Caught in the Trap: A Reverse Harem Academy Bully Romance (Mafia Lords of Knightswood Academy Book 1)

by Ivy Clyde

  I was glad my face was hidden by the helmet as a camera somewhere panned on me and Andrei.

  “And go!” cried Luca, followed by a loud cheer from the mass of spectators.

  My body felt a backward tug as Andrei’s bike shot forward. I hurried to tighten my arms around his torso as the bike accelerated faster than my reaction.

  He’d been right. We were going at an impossibly high speed. The wind roared in my ears, whipping my hair backward in long streams. The engines beneath my thighs roared with life, suffusing me with power and adrenaline. My body pressed against Andrei’s in a bid to protect myself as he tore forward.

  I glanced to the side.

  Dimitri’s car was easily keeping up with his bike.

  A minute passed before I got used to the bike’s incredible speed. Adrenaline thrummed in my veins, giving me a clear vision of the winding road ahead. It was a narrow strip, just big enough for two cars to fit in side by side. Thick woods lay on one side while a steep cliff lay on the other. Only the most experienced racers could dare to drive on a road like this.

  The road soon wound uphill.

  Andrei leaned forward, coaxing his bike faster as Dimitri’s car passed us. The engine vibrated harder than before, shooting a thrill of fear through me. Could Andrei control the bike at such high speeds? I glanced to the right. The height of the cliff was even greater than before now. There were no boundaries to stop any skidding accident.

  Too scared to look, I turned away.

  My body was pressed to Andrei’s as I hugged him tightly. The bike roared louder, gaining on Dimitri’s car again but a sharp turn was up ahead. The sound of cheering made me look up. People were gathered in the far distance, telling me we were close to the end of the circuit.

  I could feel the tension stiffening Andrei’s body. He would have to slow down a notch to take the turn but that could cost him the race. We were too neck to neck with Dimitri to risk it.

  Only a few seconds to go, Dimitri’s car slowed down, falling a few paces behind us. Andrei’s body relaxed in my hold as he decelerated but still staying ahead of Dimitri as he made the curve in the road.

  The road before us widened and the people waiting at the end soon came into view. We shot forward, clearly winning with Dimitri close at her heels.

  Andrei slowed down and brought the bike to a stop.

  My heart still thundered in my ears, drowning the cheers of at least a hundred spectators, jumping up and down and running toward us. I climbed off the bike quickly, my fingers fumbling with the latch of the helmet so I could get away before they all fell on Andrei.

  I managed to pull it off just as the women swarmed forward. Stepping back, I let them crowd around Andrei, shouting and cheering for him. The latch finally opened, allowing me to get the helmet off. I breathed in the cold night air deeply as my heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

  “Congratulations,” said a quiet voice from behind me.

  Turning around, I found Dimitri before me.

  “Thanks. You did great too until the last bend when you slowed.”

  He nodded. “It’s the most dangerous part of the race. That last bend always causes accidents if you’re not careful. I didn’t want Andrei risking it with you behind him.”

  I gaped at him. “You slowed down on purpose? For me?”

  Dimitri’s gaze looked ahead, taking in the scene. Women swarmed Andrei, shouting and pulling so they could get his attention on them.

  “He can get very emotional,” he said in a quiet tone, still looking over at Andrei. “His emotions drive his actions. He wasn’t brought up to be like the rest of us.” He exhaled a long breath. “I understand why he hates me but it’s not enough for me to give up on him. I already lost someone close to me this year. I can’t lose him too.”

  The pain and bitterness in his voice surprised me.

  “Was it really his people who shot you that night? Are you sure?” I asked. From what Nikolai and Christian told me, there was some kind of misunderstanding between the Volkov and Romanoff families that was leading to the rift between them. Andrei believed the Volkovs murdered his family while Dimitri was sure Andrei’s came after him.

  “They were from the Romanoff group,” said Dimitri. “I’m sure about that.”

  A chilly breeze blew by, making me shiver. It was much colder here.

