Magnate (Acquisition Series Book 2) (15 page)

I turned my head. “I don’t want this.”

“Yes you do.” He bit my neck.

“No. I mean it.”

The tone in my voice froze him, and he brought his face back to mine. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Yes. Please, just go.”

He let go of my hands and sat back, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Why?”

I shook my head and yanked down my top. “Please, Lucius.”

He stood and stared down at me. “It’s Sin, isn’t it?”

I looked away.

He didn’t need any more confirmation. He turned and retreated, his movements jerky and full of anger, before swiping his sweater off the floor.

I jumped when he slammed the door behind him.

What am I doing?
I bounced my head on the mattress, trying to sort through what the hell I was thinking. Seducing Lucius was a necessary part of the plan and a welcome distraction. And I’d just blown it all up because Vinemont said he
needed
me. Because of a single sentence from a man who ran hot and cold faster than a tap.

I stood up and straightened my clothes before going to the bathroom. I splashed warm water in my face and stared at the mirror me. She was just as inscrutable as before, the reflection doing nothing more than reiterating how lost I was.

The bedroom door opened. I dried my face and walked out to find Gavin and Brianne. Gavin looked at the rumpled bed, then up at me, but I scooted past him with my head down.

Brianne went into the bathroom and took an inordinately long time getting ready for bed.

“So, um, the bed? Anything I need to know about?” he asked.

“No. I’m sad to say.” I rubbed my eyes. “Nothing happened. Well, nothing substantial.”

“Second base?”

I looked up and he was grinning at me. How he managed to smile so big on the eve of an Acquisition trial was beyond me. But his smile was contagious, because the corners of my mouth turned up despite my mood.

“Something like that. I’m not even sure what the bases are. But let’s stick to second.”

“I can do that.” He kicked his shoes off as Brianne walked out of the bathroom.

She crashed on her bed, not even bothering to get under the covers.

While Gavin was in the bathroom, I took off my boots, feeling inside for the knife. The warm metal was comforting. Then I stripped my jeans and sweater off, but kept my undershirt on. Gavin came out, removed his shirt and pants, and slipped into his sheets. I did the same, pulling my covers up to my chin. We lay silently for a while, listening to Brianne’s steady breathing.

“I’m too afraid to turn the light off,” Gavin whispered.

“Same here.” I flipped over to my side and looked at his profile as he stared at the ceiling.

“Do you think they’ll do it in the morning or the afternoon?”

“I don’t know, but I intend to be ready to go at sun up.”

He turned his head toward me. “How can you be ready for something like this?”

“You can’t, I guess. We just have to survive.” My voice was small and I felt even smaller. One person in the huge crush of malevolent strangers scattered throughout this mountain retreat.

“Stella?”

“Hm?”

“Can I sleep with you?”

What?
“You want to …”

“I mean, in your bed.” He smiled. “I mean actually sleep. Not the other thing. I just thought maybe it would make it easier is all.”

“Oh,” my face reddened. “Sure.”

He got out of bed and padded over behind me. The bed shifted and then his warmth was at my back. He pulled the blanket up and slung an arm over me. “Is this okay?”

“Yes.” I barely knew him, but his arms were the safest place to be for miles and miles. I settled back into him.

“If it makes you feel any better, that kiss we shared last week was the first time I’d ever kissed a woman.”

“Oh.” So that’s what Brianne had meant by “powder puff Gavin.”
What a bitch.
“Well, I’m glad to be your first?”

He must have heard the smile in my voice because he laughed lightly. “Yeah, I was just trying to help. But it wasn’t bad. Not really. Just different, I guess.”

“Your hand sure went up my skirt fast.” I reached behind me and pulled his arm under my neck so he could get more comfortable.

“Thanks. And I was just playing the role. Apparently, I need to work on it since Red still jumped on us.”

“A for effort. Nicely done.”

“I appreciate it.”

