antonio had this effect on every girl at Columbia. They were hands-down the most attractive, the most athletic, and by far, the most powerful. Their father was a businessman, but he had connections to criminal organizations, which made him an even more formidable opponent for my father. It also made him my off-limits. Knowing I couldn’t have Marco only made me crave him more.
“You can have Antonio.” I walked across campus with Avery at my side, glowing over the Salvatore twins. “But stay away from Marco.”
Her expression changed for a second before she forced another smile. “Are you guys together?”
“No. He’s bad news. Always in trouble and never without a girl on his arm. Antonio is the good one, or at least he’s nice, more approachable. You’ll have a better shot with him.”
I tried to keep Avery away from Marco because I wanted him. It didn’t matter if we could never be together, that want never went away.
“I didn’t see him with any girls.”
That was because Marco’s magnetism was like a force field, which circled around him, making him impossible to get near. Marco guarded himself, as did I, but he always lowered it whenever I was around. We had the same effect on each other. Our eyes formed an unspoken bond, creatin
g a promise neither of us had ever acted upon.
Avery was my only friend that wasn’t forced on me by my father. He controlled every aspect of my life. Socially speaking, I could have been friends with all the rich popular girls, who knew everyone on campus, but I had no interest. Because my father approved of them. Their wealth and social status was good enough for him.
But I would never be one of them. I could never be one of them. Whatever my father liked, I hated. And whatever I wanted, he would take it from me. He was a cruel, sick man who terrified me. My pain was his pleasure. For years, I never understood why.
I didn’t want my dad to take Avery away. He always found a way to ensure I was alone and friendless. Boys were never part of the equation because dating was not allowed under his roof. The great and powerful Senator York chose my friends for me.
On our way to class, Marco and Antonio appeared out of nowhere. Surprised to see Marco waiting outside the classroom, I stopped dead in my tracks. A smile stretched across my mouth, producing a similar reaction in Marco.
His gaze held mine as he turned to his brother and whispered something under his breath, but low enough for me to hear, “Go ahead. I have to talk to Sienna.”
Fear shot through me. He wanted to talk to me? I’d never been alone with Marco, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be. Because I was afraid of what I would do with him given the chance. What I’d allow him to do to me. So many nights I’d thought of Marco when I was alone and under the covers, imaging his hand was mine.
Antonio looked at Avery with a sexy smirk. He liked what he saw. She smiled, and her entire face lit up with excitement.
Her skin was like milk, smooth and clear, unblemished. Avery was a pretty girl, with light features, a slim figure, and kind eyes.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I told her. “Save me a seat.”
She nodded and then entered the room, with Antonio following after her. He didn’t even have class with us.
With a slight head gesture in my direction, Marco told me to follow behind him. I follow him down the crowded hallway and into a vacant classroom, out of sight from students. My heart raced from the anticipation of being alone with him. The room was dark, save for the light that filtered in through the windows on the opposite side of the room. Marco reached behind me to lock the door, and then led me over to the long table in front of the room next to the professor’s podium.
He moved his hands to my hips and lifted me up, placing me gently down on the table, making room for himself between my legs. My heart beat so loudly in my ears I wondered if he could hear it.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me.” He set his big hands on my thighs. “I’m not going to bite… not unless you want me to.”
I sucked in a breath of air, which sounded like a soft moan when I released it. He stared at me, his deep blue irises intense, frightening. His words said one thing, but his eyes said another. Marco was dangerous. Even when we were kids, I knew he had the power to crush me. To destroy anyone in his path. He would ruin me if I let him, and in that moment, I wanted him to show me all the dirty things I’d thought of when I saw him.
I inched my fingers closer to his until they made contact and sparks shot through the tips. Our connection was electric, further intensified when he wove his fingers between mine.
“We’re not allowed to be together,” I said, my voice so soft it was almost a whisper. “My father will kill you.”
He smirked, his hands sliding further up my bare thighs. “Like I care what he thinks of me. I’d like to see him try.”
“You should care. He hurts anyone who gets too close to me. I’m damaged goods, didn’t you know? No one will even talk to me because of him.”
“I’m talking to you right now.” He lifted his hand to push a fallen strand of hair behind my ear and cupped the side of my face. “You’re not damaged.”
“You say that because you know nothing about me.”
Marco moved his thumb from my cheek to run it along my bottom lip. “You’re like a pretty bird locked away in a cage for everyone to see. My beautiful raven.” He released his hold on my face and sighed. “He can’t keep you caged forever.”
Stunned, I stared at him, unblinking. “Then free me.”
The words fell from my lips before I could stop myself.
“I will,” he said, hesitating with the next part, “when the time is right.”
