17. 17 Thorne
17: Thorne
Waking up after what we did was far from an ideal start to the day. The awkwardness hangs between us like a massive zit on the tips of our noses we’re all trying to pretend doesn’t exist. We love Tori enough to give her what she wants, but now, the aftermath between the three of us… it’s too weird.
Eye contact? A luxury. Every accidental brush of skin feels like a punch, a reminder of what we don’t know how to handle. At this point, we’re all keeping a safe distance—four feet, give or take—without really knowing why. Except that it’s hard to stay away from one another when all we want is to be by Tori’s side.
Every second away from her was torture, like swallowing acid, the burn creeping up my throat and feeling the freeze of dry ice sink into my heart. Having her back was a dream I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to live again.
Now it's time to handle Nico.
The thought of him ignites something inside me—a need for revenge so deep that I want to drag him through his worst fears, make him scream and beg for mercy, and then deny him the sweet release of death. Death would be too quick, too easy. I want him to feel every inch of pain he inflicted on her. I want to hear his pleas for mercy until his voice cracks, until there’s nothing left but silence.
But for now, I settle for a small victory—a sacrifice from one of his lieutenants. Max, ever the shadow, managed to catch one of Nico’s men as his parting gift during our escape. Now that Tori is back with us, he and Marisol didn't feel the need to stay any longer.
It wasn’t planned, but it was a gift I hadn’t expected. The man’s screams didn’t bring me the satisfaction I craved this morning, but they were enough to satisfy my thirst for now. Shooting him in the head was just an added bonus.
I wrapped up his finger carefully, knowing that it would soon be a message to Nico. One he couldn’t ignore.
I hope you understand what you're in for. Because I’m coming… we’re coming. And it's not going to be nice when we finally catch you.
“Keagan says he delivered it. So, I guess we just wait and see what he does,” Ryder shrugs as he jumps over the back of the couch and onto the cushion.
There’s a certain nonchalance to his movements that’s almost too casual for what we’ve just done. For what we’ve just delivered. But Ryder? He’s always been the one to conceal his emotions behind that laid-back mask. It’s the only way he knows how to survive.
Ryder’s been fighting a darkness for longer than most of us can remember. It started when he was thirteen—ignored, neglected by his parents, discarded like a piece of trash to them. He’d always had to fight for even the tiniest speck of attention from them, and when even the craziest of his ideas didn’t work, he let the shadows become his home.
Now, those dark thoughts are as much a part of him as his skin. He’ll get shit done, even if it means drowning out whatever’s left of his humanity.
“I bet Marcus is shitting himself,” Blaze adds with a grin, his words dripping with amusement at the thought of his brother in turmoil.
If Nico finds out Marcus gave us information, torture or not, he's done for.
Blaze’s whole life has been about fighting for what he doesn’t have—what Marcus was born into. The life Blaze was never allowed to have. And now, Marcus has thrown all that away by joining Nico.
I remember the look on his face when he found out that Marcus joined a gang shortly after graduation. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I’ve never seen Blaze so furious. It was like all his anger, all his regret, had finally snapped. Blaze hides it. He always does.
Still, it doesn’t stop the bitterness that lingers in him, that sense of injustice Blaze can’t quite shake. Marcus had the attention and approval that Blaze craved from their father. Marcus choosing to join a gang rather than work in their father's company was a slap to the face for Blaze. I can’t blame him for the rage he feels.
“Yeah, well, he can get over it,” I mutter, trying to get Blaze off the touchy topic of his brother. “We’ve got bigger problems now. Nico’s not gonna wait around for us to figure out our shit.”
“Right.” Ryder nods, his face suddenly serious. “We need to focus. We go after Nico now , before he comes and tries to get her back.”
The pain Nico caused her, the brand he placed on her. I can’t let it slide.
Blaze steps forward, his expression shifting into something darker, more dangerous. “That's not happening,” he growls. “We don’t let him take her from us again. Not ever.”
Before I can say anything more, the door opens wide. I don’t need to look up to know it’s her. It’s the way the room shifts when she steps inside, how the air itself seems to bend around her.
