Chapter 25

I fucked up: I lost control. I never lose anything, ever. But Jesus, a guy can only take so much before breaking. First Zie turns up with Odi looking freshly fucked and ready to go another round, then The Doe herself defies and challenges me with that stupid outfit stunt, and finally, Kaiden is all over her like a damn rash, practically fucking her in public. Like she’s his. Like they have history. Recent history.

Between the fucking dress and his hands all over her, I was ready to pulverise my opponent before the fight even began.

And then he practically fucked her standing up and I swear I could hear her moans of pleasure over the sound of the flesh on my knuckles splitting open and The Kid’s blood splattering on the mat.

I snapped.

And I have zero regrets.

None.

I climb from the ring, ignoring all the sycophants who try to stop and congratulate me, and make my way straight for them. I know I’m a bloody mess and I probably looked like a crazed psycho right now, but to be honest, I feel like one, so it’s pretty fitting.

They’ve stopped dry humping ringside, but that doesn’t dampen down my rage at all. Or my hard on.

“Great fight, boss.” Kaiden smirks and I swear, if keeping up appearances wasn’t so damn important right now, I’d have laid him out on the grimy concrete floor for that look alone.

As it is, I have to grit my teeth and promise revenge in private. All I can smell is her. Her sweat. Her arousal. Her cum.

He and Zie both need to be brought up to speed on the new version of the plan. Namely, that Odi is mine and once this contest is over, I have zero intention of sharing. Until then, my brothers’ only job is to help keep her safe and to ensure that we win.

They can reap the business benefits, but The Doe is mine.

“Please tell me that’s your blood around your mouth?” Odi asks in horror. I grin at her but don’t put her straight.

“Let’s go see if Zie found our little friend, Rob. I’m in the mood to finish what I started in the ring.”

This time Odi gives a horrified gasp and it pleases me greatly. Good. I want her to be shocked and terrified. Maybe when she sees what I’m capable of, she’ll stop challenging me at every turn. A little fear is healthy in every relationship.

Of course I already knew what happened to her last night. My associate told me. He had eyes on her the entire time. The only reason Rob’s still breathing is because I need him alive to send a message to Odi.

Wordlessly, I lead the way through the crowd to the elevators, knowing that Kaiden will bring up the rear, with The Doe sandwiched between us because it’s the safest way. I don’t expect anyone to approach, let alone interfere.

“Axel.” Zeus steps out in front of me, blocking our way, and barely tips his head in a show of respect to me. He may as well bite his thumb. “Congrats on your team making it through to the next round.”

“Zeus.” I blink and his other cronies appear, flanking him. Hades. Ares. Apollo.

Fucking stupid names.

They’re all in worse states than me, though none of them wear the blood like a badge of honour like I do. “Need something?”

“A word.”

“About the Hunting Grounds?”

Zeus hesitates. He knows we can’t talk business tonight. Behind him, Ares, the twitchy one bounces from foot to foot. I shoot him a smirk.

“We need to talk about—” Apollo jumps in but Hades wisely cuts him off.

“Nothing that can’t wait.”

“Good choice, Hades. Zeus, set up a meeting through the proper channels.”

“Actually,” Ares steps in front of everyone to get right in my face. “We just want to meet The Doe. Officially.”

“We’ve met. Well, some of us have,” Odi replies before I can formulate a response. I flick my gaze to her and she doesn’t look impressed with The Gods. Satisfaction stirs inside me. Good. Based on tonight’s fights, they’re the only real competition in this contest, and if Odi isn’t fazed by them then that’s a good thing.

I wouldn’t trust a single one of them before, and I certainly wouldn’t now, with the way they’re eyeing her like a pack of rabid wolves. Like she’s the innocent little virgin dressed in a red cape.

Fuck. That dress.

I groan internally and push past The Gods to call the lift.

I need to get out of here before…well, before I kill the wrong person.

Stepping into the elevator, I eyeball Kaiden to bring up the rear, and luckily he ushers Odi inside. When the doors close, she shudders but before I can ask her why, Kaiden has her in his arms.

“What’s wrong, babygirl?”

Such a stupid nickname. Odi’s neither a baby nor a girl.

“Those guys. They gave me the creeps.”

Kaiden laughs. “Most chicks usually fall at their feet.”

“Not me.” Another stab of satisfaction.

“Here, these belong to you,” Kaiden says, offering Odi her purse and a knife.

“Maybe if you’re returning things, you could give her back the hoodie and she can cover up,” I snarl. Both Odi and Kaiden share a look.

“Sorry, I must have dropped it somewhere,” she replies with a sweet smile that doesn’t suit her at all. “Besides, it’s not mine so if we’re returning things to their rightful owners, it’s Kaiden that should be wearing it, not me.”

