Page 7

CHAPTER 6

X ander

“As you can see, lady and gentlemen, not only did we have a record quarter, but we also landed three prestigious awards for two different games.”

Wilder’s grin was countered by the darkness in his eyes. Although he was salivating at the numbers, we agreed that money wasn’t everything. Neither was winning glitzy awards that meant nothing to three of the five of us.

Perhaps it was all about the rush of being number one in the world, a distinction we’d fought hard for.

“What about the new game set for release?” I asked as I drummed my fingers on the conference room table. These meetings bored the fuck out of me. Dark Nights would be our crowning glory.

Zachariah slowly tilted his head back until he was able to see me. The same darkness appeared in his eyes. He had his arm on the table, constantly twisting his obsidian stone ring. I found it almost amusing how much various things had annoyed me lately.

“On track for a soft opening next week on the fourth of June along with the multimillion-dollar advertising campaign. There won’t be a home in the world who hasn’t heard about Dark Nights after news hits the gaming magazines and people turn on their televisions.” Wilder appeared happier than normal. He was generally pushing for additional profits every quarter.

“Perfect timing,” I said and glanced from Zach to Wilder. The game was exceptional, but there would be some who feared the content was too violent and sexual for the norm.

Was there truly anyone normal in the world? Most were deviants hiding their dark secrets. The games we developed allowed them a taste of what they really craved.

Zero consequences.

“The great unveiling coincides with our fifteenth anniversary.” Zach was also drumming his fingers on the table, pleased with himself for remembering.

The development of Dark Nights had been our best kept secret, a game easily capable of turning the industry upside down. With the use of Artificial Intelligence, we were one step ahead of the competition.

Wilder nodded. “Which brings me to the point of reminding you about the gala all five of us are attending.”

There was a collective groan in the room.

“When were you planning on springing that bullshit onto us?” Christopher asked.

I chuckled seeing the mischievous grin on Wilder’s face. “Right now,” he answered. “It’s a perk for the employees and we need to keep the company in the public eye as much as possible. So, you’ll all be in attendance.”

“Where?” I asked, although I couldn’t care less. Yes, it was a necessary evil, but irritating, nonetheless.

“The Waldorf Astoria. You know how much I value that hotel.” Wilder meant he’d enjoyed a particular dark and kinky night there a few months before.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Elizabeth said. “We deserve to celebrate given all the trials and tribulations we’ve been through in getting this creation on track.”

She was right about that. We’d caught two hackers, three individuals who’d attempted to break into the production facility and several reporters had been hounding us. A true pain in the ass.

“Now that we have that settled. Are there any issues with the headset devices?” Christopher Canton was not only the corporate attorney, but he also served on the board. Some competitors said it was a conflict of interest. Pretty much none of the Blackwell Group executives gave a shit what anyone else thought.

Had we succumbed to gossip and concern about ratings and marketability, we would never have acquired so much success.

“All the small glitches have been handled,” Elizabeth Reynolds said. She’d been in charge of production as well as keeping word of development off the streets. We’d gone to great lengths to ensure we had a full lockdown on the software and the idea. Not only was it violent as so many of our games were, but the various levels also catered to every man and woman’s darkest fantasies.

When various keys were unlocked, points won, doors were opened to the vast world of 3D imaging and more. It was holographs on steroids while allowing you to feel every electric sensation, every pang of terror. The game had been in the works for almost two years. Since Elizabeth preferred to spend almost all her time in the production facility located miles from headquarters, she had no true understanding of the pitch-black creations we had in mind.

“Excellent,” Wilder said as he smiled at her.

With new technology, the sky was the limit.

Whatever you asked for, you’d get.

As long as you paid the price, often not in terms of money spent on a game or headset. I smirked at the thought, realizing I was now the one twisting the obsidian stone ring on my finger. Everyone in the private society was given one after their admittance, and we were expected to always wear it. So it would seem I was itching to engage in the yearly contest.

“How has our upper tier of gamers enjoyed the new toy?’ I challenged everyone, but Elizabeth was quick to answer.

“We’ve received some of the highest black stars of any game produced. They are loving it.” She even had a gleam in her eyes, a rarity.

Black stars, a way of making their approval known. We offered perks to customers who’d been with us the longest including an advance copy of every new game. As long as they provided a review to a list of qualified sources.

“Are there any concerns about the release?” Zachariah asked.

“There’s one issue that’s been brought forth.” Christopher glanced around the table. I could tell he was more troubled than he’d let on. “I just discovered and confirmed that Merrick Corporation has a similar game being released about the same time as ours.”

What the fuck?

I slammed my hand on the table while sitting up straight. “Why was this just brought to our attention?”

“Because my kid showed me a preview game that had been sent to him by mistake.” Christopher huffed. “He’s nine and the game is clearly X-rated.”

“Well, fuck. How did Joel Merrick get ahold of our plans?” Wilder asked the question while staring straight at Elizabeth. “We were on a lockdown after the crap we’ve already been through.”

