Page 86 of Their Dark Rose

“Fuck, I’m hard all over again.” Finn’s fingers flex on my back. “I’ll beat up random strangers for you, little rose. Any fucking day of the week, if this is the reaction I get from it.”

“My sister would’ve gone bankrupt if I wouldn’t have done it,” Coleman mumbles. “You have to understand—”

“No, you have to understand.” Falk curls his fingers around Coleman’s fragile neck. “We won’t sue you over this. This shit you pulled won’t make it to court. However, I can’t promise your wife and sister won’t be widows by the end of this year.”

“Falk, be reasonable. You don’t need this project. You’re rich!” Coleman waves his hand to the inside of the house. His eyes follow the movement, and he finally sees me standing there. “Kid, please, you have to tell them. I’m not the bad guy here.”

Wearing a knitted pale-blue hoodie and light jeans, I must look younger than my eighteen years. Naïve, too.

Looks can be so deceiving.

I’ve learned a lot about life and our business throughout the years. Listening in on the men’s conversations over the years made me smarter, wiser. In hindsight, I suspect they weren’t quiet when they discussed their work on purpose. Akin to many of the other things they’ve done for me.

To prepare me to be a ruthless queen.

“You cheated us out of our project.” I untangle myself from Finn and Mason, approaching the other two men. “You lied.”

“He did.” Falk fixes his attention on me without releasing Coleman. “What are you going to do about it, Briar?”

“Briar, please—”

“Do not say her goddamn name.” Falk bashes Coleman into the wall and a cracking sound ensues.

Music to my ears.

“Are you planning on righting this wrong, Coleman?” I stop at Falk’s side, cocking an eyebrow.

“I’m begging—”

“Either way,”—I shrug—“I’ll enjoy the outcome. Up to you whether you want to fix this mess you created yourself or let my godfather here make you pay.”

On an impulse, I rise on my tiptoes and kiss Falk’s cheek. Then, to prove I’m anything but a kid, I grab Falk’s jaw, pulling his mouth to mine.

“Princess.” He scowls, fighting me. Caring what this man thinks about us.

Coleman can suck dick.

I tug harder until my tongue darts out to slowly lick the seam of Falk’s lips. A low rumble echoes in the room before he buries his tongue in my mouth.

“Dirty girl, Finn made you come,” Falk mumbles. “I taste you on your lips.”

“What the hell?” Coleman wiggles, a movement I catch in my peripheral. “You people are sick.”

The smell of leather and cedar wood carries to my nose. Hands are on my waist, my shoulders.

Falk breaks our kiss, fixing Coleman with a you’re-so-fucked stare. “You have your family. We have ours.”

“This isn’t normal.”

“Hmm.” Finn sidesteps us, grabbing Coleman’s ear in a punishing grip. “What’s normal, anyway?”

Coleman raises his chin. “Not sharing your much younger goddaughter, for one.”

He’s gonna wish he hadn’t said that.

“Hmm,” Finn repeats, looking up and pulling his lips in as if he’s contemplating the other man’s statement. “Nope, you’re wrong. Here’s what I think is a good example of normal.”

Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, Finn fishes out a small knife.

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