Chapter 1
1
PRESENT DAY
VIKTOR
“ V iktor, what the fuck are you doing?” Luca growls, peering over his shoulder at me as he crouches down in the dim light of the warehouse. His light brown hair falls over his face and he pushes it back with those thick, tattooed fingers. Those fucking fingers…the way I want them to wrap around my neck and squeeze.
The way they did that night.
“Stop dicking around and help me with this.”
I wasn’t dicking around. I was adjusting my dick because his ass looks good in those slacks. Much to my displeasure. Fucking hate that my body responds to anything regarding him. Three damn years and I can’t quite calm down.
It’s terminal at this point.
“Calm down,” I murmur as I stare down at the body on the floor, a young woman. Her tongue hangs out of her mouth unnaturally, eyes staring up at me, unseeing. Clearly dead. She’s one of ours, I suppose, since she’s in one of our warehouses and was discovered by another soldier while he was making his rounds. Or maybe she’s not. I don’t fucking know. She has no ID on her and I’ve never seen her before, but I can make an educated guess.
Whoever she is, she’s not where she belongs. That much is certain.
“I was keeping a lookout,” I reply angrily as I lean down next to him, jostling him slightly. Touching him makes something flutter deep inside my stomach.
Angry, razor-sharp butterflies. They slice at my chest and make those angry wounds reopen every single time. I do it anyway. I do it because I like the pain of it.
Luca huffs and knocks me back with his elbow and I nearly fall over. Right into something that looks concerningly like vomit.
“Fuck off,” I grumble, but he just ignores me.
“Shut the hell up and be useful. We need to call the cleaners,” Luca says. “Get rid of the evidence. Whoever is doing this wants her to be found and they want us implicated in it.”
“I’ll call Bane…”
“No, he’s too messy and loud. We have to call the Andromeda brothers now that they’re working with us.”
Well. Fuck. Me.
“Do we have to?” I murmur, and Luca stands up, pulling a cigarette from his coat pocket. He places it between his lips, and I stare at his mouth a little too long. I fucking hate those lips, the way they curve up when he’s feeling sinister, the way they can form just a few words that have me shriveling. And panting.
I hate that fucking mouth.
I hope it falls off. Right onto my dick.
“Do as I say,” he snaps, and I feel myself shrink back as my dick grows hard.
I fucking hate that I’m like this .
I really need to go to the club again and get this frustration worked out of me. But I haven’t been back since that night. I haven’t been able to make myself go. And because of that, I’m so close to the edge, teetering precariously. I’m a second away from falling completely. And while I have had some hookups in the years since, I haven’t stepped foot in the club.
Three years is too long.
Too fucking long.
Without a word, I pull the electric lighter from my pocket and hold it up to his cigarette.
He leans forward slightly, puffing on that stick until it lights up. The end ignites and he leans back as smoke billows around him, a gothic creature in the middle of this concrete jungle. Goddamnit. He’s so fucking hot. It’s not fair. It’s unjust. A crime against humanity and my entire body.
It leans toward him when he’s near.
I disgust myself.
As he inhales, I drag my gaze away and grab my phone, slowly hitting the number for the Andromeda brothers, dreading this with every fiber of my being.
They answer with a purr.
Fuck, they’re creepy.
“We have a cleanup for you,” I bite out, and they pause.
“Hmmm. Do you have what we want as a form of payment?”
My cheeks flame and I peer over at Luca who is watching me intently. There’s no way he can hear this. No fucking way. But I know that there’s no way by the end of it, he won’t know.
“Yes.”
“We’ll be there.”
The call ends and Luca glances at me, wetting his lips.
Why the hell is he always staring at me as if he wants to devour me?
He needs to fucking look away before I punch him. He’s been toying with me for over a decade, and the last three have been hell .
To give me something like that, to remind me of it every year, and to never give it to me again…
I glance away and take a step back, trying not to inhale the intoxicating scent of him. I hate how good he smells. The way it overwhelms me.
“They’ll be here soon,” I say, and he nods, inhaling his cigarette once more.
“They better be. I have shit to do.”