“Is it because I don't have a dick that I wasn't invited to this meeting?” Her tone is harsh, irritated by the lack of involvement we've let her have.
Her arms are crossed, the fire in her eyes burning through the control we’ve tried to maintain. She’s right—she deserves to be in on this. But we don’t want her to be.
It’s not just because we’re protecting her. It’s because we’re scared to drag her into the bloodshed, scared of what that might do to her. We want to shield her from becoming like us. We want her to stay the person we think she still is.
But maybe she’s not that person anymore. She’s been through things I can’t even begin to imagine. And no matter how much we try to protect her from it, she’s already in this.
She’s always been in this, because we can't seem to ever let her go.
I try to keep my voice steady, but it’s like the words are stuck in my throat. “I didn’t keep you out because of your lack of a third leg. I kept you out because this is about to get ugly, Tori. You don’t need to be a part of it.”
She laughs bitterly, the sound echoing in the quiet room like a slap. “And you think I can’t handle ugly?”
She’s right to be upset. But there’s something in me that wants to keep her away from this, something that wants to shield her from the blood we’re about to spill. Something that wants to keep her innocent even though she’s not.
Blaze exhales slowly, his anger barely contained. “We’re just trying to protect you, Tori. You’ve already been through enough.”
Her eyes flash with a fire I’ve never seen before. “Protect me?” she says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “By keeping me out? Keeping me in the dark while you plan your little revenge mission? You think I’m just gonna sit here in the corner and twiddle my thumbs while you handle my problem? No way! I want my revenge, Blaze. I want to be a part of it.”
Ryder shifts, his frustration showing now. “We don’t want you to get hurt. You’ve been through enough already. This thing with Nico… it’s not just going to be him. It’s gonna get messy. We don’t want you involved in that.”
Tori doesn’t back down. She never backs down. She steps forward, her voice low and venomous. “I’m not some fragile flower you need to protect.”
I feel a tightening in my chest, the frustration boiling over, but I don’t know how to respond. But she’s right. We want to keep her hands clean, to keep her safe, but now it’s clear—there’s no protecting her from this. She’s in this with us, whether we like it or not. But if that's the case, then it's time we learned everything Nico did to her when he had her.
"You're not ready, Vic. You can’t even talk about what Nico did to you. How the hell are we supposed to believe you’re ready to take him down if you can't even face what he's done?" I say, my voice steadier now, trying not to sound like a complete ass, because she did say she would tell us eventually.
But eventually needs to be now.
She freezes. I can see the shift in her eyes. The guard she’s been holding up starts to crack, but she doesn’t let it fall completely. Instead, she stands even straighter, like she’s daring us to make her.
"Why do you need to know?" Tori’s voice breaks through the silence, sharp and full of bitterness. "What’s it gonna change?"
I run a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself. "Because we can’t move forward with this without knowing everything."
Her eyes flicker with something darker—something more vulnerable—but she doesn’t show it for long. She hates showing vulnerability, and I'm pretty sure that's our fault. Instead, she hardens, her voice thick with anger. Always stubborn, this one. “I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”
Blaze’s eyes narrow. “If you want in on this, then you need to face what he did to you. You need to tell us.”
There’s a moment of silence so long it’s like we’re all holding our breath, afraid to make a sound until she does.
“Fine,” she mutters, her voice quiet but so full of pain that it makes my chest ache. “You want to know? You want me to talk about it?”
I step closer, desperate for the truth. “Yeah. We need to know what happened. We need to know exactly what he did to you.”
Her gaze meets mine, and for a split second, I see the pain she's trying to hide. She's trying to be strong, but she's being ripped apart inside, I can see it plain as day.
"Fine, but you better pay attention, because I’m only saying this once." She’s still trembling slightly, but her voice is steady now. “Nico forced me to marry him. He made me stand in front of Diablo and tell him that I was in love with him. That I hated you all.” She pauses, her eyes darkening with the weight of the lie she was forced to say. “He wanted Diablo to believe it, because it turns out I'm not little orphan Annie after all. Nope, this little orphan has a mob boss as a father.”
