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Chapter Text

The main floor of the Clover Club was too big. A bar all along one wall ringed by small tables and plush sofas. Little gold lamps and art déco gold everywhere. When Parker suggested a basement club, I guess we hadn’t had the same idea in mind. There was plenty of space to find my way back to the table. 

“Vi.” Parker grinned as I approached. “Cosmo?”

The drink was on the table already. Martini glasses with the perfect curl of a peel stuck to the edge. 

“You trying to get me drunker?” I didn’t like vodka.

“Can you blame me?” He was handsome. 

The sort of slicked back suit and tie that meant he could have been a banker, a broker or a lawyer. They all wore the same uniform. Alice had left with his friend twenty minutes ago. I’d gone to the toilet, tried to figure out if I wanted to continue the night. The bill was coming. I didn’t want to stiff him, but I was the wrong generation and tax bracket to afford the bar snacks at a place like this. Once he realised I wasn’t planning to put out, I wouldn’t put it past him to ask to split the bill.

“I’m going to get some water.” I eyed the bar, the fruit infused standing jugs that asked you to serve yourself. “You want some?”

Parker shifted in his seat, already lifting his hand. “I can call the waiter?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just be a minute.” 

I’d lived in Rapture City my whole life. I knew the neighbourhoods, the eclectic mess of people from all over the world. If there was a centre of the world and a middle of nowhere, they both existed within thirty square miles between the harbour and Bluff County. I took my time at the bar, eyeing the club. The servers in their all black outfits. Stylish but professional, tight but not revealing. I was wearing less than them. My jean shorts barely poked out of the bottom of the long blazer. I’d got them both at a thrift shop, and there was a tear in the side of the shorts that made them borderline indecent. Alice and I definitely wouldn’t have been allowed past the unmarked door of a place like this if Parker hadn’t given his name. The barman met me at the counter, a friendly smile, with the slightest touch of sympathy, like he could tell I didn’t belong, and he wasn’t judging me for it. 

“There’s table service,” he said.

“Just grabbing some water.” I swiped a cup from the side, pulling on the tap, as I glanced over at him. “This place is nice.”

His smile tightened as he leant over the bar. “You reckon?”

I glanced around, taking in the soft lighting, the gold lines everywhere. So much green velvet, it looked like a showroom. It wasn’t that busy, even at midnight.

“So, are you like some expert bartender or something?” I asked, taking a sip of the infused water. It helped with the dull buzz of too many drinks.

“I’ve won a few awards.” He had nice eyes, clever.

“Do you make good tips?” I asked, glancing down the length of the bar.

There was only one patron there, early forties, blonde hair slicked back as his elbow rested on the bar. Scotch in hand as he surveyed the room like a king. A real Master of the Universe type. 

“You wouldn’t believe some of them,” the bartender said.

He brushed a hand through his dark hair. He was good looking, but most of the wait staff were. It was probably one of those unwritten rules of getting a job there.

“What’s your favourite drink?” I took another sip of water. “To make, I mean. Unless you drink on the job.”

“It’s not that sort of place.” He smiled, showing a slight gap between his teeth. It was a little goofy. “Clover Club.”

“What’s that?” I turned, leaning my elbows on the bar as I eyed the seat in front of it. 

It’d be rude to take it, but Parker was looking at his phone again.

“Egg white and gin,” he said. 

“Sounds bad,” I grimaced.

“Not if you make it right.” His eyes narrowed with a hint of suspicion. “What are you doing over here, anyway? You’re with the boss’s nephew, aren’t you?”

The Boss’s Nephew. Parker Kelly. It had been fine when Alice and his friend were around. But they were gone now. There was something off about him. The place was too nice to have a code word poster in the toilet that you could give the bartender to ask for help. I’d have to do it the old-fashioned way.

“Met him tonight.” I held out a hand across the bar. It probably wasn’t appropriate, but he shook it anyway. “I’m Vi.”

“Jack.”

Parker reached for his drink, taking a sip from the pink Cosmo. My drink was still on the table. It had been unattended the entire time I was in the toilet.

“Is he a creep?” I glanced back to see Jack’s eyes widen. “The Boss’s nephew.” That’s what he’d called Parker. “Before my friend left. He told this story about shooting a bear. They found a bunch of her cubs afterwards. He set their dogs on them to chase them off. Said they ripped one of them apart.” The words filled the air between us. The music wasn’t close to loud enough for him not to hear me. “That’s fucked up, right?”

Jack shrugged. “Rich people.”

I nodded, taking another sip of water. It wasn’t an answer, and it was.

“You ever heard of him hurting someone?” I rolled the glass between my palms. “Is he creepy with any of the servers, or like rapey with his dates?”

Jack’s brow rose. His smile didn’t drop, but he seemed less friendly.

“You a reporter?” 

It still wasn’t a no.

“Junior copywriter.” It was late, and I had work tomorrow. 

It was only a Wednesday night. 

Jack leant forward, arms folded on the bar. “How old are you?”

“Twenty one.”

His brows rose, like he didn’t believe me. “You got any ID?”

I’d had the same wallet since I was fourteen and started making tips. Jean cloth decorated with doodles, and a smiley sticker I’d stuck on to cover the penis a boy in my class drew back in high school. Jack’s lip quirked as I pulled my ID out, handing it over. I got carded a lot, just something about my face.

“Viola?” His brows rose. “You don’t look much like one.”

“I know. I don’t have any strings.”

The man with the scotch snorted, like he’d been listening in. He was looking at his phone, not at us. He had a sharp jaw that reminded me of someone. Jack was looking at the man, too. Whoever the guy was, the way the bartender was watching him without looking told me he was probably as important as he thought he was. Jack’s eyes flicked over to Parker’s table.

He didn’t give my ID back. “What’s your address?”

I tilted my head to the side, frowning. He wasn’t being unfriendly. 

“Apartment 285, Parkside, East Brom.” I’d only ever lived in one place. It wasn’t hard to remember. Jack squinted, eyes flicking as he read it over before he slid it back across the bar. “Did I pass the test?”

“C minus,” he said, smiling. “I won’t expect any tips if you’re from a neighbourhood like that.”

Everywhere in Rapture City was rough. But the block I’d grown up on was that special mix of single mothers, old people and drug dealers that made it affordable. Otherwise, Mum never could have bought our apartment. Her diner tips covered the building fees. Not that there were many, and my paycheck helped too. We weren’t fancy, but I didn’t have to like Jack’s tone.

“You got any ID?” I asked.

Jack’s smile widened as he tapped his pockets. “Don’t have my wallet on me.”

“Then how do I know you’re not underage?” His brow flicked up, and after an awkward second, I let it go. I glanced back towards Parker. “So he’s a creep then?”

Jack said nothing. His jaw was clenched, hand resting on the bar. 

“You don’t have to say it, I get it.” I grabbed a napkin from the side before I put the empty water glass down on top of it. The thick black square would stop my glass from leaving a wet ring on the polished counter. “Boss’s nephew and all.”

“Viola.” Jack’s hand went to the back of his head as he scratched his scalp. 

“Vi.”

“Vi.” His gaze flicked to the other man at the bar. The guy was still looking at his phone. There was tension, though, a tightness in his shoulders that was reflected in Jack’s whole body. “You seem like a good kid.” I opened my mouth to tell him twenty-one meant I wasn’t a kid, but the warning in his eyes stopped me. “You should go home.”

The man down the bar clicked his tongue, letting out a breath like he was annoyed.

“Or.” Jack cleared his throat, shifting as he leant over the bar with a smile. “You can stick around? Hang out at the bar with me. My shift finishes soon.”

The offer took a second to register in my mind. The familiar flicker of surprise. I was pretty sure he didn’t mean what I thought he did. When I stared at him, lips slightly parted as I tried to figure out what he meant, Jack winked. He absolutely meant what it sounded like.

“Oh, uh.” I scrambled for words, caught on the back foot. “That’s not my thing.” I smiled at him, trying my best to be polite. “I was only here for the adventure.”

“The adventure?” He was smiling again, easygoing as his elbows rested on the bar.

“Yeah, night out with Alice and you never know where you’re going to end up.” I shrugged. “She’s good at talking to people.”

“You don’t seem bad at that yourself.”

“I’m good at listening,” I said. “Hearing the things people say and what they don’t.” I leant in, dropping my voice. “Like that’s your boss over there, right?” Jack’s eyes flicked to the man down the bar and then back to my face. “Parker’s uncle?” Jack’s mouth opened before he snapped it closed. He wiped a hand over his chin like he was annoyed. “Thanks for warning me about Parker, even when he’s breathing down your neck.” I knew Rapture City well enough to know when it was time to get out. Whoever the Kelly’s were, they weren’t good people. “It was nice to meet you, Jack.”

There was a crash, the sound of shattering glass. I stared, brain slowing down, as Parker hit the floor. I didn’t remember him being that drunk. I was embarrassed for him, before his body curled. He vomited. It was red. Bright, vivid red that stained his white shirt as he clawed at his throat. No one reacted. The few tables around him didn’t twitch or stir or even look at him. He was choking. Suffocating on his own sick and no one was helping Parker Kelly. A hand covered my mouth, yanking me back. 

“Take her upstairs.” Someone was barking orders. “Clean this up.”

Cold metal touched my temple, and I froze. I’d never held a gun, but I knew what it was. 

“You said no witnesses.” Jack didn’t sound friendly anymore.

I didn’t know when he’d got around the bar., how long I’d frozen for. Parker was dying. Retching and writhing and gasping like he was suffocating in the middle of the club floor and the music wasn’t loud enough to cover the noise.

“Upstairs.” The voice repeated. “She’s too cute to blow her brains out.”

He brushed past, and I caught the back of his head as he walked down the steps to the main floor. Blonde hair slicked back, he’d left his glass behind somewhere. Parker Kelly’s uncle.

“Yes, boss.”

Metal cracked the back of my head, and my eyes rolled back.

I’d woken up in some weird places, but this took first place. How I’d got there was a mystery, and the torch in my eyes wasn’t helping me figure it out. Neither was the monstrosity of a headache. My temples rung like a bell. The bump on the top of my head was so swollen I didn’t need to touch it to feel it. 

“She’s concussed.” The doctor was stern, straight down to business as she poked and prodded me with careful hands. “She’ll recover, but it will take a few days.”

“Ow.” I pushed back against the sofa as I squinted at the room.

“You alright kid?” The man who asked had dark hair, a nice smile, familiar, but I couldn’t have said how.

“Who are you?” No one had introduced themselves. Not the doctor, or the man beside her, and not the other man at the back of the room, silently watching the whole show. “Did I hit my head?”

“What do you remember?” The doctor asked.

I frowned. It was hard to rack my brains with the back of my skull pounding. “I was meeting Alice for a drink at Sullivans.”

“Alice who?” She seemed calm enough I didn’t feel anxious. “What year is it? Who’s the president and what exactly is the last thing you remember?”

I got the first two right, because she nodded at both of them. “We were talking to a couple of guys at Sullivan’s. Preston and Reggy or something. They were city boys, trust fund junior lawyer kids. I’m not sure what happened after.”

“Amnesia?” The man beside her asked.

He was tall, with brown hair and a gap in his front teeth that looked a little goofy.

“Most likely short term.”

“Will she remember?” He scratched his jaw, turning to glance at the man in the chair.

It was too bright. Early morning light bathed the rooftop balcony beyond the floor to ceiling windows. The man next to the balcony doors, a mug in his hand. I could smell the coffee in it. God, I needed one. If the thought of food or moving didn’t make me feel sick, I’d be begging for a cup. He looked early forties, attractive for his age. Blonde hair long enough to call floppy and blue eyes. The sort of guy that if he was on tv, mum and I would both agree was dreamy and not the right age to date.

“It’s hard to say with head wounds.” The doctor clicked her torch off, putting it in her shirt pocket. “But it’s unlikely.”

“Did I hit my head?” 

“You fell on the stairs.” The man at the back of the room shifted forward in his seat, finally speaking. “Hit your head on the bannister. Jack brought you up here to recover and Doctor Biko is making sure you’re ok.”

I chewed on my lip, head aching. He was in charge, whoever he was. Jack and the Doctor were too tense around him for the dynamic to be anything else.

“Why didn’t you call an ambulance?” We were high enough up to see the roofs of the low rises of Mid City.

Every neighbourhood in Rapture was rough, but this one was rich too.

“Do you have insurance?” He made it sound like a question.

My cheeks stung as I glanced down. My policy wouldn’t kick in till I was past the three-month probation. A hospital bill was the last thing I needed right now. 

“No.” I didn’t like the way my voice sounded.

Small and a little embarrassed. Before my current job, we weren’t an insurance sort of family. Mum and I were more of a ‘figure-out-how-to-fix-it’ team. If super-gluing were an Olympic event, I’d take gold. 

“Where’s Alice?” She wouldn’t have just left me.

We didn’t do that. It was girl code, no woman left behind.

“Your friend?” He asked, and I nodded. “She wasn’t with you when you came to my club.” 

I took another look at the room. The wall of windows. It was big. Open plan with two levels and way too much concrete to feel warm.

“If I wasn’t with Alice, who was I with?” I couldn’t remember clubbing last night. 

My skin didn’t smell like the right mix of sweat and cheap alcohol. There was no stamp on the back of my wrist either.

“I don’t know the man’s name,” he said, eyes earnest. “But whoever he was, he was drunk enough to make a scene. I’m not sure if you tripped or he pushed you.” His lip curled, like he was furious on my behalf. “Do you know anyone like that?”

I glanced up at the ceiling as I tried to think of a friend I could have been with that would have behaved like that. Eddie, maybe, he could get loud, but he never would have hit me. I shook my head.

“Can you call my mum?” I asked. “Or I can if you have my phone?”

It wasn’t on the sofa, I couldn’t see it in the room. The man sat back, picking up his phone and unlocking it. He was done talking to me. Jack stepped in instead, folding his arms.

“How old are you?” 

“Twenty one,” I said. “I live with her and she’ll be worried I didn’t come home last night.”

“Jesus.” Jack glanced back over his shoulder. “She really is a baby.”

The man smiled at that, but he didn’t look up from his phone. Back to whatever had him so busy.

“Living at home is financially responsible!” The blush on my cheeks made my headache worse. “Why would I spend three quarters of my paycheck on rent, so some greedy landlord can buy another yacht?” 

It was easy not to spend money when you had barely any in the first place. It had taken six months after graduating, but I’d finally found a decent job. I bought a new phone with my first paycheck last month. That was about as much as I was willing to waste. Everything else was going into savings. One day, I’d finally be able to afford my own crappy West Brom apartment. Jack looked back again at the other man, like he couldn’t decide without him.

“It’s fine. No one needs a third yacht.” The chair creaked as the man leant back, clicking his phone closed. “What about your dad?”

I kept my face blank. “What’s that?” 

“What’s what?” His brow rose, like he was waiting for me to explain. “You don’t know what a dad is?”

“Never heard of it.” I shrugged, playing dumb. I was being rude, but my head hurt too much for stupid questions. “Is it something important?”

“She’s mouthy.” Jack didn’t look as friendly anymore. “Do you know who you’re talking to, kid?”

I glared right back at him. “Nope, he didn’t introduce himself.”

“It’s alright, Jack.” The man smiled. “She’s confused. Doctor Biko, are there any more tests you need to run?”

“No,” Doctor Biko said, using the arm of the sofa to help her stand. “The first 24 hours are important for recovery. Nothing that taxes your brain. Avoid screens, and tomorrow try going on a short walk. If you have a job, you’ll need to stay home from work.”

“What time is it?” If I was late without letting anyone know, it wouldn’t look good.

The man in the chair checked his watch. “Just after seven.” 

“It’s still Thursday, right?” That was the problem with Alice.

Things always got out of hand, even on nights they shouldn’t. I stood up, immediately regretting it, when the head rush sent a stab of pain through my brain. 

“Fuck,” I said.

“Language.” Jack clicked his tongue. “Swearing doesn’t make you clever.”

He was really starting to piss me off. I was going to be sick, for certain.

“I can’t miss work.”

“You’ll have to.” Doctor Biko’s tone was back to stern.

“I haven’t passed probation yet.” I clutched the back of the sofa, knees still resting on it as I tried to pull myself together. I could do this, I’d faced so much worse. Worked a shift at the diner with a 102 degree fever. “If I don’t go in, they’ll fire me.”

“Where’s her phone?” Doctor Biko held out her hand for it. “I’ll call her boss and explain.”

I cracked my eyes open to see Jack staring at her, arms folded. It was weird, the way he just stood there, before he glanced back at the man behind him. The coffee cup dangled in his hand, empty enough that nothing spilt.

“Give it to her,” he said.

Jack pulled my phone out of his jacket pocket. I stared as he handed it over to the doctor.

“What’s your passcode?” Doctor Biko smiled at me.

The expression was a little strained. I debated not giving it, but the hair at the back of my neck was prickling. If she called my work, then someone would know where I was.

“My cat’s birthday.” I could remember that just fine. “05-08.”

She typed it into my phone, pulling up my contacts. “What’s your boss’s number saved under?”

“Stacey.”

Doctor Biko held up a finger, walking around the couch to the back of the room. “I’ll be one minute.”

I could hear her talking in the background. The door opened and closed. She was gone. I dropped back on the sofa, head ringing as I pressed my hand to my temples. 

“Can I have some coffee?” I needed something to pull my head together.

“Can I have some coffee, please?” Jack said. 

If I wasn’t a mess, I’d probably hit him. I squinted up at him, glaring. He’d helped me, but he was a stranger. Everything he said made me want to kick him. 

“Not until tomorrow,” the other man said.

“Yes, Boss,” I muttered.

He still hadn’t told me his name. It gave me more of a headache.

“Go get her some water.” Boss nodded to a doorway near the back. Probably where a kitchen existed.

Jack’s jaw clenched, but he did it. The door closed behind him. It was just me and the Boss. I watched him, vaguely the same way he was watching me. A grown man, nice enough to help a drunk girl with a concussion rather than kicking her out on the curb.

“Sorry.” My stomach flipped. “I don’t mean to be rude. Thank you for helping me.”

He approached slowly enough his steps put me on edge. When he reached the sofa, he folded his arms, frowning. I knew when I was in trouble. 

“Kane Kelly,” he said. 

It took me a minute to realise he was giving me his name. Kane Kelly looked like he took care of himself. No one had the sort of build he had at his age without hard work. His suit wasn’t rumpled. Too expensive to show the creases, but it looked like he’d been wearing it a little too long.

“Where’s Abel?” I asked.

Mister Kelly smirked, his lip twitching upwards. “I killed him.”

“Very funny.” I brushed the hair over my face behind my ear, feeling awkward and small. He wasn’t crazy tall, but he was tall enough to be intimidating, especially when I was sitting down. “I really am sorry if I was rude. Or if we made a scene.” I had to quit drinking. I wasn’t the sort of person who had fights in public. It was embarrassing. “I don’t remember anything, but that’s no excuse.”

Mister Kelly considered me for long enough for it to be uncomfortable before he unfolded his arms.

“You should get some more sleep,” he said. “My driver will drop you home this afternoon.”

I shook my head. “They don’t have to—”

“You’re not getting the bus.” I’d heard that tone before. It was one you didn’t argue with. He reached over the back of the couch, grabbing the blanket there. “Lie down.”

I shuffled back, putting my head down on the cushion as he spread the blanket far enough to cover my toes. It smelled like fabric softener. Clean and so warm.

“Rest up. Concussions are dangerous.”

“I’m not scared of them,” I said. “I’m tough. Everyone tells me how thick my skull is.”

Mister Kelly laughed, and I smiled at the sound, eyes tightly closed. I was too on edge to be tired, but my brain wasn’t on the same page.

“God, you’re cute,” he said. “The arsehole that abandoned you must have had a heart of stone.”

“Dunno.” My head kept spinning. “Never met him.”

Chapter Text

My mum was ‘looks good in an ID photo’ pretty. When I found old pictures of her, stuffed in the shoebox under her bed, I used to just stare at them. Wondered if I’d look like her when I grew up. It was the long hair that she could part in the middle, because her face was that symmetrical. Thick lips and dark eyebrows that should have been masculine if it weren’t for the heart shape of her face. I could look at pictures of her young and snaps I’d taken and recognise we looked alike, she just got the better blend. 

She was older now. Hair still just as blonde, because she bleached. Lips thinner because that’s what age did. A figure that steered towards matronly because of what I did to her by being born. Her smile was the same though, kind eyes and hands always there to pick me up, no matter how exhausting a day had been. Today had been a good day though. The sort of day that deserved celebrating.

“What’s the occasion?” She asked, taking the bottle from my hand to peer at the label.

It was prosecco, not champagne. Expensive enough that it might not even taste like bread, but cheap enough I didn’t feel awful buying it.

“You’re looking at an official junior copywriter for the daily drop. I passed my probation!” I clapped my hands together, doing little foot stamps. “Stacey said that in a couple of months they might even take the junior out of my title.”

“Vi!” She beamed at me, putting the bottle down on the side as she opened her arms for a hug. “That’s great news!” She squeezed me and I breathed in her smell, same as it had always been, French vanilla, like her perfume. “I didn’t doubt you for a second.” She pulled back, brushing the hair off my forehead as she examined my face. There was a flicker in her eyes, a little extra moisture. “All you’ve managed, and you’re still only twenty-one. When I was your age, I hadn't done half the things you’ve done.”

I reached for the bottle, untwisting the top. “Let's have some prosecco.” 

“Over the sink,” she called as she opened the cupboard door.

I ripped the cork free and the liquid exploded out. 

“Shit.” I had to rush to get it to the drain, leaving a line along the linoleum of the kitchen floor. “Sorry.”

“I knew how to open a bottle of champagne though.” She was smirking as she set the glasses down on the counter.

She grabbed the floor cloth, cleaning the trail of the spill as the prosecco spilled over my hand, soaking my palm.

“Champagne.” I glanced back at her. “Since when were you fancy?”

“I’ve always been fancy.” She took the bottle from my hands, tilting the glasses to pour two heavy measures. “You’re the one that dresses like a thrift store dumpster.”

“Hey!” I looked down at my outfit, it was respectable work attire. Jeans and a shirt with elbow patches, because the Daily Drip was trendy but professional. “Vintage can be expensive.”

She handed me a glass, taking a slow sip of her own. “We’re different people.”

“It’s ok,” I told her, smiling back. “I love you for who you are.”

How could I not. She’d done everything for me. Betty Cox was a single mother who’d worked hard days at the diner, and still had time to make me dinner. Tuck me in and help me with my homework. Helped me conquer every enemy, and celebrated every victory. Growing up in West Brom I was lucky to have done so well. To have a university diploma and a job in the business district. She stilled, fingers resting on the stem of her glass. Her eyes were still wet. Full of the glow of pride. 

“I am so proud of you, Vi,” she said. “You’ve grown up to be a hell of a woman, and you should be proud of yourself too.”

All I wanted to do was take my stupid, pathetic box and go to bed. It was like whiplash, a confusing mess of moments that made no sense. Yesterday, it was, you passed your probation; you have a bright future at the drop. Today it was: clean out your desk before noon, and we didn’t change your contract yet, so there’s no redundancy. I’d lasted three months. My job wasn’t important enough to exist anymore. Carl would let me pull a few shifts at the diner, but they were already over-staffed. I was so screwed. I kicked the corner of the curb, waiting for the lights to change. The last thing I needed was to get written up for jaywalking.

“Nice box.”

I glanced up, frowning at the person standing beside me. 

“John?” 

A couple million people in Rapture City and somehow I always seemed to run into the same ones. It had been two months since the night I hit my head in his club and I’d run into him three times. I hadn’t even seen Alice that much.

“Jack.” He smiled. I made the same joke every time, but he hadn’t got tired of it yet. He reached for my box of junk, lifting the flap to peer inside. “What happened?”

“I got fired.” I kicked my heel, feeling about as shit as a day could be.

“Oh shit, Vi.” His smile dropped away. “I’m sorry.”

“Made redundant technically, since they got rid of my entire department.” It sucked.

I’d been doing well. Yesterday it was all you’ll go far here. Today, my job didn’t even exist.

“Tough break, kid.” The signal buzzed as the man changed green.

“Yeah.” I clutched the box tighter. “That’s life I guess.”

He glanced down, folding his arms. “I’m parked just around the corner. Why don’t you come back to the club with me? I can make you a few drinks, and you can tell me all about it.”

“It’s 10 am.” The sun wasn’t even above the skyscrapers yet.

“You want to go straight home and tell your mum?” Jack's brows rose, like he knew how much that would suck.

“No.” I kicked the curb again because that felt easier. She’d be nice about it, on my side and mad at the Drop. It didn’t matter though, it would still upset her, and I hated doing that. “Will you give me a lift home after?”

“I’ll pay for your cab,” he said.

It’s not like I had a better plan for the day.

I slipped into a seat at the bar, frowning as I glanced around. 

“This is the club?” I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it hadn’t been anything this fancy. “How the hell did I end up here?”

Two months and I had no idea who I’d come with to this bar the night I got concussed. It was embarrassing even thinking about it. 

“Recognise it?” Jack asked, fishing around behind the bar for a glass.

The place was empty. I’m not even sure it was a time of day you could serve alcohol. I left my box of crap in Jack’s car. It was less embarrassing there than it would be to hold on to.

“Maybe,” I muttered, flicking my eyes over the place. He stilled, the muscles of his neck tensing. “No,” I sighed, blowing the air out through my teeth. “Don’t think so.” I leaned over the bar as he got back to work. “What are you making?”

“It’s a surprise,” Jack smiled as he grabbed the shaker, filling it with ice.

The main doors opened a few hours later. I’d just finished my third surprise. He still hadn’t told me the names of the drinks. Though I was pretty sure one of them had been a margarita. I’d been trying to pace myself, but they went down easy.

“Good right,” Jack waved a hand to the wing I was twisting in half.

I licked the sauce off my fingers. The napkin would be a waste. “What are you doing, serving wings this good here? It shouldn’t be allowed.”

I frowned at him, because it wasn’t fair.

“Everything we serve here is the best,” Jack said, with a healthy dose of professional pride.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s a travesty! Wings this good should lower the property value of the block.” They belonged in a dive bar. “The floors should be made of sawdust, not velvet.”

Jack laughed, but whatever he would have said was lost to the footsteps approaching the bar.

“Viola Cox?” Kane Kelly stood behind me. “What are you doing here at one in the afternoon?”

“She got fired,” Jack replied, washing out my glass in the sink as he started on a refill. 

He was still only halfway through his second, and I was somewhere around my fourth. Probably too many.

“Made redundant.” I stuck my chin up.

The smear of hot sauce around the corner of my mouth probably did nothing for my attempt to look serious.

“Tough break,” Mister Kelly said, arms folded as he leant against the bar.

“Yeah well, evidently The Drop didn’t need copywriters anymore, like at all.” I ripped apart another wing, twisting the end to pull a bone out. Leaving all the meat on the other. “It’s a dark day for the whole profession.”

“So you’re here drinking my bar dry instead?” Kane asked. He glanced over at Jack, brows raised. “Get me a scotch. Locheallan’s.”

“What’s your excuse?” I glanced at him over the edge of my wing. 

Kane smiled, a hint of something bitter. “Why shouldn’t I join you both? It’s a Tuesday, the club's closed tonight and I haven’t had a lock in, in years.”

I looked around the bar. The velvet everywhere, small tables. A stage, but no dancefloor.

“No wonder you’re always empty,” I said. “You’re not managing this place right!”

Kane’s brow rose as Jack grabbed a square, putting the scotch down on top of it. “What am I doing wrong?”

“You have barely any tables, and everyone knows Tuesday is the biggest student night.” I shook my head. “Honestly, I don’t know how you’re making any money. This might be the worst club I’ve ever been to.”

“Hell, kid.” Jack made a soft noise as he rubbed at his temples. “You’ve got some of the worst manners I’ve ever seen. You can’t just sit at Mister Kelly’s bar, drinking his liquor and eating his food and tell him it sucks. You’re not a critic.”

Mister Kelly didn’t seem to mind. He was smiling, brows raised, as he glanced over at Jack.

“Why not?” I tilted my chin. I was drunk, but in a fun way. “Someone’s gotta tell him. It’ll be worse when he goes bankrupt.”

Jack handed over my drink, and I took another sip. It still tasted just as good as the first one. Fruitier. “He isn’t going bust anytime soon. That plate of wings costs forty bucks.”

I almost spat out my sip. It was ridiculous. 

“Forty bucks?” My eyes were too wide as I stared down at the plate in front of me. “For chicken wings?” I shook my head. “I didn’t listen to everyone complaining about gentrification.” My breath blew out through my lips. “But then they came for me.”

That got a laugh from Kane, and at least half a smile from Jack. He was less easy now his boss was here. 

“So what’s your plan?” Kane asked, pulling a metal case from his inside pocket. I squinted at him as he pulled a cigar out.

It looked thin, slightly lumpy, like it had been hand rolled.

“I don’t have one.” I wasn’t starting from nothing like last year, but it had been hard to get that job, and now everyone else in my team would be looking too. Jack pulled an ashtray out from under the counter, setting it down before Kane had finished lighting his cigar. “Are you allowed to smoke inside?”

There were signs all over the place that showed the opposite.

“I’m the boss,” he said. “I’m allowed to do whatever the hell I want in my club.”

“Must be nice.” I picked up the last wing from the plate, splitting it perfectly. “I’ll do you a deal.” His brows rose, a flicker in his eyes that said to go on. “Let’s switch places. I’ll run your business for you, and you can go tell my mum I got promoted and then fired in the space of twenty-four hours.”

“Made redundant,” Jack corrected, as he reached for his own glass. 

Kane took a slow puff of his cigar. He tapped it in the ashtray before he leaned forward, fingers twitching as he beckoned me closer. I leaned in, confused. He breathed out a cloud like a dragon. The smoke stung my eyes, and I coughed hard. Jack laughed, and the sound rang in my ears, echoing in the empty room.

“Hey!” Wing sauce smeared from my fingertips across my cheeks. 

“Sweetheart, how are you going to run my organisation?” Mister Kelly asked, brows raised. “When you can’t handle a little bit of smoke?”

I was still coughing, eyes watering. I’d breathed enough of it in to taste the tobacco in my mouth. He grabbed a napkin from the counter. The cigar was still between his fingers as he snapped hold of my chin. 

“I can tell your mum for you, though.” He swiped the paper across my face, wiping away the sauce. It was surreal, so strange it didn’t feel like it was happening. Cigar smoke tickled my nose, far too close to my cheek as I eyed the red tip. “If you’re too chickenshit to do it yourself.”

Before my head caught up to tell him to let me go, he already had. He screwed the napkin up, dropping it on my plate, before he took another shallow puff on his cigar. It was weird; it felt weird that he’d just done that, but when I glanced at Jack, he didn’t look like it was. When someone did something wrong, people didn’t always say something, but they reacted. Tighter jaws and eyes that looked the other way. 

“Go easy on her,” Jack said, taking a sip from his own glass. “She’s a baby.”

He was just messing around. It was all normal. I could take a joke. I coughed a final time, clearing my throat. 

“I’m twenty-one!” 

Jack put a hand to his chest, already smirking. “Damn, where did all that time go? I swear you were only little when I saw you last.”

“Shut up.” I glowered at him, forcing myself not to stick my lip out.

“You just don’t know how to say thank you, do you?” He shook his head. “Worse manners than an alley cat.” He paused, finger tapping on the bar. “I have a drink for you, you gotta try it.”

I wave my finger at him, frowning. “I’ve had too many!”

“Just one more,” he said. “This one’s special, I’ll even tell you what it is, no way you’ll guess.”

I was curious now. “What is it?”

“A Clover Club,” Jack said. Mister Kelly shifted in his seat, clearing his throat, before he took another short puff of his cigar. It smelt strong, but not as bad as cigarettes, oakier. His eyes were fixed on Jack, brows raised. “If the boss says it’s alright?”

“I’ll allow it,” Mister Kelly said, he had nice teeth for a smoker. A bright smile.

“Clover Club?” I squinted, considering the offer. “Like the name of this place.”

Jack nodded. How could I say no to that?

I didn’t know when we moved upstairs. I couldn’t remember changing locations. After too many drinks, things started getting hazy. I could see the glow of sunset over too much concrete. There were no windows in the bar and the change was blinding. It hurt my eyes. They were already funny, but I still had to blink through the blur. The blanket was warm, but I felt cold. Clammy, like I couldn’t get hold of the world.

“Sweetheart?” Kane was there. I could smell the cigar smoke. It made my stomach twist. “Are you awake again?”

“I want to go home.” My voice felt strange, weak. “Jack said he’d get my cab?”

“Not in this state.” His hand was cool when he laid it against my cheek. “Tomorrow.”

It was nice. The blanket felt too thick, scratchy against my skin as I tried to kick it away. Legs tangling, because it felt so hard just to kick.

“Too hot?” His voice was so smooth, like hickory or caramel, something dark. I groaned. I wasn’t sure enough of anything to say either way. The world felt heavy. Cloth rustled as the blanket pulled back, shifting so it was around my waist. “Is that better?”

“I don’t—” I couldn’t think, it was so hard to keep my eyes open. 

“Still too hot?” His fingers were rough, as they drifted down my neck. 

“You’re cold.” It was so hard to make sense when nothing did.

“Shhhh.” The room was spinning way too much for me to go anywhere. “I almost wish you remembered.” His breath burnt my cheek with every word. “I’d keep you. Call it witness protection.” 

His fingers brushed my temple, tracing the line of my jaw. Everything glowed with golden light. Like a dream. 

“Remember what?” It had to be a dream.

“You want to know how much your bill was today?” His voice was so low, the words heavy in my ear. Flickering at the edge of my mind, like the darkness. “The cocktails, twenty bucks each, and you had seven. The wings, and all the other starters, Jack made for you. Two hundred on their own. There’s the entry fee.” His breath made the sweat on my skin prickle. “Your tab today was half a grand, easy.” Even in the haze, the number floored me. “I’d let it go, but you’re right. That’s no way to run a business.”

“I didn’t—” It was so hard to think. He was everywhere. Cheek pressed against mine. “I don’t—”

“God, you’re a mess!” Kane’s voice dropped lower. I choked, breath catching in an already wet mouth. Even with my eyes closed, it was too bright. His knuckle brushed my throat, tugging at the buttons of my shirt. Opening the first two before his palms spread across my chest. “Fucking helpless.”

I tried to push him away, but my hands wouldn’t move. I wasn’t helpless. I’d never had been. I was a Rapture City girl, I knew how to look after myself. But my body wasn’t working. The circles kept coming, tugging me away. I dropped into the dark. It felt like a blink, a second, but when I came back, my shirt was open. One breast pulled out of the teal bra cup as wet heat surrounded my nipple.

“Am I high?” The words were so quiet, it was terrifying even to whisper them. It didn’t feel like I was drunk anymore. “Did you drug me?”

There was a wet pop as he drew back, thumb brushing across my nipple. I could barely feel it. I was numb, wrong, half floating and so close to unconscious. Sparks dancing at the edges of my vision, trails of light that dragged out every moment.

“Now’s a terrible time to wise up, sweetheart,” he said. “Go back to sleep.”

I got my hand up. It took so much energy I almost passed back out, gripping his forearm, so much more gently than he was squeezing my breast.

“You don’t have to do this.” I was shivering, so cold now when I’d been burning.

“I don’t usually.” His eyes were dark. Holes I could fall into. The sunset was fading to twilight, but everything was still so vivid. Blue where it had been gold. “But I’m finding myself doing a lot of things I normally wouldn’t for you.” He leaned closer, and my eyes rolled as I tried to cling on. I was only half listening, scrambling for a way out of this that didn’t end ugly. “Leaving a witness alive, letting you leave. Allowing you to sit at my bar and drink yourself stupid—”

“I think you’re handsome.” I didn’t have a better idea. It had to work. “You don’t need to drug me. I’d say yes.” Probably, maybe. God, I didn’t know. Definitely not after this. He was twice my age. The room spun as he kneaded my breast, not letting go as he frowned. “If you asked me, I would.”

He could be sober me’s problem. All I had to do was remember this, remember he was a creep and then I’d never come back here again.

“Would you?” His voice was so loud, clear and ringing in my fractured head.

“I would!” I meant it to sound strong, but it came out in a whisper. “Whatever you want. I’d kiss you, fuck you. I’d call you, sir, Mister Kelly.” His expression was blank, but his hand tightened around my breast in an unconscious twitch that urged me on. “Hell, I’d call you daddy if that’s what you’re into.”

It was a desperate murmur, a string of babbling pleading as I clung to consciousness. I couldn’t pass out again. God knows what I’d wake up to him doing. The bright panic of adrenaline kept me there, conscious enough to cling on.

“Such a filthy mouth,” he muttered, gaze flicking back towards my breast as he let go. “I’m not sure it’s worth waiting, when I could fuck you right now.”

“Not like this.” My eyes stung, a shiver starting. It was so cold. I was so cold, my mouth felt wrong, tacky. “Please.”

He reached for the bra cup, pulling it up to cover me. 

“We can try it your way.” His fingers brushed my cheek, curling in the hair at my nape, as he pulled my head up towards him. “But next time I decide to fuck you it will happen whether you want it or not. You’ll be conscious enough to feel every second.” His lips were so close, but I was fading, drifting far away. “Last chance. If you’re lying, it’s alright. I know you’re scared. Let me get you out of my system, and we can both move on with our lives. You don’t even have to remember it. You’re so good at forgetting things.”

I couldn’t think. My jaw kept clenching as the shiver slipped through me. He was warm, but my skin didn’t want to be touched. It was too irritated.

“Don’t.” My eyelids were too heavy to keep open. I slipped into the darkness. “Please, don’t.”

I must have been exhausted, because when I woke up it was light out. The sky paled with the blue glow of dawn and I could smell coffee. The pain in my bladder hit first. I needed to pee badly. It took a second, staring around the loft, the concrete everywhere to remember I’d been here before. 

“Shit.” I was on Mister Kelly’s sofa, again.

I ignored the staircase that led up onto the floor above, an open balcony with too many doors. Stumbling for the door by the entrance instead. It was a coat closet, fancy jackets that smelled like wool, and men’s aftershave.

“It’s the other one.” Mister Kelly was in the kitchen doorway, arms folded, as he nodded to a door on the other side of the entrance. 

I got out a quick, “thanks.” Before I got to the toilet.

I sat on the porcelain seat, face buried in my hands as my bladder released. It was a lot. How the hell I got here was the mystery of my life. I could remember the bar, agreeing to one more drink, then nothing. I’d slept in yesterday’s clothes, and my skin felt awful. Rumpled and sweaty. I could smell my own armpits, and it wasn’t pleasant. I reeked of liquor. My head was tender, but not awful. I’d slept better than I thought I would, considering I’d drunk enough to black out. I flushed and pulled my jeans back up. They felt so rough against my skin.

The privacy gave me a second to clean up, splash water on my face, and try to figure out what the hell happened. My gaze in the mirror told me nothing. A freaked out girl with pupils too big and greasy hair. It was a Wednesday morning. I should be getting ready for work, but I didn’t have a job. I couldn’t spend my whole day hiding in Kane Kelly’s bathroom, as tempting as it was.

“Coffee?” He asked as soon as I closed the door behind me.

He was sitting on the chair beside the sofa, two cups on the low glass table between them. My cheeks burned as I looked down at them. It felt awkward. Just being in his space again.

“Sorry.” I gripped my hands together, rising on the balls of my feet. 

I was only in socks, didn’t have a clue where my trainers were. His armchair creaked as he leant back.

“Sorry for what?”

“For getting blackout drunk and crashing on your sofa,” I said, scrubbing my hands over my face as I struggled to meet his gaze. “God, I’m a mess!”

“I go by Kane, actually,” he said, and it took me a second to get the joke. His smile was tight as he nodded again to the cups. “Sit down and have a coffee. We should talk.”

I dragged my feet a little, slumping down on top of the blanket I’d been sleeping in. The smell of the coffee tickled my nose, and I reached for it. It tasted dark, fruity and acidic. The good stuff. It was just the right temperature, and I clung to the cup like the shield it was. Kane had the decency not to interrupt me before I’d had my first sip. It felt better, like I was a real person, not a rumpled mess.

“You don’t have a job,” he said.

I winced at the words, gaze flicking to him over the rim of the cup. “I’ll figure it out.”

It had taken a hundred applications and ten interviews to get the one I had. Being fired after three months wouldn’t look good. Everyone would assume I hadn’t passed my probation. It was so unfair. He cleared his throat, taking a sip of coffee before he placed his mug down on the glass.

“What are you going to do for money until you do?”

Go home and explain what happened, pull a few shifts at the diner. It wouldn’t be too bad. Between the bursary and the diner, I didn’t have any loan debt from Rapture U. I’d lived with mum the entire time, so rent had been dirt cheap. A hundred bucks a month, mostly to cover food. It could be a hell of a lot worse. I just wouldn’t have any fun till I found another job.

“I can waitress for a bit.” It was nice of him to be concerned. “Till I find another city job, maybe copywriting wasn’t for me. I’ll be a PA or something.”

“Are you a good waitress?” he asked.

“I make decent tips at the diner,” I shrugged. “Don’t spill things, or mix up the orders, and I like chatting with guests.”

His gaze was too blue in the morning light, thoughtful as he considered me. “Why don’t you work for me instead?”

My brows flicked up, eyes too wide. “Work for you?”

“The club is always in need of experienced staff,” he said, like it was nothing. “Twenty bucks an hour, health care and the wait staff split the tips. Some of them can be ridiculous.”

“I—” I wet my lips, clutching my cup tighter, because I had no idea what to say to that. The diner was tips only, unless you were permanent like mum, and even then the wage wasn’t high. “I don’t think I fit your vibe.”

His brow flicked upwards, a hint of surprise. “My vibe?”

“I’ve seen the way your servers dress, and I don’t think I could afford the uniform.” I definitely didn’t want to wear it.

All back dresses. Tights, heels and tits. His gaze flickered, a brief scan down and up, like he was thinking about it.

“You don’t have to buy anything, we keep spares.” 

It was a good offer, better than the diner, and I had no idea how long it would be till I found something else.

“I’m not—” I swallowed, trying to find the right way to say it. “I don’t want charity—”

“It’s not charity,” Kane said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Then what’s the catch?” It was too good an offer, for there not to be one.

He smiled, a flash of teeth. That might have been dangerous. “You have to do the work.”

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “That’s bullshit.”

His smile dropped, a flicker of something colder. 

“You can’t talk like that in front of the guests either. No swearing.” He shifted, sitting forward in his seat to rest his elbows on his knees. “You’ll have to smile less, too. Don’t show your teeth when you do and don’t ask questions.”

“So be an arsehole?” I asked. His brow flicked up again, the slightest touch of a scowl. “Sorry, be rude?”