I scoff and take another step back, my eyes scanning the warehouse to find a place to undress. Of course, I find nothing. It’s completely empty, just cobwebs and a few empty crates stacked near the metal siding.
This is just my fucking luck.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m just walking around to see if we missed anything,” I lie.
Luca scoffs just as the Andromeda brothers appear, almost as if summoned through some kind of portal. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re demons or some kind of paranormal beings. I know it’s ridiculous, but I swear, they’re not from this world.
They’re identical twins, both tall and lean, their hair the color of midnight, their gray eyes the color of fog rolling over the bay. If I believed in the Grim Reaper, I’d assume they were related. Distant cousins, perhaps.
They set their black leather bags down by their sides in one swift coordinated movement and then stare at me intently, their hands folded in front of them.
“Well?” they say at the same time.
I know what they’re waiting for. Fuck, I should have never let them fuck me that one time. But I was desperate and they were available. I’d always wanted to be with twins. Huge mistake. Now they’re just demanding and very insistent.
My cheeks flame as their eyes meet mine.
“Fine. Fuck,” I murmur and then glance around, feeling slightly helpless. I don’t want to do this in front of Luca. I really don’t. “I’ll just go outside and…”
“No, we want to watch,” they both say in tandem. “That’s the stipulation,” Ezra adds.
“Yes. The stipulation,” Cain repeats with a slight nod.
Fucking hell. I was totally high when they fucked me, it’s the only explanation. I mean, they’re hot, but the creep factor is high with these two.
And yeah, they fuck like the devil, but once they had me, they grew obsessed.
And they always get what they want.
“What the hell are they talking about?” Luca asks, and I glower at him.
“You want to know why they agreed to work with us all of a sudden? This is why,” I say as I kick my shoes off and then peel my dark, ripped jeans down my legs. Luca’s eyes don’t move from my body, smoke billowing from his lips. My shirt hangs over my ass, but I know he can see as I peel the lace panties off. They slide down my thighs and my entire body ignites.
I can’t believe this is fucking happening, that he’s watching me do this. But I can’t back down, not if we want them to complete this job.
I stand up and hold them in my hands, the fabric still warm from my body.
Luca curses behind me, shuffling on his feet, but I don’t look back. I refuse.
“Bring them here,” they say, and I exhale slowly, walking toward them in only my socks and shirt. This is fucking humiliating.
As soon as I reach them, I hold the panties out and Ezra takes them, bringing them up to his nose and inhaling deeply.
Cain peers over at his brother and then holds his hand out, doing the same thing.
“Well done,” he says as he stuffs the underwear in his bag and they get to work, leaving me to trail back to my pants and shoes with a flaming face.
“Fuck, you’re twisted,” Luca says with a small chuckle as I yank my jeans back on.
“Shut up.”
“I knew you were kinky as fuck, but this is even better.”
My fingers curl into fists, and he tosses the cigarette onto the ground and grinds it with his foot.
“When did you let them fuck you?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I murmur.
“So you say.” My knuckles crack, and Luca smirks at me. “Think twice about punching me, little slut,” he says, and fuck, the way my dick perks up at that. He hasn’t called me anything like that since that night. And even though he’s uttered it, I know he doesn’t mean it in the way I’m perceiving it. But it doesn’t seem to matter. My body is attracted to Luca Rossi and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he says and leads the way out of the warehouse. I follow him, adjusting myself discreetly as we go, that name ringing in my ears. “Slut. Little slut.”
I’m so fucking hard by the time we make it to the SUV that I’m uncomfortable. We get in, me behind the wheel and him in the passenger seat, and he leans his head back, his gaze moving out the window.
“Who do you think she was?” he finally asks.
I don’t respond, my brain still stuck on that word.
“Little slut. Take it.”
“I’ll text Sabrina her picture,” he says as he pulls out his phone and sends a message. “I don’t think it’s one of her girls from the brothel, though. She looked a little rough. Maybe she’s someone from the club. I’ll ask Kianna too.”
He’s thinking out loud, but the sound of his voice is making my dick harder. I wish he’d just fucking shut up.
