Chapter 17 Silas
SILAS
Evie tastes like salvation. Like a splash of sunshine in a sea of infinite darkness. It took every ounce of restraint not to drop to my knees and feast on her right then, but I have business to take care of.
Evie’s small shriek sounds from inside her helmet, ringing in mine, as I veer off the main highway onto a narrow road that parallels the beach.
My larger frame cages hers in, not trusting her to hold on as we climb the side of the mountain at a brutal pace.
Especially not if she knew why we were here.
Spindles of yucca plants and underbrush bathed in moonlight blur around us as we ascend the dirt path. The state park is secluded. There’re no lights, no patrols on the trails at night, which makes it the perfect place to get answers. Answers I’ve spent years hunting down.
Ocean waves rumble in the distance as I cut the engine and nudge the kickstand into place.
“What are we doing here?” Evie asks, tugging off her helmet. She spots the two men leaning against the hood of a car a few paces in front of us, a frown forming on her pretty lips. I do the same, replacing my helmet with my stitched mask.
I give myself a moment to appreciate how fucking gorgeous she looks.
Her skirt’s ridden up, exposing her thighs spread around my motorcycle, and she’s wearing the leather jacket I had custom made for her.
An emerald serpent is embroidered across the back, marking her as mine.
Evie won’t know what it means, but my brothers will. And I don’t fucking care.
“Don’t you recognize the one on the left, little fox?
” I ask as Mark grunts. Memories of her body dragging along him have my blood boiling, burning with envy.
She swings her leg off my bike, and I capture her before she takes another step.
My gloved hands press against the soft curves of her stomach, making sure she feels how hard I am.
“You were rubbing your ass all over him only hours ago.”
The hitch in her breath is audible, and I don’t bother suppressing a malicious chuckle as I lean forward, my mask scraping her cheek.
“Stay put,” I murmur, relishing the way Evie’s pulse hammers. “Do as you’re told, and I’ll consider lessening your punishment.”
“P-punishment?” she stammers as I step around her toward our guests. As much as I’d love to soak up the fear emanating from my little fox, this next part requires concentration.
“Whoever you are, you better get the fuck out of here,” the man next to Mark says, raising his chin with a hand in his pocket. “We have business here that doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh, but it does.” I grin, cocking my head slightly as I listen. A whistle cuts through the darkness behind them.
“What the fuck,” Mark mutters, scrambling back as his partner withdraws a gun and points it into the trees.
Mavros and Noctis emerge from the thick overgrowth, dressed in black. Their masks are firmly in place—red and light blue stitching crossing over their eyes and mouths, twisted into grotesque smiles.
“Clear,” Mavros says, ignoring the weapon pointed at him. The red bear embroidered on his jacket shifts as he cracks his knuckles.
“Only the two,” Noctis confirms with a shrug. In place of a bear, his jacket sports a creepy-looking sloth stitched in light blue, almost teal. “Turns out Mark and Andrew thought they could handle the southern region without backup.”
“That’s right, motherfuckers,” Andrew snarls, pointing his gun between the three of us. “I handle my own shit—”
Mavros may be big, but he’s fast. A shot cracks through the air, and red stains white cotton a moment before Andrew hits the ground.
“Shit,” Mark curses, pressing a hand to his friend’s chest. But Mavros doesn’t miss. It won’t matter what Mark does. Andrew is already gone.
I lift a brow in Noctis’s direction and nod once. He steps forward, disarming Mark and retrieving the other two weapons from Andrew’s body.
“Did you get his phone?” I ask, not taking my eyes off Mark, but painfully aware of the silence stretching behind me.
Evie isn’t screaming. We just killed a man, and there’s nothing but the thickening quiet. And maybe that makes me a coward, but I don’t turn to check on her. This is who I am. What I’ve been forced to become. If she doesn’t understand that…
“Yes,” Noctis confirms. “I took his wallet, as well. We have a cleanup crew on standby, already aware that both will need dental work.”
I nod once. The bodies won’t be discovered. There won’t be anything left to find, but I still prefer to take precautions.
It was Noctis who first suggested removing the teeth of the men who’ve gotten in our way. It’s become standard practice now. No loose ends and all that.
“Call when it’s done,” Noctis says before he and Mavros disappear down the unmarked path. I wait until their motorcycles rev to life and fade into the distance before turning back to Evie.
“What’s going on?” she asks, voice shaking as she stares at the growing red pool around Andrew. She’s pale and trembling, but she lifts her chin, eyes flicking from Mark’s scowling face to mine. “Is this because of me? I wasn’t thinking about him when we were dancing.”
“We?” I growl.
Evie swallows, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was you, Silas. I was only ever thinking about you.”
“I know, little fox,” I murmur, cupping her face. She turns into my palm, leaning into the touch, and my foolish heart kicks against my ribs. “But this is so much bigger than you know.”
I turn, boots crunching over gravel as I stalk toward Mark. He’s standing, his body tense and covered in blood.
“You look ready to run.” He straightens his spine, jaw clenching. “I might let you—if you tell me everything you know about the southern circuit.”
Mark keeps his mouth shut.