“Be courteous and professional,” he said, letting the swearing slide. “It’s not a mom and pop shop. The patrons you’re serving will be of a different breed.”

“I haven’t accepted the job yet.” 

His gaze flicked back to mine, expression blank. “Do you have a better offer?”

No, but it didn’t quite sit right. My fingers twitched, tightening around the mug as I clung to it. 

“How much are the tips, on average?”

His lips twitched, the slightest flicker of a smirk that he suppressed. “On a good night, it can triple your salary.”

My mouth opened as I considered it. I didn’t mind waitressing, but this didn’t sound like waitressing. It was better money than I’d been making at The Drop, but it wouldn’t help my career.

“Alright.” I’d be an idiot to turn it down. “But only for a couple of months, till I find something else.”

Kane smiled, reaching for his mug as he took a slow sip. “You can leave anytime you want.”

Chapter Text

I hated the heels. The balls of my feet were already aching, and I’d only been on the job for half an hour. It was still early, and the club was quiet. Two women sat at a booth on the other side of the main floor. They looked fancy, dressed well. A couple in their forties. One of them looked familiar, but in the back of my mind, sort of way. Like I’d passed her in the street once and my mind had pinned the face.

“One Bloody Mary, and an IPA,” Daphne said, standing beside me at the bar, as Jack started on their drinks. “How you holding up?”

She was nice. Smiled softly as quick as sunlight peeking through a cloud. A splash of light gone as quickly as it came. 

“I haven’t really started yet.” I shifted on the balls of my feet, tugging the line of my skirt down. 

It felt too short.

“You can take the drinks over,” she said. “Don’t say much, cocktails for the blonde and the IPAs for her wife. Ask if they want anything else, then come back here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, offering her a mock salute. 

“That’s cute,” Daphne said. “But keep the goofy jokes to yourself. The clients here are too important to have a sense of humour.”

“Right.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Sorry.”

She wasn’t mean. Daphne was training me. I just missed the diner. It was so much less extra.

“You’ll be fine. Just keep it clean. You look rough around the edges,” she said as Jack put the drinks down on the bar. “The boss hates mess.”

“He does?” I frowned as I glanced up. 

I could see it. He’d been annoyed enough to wipe the wing sauce off my face. It still felt weird when I thought about it. The hairs prickled at the back of my neck with a feeling I couldn’t name.

“Just stay out of his way,” Daphne said. “He probably won’t even notice you.” Jack snorted, and she glanced at him. “What?”

“Nothing.” His smile said something. “Drinks are done. You ready for your first order, sweetheart?”

If he had gum, he’d be popping it right now. I glared at him. He didn’t call me that. We both knew where that pet name came from. Daphne didn’t, though. She had no idea that Kane Kelly gave me a job at his bar. She’d probably think it was nepotism or some shit, like I slept my way into it. I didn’t want the job. It was just too good to turn down.

“I’ve been waiting tables since I was fourteen,” I said. Neither one of them was impressed. “I can carry a tray, John.”

He laughed as I took it, and Daphne gave another flickering smile. She was warming up to me. I could balance a tray with a lot more weight than two drinks. But it was different in the heels. It took me a lot longer than it should to get across the floor. Up and down the stairs to the booth. The woman didn’t look at me as I approached the table. I might as well have been invisible. They’d probably have preferred it.

“But you’re always so busy,” the blonde said. “And you know I hate this place!”

“It’s the best club in town,” the other woman seemed annoyed. “You’re always asking me to take you to nice places.”

I shifted, balancing the tray as I reached for the tall pint first. It was a difficult angle. The booth was cramped, plush green velvet seats and a wooden table with a gold geometric pattern inlaid into the wood. I was trying so hard not to distract them. When I lifted the pint, the tray slipped, the slightest dip of the unbalanced weight. The Bloody Mary skidded, then tipped. Tomato juice splattered across the blonde’s white shirt, as deliberate as if I’d thrown it. I clutched the pint glass. Red. Bright red, like blood.

“Oh my god,” the woman looked down.

I should say sorry. I should be apologising. My head ached, sudden and sharp like a slap. I couldn’t move, it was so red. Every muscle in my body tensed, hairs rising and my jaw tight as my eyes fixed on the splatter pattern.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” The other woman’s voice rose, a blur in the background of my hearing. “Are you an idiot?”

I stumbled backwards, ankle rolling in the heels. My grip loosened, and I dropped the pint, the tray, landing on my arse. It didn’t matter. I couldn’t breathe. Red. It was so red.

“We are so sorry. Daphne, help the commissioner and her wife, please.” Jack’s hand closed around my elbow as he tugged me back up. “She’s new. Let me just get her out of here, and then I’ll sort this all out for you.”

Daphne leaned over the women, her voice sympathetic. I couldn’t hear her words. Jack tugged me away. He yanked me across the club floor, back towards the bar. I was stumbling, I couldn’t keep up. Jack’s grip tightened on my arm as I almost slipped out of one of them. I considered kicking the shoe off entirely.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” His voice was quiet, but angry enough, I still flinched. Like he could tell what I was thinking. “Get in the back, now.” He ripped open the door behind the bar, shoving me inside. “Don’t come out. I’ll get you when they’re gone.” He hovered in the doorway. I’d never seen him angry before. He looked different. I’d thought he was handsome in a goofy sort of way. The look in his eye was off, as cold as if I’d caught the gaze of one of the gargoyles on top of the Empire building and found it watching me back. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

My head filled with red, the splatter of the liquid over white. Like blood.

“I’m sorry.” I finally got the words out. “I didn’t—”

“Save it!” He growled, shaking his head. “Don’t fucking leave this room until I tell you to.”

He slammed the door. I buried my face in my hands, shoulders shaking as I tried not to cry. What was wrong with me? I didn’t even want the job. It was just humiliating. I could serve two drinks. I kicked off the heels, my tight covered toes touching the floor as I tried to pull my head together. In the silence, my breath calmed down enough that I could finally take a deep one. 

Jack had shut me in the back office. There was a desk with a lamp that was already on, so I wasn’t sitting in the dark. The low sofa’s leather was cracked. It smelled of plastic and mold. The safe’s iron face was embedded into the wall opposite me. There was no glitz or polish. It was a room stripped back to pure function. The only door was the one Jack had just pushed me through. There was no sneaking out the back. No slinking off with my pride and pretending it didn’t happen. I was in so much shit.

The desk was neat. A lone pot of pens, and a stack of envelopes in the tidy set at a perfect square. I sat down on the edge as I waited. There was no clock, and my phone was still where I’d left it behind the bar. My uniform had no pockets to hide it in. The only thing for me to do was sit there and think. By the time the door opened again, I was ready. Mentally prepared for Jack to fire me. The door clicked closed and Kane Kelly folded his arms as he leaned back against it, blocking my only escape route.

“You said you didn’t spill things.” He didn’t look happy.

I looked down. It was easier than meeting his eyes. “I usually wear trainers to work.”

My heels were still in the middle of the floor. One flipped on the side and the other straight, like a question mark. An accusation between us, but it beat me who was the guilty party. He was frowning down at them. A cold glint in his eye that made the hair rise on the back of my neck. He hated mess. That’s what Daphne said. If it was true, then he probably despised me. I cleared my throat and his eyes flicked up to mine.

“I’m sorry Mister Kelly,” I said. “I’ve been doing shifts at the diner since I was fourteen and I’ve never messed up that bad.”

He considered my apology, his frown easing, but his eyes still weren’t warm. “That’s child labour.”

I shrugged. “I needed the money.”

“What for?”

I looked away. 

“It’s stupid.” I’d humiliated myself enough for one day.

He crossed the small office, and the desk creaked as he sat beside me on the edge, arms folded. 

“Tell me.” He stared at the door, reserving judgement till he’d heard my pathetic sob story of a life.

There was no harm in saying it. It’s not like it mattered. He’d fire me in a minute and that would be the end of the weird time in my life where I hung out with the owner and the bartender of a fancy club in mid-city. It might even be a funny story, when I was over the embarrassment of telling it.

“A bike,” I admitted.

“A bike?” His head turned, brows raised. “Why?”

“Don’t laugh.” He could fire me, but I wanted to keep at least a shred of dignity.

There was something earnest in his eyes as his gaze flickered over my face. “I won’t.” 

Disappointment probably. He’d helped me out, and I’d thrown it back in his face. Might as well have thrown the drink on him rather than the Commissioner’s wife. 

“You remember that show about the aliens and those kids over in Bluff?” I asked, and he nodded. “That’s how they got around town. They all had bikes and they could just ride around all day. Go anywhere they wanted.”

I’d been obsessed with the idea. Even Alice had laughed. What the hell was I going to do with a bike in Rapture City? The roads were too busy; the pavement was packed. It wasn’t some small town suburb; it was the beating heart of Bluff County.

“What happened to the bike?” He sounded like he already knew, or at least suspected.

“I forgot to buy a padlock.” I scratched the back of my head, keeping my eyes down. “I used to stash it in the alley behind the diner, but uh, someone found it.”

I don’t know why I was telling him, why he even cared. He was about to fire me. It was better to just get it over with, rip off the bandaid now.

“Do I need to pay for the woman’s shirt?” I hadn’t worked long enough for the shift to cover it.

Not that a shift at the club probably would. It had looked like silk. I felt guilty. She’d wanted to spend a nice night with her wife, and I’d ruined it.

“It’s fine.” Mister Kelly leaned back, cracking his neck. “Commissioner Harker is an old friend.”

I turned my head to look at him, lips parting as his hand dropped back to his side. “Your friends with the chief of police?” 

He smiled, the first flicker of warmth in his gaze. “We grew up on the same block. Known her since kindergarten.”

I gripped my hands together, nails digging into the back of my palm.

“I’m really sorry.” It was worse that it was someone he knew. “I just can’t walk in heels.”

He leaned over, gaze tracing the length of my nylon-covered legs. “Did you hurt your ankle?”

I didn’t expect him to kneel in front of the desk. I jumped as his hand curled around my ankle. His other palm pressed to the bottom of my foot. I gaped down at him.

“Can you roll it?” The question caught up to my head as he turned my heel and applied pressure to my foot. “It’s not twisted?”

He let go of my leg, reaching for the other ankle.

“I, no, it’s not?” 

It wasn’t like he was touching bare skin. I was wearing tights, but I could feel the warmth of his hand through the fabric. It felt intimate. It shouldn’t, but it did.

“This is a high-class establishment.” He tested my other ankle, applying pressure. The disappointment in his tone was close to a relief. I was back on familiar ground. The inevitable firing was about to happen. “Heels are a part of the aesthetic. It’s expected.”

“I’ll ask Jack for tips on how to walk in them then,” I said, unable to keep the bite from my tone.

It was sexist, and I wasn’t going to not call him on it. His hand tightened around my ankle. He didn’t look angry, but he didn’t seem happy either.

“You can’t help yourself, can you?” His eyelids dropped slightly, gaze distracted, as he regarded the foot he was still holding. Kane Kelly had big enough hands to touch his finger and thumb around my ankle. He squeezed once before he let go. My leg dropped back against the desk. “Surely you can manage kitten heels.”

He was still on his knees, looking up at me, but I didn’t feel like I was much in control. Not when the lamplight caught the pale blue of his eyes. 

“I’m flat footed.” I shrugged. It was the principle of the thing. “Can’t even walk in platforms without tripping over.”

He brushed a hand through the strands of his blonde hair, nose flaring as he took a breath. “Not trainers.”

“Why not?” It was worth a shot. “It will make the club feel trendy.”

His gaze shifted, fixing on the hem of my skirt, kneeling, he was level with my crotch. A blush stung my cheeks, creeping up my neck.

“Not worth it.” His voice was low enough I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. His temple popped as he spoke through gritted teeth. “Not fucking worth it.”

I flinched, shifting away. My eyes stung, but I didn’t let the tears fall. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. He didn’t need to tell me how worthless I was. Just another West Brom girl. I’d be lucky if I didn’t get shot by accident someday walking home. Disappointing and disposable in Rapture City.

“I’m sorry, sir.” I shifted off the desk, standing straight as I tugged the skirt down. It was so short. I felt exposed wearing it, in a way I never did in shorts. “I’ll get out of your hair. I didn’t mean to disappoint you—”

He stood, blocking the exit before I could take it, as he grabbed my wrist. “Vi, Christ, you’re not fired, alright.”

I glanced up at him, eyes wide. He was so close I could see the ring of his iris. Arctic, maybe, that bright blue that glowed on a sunny day.

“I’m not?” I shook my head. “I’d have fired me.”

“You just can’t quit whilst you’re ahead, can you?” He was tall. I had to crane my neck to meet his gaze. “Black trainers, you understand me? All black. Not a touch of white.”

I nodded, eyes wide as I bit my lip. “Yes, sir.”

His expression shifted, darkening. “Don’t tempt me.” 

I stared up at him, blinking as I tried to figure out what he was talking about. His eyes flicked down, resting on my lips. He looked more pissed off at what was coming out of my mouth than interested in a kiss.

“Are you cycling home?”

“Bus.” I kept my words short. 

I was on thin ice. Everything I said only seemed to make him angrier. He frowned, like he didn’t like the answer. Mister Kelly glanced over his shoulder, towards the closed door.

“We’ll have a do-over on your first shift,” he said. “You can come in again tomorrow, and we’ll start again.” His hand was still on my wrist. Palm warm against my skin. There was too much concrete to hold on to any heat in the back office. Both my arms prickled with raised goose pimples. He hadn’t let go. It was getting weird. “Do you need a ride home?” I shook my head. “It’s late.”

“I’m a pro,” I said, going for a smile to lighten the mood. “Been riding the Rapture Chariots my whole life. The trick is headphones and avoiding eye contact.”

His gaze flicked down over the uniform he’d insisted I wear. Low neckline, short skirt, sheer tights and ankle breaking heels.

“Get your coat.” His jaw flicked. “Don’t argue with me. Unless you want to spend another night on my sofa, I’m taking you home.”

Mister Kelly drove me himself this time. Twenty minutes across the city, that would have taken at least forty-five on the bus if it was a good run. My palms felt damp as I sat beside him in the front seat. It was a fancy car, but not flashy. Guess he was rich enough he didn’t need to brag about it.

“So.” I glanced around, out the window, trying to figure out what to say. He seemed content to sit in silence. I always hated silence. “Are you going to do this every night?”

His knuckles tightened on the wheel. “What do you mean?”

“If I manage to not get fired tomorrow,” I said. “Which is kind of tempting, just to go three for three—”

“I didn’t fire you today,” he said.

“Jack would’ve.” He’d been furious. “If it was his call.”

“It isn’t.” Mister Kelly’s eyes were hard to read. “Did he hurt you?”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Don’t be silly.”

He’d been mad, but Jack wasn’t like that. He’d shouted at me, sure, but he wouldn’t hurt me. Mister Kelly made a noise in the back of his throat, low, noncommittal. Like he disagreed, but wasn’t going to push it.

“Do you like him?”

“Jack,” I frowned. “Sure, he’s nice when he’s not being a grumpy arsehole.”

Silence lingered in the front of the car as he considered the response.

“No, Vi.” He took a breath like he was thinking through his words. “Are you interested in him?”

“Well, he’s funny, too, again when he’s not being an arsehole,” I said. “Can hold a decent conversation.”

His eyes flicked to mine again. “That’s not what I’m asking.” 

It took me a second to catch up. 

“Oh, uh.” I bit down on my lip to catch the words before I could let something dumb out. What was I supposed to say to that? “Why are you asking me that, Mister Kelly?” 

His eyes were on the road again. We were in West Brom already, close to my building. The highrises clustered around us, like crumbling mountains. I hadn’t considered that him giving me a lift home meant he’d see where I lived. The cramped blocks with so many people living there, in a neighbourhood that was referred to as dangerous when someone was being nice.

“He’s handsome.” A statement thrown out there, like a baited hook.

“You think so, Mister Kelly?” I said, not sure if it was a trick. “If you asked him out, I’m sure he’d be into it. You’re the boss and all. Some people get off on that.”

His brow flicked up. “Do you?”

My mouth was open again. I snapped it closed, quick enough to catch my tongue. I didn’t have an answer as he pulled up on the side of the road. Opposite my building.

“This is you, right?” He turned to look at me, shifting back in his seat. “Parkside?”

There was no park beside it. They’d built over it a couple of decades back.

“Uh, yes sir,” I said, giving him a tight smile. “That’s the one.” I glanced down the street. It was deserted, for once. “You shouldn’t park here for long. It’s better to keep driving.”

“Why do you think I didn’t bring the Porsche?” There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes that made my cheeks burn. 

It was fine when I said it. Not so much when it came from him. 

“Ok, well, goodnight sir.” I tugged on the handle, but it didn’t open.

“Viola.” He was looking at me and I couldn’t read his expression. Whatever it was, it was serious enough I didn’t correct him on my name. “You’re right. It’s a long way from here to the club. You’ll finish work late most nights.”

“The bus runs all hours.” I offered him a tight smile. He’d unlock the door in a second. It was fine. If I didn’t make a big deal of it, it would be fine. “I know my way around the city.”

“There are studios in the building, it might be safer—”

“That’s alright,” I said, quickly. “Even if you don’t fire me tomorrow, I won’t be working at the Club for long.”

“You won’t?” I wasn’t sure if it was a statement or a question.

“It’s a stopgap, remember, till I get another job,” I smiled. “I can’t move in just for a few months.”

“Of course.” His eyes looked distant as he turned back towards the wheel. When I didn’t move, he glanced back at me, frowning. “What is it?”

“The doors locked,” I said, nodding to the handle. 

It didn’t open again when I pulled it.

“Right, of course, sorry.” He touched the console in the middle, bringing up the car controls. “They’re programmed to stay on in certain neighbourhoods.”

“Right.” I pulled on the handle and it finally clicked open. My home was a neighbourhood his car automatically protected him from. As if I didn’t already feel enough like trash. “Well, uh, good night, Mister Kelly.”

I slipped out as he nodded his goodbye, pulling my keys out as I crossed the road. I’d take my shoes off inside. The elevator was broken, and I wasn’t walking up to the tenth floor in the stupid heels. I only heard his car pull away when I closed the door behind me.

Chapter Text

I checked the time on my phone behind the bar: seven-thirty. Half an hour and I was off. I’d talked Jack into giving me an early shift. My first free evening in a week, and I was going to enjoy the hell out of it.

Alice 💙 Half 8 at Sullivans

I clicked the phone closed, feeling the smile. I needed a drink, a night of stupid. The club was closed tomorrow, and I was officially free for two days. Two days to see Alice and start sending out applications in earnest. I was done feeling sorry for myself. So what if the drip fired me? It wasn’t like I was learning anything there. Whatever job I got next, it would be somewhere that was actually cool, rather than a shitty rag run by old dudes that exploited graduates and pretended to be down with the kids.

“What are you smiling about?” Jack asked, a shaker in his hand as he loaded up a tray for the table I was serving.

I hadn’t had another accident since the first day. The trainers I’d been wearing had my feet back on the ground. They were black, mostly, and I’d covered the bits of them that weren’t, so you couldn’t tell. Jack hadn’t been happy, but he’d let it slide. Since I hadn’t messed up again, we were back to being sort of friends. 

“I’m meeting Alice when I get off,” I said, shrugging as I closed the lid over the box of phones.

Ice clinked as he poured chilled liquid into the cocktail glass. “Going somewhere nice?”

“Double date.” I tapped my hand against the bar, waiting for the glass of wine.

His brow rose, a flicker crossing his face. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Some friend of Alice’s—” I hesitated. It was a tough one to explain. “Well, her step-cousin slash on and off again, fuck buddy.”

He put the shaker down on the counter, staring at me like I’d grown another head. 

“Your friend is fucking her cousin?” Jack repeated.

“Step cousin,” I corrected. “His dad was only married to her uncle for like six months. It was a spur-of-the-moment let’s get married thing. Technically, she hooked up with Toby before he was her step-cousin, but then they met again when their uncles got hitched and—” I tailed off. His expression hadn’t changed. He was still staring at me, brows raised like he was listening to a crazy person. “You don’t care, do you?”

“Honestly, Vi?” Jack shook his head. “I never know what’s going to come out of your mouth. But it sure as hell isn’t what I expect.”

“It’s part of my quirky charm.” I slipped around the bar, grabbing the tray of drinks he’d finished serving.

“Just keep a lid on the charm in front of Madam Pride,” he warned. “And be respectful. She’s a big deal.”

“A bigger deal than Commissioner Harker?” I threw him a half smile as I lifted the tray.

He met it with a scowl. “Eleanor Pride is one of the most important people in Rapture City.” Jack looked pained. “Just keep your mouth shut, kid, please.”

I didn’t roll my eyes, but it was close. The tray was pretty light. Three drinks, a Cosmo, and two glasses of wine. Madam Pride hadn’t chosen a booth. She’d picked a table in the middle of the floor. A statement in itself amongst the sort of people that frequented the Clover Club. It had a good view of the small stage. There was a musician tonight. A woman with long waves of red hair in a blue sequin dress, playing a set on the double bass. It was a rare solo act, but she was talented enough to make it work. I approached the table carefully, laying the ring of napkins down in front of the three women. Eleanor Pride was old. Thick grey hair tied at her nape in a bun. She was dressed all in black, but every inch of her outfit was classy. The women with her were in their forties. One was wide, the other narrow. They were all beautiful. The sort of bone structures that demanded attention.

“Your drinks, madam,” I said, placing the Cosmo down in front of the woman.

“Viola, darling.” Madame Pride turned to me with a beam. “Thank you. That was just as quick as you promised.”

Ok, so maybe I’d talked to her. She was nice, one of the few patrons of the Clover Club who had even bothered to look at me as I served them.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” I smiled back at her as I placed the drinks in front of the other two women with her. Penny and Patience. “Let me know if the wines to your taste. I can switch them out if you don’t like the Sancerre.”

“You know,” Madam Pride said, pulling my attention back to her before either of the women said a word. “We’ve just been discussing how much you remind us of someone. Isn’t that right, Patience?”

Patience nodded, but it was Penny who opened her mouth. “Do you know a woman called Beatrice?” She leant forward fingers parting around the stem of her glass. “Beatrice Cox?”

I blinked, thrown momentarily off-kilter as I dropped the tray to my side. Madam Pride frowned, and Penny sat back, her expression guarded where it had been too intense.

“I—” My gaze flicked between the women. “Yes?”

“A relation?” Madam Pride’s smile was bright, but there was a flicker in her eyes.

A cold amusement that seemed far from friendly. I wondered if the answer would get a bigger or smaller tip from the woman.

“My mum,” I said.

One of Madam Pride’s perfect brows rose, a slight arch upwards. They were the only part of her hair that hadn’t gone grey. A deep black still, despite her age.

“Isn’t it fascinating the way life works?” She picked up her Cosmo, taking a small sip between painted red lips. “Perfect, my compliments to Jack, as always.” She placed her drink down in the very centre of the black, square napkin. “I’d ask you to pass on my regards to your mother, but I doubt she’d want to hear from me. Is she—” Eleanor Pride’s gaze flicked up, meeting mine. Her eyes were the deepest green, a piercing color with age hadn’t dampened. “Is she happy?”

It almost sounded like the question mattered to her.

“Uh.” I scratched the back of my neck, twisting on my feet. Wondering how Mum knew one of the most important women in Rapture City. “Yeah, I mean, she enjoys her book club with the other ladies in our building, and we have a cat. She really likes Snookie.”

It didn’t sound like a convincing response, but Madam Pride still smiled. 

“That’s good,” she said.

“Well,” I said, shifting in the awkward air. “Enjoy your drinks, ladies. Daphne will take over from me—”

“Viola.” Madam Pride flicked the buckle of her bag open, pulling a metal case from inside. “If you ever need help.” She slipped a red card free. It was thick. Embossed in silver letters was the strip of a phone number. There was no other identifier. Not even a name. “I’ll take your call.”

I took the card from her hand, frowning down at the red square. The movement was furtive. My back was to the bar, and the way she’d handed it over meant the only people who would have seen her do it were the two other women at the table. There weren’t any pockets in my dress. I could put it in my phone case, but that was behind the bar. I debated for a second, before I slipped the card down the neck of my t-shirt, finding a place for it in the side of my bra.

Madam Pride smiled at me, a flash of white teeth that were too perfect to be real, especially at her age. “Smart girl.”

“Thank you,” I said, meaning both the compliment and the offer. “It was a pleasure to meet you all.”

“Go on.” She nodded her head, a dismissal. “Enjoy your double date.”

Ok, so maybe I’d told Eleanor Pride a bunch of things when I took her orders, but she’d asked. She had seemed like a friendly old woman, not like she’d had some ulterior motive. As far as dastardly machinations went, offering to help me if I ever needed it didn’t seem so evil. I slipped the tray back across the bar towards Jack. He was already pouring another drink. 

“I’m going to head out,” I said, nodding towards the stairs.

My shift was definitely over by now, and Alice would be annoyed if I was late. Jack smirked, slipping the drink across the bar to me.

“I made you one for the road.”

My eyes widened as I stared down at the layer of foam on the top of the cocktail. We weren’t supposed to drink during a shift.

“What is it?” 

“Clover Club,” Jack nodded to the logo of the bar behind his head. “Give you a little courage for your date.”

“Like the name of the bar?” I asked, squinting as I tried to remember if I’d had one before. 

“It’s my favourite cocktail to make,” he said.

Jack was a good guy, and he was bending the rules, making me a drink in front of the customers. It wasn’t a busy night. I doubted anyone would notice. Still, it was nice.

“How could I say no to that?” I raised the glass to him in a salute.

It tasted delicious, fruity. He waited till I’d taken a deep sip before he spoke again.

“You know what Madam Pride does,” he asked, eyes darting behind my shoulder with half a frown.

“Nope.” I popped the ‘ p ’ a little hard. “But someone told me she was one of the most important women in Rapture.” 

“She runs the brothels,” Jack said. “Every whore in town’s in her pocket, from the ones on the corners to the escorts you see on Mayor Willinger’s arm.”

I froze. The glass of the cocktail was cold enough to make my fingertips stick.

“You take her up on her offer and she’ll put you to work.” Jack looked like he could see the thoughts circling my head.

“How did you—”

“Guess she slipped you her card?” Jack asked, brows raised. “Of course she did. She was talking to you for too long not to take a pass at recruiting you.” 

My mouth opened, then closed. I picked up the drink instead, taking a deep gulp. 

“That’s not the sort of job I’m looking for,” I said, emphatically. 

Jack only smiled at me, a flicker on his lips between amusement and mockery.

“I know, kid,” he said. “You’re not the type to suck someone off for a few bucks.” He leant over the bar, glancing pointedly at my trainers. “And you sure as shit can’t walk in heels well enough to be on the Mayor’s arm.”

I glared at him, but there was no sting in it. “You’re such an arsehole.”

I sighed, shoulders slumping as I took another gulp of the drink, feeling the burn of the alcohol as I finished it. It hadn’t been a long shift today, but I was feeling tired. 

“You need to grab your stuff from the back, right?” Jack asked.

I took a few steps around the bar. “Don’t come in, I’m getting changed.”

I pushed the door open, blinking. The light was on, brighter than the club behind me. My stuff wasn’t in a locker. I grabbed my bag from the corner. It felt heavy. I took a step, and then another sitting down on the horrible leather couch as I tugged the bag open. My head shifted, arm dropping as I tugged off my tights, pulling my skirt down at the same time. 

Tired. I didn’t know I’d been so tense until I let it go. I was exhausted. Drained and oddly floaty. I hadn’t felt like this a minute ago. I needed a second. Just a couple of seconds before I stood up again. Alice was waiting. I needed to put on my jeans and go meet her. 

The thought of moving was too much. I lay down instead, cheek touching the plasticky leather. It smelt so bad. I’d get back up, any second, I’d get right back up. Or I’d go home instead. Bail on Alice. She’d be mad, but I was too tired to be any fun. I made a small noise, a groan or a whimper as the world spun, a strange wave, like standing on the ferry, when it went far enough out into the bay for there to be waves. I had… I had to—

The giggle was the soft kind that a woman only made when a man’s hand was on their arse and they wanted it there. I shifted, taking in the wall of windows that opened onto the rooftop. The comfortable sofa, and a familiar thick blanket. I was in Kane Kelly’s apartment, sleeping on his sofa. Again. My head wasn’t spinning, but I felt weak. Wrung out. A layer of sweat clung to my skin like I’d sweated out a lot of something nasty. There was a tight knot in my throat and my eyes burned. I felt like crying, not because I wanted to, but because I needed to. 

“Take your clothes off.” It was his voice, the unmistakable command. “I want that arse.”

There was the soft hiss of a zipper being undone. “That costs extra Mister Kelly.”

I froze, clutching the blanket. This was bad, this was really, really bad.

“You think I fucking care?” There was a soft scuffle, then a loud slap.

An open palm hitting bare skin as a woman yipped. The reaction wasn’t from the slap; it was because he’d bent her over the sofa and now. Now there was eye contact.

“Uh, Mister Kelly?” The woman’s eyes were as wide as mine felt.

“Did I tell you to speak?” He sounded frustrated, and I bet I had about five seconds till that turned to furious.

“Your daughters here?” She made it sound like a question.

“What?” 

I didn’t need to hear him move before my panic kicked in. I scrambled off the sofa, kicking away the blanket as I stood, hands out in front of me.

“I’m sorry.” I shook my head, stumbling back, because my legs felt weak like they weren’t ready for me to use. Banged my knee on the glass of the coffee table and it really hurt. “I’m so sorry, Mister Kelly! I don’t—” I half-hopped, putting the armchair between me and them. “I didn’t—”

My skirt and tights were a dark bundle on the coffee table. I was in the uniform shirt and my damn underwear, in Mister Kelly’s apartment, and I didn’t know how the fuck I got there.

“Candice,” he said, recovering far quicker than I had.

“Clarice.” Her tone had a snap to it like it wasn’t the first time she’d had to say it. “Candice was the redhead.”

She was pretty, fancy looking with long dark hair and heels she seemed to be able to walk in. 

“Go down two floors and knock on the door there,” he said. “Mister Spyte will settle what I owe you.” There was no mistaking the dismissal as Clarice yanked her skirt down to cover her exposed arse. “Make a racket if he doesn’t answer right away.”

“I—” Clarice glanced once at him, then back at me, brows raised. She shook her head. “Whatever. I’m too old for this shit.”

She cleared out of there fast, not bothering to argue over the money. I gripped the back of the chair. There was a tremor in my hand. It kept getting rougher, my body telling me that maybe I should run. If I moved, then he’d see me half naked, and I was embarrassed enough. The door closed behind Clarice, and the dam broke.

“I’m sorry, sir.” It was the most awkward moment of my life. He’d brought a hooker back. Mister Kelly fucked prostitutes. Or he would have if I hadn’t interrupted. It was close to dawn. The sky was taking on that blue glow that bathed the apartment with the whisper of a new day. “I don’t know how I got here.” I had a drinking problem. It was so fucking obvious now. “I only remember having one drink, Jack said—” I sucked in a breath. He hadn’t looked away yet. I don’t think he’d so much as blinked. “I don’t know what happened.”

He shook his head, taking a slow breath as he gripped the bridge of his nose. 

“I need a minute.” Mister Kelly took a step back, and I could see the tenting of his pants. He was hard. “I’m going to make some coffee.” He took a step away towards the door to the kitchen. “How do you take it?”

“I can go—” The look he threw at me froze the words in my throat.

“Put some fucking clothes on,” he said. “And don’t even think about leaving.”

Leather creaked under my hands from my grip as I glanced down. “Cream, no sugar.”

He strode into the kitchen; the door hitting the wall with a loud bang from how hard he pushed it. I grabbed for my tights, yanking quickly enough that they tore.

“Shit.” The sight of the ladder made my eyes sting as I shimmied them. 

My skin was so clammy that they caught like they’d shrunk since I’d taken them off. They were covered in ladders by the time I got them up. I pulled the skirt on after, tucking my shirt in as I pulled up the zip. There was a glow now on the horizon. The touch of dawn meant the city was waking. It had been a Sunday night, which meant it was a Monday morning. The club would be closed for two days. I needed a minute, a second. Fresh air. Something to take the sting out of my chest. To fucking breathe.

The breeze was cool on my face as I pushed the door closed behind me. It was the end of summer, and there was a chill in the dawn air, from the coldest part of the night. I needed it. The moon was still out as I sat down on the low couch. He had a nice rooftop, clean. Furniture that belonged in a catalogue. It felt empty. Not a single plant. If I had this much space outdoors, I’d have tried to grow a couple. They never did great on my windowsill. I buried my face in my hands, trying to pull my head together, listening to the early morning thrum of the traffic so far below. The door behind me clicked open. 

It felt safer to stay hidden. I spied him putting the mugs down on the floor in front of me from the corner of my eye before a blanket landed over my shoulders. The one I’d been sleeping in. The couch dipped as he sat down.

“Do you smoke?” 

I dared to squint at him through my parted fingers as he flicked his lighter. The flame brightened his cheeks, making the bones look higher. 

“It’s five AM,” I said.

The time was a guess. It sounded like the time the sun rose this time of year. He took a slow inhale deep into his lungs before he breathed out. 

“Right,” he muttered.

He sounded exhausted. I know I felt it. Mister Kelly flicked his phone open, his thumb sliding across the screen as he searched for something. When he found it, he frowned. Eyes flicking as he read. His brow rose as he turned the phone towards me.

“Guess he did tell me you were here.”

The contact at the top read Jack Spyte . I had to squint to read the message below. ‘ Left a surprise on your sofa. ’

I scratched at the back of my scalp, eyes burning as I stared at the words. “I really hate his sense of humour.”

Mister Kelly clicked the phone off, slipping it back into his pocket. His arm draped around the back of the couch as he took another deep inhale of his cigarette.

“Have some coffee.” His gaze flicked down, staring at my legs with a frown. “What the hell happened there?”

“Happened?” I followed his look. They were a mess, so many ladders, I couldn’t count them at a glance. “Oh, uh, you like it. All the kids are wearing them like that now.”

“Did you work a shift like that?” The question looked genuine like he thought I was that ridiculous.

“Jack would have kicked me out before I got to the bottom of the staircase,” I said.

His lips flickered, a soft twitch upwards as he took another inhale.

“Drink your coffee.” He flicked the ash over the arm of the couch, letting it land on the concrete floor.

I picked up the cup. The sides warmed my cold hands as I took a small sip. It tasted as good as it felt. A warm touch to banish the mess of emotions inside me. 

“I feel really sad.” The words just came out. 

An admission I hadn’t meant to make, but it was hard not to. I did. The prickling in my eyes was back like the tears would start at any moment. My chest felt empty. Hollowed out with an ice cream scoop.

He dropped the cigarette, stamping it out under his heel, before he shifted forward, taking the coffee cup from my hands as he put it back on the floor. Mister Kelly’s knee touched mine as he laid a hand over the biggest ladder in my tights.

“Why?” His voice was low, as close to gentle as I’d ever heard from him. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I swiped the moisture away from my cheek with the edge of my wrist. “I’m sorry, nothing happened. I just feel really sad. Like chemically sad and I have no idea why.”

“Hey.” He caught my wrist, gently, as he brought it back down to my lap. He replaced it with his thumb. Brushing the first of the moisture off my cheek before it had a chance to properly fall. “It’s alright, we all get low sometimes.” The dawn made his eyes look so blue as they caught the glow of the sunrise. “Is that why you got so drunk again?”

“I wasn’t sad last night.” The words caught in my throat, difficult to get out. “It was meant to be one for the road.” His hand was still there, thumb resting in the hollow of my cheek. “Alice is going to kill me for not turning up. It was supposed to be a double date.”

Something flickered across his face. A flash and then it was gone. 

“You’re dating someone?” It wasn’t a whisper, but the words were quiet.

“Alice is.” I had no clue where my phone was. I really hoped I told her I wasn’t coming and didn’t just ghost her. “She wanted to introduce me to his friend.”

“Well,” he said, a slow breath. “I’m glad you found your way to my sofa instead.”

My eyes darted back to the glass doors. “You are?”

They reflected the sunrise, hiding the inside of his apartment. “I don’t like the thought of you dating someone.”

When I looked back, his lashes had dropped. 

“Mister Kelly?”

“Kane,” the word was low, a whisper as his hand shifted. His palm curled around the back of my neck. “You can call me Kane.”

“Kane.” 

He was so close. The space of a word between us. A ‘ no ’ or a ‘ don’t ’ I should be saying because I knew what he was about to do. He was twice my age, and probably a bad person. He’d bought a prostitute home. Good men didn’t do that. My eyes dropped as low as he was looking. His lips. Thick enough to be appealing, with a curl to them I enjoyed causing. A constant challenge, to see what clever thing I could say to earn one of his flickering smiles.

I was staring at his lips, and I still didn’t quite expect it when they touched mine. The firm press had a lingering taste of cigarette smoke. It should have been disgusting, but on him, it wasn’t. His cologne filled my nose, something fresh and earthy, that made my stomach ache as his hands curled in my hair. My lips parted as I groaned into the kiss. A breathy whimper that wasn’t the no it should have been.

His arm surrounded me as I clung to the bottom of his shirt. Hands fisting in the fabric. Kane broke away, pupils blown wide. They didn’t match the frown that drew his brows together. 

“If I tell you not to go on any more dates, will you listen?” For all the words were said gently, they sounded far closer to an order than a question. 

My brow rose because that didn’t feel fair. He couldn’t just kiss me and then tell me I had to stop seeing other people. I wasn’t even seeing him.

“You came home with a hooker,” I said.

His hand tightened around the back of my neck. Something dark creeping in.

“Is that your final answer?” The words were low, dangerous. 

I tilted my chin, fixing him with a glare of my own that was just as dangerous.

“Gee, dunno. Maybe I should phone a friend first.” I put my pretend phone up to my face, like I was video calling. “Hey Alice, yeah my boss’s boss just kissed me, and he told me to stop dating. Creepy right? Also, he was about to fuck a prostitute. What do you mean, why was I there? No, that’s a fantastic question actually—”

His palm covered mine, tugging the fake phone away from my face.

“You’ve made your point.” Kane was smiling, though.

I felt a little flicker of warmth at having caused another one.

“She’s great to talk things through with.” I turned my fake phone towards him. “Want to try?”

“Raincheck.” He let me go entirely, reaching for his coffee.

I inspected him in the pale light. The sun had made it behind the buildings and it made my eyes hurt a little. I wished I had sunglasses.

“You look exhausted,” I said.

“It was a long night.” He glanced at me from the side of an eye. “If you want to finish out the night on the sofa, you can.” I still felt like crap. More sleep wouldn’t be a bad thing. “I just need a few hours’ shut-eye, then I’ll make you breakfast?”

“You can cook?” He seemed like the personal chef type.

His smile flickered a hint of challenge in his eyes. “Why don’t you stick around to find out?”

It was a Monday. I didn’t have anywhere else to be. Every bit of common sense I had screamed it was an awful idea.

“Sure.” I glanced down, cheeks burning in the cold air as I pulled the blanket tighter. “Why not?”

Chapter Text

Hi Miss Cox,

We’re happy to let you know that your application and scores in the online aptitude tests made it through our screening process. We’d like to confirm your interview on Thursday at 3 pm. Our team is looking forward to meeting you.

Regards,

Mindy Friar

The Rapture Chronicle

It was one of the most prestigious papers in the City. A big deal. I’d worn ripped jeans and a black t-shirt to my interview at the drip. That wouldn’t cut it for the Chronicle. They were serious journalists. They didn’t make money from the ads on online quizzes.

“You’re still hovering.” Jack shook his head at me, managing to look disapproving whilst loading up the dishwasher. He was pretty expert at looking annoyed with me. “Just go in and ask him. He gives advances, especially when it’s for a good cause.”

I gripped my elbows as I eyed the door behind the bar. “Since when is clothes shopping a good cause?”

The problem with asking Kane Kelly for money was that I’d have to speak to him. I’d been too busy closing up to see him go back there. Jack said he’d been doing the books for the last hour. I hadn’t been paid yet, and I needed an interview outfit. Something that said: Viola Cox, aspiring young journalist. Not Viola Cox, broke trash with a life problem. He’d promised me insane tip money, and I needed it. Now.

“You want those bigshot journalists to take you seriously, don’t you?” Jack asked, tipping a half-finished drink down the sink and shaking the glass. “You walk in there looking like you and they’ll laugh you out of the building.”

“What’s wrong with being me?” I said. Jack didn’t reply, he just looked me up and down. We both knew what was wrong with being me. I was a damn mess. “Fine.”

The door behind the bar was cracked open. I threw Jack one last glare before I slipped inside. Kane was sitting on the desk rather than at it. Thumbing through a stack of cash as he counted it, bill by bill, into the white envelope beside him. The door clicked closed behind me, and he glanced up. His gaze didn’t get very far. Painfully blue eyes narrowed on my trainers as he scowled.

“Is that pen?”

I’d covered the white stripes on my kicks in permanent marker. It hadn’t rubbed off. No one else had noticed yet.

 “Uh.” My throat tightened. “Maybe.”

Great start. I’d pissed him off before I’d even asked him for money. He put the stack of cash down on top of the white envelope, folding his arms.

“Jack told me you were sorting out tips for the week.” I shifted in the silence of his attention, turning my feet to hide the marker. “Could I get mine early?”

It was the only way I could afford new clothes for the interview tomorrow. His lips flicked up, smiling as he took in my unease. The morning after we’d kissed, he’d behaved like nothing had happened. He made me breakfast around Monday noon, and I left after. It’s not like he’d messaged me since. I didn’t have his number, and he probably didn’t have mine. It had been two days since then, and I was mentally preparing myself to keep pretending nothing had ever happened. Even if my eyes kept flicking down to his mouth. I could still feel the imprint of the kiss. A tingling echo burned into my lips. It was maddening that the sensation hadn’t faded.

“So you’re after money?” He leant back, palm resting on his knee. “Well then, sweetheart, come here.”

He pointed to the floor in front of him, and my nape prickled. A cold itch like a warning. Mister Kelly seemed different tonight. The last few times I’d seen him, he’d seemed busy and tired. Sparing a drop of attention after a too-long day. He looked too awake as his brow rose. I crossed the small room, stopping in front of him. His hand closed around my wrist, tugging me against him. My other hand flew up to block my fall. There was muscle, hard and warm, under my palm. My skin looked so bright against his black t-shirt.

“Mister Kelly?” He’d said I could call him Kane, but he didn’t feel like Kane right now.

My hand curled in his shirt as his palm spread across the centre of my back. I glanced up to see how much closer he was the moment before his lips pressed to mine. Deep, open-mouthed, swallowing my gasp like he was stealing it. A demand to let him inside me. He bit my lower lip, and I yipped. I could feel him stirring against my belly. A hard line where he pressed me to him. It was too much. I pulled back. His hand caught the back of my head, curling in my hair before I could make it far. 

