Chapter 21
Bella
At dawn, my eyes ping open.
There’s a chill in the air, and I’m grateful for the big black blanket I have covering me. All the white candles in the fireplace are out, burned down.
Raine’s on the floor, still snuggling with the bear’s head. Honey’s asleep in the big armchair. I took the couch, and the springs weren’t so great on my back. No wonder I’m awake.
Then again, no matter how late I fall asleep, I tend to wake up early. I love the quiet hours before the sun rises.
I get up and wrap myself in the blanket, which turns out to be a robe of some sort.
I put it on and sneak out of the drawing room, tiptoeing over the creaky floorboards and down the hall toward the grand staircase in the front of the house.
I find a window and look out over the fields.
This early, with the light glinting on the dew on the long grasses, reminds me of mornings at our family farm.
My mother liked to stay up late reading or painting, and then sleep in.
My father and I liked to rise early. “You keep farmer’s hours,” Mom always said.
Those were the happy days before we lost her.
I sink my hands into the big black robe that Raine found last night.
It’s actually an executioner’s hood.
I feel something in my pocket. She must have put the bottle of Aqua Tofana in there before she took it off.
I hold it up to the light.
Fun fact: Belladonna is almost tasteless. Even slightly sweet. You can poison someone slowly, and they’d never know it. Like the unsuspecting husbands who lived in Rome during the Italian Renaissance.
I know exactly what I’m going to do with Kaiser. I won’t kill him—no, that’d be too easy.
He thinks that might makes right. Those are his rules. Supervillain Rule #2: It’s easy to beat an opponent who plays by the rules. He’s confident in his height and his weight and his physical strength, but physical strength is only part of it.
He thinks that he can overpower me, but there are many forms of power.
Even when you are smaller, you can still win.
I’m going to seduce him. All the dressing up last night gave me an idea. The best offense is a good disguise. I’ve been pretending to be a good girl, and it’s working. He’s opening up. I’m going to turn it up to eleven. He thinks he’s training me, but I’ll be training him.
He’ll think he’s in control, but I’ll make him obsessed with me. I want him to lose his mind. Once he’s feral for me, I’ll have the upper hand. He will be in my thrall and do anything for me.
I will make Fraternitas regret this marriage.
But by then, it’ll be too late. They’ll have lost Kaiser’s loyalty.
I’ll be his poison. He will be addicted to me.
After brunch with my friends, I head to the spot where Kaiser told me he’d be waiting to pick me up. There’s no sign of his Jeep, but there’s a matte black Lykan parked in Kaiser’s usual spot. I’m admiring the car when the driver gets out and faces me.
He’s a big blond guy who looks exactly like Kaiser, except he isn’t.
“Hello, Bella. I’m Jaeger. Kaiser sent me to pick you up.”
“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers or get in the car with them.”
“I’m not a stranger. I’m going to be your brother-in-law.”
He holds up his phone and plays me a video of Kaiser telling me that this is his brother, Jaeger, and I’m to obey him as I would Kaiser. The video ends with the two of them side by side, glowering at the camera.
“I guess you pass the test.” He is an identical twin. They even have a few matching tattoos, although I can spot differences. “What’s your name again? Bagel?”
“Jaeger.”
He opens the passenger door for me, and I slide into the seat, feeling grouchy that Kaiser didn’t bother to pick me up himself so I could start on my nefarious plan. And then I’m grouchy that I’m grouchy. I should be relieved that I don’t have to see him so soon.
Now I’m grouchy that I’m grouchy about being grouchy. I can’t help my emotions. Raine and I were just talking about this. I need to chillax. I have a plan. I just need to focus.
Jaeger puts the car in gear and pulls away from the curb. If I don’t look directly at him, I can imagine it’s Kaiser in the car. But there are a few uncanny differences.
“Where’s Kaiser anyway?”
“On a job.”
“For Fraternitas?” No answer.
“Is he murdering anyone?”
Jaeger grins. “He told me you’d ask me that.”
He smiles too much. Kaiser doesn’t smile that much, so when he does, it’s earned. This guy is a clown compared to him. I don’t like it.
But I should use this time wisely. I want to ask him about his elita, but I got that intel from Honey, and I’ll need a legitimate way to have that information to protect her as a source. “Do you live around here?”
“New Rome.”
