“I don’t think flowers are going to do anything for a woman like that,” Nyxin said, shaking his head. “A woman who goes around punching people who could kill her in an instant isn’t a woman who’ll accept a bouquet of lame ass flowers.”
“Very good point,” Bruce said and snapped. “How are you doing after that, by the way?”
Nyxin glared at him. “Shut the fuck up, baldie. You wouldn’t be joking about it if you were the one she punched,” he snapped.
“Enough,” I interjected, holding up my hand. “Seriously. I only have one chance and I can’t fuck it up.”
Bruce frowned. “Oh, so you’re actually serious,” he said.
“What the hell made you think I was joking?” I asked with a raised brow.
“I mean…I don’t know, it’s just…different, I guess,” he said with a shrug.
“So, you really want to get her to fall in love with you,” Saint said.
“Something like that,” I said.
“It’s literally a yes or no question,” Nyxin said. “You wouldn’t be asking for advice if that wasn’t your end goal.”
“Then why ask a question you already know the answer to?” I asked with a smirk.
“Well, since you aren’t going to properly answer the question, I’m just gonna assume that getting her to fall in love is your goal,” Bruce said. “Aurora isn’t the same woman she was when she first got here. Romantic dinners, flowers, or anything that’s normally romantic won’t work for her. At least it’s not going to work for the woman she is now.”
I frowned. He was right. She definitely wasn’t the same. She was darker, more calculating, dangerous in ways that couldn’t be predicted at times. With that in mind, it made it a bit harder to figure out what to do for her.
“Wait,” Saint said and snapped his fingers. “Blood.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.
“You remember when we killed that guy who killed your mom at the club?”
“Yeah, and?” I asked, confused as to where he was going with this.
“Oh right!” Nyxin added, his dark eyes lighting up. “Hell, even I remember that.”
“Are either of you dickheads going to tell me what the hell you’re talking about or are we going to keep talking in fucking riddles?” I snapped, becoming impatient.
“She’d asked you if she could participate. Remember how you both reacted to that?”
I thought back to that moment in the basement of the cellar, watching my dark princess in her full glory. Just the thought of her spilling blood made my cock hard. After she’d spent so long being quiet, that’d been the most she’d spoke since coming out of the Retribution room after her final punishment. An intense darkness blazed in her gaze and was visible in every strike of the hammer she delivered. Then it dawned on me.
She’d said she wanted blood.
Even when we were in the car, she couldn’t keep her hands off of me, saying she wanted more of it. Had I not stopped her, Joseph would’ve had to drive us around for a lot longer than he probably wanted to while I fucked her in the backseat. If my wife wanted more blood, then she’d get that and more.
“I guess I know how to woo my wife then,” I said with a grin. “Thanks for your help, fellas.” I turned to walk toward the house, the rest of them following me.
“What are you thinking?” Bruce asked.
“I’m going to check with KC to see if he’s located the other people I’m looking for and go from there. They can’t be far.”
“I’m sure they’ll be heavily guarded though,” Nyxin noted. “The remaining people are Wilson’s top men. According to Hank, those men are protected.”
“I’m not worried about that. I have my ways; you already know that,” I said.
“Indeed,” Nyxin said with a chuckle.
The hunt for my father was still on. Ever since I’d sent Kyler’s head to him in a box, he’d been unusually quiet. I’d had KC check his records and track his phone, but he’d been smart and left that phone at his house. That probably explained the private number he’d called me from, which reminded me that I still needed to talk to Aurora about that after our weekend together.
There was only one way to get the information I needed to find my father. Calvin Westbrook handled my father’s travel and business contracts for as long as I could remember. According to our records, he was still in the States, as Wilson probably convinced him that he was safe since he wasn’t essential to the physical work of the mafia. They’d both get a little surprise when they realized how wrong they were. In the meantime, my wife and I were going to pay Calvin a little visit.
When I’d reached the house, Aurora was talking with Savannah in the kitchen. She cut her eyes to me and their conversation ceased, Savannah going back to prepping food. Aurora had changed into a pair of tight denim jeans and a white tank top. I made a mental note of taking her shopping when I looked down at her bare feet. I was sure she was tired of only wearing stilettos and didn’t make sense for her to wear them when in the house.
“Get dressed,” I said to her.
She frowned at me and gestured to herself. “I am dressed,” she said.
“Get dressed for a date. I’m supposed to woo you, aren’t I?” I asked.
She and Savannah shared a look before she turned her gaze back to me. “Okay then,” she said and walked off.
“What was that about?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at Savannah. She only giggled and shrugged.
“I’m not too sure. Hopefully things go well on your date,” she said. I looked to the direction where Aurora disappeared to.
“Did she say anything about what she wanted?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, because she knew you’d ask me,” she said with a grin.
“Touché,” I said with a chuckle.
“May I say something?” she asked, to which I nodded. “I’m not sure what happened to her when she was down in the basement or whatever it’s called but…she’s not the person I knew. At least that’s not her right now. I don’t know what she likes now, but I can tell you she’s not a flowers type of person.”
“Yeah, I kind of picked that up.” I leaned against the island counter. “What did she like?”
