by Lana Sky
“You have sexy fucking eyes,” he says with an intensity that makes me jump. I’ve been so focused on observing him, that I didn’t pay much notice to the fact that he’s been doing the same to me. “Like you’re thinking hard. I like that.” He grazes my cheek with the pad of his thumb, brushing the hair from my face. “Plenty of men will pay extra to enjoy a girl who seems like she has a brain in her head while she’s sucking his cock.”
I grit my teeth, feeling my cheeks flame as I look away at the sun sinking into the horizon. Domino wasn’t coy about this place and what would happen to me there, but still…
It’s one thing to hear him taunt me like it’s a game. It’s another thing entirely to listen to a man state it so plainly. He’s not exaggerating to manipulate me to conform to his twisted plans. He’s being honest, and I think I should be grateful for that.
No more mind games to navigate.
Just a minefield.
“I’m surprised he told you,” Jaguar muses, still petting me with the tips of his fingers. “Our little Dom-Dom never sent me a girl before.”
He chuckles when I flinch and cups my jaw, guiding me to face him.
“Oh yes,” he says, frowning. “You’re his very first. Domino has always looked down on my little enterprise, you see. Acted as though he was too good to care for the girls, and guide them toward a better life. Until you, Ada-Maria Pavalos. Though it sure as hell seems that he got his money’s worth out of you, first.”
He strokes the edge of a scabbed cut on my forehead disapprovingly.
“Though if you could please a stuck-up, prudish motherfucker like little Dom-Dom, then you must be worth every fucking penny.”
He slides his free hand beneath my sweater, ghosting the flat of my belly.
Given the number of unwanted touches I’ve had to endure from various men throughout my life, he should be no different. It should be easy to simper and smile and arch into his calloused palm the way I have so many times before.
I jerk back instead, nearly falling off his lap entirely. Domino’s voice explodes in my head, grated and guttural—I’ll rip you to pieces if you even let him look at your body.
It’s instinctive. I can’t help it.
But Jaguar’s eyes gleam as he withdraws his hand, and I sense that I’ve made a terrible mistake. My first impulse is to relax against him, forcing my muscles to contort. Then speak, anything to distract him.
“H-How… How do you know Domino?”
His frown deepens. “He hasn’t trained you,” he remarks softly as if he’s speaking to himself more than me. He strokes his hand along my cheek again, and I sense whatever irritation my reaction aroused in him diminish slightly. “At least the bastard did one thing right,” he says. “He saved the best part for me. I should teach you the basics now, baby.” His thumb finds my lips, grazing the seam between them. “You don’t speak unless I give you permission. Understood?”
I swallow hard, but he must mistake the jerking motion for a nod because he chuckles and leans back, his posture softening.
“But if it’s about our little Dom-Dom, I’m an open book. Ask me what you want.”
I hesitate, sensing a loaded weapon more than a kind gesture. He’s testing me, probing in his own, cautious way—so different from Domino’s doublespeak and intimidation tactics. Jaguar is far more predatory, patiently setting a trap in plain sight.
If only I knew what might trigger it.
“Don’t be shy now,” he scolds, batting my cheek with his knuckles. “I won’t bite. For now.”
The ominous feeling grows, but it’s not like I have a better option. It takes me just a split second to weigh the risk.
No matter what Jaguar does, I have nothing left to lose.
“Who is he to you?” I ask him, making my voice as soft and non-threatening as I can.
The demureness must please him because he tilts his head thoughtfully and shrugs. “Dom-Dom is my brother,” he says. “Family is important to me, you see. There is no stronger loyalty than blood ties. Nothing.”
I choke down the urge to ask the most obvious question. Instead, I take another tack.
“You seem so different,” I croak in what I hope passes for an amicable purr.
He laughs, flashing a mouth full of blindingly white teeth. “You’re smart as well as sexy. You don’t need to share a womb or have the same sire to be brothers,” he says cryptically. “Those bonds lurk in pieces of us you can never erase. If I were to fuck you here and now, plant my seed in that sexy little body. My child would make you mine in a way you could never escape. Both of you would be my family. Forever and always.”
