Page 38 of Gilded Caresses

“Like I am a piece of meat to savor a couple of times before you toss me in the trash?” I quip, wanting to punch buttons. Maybe if I press hard enough, they’ll take me upstairs and we can continue last night’s activities long into the morning.

Gregor’s eyes drop to my stomach where I am unaware my hand has moved to cover. His gaze saysyou know I’m right. But my scowl retortsI belong to no one.

A phone is pressed into my hands. “What’s this? I already have a phone.

“This is a line direct to us. You have trouble, want to talk, want to cut the three weeks to three days…anything you call us.”

“Oh.”

Elyah tips my chin up until our gazes connect. “And if it rings, you answer.”

I swallow. “And if I don’t?”

He smirks with little humor. “Try it and see.”

Eleven

Lev, two weeks later

My entire body crackles with unspent energy. My body twitches, restless and on edge. I need to keep moving or I’ll be in a car right now and head into Northern Alliance territory to retrieve our special package.

I leave Gregor and Elyah in the office going over logistics for when Sapphire arrives.

Armed guards. Who to trust. Who needs to be moved to another location.

If those two could, they would remove all other men from the property and I would help them relocate everyone. I don’t like the idea of other assholes invading our jewel’s sacred space. Or what we hope she will come to think of as hers.

Either way, she will be safe with us. No one will harm a hair on her head. Not and live.

He won’t say much about the topic but I know Elyah is having a hard time with Sapphire coming to live with us.

Our fathers ripped the lower half of Chicago apart, spilled blood in its streets, and took years to painstakingly rebuild the empire with a strong foundation after inheriting it from their fathers. Back then they had a different idea of what our dark kingdom should look like.

Street wars lasted forever. I can remember parts of our childhood summers spent outside of the city due to fear of death threats from the East and West Alliances. The North was always content in letting us either die or kill ourselves off most times. But there has been bloodshed between us. Cousins killed. Brothers.

The time Sapphire remembers seeing us for the first time is when all three of us swallowed our pride and asked for a meeting with her cousin. There’s strength in knowing when you need help.

The burn of rejection that day leaves a sour taste in my mouth to this day.

I find my room and slowly close the door. Silence envelops me and I embrace the darkness. Only now can I truly fucking breathe. The idea of letting Sapphire slip away from us leaves me hungry for blood. The last time I let vengeance rule me people died.

I sprawl over the bed and I guess I fall asleep because Elyah is standing over me when I crack my eyes open next.

“Wake up, brother.” A strong hand is on my shoulder. The thunder in his voice has me lunging to my feet. My fingers are shaking and the tightness around my throat has my vision blurring. I scrape a hand down my face and it comes backdripping with sweat. My breathing is ragged and my heart wants to beat outside my chest.

“What fucking time is it?” I take several calming breaths and try to lock my shit down.

I check the window and find the sun shining. The clock says I’ve been asleep all night.

“You were moaning in your sleep and it did not sound like the wet dream kind.”

“Da, brother. No shit,” I mutter. My knees feel shaky so I fall back down.

“You okay?”

I nod, not wanting to talk about the images of Axsel dying to save my life. His body took round after round of bullets. The fear in his eyes lingers in my mind. Every time I close my eyes it’s his corpse I see. Knowing there was nothing I could do haunts me. But I live with it. Because he died for my brothers and me.

“Sorry about waking you.” I douse my raging emotions with the vodka Elyah holds out.

---