14. Talon
TALON
I grabbed a deck of cards from the bar. This was our little den of freedom, or more like one spot where we could not give two shits about anyone else. It was also where we spent countless hours perfecting our own hustles to make sure we always came out on top.
I pulled out the chairs at a small round table. We could easily make her play pool or poker. Hell, we could pull out the PlayStation and make her fight or race us. But she wanted cards.
“Alright, princess. Sit your sexy ass down and let’s play.”
There was something hidden under her pretty little exterior and it needed to come out.
“Anyone ever tell you you look scary?” I asked as she leaned over the table and held out her hand. I said this while staring down her dress. Maybe not that scary.
“What? You want the cards, princess? Then come and get them.” I held them up and away from her, knowing she couldn’t reach even if she tried. I pushed away from the table and let my over six foot self tower over her.
Her heels were a loud storm of determination. I braced myself for the way she jumped at me, not even getting close.
“Angel, do you even know what to do with the cards if you could get them?” Knox sat down, leaned back, and enjoyed the show from his chair.
“You could help, grumpy demon. You’re taller than him,” she said.
I expected him to get pissed about the grumpy demon comment, but he seemed to be enjoying this shit.
“Anyone else think this is a far better game? I could watch our pretty girl jump all night long. Can’t say that dress is going to hold on though,” Jett said.
She stopped at Jett’s last sentence and yanked at the top of the dress, pulling it up an inch.
“Aww, baby, that’s not what I wanted to happen.” Margaux flipped off Jett, and I swear to god that guy just fell in love.
Shit.
The thing was, I’d been too busy watching Jett to notice when she grabbed my face, yanked me down to her mouth, and kissed me while grabbing the cards right out of my hand.
By the time she’d let me go, I was just as starstruck as my damn lovestruck brother.
“Fucking hell. Is that a point? Did she just win round one?” Jett asked.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her against the length of my body. The way her curves fit against me, I wasn’t going to hide what she was doing to me for too long.
“Princess, that’s called cheating,” I said.
This was the real Margaux coming out. Her little prim and proper mask had fallen in the car and I sure as hell hoped it didn’t come back.
“Is it? I thought it was just how you guys played. Dirty.”
I saw Ronan coming before she did. His normally dead and vacant look was gone. She did something to him that I don’t even think he knew what to do with it. He stopped, his chest to her back.
“Dirty, huh?”
When I expected to see her perfectly mischievous look falter, instead I saw something downright evil flash over those deceiving features of hers.
“Isn’t that how you all play? Ronan, don’t tell me that kissing me where Carrow would find us wasn’t just a game. The way Jett needed me in his lap where everyone could see? I haven't seen Knox in action yet, but Talon?”
She reached up and ran a finger down my chest, and fuck if the shirt didn’t seem way too thin. Except Ronan grabbed her hand and spun her around, pinning her wrist behind her as he grabbed the other to face a similar fate.
“What do you know about playing dirty? You’re nothing but a little pawn for your uncle, aren’t you?
Just the little bird locked away waiting for him to give you attention.
You show up for a marriage with a man who not only has so many little whores he can’t remember any of their names, but a man who would leave you to pay a price.
A far higher price than any pretty little untouched girl should pay.
So tell me, Margaux,” Ronan said and paused, “what do you know about playing dirty?”
I couldn’t see her face, but Knox could. He watched her as she stood in Ronan’s arms as he hunched over her to keep her wrists locked behind her.
She didn’t struggle. Didn’t pull her wrists out from his hands. She wasn’t fighting him at all.
“I don’t, not yet. But I do know I have something everyone wants. Don’t I?”
I glanced at Jett and Knox and back at Ronan, who still wasn’t looking away from his captive.
“And what is that, Margaux?” Ronan asked.
She seemed to move closer to him. I couldn’t decide whether the fact she was allowed to or the fact she wanted to was more shocking.
“My trust fund. Everyone just wants whatever money is there. I’m worthless otherwise.
I’ve never been delusional enough to think it was me.
No one. Not even my supposed betrothed wants me.
But that’s okay. How about you fuck me, and maybe, just maybe, one of you sorry sacks of shit will get my trust and I won’t even fight it. ”
What the hell was even happening?
“So are we skipping cards then?” I asked, breaking the silence from the gallery of shocked brothers.
She still hadn’t looked away from Ronan, and I was starting to think she matched his scary energy pretty damn well.
“You want cards? Fine. Little boys, grab a card. Same rules. Highest card gets me tonight.”
I scratched my head before picking up the cards she’d dropped when Ronan had grabbed her.
“Wait. Tonight?”
Finally she looked over her shoulder at me.
“Well how can I decide who gets my trust fund if I don’t know who’s better in bed? So yeah. Let’s start tonight.”
She turned back to Ronan.
“You all aren’t afraid of a little competition are you?”
“Fucking hell, pretty girl. You did not just tell Ronnie you want to compare dick sizes for us, did you?” Jett’s voice was an octave lower than a moment ago.
A second passed, and Knox was the one to cut whatever this sexual tension was.
“Alright, angel. Fine. But just know we’re already aware of each other's dick sizes, and I don’t think you’re going to be able to pick just one of us.”
Ronan let her go and she shook out her wrists.
“Little bird, you think you can make us fight each other for pussy?” Ronan asked.
She took a step back and ran into me. I had the deck of cards in one hand and now her shoulder in the other.
“You asked if I could play dirty,” was all she said.
Ronan stepped closer.
“I don’t see a single one of us fighting right now, do you?” he asked her.
I couldn’t tell what she was thinking but felt her deep inhalation of breath.
“No,” she said and tried to pull away from me.
“It’s because we’ve been through hell and back together. A woman isn’t going to be what will break us. We’ve shared plenty before. You think you’ll be any different?”
The expectation was that she was going to crumble any moment.
“Fine, Ronan. Share me, fuck me, take me to hell, but just remember I’ve been living there for years, and right now I’m ready to make a deal with a devil or four.”