15. Chapter 15 - Rion
Chapter 15
H ow could this perfect angel of a creature be my guiding light but also feed the darkness inside with such exquisite finesse? She might not know it quite yet, might not understand it, but she was a flawless match for me and my brothers, each of us sinking deeper and deeper into our compulsive desire for her.
Ravi had stopped asking me for pictures of her, and as far as I knew, hadn’t purchased any new custom Rin memorabilia for his collection. With his urges being satisfied by having the real deal in front of him, what would become of him if he lost her? Roux came home from the last couple of jobs cleaner than he ever had. His most recent set of mementos was a handful of ripped off nails which he’d kept in a vacuum-sealed bag. It wasn't a piece that needed to be especially preserved like normal and was quite tame for him. And, well, for me, watching and collecting was beginning to not be enough. Even this last time, I made an impulsive decision to use the vibrator to ensure what I wanted happened, being much more hands on than I was used to… and I liked it. I’ve found that I need to be involved somehow, no longer the distant observer. All of these changes were because of Rin.
She challenged us, and in the time we'd spent together, she was blossoming into the gorgeous red-petaled and black-centered flower we always knew she was on the inside. It was truly ironic that her actual last name was Rose. It fit her so well.
We might have experienced a few bumps in the road, but I was having a hard time regretting any of my actions or mistakes. While her being the last descendent of the seventh family brought its difficulties and concerns, it also gave her an extra layer of protection, one much stronger than if she were just our externus . There was also that pesky unwritten rule about families co-mingling, but we could get to that problem later. I had some ideas in the works to take care of that issue when it came to a head.
No matter how wrong or manipulative all of this was, the facts remained. She was here, by our side, and we were never letting her go.
Right now, she had the illusion of choice, but in the end, that was all it was. Our relationship had never been a choice. There was just a timeline of how long it would take for her to accept us. The second she stepped inside of this home, her future was written into the universe, forever chaining her to us.
Being the one that watched her, I had thought I knew everything about her, but I was finding that there was a whole world of Rin behind closed doors that I didn't know about. She was surprisingly studious and a quick learner, always pushing herself to understand something completely before moving on to the next thing. I could show her how to do something only once, and she was able to completely pick it up or understand the concept. She also had small quirks that gave me more insight into her mind than she realized.
Like when she was frustrated, she would flip the pages like it was its fault, mumbling curses to herself as if the world couldn't hear her. If she was in deep concentration, she would tuck her hair behind her ear. Her left foot would bounce when she found the information exciting. The list went on and on because she had so many of these small nuances that it was hard for me to pay attention to anything else.
It took all my effort to try to make it seem like I wasn't watching her, so when she’d complained about me not being affected by her, I almost threw everything in the air in frustration. On the bright side, I was a man who always took advantage of an opportunity.
Licking my lips, I took a moment to savor the memory of her on the bathroom counter, back bent, her head balanced on the mirror. Those gasps for air as she lost herself in pleasure and screamed her unhinged release. Me watching the screen like the world didn't exist, one hand on the vibrator’s remote while the other jerked myself until I came in her panties. I’d timed it perfectly, so we fell over that cliff together.
I was already getting hard just from thinking about it. What would she be like when she had all of our attention at once? Would she tremble in my arms? Would she be so pleasure ridden that she couldn't think, couldn't speak, only making carnal noises at our touch?
Also, that scar on her back… I didn't want to ask her at the moment, but I wanted to know who had hurt my perfect woman. Who had dared to touch her like that? My blood burned when my eyes saw the length, not because she was any less with the scar, but due to my deep-seated need to harm its creator. Since she always chose to hide it, it must be a sore subject for her even though it only made me think she was so much stronger than she appeared. Until the moment was right, I wouldn’t mention it.
The ringing of my phone interrupted my fantasies. I snatched it up, gripping the phone so hard it groaned, wishing to eviscerate whoever had interrupted my thoughts of her. When my uncle's number flashed across the screen, all happiness fled, leaving behind only my clenching stomach.
