Chapter 12
ARIES
H eadlights and torches line the path through the woods. But I could find my way to the Circle in the dark if I had to. I pull up my hoodie before downing a vial of nightshade. The poison warms my blood and my skin as it snakes its way through my veins. It’s the closest thing to matching the adrenaline that courses through Bones on fight night.
He doesn’t need anyone to have his back, but I’m always ready. So, every Friday, I trade in my suit for sweats, sneakers, and brass knuckles, just in case. I don’t like blood on my good shit.
I chuckle when I spot Draven leaning against the hood of his SUV, seeing that his idea of casual attire is a black cashmere sweater, gray dress slacks, and Italian leather loafers. With his black hair slicked back off his forehead, he looks very much the part of a small-town gangster.
At six-foot-four, I tower over him. But what he lacks in height, he makes up for in pure fucking psychotic tendencies. He doesn’t get in many fights because one glare from his glowing eyes usually sends most dudes backing off within seconds. And they’re smart to. If pushed too far, this motherfucker goes into a blackout rage. It took all of my strength to pry him off the last guy who crossed him. And he holds grudges. He went back later that night and finished the guy off. Unhinged as fuck.
“You good?” I fist-bump him.
He nods but doesn’t look at me, his gaze scanning the woods. “Bones better knock this fucker out quick. I don’t wanna be here tonight.”
“He always does and you never want to be here. What else is fucking new?” If Draven never had to leave Blackwell Manor he’d be as happy as a groom-to-be getting his dick sucked by a stripper in the champagne room for the first time.
“My grandmother’s estate is stressing me the fuck out.” He lights up a cigarette and takes a long drag.
I squeeze his shoulders before clapping him on the back. “Why don’t you get in the Circle ? There’s nothing like beating the fuck out of someone to take the edge off.”
Draven finally looks at me, his face deadpan. “Because I’m not trying to commit murder tonight.”
Fuck, he is in a fucking mood. I start to shrug it off when the sight of his biggest trigger makes her way through the crowd. The muscles in my back tense. She tests every one of my nerves too.
“Mia is here,” I mutter.
He sucks in a sharp breath and follows my gaze. “This fucking cunt, strutting around here like she’s one of us.”
I place my hand on his chest as he starts to charge toward her. “Not yet. Relax. Let her squirm for a bit.”
He grits his teeth but settles back against the hood again. “How the fuck does she even know about fight night?”
I nod in her direction. “Look who’s standing next to her.”
Draven lets out a low growl. “Lettie. Dammit. I told her to stay away from Mia. ”
It seems like we are all having issues staying away from Mia Harker. There’s something about that girl. We’re acting like a bunch of moths, and she’s the flame.
Through the flickering torchlights, her eyes seem to glow—the sparkling blue offsetting the haunting darkness of the brown one. Like shadow and light. I lick my lips, my cock stiffening at the sight of her tight shredded jeans hugging the curves of her hips. Fuck. Her black hoodie is unzipped, revealing two erect buds pressing against her thin white tank top. It’s fucking cold out here. She knows exactly what she’s doing. And that makes me want her even more. I bet she’s a naughty little thing.
I blow out a deep breath. “She’s not wearing a fucking bra.”
“I doubt she’s wearing panties either,” Draven rasps as he exhales another puff of smoke.
“We shouldn’t mix business and pleasure, Dray.” I need to remind myself of this every time I see her.
He stomps his cigarette out on the ground with a huff. “There’s nothing pleasurable about that wretched creature.”
I lift an eyebrow at him. “Is that what you told yourself the other night after you fucked her again?”
He shoots me a glare. “That was a mistake. A stupid, reckless mistake. It won’t happen again. But I’m down to watch you do whatever the fuck you want to her.”
A plan forms in my mind. Every inch of that woman calls to me. It’s a feral need to stalk her through the woods and corner her like a predator. I want to strip her of all her comforts and securities.
My pulse races as I fantasize about catching her. “I want that tight little cunt sliding down my dick.”
Draven’s eyes darken, filling with lust. An ache that he no doubt recalls what that felt like. “She has demons, Ries. Darker than all three of ours put together. That thing is attached to her. I can see it in her eyes.”
I nod. “I know. And I don’t care. That’s between her and the devil. But as long as she’s in Ever Graves, we should get to play with her too, right?”
He nods toward a clearing in the trees just as Bones emerges from the shadows. His hands are wrapped and ready to pummel tonight’s victim. I can feel the adrenaline pulsing from him, even ten feet away. As he bounces on the balls of his feet, sweat stains his white muscle tank top. It streaks his chest and arms, his skin glistening under the torchlight.