  Dimitri shrugged off his jacket and stepped forward. With a sudden movement, he placed it around my shoulders. “You’re cold.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m going home now anyway. My car will keep me warm.”

  Fingers clutched onto my shoulder painfully, pulling me backward. “Get away from him!” Andrei’s voice erupted from behind me. He’d somehow managed to break free from the people around him.

  “Ow! That hurt!” I shouted, shirking his hand off.

  Andrei’s face was a mask of fury, his gaze fixed on Dimitri.

  “Stay away from her, Dimitri. I am warning you.”

  “Or what?” said Dimitri in a cold tone. “You’ll have me shot to death again?”

  “For the last time, stop blaming me for it,” shouted Andrei. Looking at me, he caught hold of my wrist and pulled me away from the scene, taking me back to his bike. I glanced over my shoulder to see Dimitri. He was standing still, watching us.

  The crowd had dispersed now but they still watched Andrei dragging me back to his bike.

  “We’re going home,” said Andrei shortly. Without a word, he put the helmet on for me, proceeding to wear his own. His good mood had evaporated even when he didn’t know about Dimitri losing out on purpose. I stayed silent, not liking this sudden shift in him.

  At least, he’s taking me back home, I thought, climbing behind him. Putting my arms through the sleeves of Dimitri’s leather jacket, I zipped it up to my neck. The thing was too big for me but it was warming me up, enveloping me in a scent that reminded me of sage and wildflowers. Without it, I would have been too cold on the back of the bike at this time of the night.

  “Hold on,” said Andrei from the front.

  I wrapped my arms around him just as the engine came to life. He took the same race circuit to get us down from the mountain top but this time, he went much slower. Instead of going through the route we came from, Andrei took an empty road that led out of the dark woods and onto the highway.

  As the bike flew down the road, I let my mind go back to the things I learned that day. Nikolai would definitely be interested to know the conversation between Dimitri and Andrei tonight. They both thought they were being victimized by the other. Nikolai’s hunch of a third party’s involvement started making more sense now. Someone was playing one against the other.

  Nikolai never told me much about Andrei and Dimitri’s personal relationship. I wondered whether they’d been rivals all their life. If Maria was such an integral part of their lives, they had to have been friends. Curiosity welled inside me. I wanted to know about their past, know how they were before she died.

  I got reminded of the instant when Andrei blamed Dimitri’s family for Maria’s death. What was that about? I wondered. Nikolai said their enemies were responsible for her death. So what was the exact reason?

  Questions churned in my mind. I had to know what happened that led things to become so intolerable between the two families. They’d worked together for decades. Something drastic must have happened to cause the rift. Nikolai never mentioned details. I wondered if he meant for me find everything on my own.

  An hour passed before I noticed the lane we were driving through. It looked like part of the countryside that surrounded the academy. A large mansion rose up in the distance but it was different from the one where the Ivanovs lived.

  “This isn’t where I live,” I said in a loud voice to be heard over the roar of the bike.

  “I know,” Andrei shot back. “That’s my home.”

  A new emotion unraveled inside me. Was I ready to be in his home?

  The bike got closer to a pair of i
ron-wrought gates manned by tall, muscular security guards. They were similar to the ones guarding Ivanov Mansion, carrying big guns and casting intimidating stares at me.

  The gates opened as we neared it. Andrei drove through it, moving along a narrow lane leading up to the mansion. The house was one giant block of stone, looming in the darkness like a crouching specter. There was barely any light to be seen at the windows inside.

  Andrei brought the bike to a halt. He waited until I climbed off it before dismounting in one smooth, graceful movement.

  “You live here?” I asked, staring up at the barely illuminated mansion.

  “I know it doesn’t look very inviting at the moment. The people who attacked my family didn’t just kill my parents. They murdered the servants too.”

  “Are you living alone?”

  “No. Mikhael and my brother live here too. There are a few people to help but no one stays here beyond noon. Only a nurse stays overnight to look after my brother.”

