“I’m still pissed at him for claiming you as his bride,” Ben mutters.
The brand on my skin throbs as the memories of that night flit through my mind. I’m bound to Xavier for a year, but this mark on my shoulder is permanent in a way that infuriates me. Yes, I can have it removed, but it shouldn’t have been put there in the first place.
“You and me both,” I say. “At least you’re not the one with a fucking ‘D’ on your body.” A thought strikes, giving me pause. “Would you have branded me if you’d been the one to catch me?”
Ben runs a hand through his hair. “I would’ve had to. You saw the way the council member was with X. Any deviation from the norm is grounds for punishment. I’m not talking about just being reprimanded. When it comes to the Order, nothing is off limits.”
A chill skitters along arms that has nothing to do with the night air. “I get it.”
He takes a step toward me. “But that doesn’t mean I would’ve wanted to. You’re not property, Delilah.”
“I feel like it. I don’t want to belong to Xavier.”
He takes another step. “I’m going to try to take you from him.”
I blink. “How?”
“By out-scoring him and the other recruits during the Trials. The brides go to the top three performers.” Ben cups my cheeks with both hands and tilts my head up . “I will be one of them.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
“Xavier said the same thing.”
Ben clenches his jaw. “You belong with me. I know you more than anyone. I can make you happy.”
“This is a contract, not a marriage.”
“It might as well be,” he snaps, his grip tightening on my face. “You have to do whatever he wants. It makes me fucking sick to think of you with him.”
“I think now’s a good time to take your fucking hands off of her.”
The dark voice has Ben swinging around and shoving me behind him. I stumble before gaining my footing. Once I’m not about to faceplant, I lean around Ben to find Declan standing there.
He juts his chin at me. “That bride doesn’t belong to you, McKenzie.”
Ben stiffens, tension lining his shoulders. “She doesn’t belong to you either. Mind your fucking business.”
Declan blows out a breath. “Unfortunately, that fucker X put me on bride-sitting duty. So she’s coming with me.”
I step from behind Ben and lift both my hands, one palm facing each man. “Both of you need to hold the fuck up. I’m going back to my dorm room. After that, you can have a pissing contest, or whatever guys do to establish dominance. All I know is you’re not slinging your shlongs in front of me.”
The pair of them look at me with wide eyes. Ben groans and massages his forehead while Declan grins. I flip them off.
“Listen, I’m already caught up in the pile of shit the Order dumped on me,” I say. “I’m not interested in adding more to it by pissing them off. Leave me alone, and I promise I’ll stay put.”
“That’s not how this works, bride,” Declan says. “You’re going to Xavier’s room. I let you have your freedom during the day, but at night you need to be behind a locked door with security. It’s the safest option.”
I look at Ben, and he gives me a reluctant nod. “He’s right. The dorm rooms in the fraternity are the best choice.”
“Whatever,” I mumble. “Let’s get this over with.”
They fall into step beside me, one recruit on either side. It unnerves me. There’s something about their energy that’s unusual. Maybe it’s because I know they’re killers or that they wield power in a way that’s foreign to me. I’ve never had money or authority, let alone inherited an empire.
I glance at Declan. “What industry does your family control?”
He flicks his narrowed gaze to Ben. “I see someone’s been running his fucking mouth.”
My foster brother rolls his eyes. “It’s not like she’s stupid. She was going to figure it out anyway.”
Declan eyes Ben for a moment. “When my father passes, I’ll take over his medical dynasty.”
“That’s not so bad,” I say.
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I recall the story June told us about Declan and his late-night visit to a clinic filled with suspicious people. And organs.
Oh, fuck.
Declan grins at me, but it’s all teeth and no smile. Similar to a shark. “I save lives. Hospitals, clinics, research facilities… we own them, but the real market is a supply and demand we’re not going to talk about.”
Ben’s expression darkens, and he steps closer as if to shield me from Declan. “The Order’s reach extends into gray areas.”
“Gray?” Declan laughs. “It’s more like pitch-black. Another reason we’re called crows, man. Let’s just say that my family provides specialized healthcare services and leave it at that.”
“And you?” I ask Ben. “What does a tech dynasty look like?”
Declan interjects before my foster brother can answer me. “It looks like fucking everything. This bastard can hack his way into almost anything. Records, finances, satellites.”
“Now who has a big fucking mouth,” Ben growls.
“You broke the seal, man.” Declan shrugs. “Like you said, she’s not stupid. I haven’t known her for long, but she’s likely to get into trouble and poke her nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Ben nods. “You don’t know the half of it.”
“Hey!” I glare at one of them and then the other. “Do me a favor and punch each other in the dicks, yeah?”
Chapter 41DELILAH
As soon as I’m alone in Xavier’s room, I go through his things like a trash panda looking for food. I dig through his drawers, his bathroom cabinets, and anything else that might give me a better idea of who this man is. The things I already know about him are scary.
After a while I plop onto his bed, completely exhausted and unsuccessful. Xavier remains a mystery. What drives someone like him? Wealth, status, or power? Maybe all three.
My goals are much simpler. To be loved and feel safe. These concepts are basic, yet so elusive in my life. Plus, I’m not any closer to accomplishing either. If anything, I’ve taken steps backward.
The situation I find myself in offers nothing good. There’s a part of me that feels more threatened than when I lived in Frank’s house. Although the danger here is different.
Xavier Donovan threatens to take more than my body. He could take my very soul.
Images of him flit through my mind and I release a sigh, half frustration and the other resignation. I have to find a way to navigate this dynamic, only it’s like walking a tightrope and any miscalculation could send me plummeting to my literal and figurative death.
I want to strip him of the power he has over me, but I don’t know how. Becoming Xavier’s ally is ideal, except he’s made it very clear he wants more than my cooperation. He said I’d beg him.
The problem is, he could be right…
When I think about the hunger in Xavier’s gaze and the undeniable pull between us, it’s terrifying. I blame it on physical attraction, but there’s something more, something deeper that I refuse to acknowledge.
He has a way of looking at me as if I’m the only person that exists. That intensity is overwhelming. Despite not trusting him fully, I find myself drawn to Xavier in a way that I can’t explain.
Lying on his bed, surrounded by his things, I close my eyes to block out everything. Maybe the key to surviving this ordeal with my heart intact is to simply confront my fears and desires. Both center around the man holding me captive.