Carnival Hill (The Harlequin Crew Book 3)

by Caroline Peckham

  His one good eye remained closed, his face expressionless as the drugs kept hold of him, but his fingers were tightening in a clear demand for me to stay.

  I glanced up at the nurse, setting my jaw in determination as the heart rate monitor began bleeping faster, like he could sense me pulling away from him and that was causing him some distress. That was all the encouragement I needed from him and I set my feet as I made the decision not to move a single inch from this spot for however long he needed me to stay.

  "I'm staying," I said firmly, squeezing Chase's fingers in reassurance just in case he could hear me.

  She didn't look happy about it, but either the look in my eyes, the gun jammed into JJ's waistband or just the sense of threat hanging in the air between the three of us and her made her nod.

  "Fine. Just you. And don't be a nuisance."

  Fox glanced between me and Chase, nodding once and muttering about him and JJ staying downstairs if I needed anything.

  The door closed again as they left and another tear slipped down my cheek.

  I hesitated for a moment before climbing up onto the bed beside him, being careful not to bump or jostle him too much and I curved my body against his, placing my head down on his chest and listening to the solid thump of his heart beneath my ear.

  I curled my arm across his stomach, holding him close and breathing him in as the piece of my soul which belonged to him settled back into place.

  This was fucked up on so many levels and I knew that nothing about it was alright. But I had him back. He was here in my arms.

  And for now, that was the only thing in the world that mattered.

  I’ d had a rough few fucking days. It had started with me getting stabbed by my ex-bitch, followed by me laying on a kitchen table being stitched up by one of my more valuable men, then spending my time getting through the pain of my injury on nothing but pot and hard liquor. I was on the move again at least, my side bound in white bandages and my anger at an all time high. The stab in the side wasn’t even what made me the most vengeful, it was the cut to my goddamn face that pissed me off to high heaven.

  No one cut my fucking face and got away with it. So Rogue Easton was officially in my bad books, and I was gonna enjoy breaking my sugarpie all the more because of it. Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying seeing the fight in her. The more backbone she displayed, the more hungry I was to shatter it under my boots, but she had gone too far. I was torn between wanting to return the favour in kind and wanting to fuck the life out of her. Maybe I’d settle on both when I got the chance.

  Luckily for me, I had someone to take my anger out on waiting for me in the Rosewood basement. My pretty eyed boy was gonna die real good today and I’d twist the blade in Rogue’s chest nice and slow by making sure she saw his bloody remains. Yup, it was gonna be a bloodbath alright. I’d changed my mind on taping a grenade in his mouth and leaving him in the woods to be found by the Harlequins. Because today, I wanted to colour myself red and feel every snap of bones and splash of blood as he died for me. I’d tie him to a tree then skin him alive while I fed the live video to my enemies.

  I drove through the Rosewood gates in a black Ford. I had to change up my vehicle often so none of those Harlequin boys could track me around town, but I missed the power of my SUV and the purr of her engine beneath me.

  I parked up and headed to the trunk, whistling as I took out a bag with some rope, my shotgun and some knives in it. I was gonna cut off a few fingers before I moved Chase to the woods. I needed his screams to sate the angry monster in me this morning, so I’d be sure to pull them from his lips as soon as possible.

  I walked inside and headed through the huge entrance hall, upping my pace as excitement twisted through me.

  “Oh – er- Shawn!” Kaiser Rosewood called out from behind me and I snapped around in frustration, knowing I had to pander to him for now. He was in a purple dressing gown that was hanging open to reveal some gold silk boxers. I didn’t entirely hate everything he wore, I reckoned I could pull it all off a lot better than him though.

  “Morning, Kaiser,” I said, tipping an imaginary hat to him. “I’ve got a lot of work to do today. My little secret in the basement ain’t gonna be a burden on you no more.”

  He cleared his throat, toying with a gold chain around his throat. “Yes, er, about that. Unfortunately there was an incident last night and um…”

  “An incident?” I echoed coolly, assessing him as I tried to read what he was saying from his eyes. “Are you tellin’ me he’s dead already?”

