Chapter 14
Mercy
Whenever I have a nightmare, I don’t remember it when I wake up.
The snippets that remain, mere flickers of the terror gripping me in my sleep, are easy to pour out into my sketchbook.
I have multiple books filled with nightmarish shadows and glinting eyes watching me from the dark.
These stay hidden beneath my bed, out of sight and out of mind.
But maybe that’s the problem—keeping them close means that they can still haunt me, even in my dreams.
This time, I dream about Zane.
The feel of his body lingers in my mind, warm and wanting and dangerous.
Tempting, if I’m being honest with myself.
Kane and Sam won’t have anything to fight over if I give it up to Zane.
It’s not like Zane wants my virginity—if anything, I think he’s repulsed by it.
Our late night rendezvous was an alcohol-induced fluke.
There’s no way that Zane actually wants to sleep with me.
But my dream self thinks that he does.
I feel myself running before the cemetery comes into view. Damp earth clings to the soles of my feet as I zig-zag through the headstones, out of breath and out of time. A full moon hangs heavy over the horizon, as vibrant orange as the monster’s eyes. In my dream, Zane is coming for me.
If he catches me, he can do whatever he wants.
A wriggle of doubt snares somewhere in my mind. Those weren’t the original terms of our agreement, but somehow, they feel accurate. I’m at the mercy of a man who hates me.
Another shadowy figure steps out from behind an ancient oak, his sharp fangs glowing in the moonlight. Blonde hair, glimmering blue eyes, a wicked smile. His body painted like a skeleton’s, all the way from his head to his toes. Naked.
Hard.
I stumble backwards as Reaper advances, grinning wickedly, cock jutting out like a spear, hungry.
This one craves my body.
Muscled arms wrap around my waist from behind, pulling me into a hard chest. I can feel his breath on my neck as he trails his lips over my skin, groaning once he slots something long and hard against my ass.
Won’t you let me, Mercy?
I gasp as Sam’s voice plays inside my head.
Won’t you let me love you?
Vines sprout from the earth and ensnare my legs, trapping me and Sam together.
I open my mouth to scream, and Kane descends, groaning into my mouth and swallowing any sound that tries to escape.
Then the cold press of steel against my throat makes me shiver.
I open my eyes to find Zane holding a knife poised to cut both me and Kane at the same time, its two sides equally sharp.
If I can’t have you, no one can.
As Kane’s lips meet mine, I fall backwards into an ocean, suddenly cradled in its waves. Warmth envelops me from all sides, and Kane’s voice carries on the breeze.
Wake up.
Gasping, I open my eyes to find Kane stroking my face, a wistful look in his eyes.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Kane. What—” Sitting up, I blink to bring our surroundings into focus. His arms are cocooning me to his body, making it difficult to move. With a huff, I settle back down and surmise that it doesn’t matter where we are. It’s not like anything has changed.
Three men still want me in their deadly game.
“What are you doing here?”
His thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “What are you doing here? Bed not comfortable?”
“More like occupied,” I grumble, glaring into my lap. “Did you know that Zane drugged me at dinner? He came into my room last night to boast about it—” If you could call his drunken confessions that— “And smother me with a pillow!”
Kane’s expression lifts. “He tried to smother you?” A smile makes him even more handsome. “That’s new.”
“Um, hello? He drugged me!”
“And he still didn’t kill you.” Kane laughs, light and airy and carefree. “He must really like you.”
“What?” I gape at Kane’s gleefulness. “You’ve got to be joking. He said that he hates me! Hates us,” I clarify, smacking Kane’s chest. “This isn’t a good thing!”
“It’s a great thing,” Kane counters, still smiling. “There’s a fine line between love and hate, Siren, and Zane is toeing that line. This is perfect.”
I’m not following, but Kane doesn’t elaborate.
Scooping me up into his arms, he carries me out of the en-suite and into the master bathroom.
“I’ve got a plan,” he says cheerfully, setting me down on the counter.
Tearing off his shirt, he tosses it to the floor and turns on the shower.
“It’ll be good for us to get some closure on the whole—” His gaze flicks to me. “Reaper thing.”
Flashbacks from my dream make me shiver. The Reaper in my dream wasn’t the one from the party, it was the one standing in front of me. “You haven’t asked him about it?”
Pulling off his sweatpants, Kane is suddenly butt naked.
Tanned skin stretches for miles along his torso, but so does a pale scar I’ve never seen before.
It cuts from the right side of his ribs to belly button.