“I’m sure he could make an exception, just this once.”

“Aww, what’s the matter, don’t you like my dress?”

“The dress is fine. It’s what’s under it that I have a problem with,” I snap. “The only person getting to see that much of your flesh should be me.”

“Because you own me?” she taunts sarcastically.

I’m a split second away from snapping and showing her exactly how true that is, but I force the feeling down with a growl.

Frustrated and dangerously close to breaking my resolve, I hit the button on the lift and it immediately begins to descend.

“Seriously? Down again? How far down into the bowels of hell does this wretched place reach?” Odi huffs.

“The Arcelia is…unique. It has an impressive underground history and once it’s back on its feet, it’ll make history,” I explain to Odi, shaking myself from visions of slamming her against the wall and taking her in front of my best friend to show them both who she really belongs to.

We may be silent partners to old Mrs Grande’s sole heir, but I fully support her granddaughter’s plans for the hotel, and I plan to play an active role in its success. A hotel where anything can happen…people will pay a lot of money for that.

Starting with the playroom in the real basement.

The doors woosh open and Kaiden steps out, Odi close on his heels like she can’t bear to be alone with me for even a split second. When she takes in the sight before her, she gasps and staggers back, right into my arms. I grab her waist to steady her when she wobbles and I use the opportunity to spin her round to face me.

She blanches a little but her gaze keeps flickering to my lips. Or more specifically the blood around my lips.

“Are you hurt?” she whispers.

I grin and shake my head. “Sorry to disappoint, princess.”

Her eyes flash with something akin to hurt, which surprises me, and I contemplate kissing her again. Unfortunately, our guest decides to make his presence known before I can deduce if she wants me to kiss her, and she’s turning away.

I glare daggers at Rob.

He’s been in our custody since our chief of security at Trinity’s saw him spiking someone’s drink through the eye in the sky. He would have been let off with a warning – that shit doesn’t happen in my establishments – if it weren’t for the report which came later from my associate that it was Odile’s drink that was spiked.

Two broken legs weren”t going to cut it once security confirmed my associate’s hunch was right. Now Rob must die, and The Doe must watch.

“What’s going on?” Odi asks in a low voice. She sounds freakishly calm, which isn’t at all what I was expecting.

“Do you recognise this guy, babygirl?” Kaiden asks. She nods.

“Yeah, he’s my flatmate. Rob.”

“I hope you’re using that term ‘mate’ loosely.”

She nods again but it’s a jerky movement, almost like her head moved against her will.

“If he’s recognisable, you didn’t do a good enough job,” I snap calmly at Zie. There’s no heat to my words but the threat is there all the same.

He shrugs and punches Rob again, the force of the blow snapping his head to the side and causing something to pop. Now Odi cringes.

Good.

“Is that how you hurt your hands?” she asks quietly, staring at Zie.

He shrugs. “He hurt you.”

“He didn’t,” she replies with a shake of her head.

“He tried to.”

“But he didn’t succeed.”

Is she about to start pleading for his life?

“He wanted to. And he wouldn’t stop with you. You wouldn’t even have been the first.”

Her face darkens at that little caveat of knowledge. “What?”

“Meet Mr. Robert Moore.” I tell her calmly. “Twenty-four years old, recently transferred from Herts. This time around he’s a drama major. Before that he attended Bath, Oxford, Warwick, Cambridge and a whole other host of universities, under several different names. The thing they all have in common though, is that his rapist ass was asked to leave, and after sizable donations no charges were ever pressed.”

“He’s the scum of the Earth,” Zie adds, which is saying something considering who we are, who our fathers are, and what we do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some vigilante who suddenly gives a shit about womankind. I’ll leave the soppy shit to the other two. But this is different. He went after Odile and that’s never okay.

His death will send a message to the masses.

It just can’t be quick because I need Odile to be scared of me. Of what I can do.

“What is this place?” Odile surprises me.

She’s stepped further into the room and is gazing around with interest. Curiosity, rather than horror or repulsion, lines her features. Kaiden is watching her like a puffed up proud papa bear. He likes that she’s a little bit dark and twisted. Growing up, he always fed that part of her. Nurtured it. He was convinced she could make it in our world, but I wasn’t.

I’m still not convinced now, but it’s not like we have any choice. Odi is here to stay, and we need to make her fit as best we can. Starting with her fast-tracked education in all things Holy Trinity.

“I assume everything is set up?” I ask with a scathing glance around the room.

“Yes. Arcelia saw to it herself.” Odi’s spine stiffens at Zie’s response. “She was more than happy to accommodate us.”

