Page 40 of Scream (Duchess & Devils #1)

Parker.

"Did you know that about Raven?" I ask, just as the door to Sabrina's room opens. Both Maksim and I are listening at the door like children, and we step back as Mav sticks his hand back inside, finds the little nub on the doorknob, flicks the lock, and shuts the door behind him.

I feel like an asshole. I knew something terrible had happened to her to make her lose her voice, given that’s the entire reason I had been hired.

There were rumors while I was Brina’s guard, standing outside of the gates at Rayne-Moore, since we weren’t technically allowed inside of the gates.

Why would we be? Rayne-Moore and its surrounding small towns, save for Raven’s incident, was and is, considered one of the safest universities on the East Coast.

"Gentlemen," Mav growls, striding forward in Maksim's penthouse like he's been here a hundred times and knows his way around. Lips taut, he makes a motion with his head for us to follow him down the stairs.

"Please tell me exactly why I was pulled out of bed before my woman's cum finished drying on my lips," he says, so cool, calm, and collected I'm almost jealous.I think he’s only a year older than me, but you can tell he’s lived a harsh life – it’s there, behind his eyes. I’ve only ever seen him smile when he’s around Raven, like all his worries melt away in her presence.

Can’t lie and say I’m not jealous – I want that for myself.

"Maksim kissed Sabrina." I tattle, again, like a child.

"She's my wife ." He defends as we reach the bottom step.

"By my calculations, Raven is ovulating and instead of getting her big and swollen with my child, I'm dealing with toddlers that aren’t even mine." He fumes understandably, but he looks at me as we get to the kitchen. "What do you know about what happened to Sabrina? "

I shake my head. "I don't know exactly what happened to her. All I know is, almost three years ago, she sent me on a wild goose chase to buy her minty feminine products because she started her period. I got back to the Barclay’s McMansion, and she was gone.

Three hours later she was being dropped off by some douche, drunk as a fucking skunk.

She hasn't touched alcohol since that day.

Won't listen to loud music, and if she does, she has to mentally prepare herself.

She stopped running, started baking, gained a few delicious pounds, and she prefers to stay inside.

Like a type of agoraphobia. She has to hype herself up to leave the house, and the entire way to anywhere we go, she's reciting something in her head a mile a minute.

"Sometimes she looks at the doorknob like it's diseased.

Large crowds freak her out. My girl was a whore for a good concert, and now she wears gloves and can't stand anyone touching her too long or at all.

She says it feels like an imprint on her skin.

She used to fuck the night away, and after that night, I found all of her vibrators in the trash. "

"The guy that dropped her off, what's he like?" Mav questions like he’s gathering intel, leaning forward on the island, on his forearms, clasping his hands together, keeping his voice low.

I shake my head again. "Never liked him. Spoiled little rich kid with too much money. But he never gave me a weird vibe. Kept to himself in their friend group. He was usually as aware of her as I was when she’d go out and drag me to these god-awful places.

I know he was friends with her brother, Charlie.

I know he was on the yacht the night he passed.

I was grateful to him when he brought her back from wherever they were because she was piss drunk. "

Mav eyes me up and down, eyes like clear peridots behind his frames. "You trust him?"

I scoff. "I don't trust a goddamn person besides the woman upstairs, if I'm honest."

Maksim grunts in agreement.

"I'm sure you heard everything Raven had to say, even though that was a very private conversation."

Maksim shakes his head. "Whatever the Wish version of Wednesday Addams had to say, isn't my issue. My issue is that my wife freezes every time I try to touch her."

Maverick chuckles, but it's deep and it doesn't feel very funny– It feels dangerous.

It's so fucking fast, I hardly have time to react before Maverick's hand comes up, pinning Maks' forehead to the island and twisting his arm behind his back.

"Disrespect the mother of my future children again, Maksim, and you'll find yourself buried alive.

I'm sure you heard, but in case you didn't, we know how to get away with murder.

" He leans down over Maksim's ear and whispers, "I don't give a fuck if you’re a big bad mafia man.

I don't give a fuck if the bratva will come for me.

I don't even care that you're Sabrina's husband.

I haven't disrespected yours, do not ever disrespect mine. Are we clear?"

You know, I really like the guy.

