Page 27

26

ARCHER

I remain quiet, watching as Iris closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and stands up silently.

That was a lot to take in. For us. For her.

I can’t blame Elijah for trying to protect her, but I understand how she feels.

Betrayed.

“Where are you going?” Eli asks her.

“Washing my hair.”

Ouch. Indifference is the worst.

“Don’t you think we should—” starts Theo, but she cuts him off.

“No. I don’t think we should do anything. You both lied to me. You,” she points her finger at Theo. “You lied to me for years. Were you following me even when I was on my missions?” She doesn’t give him the time to answer and redirects her finger towards Eli. “You. Stubborn fucking man. Couldn’t you just tell me he had something on all of you, some information that he could use against you?”

“My mum.” That’s all he says.

Fucking hell, Vivianne.

“We need to take her out of this,” I say.

“I tried. Believe me, I tried.” Eli sighs.

“She’ll be fine,” Iris says before squinting her eyes. “You both better crawl low and grovel deep.”

She leaves the kitchen, leaving us alone.

I don’t know how I feel right now. I need to see these files that Stephen has on us.

If Eli couldn’t infiltrate their system and delete them, no one else would be able to. Not even me.

Except maybe one person.

“What happened to those files?” I raise my brow.

“Impossible to breach. And I tried. I had access to a small part, but I can sense that he is keeping something else closely protected.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a USB. “I have some of them here. He kept them in his home office. Yet, I am confident that there are further revelations in his possession, and if any harm were to come to him, they would be disclosed. I highly doubt my dear cousin will be eager to bail us out of prison once more.”

“Did you call her regarding that?”

“I did, and she couldn’t access it either. And you know that very little?—”

His phone rings, cutting him off, and he answers by putting the speaker on.

“Cousin,” she sings on the other side of the line. “Wouldn't it be nice for you to open your door?”

We exchange quick glances, our eyes meeting before we turn our attention to the entrance door and walk towards it.

A cascade of curls and fiery red hair greets us, accompanied by a grumpy ass behind them.

“What are you doing here?” he asks while taking her in his arms.

“That is not how you greet family,” she scolds him.

Pushing him, I take her in my arms. “Blakely, long time no see. How are you doing?”

“Good.” She turns to look at him. “See, that’s how you greet family.”

“Em, love. It’s good to see you.” I kiss her cheek, which makes Scott groan behind her.

“Stop being an arsehole,” she grumbles at him. “Why are you here, anyway? Even Aidan stayed at home.”

Meeting with them is always fun, and it’s been too long since I last saw them.

“I have some news,” Blakely announces, entering the house.

I lean against Scott's shoulder and whisper. “Really? You groan at me now?” Scott, Blakely, and us are like extended cousins. Viv is their mother’s sister who always treats us like family when we go to see them.

“I… She’s driving me wild.”

“You could’ve just stayed in Scotland. I think they can handle themselves.”

“Not a chance.”

That makes me chuckle. The two of them are just like cat and mouse.

“So, what is it?” asks Eli while Blake leans her shoulder against his. “You could’ve just called.”

“We were nearby. We’re leaving tonight.”

Our heads snap in unison as we hear someone clear their throat, only to find Iris at the entrance of the lounge door. Her wet hair creates small puddles on the floor, her eyes burning with rage, and she stands there in just a T-shirt. My T-shirt.

Fuck. I could get used to it.

Kai’s jaw tightens as he sees her almost naked.

Em starts, “Is she...” while Eli nods in agreement, and without hesitation, she sprints towards Iris, with Blake close behind. “Oh my god. You’re beautiful. Look at this hair.”

“Iris, the crazy curly one is my cousin Blakely. The other crazy one is Emilie, Blakely’s best friend.”

“Nice to meet you both.”

They release her, and as they come back towards us, Kai leans in close to Iris, whispering something in her ear, though I can definitely hear it.

“Go and change your clothes. I can see everything.”

“Never bothered you until now.” She raises her brow in defiance.

Kai turns his head towards Scott. “We are not alone, and I don’t think you’ll like to be punished with a family member right beside you. I won’t repeat myself, Poison. Go get changed.”

She smirks at him, her eyes filled with mischief, and gently grazes her fingers against his chest, causing him to recoil in discomfort, yet he remains silent.

“Watch me.”

She passes him and extends her arm towards Scott. “I’m Iris.”