“Good. And the body?”

“She has a client looking for someone that matches his description. Coincidence, eh?”

“I’m not surprised. Arcelia is an absolute goddess at what she does.”

“You sound like you admire her,” Odi says quietly, bitterly, while examining a closed Balisong with forced nonchalance. I’m just about to warn her to watch her fingers when she flips the blade open in a zen rollover and I’m stunned.

Where the fuck did she learn to do that? It sure as shit wasn’t from Kaiden because he’s only mastered butterfly knife tricks like that since we’ve been in Black Hallows.

“Aww, you sound jealous, babygirl,” Kaiden teases. I wonder if he even saw what she just did. He can’t have. He’d be readjusting his dick right now and unable to form coherent sentences. I know I am. “Don’t be. You know you’re the only girl that will ever have Axel’s heart.”

“If he had one, I wouldn’t be interested in doing anything with it, other than tearing it from his chest and feeding it to the rest of you betraying bastards.”

“Ouch. I thought we were past that.” Kaiden frowns, giving her the puppy dog eyes. I flick my attention to Zie and he looks wounded too. What is going on here?

“Nope. It’ll take more than that to make up for the sins of the past. And the present.”

I smirk as she rubs her hand across her chest, across the ink that finally brands her as mine. I don’t think she even realises she’s doing it, it’s such an unconscious gesture that betrays her discomfort. It makes me hard every time. Harder than seeing her handle advanced weaponry like a goddamn pro.

“Well, while you’re holding a grudge, princess,” I say with a slow drawl. Measured steps close the gap between us and my palm wraps around the blade in her hand. “You may as well add the sins of the future to your list of slights too. Because there will be plenty. The only difference is, I’m not looking, asking or begging for forgiveness.”

I easily remove the knife from her grip and stare down into her dilated doe-like eyes. She’s so fucking gorgeous right now. Pretending not to be scared of me. I lick my lips, forgetting for a moment that I’m covered in someone else’s blood and the metallic tang of copper explodes on my tongue. Odi’s gaze is glued to my every move and she doesn’t see it coming when I close the miniscule gap between us.

I crush her against my hardness and bury my face in her hair. She smells like innocence and temptation, the promise of sins yet to be committed. She’s like a magnet I can’t stay away from. No distance will ever be enough to neutralise this attraction between us.

Nuzzling her neck I note the way her pulse flickers, the bright veins within the creamy pale skin of her throat throbbing alluringly. I lick my lips and taste blood again, groaning this time because it’s not the blood I want to taste. It’s not hers.

I nip at her lobe before breathing out on a whisper, “And if you want to carve my heart from my chest, you’ll be the only one eating it.”

Forcing myself to pull away, I turn back to our friend in the chair. He’s tied down and pretty beaten up, but pretty anything isn’t enough for me. I give him a savage grin. The sort that strikes fear into those who cross me.

He doesn’t even flinch.

Why would he? He doesn’t know who I am. Who we are. And he probably hasn’t yet figured out how this is going to end. Most don’t. Not this early on anyway.

“Speaking of eating. You’ve been here a while,” I say cordially to our guest. “You must be hungry.”

“Fuck. You.” He spits and the bloody saliva lands on my bare chest.

“What’s a little more blood in the grand scheme of things?” I shrug. “But really, you should eat.”

Nodding to Kaiden, he immediately stands behind our rapist friend and wrenches his jaw open with his hands. The rapist screams but it’s nothing yet. If I had to describe it in terms of a symphony, this would be Mezzo Forte. He’s a bit of a drama queen after all.

“I really wanted tonight’s menu to be Kid tongue, but alas, the hunt didn’t go as planned. You’ll have to settle for something much more aural than oral. It’s a little grisly, I’m afraid, but I promise the main course will more than make up for it.”

I fish the souvenir from my fight out of my pocket, flicking a forlorn glance at it for only a moment, before tossing it into Rob’s open and waiting mouth. It’s like feeding performing seals at the zoo. Kaiden slams his already broken jaw shut and I’m sure I hear teeth crack.

Rob the Rapist thrashes in his chair, his muffled protests Pianissimo with the way Kaiden holds him in a headlock. There’s no way that The Kid’s ear is coming back out of Rob’s mouth but Kaiden clamps a hand over his nose too to ensure he swallows. Or passes out. His protests gradually get quieter – diminuendo if you will – until barely audible sobs provide the backing track for the main event.

“Zie,” I bark.

He doesn’t need telling. He saunters over to the table of weapons where Odi’s still standing and reaches past her to select his blade of choice. Peony is frozen, unable to move out of his way, huge jade eyes locked on Rob.

I wonder what she’s thinking. What she’ll do when things…progress.