“Things that meant something, and usually you can’t buy stuff like that,” she said. “For example, her fiancé…” She looked at me nervously. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking just then.”
“It’s fine,” I stated.
“Well, Heath once made her a photo album of things he’d saved that they’d done together for an anniversary present once. Like movie ticket stubs, pictures, things like that.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. That was the dumbest shit I’d ever heard. If that was the type of shit she wanted me to woo her with, I might as well start filing annulment papers. Savannah gave me a soft smile.
“But that was the old her. I don’t think that kind of stuff gets to her anymore.” She looked down at the food she was prepping and sighed. “She doesn’t even talk about our old life anymore, as if she’s accepted that we’re both stuck here.”
Well that’s a good sign, I thought. Though it didn’t solidify anything between us, it at least gave me a chance to get her to stay.
“I guess I have my work cut out for me then,” I said as I pushed off the counter.
“Good luck,” she said, giving me a small smile. “I really want her to be happy. The situation isn’t…ideal, but it’s not so bad when you have someone here that makes it better.”
“And I’m guessing that’s Brucey for you, huh?” I asked, smirking.
She giggled. “I guess so,” she said. “I tried to tell her that even the darkest people can have a good heart somewhere inside. You just have to be patience enough to get to it.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say. After Stephanie did, I didn’t know if I was capable of loving anyone else. Even if I got Aurora to fall in love with me, I wasn’t confident that I was able to feel the same th
ing. I knew I wanted her in a possessive kind of way, but not because I loved her. What if I achieved my goal only to break her heart in the end?
The question gave me pause. Asking her for one shot meant a lot more than just not fucking up. That included after I got what I wanted. I scrubbed my hand down my face. Things were never this complicated with Steph. I was in way over my head; maybe we both were. But I wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.
Savannah looked at me as if she expected me to respond to what she’d said. I nodded to her.
“I guess time will tell where we go,” I said. She only nodded in response just as Giana came into the kitchen to help her. I left them to their work and went to find KC. I’d work out the technical shit later, but I had a date to prepare for.
If blood was what my gorgeous girl wanted, then blood was what she’d get.
AURORA
“Congrats again on your marriage,” Savannah said when I entered the kitchen.
I frowned and shook my head. “There’s nothing to congratulate,” I mumbled as I grabbed a bottled water from the large fridge. I was still angry about the whole thing, though mostly angry at myself. Bennett could’ve told me everything I would be signing, but why would he when it was all in his best interest? I stupidly let my emotions guide my decisions when he’d warned me about that. I guess that was what I deserved for not listening—or reading important documents before signing.
“I mean it can’t be that bad, right? I mean you could always be a whore,” she said with a small smile. I sighed. She was right; things could’ve been so much worse for me. At least my torment and pain came from one man. I knew what to expect from Bennett. It was different for Savannah when she’d dealt with different men in the bunker before Bruce bought her. Regardless of that, it didn’t make my situation “better” than hers. I still went through hell, still went through pain, and was now mentally fucked up by the man that was now my “husband.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said sarcastically. “My husband killed my parents, my fiancé, raped my best friend, raped me, and put me through hell for a week. So, forgive me for not jumping for joy because I’m married to a fucking psychopath.”
She nodded. “Fair enough,” she said. “Maybe he’s trying to change. I mean marriage is a big thing.”
“I seriously doubt it. The only thing Bennett wants is total control over me. It’s not like he married for love.”
She pulled out thick cuts of beef from the fridge and shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think he’s all bad. He has some kind of heart. You should’ve seen him with the kids.”
“I don’t care about how he is with the kids. He’s too busy trying to hide the truth from them anyway.”
“And not even that. The way he treats the people he cares about. He’s very protective over the people he considers his family.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you even defending him? You’re the last person I expected to be singing his praises after what he’d done to you.”
She sighed. “I know he’s done a lot of bad things, but he allowed Bruce to take me from what I can only describe as hell.” Tears burned her eyes as she looked at me. “On my first night up here, Bruce explained to me that I was one of the girls that made Bennett a lot of money, but he sold me to Bruce for a much cheaper price—”
“Because Bruce is his right-hand man,” I reminded her. “It wasn’t a favor to you or to me.”
“But that’s my point, Vanessa,” she said.
“It’s Aurora,” I corrected her.
She dropped her eyes. “Sorry, Aurora. The fact of the matter is that Bennett may have something worth getting to underneath all those layers of his. And now that you’re married to him, maybe you’ll get a chance to figure that out.”
“I have no interest in doing that,” I mumbled. “Once all this is over, I’m finding a way out of this hellhole to try to have some semblance of a life.”
“I thought you said he wouldn’t let us go?” she asked, continuing to pull food from the fridge. “Besides, I think you should take advantage of your new position.”
I looked at her in slight shock. Not too long ago, she was upset with me when I'd told her that there was no way out. She’d been so passionate about tricking Bruce into thinking she loved him just so he’d give her enough freedom to escape. To hear her say that I should stay and basically “accept” my new position as queen, it was almost as if she'd been brainwashed since the last time I'd talked to her alone. As if reading my mind, she gave me a soft smile.