She didn’t flinch in the least. The woman was tough as nails. “I assure you not from one of our employees. They know what consequences they’d face and their emails and cellphones are swept every week. There have been no breaches in security shown on the cameras.”

An excellent security measure, but not necessarily foolproof. It wasn’t unheard of that details and designs were pilfered from the competition, but we’d put a hell of a lot of money into the project.

“Then release the game earlier than anticipated. We get the jump on them.” My suggestion was met with raised eyebrows.

“That could create several problems with advertising,” Zach said. I could tell his wheels were turning. “Plus, the great gala.”

“Maybe so, but Xander is right. Unless something drastic changes with what happens around Merrick’s release, we need to get our product on the shelves and up on our website. We pay the fucking advertising firm enough money they will bend to our needs. Period.” Wilder gave everyone a harsh look, but he ended by shifting his darker gaze from Zach to me.

The two of us knew what he was communicating. There were no words needed between the three of us. Our blood was tainted, entirely different than most. We thought alike in almost every aspect.

“I’ll take care of talking with the advertising company,” Christopher offered. “Just so we’re fully aware of our options.”

“Good. Let’s get this done.” I nodded to Wilder who closed his laptop lid, ending the meeting.

“Let’s meet again just after the release and the great gala.” Zach leaned forward, grumbling under his breath.

“Yes, we’ll need to.” I remained where I was as Elizabeth stood first. I could tell by the look on her face she was determined to find the leak.

When she did, the type of consequences the fucker would face wouldn’t just be about termination from his employment.

She walked out, Christopher following while the other two remained in the room. Just before Christopher closed the door, he stuck his head back in, his grin alluding to exactly what I knew he’d ask.

“Are we on for the contest?” he asked. “It’s been almost a year. A perfect ending to this gala.”

Wilder chuckled in the dark way he always did when discussing our extracurricular activities. “We are. We’ll discuss options this year before releasing to the Obsidian Society. Stay tuned. And don’t mention it to anyone.”

“Not a word. While I can’t participate in selecting a female participant, I do enjoy the festivities.” He’d recently married the love of his life, her little boy soon to be adopted and taking his name. He handled all the nondisclosure agreements as well as the few issues that had surfaced from the events held in previous years. Some people were more easily frightened than others.

“You’ll have a chance,” I told him. “We know how much you enjoy prodding the male competitors.”

Prodding. He was brutal with the men who hungered to reach to the upper platform of our company. Likely since he’d endured the hazing effects of the first event we’d held seven years before. He’d shown his muster and his value to the company while competing.

Christopher wrinkled his eyebrows while pumping his fist. As soon as he closed the door, the three of us looked at each other.

Zachariah rose to his feet, heading for the credenza while pulling out photographs of the female contenders selected for round one of the selection process.

“We have more to discuss,” I stated as if the two men didn’t know. We were brothers bound by blood, but more by our linear and savage way of thinking. While we hadn’t grown up together, dumped separately in one foster home after another given our violent behavior, we’d found each other, learning quickly just how alike we truly were.

“First things first,” Zachariah stated as he tossed a set of dice in the middle of the table. “We need to deal with Merrick quickly. We’d spent far too much money and time on this release. It needs to go according to plans.”

I was more than eager to volunteer to handle the man. I’d researched his professional and personal life as I had with every competitor and hadn’t like what I’d found. In fact, I’d been disgusted.

“True,” Wilder said. “Joel Merrick is a tough old bird with a relentless need to best us at all costs. While we need to plug the leak, he needs to be put in his place once and for all. Who wants to go first?”

“Go ahead. I’ll go last.” I swiveled in my seat as Wilder snapped the small cubes, shaking and blowing on them as if we were in Vegas.

When he rolled a three, he groaned.

“Loser,” Zach teased, immediately grabbing the dice. He simply shook them once before tossing. “Woo hoo! Look at that. Two sixes. Look like I win.”

“Not so fast, brother. I think it’s my lucky day.” I snatched them before he could return them to the credenza. The only roll that could beat a pair of sixes was a deuce. I was confident that’s what I’d toss.

And I did.

Both men glared at me before Zach hung his head. “You were the lucky son of a bitch the last time.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just damn good at what I do. I’ll take care of handling Merrick tonight. Now, let’s discuss the options that all three of us have had a chance to narrow down to ensure we’re comfortable with them.”

“I was shocked we had over three hundred applications this year. Over three hundred.” Wilder shook his head. “It seems twisted kink is on the rise.”

Thankfully, the computer program we’d created years before had already pared down the number to a more manageable group.

“People love to win. That’s part of the allure. Besides, it’s only rumors that we play dark and demented games.” I allowed myself to grin. My answer was truthful. Most people entered contests for the thrill of maybe winning. No one played the lottery thinking they’d actually win. They were in it for the rush of adrenaline, a high. Our higher tier of gamers provided some sense of that as well.

Little did they know what was in store for them if they made the finals. We altered our choices of contests every year, which allowed for shock and awe.

