Jaxon
After the night Xay and I had, my brothers and I agreed it would be better to meet in the morning. Tensions were still running a little too high, and we couldn’t decide whether death would be too kind for Christian Cavanaugh. Best to settle this with cool heads.
By the time I stumbled into Verrin Hall, exhaustion had taken over, and I threw myself onto the bed without hesitation. But my thoughts wouldn’t let me rest. They drifted back to Naomi—her fragile body collapsing in my arms, her scent clinging to me like a ghost I couldn’t shake.
The memory tightened its grip on my chest, and with it came a familiar hunger—murder, carnage. Not Nyx’s kind of carnage, but suffering all the same. Slow. Methodical.
I closed my eyes, a crooked smile twisting my lips as I plotted. I’d kill him. Nyx would gut him. Kaios would carve him into forgettable pieces. The intimacy of death was a companion to my brothers and me; one we never shied away from.
Then I’d push Naomi far enough away that she wouldn’t be complicit when we disposed of him—if they even found a body when we were done.
The thoughts swirled like a storm all night, threatening to consume me. But I couldn’t let them. Not yet.
In the pale morning light, I inhale deeply, holding the breath in my chest before slowly releasing it. My fingers press into the space between my brows, trying to push the thoughts from last night back, but the ache doesn’t fade.
“You good?” Kaios’s voice pulls me out of my head as we walk into the club and start down a dimly lit hallway, towards Nyx’s office.
I clear my throat and drop my hand, shoving the darker thoughts aside. “I’m fine,” I reply, though we both know it’s a lie.
But I have to keep my composure. If I slip, Nyx and Kaios will follow, gleefully turning my fantasies into reality. And we’ll all be damned before we let that bastard die cleanly.
Outside the glossy black office door, I grip the brass doorknob and push his office door open.
Inside, I find exactly what I expect—Nyx’s latest scene. Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to my brother’s extracurricular activities; in fact, this is quite tame compared to all of the other things I’ve had the misfortune of walking in on.
Our dark-haired bartender kneels before him in nothing but a black lacy thong—Natalia, his latest pet. She gags around his cock as he holds her head in place. Her arms are bound behind her back by a black leather strap that I surmise is his belt.
I’m almost sure she’s going to suffocate, but he lets up and she inhales sharply through her nose, continuing to suck.
“Ahem.” I clear my throat loud enough to make sure he knows we’re here.
Kaios leans against the door frame beside me; one ankle crossed over the other. A slow, wicked smirk spreads across his face as his eyes roam over the scene, hungrily. Sometimes I swear he forgets Nyx is his brother.
Nyx cracks one bloodshot eye open, lifting his head from the chair’s backrest. “I’ve told you to knock,” he grunts, seemingly unfazed by our sudden appearance.
“Or you could lock the door like a civilized person,” I shoot back, my tone sharp. “Anyone could walk in here.”
The woman gags louder as Nyx thrusts harder, punishing her for our interruption, or maybe her carelessness with Naomi’s drink last night—I can't tell which. I’ll go with the latter, only because her ass and cheeks are already scarlet red, welts lining different parts of her body.
“Anyone else would’ve had the sense to knock,” he bites out, his voice cold and clipped.
She mumbles something, her voice muffled, and his hand loosens in her hair just enough for her to pull away. Her cheeks are flushed, her breath ragged, and she tries to shrink away, but Nyx doesn’t let her.
His hand clamps around her jaw, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Did I tell you to stop?” he asks, his voice low and sharp enough to draw blood.
“No, but—” Her eyes dart toward us. He yanks her back, keeping her focus on him.
“No, what?” he growls, his tone promising punishment.
“No, Sir,” she breathes, her voice trembling as her chest heaves.
“Good.” His fingers tighten in her hair, pulling her closer as she moans under the pressure. “Then finish. My brothers already know what a good little whore you’ve been for me.” He shoves her back down, forcing himself down her throat.
That’s my cue to leave.
“We’ll be at the bar when you’re…done,” I say flatly, already backing out of the door.
Nyx grunts his acknowledgment, his focus never leaving Natalie.
I glance at Kaios, who hasn’t moved. Still leaning against the door frame, his smirk stretches wider as he watches.
“Move,” I snap, but he doesn’t budge, clearly enjoying the show. I grab his collar and yank him with me.
“Fuck,” he grunts, stumbling after me.
“Let’s go, asshole,” I snap, pulling the door shut behind us.
“Get the fuck off me,” Kaios rasps, jerking free of my grip.