  He swallowed hard, raising his chin as he tried not to be intimidated by the look I was giving him. “It was all pretty shocking. I was betrayed by my stepdaughter’s fucking boyfriend.”

  “Keep talking,” I gritted out, sensing I wasn’t gonna like where this was going.

  “Well…it seems Maverick Stone isn’t a man to be trusted. He released your prisoner and they-”

  “Do not let the word ‘escaped’ pass your lips unless you’re ready to face the consequences of that reality,” I warned, coldness washing over me.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Shawn, I’ll compensate you of course.”

  I inclined my head, working over everything he’d said and deciding what I was gonna do about it. Then I slapped on a wide smile and opened my free arm wide.

  “Well ain’t that a doozy, Kaiser?” I clapped my hand down on his shoulder overly tightly as I continued to smile big.

  “You’re…not angry?” he confirmed.

  “Accidents happen,” I said, then inhaled deeply through my nose. “Oh my, is that breakfast I smell? You don’t mind if I join you and your family for the most important meal of the day, now do you?”

  “Of course not.” He returned my smile, seeming to think everything was just dandy as he turned and led me back in the direction of the kitchen.

  My smile flattened as I followed and I gazed at the back of Kaiser’s head, picturing a bloody hole in it.

  “Must be nice being the man of a house like this,” I mused, my tone light, my expression dark. “Your balls must feel real big between your thighs, hm?”

  Kaiser chuckled. “They do when they’re slapping against the round ass of a twenty year old.” He laughed louder and I echoed it. “Don’t tell the wife though, the hookers are our little secret.” He tossed a wink back at me over his shoulder and I mimed zipping my lips and throwing away the key.

  We stepped into the huge kitchen with one violent orange wall and a large oval island in the middle of it with a black worktop. Kaiser’s wife Jasmine was sitting there eating half a grapefruit in a transparent black robe that showed off a lot of tit. Beside her was a girl who I guessed was Kaiser’s stepdaughter Mia, but I hadn’t had the pleasure of fucking her yet – I mean meeting her.

  She had a dark black bob of hair and full lips that looked like they’d seen plenty of cock. They weren’t full of filler like her mother’s and that made her all the more appealing to me. I liked my girls natural.

  “Oh Shawn, we weren’t expecting company,” Jasmine piped up, looking me over appreciatively. I dumped my bag down on the table with a smirk, unzipping it as Kaiser moved to pour me some coffee. “Do I need an invitation to enjoy the pleasure of your company, Jasmine?” I purred and she blushed, waving a hand at me with a chuckle as my eyes slid onto Mia. “I don’t think we’ve met in this life, angel, but I think we musta met in another, because I’m just tingling with recognition.”

  Mia frowned, not swallowing my lines as easily as her mother did and she sat up a little straighter in her seat, giving me a view of her tits in the grey teddy she wore. Mm, come to daddy.

  “I’m gonna go back to bed,” she muttered, pushing out of her seat, a bit of a pout about her lips. My eyes trailed down her as she moved towards me and I casually slid my shotgun out of my bag and swung it sideways to block her path, the barrel knocking against her chest.

  “No, no, sweetheart, I want breakfast with the whole family,” I pu
rred as Jasmine shrieked and Kaiser took a step towards me in alarm.

  “Drop it, Shawn, what the fuck are you playing at?” Kaiser demanded as I pushed Mia back by the tits and she hurried away to sit with her momma again, staring at me in fright.

  I turned my attention to Kaiser, swinging my gun up to point at his fat head, watching all the blood drain from his face drop by drop. That’s it, sunshine, you’re realising who the real power in this house is now, aren’t you? Shouldn’t’ve invited me in. I’m a vampire hungry for blood and there’s no way I’m leaving without my fill of it.

  I swiped up a piece of French toast from his plate, taking a vicious bite out of it as I gazed at him. “Now that is delicious. Who made it?”

  “M-mia,” Kaiser stammered.

  I finished the toast, licking the cinnamon off my fingers as I stared at Mia’s tits. There was a little rage in her eyes as I glanced up and I smirked, looking forward to crushing that out of her.