“Scott. I guess we’re kinda related now, huh?” He smiles at her.

“I… I don’t have any cousins or fam?—”

“You do now,” cuts Blake. “We’re family, and family protects each other.” She pats the seat near her. “I have some information regarding your father.”

“Sperm donor,” Iris corrects.

“Sperm donor,” Blakely smiles. “Cailean is close to breaching their code. We’ve been working on it for years, but Stephen knew you guys owned a security company, so he made it a necessity to block every entrance. I’ve never seen something like that before.”

“Blakely is a lawyer and an IT genius,” Eli adds.

“And a killer,” adds Em, but she shakes her head quickly. “Not that it's important information at the moment.”

“Cherry,” warns Scott, but she shoves him with her hand.

“I’m hoping it’ll take a matter of days,” Blake continues. “But again, I’ve never seen that before.” She turns to glance at Eli. “Please, no foolish thing. I don’t want to get your arse out of prison once more.”

Blakely is the one who got him out of it when he killed his father. It was fortunate that they were in France at the time, and it is worth noting that Blakely is not only a genius but also one of the best lawyers I have ever encountered.

“But you love me,” he winks at her.

“You’re a pain, you know that?”

“We know that,” Iris almost growls.

“Ohh, sassy. I love that,” chuckles Em. “What did he do?”

“Lied.” Iris keeps her eyes on Eli.

“Make him beg then.”

“Cherry,” warns Scott once more.

“Is your bulldog always like that?” Iris raises her brow.

“Yup. But don’t worry. He’s all bark but no bite.”

“You’re going to regret that, you know, right?” Scott announces.

“Cannot wait.” She winks at him.

“And don’t worry,” continues Iris. “They will beg more than necessary.”

“Well, we’re going. My dear husband might kill us if we spend another night in England.” Blake stands up and kisses all of us before moving towards the door. “I’ll keep you updated.” She points her fingers towards Elijah, her eyes narrowing with a warning. “And you better take care of her,” she says, her voice filled with authority. She glances at all of us, her gaze lingering for a moment before continuing, “All of you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I wink at her.

“Smartass.”

She leaves at the same time as ‘Girlfriends’ by Avril Lavigne rings in the room.

Iris leaves without a sound and answers. “Oli?”

I look at them with a nod and follow her to her bedroom. Engrossed in deep conversation, she quickly places a finger over her mouth as soon as she notices my presence in her bedroom.

“I told you I’d take care of it. You gave me five kills at the same time.”

I grab her phone and put it on speaker.

“It should be a simple task for you. My client has been waiting weeks for you to do the job I assigned you.”

My body tenses at the sound of that voice.

“Your client wants me to kill The Order. It’s four professional hitmen well over 6ft. Excuse me if it takes some time. It’ll be done when it will be done. Now, if that's all, I have to go.”

“You leave me no choice but to call Miss Rose.”

“Fine by me. Byyye.” She hangs up and looks at me. “What is it?”

“I know that voice.” A thin line creases on her forehead.

“What do?—”

“We have a mission.” Elijah and Theo enter her bedroom.

“Good for you, but we’re in the middle of a conversation.”

“It’s yours,” says Eli with a grin.

“Hmm. Wait. You want me to come with you?” Her head bobs backwards.

“Not with us. It’s yours.”

“So, you’re giving me a kill?”

He nods as she starts to undress herself, leaving us a perfect view of her tits and ass.

“What are you doing?” asks Theo.

“You saw me naked more than once, and you all fucked me. No need to be a prude now.”

She runs her hands over her fishnet-clad thighs, then slips into a pair of black denim shorts and a fitted black crop top.

She quickly forms two buns over her head and grabs her bat.

“Giving me a kill won’t erase your mistakes,” she warns before pushing them to the side and glancing at me. “Angel, you’re coming?”

I smirk and pat their shoulders once I’m near them. “Be ready to be on your knees for her,” I chuckle. “Also, we need to talk once I’m back.”

“ANGEL! ARE YOU COMING OR NOT?”

I wink at them, provoking a torrent of curses, before making my way to join my girl.

“Where are we?” Glancing around, I quickly realise that we are nowhere near the location Eli sent us to.

“You’ll see.”

We’re in an old, creaking building that feels like it could collapse on us at any moment.

I replace my mask over my face. “This location is not the one Eli sent us, you know that?”

