Twelve
Draven
I t’s been far too long since I’ve gone to one of my parties and it is beginning to show in my patience. None of those women have any of my attention. I couldn’t care less how they look when they come, but the sight of Sully doing it at the dinner table has been the star of my orgasms since that night. The amount of self-restraint I had to find inside of me was insane, because as that soaking little cunt flexed around my finger, I nearly stood up right there and bent her over the table.
I didn’t care who was watching.
In fact, I wanted the men sitting around there to witness it and know it was me who made her feel that way, but then my damn brother ruined it with the proposal no one fucking wanted. Well, she didn’t, he didn’t, and I didn’t, and I personally think we should matter more than the older dickheads that were sitting around watching our suffering. I slipped away before she could look at me again, and then found myself stalking her quarters and waiting for her on her balcony.
She has me fucked up, and I don’t have a clue what to do about it.
Never in my life have I laid with a chick and rubbed her back until she was drooling on the pillow, but here we are, and now I’m a simp. I think the worst part is I actually enjoyed it, and every night since then, I’ve had to fight the urge to sneak into her bed and rub her soft back some more.
Even now, I find myself walking through her area of the house hoping to run into her, and only three months ago I could’ve counted on one hand how often I strolled around here. Instead, all I hear is the help gossiping about her unfortunate situation. I get along with most of the workers here, and Lina and Eve aren’t any different — yet when I hear them talking about Sullivan’s negative pregnancy tests, I feel my fists clench at my sides. Still, as much as I want to be her knight in shining armor here, I’m far too curious to get an update on her so I stick to the shadows and listen.
“It’s ridiculous he’s making her take one every single morning,” Eve whispers. “I feel bad for her.”
She wouldn’t want your pity. She’d want to punch you for it.
“Me too,” Lina whispers. “It’s been almost two months already and they’ve all been negative. All of them.”
“She’s losing weight, did you notice? The stress is going to kill her before she ever gets knocked up.”
I make a mental note to go to her room later with some food, but for now, I stay put. I wouldn’t know what to say anyway. ‘Hey, Sullivan. I brought you some food, but if you’re game, I have something else we can put in your belly.’
Yeah, I’ll take that thought to my grave.
“The stress isn’t going to help her get pregnant, either.”
Eve’s voice lowers even more, making me want to yell at her to speak up as I strain my damn neck. “I don’t know, I don’t think they’re actually fucking. I’ve seen her leave his room.”
“Well, we’re about to find out. Provost Creed is having Madeline take her to get fertility tests done in a few days. I don’t think she knows yet.”
Fucking prick.
If her results come back fine and his do too, Father is going to know they aren’t fucking. Who knows what he’ll do then, but my dumb thought about offering to put my baby inside of her sounds more tempting now.
“I hope I’m not the one that has to tell her. It’s hard not to want to help her run away, but I know what would happen to me if I did.”
He’d sick the bastard on you, and the bastard would say woof .
“There wouldn’t be anywhere in the world she could hide. Maybe the Provost will just... let her go?”
I can’t see whatever look they give each other, but when they both sigh, I get the feeling they fear for her life.
That makes me angrier than anything, and it takes a second to realize I’m angry at the thought of her being hurt in any way. Comical coming from the man who killed her fiancé, took advantage of her for a blowjob — albeit his favorite blowjob, if that counts for anything — and then stole her away to this life. But somehow, I know I’d intervene if given the opportunity. I don’t ask myself why, I can’t.
“Hopefully she gets pregnant soon. I saw Morella near Alexander’s room an hour ago, do you think Sully knows about her?”
“Alexander had to tell her, I’m sure of it. How else could just justify never touching her?”
“I don’t know. He’s stronger than me,” she teases. “Girl is gorgeous.”
Damn right she is, but she’s mine. Or wait, she’s my brother’s. Fuck.
I guess she isn’t anybody’s.
“She is.” Lina’s voice drops. “I can’t believe Alexander still lets Morella come to his room, though. That’s so insulting to Sully, isn’t it? Like it’s one thing to ignore your future wife and have an affair, but it’s another thing entirely to flaunt it in her face when your dad is putting her through hell every day.”
“I know. I didn’t expect it from him at all. Sounds like more of a Draven thing to do.”
