PHOENIX
Two weeks.
It’s been two long ass torturous weeks since the Devil last graced my vision—or my body. I haven’t seen him anywhere. Not in plain sight or dark narrow corridors. I never thought I’d miss being held captive, yet here I am all alone with my thoughts, second guessing if it even fucking happened.
Maybe that’s what he wanted. To use and abuse me before leaving me high and dry. Desperate for more of him. I’ve thought about bringing his name up in conversation, but the thought of asking Flick scares the hell out of me. If I do, that girl is going to try and hose me down with Holy fucking water.
Even I know that won’t help me now. I’m way past being saved. My soul was destroyed years ago, but the less Flick knows about that period of my life, the better.
I’ll admit that sometimes I just lay awake at night reminding myself of my first night. The smell of cedar on his skin, his hot wet kisses, and the expert movement of his fingers. Sometimes it’s enough for me to finish myself off, but most of the time I can’t bring myself to feel the same pleasure he evoked within me.
What if I did imagine it. What if my previous trauma from years past has finally caught up with me and now, I’m imagining things that didn’t even happen? My starved mind dreaming up crazy shit just for shits and giggles. To me that sounds like the most plausible explanation, however the idea is quickly shut down every time I move throughout the castle because Dane’s name falls from most people’s lips at every possible opportunity—telling me otherwise.
Dane Savage is exactly that. Fucking Savage.
From what I’ve heard here and there when the hushed whispers have become too loud, he’s notorious at Stonebrooke. Alongside his two brothers; Caleb and Cameron. Two who I’ve yet to meet—or maybe avoid.
Flick’s description of them and her endless horror stories does nothing to paint them in a good light, and that should keep me at bay. Truthfully, her stories shouldn’t shock me—not after experiencing some alone time with Dane. If anything, it’s made me curious about his brothers. Are they the same as him. More subdued, or maybe more fucked up.
“Oh shit…”
I jump at the sound of Flick’s voice, panic lacing her tone before her eyes drop down to focus on her plate. Her lunch became interesting all of a sudden.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, not sure if I want to know the answer.
“Keep your head down, and whatever you do… don’t make eye contact.” Her voice is barely a whisper and I just about make out what she’s trying to tell me, her face growing pale. Personally, I made a conscious decision a while ago that I’d refuse to take orders from anyone ever again, so of course my eyes dart around the Great Hall, roaming freely as I scan the many faces around me. Yes, my reaction is set to automatic self-destruct and I’m not going to apologize for it.
The more painful my experiences—the better. That way I know I’m living my life, and it’s not being lived for me. Fucked up, but valid.
My heart stops, flatlining before my lungs collapse as a pair of familiar green eyes stare me down, narrowing in disgust as he tries to get some kind of read on me. I feel naked, completely exposed as his eyes continue to search the darkest depths of my empty soul.
It’s not possible. He can’t fucking be here. The voice in my mind is screaming, telling me it’s not him, but my heart… my wild and uncontrollable heart beats frantically in my chest, and my blood runs cold. My palms grow cold and clammy as he drinks me in, sizing me up like I’m his prey. I should look away but I can’t.
The man of my inescapable nightmares is standing before me and there’s not a goddamn thing I can do about it.
“Will you stop staring.” Flick pleads with me.
“Who is that?” I stammer, my words barely audible, but I know she hears me.
“Phoenix, please. I told you to keep your head down for a reason.” The alarm and distress in her voice matches my own, but no matter how hard I try I still can’t take my eyes off him. The monstrous ghost of my past.
“Fine. You’re only gonna make this worse for yourself. That’s Caleb Savage. Someone you don’t want on your back.”
Her warning should snap me out of my trance, but this is obviously where mine and Flick’s opinions differ. I don’t get a chance to say anything else when two guys appear behind him, flanking Caleb on either side. One brown eyed blond, and the other I’d recognize anywhere, my body tingling at the memory.
Another ringmaster of my nightmares. Just like he promised he would be the first time I met him. My demon in disguise is back, hopefully willing to torture me some more, and my fucked-up soul squeals with excitement at the thought.
“Shit, Phoenix. What is wrong with you? Do you have some kind of death wish you forgot to tell me about?” I turn and see her eyes are still downcast, refusing to look at anything other than her uneaten food. “Do you want them to come over here?”
That’s the plan. Something warns me against telling her that that’s what I want. What I need. That I’ve been desperate to get a glimpse of Dane again and now I have, I need him to acknowledge me. I also quickly realize that I need to learn more about Caleb. As I continue to stare him down, I see he’s not who I thought he was, the striking resemblance has me on edge. He looks so much like someone I used to know. My feelings right now, right in this moment are too fucked up to put into words.
“Those are the Savage Brothers.” She whispers into my ear, hoping that now I know I’ll take my eyes off them.
“Brothers?” Fuck me. No wonder they all have that same brooding expression. Deadly, lethal and hypnotizing all rolled into one. I swallow hard as a twisted thought enters my mind, creeping in. Totally consuming me as a wild and feral need wreaks havoc with my body. I can’t even hate myself for thinking it, but my body is responding to the thought of being claimed by all three of them.
What the hell has happened to me?
“Yeah, brothers. Trust me, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of any of them. The two on either side are brothers by blood. Caleb, he’s their stepbrother thanks to a marriage of convenience.
Well, if their dad is as hot as these two then I bet Caleb’s mom isn’t complaining—or the other way around.
“They look so… feral and dangerous.” I admit out loud before I can stop myself, earning me a wide-eyed glare from Flick.
“That’s because they are.” She whispers back. “They’re all ruthless, but it’s Dane you need to watch out for. That guy is a deranged psycho. He’ll eat you up and spit you straight back out again.”
Don’t I fucking know it. A small smile creeps onto my face as the memory of just how feral he can be comes rushing to the forefront of my mind. Flick has no idea that he’s already made his mark. He claimed me the first night I arrived and I enjoyed every sinful second of his sweet torture. A sweet torture my body has been crying out for ever since.
“Look, if you want my advice I’d avoid them like the plague. When they come for you, which they will, you better make sure you run in the opposite direction. Run far and wide so they can’t sniff you out, because if they do there will be no coming back from it.”
Flick makes it sound so easy. I’d probably believe her if I hadn’t already experienced a couple of encounters with Dane. I already know he isn’t going to be easy to run away from. “They’re trouble. All three of them. They’ll break you for fun. Destroy every part of you just to pass the time before tossing you aside when they’ve found someone else to play with.”
I know she’s telling me the truth. I also know she’s looking out for me and trying to be a good friend. Flick wants to look out for me but it’s too late. The damage has already been done. Irreparable damage and no matter how hard I try; I can’t stop looking at the devastating Savage Brothers. All three fucking demons.
Silence fills the Great Hall and all eyes fall on me, attention I never needed crashing into me in waves when Caleb makes his move, striding toward me with murder dancing in his emerald eyes.
“Now you’ve gone and done it.” Flick seethes beside me.