We fell silent. His presence was a comfort in and of itself. I was afraid if I kept talking, I would focus on what would happen tomorrow. I didn’t want to think about that pain until I had to, until I couldn’t escape it.

Our breathing evened out, but neither of us slept. I worried away one hour, then another.

“It’s okay, Stella. Sleep. I’ve got you.” Gavin’s voice was colored with exhaustion as he pulled me so I turned over to face him.

I let my head fall into the crook of his neck. He rubbed his hand up and down my back in a soothing motion until he drifted off.

“I’ve got your back,” I whispered as sleep took me, too.

Chapter Fourteen

Stella

Sound. So much
of it that I instinctively covered my ears. My eyes flew open, my vision sharpening on a multitude of bodies crushing through the suite door. People swarmed into the room, black batons in their hands. They wore white masks, holes cut for their eyes and mouths, with the rest of their features obscured.

I jolted up right along with Gavin.

The men chanted some rhythmic song, unintelligible but somehow vicious. I clutched at Gavin’s arm as he gripped my thigh through the blanket. We were both frozen, fear eating up any response we could have mustered.

The throng quieted suddenly, the loss of sound almost as terrifying as the noise. A woman, her long dark hair flowing from the back of her mask walked through the center of the crowd and threw down two white dresses and a white shirt and pants. She retreated back into the mass and Cal, maskless, stepped forward. His gaze flitted about between the three of us before landing on mine.

“Acquisitions, we have something very special in store for you.” He pointed to the clothes on the floor. “But first, strip.”

Neither Gavin, Brianne, nor I moved. Cal held his hand out behind him and someone put a black baton in it. He walked up and slammed it down on the footboard of my bed, the sound like an explosion through the now cramped space.

“I said strip.” He spoke to all of us, but his malevolent gaze was fixed on me.

Gavin pushed me out of the bed and stood next to me.

“Just do it.” His whisper was loud in the silent room.

The dozens of masked devils watched as Gavin and I took our clothes off. Brianne did the same, her eyes wide and no longer quite so glassy. The drugs must have worn off, because she came and stood at my other side, shivering and trying to cover herself.

I draped an arm across my bare breasts and used my other hand to cover between my legs. I didn’t look at Gavin, who stood on my other side. I wouldn’t add to the unwanted eyes already on him. All those masked faces—was Lucius there, watching?

Cal walked forward and put his index finger under my chin, pulling my face up until our eyes met. His pupils were huge, taking in every last bit of me.

A tremor ran through me at his touch, his look.

He let me go and backed up before pointing at the clothes the woman had dropped on the floor. “Dress.”

I grabbed a dress and threw it on over my head, wincing at how bare I was before the material covered me. It was short and thin, and would offer no reprieve from the elements. My fear had been stunned right along with me at the sudden intrusion, but it roared back to life. I tried to fasten the top button of the dress at my throat, but my fingers were numb and clumsy.

Cal surveyed us and grinned, apparently pleased with our outfits. “Now, we’re going to play a little game. Sound like fun, Acquisitions?”

Some of the masked figures smiled, their teeth showing through the holes in their masks.

“This game is simple. It’s about three a.m. right now. Perfect time for a little stroll in the woods. So, this is what we’re going to do. We’re going to take you outside and let you go. Let you enjoy the fresh,
cold
air. Stretch your legs.”

Oh, god.
I reached for Gavin’s hand. His skin was like ice.

“Then at daybreak, we’re coming for you.”

A barrage of shouts went up, gleeful and bloodthirsty.

“Whoever catches you first, wins. That person will fuck you. That person will do whatever they want with your body, because your body was made for our enjoyment. When the winner is done, they may choose to pass you around or bring you back here for more of their own enjoyment. Anything goes. But the winner gets the first fuck and the final say. Simple, right?” Cal nodded and raised his eyebrows at us, as if wanting us to agree with him.

Brianne did. I just gripped Gavin’s fingers tighter.

“Your time starts…” Cal glanced at his watch-less arm. “Now.”