I have to fight back the laugh that almost spills out of me. I hear her, I can see why she’d think that. But she’s wrong. The thing about being raised to believe none of this life of luxury really belongs to you is that you hold onto what is yours with all of your might. If that girl was mine, the whole damn city would know it.
“Do you think they’re fucking?” she asks so quietly, I have to lean closer. “I had to go into her room the other night to bring her more sleeping pills, and she was already asleep by the time I got up there. I heard her whispering ‘Draven, please’ over and over again in her sleep. I couldn’t tell if it was a sex dream or if she was begging him not to kill her.”
“He would be the one, you know. If the Provost decides the cleanest way out of this is to kill her. He’ll make Draven do it.”
I want to hear more about that dream, but just knowing I’m wreaking havoc on her peace makes me smile. Guess I’m still an asshole.
It fades quickly though, because the reminder that I’m my father’s enforcer fucking sucks. I don’t want to kill her, I want to fuck her.
“I don’t think they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried, but I’ve seen the way they look at each other when they don’t think anyone is watching. You could cut that tension with a knife. I’d be rooting for them to fuck if I didn’t know the trouble it would cause.”
“Honestly? The kid would have Creed blood. It might be the thing that saves her life if they can keep quiet about it. God knows Alexander isn’t lifting a finger to keep her safe.”
She’s not wrong. At least I’m not going insane for thinking this is a good idea, and I take her opinion as a green light. It also fixed how annoyed I was at them, so I force my feet to move away and stop eavesdropping before I get caught.
Too late.
Miss Maddy is shaking her head at me with a soft smile, but I pretend like I wasn’t doing anything wrong and stroll away.
Their conversation has me seeking out my brother instead of the woman I crave, and when I find him in his room with Morella, my eyes nearly roll out of their sockets. He’s lucky Father is out of town for the evening, but he’s also an idiot. The more people who know, the more at risk they are, and if the wrong person finds out it’s curtains on his sweet little flower girl. Father won’t care they lost their virginity to each other in the very gardens they stroll through, he’ll cast her aside and he’ll make me fucking do it.
Alex would never speak to me again.
I count my blessings at the fact that they’re both decent, but the way they’re cuddling as I let myself in leaves little to the imagination. God, they’re dense. “Oh, pardon me. Am I interrupting?”
Alex sits up quickly like putting an extra three inches of space between them will distract me from the fact that she’s in his bed. “Do you ever fucking knock?”
“Why would I?” I ask innocently, moving over to plop on the edge of the bed and wave my fingers at her in greeting. The same fingers that have been inside his fiancé. “Hey there, Morella. What brings you indoors on this fine day?”
“Cut the shit, Draven. You know,” she mumbles.
“Course I do. I know everything.” I lean back on my hands and shake my head at them. “And what exactly do you know about Alex’s situation?”
She shrugs, leaning closer to him. “He’s engaged to Sullivan, but it doesn’t mean anything. She’s just a trophy wife.”
Normally, I know Morella to be almost sickeningly sweet, optimistic, and empathetic. Hearing her talk like this... the jealousy must run deep.
She should be, because even though she’s attractive, she doesn’t hold a candle to my — to Sully. “A trophy wife who needs to get pregnant.” Her tone annoys me enough that I don’t pull my punches. “And soon.”
“She won’t,” Alex says softly. “I can’t do it. Father will have to understand that.”
“When did you get so na?ve? Father will have to understand that? Sorry, bro. You gave him your nuts in a mason jar and haven’t tried to take them back once. Why didn’t you say no?” I ask. “Why not stand up to him before we dragged this girl here to be your pawn?”
“And say what, exactly?” he counters. “I couldn’t tell him the truth, she’d have been killed.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe... fuck you? Works for me most of the time. Yeah, I do what I’m paid to do, I’m loyal to my family. But I’m not his bitch.”
Alex scoffs, pushing his dark hair out of his face. “Why do you care so much, anyway? What does any of this have to do with you?”
That’s the best question he’s asked all night, and I can’t think of anything but the fact that I want her for myself. So I deflect. “You know he’s making her take pregnancy tests every morning?”
His brows furrow. “Sullivan told me, yeah.”