Before I can react, he shoves me hard against the wall. My hands curl into fists, but I resist. Barely. All of us are running on fumes, and after last night, we could all use a day off. But as it stands, no rest for the weary.
I straighten, holding his gaze long enough to catch it—a flash of black, swirling and endless. Then, just as quickly, he turns and stalks down the hall.
“Is this how we’re starting the morning?” I call after him. He glances over his shoulder, his jaw tight, and I swear his eyes are pitch black. “You want to keep being a dickhead, or do you want to get your shit together?”
He doesn’t stop walking, but his stride slows.
“Which do you prefer?” I press, voice laced with sarcasm.
He turns to face me fully, rolls his eyes, blinks three times deliberately, and then his green eyes snap back into focus. “Whichever one shuts you the fuck up.”
I exhale hard, pinching the bridge of my nose.
My patience is already stretched to its limit, and the pounding in my skull intensifies.
My brother's bullshit always finds a way to amplify my chronic migraines. I don’t even know if what I just saw is real or if sleep deprivation is driving me insane.
“Just get your shit together,” I mutter, brushing past him and heading for the main bar.
“Pour me a bourbon while you’re back there,” he calls, already slouching into one of the booths, his long legs sprawled out on the leather.
“It’s nine a.m.,” I chide, yanking a bottle of water from the fridge beneath the counter.
“And?” He shrugs, a lazy grin tugging at his mouth. “If I’ve gotta be here this early, I might as well drink.”
“Winning attitude, Mouse. Truly inspiring,” I deadpan, sliding my glasses onto the bridge of my nose. The lenses darken as soon as sunlight cuts through the window, dulling the white-hot bonfire in my skull to something bearable.
Dropping into the opposite end of the booth, I’m finally able to breathe again. Or at least I try to.
“I had shit to do this morning that didn’t include you fuckers,” Kaios says, standing up and wandering behind the bar, bourbon calling his name. He pours himself a glass and downs it in one smooth motion, without flinching.
“She’s not even home,” I eye him cautiously. His eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second before darting away, and my stomach drops.
“You didn’t.” I’m on my feet before the words finish leaving my mouth.“Tell me you didn’t, Mouse,” I groan, the throb behind my eyes sharpening again.
Kaios tilts his head, a smirk teasing his lips. “I could lie if it makes you feel better, brother.” He pours a second glass of the fragrant amber liquid and takes a sip. He doesn't even bother to deny my allegation.
“Fuck, Kaios. We talked about this.” My voice rises, the words scraping raw against my throat. “I said we have to stay on the same page. At. All. Times.”
This fucking kid. Ever since we brought him home, it’s been nothing but defiance. He’s been hell-bent on testing me at every turn.
“We are on the same page,” he says with a shrug, topping off his glass. “You told me to install the cameras in all the places she might frequent. So, I did.”
I bite back the urge to punch the smug grin off his face. Instead, I rub my temples, trying to breathe through the mounting frustration.
“I have a list of all the cameras you’ve installed,” I remind him, my voice tight with barely restrained anger. “And as of yesterday, that location wasn’t on it.”
Kaios sets his glass down with a deliberate clink, leaning one elbow against the counter. “What’s your point, King?” He quirks a brow as he toys with the now-empty glass.
“The point is, Mouse,” I snap, yanking the glass out of his hand, slamming it onto the bar. “The point is, we didn’t discuss those cameras as a group. You went rogue. Again.”
His smirk doesn’t falter, not even for a second.
“So, you’re fine with her being somewhere we don’t have eyes?” Kaios asks, his phone suddenly in his hand. Sometimes I wonder if the damn thing is permanently welded to him. For someone who can’t stand being social, he sure as hell loves his tech.
He strokes a finger over the screen, his voice dripping with lust. “So vulnerable. So delicate,” he purrs. Then, flips the phone toward me, his lips twisting into something smug. “Wanna know what happened after you dropped her off last night?”
My stomach tightens as my eyes drop to the screen. Crystal-clear footage of Naomi and her friend stares back at me. They’re fast asleep in the bedroom where Xay and I left them. In the next moment, a shadowy figure slips into the room, the door shutting softly behind them. Neither woman stirs.
The figure looms, shrouded in darkness, standing over Naomi. And I feel as though my heart is about to give out, the thrum loud enough to drown out everything else.
The figure fists the sheets, yanking them away from her body in one rough pull, hands groping at her breast, then sliding down to lift her dress.
Two quick flashes of light cut through the scene, and the hooded figure crumples to the ground. Finally, the screen goes black.