His phone vibrates and he glances down at it, his tattooed thumbs tapping on the screen .
“Neither of them recognizes her,” he mutters and then leans his head back and murmurs, “ Fuck. ” The way he says it is like he’s sinking into someone, into me, causing my hands to tighten on the steering wheel.
“She must have been placed there,” I manage to say, my jaw set as I maneuver around traffic. It’s always busy here in Southern California, but today, with the scattered showers, everything is a little more congested.
“Probably,” he replies and then adds, “But why?”
“Doesn’t matter now. The brothers will clean it up and it will be like she was never there. Never existed.”
“And all for the price of your panties,” he says with a huff, and I swear I want to pull over and make him walk home.
“You should be thanking me. They’re the best in the business and they refused to work with us—until me.”
He peers over at me, and I feel my cheeks flame.
“Was that planned? Your hookup? Or was your slutty hole just desperate for it and you took it without knowing they’d agree to work with us?”
The latter , I think, but refuse to answer him. It’s none of his business what I do in my free time. That night, he took away the freedom the club held, and I had to go elsewhere—a hookup app that allows me to meet nameless men in the middle of the night.
“I’ll make sure to let Anthony know how we came into possession of the brothers.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I hiss. “What I do is no one’s business.”
He huffs a laugh and then looks down at his phone, his thumbs flying across the screen once more.
He better not be telling anyone my shit. I don’t think he’s ever mentioned that night at the club to anyone. No one’s ever said anything to me, and there were no suspicious glances or backhanded comments in the following weeks or months.
Years.
It’s been years. He must have kept it a secret .
I’m sure there’s a reason for it.
Maybe it’s what happened after.
I don’t know, but I’ve been waiting three years for the inevitable shoe to drop. I bet he enjoys hanging it over me. Asshole.
I fucking despise him.
And even so, I’d still let him fuck me. Again .
Not that he’d ever, but a boy can have nightmares.
“Pull over here,” he says, pointing to an ice cream shop on the side of the road. It’s an older building, one that’s been here for ages, but one that Luca enjoys frequenting.
“What the fuck? I’m not pulling over for fucking ice cream.”
“I want a cone,” Luca says, and I force my hands to turn the wheel.
“You’re a fucking child,” I murmur, and he grins at me.
“At least I have underwear on.”
His comment is punctuated by the car jerking to a stop and me shutting it off with a jab of my finger. He slides out and strides inside while I wait for him to return. My eyes may slide to his tight ass once more, and I slam the palm of my hand against the steering wheel. I can’t help how attracted I am to him, and I hate how I can’t seem to rid myself of this obsession.
He’s to blame. He started it, just by existing.
He’s the reason I realized I was gay.
The way I thought of him back then, imagined him, after just laying eyes on him. That was all it took to seal it for me.
I hate the power he’s had over me all these years, and I hate that it hasn’t dissipated in the slightest.
When he returns to the car, he has a double scoop in his hand, and I swear to Satan that if he gets any of that vanilla on his lips, I may fucking lose my shit.
Just as I think it, his tongue slides out and licks at the ice cream. A small whimper escapes my slutty throat, one that’s thankfully hidden by the sound of the ignition being turned on .
“Any other stops?” I ask, hoping my voice comes out less strained and more rough. I’m not sure I manage it. “Fast food? A play area?”
He chuckles and then laps at that fucking ice cream cone again. “No, I have what I need right here.” He licks at it again, slower this time. “Mm, so fucking good.”
A little bit dribbles down the corner of his mouth and he uses his thumb to wipe it up, leaving my cock looking just like that ice cream cone in his hands. Dripping and wet. It’s clear. I really need to get laid.
I should go back to the club this weekend. I’ve been gone long enough.
I really fucking should. They’ve asked when I’d be returning, but I can’t give them an answer. That night, that fucking night , changed everything.
“Can you stop fucking slurping like that?” I grumble.
Luca grins, his lips wet as his tongue snakes out again and drags up the scoop, like he’s licking a dick. I imagine it’s mine, and I hate that I want it.