The words hit like a freight train, and Ryder, Blaze, and I all stiffen in disbelief. I shake my head, still trying to process it, but it’s like the world’s spinning too fast.
“Wait—Diablo?” I can’t help but ask. “He's your father ?” The words leave my mouth without thinking, and the shock is too much to contain.
Tori doesn’t flinch. “Yeah. Diablo’s my father,” she says, her voice hollow but resigned. “I didn’t know until Nico forced me in front of him. I had to pretend like I was Nico's, like I wanted to be his.”
Diablo, her father? That wasn’t even on my radar. None of us saw that coming.
Blaze’s face pales, his fists clenched so tightly I think his knuckles might crack. “That son of a bitch. That's what all this was about?”
“Yeah, apparently,” Tori replies, voice cold. “Diablo was going to have us move to one of his estates so I can learn the business with Nico at my side.”
Ryder’s eyes flick to Blaze and then to me, but he doesn’t say anything, like he can’t find the words to even process what she just revealed.
I drag my hand over my face as it all starts to click into place. After a long stretch of silence, Ryder speaks up, maybe being the first to fully process the information and then get past it.
“And the brand? Nico branded you?" Ryder speaks up, knowing there's more to be told.
Tori touches just below her collarbone where the mark sits, her expression haunted, but I can see the hellfire burning in her eyes, fueled by her rage. "Yeah. You know me. My big mouth got me in trouble again. It was a punishment. He wanted to break me. Nico wanted me to know I belonged to him." Her voice cracks slightly, but she doesn’t look away. “He marked me so I’d never forget. Then he touched me. Tied me up, felt me up, made me sleep shirtless.”
Everything inside me is screaming.
I want to tear him apart. I want to see his blood stain the floors, his eyes wide and fearfully looking my way. The sounds of his torture need to fill my ears. I want to skin him alive, then pour acid all over his exposed muscles.
Blaze takes a step forward, his face twisted with fury. “I’ll kill him. I swear to fucking God, I’ll make him regret every second of this.”
“Not yet,” Ryder says, his voice barely more than a growl. “We need him alive, at least long enough to make him suffer.”
But Tori doesn’t look at either of them. She’s focused on me now, and I can feel the weight of everything she’s said, seeping into my soul and demanding retribution.
“I’m not asking for your protection,” she says quietly, her eyes locking with mine. "I’m going after him with you. And you can't tell me otherwise.”
For a long moment, none of us say a word. We know what we’re about to let her do… what she’ll turn into.
Our bloodthirsty Queen.
Finally, Blaze steps forward with a firm nod of his head. “Okay, then we do this together.”
I nod in agreement, but the truth is, I’m terrified. This isn’t just about taking down Nico anymore. It’s about Tori. But it’s always been about Tori. Too bad now it isn't about keeping her safe; it’s about turning her into a monster like us.
I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it stays there, cold and suffocating. Tori has always been my light, the one thing I wanted to keep pure and untouched by the darkness of my world. But now, she’s been dragged into it, just like the rest of us.
Maybe because of us.
No, definitely because of us.
Blaze doesn’t wait. “We need to make a plan,” he says, voice hardening as the weight of the situation settles in. “If we’re going to take him down, we do it right. And we do it fast. Preferably before we have to deal with Diablo, too.”
Ryder’s already moving, pulling out his phone, his face set with determination. “If Nico’s as smart as we think he is, we’re gonna need everything we can find. His next move, where his next hideout will be, who he’s got working for him. We’re going hunting.”
Tori stands there, arms still crossed, the quiet fury behind her eyes still simmering. “Remember how just two seconds ago you agreed to let me be on this with you? You’re not keeping me out of this.”
Blaze meets her gaze, eyes steely with resolve. “No, Doll. You’re in this with us, but we’re not putting you on the front lines. We’re not letting you get hurt again.”
I can see the fire in her eyes, and I know she’s not about to back down. Not now. Not ever. But she can’t throw herself into the storm we’re about to create. I don’t care how strong she’s become—she’s still the one thing in this world that I want to keep safe.
She steps forward, her face hardening. “I’m not sitting out while you’re going after him. I’m not some helpless princess you can lock away in a tower.”
