4. Four
4
FOUR
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I watched her run from me, her raven-colored hair cascading down her spine. I ran my tongue across my lips and tasted her, my tongue savoring a sweet remembrance of her.
Mila Grey.
My little rabbit.
She had no idea what fate had in store for her.
I looked forward to showing her my world.
I ached for the moment I could unleash all of my darkness onto her unsuspecting soul.
The flame of devilry burning inside her was ever-growing, and she thought I hadn't noticed.
But I could feel it—see it—in every shiver that ran through her body when our lips collided.
The way her body melted into mine as our lips caressed and our souls clung together.
Or how I seized the air from her lungs, leaving a piece of me behind.
From the second I laid eyes on her, I knew I would do whatever it took to make her mine. Capturing her would be a challenge, but one way or another, I would have her as my own—even if it cost me my life.
I revved my motorcycle—a menacing blacked-out Indian Scout Bobber Sixty with its liquid-cooled, 1000 cc V-Twin engine that produced 78 horsepower and 65 pounds of torque. It roared like an unchained beast, catching the attention of a group of girls that walked by. They laughed nervously, their faces a mask of trepidation as they dared not take a step closer. I could feel the fear emanating from them, every ounce of it directed at me, the devil with an awful reputation that seemed to have no bounds.
And they weren’t wrong.
I put on my helmet and burned rubber out of the library's parking lot. My destination was the mansion that I shared with my brothers. It was nestled deep in the thick forest, with land bought and paid for by our great-grandfathers who created The Brotherhood. As I rode along the winding roads toward the mansion, my thoughts stayed on her. I could see the fire in her eyes, and I knew that I had what it took to tame her. Her father was head of Grey Industries, a company focused on the stock market and trading. But what my little rabbit didn't know is that Daddy didn't just trade stocks and bonds. He was making secret deals that he didn't think anyone would notice.
But The Brotherhood noticed.
Winston Grey was one of The Brotherhood's biggest suppliers of weapons, and he had been working behind our backs, selling weapons to our enemies—specifically, The Collectors, a rival family whose business spanned into drugs and human trafficking. Their gang members carelessly stole the lives of innocent women, exploiting college girls for their perverse pleasure market. They held auctions for the girls they kidnapped, pumping them full of drugs and dressing them up. Perverts would take turns touching them, raping them, participating in acts of unthinkable depravity before they would buy them.
And he was running for governor against my father.
If someone like him became governor, he would be unstoppable. And in turn, The Collectors would become the most powerful family in New York.
We’d had our eyes on Winston Grey for a while, but it was only recently that we’d gotten concrete proof that he was working with The Collectors. If he knew we were closing in on him and his life was in danger, he would turn to The Collectors for help, but they would demand payment for their assistance. And they only dealt in human payments. He would give the only thing he had to give.
Mila.
His treachery had to be punished. His involvement with The Collectors was beyond reprehensible, and he would pay the price for his betrayal.
No one betrayed The Brotherhood and lived to tell about it.
My mind drifted back to the conversation with my father last month.
My father leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a fierce determination. "Winston Grey threatens everything we've built," he continued. "And I need you to neutralize that threat, once and for all."
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
A sly smile crept onto my father's face, his lips curling with a mixture of pride and cunning. "I want you to get close to him," he said, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "Find his weaknesses, exploit them, and ensure he never steps foot in the governor's office."
I took a moment to absorb my father's words, realizing the gravity of the task he had just assigned me. My mind raced with questions— how would I even begin? How could I infiltrate Winston Grey's inner circle without arousing suspicion?
My father seemed to sense my hesitation and reached across the desk, placing a small file in front of me. "Inside this envelope, you'll find everything you need to know about Mila Grey."
"His daughter?" Curiosity sparked within me as I opened the envelope and saw a picture of a raven-haired girl reading a book at a coffee shop. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't realize one of my dad's goons was snapping photos of her.
I had seen her before.
Winston Grey paraded her around all his buddies at lavish parties, flaunting her around like she was a show horse.
"What exactly are you asking me to do, Father?"
"You are my blood, my heir," he said, his voice low and commanding. "This is your chance to prove yourself, to prove that you are worthy of carrying on our name. I need you to do whatever it takes."
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his expectations settle heavily upon my shoulders. The city loomed outside the window, its towering structures casting long shadows over the streets below. It was a constant reminder of the darkness that thrived within the heart of this metropolis.
My simmering rage boiled over as I set my sights on his prized possession—his daughter. He thought he had hidden his plans for her behind a facade of doting fatherhood, but I knew the truth. He viewed her as mere leverage, collateral in an insurance policy meant to save him from his own risky and unscrupulous dealings.
I’d watched her for over a month. I changed my classes to hers to observe her interactions with other people. I sat in the corner at the coffee shop where she worked and memorized her schedule.
Her routine was consistent.
Boring, even. She spent most of her time working, reading, or studying in the library. She never knew I was there. But still, I watched her. I followed her around town as she shopped for new clothes and attended parties with wealthy socialites. Every move she made, I was there, hiding in plain sight. Slow and steady wins the race, though, and I needed to make sure I didn't scare her away with my sudden presence.
I watched her smile at each campaign party her father forced her to go to as he pranced around with her on his arm, and she, like the na?ve little girl she was, remained oblivious to her true worth in her father's eyes. The more I watched her, the more I realized that beneath those expensive clothes and people-pleasing behaviors were hidden depths of intelligence and bravery that no one saw or cared enough to notice. She had an enormous capacity for love, something that was often ignored by the people closest to her because of their own ulterior motives.
I was overcome with fury. She deserved so much more than the future Winston Grey had planned for her, and I would be there to give it to her.
We all had our roles in The Brotherhood. Our paths were chosen for us the day we were born. I operated as an enforcer. Hidden in the shadows doing my father’s bidding, eliminating threats, and moving chess pieces around so The Brotherhood remained strong. In that moment, I was needed for infiltrating Winston Grey’s little empire and burning it to the ground, and I needed Mila to do it.
So, I remained in the shadows, watching her. She was my mission, my prey, and my path to redemption. I had a plan to free her from her father's grasp, take her away from the destruction that loomed over her future, and keep her in the shadows with me.
That was the only way to bring a man like Winston Grey to his knees. That or death. But first, he would see his daughter sucking my cock before I slit his throat in front of her.
And he’d never see me coming.
Winston Grey threatened my future, and I would return the favor, starting with his daughter.
I would soil her pure soul, bringing her into my world, a place she never dreamed of—a world where she could be free.
I would claim her.
Break her.
Possess her.
Destroy her.
She would be mine.
I sped toward the mansion ahead, a towering structure built in the late eighteen hundreds, with gray-blue walls and massive, overhanging eaves—a stark and formidable fortress from an age long forgotten. Shrouded in cobalt shadows and oppressive silence, its lush foliage seemed an unlikely backdrop for such a gothic estate. I parked my bike in the garage and headed into the sprawling estate, where I waited for the rest of The Brotherhood to arrive. I poured myself a glass of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. I poured another, and as I stared at the amber-colored liquid in the glass, I knew I would have my vengeance.
The Hunt was approaching, and I knew that my little rabbit would be my greatest prize.