Page 38 of The King of Hearts (The Raven Group #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

HIM

T wo years.

I’ve waited for this moment for two years. Plotted, planned, and manipulated. Had a million pieces scattered all over the board and strategically placed each one down into their perfect little positions. That last piece was just shoved down Alexander’s throat, and he choked on it.

Savina will finally be mine. Mine to do with whatever I want. To mold and shape and conquer. To own and worship and destroy.

The wait has been long, and with each passing day, my patience has worn thin. But the end results will be worth the torture of not having her until now.

“What’s going on?” she asks.

She stands just inside the doorway, her eyes going from her parents to her brothers, then back to her parents. They only flicker to me once.

“Dad?” she asks when he doesn’t say anything.

I can imagine the many ways Alexander is killing me right now in his head. I don’t blame him. If I were in his shoes and it were my child on the chopping block, I’m not quite sure I could stop myself from pulling my gun and putting a bullet between his eyes, no matter the consequences.

I guess Alexander’s smarter than me, because I’m still standing here, heart beating with breath in my lungs, and he’s about to give me his only daughter.

To a man he trusted. A man who not only betrayed him, but also manipulated him and his family.

Not to mention the blackmail I just presented him with.

“You want the honors, or shall I be the one to inform her?” I ask Alexander.

His jaw tics, and I’m sure he just slit my throat in his head. Probably slowly with a dull, rusty blade.

“Savina.”

My little Vicious walks toward her parents. She hasn’t noticed the small stacks of papers on his desk yet, her attention too focused on her father.

It’s not until she’s at the side of the desk when Alexander finally pulls his irate gaze from me and turns it to his daughter. They soften fractionally, but he’s so angry that he can’t make the emotion completely disappear.

I feel the heat of two other pairs of enraged eyes and know that Bishop and Cassio are just as livid.

Especially Bishop. He’s the one who vetted me when I joined The Raven Group.

It’s not that he’s careless and didn’t do his due diligence before he offered me the job.

I’m just that good when it comes to making shit appear a certain way.

“Will you please tell me what’s happening?” Savina flicks her gaze to me before bringing it back to Alexander. “Does this have something to do with Braxton?”

Hearing that man’s name come off her lips has my jaw twitching and my palms itching to plunge a knife in his chest. Or better yet, saw through his rib cage to yank out his heart and gift it to Savina as a warning. I don’t fucking like her saying other men’s names.

“There are things you need to know,” Alexander begins, voice tense. “And after you do, I’m giving you a choice.”

His gaze slices to me, as if daring me to say otherwise. His choice, Savina’s choice. It doesn’t matter. The end results will be the same. Savina will do anything to protect her family, including, but not limited to, sacrificing herself.

Her brows pull down into a frown. “You’re starting to worry me, Dad.”

I shove my hands into my pockets and wait for him to continue.

“Do you remember the silent investor who started funding The Raven Group a couple of years ago?” he asks.

“Yes. He goes by the name Apollo. He refuses to give his legal name because he wants to keep his involvement completely private.”

“Yes. Apparently, his elusiveness has come to an end.” He switches his gaze to me. “Savina, meet Apollo.”

Her eyes swing to me, surprise and disbelief widening the lustrously pretty orbs. “You’re Apollo?”

“Yes.” I flash her a grin. I lose it the moment my eyes go back to Alexander. “Get on with it. My patience is waning.”

The muscles in his cheeks twitch, but he wisely pulls Savina’s attention back to him.

“It appears that Apollo, or rather Ryker, has not only been investing in the company but also gathering intel.”

Alexander reaches over and grabs the stack of papers sitting on the desk and holds them out to Savina.

She glances at them. “What is this?”

“It’s a dossier of all of The Raven Group’s missions.

Every single one from the very beginning.

Locations, time stamps, client information, training, perp victims, details of actions, even coordinates of client’s current locations.

Every dollar gained and spent. Our contacts outside the organization.

Assets and moles. Every single piece of evidence imaginable against the group. ”

“Okay, but don’t all members of The Raven Group have these details, or at least most of the information, and have access to the rest? Apollo obviously knew what the group was about, or he wouldn’t have invested.”

“Yes,” Alexander grates out between clenched teeth. “But now Ryker is threatening to hand over all of it to the FBI.”

“What?” The anger and incredulity in her eyes when she looks at me sends blood rushing to my cock.

I want to bend her over her father’s desk and fuck her.

Right here in front of her parents and brothers.

She’d fight as I smashed her face against the hard wood and forced my cock inside her tight little pussy.

“Why would you do that? Why would you even want to?”

“Because nothing matters more than what I want,” I tell her.

“And what’s that?”

The demand in her voice has my cock kicking behind the zipper of my jeans.

“You.”

It’s amusing to see the shock develop on her face. What’s even more entertaining is that this news isn’t even the biggest shocker.

“You must be joking. Me? You want me?”

I cock my head to the side and regard her.

“Did those hearts I sent you not seem serious enough? Did I not appear serious four nights ago at the Sheppard Ball?” Alexander’s eyes jerk to me at the information he doesn’t know about.

