Page 62

The Assassin’s Respect

“ W ho is there from The Rim?” I ask, as we climb into the cars once again, the assassin with us this time so I have to sit on someone's knee. I choose Thorn’s, needing to feel close to him and know that he doesn’t hate me. I breathe a sigh of relief when he wraps his arms around me.

“Some crazy old lady,” he grumbles, and I can hear the frustration in his voice. It makes me laugh; Nan definitely has that effect on people. Though I can’t say I expected her to make the journey.

“And Priest and Reeves are there?” I ask as he turns to look at me from the front seat.

“Yes, Priest refuses to do anything without and I quote ‘ the destined one .’” He throws me one last look and turns around, slumping in his seat and pretending to sleep.

I know he is aware of everything going on, and would kill anyone who approached him.

It’s a tactic I have used a time or two before to get people to fuck off.

I snuggle back into Thorn’s body, not the least bit ashamed of using him.

I turn my face into his chest as he buries his in my hair.

“Sorry I’ve been distant, babygirl, I just,” he blows out a breath, “needed some time.” I nod and let him hold me, not willing to admit how scared I was that he would hate me, and I wouldn’t blame him.

I didn’t save his sister, I was there for her death––I might not have done the deed myself, but her blood is on my hands.

“Do you remember your family?” Petal whispers into the dark.

Footsteps sound outside the door and we both freeze, not daring to move.

I know at some point Ivar will come and get me, to let his ‘pet’ sleep in her place where she belongs –– on the floor in his room.

Right now, we are in the slave quarters, the other two are currently entertaining the men in the hall and I can’t bring myself to care, except to be thankful it’s not me or Petal.

Somehow, she is starting to get under my skin, and I give more shits than I should if she lives or dies.

I learnt my lesson early on –– look out only for yourself. But I can’t seem to, my soul rebels at watching the other girls being punished, an anger I didn’t know I had clawing to the surface and begging to be set free. To burn this place to the ground and stand like a phoenix in its ashes.

When the footsteps fade away, I shift on the stone cold floor and turn to face where I think she is in the dark. The empty stone room is our prison, our room, our refuge. We were moved from the cell when he realised we could never escape.

“Do you?” she asks again quieter this time, but still loud in the room.

“Yes,” I whisper as my father’s terrified eyes flash in my mind, making me close mine in pain, I gave up thinking he will come for us, especially since Ivar told me in excruciating detail how he killed him.

A hand touches me in the dark, making me jump and my eyes snap open.

Petal’s hand squeezes mine before holding on tight.

“I do too. I guess we are each other’s family now,” she whispers, trying to offer me comfort, but all it does is cause my heart to drop and my head to hurt.

She won’t survive; I can just tell. She’s too strong, too defiant, and yet, weak at the same time.

They break her body and soon they will break her soul, even as she spits at them and rebels.

She is fire, where I am ice. I wish I could be like her, I wish I could fight and rage, but I know it will not change anything.

So instead, I bottle it all up, like a pit burning deep inside, and one day I will let it out, and it will cover this world like the fire that ended it.

I squeeze my eyes shut harder, trying to block out the memories.

I need to be strong, I need to be fierce, I need to be the fire that burns that bastard to the ground.

I wish I could blame my father for bringing up all these old memories, but facing Ivar again is going to bring them up anyway, at least I can try and get a handle on them now.

Get to The Summit, convince the clans, kill Ivar. Get to The Summit, convince the clans, kill Ivar. Get to The Summit, convince the clans, kill Ivar.

I repeat it like a mantra in my head as we travel through the Wastes, we will be at The Ring by nightfall, and I need to be the warrior they all know––I need to be The Champion, but right now in Thorn’s arms I let myself send a promise to the girl I couldn’t save, a promise to fight––a promise of vengeance.

“What was she like?” he whispers. I bite my lip and try to think of what to say.

