16. ~Caleb~

It wouldn't be long now.

That was what I'd been telling myself for the last two weeks when Cas had given the go-ahead for us to get back into our nightly activities, to come together again as The Jackals.

In the Ancient world, jackals were considered gods of the underworld, their calls the sound of death. They were also seen as ruthless and devious slayers, brutal gangsters of the animal kingdom.

In a lot of ways, that symbolism fit us well when we went out under that moniker.

We hunted and punished the sickos in the city, dealing out a merciless brand of justice, sometimes even lethal justice. Our reputation had become so widespread and so feared among the criminal underground that after we'd marked our targets and their place of business with our ‘J' brand, others steered clear and it had uprooted neighboring businesses time and again, often clearing out whole pockets of the vermin.

Cas and I had started it up during our high school days, shortly after my sister, Hayley, had taken her own life after that fucked-up kidnapping. It wasn't public knowledge, because my parents had managed to bury it, but what had happened was so much worse than what had even made the headlines seven years ago. She'd been taken outside a nightclub in the entertainment district, kidnapped by three sick and twisted assholes who'd wanted her for ransom, the massive payout my parents, being the hotel tycoons that they were, could give. But they hadn't just kept her there locked in a room. They'd assaulted her, tortured her with horrifically sexually degrading acts. I'd been dabbling in hacking back then and one of my first successes had been accessing the cameras in the warehouse where they'd had her, shortly after her release. I'd regretted it ever since, because I'd seen everything and it had been imprinted on my brain, a stain that was forever permanent. The things they'd done to her… Jesus Christ.

After my parents had paid the ransom, she'd been released. But she hadn't been able to live with what they'd subjected her to and my mom had come home from a business trip a few weeks later and found her hanging in her closet, dead to the world.

After that, my grief had quickly morphed to a rage so pure that not only hadn't I been able to check it, but it had also given birth to that darkness that now lurked just below the surface at all times.

And so Cas and I had started The Jackals so I could purge, so we could take comfort in the deliverance of brutal justice upon all those out there like those motherfuckers.

We'd even gotten them too, all three of them.

They'd suffered the brutal death they'd deserved. We'd made damn sure of that.

After the car accident that had taken so much from Cas and Bastian, we'd brought Bastian in on it too. We'd fucking well needed it at the time too, because I'd become the full embodiment of Wrath and with Caspian being Ruin, bringing in Bastian's Rein element had absolutely come at the right time to reel us in.

And that had been well and good for years, giving all of us the outlet that we'd needed, until Cas had brought Damien in on it for complex reasons involving protecting Bastian from that bastard's fury and refocusing him in the process to something more productive.

But his Chaos persona had grown too unhinged and we'd pulled him.

We'd had to lie low because of him nearly exposing us too.

Now, this Shakers op would mark our return to it all.

Thank fuck, because I couldn't wait much longer.

I'd been itching to get back to it.

Worse than that lately, actually.

With my therapy meets with Skylar, delving into all that talk of the dark, it had triggered it all in me, and it had become increasingly trying to check it all, to keep it tampered down.

Being with Cas for that weekend-long fuck and lovefest had helped, but not quite enough.

I needed to taste that violence, to inflict punishment, to effect justice.

That was the only thing that quelled this demon within me.

It was taking longer than we'd anticipated to set up the op, though, because Cas had been immersed and focused on strategizing the downfall of Elijah Bane with Dante Mancini.

I got that it was his top priority and I couldn't say anything, because I knew how personal this was for him, for all of us, really—well, Bastian didn't actually know yet.

And that had delayed the other thing.

Bringing in our fourth.

Skylar Bennett.

That was one of the reasons we'd approached her to begin with.

The other she wasn't quite ready to be confronted with yet.

Not until she was fully-immersed with us.

After the destabilization that had happened with Damien, we needed somebody who possessed tactical know-how, who knew how to blend into the shadows. And she fit the bill with her Onyx persona.

She would be Justice.

At first Cas had something else in mind for her, but I'd told him all about the goodness in her, that she'd done all of that for the right reasons and had just gotten lost along the way. But with my therapy meets with her, I'd managed to get her to a better place with it all.

So he'd dropped the whole wrecking her approach now.

Although he hadn't spoken to it, I had a feeling that some of that was also due to Bastian's affinity for her. He knew he'd be hurt if Cas went after her like that.

And, like I'd assured him, it wasn't necessary.

We didn't need to manipulate or force her into it, she was it, and she'd be an incredible asset to The Jackals, and just the balance that we needed.

There was one of those fancy-ass events coming up that I hated that would have a bunch of the elite business leaders in the city getting together for an evening of schmoozing and cocktails, where our parents would be there, Cas would too, and so would Bastian and I. Even Skylar. That was where Cas was going to approach her and officially recruit her to our cause.

Until then, all I could do was wait and try to keep my mind elsewhere.

Attending Luxe wasn't really helping, though. After being immersed in the innerworkings of King with Cas, my Business Management degree program was a breeze for me. And it wasn't teaching me anything I didn't already know. It wasn't a challenge.

It wasn't fucking right for me.

It had just been Caspian's way of taming me and calming me down.

But it wasn't working.

"Fuck," I muttered.

