Chapter 3
THREE
KASHTON
INITIATION
Commitment
Junior year at Barrington University
I’m nauseous. The gum the older woman offered me was working, but I think it’s wearing off. That was hours ago.
I don’t care how big this yacht is; I feel us rocking back and forth out here on the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve been on this mega yacht longer than I’d like. We were supposed to get in and get out.
It’s a joke. The four of us can’t do anything on time.
“Where the fuck did Haidyn go?” Saint growls, checking his cell.
“He said he had to use the restroom,” Adam reminds him. “Maybe he had to take a shit.”
Saint gives him a doubtful look just as his phone vibrates in his hand. “Fuck,” he hisses.
“What?” I wonder, digging in my suit jacket for mine as well.
“Haidyn’s doing his alone.”
“That’s not the plan,” Adam growls.
“Let’s go,” Saint snaps. We exit the poker room, taking the elevator down to the main level. “Split up. Message the group as soon as you find him.”
We all go our separate ways, but he could be anywhere on this mega yacht. I look out over the ocean and see the lights from the shore. The yacht isn’t supposed to go too far. Just cruise out here for an all-night party.
I slow to a normal pace when I enter the public view. I fix my suit jacket, buttoning it and taking a quick look to make sure I don’t have any blood on me.
Nodding, I mumble, “Good evening,” and “Hello,” making my way through a crowd of people.
So far, we’re down two dead guys—both of which are now shark food—taking out one more than we were ordered to for Saint.
And we still have our three to go. We can’t let any of them be seen.
That would ruin our plan and our initiation.
If you ask me, this was a stupid idea. Putting us all together in one place out in the ocean can only end in disaster.
Or with me puking all over myself. I’ve been chewing away on the gum the old lady gave me in hopes that it would calm me down.
I’d say it’s helping, but I still feel a little uneasy.
I decide to swallow it. Maybe that will help. It was old anyway. Should have spit it out hours ago.
I’m looking down at my cell when it continues to vibrate in my hand. It’s the group chat. They’re blowing it up, looking for Haidyn, but he’s not responding. I’m not surprised. We all prefer to work alone. The Lords are forcing this initiation to be a group activity.
I run into a soft surface, knocking my phone to the deck. “Fuck,” I hiss, bending down to pick it up. But they get to it first.
“I’m sorry.” Someone giggles. “I’m so clumsy.” Green eyes gaze up to mine through a set of dark painted lashes.
“I, uh… Sorry. It was my fault,” I tell her. “I wasn’t paying attention.” But I am now.
It’s the woman I saw earlier. The one Saint wouldn’t let me play with.
Bleached-blond hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck.
Her small body is wrapped in a red silk dress that dips low in the front, showing me a set of perfect tits.
They’re on the smaller side. The thin fabric might as well be a fucking bow—a present that I can unwrap and play with.
She has a dainty nose ring—septum piercing—that I hadn’t noticed from a distance earlier.
She gives me a nervous smile and holds out my cell. It’s vibrating in her hand when I take it and shove it into the pocket of my dress slacks without even bothering to look at it. Haidyn’s a big boy; he can handle himself.
“I—”
“I’ve been looking for you.” A man comes up behind the woman, and I watch her stiffen at the sound of his voice. It belongs to the same man she was standing with when I first saw her.
She clears her throat and faces him. “I’m right here.” Her voice is now flat, all playfulness gone.
His dark eyes meet mine, and he reaches out, grabbing her hand. “Quit playing around. That’s not what you’re here for.” He pulls her forward, and she trips in her expensive designer heels, but his hand in hers keeps her upright.
“Hey, man. Take it easy,” I say, stepping forward to follow them. She was drinking a glass of champagne earlier. Who knows how many she’s had. It’s a party. Maybe she’s drunk and unsteady.
He jerks her to a stop and spins around to glare at me. Her eyes quickly glance at mine before they drop to the deck. It’s clear she’s afraid of him. “I didn’t mean—”
“Shut up,” he barks at her, and her exposed shoulders begin to tremble.
I step into him, bumping my chest into his. “Watch your fucking tone.” I’m six five. He’s maybe six foot, by the way I have to look down at him. I still feel a little seasick, but I will whoop his ass.
He gives me a cruel smile that shows off his paid-for mouth. He’s a Lord, of course. If I had to guess, I’d say very high up on the food chain, but I don’t know him personally. That’s not surprising. So many of them from all over the world are attending this party tonight.
