Page 10 of Monstrous Grave

His nails dig into my thighs, drawing blood, and I observe his hungry expression as he sees the crimson stains painting my flesh.

“Kaiden, we can’t do this,” I whisper, my voice quivering with a mix of adrenaline, arousal, and fear.

His eyes darken, the brown orbs shifting with conflicting emotions. “You’re my property. You belong to me. I can do whatever I want.”

I swallow harshly.

Shaking my head at him, I deny the obvious truth. “You’re delusional.”

His fingers find my throat once more, squeezing ever so tightly, with seething rage as his breaths become labored. The rage makes me nervous, my nipples pebbling under my shirt. Something is seriously wrong with me.

He’s about to say something back when his phone suddenly rings, the sound filling the tense atmosphere around us in the clearing of the forest. He lets go of my throat, grabs his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, and answers it.

While he’s on the phone, I can’t help but steal glances at him, taking in the sight of his well-defined physique filling out his clothes better now that he’s grown up. Twenty to my eighteen. His toned muscles flex subtly beneath the fabric, and I shift my gaze to his face.

Bathed in the embrace of the afternoon sun, his hair becomes a mesmerizing cascade of honeyed strands, capturing every ray. The golden hues of his locks shimmer, framing his face with a warmth that seems to melt away the otherwise cold expression on his face.

I can’t help but feel the dreaded butterflies flying around in my belly, along with the arousal coating my panties—dangerous and deadly, bleeding me dry from the heartache of having these unknown emotions.

When he finally puts down his phone, his stormy eyes meet mine, and he smirks at me, all traces of his earlier rage gone. “Mom wants us home for dinner to plan your birthday next week. It’ll give you the time to hide that flush on your cheeks,” he cheekily says, his lips twitching in a wider smirk.

I can’t help but blush even more, feeling the frustration of the orgasm I didn’t get.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Chapter 4

Arcane

Present day

The acrid stench of gasoline claws at my senses as I push the bike harder, faster, trying to outrun the memories. My heart pounds with thoughts of yesterday’s meeting with the Valentis, a relentless echo throbbing inside my skull.

“You’re going to work with Viper García.”

The very thought makes me shudder, and bile leaves a sickening taste that refuses to fade. Taking a deep breath of air, I realize it does nothing to help the persistent voice inside my head.

I owe them everything for saving me from the streets, but it doesn’t erase the dislike I feel toward Benjamin Valenti.

I feel like I’m losing my mind, driving forward with no goal in sight in a fruitless attempt to clear my head. The harder I try, the more oppressive the thoughts grow. Glancing down at the speedometer, I realize I’m barreling down these narrow asphalt roads with no control.

The tires betray me, losing traction as the bike careens out of control. A deafening screech fills my surroundings, drowning out all other sounds as I’m thrown forward, clinging to the handlebars for dear life. With a desperate twist of my wrists, I press down the brakes, the bike skidding to a halt with a final, earsplitting screech. Adrenaline paralyzes my body, my hands trembling as I pry them from the handlebars. Sweat beads on my forehead, mingled with the sheer fright that filled my veins only moments ago.

What the fuck just happened?

I’ve never lost control like that before.

I’m shaking from the shock as I decide it’s best to clear my thoughts now when I’m not riding with the wind. Turning off the engine on my black Kawasaki, I remove my helmet and sit down on the grassy patch beside the slight slope. Next to the road lies a field that stretches out before meeting a dense forest—a familiar sight, one I’ve passed by many times.

As the wind tousles the shorter strands of my platinum hair, I draw my knees up to my chest, leaning back on my hands. Before me, the horizon unfolds, stretching out endlessly.

When did my life become so messed up? Full of betrayal, deceit, lies.

I take the gun from my holster, its weight familiar and comforting in my hand. I’m supposed to meet up with that biker now to carry out Alec’s plan, although here I am. The main part is to steal shipments meant for delivery to the Grimaldi syndicate in three weeks. These people are heavily involved in loansharking, and intel from underground sources in the black market has let us know they’ve acquired a car shipment through their predatory deals. Unfortunately, the rat who betrayed us got hold of this important shipment and successfully sold it on the market. Now, it’s on its way to getting into even worse hands.

I’ve already promised myself that I’ll be doing this myself. It’s my revenge against the Grimaldis, who cast me out when they deemed me unworthy of being their child. Little does Mr. Valenti know that I’m too goddamn stubborn. I don’t ever do something I don’t want to. It’s not like I believe he’s going to figure it out, but I still haven’t grasped why he wants me to work with Viper García.

With a groan, I close my eyes, waiting for my head to stop spinning and my thoughts to clear.

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