Page 2

Chapter 1

Zach

I flex my fingers on my left hand, breathing out sharply through my nose. Goddamn useless fingers. After five years, I can barely feel them.

Picking my phone off the airplane tray table, I read Raiyne's text message again. Viktor’s contact had been able to obtain an updated image of Merci and Jackson had pulled it up while hanging out with his boyfriend and Raiyne a few weeks ago.

Turns out the fucking redhead Serpent knows my little stepbrother. They work together on occasion for some exclusive sex club that happens to be having an event tonight in Miami, which is why I'm taking a flight down the day after Christmas.

The fucking holidays mean nothing to me. Can barely tolerate being home. And there’s no love lost in the household. My father’s always been distant with me, and my stepmother Evelyn, well, the holidays—and my presence—only seem to make her miss her son more .

“Here, eat something.” Viktor offers me half a grilled-cheese sandwich with tomato, part of the corner bitten off.

I grunt and take it, not bothering to look at him.

“Going to tell me what’s bothering you because I know this has nothing to do with the cockroach we’re going to snuff out?”

“No problem.” I take a bite of the sandwich, not that I really enjoy it. Food, in general, tastes . . . flat.

Bland.

I can’t even distinguish between sweet, salty, and sour, which is the reason Viktor’s always eating my food. He took it upon himself to become my personal taste tester after I drank sour milk at a tournament when we were sixteen. I had no idea it went bad until I was vomiting on the ice.

I never wanted my friend to know I have . . . weaknesses. But that persistent fuck doesn’t give up. Like right now.

“Put on that robot voice all you want, but I know you better than you think.”

“He’s just pissed you have a boyfriend.” Jackson stretches out his legs and rests his hands behind his head. “Speaking of, how did you get Coach Harper to let you come with us? ”

“No one stops Novy from doing anything he wants. Not even his beloved.” Connor tosses a pretzel at Viktor’s head.

Viktor looks over the seat at Jackson and Connor with a lopsided smirk. “You really want to know?”

“Don’t make me vomit all over Walsh’s private jet. His dad would make us all clean it up with a toothbrush.” Jackson fake heaves and then starts laughing.

“My father can go fuck himself.” Connor practically snarls as he speaks.

Viktor quirks a brow at him. “Daddy issues? Thought he would be thrilled you finally settled down with what’s her name.”

“Zach’s stepbrother won’t be the only one to turn up as a corpse tonight if you don’t drop it.”

None of us have ever met the Walshes. They’re always traveling for one reason or another, and my friend seems to like it that way. So, Connor’s current attitude is . . . surprising.

When I drove by his house yesterday, it appeared he was alone. And although spending Christmas by myself would be a relief, I doubt my friends see it that way. They feel things differently than I do. Maybe that’s what’s got him bent out of shape.

Or perhaps the new girl he’s been dating is pissing him off .

“Knight, you gonna talk or just sit there staring off? You’re more distant than usual. Ever since Coach Harper—”

“Fuck off, Reed.” I toss my sandwich onto the tray, my appetite gone.

Beckett Harper can go fuck himself. Just another person who thinks I don’t give a shit about things because I don’t show my emotions.

Can’t show them.

I would’ve preferred to come to Miami alone, but I needed Connor’s jet along with a believable story. Otherwise, my father might’ve figured out I found my little stepbrother, and he would’ve interfered, even stopped me from killing the fucking cockroach for what he did.

Ending Merci’s existence is a belated Christmas present to myself. One I intend to collect.

Viktor flops into the seat next to mine. “Easy, Zach.”

I turn and glare at him, things swirling inside my chest, but my brain can’t make sense of them. I clench my jaw and stare unblinking.

“Look, I didn’t mean to tell him what happened. But he saw . . . and I wasn’t going to lie to him.”

The incident that nearly destroyed our friendship is only half the problem. I pick at the bread of my discarded sandwich. “How much did you tell him? ”

“Don’t be an asshole. I didn’t mention why it happened.”

One thing about Viktor—he’s always kept my secret. So, I don’t question him.

“Like I said. I’m fine. Could’ve done this all myself.”

“Fuck you, shithead. We’re family. No way we’d let you do this alone,” Jackson says.

Right.

Because they really know me. They only know the parts I allow them to. “Surprised Blackwell isn’t tagging along.”

Jackson pops a mini-pretzel into his mouth. “He had to drive his mom and sisters back to Massachusetts.”

That’s right. Their families celebrated Christmas together.

“Do we need to go over the plan?”

Connor grumbles from the seat behind me. “Give us more credit. We know what we’re doing.”

I tap my finger on the armrest. “Except this time, we’re out of state. None of our parents can get us out of this if we get caught. And my father will leave me to rot.”

Viktor snorts. “Speak for yourself. My mom and aunt would save my ass. I’m the most loved member of the family.”

Jackson laughs. “Uh, not anymore, according to your cousin. I believe Feisty Mouse has usurped the position. ”

Viktor waves a haphazard hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah. My aunt hasn’t even met him yet, so Alexei’s full of shit.”

The corner of my mouth quirks up, not a genuine smile, but enough of one. Eli Holmes is the complete opposite of us, yet he’s ours. I like him, respect him.

I turn and look at Jackson. “Killian talk to Raiyne, made sure he stays in line?”

Jackson nods. “Freaky Peter Pan’s on board. He might’ve known the bastard, but Killian gave him the full background. And Raiyne’s loyalty is to my boyfriend, not some pissant he works with every so often.”

“I still can’t believe the redhead Serpent is a stripper or whatever the fuck he does for this company,” Connor says.

Glancing over the headrest at him, I quirk a brow. “Really? After he tackled you that night during the Frozen Four? Kid was practically straddling you.”

His eyes narrow. “He didn’t tackle me. He threw his damn body at my knees.”

“And he started laughing when my cousin punched the shit out of him.” Viktor looks over to Jackson. “He might be worse than you and Killian with that masochistic bullshit.”

My friend’s not entirely wrong. I messed around with Raiyne after we ran into each other at a club one time. He can suck a cock and make you see stars, but he doesn’t shut the hell up. And gags aren’t my thing.

Not anymore.

So I choked him with both my hand and my dick, and he came untouched.

Having fucked around with Raiyne is another reason I was okay with letting him in on my plan. As much as he talks, he’s never divulged what happened between us. Or at least not in a way it ever got back to me.

I do respect those who respect my privacy. Though, the NDA he signed gave him more incentive to shut the fuck up, especially not when he doesn't have the money to pay for a third of what I would've sued him for. And doubt he'd want to have his grandmother to sell her house to bail him out.

I stare out the window of the plane.

The contracts are something my father insisted on after an incident at a BDSM club. He hadn’t known I’d been going, and when I’d gotten too rough with someone—well, more like I didn’t read their body language correctly—she tried to sue me. Turns out that a quarter of a million dollars made the problem go away.

Could’ve done without the lecture, but my father’s insistence on making those I play with sign NDAs wasn’t a bad idea. Regardless, I always make sure I only fuck with people I couldn’t give less of a shit about .

Except for Viktor.

My fingers curl into fists. He’s the one regret I have. The one I will take to my grave. If only he’d never shown up that night.

The flight attendant stands in front of us. “Gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts. We’ll be on the ground shortly.”

And not long after, my stepbrother will pay for everything he almost took from me.