Chapter 5
The heavy scent of expensive cognac and my father's pretentious cologne filled the formal dining room at my childhood home, but all I could smell was her.
My sweet Poison. Her sweet perfume mixed with fear and arousal from earlier still lingered in my senses, making it impossible to focus on anything else.
The way she'd trembled between Cole and me, trying so hard to resist even as her body betrayed her.
The soft gasp she'd made when my fingers first touched her. The heat of her...
"Ryder!" My father's sharp voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you even listening?"
I lifted my gaze from the untouched food on my plate, meeting his cold stare across the polished mahogany table. The bastard knew exactly where my mind had been, he always did. Twenty-four years of his psychological warfare had taught me that much.
"Sorry," I drawled, not bothering to hide my insincerity. "I was thinking about more important matters than whatever bullshit you're spouting."
Beside me, Luce tensed. She had always hated these mandatory family dinners as much as I did, though for different reasons.
She was still innocent enough to be shocked by the casual cruelty that passed for conversation in this house.
My uncle Stephen shot me a warning look from his seat beside my father, but I ignored it.
Let the bastard get pissed. Maybe he'd cut dinner short and we could all escape this farce early.
"More important matters?" Aaron's cultured voice dripped with disdain. "Like your little whore, perhaps?"
My fingers tightened around my fork. He had no right to talk about her.
No right to even think about her. Cade was mine, or mine and my brothers, and the thought of my father's toxic influence anywhere near her made my blood boil.
But that's exactly what the bastard wanted.
He lived to find weaknesses he could exploit, and I'd already shown too much where Cade was concerned.
"The Covenant House Consort is none of your concern," I replied carefully, forcing my voice to remain steady. "And how would the Trivium react to your colourful reference to a treasured tradition?"
My father's lips curved in that familiar smirk that made me want to drive my steak knife through his throat.
"Merely expressing concern for my son's.
.. preoccupation. After all, we wouldn't want history repeating itself, would we?
" The implicit threat in his words made my jaw clench.
Memories of my mother, of what he'd done to her, threatened to surface.
But I couldn't think about that now. Not with Cade so fresh in my mind.
Sweet, stubborn Cade who'd been so close to breaking today.
Who'd fought us even as her body begged for more.
Who consumed my every waking moment with thoughts of possessing her, claiming her, making her truly ours.
"I assure you," I managed through gritted teeth, "the situation is under control." My father's eyebrow rose.
"Is it? Because from what I hear, your Consort has been quite.
.. resistant to proper training. Three weeks since implementing punishment protocols and still no progress?
Tsk tsk." He took a measured sip of his wine.
"Perhaps you boys need some guidance in handling difficult women.
I do have considerable experience in that area.
" Red clouded my vision. The fork in my hand bent under the pressure of my grip.
The thought of him anywhere near Cade, of him trying to handle her the way he'd handled my mother.
"Uncle Aaron," Luce's soft voice cut through the tension before I could do something stupid. "How is the Morrison case progressing? Father mentioned you were close to a settlement?"
Bless my cousin and her perfect social graces. Even now, she was trying to protect me, to diffuse the situation before it exploded. I forced myself to breathe, to release my death grip on the silverware. Cade was safe at the house with Logan and Cole. My father couldn't touch her. Not yet, anyway.
But as my father launched into a detailed analysis of his latest legal victory, all I could think about was getting back to her.
Back to the intoxicating mix of defiance and desire in those blue eyes.
Back to the softness of her skin under my fingers and the way she'd fought her own response even as her body melted for us.
"As I mentioned," my father continued, his voice grating against my already frayed nerves, "the Morrison settlement should be finalised by week's end. Stephen and I have been working closely with Thomas Blackwood Sr. on several aspects of the case."
My attention snapped back at the mention of Blackwood. The name pulled me from thoughts of Cade to our upcoming assignment on Thursday night. The girlfriend beater. My fingers itched with anticipation of delivering that particular lesson.
"Speaking of the Blackwoods," Aaron's eyes fixed on me with predatory focus. "I understand you and your friends have been tasked with handling a delicate situation regarding young Thomas?"
Of fucking course he knew. Aaron Purcell's network of spies and informants rivalled the Trivium's own.
Sometimes I wondered if he didn't have more power than the organisation itself, though he'd never gained the official recognition he craved.
As a low level member, there were things he shouldn't have known.
Such as what was going on in Covenant House.
I suspected his not so secret involvement with Dominic Blake had more to do with his perceived power than his official outer circle status.
"Just a friendly reminder about proper behaviour," I replied smoothly, noting how Luce shifted uncomfortably beside me. "Nothing that should concern you."
"On the contrary." My father dabbed his mouth with an expensive linen napkin.
"The Blackwoods are valuable business partners.
I trust you'll show appropriate restraint in delivering your message?
" The command in his voice made my teeth grind.
Even now, even in this, he had to assert control.
Had to remind me that my leash was still firmly in his grip.
"The Trivium has specific requirements-" I started, but he cut me off with a sharp gesture.
"The Trivium's requirements can be met without permanent damage." His voice carried that dangerous edge I knew too well. "I trust you're capable of that much control? Though given your apparent difficulties with your Consort, perhaps I should be concerned."
Red crept into the edges of my vision again.
Every conversation, every fucking interaction, he brought it back to Cade.
Back to his implied threats and thinly veiled warnings about "handling" her.
It wasn't enough that he had me by the short hairs with others in my life, he wanted to sink his slimy hands into every crevice, to ensure maximum destruction if I was to go off the rails again.
"I think," I said, aiming to keep my voice steady, "we should probably skip dessert tonight.
Luce has early classes tomorrow, and I have a paper due.
