by B. B. Hamel
“He’ll come. The bait was too tempting.”
Redmond chewed on that then leaned forward, speaking very softly. I had to turn my head to hear him.
“We’ll only get one chance at this, you know. If it doesn’t work and something goes wrong—”
“Nothing will,” Kaspar said, cocking his head.
“But if it does, know that I won’t take your side. You do understand?”
“Of course I do.”
“Good. Afterward, we’ll discuss further terms, but for now, I’m glad we get each other.”
Kaspar turned the coffee cup in circles. He seemed agitated—unsure of himself.
I’d never seen that in him before, and wondered if it was an act.
“I hope you’re prepared. After this, we can’t speak again.”
“And we won’t. Don’t worry, Kaspar. Everything’s on track. We’ll pull this off.” Redmond slammed his palms on the table and stood. My coffee cup rattled, and some spilled down the side. “I’d wish you good luck, but you’ve never seemed to need it. Either way, I’ll see you on the other side.”
Redmond turned and strode out. I sat there staring after him, not sure what the hell I just witnessed. Men like him and Kaspar rarely ever sat down together, much less in some small cafe in the middle of Rome.
“What do you think of him?” Kaspar asked me softly. His voice was calm and controlled, and when I looked back, he had his normal bored smirk.
I turned my cup in circles.
“He’s full of himself. The sort of guy that’s used to getting his way.”
Kaspar nodded and gestured impatiently for me to continue.
I glared at him.
“What else do you want? He’s smart, handsome. He’s an Oligarch’s son.”
“He’s a useful idiot.”
I flinched back. “Excuse me?”
Kaspar’s smirk faded. “I thought they taught you better in the Servant family.”
It was my turn to get angry. “If you have something you want to say, then say it. Don’t sit there and make me guess.”
“Redmond Orchard is an idiot. Oh, he’s smart, but he’s unable to think past his morning breakfast. His father, on the other hand, is a brilliant horse of a man.”
“So why ally yourself with the son?”
He leaned closer and spoke quietly. “I told you, pet. I plan on killing my way to the top.”
I let that slowly sink in.
Kaspar stood. “Come. Let’s go back to the hotel. You look like you could use some rest.” He walked to the entrance of the cafe and stared outside.
He planned on killing Old Bern.
The audacity of it snapped into focus. He wanted to murder the father and use the son as his puppet. It was absurd, of course—once Old Bern was gone, Redmond would have the power and resources of a true Oligarch—but if Kaspar was right about him, then he could be manipulated.
There was so much more happening than I realized. I was in the deep end barely treading water, and so far, I hadn’t bothered to learn how to swim.
But swim I must.
I stood and joined Kaspar at the door. “Do you really think you can control him? A man like Redmond isn’t used to taking orders.”
“That’s the funny thing about control. Sometimes, you don’t even realize you’re being nudged back and forth like a boat on open water.” He put his hand on my lower back and I wanted to scream, but I forced a smile on my lips. “Don’t worry about Redmond, pet. Worry about yourself.” He shoved me forward.
I stumbled once and nearly fell.
The young guard from earlier appeared at my side. He caught me before I could topple over into the street. I sucked in a sharp breath and straightened up, giving him a grateful nod.
He smiled back—but his smiled died on his lips as Kaspar gave him a withering stare.
For one long moment, I thought my young guard was dead.
But Kaspar only shook his head and strode off. I hurried in his wake, with the guards coming after.
6
Alice
Eight Years Ago
Blackwoods College
Penny was a freaking pig.
She was used to maids, staff, servants. She grew up in her pretty little mansion and was given everything.
I learned early on to keep whatever was important as close as possible. I was fastidious about everything I owned, because I knew it could be taken away at any moment.
I appreciated what I was given.
Not my gross roommate.
Her side was a cyclone of clothes, trash, books, receipts, papers, typewritten notes, scanned lab pages, and junk I couldn’t identify.
She had a bucket under her bed of mismatched socks.
It was the most psychotic thing I’d ever seen.
“Why are you always straightening up?” Penny asked one morning, stifling a yawn.
“Because if I don’t then we’ll probably both end up crushed under your mess.”
She glared at me. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s definitely that bad. Seriously, I’m shocked we don’t have rats, unless the rats already drowned in your dirty laundry.”
“Don’t be so gross,” she said, picking up a pile of shirts and throwing them at me.
I wanted to strangle her right then and there. It wouldn’t have been hard. She was soft and pampered like a little baby.
Her phone rang.
She glared at the screen and send it to voicemail. It rang again a minute later.
“You should just answer,” I said, annoyed, and threw her clothes back.
She dumped them on the floor instead of putting them in the hamper.
“It won’t help. He’ll tell me to meet him somewhere, and I won’t go, and then he’ll call a million more times.”
“He’s not going to give up.”
“He will eventually. I don’t know how many more times I need to tell him that I’m not interested.”
I snorted and looked away. I didn’t know what a man like Kaspar saw in Penny Servant, but he was smitten—obsessed, actually.