“If you want an early payment.” He yanked me back to his chest, lips brushing my ear. “You’re going to have to work for it.”

“Mister Kelly, sir.” I shook my head, eyes flicking to the door. “Didn’t I just do that with a ten-hour shift? I—”

His hand on my lower back hardened, arm flexing as he pushed me against the bulge between us. “You can feel what you’re doing to me, can’t you?”

I gulped, and his eyes fixed on my throat, watching it bob.

“Because of you, I’ve had a hard on since Monday morning,” he said. Hushed words spoken slow enough, they sounded lazy. Like, there was no argument. “You’ll take care of it for me, won’t you, sweetheart?”

My stomach ached with the heat of his words. It was obscene. I shouldn’t be doing this. The door wasn’t even locked.

“I—” I glanced between his eyes. He was smiling at me, the one I usually liked, but he wasn’t laughing with me this time. “What do you want me to do?”

If I said no, he’d have to let me go. He couldn’t make me do anything but, still. None of it felt right. Not the look in his eye, or how tightly he was holding me.

“Have you used your mouth before?” The words were soft, careful, his eyes fixed on my lips.

I glanced down at the bulge of him between us. He wanted me.

“Twice, maybe.” My cheeks burned, saying it. “I don’t like it.” I wanted to make a joke. Say something funny to get rid of the tension. I could feel it burning through me, setting my teeth on edge. I ached so much it made me shiver. Heat, want and the slightest touch of terror that crossed all the synapses in my head. My tongue darted out as I took a breath. Oxygen to clear the mess in my spinning head. “I could use my hand?”

“Don’t be selfish.” There was a sting in his tone, disapproval. “You made this mess, so you can clean it up.”

His hand shifted from the back of my neck, pushing down on my shoulder. My legs buckled as I lowered myself down. Gripping his thighs as I kneeled on the floor, sitting back on my heels between his spread legs. He shifted forward to the very edge of the desk. It was there. The bulge of his dick was in front of my face, and I couldn’t do anything but stare at it.

“Take me out, sweetheart.” His voice was gruff from the depths of his chest. My hands shook as I reached for his buckle. Metal clinked as I loosened it before I opened his zipper. His t-shirt covered the band of his boxers as it dropped over my hands. “Need some help?”

He tugged the waistband down, and it was there. I leaned back as it snapped out so it wouldn’t hit my cheek. I had to swallow again. My breath was short, and it was hard to concentrate when everything around me felt too bright. The dim lamplight in the room was glowing. Kane Kelly’s dick was in front of my face. He was hard, big and circumcised. An angry tip stared back at me like it was watching me. My gaze flicked up to his eyes as he gripped my hair. 

“You look lost.” He was right. I was lost, confused. My eyes burned because I was a second from crying. His palm curled around his dick, giving himself a few short pumps. “Open up, let me get you started.”

I should say no, but it felt too late. Something I should have said much earlier. It would be so awkward now if I did. His fist tightened, pulling at the roots of my hair, and my lips opened in a gasp. The tip of him touched my tongue. Silky. I could smell him, the musk of him.

“Suck on the tip.” He was still jerking himself, fist moving slowly, and I didn’t like that.

My hands covered his, peeling it out of the way to replace it with my own. He let go of his dick, gripping the edge of the desk instead. His other hand stayed at the back of my head, but his grip loosened. I could do this. I wanted to, or had to, maybe. My tongue pressed to the underside of his shaft as I tried to take him deeper. I got halfway before I choked, pulling back from the rubbery slide of him over my tongue. His dick brushed my teeth, a soft graze as I breathed through my nose. 

“Fuck.” His hand shifted, pulling the hair back off my face. 

The weight of his gaze pinned me in place. I couldn’t look up. It’d be fucking terrifying to see those blue eyes staring back at me. I swallowed him again, sucking hard as I tried to pull him deeper. Twirling my tongue so it brushed the underside of his dick. His hips bucked forward, slipping deeper than I could take him, with a painful push. I tried to pull back, but his hand tightened, holding me there. I gagged, shoulders shaking as I tried to pull back.

“Breathe into it,” he said. “You can go deeper.” I was shaking, trapped on a tightened string, on the edge of something fucking painful. I pushed at his thighs, back arching so my stomach pressed into the desk as I struggled to get away. Not deeper. I didn’t want to. I wanted to be in control again. “I said breathe.”

I tried to make a sound, a noise like a no. It came out a bleat, animal and confused. He yanked me closer, and my throat burned as he forced his way into where he shouldn’t be. I couldn’t. I didn’t like it. Didn’t fucking want it as his hips bucked. The door cracked open. I froze. He’d stop now. He had to!

“Boss.” Jack’s voice echoed in my ears.

Salvation, hope. I couldn’t breathe! My eyes burned as I slapped a hand against the desk. He had to let me go.

“I’m busy.” Kane was still so fucking far down my throat that my stomach flipped. 

My abdomen crunched in the worst possible way. Sick, I was going to be sick!

“Stein called the bar. He’s still on the line.” Jack said. He sounded distant, like there was a TV on in the background. “Wants to talk to you about the factory on twenty eighth.”

My cheeks burned, sinus aching as I twisted.

“Tell him I’ll be five.” Kane’s grip on my hair turned painful. “He can wait.”

Kane stood as the door closed, yanking me up from my heels to my knees. He pulled back a bit. I could breathe again. Nothing else mattered. I sucked in air through my nose as his dick pulsed in my mouth. His fist was moving fast, palm curling around the bottom of his shaft as he jerked himself. His skin bunched, pressing against my lips with every pump of his fist.

“Swallow it.” He sounded breathless, in pain.

His come filled my throat, sticky and hot. I could smell it. I gagged again as his hips bucked, forcing his way down my throat so far my stomach flipped again. Three long, sloppy pumps that pressed too deep, and the flips became a spasm, ricocheting up my gullet. His grip slackened. I ripped away, curling in on myself as the cough came. His fucking semen was in my lungs. I was drowning. I hacked, a painful, desperate sound as cum and mucus splattered the floor. It tasted foul. My stomach twisted, and I couldn’t breathe again, because the vomit followed. It splashed the concrete as I wretched. Arms shaking. Black spots danced in my vision.

A white envelope dropped beside the puddle of my vomit. Resting at the edge. I gasped, arms shaking.

“You made about four hundred bucks in tips so far.” I couldn’t meet his eye. Stared at the bottom of his polished leather shoes. “Buy some black shoes before your shift on Saturday. If I catch you in these again, I’m putting you over my fucking knee.”

I glanced up as high as his knee, shoulders shaking as he tightened the buckle of his belt. Tucked away like he hadn’t just come down my throat. My cheeks were wet. He’d made me cry. It wasn’t ok, none of this was ok.

“Yes, Mister Kelly.” My voice was rough, broken.

My throat burned. It was cramped in the room; the air cloying with the scent of stomach acid. I’d have to clean it up. He’d want me to clean up my mess. There was a pause, a moment where his feet didn’t move. 

“You alright?”

My gaze darted up, finally lifting to his as I sat back on my heels, hugging my chest. I shook my head.

“No.” I felt so small. Dirty. “You hurt me.”

He frowned, a flicker in his eyes that looked like confusion. “You said you’d done it before?”

“Not like that.” It felt like something he’d taken, not something I’d given. “That wasn’t ok.”

He scratched at the back of his scalp. Dark blonde hair ruffled enough to show we’d done something. He looked windswept, and I felt fucking destroyed. Mister Kelly turned to the door, putting his head round the edge. I shifted closer to the desk. Trying to make myself invisible.

“Jack.” The band was long gone. The club was too quiet now without them. “Tell him I’ll call him tomorrow.”

“He won’t be happy.” Jack sounded reproachful.

He was good at that. Judging Mister Kelly not for what he’d just done to me, but for what he was about to skip.

“That’s my problem, isn’t it?”

“Yes, boss,” he said, all emotion gone from Jack’s tone.

“You can clear out after,” Mister Kelly said. “Clean up the rest in the morning.”

The door closed again. He folded his arms, leaning back against it. I tightened my grip around my knees, clinging on.

“Can I go?” I looked down, somewhere other than my vomit on the floor. “Please, can I go, sir?”

He hesitated, the weight of his gaze as heavy as it had been when he was in my mouth. I shrank smaller. I was shaking, small tremors that slipped under my skin like a chained dog waiting to be kicked.

“Not in the state you’re in,” he said. “Come on, you can use my shower to wash up. I’ll drop you home after.”

I’d left my clothes outside the door. They were stained, and Mister Kelly insisted he’d run them through the dryer. It was probably the best shower I’d ever taken. The robe was hanging from the door. His robe. He’d said to put it on after, but I didn’t know how I was supposed to wear that home. I spat the toothpaste out in the sink. Giving my mouth a final rinse with the wash. It burned the back of my throat.

I didn’t want to face him after what happened. It was too awkward. In the silence I could pretend I was ok, that it had been fine. But I wasn’t, and it hadn’t. My hand shook as I pushed the door open, coming to the top of the balcony as I looked down over the main floor of his apartment. It was different from up here. Looking down over his kingdom. The sofa I always seemed to end up on was tidy for once, a blanket draped neatly over the back.

A hand rested over mine on the steel bar. Skin slightly rough, he had a scab on his knuckles where they’d been split. I couldn’t remember how long it had been there. Hadn’t noticed it till this moment. I shivered as I felt the heat of him at my back.

“Can I borrow some clothes?” It was so late already. “To wear home. I promise I’ll bring them back.”

“The wash will be done in the morning.” His palm brushed over my neck, slipping over my collarbone to rest just beneath the robe. “Come to bed, Vi. It’s late.”

My grip squeezed around the metal, clinging on. “I don’t want to do that again.”

He breathed in, nose brushing my temple as he pressed closer. “We won’t.” His hands drifted down, fingers closing around my wrists as he tugged them away from the rail. “Come on.”

I followed him, mind blank, as we crossed the threshold into his room. It was big. A door on one side for a wardrobe. A bed in the middle and a wall of windows on the other. He turned me slowly, hands on my shoulders. I stared at his chest, looking anywhere but his eyes.

“I can sleep on the sofa.”

“Shhh.” It was soft, a whisper of breath as he pulled at the tie of the robe. He hadn’t undressed yet, was still in his t-shirt and jeans. “Let me see you.”

I wanted him, sort of. Maybe, but not after earlier. My head was a mess, my survival instincts weren’t working. I should do something, anything, other than let him pull the sides of the robe apart. All my useless brain was telling me was that he smelled good. He shrugged the robe open, so the sleeves dropped down my shoulders. I was naked in front of him. The still-wet strands of my hair, touching the skin of my back. 

“Mister Kelly?” I clutched his forearms, the sleeves of the robe caught at my elbow, hanging around me like the worst shield ever.

“Kane.” He reached up, palm curling around the edge of my jaw.

The kiss was gentle, a chaste press of his lips. Like he could hear my racing heart, and wanted to soothe it. He was slow as he pulled my hands out of the sleeves of his robe. It dropped to the floor, and he kicked it to the side with the edge of his foot. He was in his socks still. Kane pushed, walking me back towards the bed. His steps unhurried and inevitable, a turning tide. He didn’t stop till I felt the fabric of the bedspread at the back of my knees.

“Kane?” I didn’t know what the question was. 

His lips quirked into a satisfied smile as he looked down at me. He had me exactly where he wanted.

“Get in the middle of the bed, on top of the covers.” It was an order. I slipped back, scooting my butt across the covers as I stared up at him. I was naked in the middle of his bed. “Lie back, and spread your legs. Let me see you.”

My face felt hot, cheeks burning. There was a haze in front of my eyes that made everything distant. I wanted to say something, anything, but I couldn’t. This didn’t feel funny or safe. I took a breath, eyes on the ceiling as I spread my legs. It was dangerous.

The end of the bed dipped under his weight as his palms spread across my inner thighs, pushing them wider. I knew what he was going to do before I felt the warmth of his mouth there. His tongue pressed flat across my cunt. My breath caught in my chest, a surprised gasp as his hands tightened. His thumb brushed my entrance before he pushed inside. I groaned, hips bucking. There was no teasing. He went straight for my clit, sucking it between his teeth. 

I focused on the feeling, the sensation of his mouth on me. The width of his shoulders as they pushed against the back of my thighs. It was a lot, too much. He played with me. Drawing moans and shivers from my body, till I was twisting under him.

I came fast. It washed through me as I bucked against his face, thighs squeezing his head as I cried out. He didn’t stop until I fell back against the sheet. Boneless. My legs spread wide and my eyes dropped closed. I was exhausted. Mind blank and blissful. Memories turned hazy as his body covered mine, t-shirt soft against my bare chest. 

“You’re so sweet.” He pressed his lips to mine. I could taste myself on them. I wouldn’t have called it sweet. “Are you asleep?”

He sounded so far away. 

“Sleep sounds good,” I murmured, shifting to rest my face against his neck. He smelled good. “You can be my blanket.”

Just so long as he was nice to me. I wanted that so much more than whatever earlier had been. His soft laughter sent me further into the darkness. I’d go to sleep. If I went to sleep, I’d wake up and it would have all been a dream. It was alright; I was fine. Everything was fine.

Chapter Text

It was my bladder that woke me again, a burning need that had me stumbling out onto the landing, searching for the shower. Where was it? The handle of the first door rattled, but it didn’t open. Locked. I stumbled back to the middle one, finding the bathroom. It was modern chic. White brick tiles and brushed stone floor. I ignored the walk in rain shower I remembered from last night, headed straight to the toilet. The plastic seat was cool under my skin as I pressed my hands into my forehead. It was Thursday; I was pretty sure I had plans for the day. Shopping with Alice on her lunch break, in the business district, and the interview that afternoon. The Rapture Chronicle. It felt early enough I doubted I was late to either of those things yet.

My back clicked as I stretched, reaching for the toilet paper. The flash of an image passed through my mind as I reached down to clean up. The top of Kane Kelly’s head buried between my legs. Hair out of place, because I’d mussed it.

“Oh, shit.” 

It was for sure a mistake, a big one. I caught my own eyes in the mirror beside me. Wild and a little frazzled. Mostly just confused. By the time I made it out of the bathroom, my head was spinning, a confused circle as I stared through the open bedroom door. Grey walls and a white bed. I’d have called his decorating cliche, but it looked good. Stated rich and tasteful without saying it out loud. Kane was sitting up in bed, the duvet around his waist. I didn’t remember when he’d taken his shirt off. He must have been somewhere hot this summer, because his torso was tanned, no t-shirt line. There was a dusting of sandy hair across his chest, and a line that led down his stomach to beneath the cover.

“Where are you going?” Mister Kelly flicked his fingers, beckoning me towards him. “It’s Seven AM. Get back here.”

I moved before I could think about it, slipping back under the covers, because that seemed smarter than just standing there naked. It was a great idea right until his arm curled over my stomach, pulling me against him under the white cotton duvet. It was so comfortable, surrounded by the heat of his skin and the cool of his laundered sheets. They smelled like him, too, a hint of the same detergent as his clothing. There was a smile at the corner of Kane’s mouth as he leaned over me.

“Were you reapplying your makeup?” His voice was low, gruff, as his hand slipped down my side. When he got to my arse, he squeezed. “You one of those women who pretends to wake up naturally with eyeliner and lipstick?”

“What, no?” I shook my head. I wasn’t sure if yesterday’s makeup had even survived the shower. It had only been eyeliner, anyway. I sure as hell didn’t have any with me. “Mister Kelly?”

He tugged against my hip, pulling me onto my back. His movements so confident, I let him, didn’t say a word of protest as he shifted over me.

“I’d tell you to call me Kane.” His leg slipped between mine. Hip shifting forward and I felt how hard he was as he pressed dick against me. He was naked. We were both naked. “But damn it all if you calling me Mister Kelly isn’t getting me hard right now.” My head dipped into the pillow, a cocoon on either side of my ears as I stared up at him. “So, your lips are just like that?”

“Like what?” I shook my head as I reached up, hands resting on his shoulders. 

They were broad, firm muscles under my fingertips.

“Sweet.” He dipped his head, catching them in a kiss as his hips pressed flush against my centre.

I moaned into the kiss, leg twirling through his as he rubbed against me. The line of his dick slipping against my clit. The press of him there was painful. We were doing it, or about to do it.

“Shit.” I breathed the word out as our lips broke apart. His brow lifted, a question in the depths of his eyes. “Sir.” He shuddered at that, a buck of his hips that sent a jolt of heat through my stomach. It was a mess down there. It wouldn’t take much for him to slip inside. “This is a bad idea.”

He reached down, adjusting himself to press against my slit. My back arched at the feeling of him, the press of his tip.

“You’re twice my age,” I said, mind babbling through excuses, as I felt the give of the first inch. Thick. Even the tip of it felt wide. “And my boss’s boss. I’m a mess and you hate mess. You’re just doing me a favour because I got fired. We shouldn’t complicate—” He pushed further, his hips shifting forwards. “Fuck!”

He was about halfway in, and the stretch was closer to a burn. He was fucking big. I was wet; I was so turned on that my nipples ached as he slipped the rest of the way in. A wet glide till I could feel his pelvis against my centre. I kicked at the mattress, scrambling to find my feet, because fuck!

“Sweetheart.” His breath fanned my cheek. “The only words I want to hear out of your mouth right now are: Yes, sir, Mister Kelly or Daddy. Am I clear?”

I blinked, eyes wide as I stared up at him. His jaw was clenched, hand curled in the pillow above my head. A string of tension, like he was trying his hardest to hold back, to give me a few seconds to adjust to the stretch rather than just pounding me.

“Daddy?” That was messed up. His hips jerked. I felt him twitch inside me, as he gave a shallow thrust, like he couldn’t stop now he’d started. “I’m not calling you, Daddy!”

His expression turned dangerous. “If you want to cum, you will.”

“No, I—”

“No?” His brow flicked up. “You don’t want to cum?” He shrugged as he lifted to his elbow, reaching his other hand down to my hip, pinning me against the mattress. “Quick and dirty it is, then.”

He started moving, thrusting hard as he gripped my arse. A pace that couldn’t be called anything but punishing. It knocked the breath out of my lungs. Diaphragm compressing with every thrust, so I couldn’t get enough air. My leg curled tighter around his. Trying to slow him down, or hold on. The sounds were sloppy, wet as my back arched. It was good. So fucking good. I dug my nails into his back, clinging to him. If I could have got a deep enough breath, I would have been screaming.

“Mister Kelly?” I gasped. His abdomen smacked against my clit, but never for long enough to get me anywhere. “Oh God, sir. Please!”

“One more chance.” He was breathing hard, sweat glistening on the muscles of his neck. “Say it and I’ll help you finish.”

“No, I—” I pushed at his shoulders, or pulled him closer. It was too much. “It’s fucked up. No!”

He jerked, dropping to his elbows as his hand curled around my neck. His head buried in my shoulder, and he pushed inside me, as deep as he could go, pinning me as I felt him pulse inside me. Hot and sticky and—

“Condom!” I gasped the word, shaking my head. “You need a condom.”

His shoulders shook as he let his weight fall on top of me, keeping me there as he took a few deep breaths. He was laughing at me.

“It’s a bit late for that.” Kane kissed my neck, pressing his lips just below my ear.

My eyes stung. I was so fucking horny and so confused. He was softening inside me, and I didn’t want him to stop. I wanted to kill him.

“You sleep with prostitutes.” My nails dug into his back as my thoughts ricocheted through terrifying possibilities. “Oh god, do you have something? Warts or like herpes or—”

His lips touched my cheek, fingers stroking through my hair as he shushed me.

“I’m clean,” he said, voice soft. “And I sleep with high-end escorts. I’m more at risk of catching something from you than you are from me.”

My eyes stung with the insinuation. 

“I’m not—” I shook my head as he drew back, hips still flush against mine. “I don’t—” His brow rose, and I wanted to slap him. “I’m clean, ok, I’ve slept with like three other guys, and I got tested after every time. And I used protection too.” Fuck, I was going to have to get Plan B. I hated it. I’d had to take it after the second guy because the condom split, or we weren’t sure if it did. “I’m not on the pill.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He shifted, and I tensed as his hips slowly slipped back, my cunt pulling and clenching like it was trying to hold on to him. He rolled onto his back, arm behind his head, as he looked up at the ceiling. “I had a vasectomy years ago.”

I twisted to stare at him across the pillow.

“You did?” I peeked under the cover, waving down at my parted legs still. They were shaking too much to close. “Then why is there so much stuff?”

“It’s seminal fluid,” Kane glanced down, a wide smile twisting across his mouth as he looked at the mess he’d made of me. “No sperm in there. You’re safe, sweetheart, you’re the only bastard kid I want running around my space.”

“I’m twenty-one!” I felt clammy, slightly itchy and on edge. “I’m not a fucking child!”

His gaze flicked up to mine. “Is that why you’re throwing a tantrum?”

I turned over, showing him my back, as I clutched the cover up to my chin. This was a bad idea, a really bad idea. Everything felt worse because I was still so fucking horny. But I didn’t need him for that. Hell, the other guys I’d slept with hadn’t figured it out. I knew exactly how to take care of myself. I parted my legs, pressing my fingers between them as I found my clit. I’d barely touched it when the bed dipped behind me. He shifted closer, chest pressed to my back.

“What are you doing?” There was a cold note in his voice, one I ignored. “Are you touching yourself?”

He couldn’t stop me. He was the one rude enough to leave me unsatisfied. His hand closed over my wrist, tugging it away, and I turned my head. I scowled at him, showing him exactly how annoyed I was.

“Let go,” I said, blowing the hair off my face. He did, covering my cunt with the flat of his palm, blocking me. “Hey!”

I tugged at his wrist, trying to pull him away, but he wouldn’t budge.

“That’s not allowed.” His fingers curled under my neck, tugging my head back against his chest.

“You don’t own me.” I twisted my head round to glare at him. “We’re not even dating.”

His brows rose, an expression close to polite interest. “We’re not?”

“Have you taken me out to dinner?” I asked, brows raised. “Have we done anything fun together? We haven’t even gone bowling!”

That got him. His lips parted, pure surprise in his eyes. “You want me to take you bowling?”

“I, no—” I took a breath, trying to figure out why I was so angry right now. Other than the obvious ache across my body, that meant I was on the verge of rubbing myself against his palm just for a little more friction. “That’s not the point!”

“What is the point?” He shifted, palm pressing against me for a second that made my toes curl.

“I—” I swallowed, eyes burning as I stared back at him. “Do it again.”

“Do what again?” He pressed the heel of his palm against my centre. “This?”

“Yes,” I gasped, gripping his forearm for something to hold on to.

“Beg me.” His lips brushed my ear, his fingertips ghosted a line down my chest, before he took my breast in the palm of his hand. “Beg me to cum.”

“I—” I swallowed, tongue brushing the roof of my mouth. “Please, can I cum?”

He played with my nipple, tugging at it. It sent a spark of heat straight to my navel. I could have sobbed.

“That’s not it,” he said, voice a rumble in his chest. “You know what you have to say.”

“Please,” I whispered, cheeks already burning. I didn’t want to say it. But I was a mess, a hot, horny mess. It was just one word. “Please, daddy, can I come?”

“Of course, sweetheart.” His lips pressed to mine, catching my gasp as his hand shifted.

His fingers rubbed delicate circles against my clit as my toes curled.

I screamed into his kiss, spine arching as the sparks washed through me. Hard, I was coming so fucking hard as he played with me, his spend slipping out of me to soak his hand and the sheets in a tacky, sloppy mess. My hips bucked against his hand. Cries turning to desperate whimpers. Sated and in agony, drowning in less than an inch of water. I dropped back, boneless, against his chest. He pulled his hand away, gripping my other breast and smearing our juices over my skin. He was still playing with both, rolling my nipples between his finger and thumb as I caught my breath.

“What comes after, please?” His voice was a whisper in my ear, low enough I wasn’t sure I heard it.

“Uhm.” I racked my brain. I took a second too long to answer because he pinched. Squeezing both my nipples. “Hey!”

It hurt.

“What comes after please?” he repeated.

“Thank you?” 

He let go of my breasts as his lips touched my neck again. A soft rumble of contentment.

“You’re welcome.”

“I wasn’t—”

His hand covered my mouth, and I could smell sex on his palm. Mine, his.

“Don’t ruin it,” he warned. His head rested on top of mine, wrapped around me like a snake. “Coffee?”

He moved his hand so I could answer the question.

“God, yes!” I said.

“It’s still just Kane.”

I elbowed him in the side on principle. Enjoying the sound of his laughter.

The smell of bacon grease pulled me into the kitchen. It was a nice kitchen. Polished stone countertops as grey as the concrete of his other walls and dark brushed metal appliances. He needed some color somewhere in his apartment. I was tempted to buy him a plant. Just to brighten it up. His kitchen looked lived in, used. Kane Kelly enjoyed cooking. I ran my fingers through my wet hair, fresh out of the shower and smelling like his products. Indeterminate man, maybe whisky, cedar or sandalwood. 

“What’s on the menu?” I took the pot of coffee out of the drip.

I was glad I didn’t have to make it. There were so many buttons on the machine that I would have needed to read the manual to figure it out. The coffee smelled almost as good as he did. He glanced up, flicking open a box of eggs. 

“Scrambled, fried, or omelette?” 

It was an open question, whatever I wanted. “Which do you make best?”

“Bring me a coffee,” Kane said.

I was going to do it anyway, but I had principles. “I think there’s a please you’re missing there.”

His lip twitched, but there was something dark in the look he gave me. A warning.

“Please, bring me a coffee, sweetheart.” He sounded perfectly genuine. “I drink it black.”

I picked the only colourful mug for him. A big purple one with a picture of the tallest mountain in Bluff County’s only national park. The rest were basic. The same as the ones we used in the bar downstairs when someone asked for a coffee. I slipped across the kitchen to hand it to him. He caught my wrist, taking it from my hand, and placing it down. His other arm curled around me, yanking me into the space between him and the counter. I didn’t have time to yelp before his lips covered mine. It was desperate, hard, and for a second I forgot that breathing was a thing I needed to do, because keeping up felt more important. As fast as he’d grabbed me, he pulled away, turning me around. The smack hit my ears before I felt his hand against my arse, a slap that turned into a squeeze. 

“That’s for the back talk.” His lips touched my neck, teeth grazing my shoulder. 

I should have protested. If I wasn’t wetter than I’d been in the damn shower, I would have. I meant to say something smart back, but when I opened my mouth, all I managed was a whimper.

“Where did you find this shirt?” His voice was low, as his hand slipped underneath it to grip my bare arse.

“I—” I swallowed, trying to pull my head back together. “My clothes are in the dryer. I grabbed it from your cupboard.” My cheeks stung because maybe I’d overstepped by borrowing his shirt without asking. “I’m sorry, sir.”

His thumb shifted, teasing the edge of my opening from behind. A soft brush along the length of my slit. 

“You’re a mess.” The words caught in his throat, hot and heavy, as he pressed a kiss to my cheek, pulling the skin between his teeth. Like, he might bite. Kane pulled his hand away instead, taking my shoulders to push me towards the high stool on the opposite side of the island. “Go sit over there and talk to me whilst I make your breakfast.” He grabbed the coffee I’d left by the pot, placing it down in front of me whilst I was still blinking from the whiplash. “What’s got you so busy today that you woke us up at the crack of dawn?”

My thoughts spun as I pulled my head together. For a minute, I could barely remember my name. He drew a bowl in front of him, cracking an egg on the edge before he tossed the shell into the lid of the carton.

“Interview.” The word came out like a flash of inspiration. At his raised brows, I coughed. “I have an interview today at The Rapture Chronicle. It’s a junior editor role, step up from copywriter.”

“Chronicles a big deal,” Kane said, washing the egg off his hands. “What are you wearing?” That was the first thing he damn well asked, like he knew my wardrobe wasn’t up to scratch. “Please tell me not those trainers you filled in with marker?”

“Of course not.” I glanced down, cheeks stinging. “It’s what I needed the tips for yesterday. I’m going shopping with Alice to get an interview outfit.”

He opened one of the kitchen drawers, pulling an envelope out from inside. Another white one, stuffed to bursting. Why the hell did he have envelopes full of cash stashed in his kitchen? My eyes almost burst out of my head as he leafed through the bills.

“How much do you need?” Kane asked. “Five hundred or a grand?” He glanced up from his count, eyes meeting mine as he waited for a response. “Tia’s down on sixth does the right sort of clothing. Don’t go for a pattern on the shirt or the skirt, not for an interview. Pick a bold color, but just one. Red would probably suit you best. Go for cream or black with it. You can get shoes there too. Ankle boots would work. Get brown ones if you go for cream and black ones otherwise. One of the shop girls will be able to—”

“I know how to dress myself.” My jaw ticked as I tried to stop myself from glaring at him. I sure as hell wasn’t buying clothing from Tia’s. That place was three hundred bucks for a blouse. “I just need the tips money. You said it was four hundred, right?”

His fingers moved, halving the stack of cash he’d been counting. 

“Alright,” he said, a smile that took away from the sting. “If you’re sure.” He glanced down at the stack of fifties. “You’ll be competing against trust fund kids, though. Ivy leaguers. They’ll look the part, even if you don’t.”

My stomach flipped. He was right. I’d be literally outclassed by most of the other applicants. I got the interview on skill. Rapture was a decent School, but if nepotism factored into the hiring, I didn’t stand a chance in hell. But that didn’t make it right to take his money. It would feel wrong. Like he was paying me.

“I—” I swallowed, not sure where my words had gone. “Last night.” His gaze flicked back to mine. “I did it because I wanted to.” His eyes widened a hair before his expression changed, softening. “I’m not here because you’re rich. I like you.” It was way too damn early to be saying shit like that, but it felt important to get out of the way. “You don’t need to—” I waved to the cash in his hand. “Buy me.”

The way he’d thrown the envelope on the floor had felt so dirty. I couldn’t do that, not again. Kane put the money down. He moved around the counter, palm brushing my cheek. I leaned into the touch, tilting my head up to look at him. 

“I’m not trying to buy you, sweetheart.” His eyes flicked between mine before his gaze fell on my lips. “I just want everyone else to see what I do when I look at you.” My stomach flipped again, not nausea, the fluttering sensation of someone else’s eyelashes brushing your cheek. Butterflies. “Please, Vi, let me help you?”

“I—” I felt dazed looking up at him. He had no business being so handsome. A smoker shouldn’t have teeth that white or smell as good as he did. I’d never got what people meant when they talked about scent, but his had infected me. I could pick it out from across the room, blindfolded. “Ok.”

His lips touched mine, and I sighed into it. I probably would have agreed to anything, so long as he kissed me afterwards. I was in so much trouble. He broke away, a coy little smile on the edge of his mouth, before he kissed the tip of my nose.

“Thank you,” he said.

Kane moved away. I reached for my coffee, trying to clear my mind, wondering how I’d gone from happy to mad to plain confused. Before he’d even cooked the eggs. He grabbed a pan from the cupboard behind me.

“What time are you meeting Alice?” He asked, offhand, like it didn’t matter.

“Twelve-Thirty.”

“I’ll call ahead.” He had a gas burner in the middle of his induction surface. It clicked as he ignited it. “Let the girl at Tia’s know you’ll be there at quarter to one.”

“Kane,” I muttered, shooting him my darkest look.

“Trust me,” he insisted. “You need the help.”

Chapter Text

Hangers clicked as I leafed through the sale rack, searching for something red. I’d take Kane’s advice, just not his help. Alice sighed, glancing at her watch as she brushed the short strands of her dark hair off her face. She rocked a bob and bangs. The sort of symmetrical pretty that the world would always call chic.

“We could still make it there.” Disappointment glistened in her big brown eyes. Puppy Dog pleading that hadn’t worked on me in years. “Rich people are late all the time, right? They’ll be used to it.”

“We’re not going to Tia’s.” I refused. “I’m not getting dressed up like some sorority girl who’s never gotten anything her daddy didn’t pay for.”

“Well, your daddy sure wants to pay for it.” Alice smirked at me from the other side of the clothes rack.

My stomach gave a weird little flip. I couldn’t tell if it was heat or nausea. Of course, I’d told Alice what happened. Not everything. There were bits I kept back. She’d freak out if I told her, and I didn’t think that was fair.

“Kinky,” I muttered, brows raised. She flashed her teeth in a sharp grin. “I’m not going to an interview at the Chronicle looking like some rich girl whose parents paid for her degree. I’m going to look like me. Viola Cox, who worked her arse off to earn her place!”

“Damn straight!” Alice nodded. “So anyway, job aside, we should talk more about Kane.”

I looked down at the shirt in my hand. It was blue, not red, all one colour, kind of cool.

“I crashed on his sofa a few times,” I said. “We only hooked up once. It’s not a big deal.”

“But he’s in his forties?” Alice had made a face when I’d told her that part. She was still holding onto it. “Right?”

“Forty-two, maybe.” I felt the heat cross my cheeks. I’d never actually asked. “It’s not that old…”

“What’s the math?” Alice asked, glancing up at the ceiling like she was thinking it over. “Half your age plus seven? So like the youngest, you should be able to date is seventeen and a half—”

“Ew.” I shook my head at the thought. “That’s a crime, isn’t it?”

Her eyebrows flew up. “The youngest he should be able to date is twenty-eight. So, according to the math, you guys hooking up is like a felony.”

“But not an actual felony,” I said, squinting as I thought about it. “Because that’s not real math, and we’re both adults.”

Alice snorted.

“What?” I asked.

“He’s an adult,” Alice said. “You’re a woman child with terrible judgement and a skin thick enough to cover you every time you fall on your arse. Which is pretty much weekly.”

I glowered at the shirt. “My mum’s proud of me, though.” 

“Oh, and that’s another thing, you live with your mum.” Alice pushed. “When are you planning to introduce her to your boyfriend, who’s closer to her age than yours?”

I didn’t want to think about that. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“I’ve never had someone I wasn’t seeing give me a grand to go shopping,” Alice said. “I mean, I’ve never had someone give me a grand to go shopping, period.” A single dark eyebrow communicated so much sass. “He might not be your boyfriend , but he is something.”

“Why are you lecturing me?” I shook my head at her. “You’re the one who wanted to go to Tia’s.”

“Obviously,” Alice said. “They give you free champagne.”

“I’m not going to get drunk before an interview!” She was outrageous. “I’ve quit, anyway.” It was time to sober up, get myself together, and not wind up passed out on Kane’s couch. “And you’re on your lunch break. Clearly, I’m not the only woman child here.”

“But I know I’m a twenty-two-year-old woman child.” Alice tilted her chin up, smug, like that made all the difference. “That’s important.” She pulled a shirt from the rack. “How about yellow? You could pull off mustard?”

I might be able to swing it, I looked good in bright colours. I frowned at the blouse, hating everything about it. 

“Is there anything on that side with a pattern?” I asked, squinting to peer at her side of the rack. “Something fun?”

“No, Vi!” Alice shook her head. “He might be a creepy old man, but he has good taste.” 

She pulled something red from the rack. A blazer. I could work with a blazer.

“That’s my not boyfriend you’re talking about.”

Alice hesitated for a second, chewing on her lip as she considered. “Look, I get it, he’s going through a midlife crisis. His nephew just died—”

“What?” I felt like I’d just hit a wall. I stared at the blazer in her hands, not finding the strength to take it. “What are you talking about?”

“His nephew, we were with them at Clover Club, remember?” Alice said. “I went home with Reggy. We went on a couple of dates after. Evidently, Parker and his dad died in a car crash. Like a couple of days after, we were at the club.” She shook her head, a flash of something on her face. Pity or the weight of her own mortality. My head hurt, a sharp stab of pain. I had to rub away. “It was messed up, he was really broken up about it.”

“You didn’t tell me about that?” I would have remembered.

Alice shrugged. “You’ve been busy. I think that night was the last time we hung out.”

“No.” I shook my head, trying to remember. 

I’d seen her since then. It couldn’t have been three months. I guess I was busy at the drip. I’d promised myself I’d behave after the first night I woke up on Kane Kelly’s sofa with a concussion. But surely it hadn’t been that long.

“Yeah.” Alice’s lips pursed as she nodded. “You’re a bad friend.”

“Please,” I said, rolling my eyes already. “You didn’t talk to me for six months when you were in that weird relationship with Chad.”

“Chad.” Alice’s lips twisted into a coy smile as she thought back to freshman year. “What a butthead.”

“Total butthead!” I agreed. “I mean, he was called Chad.”

I was nailing it. Want to know how I knew? Mindy Friar was laughing, the sort of deep belly laugh that meant there was no way I wasn’t getting the job.

“No!” Mindy shook her head. “He didn’t?”

“Yeah, no, that’s why he had to move cities,” I said, voice level as I spilled the secrets of the Rapture U establishment. 

She caught her breath, gripping the arm of her swivel chair as she shook her head, her long dark curls bouncing around her face. Kane would have approved of her outfit. She was businesswoman chic. Jeans that were tailored thick cotton, the sort that cost a hundred bucks, not ten. A white shirt tucked into them with a black belt, covered by a black jacket. She was perfect, absolutely perfect. I kind of wanted to be her when I grew up!

“Ah, great,” Mindy said. “I hated Professor Sykes. Glad he got what he deserved.”

Maybe the best part about Mindy Friar was that she was a Rapture City girl through and through. She grew up in East Brook, but I wouldn’t hold that against her.

“Not that I don’t love talking about Rapture U.” The college we’d both graduated from, though she’d got her first class honours almost fifteen years before I’d earned mine. “Were there any questions you’re supposed to ask me?”

We’d been talking for almost an hour, and I wasn’t sure the interview had started yet.

“Vi.” Mindy’s lips pursed in a closed-mouthed smile. Smug. “I already asked you most of them. At this point, this is just a personality fit test.”

“Did I pass?” She’d been laughing pretty hard a minute ago.

“You’re the sort of person I want on my team,” Mindy shrugged. “Honestly, if I have to hire one more nepo-baby because their Mummy’s in Hillard’s country club, I might just shoot myself in the head.”

I was in love. Head over heels, at first sight. I’d die for this woman.

“But I did want to ask you about one thing?” She looked almost apologetic at having to be so blunt. “I read through some of your work. There was one pretty interesting piece.”

“I stand by every word!” I knew exactly what she was talking about. 

It got me the job at the drip, too, but for different reasons. They’d given me all the winks and nudges, said it was the perfect opinion piece. My professor had only let the college publish it because he couldn’t fault my sources. I’d done the research.

“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Mindy said, brows raised. “I honestly thought it was wishful thinking, but then I read through the supporting research. How did you get copies of Archerian documents when you’ve never left Rapture City?”

“I got in contact with the librarian at the Royal Institute there.” I smiled, feeling a little smug. “She’s absolutely lovely. Her wife is a gold medallist rower and they have two jack russels called Ipsy and Topher. She sent me scans and copies of a lot of the materials I needed. It’s all there in the letters.”

“Still.” Mindy shook her head. “Elvie Tepell invented the jet engine, when the discovery is credited to Thomas Wilmon and Lord Robin Idris. How did you even get to that conclusion?”

“Because Lord Robin Idris spent his whole life insisting that she did.” I tilted my chin.

My professor had almost flunked me for the paper. Said that it lacked journalistic integrity.

“He was mad, though, wasn’t he?” Mindy asked. “And don’t scientists do things like that? Credit their cats with helping them invent things.”

“Sure.” It wasn’t the first time I’d read that. It had been in the comment thread of the post when the university published my article. “But a cat’s handwriting for their letters and the notes explaining the complex diagrams that break down the first design for a liquid-cooled piston engine capable of powering an aircraft aren’t usually an exact match.”

She sat back in her chair, smiling. “Like a dog with a bone.”

“They call me Bandit,” I said. 

She laughed, and it filled the air of her office. Fearless! The buildings of the business district filled the window behind her. A view across the city. I wanted to work for her so bad.

“That’s impressive investigative work!” Mindy said. “Alright, Vi, now you get to ask me—” There was a knock on the door, cutting her off. She frowned, glancing up as the door opened. “Bobby?”

The man was older than her, wearing an actual suit. Black hair with white at the temples, a slight bulge of a belly.

“Sorry to interrupt.” He nodded behind him to the office floor. “I just need a quick word.”

“I’m so sorry, Vi.” Mindy looked pissed as she pushed her chair back. “I’ll just be one minute.”

“It’s no problem.” I gave her my best smile, an enthusiastic nod.

She closed the door behind her. There was a row of trophies on the wall to my right. Prizes for a glittering career. Mindy Friar was a big deal. I didn’t usually do hero worship, but I loved everything about her. Her book was on the shelf. A prize-winning account of the Island drug wars a decade ago. She’d been five years into her career and a field reporter there to witness them firsthand. There was a big green pot plant in the corner that gave her office a jungle vibe. She didn’t take long. A minute later, the door opened again. Her smile was gone. She looked pale as she pulled out her chair, steepling her hands in front of her as she stared at me over the top of her fingers.

“I—” she hesitated for a moment, tongue brushing over her bottom lip like her mouth had dried up, before she sat back in her chair, running her hand through her dark curls. “You need to leave.”

My stomach plummeted as the heat left my cheeks. Like I’d just stepped off the edge of a building.

“What?” I needed her to repeat it. “Why?”

She gripped the bridge of her nose, taking a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” I shook my head, leaning forward in my seat. “No! You were about to offer me the job, weren’t you?” She didn’t say anything, but it was there in her eyes. A flicker, like guilt, where she wasn’t managing her poker face well enough. I twisted in the seat, turning to look at the closed door. “What did Bobby say to you?”

“It’s got nothing to do with him,” Mindy said, her expression turning blank. “You’re just not the right fit for my team.”

I didn’t believe it. We had way too much in common. She didn’t seem like the type to pull the ladder up after her.

“You’re lying.” My nails dug into my palms. “Tell me why!”

She stared back at me, holding my gaze. Eyes hard and unflinching, but I could see her thinking, the slightest flicker of something that looked too much like pity.

“Who did you piss off?” Her voice was hard, the slightest touch of judgment.

I blinked. I hadn’t expected to hear her curse. 

“Piss off?” The question came out a squeak.

“It’s someone powerful.” She slid forward in her seat, pulling the chair towards her desk. “You know the sort of people that run this city.” The flicker was back. I couldn’t tell if it was pity or sympathy. “One of them had you blocklisted.”

“Blocklisted?” My head spun. I didn’t get it. It had been going so well. It had to be a dream. I’d look down and find I was naked, and it would all be ok, because the interview hadn’t happened yet. I looked down, and I was still wearing the stupid red blazer. “What does that even mean?”

“It means no one in this city will hire you.” She shook her head. “You couldn’t get temp work as a receptionist right now.”

My eyes stung as much as my throat burned. I wasn’t sure if I was angry or devastated. Probably both.

“Why did you interview me then?” It was cruel.

