36. Venetia
Venetia
V iper’s navy eyes darken, a storm of lust and possessive fury brewing in their depths.
A slow, dangerous smile spreads across his lips, and I feel the rumble in his chest more than I hear it.
“Is that right, wildcat?” he growls, his grip on my neck tightening possessively.
The edge of my knife presses deeper against his skin, drawing blood.
We’re two predators in a standoff, and the power dynamic is the most potent aphrodisiac I’ve ever known.
He releases me with a suddenness that makes me stumble, but I catch myself, refusing to show any weakness. He turns back to the students, his voice a lash of command. “Again!”
The students, who had paused to watch our exchange, jump at his command.
I wipe the tiny smear of Viper’s blood from my blade with my thumb and lick it clean. The metallic tang is a promise of the violence to come, a taste of the war we’re about to wage. My men don’t just follow me; they bleed for me.
Rafferty moves through the students like a shadow, his hands correcting a grip on a pistol, his voice a low, lethal whisper in a student’s ear.
He’s a master artist, and his medium is death.
He catches my eye and gives me a slow, wicked wink that makes my stomach flutter.
He knows exactly what I’m thinking, what I’m feeling.
The sudden rush of desire I feel is overwhelming. I need to get them alone, but I can’t stop what we’ve started just to get a quick fuck.
“The pieces are falling into place,” Blake says, sidling up to me. He seems to have swapped his suits for more casual attire. Maybe he needs to do laundry, too. Or rather, dry cleaning.
“At least we have a clearer picture,” I say, raking my gaze over him. “It was starting to drive me crazy.”
“A clearer picture is still a battlefield map. It doesn’t make the war any less bloody.
” He gives a small, sharp smile. “But it tells you where to aim your artillery.” He nods towards the students, who are now practising disarming techniques under Viper’s brutal tutelage.
“They’re your artillery. Raw, but with the right training, they’ll be effective.
Cravenmoor’s arrogance is his greatest weakness.
He thinks he’s the only one capable of a grand strategy. ”
“And you’re going to write ours,” I state, less a question and more a command.
The smile widens, becoming something more genuine, more predatory.
“I already have.” He taps the side of his tablet.
“Phase one is containment. We turn this castle into a fortress he can’t breach.
Peter is already mapping the old tunnels for more escape-slash-entry routes.
Phase two is destabilisation. My dad said to follow the money, which is now directed at Cravenmoor.
His money is financing this entire affair.
Cut the head off the snake, the rest will wither. ”
The sheer, cold brilliance of it sends a thrill through me that has nothing to do with fear. It’s the intoxicating lure of power, of control. “And phase three?” I ask.
His green eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I see the same ruthless hunger in him that I feel in myself.
“Annihilation,” he says.
The word sinks into my bones, a perfect, beautiful finality. It’s the only acceptable outcome. Not just victory, not just survival, but the complete and utter erasure of Jonathon Cravenmoor and everything he’s built.
A savage grin spreads across my face. “I like your thinking, Blake.”
He returns the smile, the strategist seeing his queen’s approval.
I let Viper push the students for another ten minutes.
“Enough,” I call out, my voice sharp and clear. They all freeze, turning to look at me, their chests heaving. “Shower. Eat. Rest. Whatever.”
With groans of relief, they drop to the ground, panting and relaxing as they are let off the hook. For now.
“They’re better than I expected,” Viper grunts, his approval the highest praise.
“You don’t give us enough credit,” I say, my gaze lingering on the cut I gave him. He sees it, and it fires up a desire in him that makes my pussy wet. And seeing as this is the last of my clean clothes, perhaps I’d better get it off before it gets ruined.
Giving them all a look that speaks of promises and darkness, they follow me when I move towards the residence building.
I push open the door to our room and don’t stop until I’m in the centre.
The click of the lock behind me is a final seal on our private world.
I turn slowly, my gaze raking over them one by one.
I peel off the ridiculous catsuit, the fabric clinging to my skin with a soft hiss before it pools at my feet.
Naked, I am utterly exposed, yet I have never felt more powerful.
Rafferty is the first to move, his eyes blazing as he closes the distance between us.