“Listen, boy, when you pay for it, you can treat it however you want.” He turns and yanks her away once more, pulling her through a door to the right.
I shouldn’t get involved. It’s none of my business. I’m here for an initiation…
“Fuck,” I curse, pulling out my cell. Thirty unread messages in the group chat between Adam and Saint. Still nothing from Haidyn.
The newest message pops up.
SAINT: Where the fuck are you, Kash?
I type back a quick response.
ME: Main deck forward.
And I start walking. As I pass the door on the right, I hear the girl crying out from inside. I don’t even give it a second thought. I shove the door open and rush into the owner’s suite.
Cream-colored silk bedding and gold trim. The chocolate-colored drapes are open, allowing the dark water to be visible. The carpet is a crisp white. The room is fit for royalty.
The woman gets my attention. She’s in the process of trying to crawl off the king-size bed, and he’s leaning over the edge, hands around her ankles, dragging her back to him as she kicks and screams. His hand slips, ripping one of her heels off in the process.
“Fucking cunt,” the man growls. “You’ll pay for that.”
I walk up behind the Lord, gripping the back of his suit jacket, and pull him off her.
“What the fuck?” He turns to look at me, and I punch him in the face, knocking him back onto the bed before he rolls to the floor.
I bend down, grab the collar of his button-down to pull his head up off the floor, and punch him again.
Blood splatters across the pristine carpet.
I hit him once more and feel his cheek break under my splitting knuckles.
He rolls onto his stomach and starts to crawl away. “Where are you going?” I taunt, feeling better already.
“Fucking bitch.” He groans, moving at the pace of a sloth. I clocked him pretty good.
I turn to look for something I can use and see a phone charger on the nightstand.
I rip the cord from the wall and wrap it around his neck from behind over and over, then yank on it.
I bend his head back at an odd angle while I plant my Tom Ford loafers on either side of his waist. He flails, hands digging, body thrashing, but he can’t get it off.
I have it pulled so tight that blood runs down his neck from where it’s ripping his skin open.
Once his body goes limp, I let go, and it falls to the floor.
I take a deep breath, adrenaline coursing through me, and step over his body. The girl is softly crying, huddling in the opposite corner of the room. Making my way to the en suite bathroom to wash up, I pick up the red dress off the floor and toss it to her without looking.
I might have wanted to fuck her when I first spotted her on the deck earlier, but the poor thing was almost raped. The least I can do is give her privacy.
Removing my suit jacket, I move on to the onyx-and-diamond striped Bergdorf Goodman cuff links, plucking them from my bloody sleeves.
I undo my tie and the top couple of buttons on my dress shirt as well.
Then I wash my hands, arms, face, and neck.
Once done, I shut off the water and dry off.
I pull my vibrating cell out and see I’ve missed another twenty-five messages.
I don’t even bother reading them, just type out and send.
Coming.
When I turn around, I’m startled to see the blonde standing in the doorway to the bathroom. Still very naked. I clear my throat, averting my eyes. “I gave you your dress.”
“He ripped it,” comes her soft voice.
“Here.” I pick up my suit jacket from the bathroom floor and hold it out to her, making sure to look away while she slips it on. It’s a little bloody, but better than nothing.
“Thank you,” she mumbles.
After a second, I glance up to see she has my suit jacket draped over her shoulders.
It’s open down the front. It reaches her thighs and barely covers her breasts.
I can see from her delicate neck, down her sternum, over her stomach and her shaved pussy.
She’s got her legs crossed, but she makes no move to button it.
My eyes find hers, and she gives me a nervous smile before wiping the black mascara from her flushed cheeks. “Thank you,” she repeats.
I nod while yelling at myself. Leave, Kash. My brothers are going to kill me.
She steps into me, placing her hands on my hips, and I stiffen.
“I want to repay you.” She bites her red-painted lip nervously. Her hands move to my belt.
Fuck me.
I run a hand through my hair to keep myself from picking her up and tossing her to the floor. “I just killed a man who was going to rape you, and you want to repay me by letting me fuck you?” I want to make sure I understand where this situation is headed and that we’re both on the same page.
“I wasn’t in the mood.” She shrugs. “But now I am.” Her hands work slowly and steadily, undoing my buckle and then the button on my slacks, followed by my zipper.
My cell vibrates in my pocket, and I wish I had shut it off. “I can’t.” I grab her tiny wrists, stopping her, but my slacks have already fallen open and hang around my upper thighs.