Chapter 4
ARIES
M ia Harker is fucking gorgeous. Dammit . It’s a shame we have to run her out of town. I could have fucked her so easily in the wine cellar. She was clenching her thighs together like she hadn’t had a cock between them in years. She was practically begging for it. I imagine how loud she’d moan, bent over a wine barrel with her panties around her ankles, my cum dripping down her legs… Fuck.
“Anyone home?” Bones snaps his fingers in front of my face. “You zoned out for a full minute.”
I grab my cock and readjust it before sitting down next to him in Draven’s office. “Sorry, I’ve had a long day.”
The door swings open, and Draven saunters through in a cloud of darkness so heavy that I can feel its weight on my chest. The air always thickens when he enters a room.
He plops down at his desk and glares at me. “Why don’t I have the deed to Harker Mansion in my hands, Aries?”
Fuck. Here we go. “She refuses to sell.” I learned a long time ago that the best way to deliver bad news to Draven Blackwell is to just come out with it. Rip off the fucking bandage.
He leans back in his chair in dramatic fashion, sighing as he taps his fingers on the desk. “That’s unacceptable.” He throws Bones a familiar look.
“You want me to try?” Bones cracks his knuckles, and fresh blood seeps out, saturating the gauze.
Draven’s smirk doesn’t reach his cold, unfeeling eyes. “We’re going to make Mia Harker want to get the fuck out of here so fast she runs screaming with just the clothes on her back.”
I flex my jaw. “You want me to go back and hurt her?”
Draven shrugs. “If necessary. I want you to scare the ever-loving shit out of her. Let her know she’s not safe. That she’s not wanted here.”
Bones nods and smiles. “This is going to be fun.”
Fucking sadistic bastards, all three of us. I wouldn’t wish us on my worst enemy.
I clear my throat. “She’s petite, timid, and way out of her league. It shouldn’t be too hard to scare her. I’m also pretty sure she wanted to fuck me before I presented her with the papers.”
“Everyone wants to fuck you, Aries. You’re just so fucking pretty,” Bones taunts.
I roll my eyes. “I barely had to do anything, and her nipples were as hard as my cock. That means she’s vulnerable. Needy. We can use that to our advantage.”
Draven arches an eyebrow. “Sounds like you want to fuck her . I can hear it in your fucking voice. Is that going to be a problem?”
Fuck. The last thing I need is Draven thinking I’m compromised over a piece of ass. “Nah. I’m good. She’s not my type.”
He stares at me for a few seconds longer, studying my face, my breath. “Good. The sooner we get that cunt out of Harker Mansion, the sooner we can start expanding the business. I’ve already had several calls for the baneberry. ”
“Maybe we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves,” I interject. “What if she doesn’t sell?”
Draven’s gold-flecked eyes darken. “Then we’ll kill her,” he mutters.
Fuck. I don’t know if I have the stomach for any more murders.
“You okay?” Bones squeezes my shoulder.
“Yeah, I just need a drink. Like I said, long day.” I rub my sweaty palms against my silk suit pants, not caring if I streak them. I can buy more.
Draven’s eyes soften. “You two should go down to Duff’s and have a few before Bones heads over to Harker Mansion tonight. You both need to burn off a little steam.”
“You’re not coming?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Not tonight. I have too much work to do.”
Which is Draven’s code for I’m going to wallow in my own self-loathing while fisting myself.
I stand up to leave. “Try not to break your wrist jerking off this time.”
He snorts. “You both know I broke my wrist from the fall. Fuck off.”
Bones laughs. “Yeah, because you made yourself cum so hard you crashed my fucking bike.”
I burst out laughing as we both get death stares from Draven. “Out now . Fucking heathens.”
“So, how hot is she?” Bones’s eyes glaze from his third whiskey. He licks the rim of the glass, savoring every drop.
I shudder, annoyed that I showed any sign of weakness in front of them. “She’s pretty. Not hot. There’s a difference,” I lie. With one brown eye and one blue eye, dark silky hair that cascades down her back, Mia Harker is hot as fuck. But she’s also shy, boring, and unsure of herself. If Bones doesn’t give her a heart attack tonight, I’ll be shocked.
He arches an eyebrow at me. “Bullshit. Come on, Ries , tell me. Dray isn’t here to scold you.” He chuckles.
There’s no fucking way I’m saying shit. “Let it go, Bones.”
He shrugs. “I’m gonna find out tonight anyway.”
“What’s your plan?” I’m almost envious that he gets to go instead of me. I bet she looks even hotter with fear in her eyes. I think my little lamb has a dark side too. There was something about the way she looked at me when I had her cornered.
He grabs a cherry from the bar tray and pops it into his mouth. “None of your fucking business unless you tell me how hot she is.”
I let out a frustrated grunt. “Forget I asked then.” Bones is going to fucking rip me a new one later after he lays eyes on her himself.
“Go in through the wine cellar. She didn’t even know where it was earlier. I doubt she remembers how to get back down there,” I offer.
Bones snorts into his whiskey. “You’ve really thought this out.” He shakes his head, laughing, as if that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever said.
I shrug. Emma Harker used to throw the best fucking parties. I’ve passed out many times in that wine cellar. It was also the easiest way to sneak out when I didn’t want my parents parading me around like fresh, eligible meat. My stomach turns at the thought. They always gave me a choice. My twin sister, Libra, wasn’t so lucky.
Truth be told, I want nothing to do with this fucking poison business anymore. It’s tainted by the sins of my father.
“Hey, Ries, I’m just joking. Relax . That’s good advice. I was planning to go in the side entrance but the wine cellar is better. I forgot how we used to party down there.” He squeezes my shoulder.
“It’s cool. I’m on edge. Draven is up my ass every five seconds about this fucking baneberry. It wasn’t enough that I got Libra to sign away her shares over to me. Things were so much easier when we were kids. Before all this fucking nonsense.”
He stares into space as he nods. “Yeah, you’re right. When it was just the three of us. All we cared about was fucking and drinking. Everyone let us run fucking wild. It was awesome.”
We were kings without a kingdom, ruling over ourselves and our carnal desires. Now we have to answer to lawyers and investors and everyone in between.
I finish up my beer and give him a light slap on the cheek. “Come find me later. I wanna know how it goes.”
I hear Duff grumble from behind the bar when he orders another shot, and I can’t help but chuckle on my way out. Booze and adrenaline are a deadly combination for Bones Crane. Poor Mia Harker is going to find that out real soon.