“You emailed me directly.” Her nails dug into the edge of her desk, gripping too tightly. Of course, I’d emailed her directly, I’d done my research on her. If there was anyone in this city who would take a chance on hiring me, it would have been her. “If the application had gone through HR, you’d have been rejected.”

I should leave, get up and go. But what the hell was I supposed to say to that? I’d been blocklisted. I’d pissed off someone powerful and scary enough to ruin my life, and I didn’t even know who. This wasn’t being a mess. I was a fucking catastrophe. 

“Why?” The word slipped out as I looked up at her.

Mindy’s face changed, softening. She slid her drawer open, grabbing a pen from the pot as she scrawled across the white square card.

“Here.” She handed it to me. It had a phone number and her professional email on one side. She’d written another number in pen on the other. “I can’t hire you, Vi, but if you figure out who’s after you and you need help. You can call me.”

I stared down at the card, mind blank. “Why?”

“Because Rapture City girls look out for each other.”

I pushed the entrance open, slipping inside as my gaze ran over the club. They were on the main floor: Kane, Jack, and another man. Older, with a wide stomach and a bald patch at the back of his head. The distraction was enough to stop me at the top of the steps. I thought only Jack would be here. Had been ready to come in and vent my lungs out about the stupid interview. Ask his advice on what to do, because he knew people, I was sure of it. He had that vibe. Kane glanced up, eyes to the ceiling. He was laughing. They were all laughing.

“Right?” the strange man said.

He turned in his chair towards Jack like he was looking for validation.

The flash of metal caught my eye as Kane lifted his hand. A gun, he had a gun. The man was still laughing. It sounded a little desperate. Jack was clutching his side, wiping a tear from under his eye with one fingertip. The man froze as the gun touched the back of his head. A split second of recognition. There was a bang. A cloud of red mist. 

My hands flew to my mouth, catching the scream as I stumbled backwards, tripping behind the green velvet curtain by the top of the stairs. The man didn’t have a full head anymore. He was missing half his head.

“Call the cleaner.” Kane Kelly’s voice reverberated through the club, loud even with the padding. 

There was a second pause, a shuffle of movement. “Shit.”

“What is it?” Kelly said. 

He didn’t sound like he’d just shot someone. He was too together, composed, like it was just a normal Thursday afternoon.

“Vi’s on her way here.” Jack clicked his tongue. “Says we need to talk.” Shit, shit, shit! “Do you think she’s breaking up with me?”

“Call her!” The first note of panic sounded in Kane’s voice.

I grabbed my phone, pulling it out of my pocket. It was a moment too late. The first second of the ringtone rang through the quiet air before I hung up. I crouched lower, hiding behind the curtains as I eyed the door across from me. If I moved, they’d know I was there. They already knew I was there. I was in trouble. I was in so much fucking trouble.

“Vi, sweetheart.” Kelly was at the bottom of the stairs.

I bolted for the doors, but Jack got there first. Sprinted from the top of the stairs to slam it closed with the flat of his hand. He must have been sneaking up. He pointed a gun right at my chest. 

“Back up.” There was no warmth in his eyes, no smile on his face.

He didn’t look human. I glanced back over my shoulder to see Mister Kelly at the bottom of the stairs. There was blood on his shirt. Behind him, the man’s body slumped over the table. So much blood. It was everywhere.

“You—” I couldn’t breathe, could barely understand. “You killed him.”

A hand landed on my shoulder, the gun pressing into my stomach, as Jack pushed, and if I didn’t start moving, I’d fall down the stairs.

“Are you telling me you grew up in Rapture City and you never heard of the Mob?” Jack sounded disgusted, like I was stupid.

I sure as hell felt it right now.

“Don’t scare her.” Kelly frowned at Jack, like he was the scary one. He held out a hand for me when we got to the bottom of the steps. “Why are you here, Vi? What happened at your interview?”

My eyes burned as I stared at him, unable to force the words out of my mouth. It was too fucked up. We had sex this morning. He’d made me breakfast. I’d had butterflies.

“Did you blocklist me?” I figured Jack might help me find out who had, but it was easy enough to put together on my own. “Did you make sure no one else in town would hire me?”

My eyes blurred, but I didn’t dare look away from him. 

“Sweetheart.” Kelly shook his head, draping an arm around my shoulders as he pulled me against his chest. Wires crossed in my head because he still smelled so good. “Get the benzo.”

I thought the words were for me for a second before his grip tightened, pinning me against him.

“What, no!” I kicked at his feet, trying to force myself backwards. “Let me go!”

His hand covered the back of my head, holding my face to his chest. “Shhhhhhh.”

There was a noise behind the bar, a case clicking open then closed. Kane moved, a slow shuffle of his feet, pushing us towards the bar.

“Stop, Mister Kelly, please.” I couldn’t breathe. “Let me go!”

I pushed against his chest, twisting as I tried to escape. I got a fist out, slamming my palm against his lower jaw. The hit made him hiss. An annoyed grunt as I turned myself around. Jack was at the bar, a long needle in his hand that made my stomach flip. 

“No.” I kicked out again as he pinned my arms at my sides. “Please don’t hurt me, please!”

I stamped on his foot, kicking my legs up. Mister Kelly grunted, but he still staggered the next few steps. My stomach hit the side of the bar as he locked me in. I kicked back at his ankle as he grabbed my arm, pulling on the sleeve of the blazer.

“Don’t.” If he ripped it, I’d kill him!

It wasn’t fair. The wind knocked out of me as he grabbed the back of my neck. My cheek pressed against the bar. It smelled like the surface cleaner we wiped it down with to get the sticky layer of spilt alcohol off. Chemicals with a hint of citrus. He got my arm out of the sleeve, and I heard a tear, the split second of fabric ripping as he yanked my wrist above my head, pressing my arm to the bar with a painful weight.

“Be fucking careful.” He growled, kicking his leg between mine, when I tried to stamp on his feet. “What are you doing?”

My heart raced in my chest, so loud I could hear it in my ears, thrumming under my skin as I tried to push away from the bar. 

“Cleaning the site first.” Jack sounded so clinical, like we were strangers. I glanced up at him, but from the angle I was all I could see were his hands and the piece of cloth he was holding. It was damp when he brushed the bare skin of the back of my bicep, just above my elbow. Soft as the touch of a cat’s wet nose. “You don’t want her to get an abscess.”

“Jack.” I tried to find those brown eyes that I’d thought belonged to a friend. He was at the wrong angle for eye contact. All I could see was his arm as he reached for mine. “Please.”

It pinched as the needle slid in. I sobbed, squeezing my eyes closed. Pain, cold, clammy terror. This was it. This was how I fucking died. It wasn’t fair. Jack pressed down on the end of the syringe, and I was almost sick as I felt the ache of the drug hitting my muscle.

“It’s alright, Vi.” Mister Kelly’s hand covered the back of my head as he leaned over me, a soft murmur in my ear. “Let it go.”

 Jack pulled the needle out, and the cloth was back, covering the injection point. I’d had less gentle nurses.

“I don’t have any bandaids,” he said, a hint of apology as he clicked a plastic cap back on the syringe, dropping it on the bar beside my arm. “Don’t usually give a shit about aftercare. Clean it again when you get her upstairs, and put one on there.”

“Alright.” Kelly sounded tired, a hint in his tone that he was relaxing now that everything was back under control. “Call the cleaners. We need to get rid of the body before the club opens. It was fucking smart, getting that liquid repellent carpet.” 

My hands clenched into fists. The injected arm was slower, heavy, already going dead like it had been punched. I wanted to hit him back. If Kelly just let go a little, I could slip free. Try to run before whatever they'd given me kicked in. If I wasn’t knocked out yet, it wasn’t instant.

“That’s what you pay me for.” Jack laughed like everything was fine.

“Get off me.” I tried to kick again at Mister Kelly’s heel. “Get the fuck off me!”

His attention flipped, grip tightening as he pressed his weight down, leaning over me.

“You don’t need to be afraid.” His voice was soft in my ear as I shivered. They were waiting for something, for whatever they’d just given me to work. “I’m not going to hurt you. I need to get this cleaned up, and then we can talk.”

My arm was heavy, numb. I could feel it spreading, a wave that was fucking up my head, making it hard to concentrate, to hold on to anything.

“Fuck you.” It came out a whisper, not a shout.

Jack laughed, and the sound of it echoed in my ears, floaty and a little distant. Mister Kelly tensed behind me, his leg between mine, too much muscle.

“Come on, kid,” Jack said. My eyes drifted as I watched him put the syringe down on the bar. He took a few steps away, and I could finally see his face as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You know better than to talk to Mister Kelly like that.”

Like I should be polite to the man pinning me to the bar. Fingers brushed through my hair, stroking my scalp. A motion meant to be soothing. It became more so as the seconds ticked by, as Jack pressed the buttons on his phone, putting it to his ear.

“What did you give me?” The words choked. My chest felt heavy. It was hard to breathe, tight.

“Ackres, hey,” Jack said, his voice switching in a second from scolding to friendly. “What can I say, busy time of year.” He laughed at something the person on the other end said. He was starting to remind me of a hyena, a mocking laughter to lure you in before he bit. “Yeah, we got a situation over at Clover this time. Need a cleanup.”

I was only half listening, paying attention to the man behind me because I probably had one chance. Mister Kelly’s grip loosened for a split second as he shifted back. I threw myself to the side, only it was more of a slump. Arms wrapped around my waist before I could fall, and my head dropped back against his chest. Limp as my world spun.

“You’re not going anywhere, Vi.” Fingers brushed my chin, tilting my face upward to meet the blue of his eyes. If I survived this, I’d have nightmares about those eyes for the rest of my life. “Just relax, otherwise you’ll hurt yourself.”

My vision was bright and shaky. Hard to keep standing when my knees were buckling.

“Fuck you.” I repeated the words.

They were even quieter. A breath or a gasp, as he leaned closer. 

“Go to sleep, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” His lips brushed mine, half a kiss. The gentlest touch. He drew back, eyes drifting downwards. “I like this jacket. Red suits you.” The one that was hanging off me, because he’d ripped it off my shoulder. “I’ll get Jess to send over a replacement from Tia’s.”

“Not from Tia’s—” I couldn’t finish the thought. “Didn’t go—”

Why were sentences so hard? Everything was hard: standing, thinking, keeping my eyes open. A smile spread across my face, but it didn’t feel right. I was warm, though. He was so warm. My vision blurred as my gaze fixed on the collar of his white shirt. There was so much red on it. Smelt like iron and his sweat. Blood? Of course, it was blood. He’d just killed someone.

“I know.” His words echoed, shuddery and distant. “I’ll take you next time. Make sure you actually turn up.” A press of warmth spread across my cheek. His thumb. “We’ll pick you out some clothes that make you look like a woman.”

I said ‘ Fuck you ’ again, or maybe I just thought it. He was so warm, and if he dropped me, it would probably hurt. Though right now, pain felt distant, like a concept I couldn’t quite hold, rather than a thing that happened.

“Sleep.” Another kiss, a brush of lips over mine. Then the softest touch of warmth on the bridge of my nose. “Sleep for me. Just let go.”

I didn’t know what I was holding on to, clinging by the tips of my fingers to an outcrop. But only for a few more seconds, because the fall was coming. Inevitable as I slipped slowly from the ledge. Then there was darkness.

Chapter Text

I shifted, trying to get comfortable, but my arm ached like a heavyweight boxer had punched me. My mouth tasted awful. Something chemical in the back of my throat. I blinked. The room was dimly lit, with no windows and a few lamp shades along the walls. They weren’t the only decorations. I squinted at the handle of the object fixed on the wall, one of many. Strips of leather fell from one end. Next to it was a paddle. I sat up, head screaming at me, as I yanked my knees to my chest. Only one of my legs made it. The jangle of metal meant I couldn’t pull my right foot any further. I ripped the blanket aside, staring at the chain. The other end was bolted to the floor, to the side of the mattress I was sitting on.

It was a sex dungeon. I was chained to the floor of a sex dungeon. I wrapped my hands around my one knee, hugging it close. I should make a brave plan, figure out how to escape. The sob came instead, shaking my shoulders. I was an idiot, a fucking idiot! The door clicked open, and I didn’t look up, hiding my face in my elbow. It was like that for too long, a strained pause as I cowered.

“Vi.” My name was a sigh from his lips. 

“I liked you.” The sob made my chest hurt. It was so unfair! “You made me feel safe.”

I was stupid. An absolute idiot. All the signs had been there. I’d just chosen to ignore them.

“You are safe with me.”

I kicked my leg out, and the chain rattled. “Yeah?”

He winced as I looked up at him. It was a tough one to explain.

“Please.” I shifted forward, rising to my knees as I clasped my hands together. “I need the bathroom.”

I begged him with my eyes. Thinking about all the things I wasn’t brave enough to say. Please don’t make me wet myself. Don’t make me sit here on a floor mattress soaked in my piss. Please don’t kill me. He reached for the wall behind him, pulling a pair of handcuffs off a hook. They weren’t the kinky, fluffy kind. They were padded restraints. Mister Kelly stepped closer, and I dropped my head, fighting the urge to scramble away. The chain meant I wouldn’t get very far. He reached for my hand, palm circling my wrist as he wrapped the cuff. I flinched at the touch. My breath came in a short, shaking gasp as I tried not to hyperventilate. 

“It will be alright,” he murmured, face close enough I could see the curl of his eyelashes and the dusting of lines at the corner of his eyes, as he reached for my other wrist.

The padded cuff closed. Lock clicking in place. He shifted back, taking a key from his pocket to unlock the chain from the floor. He didn’t take it off my ankle. The metal wound around his fist, keeping me on a leash.

“Vi, I don’t want to hurt you.” He took my bound wrists, tugging me to my feet. I hovered at the edge of the mattress, legs shaking, as I pressed my toes into the padding. His eyes flicked over my face. “Do you understand?” I nodded. I didn’t want him to hurt me, either. “Come on.”

He led me through the open doorway, and I blinked, taking in his apartment from above. The lights were on, reflecting the room in the dark windows. It was the third door along the row. The furthest from the top of the stairs. The bathroom was in between, and his bedroom was next to it. My brain spun as it recalibrated with all the information I had, all the things I knew and everything I’d discovered in the last twenty-four hours. He had a private doctor who did house calls. He slept with prostitutes. He could get me blacklisted from every business in the city district. Kane Kelly was a murderer, a mobster, and he had a sex dungeon.

“Hey.” He gripped my shoulder, tugging my head against his chest. “Deep breath. Take one with me.” My lungs shuddered as they expanded. I clung to the front of his shirt. “And another one, if you don’t breathe, you’ll pass out.” I caught my breath after too many seconds buried in his chest, but he was warm and he smelled safe, familiar, like the sheets I’d slept in last night. “Toilet first, then we can go down to the sofa. You like my sofa, don’t you?”

I nodded, letting him steer me into the bathroom. I turned at the toilet, glancing down at the zipper of my jeans. It was tough to undo with handcuffed wrists, harder with how much my hands were shaking, but I sort of managed it.

“Let me help you.” Kane’s fingers slipped into the waistband, tugging down the jeans and my pants all at once. I made a small noise, a yip, I couldn’t stop as my eyes burned. “It’s alright, I’m not going to touch you.”

I shifted back, resting my hand on the icy wall tiles as I sat down. My legs were shaking, muscles bouncing like I was standing on a trapped nerve. He was still hovering over me, and I didn’t dare to look up.

“You said you needed the bathroom.” He prompted, a reminder when my bladder was already burning.

I couldn’t. Not when he was standing right there. I risked glancing up at him, meeting his gaze. There was a hint of red in the whites of his eyes that only made the blue of his iris brighter.

“Please, Mister Kelly.” I tried to remember that I was brave, funny and resilient. I didn’t feel like any of those things. “Please don’t make me do it in front of you.”

His jaw clenched as he held my gaze. I could see him thinking, weighing the request in his head like he was hunting for a trick. He trusted me about as much as I trusted him right now. Which felt grossly unfair. I hadn’t drugged him and chained him up. Kane stepped back, nodding.

“Door stays open,” he said. “I’ll wait outside.”

It took long enough to empty my bladder that I knew I’d been out for a while. Hours, probably. I flushed the toilet just fine on my own, washing my hands in the sink with my pants still around my ankles. It was pathetic. I heard the weight of his footsteps approaching. Kept my eyes down on my hands as he tugged my jeans back up my legs. His arms curled around my stomach to do up the button, and I bit my lip hard to keep everything inside. He stayed that way, one arm around me, palm flat against my stomach as he flicked off the tap.

“We need to talk.”

I had one leg curled under me, the other on the floor as I leaned against the side of the sofa. The ankle chain was hooked through the iron frame of the coffee table. My cuffed hands rested in my lap. I kept my eyes on them, rather than looking up.

“You’re quiet.” Mister Kelly sat on the cushion next to me, turned so he was facing me. “You can speak your mind, Vi. I’m not going to hurt you for that.”

I wasn’t ready to look at him yet. “I’m scared.”

His hand rested on his knee, palm rubbing, like he had sweat on his palms. “I’d be shocked if you weren’t.”

I nodded. There wasn’t much else I could do now, other than not make my kidnapper angry. It hurt to think of him that way, as the man who was going to kill me. But that’s what kidnappers did. Rape, murder, dismember and dump the remains in the river.

“What are you going to do?” My voice shook as I asked.

Kane Kelly was a murderer. He’d shot a man point-blank in the back of the head. He reached out, one hooked finger catching the bottom of my chin as he tilted my face up.

“I don’t know,” he said.

His eyes looked the same. That clear, crystal blue that made my breath catch. I cleared my throat, trying to pull together in my head how I got here. The beginning. Start from the beginning.

“Alice said we were here together that night.” I searched his expression, aware of every flicker. “We were with your nephew?” Then somehow I’d got a concussion. “Did he push me down the stairs?”

Kane shook his head, a glint in his eyes I couldn’t read. His hand shifted, thumb brushing across my cheek.

“I killed him.” It was a breath. A quiet confession whispered into the dark of the night. “My brother was trying to force me out of the organisation. It was them or me.” He didn’t even look guilty, like it had been the only logical choice. “It had been a long time coming.”

The metal at my ankle clanked as I shivered. Deep breath. In and then slowly back out.

“You killed your brother and your nephew,” I repeated it back. It wasn’t a normal thing to say. “That’s—”

“Fratricide,” he nodded, like it was a clinical term. A normal thing for someone to do. As normal as shooting a man in the back of the head. Or locking the girl he slept with in his sex dungeon. “They weren’t nice.” He was watching me as closely as I watched him. Reading my reactions, probably waiting for me to fall apart. He wouldn’t be waiting long. “You had the measure of Parker in a few hours. Thought he was a creep. You were about to ditch him and go home.”

I closed my eyes, taking another deep breath. Calm. I had to stay calm. If I freaked out, I had no idea what he’d do.

“What happened?” It wasn’t until the words were out of my mouth that I realised I shouldn’t ask.

I’d witnessed one murder. The more he confessed to me, the more dangerous I’d become to him. If he told me all his secrets, he’d have to kill me.

“Poison,” Kane said. “In the drinks he ordered after your friend left, whilst you were in the toilet. If you hadn’t decided you needed water first, you’d be dead too.”

I sucked in a breath. He gripped my shoulder like he was trying to be supportive. To break to me gently that he was a psychopath. My eyes stung, and a tear broke free, trailing down my cheek.

“Why are you telling me this?” It couldn’t mean anything good.

The villain only came clean in their ‘ I’m going to kill you in a second anyway ’ monologue. He shifted closer, covering his thumb with the sleeve of his jumper as he dabbed my cheek. Brushing the tear track away.

“I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with you ever since,” Kane said. “If Jack hadn’t knocked the memory of the night clean out of your head. You never would have left here.” I opened my eyes, meeting his gaze. He looked the same. A half smile at the corner of his lip. Eyes that were warm when he looked at me. The slightest flicker of shared understanding, like we were both in on the joke. “I thought you were lying at first. Plenty of people have told me they’d forget something to save their skin, but I’ve never seen someone actually do it before.” He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head like he still couldn’t believe it. “I decided to wait, keep an eye on you, and see how long your memory took to come back.”

I dropped my gaze. Shivers spread across my skin in raised hairs and the slightest shake to my arms that rattled the metal between the cuffs.

“It still hasn’t.” It was cold, and the anxiety tightening my chest wasn’t making me any warmer. 

“Here.” He grabbed the blanket off the back of the sofa, shaking it out before he wrapped it around my shoulders, tucking the corners through my cuffed arms so it would stay. “You can relax. I’m not killing you tonight.”

It didn’t make it better; it was worse. “But you are going to kill me?”

He was silent long enough that I glanced up. He was staring at the ceiling, frowning as he considered it. Would he do it quickly? Poison? A gun? Another injection?

“That depends on you, sweetheart.” His lips flicked up, another bitter half smile as his gaze slipped back to my face. “You’re not leaving.” I flinched at the words. So certain. An absolute. “I like having you around too much.” His fingers closed around my cheek, a little pinch, like he was trying to force some color into them. “How about I give you a couple of choices so you can stop panicking?”

Not dead. That would be my decision. Whatever route through this meant, I didn’t end up at the bottom of the river. Another missing girl in Rapture City. 

“Alright.” I gripped the sides of the blanket, pulling it tighter. “What are my options?”

“Things can’t go back to how they were,” Kane said, his smile gone. There was no reassurance in his eyes. “It’s too late for that.”

“If I’m working for you—”

“I don’t want you to work for me.” He shook his head. “I told you, things have to change.”

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his assessment. The precipice of something in front of me, I wasn’t close to ready for. 

“What do you want?”

The sofa creaked as he shifted closer, closing the gap between us. His palm brushed the back of my neck, thumb and index finger tightening around the bottom of my skull as he tilted my head. His lips grazed mine. He could have deepened the kiss, pressed for more. Kane could do anything he wanted to me right now. He kept it chaste, warm, and gentle before he drew back.

“Does that clear things up?” he asked, eyes flicking between mine.

“No.” It was a hard word to say. 

Terrifying to utter when he was so close. A firm hand at the back of my neck, that I knew could so easily turn cruel.

“No, to clearing things up.” His brow rose in warning. “Or no to me kissing you, because that takes us straight back to plan A.”

“Plan A?” My throat cracked as I asked.

“How do you like my spare room?” He asked.

“I didn’t.” 

He nodded, like that was the answer he’d expected. “Plan A. You stay there for a while, till I decide what to do with you.”

My eyes flicked up over his shoulder to the balcony. The leftmost door was closed. I didn’t want to go back there. Not ever.

I’d take any other option. “What’s Plan B?”

“We can’t just go back to dating, neither one of us will feel safe in that.” His hand dipped into his jacket pocket. Mister Kelly pulled out a little felt box, laying it on the glass table my ankle was chained to. “We both need some insurance.”

A ring box. I blinked, staring at it as my lips parted.

“We weren’t even dating.” The words caught in my throat. “We’ve slept together once.” My nails dug into my palms as I tried not to panic. “You’re twice my age!”

I’d had to make that point way too many times. If we went out together in public, people would think I was his daughter. 

“Do you want to be a wife, Vi?” He tugged my chin back towards him. “Or a trophy?”

“Wouldn’t this make me both?” I hadn’t meant to challenge him. 

I should have kept my mouth shut. He was holding me captive. The odds of him murdering me were far too high, but the words slipped out. His lips twitched, the secret little smile that he got every time I said something clever or funny. A smile that I’d worked so hard to earn.

“Sweetheart.” He tucked the mess of my hair back behind my ear. For all he had me restrained, his touch was terrifyingly gentle. “Bastards don’t make good trophy wives. You don’t have the breeding for a pedestal.”

“You don’t get to make jokes right now.” I lifted my cuffed hands, poking him hard in the chest. “You murdered someone, drugged and kidnapped me, and proposed in the same night.” I glanced around, eyes searching for a clock, some way to ground myself in the night's dark. “What time is it even? Is it still Thursday?”

“Friday now.” He shifted, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he checked the time. “Almost five AM.”

It was hideous, confusing and terrifying, but right now, he wasn’t planning to kill me. I wasn’t sure if he was delusional, but he thought he could keep me. My brain took a back seat as instinct took over. The only way out was through. I glanced at him, taking in the grey of his skin. He was shaking too, just slightly, a barely perceptible tremor.

“Have you slept?” I asked.

He brushed his hand through his hair as he leaned back against the sofa. “A few hours. It’s not a great mattress.”

It took me a second, a blink, to realise he wasn’t talking about his own bed. That meant he’d slept beside me in the sex dungeon. Was that better or worse?

“Do you want to go back to bed?” My voice shook as I said it. “We can sleep for a few hours and then have breakfast again. We—” I took a breath, my shoulders shaking. “I—”

He was there, arms around me, as he pulled me to his chest. It wasn’t normal. None of this was ok. 

“You want to go to bed?” His voice was low in my ear, cheek pressed to my temple.

He was cradling me, like I was something precious.

“Not in the spare room.” My shoulder shook as I clung to his shirt. “Your bed, please—”

“Of course.” His palm spread over my back, rubbing my shoulders through the blanket. “Of course, sweetheart.”

“Whatever you do in there.” My chest was so tight it hurt. “I don’t want to do it. Please, I don’t like it.”

“Shhhhh,” Kane’s voice was a low murmur. “It’s alright. We’ll go back to bed. We can figure it all out in the morning.”

“Plan B,” I whispered. “Please, Plan B.”

“Plan B,” he agreed.

I wasn’t certain either of us were happy about it.

Chapter Text

The sun was above the building across the block when Kane stirred. He was on his side, turned towards me in his sleep. Vulnerable. I couldn’t touch him. My leg was chained to the end of the bed. There was only enough slack for me to stretch it out. The handcuffs were gone, but my right wrist was in the same position, chained to the headboard. Not enough slack in it for me to even try wrapping it around his neck. I’d been out of it enough to doze for the first few hours. He’d told me to wake him if I needed the toilet again. I hadn’t.

His eyes opened, slightly dazed for a second, before his gaze caught on the cuff at my wrist, where it rested on the pillow above my head. A flicker of tired surprise with a flash of heat to it crossed his face. After seeing the ‘spare room’, I was willing to bet every buck I had, he had a thing for restraints. I saw the moment his memory caught up to him. The moment Kane Kelly remembered, he hadn’t chained me to his bed for kinky sex, but because I knew he was a murderer. His face fell, his eyes going blank before he squeezed them shut.

“Rough night?” I asked.

His lips twitched. 

“Fucking awful.” It sounded like it. His voice was gruff as he scrubbed a palm across his face. “Give me a minute.”

He didn’t look at me as he got out of bed, throwing the blanket to the side. The floorboards creaked under his feet; he was gone for a few seconds before I heard his urine hitting the toilet bowl. A steady, loud stream because he didn’t bother to close the door. There was a flush, the sound of the tap.

“You need the bathroom?” He called from the other room.

“Not yet.” I buried my face in the pillow, trying to keep my breathing steady.

I wasn’t naked. He’d given me a shirt to sleep in. I could pretend I had some dignity. Kane stood in the doorway, arms folded, as he stared back at me.

“Can I call my mum?” I’d been thinking about it since I woke up. If I didn’t check in, she’d worry. It wasn’t like I was home every night, but this was probably pushing it. “Just to check in. I don’t want to scare her.”

Kane didn’t answer straight away. He approached the bed, laying his head back on the pillow, turned towards me. Our gazes locked, two animals circling one another. A cat and the mouse he’d lured under his claws.

“We’ll go to dinner,” Kane said.

My lips parted as I stared at him, knocked back a step when I was already lying down. “What?”

He reached over, thumb brushing my lower lip, before his fingertips pressed to the bottom of my jaw, closing my mouth. 

“We’re engaged.” He sounded so sure about it, like the fact was incontestable. “You’ll need to introduce us.”

The ring was still downstairs on the coffee table. I didn’t even know what it looked like. 

“I—” I swallowed, shoving the panic down. “I guess, sure. She’ll uh, like you?”

“No, she won’t.” He didn’t even sound upset about it, just resigned. Kane grabbed the key from his side table, reaching for my cuff. “I’m taking these off. If you try to escape, you go into the spare room. If you succeed, I’ll kill your mum.”

I shook my head as his palm closed around my wrist. “I won’t run, I swear.”

“Vi.” He clicked his tongue as the lock opened. “I’m not delusional. I know you don’t want to be here.”

“I do.” The protest sounded weak in my own ears. He raised his eyebrows. “I mean, I did, before. I really liked you.”

He pulled the cuff slowly off my wrist before moving to my ankle as he unlocked that one, too. He took a second, rubbing the raised mark it had left on my skin. I waited for him to move away, to let me go and suggest coffee. Kane turned back, tugging the blanket down. His gaze drifted over his shirt. My bare legs. I shivered, my hand slipping under the pillow as I curled onto my side.

“Please.” I hated how small my voice sounded. “Not yet. Just give me a day. I’ll—”

He leant in, lips pressing to my cheek as he pushed my shoulder back into the mattress. “Shhhhhh.”

Kane’s hand covered my knee, tugging my legs apart as he pushed his thick thigh between them. I tensed, almost kicked him. It would have been a bad idea. A stupid, awful, idiotic decision. I felt him through his boxers as he pressed against my centre. He was hard. The sob came from nowhere, ripping free as he tugged at the buttons of the shirt. Just the top two, and he could spread his hand across the top of my breast.

“You need to get used to me again.” His tone was so reasonable. Like he wasn’t asking much, and I was being difficult. “You can’t flinch every time I touch you. Your mum will think I’m hitting you.”

It was tough to keep my breathing steady. “Are you going to?”

My heart was going so fast. He fiddled with the rest of the buttons, popping them open. One after the other till his knuckles brushed the bare skin of my stomach.

“I could.” His words rang with a touch of gruff heat. He enjoyed the idea of hurting me. “You might be surprised by how much you like it. Most women enjoy being spanked, and I’ve had a girl come on the spot when I slapped her face in the middle of sex.”

I swallowed, throat tight as I struggled to find words. “Have you—” God, I didn’t want to know. I gasped, trying to force the question out as he pushed the shirt off my shoulders, pulling it down my arms and tugging the fabric from under my back. “Have you killed a woman?”

“Yes,” he said, without a second’s hesitation. “But not during sex. Murder is business for me, not pleasure.”

I nodded, the air going out of my lungs. It felt as close to relief as I was going to get when I could feel him hard against my stomach. A bulge that was on the edge of setting me hyperventilating. He wouldn’t kill me till after the sex.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Our eyes caught, trapped in a moment of pure intimacy. “I could go to the cops.”

I thought I’d get a slap for that, but his fingertips were gentle as they brushed my cheek.

“There isn’t a cop in Rapture City who would take that statement, sweetheart.” He followed his touch, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Do you really want to turn me in?”

“You’re a murderer,” I said, knowing I should just shut up and say no, of course not.

I would never turn you in, Mister Kelly, I promise. Please don’t put me in the dungeon. Don’t chain me to the bed again. Please don’t rape me. I didn’t say any of them, bit my lip and stared up at him instead.

“You didn’t know him,” he said. “He went to Madam Pride’s a lot. Had a thing for young girls. Would pay extra if they were still teenagers. I shot him because he fucked up a job, but he wasn’t nice.” His fingers brushed down my neck, tracing the column of my throat. “What does one murderer killing another matter to you?”

“What about when they’re not murderers?” I asked. His touch coaxed heat to my stomach as he ghosted over my breast. Thumb brushing my nipple. “What about the good people you kill? The kids that get trafficked to those brothels or the drugs—”

“What about them?” His touch drifted lower, down my ribs, across my belly. “If I didn’t run this racket, someone else would. They’d still get hurt. I just wouldn’t make any money from it.”

“That’s awful,” I said. 

“That’s business, and it’s a lot cleaner than the banks,” he said, a flare of warning in his eyes. “I’ve never taken a man’s house from him. Taking all the money he poured into making a place for himself in the world, and kicked his family out on the street to starve.”

“You’re a landlord.” I narrowed my eyes back at him. 

Even if it was stupid. There was no justification for what he did. No pretending he had any kind of moral high ground.

“Those are my houses, not the tenants.” His thumbs hit the edge of my pants. He played with the elastic, tugging at it like he was thinking. “I own them, just like I own you.”

“You don’t—”

“I saved your life.” His lips brushed mine as he spoke, so close I could see two of him. “Everyone knows that saving someone’s life means they owe it to you.”

I turned my face away, scowling. “You didn’t save my life.” He had no right to claim that. “You just messed up killing me so badly I survived.”

“I didn’t mess up killing you.” He clicked his tongue, gripping my hip as he pressed against me. “I decided not to. That’s mercy. How about you stop glaring and show me how grateful you are?”

Like the time he’d ask me to earn my tips on my knees. Well, he could say goodbye to that from me.

“I’m not sucking it again, ever.” My gaze snapped back to his, glaring even more on principle. He’d been so rough that I ended up puking. “If you try to make me, I’ll bite.”

His eyes narrowed, a flash of annoyance before he drew away, reaching above my head. Metal clinked as he picked up the cuff.

“Wait!” I pressed my palms to his shoulders, circling his neck as I tugged him back towards me. “Please, I’m sorry!” I shifted my hips, rubbing my centre against him as I hooked a leg over his. “Please, I want you, ok, I’m sorry I was rude. I want you to fuck me.”

It was disgraceful, fucked up, and not even a lie. My nipples were painfully hard, and my stomach ached from the feeling of his body against mine. His brow rose, like he was still waiting for something.

“Please.” My tongue darted out, wetting my lips, as I ran through options in my head. I couldn’t do the cuffs again. The cuffs were one step away from the spare room. I shifted, wrapping my hands around the back of his neck as I lifted to press my lips to the shell of his ear. “Please daddy, will you fuck me?”

He shuddered, letting go of the cuff as he dropped. His weight pinned me back against the mattress.

“You know, I didn’t even know I had that kink until you,” he said. “God, when you offered to call me daddy, I almost finished in my pants.”

“What?” I frowned up at him. “I never—”

“Shhhhh.” He breathed against my cheek. “Quiet now, and let me fuck you.”

His hand was on my pants, pulling them down my legs. I got one foot out, but he didn’t bother with the other one, leaving them tangled around my ankle as he freed himself from his boxers. My breath hitched. Thick and hard, as he rubbed against me.

“You’re wet, sweetheart.” He was smiling, a smug little twitch of his lips. “You can hold on to me. I’ll take care of you.”

He shifted lower, his tip brushing my entrance. Kane reached down, shifting in the gap between us to get the right angle to push slowly in. My breath caught, a shudder slipping through me as my hand curled in the back of his shirt. Sex was good. Sex meant he wasn’t going to hurt me. He was being gentle, but my eyes stung, the start of a sob as I shivered underneath him.

“Shhhhhh.” Another brush of his lips to my temple as he pressed deeper.

Our stomachs touched, and he stayed there, buried inside me. I watched his face. At that moment, he was the centre of my world. The most important person in my universe. The man who decided whether I lived or died. He frowned, his jaw clenched, like he could tell what I was thinking, feel the confused ball of terror and heat in my stomach. I sucked a breath in, tongue catching between my teeth, so it almost whistled.

“Please,” I whispered.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He kissed the bridge of my nose before he rested his cheek against mine. His arm slipped under the pillow beneath my head as he adjusted his weight. “I thought you were pretty when Parker came in with you. When you didn’t leave with Reggie, I thought it was a shame—” His breath was shallow, like he was holding something back. “To waste tits like that.”

I shook my head at the words, palms aching, where I pressed them to the mattress. Kane gave a shallow thrust, already so deep inside me, it was more like rubbing our bodies together than fucking. It drew a noise from my throat, a gasp or a whimper.

“You came up to the bar, and I tried not to look at your legs. I didn’t want you to think I was a creep.” His arm curled around the back of my shoulders, holding me to his chest as he thrust so slowly, gentle pumps of his hips, that sent sparks through me. “You were so sweet with Jack, funny, smart, just that little bit scared.” His voice deepened at the last bit, like my fear had been the sexiest thing about me. “He has a thing for drunk girls, fucks them when they’re passed out. I didn’t get the appeal.” He shifted, hitting a spot inside me that made my back arch. “I like it when they’re awake, confused and not sure where the line is, or if I just didn’t hear the safe word.” 

I hid my face in his neck, breathing in his smell. It felt so much safer than listening to his words. Every sentence made it clearer and clearer that he was a psycho.

“Do I get to have a safe word?” If I had one, I would have used it then.

I felt too full with him inside me. The slow press of him, stoking a painful heat.

“No.” He shuddered as he said it, a buck of his hips that had me whining. On the softest edge of agony. “No, you don’t ever get to say no to me. Do you understand?”

Keep him happy. That’s all I had to do. Step one to living through this nightmare. Don’t piss him off!

“Yes, sir.”

He jerked at that, a harder thrust as the muscles of his abdomen tensed. Kane slowed back down. Deliberate thrusts that made my belly ache and pressed against my clit.

“If you weren’t concussed, I probably would have fucked you that first night. Let you earn your pardon with your cunt.” He gave a low chuckle that sent shame stinging through me. My desperation and fear would have been funny to him. “If I’d have let you leave. You’d have left here too terrified to breathe a word of what you saw.”

The words sent shivers through me that really should have been disgust. It was hard to feel it when I was shuddering from the slow, measured thrusts of his hips. A heat was building inside me that had me whining. It turned the things he whispered from ice to fire.

“Every time you were sleeping downstairs, I thought about fucking you,” he said. “The way your eyes would widen when you woke up to find me already inside you. Taking you so gently, you were halfway to coming, before you even had time to be afraid.”

It shouldn’t make me ache. My nipples were hard, and he’d barely touched them.

“I—”

“Shhhh.” His lips covered mine in a deep kiss, as measured as his thrusts.

An exploration as he brushed his tongue over mine. Groaning as he tasted me. His hand curled in my hair before he pulled away, tugging at the roots when everything had been so gentle. My hips bucked, meeting his thrusts to rub my clit just that little bit harder against him.

“I’m telling you I want you, Vi,” he said. “That even though I’ve only known you for three months, I want to put a ring on your finger and fucking marry you.” He rested his forehead against mine, confessing his sins like I was his priest. “That every time I see another man looking at you, I consider shooting his dick off.”

I shivered, eyes wide as my gaze caught on his. I wasn’t sure if I should beg him not to, or keep my mouth shut. His thrusts got harder, and I keened, my back arching, because the friction — God, it felt so good.

“Did you like that?” His pupils were so wide I could barely see the blue of his eyes. “I’d kill for you, sweetheart. Anyone you want dead, tell me, and it’s done.”

My legs curled around his hips, shifting to meet his thrust. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”

I rubbed against him, prolonging the moment when he was pressed against my clit. My head was spinning. So close.

“Are you trying to get yourself off?” His eyes flashed as he slowed down. Kane rocked inside me, stretching till I burned. “Bad girl.”

His hand came up, a sharp slap against my cheek. It was sudden, unexpected. My eyes rolled back as my hips bucked, pressing against him. I shuddered. A gasp, too close to a whimper, slipped out of me as the sensation washed through me. I writhed under him. His body pressed to mine, pinning me down with his weight as I bucked beneath him.

I came down to the sound of his laughter in my ear. Smug triumph written across his face. He kissed me, hard, a crushing embrace that drew a wine from my throat.

“I told you you’d like it.”

I was too dazed to think about what he meant. He grabbed my hips, pulling me further down the bed. The gentleness disappeared. I was already tender, but the sudden fast thrusts of his hips made me wince. I grabbed his arm.

“Please.” It was too sudden, too much. “It hurts.”

He didn’t listen, kept going till he shuddered, burying himself deep inside me with a final hard smack of his hips as the muscles of his legs shook.

Kane panted in my ear. Catching his lost breath. Face in the strands of my hair. The silence stretched as I stared at the ceiling, waiting for what he’d say or do next. Would he put the cuffs back on me now? My eyes stung, thinking about it. He’d been gentle, but I still felt dirty, used. His cum trapped inside me by his softening dick. It was always something he took, not something I gave. Even my orgasm felt like it had been tricked out of me.

He took a deep, slow breath before he drew away. His gaze took me in—the flush of my skin, probably the tears in my eyes. I watched him back, trying just as hard to read his mind. His expression was slightly dopey from his own pleasure. Kane Kelly looked content.

“Coffee?” he asked, like nothing had changed. Like it was the same as yesterday. “I’ve got cereal, or if you want eggs, you can help me cook.”

I forced the tears down, swallowing the lump in my throat. “You’ll let me use a knife?”

His eyes flicked up to the headboard as he considered it. “I’ll do the cutting. You do the cooking.”

Chapter Text

The oil in the pan sizzled as I stared down at it, hands shaking. I could hit him with it. Hot oil, heavy metal. It’d hurt. If I got his temple, it might kill him. I could smell fresh orange in the air, hear him peeling one.

“You’re supposed to put the onions in that.” His arm surrounded my stomach, pulling me back against his chest.

My shirt was done up again, so there was no skin.

“Sorry.” I sounded breathy, lost.

He grabbed the bowl he’d prepped, tossing it into the oil. The chopped onions sizzled as soon as they hit the pan. I watched them curl, words caught in my throat.

“Try this.” Kane lifted a piece of clementine to my lips, just waiting for me to open my mouth.

Citrus burst across my tongue as my teeth cut through the slice.

“Is it good? They’re straight from the South Islands.” His thumb followed the fruit, slipping between my lips to rest against my tongue. “Suck for me, sweetheart.”

He slipped in up to his knuckle as I pursed my lips. I could suck a thumb. That was easy. Simple. Ignore the shivers as he brushed my palette, turning the pad over to slip across my tongue so I could taste the lingering orange zest on his skin. His hips shifted, and I felt him growing against my lower back. 

His hand lifted from my stomach to my breast, squeezing as he pulled his thumb out of my mouth. He gripped my chin, spreading a line of spit with his touch before his lips covered mine. Kane’s fingers dug into my jaw, holding me in place for the kiss. Not giving an inch of space for me to hide in. Our lips popped as he pulled away, and my stomach flipped.

“I thought you said you’d bite.” The laughter in his eyes was cruel.

I was a joke to him.

“The—” I swallowed, shivering as I stared at him. Blinking felt dangerous. “The onions are burning.”

I felt so dirty, used and trapped, and surrounded by him. He hadn’t let me clean up. Had pulled my pants back up after. He’d smiled then too, when he’d seen his cum seeping out of me.

“How terrified are you right now?” he asked, eyes flicking between mine.

I’d never needed a scale for that before. I didn’t know if he wanted a word or a number.

“Seven, maybe?” It felt like stabbing in the dark.

Kane’s smile softened. The feeling of his fingers holding my jaw sent pinpricks across my skin. Every muscle strained as I tried not to wrench my face away. The need was instinctual, a demand from my body to get the fuck away from him.

