Chapter 26
DAMIAN
One year later
I was sick of waiting. Tired of not having my girl and Bash. The need to consume them was stronger than my desire to kill. It had been seeping into my skin, clawing at my insides, and making my black heart even blacker.
I needed them.
After the night I almost fucked Alex, I got into a fistfight with Luca over it. Bastian jumped in to protect me, even though I didn’t need his help. We all walked away with cuts and bruises. And the next day, we agreed we couldn’t allow a woman to separate us.
So I didn’t see Alex again.
I kept my distance when I went to Providence to check on her. A few times, I caught men sniffing around by her apartment and introduced them to my hunting knife.
Bash was with me this time.
We got a tip that some Russian scumbag was searching for the heirs to the Wellington fortune. So far, only residents had entered or exited her building.
“Time for a break.” Bastian pushed off the brick wall. “I’m starving. Call Marcello and ask him to take over while we eat.”
Marcello assisted with Alex’s surveillance since he opted out of college. He stayed in Devil’s Creek to help our father run Alpha Command, a team of mercenaries who worked for Salvatore Global off the books.
I reached into my pocket and texted Marcello. He responded immediately and said he had eyes on Alex. We had cameras everywhere and read all of her texts, listened to all of her phone calls, and intercepted every email.
It was for her protection.
I killed for her.
I would do anything for her.
Bash patted my back, shoving me down the street toward his car. “Before we leave, I want to see her. Even if it’s only for a minute. I don’t care what we promised Luca.”
I nodded. “Luca’s not here. What he doesn’t know won’t kill him.”
We got into his Porsche and drove to an Italian restaurant in downtown Providence.
I slid into the booth beside Bastian and didn’t bother scanning the menu, knowing what I wanted to eat. Meanwhile, Mr. Indecisive mulled over every item.
I tapped my platinum and onyx ring on the table beside his hand. The black chips formed a serpent that represented the Salvatore crest. Our father had given them to us when we became Knights.
“Just pick something.”
“You pick.” Bastian handed me the menu. “I’m sick of making decisions.”
His grandfather had called while we were spying on Alex. We were having a good day until the old man shared his thoughts about Bash and his life.
Nothing was ever good enough. It didn’t matter that Bash had straight A’s and would make a good CEO of Atlantic Airlines after graduation. Bastian could have turned water into wine, and Fitzy would have said, Is that all you can do?
I placed my hand on top of his. “Don’t worry about that old bastard. He’s only trying to fuck with your head.”
Bastian’s nostrils flared. “I fucking hate him. I wish he would die already and stay the fuck out of my business.”
“He’ll probably live forever just to torture you,” I joked, but he didn’t find it funny.
The waitress arrived with our wine and poured two glasses. She flashed a smile at us, staring as if she were wondering how we would look naked. I was good-looking. People said I could be a model. And it wasn’t like I didn’t own a mirror. But I only wanted one woman, and this girl was not Alex.
Not even close.
So, I slipped my fingers between Bash’s on the table to give her the hint to fuck off. Her eyes lowered to our joined hands. As if she got the message, she set the wine on the table and took a step back.
“What can I get you, gentlemen?”
I handed her the menus. “We’ll both have the eggplant caponata.”
“I’m not in the mood for stew,” Bash complained as she walked away.
“You’re not in the mood for anything. So sit there and be quiet if you’re going to act like a baby.”
He stuck out his tongue, and it reminded me of when we were kids. Whenever Bash didn’t get his way, he would act out.
I tried all day to cheer him up.
Nothing worked.
Bash leaned into my arm and slid his hand onto my thigh. “You know what would make me feel better?”
“My lips wrapped around your cock?”
“Hmmm…” He licked his lips. “Yes, to that later. But I was thinking Alex’s pussy will make this day all better.”
“She’s only ten minutes away. And I know she’s dying to see you. Her brother won’t be home for a few hours. We’ll have her all to ourselves.”
His eyes traced my lips as he licked his. “After we eat, we’re claiming our girl. To hell with Luca.”
* * *
I leaned against the doorframe as Alex opened it, surprise scrolling across her beautiful face.
“Hello, Pet.”
“Damian?” Her gaze flicked from me to Bastian. “Bash?”
Those big blue eyes watered, and I couldn’t tell if she was happy or sad. But then she launched herself into Bash’s arms, clinging to his muscular body.
“Bash.” She kissed his cheek, then his jaw, before looking into his eyes. “Oh. My. God.” Another kiss to his nose. “You’re really here.”
It had been two years since she last saw him. And back then, they barely touched. That was the night she kissed Luca at the bar before we put her drunk ass to bed.
Bastian jerked off to surveillance pictures of her for years. He needed her in his life and hated being separated from her. Sometimes when we fucked around, we role-played and pretended Alex was with us. That it was Alex sucking our cocks.
He palmed the back of her head and held her in his arms. His lips pressed against her forehead as he carried her into the living room.
“I missed you, Cherry.”
I took one last look into the hallway and slid the deadbolt into place.
There were three locks on her door because we couldn’t be too careful with her safety.
If anything were to happen to her, it would have killed Bash and me.
So, I never let Alex out of my sight. Our girl was my number one priority.
“I missed you, too.” She latched onto his neck and sat back to look at him. “The last time Damian was here, he said Luca wouldn’t let you see me.”
Bastian swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “It’s complicated, baby.”