I'd been re-thinking the whole thing, looking into getting out there in the world and starting up my own venture using my experience and know-how. It was what that meeting I'd taken the other day had been about, my first step toward all of that.

I doubted that would go over well with Cas and with the way things were right now for him, I couldn't make these moves known to him yet. It would put undue stress and worry on him when he was already bearing a lot on his shoulders. Besides, I'd rather have things concrete before I told him about it.

I shoved a hand through my hair as I stepped out of my bathroom, dispelling the extra moisture, then secured my towel around my hips. I'd needed a soothing shower to calm myself after the text message I'd gotten earlier today. I'd been able to meditate in there a lot deeper than I normally would, to recenter myself.

I should've been prepared and I thought I had been, but expecting something and having it happen were two very different things. With the big tycoon event coming up, I'd figured they'd reach out—or that one of them would. And I'd also known it wouldn't be pretty. It wasn't even so much the content, it was the pure act of them making contact again after months of nothing—the way I liked it. It was always jarring and it always pulled me right back to seven years ago when everything had gone to hell for the Rowland family.

When we'd lost Hayley.

We hadn't come together in our grief. It had torn us apart instead.

Hayley had been the bright spark, the hope of the family. While I'd always been searching and floundering, exploring, she'd been steadfast and determined. She'd been following in my parents' footsteps and she'd been slated to take over the hotel business.

When she'd died, in a fit of grief and anger, my dad had told me that the wrong child had died, that it should've been me. He'd never apologized for it and my mom had defended him.

My relationship with Cas had also been an issue for them and their bigoted views.

Basically, everything I was, they hated and were disgusted by.

Fortunately, I'd moved into King Manor pretty soon after that.

But every now and then I had to fake it and keep up appearances with them. It was a condition for my trust fund continuing to be accessible to me.

I was taking comfort in the fact that it wouldn't be a factor soon.

With what I was looking into doing instead of continuing at Luxe, though, it was imperative I didn't rock the boat there right now. I needed it to make this next step. But, beyond that, I wouldn't need anything from them or anyone.

For now, though, it meant I had to play the game, especially when it came to this upcoming event.

I strode to my bed and snatched up my phone, scrolling to the message that had come in from my father. I didn't even refer to him as my father in my contacts list. He'd lost that right seven years ago.

Ford Rowland: Rossun Elite Convention in two weeks. Be there. Not as King's boy toy either, as our son. Any excuse or failure to attend will be met with consequences you're well aware of. Don't embarrass us by making your unfortunate proclivities apparent either.

I growled low in my throat and finally forced myself to respond.

Caleb: All noted. I'll be there.

Then I tossed my phone back on my bed and made a beeline for my dresser so I could dress quickly, then head outside for a much-needed smoke.

But then voices in the distance caught my attention.

I grabbed a pair of boxers and my gray sweats and pulled them on, then quietly opened my bedroom door and listened harder.

The voices were coming from down in the foyer.

Bastian's and… Skylar's?

She was early for our meet. By at least a couple of hours.

What was going on?

I tiptoed down the stairs until I was able to see over the railing without revealing myself.

Whoa.

There Bastian was, one hand slapped to the front door in a casual and commanding stance, bringing out that swagger of his in full force that I hadn't seen him use for a long time.

Skylar was standing just a couple of feet from him, beaming up at him.

And dressed up.

She was sporting a lace-up blue plaid mini dress with black ribbons all over it and decorated with lace, a pair of thigh-high studded boots taking the sexy edginess up another notch. Her hair was bouncing with her every slight movement, in a high ponytail with loose curled strands free and framing her face.

She'd made a clear effort and judging by her flirtatious interactions with Bastian, it was for him.

Cas had told me that Bastian had gone to see her at her house while her parents had been away on that business trip, and he"d stayed the whole day after with her too.

But since then, over the last week and a half, he hadn't mentioned her. I hadn't seen him with her at Luxe either.

She'd only come here once in that time, citing her being too busy with schoolwork to come any more often right now, and Bastian had been in class at the time so they hadn't crossed paths.

Their familiar and very intimate and easy interactions right now were pointing toward her excuse being bullshit. It looked like they'd been seeing each other on the down low.

Huh.

And Bastian seemed fine.

I mean, he had been fine this entire time.

He hadn't shown any further worrying reactions or behavior. He'd been on point and in control.

Whatever this development was with Skylar had actually… soothed him then.

Her giggle rolled through me and I focused as I watched Bastian tickle under her chin.

"Stop!" she cried through her laughter, batting his hands away.

"Aww, but now I know the cute little sounds you make because you're so incredibly ticklish, how can I?" he teased, fingering the loose strands of her hair reverentially.

Damn. That was really something from him.

"That's privileged information and if you use it for evil, you won't get any more tidbits like that."

"Oh, baby, that's so harsh."

"Those are my terms."

He pushed into her until he had her backed up against the door. Slapping his hands down either side of her head, he rumbled, "But you're looking so fucking edible in that sexy dress and boots. How do you expect me to keep my hands off you?"

"You like it, huh?"

"Like it? I'm gonna cherish this sight forever."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely. Spank bank material right here," he said, fingering the hem of her dress.