Another cheer, and the masked figures began filing out. Cal remained and approached, clearly reveling in the power he wielded over the three of us.

“Run, rabbit, run,” he whispered. Then he turned and whistled as he followed the pack the rest of the way out of the room.

Only two stayed behind—one of the masked men and the woman with the long, dark hair.

“Come on. Outside.” Her voice was harsh, but her nerves made the sound wobble.

I took a chance and darted to my bed and sat, pulling on my socks and boots before grabbing my jacket. The knife rubbed against my ankle, reminding me I still had some measure of defense.

“Gavin, clothes,” I urged. “More clothes.”

He yanked on his socks and shoes before throwing his coat on over the white pajamas he was wearing.

The woman came toward us, her baton held above her head. “I said let’s go.”

“Brianne, shoes!”

She jolted at my words and finally moved, the white dress hanging loosely from her as she pulled on her sneakers.

“Hit her.” The male hadn’t moved from the door, but his hand ran up and down his baton.

The woman swung at me. I ducked back, but she nailed me on the forearm when I held my arm up to ward her off. Pain exploded down to my wrist and up to my shoulder. I screamed, and gripped the injury.

Gavin finished donning his coat and advanced on her, but the male guard moved forward.

“Enough bullshit,” the guard barked. “Let’s go.”

Brianne had no coat, nothing to keep her safe from the chill wind in the darkness. My arm stung and ached, but I stood and snagged my sweater off the floor and tossed it to Brianne. She yanked it down over her head as we filed out the door under the watchful eyes of our guards.

They led us through the house and then down to the road. A curve of silver moon hung in the sky, and my breath shuddered out in white puffs. Icy patches dotted the road, and the air was keen and cold, faintly burning my lungs on each inhale. The sting took my attention away from the throb in my arm.

Laughter rang out above. A host of masked ghouls crowded the deck and peeked through the windows of the home. Cal stood at the top of the stairs and raised a pistol into the air.

“As an added incentive to our little rabbits, I am offering them a prize beyond value.” I couldn’t see his eyes from this distance, but my skin crawled enough for me to know he was watching me. “If no one has caught you by noon, you will remain unscathed. No one will touch you.”

The crowd booed and hissed. Cal laughed, the sound loud, fake, and booming. “Now, now calm down. We must have a carrot, after all. It can’t always be the stick.” He grabbed his crotch for emphasis, and the mob erupted in laughter.

May the best man, or woman, excuse me ladies—” a smattering of feminine laughter coursed through the crowd, “—win!” Cal pulled the trigger, and a hollow pop echoed across the ridges and back to my ears.

“Come on.” Gavin tugged at my arm, and we both took off at a sprint away from the house.

I looked over my shoulder. Brianne remained still, staring at Cal and the masked assemblage above her.

“Brianne, come on!” I cried.

She turned and followed us at a jog.

“Which way should we go?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Just away from here.” Gavin took the lead, moving across the parking area, then through an open field, and finally to the tree line.

Brianne was several yards back, but still followed. I couldn’t slow down. We had to make it, had to get far enough away somewhere and hide, or just run and run until the sun was high enough overhead that we knew we were safe.

The woods were shadowy, the crescent moon doing little to illuminate our path. We crashed through the underbrush, not caring what sort of trail we left as we jumped over logs and climbed the first hill. The house gleamed in the night, the windows brightly lit, and the sounds of laughter and music floating along the chilled air. They partied as we ran, enjoying themselves before sinking their claws into the three of us and ripping us apart.

We crested the hill and started down the other side, the house finally out of view. Knowing that they couldn’t see me anymore gave me the slightest bit of comfort, but we had to keep moving and put as much distance between them and us as possible.

Gavin stopped and leaned against a tree as we waited for Brianne to catch up.

“Do you think we can hide?” I asked and peered up into the trees.

Gavin shook his head. “Not in the trees. No cover without leaves. We’d be sitting ducks.”