“Seven, that’s not bad.” He let go of my breast, rubbing a hand over my shaking arms like he was trying to warm me up. “Go sit down. I’ll finish up.”

“But I’m supposed to cook.” It was the deal.

He chopped, and I cooked.

“Your legs are shaking.” Like that wasn’t his fault. “Go.”

He let go of my jaw then, and I slipped away. Rounding the counter to take the high stool. I didn’t look at the knife by the sink. Didn’t think about anything. There was a coffee waiting on the counter, and a box. A velvet ring box.

“You can open it,” Kane said.

He knew where I was looking. Knew that my mind was flipping round and round. I took a sip of the coffee first. Letting it ground me in the moment. Something safe and sane. Deep breath. Two long inhales before I flipped the box open.

It was a diamond. A big fucking diamond set in gold, so pure I could see my face in it. It was the sort of ring that cost the deposit of a house. The box had Chairon’s printed in gold on the white silk of the inside. It was the fanciest jeweller in Rapture City. There was a shop close to the diner that I used to walk past on the way back from school. 

“You didn’t buy this for me.” My mind spun, knocked off axis.

“How do you figure that?” He glanced back as he put the empty egg bowl on the counter by the hob, spatula in hand, as he mixed them up.

“Chairon’s went bust a decade ago.” Some embezzlement scam that had been in all the papers.

It had been the death of an institution. 

“Doesn’t matter who I bought it for,” he said, a hint of something harder in his tone. “I’m giving it to you now.”

That was a whole level of crazy I didn’t want to dig into. I took another sip of coffee, staring at the diamond. There was only one of them, but it was big enough on its own.

“Put it on.” Another suggestion that wasn’t a suggestion. “Let’s see if it fits or if I’ll need to get it resized.”

My hand shook as I reached for the ring, slipping it free of the box. The rock sparkled a lot, catching every flicker of light in the kitchen.

“Which hand does it go on?” I couldn’t remember.

Mum didn’t have a wedding ring. I knew it was the ring finger, but I couldn’t remember if it was left or right.

“Left hand.” 

I could feel his gaze, but I didn’t look up as I slid the ring on my finger.

“It fits.” I turned my hand, inspecting the diamond in the light. “Feels heavy.”

“Makes sense,” he said. I finally glanced up to see his gaze was a little distant. Lost. “Your hands are about the same size.”

For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to find out who he was talking about.

“Your mum.” His eyes flicked up to my face, and our gazes caught. “Tell me about her. Whatever you would have told your boyfriend.”

I swallowed. It wasn’t cold in the kitchen, but my skin was. 

“Why?”

“We’re meeting her for dinner tonight.” He pulled my phone out of his pocket, flicking it open with his thumbprint. Casual, like that, was normal. “She’s meeting us at Green’s at half seven.”

“She’s in a book club,” I said, my brain spinning as I stared straight ahead. “And she loves our cat, Snookie…”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

It was raining when we got out of the car. Kane parked around the corner from the restaurant. By the time I opened my door, he was there, an umbrella over my head so the curtain of rain hitting the windows wouldn’t soak me. A true gentleman. He helped me step over the puddle and onto the safety of the curb. It was easy as I gripped his arm to imagine that he was a nice guy. That we were on a date. To imagine that the tight black dress I was wearing was one I’d chosen, not something Jack had dropped off that afternoon. He was in charge of finding me clothes for the foreseeable future. Our taste did not align.

“Betty.” Kane glanced at me to double-check as we walked down the rain-soaked pavement.

The shoes Jack had picked were useless. They weren’t heels, thankfully, but a pair of thin flats that were already soaked from the wet ground. Moisture spread from them slowly up my tights.

“That’s her name.” I tried out the smile I’d been practising all day. “Betty Cox. She works at Rud’s Diner, and she’s ten years older than you. She likes doctor dramas and detective comedies. Her favourite flowers are lilacs, and she likes champagne more than prosecco.”

“I’ll get a bottle at dinner then.” He let go of my arm, reaching round to my waist as he tugged me to his side. “It’s going to be alright, Vi. We can do this.” I nodded, breathing him in. He still smelled so good to me. “You want a cigarette now? It will help the nerves?”

“Sure,” I said. “If we both turn up to dinner stinking like tobacco, that will go down great.”

“There she is.” I glanced up to see him staring down at me, a tight smile on his lips, and warmth in his eyes. Genuine amusement. He liked me. I could see it so clearly on his face. For the first time today, the tension in my shoulders eased. “We’re going to get through this alright. Next time will be easier.”

I nodded, my heart twinged. It was the smallest ache in my chest. The rain beat down on the umbrella, and he held me tight to his side as we walked. I almost felt safe. It was a messed-up situation, but even I could see he was doing his best. He didn’t kill me, wasn’t locking me away. Kane Kelly was trying to give us something close to a normal relationship. One where I got to see my mother, and my friends, and I didn’t just disappear.

I glanced up at the restaurant across the street. The window was brightly lit. Gold and white, with a green backlight on the name of the place. Right in the window, in probably one of the best seats in the house, was my mum. Betty Cox, waiting for us. With no idea of the mess, I was about to dump in front of her. She sure as hell wasn’t going to be proud of me now. I needed her so much. The ache in my chest grew to the point I struggled to take a breath.

“That’s her.” I pointed ahead, taking another step, and ran into a wall as his arm tightened around my waist, tugging me back.

Kane stopped walking, going completely still.

“We’re not going in.” There was no emotion on his face.

I glanced between him and the bright window. My mum was there, so close. If I could get his arm off of me, I could run to her. Slam my hand against the glass and scream for someone to help me.

“Why?” My voice shook. I hadn’t known how much I needed to see my mum until he’d changed his mind. I had to change it back. She was so close. If I could just get to her, she’d know I was in trouble. She’d help me. “We can’t stand her up. She only has one night off a week.”

He let go of my waist, hand closing around my wrist. My feet slipped on the wet pavement as he yanked me back down the street. The umbrella wavered, and rain splattered up my trailing arm, across my back and shoulders.

“Kane!” I wanted to scream, was an inch from it. “You made us do this, you can’t just—”

He spun then, shoulder shaking as he leaned over me. His eyes weren’t hot, they were cold. Furious. The words died in my throat as rain splashed up my legs, bouncing off the pavement as the storm hit harder.

“Shut up and get in the car.” He wasn’t shouting, he didn’t need to. “If I go in there, it will be to put a bullet in her head.”

The elevator doors opened, and he didn’t wait for me to step through. Kane grabbed the back of my neck and pushed me into the apartment. My hand flew up, trying to wrench his away as I stumbled. 

The lift shuddered, closing with a slap of heavy machinery. My knees hit the floor. I caught myself in time to stop my nose from slamming into the foot of the coat stand. He moved behind me, and I didn’t wait for a kick. I took off, scrambling up as I darted into the living area, putting the couch between us.

“Why?” My voice shook as I watched him shrug off his coat. 

Hanging it carefully on the stand. His scowl made him look older. An angry stranger. 

“You’re a liar.” It was all the explanation he gave.

I shook my head, gripping my upper arms in a hug. The ring on my finger felt heavy, ugly. His eyes caught on it, and I dropped my hand, hiding it behind my back.

“Take your coat off.”

“No!” He didn’t get to do this.

To push me around and hurt me. He glanced up; the scowl dropping from his face as his expression went blank. 

“You don’t say no to me.” There was a warning in his tone, a soft danger in his eyes.

I glared back at him, tilting my chin. “I’m not doing this!”

His brow rose, eyes flicking over my face. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not doing this.” I tried to make my tone as deadly as his. “You might own most of this city, but you don’t get to treat me like this.” My voice broke, and I fought the tears. Crying didn’t feel safe right now. “I’m really trying to look past the fact that you’re a criminal and a murderer. To be ok with the fact that you’re not going to change, I don’t like it, but I like you.” I had to put down some boundaries now, or this would be hell. “But if you do this, if you hurt me, Kane, we’re done. It’s over. You can keep me here, but it will only be as your prisoner.”

He brushed his hand across his chin, eyes distant as he looked at me. I don’t think he was seeing me. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That was out of line.”

My shoulders slumped. Relief left my lungs in a soft gasp as I pressed my palm to my stomach. It was ok; he was calming down. He took a step forward into the living area, holding out his hand.

“Give me your coat,” he said. “I’ll hang it up.”

I hesitated a second more, trying to read his expression. There was still something cold in his eyes. I undid the buttons, shrugging out of the sleeves. He took it from my hand, going back to the coat stand to place it on the hook. He adjusted the sleeves carefully so they would hang right. The dress felt too tight now. There was nothing indecent about it. It was nice, respectable, and so far from me that I was almost glad my mum hadn’t seen me in it. 

I stilled as he came round the sofa, forcing myself not to back away. He smiled at me as he approached, but it was different. Both sides of his mouth lifted, and neither of them touched his eyes. He shifted, circling me so he was behind my back. His palm brushed over my arm, all the way down to the wrist. I was still hiding between us. He tugged my hand up, chest touching my shoulders as he inspected the glittering ring.

“Is it heavy?” There was something hard in his voice. I tensed. “Your hand must ache with the weight of it.” He tugged the ring off my finger, slipping it into his pocket. “Let me ease that for you.”

There was ice in my veins as I stared down at my empty hand. Bad. This was bad!

“Kane?”

His palm covered the back of my neck. Painful as he shoved me down towards the sofa. His knee between my legs. My palms came up to catch the cushions, but my elbows collapsed when he kept pushing. He was angry; he was really fucking angry, and I had no clue why or what the fuck to do as he pulled the back of my skirt up, yanking my tights and pants down to bare my skin.

“Please—”

The slap knocked the air out of me. It wasn’t playful; it was violent. My face burnt as much as my arse as tears sprung straight to my eyes. I curled, my spine arching, trying to be smaller.

“Don’t fucking say it!” He growled. “Don’t say another word. I don’t want to hear so much as a whimper out of you.” His fingers dug into the back of my neck, squeezing. “You are my prisoner.” His buckle clinked, and I shuddered, the breath going out of my lungs. I couldn’t understand, didn’t get what was happening. Just that it hurt. “My hostage. My little fucking sex slave. After I’m done fucking you tonight, I’m going to chain you up in the spare room and you’re going to stay there.” I felt him at my entrance, a hard thrust as he struggled to get inside, when I was tensing more with every word. “I’m going to beat you. Fuck every hole you have, hell I might even let Jack have a ride. I know he wants to. I’ve seen him the way he looks at you.” 

It hurt, it hurt so much. He was rough, tearing into me. Pushing deeper with every word as I bit my tongue to stop from begging. Didn’t dare to say please. I couldn’t stop the tears, though, the sharp breath, as he finally bottomed out. 

“The only thing I can’t decide is whether to send you to him whole or in pieces.” The words hit something inside me. 

I twisted, trying to scrabble away. He let out a growl as he slipped out of me, grabbing my hips before I could escape and twisting. My back hit the cushion, head bashing against the padded arm. He yanked again, dragging me down the couch.

“Kane!” I snapped my knees together, but he pulled them apart.

I slapped him across the face. Palm stinging as my fingers curled into a claw. He caught my wrist before I could scratch him, slamming it down above my head. 

“No!” I cried as he pushed back inside me. Kicked the back of his legs with my heels. It hurt. “No! You don’t get to do this!”

His hand closed around my neck, face a snarl. “I’ll strangle you right now if you don’t shut your lying mouth.”

His hips bucked, and it hurt so fucking much. Sirens were whirring in my head, flaring too loud. He was going to kill me. He was going to fucking kill me. It was so unfair. The truth twisted in my stomach, more painful than a slap. I could only half understand it. Didn’t know why it had all changed, and none of it was fair. He was a fucking monster, and I’d actually liked him. I was a mess. An idiot. He hadn’t been delusional, but I was. The realisation shocked the fight out of me. I slumped, going limp underneath him. It was too pathetic, too painful.

“Do it.” I didn’t know where it came from.

Didn’t even know if I meant it. I wasn’t sure what hurt most.

“Excuse me.” His fingers twitched.

“Do it.” My voice was so small.

I was shivering, but it didn’t matter. If he killed me now, it would be quick. It wouldn’t be days of torture and rape, and letting his friends fuck me. It wouldn’t be a slow, deepening heartbreak every time he touched me. If he killed me now, at least I’d still be me, and I wouldn’t have to deal with the feeling in my chest. The broken heart because I’d been stupid enough to fall for a monster.

“If you’re going to kill me, then just do it.” I wasn’t the girl who got murdered.

I was supposed to be smarter than that. Tougher. Something passed through his eyes, a flash of anger, before both his hands were around my neck.

“With fucking pleasure, sweetheart,” he said.

My brain short-circuited, raw terror I forced down.

“I thought you didn’t get off on murder,” I said. He snarled, and I froze. His fingers tightened. Hands shaking. Grip so tight. About to cut off my air. Seconds slipped by as he dragged the moment out, his face a mask of fury. Disgust. “I believed you.”

“What?” His eyes were dangerous, empty, and so angry.

“When you said you loved me.” It was hard to get the words out, choked by his grip.

The scowl turned into a sneer. “I never said I loved you.”

What did any of it matter?

“Yeah, you did.” My eyes burned. I’d never felt more defeated in my life. I couldn’t even blame him for killing me when I’d walked right into his claws. “Just not out loud.”

His fingers twitched, tightening that little bit more. There was no way to escape. I closed my eyes instead. Squeezing them shut. I’d fight him. I wouldn’t be able to help it. It would be reflex. But if it was this or torture, then I’d pray it was quick. If I was dumb enough to fall for a monster, then I deserved to be just another missing girl in Rapture City.

He let go, slumping forward as he buried his head in the crook of my neck. Kane was shaking, shivering like he was the one in pain. Going into shock from an attack he hadn’t seen coming. I kept my eyes closed, raising my arms to wrap around him. A hug, just one hug. Let his scent wash over me, and feel that strange calm it gave me. 

“Give my mum a body to bury. Make it look like an accident,” I said. Calm now, because there were things that needed to happen. “If I just disappear, she’ll think I’m out there somewhere.” I couldn’t leave her like that. “I don’t want her to keep waiting for me to come home.”

“What about your dad?” His voice was bitter.

Resigned to something terrible. I shook my head.

“I don’t have a dad,” I said, and he made a low noise, a growl. I flinched, brows drawing together as I gritted my teeth. I could do this. Ignore every piece of me that wanted to beg. I had to be brave, or it would get so much worse. “Wherever he is, he didn’t know I existed. He won’t be sad I’m gone.”

He took a heavy breath. Head turning deeper into my neck.

“You’re shaking.” I felt him pull away, eyes still squeezed tightly shut. I could still see him in my mind. A devil with the bluest eyes “Sweetheart?”

I flinched at the word.

“Don’t.” It didn’t feel safe anymore. It was cruelty, mockery. “Don’t lie to me.” I smoothed my hand down his back, palm flat against the muscles like he was the one who needed soothing. “It’s ok. I understand. It wasn’t real, that’s ok. I get that Plan B is over. Just not Plan A. Don’t lock me in there, don’t torture me. Please, not that. Plan C is ok.” I kept stroking, both hands against the back of his shirt. From the top of his shoulder to the bottom of his back. He was so big. If he were smaller, I might have stood a chance of fighting him. “I don’t want you to do that to me. I don’t want to feel like this when you touch me, I—”

His lips touched mine, and I wailed, pushing at his shoulders as I tried to force him away, twisting beneath him. Kane’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me with him as he sat up. I slumped against his chest, face pressed into his neck. I couldn’t breathe. Didn’t dare open my eyes. I couldn’t face seeing that snarl again. 

“We’ll shower.” His voice was distant, muffled. “Clean up the mess, and then we can sleep. We’ll figure out the plan in the morning. Nothing has to be decided tonight.” His hand pressed to the back of my head. “Open your eyes, Vi. Look at me.” I didn’t trust myself or him. “It’ll be hard to walk upstairs, with your eyes closed.”

I didn’t want to go upstairs. 

“Please,” I whispered, feeling the tendons of his neck tighten against my cheek. “Please, not plan A.”

The spare room, with the mattress on the floor and the restraints. The room where he tortured, raped and murdered me.

“Alright,” he said. 

Kane shifted forward, hooking an arm under my legs. His arms shook as he stood, and my stomach flipped. I made a noise I didn’t mean to. A whimper, clinging to his shoulders, nails digging into his shirt. His steps jolted through me, sending sharp stabs of pain through my centre. I curled as small as I could. Eyes squeezed closed. His breath shifted, getting deeper as he climbed the stairs. 

“You’re heavier than you look,” he said.

I ignored it. Ignored everything, eyes tightly closed. When he put me down, I felt cold porcelain through the skirt of my dress. He carefully unhooked my fingers from his shirt, pressing them into my lap. When he was gone, I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the shivers vibrate through me. Violent shaking wracked my shoulders. Water started, the soft patter of a rain shower, and he was back. Hands tugging at my dress as he slid it up.

“Please.” I wasn’t sure what I was pleading for anymore.

He lifted my arms, pulling the dress over my head. His palms rubbed over my biceps, a brisk scrub, trying to warm my frozen skin.

“It’s just a shower.”

My eyelids flickered for a moment, catching sight of my bare thighs. My tights were long gone. Pale skin crossed with a strip of red. I lost my virginity years ago, but he’d made me bleed. I covered my mouth, catching the sob as I snapped my eyes closed again.

“Hey.” His hands gripped my shoulders, squeezing. “Hey, let’s clean you up. Wash this all away, and then we can go to bed, alright.”

I didn’t say anything, didn’t nod. When he pulled me to my feet, I followed, letting him lead me into the shower. His touch was soft as he guided me under the stream. Hands gentle. Smoothing the marks on my skin. I didn’t open my eyes. Stayed still and quiet and small. 

When the shower turned off, he tugged on my wrist, pulling me out onto the bath mat. The fabric was soft under my feet. I focused on that. Staying still. The towel brushed over my arms, rough against my torso. He wrapped it around my left leg, then my right. Tightened around my hair to squeeze out the moisture, before it was gone. I could still taste the steam in the air. The wet heat made breathing harder.

“Plan B, Vi,” he said. “For tonight, it’s still plan B, ok?”

I nodded. His hands on my shoulders guided me out of the room. Kane took a left in the hallway, and the breath I’d been holding released. There was the rustle of the covers. He pressed my hands to the sheet. I felt my way in, shifting to curl small. When he reached for my hand, I let him take it. Let him wrap the cuff around my wrist. Fingers ghosted around my calf before he pulled it away from my chest. Another cuff closed around my ankle. I hid my face in the pillow. 

“Are you my dad?” I didn’t think about the words, they just came out.

He froze, hand still on my ankle. “What?”

We looked alike. I hadn’t really thought about it before. Wasn’t really thinking about it now.

“You got so angry when you saw my mum.” It was there, the fear curling at the back of my mind. That this was all some fucked up Shakespearean coincidence. “You know her?”

If he was my biological father, I was going to be sick. His hand touched my crown, smoothing the damp hair off my face.

“I’m not your dad, Vi.” He sounded sure about it. “I know your mother from a long time ago, but I’ve never fucked her, alright?”

I nodded, breathing just a little bit easier. “Alright.”

I could deal with almost anything else, but not that. The bed dipped as he got in on the other side. There was a click as the lights switched off. I finally opened my eyes. I could make out the shape of him in the darkness. The faint reflection of the windows told me his eyes were open.

Everything hurt. “I think I was falling in love with you, too.”

He sighed. A long, slow breath, before he shifted. The bed dipped as he turned onto his side. Kane’s fingers traced the edge of my jaw from just beneath my ear to the tip of my chin. I closed my eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of his skin.

“Go to sleep, Vi.”

Chapter Text

I put my lips just below the tap, sucking in the cold water. My throat was aching. It didn’t help the growling of my stomach, but it was something. Kane locked me in the bathroom when he left in the morning. There was nothing dangerous in there. Just me sat in the corner, wearing one of his shirts. Waiting for him to come back. There had been no eggs this morning. No cooking together. A breakfast bar and a glass of water. He’d barely touched me.

I heard the lift. The weight of footsteps on the stairs. The bathroom door opened, and when I saw dark hair, I scrambled back, eyes flicking around for a weapon.

“You alright, kid?” Jack’s arms were folded, a red bundle in the centre of them as he blocked the doorway. “You don’t look it.”

I swallowed, hands shaking as I stared at him. He was looking back at me. For the first time, I noticed what Kane had been talking about, the way his eyes lingered on my legs. The slight tightening of his jaw, the barest flush to his cheeks. 

“Why are you here?” Please, not for that.

Not Plan A, where Kane let his friends rape me. My eyes stung as I stared at him, waiting for the sentence. If he touched me, I’d claw his eyes out.

“Boss wants you to put this on.” He unfurled the bundle. 

It was a dress, the sort I didn’t wear. The neckline was low at the back and the front. I scowled at it. 

“That looks tighter than a Johnny.” I hated everything about it.

“There’s that clever mouth.” Jack’s grin didn’t look as friendly anymore. “Good to see he hasn’t broken your spirit.”

He threw the dress towards me, and I caught it. The fabric was rough in my hands. Too much elastic.

“He said you get girls drunk and take advantage of them.” I shouldn’t say it.

I should leave it alone. His brow flicked up, eyes slipping down from my face. For a second, I thought he was looking at my tits. Jack frowned.

“At least I don’t beat them up.” He wasn’t looking at my chest, his eyes were just below my chin. “Those bruises are going to look terrible in that dress. Want me to sort you out a scarf or something?”

I thought about it. It would be easier to hide them. There’d be fewer questions.

“No.” My voice didn’t even shake. “He put them there. He can look at them.” I nodded to the door behind him. “Give me a minute. I need to get changed.”

The bar wasn’t that busy, but it was loud. A fancy spot on the other side of mid-city. The Hostess had blanched when she took my raincoat, but she hadn’t said anything about the bruises. Neither had Kane. Acting like they didn’t exist with such confidence that the people around us stopped looking. Even sitting down, the heels dug into my feet. I hated them as much as the dress.

Kane’s hand landed on my leg, thumb pressing into my inner thigh. “You wriggle this much, I'll put you on my lap.”

I stilled, folding my hands. He’d never given me the ring back. I guess that fantasy was over. My fingers felt bare without it. I eyed the drink on the table instead. I’d quit or at least decided to, but the moment we’d arrived, he’d ordered a glass of wine. It was just sitting there, moisture condensing on the edge of the glass like an invitation to take a sip. My nails dug into the back of my hand as I forced myself to be still.

“Sorry, Sir.”

He sat back, jacket parting, as he ran a hand through his hair. I could see the gun there, at his hip. An ugly reminder of the sort of man he was. Kane caught my gaze, his frown turning into a wide smile. He shifted his seat, laying an arm around the back of my chair.

“You want to touch it?”  

“I want to shoot you with it.” I turned my head away, scanning the room.

He grabbed my chin, tugging my face back around. He didn’t need to say anything. There was a warning in his eyes. The same cold light as last night. But he wasn’t the only one who had had time to think. A full day locked in his bathroom had done wonders for the shock I’d been in since yesterday. I was going to fight, especially if it killed me. Better that than being a fucking sex slave!

“I said I wanted to.” I dropped my eyes, avoiding his gaze. It was still better to pick my battles, and this wasn’t one of them. “Not that I would. It’s called impulse control.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve controlled myself around you.” He let go of my chin, slipping back into his seat with a smile. It wasn’t real. I knew his expressions too well. This one was as fake and spiteful as it got. “Have some wine.”

I reached for the glass before I stopped, fingers falling just short of the stem. I’d made myself a promise.

“I quit,” I said. His head snapped up, the first flicker of actual annoyance on his face. “I’ve quit drinking, ok.” 

His expression shifted, going from veiled annoyance to surprise. “Why?”

“I have a problem.” Alcohol got me here in the first place. “Last time I had a drink, I got so drunk, I ended up passed out on my boss’s boss’s couch. He came home at five in the morning with a prostitute, and it was humiliating.”

Kain's brows rose. “Why is that a problem?”

“I keep blacking out.” I hugged myself instead, rubbing the skin of my upper arms. “It’s time I stopped drinking.”

His eyes were intense, too blue in the red room. 

“You don’t have a problem.” He picked up the wineglass, putting it in my hands. “Drink. You won’t black out.”

I could have made a scene. Thrown the glass in his face and ruined his stupid suit. I didn’t. I took a drink instead, swallowing the chilled wine. It had a slightly bitter taste, acidic on a mostly empty stomach.

“He’s here.” Kane stood to wave someone over.

The man wasn’t as tall as Kane, but he didn’t need to be. They had the same presence. That painful don’t fuck with me vibe that made people give them a wide distance. He looked to be in his early sixties. Hair threaded with grey. I followed Kane’s lead, standing to greet him.

“Kelly.” The man’s smile was fake as well. It didn’t touch his eyes. He turned to look at me. The expression dropped. A split second that looked a mix of fury and horror as his gaze stuck on my neck. His expression blanked, so calm I was sure I’d imagined it. “And who’s this?”

“Vi,” I said. Kane caught my wrist before I could offer my hand a squeeze that warned me not to try. “Viola Cox.”

“Vi,” the man repeated back. “It’s a pleasure.” It didn’t look it. He seemed offended by the sight of me. “Shall we sit?”

I shuffled back into my seat, pulling my skirt down. The wine was still in my hand, and I thought about taking a sip.

“Sweetheart.” Kane’s palm was on my leg again, grip tight on the bare skin. “This is Howard Stein.”

He was looking at my face, watching me closely enough I wanted to ask him if there was something on it.

“This is supposed to be business, Kelly.” Howard sat back in his seat. No drink, but he didn’t need one to get comfortable. “This isn’t helping our negotiations.”

Kane’s brow rose, a glint in his eye I didn’t trust. He looked too friendly. His grip on my knee turned painful.

“She calls me Daddy, you know,” he said. A blush bloomed along my cheeks as the wine spilt over my hand. “When I’m inside her, and she’s twisting and begging. Please, Daddy.” His lips popped on the word, slow and deliberate. “Let me cum.” I slammed my drink down on the table. I tried to stand to get away, but his hand on my shoulder pushed me back down. “Don’t move.”

“Kane,” I begged.

It was humiliating. Private. Not something he should brag about to a stranger.

“And why exactly should I care how you fuck your whore?” Stein didn’t flinch, rising above Kane’s crass behaviour like the other man was beneath him.

“She isn’t just my whore.” Kane’s hand curled around the back of my neck, fingers digging in. “She’s your bastard child, isn’t she?”

I’d been embarrassed before. This was different. At the words, my eyes snapped up, fixing on the face of a stranger I’d been too humiliated to look at. The shame was gone in an instant as I searched the man’s face, his eyes. The shape of his mouth, searching for some tell. Some piece of him that was familiar. Howard Stein wasn’t looking at me. He was sitting back in his chair, chin raised. Untouched by the accusation. No shock on his face, no surprise or confusion.

I’d never even met him, but he knew exactly who I was. I’d stopped wanting a father when I was ten. Made my peace with not having one. Howard Stein had been there the whole time. Living in Rapture City, a big enough criminal to work with Kane Kelly.

“I hate you.” I wasn’t sure who I was talking to when I said it. Kane, Stein.

Both of them. It didn’t matter. Stein flinched then, his eyes flicking back to me. There was anger in his gaze. A rage he was holding back, and something a little too close to pity. When I stood up, Kane let me.

“I fucking hate you!” I stumbled as I shoved my chair back out of the way. 

Couldn’t walk in the stupid, hideous heels. I kicked them off my feet, hearing the intake of breath too close to a tut. I made it halfway across the bar before a hand curled around my arm, yanking me the other way.

“Kid.” Jack didn’t sound happy, and I didn’t care. “Come on, back to the car.”

“Don’t touch me!” I tried to tug my arm away. “I don’t—”

“I don’t care,” he warned. “No one’s going to do shit if I hit you, so get back to the car now.”

“I thought you didn’t hit women.” I glared back at him.

His lip twitched. At least his smile was a real one.

“You’re not like other girls.”

I buried my face in my hands, legs curled underneath me on the leather seat. The child locks were on. Jack had put up the divider the moment he got in the front. There was nothing to do but wait. Wait and stew in the humiliation.

It wasn’t long before the other back passenger door opened. Kane slid into the seat beside me. I curled smaller in my corner, arms wrapped around my knees as I tried to keep the hot feelings inside of me. As soon as Kane closed his door, Jack flipped on the indicator, ready to pull out into the busy flow of Rapture City traffic. Kane was still, his hand brushing across his jaw as he stared out the window. He wasn’t looking at me.

“You really didn’t know?” There was a glimmer of something that could have been guilt in his eyes if he weren’t a complete psychopath.

“Fuck you.” I brushed the heel of my palm over my cheek, scraping away the tears that had fallen.

His jaw ticked. “You don’t speak to me that way.”

“You deserve it.” I curled my hands into fists. I wanted to break his damn nose. “You had no right to do that to me!” Our eyes met. His were so blue, pupils still narrow with his anger. Like the whole stupid scene up there had been my fault. “That’s not how I should have met my father.” 

It was sick.

“I thought you didn’t care about having one?” There was spite in his tone, but I couldn’t tell who it was for.

“I don’t!” I swallowed, hands shaking. “He never wanted me, and I never wanted him. I never should have had to meet him.” It was so beyond cruel. “Now, because of you, he’s a person. He exists. I have to know that he’s been in Rapture City my whole life and—”

I couldn’t say it. It was too pathetic. I wasn’t this person. I didn’t cry like this, but I couldn’t stop the tears. I ducked my head, burying my face in my hands. Looking at him hurt.

“I’m sorry,” Kane whispered.

It was more of an apology than I ever expected to get. For a moment, I sat there, wondering if I’d misheard. He wasn’t looking at me, his gaze fixed out the tinted windows as dark as his scowl.

“No, you’re not.” My voice shook, and I couldn’t tell if it was humiliation or grief. “You’re a bastard, Kane Kelly!”

His jaw ticked, but he had nothing to say to that. It was the truth.

He didn’t have to push me out of the elevator. The moment the doors opened, I was already walking. The floor was cold against my bare feet. I went straight to the cupboard at the back of the room, pulling open the door. It was filled with blankets. Who the hell kept blankets in a cupboard?

“Where’s the liquor?” I turned to watch him shrug off his coat. 

He’d collected mine too, but I hadn’t put it back on. I didn’t give a shit.

“I thought you quit drinking?”

“I changed my mind.” I’d drink liquor neat if I had to. “Where do you keep it?”

Anything to get out of this fucking moment! I spied the bar and almost kicked myself, walking straight over and grabbing a bottle of scotch.

“I knew this girl—”

“Good for you!” His hand curled around my wrist, yanking me round to look at him.

There was something in his eyes. Serious enough to steal the snarl I was about to throw at him.

“She was a nice girl. From the other side of Bluff County, grew up on a farm and didn’t know shit about the city,” he paused. “She was smart, though, really smart. Always had something funny to say. Could cut a man down to size with a sentence, but she wasn’t mean.”

I glanced down at his hand around my arm. There was a shake, a tremor. My fist tightened around the neck of the scotch. I had a faint urge to open it up and take a deep gulp.

“She was studying biochem. Told me she was going to cure cancer or something. Used to tease me all the time with all the clever things she knew.” His eyes were distant. “She worked for my brother at one of his restaurants. Ran the front of house whilst she was paying for her degree. That’s how I met her.” He took a breath, a deep one. “And how he met her. Stein came in for a meeting with my brother Saul. She took him to the table. They must have talked for three minutes. They were bargaining over East Brook. The casino strip down there. I don’t know who did better out of that deal, but Stein liked her. He asked for her to sweeten the pot.” My breath caught, throat tightening. “Saul said yes.”

I was sure his hand was shaking, but when I glanced down, he looked almost painfully still. A vice or a statue.

“They pulled her out of the river three weeks later.” He wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were somewhere else. Somewhere far away. “Identified her by a DNA sample from her doctorate. Dental records don’t work when there’s no head.” Kane cleared his throat. “Saul swore blind he didn’t know she was my girl. He knew.” It was pain in his eyes, agony and fury. “She was pregnant. The day she disappeared was the day I bought a ring.”

I moved, taking a small step towards him, one arm curling around his waist. He let go of my other wrist, letting me wrap my arms around him. His hands stayed at his sides. 

“How long ago?” How long had the wound had to fester?

“Fifteen years.” His arm wrapped around my shoulders as he held me against him. “I haven’t loved a woman since. Stuck to whores and made sure I never knocked anyone up again. I think the kid was half the reason he did it.” He shook then, the slightest shiver that he caught and stopped. “I told you I killed my brother. It was a long time coming. Our dad went a few months back. Left a power gap, and one of us was going to fill it. We’ve always hated each other too much for it to end any other way. Parker was on principle. If he wasn’t such a shit, I might have let him live. But an heir for an heir felt fair. Made sense for the business.” His cheek touched the top of my head. He took a breath in. “Stein, I’ve been planning for almost as long. I’m not sure if the old bastard knows I’m gunning for him. He’s slippery though, never could get a hold over him.”

His arm tightened, the grip around my shoulders turning painful. I knew what he was getting at. I might not have been a biochemist, but I could smell a revenge tragedy a mile away.

“He’s not my father.” My voice was firm as I said it. 

“You’re his daughter, though.” His hand curled around the back of my neck. “His face when he saw your throat. It’s the first time I’ve seen him slip. You don’t know him, but he knows you.”

I could hear his heartbeat. “How can you know that?”

It was steady.

“He can’t stand his wife, doesn’t like his kids.” His fingers tightened. “Your half brother’s dropped out of two ivy league schools, and your sisters a spoiled little bitch who spends most of her time high or in rehab. I’d kill them all if I didn’t think living with them tortured him more.” I made a small noise and he let go of the back of my neck, laying his palm flat on the middle of my shoulders. “Stein cares too much about his reputation to let a whore carry his bastard. He’d make her terminate. He let your mother keep you. She couldn’t have hidden you from him. He knew, and he let her have you.” 

“He sounds like a monster,” I muttered. 

“He is,” Kane agreed, and he was the subject matter expert. “I didn’t put much thought to Beatrice Cox going straight. I knew they’d slept together a few times. But it was long before I gave a shit who Howard Stein fucked.” He breathed slowly through his teeth. “I didn’t put two and two together till I saw your mum last night. That Betty Cox was Beatrice Cox. That she went straight, because she had a kid. No one leaves Pride’s employ, not without powerful friends. It was so fucking obvious the moment I saw her.”

He pulled back, hand resting on my cheek as he tilted my face up towards him. “I could see it on his face when he looked at you. The sort of look a man gets when he keeps himself away from something because he knows he’ll destroy it if he touches it. Fucking unrequited love. After fifteen years, I have possibly the only thing Howard Stein loves in the palm of my hand.”

My eyes flicked to his wrist, the sharp sting of panic flaring through me. Fifteen years was a long time to plan revenge. A long time to hate someone with every fibre of your being. A hell of a lot longer than the three months I’d known him. My lips parted, mouth falling open as I tried to gather the words. Figure out what to ask.

“Do you hate me?” It was terrifying meeting his gaze, seeing the darkness there.

“A little.” It sounded like the truth.

The next question was harder, so much harder. “Do you love me?”

His eyes flickered across my face, cold and just a little bit cruel.

“Don’t be naïve, sweetheart.” He leaned closer, lips hovering above mine. “I’m too old and too bitter to love anything. If there was anything good left in me, I never would have touched you.”

I raised my hand, resting my palm against the edge of his jaw. “There is good in you. You let me go. You looked after me when I was drunk—”

“I got you fired from the Daily Drip. Put your name on the blocklist of every paper in town. You couldn’t have got temp work if you’d applied for it.” His words were low. Deliberate. “I drugged you.”

I blinked, staring up at him. “What?”

“When Jack brought you back here, when he was feeding you drinks all afternoon.” He didn’t blink, didn’t show a second of hesitance or regret. “The last one was a Clover Club. He put ‘R’ in it. I brought you up here that night with every intention of fucking you.” He tilted his head to the side. “I knew you were precious, but I didn’t realise how valuable you were until yesterday. So what do I do? Cut off your head and send your father your body? Or fuck a child into your stomach? Defile and destroy the only good thing Howard Stein ever did?”

“You—” I stepped backwards, one hand up in front of me, the other clinging to the bottle. “You had a vasectomy?”

His lip flicked up. A joke I wasn’t in on. 

“I told you that, didn’t I?” His hand brushed over my stomach. “What’ll it be, sweetheart? Plan A, I keep Howard Stein’s kid as my trophy, or plan C. I kill you now. Those are your choices.”

My heart hurt as I looked at him. The real kind, devastation. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t.

“Plan C.” My voice broke. “Just kill me.”

He leant down, closing the gap between us as he pressed his lips to mine. A slow, deliberate kiss. Gentle as I tasted the salt of my tears on his lips. One moment, one last moment of kindness. Then he’d kill me. He’d get his revenge, and I wouldn’t have to hate him. He broke away, nose flaring, before he spoke again.

“Plan A, it is.”

I twisted, seeing the split second of his confusion, before I slammed the scotch bottle against the back of his head. His eyes rolled, and I darted out of the way as Kane hit the floor.

Chapter Text

The elevator doors opened into a corridor. I kept my back flat against the metal, making sure it was empty before I stepped out—a fire escape at one end, and the club at the other. I should slip out the back and get to the street. I had no phone, no money. Not even a hoodie to hide my face. I didn’t even have the bucks for bus fare. There’d be cash in the register, though. Set up for the night. A grand maybe.

I brushed my hair off my face, taking a breath to stay calm. I could run, but it’d take a couple of hours to cross the city, where there were even sidewalks. Plenty of time for Kane to wake up from the head wound and come after me. Get to my mum first and put a bullet in her head like he’d threatened to. I glanced back at the elevator doors as they closed. He was still breathing when I left. I’d checked. Put a pillow behind his head and rolled him onto his side. I should have just left him where he dropped, but he’d looked so helpless, unconscious. I could go back up there, find his gun or put a knife in his chest. He had cash lying around, white envelopes in the kitchen. I’d seen it Thursday.

“Fuck!” My eyes stung as I turned towards the club floor. 

No way in hell was I going back. I’d settle for robbing the register. The club was empty. I made a beeline straight for the bar. Slipped through the gap and grabbed the fob to pop the register open. It sprung wide with a clicking hiss. Already stocked. Jack must have been by.

“I’ve got a hoodie in the bottom drawer. You should grab it.”

I froze, fingers gripping the stack of notes. Jack was leaning against the open kitchen door. He put his hands up, spread where I could see them.

“If I come through, I’ll show up on the cameras.” His eyes flicked around the bar, double-checking we were alone. “If you turn your head a little to the left, you can answer me without your face being in shot.”

I did what he said, turning my head to look at him.

“Why are you helping?” He was Kane’s right hand. 

His fucking evil assistant or something. We were maybe three or four meters apart. If he wanted to grab me, he could.

“You’ll need to cover up,” he said, ignoring the question. “Those bruises will attract attention. If the police pick you up, you’ll land straight back here.”

The hoodie was where he said. I shoved it on, flicking the hood up to cover my face. It smelled like him. Men’s deodorant and his detergent. The wad of twenties from the register went straight into my pocket. I didn’t have a clue why he was helping, and if he wasn’t going to tell me, I wasn’t going to waste my breath asking.

“Thank you.” He didn’t deserve my thanks.

And he did.

“Take your mum and get out of the country.” He sounded a little sad. Eyes distant as he looked at me like we were about to become strangers. “Canada’s closest. He’s not got many contacts there. The family running things has a grudge against the Kellys. They’ll leave you be.” Our eyes met, and he gave me one last smile, the goofy one that showed the gap between his teeth. “Go on, kid.” He nodded towards the door. “Get.”

Time to run.

The black doors cracked open as I stepped out onto the street. They didn’t lock from the inside. My key card was gone. Probably went wherever my purse did. I still had my trusty trainers, though. Even if the permanent marker was starting to rub off. I took off, intending to get a couple of blocks and then hail a cab.

I got to the street corner, tempted to run across even though the lights were green. But that was jaywalking. I didn’t want to attract the police. Jack’s warning kept turning in my head. They’d take me back. They’d give me back to him, like a fucking trophy. A car pulled to a stop right in front of me. The window sank down. The driver leaned out, face in the open, as he raised a hand.

“Don’t run.”

I was halfway to bolting already. I couldn’t outrun a car, but with the traffic on the Rapture grid system, I didn’t have to.

“Why the hell not?” I’d give him twenty seconds, then I was gone.

“Mister Stein sent me,” he said. I took a half step back, and his face paled. “Your mum’s with him. You want to find her, right? I have her on the phone right now.”

He reached to the side, and my legs shook, vibrating with how ready I was to run if he pulled a gun. It was just his phone on speaker.

“Vi?” My mum’s voice echoed in my ears. “Vi, listen to me. Get in the car with Charlie. He’ll protect you.”

The world flipped. I yanked the back door open, sliding in and slamming it closed as Charlie did up the window fast. I grabbed between the console for the phone. He handed it over, turning his attention straight back to the road as he pulled out.

“Mum,” I gasped. I was shaking. “Are you ok? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s ok, Vi.” Her voice shook a little. “It’s all going to be fine. You escaped. You're so fucking clever.”

“I brained him with a bottle of scotch.” My eyes widened as I realised what I’d done. 

I couldn’t believe it. I was scrappy, sure, but not violent. The car beeped as I met Charlie’s eyes in the back mirror. Brown eyes, I’d have called them kind, but I didn’t think anyone in Rapture City was. Especially not someone who worked for Howard Stein.

“Could you put your seatbelt on, please, Miss Cox?”

“Sorry.” I slipped it on with my free hand.

Mum was on the seat beside me, her voice echoing out of the speaker.

“Charlie’s going to take you to Howie.” She sounded so calm. “Then you’re both going to come out here and join me in Bluff County.”

“I thought you were with Stein?” That’s what she’d said.

I was a mess, but I was listening. Aware of everything, every block of distance Charlie was putting between us and midtown. We weren’t headed to West Brom; we were headed east, to Brownstone.

“Not yet, but we’ll be together soon,” she said. “Howie waited for you. He wouldn’t leave Rapture without you. He sent me ahead. I wanted to stay with him, but your father can be—”

“He’s not my father.” That was one of the few things I was sure of. 

She paused. There was a soft silence as I met Charlie’s gaze in the rearview mirror. He looked away quick, like he knew better than to comment on his employer’s fucked up family. I wondered for a second how many mistresses he’d protected. What shit he’d seen. How many girls’ bodies he’d helped dump in the river?

“Vi,” she said. After a long enough pause, it was clear she’d had to think about it. “Howie has a temper. Please, you need to be polite to him. He’s wanted to meet you your whole life.”

My hands curled into fists. I took a moment, tugging down the stupid red skirt. It wasn’t even four, and it was still one of the worst days of my life. I watched Charlie’s face in the mirror.