"Disgusting!" she cried, breaking his grip and shoving him back.

He held up his hands, laughing his head off. "I'm joking."

She rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I can tell when you're lying versus telling the truth."

"You can?"

"You have a tell."

"I don't."

Of course he thought that. He'd been shut down for so long. But now he was open again, it was different. He'd be exhibiting that same tell he'd always had and been ignorant of. It had taken me and Cas a while to pick up on it, so it was impressive to say the least that Skylar had already figured it out.

"Oh, you do."

"What is it?"

She patted his cheek. "That's for me to know, sorry."

"Mmm, I love it when you get all playful and coy, beautiful," he crooned, before snatching her hand, then dipping his head to kiss her.

What started off sweet and tender, quickly escalated to them basically eating each other's faces, then her slamming Bastian up against the door and grinding her hot little body all over him.

Jesus. It had me reacting and I had to adjust my sweatpants to conceal my rapidly hardening cock. The fierce way she demanded her own pleasure like that did things to me. Not just me either, Bastian was clearly loving it, growling, his hands roaming all over her as their kiss turned savage.

He pulled back, panting, and holding a hand up. "Any more and I'm gonna be shoving you down onto your hands and knees and slamming inside your sweet cunt, Sky."

Skynow, was it? Hmm.

"Don't just tease me, Bastian."

Bastian? Things had certainly escalated.

He only let me and Cas call him that. Even Damien wasn't allowed to.

He cupped her face. "Cal's upstairs. He could come down any moment."

"And you want to tell him about us in the right way, I know." She stroked his hands on her face. "Sorry, I just got carried away."

"You and me both."

"It's been all talking, picnics, no sexual stuff."

"It's called getting to know each other."

She beamed up at him. "And I've loved every moment of it, even you teaching me some software tricks with Revit."

"I'm just sorry we had to hide in the stairwell with our laptops to pull that off. To pull all of it off."

"I know you're just trying to protect me from the media circus that would result if us dating becomes public knowledge. Besides, after we no longer have to hide it from Caleb after today, we can meet here in the open."

"Yeah," he murmured. "There's that."

I winced.

So much for me giving him shit about all this deception.

He hated it so much that he couldn't have a normal life, date like a normal person, or do anything at all, in fact. Not in the public eye. Not outside the confines of our place or King Manor. Me getting on his back about him keeping this development with Skylar a secret from me would just worsen all of that, and it was definitely bad enough already.

So, I pushed from my viewing position, and strode down the stairs, not softening my step even one bit.

They both spun at the sound, eyes wide as they took me in.

I held up my hand as I reached them. "I heard—and saw—it all. Cat's out of the bag. And it's all good."

Skylar smiled happily and rubbed Bastian's arm.

Bastian, though, his eyes narrowed and he asked, suspiciously, "Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"After I kept this secret from you and Cas?"

"It wasn't as much of a secret as you think. Cas knew you went to the Bennett home the other week and that you stayed for quite a while."

"Of course he had eyes on me," he muttered. "Didn't fucking trust me."

"We were just both concerned after you started reacting to things." I gestured at Skylar. "To this mesmerizing and fearsome creature who's somehow managed to upturn both our lives. Cas soon too, I'm sure, once they connect." Believe me, I knew him well, he wouldn't be immune to it. He'd be fascinated by her. He already had been enough to want to bring her in on The Jackals, but he'd only learned about her from a distance, from his research and our reports. In person would be beyond for him.

"But it didn't result in a downward spiral as we'd feared." I looked between them and in particular how upbeat and just… bright that he was. "The direct opposite, actually."

He smiled and tucked Skylar into his side and surprised the hell out of me as he kissed the top of her head and then even nuzzled her hair. "What can I say? It's what this one does to me."

Skylar's cheeks heated and she hid her face in his chest.

"Aww, you're blushing again," he teased.

I couldn't help chuckling. "Damn. You guys are tugging at my heartstrings. I can't decide if it's in a sickening or sweet way. A bit of both, I guess."

Bastian punched my shoulder with his free hand and that only had me laughing harder and slapping my hand to where he'd connected. "Ow."

"Ow? Bullshit."

Skylar lifted her head and looked out at me. "Yeah, I heard you're a whore for pain."

"Did you now?" I said, eyeing Bastian, surprised he'd told her that much. Clearly, he didn't have a whole lot of restraint when it came to her now.

"He is. He's probably hard right now just from that."

"Actually, I've been hard since I saw you two eating each other's faces and headed for the on-ramp."

"Oh God," Skylar said, looking anywhere but at us.

I grinned and pushed it further, loving her reactions. "I was actually disappointed when I didn't get a full show and you two pulled apart." I eyed Skylar. "Is that why you came ahead of time for our meet by two hours? For some fucking with my boy?"

"Can you tone down the crassness?" Bastian groused.

"Really? Coming from you and your "Beg me to tear into this dripping cunt" spiel to her at the fight club?"

"You heard that?"

"I heard it all. Quite the performance from you both."

"I like it," Skylar announced, getting both our attentions.

"You do?" I asked.

She smirked at Bastian. "Yeah, his dirty talk turns me on."

"Really turns her on," Bastian told me.

