Chapter 21
Orion
The drive back to Spine Ridge University feels achingly slow. Or maybe that’s just because every time I glance in Xavier’s direction, I feel the incredible urge to ask him why he acts like he fucking hates me.
And that’s just pathetic, honestly.
Because I know exactly why.
We’re both vying for the attention of the same girl, and only one of us can win.
Or at least, that’s what we’ve been conditioned to believe by a society hell-bent on pushing people into a singular narrative where love only exists in a vacuum between two individuals.
Lord knows there are whole swaths of people out there enjoying a mixed lifestyle with different people of all genders.
Not everything has to be black and white.
Though I reckon most people don’t want to be killed by the object of their infatuation. That’s just my deranged brain getting away with itself after languishing in loneliness for so long.
I sigh out loud and turn my head to gaze out the window instead, watching the people we drive past who are oblivious to the fact that we just covered up a murder. A murder I was complicit in when I didn’t extend even a single finger to stop it.
But how could I?
The crescendo of blood was just too beautiful, and it reminded me so much of everything I adore about Sunny that I was simply stunned beyond belief.
I didn’t know Xavier actually had it in him to … kill people like that.
Then again, I guess I should’ve known, considering his family. All of them are killers through and through.
Rain droplets roll down the window, and in them I see his reflection, which makes me want to glance back at him again. The way he looked at me when I came too close makes me wonder if something more is going on behind those secretive eyes.
Somehow, my eyes have found their way to his face, and I can’t help but let them slide down to his lips as he bites down on the bottom one while veering through traffic, as if following Sunny on her motorcycle causes him distress.
Fear of the unknown.
I read about it all the time, but it’s an unfamiliar sensation to my weary body.
I fear nothing, not even death itself.
Xavier, on the other hand…
He glances my way out of nowhere, and I feel caught staring, so I avert my gaze.
“What?”
I clear my throat. “Nothing. I was just … Never mind.”
He tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “You were looking at me.”
“Is that forbidden?” I retort, folding my arms.
His eyes flicker down my robe to my ample pecs still visible through a gap, and the blush is almost immediate, followed by a brisk snort. “It is when you’re distracting me.”
“With what?” I raise a brow. “Nipples?”
I part the robe fully, exposing my simple sweatpants and all the glorious muscle on my chiseled body.
He nearly flinches in his seat. “Stop. I’m trying to fucking drive.”
“Afraid you’re gonna crash the car from a bit of skin, Xavier?”
“Fuck you,” he growls.
“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” I retort, smirking.
“In your dreams,” he says, keeping his gaze fixated on her, as if he’s determined not to lose sight of that delicious body in that skintight suit of hers.
We drive up the mountain, following our beloved Mistress Sunny as she swerves across the street on her motorcycle.
“Maybe I have,” I rebuke, throwing even myself off.
“What?” he mutters, completely caught off guard.
“Nothing,” I reiterate, sighing again as I roll my eyes. “Just fucking drive.”
I need this car ride to be over as quickly as possible so I can finally get to the only thing that matters to me: becoming her next victim. I’ve already made up my mind. She’s the only one who can do it for me, who can make my final wish come true.
When the car arrives at the location, I look up in surprise.
We’re not at her house. We’re at ours. Tartarus House.
“What is she planning?” Xavier murmurs as he parks the car.
“I have no idea, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I say, as we both get out.
She’s already put her helmet on her bike and marches toward the door with her backpack still firmly pressed to her back. “Inside. Quickly.”
We nod and follow her into the house, where the party is still ongoing as usual. Tartarus parties only end when the sun rises, and the people are done dancing and fucking and ready to sleep it off.
Before she opens the door, she pulls her bag off her shoulders and pulls out a mask with bunny ears, but it’s not one I’ve ever seen before. She puts it on, then zips the bag back up and casually throws it over her shoulder.
Is she trying to hide so no one knows it’s her?
She takes one glance at the many people dancing around and immediately veers up the stairs. We follow like obedient dogs, tagging behind her at an appropriate distance, while throwing glances at each other like we both know we’re absolutely screwed.
Fabulous.
“What are we doing here?” Xavier asks bravely.
“You two couldn’t help yourself from killing, even when I told you not to,” she says, glancing at both of us over her shoulder. “A punishment is due.”
Xavier pauses and swallows, then throws me a glance before continuing behind her.
He’s scared and rightfully so, because we have no clue what she’s going to do.
I, for one, am excited as hell.