“Having my cock shoved down your tight throat, choking you until you slobbered all over me, was that not serious enough for you, Little Vicious? Did I appear to be joking when you rode that dagger until you bled all over it?”

The air in the room goes ramped. Pure venomous rage fills the space as shocked gasps come from Savina and her mother. It only takes seconds after the last word leaves my lips before I feel the muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of my head.

Bishop has been pushed to his limit. Not surprising, as he takes the protection of his family just as seriously as Alexander. I’m sure Cassio is right behind him with his own gun pulled. And poor old Dad looks seconds away from plunging a knife into my chest.

I smirk at Savina, unafraid of the threat at my back, and her eyes narrow, turning into slits.

The gun’s only at my head for a moment before a voice demands, “Drop the gun, or Alexander will have one less son.”

All eyes, except mine, turn to Marcelo. I’m still facing the desk, so I can’t see him, but I know he has a Glock pointed at Bishop.

“What the fuck, Marcelo?” Alexander barks. “What in the hell are you doing?”

Marcelo ignores the question, so I answer for him. “Following my orders.”

“Your orders?”

“Did I forget to mention that he works for me? Yes? My bad.” I shrug.

“Bishop,” Alexander’s hard voice calls. “Put the gun down.”

I know the eldest Rivers’ son enough to know he’s struggling with his decision, but after a moment of hesitation, he still has enough sense to drop the weapon and take a step back.

“You’re him?” Savina asks.

I incline my head.

“Why?” Hurt and betrayal come through her voice.

“It’s simple. You’re mine, and I’ll do what’s necessary to ensure that.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, her glare turning colder. “And if I don’t want you? Even if I agree now, I’ll do what’s necessary to leave you. What’s to say I won’t kill you as you sleep?”

She’s definitely capable of it. She’s proven that multiple times.

My lips curl up into a grin, but it’s Alexander who answers.

“He has plans in place should he die. Copies have been made of the dossier and whoever the fuck he has under his belt will release it to the authorities.”

“You’re a bastard,” she whispers.

“Actually, I’m not. My parents were married when I was born, but I’m glad you mentioned the term. Our child won’t be one.”

“Our child?” she asks incredulously, rearing back as if I slapped her. “You really believe I would ever have a child with you?”

The smile that splits my lips comes slowly. “You’ve got no choice.” I pause for effect. “Since you’re already pregnant with our baby.”

The look on Alexander’s face, or Caroline’s, doesn’t change because I’ve already given them this information before Savina arrived.

Bishop and Cassio as well. But my little Vicious’ expression is fucking comical.

Her face pales, and for a moment, she sways on her feet enough that Alexander reaches out to grab her elbow in case she falls.

My eyes drop to his hand on her, and despite the concerned innocent touch of a father to a daughter, I’m tempted to rip the fucking thing off at the wrist.

“That’s not possible,” Savina says hoarsely. “We’ve never had sex. I’m still a virgin.”

“A virgin, yes,” I confirm. “And no, we’ve never fucked. But there are ways around that.”

“You’re fucking insane. I am not pregnant with your child.”

“Alexander.”

He picks up a slip of paper from the desk and hands it over to Savina.

She snatches it with shaky hands and drops her eyes.

The longer she looks at the results of the blood test and the ‘positive’ next to the ‘pregnant’ question, the paler she gets.

She’s damn near as white as a ghost by the time she lifts her eyes back to me.

“How?” Her voice quivers.

“You should be more careful of the pills you keep in your nightstand. It’s easy for someone to slip into your room and replace them with fertility pills.”

“But I’m on birth control.”

“You mean the implant you had replaced last year? It was a placebo.”

“Jesus,” she mutters, dropping her hands on the desk to lean on. “I’m going to be sick.”

“Side effect of the pregnancy,” I offer helpfully and get a heated glare in return.

“I fucking hate you,” she seethes from her hunched over position.

Her hatred doesn’t offend or faze me. “Hate me all you like, it’ll make the fucking more interesting, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine, Savina. You and the baby you have in your belly.”

“Savina.”

She looks up when Alexander calls her name.

“You don’t have to do this. You say the word, and this bastard is dead. We’ll deal with the fallout later.”

She shakes her head, pulling in a long breath, and straightens up from the desk.

“I won’t let him hurt any of you. Or the other members of the group.

This asshole,” she glares at me, “won’t be the destruction of our family and what we’ve built.

What we do is too important. You all are too important.

I won’t see any of you go to prison because of his unhinged obsession. ”

“Sav—”

“No, Mom. I’ve made my decision. It’s not even a choice, really. I’m doing this.”

“God-fucking-dammit,” Bishop mutters behind me. His voice rises in volume. “I’m going to fucking kill you the moment it’s safe to do so.”

I don’t deign him with a look when I reply, “You’re welcome to try.”

“What happens now?” Savina asks. She looks pale and a little green around the edges.

“You have the rest of the day. Tomorrow afternoon, promptly at four, Marcelo will escort you and your things to my home. Next week, Wednesday, at one p.m., Father Vaughn will marry us.”

“Marry?”

“Yes, Little Vicious. I told you, my child will not be born a bastard.”

I don’t look at anyone or give them time to say more before I turn on my heel and go for the office door.