I spot Mia ogling him too. She licks her lips and crosses her legs, clenching her thighs together. “I think our little lamb likes a big bad wolf.”
Draven snickers as he grits his teeth. “Good. We can all take turns breaking her.”
A tingle shoots down my shaft. I palm my cock, adjusting it in my pants. “That might take a while.”
Draven finally turns to face me, the look in his eyes murderous. “I want that baneberry, Ries. I don’t care if we have to tie her down and force her signature. We have just as much right to that land as she does. Probably more. We’ve lived here our whole lives. She’s been here for five seconds.”
Fuck. He’s more obsessed than I am, and it’s my father we’re trying to push out. “She is a Harker though. That still means something in this town.”
He shakes his head as he glares over in her direction. “It means nothing. She means nothing… I’ll see you after the fight.” He lights up another cigarette and stalks off.
I blow out a deep breath as I watch him cross to the other side of the Circle and retreat to the shadows. Ever since we were kids, I’ve worried about him getting lost in the dark places of his mind. If it weren’t for me and Bones, he’d never socialize with anyone. And now Mia’s pushing his buttons, triggering him into old patterns and behaviors. It’s only a matter of time before he snaps .
I wouldn’t want to be her when that happens. She just needs to sign the fucking papers before Draven explodes like an atomic bomb.
The crowd cheers, snapping me out of my daze. Bones is spinning around a much bigger opponent, like a ballerina on his tippy toes. He moves with swiftness and precision, alternating between punches to the face and jabs to the ribs.
I can’t help but chuckle to myself. Every weekend, some local asshole thinks he will be the one to defeat my best friend. As much as I’m enjoying the show, my gaze is pulled back to Mia.
There’s something so intoxicating about watching her watch him. Her eyes are wide, her throat bobbing in anticipation of his next move. She feels the adrenaline just as much as the rest of us, and that turns me on so fucking much. It’s all I can do to stop myself from stalking over to her and fingering that tight pussy of hers while she salivates over Bones beating the shit out of this dude.
Fuck me. My cock is so hard I can barely stand upright, let alone walk. Her gaze flits to mine as if she senses me staring. When our eyes lock, a tiny spurt of pre cum trickles out. It’s a good thing I’m wearing baggy sweats and not my usual tight slacks. I’m not trying to amble around with a wet spot on my fucking crotch.
I give her a nod and a wink. I came to fucking play tonight.
The crowd cheers again. I jerk my head toward the fight just in time to see his opponent’s jaw crack. Blood spurts out his mouth right before his eyes roll back, and he crumples to the ground. That’s a mother fucking wrap. Goodnight .
Bones grunts and holds up his fists, his eyes wild with bloodlust and mayhem. Sweat glistens over his skin, highlighting the beautiful indentions of his taut muscles. Fuck, this isn’t helping my erection one bit.
Draven slinks up behind him and pats him on the back. He smiles as he whispers something in his ear. As I make my way toward them, my plan fully forms. I want to break our little lamb tonight. Piece by piece, until we destroy every bit of her .
I throw my arm around his shoulders and yank him to my chest. “Thatta boy. Fucking unstoppable.”
“Yeah, and don’t you fucking forget it,” he pants out.
I relish the energy between the three of us standing there in the dirt while the crowd continues to cheer for our champion. The women devour us with their eyes while the men envy our every breath. Draven, with his dark, striking features, resembling a mafia boss, me as their token Greek god, and Bones, our fucking ferocious warrior. The Kings of Ever Graves .
As we make our way back toward the cars, I pull Bones in close again. “Feel like having some fun with our little lamb tonight?”
His grin lights up his eyes. “Yeah,” he mutters. “What do you have in mind?”
Draven grits his teeth. “Tell me it involves tying her to a tree until she fucking submits.”
A rush of adrenaline sends a tingle down my spine and straight to my dick. “All we have to do is find a way to lure her into the woods.”
Bones licks his lips as his gaze lands on Mia. “Let me handle that. You just set the trap.”
If I’m not careful, I’m gonna cum before I even get inside her pants. The exhilaration of what’s about to unfold has me so wound up that I can barely breathe.
Draven rolls up his sleeves, takes off his tie, and stuffs it in his pocket. “Just so you know, her pussy is addictive.”
I palm my crotch as my cock pulses against the soft fabric of my sweats. “I bet it fucking is.”
If Bones can somehow get Mia away from Lettie and alone in the woods, I’ll be finding out real soon just how fucking addictive that tight little cunt is.