"Hmm, very good to know." I winked at her. "That's kind of my thing, darling."

Her eyes burned into mine and I saw her gaze dart to my dick for a moment, before flitting back to my face.

Bastian noticed and grinned at me, then stroked her hair, silently encouraging it and reassuring her at the same time.

She cleared her throat, then told me, "So, anyway, I came here early for some gaming with Bastian. You know, and to tell you about us hooking up and spending time together."

"Gaming, huh?"

"Yeah, you should check out the game she created. It's another level, right up there with the established pros."

"Oh, speaking of that," Skylar said, breaking from Bastian and snatching up her messenger bag by the door. She put it on her shoulder, then opened it on her way back to us and pulled out a sketchbook. "I sketched you a potential character for the sequel like you wanted."

"Already? That was fast," Bastian said, eagerly reaching out for it as she flipped to the correct page.

"Well, I was inspired."

He smiled and then she handed it over.

I moved in and took a look at it.

And there he was as some sort of warrior, decked out in black and gold armor with a fearsome look on his face.

"This is something else," I commented. She'd really captured every nuance of him, and his actual character too, just through one sketch. It was so detailed and it leapt off the page.

"Wow, yeah, this is incredible," he said. He frowned then and asked, "Why are my eyes on fire like that?"

"Oh, right," she said, with a chuckle. "Well, our first few antagonistic interactions you had this fierce and dangerous look on your face and it was like the gold flecks in your eyes were flaming with hellfire. So I took that here with the sketch and made you into a magic-wielding warrior."

"Aww," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "I'm sorry I came off like that."

"Please, you know I have an affinity for the whole dangerous and fearsome angle."

"Understatement," I said. "Let's play then, yeah?"

She put the sketchbook away, managing to ease it from Bastian, even though he wanted to keep it, but apparently she needed it for some follow-up drawings first. They compromised on her promising to send him a photo of it later today.

And then they headed to the den, while I hurried upstairs to put a shirt on.

Not how I'd seen the day going.

But this development had made it all the sweeter.

Plus, I'd wanted a distraction and some levity to drown out all the shit weighing me down, and this would most definitely get the job done.

I swungmy head toward Bastian as his character took a sword through the chest. "Really? You're the champion at these RPG games."

"Sorry," he said, choking on something in his mouth. "A little distracted here."

He grabbed a tissue off the coffee table and then spat a blue ball into it.

It was one of the fondant balls Skylar had brought along as a game snack. She'd colored the normal white to a vibrant blue, her favorite color as had been obvious from the get-go with her.

"Too sweet?" Skylar teased. "Even when you scarfed down one of my raspberry cupcakes with no problem?"

"This is different. It's like eating a Smurf."

"A Smurf?" I said, busting out laughing.

Skylar joined me, then grabbed a bottle of water off the table and handed it to him.

He downed a quarter of it. "Thank you, baby."

"That was weak, brother," I jested, wanting to get a rise out of him. It was a trip having him out of that robotic state, and now that I knew it wasn't detrimental or the signs of a coming downward spiral, I couldn't get enough of it, of seeing these positive reactions in him.

He put the bottle down and settled himself, then beat the shit out of my character, while Skylar had hers slapping her hand to her hip, looking on in dismay. "I'm not the one who's used to opening wide and taking whatever's shoved inside their mouth. I'm way more picky."

"Bastian!" Skylar cried.

I held up my hand. "I'm not ashamed of it. He knows that. Although, the reference is making me hard, so watch yourself, B."

Skylar frowned. "I didn't think you two did that together? Just him and King, right?" she asked Bastian.

"We don't," I said. Then I wiggled my eyebrows. "I was talking about you. Warning him what might happen if he gets me worked up."

"Doesn't exactly take much," Bastian said, grinning, just like he had been since this topic had started.

"We can't all master the art of abstinence. Nor do I ever want to, it would be extreme torture for my whore of a cock."

"All this cock talk is extremely distracting," Skylar said.

"Is it now?" I teased.

Bastian met my gaze and I saw interest spark in his eyes, before he blinked, and then focused back on the game. "I need to get to the Keeper's Circle and steal that spell book."

"You're beating my game way too quickly. Crap," Skylar commented.

"That's how good I am, beautiful."

"Well, you've had a lot of practice," I said.

He nodded. "You know, Sky, this is all the more reason for you to start work on the sequel for real." He eyed me. "She doesn't have a game programmer anymore. I told her you might be up for that."

"I would. That sounds like a lot of fun."

"And another coding achievement to add to your hefty resume."

"That too." He knew me well there. "Whenever you're up for it, let me know."

"Thanks," she said, a little tightly.

I looked at Bastian and he whispered, "Holding back with the real her and all that."

"I see."

"It's a work in progress."

"And already a lot of progress has been made," Skylar cut in. Off our looks, she said, "That's right, I have amazing hearing, you fuckers. So watch yourselves."

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, holding up my hands.

In those few seconds that I'd taken my attention off the controller, her character punched me in the face, then kicked Bastian's in the balls.

"Jesus," he exclaimed, while I just laughed, enjoying her fire coming out to play.

"You earned it."

"I think you're just trying to stop me from beating the game." He took his attention off the screen for a second to tell her, "You know, there are other ways to distract me?"

