Chapter 1 Cade
CADE
The heavy bass is a dull thump through the walls as I slip through the back entrance and look around the gaudy mansion. The whole place is ringed with hedges and elaborate sculptures. Even had a fucking staff entrance hidden on the side of the property, perfect for me to get in undetected.
A myriad of golden hues splayed from floor to ceiling. Too fucking much. My heavy boots echo against the marble floor in the quiet hallway.
Footsteps reverberate off the walls, and I quickly press myself into the wall near the entryway, silently setting my trap.
Just as the shadow of a man enters, I loop the cord around his neck, yanking tight till I feel the pull cutting off his air.
He spasms, clearly shocked from my assault.
I’m sure he didn’t expect this kind of choking at a party like this.
The poor bastard. He’s clawing at his throat, which will end in—Five. Four. Three. Two. Out.
I grab him by the ankles, dragging his unconscious body further into the room near a closet. Stripping away his clothes takes effort, but I get them off, tossing them aside. I grunt, wrestling his dead weight into the closet.
I grab the clothes and hurry out of the room, farther down the hall, slipping into one of the back rooms and planting the clothes under the chaise lounge—I’m gonna need those for later.
Walking over to the full-length mirror, I run my fingers through my hair, messing it up on purpose, and walk out, into the party.
The room reeks of sweat and arousal, a heady mix that turns my stomach. These people disgust me, but I haven’t come to judge.
In the writhing masses, bodies are tangled in slick, desperate motion among the silk pillows scattered across the floor, but they’re nothing more than background noise among the variations of blues. My focus remains sharp against the dimly lit euphoria.
I scan the room and head toward a bar in the back corner, sitting on one of the empty stools. I raise my finger up, capturing the bartender’s attention.
“What can I get you?”
“Whiskey, straight,” I reply.
The bartender moves with quick hands, sliding the drink to me.
But I’m distracted by a stunning woman in lingerie.
She’s carrying a tray out to a man fisting a woman’s hair as he aggressively fucks her mouth.
My eyes shift away and meet the gaze of a short blond-haired man, his features delicate yet confident, as he seats himself next to me.
“You are way too hot to be alone right now,” he says in a sultry tone, eyeing me up and down.
“I’m not alone. You’re here.” I smirk and take a sip of my drink.
“You like what you see?” he says, biting his lip.
I look him over. His small frame is covered in… glitter. Nope.
Redhead, long hair, short hair, big dick, a pussy I can sink into. I’ll fuck it all, but no fucking glitter.
In a dim corner, a blond in a silver mask gasps, and shudders. Her body taut beneath the hands of a faceless stranger.
I watch as the man squeezes hard into her love handles, her massive titties bobbing back and forth over a woman motorboating her. Now that’s a thing of beauty.
“Sorry, I’ve got my eye on someone. Unbothered, I saunter over to the trio. Tilt her chin upward teasingly, and her breath hitches.
“Mind if I have a turn?” I ask, smirking as I meet her gaze.
Her eyes drift downward, lingering on my chest before wandering lower. A smile plays on her lips as she rises to her feet, slipping her hand into mine. I lead her out of the room, feeling the weight of her curiosity in how she studies me.
She hesitates for only a moment.
“Have we met before? You seem familiar,” she murmurs quietly.
“I don’t know. You got a name?” I look down at her.
“We don’t do names here.”
Perfect.
I guide her into the empty back room and press her against the wall, my lips finding the curve of her neck, teasing and tasting as my hands explore her body. A deep moan escapes her throat and echoes through the room, raw and unguarded. I lean in close—
“We may have never been formally introduced,” I whisper, low and deliberate. “But for now… I’m yours.”
She trails her hands up and down my biceps.
“Fuck, your tattoos are so hot,” she says, then pulls my face to hers and kisses me.
Her tongue rolls over mine as my hands trail down her subtle curves.
Gripping her thighs, I lift one of her legs over my forearm, locking it in place.
She wastes no time unzipping my pants and dropping them to the floor.
Her fingers wrap around my cock, guiding me to her entrance, and the moment I feel her warmth, I thrust in deep, burying myself inside her.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” I growl, my voice rough.
I lift her higher, making her take every inch of me as I carry her to the chaise near the window. Laying her on her back, I pin her down, pounding into her without restraint.