" I was all too aware of Luce's discomfort.
Despite being born into this fucked up world, I knew my uncle had done his best to keep her at a distance and the poor lass didn't fair well around talks of murder and mutilation.
"Always trying to shield her, aren't you?
" my father's attention shifted to Luce, a sinister amusement shining in his eyes, and I felt my protective instincts surge.
"She's a legacy, Ryder. She needs to understand our world, not be coddled from it.
" Luce shifted again beside me. I glanced over to see her looking down at her hands in her lap.
I looked across the table to see Stephen gripping his own silverware, the strain showing in the whites of his knuckles.
It wasn't enough that my father had taken the girl's mother from her, he had to torment her as well.
Well, fuck this shit. I'd had enough of his bullshit for tonight.
"She doesn't need to understand shit," I snapped, pushing back from the table. "Come on, Luce. We're leaving."
"Sit down." My father's command cracked like a whip. "Lucinda, dear, why don't you go wait in the car? Your cousin, father and I have a few private matters to discuss."
I watched as Luce practically fled from the room, her relief at escape palpable. The moment the door closed behind her, Stephen rounded on his brother.
"Leave my daughter out of your fucking games, Aaron," he growled. "It's bad enough what you've done to-"
"To what, little brother?" my father's smile was razor-sharp. "To our family? To our legacy? Or perhaps you're referring to dear Charlotte?"
The mention of my mother's name hung in the air like poison.
The history between my father and my Uncle where my mother was concerned was still raw after all these years.
My dear mother had been a Consort herself.
Only she was my Uncle's Consort and my father, whose mission in life was to destroy everything that is good and pure, snatched her from Stephen, twisted her and drained her goodness into the shell that she was today.
I found myself absently playing with my steak knife, imagining the satisfaction of burying it in my father's throat.
"Speaking of Charlotte," Aaron continued, his eyes tracking my movements with the knife, "I received an interesting communication from Lexington. Three visitor passes requested for Sunday? Rather ambitious of you."
"What of it?" I kept my voice carefully neutral, though my grip on the knife tightened.
"I assume one is for dear Lucinda? How thoughtful of you to share your mother with her. Though given her lack of maternal influence, I suppose any port in a storm will do."
"You sanctimonious piece of-" Stephen started, but Aaron spoke over him.
"And the third pass? For your whore, perhaps?" The bastard knew what he was doing. Knew how his words were hitting. I laughed, though there was no humour in it. Just the edge of violence I constantly fought to contain around him.
"Again, the term is Consort, father. Or has your desperate quest for Trivium acceptance taught you nothing about respecting our traditions?"
"Traditions?" Aaron scoffed. "Please. We all know what Consorts are for. Don't we, Stephen?" His smirk turned cruel as he glanced at my uncle. "You certainly remember how accommodating they can be. Though Charlotte was particularly skilled in that area, wasn't she?"
"You bastard," my uncle muttered, making my father laugh out loud.
The knife in my hand seemed to vibrate with possibility. One throw. That's all it would take. Right into his smug fucking face. Aaron noticed my focus and his smirk widened.
"Wondering if you could make the throw before I could react?" he taunted. "Calculating trajectory and force? Come now, son. We both know you're not quite that brave."
"Actually," I replied, matching his tone, "I was thinking more about walking over there and sliding it across your throat.
Watching the light fade from your eyes as you choked on your own blood.
But you're right, I'm not quite prepared.
Yet." But I was close. The work Logan, Cole and I were doing for the Trivium wasn't just out of duty, but we were laying the groundwork to keep us and everyone we cared about safe from men like my father.
"Enough!" Stephen slammed his hands on the table. "Both of you. This stops now." He pushed back from the table, disgust clear on his face. "I'm going to say goodnight to my daughter."
"Give Lucinda my love," Aaron called after him, his voice dripping with false sweetness.
"Fuck you," Stephen snapped before slamming the dining room door.
Once Stephen was gone, his mask dropped.
"You and I both know you can't touch me, boy. The protections I have in place would ensure your own destruction long before my body went cold."
"For now." I stood slowly, deliberately throwing the knife.
It embedded itself in the wall inches from his head, but he didn't even flinch.
"But someday those protections will fail.
And when they do?" I leant closer, dropping my voice to a whisper.
"I'm going to dance in your fucking blood.
" I turned and walked away, his laughter following me out of the dining room.
I needed to get out of here. Needed to get back to the house.
Back to my Poison. She was the only thing that made sense anymore, the only thing that could calm the murderous rage constantly simmering beneath my skin.
I shot off a quick text to Logan, asking for an update. My phone buzzed a repl
Ryder
I’m pretty much done here. How’s our girl?
Logan
She’s locked herself in her room. Hasn't come out since this afternoon.
A smile curved my lips despite the lingering anger from dinner.
Of course she was hiding. Processing what we'd revealed about the contract.
Probably trying to find another way to fight us.
My sweet, stubborn Poison, always plotting, always resisting.
But we'd felt her response today. Felt how close she was to breaking.
To begging. To finally being truly ours.
Another text came through, this time from:
Cole
I’ve just taken up the drink, as you wanted. She was seriously on edge. I really think she’s gonna break soon, I can feel it.
So could I. The memory of this afternoon in my office, Cade fighting her own desires, made my cock hard. Soon she'd give in. Soon she'd beg. Soon she would scream. Soon she'd be ours completely.
I just had to make it through this shit with my father first. Had to keep playing his games, dancing to his tune, until I found a way to destroy him. But for now, Cade was waiting. She would soon be asleep after her nightly hot chocolate. Then I could take my time with her. I texted back.
Ryder
On my way.