He didn’t leave her alone. Day and night, he lingered. Sometimes, he snuck into the dorm and appeared in our doorway. She made me chase him away, which I was loath to do, since I knew he made her uncomfortable.
And he was very nice to look at, despite being a total crazy person.
In a lot of ways, I could relate to him, being a crazy person myself.
I enjoyed watching her squirm. Kaspar was a big reason I hadn’t killed her yet. That, and I needed to come up with a way to make it big, bold, and splashy. Maeve wanted to send a message to the Servants and all the other Oligarchs, and a simple little murder wouldn’t be enough.
I had to go big. Really, really big.
“Why don’t you go out with him?” I asked, sprawling back onto my bed. “I mean, he’s good looking, he’s rich and popular, what more could you want?”
“I don’t know, but—” Her phone started ringing again. She growled in frustration and turned it off. “I have to get out of here.” She jumped to her feet and grabbed her stuff.
“Want me to come?” I asked lazily, knowing she’d say yes.
“God, yeah, I shouldn’t be alone, right?”
I shook my head, playing it up. “No way. Not with Kaspar lurking around. He might get you off so many times you’ll die in a puddle of your own juices.”
“You’re so disgusting.” Penny threw on a sweatshirt and pulled up the hood. “Come on, let’s go.”
I grabbed a hoodie and followed. We took the back pathway along Blackwood’s gorgeous little campus. This place was heaven, the sort of upper class college dream I never imagined for myself. From as far back as I could remember, I’d always assumed I’d die young in a gutter somewhere, poor and alone.
That I was still breathing was a small miracle, and all thanks to Maeve.
We approached the library and someone stepped into our path up ahead.
He was a b
ig bastard. It always surprised me whenever I saw him in person. Kaspar was muscular and lean, not quite wiry, but well-formed. His handsome lips were pulled into a frown, and his pretty-boy eyes stared lust at Penny like he was about to take her in front of me.
I’d probably let him. Hell, I’d watch. Penny was hot and so was Kaspar. I wouldn’t mind. They’d look nice fucking, his lips wrapped around her perky nipples, his thick cock pumping into her tight little rich girl cunt.
The thought made me wet, which was yet another proof that I was slightly more fucked up than average.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls,” Kaspar said, stating the obvious, the freaking troll.
“I don’t want to talk.” Penny looked toward the library. It was her salvation—Kaspar wouldn’t follow her into the brightly lit and crowded entry hall. “Please just let me go study.”
“Come out with me this weekend. There’s a party—”
“No, thanks. I need to study.” She went to move around him.
Kaspar grabbed her arm and nobody moved.
It was the first time he touched her. So far, his stalking was relatively innocent. Lots of calls, some creepy appearances at the dorm, that sort of thing, but he kept his hands to himself.
Now the smarmy bastard was getting handsy.
I kept my mouth shut and watched eagerly.
Penny stared into his eyes. “Let me go.” There was a fierceness to her that I hadn’t expected.
Which was good to know. When I went to kill her, she’d fight back.
“Have dinner with me.” His grip tightened. “I want to get to know you, Penny.”
“I don’t care what you want. Now let me go before I kick you in the fucking balls.”
I grinned. She never cursed. Good on her.
He released her arm. “You can’t deny whatever this is between us forever.”
“Get over it, Kaspar. Whatever you think’s happening is all in your head.”
“You want me as much as I want you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t.” And walked away.
Kaspar watched her go with a hot, fiery yearning that sent a chill down my spine.
If a man looked at me like that, I’d probably wrap my legs around his face and let him go to town.
As I followed her, Kaspar looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. I smiled sweetly at him, batting my eyes.
“Better luck next time, lover boy,” I said, grinning.
“Why didn’t you help her?” he asked quietly as Penny reached the steps.
I felt a jolt and slowed down. My smile faded away. “She had things in hand.”
“She didn’t.” He cocked his head. “You stood there watching like you loved every second.”
“You don’t know me, shit brains.”
I quickly walked away, catching up to Penny.
But Kaspar was watching me as we disappeared into the library lobby, swallowed by light and sound and people.
We were safe, but that lingering stare from Kaspar left a shiver on my skin, and I wondered what else he’d noticed these past few weeks.
I’d have to be more careful. The man was obsessed—but he was smart and observant.
That might be a problem.
7
Penny
Present Day
Rome, Italy
I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and all I wanted to do was go home.
Funny how that worked.
I spent so much of my life dreaming of the outside. I wanted to go everywhere: London, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo. I scrolled through pictures of other cities for hours and hours, pretending that I was taking a tour and not stuck in the Servant Manor, surrounded by expensive, impersonal comfort.
Now, finally, I got out. And all I could do was think about getting away.
My first year at Blackwoods was similar. At first, it was like a dream. All through my childhood, I was shuttled between the main Servant Manor and our large apartment in Manhattan, and was never allowed to do anything on my own—there were always bodyguards and staff hovering around. My family was protective to the extreme, and that only got worse after Livvie died.