She smirked. "I'm sure."

As she grasped his hand, he warned, "Keep in mind, though, it's gonna get Cal going. Can you handle that?"

Her breath hitched and, fuck, it had me doing the same.

And then she smirked at me and placed Bastian's hand on her thigh and told us, "I guess we'll find out."

"Fuck me," Bastian said, shifting his weight, and giving me a chin lift, letting me know he was good to go on his end.

There was no hiding my hard-on then, especially when I watched his hand disappearing under her dress and her squirming on the wraparound couch in the next moment.

I heard a tear and then she gasped as he was brushing her now ripped panties away.

He thrust forward and she cried out as he'd obviously stabbed his fingers deep into her cunt.

He released his controller, then while still keeping his fingers pumping inside her, he shifted from beside me and went to Skylar's other side, leaving just a space between her and me, putting her between the two of us now.

He pushed the hem of her dress up to her stomach so I could see her bare cunt and him thrusting three fingers inside her, then twisting and scissoring them, making her moan out and throw her head back, already pulling her into that erotic headspace, opening her to us both.

Fuck, she looked so sexy and wanton squirming at what he was doing to her, grinding her little ass on the couch cushion and her mouth opening with moan after sexy moan. It had my cock pulsing with need. It had been a long time since I'd shared a woman with Bastian. It had just been me and Cas all the way where that was concerned for a long time now. When he'd turned eighteen, we'd shared a couple of women with him as a birthday present for him, and it had continued on after that, but just as one-nighters, never with the intention to cultivate any sort of connection with the woman we ravaged.

This happening now was beyond thrilling.

The only thing that could make it better was having Cas here.

But knowing Skylar as I did now, as we both did, there was no way she'd go there with him in the picture, having never met him. She needed to develop a bond first before she allowed it to be taken to a sexual place.

Bastian unbuttoned his shirt with his free hand, then shrugged it off, his fingers leaving her in the process and pulling a discontented whimper from her.

He worked on undoing the lace-up corset part of her dress so he could bare her breasts.

I couldn't wait for that, I moved in, grasping her thigh as I crawled over the short space between us.

Our eyes locked and she gave me a nod of consent.

And that was it, I dipped two fingers inside her.

"So hot and slick. Fucking perfect."

Bastian's eyes blazed as he took in what I was doing to her and I looked to see his cock hard as hell, pushing against his jeans. He jerked the top of her dress down the rest of the way and her breasts sprang free in all their mouthwatering glory.

He was descending on her cherry-tipped nipple in the next second, nibbling at it, then sucking it into his mouth.

The slight pain had her soaking my fingers and thrusting her hips.

I'd thought as much given all the rest with her, the fight, the darkness, and what I'd heard through the door of her and Bastian going at it, along with the marks he'd left all over her.

"Interesting," I said, my eyes darting to Bastian's, knowing he could see my devil side coming out to play. I looked back at Skylar as I pumped my fingers inside her tight cunt. "Like a little pain with your fucking, darling?"

She nodded, biting her lip and looking so fucking sexy it had my dick jerking.

I pulled my fingers free in one rough movement and she bucked.

"I knew you'd be perfect for us," I said, stepping back. "Keep her hot and needy," I told Bastian.

He snagged my bicep before I could move another muscle. "Not too hardcore for your first time with her."

I nodded, then took off out of the room, looking back for a second to see Bastian helping her pull her dress off all the way, then kissing her while his hands stroked all over her naked body sensually.

I swallowed hard, then darted into the closest downstairs bathroom and headed for the vanity cabinet. I reached into the back and grabbed what I needed, tearing it from its packaging, then rushing back into the den.

I pulled up short for a second at the hot-as-fuck sight of Bastian now gloriously naked and rubbing his impressive length all over Skylar's lips as he kneeled behind her head, while she was now laid out on the couch, her legs facing my way adjacent to the door.

She was lapping at his shaft with every rub, her tongue like a tornado and making him groan and slap his hand to the top of the couch to ground himself.

His lips twisted with that sadistic eroticism that I hadn't seen from him for way too long, as he took in the toothbrush in my hand.

He tipped Skylar's head back so she couldn't see, then rammed his cock down her throat.

And she took him.

At that really deep angle.

Just fucking well took him like that.

Motherfucker, I was close to losing my shit and we'd only just gotten started.

I shucked off my tee and then my sweats, my needy cock springing free. Snatching a condom out of one of my pants pockets, I ripped the packet open with my teeth, then rolled it down over my cock. Tossing my pants aside with my tee, I climbed onto the couch and crawled between her thighs.

I ran the smooth side of the brush over her outer lips and she jolted at first contact in surprise. But as I traced each one in turn, she quickly relaxed into it.

I teased her for a while until she was dripping for me.

Then I gathered her juices and slathered them over the bristles.

I spread her open with the fingers of my free hand, a thrill rolling through me at the sight of her cunt exposed and vulnerable for what was coming.

Then I lightly brushed through her folds.

She jerked and cried out around her mouthful of cock.

I grinned and continued, watching the bristles drag across her most sensitive parts, turning her pink cunt nice and red and sensitive. When I smacked it against her swollen clit, she bucked on the couch, her mouth slipping from Bastian's cock.