“I hate him.” Her head snapped to me, and she moved her hand from Bash’s chest to my face. “I missed you, Damian.”
I loved hearing her say that.
“Did you miss me?” Alex asked when I didn’t respond.
I smeared the gloss on her pretty pink lips. “I missed these lips.” I leaned in and sniffed her hair. “Missed your scent.”
She gave me a playful smile. “That’s all?”
I moved behind her and grabbed her ass with both hands, covering Bash’s big ones that gripped her tight. “Missed this fat ass.”
Alex giggled. “My ass isn’t fat.”
“Yes. It. Is.” I squeezed her ass again. “I can’t wait to fuck this ass.”
A grin spread across Bash’s lips as our eyes met, and I dipped my head down to suck on her neck, keeping my gaze on him. “And this perfect neck, I want to put a collar on. I missed this, too.”
“Damian,” she moaned, her head rolling to the side and onto Bash’s shoulder. “Mmm…”
“Are you still doubting how much I missed you, Pet?” My hand moved between her and Bash and cupped her pussy over the black yoga pants. “Hmm? Tell me.”
“I want you, Damian.” She lifted her head from Bash’s shoulder, lips parted. “You, too, Bash.”
We hadn’t tag-teamed her since high school. Excitement rushed through me.
I waited patiently to get both of them in the same room again. Because of Luca and his stupid fucking rules, we’d been denying ourselves pleasure.
“Bedroom,” I told Bash.
He carried her down the hallway, with her chin on his shoulder and those big, blue eyes watching me. My God, I missed her. And I never missed anyone. Alex and Bash were my exceptions.
They were mine.
Bastian lowered Alex to the mattress in her bedroom. He stood above her, waiting for me to join him. We stripped off our suit jackets and threw them onto the bed.
“Fuck Luca,” he whispered to me.
I nodded. “Fuck ‘em.”
Alex’s plump lips curled up into a smile. “I’ve dreamed about this for years.” She leaned back on her palms, legs spread wide for us. “It’s going to hurt, isn’t it?”
Bash put one knee on the bed beside her, running his fingers up and down her inner thigh. “The first time will, yeah. But we’ll take good care of your pussy.”
I got on the other side of her, clutching her thigh with possession. My heart pounded, the blood humming in my veins as every inch of my skin set on fire. “Pain feels good, Pet. You’ll see.”
My monster wanted to play.
And he wanted blood.
Her blood.
A cell phone rang.
“What now?” Bash reached into his pocket with a groan, holding the phone up to his ear. “This better be good, Marcello.” A beat passed, and his jaw clenched. “Fuck, okay. Yeah, we’re with her.” He nods. “Uh-huh. Yep. Got it.”
Bastian pocketed the phone and lifted Alex from the bed, his eyes on me. “Incoming.”
I knew what he meant.
She shot him a quizzical look. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Cherry.” He tipped his head toward the window, and I heard someone outside trying to get into her bedroom. “Make it clean.”
I didn’t want to be clean.
I wanted to make a mess.
After he exited the room with Alex, I shut the door and locked it. Then I shoved the curtains to the side and opened the window, startling the asshole trying to break into the apartment.
We were expecting him all night. Of course, he waited until we were about to fuck Alex to show up.
I grabbed the Russian piece of shit by the collar of his shirt and hauled him through the window, throwing him onto the floor. He dressed in a black suit that matched his hair, which flopped onto his tanned forehead.
I didn’t recognize him.
But I knew he was Bratva.
Russian scum.
Kneeling on the floor, I wrapped my hands around his neck, wanting desperately to take out my hunting knife and slash his throat. The thought of blood splashing across my face thrilled me.
But I couldn’t make a mess.
So boring.
Seeing what I did to the men who tried to hurt Alex would have traumatized her. The blood alone would haunt her dreams.
“You ruined my night, you piece of shit.” I curled my fingers tighter around his neck and squeezed, pinning him down with my legs when he tried to get out of my grasp. “We were so close.”
I shake my head, digging my knee into his chest.
“And you had to fuck it all up.”
The Russian Mafia wanted to kidnap Alex as leverage to find Bastian’s cousin. Grace Hale was Fitzy’s only granddaughter and the heir to the Adams fortune. Her father was the leader of the terrorist organization that killed our parents.
The Devil’s Knights and The Founders Society had been keeping Grace safe since she was a child.
Bastian had done a lot to protect the girl he had only met once.
Before she became Grace Hale, she was Katarina Adams Romanov.
Her name change was essential, but recently, The Lucaya Group discovered we had her.
And ever since, criminals had been coming for us.
Now that they knew about Alex, we had to get her out of here. No more easy college student life. She was going to have to pack tonight.
After the life drained from the man’s eyes, I released my hold on his throat and rose from the floor. I found Alex in the living room on top of Bash. He cradled the back of her head and stroked his fingers through her hair.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he said, then kissed her lips. “You’re mine, Cherry. And I protect what’s mine.”
He did.
Bash had protected me from myself and the world for years.
“Where’s your brother?” I asked Alex.
“At a friend’s house. Why?”
“Because he needs to come home and pack his shit. You’re both moving out of this apartment tonight.”
“W-What?” Alex croaked. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone, sending a text to Marcello. He responded instantly, telling me he would arrive in Providence with a security detail for Alex within the hour.
One perk of our father owning a private security firm was the speed with which we could respond to threats. Marcello was taking a short helicopter ride from Devil’s Creek and would be there with Alex before we left.