When Roux told Ravi and me about his visit at the gym, I almost hit the wall. I had wanted to take my anger out on my brother, but I knew it wasn't really his fault. He had done the right thing, because if he didn’t do it, my uncle would’ve stepped in and done much, much worse. That was the main reason I kept Rin in the house while we trained.
Knowing he was probably going to complain about just that, I took a deep breath and answered. “Uncle.”
“How is the Rose bitch’s progress? Since you kept her in a little hole this time, I wasn't able to make sure she was really grasping what was needed.” His bored tone was a mask, one he used to lull people into a false sense of ease while he waited for the right time to strike.
“She is progressing quickly. Her natural instincts are exactly what Foedus likes to see.” I kept my voice monotone and emotionless, not giving him too much information, but just enough.
“Good. The council will like that.” His tone changed from bored to amused, and that made my blood ice over. “They have been talking about the girl nonstop. We all agree that she would be very young for the role of head of the family, and we will need to take our time coaching her on how to fulfill that role. I told them why bother when it was only one woman .”
A cruel laugh spilled from his lips. “That's why I suggested that no matter the test results, she needed to be a breeding vessel for the Rose family. She should be kept just conscious enough to produce heirs.” I blinked, and my vision turned red. My limbs shook and muscles strained as images of tearing my uncle apart with my bare hands took over.
He clucked his tongue like he could see me even though I knew he couldn't. “But alas, I was outvoted.” Like a switch had been flipped, he yelled into the phone, “Fucking Maria! I swear, if that damn self-righteous cunt wasn't so closely guarded by that whole fucking horde of breeders, I would’ve taken care of her long ago!”
“Fucking bitch,” he spat, and I closed my eyes, wishing that this conversation would end quickly. Not only was my uncle an aristocratic elitist, but behind closed doors, his unintelligence ran as high as his vocabulary was lacking. His attitude was despicable, but correcting him only caused more problems than it was worth. Let him be the ignorant fool he was.
“You would think the three of you, with your filthy commoner blood, would figure out a dirty way to get rid of the Riccis, but it seems your minds have been preoccupied with that pretty, little, fuckable Rose girl.”
It was bait, I could see it from a mile away, but the darkness inside of me, the obsessive monster, roared. I bit the side of my cheek so hard a coppery taste filled my mouth, but I replied back to him as if nothing were wrong.
“No. When they offered that challenge, using the girl, we took out many of their operatives, cracked their code, and wreaked havoc and destruction on their main safe house. I would say that we struck a significant blow to their stronghold.” Grabbing a napkin, I wiped the side of my mouth. A deep red stained the paper, and I knew I was going to need another one.
“True. True. You boys have always proven to be useful in one way or another.” His voice turned back into that bored narrative. “So, tell me about the final stage of training. What are you preparing?”
So that's what he really wants to talk about.
“Ravi is coming up with his own version of a test, but since this is the part most tailored to the individual, it's hard to predict what she’ll be facing.”
I was the one that had taken the test for the three of us, and the last portion of my assessment was mental torture. I’d had to show my ability to withstand all the people I loved being killed in front of me. Initially, I fought it, trying not to have my brothers show up in my mind, but eventually they did. Even Rin had shown up, the last person to appear before me, and I almost broke down, almost fell apart when I saw her death. I was tempted to take my own life, but when I chose to avenge my lost loved ones instead, the world around me disappeared. My eyes opened, and I realized I was still hooked up to the machine.
Maria was the first one I saw after the test, telling me that I had passed. I waited for hours, days, months for her to bring up the matter of my brothers, but neither she, nor any of the rest of them, ever said anything. That was when I realized that the council didn’t see what the test-taker saw, and that was our saving grace.