“With Kaiser?”
“In the same building.”
“Anything you can tell me about Kaiser? His likes, dislikes? Preferences?”
“Kaiser doesn’t like anyone or anything.”
That’s not true. But I don’t say that. “Good talk.”
Another grin. “He was assigned to guard you in the spring. He was told there would be a reward for keeping you alive.”
“What reward?”
“You.”
“Whoever took the job got to have me?” I don’t know if I’m flattered or incensed. Flat-censed.
Jaeger shrugs. “If they wanted you. And Kaiser wanted you. He chose you.”
All of a sudden, I’m not grouchy anymore. “Really?” He nods.
Kaiser wanted me? He chose me? It feels too huge to contemplate.
Jaeger says Kaiser doesn’t like anyone, but he does like me. I know it. He lets me sleep on top of him and everything.
What would it be like to really be his? To have him care about me more than anything else? I can’t allow myself to even imagine it.
In the end, it doesn’t change anything. He’s still the enemy. Him choosing me doesn’t mean anything more than that I fit a set of his preferences. I should be happy. If I’m his type, it’ll be that much easier to trick him.
But I don’t feel happy. I’m quiet the whole ride, ignoring Jaeger’s unsettling smile.
When we get home, I make myself scarce. I have a lot of work to do to enact my plan, and I need to take advantage of the fact that Kaiser isn’t here to discover what I’m doing.
My greenhouse has a sink and a small lab.
With Gianni Schicchi blasting on the surround sound, I pull out the extra packet of fertilizer the bottling company sent me and get to work.
Night has fallen when Jaeger finds me.
“I’m going to leave now, so you need to come inside the house.” I could argue that the greenhouse is attached and therefore part of the house, but he’s glaring at the glass walls as if he doesn’t trust them. “There’s a guard watching the house. Kaiser will be here before midnight.”
I frown. “Why so late?”
“He’s hurt.”
“Hurt? Who hurt him?”
Jaeger raises a brow. “You care?”
“Of course I care. He’s going to be my husband.” I’m the only one allowed to hurt him.
“You want to know his weaknesses.” He gives me a suspicious look, and I suppress a smile.
“I want to help him. Isn’t that what a good wife is supposed to do?”
Jaeger isn’t buying it. “Go upstairs and get ready for bed. I’m locking down the house.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” I salute him and turn away to hide my smirk. I might regret hurting Kaiser, but I can’t wait to deal Fraternitas a death blow.
This is going to be fun.
Kaiser
When I get home, I can tell that something has shifted. My senses tingle, alerting me as soon as I open the bedroom door. I pay attention to my instincts. Time after time, they’ve kept me alive. Right now, they tell me I’m walking into danger.
And there she is, my little bride.
Kneeling on the bed.
“Hello, husband,” she says in a throaty voice. “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
Candles are burning all around the room, releasing a thick, musky scent. I can feel them dulling my senses as soon as I breathe in the smoky air.
In the candlelight, Bella glows.
It’s a trap, and she’s the bait.
But what lovely bait she is.
“You dressed up for me.” She’s in a gold bra and the tiniest pair of shorts I’ve ever seen.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.” I get close to examine her. She’s done something to her face to highlight her eyes. I heard the audio recording of the sleepover, so I know she and her friends did their makeup, but I didn’t know what it looked like.
She looks like an Egyptian queen, with dark paint around her eyes, and there’s a sprinkle of glitter on her cheeks, like a spattering of gold stars. Her skin seems to shimmer, but maybe that’s a trick of the light.
She’s put her hair into ponytails. Sexy little fuck toy.
No, not fuck toy. Future wife.
She bites her lip, looking up at me. “I heard you got hurt.”
I have a shallow slice over my ribs. I can’t even feel it, but St. James insisted I get it flushed out and bandaged properly.
“Who told you that?”
“Jaeger.”
I feel an insane surge of jealousy. There’s no reason for me to want to feel rage toward my brother for being with her all afternoon. I was the one who asked him to guard her. But my emotions surge so hot, I feel dizzy.
“I’m fine.” I put one knee on the bed, getting closer to her. Her eyes roam over me greedily, then focus on my sleeve.
“You’re bleeding.”
There’s a red smear on my right bicep. “It’s not my blood.” She sucks in a breath, and her eyes go black.