So he just doesn’t give a fuck about what that would do to a woman? Good to know. Now I won’t feel bad when I claim her behind his back and do the job his bitch ass can’t do. “So what happens when you try, hmm? Is it just a wet noodle down there or...?”
“No. We don’t try. I haven’t touched her. I don’t think we’ve made physical contact at all since I put the ring on her finger.”
I’d think he’d just exaggerating for Morella’s sake, but I can see it in his eyes.
He needs the love of his life to know that he’s been loyal, because regardless of her flexing about Sully being a trophy wife, she’s scared of her. “So why not a threesome then?”
I’d probably light the whole house on fire if I heard they were actually trying that, but I have to know if they’ve considered it.
“It’s not about the sex,” Morella says softly. “Not really. I know his heart belongs to me. But she won’t carry his child. Neither one of us will allow it. And without that purpose, why fuck her at all?”
“Because she’s the most fuckable woman to ever walk these grounds.” Duh. Fucking prudes. “Do you plan on carrying his child one day?”
Because I have a story she might need to hear.
“No, and that’s the point. If I can’t, she can’t,” she says firmly. “One day, Alex will be in charge and none of this will matter. If Ephraim dies while I’m still young enough to have kids, that’ll be a different story.”
What a basket to put your eggs in. “Men like Father live to see a hundred. It’s our curse to bare as much as theirs.” I turn back to my brother and sigh. “He’s sending her for fertility testing. My guess is you’re next.”
His face pales, but he shows no other outward signs of caring. “Maybe something will come up with the tests, then. Something we can use to get out of this. Honestly, I can’t believe Father didn’t make her prove she was fertile before letting her come here at all.”
“He wasn’t thinking about it. He probably thought you’d breed her night one and this wouldn’t be a concern, but here we are.” I stand, slowly making my way to the door. “I get it, you two are in love, but maybe try and be a little more secretive. This right here is just disrespectful.”
And that’s coming from me.
“Your father is out of town and everyone else already knows,” Morella argues. “Who exactly are we being disrespectful to? The whore from St. Andrew’s?”
I spin back with an annoyance I’m not really entitled to, but I let her feel it anyway. “I’m the one who will be sent to get rid of you, Morella. Me. And guess who I’ve been tasked with to ensure stays happy and doesn’t try to leave?” It’s a lie, but fuck her. “Yeah. The pretty little whore from St. Andrew’s. Maybe stay on her good side.”
“If it’s your job to take care of her, then take care of her,” Morella snaps. “ You fuck her.”
“Gladly,” I respond with a laugh. “You think I’d hesitate to put a baby in that woman?”
Alex’s brain shorts out, it’s written all over his stupid face. But where I expect him to tell me no, he surprises me. “You’re a Creed. You’d do it? Even knowing she’ll be married to me and you won’t ever be able to claim your own child?”
Oh, I’d do it. But the second part to his question has me pausing. Could I live without claiming my own kid? It sounds like a problem for later me, because right now, I can’t focus on it. My dumb floppy-dicked brother is giving me the green light to fuck his fiancé. “Brother, I’d rock her world so good she wouldn’t give a flying fuck about you two horribly sneaking around.”
“You didn’t answer either of my questions,” he reminds me. “Can you keep it to just the sex? She’ll be married to me. You’ll have to accept it. Your son or daughter, or plural if it continues, will be my kids. You’ll have to keep up appearances at your parties, but you’ll need to wear condoms with absolutely everyone else. Can you handle all that?”
Him telling me what to do isn’t going to fly, but I’ll play my damn part for now. “If this is the road we take, I will be close to those kids, Alex. I’ll stay in my lane, but you won’t keep them from knowing their favorite uncle. And I already use condoms with everyone else.”
Morella and Alex have some silent conversation, then Alex nods, exhaling deeply. “Okay. Yes. Do it.”
“How do you know she’ll say yes?”
Sweet summer child. Morella really is an idiot. “Leave that part to me.” I won’t rape her, that’s not me, but I know the attraction we have for each other so I leave there without giving him another opportunity to bring up the fact that they’ll still be married. Him asking me to step aside and allow him to be her husband isn’t going to cut it in the long run, especially when he’s sneaking around with his side girl like he can have his cake and eat it too, but again, that’s a later me problem. We’ll figure this shit out eventually.