He’d never do that, would never touch me like that.
But me? I’d loathe getting on my knees for him, but I’d moan like a whore while he fucked my throat.
I’d drool for it. And it makes me hate him even more.
“I’m fucking serious, Luca. Stop it.”
He does it again and my hands grip the steering wheel so tightly it squeaks.
“Why does it bother you so much?” he asks, a glint in his eyes. “You thinking about me sucking your whore dick?”
That makes my cock perk up even further.
“Fuck no.”
He chuckles lowly and then leans back, adjusting himself as his tongue swipes out once more. It’s too much.
Especially when he adds, “Not that you’re my type. Since you’re a man and all.”
I let out a low growl and swerve onto the shoulder of the road. I stop so suddenly his ice cream rolls from the cone and onto his pants with an audible splat .
He stares at it and then up at me.
“What the fuck? Throwing a tantrum? Who’s the child now?” he asks, and I unlock the doors.
“Get the fuck out and walk home.”
“No.”
“Get the fuck out.”
His jaw clicks and then suddenly his hand is in my hair, his fingers tugging on the strands tightly. “Not until you clean up the mess you made,” he growls, wrenching my head down to his lap, that scoop of ice cream right there in front of my nose.
I bite back a groan as he pushes my head roughly toward it, smearing it across my cheeks in the process.
“Lick. It. Up. You little bitch.”
I try to wrench my head back, one last sliver of dignity before I cave, but he holds me down rougher, a shock of pain moving through my scalp.
“Don’t make me do something I won’t regret.”
I grunt and struggle, but he’s stronger than me, holding me against his lap. My mouth reluctantly pops open, and I lap at the cold ice cream sitting against my lips. My eyes squeeze shut as the sweet taste of vanilla and almond hits my tongue. And even though I know this is nothing like it, my body can’t help but pretend it’s his cock.
“Good. Fucking take it,” he grumbles.
He presses me further into it, smashing my face into his groin and my own cock lurches in my pants.
“Every fucking drop. All of it,” he says lowly, holding me to him. And my tongue laps at his pants, devouring it. The angle I’m at currently is making my back twinge, but I know he won’t let me up until he’s gotten what he wants. He always gets what he wants.
He pushes me into him, my nose smashed up against his bulge. I inhale, the scent of vanilla and something masculine, feral .
Fuck, I feel my balls draw up in my pants.
Shit. No. No .
“Hm, such a little slut. Listen to you moan. I fucking love that sound,” he murmurs, and his words alone have me unloading right into my pants. Shame washes over me as I tremble deliriously, my moans resounding through the cab. And when I’m finally done, his fingers loosen and he shoves me away.
“Good boy,” he says with a small, victorious grin.
I sit up and swipe at my sticky face, my cheeks on fire.
“Now do your job and bring me back to the Costello’s. I have to debrief with Anthony.”
With shaking hands, I do as I’m told, humiliation and regret heavy in my chest and, at the same time, a thrill as well.
That’s probably as close to him as I’ll ever get again.
When we arrive at Anthony Costello’s sprawling estate, the one I landed in as a lost teenager fifteen years ago, I drop Luca off at the front door and then sit in the SUV, trying like hell to figure out how I’m supposed to walk around with cum in my pants and a wet spot on the front of my jeans without anyone noticing.
Damn him.
I shouldn’t have pushed him. I should have just let him eat his fucking ice cream cone and driven him to work.
But no, I had to tempt fate. I can’t seem to help myself.
My head lands on the steering wheel and I turn my head slightly to look at the sprawling acres. The house sits before me, but the garden that Angel tended is just behind those trees. Further back is an orchard and a treehouse that Anthony built for his sons when they were little.
And now he uses it for other extracurricular activities.
I still can’t believe this is my life, that I found myself here of all places. A boy from a trailer park who owned two sets of clothes is now a part of all this.
I never knew such wealth existed until I showed up here. Sometimes I still can’t believe it.