“Has he ever hit you, Mum?” 

Charlie’s eyes flicked to mine, a sharp look before he glanced away. I heard her breath. The soft noise she made as Betty Cox thought through her response.

“Of course not.” Lie. I knew when my mother was lying, she went high-pitched. A little defensive. “Vi—”

“I’ll see you soon, mum.” I hung up on her. It was rude. She’d been worried sick about me, but I couldn’t deal with lies right now. She’d told me too many! “You got a gun?”

Charlie snorted. He covered it quickly. I don’t think mob bodyguards were supposed to chuckle. Or maybe he could only laugh at Howard Stein’s jokes.

“Not one I’m giving to you when you have that look on your face.”

I folded my arms, slipping back against the leather seat. “What look?”

“Same one, Mister Stein gets before he orders a hit,” he muttered.

My brow rose. “Aren’t you supposed to pretend he’s not a murderer?”

“What good would that do?” The indicator flicked as he took a left onto the freeway ramp. “You’re clearly not stupid.”

“Ah, thanks, Charlie.” I gave him my sharpest smile. “Aren’t you a delight!” His brows rose, but he kept his eyes on the road. “How long until I have to meet Satan?”

“It’s a clear run, no traffic,” he said. “You’ve got about twenty minutes.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the way my stomach dropped. Our first meeting had been humiliating. Kane made sure of that. I couldn’t see how our second one was about to go any better. Twenty-one years, the bastard hadn’t bothered to be a part of my life, hadn’t been there for a single thing I’d done. In five minutes of conversation, he’d reduced me to one fucked up reductive word. Whore. 

“So what are you?” I glared out the window as the city passed by. “Satan’s driver?”

“No.” Charlie's knuckles whitened as his hands tightened on the wheel. “I’m Satan’s hitman.”

I swallowed, forcing myself to stay calm. Don’t flinch or cry. I was tougher than that.

“Oh, yeah?” I asked. “What are the benefits like?”

“You meet a lot of people,” he said. “Not many lasting friendships.”

Twenty minutes until I met the man who’d fucked my mum’s life up. There was always traffic on the freeway, but not today. It was like the universe was conspiring against me.

By the time we made the switch, I was ready. Sort of. Charlie opened the door of the limo, and I threw him one last hopeful look. Not sure what I was expecting from a mob hitman. He nodded to the door. 

“Go on,” he said.

It was a rich neighbourhood. Old money houses made of, you guessed it, brown stone. It was the color of the stone in the quarries in Bluff County. Expensive to extract. Most of the city was steel, glass, and concrete. Not Brownstone. They were fancy. If I could have ever afforded a house here, I would have painted it a different color, just to mess with my neighbours. Purple or something.

“You coming with us?” He wasn’t a good guy, but my mum called him Charlie. 

She trusted him. I wasn’t sure why, but I had a feeling she did. He had her number on his phone. Her contact was saved as Betty, not Beatrice Cox. 

“I’ll be up front with the driver,” he said.

“Alright.” Guess there was no escaping what came next.

I slipped into the back of the car, eyes fixed ahead on the divider between the driver and us, so I didn’t have to look at the man across from me. Charlie shoved the door closed, and I heard the muffled sound of him opening the front passenger. The barrier was up, so I couldn’t see him. Stein gave me time, waiting for me to speak first. I knew enough not to do something so stupid.

“Vi,” he finally said, the word more a sigh than anything else.

“Don’t call me that.” I glanced over at him, taking in the sight of him in the seat across from me. “You don’t know me well enough.”

There was silence as the car pulled out into traffic. The flow of Rapture City around us was distant because of the tinted windows.

“Viola.” He ruffled the sheet of paper in his lap, smoothing it. “Started the year as a quiet, well-behaved student. Over the course of the spring semester, she’s come into her own. Speaking up in class and whenever she does, it is always with a point that shows the depths of her intelligence.”

I frowned. The words sounded familiar, but distant. He placed the page down on the seat between us, revealing another page underneath.

“Daffodils are really pretty,” he read. “They are my favourite flower, because they’re early and they’re yellow. I wouldn’t like to be a daffodil, though, because rabbits eat them.”

“What are you talking about?”

He handed me the page. I saw the scrawl of a child’s writing, terrible yellow pencil in a sketch of misshapen flowers. The rest of the page was colored blue, apart from the sun in the top corner. The bottom of the drawing signed Viola, Age 7.

“Why do you have this?” I looked back up at him, trying to read the eyes of a stranger.

“Betty gave it to me when you made it,” he said. “I’ve always been there, Vi, you just never met me.”

The paper crumpled in my hands. I didn’t even remember making it. I wouldn’t have. It was fifteen years ago. I dumped it on the seat between us, jaw clenched as I glared at him. 

“You’ve never been there.” He didn’t get to waltz into my life and pretend like he gave a shit.

“How do you think your mother bought that apartment?” he asked. “I gave you a home, sponsored the bursary for your tuition—”

“I earned that.” I’d worked my arse off for that bursary. Studied so hard to keep my grades high enough that I wouldn’t be forced to drop out. “I got that on my own merit.”

“You got that because I’m a generous sponsor of the arts and sciences at Rapture U,” he said. “And I insisted that your application went to the top of the pile.” He shifted, brow raised. “You’re smart, but smart doesn’t get you as far as money in this city.” It was a slap, spitting in the face of everything I’d believed myself. “What the hell are you doing working in a bar after that degree? You should have been set.”

He looked frustrated, but I didn’t care. The blood was rushing in my ears, pounding too loud.

“I got a scholarship.” I wasn’t ready to move on from that. “They said my application letter—”

“They give out scholarships for the sciences.” His jaw clenched, hands curling around his knees. “Not for the arts. It’s why it was a bursary, because I set up a trust in your name.”

My lips parted as I stared at him.

“I’m a trust fund nepo-baby?” I felt sick, so sick.

He brushed a hand back through his hair. His hands were old, wrinkled. Howard Stein had lines around his eyes and more grey in his hair than brown. He looked tanned, but that could have been the sun or his natural tone. I’d got my mum’s hair and his skin. We didn’t get much sun in Rapture City, but after the summer, I could have put my arm against his and it would have been the same. I think I might have got his lips too. It was hard to tell. He was old, his lips thin now. I hadn’t got either of their eyes.

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot?” Stein said, hands clasped in front of him.

He was inspecting me, too. Gaze flicking over me, like I was some mythical creature he hadn’t expected to meet in the flesh.

“Like right now?” I asked, brows raised. “Or when you called me a whore?”

He winced. Leather creaked as he shifted.

“Your mum always said how stubborn you were.”

“Stubborn as a rock, and evidently dumb as one, too!” I glowered at him, folding my arms. “Did you pay for my honours too?”

“No, Vi,” he said. “You earned that.”

I glanced away, narrowing my eyes as we pulled back onto the freeway. We were headed out of the city. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d left Rapture. Didn’t even have a passport. I bet he travelled all the damn time. Took his family on holiday to the Islands or Europe. He was loaded with all his blood money.

“I’m sorry, you got caught in the middle of this,” Stein said. “Your mum didn’t want you to be a part of this world. She wanted better for you. I would have been there, Vi, I swear, but Betty—”

“Kane said you killed his girlfriend.” I really didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t need a dad, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have picked Howard Stein to be it. “Chopped her up and dumped the pieces of her in the river. How many people have you murdered? A hundred?” I raised my brow, watching his reactions, looking for a glimmer of guilt on a face that showed none. “A thousand?” He didn’t answer. Kept his mouth shut. Jaw clenched. “Don’t want to answer, fine. Let’s go for an easier one. How many times have you hit your wife?” That got a rise, a flash of heat in his eyes. “How many times have you slapped Betty around?”

I thought he’d exercise his right to remain silent, but Stein opened his mouth.

“It’s not that simple—”

“Yeah, it is.” I tugged on the zip of the hoodie, yanking it down to show the bruises on my neck. “You and Kelly, you’re both the same. You’re both monsters. So excuse me if I’m not thrilled to meet you.”

He looked away, brushing a hand over his face as he closed his eyes. I’d got under his skin, I could tell because his hand was shaking. A temper on the verge of snapping.

“Hell.” He glanced up at the roof of the car. “I’m starting to sympathise with Kane fucking Kelly.” I flinched, shifting back in my seat, as I pulled my legs up under me. “Don’t look at me like that. I know what you’re doing. You’re pushing me, trying to get me to snap at you, so you can prove to yourself that I’m a monster. I’m not playing your games, Vi, you’re smart, but you’re still just a kid!” His gaze was fixed on me, unblinking and unnerving. “You can tell yourself I’m a monster all you like. That won’t stop me protecting you. Because you’re my kid.”

I folded my arms. Just because he could see through me didn’t mean he was right.

“And I’m supposed to just shut up and be a good daughter?” I asked. “Say please and thank you and call you daddy.”

“Don’t!” It was a snap, louder than he’d spoken before. 

I saw it then. The first flare of real anger. A hint of the monster underneath. He’d spoken loudly enough that a voice came through the intercom. 

“Everything alright, boss?”

It didn’t sound like Charlie; must have been his driver. Stein pressed a button on the intercom beside him.

“Everything’s fine.” It crackled as he let go. His eyes were still dark when he turned his gaze back to me. “Never call me that. Not after the mess you’ve made.”

My eyes stung, cheeks burning as I looked away. I’d been looking for a nerve, guess I found one.

“Kane Kelly only fucks whores,” he said. “That’s a well-known fact in Rapture City. Since you opened your legs for him, tell me. What exactly does that make you?”

I swallowed, wrapping my arms around myself. I could feel the burn of my blush spreading.

“I’d prefer it if you were comfortable calling me dad, but I know that’s not happening anytime soon,” he said. “You will talk to me with respect, though. Whilst you’re staying at my house in Bluff County, you’ll call me Sir, or Mister Stein.” I wasn’t calling him sir. I wasn’t going to talk to him. If I was giving up alcohol. How about a vow of silence to go with it? “When I introduce you to my wife, you’ll be polite to her. She knows about Betty, but having you in her space will be a tough change. It’ll hurt her pride, but we all have to make compromises. You can snipe at me, within reason, but you’ll treat her with respect. Carly’s in Europe at the moment, but she’ll be back in a few months. Your brother and sister—”

“I’m an only child.” There went that vow of silence. It’d lasted less than a minute. His brow rose, a flicker in his eyes that told me how thin the ice was. “You said months. How long do you expect me and Mum to stay in Bluff County?”

His finger tapped against the door handle. Waiting for something. I knew that look. I’d had it from Kane plenty of times. He’d given me an instruction, and he was waiting for me to follow it.

“Apologies, Sir Howard Stein,” I said, my eyes as spiteful as my smile. “How long do you expect to keep me and Mum in your house? Will we be awarded our own quarters, or are your mistress and bastard spawn to sleep in the attic with the rest of the help?”

“Cute,” he said. I’d done as he asked, sort of. “How long do you think it will take for Kelly to stop hunting you?” Hell, if I knew the answer to that. He really wasn’t the sort of guy who let things go. “You’re a part of this family, Vi. We did it your mother’s way. You had twenty years to build yourself a good, honest life. You messed it up spectacularly. Now we do it my way.”

He hadn’t said it, but I was getting a strong ‘ you’re never leaving ’ vibe from him.

“What’s your success rate?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. Guess Plan D meant I got to be a prisoner, too. Goody for me. “On raising kids. I hear it’s one drug addict and one dropout.”

“You’re forgetting the whore,” he said.

Fuck, he was quick. 

“No, you see, I don’t count because you didn’t raise me.” I didn’t even flinch this time. “And technically, since I don’t want to go with you. This is kidnapping. It still counts even if it’s your own kid.”

“You’ll adjust.” Final.

Like that was that, and there was no more discussion. I’d had a dad for less than six hours, and so far, it sucked.

“Kids are supposed to move out in their twenties—”

“We’ll discuss it in a few years,” he said, arms folded. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m letting you live rent-free in a mansion. There’s an indoor pool. I’ll fly you first class around the world, if you want to see it. You have no idea how lucky you are.”

“Why don’t you just buy me a pony whilst you’re at it?” I muttered.

He smiled, but it was tight. “Do you want one?” I shook my head emphatically. “You’re a bit old for a pony. How about a horse?”

“They creep me out.” I looked away.

It was tough to hold his gaze. His eyes were too intense.

“You’ll get over it,” he said. “We’ll have you playing Polo in no time.”

I stared out the window, glaring at the passing cars. The houses were thinning out; we were almost out of the suburbs. It wouldn’t be long before we hit Bluff County. From there, who knew how long it would take to reach whatever ridiculous mansion he lived in.

“You have no idea who I am.” I sure as hell wasn’t going to be a polo player.

“You’re my daughter, Vi,” he said, the words with the same finality as everything else, like I didn’t have a choice. I glared at him. “You’ve got my mother’s eyes, you know. Never thought I’d get to see that glare looking so pissed off and disappointed in me again.” His lips quirked upward in a bitter smile. “Funny how life turns out.”

“Hilarious,” I muttered.

Chapter Text

One month. Long enough for the end of summer to turn to autumn. Long enough for me to go crazy. Stein hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said mansion. Mum got her own quarters in the guest house. Which was an actual house. Had its own kitchen and living area. A little garden and a white picket fence. Only one bedroom, though mezzanine style. No space for me. I got to stay in the main house. Stein’s orders, since he was pretty much god around these parts. If I was very good, I was allowed to visit.

“Daddy, please.” Harper sure had a way about her. Big brown eyes that would have put a puppy to shame, and long, glossy brown hair the same color as her father's. “We’ve been cooped up for weeks. Can we at least have some friends over?”

Harrison snorted. He was a Harrison, not a Harry. Hated it when someone called him Harry.

“Thought you were used to going cold turkey.” He had a too-good-to-try vibe.

His clothes looked more like thrift store garbage than my old wardrobe, but I knew it was all insanely expensive. Some things in his cupboards still had the tags on. I’d almost been sick when I’d seen the price. His hair was a mess, as long as Harper’s, but tied back in a bun.

“No, Harper.” Stein brushed a hand through his hair, tired. Poor little mob boss, having to deal with his three bratty children and run an evil empire at the same time. “Come on, it’s not so bad. How about we play Monopoly again tonight?”

Harper pouted. She looked ready to weep, but probably for the first time in her life, those crocodile tears weren’t going to work. I would have had more sympathy for Howard Stein if my mum was allowed to come to dinner. Carly had been clear, though, even from Paris, she’d laid down the law. The mistress could stay in the guest house, but she wasn’t to set foot in the main property.

“Sorry, Mister Stein.” My tone was the epitome of politeness as three sets of the same brown eyes snapped to me. It was unnerving looking at them, like being a trespasser in someone else’s family. Which I was. “I’m having a movie night with mum tonight, remember?”

He’d promised me! His eyes narrowed, and I knew he’d forgotten the agreement we’d made earlier this week. I’d played nice for board games and family meals. I’d spent a whole day with Harrison. Let him talk at me for about four hours, and I hadn’t decked him once.

“Don’t want to hang out with us, squirt?” Harrison asked.

“I know you’ll miss me, Harry.” I smiled back at him, just as false as he was. “But you know, I just think I need a break from hearing all about the dangers of the leftist political agenda, to really let the wisdom of what you’re saying sink in.”

He was such a butthead. I wish I could have told Alice about him, but evidently I couldn’t be trusted with a phone. It was outrageous, so unfair. I hadn’t even tried to escape yet. 

“A movie night sounds fun.” Harper’s smile was too bright to be real. “We should all go.”

Stein had bribed her, I was sure of it. She was too damn nice to me. She’d tried to get me to go swimming with her in the mornings, which had been a hard pass. I wasn’t going to drown in front of her. Then it had been horse riding, which had been an even harder pass. When she offered me a line in one of the guest bathrooms, I’d come to the only plausible conclusion. She was trying to kill me. If whatever she was snorting didn’t, then Stein sure as hell would. So far, none of my blunt rejections had stopped her from following me around like she wanted to be BFFs forever. Or even worse, sisters.

“Harrison.” Stein’s voice changed, and his son went still. “Don’t call her that again.”

I kept the grin off my face, just. It was about time someone else got told off by Daddy Dearest. Harrison had just messed up badly. He didn’t call me squirt because I was the youngest. No, it was because that’s what his dad did when he knocked my mum up. Harrison was twenty-six, and he was still a damn child. Harper, well, we were the same age. She had a couple of months on me. What a great guy, Howard Stein was. To step out on his pregnant wife and knock up his mistress too.

“Come on, Dad.” Harrison shrank, his voice getting that whine he always used when he knew he was in trouble. “It was a joke.”

“You’re an expert in them, right?” I said. “Since you are one.”

“Behave, Viola.” Stein didn’t bother to look at me. Those cold eyes were fixed on his son. “Or you go to your room.” I shut my mouth. Snapped it closed so fast I bit my tongue. He treated me like one of them. A child. A month hadn’t changed the fact that Howard Stein knew nothing about me. “Apologise to your sister.”

Harrison looked down at the table. “Sorry, Vi.”

“No problem, Harrison.”

I lay my cutlery on the plate in just the right way. Didn’t want Harry to say I wasn’t house-trained. 

“Vi needs some quality time with her mum, Harper,” Stein said. 

Harper stuck her lip out in a pathetic little pout. I wanted to be sick. 

“I guess.” The sigh that came out of her. People who had worked a day in their lives didn’t sigh like that. “What about tomorrow? Maybe Charlie could take us into the city so we can go shopping.”

My mind spun as I reached for my glass. Getting into the city was good, even better if the idea came from Harper. It’d be a long drive, though. An hour and a half there. Trapped in a car with my older sister. Just kill me. It was starting to feel like I’d made a mistake turning down Kane’s sex dungeon. Stein frowned, his eyes darting to the ceiling as he thought it through. If it had come from me, he never would have gone for it. But Howard didn’t seem to be capable of saying no to Harper. It wasn’t fair. He said no to me all the time.

“I suppose it would be good for you, give you girls a chance to bond?” He glanced at me, brows raised. “What do you think, Vi? Do you want to go shopping?”

Did I want to go shopping? I wanted to get the hell out of Bluff County, take Mum across the northern border and never see any of them again. That didn’t feel like the answer Stein was after. I really didn’t want to be sent to bed for being mean to my ‘ sister, ’ again.

“Sure.” I took a sip of wine. “Sounds fun.”

Not drinking had gone out the window after day three. When Harper had a meltdown. I’d never heard a woman in her twenties scream like that. It was almost a relief to discover that there was someone out there who was more of a mess than me.

Mum looked up as I slipped inside the guesthouse. I hadn’t seen her in a week, not since I lost my temper and threw a fork at Harrison. According to Stein, trying to stab your brother was unacceptable behaviour in his household. But I hadn’t thrown my cutlery that hard. At most, Harry would have lost an eye. Mum had snacks ready, popcorn, and a pack of strawberry cables. Snookie was napping on the sofa beside her. She was an old cat now. Still as soft as she’d always been. I slipped my feet out of my trainers, leaving them by the door. The black marker had mostly come off now, but there were still a few strips of it. Stein hated them as much as Kelly had. Kept trying to buy me new shoes. I left them in the boxes in the back of the walk-in closet, the size of my old bedroom.

“So, what movie did you pick?” I didn’t even really want to watch one.

I just needed her. 

“I was thinking the murder mystery?” Betty smiled back, like she was just as relieved to see me. It wasn’t like I could visit whenever I liked. I had to ask Stein’s permission. “The one about the old people who solve cold cases?”

“Sounds great!” I sat down on the sofa beside Snookie’s cushion, scratching behind her black ears.

She let out a grumpy purr, paws kneading to make some little biscuits. It was all set up, ready to go, as I grabbed a strawberry cable from the bowl, yanking it between my teeth. My exemplary behaviour over the last week had earned us this. He couldn’t take it away now.

“Mum—”

The door to the guest house opened, and I couldn’t keep the smile on my face. It dropped as fast as my stomach.

“I bought chocolate.” Stein held out the box like the definition of a peace offering. “Betty told me they’re your favourites.”

They were, and I’d never wanted to throw my favourite chocolate in someone’s face before. The bastard, the fucking arsehole. How dare he come here!

“Howie.” Mum smiled, but her eyes were tight. “You’re early.”

“You have room for one more, don’t you?” He even phrased it like a question.

It wasn’t one. 

“Of course.” Her voice went up at the end. 

Betty’s smile was so convincing, you’d have to know her pretty well to guess she wasn’t ecstatic.

“Great.” He handed me the chocolates as he passed. Sitting down on her other side and putting his arm over the back of the couch. Draped there like he owned her. “What are we watching?”

“The one I told you about.” Betty glanced at me, a flicker in her eyes, pleading. 

I wasn’t smiling. We couldn’t play happy families if I didn’t join in. She leant back, her shoulder against his chest. Stein turned his head, his lips catching her temple. The kiss was casual, intimate. She didn’t even flinch. Her shoulders relaxed.

“The old people solving cold cases?” Stein's fingers tapped against the back of the couch. “You were going to watch it without me?”

That was the moment it clicked. He was early. That’s what she said. My mouth tasted bitter. He had my mother, his mistress, in the guest house. He was sneaking out here, probably every night, but I wasn’t allowed to see her without his permission. I couldn’t do this.

“How long?”

They both froze. Betty laid a hand on his leg, her face turning as she met my gaze.

“How long?” she asked.

“Did you only just get back together?” I tilted my chin as I stared between them. “Or did you never stop?”

There was a hint of red in her cheeks, a touch of color that looked too much like shame.

“We—” She cleared her throat, struggling with her words. Stein wasn’t blushing. He looked calm, ready for the conversation. He’d been waiting for it. “It never really stopped. We saw each other occasionally, an evening every month.”

“And Carly?” I folded my arms. “You guys clearly aren’t poly, or you would be allowed in the house.”

“What we have is different to my marriage with Carly,” Stein said.

“Doesn’t sound like much of a marriage if you’ve been cheating on her for over twenty years.” I was so done with best behaviour and biting my tongue. “If you can’t stay away from my mum, then why haven’t you divorced her?”

“I can’t divorce Carly.” He made it sound like the idea was ridiculous. “She knows too much, and she never signed a prenup.”

Of course. So clear cut. The only possible solution. There were so many things I wanted to shout, to scream at them. But I’d had a month to learn that shouting at Stein was a bad idea. If I threw a Harper-level tantrum now, he’d drag me out of here before the movie even started. It would be at least another week until he let me see my mum again. I needed her enough to bite my tongue.

“It’s getting late.” My throat felt like it was filled with glass shards as I forced the words out. “We should start the movie.”

I turned away from them both, but not before I caught the look they threw at each other. Relief. Something like a smile. I brushed my hand down Snookie’s side, focusing on how soft her fur was. So soft. 

“Alright,” Betty said. 

She picked up the remote, settling back against Stein’s side as she pressed play. His arm dropped from the back of the couch to surround her shoulders. Betty leaned her head there. I watched her long enough to catch his eye. To see him looking back at me. There was no smile on his face, no pretence. Howard Stein owned Betty Cox. Couldn’t have been clearer if he’d shouted it. He’d let her keep me out of their world, but he’d never actually let her go.

Now he had her back, trapped in her own little cage. Even had a white picket fence around it to keep her inside. She might as well have been his pet. I was humiliated for her. She might never leave the grounds again. Definitely not whilst Kelly was out to get us. It was her own version of Plan A. I couldn’t tell if she was happy and resigned. Terrified and hiding it. I didn’t know if she loved him, hated him or both.

An hour and a half later, the credits rolled. Mum was asleep, her breathing light as she rested her head on Howie’s shoulder. We’d barely spoken. I hadn’t touched the popcorn. The film was a blur in the back of my head. I don’t think I could have said who the characters were. I picked up the remote, turning off the TV. We sat there in the dark.

“I’m going to head back,” I said.

“I’ll walk you.” Howard shifted, and Mum made a soft noise, a sleepy groan. 

I didn’t wait for him to extract himself or her to wake up. There was no way I could have stayed calm that long. I slipped outside instead, hands curling into fists as I stared up at the dark sky. I’d never seen this many stars in my whole life. Twenty-two years now, because my birthday had come and gone at Stein’s compound, and no one bought me a damn horse. I took a breath. I could start walking, but what would be the point? He’d say I was being childish, throwing a tantrum like his other stunted children.

“Vi?” Stein closed the glass doors behind him, stepping out onto the sheltered little porch. 

It was a long walk back to the house, winding through the grounds. Couldn’t even see it from the main house. I stepped down towards the little gate. He was here now. We could walk.

“What will you do?” I said, when he fell in step beside me. He wasn’t slow for an old guy. “When Carly comes back from Paris, will you still sneak out here every night? She’ll notice, won’t she?”

He took his time to answer, steps loud against the paved path. I wondered what he’d expected me to be like. Kind and patient, like Betty Cox, who greeted everyone with a smile, even a monster like him. A small piece of me thought he must be disappointed, and an even smaller piece cared. I couldn’t pick my parents, and it looks like he couldn’t pick his kids either.

“We’ve had separate rooms ever since Harper was born,” Stein said. “We’re not happy.”

“No shit.” I folded my arms.

My jacket was thick, but the night air was still chilly. Late autumn that made the leaves glow in the lamps that edged the path. They looked beautiful against the deep blue of the sky.

“I love your mother,” Stein said. “But I can’t marry her.”

“Why not?” I stopped, half stamping my feet, because I didn’t want him to marry her, but he was going to tell me exactly why he wouldn’t. “Because she was a whore?”

He stopped, and I caught the flinch as he brushed a hand over his eyes. We were both on edge, but he’d wanted this. Stein had imposed himself on the one night he’d let me spend with my mother. Made it crystal clear that she was his, not mine. He’d wanted this fight, and he was going to get it.

“Carly’s descended from European Aristocracy,” he said. “Her uncles are in politics. She has family members in every government agency. She’s as close to royalty as this cesspit of a country has.”

“That doesn’t mean much in Rapture City!” But I was outclassed. His family outclassed me, and his wife outclassed my mum. I tilted my chin. “Go on, finish it, say the rest, the bit you’re holding back.”

Stein rubbed his forehead. He looked old, exhausted and close to done.

“Your mother was street trash that turned out to be a damned diamond.” His voice was so soft when he said it, but it didn’t change the word. “An orphan Pride picked up, and Pride’s shrewd. She knows when she finds something special. Betty was special. She was gold dust. Pride made a fortune off her. Started showing her around galas in the groups of girls she always sends. Beatrice Cox. A blonde with the best legs in Rapture City. The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

I swallowed, keeping my hands in my pockets, so I didn’t slap him. It was my mother he was talking about. The woman who’d put a plaster and a kiss on every grazed knee. Hugged me when I cried. Taught me long division. Kind hands and a warm heart. 

“I wanted a go, of course I did.” He didn’t even sound ashamed. “I paid the rental. Took her out, was planning to have a good fuck and return her to Pride in the morning.” The curse was a slip. A drop in his perfect image. A gap in the false courtesy he’d insisted on for a month. Like he’d finally given up trying to ‘ my fair lady ,’ me. “I did all of that, and I was back again a week later, for another one. She was still in my head. I’m not stupid enough to fantasize about whores. I had a wife, a son. A family. But Betty was different.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I realised anyone could be that kind until I met her. Saw the best in everyone, a ray of sunshine in a city that gets nothing but rain.” His hand was shaking, the night was cold, but I didn’t think that was the reason he was shivering. “I was in love with her, head over fucking heels for a whore. What was I supposed to do? You get it, don’t you, why that wasn’t possible? Why I couldn’t just leave Carly, the mother of my son, my heir, for a whore?” He laughed outright at the idea. “I’d be ruined! The laughingstock of Rapture city, my reputation—”

“You think I’m a kid, don’t you?” I cut him off before he went any further. He blinked, confused, as the words brought him back. I saw the moment he realized he’d lost control. The grimace as he reigned his temper back in. His eyes fixed on my face, and I think that might have been the first moment he ever really saw me. “That I’m a dumb girl like my mother, who got trapped by Pride. Or an overgrown teenager like Harper, who can’t take care of herself. Or do you expect me to be like Harrison, a snotty little shit who thinks he’s smarter than everyone?” I tilted my head, waiting for him to interrupt, to tell me off for speaking that way about his things. Maybe he’d finally be honest with me and pick one. Stein was smart enough not to. “You think I’m a whore, because I fucked Kane Kelly? Only I can’t be a whore, because I didn’t fuck him for money. It was stupid, but I didn’t realize he was stalking me. Didn’t remember I witnessed him murder his nephew, because concussion.” It was scary how closely he was watching me. How much he looked like he was actually listening. “So maybe I shacked up with a mob boss, just like my mother did, but I didn’t know he was one.” My knuckles ached from how hard I was gripping my arm. “You know, I thought I was like Harper, an addict. An alcoholic. Only it turned out that wasn’t true either, because every time I blacked out, it was because he drugged me.” That alone was maddening, greasy, and violating. “Or then I could have been like Harrison. When the drip kicked me out on my arse, I could have given up and blamed the world for it. But I found myself a new job, and I would have got a position at the Chronicle if Kane hadn’t declared me unhireable. I’m not a failure, I’m resilient, and I earned everything I got. Bursary or not. Your money didn’t do a single one of my assignments.” I didn’t drop my gaze. Stared straight at him. “You think that I’m a failure, a whore who needs straightening out and protecting because I’m still too much of a child at twenty-two to look after myself! It’s been a month, and you still don’t know a thing about me. You haven’t even tried to learn. You’ve spent the whole time trying to force me to be someone else.” 

He took a step forward, hand out like he wanted to reach for me. “Vi.”

Stein looked like he might be about to try to hug me. That was never happening.

“I’m not an idiot!” I didn’t let him touch me, stepping back out of his reach. “You’re an important man, a shining bastion of criminal enterprise.” If the words sounded like mockery, it’s because they were. “I know you could have never married Mum. The country club would have been hell for her. She would have been alone, trapped and miserable in your world, surrounded by rich arseholes who would have treated her like scum. But you should have let her go!” My voice broke, but I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t close to done yet. “You shouldn’t have kept coming back. She could have lived her life, but instead, you kept her on your retainer like a toy. Left her lonely for years, and for what?” I waved a hand down the path, towards the little house. “So you could keep her in a cage on your property. You made her your pet.” It snapped out of me. I still couldn’t believe he’d dared to show his face tonight. Had the nerve to mark his territory over my mother. “And that, Howard Stein, is why I will not forgive you. Why I will never call you dad. You’ve treated her like an animal. Even now, you don’t see her as a person. I know you don’t because you don’t see me either.” I smiled at him, but it was as cold as his eyes. “Do you want to know the real irony, the funny bit? You’re not my father, but I am your daughter. You built your empire, and I’m the only heir you have that wouldn’t destroy the whole thing by accident. Out of all your kids, I’m the most like you. The smartest, the most driven, the most ruthless. But there’s one difference between us. One really important one.” My cheeks burned, but I would not cry in front of him. “I have a soul.”

His hand was curled into a fist at his side, his expression blank as he stared ahead. “He drugged you?”

I almost laughed in his face. Of all of it, that was the bit he heard.

“How many girls have you drugged?” I shook my head. “You asked for a waitress to sweeten the pot on a deal. You’re fucking despicable—”

“Saul wanted her dead,” Stein said, eyes distant. “I didn’t ask for her.”

“Doesn’t matter, you still killed her!” The only person in all this I actually felt bad for was Kelly’s dead girlfriend. “And don’t pretend you didn’t fuck her first! I know you did, because she’s like mum to you, like me. Not human, just a piece of Rapture City trash for you to play with. You think you’re a god, and you’re not. You’re just a miserable old man who’s only wanted one thing in his whole twisted life, and was too much of a coward to ever be worthy of her.”

“Vi.” There was a flicker in his eyes, hurt, because he knew it was the truth.

“Fuck you, Sir Howard Stein.” I turned my back on him. I could find my way to the house. There was only one path. “You’re the one who’s trash!”

Chapter Text

Harper frowned at the dress in the woman’s arms, like it was a mystery for the ages.

“I like it, but red’s not my color.” She glanced up, and our gazes met as I took a sip of the champagne. It tasted lovely, and I was getting light-headed from the bubbles. “It might look good on you, Vi, what do you think?”

She had her hands tight in front of her, her shoulders slightly hunched. Harper was painfully thin. The sort of look that models maintained with drugs and lettuce. 

“It’s nice,” I nodded.

Her face split into a grin at that. Wide and slightly hopeful. 

“You should try it,” she said.

I glanced over at it. There wasn’t enough fabric to call it my color.

“We’re not the same size.” I scratched at the back of my neck because it felt awkward to point it out.

“Of course, you have those childbearing hips.” She almost smiled as she said it, before she winced. Her hand covered her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

I believed her. Harper wasn’t so bad. Away from the rest of the Steins, she was almost normal. Terrified enough to jump at every shadow, but on balance, probably the sanest one of them.

“I know you didn’t.” I let her off the hook.

“We can get one in your size.” The assistant offered, her smile less genuine than mine.

Charlie was in the front of the shop, guarding the door. Our assistant, Jess, had been so nice. Waiting on us hand and foot. We were getting the Tia’s VIP treatment.

“Could I use the ladies’ room?” I asked, putting the champagne down on the glass table beside me.

“Of course,” Jess said. “It’s just through there.”

“Great,” I said. “I’ll try the red one on when I get back. Probably have a better chance of fitting it on an empty bladder.”

“Vi?” Harper looked up at me with those hopeful eyes.

I paused at the door, chest tightening with the faintest sting of guilt. She was trying so hard.

“I just wanted to say.” She took a breath, like it was hard for her to get out. “I always wanted a sister, someone to share the pressure.”

“I—” It was hard to see her behaving like a human. She still felt like a stranger to me. “I’m getting used to it. I like you, Harper.”

Harper let out a laugh, a soft one, like she’d needed someone to tell her that. It was hard to dislike her. Especially when I’d seen Jess slip her a small plastic baggie filled with powder earlier. Rich people were messed up. I locked the toilet door behind me, eyes on the back of the cubicle. It wasn’t a big window, but I could probably get my shoulders through. I was careful as I undid the latch, almost silent as I pulled it open, to see the grimy alleyway beyond. Even better, there was a dumpster close enough that it wouldn’t be a long drop to the floor. Perfect!

The scramble was tough. I was upside down, hands pressing to the cover and one leg still in the window. Precarious, and I wasn’t good at sneaking. I was clumsy as hell. 

“Shit,” I squeaked, twisting as I fell, rolling over the back of the trash.

I was lucky to land on my arse, and not on my neck. It would be purple, though. Dirt caked the alley floor. It smelled like trash and piss. I wiped my forehead with the back of my wrist.

“Nice of you to show up, sweetheart.” Kane was standing to my left, cigarette dangling between his fingers and one hand in his pocket. “Saves me having to drag you out of there. Charlie would have made it painful.”

My stomach plummeted. For a moment, I just stared at him. He shouldn’t be here already. Kane frowned.

“Sweetheart, you alright?” There was something almost soft in the way he said it, a flicker of worry.

I blinked, snapping myself back together. “Where are your thugs?”

He took a second to answer, watching my face so closely.

“Round the front.” Kane lifted his cigarette to his lips as he took an inhale. “Getting ready to bust in there. Jess was nice enough to give me the heads up that your sister was coming in today, but I didn’t expect you to be with her.”

“What was the plan?” I asked, swallowing. “Kidnap Harper? Kill her?”

“Hostage switch.” He flicked the ash away.

“One daughter for another?” I frowned up at him, debating if I should risk standing up. “Find out which one of us Stein loves more, then put a bullet in her head?”

His lip twitched, like he thought it was a joke. It wasn’t funny.

“Something like that,” he acknowledged. Nothing resembling regret. “But now that you’re here, we can skip that.”

We sat there in the sort of echoing silence that was filled with the distant rush of traffic. Neither one of us was willing to make the first move.

“Could I get a cigarette?” I asked, holding out a hand. He frowned at me before he pulled the pack from his pocket. “Want to sit down with me for a minute?”

I thought he was going to say no. Didn’t expect him to get on his knees. Kane sat opposite me on the grim floor of a Rapture City backstreet. He pulled a cigarette out, holding it out to me. I held it between my lips as he sparked his lighter. Setting the tip aflame as I took a deep breath in.

They were strong. Tasted like shit, but it wasn’t so bad when I was still a little tipsy from the champagne.

“Not that I don’t appreciate you making this easier for me,” Kane said, his eyes fixed on me as he pulled out another cigarette for himself. “Want to tell me why you’re running away?” There was a flicker in his gaze, something dark. “Stein hurt you?”

I could have rolled my eyes at how protective he sounded. I eyed the glowing red cherry instead, before I took another inhale of nicotine, feeling the way it made my shoulders relax. A little lightheaded. Best drug he’d ever given me.

“Are you still going to grab Harper?” I felt bad about that.

She didn’t deserve to be in the middle of this.

He considered it, gaze flicking up. “It’s tempting, just to piss off Stein.”

“You’ll regret it. She’s a mess,” I said. “Let her be and give me twenty-four hours.” 

His brows flicked up. “What was that, sweetheart?”

“You heard me.” I met his gaze, chin tilted. I wasn’t afraid of him. I mean, I was terrified of him, but it wouldn’t help me get through this. “Back up out of this alley, take your men, and pretend you never got that call from Jess. Leave Harper alone and give me twenty-four hours. It’s not like I can run. Stein still has my mum, and I’m not leaving without her. I’m trapped. So let me do what I need to do, and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

His eyes were distant as he considered it. “What are you planning?”

“It’s top secret,” I said. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

“You kill me?” He smiled at that, the secret one I’d worked so hard to steal. “How you going to manage that when you don’t even know what I want?”

“I know what you want,” I said. “You and Stein, you’re just the same. Make all the right noises, act like you’re human. Maybe you do even care a little. But not enough, not really. When it comes down to it, you both want the same thing. Power, complete control over Rapture City, to own everyone and everything, and to squeeze every buck you can out of it. Did I miss anything?” He smiled at that, a wide one that didn’t show any teeth. “Give me twenty-four hours, and I’ll make you a king.”

He took a long draw on his cigarette, eyes on mine the whole time. “Why?”

One question, the most important one. Why would I ever help Kane Kelly?

“Because even after everything you did,” I said. “I still hate him more than I hate you.”

I took an inhale of the cigarette, breathing out the smoke as I waited for him to say it. 

“You need a ride somewhere?” He asked.

I snorted, shaking my head. “I’ll take a cab.”

Like hell was I getting in his car. His brow rose, looking me up and down.

“With what money?”

“Harper’s.” I reached into my back pocket, pulling out Harper’s purse. The cigarette dangled between my fingers as I flicked it open, leafing through the cash. I stopped when I found the little plastic baggie filled with powder. I pulled it out, holding it up to the light. “Looks like she’s back on the coke?”

“That’s smack, sweetheart,” Kane said, his eyes narrowed. “It’s brown.”

“Guess Harper’s going back to rehab,” I said, breathing out through my teeth. “Jess gave it to her. Is she one of your dealers?” His lip twitched, but he admitted nothing. “Clever. Guess the girls at Tia’s really can get you anything.”

“Almost anything.” He stubbed his cigarette out on the alley floor beside him. I followed suit. Mine was done anyway. “So I give you twenty-four hours, and then what?”

“We’ll have to see when we get there.” I could do this. He wasn’t so scary. “Do we have a deal?”

His brow rose, eyes flicking upwards to the building towering above our heads. “Give me a kiss, and I’ll think about it.”

“A kiss?” He could go straight to hell!

He smiled at my expression, but it wasn’t the one I liked.

“I’d fuck you behind that dumpster.” Kane pointed, and I grimaced at the sight of the black trash bags that were falling out of it. Overstuffed. “But if Charlie’s inside, I don’t feel like getting shot in the arse.”

I thought about it, giving myself a second to breathe, before I shifted, rising onto my knees and resting my hands on his shoulders. He tilted his head to look up at me. His smile softened. 

“How’s your head?” I asked, laying my palm at the back of his neck, at the base of his skull.

“Minor concussion,” he said. “It was nothing serious.”

“Paybacks a bitch, I guess,” I leant in, lips grazing his.

I thought about being rough, spitting in his mouth. I didn’t, kept it slow, a few seconds of warmth where I could taste the smoke on both our breaths. His lips parted. Gentle. Before he deepened it. A hand at the small of my back as he tugged me closer. When he groaned, it echoed through me, tightening all the places I didn’t want to acknowledge had missed him. I pulled back, and our eyes caught. There was so much want in his. Naked and a little desperate. Like he was fucking yearning for me. It was terrifying. His fingers twitched, curling into the back of my shirt, like he couldn’t let go yet. I leant in again, lips brushing his cheek in a final soft kiss, and he stiffened like he could feel it. The goodbye I wasn’t saying out loud.

“Tell your dealers to stop giving Harper drugs.” She was fucked up enough as it was. I pulled away, and his hand dropped from my back. “I’ll see you around.”

I used his shoulders to push myself up, and when I took a step away, he didn’t follow me. He stood up, pulling another cigarette from the pack, frowning as he cupped his hand to light it. He must be on edge to be chain-smoking like that.

“Kane?” I turned back to him because I had just one more question. He stilled, eyes on my face as he waited for whatever I was going to ask. “Do you think I’m trash?”

His brows flicked up as he tucked his lighter back in his pocket. 

“Sweetheart, this is Rapture City,” he said, with that smile, the one that belonged to me. “We’re all trash.”

On Tuesdays, Mindy Friar got lunch at the taco truck across from her building. I knew that, because I’d researched her before the interview. She handed over the cash, her burrito already half unwrapped, as she turned to head back into her building. I fell into step beside her.

“Hey,” I said, awkwardly, as she jumped.

“Vi?” she gasped, eyes wide, because I guess I’d made an impression after all. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I shoved my hands in my pockets, offering her an awkward half smile. “You said to come to you if I ever needed help. Were you serious about it?” 

Her mouth hung open, burrito frozen in her hand, and damn, it smelled good.

“I—” She blinked, calibrating. “What sort of help?”

“I have a story.” I folded my arms, debating asking her if I could have a bite. Stein’s chef was useless when it came to spicy. “Are you willing to print it? It could set this city on fire.”

She narrowed her eyes, gaze slipping over my face. “Sexual assault stories don’t make that big a splash, Kelly will just—”

“It’s not about Kelly,” I said. “And it’s not about an assault scandal.”

The good old reputation ruiner, that never really stuck, because it always seemed to turn out that the woman changed her mind. Signed an NDA, and everyone decided it couldn’t have been rape. Otherwise, she never would have taken the money. Her eyes narrowed. If anyone could print it, it was her. She was Rapture Royalty. 

“I’m listening,” she said.

“You have somewhere I can hide out for a few days?” I was going to need to lie low.