My heart throbs in my chest as we walk through the purple-painted hallways lined with lewd statues and paintings. The erotic undertones in this old wooden building always tingle my artistic urges, but nothing makes me write faster than watching Sunny step into the darkness of the Tartarus Society.
The last time she was here, she strapped me to my chair in my room and made me beg for it, and the mere memory makes me salivate at the mouth. But I shouldn’t get my hopes up just yet. After all … we deserve to be punished, and I can’t wait to see what she’s got in store.
Is she going to cut our hearts out? Slit our throats? End it quickly, or make our suffering endure?
God, the thought alone makes goose bumps scatter on my skin. I can’t wait.
She moves underneath the gloomy lights like she already knows these halls and makes her way to a certain room I know all too well: mine.
She opens the door and steps inside, then waits for us to join her. There are books and papers scattered all over my floor, and I wish I’d known she’d lead us here because I would’ve cleaned up the mess.
As both Xavier and I move into the middle of my room, and Xavier looks around, she slams the door shut so harshly that he jolts up and down. She flicks on the light in my room, which glitters across the floor.
“So you two thought it was a good idea to murder a cop just because I kissed him on the cheek?”
“Not me, I only helped him get rid of the body,” I say.
“Silence.” Just the sound of her command immediately shuts me up. “You’ve disappointed me.”
Xavier slowly drops to his knees of his own volition. “I’m sorry.”
Her nostrils flare, and she focuses her gaze on me. “You. On your knees too.”
Thud. Thud.
My knees drop to the floor right beside Xavier, but neither of us dares to look anywhere else but at her flaming presence.
How could I resist?
“Hands behind your back.”
Our hands move backward immediately, locking in place.
God, I love how controlling she is.
“Good. This is how I like to see it. Subservient, as you should.”
She drops the bag she was carrying onto the wooden floor, and I wonder what kind of weapons are inside. Knives? Guns? Or something worse?
My entire body shivers at the thought.
“I have to say, I’m impressed you two managed to get as far as you did, bickering like a married couple.”
Xavier winces. “We’re not—”
“No? Then why were you two acting so hot and bothered back there?” she asks, tilting her head.
“I’m not,” Xavier says, grinding his teeth. I must say, I’m kind of disappointed too. “The only thing I care about is pleasing you.”
She smiles. “Do you know? But how could you please me when you’re constantly running around, interfering with my business?”
He lowers his gaze again. “I will beg for forgiveness if that’s what you want.”
“No. But I’m not going to tolerate this for much longer.”
“I understand.”
“No, I don’t think you do.” She chuckles. “Now, how are you two going to do anything for me when you can’t even get along?”
My lips part. “Wait, what? That’s why we’re here? Because you think we’re enemies?”
She pulls a knife out of her pocket to toy with it. “There’s obviously some rivalry between the two of you.” She flips the knife around and between her fingers like it’s child’s play to her. “I admit, it’s fun watching you fight over me. Very cute.”
Heat spreads across my cheeks, and when I briefly turn my head to look at Xavier, he’s gotten just as much of a blush, but the moment he sees me, he swiftly turns his head.
I know there’s friction between us, and I won’t lie that I know I’m partly the cause. But I don’t know if it’s solely because he loathes me for wanting her as much as he does … or if something more is brewing underneath all that hatred.
She points the knife at both of us. “But all that fighting has to end. Now.”
She alternates between us until her blade finally stops near Xavier’s chest. I’m sad to admit she didn’t choose me first, but I can wait for my turn.
His Adam’s apple bobs. “If you want to kill me, then do it fast. Because I will never, ever stop trying to follow you.”
She grips his throat, sharp, blade-like nails digging into his skin. “Are you threatening me, Caruso?”
He can barely speak, and I can see the fear snake around his neck as harshly as her sharp nails. “Never. I just … I would do anything to please you.”
She stares him down. “Anything?”
He swallows against the tip of the blade, blood gently rolling down his skin. “Anything you want. I’ll do it.”
The smile that slowly forms beneath her mask is nothing short of monstrous.
Holy fuck. He just opened Pandora’s box.
Sunny
Anything I want?
Anything?
He’s willing to do everything I tell him to do?
God, the potential is unending.
These boys have gone rogue, and it’s about time I put them in their place.
This is perfect.
Orion blurts out, “I’ll do everything he does and more.”
I glance at the simp next to Xavier.
“I’ll kill for you if you wish,” he adds.
Two little pups at my disposal.
This could get interesting very quickly.