  The image of the green-haired guy rose up in my mind. “I didn’t know you were that close to Mikhael.”

  “He was adopted into my family a long time ago.” Stepping toward me, Andrei took off my helmet. “There will be time to tell you about him but for now, let’s go inside.”

  He led me through a doorway while I still debated whether I should stay there or call for an Uber to take me home. The foyer was dimly lit. Shadows covered most of the corners, giving away very little detail of the entrance hall.

  “Come on,” said Andrei, taking my hand and leading me down the hall.

  The place was cold, making me glad for Dimitri’s jacket.

  Andrei led me up a winding staircase. We moved past the first and second floor, coming to a halt on the third-floor landing. My legs burned from the exertion but I followed him down the dark hallway until he pushed a door.

  Moving inside, he flicked on a switch.

  The sudden light that came on almost blinded me with the intensity. Blinking against the brightness, I looked at the vast room. Andrei pulled me in and shut the door behind us.

  An old fashioned four-poster bed stood in one corner. All the furniture seemed to be from a bygone era when carved dark wood and leather were still in vogue. The only corner that seemed to belong to our time was where a large home theatre unit had been set up, featuring a large flatscreen TV, multiple speakers and a black box that could have been the latest PlayStation.

  I turned around to look at Andrei to find his features crumpled in anger. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Where did you get that jacket?”

  “Dimitri gave it to me.”

  “Take it off.”

  I did as he told me, knowing this wasn’t the place to throw my weight around. He snatched the jacket from me and threw it in a laundry basket in the corner. Stepping closer, he pulled me against his hard chest and smashed his mouth to mine.

  I blinked, too shocked to react momentarily, but my body seemed to know what it wanted. I felt myself mold against him as his arms wrapped around me. His lips moved against mine in a slow, relentless kiss until I opened up to him. He let his tongue sweep in, tasting every crevice of my mouth as a throbbing need began building deep inside me.

  A moan escaped me as I deepened the kiss, getting a feel of his warm, velvety tongue swirling around mine. Fire surged through my veins, driving away the cold and heating me to the very tip of my fingers.

  I liked kissing Andrei, loved how the warm scent of maple and cinnamon enveloped around me as he held me tight against his body, squashing my breasts to the planes of his hard chest. Surprise flitted through me as I became aware of the way my body was responding to him, even aching for him. But didn’t I like Christian? I wondered as confusion warred with desire.

  Consumed in my thoughts, I didn’t even notice when we’d crossed the room and ended up near his bed. The back of my knees hit the edge as Andrei’s weight pressed on me further, making me fall back on the soft, springy mattress.

  He covered his body with mine, leaning over me as his deep, brown eyes looked into mine.

  “Skye,” he breathed.

  “What are we doing?” I whispered.

  “Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop right here.”

  He was leaving the choice up to me. My body thrummed with need, my core aching and pulsing for him. I let myself think about Christian once more but it did nothing to lessen my desire for the handsome young man hovering over me. The heat of his body seeped into mine through the thin fabric of our shirts and I wanted nothing at the moment but to feel it sear my naked skin.

  “Skye,” he called my name in a soft whisper, leaning down to place soft kisses along the side of my neck. His breath was warm against the sensitive skin, arousing me further.

  I gave Christian plenty of chances with me. He never took them, always leaving me feeling inadequate and unwanted. Andrei was so much kinder and warmer to me. The only time he lost himself was when Dimitri was in sight. But when we were together, he made me feel like no one else ever had.

  I yearned for the warm protective feeling he always awakened inside me. I yearned for his gentle touches.

  Andrei’s fingers were slowly unbuttoning my shirt while his lips kissed the tops of my breasts that spilled from the confines of my bra.

  “Andrei,” I moaned, letting my fingers lace in the soft curls of his hair. My control was waning. I wanted him too much at that moment to think any further.

  He looked at me for a moment before clashing his mouth to mine, kissing me so fervently I lost all train of thought. Nothing mattered anymore but the feel of his tongue dancing with mine, the hardness of his body pressing against me as I let his hands slip the bra straps from my shoulders.