"Oh my God," she moaned as she lifted her head and took in the toothbrush.

I brushed the length of her clit and she screamed out.

Her eyes were wide and glazed, caught between pain and pleasure.

The best fucking place to be.

"You feel every bristle scraping across your little clit?"

She mewled, moving to close her legs, but Bastian reached over her and grasped her thighs, holding them open.

I grinned and exerted more pressure, brushing every inch of it, while her thighs shook in his grip. "Your cunt is a fucking slut for this brush, darling. The harder I go, the more you drip for me."

I pulled the brush away suddenly and she whimpered, giving herself away.

And then I flipped her onto all fours.

Panting, she grabbed at Bastian's cock, then suctioned him into her mouth.

"Jesus," he cried as she caught him off guard, then started ramming him to the back of her throat, sputtering and gurgling, and just going all the harder, clearly getting off on choking herself with his big cock.

Fuck me.

I slapped her ass and she got the message, sticking it higher in the air and basically presenting herself to me.

I spread her cunt open, then resumed brushing through her folds, no slow and easy this time, going rapid-fire, making sure I left no part untouched.

She screamed around Bastian's cock and bucked back against me.

And then Bastian reached over and spread her ass cheeks apart.

He dipped his head, then licked the length of her crack, then started swirling his tongue around her asshole.

Delightful mewls sounded from her and she pushed back against me, driving the brush harder against her folds.

Bastian spat into her hole, then grinned as he saw me start fisting my cock at the delectably dirty act.

"Thought you'd like that."

He did it again and Skylar squirmed and went harder on his cock.

"Fuck me," he groaned, throwing his head back and struggling to hold onto his control.

He dug his nails into her ass cheeks, then spat again, then dipped his finger inside and started swirling, using his saliva as lube, as he began driving inside her tight little ass in a corkscrew motion.

I thrust the brush inside her cunt, making her shriek.

"You feel it in there?" I asked him.

He grinned and drove another finger into her ass, then angled them. "There it is."

Fuck, yeah.

I grabbed a fistful of Skylar's hair and forced her gaze to mine, her mouth still stretched wide with Bastian's cock. "I'm gonna fuck this brush deeper, twisting and twisting and scraping your walls as I clean your whore cunt. I'm gonna have you coming off pain and degradation alone. While I'm doing that, I want you to suction that cock head really hard until our boy is whimpering and begging you to release him. But you won't. He's too close to the edge, we can't have that before he tears into your hot little ass with his cock while I stretch your cunt with mine."

Bastian's eyes widened. "What the—"

I grinned as his words were cut off when Skylar brought his cock almost all the way out of her mouth, then clamped her lips down around the crown and did as I'd commanded, sucking the hell out of it and making Bastian jolt.

"Shit! Shit!" he cried, slapping both hands to the back of the couch and then digging his nails into the fabric. "Cal!"

"Be a good boy. Take it."

"You fucking—"

"Bite down underneath the crown and hold, like a cock ring," I told her.

Bastian's eyes went wide, and then I watched Skylar's jaw work, and a second later, Bastian was growling and throwing his head back.

"Good girl, now use your tongue to tease him too."

"Fucking shit!" Bastian cried out a moment later. "Jesus Christ!"

My balls were drawing tight at watching him lose it and having her at my mercy at the same time.

Her little mewls as I twisted the brush deeper inside her cunt added a whole other mind-bending element to it.

I hooked the fingers of my free hand into her ass and spread it open, then ordered Bastian, "Spit."

It took him a moment in his current state, but he leaned over and did it, his saliva oozing inside her hooked hole. "More."

More spit oozed inside and it had Skylar bucking, her thighs shaking, and her cunt dripping onto the couch. She was right on the edge.

I yanked the toothbrush out without warning.

And that was it.

Her whole body went rigid, Bastian's cock fell from her mouth as she threw her head back, then came with a shriek, leaking and actually squirting, her whole body shuddering with it.

Before she could recover, I grabbed her hips and spun her to face me, then slammed her down onto my cock. She screamed and grabbed at my shoulders as I drove balls deep inside her abused cunt.

Bastian was there in the next second, climbing off the couch, then coming up behind her.

He stroked her back and slicked his fingers in her wetness, coating his cock all over.

"You're gonna take me in your ass like my filthy little whore while Cal fucks your raw cunt, aren't you, Sky?"

Her eyes were on fire as she choked out, "Yes. God, yes. Do it. Please."

I reached up and stroked her hair. "There's our girl."

She beamed down at me in a daze, still on one hell of a sex high.

Bastian pushed into her ass and she moaned out, digging her nails into my shoulders.

"That's right, darling, let him in. Show him how desperate your ass is to be filled by that big, fat cock."

"Oh, God," she panted. "Yes, more." She looked over her shoulder at Bastian and he fisted her hair and yanked her head back, locking eyes with her heatedly as he drove deeper, inch by inch.

"Mmm… yeah, you're taking me so well. Look at your greedy little ass swallowing my cock."

"Oh, fuck," she groaned.

As soon as he seated himself balls deep, I rolled my hips.

"Ah!" she cried as he followed, making her feel the both of us filling her to the brim.