  “I’ll call my men,” Kaiser warned. “One shout from me and they’ll come running.”

  I nodded, considering that as I slid my finger onto the trigger. “But if you shout, your head will go boom.” I shrugged. “So I think you’re gonna stay quiet, don’t you?”

  He swallowed then nodded quickly. “What do you want?”

  “I want my name on the deeds of your house, old boy. How quickly do you think you can pull that together?” I arched a brow, expecting him to start begging and doing all the boring shit where he tried to make me change my mind. But he didn’t do that, Kaiser nodded several times, eyeing the gun in my hand which was apparently enough to make him sell his whole empire to me. Chicken shit.

  “Lead the way then,” I said. “One wrong move and I’ll shoot your arm off. Two wrong moves and it’ll be your head.”

  He scurried toward the kitchen door and I jerked my chin at his wife and stepdaughter to make them walk ahead of me too, my gaze dropping to Mia’s fine ass as I followed. I slid my gun under her teddy as we walked, pulling it up to bare her naked flesh to me and her shoulders stiffened.

  “You were Maverick Harlequin’s girl?” I asked and she glanced back at me with fear in her eyes, nodding once as I withdrew my gun.

  “Stone,” she corrected.

  “Darlin’, he’s a Harlequin down to his core. So tell me, did he seem to enjoy it when he fucked that ass? I guess it made a change for him, being the one on top. Or did he make you wear a strap-on and do some prison roleplay with you?”

  “Leave her alone,” Jasmine hissed, pulling her daughter closer and I ran my tongue over my teeth.

  “You don’t give me orders around here, Mrs Rosewood. Oh and by the way, how does it feel knowing your husband fucks girls younger than your daughter?” I asked lightly. “He looks like a sweaty, grunting boar when he does it though, so maybe you’re happy he sticks his dick in anyone but you. Are you faithful while you’re away and he’s here fucking barely legal pussy?” I asked, using my gun to brush a lock of hair from her shoulder.

  “You’re lying,” she snarled.

  “Am I a liar, Kaiser?” I called and his shoulders tensed, not looking back as he muttered something under his breath. “Couldn’t quite catch that, old boy, and I think the French toast is making my finger a little slippery on this trigger.”

  “He’s not l-lying. I’m sorry, my love,” Kaiser choked out and Jasmine raised a hand to her mouth in shock as she clutched Mia closer.

  “Come now, don’t be like that. You musta known on some level.” I pushed my way between Jasmine and Mia, laying my arms over their shoulders as Kaiser unlocked his office and led us inside.

  He started rifling through drawers looking for the deeds to this place and I looked at his wife under my right arm as tears ran down her cheeks. “You knew, come on. Kaiser’s a dirty pervert, anyone can see that. Tell me you’ve at least been getting yourself some decent cock while you’ve been off on your sailing trips?”

  She shook her head, silently sobbing and I gave her a pitying look. “Well honey, you sure made yourself available to me, didn’t you? I’d only have had to unbuckle my belt and you would have dropped your panties for me, wouldn’t you? Am I too late to take you up on the offer? Revenge fucking is the best kind.”

  She released a suppressed wail and shook her head. “Please, let Mia go,” she begged.

  “Aw, ain’t you a good momma? My momma’s good too, bless her heart. I think she’ll like this place, not the décor though, it’s fucking hideous,” I said, pushing her away from me so she staggered into the desk. She hurried around it, staring back at us as I lowered my hand to Mia’s ass and squeezed tight.

  “Get off of me,” Mia hissed.

  “Just gimme a kiss, sweetheart. One kiss and maybe I won’t blow your mommy and step daddy’s brains out.” I looked down at her, drawing her hard against my side as her hand splayed over my chest to try and hold me back. I winced as she pressed against the wound on my side and released a hiss through my teeth.

  “Careful with me, sunshine, I’ve got a few battle wounds from a round with a feisty little rainbow shark. Now where’s that kiss?”

  She glanced over at her family then back at me with tears in her eyes then leaned up to peck my lips.