The gamers were our bread and butter, snacking on everything we put out, the high monthly fee easily affordable given what they did in RL. Real life. Something that bored the fuck out of most gamers. Doctors. Lawyers. Corporate moguls. Actors. Anyone with money gravitated toward our games.

I moved to the bulletin board, pulling and pinning one photograph after another, adding their corresponding talents as broken down by the resumes they’d sent in. They had to agree to work for us to become a part of our darkest society. That way we could control them.

It took me a couple of minutes to put everything together while my two brothers chatted about their latest conquests or whatever endeavors they’d enjoyed. We were alike in so many ways, but our choices in aspects of entertainment were completely different.

Except for one.

Bloodshed.

Nothing created more reverence for life than taking it.

“We’re selecting the male candidates at a later time. Correct?” Zach asked.

“Yes,” Wilder answered. “Some are already established employees who want to better themselves.”

If invited into the game, both the male and female winners were provided with significant winning packages. Secure jobs, vacation homes, cash, cars. We’d added perks over the years. All we expected in return was utter loyalty and complete silence.

That’s why we were extremely careful in our choices.

As I placed the last photograph on the board, my eyes were instantly drawn to the woman’s face. Well. Well. My luck was damn good today.

The girl depicted in the photograph was young, perhaps only twenty-five with a determined look in her light green eyes. With copper hair that had been kissed by the sun floating as if spun gold over her shoulders in thick curls, small freckles covering the bridge of her nose, and perfect pink lips, she appeared young and innocent.

Only I knew better.

I took a deep breath, holding it as an ache began to build in my cock. After basking in her utter beauty for a few seconds too long, I shifted my attention to her resume. Sophie Turner. She was applying for a head gaming position. That was how we drew them in, placing various employment opportunities on job boards. While the pared-down candidates were told early on that they would have a series of tests to complete, they had no clue what that entailed.

My thoughts turned dark and filthy. Rarely did my demented mind ever go there when providing my recommendation for the players allowed. We usually only selected twelve given the nature of the game, the difficulties of arranging the various competitions daunting.

I smirked and traced my finger down from her nose to her lips. She was certainly qualified and we could always use new talent. Yet I remained surprised that karma had smiled in my favor.

“Sindom Entertainment,” I said out loud.

“A small group, but they’re making strides in the industry. They’re highly ethical and my guess is loathing our ruthless methods. Why?” Wilder asked.

“Because one of their designers had applied for the position of head game designer. Supposedly, she has a couple of her own games on the market as well.”

“Fascinating,” Zachariah said, lifting both eyebrows when I looked in his direction. “I do not know her.”

“But you want to know her,” Wilder offered.

“I think it would be fascinating to see how well she played the game,” I answered, as I thought about her. She was beautiful, my cock twitching in response. She was also playing a game of her own. I loved it. So much so I was salivating at the thought of what other vile things I could do.

“Are you recommending her?” Zach was pushing me on purpose.

“I’ll need to think about it. Let’s put her on the maybe list.” I glanced into her eyes again. The world had been told the eyes were the entrance to someone’s soul. But not always. There were those of us who were very good at hiding our true feelings, our deepest and darkest desires, performing our day-to-day tasks as if we were decent human beings. I was the master of determining whether someone was cut out for the most merciless aspect of our business.

There was a very personal reason I was hesitating. If she excelled, she would no longer belong to me. I’d never felt this possessive before. It was a strange new world for a bastard like me.

Yet, I’d been right about her up to this point. The possibilities also excited the hell out of me. I could easily defile her to the point she’d never be able to live without me.

There was nothing decent about the three of us. We considered ourselves the spawn of the devil. But often those with the kindest outward soul were capable of the most heinous acts. Sophie Turner was an enigma, a woman trapped in a cage of her own making.

Perhaps it was time to place her in one built of steel.

A smile crossed my face and Wilder caught it.

“We normally don’t participate.”

I pulled away from the board, eager to have the meeting concluded. “Normal isn’t a word in our vocabularies. Is it, gentlemen?”

The three of us laughed. If only the rest of the world knew just how depraved we were, the activity in our games just the tip of the iceberg.

At least the Obsidian Society allowed us to behave as the true monsters we’d become.

“Let’s narrow this down so we can make selections in the next two days. We need to give them time to fill out the questionnaire followed by coming in for a gaming competition.” Zach rattled out the process as if Wilder and I had no clue.

“Forty-eight hours,” Wilder said in return. “I think this year’s games will be very enjoyable.”

Yes, they would.

I sensed fear continued to cloak her darkest desires.

Humanity guided her behavior.

Professionalism had brought her success.

But none of it had allowed her true joy in the face of darkness. At least not in the degree that could be offered to her as a gift from the gods.

Maybe this year I would participate. I found myself hungrier than I’d been in my entire life. After all, it was apparent the young woman needed a savior.

Or at least a sinner awakening her true self.

Be careful, Sophie Turner. A predator is on the loose.