He acted as if he could control what happened to me. Little did I know back then that Marco was no ordinary man. His determination to get what he wanted trumped his ability to listen to reason or follow rules. If he wanted me, he would get me. Even I knew that. Nothing would stop a man like Marco from making that a reality. And I wanted him. More than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.
Marco’s hand fell from my face and slid into his jeans pocket. He held a robin egg blue velvet pouch in his palm so I could see it before he removed a thick choker. “I had this made for you. Someone told me Tiffany’s is your favorite.” Balancing the white gold choker on his finger, he let it dangle there for a second, waiting for me to reach for it.
“I don’t deserve a present.” I looked at him, confused, my eyes moving between Marco and the necklace.
“It’s your birthday, is it not?” He opened the clasp and held the chain with both hands. “It’s rude to refuse a gift on your birthday. Turn around.”
Birthdays and holidays, in general, were not important in my house. Every year, I would get a gift my father’s secretary had sent to me from some overpriced designer with a note written by the woman who packaged the box. Nothing was ever personalized or special. Half the time my parents weren’t even home, leaving my older brother and the staff to celebrate with me.
I did as Marco asked, my back now facing him. “How did you know?”
“I know everything about you,” he growled.
“Everything?” My voice creaked when I spoke.
He didn’t answer my question. Instead, he moved behind me, his arms now in front of me to lower the chain to my neck. With Marco touching me, it was as if fire had licked my skin, its destructive flames dancing down my arms. I leaned back, without meaning to get too close, and when I did, Marco moved his hands to my hips.
“Marco,” I choked out.
“Raven,” he said against the shell of my ear, causing me to shiver.
I liked his nickname for me. It fit my situation perfectly. My father locked me inside the house, forced me to become the person he wanted me to be. I was a prisoner more than anything. Marco wasn’t wrong about my life or me. Even when I’d tried to escape, he found me and made me pay for my actions.
“Happy birthday, beautiful.” His warm breath on my skin did something unexpected between my legs. He hadn’t even touched me, and I was wet and panting, wishing he would slip his hand beneath my skirt.
“Thank you, Marco. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“Have you ever been kissed?” He said the words against my neck, his lips so close he could feel my rapid pulse.
“Yes.”
He held my jaw in his hand and tilted my head up until our eyes met. “Have you ever been with a man?”
I shook my head. “No, my dad doesn’t let me date.”
“I want to be your first. Even if I can’t have you now, I will at some point. And I want you to wait for me. Will you do that for me?”
“Yes, but my dad will never allow you anywhere near me. He hates your family. He says you’re all thugs and criminals and that no child of his will ever associate with a Salvatore.”
“He doesn’t have to know about us.”
I laughed. “You don’t know him like I do. He’ll find out one way or another. He has spies everywhere.”
Marco held my hips tight. “Then we’d better make use of our time.”
His lips crashed against mine with rough possession, his tongue invading my mouth like he wanted to conquer me. I moaned with each kiss he stole from my lips. He growle
d as if he was hungry and needed me to satiate his desire. My entire body came to life as adrenaline shot through me, rushing into my veins.
His hand moved up my stomach to my breast, his fingers circling my nipple over the fabric of my tunic. They were hard peaks, pointed at him. It was too hot in the classroom, the air too thick to breathe.
Without breaking the kiss, I rolled my shirt up, giving him access to slide his hand beneath my lacy bra. He pushed it out of the way, massaging my nipples with the pads of his thumbs. He pinched the swollen buds, ripping a scream from my lips that he smothered with another kiss. My core clenched, every inch of me begging for more.
I was acting like such a whore, but I didn’t care. Marco was mine as much I was his. Every part of me knew that was the truth. Sure, we were acting purely out of lust, though for both of us it felt like so much more. I needed this. My life was a series of organized events, choreographed by my crazed father. Times like this were few and far between.
Desperate for the aching between my legs to stop, I clamped my hand over Marco’s and guided him. He moved my panties to the side, a growl escaping his lips when he dragged his finger along my slick folds.
“You’re the one who’s gonna kill me,” he grunted, and then plunged two fingers inside me.
I moaned so loud he covered my mouth with his to silence me. But as he worked his magic, sliding his fingers in and out of me, hitting every inch of my inner walls like a skilled magician, I came undone. I rocked my hips into his hand to push him further, tightening around his fingers. The long, hard length of his erection dug into my thigh. Knowing I had the same effect on him as he did on me somehow intensified my pleasure.
He kissed my neck as he fucked me with his long fingers, his teeth grazing my skin. “My raven,” he whispered. “One day you’ll be free.” His words seemed to line up with my orgasm, and as he continued to say sweet things to me, my body trembled. Heat pricked my cheeks, spreading down my neck and arms until it covered my chest. Sweat dotted my forehead, tiny beads that dampened my skin.