  His mouth trailed a line of kisses down the column of my neck. The feel of his warm lips on my skin was searing. Small noises escaped my throat, embarrassing me to no end but all my control over my body was gone.

  Andrei’s lips descended down on the swell of my breasts. His hand pulled the bra further down, exposing my breasts to him completely. Taking a red-tipped nipple in his mouth, he sucked it before teasing it with light grazes.

  I moaned, my body arching off the bed.

  Andrei halted, looking over me for a moment.

  “Don’t stop,” I begged, feeling like I’d cry if he didn’t end what he’d started.

  A wolfish grin tucked the corner of his lips. The look in his eyes darkened as he straightened up for a moment. Before I could curse out loud, his arms slipped beneath me, picking me up from the bed. “I need you in a better position,” he said in a rough voice as he placed me near the pillows.

  He pulled off his shirt completely, giving me a view of his perfectly chiseled abs. My gaze fell on an elaborate tattoo to the left side of his lower torso. It was the sigil of a snake with a long, coiling body and wide open jaws, showing its forked tongue and fangs. I was so distracted by it, a gasp escaped me when he fell on me, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. His fingers fumbled with the button on the side of my skirt. Within seconds, the waistband loosened and he was able to pull the skirt down my thighs.

  How many times has he done this to be such an expert? A vague part of my mind wondered as I felt his mouth on my breasts again.

  Andrei was slow and patient, taking his time to kiss every inch of my boobs before moving down to kiss a trail down my soft stomach.

  My bra still hung under my boobs and my arms were still encased in the sleeves of my shirt but he was too eager to reach the lower half of my body. He pulled the skirt away from my legs completely. The only barrier between him and the most intimate part of me was the pitiful cotton panties I wore.

  A kind of growl escaped his throat as his fingers dug into the elastic waistband, pulling them down roughly. His eyes darkened as he took in the sight. Lowering himself, he covered his body with mine as he took my lips in a kiss again.

  Drowned in the kiss, my mind was vaguely aware of his movements above me as he lowered hi
s trousers. “I can’t hold back anymore,” he groaned in my ears and next moment, I felt his hardness against my naked pussy. His lips kissed and sucked the skin on the side of my neck as his fingers delved through my dripping slit. “You’re so wet already,” he whispered, looking into my eyes.

  I met his gaze and gave a small nod.

  He lowered his mouth to mine just as I felt the head of his rigid cock breaching through the lips of my pussy. His hips thrust into me, his head almost tearing through me. I cried out, my eyes shutting tightly at the painful sensation.

  “Skye.” Andrei’s voice was suddenly laced with concern. I opened my eyes to glance up at him. “You’re so impossibly tight. Are you…a virgin?”

  My face heated up with embarrassment as I looked away. I hadn’t wanted to give away that little fact but he’d caught on already while he was only halfway inside me. My insides felt impossibly full, his thick girth stretching my pulsing walls. As he stayed still, I felt some of the discomfort easing.

  “I…I had no idea,” he whispered. The lust darkening his eyes was slowly fading.

  Tears pricked my eyes. Was he going to stop now?

  A trickle ran down my cheek.

  “Why are you crying?” he asked gently.

  “You don’t want me anymore.”

  His hand brushed away the tears from my cheeks as he lowered his forehead to mine. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as you.”

  The sincerity in his voice gave me pause. My heart fluttered at those words.

  “Don’t be scared,” he said in a soft whisper. “I’ll be gentle.”

  I felt tears pricking my eyes again but it wasn’t from sorrow. Andrei was reassuring me, promising to be gentle. No matter what happened between us in the future, I would never regret letting him be my first. I couldn’t have chosen a better man than him.

  He captured my lips in a slow, fiery kiss, easily distracting me as he pulled out from me an inch before thrusting in again. He slid inside further this time and the stretch against my walls wasn’t as painful as before. He did so again, successfully burying himself fully inside me.