  I chuckled as she drew away, fisting my hand in her hair and driving my tongue between her lips, taking a filthy fuck of a kiss in front of her parents as my cock twitched with interest. She was too easy right now though. I didn’t bend girls over and fuck ‘em until I was the centre of their universe.

  But as I was waiting for my real challenge to come home, this one did look like a fairly interesting distraction to keep hold of until then. I reckoned a few weeks would have her falling to her knees for me and begging for my cock. That was how I liked them, destroyed from the inside out, then tethered to me in ways they couldn’t even imagine. I got deep into women’s minds and hooked them on me like a drug. I made them love me, obsess over me and then I fucked them like the good little whores they were whenever I felt like it. That was my favourite way to fuck a girl, when they were broken and confused, their thoughts not even their own anymore, and the one true thing they knew was that I was their rising sun. They wanted to worship me because I was their god, the one who gave them purpose. Who struck them down when they were bad and lifted them up when they were good. There was no rush quite like that, and nothing better than girls who claimed to hate me turned into pliant little whores who spread their legs on command.

  Rogue had been the only one I’d never felt I fully owned. She’d never given me that look of love, though she’d been good enough at taking my cock. But I hadn’t ever quite achieved the euphoria of knowing she was utterly and undeniably beneath my spell which was why I’d kept her around for so long. Of course, all good things came to those who waited and now that she’d risen from the dead for me, I was more determined than ever to finish what I’d started with her.

  When I yanked my mouth off of Mia’s, I shoved her to the floor, swinging my gun around to point at Kaiser. “What’s taking so fucking long?” I barked and he jumped, his hands shaking as he yanked a document out of an iron safe on the floor.

  “H-here,” he stammered, picking up a pen and working to sign the property over to me.

  I moved around the desk and leaned over his shoulder, making sure he did it right. When he was done signing everything into my name, my gaze hooked on a journal as he tried to quickly stuff it under a pile of papers. I shoved his hands away, plucking it up as my eyebrows arched.

  “Now what do we have here?” I flicked open the brown, leatherbound journal which had Kaiser’s name scrawled in the front of it, finding page after page of locations crossed out and hand drawn maps from places around Sunset Cove with huge Xs through them.

  “What are you looking for, eh Kaiser?” I elbowed him, tapping the shotgun against his temple as I waved one of the pages in front of his face. “Start talking.”

  He huffed out a breath and I saw a demon in him then, not a scar
ed little boy who was close to pissing his panties. Whatever it was he was hiding, he did not want me to know about it.

  “Tick-tock,” I encouraged, swinging my gun onto his wife instead. “Or we’ll all find out if Jasmine’s face makes a nice wall hanging.”

  She shrieked, ducking behind the desk as if that would save her from my wrath.

  Kaiser kept his lips sealed and my eyebrows kept climbing. Very interesting.

  “What’s he looking for, Jasmine?” I stepped around the desk to point the gun at her and she trembled as Mia screamed, begging me not to shoot.

  “Please!’ Mia cried.

  It was like a little preview of what she’d sound like when she was begging for me to fuck her raw. I winked at her as her mother shook her head several times.

  “I don’t know, I swear I don’t know. I’ve never seen that journal before.”

  I chuckled, looking to Kaiser again. “You’re a bad man, ain’t ya Kaiser? Guy after my own heart. But why oh why would you hide this journal from your one and only?”

  Kaiser’s eyes darted from me to Jasmine and back again like they were playing a game of pinball. “I’ll talk to you alone. You and me, Shawn. Man to man.”

  “You won’t talk in front of your own wife? The woman you vowed to love and to hold and all that bullshit?” I tutted and he gave me a pleading look.

  “Alright, alright, me and you,” I agreed but then he lunged at me, making a grab for the journal and I fired my gun. The blast went off with a boom that made my whole body tingle and Jasmine’s head was splattered across the room as Mia’s screams tangled with the air. Pure music that was.

  “You bastard!” Kaiser roared, lurching toward me in a clear attack but I just turned the gun on him and he backed right up to the wall as Mia’s wild screams turned to sobs.

  Goddammit, now he’d gone and made it harder for his stepdaughter to obsess over me. Not impossible, but definitely more of a challenge.