Maybe forever. If Kelly didn’t kill me for this, then Stein would.

“Why don’t you come back to mine?” Mindy decided.

I sat, hands in my lap, on her sofa, as Mindy frowned at the screen of her laptop. She chewed absently at the corner of her cuticle, her brows knit together. Her place was as nice as her office. All boho chic and jungle plants. It smelled like the cherry candle she was burning on the coffee table.

“So,” I said. “What do you think?”

She glanced up at me, her brown eyes confused, as if she’d forgotten I was there. 

“What do I think?” Mindy shook her head. “This is jail time. He’ll go down for it. And the fallout! Whoever puts their name under this article is going to end up dead.”

“That’s why you should print it under mine,” I said. “I’m not afraid of him, and you know. It’ll do wonders for my career.”

She snorted at that, rolling her eyes. 

“You’re a shark.” From her, it was the highest compliment. Mindy rubbed her hands over her face, thinking hard. “You sure about this, Bandit? You didn’t steal it, did you?”

I raised my eyebrows. We both knew how dumb that question was.

“I found it.” I lay my hand against my chest. “In his office on his laptop, when I was imprisoned in his home. Can you legally steal from someone when they’re holding you against your will?”

“It’s a grey area.” Mindy’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the screen. “Kelly’s got a contract out on you off the books. Wanted alive.” It had to be shady to be off the criminal books. “If you turn up, then half the city will tell him exactly where you are.”

That was the thing about Rapture City. Everyone was in on it, even the journalists. Probably especially the journalists. But I’d already dealt with Kelly.

“Once this goes live, he can’t touch me.” I smiled because I had him. I bet he was feeling so smug right now. Knew exactly where I was. In twenty-four hours, he was probably planning on kicking down Mindy’s door and grabbing me. The joke was on him. “If he disappears me, then the case will collapse and Stein goes free.”

Check fucking mate!

“You think the city will prosecute?” Mindy didn’t look so certain.

I shrugged. “I think Commissioner Harker will.”

She was in Kelly’s pocket, his childhood friend. She’d probably die for him. Mindy nodded. Her shoulders relaxed as she sighed.

“You’ve got a hell of a pair on you, Cox!” She nodded. “Alright. I’ll put it out in tomorrow’s issue. Print and site. This city’s about to get insane!”

It was insane. My chances of survival weren’t exactly high, but I wasn’t going to be Kane Kelly’s sex slave, and Betty Cox damn well wasn’t going to be Stein’s anymore. Plan A was bullshit. I’d burn Rapture City to the ground before I accepted it for either of us. Howard Stein thought that just because I was his daughter, he could control me. He had no idea how wrong he was. I wasn’t just a mess. I was a cataclysmic event. A damn catastrophe!

Chapter Text

Hey Besties,

Breaking news, Businessman and Philanthropist Howard Stein was arrested this morning at his Bluff County mansion with a capital ‘M’! 

Plot Twist: The billionaire was a bad guy. 

A report published by the Rapture Chronicle three days ago detailed Stein’s involvement in criminal activity ranging from improper disposal of material waste to tax evasion. We’ve done a ten-bullet point breakdown of the charges against Stein in the linked post. Need more fun updates on serious topics? Follow the drip on social for Hot Takes that make big things easy to understand.

Posted: 10:45, Nat Beaton, The Drip

One month later…

Sullivan’s was always loud, but it was worse in the winter, a cramped brownstone bar, where condensation fogged the inside of the windows. It was halfway to Christmas, and everything was decorated for Halloween. It was the day of the dead, after all. I took a sip of the bottled beer, pressing it between my teeth as I waited for Alice to get back from the toilet. I smelled him before I saw him, a half second where my stomach muscles clenched, and my nostrils flared to take a deeper breath. He slipped in beside me at the bar, getting into Alice’s empty stool.

“Did you know it was my birthday?” Kane Kelly said. “The day you published that article and handed me this whole damn city.”

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, a slow up and down. He looked alright. Grey smoking jacket over a blue jumper. The scent of his last cigarette was there, fresh enough he must have had one before he came in. Psyching himself up like I was enough nowadays to make him nervous.

“Your birthday.” I tilted my head. “How old does that make you now?”

“Forty-one.” Guess he wasn’t double my age after all. 

“You’re younger than you look.” I turned towards him as I rested an elbow on the bar. “Didn’t you want to destroy the one thing he loved? I can tell you it sure as hell wasn’t me or Betty. It was his criminal empire.”

He waved his fingers, gesturing to the barman, like he should know his order. Evidently, the man did. He grabbed a bottle from the top shelf.

“It doesn’t feel like enough,” Kane said, eyes distant as he took the tumbler, winking at the barman before he took a sip. He drank his scotch neat. No ice. Just like he drank his coffee black. No sugar. “I was surprised I didn’t get my own smear piece. Why didn’t you go after me?”

I shrugged. “Your laptop password wasn’t my birthday.”

It was weak, but I didn’t have a better answer. A lack of evidence, mostly. The fact that I didn’t want to forever be known as the girl Kane Kelly abducted. He hadn’t hurt my mum either, as much as he’d threatened to. I still wasn’t sure how Betty Cox felt about the whole thing. If she was relieved or heartbroken. We hadn’t really talked about it.

“I never realised you were this ruthless,” he said, a glimmer in his eye that looked too close to respect. “Selling out your old man, to kick-start your career.” He whistled through his teeth. “Was the payout worth it?” 

“If I wanted money, I would have played the good bastard daughter.” I rolled my eyes. Sure, I’d got a job at the Chronicle out of it. Junior editor and everything. But the article itself, I’d have paid Mindy to print it. I took another sip of my beer, letting the silence sit between us before I spoke again. “He’s not my dad. Stein’s a dangerous criminal who hurt a lot of people.” I shrugged, feeling the weight of it. I was the daughter of a whore and a murderer. If there was such a thing as bad blood, then I was full of it. “He didn’t want her, by the way. Stein said Saul asked him to take her.” He went still, the muscles of his shoulder rolling as he tensed. We both knew who I was talking about. The woman whose name he’d never told me. “Told him to get rid of her. Part of the terms of their deal. He could have been lying to me, but why bother? Wasn’t like my opinion of him could have been any lower.” I took a sip, watching his face as he ingested the information. “He deserved to be in prison, and now he is.”

They didn’t post bail. The charges were serious enough that he was inside till the trial.

“He won’t serve long,” Kane said, recovering, the cold glint in his eyes gone as he turned to look at me. “Couple of years, if that. Made yourself a hell of an enemy.” He laid his palm on the high back of my stool, shifting a little closer as he dropped his voice. “You could use some friends in this town.”

I didn’t flinch, looking him slowly up and down.

“Is this the bit where you offer me your dead fiancé’s ring again?” I asked, making sure my disdain was crystal clear. “Hold me prisoner in your shiny new sex dungeon, which you probably bought with all the extra money you’re making as the New King of Rapture City.”

His lip flicked upwards, a flash of teeth, as I earned one of those little smiles of his.

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t be into it,” Kane said, and damn it if I didn’t lean closer. “You’re as messy as I am.”

I rolled my eyes, even as I felt the fire creep up my neck. “Says the Fratricidal maniac.”

Kane leaned that final bit closer, bringing his mouth to my ear. “Didn’t you just commit patricide?”

“He’s still alive.” I turned back towards the bar, taking another gulp of my beer. Distancing us as I eyed the neck of the bottle. I could probably finish it in one gulp. “He’ll just spend most of the rest of it in prison.”

“He won’t.” Kane’s finger touched the middle of my shoulder blades, tracing a line down. I didn’t flinch. He was playing chicken. “I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly he gets out. When he does, he’s going to make you regret the day you were born.”

“Then he should have kept it in his pants,” I said, arching my back, so I was out of his reach. “I’ll be fine.” He took a sip of his drink, content to hear my excuses before he passed judgment. Kane fucking Kelly, King of the Underworld. “So, are you here to kill me? Threaten me into silence?” I didn’t bother to glare, shook my head instead as I glanced back at my beer. Closing both palms around it as I rested my elbows on the bar. “You don’t need to. I never want to talk to anyone about what you did.”

“What I did?” He had the balls to sound surprised.

Curious as to the list of crimes I’d lay at his feet. My gaze flicked to his. I managed to bite my tongue for all of ten seconds before I bit.

“You drugged me,” I said. “Tried to kill me multiple times.” One was too many. “You raped me.”

That one stung to say out loud, because it was still funny in my head, how many times he’d done it. It sat there in the air between us, a tense silence.

“But I always made you breakfast afterwards.”

It took a second, a moment, to understand what he’d said. I should have slapped him. Laughter slipped out instead, a shocked gasp of it as I shook my head.

“You’re a psycho,” I said, wondering why I was smiling. I rubbed my face, covering my eyes with my palm, even though that was the last thing I should do. “What are you going to do?”

Kane tipped his tumbler towards him, eyeing the liquor inside.

“Probably marry your sister,” he said.

I flinched, beer bottle slamming down on the counter as I turned to face him. Forget slapping the bastard. I was going to break his nose.

“What?!?”

“Carly came to me,” Kane said, his eyes on my face. He wasn’t smiling. He was watching my reaction, studying it for dissection later. “Shrewd woman. Offered me allies as high as the Senate and the Supreme Court. As good as sold me your sister to make sure the other families don’t rip her apart.” He shrugged. “On the condition that I leave her husband alone. Let him rot in jail, can’t kill my father-in-law, can I?”

“Family hasn’t stopped you before.” I shook my head, hand pressing to my diaphragm. I felt sick. A painful twist that I didn’t want to acknowledge felt a bit like a broken heart. It couldn’t be, though. I hated Kane Kelly. “Are you going to do it? Marry Harper?”

His gaze flicked over my face. My eyes were burning. He could probably tell how bright they were. He must think I was about to cry.

“Stein spoke to me as well. Sent Charlie to make the same offer. Whether I take it depends on you, I guess.” Kane reached up, catching a strand of hair to tuck behind my ear. I didn’t pull away as his fingertips grazed the shell. I should run, I really should. “You weren’t on the table. He’s terrified someone’s going to kill Harper when he’s inside. For some reason, he’s not so worried about you.” His brow flicked up, letting it sink in. “So what will it be? Plan B or Plan C.”

Nice that the sex dungeon was off the table again.

“Plan B is to live my life as your glorified trophy slash wife?” It was worth double-checking.

Kane nodded. “And Plan C is to wait for your father to get out of prison so he can take his revenge and kill you or make you wish you were dead.”

I thought about it long enough for my head to ache. Like I’d just accept his shitty terms to save my own skin. The joke was on him.

“You’ll be miserable with my sister. She’ll make your life hell.” I took a sip of beer. Letting it soothe the burn in my throat. No reason for me to cry. “Guess that’ll be enough revenge for me.”

He leant closer again, eyes intent like he was hunting for hesitation, a lie. “You sure, Sweetheart?” 

Thanks to him tearing my whole fucking life apart, I’d developed a hell of a poker face.

“I’ll take my chances with Plan C,” I repeated, sounding just as certain as the first time.

Focusing on the anger and ignoring everything else. I’d got pretty good at suppressing the ugly emotions I felt when I thought about what happened. I hadn’t cried since the night he tried to murder me.

“If I marry, Harper,” he said. “It’s over between us.”

He was twisting the knife, looking for a reaction. Kane Kelly was a liar. He wasn’t going to see me cry!

“How honourable of you.” My smile was cold enough for the Day of the Dead. “Oh no, whatever will I do?” I rested the back of my wrist against my forehead, like I was swooning. “Me, an attractive twenty-two-year-old woman on the dating market in Rapture City. How will I ever find someone to replace my murderous ex-fiance?” Picked up my beer, taking an emphatic swig to finish the bottle. “Guess I’m just doomed to die alone. Maybe I should get another cat.”

Kane leant back, rubbing at his forehead like I was giving him a headache. “You’re unbearable.”

“I really am. You’ve dodged a bullet.” I waved my empty beer at him. “May you be blessed with a marriage of understanding, respect, and happiness with Harper Stein.”

Even if my eyes stung at the thought of it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure who I felt more sorry for. Harper, Kane, or me. Harper probably. I wouldn’t wish Kane on her.

“Vi.” Alice jumped into the seat on my other side, adjusting to the fact that hers had been stolen. “I met some doctors. Pierce and Kimmy work over at Rapture Grace. And I think they were both into me. Can you wing woman Pierce so I can get Kimmy? Or do you want Kimmy? You were into girls in college, right?” She tailed off, eyes falling on Kane as her brows rose. “Who is this absolute daddy?”

Her gaze flicked to mine, brows raised, as my cheeks turned hotter than the subway.

“My ex-boss,” I swallowed, feeling distant and a little terrified. “Kane Kelly, this is Alice Bluhart. Alice, this is Kane.”

I think we were all speechless for a second. Silence ringing, fucking silence.

“Nice to meet you.” Kane shook her hand, his smile a flash of teeth that didn’t meet his eyes. “Which one is Pierce?”

Alice turned, waving in the vague direction of a booth. A man and a woman were there, both pretty attractive. She wasn’t looking for personality in a one-night stand.

“He works at Rapture Grace?” The question dangled in the air. Alice paled before she nodded. “Pretty rough that hospital, isn’t it? Tough neighbourhood to serve.” His eyes narrowed as he stared across the bar. “Must be a brave man, to flirt with something so dangerous.”

It was a threat, couldn’t have been clearer if he came out and said it. Go home with Doctor Pierce, and he’ll turn up dead. 

“I didn’t tell you, Alice.” I sure as hell wasn’t going to flinch. “Mister Kelly’s engaged to my half sister, Harper.”

“Congratulations,” Alice said through gritted teeth as she gave me a look. Her eyes narrowed, and I could read the message. Don’t bait the mob boss who kidnapped you. Let’s get out of here. She didn’t need to say a word of it out loud. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Nothing bad, I hope?” Kane smiled.

Every one of us knew it wasn’t good. I pushed my stool back, hopping to my feet. 

“Do you think Kimmy and Pierce would be down for a threesome?”

Two heads shot towards me, Alice’s eyes begged me to shut up, and Kane’s cheeks turned red.

“Vi,” she whispered. “We should go—”

“No,” I said, tilting my chin. “Not until I’ve made one thing abundantly clear.” I jabbed a finger at Kane’s chest, poking him hard enough his hand flew up to cover the wound. “You can’t make me disappear, or you would have done it already. If you even try, then the case against Stein collapses, and you lose everything you’ve gained. You don’t own me, you have no say over what I do, and no right to punish anyone I do it with. And if you threaten me—” I glared at him. “If you hurt a hair on the head of anyone I love, I will ruin you, just like I ruined Howard Stein. Checkmate Kelly. We’re done!” I turned to Alice. “Now we can go.”

I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair and Alice’s wrist, pulling her past the disappointed doctors and towards the door. 

“That was fucked, Vi!” Alice whisper-shouted.

I didn’t look back till we were almost out of the bar. Alice didn’t hesitate. She slipped out past me, stumbling out into the rain. I stood in the doorway, eyes on the street beyond. Took one deep breath before I glanced back once over my shoulder. Our eyes met. Even from the other side of the room, I could see the flicker of a blue too pale. Kane Kelly smiled at me as he raised his glass. A single salute before he took a sip. Game on.

Chapter Text

The Island...

Chapter Text

1 year and 8 months previously…

“Kane introduced us,” I said. “He recognised my mother and put two and two—”

There was a bang as the glass behind the officer’s head vibrated. I caught my gaze in the mirror, narrowing my eyes as my suspicion was confirmed. Someone was watching from the other side. Officer Breskie hit pause on the tape recorder. He was tall, even sitting down. I lay my palms flat on the interrogation table, careful not to blink. When I’d come in to give my statement, I wasn’t sure what I expected. It hadn’t been an interrogation room, and Breskie’s hand resting on the cuffs in his belt. We were seven months into the investigation, and by this point, I thought we'd built some trust. Howard Stein’s court date was set for late summer. He’d been in police custody for months. Breskie’s finger shifted left as he hit rewind on the recorder. I watched the wheels of the cassette spin backwards, my stomach dropping. Stop. Then record again. The soft click of tape turning filled the silence.

“Can you describe the circumstances under which you discovered Howard Stein was your father?” Officer Breskie asked for the second time.

I glanced at Officer Brown. She looked just as intimidating. We were going to go again, like someone wasn’t watching every word of what was supposed to be a confidential statement. I glanced up at the ceiling, eyes catching on the dark dome of the camera in the middle of the white metal tiles. There were eyes everywhere, watching and dissecting me from a thousand angles.

“I—” My heart pounded in my ears, my teeth aching because I couldn’t. I needed to know who was behind the glass! “Kelly introduced us the day after he tried to fucking strangle me!”

Breskie glanced at Brown before he pressed stop on the recorder. Brown shook her head. 

“I think we need a short break,” Breskie suggested. “You want a coffee, Viola?”

It was feeling less and less like there were safe answers to any of their questions.

“Alright.” I started to stand, but Brown shook her head.

“Just wait here, Miss Cox,” Brown said. “Take a second to gather your thoughts. I advise you to think hard about what you’re trying to say.”

There really wasn’t a cop in Rapture City who would take a statement that incriminated Kane Kelly. I sat back down in the metal seat as they both rose, tracking their path as they crossed to the door. It closed behind them with a shriek that made me feel cold. I was alone with only the dull hiss of the radiators. My eyes were still wide when I caught them in the mirror. I looked as confused as I felt.

No part of me wanted to talk about what Kane did. Even thinking about that night tied my stomach into knots. I would never have said it if I didn't have a pretty good idea of who was watching from the other side of the mirror. The game was over the moment he hit the glass. I rubbed my forehead, closing my eyes. If I got through this statement, then I could go home and not talk to my mother. Forget everything and meditate like my stupid mental health app told me to. It was the best end to today I could hope for. The door clicked open, and I didn’t bother glancing up.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say.” I kept my eyes closed. It was easier that way. Safer. “Just tell me what I’m supposed to say.”

“Well, for starters, let’s keep the kinks between us, sweetheart.” Sometimes, I hated being right. “I don’t think Rapture’s finest need to hear about our sex life.” 

I’d thought it was Kelly, but that didn’t mean I was ready to face him. My shoulders locked in place with my head hidden behind my hand. The muscles of my legs clenched so tightly that the hem of my skirt cut into my thighs.

“Vi?” His palm touched my shoulder. 

The metal chair legs scraped across the tiles as I threw myself away from him. Three steps and my back to hit the wall. Kane Kelly was blocking the door. My gaze flicked to the mirror, then back to him. It vibrated when he hit it. It wasn't that thick. I threw myself at the glass, banging my fist against it.

“Help!” My ears rang as the mirror bounced with my hits. “Officer Breskie, Officer Brown, help, please!”

The glass was covered with the greasy imprints of my fist before the truth settled in. It didn’t matter how much noise I made. I was locked in a room with the man who tried to strangle me, and no one was coming. Deep breath, really deep. Then I held it. Don’t hyperventilate. My fingers slid down the mirror with a wet squeak. I exhaled, misting the glass. He was where I left him, arms folded as he watched me panic.

“You think they’ll come?” Kane asked.

The question made dread pool in my belly. He owned this city, but even he couldn’t murder me in a police precinct, right? I sucked in another deep breath, pulling my head together as I stared at him. He’d let his hair grow. There was the slightest wave to the blonde, sandy five o’clock shadow covered his jaw and streaks of red in his eyes that made them look even bluer in the fluorescent light. He was too well turned out to say he was a mess, but I’d guess he was stressed. The air kept circulating in the enclosed room, and all I could smell was him. 

“If you touch me, I’ll tell Harper.” It was the only card I had. 

After I got our father arrested, I was certain Harper Stein would never want to speak to me again. She’d reached out to me after she moved into Kelly’s brownstone. We’d been meeting for coffee twice a month ever since. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was doing it out of guilt or to check in and make sure she was alive. But after the third time we met up, I could say it was because I liked her. She was a mess, but I guess it ran in the family. Kane stepped round the table, and my eyes darted to the door. 

“It’s locked from the outside,” he said. 

My gaze snapped back to him. “Then you’re trapped in here with me, too.”

I tried to make it sound threatening. It didn’t help that my voice shook as much as my knees.

“Harper doesn’t care who I fuck,” he said, taking another step closer. 

“You’re engaged.” It shouldn’t hurt as much as it did. 

“And?” His lip flicked up in a half smile as he stopped in front of me, only just enough of a gap between us for me to breathe. “You’re a terrible reporter if you haven’t realised that’s a sham yet.”

“Junior Editor.” I had a long way to go and a lot to learn before I could call myself a reporter.

“Still?” He sounded offended on my behalf. “Shouldn’t they have promoted you by now?”

Mindy had a career path for me. We had it all planned out, objectives to hit and milestones to help me grow. By the time I got there, I’d more than deserve it. I’d have earned it.

“That’s not how careers work,” I said. “You don’t just get promoted to the top job after seven months; you have to work your way up. It takes years.”

He was still smiling that stupid smile as he watched me talk. Doing more looking than listening.

“But then, have you ever even had a real job?” I asked. “Or did your dad just hand you a portfolio of businesses to manage the moment you finished university?” The only competition he’d ever had was from his brother and, well, he’d won. “Normal people actually have to earn things, they don’t just—”

He caught my bottom lip between his thumb and finger.

“I hear you can sleep your way to the top.” His eyes were icy as he said it. “You’re not considering it, are you?”

I tugged my face away from his hand. 

“I don’t think I’m Mindy’s type.” The glare I gave him only made his smile widen. “Harper—”

“Is a political alliance,” he said. “And don’t use your sudden loyalty to her as an excuse. She’s too strung out on her coke head shit of a boyfriend to care who I sleep with.”

I tried to feign surprise. “She has a boyfriend?”

We’d talked about Reggie a lot. When Harper told me she was dating Alice’s sort of ex, I had to get the details. Not that Alice really had Ex’s. She was too much of a free spirit for labels or monogamy. Kane's eyes narrowed. Guess he didn't believe my fake surprise.

“I’ve been trying to get her clean, and he keeps sneaking her drugs.” He glanced at the mirror behind my head, his brows drawing together. “I’m considering killing him.”

His voice had an edge to it. Not the cold practicality he usually discussed murder with. The stress of keeping Harper under control was taking its toll on him.

“Don’t kill Reggie.” I was pretty sure Alice would be upset if he died. 

Last I checked, they still hooked up occasionally.

“Reggie,” Kane grimaced. “You’re not sneaking around with him, too, are you?”

“Of course not.” I pushed at his chest to force him back. The shock of him being there was wearing off. I was feeling less terrified. “I’m trying out celibacy for a while.”

It was less of a choice and more that bad things happened every time someone touched me. Usually, I’d freeze up, but last time I’d accidentally punched a guy. Almost broke his nose. The real joke was that I was lucky he didn't press assault charges. I’d hoped to spend my early twenties embracing city life as a young professional. Instead, nightmares, panic attacks and anger management were the big themes of twenty-two. I’d talk to a therapist about it, but I didn’t want to get them killed. I had to make do with my breathing exercises and a mental health app. The thought annoyed me enough that I shoved his chest again, harder this time. It was all his fault. Kane’s hand curled around my wrist, stopping me from pushing him away.

“If you’re celibate .” His grip tightened on the word. “I guess that means you’re not seeing anyone?” 

I glanced at my wrist, then back up to his face. His eyes dropped to the neckline of my white shirt, lower to where the hem was tucked into the waistband of my yellow plaid skirt. I thought it was a fun outfit. Preppy. I’d made a little bit of effort for the police station. I should have worn jeans.

“Fuck you, Kelly.” It wasn’t happening.

His smile froze the blood in my veins, sending a prickle of cold across my skin. “If you insist.”

“Kane!” Oh god no!

I shoved hard at his chest as he leaned in. My whole face scrunched up as he kissed my closed lips. I wasn’t going to cry. I couldn’t. He lingered, mouth warm against mine, giving me a moment to relax. Every muscle in me tensed. When he pulled back, I seized my chance.

“Please.” My fingers curled into his shirt, clinging to him as I begged. “I can’t.”

If I freaked out and punched him, he'd probably hit me back. The muscles of his chest stiffened under my hands. As tense as I was. He ran his palms across my shoulders, gently gripping my upper arms as he pulled me away from the mirror. Kane turned us, walking me a few steps backwards. I flinched, eyes flying open as the back of my thigh touched the cool metal of the interrogation table.

“You’re alright.” His breath ghosted across my lips, following the words with the gentlest kiss. Lips as soft as his fingertips trailing down my arms. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

I was shaking. “This is wrong.”

His mouth pressed underneath my jaw. The pads of his fingers reached the hem of my skirt, and he tugged it up around my waist till the only thing covering me was my black tights.

“You broke the rules, Vi,” he whispered. I shook my head as the tips of his fingers slipped into my tights. He tugged them down carefully enough he didn’t ladder the thin material. I was still frozen when he knelt, slipping my shoes off with the tights. The floor tiles were so cold under my bare feet. “There are consequences.”

“I didn’t—”

“You just told the cops I strangled you.” Kane’s voice hardened. My hair rose. I stood completely still as he dragged my underwear down the top of my thighs, his palms flat against my skin. The trail of his touch burned like prickly heat. He pulled them all the way to the floor before he stood again. “We’re doing it your way.” He took hold of my chin. “You want Stein in jail? I’ll put him there.” Kane turned my face up, so I had no choice but to look him dead in the eyes. “But you keep your mouth shut about me, understood?”

He was even kind enough to help me nod, pulling my head up and down as I shivered.

“Understood.” I’d thought I could outplay him. But I was running through illusions fast. I was locked in a room with him, bare from the waist down. No one was going to help me. “I’m sorry.”

My voice sounded so small. It was ridiculous that I was apologising to him, but I’d say pretty much anything if it got me out of this.

“I know.” He let go of my chin, hand dropping to my thigh as he glanced down. “But you still fucked up.” The air shifted as he knelt, cold fanning across my skin. “Sit down.”

His hands on my inner thighs followed the words, tugging them wide as I sat on the interrogation table. My breath caught at our reflection. My legs spread indecently wide, his head between them. Tall enough that when he knelt, his mouth still reached my centre.

“Is there someone else behind the glass?” Please let there not be!

His fingers covered my mound, parting to spread my lips. The only thing blocking my cunt from the two-way mirror was his head.

“It’s just us.” He glanced up, eyes fixing on mine. “Be good,” he warned. “I could drag you kicking and screaming through this precinct, and the cops would help me put you in my trunk. Do you understand?”

I couldn’t tell if he wanted me to be grateful to him for not abducting me, or was reminding me he could. 

“I understand.” My voice cracked. 

He didn’t look away as he leant in, tongue darting out to slowly trail up my clit. A warm, wet line. I flinched at the brush. Kane's eyes closed as he savoured the moment. 

“I’ve missed how you taste.”

His thumb trailed down to slip inside me as his mouth covered my clit. Kane rolled the nerves in his mouth with wet, soft brushes of his tongue as I glanced up from his face. Heat spread through every inch of me. My head dropped back, and I caught our reflection in the mirror. My skirt around my waist, and the back of his blonde head, framed by my legs. It was indecent. There was a scream caught in my throat that I couldn’t risk letting out. I took a breath, closing my eyes as I gripped the lip of the table, metal digging into my palm.

He started moving his thumb, deliberate thrusts as he brushed his tongue over my captured clit. I knew what he was hunting for. If I gave it to him, he’d let me go. I focused on the feeling, let the sensation come, and pressed my hips forward. My leg slipped over his shoulder as I dug my heel into his back. My cunt throbbed under his touch. Headed to ecstasy so fast that it was almost embarrassing when I tensed. My thighs tightened around his head. His thumb pressed deep, and his tongue flicked as I came with a breathless whine. 

My legs were shaking as he drew back. My cunt aching and clenching as he pulled his thumb free. I watched him wipe the slick on the side of his suit pants, leaving a dark, greasy mark. Kane’s fingers were gentle as he slipped my ankles through my underwear, pulling them back up my legs. My eyes blurred as he stood. He took my wrists in his hands, pulling me to my feet. My bare toes felt so wrong against the industrial floor tile. Cold spread through me to freeze my shaking limbs. I wouldn’t cry. I couldn’t. He was pulling my skirt back into place.

“Sweetheart, look at me.” It was over. 

I glanced up, eyes fixing on his. An anchor point in the insanity. If I cried, it would turn him on. Our gazes held. His eyes darted, searching mine like he was trying to decipher what I was thinking. Kane leant in and I tasted myself on his lips. Familiar as the brush of his tongue. His breath had a hint of mint, where I’d expected to taste tobacco. I kissed him back, leaning into his chest as I relaxed. I was as close to safe as it got around him. He’d made his point. Our lips broke apart, leaving a wet trail from the kiss.

“Feel free to break the rules again.” His hands tightened on my arse, squeezing. “Anytime you want.”

I should push him away, but my arms felt as weak as my legs. 

“What am I allowed to say?” The first statement hadn’t even been bad.

He tilted his head to the side, eyes slipping to the wall behind me as he built an acceptable lie in his head. 

“Say you saw Stein in a bar,” he decided. “You were meeting Alice there, and she never showed up. He introduced himself and told you he was your father.”

I hated that he knew who Alice was. Kane Kelly probably knew everything about me by now, and I didn’t even know his ex’s name. I’d tried to look into him, but he didn’t even show up on search engines.

“Alright.” It was a good enough lie. I doubted Stein would contest it. “What if someone else asks me questions about you?”

Kane's thumb brushed my cheek. A warm, satisfied glint in his eyes. He was enjoying the mess he’d turned me into. Hair dishevelled, and lips so kissed they ached.

“Say nothing,” he said. “Or deflect the question. Don’t ever lie, but never give any details about me or our relationship.”

A blush rose to my cheeks, as painful as the sudden ache in my chest.

“You sound like you’re ashamed of me.” The words slipped out before I could check them. They sounded hurt. Kane’s frown dropped away, his lips parted. “I didn’t—”

His gaze hardened.

“If it were up to me, Vi, none of this would be happening.” He sounded dangerously close to earnest. “I’d be planning our wedding, not negotiating with Carly fucking Stein over shipping territories.” He spat her name with enough vitriol to get a few flecks of spit on my cheek. “She and her husband would be dead, as would both of their bratty children.” The breath he took was shallow, like he was stopping himself from saying anything worse. “And there wouldn’t be a person in the world who didn’t know you were mine.”

Good thing he wasn’t in control then. I didn’t want Harper dead. I shook my head. He made no sense.

“If it’s not up to you, then who the hell is calling the shots?” Stein was in police custody.

If it wasn’t Kane, then I didn’t want to meet the heartless bastard behind the mess my life had become. His lips twitched as he looked down at me with an indulgence that bordered on frustration.

“Why don’t you think about it a while?” Kane said. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

His lips touched my cheek as his arms surrounded me. For a murderous bastard, he gave good hugs. I leant into his chest, tired and dazed as I lifted my arms just high enough to hug him back. His grip softened, muscles relaxing under my touch. I wasn’t sure the last time someone had hugged me. Things had been weird with Mom since Stein happened. Kane Kelly was the first person in months I’d let close enough to show me basic human affection. They’d been really hard months. Soul crushing. The worst part about it was that even after everything he did, I'd still missed him.

“Don’t worry about your statement.” His cheek shifted to press against my temple. “I’ll be behind the glass. If you say something wrong, I’ll give it a tap. That way you’ll know.”

I missed the bits before it all went to shit. The butterflies in my stomach when he kissed me. How safe I'd felt around him. For the first time in my life, there had been a man who cared enough to catch me when I fucked up. To help me and look out for me when my life went to shit. It doubly sucked that even that had been manipulation. I sighed, shifting my head as I looked up, gaze catching on the small black dome on the ceiling. My whole body stiffened. It was too good to be true. I looked away fast, but it didn’t stop Kane following my gaze. His lip lifted at the corner, a half smile.

“I was going to make a copy to take home before I delete the footage,” he said. "Something to keep me going till you mess up again.”

And just like that, my heart sank. Of course, he knew. It was too much to hope I could catch a break.

“Isn’t it dangerous to keep evidence around of you raping me?” I fought the urge to stamp on his toes.

“Rape?” Kane’s palm covered the back of my head, keeping me tight against him. “Hard to prove that, considering you’re the one who got off.”

My mouth opened, ready for a reply, but my brain came up short.

“Then there’s all that clinging to my shirt you did when I kissed you,” he said. “Pulling me closer, sitting down on the table and opening your legs—”

“What about the five minutes I spent beating against the glass and screaming for help?” It didn’t exactly say willing.

“You were surprised.” His voice dropped as he leaned in, lips brushing my ear. “You didn’t say no, Vi.”

I glared at his neck, shoulders tensed. “You’re delusional.” 

“I didn’t say you wanted it.” His palm slipped from the back of my head, down my neck. “Just that it won’t look like that on the recording. I didn’t exactly bend you over the table and fuck you whilst you were weeping.” His voice was so soft, poison in my ear. “Look at you now. You’re hugging me.” His hand reached the centre of my back. It felt warm there, secure. “You came in my mouth, sweetheart.”

I turned my head, meeting his gaze. “I hate you.”

Kane smiled. When he kissed me, I was dumb enough to kiss him back.

Chapter Text

A year and a half later…

Together With Their Families

Kane Kelly

&

Harper Stein

Request the Pleasure of Your Company at Their Wedding Ceremony

On Midsummer's Day Next Year

Please RSVP

It was a bad day, the day I took the job. A really bad day, but sitting in the kitchen of the studio rental, it didn’t seem so terrible anymore. The island’s main city was smaller than West Brom.

“And don’t let Pierce intimidate you,” Mindy said, scratching at her chin through the narrow window of my work laptop. “He thinks he’s suave because he’s European, but he’s not as smart as he thinks.”

“He’s an award-winning investigative reporter.” I gathered my hair in my hands, pulling it back into a messy bun. 

Mindy let out a little annoyed puff, fanning herself even though it wasn't over fifty degrees up there. 

“He’s a shark!” She groused. “And he’s 30k over budget. I need you to get their spending under control, otherwise Bobby will have my arse!” Eight and a half months pregnant. Mindy had a lot less patience than eight months pregnant Mindy. She looked done, tired, puffy and constantly pissed off. “How’s the place he put you up?” 

I glanced around the small apartment. There was no air-con unit, and bugs I couldn’t name in the bathroom.

“I think I might need to call an exterminator.” It was too hot.

I’d never experienced wet heat before. My whole body felt greasy.

“That’s the island.” Mindy scowled as she said it. “One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and the most dangerous.”

“Seriously?” It wasn’t exactly Midtown.

“It’s a different world, Vi.” Mindy watched me from a thousand miles away, her gaze intent. “Don’t go anywhere alone, don’t wander off from the tourist areas, and don’t carry anything you don’t mind losing, and don’t get drunk.”

“So it’s Parkside?” I tried to keep my tone light, but she wasn’t in the mood for my jokes. “You’re just saying that because you can’t have a beer for another month.”

“Ha.” Her laugh was bitter. “You’re there to work, Vi. Sure, enjoy the sunshine. God knows it’s miserable here.” Winter was clinging on. It had been a full month of rain when I left. “But don’t take any risks. You’re there to be me. Do the interview with Pierce, check their budget, and report back to Bobby.”

“I know.” I’d had the lecture three times before I left.

From both her and Bobby. I was there to report on the reporters. But who was watching me? Mindy Friar, like a damn hawk. I was still in trouble from the last big story I’d blown so colossally they’d had to pull it the night before the press. There was a knock on the door.

I glanced that way, and she caught the look. “What is it?” 

“That’s probably Pierce.” I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I’d showered, chucked on shorts and my thinnest t-shirt, and jumped on a call with Mindy to let her know I’d arrived. She worried when I didn’t check in. “I should go. Bobby will be pissed if he gets home and finds you working.”

She was supposed to be on bed rest. She’d already almost gone into labour once. Mindy snorted again.

“Fine, remember,” she said. “Pierce is an arsehole, but you can learn a lot from him.”

“You’re giving me whiplash.” I waved at her as I hung up. “Bye now.”

I unlocked the chain on the door before I opened it. Pierce was in his late thirties, with rugged dark hair that fell over his face. Rough stubble and brown eyes, which were frankly piercing, framed by thick rimmed black glasses. If someone caught him wandering around West Brom, he’d be shot on principle for attempted gentrification.

“Viola.” He smiled, holding out a hand in greeting. His teeth were so white they sparkled. “It’s good to meet you in person. Was that Mindy I heard?”

“Heard?” I took a half step back.

“I’m next door, and the walls are thin.” His smile tightened, turning awkward. I was too stunned to return it. “I thought I could show you around town before we get to gutting my budget?”

I could feel the sting of the blush creeping up my cheeks. He’d heard everything. Shit!

“Uh—” I glanced around, looking for the trainers I’d dumped somewhere. “Sure.”

His hand was still hanging there, and after another awkward half second, I reached out to shake it.

“Sorry, I mean, Vi,” I said. “I’m Vi?”

“Pierce.” He smiled again and god his smile.

He was dark academia in a nutshell, only smoking hot.

“One sec, I need my uh, fanny pack.” I swear to you; I grabbed the thing tied around my waist and yanked my t-shirt over it, because, well. The blogs said to keep my valuables with me. “Alright, I’m ready.”

He was still standing in the doorway, arms folded, showing off his biceps through the linen of his shirt. It wasn’t exactly rippling muscle. But I think I might have been drooling. I met him at the door, pretty sure I had everything.

“Did you grab your keys?” He sounded so earnest that I just stared at him for a second. “They’re on the table there, right?”

“Yeah, of course, keys.” I darted back, grabbing them from the table, before I finally made it out of the apartment. “So, where’s the other guy?”

I needed to start saying smart things soon, or Pierce Aldridge was going to think I was an absolute idiot. Mindy might be my hero, but Pierce was a legend. Famous for exposing corruption across half the world. He’d sat down with dictators and got candid interviews with some of the biggest gang lords on the planet. 

“Mickey’s at the beach,” he said.

“Is that where all the money’s going?” I turned the key, and the latch clicked home.

My joke didn’t get a laugh, just a tight smile. “It’s a Sunday. We’d be 50k over budget if I started charging my overtime rate for weekends.”

“I—” Bad move, not funny! “Sorry, I was joking—”

“Relax, Vi.” Pierce nodded his head down the corridor. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Pierce paid in cash, a couple of thin notes for the giant green fruits. The guy was selling them from the back of his bike. I jumped back when he picked up a machete, hitting hard enough to take the top off before he stuck a couple of paper straws in there.

“Have you ever had one before?” He handed the strange fruit to me as I peered inside. “A coconut?”

“This is a coconut?” I did a double-take; it wasn’t fluffy. “Why isn’t it brown?”

Pierce smiled like I’d said something funny. He did a lot of that.

“Try it.”

I put the straw to my lips, taking a sip. The first thing I thought was how cold it was, when it was a million degrees plus humidity. My second thought was.

“Oh, my god?” My eyes flicked up to his. “Is that what coconut water tastes like?”

“You can eat the skin too,” Pierce said. Then he was moving. “Do you want to see the beach?”

I followed him when he turned, taking a couple of steps to catch up. The main city was built along the strip. The beach should have been dirty, covered in trash with so many people. It wasn’t. Crystal turquoise water and the sand that might as well have been white gold. The palest lightest cream colour. The buildings were all French colonial. Pretty painted wood, with white accents. Mindy was right. It was another world.

“Have you seen the sea before?” Pierce asked, his tone perfectly polite.

I couldn't take it as an insult. It didn't sound like one.

“I’ve seen Rapture harbour,” I said, hedging my bets.

“So you’re a city woman?” He set a slow pace along the boardwalk that fronted the sea.

“Born and bred in Rapture,” I said.

“I love Rapture.” Pierce must have heard the flicker of pride in my voice. He was observant. “What do your parents do?”

And just like that, I wasn’t smiling anymore. What did my parents do? Well, gee, mister award-winning international anti-corruption reporter, my mum’s a waitress, but before that she was a high-end escort, and my dad’s currently serving a prison sentence for tax evasion, because that’s the only charge that stuck. But he’s a corrupt construction mogul and the head of one of the biggest crime families this side of the ocean.

“My mum’s in the service industry.” The straw slurped as I took a slow sip of coconut water. It really was one of the best things I’d ever tasted. “Where are you from?”

“I grew up in Asia,” Pierce said. “Went to an international school there and finished my education in Europe. Have spent most of the rest of my life as a freelance reporter and filmmaker, and have travelled where the story takes me. So really everywhere.”

“You’re a citizen of the world?” And I finally remembered how to roll my eyes.

It was fine. Pierce Aldridge was an arsehole. I didn’t have to feel bad about spying on him for Mindy. He shook his head. 

“I’ve always hated people who call themselves that,” he said. “It screams of privileged idiots who’ve never seen how hard this world can be to live in, or how cruel.” Oh God damn it! He was decent, and now I looked like an arsehole. Pierce stopped, and I almost walked into his back. “Are you nervous around me, Vi?”

I froze, looking up at him and wondering why I was acting like such an idiot. My mouth opened and then closed.

“You’re a big deal.” I looked out at the sparkling sea. Small waves lapping, rolling into the shore, gentle as a kiss. “The Chronicle sent me here to interview you—” and report on his progress. “So far, I think I’ve offended you like three times by accident.” I fiddled with the paper straw, twirling it between my fingers. “You must think I’m an idiot.”

He took a sip, graceful enough not to slurp. Pierce swished the coconut water around in his mouth, thinking.

“I read your exposé on Stein,” he said. “I’m surprised he didn’t get longer.”

It wasn’t a surprise he'd read it. It was one of the biggest stories of that year. I still got a lot of credit for it. It was probably the only reason Mindy hadn’t fired me after the Liedecker disaster.

“Yeah, well,” I shrugged. “That’s the justice system.”

“You’re here for a month, right?” Pierce made it sound like a question, he couldn’t be disorganised enough not to know the answer. “If you’re willing to work, I can teach you a thing or two.”

I tilted my chin. “I’m always willing to work. That’s how I got here.”

That and stabbing my dad so far in the back, you might as well call me Oedipus.

“Well then, Vi,” Pierce said, his smile brighter than the burning sun. “You and I are going to get on just fine.”

I held out the glass. The camera was rolling, but we could cut me out. We’d been filming for an hour already. Mostly, Pierce and Monsieur Moreau had been talking. Making jokes about soccer and getting to know each other. Their conversation wouldn’t have been out of place at a nursing home. An old man reminiscing about the good old days. Pierce Aldridge listened to him like he cared deeply about sporting legends that had been dead longer than I’d been alive.

“You said you wanted water, sir.” Monsieur Moreau was so old, it felt right to be polite.

He smiled, cataracts filmy with white, but his focus was sharp on my face. 

“Thank you, Miss Cox,” he said.