“I know. I messaged him and told him to fuck off. If he thinks he can win me over with a single kill, he is sorely mistaken.”

“You know, you weren’t completely honest with Theo about your true identity either, right?”

“I know,” she grins.

“You’re trouble,” I chuckle.

“Life would be boring without me.”

I can’t agree more.

I hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching, but before I can react, Iris spins around with lightning speed, causing someone to stumble and fall onto her outstretched arm.

“Ouch.”

“You need to be focused,” she says, extending her arm and assisting the blond head in standing up. “That will be your first lesson.”

I’m confused.

“What’s happening here?” As I look at the woman standing in front of me, I can’t help but notice her striking resemblance to Iris. From her black clothing to her grunge-style outfit, she could easily pass as Iris’s doppelg?nger.

“Angel, meet Will. Will, this is Strike.”

I look at her with a grin. That’s the first time she calls me by my nickname.

“Will is my baby prodigy.”

“Baby? Really?” Will complains.

“Baby killer sounds better to you?”

“Actually, yes. I like that.”

“Why are we here?” I’m still confused.

“Will is going to have her first official mission.”

Iris arches her brow, causing her makeup to stretch across her face.

I don’t know how she managed it, but she found the time to meticulously apply pure black eyeshadow and draw a bold black line that contrasts with a delicate white one down her eye to her cheeks. Her mouth is adorned with black lipstick that drips down her chin, creating an eerie and unsettling visual, with two lines extending from each cheek. By choosing not to wear her contact lenses, her eyes, one blue and one brown, stand out even more. She’s simply stunning.

“Killing people without a reason is not the same thing.”

“Fineee. You’re no fun.”

“Wait a minute,” I stop them. “You’re Will, as in Low kill?”

“You heard about me.” Her smile beams on her face. “My name is Willow, hence the Low, but I go by Will. Oh my God. I can’t believe that The Order heard about me.” She jumps and claps her hands together.

Yeah, we heard about her alright. The constant stream of killings she perpetrated made her presence in the profession unsettling, leaving others shaken.

I’m quite impressed that a ‘baby killer’ like Iris says has done so much in so little time, even though being a serial killer and a hired hitman is completely different.

“Why are we here if she is who she is?”

“Because she needs to control her kills. She’s sloppy.”

“No, I’m not.” Iris raises her brow, not believing her for a second. “Okay, maybe.” Will sighs. “Fine, I am. But that’s why you’re here. What better way than to have Raven teaching you,” she grins.

Well, playing babysitter wasn’t exactly part of my plans for tonight, but I guess it’s what needs to be done.

“We have two kills tonight,” Iris announces. “Stay back, watch and learn.”

I suppose that’s what the call was about tonight.

The sound of a metallic door opening makes Iris lift her bat, prepared for what awaits her.

“Just on time.”

She motions for us to stay where we are as a man walks into the room, causing him to tense up.

“What—”

She tilts her head to the side, the bat on her shoulder. “Don’t run. My body is aching all over.”

Of course, he doesn’t listen because he swiftly looks in our direction before bolting to the other side.

I mean, we probably look scary like that.

“Ugh. What did I say?” Her knife slices through the air, puncturing his back and causing him to collapse onto his knees. “I said, don’t run.” She sighs. “I got fucked by four men last night, you see; my muscles are really painful.”

“Juicy,” Will whispers beside me, causing me to let out a chuckle.

The guy lunges at Iris’ legs, but she swiftly evades him, striking him with her bat on his side.

“Isn’t Medusa fantastic?”

“Who?”

“Medusa! Her bat. Hold on, you are intimate with her, but you lack knowledge about the names of her weapons?” Shaking her head, she expresses her clear disapproval. “Make an effort.”

I guess she’s right.

“Donovan, Donovan, Donovan. I asked you nicely to refrain from moving, but it appears that nothing in life can ever be uncomplicated, can it?” She sighs.

The guy groans on the ground, his hand over his wound. “It wasn’t me.”

She bends down and whispers. “You know what? They all say that, plus I don’t care if you did it or not. I have a mission, and I’m getting paid for it. If anything, you can take that up with the Lord, okay?”

Once again, the guy makes a desperate attempt to move, his hand desperately reaching for her ankle, but she swiftly lifts Medusa and strikes his head with a powerful force. Blood splashes all over her, but she doesn’t pay attention to it.