Her scent fills the air. Lemon sugar with a musky edge.
I strip off my shirt and use it to wipe the blood off. Now she’s panting. Is she afraid or turned on?
I put my hand around her neck, turning her head this way and that. Her pulse flutters against my palm. “Are you my prize?”
“Do you want me to be?”
“Yes.” I release her throat and take hold of a ponytail, drawing her head back.
“Then yes.”
I drag her head to the side and fasten my mouth on her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a red mark.
She gasps. “Kaiser!”
She tastes amazing. A little salty, a lot sweet. I swirl my tongue over her skin, licking and sucking. I want to open my mouth and swallow her whole. “I want to destroy you and put you back together again.”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“You waited on your knees for me.”
“Yes.”
“You want me. You want this.”
“Yes.”
“Be careful what you wish for.” I tear her bra to shreds and drag my mouth over her perfect little breasts. I can’t get enough of her taste.
I pull her down onto the bed, my mouth still fastened to her nipples. Her flavor is like a drug. It’s woodsy and wild, Earth and salt with an edge of lemon tartness. I want to devour her. I set my teeth on her nipple, biting her a little. She jumps, and I hold her down.
“No escape.”
Her breath comes faster. I bite her again, and she whimpers.
“Too much?”
“Give it to me. I can take it.”
“You’re wrong, little one. But I’m not a good man. I’ve got you now, and there’s no escape.”
I flip her over and lick up the back of her spine, planting kisses on her delicate shoulder blades. She loves it when I suck on the back of her neck. She turns to liquid.
I pull her up against me and half in my lap so I can reach around and cup her sex.
I slide my palm against her wet folds. Rub her lightly until she’s used to my touch, then apply more pressure.
Slowly. Minute by minute, until I’m scrubbing her clit and she’s grinding against me.
I angle her hips to rub the side of her clit against the ridge of my calloused palm.
I could stay like this, right here, my teeth nipping her shoulder, my dick rubbing against her until the pleasure overwhelms the pain.
I could have my fingers in her and make her come and be satisfied.
But my mouth waters. I need to taste her again.
She is my reward.
She’s what I fought for.
My prize.
I lay her out like a buffet before me and tie her down so she’s spread-eagled, with enough give in the ropes for me to move her around. For the final touch, I grab the gag and buckle it around her head.
She stares up at me, fear and lust mixing in her eyes. I have her right where I want her.
I start with her feet, licking between the toes until she’s squirming. Ticklish.
I lick the bottoms of her feet. She’s all sweet and clean for me.
I kiss her ankles and lick a line from her ankle bone to her knee. I spend a long time kissing behind her knees before licking up her legs to where her pussy weeps for me.
I lay down, my face in her sex. Finally, I’m home. I’m going to live here for a long time.
My dick presses into the bed, and I roll my hips, rubbing myself against it as I lick her.
Her first orgasm comes quickly as she squirts on my tongue.
“Again.” I thrust my fingers inside her, feeling her muscles clamp down.
I tend to her pussy for a long time. Until she’s screaming. Until she shakes her head, whimpering behind the gag.
Tears run down her face. She doesn’t want another orgasm.
“I know,” I croon. “I know.” I’m so cruel to her. I rise over her, leaning down to taste her tears. They’re so sweet and delicious. I lick her face and rub against her jaw, always making sure to avoid her lips and feeling the kick of disappointment when I remember she doesn’t want me to kiss her.
“Do you want a break?”
She nods, black tracks of mascara mixing with the tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her makeup is destroyed, and I love the sight. I love knowing I wrecked her. It makes me feral.
I untie her and rub her little wrists and ankles, then I drag her up by her hair. “Up on your knees, little one. That’s it.” I stand by the bed, while she kneels on it in front of me. I’ve positioned her at the perfect height for what comes next.
I haven’t allowed her to touch me yet. But it’s all I can think about lately.
I’ve always sheathed up with my partners. My skin didn’t feel much sensation, anyway.
But I don’t want anything between me and her. It’s the first time I’ve wanted anything like that, and I’m shaking with the need to feel her.
But I still need to be in control.
“Hands behind your back. Do you want to learn to please me?” She nods again. Only then do I unbuckle the gag.
“Good girl.” I rub away the marks around her little mouth. “Do exactly what I say. I’m going to help you make it good for me.”