Chapter 14 #2
“Or what?” He grinned and applied more pressure to his drawing as he ran the charcoal down part of the page. “Look around you, babe. It’s too late for regrets. I’ve got you right where I want you, and if you think there’s any chance I’ll be letting you go, you’re in for a rude awakening.”
“Too late,” he grumbled, then crossed his arms. He was hoping it would throw off whatever pose Ares had been drawing, but the Black Hart made no objections whatsoever. “So long as you keep your word, I’ll keep mine. We had a deal.”
“Is that what has you so tense?” Ares asked. “Allow me to alleviate those worries. Our next two targets are closer than you realize.”
Eden straightened some. “What does that mean?”
“Your old friend happens to be a professor here,” he said. “Starting tomorrow, the two of you will be colleagues. How cute. As for the last member of the trio who destroyed your family, he’s a senior. Unfortunately for him, he happens to be on the hypovolley team. His name is Sedos Bannos.”
“Unfortunate how?” Hypovolley was a dangerous sport, and everyone knew Sacrum Cor had the best university team on planet.
“Ryker and Ellery are on the team as well,” Ares informed him, as though he should understand what that meant.
“Who?”
“They’re also Black Harts.”
Ah. “You think your friends will help?”
“You don’t believe me?” Ares paused. “Should I prove that too?”
Before Eden could tell him it was fine, the younger man clicked a few buttons on his multi-slate. The sound of a ringtone cut between them, even as Ares went back to his drawing as they waited.
“You’ve reached Ellery,” a chipper voice answered after a moment. “Make this good, or I’m hanging up.”
“You still interested in getting even with Souvi Glass?” Ares asked cryptically.
There was a pause and then, “Am I fucking ever.”
“Trade you for it.”
“What do you need?”
“Sedos Bannos.”
Ellery let out a whistle. “What, the new professor not enough to satisfy your demonic libido?”
Even though he knew that wasn’t it, just the mere suggestion had Eden’s eyes narrowing warningly.
If he’d just ruined sex with anyone else for Eden, Lucifer sure as hell wasn’t allowed to participate in the act with another guy. Or girl. Or anyone. Period.
The corner of Ares’ mouth tipped upwards at his reaction, but he continued his conversation without skipping a beat. “Not what I mean.”
“Be specific then, bestie,” Ellery instructed.
“I want you to ruin his life,” Ares told him.
Ellery hummed thoughtfully.
Which wasn’t the type of reaction a normal person would give, and yet Eden somehow wasn’t surprised that a friend of Ares’ would find no fault with this sort of request.
“What are we talking about here? Total annihilation? Or—”
“Make him suffer, slowly. By the end, I want him to regret ever being born.” Ares picked his sketchbook up and gave it a satisfied once-over, then he handed it to Eden. “Make it last.”
“Subtlety is my specialty.”
“Why do you think I called you first and not Ryker?”
“Ah, planning on tossing the grenade in last?” Ellery laughed. “You always did have a penchant for kicking a man when he’s down.”
“Cull the unnecessary,” Ares replied, the line sounding rehearsed and somehow out of place, even though it technically made sense.
Not that Eden wasted too much energy trying to decipher the why of that. He was too busy being blown away by the drawing in his hands.
He’d been working on it for less than fifteen minutes, and yet it was probably the nicest sketch Eden had ever seen. He was depicted lounging back, wrinkled sheets covering his lap, hair mussed, lips twisted in a scowl that somehow made him appear haughty and not bitter.
Sexy.
“What he do to you anyway?” Ellery only sounded partially interested. “It’s going to be a shame losing him from the team. He’s our best lefter.”
“Better than Souvi Glass?” Ares quipped, and the silence on the other end clued Eden in that this person was important to Ellery somehow.
“Souvi plays for East Row Uni.”
“For now.” Ares shrugged even though his friend wouldn’t be able to see it.
“You're saying you can make him switch schools and join my team?”
“Just clear the path.”
“How slowly did you want this to happen again?”
Ares chuckled. “I’ll need the rest of the semester to get things in order and plant the seed for your rival. Things like that can’t be rushed anyway. Take your time. If we play this right, we both come out winners at the end of the game. How’s that sound?”
“Like it’s always a pleasure doing business with you. Oh, speak of the poor sap. Your target just entered the gym. Later, War. I’ve got work to do.”
Eden heard the click signaling the end of the call and then asked, “Why did he call you that?”
“Because Ellery has only ever seen me destroy.” Ares stood and then motioned to the sketchpad. “Well?”
“You can’t have it back.”
He seemed surprised by that, but Ares nodded. “Okay. Would you like anything else?”
“Anything else?”
Ares moved to the end table tucked between the bed and the wall and lifted Eden’s multi-slate, which had been resting there. He held the screens together until there was a beep and then put it back down. “My card is stored on your device now. Feel free to use it as you see fit. There’s no limit.”
Eden didn’t know how he felt about that, setting the sketchpad aside and clutching at the sheet in his lap.
“Why are you giving me money? That wasn’t part of the agreement.
In fact, none of this is. I said I would sleep with you in exchange for what you did to Zonnie.
But that was all. Now you’ve got me locked up in a room you claim is mine, and you’re giving me your card details? ”
“The door isn’t locked,” Ares corrected. “Not to you.”
“So I can use this card to buy myself a ticket—”
“Don’t.”
Eden huffed. “What happened to you playing fair?”
“I am.” Ares slid his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“This was all part of the contract. The one you didn’t bother reading?
Yarrow’s mentioned the creation of another studio in my city.
Yours had details of the professor position, and that your lodging would be here, with me, in Castle Black. ”
Of fucking course it did.
“And the money?”
“The money doesn’t have any connotations, Eden.
I’m giving it to you because I want you to have it.
Use it or don’t, that’s entirely up to you.
However,” the vibe shifted, and Ares set a knee onto the mattress, leaning in close to cage Eden against the headboard, “if I discover you’re even thinking about using it to try and escape me, I’ll catch you and lock you on my cock for a week straight. ”
That was not a turn on.
Because that would be messed up.
And Eden wasn’t that messed up.
…Right?
Shit.
His hands shifted as subtly as he could make them to cover the slight bulge forming between his legs. It was a serious turn on though, the thought of not having to worry about anything. Of having all his actions dictated to the point where there was no longer any responsibility.
No struggles.
It wasn’t a sustainable way to live, but the illusion of it was nice all the same.
If only Eden’s ass didn’t smart so much, he might have even gathered the courage to poke the devil just to see what would happen.
Maybe another time.
Clearly, they were going to be spending loads of it together.
“Three years,” Eden said, “and you’re the only one who has been able to give me what I want.”
“Is that your revenge,” his gaze drifted to Eden’s hidden dick knowingly, “or what I provide in the bedroom?”
“Both.”
Ares chuckled, then tapped Eden under the chin and pulled away. “Good boy.”
“I’m older than you, remember.”
“Not by much.”
“By enough,” he insisted. “Especially since I’m about to become a professor at your school.”
“No one will interfere between us,” Ares told him. “You could be the Dean, and they still wouldn’t.”
“Lucifer.”
“Are you hungry?” he asked suddenly. “Wait here. I’ll go get you something from the kitchen. You’ll eat and then rest. Tomorrow I’ll bring you to sign the contract and then show you around campus.”
The Black Hart kissed his forehead quickly and then left before Eden could get a word in edgewise.
He collapsed on the bed, completely and utterly exhausted, as soon as the door shut behind him.