TWENTY-NINE
Nyx
The moment Nial called to tell me that Raya left the Hall, I hauled ass out of the old train station lot.
Little does my little lamb know that all my cars and motorcycles have trackers on them.
Although I'm livid she left the safety of the Hall, I can't stop the grin from appearing on my face. My girl has good taste in cars, I see.
My Aston Martin is the newest addition to my collection, and she's earned herself a good spanking for taking it. But first, I must retrieve my little lamb from wherever she may be.
"Call Mara and find out what the fuck happened," I order Adrik. "I'm going to bring up the tracker."
Tapping my phone, the app pops up, and instantly, the red blinking light homes in on her location, and the blinking dot isn't the only red I see. My fist meets the door panel, causing Adrik to jump.
"What the fuck?"
"Go to Kappel's!" I growl out to Cale, and he nods.
"Are you fucking serious?"
"As a fucking heart attack…"
Suddenly, Adrik bursts out in boisterous laughter, and I send him a glare. "Sorry, buddy. It's just that I do not envy you at all; you've got your hands full with her."
As livid as I am, a smile reappears, and I mumble, "Don't I know it."
I feel Cale accelerate the sedan as we zoom through the city. The cops know better than to stop us. We trump the local police in most things, but there are still areas that we don't cross due to the federal government getting in the way, so we have to be creative—torture and homicide being a few.
When the mansion gates come into view, the sedan slows to a stop, and a guard steps up to the window. As soon as he notices Adrik and me, he nods and says, "I'll let the boss know you're coming up."
Cale, knowing precisely what needs to be done, already has the dart gun prepared and shoots the tranquilizer into the guard's neck.
In one swift move, Cale is out of the car and grabbing the stumbling guard, dragging him into the little shack before resuming his place behind the wheel.
He smirks at me through the rearview mirror, and I nod my approval.
"Stay outside and watch for more guards. If I'm not back out in five minutes, storm the place," I instruct Adrik and Cale. "Let the others know, too."
"Mara finally texted me back after not answering my call," Adrik states and holds his phone up for me to read.
MARA: That little hellion choked me out! I'm going to strangle her for real next time I see her!
After reading it, I grunt not only to hide the chuckle that wants to burst free but also to express my displeasure at seeing Mara's threat. I will not allow my friend to lay a hand on my little lamb. I exit the car as Adrik returns a text to our little devil.
So, Raya likes choking people, huh? I can't wait to wrap my hand around that slender neck of hers again, making her come hard as I choke her. I'm sure it will be much more pleasurable than what she did to Mara.
Walking up the front steps, I don't stop when I get to the door. I walk right in and through the front foyer. Hearing Raya's angry voice is the only thing that stops me in my tracks.
"Release me, now!"
"All in good time. Now be good while I go call your fiancé." Kappel's voice grates on my nerves, and I round the next corner as I reach for my gun.
"I'm right fucking here, Kappel!" I point my piece right at the fucker's head. "If you know what's good for you, you will have your men take their filthy paws off my girl. "
I can see the tick in his jaw from where I stand. Something tells me that my appearance is not what he had anticipated. I don't dare take my eyes off the older man as I direct my next words to Raya.
"Come to me, baby."
I hear her struggle and curse at the men holding her, and I raise my brow at Kappel. Finally, he looks at his men and nods. Raya is at my side the next minute, and I pull her into me, needing to feel her and reassure me that she's okay.
"That was a stupid move on your part, Kappel. Why the fuck you made a deal with that piece of shit, using a pawn that was never yours, is beyond me," I sneer.
The man dares to grin wickedly. "Eh, you win some, and you lose some. In my case, I feel like I'm winning."
I'm hit in the back of my head, and darkness dances all around but doesn't take hold. However, I do drop to my knees as Raya is yanked from my side.
"You bastard!" my little lamb growls at her father.
"I've been called worse. You will do well to curb that tongue of yours, Saraya. I don't think Pike will stand for the sass."
"Raya, stay calm, baby. Breathe…"
There was a time when we were kids when Saraya would get upset over something, and I'd have to calm her down. It's no different now. I say the same words I used back then, and I'm rewarded when I hear her inhale and then exhale.
"Aw, look at the two of you," Kappel says mockingly. "Get the fuck over it. Saraya has Kappel blood running through her veins, and she will do her duty as a Kappel."
"What did you just say?" Jarod and Jax join their father.
Grabbing the back of my head, I'm trying to get my equilibrium in check, but I still laugh cynically, then say, "Don't tell me that dear ole Dad didn't tell you about you two having a baby sister."
"What's this about, Father?" Jarod asks.
I notice how Jax stares at Raya, and I know when he realizes he knew all along. I remember the first time they met Raya in my office. Jax gazed at her with a look of familiarity. Subconsciously, he knew.
"Jarod, Jaxon, meet your sister, Saraya." Kappel grins smugly.
"What the fuck? You didn't think to tell us that we had a sister?" Jax sneers this at his father, which makes Clyde glare at his son .
"I didn't have to tell you shit. She's a bastard, a nobody, a whore's—"
"Don't fucking finish your sentence, Kappel!" I growl, cutting him off.
His words hit Raya hard, and the next thing I know, she moves fast, elbowing the guard holding her in the gut, then turns and knees him in the nuts.
I use this time to reach for the knife I keep hidden in my ankle holster and swing around, jabbing it through the neck of the guard standing behind me.
He stumbles back, and I spring forward, taking hold of Raya's wrist, putting her behind me, and order, "Grab my gun from his pants, baby."
"Can we calm the fuck down?" Jarod calls out angrily.
"Your father fucked up, Jarod, and now, he will pay the price," I inform the twin.
