by Penelope Sky
I loved her—beyond reason.
She took a bite of her dinner then slowly chewed as she looked at me.
I had to leave in the morning, so I appreciated her beauty even more.
She returned her utensils to her plate and gave me a long stare. “Why do you love me?”
Her question soaked into my mind for a long time, but a response was never formed. “Because I do.”
“If there’s no reason, how do you know it’s real?”
My eyes narrowed on her face, offended by the question. “Because if there’s no reason, it’s real. If it were conditional, based on a reason, then when that reason no longer existed, neither would everything else. The fact that there is no reason makes it unconditional. That’s much stronger than having a reason…and that’s why it’s real.” My heart had been dead for a long time. Incapable of feeling anything at all except greed and vengeance, it beat for a purpose, but never a reason. Now, it was alive and strong, pounding hard every single day for the woman across from me.
She held my gaze for a long time, her eyes far away, as if thinking about my words on an elemental level. Whenever she was deep in thought, her eyebrows shifted slightly and held the position. That was what she did now.
“I leave tomorrow.”
Her concentrated look was instantly shattered by my announcement.
“Not sure how many days I’ll be gone.” The camp was running smoothly, so it shouldn’t require my attention very long. Magnus had restored that camp and improved it beyond its former glory. It basically got a remodel we didn’t know we needed.
She immediately looked disappointed, just as she did every time I left, like she truly missed me, wanted me home with her because, without me, she was lost. Her need was the sexiest thing in the world to me. She needed to be taken care of—and I got to be the one to do it. I got to be the one to cover her in diamonds and kisses. I got to be the one to keep her full with the most delectable food possible. I got to dress her in the finest designer clothing, the finest lingerie.
Me.
She looked down at her plate for a moment, absent-mindedly moving her fork around. “Take me with you.” She lifted her eyes and looked at me through her thick eyelashes.
Those nights together in her cabin had never left my memory. Sometimes when I stared at her painting, flashbacks came to me—the first time she gave herself to me, the first time I earned her. That was the beginning of the end for me. My obsession grew into something deeper. “Why?”
“I want to see my sister.” She gave her answer immediately without having to think twice about it.
Her response disappointed me.
“And I hate it every time you’re gone…”
My eyes locked on to hers and saw only sincerity. She told me her primary reason with blunt honesty. She told me her second reason with conviction.
“It’s not the same without you—”
“You’re perfectly safe there—”
“I’m safe with you. The palace, the men, the luxuries…are nothing without you.”
My visage was made of stone. I didn’t release the breath I held. Stoic as ever, I kept my expression and my heart disconnected. But inside, I felt that blinding heat through my chest, felt that rush of blood to the head. Her love and affection were my fantasy—and every time it happened, it was a greater high than the last. “I’ll bring you—but that doesn’t mean I’ll allow you to see her.”
She accompanied me in the passenger seat on the drive, and she sat behind me in the saddle as we rode down the dirt path. The snow had melted everywhere except the top of the peaks, and now wild flowers were visible on the sides of the well-beaten path. Green bushes and plants replaced the white powder that once covered the ground.
We arrived at the camp, and I climbed off my horse before I guided Melanie down and safely got her to the ground.
The guards immediately stared at her.
She was in tight jeans, boots, and an olive-green shirt. Despite our location, she still wore her diamonds. She kept her eyes down and didn’t look at any of them.
With one stare from me, they all turned away, like scattering flies.
Magnus waited for me at the entrance of my cabin. His hood was back, revealing his hard features that matched mine. He had the same dark stare, the same intensity, something we inherited from our dead father.
I approached him and stared him down, the guards standing there to watch. His betrayal still gave me so much rage, so much pain. We hadn’t spoken for a long time, because the one person I trusted implicitly had turned on me. But he took his punishment like a man, and he busted his ass to right his wrong. The shame in his eyes was the reason my hatred had faded, because he sincerely regretted what he’d done to me. I could see it on his face. “Brother.”
He exhaled a long, slow breath, closing his eyes briefly, like my affection meant the world to him. “Brother.”
I extended my hand to his.
He hesitated before he took it, staring for several seconds before he gripped the inside of my forearm and stepped in, his hand moving to my back.
I did the same.
I embraced my little brother.
The brother I loved like a son.
When we pulled away, I nodded to the cabin.
We stepped inside, Melanie following behind me.
The door closed, and Magnus moved to one of the couches. Melanie moved to the other, taking a seat with her knees together, her back straight, her hair back elegantly to show the diamonds in her ears. She took the road with me on horseback, but she looked as pristine as ever, French aristocracy.
I poured two glasses of scotch and grabbed a bottle of water for Melanie. I took a seat beside her, put the drinks on the table, and then moved my hand to the beautiful woman beside me, the woman who was so beautiful, she didn’t look like she’d ever been here in the first place.
I gripped her thigh until she looked at me. “Men need to talk. Wait for me.”