“She was a fighter, she was so fierce. Kind of like you, she had this fire in her eyes that I never knew was possible. She rubbed off on me more than she would ever know. She… I.” Blowing out a breath I carry on, “She tried to be my friend, tried to get to me fight. When she died, it set something in me free, made me realise that not fighting wasn’t a way to live. ”

He’s quiet and I worry I was too blunt. I didn’t tell him about the bad shit but I also didn’t sugarcoat it. Then eventually he breathes out on a shudder against me. “Thank you for telling me, babygirl.”

“Touching, truly is, but can you two suck each other off somewhere else?” the assassin grumbles from the front, making me smile.

“How about I cut your dick off and stuff it in your mouth, then you can suck yourself off?” I say loudly. I raise my head and watch as he chuckles in the front seat.

“Oh yeah, you are perfect for Dray.”

We stop a couple of hours later to stretch our legs, riding our bikes was never as bad as riding in a cramped car with five massive warriors.

I step out of the car to the sand and quickly grab my shades from my bag.

I strap on my swords as well, because have you ever tried to sit in a car with two swords, eight daggers, a whip, and a crossbow?

Some are new toys from my father, and I am weirdly excited to use them.

The sun shines down making me sweat instantly.

I have become pampered, the air con on the car and in Paradise making me unused to the heat again.

I can feel my skin burning, making me frown.

The car doors slam open as the others get out and I force myself to lean against the hot metal of the car and wait. The assassin comes to lean next to me.

“You know much about Seekers?” he asks, as he lights up a cigarette and watches the others. Maxen and Jax throw me a look asking if I am okay and I nod, they turn away and help the others.

“Some.” He tries to pass me the cigarette and I shake my head.

“Okay, so I am just going to lay it out there, if you are going to help Dray with this crazy ass plan of his, then you are going to need to know how to act with us. I know you know how to deal with the Berserkers, Reeves, and you even seem to have impressed Priest. But you will need more for us, we are secretive, strong, and downright terrifying if you mess with us. We will not respect you simply because Dray does, or because everyone else does. Your titles mean nothing to us, you have to earn them.”

“You know Dray personally?” I murmur.

“Yeah, I’m his right-hand man, they call me The Shadow. You will not get my real name unless you earn it.”

“Does Dray have another name?” I ask curiously.

“Girly, you know nothing. He’s the avenger, the protector, the fighter. I would be dead if it weren’t for him, and so would a lot of others.” He throws me a dirty look and turns away again.

“His father,” I add, I feel him look at me in shock, the first real expression to cross his face.

“Huh, he told you about him?” He stares at me like I’m interesting him for once.

I shrug, my eyes still locked on my men.

“His father was a bastard, he wasn’t fit to rule.

He thought just because he could, he should.

He tortured our people, ravaged our lands and raised his child to be unforgiving, harsh, cruel, and cold.

Dray killing him set our people free, and now they would follow him to hell and back.

I know what everyone calls him, says about him.

It’s all true,” the assassin replies, speaking more than he has before.

I meet his eyes as he turns to me again.

“He is not a soft man, he’s a bastard. A cruel motherfucker who will kill anyone who hurts what is his and he has claimed you as his own.

You are never going to be free of him. My advice? Don’t try to run, he wouldn’t let you.”

“Do you see me running?” I get into his face, my eyes cold and deadly, I can’t ignore the slurs thrown my way.

I don’t give a shit if he’s Dray’s right-hand man, the fucking shadow or death itself.

“I am like him. Anyone hurts what’s mine and I will make them beg for death.

I don’t give a shit if you don’t like me, don’t respect me, but you try to kill me or mine, and I will teach you why I earned that respect, boy. ”

He grins, like I didn’t just threaten him, and I see a smidgen of respect creep into his eyes. “You are going to need that strength for what is coming.” I cock my eyebrow at him as he looks away into the Wastes. “War. I can feel it.”

With that he straightens, snuffs out his cigarette, letting it fall to the floor, and disappears. When I look around, I can’t even spot him, fucking assassin.

Jax wanders to my side, framing me with his arm on top of the car. “You okay?” he asks. I nod and sigh before leaning into him just a bit.