Just then, there's a commotion behind us, and the rest of the Heirs and our men, including Amara, come rushing around the corner. Mara got here fast, and although she sends a glare Raya's way, it's only for a split second before her attention is back on the four men in front of us.
"Having to save your ass once again, Raya…" Mara looks at me briefly and cocks her brow at my glare. "What? It's the fucking truth."
"Head in the fucking game, Mara."
"Guards!" Kappel calls out.
Cray laughs, then says, "Your guards are fucking pansy-ass pussies. They ran at the sight of us, Kappel."
I look at the one guard still standing by his boss's side. "Decide now. Your boss is coming with us, and you can either die while defending him or turn around and join the others. The twins will be in touch."
The guard looks at Clyde, and then the twins, where he sees the subtle nod of Jax's head. He turns and walks away.
"Get back here right now!" Kappel's face is red with fury.
I look over my shoulder and nod at Arlo and Charlie, who move forward and take hold of each of Kappel's arms. He struggles, but it's useless. When he realizes this, he begins to beg.
"Please, we can discuss this. You can have her Nyx; I'm fine with that!"
I get up in his face and say, "I will have her only if she says I can have her. But make no mistake, Raya loves me, so she will be mine."
I don't care if Raya thinks I'm jumping the gun. I know her, and even though I have a lot to make up for, at the end of the day, she will accept me. If I have to wait until she's satisfied that I've groveled enough, so be it; I'll have fun helping her make up her mind .
"Take him," I tell Arlo and Charlie.
I stare at the twins, waiting to see if they'll interfere. When they say nothing, I nod and state, "Your reign in the Kappel family starts now. I hope you make better choices than your father did."
I turn and take Raya's hand, but Jax's question stops me. "Can we visit Saraya sometime? I'd like to get to know our sister better."
I glance at him and Jarod, then look at my little lamb as I reply, "That's up to her, but I think it's best if you give her some time."
Raya's warm brown eyes soften at my words, and I glimpse a tilt to her lips before I turn back to the twins. "Be sure your mother doesn't cause a fuss over this. I'm not one to hurt a woman, but—"
"I don't mind at all," Mara chimes in, smirking.
"I can promise you that our mother won't say a word. Hell, she'll probably be celebrating by the end of the night," Jarod drawls.
"And you?"
I have to question them because, at the end of the day, he's their father. I don't know what he was like behind closed doors with his family. Jax's next sentence, however, tells me all I need to know.
"Just let us bury him. You know, make it look good."
I nod, then follow the rest of my crew out of the Kappel mansion.
A tinge of regret takes hold of what we need to do to the father of friends, but Clyde's been making his bed for years, and I'm not about to make the same mistake our fathers made.
We vowed to clean up the town of Nyte, and we will do just that.
Wanting to question him about Pike because I feel there is more to their little alliance than what we know, I instruct the men to take Kappel to the warehouse while I take Raya back to the Hall.
The ride is quiet, almost somber because neither of us says a word.
It's only when we're almost home that my little lamb speaks up.
"Nyx, I'm—"
"Don't. I can't hear it right now, Raya."
"But— "
"I said—don't! I don't know if I can control my temper if we talk about how royally you fucked up, so just—don't."
She tries pulling her hand away, which is still in mine, but I tighten my grip and keep it on my thigh.
I give her a warning look before returning my eyes to the road.
She just doesn't get it—the danger she puts herself in time and again.
One of these times, I'm not going to be able to get to her, and that scares the shit out of me.
Raya wants to take charge of her life, and I get that; believe me, I do, but to go off half-cocked isn't the way to go about it. I will get injured for her as many times as it takes, but it would be nice if, for once, she would just listen and think before she reacts.
As if on cue, a pain starts to throb in my chest where my gunshot wound is. I absently bring my hand up and rub it.
"Are you okay?" Raya asks with concern.
"I'm fine. It's nothing a pain pill won't take care of as soon as we get back."
"Nyx, you need to be careful and stop exerting yourself. You're not healed all the way yet."
I scoff. "When you stop running away and landing yourself in trouble, I'll rest." My words slap her in the face, but it wasn't my intention, not really.
"Don't blame me for your injuries, Nyx! It's not like you didn't make the decision to come after me…"
"You're right. I did make the decision to come after you because I'm fucking stupid. Here I am, trying to protect you—which, by the way, you asked for—and in return, I get shot and knocked in the back of the head. You're welcome, by the way."
Raya is quiet for a moment, and then I hear her soft voice as she says the two little words she probably hates to say.
"I'm sorry…"
I don't respond to her. Instead, I step on the gas because the sooner I get us home, the sooner I can take a pain pill. I'm going to have to feel better than I do if I'm going to fuck the ever-loving shit out of the woman beside me—and fuck her, I definitely will.
"Go to your room, little lamb. I'll come talk to you in just a bit, but first, I want you to wash the filth of the day off your body," I order as soon as we pull up to the Hall.
"I'm fine, Nyx. I don't need a shower. "
I cock my brow at her, and she rolls her eyes. Grabbing the back of her head before she can exit the car, I pull her to me until our faces are inches apart. Her breath is sweet as it hits my face, and I lick my lips.
"You will shower, and you will remain undressed, because you have earned a punishment, and I plan on delivering it right before I fuck that delectable cunt of yours," I tell her.
"I will kill for you, and I will destroy anyone or anything that tries to hurt you, but know that there will always be one person who will hurt you in the most pleasurable way, and that is me. I may defend you, but I will also punish you, so make sure you factor that in when you’re deciding to stay or go.
Oh, and know that I will make it extremely hard for you to decide on the latter. "
"Okay," she replies breathlessly.
"Good girl. Now go, I'll be there soon."