She gave a silent nod before she dismissed herself into the bedroom and shut the door.
Magnus waited until she was gone before he grabbed his drink. “I’m surprised you brought her here.”
“She wants to see her sister.”
He couldn’t hide his surprise. “And you’ll allow it?”
I stared into my brother’s face but didn’t see it. It was all just a blur to me right now because I was picturing Melanie across the table at dinner, picturing the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, the woman who made me bend over backward more times than any man ever should. She made me weak—and not always in a good way. “Haven’t decided.”
We talked about operations of the camp for a while, and Magnus informed me he was in the process of increasing production by negotiating with the Colombians. There were hiccups along the way, but I wasn’t going to let any obstacle get in the way of my riches.
Magnus shared his negativity, as always. “Don’t let arrogance turn to complacency.”
“It’s not arrogance—greed.” I took another drink then set my glass on the table. “And you know how greedy I am.”
There was never enough money. I wanted more money, more power, even if I’d already reached the top of the hierarchy.
Magnus took a long drink. “Trying to figure out how to make it work. But if it’s too risky, we’ll have to accept what we have.”
I gave a slight nod, even though I still didn’t like that response. “When you leave in a few days, take care of it.”
My hand grabbed my glass once more to nurse my cold lips. Conversation had concluded, and there was a beautiful woman waiting for me. I waited for him to leave, but he lingered on the couch, the glass in his hand. My eyes shifted back and forth as I looked into his, seeing a hesitation that I couldn’t recognize. “What is it?”
He broke contact and stared at the bottom of his glass. There were only a few sips left. He spun the glass around to get the liquid to swirl in a vortex before he returned the glass to the coff
ee table. Whatever he had to say was significant because he took an eternity to say it and fidgeted along the way. “I’ve taken Raven as my own.”
My eyes immediately narrowed when I heard that god-awful name.
“I want to take her with me.”
Slowly, my features tightened and changed, because I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Eyebrows furrowed in anger. Nostrils flared even though I hadn’t taken a breath. When my words came out, they were loud, maniacal. There was no chance that Melanie didn’t hear me scream. “What the fuck is it with this cunt?”
“I’m not asking for her freedom. I’m asking for her to be bound to me—the way Melanie is bound to you.”
Once he mentioned the woman who’d claimed my heart, my anger simmered down.
“When I leave, she comes with me. When I return, she’s back to work with the other prisoners. I want her to be mine. That’s all.”
I stared at my brother for a long time, unable to believe that his dick had such bad taste. This woman had haunted us both in different ways. She was like a fucking witch in the woods. “I don’t understand your fascination. What about Stasia? She’s far more beautiful. What about all the women in Paris? You can have any woman you want, and this is who you choose?” Melanie was the only woman who’d earned my fidelity because she deserved it. Her beauty was unparalleled, a work of art. A taste of her had made every other woman undesirable. But Raven…looked like a fucking car wreck.
“Yes.”
I shook my head slightly.
“But it’s not monogamous. It’s not affectionate. She betrayed me, so I want her at my beck and call whenever I wish. She’s mine to use. She will make up for what she did to me. That’s all.”
My anger slipped further away when I began to understand. This was a form of revenge because working at the camp just wasn’t enough. His affection died with her betrayal, and now he just wanted to fuck her like a whore. “She’s your plaything?”
He nodded.
I bowed my head slightly as I considered the request, eyes on the glass on the table.
Magnus was silent.
As always, I wanted to grant any request my brother made. I was like a parent who couldn’t resist giving their child the toy they really wanted in the store. But I could only grant it with a set of hard restrictions. “If she escapes…I’ll cut off the rest of you and watch you bleed out.”
His expression didn’t change as he stared at me, as if he’d expected those kinds of terms. “I understand.”
“It doesn’t matter if you let her go, or she betrays you. If she’s out, it’s your head.” If it happened, I would have no choice but to kill him. Surely he would see that she wasn’t worth that risk.
But he nodded. “I know.”
I clenched my jaw slightly and shook my head. “I’ll never understand it, but I’m not going to try anymore. If this is what you’re into…so be it. I grant your request.” I grabbed my glass, finished the scotch, and then slammed it down again before I rose to my feet.
Magnus stayed put, in disbelief.
“Melanie.” I raised my voice slightly, with a hint of affection.
The door opened, and she came back into the room, her eyes on me like there was no one else in the cabin. Her petite frame had an hourglass shape, a flat stomach with large breasts. She had long, slender legs. I usually detested American women. But there was something different about her.
When she was close, my arm circled her waist as I brought her close. “We’ll have dinner then go to bed. I have a lot of things to do tomorrow.”
“Can I see her?” The words flew out of her mouth like she’d been holding them back since we got here. “Please.” Her arms circled my neck, and she brought her face close to mine, leveraging my love to get what she wanted. “I just want to see my sister…please.” She leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.
