Given

by Stone, Piper

  Mine as well.

  Another thing the fuckers would pay dearly for.

  “Uh-huh,” she purred, arching her back even more, forcing my cock to slide further inside.

  When I hit the tight ring of muscle, I whispered in her ear, “Mine.”

  She tensed, another gasp escaping from her mouth.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Not a thing,” she said after a few seconds. “I’m all yours.”

  I issued a series of husky sounds as I pushed past her muscles, finally tossing my head back and roaring. The feel of her was even more incredible than before, so damn tight. I took a deep breath, reaching around to cup her breasts and savoring her scattered cries, the way her body quivered.

  “Oh, God. Oh...” Her eyes were closed, her face pinched for the first few seconds until I began to slowly move in and out, keeping my rhythm even.

  I wanted her to feel good, to hunger for me every day. I needed this connection and as she wiggled her ass, I began to thrust in a more barbaric manner, driving deep into her. With every hard plunge, my breath was stolen. “I’m going to fuck that tight ass of yours every day.”

  “Oh... yes.”

  “After spanking you long and hard.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Then I’ll eat your sweet little pussy, savoring every drop of your juice.”

  She wiggled then moaned, finally opening her eyes. “Yes. Yes...”

  There was almost no way I could hold back, my hunger off the charts, my needs increasing by the second. “I’m going to fill you with my seed.”

  “Mmm... Good.”

  I pumped in a crazed manner, skin slapping against skin, my heart racing. Every nerve was on fire, my muscles tense and the moment she squeezed, I lost it, biting back another primal roar as I erupted deep within.

  When I finally collapsed around her, my fingers intertwined with hers, I heard words that I never thought I would.

  “I love you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Stephanie

  “Yes, I understand. I need you and Trevor to meet me at the airport with a second car. Make certain you’re armed. I’m finished with being fucked with by anyone.”

  Christian was agitated, the orders he was barking into the phone demanding. He ended the call abruptly, leading me by the arm up the stairs and into the awaiting jet. I could feel his utter fury emitted from every pore, his inability to identify the person responsible for the near catastrophe eating him alive.

  Love.

  The word quite frankly was one I hadn’t believed would be said. I also had no desire to show him my weakness.

  Him.

  My husband.

  My savior.

  How many times had I heard that there was a fine line between love and hate? The line spouted off by romance novelists and psychiatrists was far too cliché, but I’d learned in the last twenty-four hours it was true.

  Everything had come to a boiling point in the quaint hotel nestled near the shore, allowing us a moment of private time. Without fear. Without reservation. My husband was a wolf in disguise, a man to be feared by all. That much I’d gathered early on, but the way he adapted to danger, including his enemies, was profound.

  I’d wanted nothing more than to settle his demons, monsters that had turned him into a carbon copy of his father, cold and cruel. Most would say heartless. I still had mixed feelings, an almost desperate need to claw my way out of my own shell. That had been another realization hitting me with no restraint, no sense of... dignity.

  I almost laughed at the thought.

  For all the years I’d thought I was strong, able to withstand the family legacy, the sickening sect, I’d been wrong. No one ever left the community. No one would ever thwart the power of the Council.

  But Christian was determined to keep his word.

  To protect me at all costs.

  Terrified.

  I couldn’t get the notion out of my mind or my heart. I had barely slept, the nightmares far too intense. Even with Christian’s arms wrapped around me, I’d fallen into the same ugliness I had as a child. This time, I wasn’t entirely certain he could save me, especially from myself.

  We were two damaged souls, creations of a culture that no one would ever understand, families controlling the masses yet holding secrets that could destroy us all.

  As I fastened the seatbelt, staring out at the tarmac on a beautiful fall day, I wanted to beg him to take us anywhere else. I didn’t care where, although in my mind the visions of a true tropical paradise where no one would find us seemed like a dream come true. Only I knew exactly what would happen. The Council would hunt like true predators, tearing our limited happiness into bits and pieces, shredding our humanity. The stress was killing me, the continued uncertainty of whether or not my father had anything to do with our attempted assassination weighing heavily on my mind.

  Seeing the extended report on the Today Show had been chilling, various photographs including our wedding only a portion of what they’d shared. Gabe Dixon, the same reporter who’d accosted me had run with the leaked story, every major newspaper in the country picking it up, his accusations damning. They were also incorrect on so many levels. Still, he’d obtained his fifteen minutes of fame.

  At least Jake from the Coast Guard had kept his word. In my mind he was lucky that he had. Christian would tolerate nothing less. At this point, I felt hollow inside.

  As the jet took off, I shifted as far back into the seat as possible, my heart racing. So much tension. So much pressure. While my husband had tried to reassure me that we would find a way out of this mess, I knew he had thoughts otherwise.

  Christian was sitting across from me, a pensive look on his face. The warmth we’d shared only hours before had been wonderful, telling him I loved him unexpected. A surprise to both of us. While he hadn’t repeated the words I’d heard only a couple days before, I’d felt his adoration in every touch, every breathless kiss. Now he was all business, cold and calculating.