But Blackwoods was a refuge. For those four years while school was in session, I had freedom to live like an adult, make my own choices, and experience life the way everyone else got to live it. I could be normal for a little while, and I soaked that in during the initial few weeks.
Then I met Kaspar, and that lovely illusion began to fall apart.
Like with Rome, he managed to take something lovely and tarnish it with blood and terror.
I stretched out on a plush bed and stared up at the ceiling. I didn’t know how I could float from one beautiful room to the next, always taken care of, always given whatever I wanted, and yet still feel so empty. Because really, I had nothing—no skills, no job, no purpose.
If I ceased to exist, the world would continue on as if nothing had happened.
My family might be upset. Kaspar would be angry he lost his pet. But truly, I brought nothing to the world, and was never given the chance to try.
It didn’t matter that I was pretty and rich. My family name was irrelevant. I was consigned to mediocrity from the moment I was born purely because I was a girl and the Oligarchs only cared about their boys.
I was treated like a precious doll, coddled and cooed over, but never dirtied.
God, I wanted to get filthy.
I wanted to roll around in whatever muck was stuck to the bottom of life. I wanted to experience everything around me—
And knew I never would. Not with Darren or Kaspar or anyone else making all my decisions for me.
I felt like such a terrible person complaining about my upbringing. I should’ve been happy. I was given anything a little girl could want and provided as many opportunities as possible given the constraints of my life. My family loved me, and I had some friends, though they were few and far between and I rarely saw them anymore.
I still felt restless and dissatisfied. I craved more, or at least the ability to decide for myself.
I sat up and sighed, staring at the floor, my shoulders hunched forward and my hair hanging down around my face. Another lovely cage. My whole life was a series of beautiful enclosures.
Something thumped out in the hallway.
I frowned, cocking my head, listening. I heard voices, talking quietly at first, then a loud bang. There were shouts, more loud bangs, and what sounded like an explosion.
My door burst open and the young guard rushed inside.
I wished I knew his name. His eyes were wide and wild and he held a small semi-automatic rifle under one arm.
“Get up, you’re with me.” More shouts from the hallway, more explosions.
It was gunfire.
“What’s happening?” My heart raced as I got to my feet.
“We’re under attack. Stay behind me and keep your head down. Keep moving, no matter what, do you understand?”
Screams of pain. I nodded quickly, mouth hanging open.
“What’s your name?”
He stared out of the door, raising his gun. “Scott.”
He fired three shots. It was like getting kicked in the eardrums. I groaned, but he stalked over to me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me behind him.
We rushed into the hallway. A man lay bleeding on the floor. He was dressed in black combat fatigues and held a pistol in his hands. He raised it feebly, but Scott kicked it away then shot him in the skull.
I clamped my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming.
“Come on,” Scott said, shouting over the gunfire. More shouts, more screams. He grabbed my arm and pulled me along down the hall and into the main room of the suite.
Kaspar’s door was open. Some of his men were fighting from there. Several attackers were hunkered down in the middle of the room, hiding behind furniture, shooting back at the guards. Scott shoved me against the wall and killed one of the attackers before they turned and
fired on him.
“We’re pinned down,” he shouted, teeth clenched in a grimace. “Don’t move. We’ll break them.” He fired off a few more shots.
Then someone roared like a monster.
I peered around the corner, crouching low. I screamed as something went off, bright like the sun, and my eyes went white, my vision completely destroyed, and my ears rang like I’d been kicked in the skull.
“Flashbang,” Scott yelled in my ear, but he sounded like he was at the far end of a football field.
More gunshots rang out, but they were like cap gun pops. My vision cleared and I blinked rapidly, trying to focus my eyes, and when I looked around the corner again, I sucked in a shocked breath.
It was Kaspar, a gun in each hand, his suit splattered with blood. He shot one attacker in the head then kicked the gun of another. His bodyguards rushed in behind him as Kaspar shot another attacker in the guts then finished him with a headshot.
When it was over, eight men lay dead on the floor, with more in the hallways. Blood drenched the carpet, the marble floors, the ceiling. Everything was sticky with red.
Kaspar fumed like a volcano. He shouted at his men and paced around. I’d never seen him so out of control before. I shied away, staying as far from the bodies as I could, until he finally spotted me.
I wished I could hide.
Kaspar came over, his anger shedding like water from his skin. A strange calm fell over him as he knelt down in front of me.
I looked around for Scott, but he was gone.
“Are you okay?” Kaspar asked softly.
“I’m fine.” I blinked at him a few times. Blood dripped from his chin like sweat. His suit was ruined. “Are you hurt?”
He seemed surprised, but shook his head. “They didn’t expect the flashbang.”
“You ran in there. Why would you do something do stupid?”
“Are you worried about me now?”
“No, I’m not, I only—” I stopped myself. He was right, why did I give a damn if he risked his life? “Who were those men?”
“I don’t know for sure yet, but I suspect they’re from your brother.”