I later learned how the whole thing was done. The test-taker was put to sleep before being hooked up to an AI machine. The technology worked with the test-taker’s subconscious to immerse them in a specific scenario that was connected to their real lives. The test-taker could think they were in a place they had been to in their past or present, speaking to people they knew. The council would set some kind of objective for the test-taker, coding what they wanted to be tested at the three stages, and the program determined the personal scenario to test the objective. If you pass an objective you go to the next one, until you pass all three. If you fail any of them along the way, the test stops immediately, and the council meets to decide your fate and how you will serve Foedus in the future.
My uncle’s pleasantly voice brought me back to the conversation. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I know, but… I want to ensure that you boys aren’t being too soft on the girl. Just because she has a pussy you can fuck doesn’t mean she gets to escape proper instruction.” He paused and I knew whatever came next was not going to be good. “Do you remember how I trained you three?”
My whole body lurched forward, my insides curling up on themselves as I worked to unclench my jaw to answer. “Yes.”
“Well, tell Ravi her training will need to be something like that, and it must be done in a place where I'm able to make sure the job gets done properly. If it's not done how I like, then I will be cutting something off that pretty little thing to get my point across.”
The voice in my head roared at me, my heart thrashing against my chest. Everything in my being was telling me to threaten him, hurt him, kill him. He was never to be left alone with Rin, let alone be close enough to harm her. At that moment, I was thankful that we were only on the phone and not in person. I didn’t think I could’ve hid these raging emotions so well in person.
“Understood. I will relay the message.” Just those few words took everything out of me, every ounce of control I had in this body.
“Good.”
There was silence on the line after that, so he must’ve put me on mute while he talked to someone else. He was too full of himself to let dead air sit otherwise.
I waited, taking the opportunity to calm myself down as fast as possible… until his voice came booming back, growling his frustration. “Fuck that Ricci woman! How much more humiliation is she planning to bestow on me?!” Not knowing what Maria had done, I silently sent her thanks for making him so upset.
“Rion!”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“You remember the deal we struck, right? The past three years haven’t caused you to forget what I am capable of, correct?”
I stiffened. Memories of our eighteenth birthday flooded my mind. The cold, mold-filled air clogging up my lungs, the smell of blood, the sight of his steady knife poised at Ravi’s throat. The thin red line became more prominent once he began to push the blade in. I was incapacitated, tied to a chair, while my brothers were drugged and bound on the sewer floor. My mind and body were so tired from passing the test that I would’ve said yes to anything to save their lives.
“Yes.”
His cold, hard voice ordered, “Repeat. It.”
I swallowed hard, my voice coming out shaky. “I am only allowed to be the face of the family. Even after the naming ceremony, where I will be called head of the Ambros family, it will be your will and your wants coming from my mouth. In return, you won’t tell Foedus about me and my brothers, ensuring that we won’t die but we live as one person, R. Ambros.”
A pleased sigh came from his side of the line. “Yes. Just remember that if you want to secure you and your brothers’ lives.”
Roux and Ravi entered the room, and my eyes narrowed on them. “I understand, Uncle. We all understand.”
Another flip of his personality, and he was yelling on the phone like everything was my fault. “Send me progress on the Rose bitch and remember what I want! Get it done!” The phone clicked, and I took a long, tired exhale before putting the phone down.
Talking to him always made me feel like a piece of my soul had been stained by his putrid stink.
The three of us were far from pure, far from good or nice. I couldn't even describe us as fair. Our souls had darkened with each act, each sin we committed, but for some reason, his darkness was worse. While we were the demons in the background, doing his bidding, we still had a guiding light, a center. Our uncle had no loyalty to anything or anyone but himself, and all he wanted was to consume and taint whatever his greedy hands could touch.
Lifting my hands, I used two fingers to massage the sides of my pounding head. Talking to him was really taxing on the body.
“What the fuck did that asshole want?” Roux’s voice boomed, and I glared at him. Fucking brute, you’re just making my headache worse.