I stop the grin from forming on my face.

"Crystal," Maksim fumes, and Maverick lets him go, flexing his hands and then stepping away as if nothing ever happened.

He continues, "Now, about your… troubles.

She loves both of you. I don't know why–the both of you behave like you've never loved a woman in your life.

So I'll tell you how to fix this, and her.

Treat her right. Love her properly and hard.

Even when it's difficult. Together. Separately. It doesn't matter. But my girlfriend is up there right now, instead of riding my dick, calming her down because she loves both of you and feels guilty. When she comes to you – and she will – don’t say a goddamn word. You let the woman speak.”

"She's my wife ," Maksim reiterates sharply but Maverick looks bored already.

"Tell me, Maksim, do you feel Parker can protect her when you aren't around?"

Muddy eyes look toward me. "Yes."

"You feel he'd love her properly if you weren't around?"

He sighs, "Yes."

"Same questions for you, Savage."

It's my turn to sigh. "I've seen how it works for you and yours. It's the happiest I've ever seen a couple, and y'all are thriving. If Sabrina wants this, then I want it. I just want her. I want to love her right, like you said."

Maverick looks up from us, behind our shoulders, and I follow his gaze to see Raven standing there, one hand on her arm.Her hands lift. She's asleep. I don't know what you're going to do, but she's waging wars in her head.

I bring my hand up. I know.

She blinks at me and then, fighting over her won't solve anything. It makes it worse.

I know , I repeat the motion.

"It's rude to carry on a conversation in a different language when someone can't speak it, you know?" Maksim says, annoyed.

She ignores him . I left her door open. Watch over her.

I will. I sign back with a dip of my chin.

She nods at Maverick, and I swear they speak telepathically because soon they're walking to the door. But not before Raven turns around and calls out, "Arrivederci." Goodbye . With her middle finger in the air.

This time, I laugh. Raven’s grown on me like a little sister.

If Maksim ever gave her a chance, he’d see she’s hilarious as fuck and good for our girl.

I lock the door behind them, and when I turn around, Maksim has a hardened look on his face, making him appear more dangerous.

The fucker doesn’t scare me. I know we have the same goal.

I know we’d both burn the world for her if she asked it of us.

At least I know I would. He’s just being a fucking asshole.

"She's my wife, Savage."

"You're making it more difficult than it has to be."

"Forget it, I won't be made into a cuckold."

"You wouldn't be a cuckold. You heard Maverick. Together. Separate. As long as she's happy, who's business would it be? If we don't fix this, you'll lose her… and we both know you don’t want that."

His grim face turns darker, one corner of his lips lifting. "Nah, I don't think I will." He turns to leave, but I take a step forward as he makes his way back to the stairs.

With a sound voice, hoping it doesn't echo up to Sabrina's room, I reply with, "She'll never trust you without me, Maks. She won't ever choose one over the other. Push her, and you'll lose her completely,” I admonish, hoping it gets through that thick mane of black hair.

He pauses, hand on the steel banister, foot raised to take the first step on the stairs.

At first, I think he’s going to reply, say something smart or simply remind me that Sabrina is his by law.

But the bastard just shakes his head like he's trying to get my voice out of his ears and goes up, leaving me behind with nothing but my surmounting frustration.

I grab a few bottles of water then go up silently, only to catch him leaning on the doorframe, looking in on her while she sleeps.

It’s something I myself do more often than I'd like to admit.

His ankles are one over the other, arms are crossed over his now bare chest, every tattoo on display.

There's a solemn look on his face, and the muscles in his jaw twitch.

Not in anger or anything, just deep concentration.

Maybe contemplation. I don't say anything, just walk behind him and into my room, closing the door behind me.

Never had to do that before – close my door, I mean. Never had a reason to. I always sleep with my bedroom door just a little bit open in case she has a bad dream. Sleeping with my door closed feels weird, but at least here at the penthouse, I'm a lot closer to her than I was at the mansion.

That's why when I wake up just before dawn, and I hear her usual soft moans, I tiptoe to her room.

The door is already slightly ajar, but her moans aren't that of a woman fighting a night terror.

They're moans of pleasure. Moans I recognize, because I've heard them come out of her mouth, calling my name.