“Shiiiit,” murmurs Will. “I’ve been dying to see her use it. And it does not disappoint.”

I have to say, I am mesmerised by what lies in front of me.

“I think I can see some piece of his brain.”

Yeah, I think I can as well.

“Did you learn something?” Iris glances at us. She lifts her foot and presses it firmly against his shoulder, her fingers gripping her bat tightly as she forcefully pulls it to release from his scalp. “Bloody hell, Medusa! Each fucking time, seriously?”

She puts all her strength into one last pull and is instantly thrown backwards by its force.

“Finally.” She bends down and deftly retrieves the knife she had thrown earlier, then firmly presses his hand onto the ground.

What is she doing?

I watch as she carefully applies pressure on his pinky finger with the knife, her body weight pressing down until the bone cracks and echoes through the empty space.

I...I am speechless at the sight before me.

She deftly slices through the last bit of nerves, her fingers closing around the detached finger as it lands in her hand. Slowly and methodically, she manages to remove every layer of skin, leaving behind only the exposed bone.

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as she approaches us, her presence commanding and fierce, as if she has just emerged victorious from a battle.

I saw Kai's dream catcher. His attempts at being discreet are not as successful as he imagines.

Seeing Raven and not Iris in action is something else.

“So? What did you learn?” Iris asks once she’s in front of us.

“They always have something to say, making it seem like they didn’t do anything. Ignore their words and remain focused on your mission. I have no interest in what they did.”

“Good girl. You’re learning fast.”

Once more, the metallic door creaks open, and Iris shoots a mischievous grin in Will’s direction.

“Make me proud.”

We watch as Will leaves us alone, walking towards her prey.

I lean against Iris’ neck and whisper. “You don’t know how much I want to fuck you right now. Seeing you in action…”

“Is that so?” she smirks. “Not in front of the child, Angel.”

“Do you really think it would stop me?” I bring her closer to me by her hips. “Because it wouldn’t.”

“I know. And I promise you, once we get home, you’ll have the occasion to fuck me.” She pivots to look at me, and this grin is nothing good. “Actually, what about you fuck me while the boys observe without being allowed to touch either of us?”

A soft chuckle escapes me. “You’re diabolical. You know they’re going to lose their shit, right?”

“I know. That’s what we call revenge, Angel.” She presses her body flush against mine, sensually grinding her hips against my pelvis.

“I’m down for it. But, Vixen, if you don’t stop there, I can promise you I’m going to take you right now.”

The empty space is filled with the echoing sound of a devious laugh as Will comes back, a fucking hand in hers.

“Why do you have a hand in yours?” Iris asks with a serious tone, but I can detect a playful undertone in her voice.

“What?” Will lifts the hand in front of her face. “I shouldn’t have? You did it.”

“I took a finger, but fair enough,” she chuckles. “Let’s get everything cleaned up, little killer, and I’ll notify the client that the kills have been done.” She gives her a black bag. “C’mon. You kill, you clean.”

“Fine.” Will leaves with the bag while Iris gets ready to do the same.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard that you’ll forget your name at the end.”

“Cannot wait.” She winks at me and leaves.

I’m so fucked.

“Where have you been?” Eli asks once we returned. Iris gives him the finger while she storms off to her room.

“You should’ve seen that coming.” I shrug.

“Where have you been?” questions Theo, this time followed by Kai.

“Do you remember Low Kill?”

“Yeaaah? What about him?” asks Eli.

“You mean, her.” I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and drink from it. “Well, apparently, it’s one of Iris' friends and the one that took her out of the grave.”

“Wait, wait, wait. The grave?” Theo’s voice grows louder. “You put her in a fucking grave?”

“Buried her alive, yeah,” answers Eli.

“And wait. Iris doesn’t have any female friends except Will. Who the hell are you talking about?” I glance at Theo and laugh.

“Yup. Willow is Low Kill.”

“Well, fuck.”

“So, where have you been?” asks Kai.

“To train her.” I finish my bottle in one gulp. “Iris received a call today, and the voice was familiar.” I glance at Theo. “Can you check that? There is a chance you know who called her. I’ve heard this voice before, but I don’t know where.”

He goes to open his mouth, but Iris interrupts him as she descends the stairs, her body still damp from the refreshing shower she had just taken, dressed in nothing but delicate, thin underwear.