  A few minutes later and after we were in the air he released his belt, crouching closer. “Are you all right?”

  “Can I be?”

  “You can place your trust in me,” he said in his usual dominating manner.

  “I do trust you, Christian, but there’s no way that this ends well. I just can’t get over that my father may be a part of this.”

  “There are far too many enemies to narrow down exactly who’s behind this.”

  “But you have an idea. I can tell by the look in your eyes.”

  Sighing, he took just the tips of my fingers into his hands. “You flinched last night when I said the word ‘mine.’ I wasn’t trying to bring back memories that you have no desire to relive.”

  His hands were warm while mine were ice cold. “My memory of the accident had you threatening me, that I belonged to you and no one else and nothing would stop you from returning, snatching me away from my life. My father fueled my thoughts by his angry words over the years. But that’s not how it happened. When I was struggling to reach the surface last night, I remembered everything.” I finally locked eyes with his. “The truth is that you were sweet, caring, and terrified that I was the target of the assassination attempt. You were also the only one brave enough to dive into the water, at least until the authorities showed up.”

  He issued a guttural sound before nodding. “I’m still certain that you were at least one of the targets. Why, I don’t know, except that it would hurt the Michaelson family, excluding your father from holding a seat on the Council. I knew all the rules of the sect even then. That’s why I made a promise to you then. I plan on keeping it, just like I have over the years.”

  The way he issued the last few words held a different meaning.

  “What are you talking about, over the years?”

  The smile on his face was unexpected. “I made it my business to find out where you went to college. By then my business was booming so I hired protection.”

 
“For me?” The shock that he would go to these lengths was incredible.

  “Yes. The men I hired were never to interfere with your life, but they were always there watching and reporting to me.” He tilted his head, studying my reaction. “While I may have allowed them to cross the line, there were a few times that I felt justified in what I was doing.”

  “When?” I could barely get the word out of my mouth. To think he’d been watching me for all these years was both annoying as well as exciting.

  “Let’s just say I made certain a few people never attempted to bother you again.” He snickered as he glanced out the window.

  I stared at him, words caught in my throat. “You had no right.”

  “Maybe I didn’t, but I have no doubt I kept you alive more than once.”

  I opened my mouth, my entire body shaking. “I just... I have no idea what to say. Why?”

  “Because I cared about you,” he said in a hushed whisper. “You don’t seem to understand that I fell in love with you all those years ago and there was no way anything was going to happen to you on my watch. Even when you moved into that crappy apartment, walking to work every day, I made certain someone kept tabs on your wellbeing.”

  “What? That’s incredible.” The instant anger, the incensed feeling about his audacity waned. Suddenly, my hands were clammy, another brutal realization that I’d never been free of the claws of the sect filling my throat with bile. “When you said the word yesterday, it just brought back those memories. When you called me right before the wedding, saying the same word, I was furious, ready to lash out.”

  He shifted forward, cocking his head, his eyes even colder than before. “What are you talking about? What phone call?”

  “Don’t tease me, Christian. You called me just two days before the wedding and the very last night I was in my apartment issuing a single word. ‘Mine.’ I was horrified and furious, even attempting to get out of the wedding one last time but by then my father was barely speaking to me.”

  I could see his blood pressure increasing before my eyes. “That wasn’t me, Stephanie. I didn’t need to make some announcement. You were already mine. Who the fuck...?” He clenched his fist, snarling under his breath. “Whoever the asshole was, I will hunt him down. No one threatens you.”

  “The voice was yours. I could swear it.”

  A quiet calm shifted over him. He had another suspicion. He jerked up from the seat, moving toward a bar positioned in the back of the plane, yanking two glasses from a cabinet and pouring two drinks.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked, uncertain I wanted a truthful answer.

  “There were aspects that I’d hope to be able to keep from you. You’ll been through enough already. Unfortunately, I think you need to know,” he said almost in passing.

  “Okay.” My entire body was quivering. I blinked several times, my mind reeling with the possibilities.

  He brought the two bourbons, easing one into my hand then sitting down. “You already know that my name was switched to your Box, although the timing is still in question. By whom we’re not certain of, but I do know the name of the person you were supposed to marry. My father blurted it out, another slam in my face based on his continued hatred of his own son.”

  “Who is it?” I had a lump in my throat.

  This time, as he shifted his gaze in my direction, I could only see blood. “Matteo, my own brother.”

  Another memory flashed into my mind, the comprehension and possibilities sickening. I shrank back, every nerve standing on end. This had to be a coincidence. It had to be. In my mind, I knew better. There was no such thing as a coincidence within the sect. “I... Why Matteo?”

  “If I were to venture a guess, I’d say that the Council was well aware that Matteo would make a much more suitable Council member given he would go along with the flow. He seems to appreciate the sect, certainly more than I do. If I didn’t marry, my seat would automatically go to him.”

  I realized that my hand had fluttered to my mouth. “Oh, God. No. This can’t be...” I couldn’t even finish my thought. Would Matteo go this far?

