Page 25 of Vicious Intentions

“You have a lot to learn, but your training starts now.” He kept me in his clutches, my struggles meaning nothing as he led me down a different hallway to a set of stairs. There was no way I was getting out of his hold. When he jerked me into the stairwell, he pushed me against the wall, gripping my chin. “And baby, as of right now, you belong to us.”

Us.

Who was he talking about—the entire house, or the particular group of men Kelly had warned me about too late? I glared him in the eye, doing everything I could to keep from showing any fear. The bastard didn’t deserve a single emotion other than rage. “I don’t think you have any idea who my family is.” While Hunter was extraordinarily gorgeous, there was a detachment in his eyes that kept a cold shiver flowing through every inch of my body.

As if he had no conscience.

“I assure you that we know everything there is to know about you, including the adorable mole just under your left breast.”

“What did you say?” Had the bastard been watching me? Oh, my God. The rose petal. I almost choked on the realization that I’d been one hundred percent right.

“You look particularly delicious in your pink nightie, and I do so love the flamingo shower curtain you girls selected. Girlie and innocent. Is that what you are, little pet?”

Now I couldn’t stop shaking. He and his disgusting friends had stalked me. They’d gone through my things. They’d had cameras installed. Oh, God. Nothing had been sacred. I chewed on my inner cheek to keep from making a single sound, a feat I was certain I couldn’t maintain. Why did I have a horrible feeling Kelly had allowed them inside? No. I refused to believe that about my friend. We’d talked about boys and our future and how many kids we wanted to have, lamenting over our controlling parents. She wouldn’t do that to me. That meant the three Elite members she’d warned me about were more dangerous than I’d thought. The question remained. What did they want from me? A plan so extravagant couldn’t be just about sex.

While I was paralyzed with horror at a reality that seemed far removed from anything that could possibly occur, he laughed.

The sound was dark, angry, and very seductive. When he lowered his head, his lips only centimeters away, I bit down on the lower one until I tasted blood. Hunter didn’t react right away. Then he jerked his head back, issuing a low, throaty growl.

“Bad little pet. You’re going to pay for that.” He wiped his thumb through the drops of blood, shoving it into his mouth and acting as if he was sipping nectar from the gods. “As far as the fucker who spawned you. I assure you, princess, that he can’t save you. We are far more powerful than daddy dearest.”

A prickle of heat mixed with the increasing fury. There it was. The reason for the charade. The hatred of my father was evident. But why? He didn’t run in the same circles. He was a good man who had happened to make a fortune. The vile determination in Hunter’s voice kept my stomach in knots. Challenging him would mean nothing.

After laughing again, he pulled me up the stairs with enough force that I tripped several times. By the time he got to a door on the fourth floor, I was in a panic, fighting him with everything I had.

He was too strong for me and pushed me into a room without much trouble.

“Our lioness had arrived at our lair,” Hunter chortled.

Two other men were inside, one of them Cristiano. Hunter released his hold, shoving me further into the room, then standing in front of the door.

The third man that I’d seen but hadn’t talked to studied me intently, his eyes full of the same hunger I’d seen in the other two. They were also just as hypnotizing, drawing me into a level of darkness that yanked at the already lit fire in my core. I would never understand nor forgive myself for my body’s reaction. However, whatever they had in mind had nothing to do with passion. Their determination was all about power and complete control.

And revenge.

I felt it in my bones.

He had a sharpness about him that made it feel as if a cold arctic blast had shot through the room. He looked at me as anyone would when regarding a possible purchase.

To him, I was nothing but something to be owned.

“Well. Well. The little lioness bites,” the third guy said after glancing at Hunter’s lip, his deep voice resonating in vibrating jabs.

“Yeah, I do. You should see what I can do with my fists,” I responded, backing as far away from them as possible. I’d spouted the words without thinking. Now, my heart was in my throat, a crushing boulder threatening to suffocate me.

When the three of them laughed, I shivered visibly. The third guy swaggered closer until he was only a few inches away. “My name is Cain Cross, Sage. I’ve been waiting for a very long time to make your acquaintance.”

“I wish I could say I’d paid any attention to you at all. You’re just not noteworthy.” Of course, I’d seen him before, all three of them. They were impossible to miss as they strolled through the campus together, shoving aside anyone who’d dared get in their way. But something nagged at the back of my mind. Then I remembered. I’d literally run into Cain on my first day. He’d been helpful, including managing to find my dorm room. As his dark eyes assessed me, I realized his assistance had been nothing but a ploy.

“Is that really the truth, lovely Sage? I’ve noticed how you watch us cross the campus. I’ve seen the clear look of lust in your eyes.”

He wasn’t wrong, all three men being the things my darkest fantasies were made of. “Then you need to get your eyes checked.”

The three of them laughed is if watching a comedian on stage.

“I decided this is the perfect moment for the three of us to claim you.” Cain was obviously in control.

“You mean, you’ve been stalking me.”

---