Blaze steps back, taking a breath. I can see the exhaustion on his face, the tension in his shoulders. He’s fighting his own instincts.
“Look, if you want to go after Nico, you’re going to have to do it our way. We’ve all been in this world long enough to know how it works. You’re not just hunting a man—you’re hunting a whole empire.”
Tori’s gaze doesn’t falter. She’s locked in. “Then show me. Teach me how to bring him down.”
The words hit me like a punch. She’s not asking for permission anymore. She’s claiming her place in this war. And we can’t do anything but let her.
“Fine,” I say, the word tasting bitter in my mouth. "But no running off on your own."
She nods, the fire in her eyes flickering. She’s ready. But part of me isn’t sure I am.
Blaze turns to the group, his voice flat. “We need to find out what Nico's next move is. He's not going to be happy after what we've just sent him.”
Ryder’s eyes scan the room, meeting each of ours, and I know this is it. We’re turning our girl into one of us.
“Alright,” Ryder says, his voice low but full of purpose. “Let’s end this.”
And with that, the monsters we've been hiding come out on full display, ready to bathe in blood alongside the woman we love. But my mind isn’t entirely on Nico right now.
It’s on Tori.
She’s standing there, still simmering with unspent anger, the same fire that made me lose my mind when she was taken. She’s here. She’s back. But every time I look at her, I feel the same ache, the same need I couldn’t control before.
Tori’s gaze shifts between us, but I can feel her eyes lingering on me longer than the others. Maybe it’s because she sees the darkness I’ve been fighting to keep buried. Or maybe it’s just because we’ve been holding back. Either way, it’s pulling us in.
I step toward her, the movement swift, like I’ve been waiting for this moment since the second we got her back into our lives. She doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t back away. She stands her ground, arms crossed, her body tense but poised.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Vic?” My voice is rough, more animal than I intend. I can hear the hunger in it, feel the burn rising in my chest. “You think you’re ready to take someone's life? Because there will be casualties, and it won't just be Nico.”
Her lips part slightly, but she doesn’t answer. Instead, she pulls against me, her body a mixture of fire and resistance. It’s all the challenge I need. She’s never been one to back down, not even when it’s dangerous.
She’s ours. We’re hers.
And we’ll break together.
My hands are rough, desperate. But she doesn’t fight it. Her body presses against mine, feeling her heat sear into my chest, reminding me that she’s here, that she’s mine. I hold her there, my lips hovering over hers as the world falls away.
“Vic,” I growl, my voice low, my breath heavy. “You have no idea what you’ve walked into. We're ready to light this world on fire.”
Her eyes meet mine, unflinching. “And I've got the match.”
That’s all it takes. Her words crack something deep inside of me. In one motion, I crush my lips to hers, the kiss bruising in its urgency. It’s raw, desperate, and a total challenge. Her hands grip my neck, pulling me deeper, and I can’t help myself. I push harder, needier.
Her breath catches, but she doesn’t break the kiss. She’s just as desperate.
I pull back, my chest heaving, my eyes still locked on hers. I can feel the heat from our kiss lingering between us. She’s here, with me, and nothing is going to take her away again.
“Get out,” I mutter, my gaze still on Tori but my words aimed for my friends. My voice is low but firm, a command.
Blaze and Ryder freeze for a moment, exchanging a glance. They both want to argue, want to protest, but they know what this is. They know this is my moment. They’re no longer needed here.
“Thorne, we need to plan—” Blaze starts, but I cut him off.
“Get out.” The words are sharp, final.
Ryder looks like he might push it, but after a beat, he exhales and shakes his head. “Fine, fine. We’ll let you two have your fun.” He gives Tori a wink, his grin lopsided, and then he mutters, “Don’t take too long.” Blaze follows him out, mumbling something under his breath as he goes, but neither of them argue further.
The door clicks shut behind them, leaving me and Tori alone in the quiet. It’s just us. And this time, nothing will tear us apart.
