Chapter 4 Ryder
RYDER
Purgatory breathes differently on Hunt night. The air’s electric, charged with anticipation and the subtle perfume of power. I slip through the entrance, nodding to the security guard who knows me well enough not to check my credentials.
The corridor stretches before me, dark wood paneling absorbing the low lighting. I’m headed for the control room—got to check the odds before things kick off—when a voice cuts through the ambient murmur.
“Caldwell.”
Dominic fucking Vega. Standing in an alcove with his tailored suit and that expression that always makes me feel like I’ve been caught cheating at his table. And beside him, leaning against the wall with practiced nonchalance, Liam Hayes—the silver-tongued devil himself.
Great. The apex predators have cornered the new blood.
I plaster on my game face. “Gentlemen. Fancy seeing you both here. Pre-hunt strategy session?”
Dominic’s eyes narrow. “Heard an interesting rumor about your chosen target tonight.”
“Did you now?” I keep my voice light, approaching them with hands in pockets. “Let me guess, you two are also hunting the mayor’s daughter.”
Liam’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Seems our esteemed mayor has a talent for making enemies.”
“Among other talents,” I lean against the opposite wall, completing our little triangle of mutual distrust. “Like killing legitimate business enterprises and grandstanding on moral superiority.”
“While beating his daughter,” Dominic adds, his voice carrying that dangerous edge that makes smarter men step back.
I raise an eyebrow. “That part I didn’t know.”
“I saw the bruises,” Liam offers, studying his cufflinks like they hold the secrets of the universe. “Partially concealed, but there.”
“Fuck.” The word escapes before I can stop it. I run a hand through my hair, calculating angles, reassessing. “So, what is this? A warning to stay away? Because I got to tell you, after what that sanctimonious asshole did to my casinos—”
“What do you want, Caldwell?” Dominic cuts in, voice low and precise.
I meet his gaze, noting how Liam watches us both.
“Same thing you want, I imagine. To send Pike a message.” I let a smile curl the corner of my mouth. “Question is, gentlemen, can this town handle the three of us working the same angle tonight?”
Liam’s eyes narrow with interest. “What exactly are you suggesting, Caldwell?”
The question hangs between us, heavy with possibility. My pulse quickens as the idea fully forms in my mind—dangerous, twisted, perfect.
“I’m saying, why compete when we can collaborate?
” I lean in closer, lowering my voice. “All three of us claiming her together would send a much stronger message than any of us doing it alone. And imagine Pike’s face when he realizes his precious daughter was taken by all three of the men he’s fucked over. ”
The thrill of the suggestion courses through me, blood rushing south. My dick thickens against my pants at the mere thought.
"The Hunt's always had a certain... flexibility to its rules," I continue, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. "Three hunters, one prey. We could make it far more degrading, more complete. Break her in ways none of us could manage alone."
I steal glances at both men, appreciating Dominic's controlled power and Liam's calculated intensity.
Fuck, they're both gorgeous in completely different ways.
I've always had an eye for attractive people regardless of what's between their legs—a beautiful woman catches my attention just as quickly as a well-built man.
And these two? They're premium specimens of masculinity that I can't help but admire, even as we discuss our shared target.
“Besides,” I add with a grin I can’t suppress, “you two aren’t exactly hard on the eyes. The thought of sharing a hunt with you both—” I clear my throat, not bothering to hide my growing arousal. “It adds a certain appeal to the proposition.”
Dominic’s expression darkens with interest, while Liam’s calculating gaze sweeps over me with new awareness.
“The Hunt gets pretty fucking depraved anyway,” I shrug, trying to sound casual despite my racing heart. “Might as well embrace it. Three hunters claiming the same prize—that’s never been done before. We’d make Purgatory history.”
Dominic nods. “Pike’s daughter won’t know what hit her...”
Liam smirks. “I tell you, I’ve been waiting years to make that self-righteous bastard pay...”
I bite my lip. “And not to mention how fun it will be taking turns with his precious little princess...”
Dominic’s eyes darken to obsidian as he considers my proposition. The silence stretches between us, thick with possibility. I’ve thrown out something unprecedented in the Hunt’s history, and now I wait, pulse hammering in my throat.
“A deal.” Dominic’s voice breaks the silence, low and definitive. “We hunt her together.”
Holy fuck. I feel a rush of adrenaline so potent it makes my fingers tingle. I hadn’t been entirely sure he’d go for it since Dominic Vega isn’t known for sharing.
“All three of us claim her,” he continues, his gaze sliding from me to Liam and back. “Make Pike watch as his daughter serves three men he despises during the feast.”
Liam’s eyes narrow with what I recognize as excitement. “The Hunt has never seen something like this. Three hunters working as one pack rather than competing.”
“We’d be creating a new dynamic,” I say, unable to keep the grin off my face. “Instead of wasting energy competing against each other, we combine forces. Think about how much more... thorough we can be.”
Dominic nods once, decisively. “We’ll need to coordinate. No working at cross purposes. Mayor’s daughter gets claimed by all three of us or not at all.”
I extend my hand. “To breaking Pike completely.”
Dominic takes it, his grip firm and dry. The contact sends an unexpected jolt through me, and I wonder briefly if he feels it too.
“To sending a message none of them will forget,” Liam adds, placing his hand over ours.
For a moment, we stand connected, three predators united in purpose. I’ve always been a risk-taker, but this is playing with fire on an entirely different level. The thrill of it courses through me like a drug.
Dominic releases our hands first. “The Hunt begins soon. We should get to the control room.”
I follow behind them toward the control room, my eyes drifting between Dominic’s broad shoulders and Liam’s perfect ass.
Fuck, they’re so fucking hot. Dominic with that commanding energy that makes my skin tingle.
And Liam with his intelligence and deceptive strength hidden beneath those tailored suits.
My cock stirs again at the thought of what tonight could bring. Three guys sharing one girl... there’s no way our bodies won’t connect. The math just doesn’t work otherwise. Crossing swords becomes inevitable in that kind of arrangement.
I wonder if they’re thinking the same thing. The way Dominic’s eyes lingered on me when I mentioned they weren’t hard on the eyes... and that subtle shift in Liam’s expression when he realized what I was implying.
These aren’t the kind of men who back down from a challenge. And there’s something about the Hunt that brings out desires we normally keep hidden. The raw animal instinct takes over once the chase begins.
Something about the possibility of feeling Dominic’s grip on my neck while Liam watches makes me harder than I’ve been in months.
It’s a way to destroy Pike, sure. But beneath that convenient excuse, there’s something darker and more primal brewing between us. I can feel it in the charged silences and lingering glances.
Three hunters. One prey. And boundaries that are about to blur in ways none of us are openly acknowledging yet.