I grasped her hips and started fucking up into her, making her bounce on my cock, while Bastian sawed in and out of her.

She grabbed her breasts and tugged at her nipples, her cries and the slapping of flesh filling the room like the sweetest melody.

I fisted her hair and jerked her head back, forcing her wide-eyed gaze to mine. "I'm gonna spray my cum all over your breasts, then feast on it. And when Bastian comes in your ass, I'm gonna spread you open and lick up every drop too."

"Holy shit," she rasped.

I felt her clench down hard around me. "You like my dirty mouth, darling?"

"Yes," she moaned. "God, yes."

Bastian chuckled darkly.

And then we picked up the pace, alternating our thrusts and fucking the shit out of her.

The next thing I knew, she was scraping her sharp nails down my chest, then taking control and fucking me like a wild, unhinged thing, rapid-fire, her body a blur as it fucked up and down.

"Yeah, baby, take your pleasure," Bastian told her, his hands running wildly up and down her back, in her hair, over her face, as she rammed back and forth on the both of us, while scratching the shit out of me and basically marking me in the process.

Fuck, yes!

I fumbled around, then managed to snatch up the toothbrush, and then I was brushing her clit over and over.

She shrieked and clenched down around me like a vise, her whole body shuddering as she came all over my cock.

I didn't stop and it took her higher and higher, and she rode harder and rougher, tearing a snarl from me as she drove me right to the edge.

Bastian cursed, then grunted, coming inside her.

It set her off and another orgasm ripped her apart and she was thrashing on me.

As Bastian pulled out and staggered back, I reached around and jammed the handle of the brush into her ass. "Keep that cum for me, darling."

She snarled, losing it, then bit down on my shoulder, breaking skin in her ferociousness.

"Motherfucker!" I roared, the sharp pain taking me right where I needed it to.

I ripped her off my cock, shoved her down onto her back, ripped off my condom, then shot my load all over her throat and breasts, ropes and ropes painting her soft skin.

I pounced on her in the next second and slathered her with my tongue, licking it all up.

Then I pushed her legs back and spread open her ass and dove in, thrusting my tongue in deep. She thrashed and shrieked, and I kept going, scooping out Bastian's cum and feasting on it until I'd swallowed down every drop.

By the time I pulled back, licking my lips, she was boneless laid across the couch and Bastian slumped against the cushion, stroking her hair as his eyes blazed at me.

I grinned and he lifted his lips, a silent communication passing between us before we both gazed down at her.

Ours.

I smiledas I watched Bastian tuck Skylar into bed, in the same guestroom we'd settled her in the first time she'd stayed over after the fight club thing.

A lot had changed since then.

A lot toward her.

She'd grown on both me and Bastian and for different reasons, aspects of her melding well with different parts of us.

Not to get all schmaltzy, but what had happened in the den earlier had felt like a culmination of all of that, a special moment that would be engraved in time and on all three of us going forward.

I'd felt an intense surge of protectiveness over her even during and I'd held back a lot, and not just because Bastian had asked, but for her. She'd been so out of it afterward that Bastian had carried her up here and I'd retrieved one of my ointments and applied it for her to soothe all the erotic abuse she'd taken from us both as she'd slipped into sleep.

And, fuck, she hadn't just taken what we'd dealt out, she'd risen to it, owned it.

Bastian tiptoed away from the bed, then came to me, and I stepped back out into the corridor, as he closed the door quietly.

His eyes darted to my shoulder and I followed his line of sight to see Skylar's bite dripping with blood down my arm. "Let's get that treated."

"I'm fine."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd think that, pain whore. That's why I'm gonna treat it, or you'll just leave it."

"Aww, your love for me is touching, B." I wrapped my good arm around him as we made our way downstairs.

"So, a toothbrush, huh?" he said, eyeing me. "That's new."

"From your perspective, yes."

He frowned. "You've used one with Cas?"

"He's used it on me."

"On your cock?" he asked, all interested.

It wasn't like him, he didn't usually ask about what went on with Cas and me. It didn't normally interest him. He had to still be on a sex high from earlier. Maybe it was more intense for him too with only recently unleashing all of that after shutting down, shutting everything down.

With that in mind, I humored him, responding, "Crown, taint and ass."

"Huh. Sounds painful. Right up your alley."

"You know it."

"Thanks for toning it down with her earlier. Although, when she showed a favorable reaction to the brush, I really thought you were gonna lose it and get caught up."

"To be honest, I thought I would too. But I couldn't."

"Couldn't?"

"The way she was looking at me, need and trust colliding, knowing how guarded she is—and had been around us until recently—it hit me what a big deal it was for her to let go like that with both of us at once, to give herself over to us. It didn't matter what tried to ignite in me after that point, I couldn't risk doing anything to jeopardize or break that trust she'd put in me."

"Good," he said, pulling away as we reached the kitchen.

"Good?" I asked, as I settled onto a stool and watched him grab the first-aid kit from one of the bottom cabinets.

He nodded as he came back and opened it, beginning to pull out some medical wipes, gauze pads and antiseptic. "Yeah, I need you to convey that to Cas."

I frowned. "Wait, is that why you were so open to sharing? You used my passion to get under my skin?"