It was hard to deny her anything when she mirrored my affection, when she made me feel like I was the only man she’d ever touched. My hands squeezed her ass before I stepped away. “Take her to the cunt’s cabin. Give them five minutes. Nothing more.”
She grabbed me by the arm, her nails digging into my flesh like it was life or death. “Thank you, mon amour…”
I stilled at the nickname she’d never used before and turned back to her. My eyes took in her features, seeing sincerity that was so true, it couldn’t be forced or faked. We saw what we wanted to see, so perhaps it was all wishful thinking on my part, but when she told me she loved me, it rang clear and true like the bell of a chateau. It seemed real. It felt real. It was real.
She came closer to me, cupped my face, and gave me another kiss.
I forgot my brother was standing there. Like always, it felt like it was just the two of us.
Thirteen
Under Lock and Key
Melanie
Magnus led the way, guiding me to Raven’s cabin that was a short distance away. He didn’t seem interested in conversation, keeping a few strides ahead so I wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to him.
I rarely had alone time with Fender’s brother, so I took advantage of it. “I heard you and Fender talking. What did you say about Raven?”
He kept going, his silence his answer.
“Please tell me—”
“Haven’t I done enough for you?”
I stayed behind and turned quiet again.
We approached the cabin, and he unlocked the door. “Five minutes. That’s it.”
I looked into his hood, no longer able to see his face. “Thank you…for giving her the note.”
His annoyance was palpable in the air around us.
I stepped inside and found Raven sitting up in a little bed, reading. There was a desk with a laptop, a TV, men’s shoes on the floor.
She dropped her book with shaky hands and looked at me in shock. Slowly, her hands went to her face, her eyes glistening with tears, and her chest suddenly gave a jerk with emotion.
I lived in a palace with a butler and a private chef, and she was still here, still wearing the ugly work clothes, still forced into labor for someone else’s gain. It hurt more than I’d expected it to. “Oh my god…”
“Sister.” She scooted to the edge of the bed.
I rushed into her embrace, nearly knocking her over, and held on like the storm surrounded us once more, like it would blow us apart if we let go. Tears sprang into my eyes as I kept her close, as I treasured the person I loved most in this world.
The hug lasted a long time before she pulled away first. “How…how are you here?”
“I asked Fender to bring me.”
“It must be hard…to be here again.”
I saw Mom when I looked at her. I saw a strong person who only thought about others instead of herself. “I wanted to see you so bad… I guess I didn’t care.” The camp didn’t look the same, not without the snow.
Her hands grabbed mine. “I just can’t believe you’re here…”
I squeezed her fingers. “Me too.”
She inhaled a deep breath, her eyes watering with more tears, staring at our joined hands.
“Magnus continues to help you.” It was such a relief, to know that he looked after her when I was powerless to do anything for her. “I gave him that note and thought he’d rat me out, but he didn’t.”
She shook her head. “I’m living in his cabin right now.”
That explained the men’s shoes. “Why?”
“Only way he can protect me.”
I couldn’t believe that Magnus and Fender were brothers because they were so different. Magnus exposed his softness and allowed himself to be vulnerable. Fender was stubborn, holding on to his power like he’d collapse if he let it go. I didn’t understand it.
“I don’t know why he wants to protect me at all, because it’s not the same.” Her eyes started to water more, for a whole other reason. “He won’t forgive me for what I’ve done to him. And I miss him…so much.”
“He will, Raven.” Fender forgave me. Magnus would forgive her too.
Her bottom lip trembled.
I could see myself in her that very moment. I could see the conflict, the pain of loving someone you shouldn’t love. I thought I was the only one. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”
She gave a slight shrug. “I didn’t either. I guess…I’ve always known. Just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”
I dropped my gaze to our joined hands. “He’ll come around.”
“I don’t know…”
“He will—because he obviously feels the same way.” I lifted my chin and looked at her once more, wanting her to feel hopeful rather than drowning in despair. Because I really believed both of these men were more than what they seemed. “I will convince Fender to release you. Not right now. Not tomorrow. But eventually…I will.”
“You shouldn’t have gone back to him, Melanie.” She sniffled and pulled her tears back into her sinuses. “You shouldn’t have done that for me. I never would have wanted you to do that.”
“It’s not so bad…” Images flooded my mind. The way he placed his hand on my neck when he kissed me. The way his dark eyes burned into my face with love, not hostility. The way he took care of me like I was a burden he wanted.
“Does he treat you well?”
Gowns. Diamonds. Gourmet meals. Parties. Lovemaking. A man who loved me with all his heart. It was the first time I’d felt at home since Mom died. “Yes…he does.”
Raven breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”
She shook her head. “He’ll never let me go, not after what I did. Not that I have any regrets about it.”
“I know he will.” I believed that man had a soul. I believed it was beautiful like his heart. And I believed that his love for me was real, not just infatuation, not just obsession. But there was something in the way. “He’ll do it…for me.”
When I returned to Fender’s cabin, dinner was laid out on the dining table.