Zie crouches down in front of Rob, huge blade in hand. Despite the extensive swelling to his face, Rob’s eyes still widen at the sight of the hunting knife. Now who has the flair for the dramatics?

Zie taunts Rob with the blade, making him thrash in his bonds. It’s almost comical, but I’m getting bored.

“Zie.”

At my one-word order he makes short work of divesting Rob of his clothing, cutting away the material with sharp efficiency until he’s naked and pathetic in front of us. That’s it. All the theatrics with the knife were simply to get him naked.

“Doe.” Odi probably won’t understand why I’m using her title, but the others will. “Come here.”

She hesitates only a second before moving to my side on stiff legs. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

“Look at him,” I demand softly. “He wanted to hurt you. He was going to rape you.”

She shudders.

“You should take revenge.”

“H-how?”

“Take from him. He would have taken from you.”

“You want me to…have sex with him?” she asks in confusion.

“No. He’d probably enjoy that too much. You’ll have to think of something else. Look at all the tools you have at your disposal. I’m sure you can get creative…”

She pulls away to stare at me. But I don’t miss the way the pulse in her neck flutters or the way her eyes briefly cut to the table of implements that are perfect for torture. Rob’s eyes are wild and pleading. He thinks – what, exactly? That because she’s a woman she won’t have it in her to hurt him? A laughable excuse. Some of the most savage killers I know are female, and on my payroll.

No. This is a test. And I know she’ll pass.

“I wouldn’t want to break a nail,” she says eventually, studying her hands. She gives a shrug of her shoulder and a dismissive smirk. “Do what you want to him.”

I’m happy with that outcome. She didn’t pass with flying colours – only killing him herself would have ensured that – but she still passed nonetheless by handing his fate over to us. In a way, this is almost better. She did just give permission for us to do anything.

She turns away from Rob, effectively dismissing him and his fate, then pauses. She takes in a sudden breath, considering, before spinning back to face Rob. Fast as a viper, she strikes. Throat punching the motherfucker who immediately impersonates a dying seal.

Kaiden hoots and claps, and even Zie gives her a satisfied nod of respect. A slow grin stretches across my face and my dick stirs once again.

Oh yes. It looks like this little doe has some fight in her after all.

I nod to Kaiden and he steps forward, tools already in hand. It’s messy work, but someone has to do it, and it just so happens that Kaiden loves this shit. His weapon of choice today is modified crocodile clips and I already know without watching that this is going to be bloody and painful for Rob’s balls. Good.

Odi pales when Rob screams. Or maybe it’s Kaiden’s manic laugh that makes her blanch. Whatever. I let him enjoy himself for a good ten minutes but I get bored around the time he’s heating up the pokers. Too many memories.

“Enough,” I command a moment too late as the acrid smell of singed hair and burning flesh invades my nostrils. “You’ve made your point. Let’s hand him over to the others.”

“What others?” Odi whips around to face me. Her cheeks may be pale but there’s a fire gleaming in her eyes. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was enjoying herself.

I whistle and a moment later the elevator doors ping open. The Gods file out and Odi frowns.

“What are they doing here?”

“You’ll see.”

It takes another two trips of the lift to deliver everyone still left in the contest. I guess they’re dropping like flies and this next task is sure to kill off a few more.

Harry steps forward, carefully avoiding eye contact with Odile. There’s one participant who’s still in the running missing, but that’s because he’s already completed his share of this task.

“The third task is for all remaining contestants and it’s a simple one. Avenge The Doe. This rodent tried to take what could be yours. Show him that won’t be tolerated.”

Despite the cry of cheers that go up, I still hear Odi gasp. I’m just about to take her hand in mine when Kaiden slings his arm around her shoulders. It makes me grind my teeth but I don’t say anything. Judging by Kaiden’s smirk, he knows exactly how much he’s pissing me off.

We step into the lift and as the doors slide shut a massive roar of approval goes up from the crowd.

“Why do you get to leave?” Odi breaks the silence of the elevator by asking.

“Zie and Kaiden passed their test. They’ve more than proven themselves.”

“And you? Why do you get a free pass? What’s the matter? Don’t like getting your hands dirty anymore?”

I almost snort in amusement at her naive demanding questions.

“Oh, little doe.” I shake my head, lips twitching despite myself. “It’s cute you think I’ve never bloodied my hands in your honour.”

“Did you miss the part where he made him eat another guy’s ear, babygirl?”

Odi’s gulp is deliciously audible in the quiet of the lift and I grin.

“We’re leaving because if Axel got his hands on him,” Zie adds. “There wouldn’t be a body left for the others to work on.”

Touché, motherfucker.