He doesn’t seem to notice my stare, too preoccupied with the plan forming in his mind as he tests the water temperature.
“Not directly,” he mumbles, avoiding my gaze. “But that’s why you should.”
I unwrap the blanket from my shoulders and hop down onto the floor. “I’m not going anywhere near that asshole.”
Before I can leave, Kane grabs my hand and tugs me closer to him. “What else did he say?”
Shit. I forgot how observant Kane is.
“Nothing,” I lie, frowning. “He was drunk.”
“Drunk people are usually honest.”
I blow out a breath. “Not this one.”
Lifting an eyebrow, Kane hums thoughtfully. “Well, if we want Zane to talk without alcohol, we have to make it so that he has no other choice.” Taking both my hands in his, he leads me to the shower door. “You getting in with me, Siren?” A smirk curves on his lips. “I’d love to hear you sing.”
A blush warms my cheeks. I can’t get naked with Kane. He makes it seem so casual! “I don’t sing for the living.”
Humming again, Kane lets go of my hands to step into the shower. “Will you sing at my funeral, then?” The spray of water clings to the glass, obscuring Kane from view.
“Are you dying anytime soon?”
“Maybe,” he murmurs, sounding way too depressed about it. “If I do, promise that you’ll sing for me, Siren. That you’ll miss me.”
What a gloomy request. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Zane drugged me too. I’m washing it off. You should join me.”
Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms over my chest. I can’t deny that a hot shower sounds heavenly.
But I’m not doing this because of Kane. I’m doing this for me.
He just happens to be here. Stripping off my clothes, I stand in front of the steamed mirror.
I can’t see my reflection, but… maybe it’s better this way.
I can pretend that night never happened.
As I open the shower door, the bathroom door follows, swinging open with a bang. I turn my head to find Sam staring wide-eyed at me, then I feel Kane’s arm over my shoulder as he leans out of the shower to peek. “Sam!” he cheers, grinning. “Perfect timing. Get in.”
Sam’s emerald eyes are stormy. “What the hell are you doing?”
“We’re showering,” Kane answers easily, pointing between me and himself before pointing at Sam, too. “You’re joining us. C’mon.”
Kane drags me into the shower and holds me beneath the spray so that I can’t watch Sam’s reaction. Is he mad? Upset? Has he been looking for me?
“Relax,” Kane murmurs, running his hands down my back. “Sam’s not as scary as you think.”
That remains to be seen.
The shower door opens again, and Sam crowds in with us. Broad shoulders, stubbled chin, brunette hair clinging to his forehead, he ducks his head to kiss me without warning. The warmth of his mouth matches the heat of the water, and I eagerly slide my hands up his chest.
“Are you okay?” Sam asks, sighing against my lips. “I couldn’t find you, and then Zane said—”
Kane groans behind me. “Sam, your woman is naked. Stop talking.”
Snapping his head up, Sam scowls. “Why is she naked? And with you? I don’t—” He sighs. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ll explain everything and then some,” Kane vows, pulling me against his chest out of the water. “But right now, what matters is that the three of us are gonna have a little fun.” Grabbing my chin, Kane tilts my head back until I can meet his eyes. “You wanna have fun, Mercy?”
I nod.
“Great. You gonna watch, Sam, or do you wanna join in?”
An illicit wave of heat radiates from my chest. All three of us together? What does that look like? I bite my lip and wonder… what does that feel like?
Sam meets my eyes and steps closer. “I’m not here to watch.” Licking his lips, his gaze travels down my body. “You okay with that, Mercy?”
I have to stop myself from screaming yes! “I don’t know what to do,” I blurt out instead, immediately cringing. God, could I be any more lame? “But I’d like to try.”
“Tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable,” Sam murmurs, closing the distance between us. His hand travels up my ribcage until he cups my breast, giving it a gentle squeeze. “And we’ll stop.”
“We’ll try to,” Kane rumbles in my ear, “but no promises.”
Desire burns deep inside my body. I can handle it. Whatever they want to do to me, it’s fine. More than fine. “I want this.” Hooking my arm around Sam’s neck, I pull him closer. “I want you.”
Sam’s breath catches. “Mercy…” He descends like lightning, surging into me and sending sparks throughout my entire body.
Our lips collide as he pushes me into Kane’s body, easily rolling my nipple between his knuckles and licking into my mouth.
He groans, plucking my sensitive bud hard enough to make me squirm.
Tingles of pleasure skate down my spine and pool between my thighs.