But I wonder how far they’re actually willing to take it.
“Interesting,” I say. “And what do you think you’ll get in return?”
“You.”
“Death.”
Xavier and Orion speak at the same time, and they both glance at each other like they’re annoyed that the other one spoke or offered a better answer. Their pettiness is feeding me.
I grasp Orion’s throat too now. It’s laughable that they think they get to dictate what I will do to them.
“All right then. Bark.”
“Woof,” Orion says.
I snort as Xavier struggles. “Woof.”
But they both did it anyway despite their reservations.
The smile on my face couldn’t be any bigger. “Good boys.”
With my hand locked around their chins, I force them to turn toward each other. “Now kiss.”
Xavier frowns. “That fucker—”
“Ah, ah, you wanted to please me? Then kiss.”
Xavier grumbles, but still leans in, as if the thought of disobeying me would never, ever be an option to him, and I like it.
“You fight, you make up,” I add.
“I won’t bite,” Orion muses. “Unless you like that kinky stuff.”
“Just get it over with quickly,” Xavier huffs.
“Okay, didn’t know you were that eager,” Orion jests.
I tower over them. “Aw, cute, all that protesting. But now it’s time to kiss.”
On their knees, they lean into each other and give each other the sickliest, sweetest kiss that’s over faster than I can blink. Boring.
“No. Longer. With tongues.”
Xavier mutters, “But I’m not—”
“Gay?” I snort. “Have you tried?”
His lips part, but there’s no answer.
“So you don’t know.”
Orion sniggers, and Xavier throws him the nastiest of looks, before he says, “But—”
“Ah!” I interject, and I grab his head and force it back into place. “You offered to please me, now please your fucking queen and kiss him like you mean it.”
Xavier
I really, really, really hate this fucker with all my guts.
But if it pleases her …
I will do anything she asks.
I sigh and lean in softly until our lips touch and our mouths part, and our tongues spill out to taste each other.
I hate it with every fiber of my being, the way he latches onto my mouth with his perfect fucking lips, hate the way his tongue rolls around mine with such bravado that it makes me want to rip his head clean off.
He grins while he kisses me. He actually fucking grins like he knows he’s a good kisser.
And so what if he is? It doesn’t mean anything. I’ve kissed … I’ve kissed before … I’ve kissed Sunny—or rather, she kissed me.
If I can only picture her kissing me instead of these maddening, crazy, arousing lips—NO!
I try to pull back, but he won’t let me.
He won’t let me because his tongue is entwined with mine, and my entire being is forced into his mouth like it can’t stop devouring him—despite the fact that I still can’t stop thinking of tearing his heart out through his chest and force-feeding it to him for even daring to look at her. For daring to look at me.
My hands ball into fists behind my back. I want to sucker punch him because he’s driving me absolutely mad.
The moan that echoes through his chest makes me nearly bite into his lip.
Fuck.
How dare he?
How dare he sound like he’s enjoying this?
Because I sure am not. I’m not fucking enjoying any part of kissing these raunchy lips, but why does he taste so fucking good?
God, I hate it. I hate it, but I can’t stop. I don’t want him to stop. I shouldn’t want this to—
“Stop.” Her voice pulls me from the nether.
I tear away from Orion’s lips, his saliva still coating my lips, my tongue, my taste buds, my core being fucking uprooted.
For a moment, all I do is stare into his pure eyes, wondering why my heart is beating in my throat and why the fuck my cock just twitched.
His tongue darts out to lick his lip while he throws me a smug smile.
Absolute insanity how much I hate this dude for, for, for—
“So how was it?” Sunny asks.
“I …” I stutter, not knowing how to respond.
“Like I could almost forgive him for dragging me into his mess,” Orion muses.
“Fuck you,” I retort.
“If you’re so eager, then why don’t you?”
My brows furrow, eyes widening with pure rage. “I’m gonna—”
“Fuck. That sounds like a good idea,” Sunny interrupts, tearing me out of my wet dream of ending this fucker once and for all.
“You know, I have the perfect idea.” She walks to her bag. “Keep your hands behind your backs. Don’t fucking move.”
She zips it open and pulls out the biggest schlong I have ever seen—a double-ended dildo that makes both of our eyes nearly pop out of the sockets.
“What the hell is that?” I mutter.
“Oh, this?” She wiggles it around like it’s some kind of slapstick joke. “I call this ‘the giant.’ One of the many toys I have at my disposal to make little subby boys squirm. And you two are going to swallow it whole.”