Page 3 of Gilded Caresses

“You just have to make sure to get her pregnant with your child and then we will have the controlling hand.” Gregor throws me a smug look.

We both swallow a mouthful of vodka and consider the weight of what we are about to do.

“Our child, Gregor. Ours,” I correct him moments later. We knew from a young age we would go through this hard life together. I’ve had time to think about this. The suffering we survived was only possible because of the strength of our bond.

“We suffered together. We survived together. We will get through this, too.”

All three of us were kidnapped and tortured in retaliation against our fathers for killing the son of a rival mafia family. Now sleep is a fleeting bitch and Lev thinks I have trust issues.

I do. But I trust the plan we have made.

“I miss him.” Lev refills our glasses. “I think he would like Sapphire.”

“Da, moy droog. Da.” Yes, my friend. Yes.

Gregor is quiet. Broody. Fucker gets lost in his mind too often. He won’t say much on the topic but I know he is worried I’ll scare Sapphire away before we have a chance to connect.

Maybe he’s right. But it doesn’t matter. There’s a contract and if there is one thing no one does to the Southern Alliance that is to bail on a contract.

They could have run far away from this life when their fathers died, but Lev and Gregor both opted to stay. Family doesn’t always have to be blood. Even though we were tortured for our fathers’ sins, we all still love each other and respect what has been passed on to us.

Almost every fucker we deal with thinks they know our story. Spoiled brats who have everything handed to them.

They don’t know a damn thing. No one can ever understand the hell we went through for our fathers. We bore the torture and carry the scars because all three of us know the only reason our fathers killed the rival’s son was to save our sisters. Their daughters.

For them and anyone else in our family, I would take that torture again and again. As would Lev and Gregor.

The only way they stayed sane through the torture was by being together and supporting each other through the brutal, ugly aftermath. Lev still wakes with cold sweats and Gregor paces the halls most nights

Lev must be treading on the same thoughts as I am. He falls into a nearby chair and his knee bounces uncontrollably. It’s hard to forget the scars of our past when they are slashed into our flesh.

Two years later and we are still fighting back the demons chasing us into our dreams.

We were lucky. We didn’t all make it out the day Gregor got the upper hand with a guard and we fought tooth and nail to free ourselves. Axel died giving us time to get out when tens of men filled the dank cellar we were locked away in. We owe it to him to try and live. Hard as it might be some days.

“If we do this there is no going back,” I warn them. “Father is growing weaker by the day. The doctors say we don’t have much time.”

Gregor stands, empties his glass, and rolls his wrist around to check his watch. “It’s time.”

Two

Sapphire

As Chicago’s city lights zoom by, my cousin Belle sends her usual late afternoon text to make sure I haven’t chickened out of our deal.

“Are you ready for The Gilded Key Society tonight?”

I physically feel my heart squeeze reading those words. I love her beyond measure. She’s my best friend. But the more time I spend with her the more I realize my life is a crap show.

My immediate answer is hell yes. I need a stiff drink, a dark place to think, and a hellacious orgasm. I’ll get two out of three with the third as only wishful thinking. And that is the problem.

The Gilded Key Society just opened a branch here in Chicago. The other two places are in New Orleans and Seattle. I never thought the sinful adult club would make an appearance in my city, but I’m glad it did. It is a place where fantasies live and I could use a few of those right now. But I know better to think like that. Seeing the three men I can’t have night after night rips myheart out. Fantasies never come true for me. But like I said, this isn’t something new.

Especially in this instance.

Despite my inner warring I quickly reply and thumb out:yes, have the tequila ready.

She sends back a peach and eggplant emoji making me laugh. Something I haven’t felt like doing in a long time. Not because I’m doom and gloom, but my life hasn’t been peachy as of late. I hate admitting this, but I’m having a really hard time looking at my life as a glass-half-full kind of scenario. And that is just not me. I’m not a kitten and rainbows chick, but damn I just can’t seem to shake the black clouds hanging over my head.

---