  “It seems my lovely wife has been holding a secret all of her own.”

  I closed my eyes, horrified to tell him any details, but hearing the slight accusation in his voice, I could no longer hide anything from him. “Five years ago, I was in college, purposely keeping to myself the majority of the time. Frannie was my roommate and continually pushing me to come out with her to various parties. I always refused until one night. Something happened years ago unexpectedly, and I was embarrassed afterward.”

  “Tell me what happened,” he commanded, his tone shifting into darkness.

  “There was a costume party at the university. Frannie coerced me into going. Everyone was dressed up, including wearing masks. There were so many people there and for the first time, I enjoyed myself. I had way too much tequila and was in a mood to let go. My studies had been arduous, little time for anything else. I had something to prove,” I said, laughing, “Isn’t that a joke? Anyway, there was this boy and we... Well, we hit it off, dancing for hours, never removing our masks. We ended up at my dorm room. By the point I realized who he was, things were too far out of hand.”

  He bristled, the hand wrapped around his glass shaking. “Matteo.”

  I nodded, trembling all over. “It was one night and yes, the electricity we shared was amazing, but I was no fool. I realized the punishment we’d both face if anyone found out. I called Matteo the next day and told him it could never happen again. I knew what the Council would do, hell, what my father would do. If I’d known the incident would never have occurred.”

  His chest rose and fell, anger sliding across his face.

  “Christian, what happened meant nothing. I made a mistake.”

  For a few seconds, he simply took long gulps of his drink, finally draining the glass. “Matteo is still in love with you and as you are aware, his voice is similar to mine.”

  “Wait a minute, you think he was the one who called me.”

  His laugh was laced with evil. “Absolutely.”

  “He’s not in love with me. He didn’t say more than ten words to me at the reception.”

  “That’s because he knew he’d face my wrath,” he half whispered.

  “That’s crazy. We were young and had too much to drink. That’s all. He never called me again, never even caught my eye the few times I saw him after that.” Although that wasn’t entirely true. I’d seen the leering way Matteo had looked at me more than once, his gaze reflecting his hunger. I thought about the phone call, the inflections in the voice even with the single syllable. “You really believe he had something to do with this?”

  “If he knew the name was switched, I could see him retaliating.”

  “But wanting us both dead?”

  He laughed, snarling under his breath. “Revenge is something that we can’t control, the need to find a way of destroying those who hurt us an emotion that simply takes over. You need to remember that growing up in the circumstances we did, power and control means more than family ties.”

  I thought about Christian’s words, the ugliness that desire for power and money initiated. “He thought I knew, maybe even in on the switch made with the Box. He certainly has enough pull. Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think you do.”

  “It’s entirely possible. He called me barely two hours prior to the explosion, warning me that there would be a Council meeting.”

  “If Matteo had anything to do with the attack, why would he warn you?”

  “My brother knows me too well, my utter hatred of the Council and all their biddings; however, as you mentioned so aptly, I hunger for dominance. He realized that I’d turn the boat around, prepared to control the great leaders. Given the boat was in close proximity to Hilton Head, there was a likelihood that we could be saved. In deeper waters, the chance was minimal. I’m not certain the boat was supposed to explode that early. We were simply lucky.”<
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  The sick feeling in my stomach increased. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to rationalize even a portion of what he was saying. “I can’t believe your brother would do this.”

  “Is it any more inconceivable than arranged marriages, rules of secrecy? The Sacred Sect are nothing more than power hungry,”

  “Then what do we do?”

  Sighing, Christian pulled my hand to his lips, kissing my fingers. “It’s what I’m going to do. When we arrive in New York, I have a safe place for you to stay. Then I’m going to go to the Council meeting unannounced. If Matteo has anything to do with this, he’ll be there, whether from a request by one of the Council members or simply to show his solidarity to such a great loss. You will not argue with me. You will not fight my decision. Is that clear?”

  I knew this was nothing more than a game of Russian roulette, both our lives at stake. “I... Yes, that’s very clear. Where is this safe house?”

  He finally shifted back into his seat, glaring out the plane window. “You’ll be safe. That’s all you need to know.”

  “That’s not fair. I’m a part of this.”

  “Yes, you are, but I can’t risk your life. I won’t. The less you know the better.”

  His words were definitive, anger bursting in every syllable.

  “I’m your wife, for better or worse, whether we like the arrangement or not. We’re in this together, Christian. You and I. I’m sick of being treated like nothing more than property. If my father had anything to do with any of this, I deserve to know.”

  As he shot up from his seat once again, I realized there was no getting through to him. When he spoke, allowing me a glimpse into his world, I was surprised.

  “I have certain business associates who owe me, people who learned the hard way not to cross me in any manner. Randolph Sinclair has fucked me too many times. Until I figure out the pieces to this puzzle, you’re going to stay at his house. He has assured me that no one will know of your presence. I doubt he’ll ever cross me again.”

  His words were chilling in their matter-of-fact tone. Christian already had more power than even the sect realized. If they believed he could topple their reign, then he would easily be targeted.