His hands are rough on my skin, claiming my hips, pulling me against his hard cock.
Viper stalks forward, flanking him, his calloused fingers tangling in my hair, tilting my head back to meet his stormy gaze.
Blake remains by the door, a silent observer, his green eyes burning with an intelligent fire that sees every detail, catalogues every reaction.
He’s waiting for his moment, the strategist letting the brutes have their opening gambit, and I’ll give them all exactly what they want.
Rafferty’s mouth crashes onto mine, his teeth biting my lower lip, drawing blood in a delicious display of dominance.
I moan into him, fuelling this fire. His hands cup my breasts, squeezing, pinching.
I reach for him, desperate to have his cock in my hand, but Viper stops me.
He grips my wrist forcefully and rips it behind my back, giving Raff full control of my body.
His mouth finds my nipple, devouring me with a fiery intensity that leaves me gasping and arching against Raff’s hard body.
Blake remains by the door, watching every move, every breath.
His gaze is like a physical touch, adding another layer to the electric tension building in the room.
The anticipation of his involvement, the knowledge that he’s waiting for the perfect moment to join, heightens every sensation.
He’s the mastermind, the strategist, and he knows exactly when to make his move.
Viper’s other hand tightens in my hair, pulling my head back to expose my neck to Rafferty’s hungry mouth. His tongue traces a line up to my ear, and he whispers, “Is this what you needed, trouble? To feel us all over you?”
The words send a jolt of pleasure straight to my clit, and I moan in response.
Yes, this is exactly what I need. The raw, primal connection, the affirmation that they are mine, and I am theirs.
Viper’s grip forces my neck to arch further as Rafferty’s mouth moves down to my collarbone, his teeth grazing my skin.
Viper lets go of my hair and slides down my back, tracing the curve of my spine before gripping my arse firmly.
Blake finally moves, his steps measured and deliberate as he approaches.
His green eyes never leave mine, and there’s a focused intensity in his gaze that makes my heart race.
He stops just in front of me, close enough that I can feel his breath on my face.
His hand reaches out, cupping my cheek gently, so different from the rough handling from the others.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Blake murmurs, his thumb brushing lightly over my lips. “Surrounded by your kings, completely at our mercy.”
The words send a skitter of pleasure over my skin.
I am utterly at their mercy, and it’s the most exhilarating feeling.
Blake leans in, his lips meeting mine in a soft, tender kiss that’s a complete contrast to Rafferty’s fierce claim.
His tongue slips into my mouth, exploring, teasing, while Rafferty’s mouth moves lower, his teeth grazing my nipple before sucking it into his mouth.
Blake’s hand drops to my throat, and he squeezes just hard enough to make me choke.
He pulls me away from the other two guys, releasing me from his kiss but not his chokehold.
He leads me over to the windows, his hand a collar around my neck.
He smiles. It’s the wicked, seductive smile that makes my pussy clench in response.
Moving behind me, his hand circles my neck, and gently, he pushes me up against the windows, so my tits are pressed up against the cold glass. “Can you see everyone in the courtyard?” he murmurs.
“Yes,” I whisper. The students are laid out in the sun, enjoying this moment of peace before the storm hits.
“Do you think they can see you?”
“Yes.”
His hands trail down my arms until he grasps my hands and lifts them, pressing them against the window above my head. “Hold her in place,” Blake murmurs to Raff and Viper. “I want everyone to see her submit.”
Viper and Rafferty step forward, each taking one of my wrists in their firm grips, holding them against the glass. Blake’s hands slide down my sides, tracing the curve of my waist before gripping my hips. His fingers dig into my flesh, marking me with a possessive touch that makes my breath hitch.
“Everyone down there needs to know who you belong to,” Blake murmurs, his voice a low growl in my ear. His lips brush against my neck, sending a wave of goosebumps across my skin. “They need to see their queen dominated by her kings.”
I let out a soft moan, the sound fogging up the glass in front of me.
The students below are oblivious to the show they’re about to witness, their innocent relaxation so unlike the dark, primal scene unfolding above them.
Blake’s teeth graze my earlobe, his breath hot on my skin as he whispers, “Let them see you, Venetia. Let them know you’re ours. ”