Brianne was breathing hard already, and her cheeks burned a bright pink from the frigid air. My cable-knit sweater wouldn’t keep her warm for long, especially not when the wind soughed through the trees as it did. My legs were cold above my boots, and hers must have been freezing. She wore only tennis shoes. I dug in my jacket pockets, ignoring the pain in my forearm, and found my gloves and the knit hat I’d stuffed inside.

“Here.” I handed Brianne the hat and the gloves.

Her eyes opened wide. “Th-thank you.”

“We aren’t competing, Brianne. I promise. Red lied to you.”

She took the hat and pulled it down over her blonde locks, which shined almost white in the moonlight. “I know. I don’t know why I said all that. All he does is lie to me and, and…other things.” She looked away as she pulled on the gloves.

“It’s okay. This isn’t easy.” I slipped my chilled fingers inside my boot and drew out my blade before stuffing it into my pocket. “But we’ve got to stick together and keep moving. Can you do that?”

“Yes. I think I can.”

“Good.”

“Take mine.” Gavin drew some leather gloves from his coat pockets and handed them to me.

“No, I’m good. I can just stick my hands in my pockets when they get cold. You wear them.”

He shook his head and peered down at me. “I can do the same. Go ahead and take them. At least I’m wearing pants. This will make us even.”

He wasn’t fooling me. The white linen pajama bottoms offered him no more protection from the piercing wind than my bare legs had, but I took the gloves to cut off any more argument. We needed to get moving.

“I’m ready. Let’s go.” I pulled the too-large gloves on and began picking my way down the slope. It was slow-going because the leaves were covered with a slick of frost, were wet underneath, and the terrain was uneven. It quickly became clear my boots were made more for looks than use, with each step turning into a balancing act.

Once we’d reached the bottom where a small stream ran, we paused.

“Up and over the next ridge, or should we break off to the right and follow the water?” I didn’t want to keep moving in a straight line, but I also wanted to get as far from the party as possible.

“Let’s follow the stream and then cut up the next hollow we come to.” Gavin said.

Brianne nodded, her teeth chattering.

We stayed along the water’s path, moving as quickly as we could with Brianne lagging behind. Large stone boulders dotted the landscape, and I wondered if we could hide against one of them. But it was still too out in the open. They would find us in no time. And they would expect us to hunker down, to try and wait them out. That’s why we had to keep moving. We slogged through the dead leaves and cracking branches, grunting with the effort of climbing over trunks or boulders. The woods were silent except for our exertions and the inconsistent wind which whistled and pushed easily through the naked branches, chilling the sweat on our skin.

Gavin and I surged ahead, urging Brianne to step where we did to avoid any mishaps. We followed the stream for maybe a half mile before a long hollow opened up to our left. I was sweaty and cold, perspiration rolling down my back, though I didn’t dare take my jacket off.

“Brianne, keep up,” I called as we started to climb up the hollow.

A screech cut through the still woods, and I glanced over my shoulder. Brianne floundered, one leg in the icy stream as she tried to climb back to her feet.

“Shit.” I raced back down to her and gripped her forearm, dragging her from the shallow stream.

She shivered, her teeth chattering. “I-I slipped.”

“Come on.” I eyed her wet feet and legs.

“She okay?” Gavin made it back to us.

“I think so, but she got wet.”

He shook his head, frustration creasing his brow.

“So cold.” Her eyes squeezed shut, misery pouring out of them in delicate tears.

“I know.” I had nothing else to say, no promises of help or warmth. We were hunted and freezing; hope was out of reach. “Let’s go.”

I took her arm and we resumed our trek, her one wet shoe squishing with each step. Our pace slowed even more as her breathing grew labored. The cold was seeping away her strength, her will. I felt it, too.

She paused to rest against a tree as Gavin and I kept going.

“Move, Brianne. Come on,” Gavin barked.

Wiping her face with the back of her glove, she started trudging upward again. When we were halfway to the top of the ridge, I slipped on a wet pile of leaves and slid before Gavin caught my arm and hefted me up.