A knock on the window has me jumping slightly, pulling me from my thoughts and when I peer over, I see Teddy, another bodyguard, standing before me. He’s huge, with wide shoulders and a shaved head. He looks like he’s ex-military, but I’m not sure about his history because he never speaks. I’ve never heard him mutter so much as a word.
Tatum says that he’s nonverbal. But he signs, not that I’ve learned anything yet.
I really need to fucking learn because that’s the decent thing to do. And I always told myself that coming here was a chance to do better than my parents, to be a decent person when it counts.
Learning American Sign Language would count.
I roll the window down and lean my head against the headrest.
“Hey, Teddy. You don’t happen to have any extra pants, do you?”
Teddy’s face turns to my messy jeans and his cheeks pinken. He knows what I did. I’m pretty sure that even though he doesn’t speak, it only means he has more time to observe. I’m sure he knows how much Luca turns me on.
He nods slightly and then moves away, returning a few minutes later with a pair of sweatpants. He’s bulkier than me, but I’ll take it.
“Thanks, I owe you,” I reply and then hop out of the SUV and move into the house, the sweatpants in front of my crotch. Thank God no one is around to comment on this.
When I find the nearest bathroom, I quickly and thoroughly clean myself up, pulling the sweats on and tightening them as best I can. I look ridiculous, but it’s better than sitting in sticky cum the rest of the evening.
I stash my jeans under the sink and move toward Anthony’s office. I can hear him and Luca talking inside, and I mentally remind myself not to get hard when I see Luca .
I won’t get hard.
This obsession needs to die. It needs to fucking walk off a cliff.
I take a deep breath, and then, with a flick of my wrist, I knock and move inside. Luca is sitting on the couch, his thighs spread, his jacket off, and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up his strong tattooed forearms. His lips twitch slightly when he sees my new outfit, but I refuse to acknowledge him, turning to nod at Anthony, who is cradling Tatum in his lap.
Thank fuck they’re not having sex. The number of times I’ve seen them going at it…I’d rather not right now. But Anthony seems to like showing off his man, and Tatum has no qualms about it. So I just let them do what they want. I really have no say in it, anyway. Anthony’s the boss. Even Luca defers to him. Most of the time.
When he’s feeling very self-destructive, he disobeys.
The fights that ensue after are a shitshow.
“Nice of you to join us,” Anthony says as I move to stand near Luca, not wanting to get too close to him but needing to appear as a united front. I used to work solely for Anthony, but after he met Tatum, I’ve been relegated to Luca.
“I was speaking with Teddy,” I reply bluntly.
“Well, Luca was just catching us up on what’s been going on.” Anthony’s gaze flicks from my pants to my face, and my nostrils flare. “Seems I have you to thank for the Andromeda brothers.”
My teeth grind and I clasp my hands behind my back.
“A happy accident, I assure you.”
Luca’s grin is hidden behind his tattooed fingers, rubbing across his mouth. On each knuckle is a letter of his last name, and a large bloody flower on the back of his hand. I’ve always wondered what that was about but refuse to ask.
“Well, whatever makes them happy. They’re the best in the business and notoriously hard to get onto the schedule. But it seems your…incentive is benefiting me in very positive ways. Seems they’re willing to drop plans at a moment’s notice. For you.”
Tatum grins at me and wiggles around on Anthony’s lap, his robe falling open slightly, exposing his thigh to everyone. I turn my gaze away, not wanting Anthony to cut my eyes out for looking too long. Not that he would. He enjoys us watching, but still. No unnecessary ogling.
“Don’t tease Viktor. He’s embarrassed,” Tatum says. “He doesn’t want people to know he gives his panties away to strangers.”
“I’m not embarrassed,” I grumble, but I am. I can’t believe Luca witnessed me giving the brothers my underwear and then told our boss. They should be fucking grateful because, without me, we’d still be working with subpar contractors.
The last one left a limb on scene. Just completely forgot it.
Anthony had to contact his guy in the FBI to make that one disappear.
It was not a good day.
“Of course you’re not,” Luca says and then thankfully diverts the subject. “But back to Sabrina, the girl isn’t hers. So I think either someone is setting us up or this is just an unhappy accident.”