“Oh my God, don’t stop!” she cries out, her back arching as she trembles beneath me. Gripping her hips tighter, I pick up the pace, driving into her ruthlessly. She fucking molds to me as I angle myself lower and find that perfect spot—
“Don’t stop, oh my God—please, I’m—” I feel her pulse around my length as I slow down to savor the feeling. Fuck… I’m gonna come and it hasn’t even been five minutes.
Weak.
Reaching under the pillow, my fingers close around the knife I planted when I got here.
I groan, still riding out her pleasure, her moans becoming reckless and unguarded beneath me.
I take the knife and cut the front of her bra, freeing her breasts.
She shudders at the blade’s cool touch and looks up at me.
She meets my gaze, breath hitching, eyes blown wide, dark with something sinister. Then, in a whisper, she says, “I like to play.” Well, fuck me, that just made my dick twitch. If I’m going to get this done, I might as well get some enjoyment out of it.
Her bright hazel eyes roll into the back of her head as I thrust into her with reckless abandon, the chaise now loudly thumping against the wall.
I throw my head back, wiping the sweat that’s trickling down my brow, my abs flexing as my hips move more erratically.
Her moans drown out the cries of pleasure just outside the door.
A deep, guttural cry rips from my throat as I let go, filling her, my body pulsing against hers. My breath is ragged, muscles taut as I hover over her, drinking in the sight of her blissed expression.
I exhale, eyes downcast, my charcoal hair tickling her chin, lips curling into something that isn’t quite a smile, my voice just a breath, blunt. “Okay.” And before she can react, the blade sinks into the soft flesh of her neck.
Her eyes go wide with terror and confusion, her swollen lips open, but no sound comes out. I stay there, watching, waiting—until the light in her gaze finally flickers and fades.
Gone. Fucking finally.
I stand, my breath still heavy as I pull away from her lifeless body, the warmth fading fast. I turn my head and look out the window, at the lanterns that line the empty pathway outside it.
The night is a quiet contrast to the room outside the door, so…
Why do I feel like I’m being watched? Moving with practiced ease, I crouch under the chaise and grab the clothes I stashed earlier—from the poor bastard working the party. He’s probably still out cold.
He’ll wake up… eventually.
Now that I’ve changed, I can blend in as a staff member of the party.
I leave the room, feeling smug, knowing the next step of my plan has been executed.
As I cross the threshold, though, an overwhelming feeling of anxiety washes over me.
A high contrast array of colors—my eyes squint in an attempt to focus.
Was I drugged? No… But I don’t feel like I’m here—an overwhelming sensation of eyes on me, but nobody is looking.
What the fuck?
“I need to get the fuck out of here,” I whisper, my voice strained.
Walking down the hallway I steady myself on the wall, my skin glowing unnaturally in a neon hallucination from the ultraviolet lights. I focus my sights on the end of the hall. My vision tunnels on the door.
I pull open the door to the exit the staff uses, sucking in the fresh air.
I straighten my black blazer. This is not the place to lose my cool.
I walk past two guys smoking cigarettes, talking about how badly they wish they could participate in the activities inside.
I keep my stride confident; it won’t be long before someone finds her body.
Not that they’ll know it was me. She was so covered in cum; there would be no way to tell whose DNA was the one to take her out. Convenient for me.
I hop into the truck I hotwired earlier, my pulse thumping in my ears as I slam the door shut.
The engine roars to life, and I shift into gear, feeling the tires grip the pavement beneath me.
As I adjust the rearview mirror, I’m suddenly freezing, like the temperature in the truck dropped ten degrees.
What the fuck is going on?
I scan my surroundings: no other cars on the road. It’s late. And I’m probably the only motherfucker who leaves an orgy early. No one saw me, no one is following me. And there’s no way this piece of shit is being tracked.
Despite my rationalizations, my gut tightens at the thought. That’s not possible. I took precautions. I’d gone out of my way to snatch this truck from a small-town hick while he was too busy attempting to pick up two very unwilling women at the bar.
There is no way anyone would have bothered to look twice at it. It’s just another beater, blending in with the employees’ cars parked nearby.
So, how the hell could it be bugged? It’s not. And I know damn well I wasn’t drugged. I’ve gone crazy. There’s no other goddamn explanation.
I rub my face, trying to shake off the creeping paranoia.