“I thought I got through all the pissing contests years ago, I forgot how annoying they are and it’s only going to get worse with all of the clans in one place,” I grumble.

“Want to test your strength?” he asks, and I see a flash of lust in his eyes, the demons peeking out behind it .

“What did you have in mind?” I question, with a quirk of my lips.

He grabs my hand and tugs me around the car. I spot the building next to us as he pulls me towards it. I grin as he kicks open the door, the dust and age bursting out into the air.

I follow him inside the building, covering my nose at the stale odour that hits me.

Light streams in between the boards on the building, and I’m guessing this used to be a shop of some kind.

Clothes half torn up or covered in dirt are scattered everywhere, railings overturned, a cash machine laying on the floor open with the money still inside. It’s depressing to say the least.

I don’t get to look around for long before Jax is spinning me and smashing his mouth to mine.

I groan as he nips my bottom lip, before plundering my mouth with his tongue.

Reaching up, I grab on to his hair as his hands drop to my ass and yank me until I am against him.

The door opening has me pulling back from the kiss, slightly out of breath, to see Drax at the doorway; Jax ignores him and starts kissing down my neck.

“Well, were you going to have some fun without me?” Drax grins as he takes us both in.

Without waiting for a reply, he lets the door shut behind him and strolls towards me, his eyes locked on where his twin’s hands cup my ass.

Coming up behind me, he drops his face to the other side of my neck and whispers against my ear.

“I’m all better now, so how about I show you… ” I groan as Jax lifts his head.

He arches his eyebrow at his brother, his lips slightly puffy and his eyes alight.

They have some sort of silent conversation before Jax looks back at me, that smile he saves just for me on his face.

“What do you say, think you're strong enough?” he taunts, making me narrow my eyes before I spin and yank on his twin’s head to slam my lips to his.

Drax’s kiss is more refined than Jax’s needy one, he takes his time and builds me up to a fever pitch with strong sure strokes of his tongue. My hands drop to his shirt and bury underneath, tracing his muscles, as Jax pushes up against my back.

Drax pulls away and I twist to kiss Jax.

I groan into Jax’s mouth when his brother bites my earlobe.

“Are you sure you can handle us both?” he whispers before licking up my ear.

“Not that we would let you walk away. I want inside that pussy and you can teach my brother exactly how amazing that mouth of yours is.”

The dirty words only make me crazier and I bite down on Jax’s bottom lip, he growls and thrusts against me.

I move away to look at Drax. “On the floor,” I demand. His eyes darken, and he winds his hand through my hair and yanks my head back, the pain mixing with pleasure.

“That’s not how it’s going to work babe, my brother here might let you order him around, but you are going to be a good girl and suck his dick as I fuck you from behind.

” He grins as I narrow my eyes at him chafing the control, but I can see the seriousness.

He won’t let me be in charge and unless I want someone walking in on us, we don’t have time to argue.

“On all fours,” he demands.

Gritting my teeth, I do as I am told, stripping in the process until I am naked and needy, waiting for whatever he will do.

On my hands and knees, I almost get back up, but Drax’s wet warm mouth lands on my pussy, making me groan and hang my head as Jax steps in front of me, his cock proud and erect as he starts to rub his hand up and down it.

I push back against Drax’s face and he rewards me by slipping not one, but two fingers into my needy pussy.

I explode so fast I see stars. Before I know it, Jax’s cock is nudging my lips, and I open happily and suck him down.

I hollow out my cheeks before pulling back and licking the pre-cum from the top.

He groans as I hum around him, which quickly turns to a moan as Drax thrusts into me with no warning, stretching me.

His hands grip my hips as he sets the pace, every time he thrusts I suck and he drives us all.

Pants and the sound of flesh hitting flesh fills the abandoned shop as we twist against each other until I scream around Jax’s cock, and Drax groans and stills behind me. Jax yells and thrusts deeper than ever into my throat as he explodes.

Jax gently pulls out and I collapse into him as Drax mirrors his brother. They both slump to the floor, me propped between them.

“Well, fuck,” I say breathlessly.