His voice is musical enough that even the most horrific imagery lacks the necessary impact. Only the intensity of his gaze gives the boast the edge of a threat. A promise.
My heart is pounding so hard I can taste blood reverberating through my tongue. I feel like my chest will explode, but rather than arrange for medical attention, he’d just fuck me in the gaping hole. I can see the intention in him, so clearly, my entire body goes cold. Paralyzed.
Then he blinks, and his smile widens, displacing any hint of malice.
“You know, Ada-Maria, I will admit that I had you all wrong. The way Dom-Dom spoke about you, I thought you were a dumb little cunt. He made you sound like a puppy on your daddy’s tight leash—” he taps the tip of my nose playfully and chuckles. “I knew he always wanted to fuck you, though. Dom-Dom isn’t subtle when he’s being greedy. Selfish. I’m surprised he waited until recently. He did, didn’t he?”
Whatever my expression must tell him makes him nod in agreement.
“He waited five long years to stick his cock in that tight little cunt. I think he’s a… What’s the word? Masochist? He gets off on control or some shit.” He flattens his palm against my jawline, eyeing me more closely. “I was never as patient as he was. When I want something, I just take it. To be fair, most women want me just as quickly.”
His grip tightens, urging me toward him, and I panic, blurting the first thing that comes to mind.
“Alexi. H-How do you know—”
I see stars and taste blood for real. When the world comes back into focus, I’m hunched over the cushions beside Jaguar, eyeing a strange series of red splotches speckling the white fabric. Then I press my hand to my lower lip and realize why.
He hit me.
“Remember, Ada,” he says, almost gently. Like a teacher trying to enforce the rules of his classroom. “You speak only when I tell you to. I suggest you try to pick up on that rule quickly. We don’t believe in second chances at the Guarida. You strive for excellence, but I see it now...” He grabs my chin, turning me back to him. I’m bleeding freely, not that he seems to care as the drops of scarlet drip down onto his shirt. “Those cucks are gonna bust a nut for a girl like you. Sassy and bold, but still obedient. None of that overly mouthy shit.”
He means it, I realize with abject horror. To him, those vile terms are compliments. Virtues he prizes.
“I’m sure Dom-Dom has had plenty of fun with you. On second thought, I might keep you a little bit rougher around the edges than I typically like. I can see the appeal in it. And now I’m even more curious as to what other talents you might have. I heard from Lexi-Lex that Dom-Dom has a preference for bitches who give good head.”
I fight to keep my expression clear. I honestly don’t know if I fail or succeed, but somehow I manage not to hiss in disgust out loud. Does it hurt me that he lied so easily to my face—yet again?
Yes. God, yes, it does. It’s a rusty knife stabbing through my chest, striking the one open wound on my psyche that Domino Valenciaga seems to enjoy poking. Vanity and jealousy.
He fucked Alexi. Or Jaguar seems to believe so.
“Hmmm.” He makes the low sound in the back of his throat, drawing my attention to him. One look at his face, and I realize that once again, I’ve made a mistake.
If only I knew how.
“He’s claimed you,” Jaguar say
s, drawing out the word to convey a meaning that goes completely over my head. Something that surprises him. And irritates. His eyes gleam, turning inward as if he’s processing some internal puzzle that’s been on his mind for a while. Finally, he’s able to solve it, but the resolution leaves him frowning, his brows furrowed. “He’s told you that you were the only woman he’s been fucking. Hasn’t he?”
I blink, more confused than ever.
Somehow, Jaguar seems able to glean an answer, and he purses his lips, an eyebrow raised.
“Dom, Dom, Dom.” His voice deepens with every iteration of the name, ending in a growl. “That’s not very friendly, is it? Promising you to me and then wiping his dick all over you, marking his territory and planting dangerous lies inside that pretty little head. It makes me question his integrity, you see,” he says, but his voice is raised, his anger palpable. “How can we have a fair trade if someone is already poisoning the merchandise? I’ve been good,” he adds, stroking my cheek again, but he’s rough, straining my tender lip until my eyes water. “I’ve upheld his little feud against Roy Pavalos. I’ve supplied him with my resources. I’ve kept our family business running in the background. By my fucking self, mind you, while Dom-Dom was off playing toy soldier and wiping your daddy’s ass.”