“What—”

She shakes her head and comes closer to me. “I don’t want to hear a sound from any of you.” She glances at Eli and Theo. “So now you’re going to sit and shut up. Except for you, Kai. You did nothing, but you’re still an asshole.”

Not wasting a moment, she drops to her knees in front of me, giving me a mischievous wink before tugging down my joggers.

“What are you doing?” Eli crosses his arms over his chest while she starts to stroke me.

I’m already hard just seeing her like this.

“I said, shut up. You don’t get to speak. None of you.”

I don’t know if she’s aware that it’s more a turn-on for Eli than anything. Watching is his thing.

She takes me in her mouth and mother of God.

My hand tightly clasps her hair while my eyes remain fixed on her, capturing every detail.

“Show them the good girl you are for me.”

She takes me deeper, her gags and my moans blending together as my head goes back.

“Fuuuck.”

My hand effortlessly locates her throat, wrapping around it as I draw her nearer to my pelvis.

I watch as Theo and Eli inch closer, and I can’t help but let a smirk play on my lips.

“I think she ordered you not to move or speak.”

“So what? We can’t touch? Are you for real?” Theo groans.

Iris releases my cock with a soft pop, rising to her feet as she slowly slides off her underwear.

“I’m afraid the ‘sweet shop’ is closed. You’ll have to peer through the clear glass window.”

She bends over the kitchen island, her ass up for me to take her.

“C’mon, Angel. Take me. Perhaps this will teach them a valuable lesson about honesty.”

Kai’s intense gaze locks onto us, igniting a surge of adrenaline that propels me into action. He leans in, his intense gaze forcing Iris to meet his eyes before he spits on his hand and grips my cock before stroking it, his touch making me moan.

“Fuck her good, pretty boy.”

I take my time to push myself into her, feeling her warmth and the intensity of the guy’s watchful eyes.

“Shit,” she whines. “Oh, fuck.”

Just as Theo’s hand moves towards his zipper, she spots it.

“No. You don’t get to touch yourself.”

“So you’re going to have me hard without the possibility of doing anything about it?”

“You got it, Wolfy. Shit. Ahhh.”

Seeing the bulge beneath their trousers ignites a primal instinct within me, knowing that they are powerless to act.

My thrusts grow wild and erratic, causing her breasts to brush against the smooth surface of the kitchen island.

The piercing sound of her screams reverberates through the room while the gentle moans of the guy softly reach my ear.

Kai, who has been standing beside us all along, surprises her by wrapping his hand around her neck and lightly biting her ear. He whispers something to her, but I’m too far gone to hear the words.

His hand clenches tightly around her throat, cutting off her air supply while he does the same with mine, forcing my eyes to roll back.

“Oh. My. God,” she screams.

“Fucking tight,” I growl.

“Make her come,” Kai whispers in my ear while his hand keeps constricting around my throat. “And look at them while you come,” he orders her.

Her impending orgasm causes my thrusts to become more arduous, syncing with her convulsing body and a cry that escapes her lips.

That’s all it takes for me to lose control. My body spasms with pleasure as I shoot load after load into her tight warmth.

“Fuuuuck!” I grunt.

My heart races as Kai releases his grip on our throats and kisses my forehead, whispering “Good boy” while doing the same to Iris, saying “Good girl.”

I kiss her back and pull out, but her legs give out, unable to hold her up. Without missing a beat, Kai rushes in and catches her, preventing her from hitting the ground.

“I got her. Between yesterday and today, it’s too much for her.” Scooping her up in his arms, he swiftly carries her out of the kitchen.

I quickly wipe the sweat from my forehead, my eyes darting towards the guys. They don’t seem to be pleased.

“Happy?” asks Theo. “I’m hard as a fucking rock.”

“You brought it upon yourself,” I shrug. “And I bet she’s not done with your punishment.”

“Fucking hell. And what is it with Kai? He’s done that twice, and he never touches a woman.” He shakes his head. “Not that I’m not happy about it.”

I shrug once more. I guess he stumbled upon a connection that he never realised he craved.

And if Iris guides him down an unanticipated route, I’m glad for him.

“You should take some time to jerk off because I sense you might be in a sour mood for a while. And no, I won’t take care of that for you. I side with her on this one.” I glance at Eli, whose silence has been noticeable up until now. “And you should be grovelling. She’s not going to let that slide.” I leave the kitchen with their groan following me before shouting. “Make sure you check out what I asked.”