“Tsk, tsk.” I smirk, pacing with my hands behind my back, careful to avoid the mess Andrew left behind. My nose wrinkles as I glance down, noting how the stains on his pants mix with the blood pooling beneath his corpse. Humans really are disgusting.
“Pride will be your downfall. That particular sin has never been a problem for me, but do you know what has?”
Mark’s nostrils flare. But I see the fear in his eyes, note the beads of sweat forming across his brow.
He lunges, swinging for my ribs. I let the punch land, laughing through the pain as I ride the high, living for the next hit of adrenaline.
Too quickly, I have him crumpled on the ground at my feet.
Blood trickles from a cut above his eye.
The blow to his temple probably has him seeing stars, but I made sure to keep his mouth intact—for her.
“How long have you been running the circuit for Shane?”
Mark spits on my boots. My fist connects with his jaw before I have time to think. Bones crunch as the skin over his cheek splits. So much for keeping his face pretty.
“That was rude,” I say, wiping blood off on his shirt. “Let’s try this again, shall we? I wouldn’t want to kill you before you’ve had the chance to beg for her forgiveness.”
Panting, Mark glances toward Evie, perched in front of my motorcycle before glaring up at me. “You’ll let me go if I do what? Say sorry?”
“When’s the next shipment?” I ask, ignoring his idiotic question. Of course, I won’t let him go. His death certificate was signed the moment he touched Evie.
“Not for another two weeks,” he says, jerking his head toward her. “I didn’t realize she was yours. She’ll do well if you’re looking to sell.”
My fists flex, but I hold the rage in check. Just a little longer.
“Where?”
“L.A.,” he answers. “At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t made contact yet.”
Now that he thinks I’m just a pushy client, the tension across his shoulders loosens. I fucking hate that he thinks we’re the same.
“I was sent from Vegas to investigate missing shipments, but supposedly Shane is out of the game. Yielded the territory to someone else.”
“Who?”
“Someone named Jonah. I haven’t seen or heard from him yet.”
“Waiting on Shane?”
“I’ll put you in contact as soon as I can.” He nods, glancing over my shoulder. “If I were you, I’d break her in a bit first.”
I follow his gaze to Evie, tilting my head like I’m considering it. Luring the fly into the web.
“You think so?”
“What is he talking about?” Evie asks, voice rough.
“If the little bitch just took a sip, she would’ve been mine,” Mark says wistfully, clearing his throat a moment later when I don’t respond. “I would’ve shared her with you. And the others. Jameson told me to stay away, but we could’ve been working together this whole time.”
Mark’s chuckle dies in his throat, eyes widening when he sees the gun in my hand. I turn, angling my mask toward Evie.
“Do you see?” I ask softly. “Do you understand the mistake you made, Evie? Toying with me is one thing, but using this pathetic bastard to ignite my envy…”
“I’m sorry,” Evie breathes, chest heaving.
I circle Mark, kicking his knees out from under him. He drops, kneeling in the dirt as I raise the barrel to his head and lift my gaze to my little fox. “Don’t lie to me. I saw your face. The freedom in your eyes. You loved making me jealous.”
Her eyes glisten with tears, but she doesn’t deny it.
“Did it make you feel alive?” I whisper. “Watching me lose my mind while you used him?”
“Yes,” she admits, and I grin.
“She was asking for it,” Mark spits. He makes to rise, but I shove him back down, dirt spraying as he catches himself on his hands and knees. “You heard her. It’s not my fault for wanting a taste of that pussy.”
“Is that what you want?” I ask her, remembering how wet she was. “To use him while I watch?”
Evie shakes her head, but I catch the flush creeping up her neck, notice the way her thighs press together—she’s unraveling. Biting her lip, she looks around, searching for an escape.
“Ah-ah,” I say, wagging a finger as my cock throbs. “Running will only prolong your punishment, Evie. And there’s no point. We both know beneath the pretty exterior of the braided hair and long skirts, you’re nothing more than a filthy little slut.”
She whimpers, the needy sound undoing me. And then she’s biting her lip again, teasing the plump flesh as her chest heaves. I want to crawl inside of her. To spank her until her skin is painted in pink. To bite those fucking lips of hers until they bleed, and then lick her wounds clean.
“Are you ready to give in, little fox? To be the good girl I know you are?”
“Yes,” she breathes, eyes glazed.
“Walk to the bike, Evie” I say, knowing she needs the command. Needs to believe this is out of her control—so she doesn’t have to admit she’s just as fucked up as I am. “Lean against the seat and remove your underwear.”
“No,” she says with a shaky breath. “The club was different, but he doesn’t want this.”
“Was dear old Mark thinking about what you wanted when he tried to force that spiked drink on you?” My grip tightens on the gun, finger twitching over the trigger.
Her eyes widen, dropping to where he sits on the ground.
“Don’t look at him,” I growl. “Look at me. Do as I say, or I’ll kill him right now.”
Evie holds my gaze, her chest rising sharply in challenge. But I don’t waver. After a beat, she snarls a curse and stomps to my bike, planting her ass against the seat as she turns to face me.
“Good girl. Now spread your legs and show me what’s mine.”