Page 10 of Blood Claims (Garnet Dagger Mafia #2)

WAS ONE NOT ENOUGH?

V ictor nodded to my room, and he didn’t need to add any words to the silent order for me to know what he wanted. They had both clearly been here before and invaded my private space, seeing that my bags were indeed packed.

“Can’t we at least talk about this?” I tried, and before Tal could answer, his brother got there first.

“I think we have heard all the excuses you have to tell us, sweetheart.”

“They’re not excuses, they are concerns!” I corrected, my tone outraged, making a muscle in his jaw jump as he gritted his teeth.

“Yes, well our concerns are significantly more founded than yours are,” was his sharp reply, making me scoff.

“Says the Vampire who wants to kidnap me and keep me prisoner.”

Again, Victor simply shrugged his shoulders and pointed out calmly,

“It’s not kidnapping if the captive is willing, so by all means, make my life easier and change the narrative, Nessa.”

“Or we could just gag you, toss you over a shoulder, and carry you outta here with that tasty ass of yours close to my fangs,” Tal added with a wink, telling me which he would prefer.

Knowing it wasn’t an empty threat, I tossed up my hands in annoyance, growled in frustration, and snapped,

“Fine!”

I stomped to my room, ready to slam my door on them both or, at least, this was what would have happened had Tal’s hand not prevented it with a slap to my door after following me. Which meant my anger fled me on a whoosh of air when both men crowded inside my small room, making me back up.

“What… what are you doing?” I asked, wishing the words had come out more forcefully.

“Just making sure our good girl continues to be a good girl,” Victor replied with a grin that matched his brother’s knowing smirk.

I narrowed my eyes at them both and snapped,

“Yeah well, I need privacy to change because I’m not going anywhere in blood-soaked clothes… especially not with you two looking at me like I am some all you can eat buffet.” I muttered the last part, making Tal lick his lips as he let his gaze wander down the length of me.

“The fucking tastiest buffet on the planet… damn, girl, how you make my mouth water,” Tal told me, making me shiver and take another step back when his eyes started to glow silver.

The hungry look in his eyes was so predatory, it literally stole my breath.

It was like catching the eyes of a wolf as it stalked you in the dark, your flashlight momentarily alerting you to the danger that was circling you like prey.

I even looked around the room, half expecting to find bars closing in around me because I felt locked in a fucking cage with two hungry lions!

“Easy, brother, your hunger is frightening her,” Victor whispered to Tal, who looked close to pouncing on me.

“I know, I can practically taste the blood pumping faster through her veins. Her sexual fear is delicious,” he admitted, making me gasp and go to take another step back, something Victor noticed.

“A word of warning for the future, Firefly… we love the chase.” This made me stop backing away instantly, deciding to ask them for the most basic thing.

“I want privacy to change.”

“Your privacy is a thing of the past, so you better get used to it… now strip,” Tal commanded, his easy-going charm gone and making me grit my teeth so hard, I thought they would shatter! But then something in me snapped and I decided, fuck it! So, I practically tore my jacket off after shouting,

“Fine!”

I slapped it down on the floor, then whipped my T-shirt up and over my head before tossing it aside.

And for the first time in days, I finally felt like the tables of control had shifted as their hungry silver eyes drank in the sight of me.

As if I held all the power in the palm of my hand…

or should I say in my body. One I was using as a weapon against them.

I snapped the button of my jeans open, making Tal growl and Victor hiss as he dragged air through his teeth.

Then I reached into my duffle bag and pulled out the first things I could find, which was another pair of jeans.

They were light grey, which would go well with the knitted navy sweater I also grabbed.

One that was long sleeved, with a wide neck and would show hints of my bra beneath, thanks to the loose knit and the way it fell from one shoulder.

Not that I cared, because anything to torture them both with and I would use it. Despite them both being the bad guys, I still knew at heart that they weren’t monsters. Which meant the lines might have been blurry for them but there was one line I knew they wouldn’t cross.

They wouldn’t force me sexually.

Which was why the moment they took a step closer to me, I held up a hand and tested this by snapping,

“No! You don’t get to touch me!” And let’s just say it wasn’t the reaction they wanted.

“The fuck we don’t!” Tal snarled, making my hand jerk a little before holding strong.

“As long as I am your prisoner, what happened last night won’t happen again,” I told them both, making Victor grit his teeth.

Tal, being the more vocal of the two, was quick to argue in the same way he did before.

“The fuck it won’t!”

“I am not stupid. I know you won’t force me sexually,” I tested, hoping I was right, and from the looks of anger and frustration on their faces, I had guessed right. But the second Tal made a step toward me, Victor intervened by placing a hand at his brother’s chest, stopping him.

“You’re right, we wouldn’t ever force you,” Victor said, before slipping past his brother so he was right in front of me.

He positioned himself inches away and I had to force myself to remain still to not give him the satisfaction of me retreating like I wanted.

Especially when I felt his curled fingers under my chin apply enough pressure that I had no choice but to look up at him.

“But make no mistake, my foolish little Firefly… we will touch you, and this sexual war you wage against us will not last… for we look forward to breaking you.” This was said before he then scanned the length of me, watching as my chest heaved with the strength of his words.

His eyes glinted in pleasure as he watched the way I shuddered before taking a step back.

Something that left his hand suspended where it had been under my chin.

I grabbed my sweater from the bed, tugged it over my head, and told him firmly,

“Then let the war begin!”