"No, you paranoid fuck. Although, that actually sounds like a solid plan. Pity I'm not manipulative enough to pull it off. I was into it because I wanted to bring Sky deeper into my life and you're a big part of that. You used to be a part of it sexually too."

"You wanted to know if Skylar could accept our dynamic," I realized.

"Yeah."

"Well, she did, brother. Incredibly well, actually."

He smiled brightly. "I know." As he cleaned my injury with the wipes, that smile fell all too soon, though. "It's not complete without Cas. Without her and Cas connecting."

"And you're worried they won't be able to?"

"On paper, it should be easy, an instant connection, really. You heard her, she's got a thing for dangerous and fearsome. And Cas is practically the definition of that. What I'm worried about is his plan for her getting in the way. And not just that, I'm worried about it fucking up everything else too. What I've built with her, what you are building with her now too."

"I see."

He started applying the antiseptic and my dick jerked at the burning pain.

I shifted my weight, pushing my reaction down. Jeez.

He went on, which showed just how much it was bothering him. I was the one who needed to talk shit out when something was under my skin, but Bastian was usually the opposite, avoiding it or burying it down deep. "I mean, she doesn't even know that we're The Jackals yet. How's she going to react to that?"

"Positively, I'd imagine. In Caspian's research, it suggests that The Jackals were the initial inspiration behind Onyx."

"That's not confirmed, just a rumor. It wasn't in the solid portion of the research, just the extras part. And then on top of that, actually recruiting her?"

"Again, a positive response is the most likely outcome. She's excited about this upcoming fight, she's in a better place with that side of herself thanks to our sessions. And by signing up for another fight, it shows that she's recognizing that part of herself again, that it's who she is and here to stay."

"What about her thinking we were using her all along?"

"You know I already told her we wanted her for something. And in spite of that, she's grown really close to you and let you in, and me along with you."

"How about Jett then?" He secured a gauze pad to my shoulder, then packed up the kit. As he put it away, then disposed of the wrappers and shit, he cursed. "I mean, shit, Cal. That's a big one."

It was a lot worse than he knew.

I winced internally at the fact that he still didn't know about all the rest yet.

"Cas wanted to interrogate her about it once she was locked into The Jackals with us with no way out, but I can't let that happen now."

Yeah, he was gonna implicate her as a Jackal and use it as leverage to get what he wanted out of her.

"He's not gonna do that now. He knows she's become important to you. Besides, he won't even need to. She's comfortable with us, she'll probably just tell us freely if we give her a little push. I'd wager the reason she hasn't on her own yet despite those texts still coming in from that fucker, is because she's aware of who his brother is to us. She's probably scared. Now she's gotten close to us, she's likely worried about it screwing with that if she tells us."

When he went to speak again, I rose from the stool and walked to him, grasping his shoulder. "Bastian, this is your anxiety. Spiraling anxiety at that. You opened yourself up and so far it's been all good things you've been feeling and immersed in, but here's the other side of the coin now."

He jerked from my grip. "These are legitimate concerns."

"You know it's more than that with you. All I'm saying is tread carefully. And focus on the good and the positive. It will help to offset the rest."

He slammed his fist down on the counter. "Don't try to shrink me!"

"Bastian—"

"I'm fine! I'm fucking fine! Just forget it. I won't bring shit to you again if you're gonna call my recovery into question! Just fucking make it clear to Caspian, because I won't let him fuck things up with Sky! I won't. If he fucking well tries—" He thrust his foot into the recycling can, denting it from his furor. And then he snarled at me and stormed out through the back door.

Off to throw his knives in all likelihood to get a handle on things.

Shit.

I needed to make damn sure nothing else triggered him in the meantime, or I feared all hell would break loose again.

And none of us wanted a repeat of that.

I pulled out my phone and fired off a text.

Caleb: We need to talk ASAP.

It took a few moments before he responded back.

Caspian: Rather ominous, lovely.

Caleb: Bastian and Skylar are together.

Caspian: Well aware.

Caleb: Beyond his visit to the Bennett home.

Caspian: Again, well aware. Damien has had eyes on them and I've had eyes on him.

Caleb: What? That doesn't bode well.

Caspian: Agreed. He's escalating.

Caleb: What are you gonna do?

Caspian: Respond to the next move he makes with a show of force.

I swallowed hard. Shit. That was the road to war. But there wasn't much choice when it came to Damien. He was known for pushing and fucking pushing.

Caleb: Skylar needs to be off-limits.

Caspian: For Bastian, or for you?

I tapped my fingers on the counter, then responded.

Caleb: Both. But you already knew that, didn't you?

Caspian: I did.

Caleb: And?

Caspian: And, I'm looking forward to meeting the girl who's managed to get under the skin of you both.

Caleb: Now who's sounding ominous.

Caspian: You're being paranoid.

Caleb: Am I?

Caspian: All will be well. Need to return my attention this board meeting right now, talk soon, lovely

I grimaced and put my phone down, then shoved a hand through my hair.

That hadn't been confirmation that he'd rework things regarding Skylar.

But it hadn't been a refusal either.

With him, it likely meant he was still in the process of strategizing.

I just hoped it worked in her favor.

For all our sakes.