I peer over at Luca, whose lips are twitching.
Asshole.
“And you confirmed she wasn’t one of yours from the club?”
“Yes, I asked Kianna and she assured me that it’s not one of her dancers or the waitstaff. Besides, the place has been shut down for renovations for the past few months now.”
“Fuck,” Anthony says. “And the Fallen Aces? Does this have anything to do with them?”
“Tried calling Kit, but he didn’t answer.”
“Probably fucking around,” Anthony says, leaning forward and pulling out his phone. He dials a number, his free hand sneaking under Tatum’s robe, and I shift on my feet as I wait to see what happens.
“Kit. It’s Anthony. Pick up the fucking phone when Luca calls you.”
He leans back and Tatum turns slightly, his lips trailing up Anthony’s neck in a sensual dance. He loves to do this, tease his man until he breaks.
“He’ll send you the picture. You tell me if she’s one of yours,” Anthony grunts. “And don’t make us fucking wait.” He hangs up the phone, his hand tangling in Tatum’s hair. “Send the picture and let me know what he says.”
Luca leans back, pulling his phone from his pocket, my eyes snagging on the mess on the front of his slacks. My dick perks up and I turn slightly, not wanting him to see the effect he has on me.
Not that he doesn’t already know.
He knows far too much about me.
“He’s going to pass it around with the guys and see.”
Anthony groans and leans back as Tatum straddles him in his chair. The game between them is obviously over.
“Good. Now, unless you want a show, you can leave.”
Luca stretches slightly before pushing himself up and moving past me. I’m left to follow, my eyes resolutely on the back of his head and nowhere else. When we make it out into the hallway, I hear Tatum cry out Anthony’s name, and I curse under my breath.
“Horny fuckers,” Luca chuckles, pulling out a cigarette and waiting for me to light it. But the lighter is in the pocket of the pants I’ve stuffed under the sink.
He arches an eyebrow, and I scowl back at him.
“Light your own fucking cigarette,” I grumble.
Luca pauses a moment before he reaches out, his hand encircling my throat and shoving me back against the wall. His fingers tighten and I gasp, his face lowering to meet mine, his cigarette hanging precariously from between his lips.
“You seem to forget who I am,” he says, squeezing me roughly, making me gasp for air, my cock lengthening even more at how close he is. “I’m your fucking boss and you need to start acting like it. Now be a good little pet and get my fucking lighter.”
He releases me and I sag against the wall, inhaling sharply, hating that my dick imprint is clearly visible in these sweatpants. Especially because that little show of authority only turned me on. Majorly.
But he knows that. He knows what a slut I am.
I push myself away from the wall and stumble toward the bathroom, tucking my dick under my waistband as I go. When I bend down to grab the jeans, Luca leans against the doorjamb, watching me intently. One hand is tucked in his pocket, the other fiddling with that cigarette.
I pull out the electric lighter and hold it toward him.
He hates fire. Don’t know why, but he despises it.
Hence this damn thing I carry around for him.
He inhales deeply as my arm drops to my side and he blows smoke right into my face.
I cough softly and force myself not to shove him backward. He’s right. He’s my boss. I should treat him with more respect.
But fuck, he makes it hard. He pushes all my buttons.
“What are you two boys doing?” a sweet voice says from behind Luca. I glance over his shoulder and see the housekeeper, Agatha, eyeing us. She’s been around since I can remember and I love her more than I ever did my own mother. “Are you two antagonizing each other again?” She places a hand on her hip and stares at us until Luca finally breaks.
“I’d never do that,” Luca replies, turning slightly and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“Hmph, well, you know to treat sweet Viktor well, don’t you?”
Luca glances over his shoulder and his lip curls up. “I treat him very well.”
“So fucking tight, such a good boy.”
“As you should.” She pats him on the shoulder. “Now, come on. I have some cookies in the kitchen.” She turns on her heel, expecting us to follow her.
Luca walks away, leaving me to watch him go, my eyes sliding down to his ass as he moves.
Fuck.
This is becoming quite the problem.