I don’t give her a chance to breathe. Before she can even react, I’m on her, slamming her back against the wall with a force that leaves no room for hesitation. Her body presses into mine, and for a split second, she’s still, stunned. But she doesn’t push me away.
Her breaths come in heavy and hot, and I can see it. That tiny flicker of anticipation in her eyes. She knows what’s coming. I know what’s coming. And I’m not going to hold back.
I grip her wrist and pin it above her head, trapping her against the wall, my other hand threading through her hair, tugging her face closer to me. “You’re mine,” I growl, my voice rough, a mixture of desperation and certainty.
Tori’s lips part as if she’s about to speak, but I don’t give her the chance. I cover her mouth with mine, kissing her with everything I’ve been holding back—the rage, the love, the need. It’s wild, desperate. It’s raw. She kisses me back, pushing her lips harder against mine. It’s like she’s trying to hold onto me just as much as I’m trying to hold onto her.
I pull back just enough to look at her, my breath coming in heavy gasps. “Vic,” I say her name, the sound of it raspy in my throat. It’s almost a plea, but not quite. It’s a command, a statement of truth. “Say it. Tell me you’re mine.”
Her lips tremble slightly, but she doesn’t hesitate. “I’m yours,” she breathes, her voice low, almost lost in the air between us. The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I don’t hold back anymore. My lips are on her neck, my teeth grazing her skin as I pull her even closer, pressing my body into hers.
I pull back for a moment, my eyes never leaving hers as I start undressing her, the need coursing through me now, too strong to ignore. I slide her shirt off with a sense of urgency, tossing it aside as I reach for her pants. Her hands slide up my chest, tugging at my clothes with equal desperation. There’s no hesitation, no slowing down. She wants this as much as I do. She wants me, all of me.
I take her pants off, along with her panties, and toss them aside without a care. All that matters is having her, feeling her against me.
Her skin is like fire, burning me with every inch I uncover. I kiss her again, harder this time, pulling her closer, deeper. It's like I can't get enough, can't get her closer. She meets me with the same intensity, her hands gripping my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin.
When we’re both bare, when there’s no fabric left between us, I lift her, pinning her against the wall with my body, my hands gripping her thighs as I line myself up right and slide into her unsheathed. Her pussy hugs me in its sleek warmth, welcoming me with need.
It's the first time I'm bare like this with her, and it's a feeling I won't soon forget.
She gasps as I thrust, the feeling of her surrounding me, consuming me. It’s everything I’ve needed, everything I’ve wanted. And it feels... right . It feels like I’ve come home. Like nothing else matters, nothing else exists except her.
Her body moving against mine, the sound of her breath, the way she gasps when I push deeper. It’s perfect. It’s ours.
“Fuck,” I groan, the word slipping out between clenched teeth as I thrust again, harder this time. “You feel just right. Better than right.”
I’m not sure how to describe it—how to explain how perfectly she fits against me, how the pressure of her body wraps around me like it was made just for me. But I feel it deep inside. She’s mine, always has been and always will be.
Tori’s body trembles against me, her nails digging into my back as I take her again, my movements rougher, more primal, a desperate need to claim her. She doesn’t back away, doesn’t hesitate. She pulls me closer, urging me on, her body shifting with mine, every thrust, every movement, driving us both higher.
And when she comes, I feel it—her body shuddering, her muscles tightening around me, my name slipping from her lips in a breathless, shaky cry. It’s everything. I feel myself unraveling with her, the explosion of need and pleasure consuming us both as I pull out and come all over her stomach, getting some on myself as well.
We don’t speak for a moment, both of us breathless, our bodies still pressed together as if we need to remind ourselves that this is real. That we’re not going to lose each other again.
I pull back slowly, my hands gently stroking her face as I look down at her. She’s breathing heavily, her hair wild, her skin flushed. There’s a fire in her eyes that wasn’t there before. I know now. She’s not afraid of what we’ve become. She’s embraced it.
She’s mine. Completely.
“I’ll never let you go again,” I promise, my voice rough with everything I’m feeling. “You’re mine. Forever.”
Tori’s gaze never wavers. She doesn’t need to say anything. Her eyes tell me everything. She’s with me. In every way that matters.