Chapter Sixteen
KONFLICT KORVEN
Earlier that evening…
Whoever thought winning a woman back was easy had never tried it after being a bastard for a year.
Two weeks. That’s all I had. A measly two weeks to undo a year’s worth of cruelty, to break through Serenity’s rage and prove I could be the man she deserved.
Two weeks wasn’t enough, because every gesture, gift, and attempt to win her over fell flat.
She couldn’t stand the idea of me being gentle, different from the person she’d met every day since our wedding.
She couldn’t believe I wanted to make it up to her, so she didn’t want to keep a single gift from me.
My attention only made her recoil. My presence drove her deeper into herself, pushing me further out.
The harder I tried to reach her, the more she bristled, seeing every kindness as a trap.
And the truth is, I wasn’t even playing with clean cards.
I hadn’t told her that the man she was losing herself to every night, the one who had the privilege to touch her, kiss her, and mark her inside and out, was me.
I didn’t want to tell her. Not now, because she still hated everything about me.
If she found out Konflict and Knox were the same person, she’d burn every bridge between us and take those nights with her.
I was addicted to those nights. Addicted to her hands on my skin, her thighs tight around my waist, her taste, her scent, the way her pussy gripped my dick and made me forget every war, every grudge.
I couldn’t give up those nights, not until the last second.
So we fought like enemies all day, then at night I slipped between her legs and took her apart, trying to show her without words how special she was to me.
In two days, the lie would crack open. I’d have to tell her the marriage could never be dissolved, not after all the ways I’d claimed her.
We’d consummated our marriage in every way possible and God, I wanted that truth to live between us.
Not just the sex—the way I’d mapped every inch of her skin, learned her body, memorized her breath, the arch of her back, the sound of her voice when she moaned my name.
But also the way she let me in. The way we spoke about herself, her pain, what she’d lost and what she hoped for.
About the family I would love to give her and about my mother.
Those conversations were everything. I played my own role, careful not to let the mask slip, but every talk was a gift.
Krash dug up everything he could and the more I learned, the more it knocked the wind out of me.
Serenity and my mother had a bond that was deeper than I’d ever guessed.
My mother lost baby after baby after me but she always wanted a daughter—she found that in Serenity, and Serenity found the mother she never had.
I learned that my mother taught her to shoot.
To hit the target every time. That only made it clearer that the day Serenity pressed a Glock to my dick, if she’d really wanted to pull the trigger, I’d be in the ground.
If she’d known who her masked lover really was, she’d have killed me long ago.
She’d said it herself—this world wasn’t big enough for both of us.
And still, I wanted to tell her the love I felt had only grown since learning about her and my mother.
The more I pieced together, the more the truth landed heavy in my chest.
I was lost in my thoughts when Draven found me out on the balcony, right where Serenity had left me after yet another argument. Glass in hand, he walked over with an accusatory look in his eyes because I knew damn well he hadn’t missed my wife storming across the ballroom, furious as hell.
“Another marital spat?” he said with a hint of amusement as he sat down next to me.
“Marriage doesn’t look much like a fairy tale from where I’m standing.
And here I was, thinking I could take inspiration from your happiness and finally put a noose around my own neck.
Guess that’s not happening any time soon,” he said, smirking.
“You’re doing women a huge favor by staying single. I can’t imagine the misery of any woman who’d be crazy enough to tie herself to a demon like you,” I shot back.
He grinned, sharp as ever. “Says the man who treated his wife like shit for a year and now looks like an idiot trying to win her back, only managing to piss her off every time he opens his mouth. Oh, trust me, I’m sure I could learn a thing or two from you about how not to be a complete asshole.”
“You’re just a little shit, D,” I said, smiling.
“And don’t think I’ve forgiven you for voting against me last year.
The day the council forced me to marry Serenity or lose everything, I still can’t believe you let me down.
We always had an understanding—we backed each other, no matter what.
I never understood why you and Crowhurst joined those jackals to force me into a marriage I didn’t want. ”
He just smirked, then shrugged. “What do you want me to do to earn your forgiveness, K? You want me to suck your dick or what?”
“Fuck you,” I replied.
Draven smirked, then his face got serious.
“I couldn’t let you get blinded by rage and throw away the love of your life.
You spent your whole damn life wanting her.
The war was the only thing in the way, and you were about to bulldoze your own happiness just to win a fight.
I couldn’t let you kill her, K. You’re my best friend and I know you’d never survive the regret.
That day, I was your fucking conscience, bruh. ”
He looked down over the balcony, and I followed his gaze, spotting Serenity pacing by the pool, still furious.
I tried to keep myself in check, tried to stay put, even though every part of me screamed to go after my wife and pull her back into my arms—right where she belonged.
Dancing with her had awakened a hunger I’d been trying to suppress since we left the Korven estate.
If she knew how hard I worked just to act civilized in front of all these people, when all I wanted was to be alone with her in one of Vixen’s rooms, to show her just how much my body ached for her.
It was fucking torture not being able to touch her like I wanted.
But I had to hold back. I had to keep it together for a few more hours, because there was no way I was going to ruin the last two nights we had left.
After that, she’d probably hate me for good.
And God only knew when—or if—I’d ever get the chance to touch her again.
Draven shook his head. “I don’t believe in love Konflict, but you—you gave her your heart a long time ago.
Yeah, her father killed your mother, and yeah, you wanted revenge.
But you love Serenity. You finally have the chance to rewrite your story and get everything you always wanted.
I don’t get why you chose to play the fool and waited a year to let go of that stupid grudge. ”
His words hit hard. I wanted to snap back, tell him he didn’t know what went on in my head, but the truth was, he did. He always had. Everything he said was nothing but the truth because Serenity was my everything, and I could never accept the idea of losing her, let alone killing her myself.
Before I could say more, Marquette and Hollister approached with their faces tense, all business.
Crowhurst didn’t give a single fuck—he just stood in the corner, silent, eyes scanning the whole room behind his big nerdy glasses, catching every move.
That guy was strange as hell. He was in charge of security and information, so nothing ever slipped by him.
Sometimes I wondered what went on in his head, because you could never predict his next move.
“We need to find a way to replace Veylor’s business. The balance is off and we lost the Sawyer’s after you torched their estate,” Hollister said as they came up to us.
I stopped myself from rolling my eyes, not wanting to show how exasperated I was.
These two old bastards swore by Sawyer, when if they actually opened their eyes, they’d see we’d avoided a fucking disaster with them.
Draven and I were never about to tie gun manufacturing and profit to the Sawyer’s, that would’ve been a death sentence, but Marquette and Hollister couldn’t see that.
“Veylor’s operations are solid if all you want is a place to wash your cash.
Serenity’s running the casino like a pro.
Everything can be absorbed. Only difference is, Veylor answers to me now.
We don’t need a council seat for that. The Big Five can handle the load,” I said, trying to give them a safer, smarter angle.
At this point, it was way too risky to hand the sixth seat to a family nobody knew. It made more sense to keep the council smaller than to open ourselves up like that.
“We can’t function with five. And I doubt your wife can handle all our business the way it needs to be done.
Vince Veylor was sharp, knew how to manage the risks that come with this life.
You can’t cover both sides by yourself. Too much power and territory, Korven.
I can’t let that happen,” Judge Marquette snapped.
I let a nervous smile curl at my lips. “So that’s the problem? You’re afraid I’ll be too powerful because now I’m holding down two houses with strategic operations?”
“And you’ve got an ally in charge of gun distribution,” Draven added, straight-faced. “Maybe the old men are just scared of losing ground to the new generation. Maybe it’s time you guys finally retired.”