Victor grinned down at me and before I knew it, he fisted a hand in the open waist band of my jeans and yanked me hard into him.

Something that left me in a vulnerable position with my hands pressed against his hard chest. A wall of muscle I could never hope to be strong enough to push away, even if I wanted to.

Which in all honesty , I shockingly didn’t.

Not even when his other hand cupped my jaw and held it tight enough to keep my head tilted back, looking up at him.

This was so he could lower his head and growl an inch from me,

“And to the spoils of war.”

Then he kissed me, and my cry of shock was swallowed down before a shameful moan slip free soon after.

Of course, I stupidly allowed the kiss to happen, and he knew it, as he was the one to pull back first. His cocky ass grin proved that he had won this round, making me sneer back up at him the second he said,

“Hmm, spoils of war never tasted so fucking good.” Then he winked at me before letting me go.

“Come on, brother, let’s give our fated some time to catch her breath after losing her first battle.

” Tal smirked before giving me a cocky salute and left the room with a chuckle, following his brother.

As for me, I finally got to slam the door behind them, their chuckles turning into laughter when they heard it.

Damn them!

Just who the Hell did they think they were?

! Okay, so that was stupid as they knew exactly who they were, and they clearly had the reputation to back up their actions.

Which once again meant that I was totally screwed, because my mind may have been dead-set against sleeping with them again, but as for my body…

Well, that was a horny bitch dead-set on mutiny.

And as for the Erebus brothers, they were the very definition of dangerous temptation.

Just knowing that they were on the other side of that door as I removed my trousers was enough to wish they were still in here while I did it.

Because as much as I claimed I could do this, I knew, in the end, that holding myself back with these two wasn’t an option.

Not now I’d had a taste of the pleasure they could give me and knowing it was always going to be there for the taking.

Oh, and didn’t they already know it too!

But then my mind went to Stacey and how I wanted to save her from all this mess.

Which was enough to kick me up the backside and into action.

So, after stuffing my feet into a new pair of socks and then my sneakers, I zipped up my duffle.

Then I heaved it over my shoulder and walked out my door, having no choice but to walk toward where they waited for me.

However, I dropped my bag and headed to the kitchen cabinets.

Or should I say, that one junk draw that held the most random of household items, which right now included the pen I needed.

Then I tore a page of the magnetic pad attached to the fridge, before walking around the counter so that I could lean on it to write Stacey a note. Something that prompted Tal to ask,

“What are you doing now?”

“I have to leave Stacey a note, I need to tell her…”

“Tell me what?” Her voice suddenly interrupted me, making me suck in a quick breath as my hand froze mid-writing.

“Stacey.” I breathed her name, and her groggy, sleepy expression became clear the moment she realized we weren’t alone. And for me, it was the moment of truth, because if she started screaming then that would tell me exactly the type of ‘Erebus treatment’ she had received.

“Oh, it’s you two… you came to the store the other day,” she said, with no mention of anything from earlier today, thank God.

“Erm yeah, these are my friends, the ones I was telling you about,” I said with a pointed look they couldn’t see, but unfortunately for me, it was a hint she didn’t get as she blurted out,

“The gay couple, yeah, I remember.” Of course, the second they heard this, horrified sounds of disbelief soon followed. Sounds that came from behind me, making me close my eyes and wince when Tal shouted,

“What the fuck?!”

“You told her we were gay?” Victor added, making me wonder if there was a witch’s spell out there for occasions like this. One where the floor swallowed you whole and kept you hidden until the storm above had blown over.

“Er… Nessa?” Stacey’s voice penetrated enough that I had no choice but to give up on my floor swallowing hopes and open my eyes. Her look of confusion was clear, making me sigh.

“Did I say gay?” I tried with a little shrug of my shoulders, ones that tensed the second I felt a heavy, thick arm placed around them.

This was from Tal as he tucked me to his side, pulling me in tight as Victor took my other side, both now keeping me sandwiched between them.

Then I looked up at Victor and whispered a plea,

“Please don’t.”

He ducked his head lower and said in a low tone,

“All's fair in love and war, sweetheart.” A statement made with that damn wink of his! One he gifted me before looking back to my best friend, only too happy to inform her, “Nessa is our girlfriend.”

I groaned, making Tal chuckle as Stacey’s eyes bulged out of her head.

“Our? As in, more than one?”

“As in my brother and I,” Tal added, making her squeak.

“Brothers!”

I flinched.

“Isn’t that right, baby?” Tal prompted, giving my shoulders a squeeze before Victor whispered down at me so Stacey couldn’t hear,

“Lesser of two evils.”

Which was why I cleared my throat, and told her,

“It’s true, I just didn’t know how to tell you… well, you know why, as it’s not exactly… normal.” I gritted out the last word, knowing they would get the inner meaning.

“No, I guess not. Er… maybe we could talk about this in private?” Stacey suggested, flicking her eyes toward her bedroom door.

Tal’s arms tightened around me the second Stacey had given me the silent, ‘what the fuck, get your ass in here now and tell me every little detail’ look.

Once her back was turned and I took my first step away from them, Victor was quick to hold me back.

Then his lips were at my ear from behind, so he could issue his threats.

“Another word of warning for you, Nessa… Vampires have great hearing.” I gritted my teeth and yanked out of his hold so I could deal with my friend. And of course, the very first thing she said when I walked through her bedroom door was…

“Seriously, was one not enough?”