He grabs my throat, curling his fingers around my windpipe with just enough pressure so that I feel my flesh graze his palm with every breath I take.
“I always had his back,” he continues, regaining his composure. Now he sounds eerily calm, almost monotone. The way Domino used to while carrying out my father’s orders, no matter how heinous. “Always. Because family means something to me. Honor means something to me. Promises, Ada-Maria… They mean something to me. I wouldn’t take for myself that which I already pledged to another man. It’s just not fucking polite.”
He’s implying something. Something dealing with whatever issues lurk between him and Domino, but I can’t keep up. Fear floods my veins slowly as the pain in my lip sets in. The cool casualness with which he uses violence shocks me, and I don’t think part of my brain has still registered the blow. There’s something impulsive and wild about his rage. He can smile while making someone bleed and never miss a beat.
“I always knew he had a soft spot for you, though,” he muses, still smoothing back my hair, his expression contemplative. “The things we initially planned to do to you…” He chuckles darkly, and my breath catches in my throat. “But then little Dom-Dom kept changing his mind, always moving the goal post. I thought, at first, that he just wanted you for himself, but now I think I can see what he was really after. I can tell just by looking into your eyes, that you aren’t like my Lexi-Lex—good for fucking, but not much else. No… I think you’re a little smarter than that, Ada-Maria. Smart enough to know at least some of your daddy’s secrets. And if I were a selfish bastard of a man, looking to betray his only family… I would desperately want to know those secrets.” As he speaks, he lets his fingers crawl up to my scalp, sinking into my hair to graze the tender flesh beneath. Slowly, he starts to squeeze from both sides. “I have to wonder what lies our precious Dom-Dom has been putting into your head. Or what answers he’s been trying to beat out of you—”
I think of Pia and his obsession with the past. Her body.
Jaguar grunts, letting his hands still. “You won’t be a mean girl and try to keep anything from me, would you?” he wonders softly, his smile widening into a beautiful, chilling mask. “Because then we can’t be friends if you deceive me, Ada-Maria. And that, you see, would be a damn fucking shame—” Abruptly, he cuts his eyes to something behind me, and his posture shifts, becoming defensive as he moves his hands to my waist, utilizing them like lead weights to keep me pinned against him. “It’s about damn time,” he snaps, and from the corner of my eye, I see Ines scramble to place a bottle of wine and two glasses on the low table behind me.
Jaguar snaps his fingers, his gaze cold. “Pour it.” To me, he flashes another icy smile. “Ines here has served my family for decades. She practically raised my little brother and me modeling what I thought was the perfect example of loyalty and honor. But then, Ines made her choice. She chose against me, the man who saw her as family, the closest thing to a mother he ever knew.” He speaks in such a level tone that the anger conveyed by those words is only visible in his eyes which glint more dangerously than before. “I suggest you think more carefully than dear Ines, Ada-Maria. I would very much like to be your friend—” Cutting his gaze back to the old woman, he snaps, “Leave us. Though, I’m sure you stalled long enough to ensure that your master is well on his way. I guess that doesn’t leave myself and Miss Ada-Maria long to get acquainted, then.”
He leans forward, jostling my body against his chest, to snatch a filled wine glass from the table. Rather than drink from it himself, he brings the rim to my mouth, and his expression loses all shred of feigned cheer. He’s stern, inspecting me carefully. “Drink.”
I don’t hesitate, slurping right from the edge of the glass.
As I swallow, he stares me down so intently my heart races, my palms sweating. It’s like he’s waiting for something. A reaction?
When he’s seemingly waited long enough, he sits back, satisfied.
“I hope you weren’t fooled by Ines’ subservient act. She’s a wonderful actress, but she is no shrinking violet. In fact, I’m sure she’s been filling our Dom-Dom’s head with devious little ideas from the start. I wouldn’t put poison past him—” He nods to the wine. “How he loves to spike drinks, I’m sure he’s been drugging you while you’ve been here, dulling your senses to make you more susceptible to whatever he demands. We do the same at the Guarida, mind you,” he adds, “but at least you’ll be well accustomed to it.”