“He wanted some input on the next set of training.” Glancing at Ravi, I knew this was going to be hard for him. “He wants you to replicate ours.” Ravi’s eyes widened. “And that's not all.” Roux threw up his arms, turning away like he couldn’t look at me while he heard the words I needed to deliver next. “He also wants it to be somewhere he can see that it's being done right.”
Ravi’s face paled, and I felt bad for him. If I had known this was how it was going to work, I would've taken this job for him, but our uncle had always been able to tell the difference between us.
“I hope you told him to fuck off!” Roux yelled before he glanced over at silent Ravi. His gaze softened when it landed on our brother, his pity evident, before he turned back to me and yelled again. “Well, what the fuck did you do, mister smartypants? Huh?!”
Turning away, I leaned against the desk. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to save Ravi, save Rin from this test. The headache I was trying to calm down only pounded harder. What the fuck could I do? How could we get out of this?
My fists clenched against the desk. Think, Rion, fucking think! Get the people you care about out of this.
“Well, Rion?! What’s the fucking plan?!”
Roux’s voice grated along my skull, making the growing headache worse. The darkness inside was building and building, taking advantage of my loose control because I was thinking about other things.
“Are you fucking listening to us?!”
I grabbed my glass and threw it, aiming carefully so it didn’t hit Roux, but sent a message. It flew right next to his face as a warning before it shattered on the wall.
“I’m fucking thinking!” Roux's mouth fell open, looking at the shards of glass on the floor then back to me.
“It's not that simple! He… He…” I didn't want to say it, didn't want to remind them of that time we were all so vulnerable, so weak. We had promised not to talk of that moment, but to get through this, I would need to bring it up.
“He what , Rion?” Ravi’s unnaturally calm voice had Roux and me looking at him. For once, his face held no smile. There were no hints of jokes or fun, just still and serious.
Something about Ravi’s eyes had me opening my mouth. “He reminded me of the deal I made with him for your lives. It was clear what would happen if we didn’t follow what he wanted.”
Roux had geared up for another bout of yelling when Ravi stepped forward until he was in front of me, laying his hand on my shoulder. “Rion, despite us being triplets, you’ve always been more of the older brother, trying to shield us the best you can, but you can't do that now. You need to shield Rin. We all do.”
I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. When did Ravi grow up?
He grimaced then aimed a glare at the floor as his hand dropped from my shoulder and went to his chin. “I’d already thought of something, but I guess I’ll need to adjust it.” He looked back up at me. “My only concern is that Rin won’t be able to handle it.”
“She’s a lot tougher than we give her credit for. She can do it if it needs to be done.” Roux crossed his arms as he offered his two cents, which I agreed with.
She had taken a lot of stuff in stride, and I was pretty determined that she could do pretty much anything. It was like her hidden gift. Maybe it has something to do with her Rose bloodline?
Ravi exhaled like he was an old man, tired of the world. “Okay, well, I’ll get the next step of training set in motion. I’ll make sure that it fits his requirements, but I’m doing it in a way that I know Rin will be able to do it. It's already going to be hard enough for her, and we’ll need to help with the fall-out after… I might even ask for your help the day of just in case she needs a little more incentive.” I didn't know what he possibly had in the works, but if it was for Layrin, he knew we would do anything.
“Of course,” I replied just as Roux said the same thing.
Ravi nodded. His shoulders slumped, and he turned away as he said, “I'm going to need a few days to get it ready, so I’ll work on theory with Rin until we need to turn it into field experience.”
He hesitated at the door, looking back at us with a small curve of his lips. “Thanks.” We nodded to him as he called out that he wanted to go find Rin. Right about now was when she liked to take a nap, if we gave her the time to do so, which was probably why they’d come down here in the first place.
“Do you think she can do it?” Roux’s normally strong, steadfast voice wavered.
“You’re right. She has this whole well of strength she normally doesn't tap into until she needs to.” Glancing up at him and his worry lines, I felt unease whisper to life inside me. “It's something she has to do. There’s no way around it.”
As gnawing guilt filled my soul, I realized that was easier said than done.