"Love," she said.
"Love?" I raised an eyebrow. "What about love?"
"Love is what changed my mind," she said.
I scoffed. It hadn’t even been a month since Bruce had bought her and took her out of the bunker. I didn’t really know when their relationship actually started, but Savannah wasn’t one who fell in love easily or fast.
“But just like you, she’s not the same person that you know either,” the small voice reminded me. Even looking at her now, I could see that. The Savannah I used to know was loud, outspoken, and outgoing. The woman standing before me was timid, always apologizing as if afraid she’d be punished again. Maybe she was just desperate for something as normal as love and would take it in any form.
"You love Bruce?" I asked. I didn’t know too much about Bruce as a person, as I only saw him as Bennett’s righthand man and lap dog. But I did see the way Savannah looked at him when I saw them together. I did see the way his eyes would light up when he saw her around the house, the glances and hidden smiles they shared. If she thought she was in love, who was I to burst her bubble?
"I do,” she said. "I didn't think it would happen since I was more focused on getting out of here, but the more I uncover different layers to him, the more parts I find to love."
"Yeah, well, from what you've told me, Bruce hasn't physically hurt you. In fact, he hasn't hurt you in any way. What you have with him is nothing like what I've gone through with Bennett. Bruce is your savior; Bennett is my nightmare."
She shrugged. "Fair enough. But if you're so hellbent on not being with him, how are you going to get out of it? I mean you have to be able to leave the house on your own to get out of a marriage, right?"
I sighed. "I don't know yet. I'll just have to work my magic for right now and hopefully things work in my favor."
"You should be careful," she said, shaking her head. "Playing with a man's emotions can be a dangerous game."
"And fucking with mine is a dangerous one, too," I said, just as Bennett walked into the kitchen. Our conversation ceased as he slowly approached us, his eyes moving between the two of us. When his gaze settled on me, he swept it along my body.
“Get dressed,” he said.
Looking down, I noted the jeans and tank top that I had on, trying to figure out why my current outfit didn’t match his standards. I frowned at him and gestured to myself. “I am dressed,” I said.
“Get dressed for a date. I’m supposed to woo you, aren’t I?” he asked with a raised brow. I fought the urge to smile. He was really serious about winning me over. His expression was neutral, as if going on dates was a common thing for us. I wasn't sure what to expect from him, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be disappointing. I did say I'd give him a chance after all; if anything, I'd be amused tonight.
Savannah and I shared a look before I turned my gaze back to him. “Okay then,” I said and walked off without another word.
I walked out of the kitchen and pressed up against the wall in the hall outside the kitchen. Bennett voice was so low that I could barely make out what he was saying, Savannah lowering her voice as well.
"Need something, dark princess?" Saint asked suddenly, scaring the shit out of me. I gasped and clutched my chest, looking at him with wide eyes.
"No," I said breathlessly. "I was just trying to see if Bennett would reveal what he had up his sleeve."
Saint chuckled. "Are you nervous?"
"It's a date.
What's there to be nervous about unless he plans on doing something to torture me all night," I said as I folded my arms across my chest.
"That wouldn't be treatment fitted for a queen, now would it?" he asked with a grin.
"I guess not," I said, just as Bennett walked out of the kitchen.
He looked at me and frowned. "Unless you're getting dressed in the hallway, why are you still here?" he asked.
"Spying on you," Saint said and winked before walking away.
Bennett put his hands in his pockets and grinned at me. "Spying on me, huh? Trying to figure out what I have planned for you?"
"Just curious," I said with a shrug.
"Hmm..." He closed the distance between us, his body heat raising goosebumps on my skin. “Well, I can tell you that I have a little surprise for you that I think you’ll really enjoy.”
“You don’t know much about me to know what I’d enjoy,” I murmured.
He smiled. “I’m confident you’ll like this.”
“I’m not a fan of surprises,” I countered, trying to get my wits about myself. His close proximity, body heat, and cologne were clouding my senses. His eyes blazed his hunger as he looked down at me.
“You’ll be a fan after this one,” he said and then lowered his head until his mouth was next to my ear. “And after your surprise, I’m going to bring you back home and fuck you within an inch of your life and you’ll beg me to give you more over and over.”
His words made my stomach flutter and my core pulse with need, but I made sure to keep my face neutral. He slowly backed away from me, a hint of a grin on his lips.
“Now go get dressed, Mrs. Moreno. Don’t make me ask you again,” he said.
A part of me wanted to press my luck and see what would happen if I defied him as his wife, but a sliver of me knew that Bennett was still a monster that was very capable of hurting me. My new title didn’t make me invincible and I didn’t want to find out whether or not that was true.
“Fine,” I said and slid along the wall away from him. I walked away from him, feeling his eyes on me. I could already imagine what he looked like, his hands in his pocket with a smirk on his lips. Stealing a glance over my shoulder, I wasn’t surprised what I saw when I looked back at him. He was exactly how I thought he should be, except he winked and retreated in the direction of his office.
You Will Obey (Rules of Bennett Book 4) Page 7