It’s getting harder to hide my disgust. The worst part is that he’s right. All those times I woke up dazed, feeling high. I assumed he’d injected me somehow whenever I was asleep, but now I can see how he could have drugged my wine all along.
“Drink up,” Jaguar commands, tilting the glass toward me again.
I have no choice but to take another sip, analyzing every drop that floods my tongue for a trace of anything out of the ordinary. All I taste is a damn fine vintage, and when he seems convinced that I’m not poisoned, Jaguar takes his own sip.
“Dom-Dom isn’t like the rest of us,” he continues, laughing softly. “He has a much higher tolerance to most benzos, opiates, and the like. It would take a hefty amount to down someone like him. I’m sure he told you all about his tragic backstory.”
He waits as if prompting me to agree. When I don’t, he laughs. “Well, it seems our little Dom-Dom is more shy than I would have thought. Especially with someone I would assume might be a kindred spirit.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid. Is this his way of hinting that he knows about my attempt to inject Domino with a taste of his own medicine? I can’t tell if he’s merely speaking to hear himself talk, or testing me purposefully to gauge my responses—and I don’t dare ask him to clarify.
In the resulting silence, he takes another sip and sets the glass aside. Then he sighs.
“Alas, our private fun has been cut short,” he says. “Though, now more than ever, I’m looking forward to seeing exactly what you have to offer. You’ll make a fine addition to the club, isn’t that right little brother?” He raises his voice, seemingly for the benefit of the figure who comes storming across the terrace from the direction of the house.
I turn just in time to see him reach our level of the terrace, dark hair flying out behind him, hands in fists.
Chapter Nineteen
“Brother!” With a jovial laugh, Jaguar nudges me from his lap and raises his arms. “Nice of you to join us—”
“You show up unannounced, twice,” Domino growls. His expression is iron, every single muscle rigid. Only his eyes reveal any emotion, flashing angrily. “I suggest you try not to make a habit of it. One might think that you didn’t trust me, brother.”
; “And one might think that you’ve been having way too much fun with Miss Ada-Maria here.”
As I scramble from the couch, Jaguar’s hand flies up, smacking my ass. Hard.
I can’t silence a gasp, but by the time it leaves my lips, my wrist is seized in an iron grip. Brutally, I’m wrenched to my feet and shoved behind Domino.
“Relax,” Jaguar taunts, his smile unshaken. “We were just having a nice little conversation before you interrupted. About the rules of my Guarida and what will be expected of her there.”
“You hit her.” He must spy the blood on Jaguar’s shirt, because he turns, grabbing my jaw, tilting it for his inspection. His nostrils flare as he eyes my lip, and I can’t even begin to process the reaction flitting across his gaze.
“I was teaching her,” Jaguar corrects, his tone playful. “And I can tell that, despite as much as you’ve been fucking her, you haven’t been training her much. It’s a good thing, then, that I’m more than willing to take over from here.”
Domino’s brows knit together as he releases me. “I have until Tuesday,” he says. “That gives me three more days.”
“If I were feeling generous, that is,” Jaguar says. In the blink of an eye, he transforms. Gone is the mocking grin as he lurches to his feet. Practically toe to toe with Domino, it’s apparent that they’re similar in height and bulk, but each man carries his strength in drastically different ways. Jaguar is lean, light on his feet, reminding me of his feline namesake, while Domino resembles a wall of stone, immovable and rigid.
“I think I’m done giving you more playtime,” Jaguar adds, stroking his chin as his smile returns. “Yes… I think I’ll take her back with me tonight and get well acquainted with Ada-Maria myself. Maybe I’ll learn if it’s her pussy or her mouth that has you so whipped. I’m willing to try both.”
“Are you going back on your word, Julian?” Domino demands, his voice colder than I’ve ever heard it. I find myself instinctively inching back a step, and for a good reason.