I nodded, darting back behind the rolling camera to sit on the stool. Mickey was lining up the shot, inspecting the buttons on the side. He wore his baseball cap backwards, and even I thought he had too many holes in his jeans. Mickey caught me looking and winked. The window we were filming Moreau in front of had a clear view of the sea, he was a silhouette for the camera. The wide-brimmed cream hat he wore covered his head. Anonymous. It could have been any old man. The composition of the shot made it look like a painting. His voice was coming through clear from the mic in his shirt.

“A view like this never gets old,” Moreau said.

Aldridge was off camera, out of shot, but where Moreau could see him. Most of the interview so far had been them talking. Well, Moreau talking. Aldridge would ask him the occasional question to prompt him. Watching him made me realise interviewing was an art form.

“It’s peaceful.” Aldridge sounded so calm. Safe. When he spoke, I leaned closer. “We don’t have to talk about it, Clement, if you’re not ready?”

He was magnetic. A presence that pulled the world around him in. I'd never seen raw charisma before. But he had it.

“No.” Moreau's hand rose as he covered his mouth. “I’m ready.”

Pierce's smile wasn’t joyful. It was the perfect blend of support and sympathy. I was watching him as much as Moreau. The way he interviewed was a masterclass. Even better than Mindy, I hadn't even realised when she'd been asking me questions, but Pierce made her look clumsy.

“The town was called Haute-Castel,” Moreau said. “You won’t find it on any maps. Not after what happened. It was up in the mountains. Only one road in or out. The Vassière’s were using it as a base of operations. It was Castel in the mountains, for the drugs, and L’Élysee by the sea, for the girls.” He took a breath, his shoulders tense. “That’s where they took my daughter.”

Chapter Text

My teeth clinked against the glass as I swallowed tepid water. There was no ice left. It melted in the heat of the day. Rapture only needed air-con a few days a year. But when it needed it, it really needed it. I cleared my throat, putting the cup down on the little square shelf in front of me. The district attorney offered me an encouraging smile as I clasped my hands together. We’d been over it a thousand times. They’d grilled me as hard as the defence was about to. The state of Bluff vs Howard Stein was one of the biggest legal battles of the decade. For most of the case, the courtroom had been swarming with media. Today it was closed.

“The prosecution rests, your honour.” The district attorney stepped back at the nod from Judge Farbrace.

He undid the bottom button of his tailored jacket as he sat. No frayed elbow patches, and cheap suits for the Rapture District Attorney. Jacob Schipp took bribes from both sides. The gallery was empty behind him. Even though it was a closed gallery today, I’d half expected to see Kelly. He wasn’t there. Just me, my old man, the lawyers, the judge and the court staff, and, of course, a jury of Stein’s peers. I doubted they were actually his peers. None of them looked like the ruthless head of a crime syndicate that ruled the East Coast. Well, maybe juror number six. A thin older woman, draped in designer clothing, was watching the trial like it was a TV drama.

Stein’s lawyer stood. Tyler Aguilar was the highest-paid attorney on the East Coast. A miracle worker for all the white-collar criminals. Jacob prepped me for him, but I don’t think any part of me was really ready to face Aguilar, any more than I was ready to meet Howard Stein’s gaze. I’d been avoiding looking at him. He should have been in orange, but he wasn’t yet. I was sitting across the courtroom floor from the man I was trying my hardest to send to jail. My biological father.

“Miss Cox,” Aquilar said. “That is your name, yes, Viola Henrietta Cox?”

“Present.” I raised my hand, letting the awkwardness of my true personality shine.

He glanced up, offering a tight, pained smile. It dropped away immediately, his expression turning stern.

“The charges you’ve levelled against my client, Mister Stein, are very serious,” Aquilar said. “There are a lot of things you’re asking the jury to just take your word for.”

“Not really.” I glanced at the district attorney, wondering if he’d interject.

“Not really?” Aquilar’s tone had just the right note of disbelief to cast a flicker of doubt.

I heard it in the shifting air, the rustle of moving clothing from the jury.

“No.” I’d played this game too many times. He wasn’t going to make me look dumb. “The evidence presented by District Attorney Schipp—”

“Most of which you provided to the police?” He said, brows flicking upwards. “Is that correct?”

“Yes,” I said, “though Schipp’s presented more evidence than what was detailed in my initial—”

“And that evidence was stolen, was it not?” He asked. “By you, whilst you were a guest in my client’s house?”

So that was the game. Make me out to be the criminal.

“I was not a guest in Mister Stein’s house.” I tilted my chin, the space inside my chest hardening. “I was being held there against my will.”

Now wasn’t the time to act like a scared little girl. No matter how much I felt like one.

“So you say,” Aquilar said. “Though neither you nor your mother have pressed charges for your alleged abduction.”

Stein turned his head, looking up at his lawyer. 

“I figured he was in enough trouble,” I said. 

That got a titter, a flicker from the jury that might have been a laugh.

“And let’s talk a little about your mother—”

“Objection!” The district attorney stood. “Your honour, the witness’s mother has no relevance to the crimes discussed in this court.”

“They have relevance to the witness’s character,” Aquilar said. “Which is a valid subject considering the nature and source of the documents presented to the court.”

They both looked at the judge. Two children pleading their side of the argument was valid. I glanced up at Judge Farbrace. He was old, still had a full head of grey hair, but he had a decade on Stein, at least.

“Overruled,” Farbrace said. “I’ll allow it.”

I’ll bet he would. I straightened my spine, bracing for what came next. If Stein wanted to go there, fine, I guess we were going there. The district attorney sat down.

“Your mother, Beatrice Tanya Cox,” Aquilar said. “Was known to be a prostitute at the time of your conception. Is that correct?”

“My mother has never been charged with solicitation.” I wasn’t going to flinch. “Which would make your statement, in this case, tantamount to slander.” 

I could speak fancy too.

“Do you deny, under oath, that your mother ever accepted money for acts of a sexual nature?” Aquilar asked.

I tilted my chin. “Does your client claim my mother ever accepted financial compensation from him for acts of a sexual nature?”

“Objection, your honour.” Aquilar glanced at the judge. “I would move to have that stricken from the record on the grounds of being slanderous to my client’s reputation.”

“Objection, your honour.” The district attorney jumped in. “The witness merely asked a question, which cannot by definition be defined as slander.”

“Overruled, the witness’s response will not be stricken,” Judge Farbrace said. “Miss Cox, please answer attorney Aquilar’s original question.”

I grit my teeth, eyes narrowing. I refused to look at Stein. The nerve of him. To call my mother a whore in front of the court.

“I have never witnessed my mother engaging in sexual acts for money,” I said. Behind the barrier of the stand, my nails dug into the palms of my hands. “The only individual that has ever described such acts having occurred is Howard Stein, whose character as a witness or otherwise is the subject of this trial.”

“Have you yourself ever accepted financial compensation for acts of a sexual nature?” Aquilar asked.

The courtroom went silent as Juror number six let out a scandalised gasp. I stared at the defence lawyer. Words I couldn’t speak caught at the back of my throat.

“Excuse me?” I couldn’t have heard right.

“Late last summer,” Aquilar said, “there is record of you buying in cash a three-hundred-dollar item of clothing from a store called Kirsten’s on Upper Sixth Street. Our subpoena of your bank records shows you did not withdraw three hundred dollars in cash over the course of that month. Your account balance was significantly below that amount.”

I’d been broke. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You were, at the time, listed as employed by one Kane Kelly.” Aquilar glanced up from the files on his table. “Is that correct?”

“Yes.” My stomach flipped as heat rose to my cheeks.

“Please remember you are under oath, Miss Cox.” The attorney’s eyes were harder than a cop's. “Have you ever engaged in sexual relations with said employer?”

It was like a punch to the stomach. I should have expected it, but I didn’t.

“I—” I looked at the district attorney.

He had to say something. Surely this couldn’t be valid questioning.

“You are under oath, Miss Cox,” Aquilar repeated.

I clasped my hands in my lap, digging my nails into my palm. If I lied and he had proof, he’d use it to discredit me. But I didn’t want to talk about Kane and sex, not in a courtroom. I wasn’t even sure if I was allowed to.

“Yes.” My cheeks turned to fire.

I really hoped this didn’t count as a violation of his messed-up rules.

“Please speak into the microphone, Miss Cox,” he said.

I leant forward, clearing my throat before I spoke. “Yes.”

The word rang through the speakers, echoing as it ricocheted off varnished wood and polished marble.

“Did you accept at least three hundred dollars cash, if not more, from Mister Kelly?” Aquilar asked. “Which you used to purchase the outfit you bought that day at Kirsten’s?”

My eyes aching, I wasn’t sure if it was because I hadn’t blinked or from some awful urge to cry. I couldn’t do either. The latter I refused to, and the former I was too shocked to.

“I mean yes, but—”

“Did you receive compensation from Mister Kelly as a direct result of acts of a sexual nature?” Aquilar asked. “Are you yourself a prostitute, Miss Cox?”

My gaze flicked to Stein’s face. He wasn’t looking at me; he was looking at his lawyer. I couldn’t tell if he was surprised. It’s what he’d called me the day we’d met. Kane Kelly’s whore. The words couldn’t have been more clearly out of his mouth. I leaned into the microphone.

“Fuck you, Howard Stein.” The words rang through the courtroom as juror number six covered her mouth, letting out a gasp almost as loud as the microphone.

“Order!” The judge’s gavel hit as Stein met my gaze. “Language like that is not fitting for a courtroom. Swear again, Miss Cox, and you will be held in contempt of this court.”

I was in contempt of all of them. I glared at Stein. If I’d hated him before, then this was different. Now I could say I damn well despised him.

“Answer the question, Miss Cox,” Aquilar said, scenting blood.

“Enough.” Stein didn’t need a microphone for his voice to echo. The snap in his tone made his attorney flinch. “She doesn’t need to answer that. The defence has no further questions for the witness.”

“Sir.” Aquilar turned to Stein, hand out like he’d had the floor pulled out from under him. “I must strongly advise—”

“Sit down, Mister Aquilar.” Stein didn’t have to raise his voice for half the room to flinch. “I will not sit here and listen to you calling my daughter a whore.”

Aquilar’s skin turned grey as he sat beside his client. 

“The defence rests.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

“If that is all?” Judge Farbrace glanced at the district attorney. Schipp nodded. “Then the court is dismissed for today. The public trial will resume in the morning.”

I slipped down from the stand, unwilling to sit in that courtroom a second longer. Schipp hadn’t objected when the defence called me a whore. God knows what Kelly had told him. He probably thought I was one. It was infuriating that the only person who’d defended me was Stein.

“Vi.” Schipp grabbed my arm before I could slip away. “One second.” My eyes blurred as I let him pull me through the courthouse. I was so mad, I couldn’t think straight. “I just need you in here for one minute, to debrief.”

I was going to shout at him. To scream at him in front of everyone as he shoved me through into a room off the corridor.

“Fuck yo—” The door snapped closed in my face.

I blinked, knocked straight out of the mess my head had been. Bad, this was bad. I stared at the grain in the wood, shaking. The room wasn’t empty.

“I think that went pretty well.” Kane’s voice was a slither down my spine. Goosebumps rose on my neck and arms as I turned. He sat behind the judge’s desk, chin resting on his hand. “Don’t you?”

I gripped my upper arms, fingers digging in. “The courtroom was supposed to be closed.”

For my protection. That was the deal. My testimony was supposed to remain as anonymous as it could. I didn’t want to press charges for the abduction. I didn’t want the world to know that I was Howard Stein’s daughter.

“Sweetheart,” Kane said. “I see everything.”

His eyes were so blue, bright even though the blinds were drawn, and none of the lights were on.

“You’re not God,” I said.

He smiled. “In Rapture City, I am.”

I leant back against the door, arm dropping as I touched the handle with the side of my hand. It was reassuring to feel the cool touch of the metal, but I didn’t dare grab it. For all I knew, Schipp was on the other side. If I tried to make a run for it, I wasn’t certain he wouldn’t push me back in. My gaze dropped from Kelly’s, falling on the polished nameplate on the front of the desk. Judge Farbrace. Stitched up and tied with a pretty little bow.

“I had to say yes.” My eyes burned as I breathed in. “I didn’t accuse you of anything. It doesn’t count—” 

Kane stood, and my words died out. God, I hope he wasn’t going to count it. He rounded the desk, pulling out his wallet. Leather cracked as he checked inside.

“I’ve got a few hundred.” His gaze flicked up to mine. “What do you say? Fancy committing a crime in the highest office of the law in this city?”

It took a second for my mind to catch up. He was offering me money for—

“Fuck you.” I glowered.

I wasn’t in the mood for him to make fun of my public humiliation.

“That’d be the idea.” He had the nerve to smile at me when he said it.

I shook my head. His wallet snapped closed, and I flinched.

“What do you want?” I really didn’t want to know.

He took another step, close enough now to lean over me.

“It’s been three months.” His voice was low, eyes darting between mine. “I’ve missed you.”

For seven months, we played a game of cat and mouse across the city. I’d barely avoided him. Then, three months ago, I gave my last official statement at the station. It had been three months since my last warning. I could do without another one.

“Keep missing me.” I looked him dead in the eye. It wasn’t the time to flinch. “I don’t want to see you.”

He took in the anger on my face with an empty look in his eye, a soft curiosity as he pressed a hand to the door above my head. Fingers spreading wide.

“You were brave up there. I’d have punched him.” He glanced up, thinking about it. “Still might.”

Kane leaned in, so close I could taste the mint on his breath. I shrunk back, palms pressed to the wood behind me.

“But honestly—” His eyelashes flicked down as his gaze dropped to my lips. “If you were one of Pride’s girls, I’d buy you every damn night.”

It shouldn’t make me burn. My stomach shouldn’t warm at the thought of being close to him. The growl in his voice shouldn’t make my lips tingle.

“Why waste money on me when you already paid for Harper?” I had to get away from him. Needed to get blind drunk somewhere Kane Kelly wasn’t. “Get away from me!”

“You know.” He hadn’t looked up from my mouth. “You’ve given your testimony. The prosecution doesn’t need you anymore.”

Ice slipped down each vertebra of my spine like a trailing fingernail.

“And?” If I flinched now, he’d bite.

“Stein’s going away,” Kane said. “Your leverage is done. I could drag you out of this courthouse right now.” Bad. Really, really bad. “No one will stop me.”

The glint in his eyes wasn’t sane. He was a murderer, a monster. My throat ached as I swallowed, and his gaze followed, stopping at the high collar of my shirt. I’d done up all the buttons, so the jury would think I was a good girl. That had been Schipp’s advice. I’d debated wearing an Alice band, but decided that was too far. I was almost twenty-three, but today I’d dressed like a schoolgirl.

“You could,” I said.

Kelly’s lips twitched into a half smile as he waited. Always watching for what I’d do next, letting me sweat. Watching the sheen of moisture grow across the skin of my neck. It was too hot, and him standing so close wasn’t cooling me down.

“But you won’t.” I was almost sure of it.

“Why’s that?” I could taste his breath, the hint of something fresh, like he’d been sucking on a mint.

“You’d have already done it,” I said. “You only threaten me when you can’t torture me.”

His eyes flicked up to mine. “Are you willing to bet on that?”

No, but then it wasn’t safe to bet on anything to do with him. All I had left was sheer stubborn nerve. My only bet was the fact that watching me try to fight him amused him enough he kept letting me do it.

“I’ll do you a deal, Kelly.” I rose to my toes, leaning in to speak in his ear. The movement pressed our chests together, and he tensed. A ripple crossed his abdomen like he hadn’t expected the touch. “How about you don’t drag me out of here now? Why don’t you not abduct me and definitely don’t lock me in your sex dungeon?”

He was listening. “And what do I get in return?”

I turned my head, and my lips touched his cheek. Sweat clung to him from the summer heat, but his aftershave smelled good today. Really good. His skin was soft against my lips, shaved and moisturised, probably at some stupidly expensive barber that burnt his nose hairs away. I kissed him, wanting to wrap my hands around his shoulders and pull him closer. But then he’d win. That wasn’t happening. I leant back against the door, instead putting all the distance I could between us.

“Nothing.”

His brow flicked up, gaze caught in mine. “I don’t think you understand what a deal is, sweetheart.”

I shrugged. “It’s my final offer.”

He shook his head, the softest glint of malice in his eyes. “It’s almost like you want me to do it.”

A viper with its fangs out, ready to strike. I let out a slow breath. Palms still flat against the wood of the door, so I didn’t do anything stupid like touch him. He didn’t need any encouragement.

“If that’s what you decide to do, I can’t stop you.” It burned to be that powerless. A fire in my chest that spread in blotches up my neck. “But I don’t want to play your game today, alright.”

He frowned like the defeat in my tone bothered him more than the disrespect. “What do you want?”

I curled my hands into fists. He had a hell of a nerve to ask me that.

“To not wake up screaming in the middle of the night.” The nightmares sucked. It all blended together, the fear, the pain. The feeling of his hands around my neck. You weren’t supposed to die in a dream, but my subconscious hadn’t got the note. “I gave you everything you asked for. Howard Stein is going to jail. I don’t want anything else to do with his world or yours, so please, let me go. Stay out of my life and I’ll stay out of yours, and we can just leave it at that.”

He pulled back, and cool air filled the gap between us. Enough that I could almost breathe.

“You have nightmares?” His eyes were distant, thinking something I couldn’t guess. “Every night?”

I glanced down, away from that blue. I didn’t want to look at him anymore.

“At least you’re dreaming of me.”

I caught my glare before I could scowl at him. “Can I go?”

I needed to get away from him. He took a deep breath. I watched the rise of his chest, felt him breathing in the scent of my hair. Kane closed the gap between us, lips pressing to my temple as I squeezed my eyes closed. He was everywhere again. All around me. My jaw ached with how tightly I clenched my teeth, a shudder slipping through me. I wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him. I wouldn’t!

“Of course, sweetheart,” Kane said.

The handle clicked as it turned. I pushed, swinging the door backwards as I stumbled into the hallway of the courthouse. Out of that horrible, dark room. Away from Kane fucking Kelly!

Chapter Text

It was Betty's night off, but the dial tone just kept ringing. She picked up on the last one, the echo of a buzzer behind her.

“Vi.” I could hear her smile. “You said you’d send pictures!”

I leant my forehead against the windowpane.

“Oh, sorry.” A guy was messing around with his bike engine on the street below, his rusted tools lying beside him in the dirt. “It’s been pretty busy.”

“Have you been to the beach yet?” Betty asked. “I loved the beaches there.”

The sky was showing the first touches of sunset. Still so blue, but yellow was creeping across the horizon.

“You’ve been to the island?” She hadn’t mentioned it before I went.

But then, we hadn’t had much time to catch up lately. Maybe she had, and I’d missed it. Betty took a few seconds too long to answer. Enough time, I knew she was choosing her words.

“It was before you were born.”

“Let me guess, Howie has a house here.” I meant it as a joke. When she didn’t answer, my stomach flipped. A buzzer rang on the other side of the phone. “Are you out?”

“Why don’t I call you later, Vi?” Betty's tone was warm, but there was a strain in it.

A part of me wanted to beg her to talk to me, the other part wanted to scream at her. I did neither, and just like every conversation we'd had in the last year and a half, it was awkward. 

“Right, yeah, of course.”

‘ West needed in block D. ’ The words reverberated from a world away. The echo of a voice over a tannoy.

I closed my eyes. “You’re visiting him?”

“Vi.” So much and nothing. 

It made me feel sick to think she made the time to visit a man just as evil as the Vassiéres. It was hideous. Stein was a criminal I'd put in prison. How could she still be going back to him?

“He’s a murderer, Mom.” The back of my head thunked against the window. “A violent psychopath—”

“Howard’s not a psychopath.” How could she be so loyal to a monster?

She was delusional. I wanted to shake her. My cheeks burned from so much more than the stuffy heat.

“Of course he’s a psychopath!” What else could he possibly be? “He’s killed family’s Mom! Are you really visiting him in prison like some serial killer’s girlfriend?”

“Not everything’s black and white.” She was using her mom tone.

Somehow, she was disappointed in me.

“This is!” This day only seemed to get more fucked up. “Did you already see him?”

She hesitated. “Not yet.”

“It’s like 6 PM there. Surely visiting hours are—” over. They would be over if she were talking to him through glass. “You’re not?”

“It’s Tuesday night.” Betty made it sound like that was enough of an explanation.

“I thought you had book club on Tuesdays?” My eyes narrowed, hand shaking as I gripped the phone.

“Vi—”

“I should go.” There was no book club. “Enjoy fifty shades of fucked up.”

I hung up, dropping the phone on the table by the window. I couldn’t help the noise that left me. A half scream. I kicked the wall, hurting my toes more than anything else. A second later, the wall kicked back. The thump of a hand slapping against thin plasterboard.

“Shit!” I scrubbed my face with the heels of my palms.

I’d just kicked Pierce’s wall, and it was so stupidly thin I heard his door open. Counted the five whole seconds before he knocked on mine. I really didn’t want to answer. I cracked the door open, glancing out at him. His black t-shirt was far too tight, hair still wet from the shower. Somehow, he was wearing jeans in this heat.

“Rough day?” he asked.

I held the edge of the door, debating shutting him out. I pushed it wider instead.

“Want to come in?” I asked.

His eyes widened before he leaned back. “That’s not appropriate.”

I almost asked why before my brain remembered all that fun HR training. Coming into a younger female colleague’s room was not allowed. My cheeks flared as a blush side-swiped me like a speeding driver taking a turn too fast and knocking down a cyclist. The last thing I needed was for him to think I was hitting on him.

“I didn’t—”

“There’s a bar down the road.” Pierce saved me the hell of having to explain myself with a dashing smile. “They make great burgers, and no one knows what’s in the punch. It can help after a day like today.”

Now, getting drunk was something I knew exactly how to do.

I took a sip of my drink, sucking it up through the paper straw. 

“I can tell you exactly what’s in the punch,” I said. Pierce raised an eyebrow, waiting for my answer. “Moonshine!” I was sure of it. “Tastes like the stuff my friend Eddie used to make in his basement.”

He flashed teeth that must have cost a fortune in a smile that made my stomach do a little jump. “Can’t sneak a thing past you.”

I dared look a little higher. Pierce raised one black eyebrow. A wordless question. Did I want to talk about it yet?

“So, the Vassiére’s, they’re bad news?” Easier to start there.

If he wanted to keep things professional, I could do that. His lips twitched, and I wasn't sure, but he might have looked a little disappointed. I was probably imagining things.

“There have been Vassiére’s on the Island since it was a smugglers’ haven. Even back then, Capitaine Jean Vassiére was a king of thieves and pirates.” He picked up his beer, taking a sip as his gaze flicked out over the water. The reef meant there were no waves; it almost looked like a lake. The sunset spread across water and sky in bright bursts of yellow and pink. “Antoine Vassiére is infamous. He was one of the most brutal gang lords of the last century.” Pierce's eyes darted to the side as he checked the distance to our closest neighbours. They were far enough that they probably wouldn't overhear, but he still dropped his voice. “If he were still alive, we wouldn’t be here.” I leant forward in my seat to hear him better. “Journalists didn’t come here when he was in charge. The few that did got sent home in pieces, if they were ever found.”

As horrific as Monsieur Moreau’s story was, I wasn’t sure it made Antoine special.

“He doesn't sound that much worse than the rest of them.”

Pierce shook his head.

“He was worse,” he said. “His son Guy isn’t half the monster that man was.”

The way he said monster made the hair on my arms tickle. Rising despite the heat.

“Right,” I said, finger tapping against the table. “So, Guy’s a puppy dog?”

Pierce didn't smile.  

“Not even close.” His eyes stayed painfully serious. “But he’s better at hiding it. Things were different a few decades back. Now, even the monsters have to keep things clean. It’s all still going on—” he waved a hand out towards the sea. “The abductions and trafficking. The drugs. But they’ve had to change the branding.” Pierce leant back, breaking eye contact, and my breath came a little easier. “Guy’s fortune underpins the state. He’s washed his father’s money clean with so many charities and initiatives that without him, the local economy would collapse.”

“So he’s the King of the Island?” I asked.

“Yes, he is.” Pierce wiped his hand off, dropping his napkin on his empty plate. His eyes flicked to mine, and in a single glance, I could tell he was done talking about work. “Do you want to tell me why you were trying to kick a hole through my wall earlier?”

The evening was so much cooler than the day. The back of the bar was a garden that backed straight onto the sea, a little jetty poking out. There was a net on the palm tree we were sitting under. There to catch those pesky coconuts so we didn’t get brained by one.

“I thought I was supposed to be interviewing you.” I gave him a tight smile.

It wasn't as much fun being asked the questions.

“We can get to that, Cox.” He settled back into his seat, eyes on my hand when I reached again for my punch. “So your mum’s boyfriend’s in jail?”

I choked on the sip, half swallowing before I put the glass back down. 

“Not exactly.” Those damn walls! “You know, if you’re over budget, it could at least be because you rented somewhere that was less of a dump.”

He put his hands up, head tilting back. “I shouldn’t have pried.”

I closed my eyes, pushing the wall that had sprung up back down. My neck clicked as I rolled my shoulders back. Good job Vi. Act all sensitive in front of the reporter. That won’t make him ask a thousand more questions. Pierce let the silence linger until it was almost uncomfortable for me not to fill it. He was good, really fucking good. When I looked at him, his gaze was on the sunset again.

“Do you know?” What was the point of dancing around it? It was his job to know everything there was to know about the scumbags of the world. “Who my dad is?”

His lips parted to show the slightest bit of teeth, like he’d been about to say something else. Pierce shifted, sitting straighter in his seat. He leant forward so his elbows touched the table as he looked at me with an intensity that somehow wasn't threatening.

“Howard Stein, right?” Of course, he knew. Would he even have been good at his job if he didn’t? “Your testimony in the case was sealed.”

I watched his face, looking for a tick, a tell. “Is this on or off the record?”

Journalists! We’re the absolute worst. His brow flicked up.

“You’re not the story I’m working on.” Couldn’t argue with that. Whatever happened to good, honest, out to get you backstabbing reporters? It wasn’t fair when they were charming and earnest. “But I’m a good ear, and I don’t print things people tell me in confidence. The guys I go after are usually more than happy to talk about themselves, even if half of it is lies and the other half delusion.”

“Well, I guess that’s what you get for gang lords and mass murderers.” I picked my drink back up. “Why do you do it?”

Today was horrible. Listening to something so hopeless. I honestly didn’t know how he got up in the morning. It wasn’t like the work wasn’t important; it was just soul-crushing.

Pierce looked away, his eyes on the darkening sea.

“It won’t bring them justice,” he said. “But their stories should be told. The world can’t learn from its mistakes if we don’t remember them.”

“Those who forget the past—” I said.

Pierce nodded. “Are doomed to repeat it.”

“You’re a reporter.” My ice cubes clinked against glass as I stirred them with a paper straw. “You have no business being such a good person.”

His laugh was as bright as his smile. I smiled back.

“I’m not a good person, Vi,” he said. “You just find me charming.”

The straw crunched between my fingers as his eyes flicked back to my face. He was checking my reaction.

“You’re a six at best,” I said, taking a sip of punch.

“Six?” Pierce shook his head. “No, not a six.” He glanced away again. “It’s at least seven and a half.”

I coughed this time. Having to beat my chest because my sip went straight into my lungs. 

“What?” I asked once I'd recovered.

“I’m at least a seven and a half,” Pierce repeated.

That wasn’t what he said. I was almost sure of it. Our gazes held. He was lying on two counts. He was at least a nine, with a seven and a half inch—

“Is that lies or self-delusion?” I didn’t look away, and neither did he.

I shouldn’t be flirting. Mindy would be furious with me. But save me, he was handsome, and it had been almost a year since I’d had anything close to sex. Kane Kelly was a thousand miles away. He couldn’t control my whole life like a maniacal cock block. It was a different world, and he wasn’t king of this one.

“The coconut ice cream here comes in a coconut.” Pierce nodded towards the bar, a flicker in his eyes that looked like a challenge. “Want to try it?”

I stopped at the door to my apartment, glancing to the side. His key was already in the lock, but he didn't turn it. Pierce looked up, catching my eye before he raised his brow. The silence stretched for long enough, I was sure it was on purpose. If he wasn't interested, he'd have gone into his room already.

“Do you—” I swallowed, hand shaking as I gripped the cool metal of my key. “Do you want to come in?”

It had been more than two years since I’d had sex. Which was too damn long. There it was, no more flirting. I was pretty sure that had been a come-on. Worst case, he said no. My mind blanked as the prospect flashed in front of me. He might say no.

“I shouldn’t,” Pierce said, and now it was bad! My stomach dropped, heat flooding my cheeks. “But I want to.”

I blinked, somewhere between confusion and relief.

“I—” I swallowed. “It doesn’t have to mean anything.” My face was on fire. “We could just fuck?”

If I could get out of my own head long enough to let it happen. His lips parted, flashing straight white teeth. He was one of the most attractive men I'd ever met. If anyone could stop me from freezing up, it was him.

“Could we?” Pierce’s keys jangled as he pushed his door wide. “You want to come in?”

I nodded because talking clearly wasn’t doing me much good. I went to brush past him, stomach in knots. Was it awkward? He caught my arm. 

“Why?” His dark eyes flicked between mine.

I blinked up at him, lips parted as I hunted for an excuse. “Why does there have to be a reason? It’s just been a while.”

More than a while.

“That’s not a great reason,” he said. Was he judging me? “Especially not when we’re supposed to be working together.”

Right, yeah, no, that was a great reason not to have sex. I’d known him for two days. I was supposed to be working with him. Not propositioning him. I should really just go back to my room. If Kelly ever found out, he’d be furious. My jaw clenched, muscles of my shoulders tensed. I didn’t want to care about what Kane Kelly would do. That was only a small step up from Betty visiting Howard in prison.

“My ex is marrying my friend.” Or something close to it.

Pierce’s brow rose like he hadn’t expected honesty. I was as surprised as he was.

“You’re not over him?”

Was I over Kane Kelly? I glanced through the open door. His studio was the same as mine. He’d made his bed, which meant he was tidier than me.

“He won’t let me be over him.” My head dropped back against his door frame as I looked down at Pierce’s hand resting on my arm. “He’s managed to get in the way of every relationship I’ve even thought about having since. I can’t even fuck someone in Rapture without him—” threatening to kill them, but I couldn’t say that. Not to a journalist. Not to anyone. This conversation alone was using up pretty much all the slack I had on my stupid leash. “I haven’t had sex in two years.”

Pierce let go of my forearm, fingers trailing upwards, brushing the skin of my elbow.

“Kane Kelly is your ex?” He asked it like a question, but it didn’t sound like one. I froze, the heat leaving my cheeks. Shit! “I looked into you when Bobby said you were coming.”

His thumb brushed my cheek as he smiled at me. I don’t know how he knew. If Kane found out I’d spoken to Pierce Aldridge about us, he’d kill me. There were journalists, and then there were award-winning reporters who’d made a name for themselves, exposing dangerous men. My throat tightened, tongue heavy as it pressed to the roof of my mouth.

“I’m not supposed to talk about it.” I should go back to my room.

It was a stupid idea.

“This isn’t Rapture,” Pierce said, like he could sense I was having second thoughts. “Look, Vi, this is your call. I like you. You’re smart and cute and sexy as hell.” His thumb brushed my cheek. “If you want this, it stays separate from work. All of it. The things we do and anything you talk to me about. In the day we work together, and in the evenings—”

I had to swallow before I spoke, lips parted. “In the evenings?”

The reassurance dropped from his gaze, turning to heat. He leant in, lips hovering above mine.

“I’ll make you scream so loud the landlord complains to me for once.”

Well, Kane Kelly could fuck right off with his rules! I closed the gap, kissing him, as his hands found my hips, pushing me back into his apartment. The only thing impolite about Pierce Aldridge was the way he kissed. It was all heat. His hands went straight to my shorts, undoing the button. My legs hit the back of the bed, and it was a second before I was on my back. His hand went between my legs, slipping under the band of my pants straight. He brushed his fingers over my centre, and I shuddered, arching into him. 

“Fuck.” I whispered against his lips as the kiss broke apart. “Hurry up.”

“It’s been two years.” Pierce's fingers found the exact right spot to make my stomach ache with heat. “You can wait a little longer.”

I lifted onto my elbows, hunting for his lips. I wanted another kiss. Needed something to take some of the heat away. He drew back, hand covering my throat.

The bad kind of heat flared through me, a shuddering panic that made the world feel distant. I grabbed his wrist, yanking it off my throat. The urge to hit him flooded me before I forced it back.

“Don’t,” I gasped, eyes too wide. “I don’t—”

How could I explain that? It wasn’t even the time right now. Pierce didn’t need clarification. He adjusted, hand behind my head instead as he leaned back down, his mouth touching mine. I could still taste the ice cream on his breath, a hint of rum. Everything slowed down. His hand stilled, fingers shifting away from my clit. I grabbed his wrist.

“Don't,” I said, “please don't stop!”

I needed this. Needed to have sex with someone that wasn't Kane fucking Kelly. If only to prove to myself that he didn't own me.

“You're beautiful, Vi.” Pierce’s voice was gravelly, straight from his chest.

He gripped the back of my neck, lips touching mine in another bruising kiss. Pierce's hand moved again. Fingers pressing, slipping over my clit, because I was already a mess. I arched into the kiss, burning. He’d barely touched me and—

“I’m going to cum.” I shuddered. “I’m going to—”

“Scream for me.” Pierce’s voice was lower than I’d heard it.

My head dropped back, falling against his pillows as the scream left my chest. Low and loud and somewhere between a groan and a whimper. I came apart when he hadn’t put a thing inside me. My hips bucked against his hand, twisting and stretching, and he didn’t stop, caught the last few seconds of my cumming with a kiss, like he wanted to taste my moan. When I was done, he drew back, eyes flicking between mine. 

“Do you want a drink?” he asked, getting back up from the bed as he crossed the studio. “Beer?”

I ran a shaking hand through my hair. I was still catching my breath. Watched him with blinking eyes as I tried to pull my head together.

“Don’t you—” 

The fridge opened, and I stared at his back. Waiting for an explanation. He turned back to look at me. I was half naked, and he hadn’t even taken off his shirt.

“There’s no rush.” Pierce pulled a couple of bottles from the fridge, twisting the tops off. “Here.”

I pressed the side of the bottle to my cheek, using the cold glass to soothe my skin. He took a sip, sitting down beside me on the bed. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

“So.” I leant into the moment. What else was I supposed to do? “You do this with all the people the Chronicle sends to check up on you?”

Pierce laughed. 

“The last person they sent was Bobby.” He glanced at me, eyebrows raised. “He’s not my type.”

I nodded again. “Right.”

He reached over, palm resting on the bare skin of my leg. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” I took another sip of the beer. “Do you have condoms?”

“Of course.” He reached for the drawer beside the bed, pulling it open. A pack of two dropped onto the sheet. “You’re not on birth control?”

“Nope.” I wasn’t going to go on the pill when my sex life was non-existent. “So, what’s your middle name?”

Pierce hesitated, his lips opening like he couldn’t decide whether to say it or not.

“Is it embarrassing?” I asked, enjoying the slight flush on his cheeks.

“Winston,” he said. “What’s yours?”

“Henrietta.” It was clunky, but no more than Viola. “What’s your mother’s maiden name?”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to get to know me, or steal my identity?”

I smiled at him. His hand moved, palm brushing up my leg.

“Can a girl not do both?”

“I didn’t have you down as a thief,” Pierce said.

He leant in again, lips tantalisingly close.

“Are you going to expose me if I am?” I asked.

He took the bottle from my hand, putting them both down on the table beside his bed.

“Definitely.” Pierce reached for the strap of my top, tugging it to the side at the same time as my bra. “Right here and now.” His lips brushed the top of my breast, kisses as hot against my skin as my mouth. “You won’t get away with it on my watch.”

Then the talking stopped, because other stuff happened. My top disappeared at the same time as his, and his skin was warm under my hands. It blurred, aching touches, the heat of him pressing between my legs. It felt tighter because of the condom. He wasn’t lying about the seven and a half. I could feel every inch. It had been so long that I tensed when he pushed inside, head buried in his neck as my fingers dug into his shoulders. I moaned, and his lips covered mine.

“Fuck, Cox,” he said, voice so low. “I’m not going to last long if you keep that up.”

Then it really was just sex.

I caught my breath, legs shaking as I came down. He was still inside me, arm around my waist and hand gripping my breast. It had taken a while to get me to come again, but he’d managed it. There was a layer of sweat covering both of us. The room smelled like sex. Pierce kissed my neck. His hand stroked over my stomach. I felt strange.

“Can I use your toilet?” My voice came out small, my throat dry.

He lifted onto his arm, gaze flicking over mine. “Sure.”

I slipped out of his arms. His bathroom was in the same place as mine. I ran the tap straight away, washing away the evidence of what we’d done. My head kept spinning as I tried to pull myself together. I wasn’t even tipsy anymore, just confused. I’d probably just messed everything up.

I pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes, still on the toilet, as I tried to pretend it wasn’t bad. It was bad, definitely bad. Mindy was going to kill me.

“Damn it!” I muttered, ignoring the ache in my eyes.

Crying was for quitters. I splashed cold water on my face. It was still so hot, even at night. My clothes were on the floor by his bed. I eyed them as I closed the bathroom door behind me. Pierce took a sip from his beer as I glanced up. He put it back down a second later. He’d found his boxers somewhere. 

“You alright, Vi?” He sounded like he knew I wasn’t.

I smiled. “Of course.”

It was easy to tug my shorts back on, grab my top from the floor, and pull it over my head.

“You don’t have to go,” Pierce said.

I absolutely had to go! “This was a mistake.”

Such a big mistake.

“You sure?” Why did he have to be so nice?

I tugged my top down, taking a breath, because I had to face the mess I’d just made.

“He’ll kill you.” I was so stupid. Kane would be furious. “If he finds out—”

He was the single worst person I could have fucked. I hadn't broken the rules. I'd shattered them.

“Vi.” The bed creaked as Pierce got up. “He’s not here.”

I darted for the door.

“I’m sorry.” The bolt pulled to the side as I yanked it open.

A man was standing on the other side. His hand was out in front of him, holding—

I stepped back, hands up in the air as my eyes fixed on the barrel of the gun.

“May I come in?”

The question was polite enough that my gaze flicked up. The man's brown eyes were flecked with green. Brown hair streaked with black.

“Vassière?” Pierce's voice echoed in my ears. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Guy Vassière stepped into the studio, tugging the door closed behind him. “Non?”

The gun stayed up, pointed straight at my chest.

Chapter Text

The air in the room was thick with humidity and the weight of the gun still pointing at me.

“Well?” Vassière said. “Let’s get started. Where’s your recorder?” 

Pierce glanced at me, eyes unreadable. “I just need a minute—”

The hammer of the gun clicked as Vassière cocked it. “You don’t have one.”

Pierce's eyes were unreadable. He stared at me for a second longer before he stepped closer to the bed. He pulled something small and black out from underneath the pillow. The red light on it was blinking. Vassière’s brow rose. 

“Hand it over.” He held out his empty hand, palm up. 

My arms shook where I held them. Vassière took the device from Pierce. The red button stopped blinking as he clicked it.

 “Shall we hear the last recording?” Vassière asked.

Pierce’s jaw clenched. “I don’t think—”

“You alright, Vi?” 

Relief flooded me as the breath left my lungs in a soft gasp. He hadn’t recorded us having sex. He wasn’t a creep. Just a bastard.

“Of course.”

The recording was tinny from too much white noise. “You don’t have to go.”

Pierce’s voice came through louder than mine. He’d been closer to the mic.

“This was a mistake.”

Vassière's tongue clicked. His gaze flicked to mine.

“How cruel.” His lips stretched into a smile. “A man-eater.”

“You sure?” I’d thought he was being nice.

“He’ll kill you. If he finds out—”

He’d been digging for details. I stared at the recorder, stomach-turning. I could still smell him on my skin. My insides ached from what we'd just done. The first man I'd been brave enough to have sex with in more than two years and he was using me.

“Vi.” Fabric rustled against the microphone. “He’s not here.”

“I’m sorry.”

Vassière clicked off the recording after the sound of the door opening. Despite the gun still pointing at my chest, I turned to look at Pierce.

“Is that the only one?” My palm tingled with the urge to slap him. “Or are there others?”

His gaze darted to Vassière. “It’s the only one.”

“I thought I wasn’t the story you were working on?” Fucking journalists.

Pierce flinched, but he still wasn't looking at me. “It’s not what you think.”

Vassière's laughter sent fingers of ice through me. My cheeks prickled with cold. I needed to stop forgetting the armed murderer was there.

“Doubtlessly, it’s exactly what you think, ma Cherie.” He grinned, teeth too bright as he shot me a look close to comradery. “As lovely as you are, most men that seduce you now will do it because of your father .”

The way he said father sounded like a curse. He thought we were talking about Stein. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. My eyes flicked to Pierce, then back to the barrel of the gun.

“Put some clothes on Aldridge,” Vassière said. “Then we can begin.”

Pierce grabbed his shirt from beside the bed, his movements careful as he kept his eyes on the other man.

“Begin what?” Pierce sounded calm when every muscle in my body was tensed.

He was used to dealing with narcissistic megalomaniacs. It probably wasn’t the first time either of us had been held at gunpoint. We had so much in common.

“The interview you keep emailing me about.” Vassière pulled out the rickety wooden chair at the table, flicking his gun to the one across from his. “Sit down, Cherie.” His gaze flicked to me for a second, giving me a slow up and down. “I want something pretty to look at whilst we talk.”

I would have told him to go fuck himself, but I wasn’t dealing with Kane Kelly. It didn’t seem like a good time to talk back. I snapped my mouth closed, slipping into the chair opposite him as Aldridge pulled on his jeans. I winced at the sound of him tugging up the zipper. Vassière put the gun on the table, the barrel pointed towards me. The recorder was still in his other hand. My stomach turned as he inspected the metal of the small black device. I’d made it so easy for him. Fallen into his lap. Even if Aldridge hadn’t been planning an expose, how could he resist when I was throwing myself at him? The third chair creaked as he sat, and his hand covered my knee under the table. 

“Vi,” Pierce said, finally looking at me. I pulled my leg away. “It’s not what you think—”

“None of that.” Vassière cut him off. “This evening is about me.” The button clicked as he restarted the recorder. “Please, ask your questions.”

Vassière put the mic down on the table, next to the gun. A deliberate reminder of exactly who was in charge. Pierce’s face blanked, settling into a mask of professionalism as he sat back in his seat.

“Thank you for joining me today, Monsieur Vassière.” His tone was perfectly clipped. Generic as any broadcast journalist. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Please, call me Guy,” he said. “Monsieur Vassière was my father, and I’m sure you can understand why I’d prefer to distance myself from that monster.”

My eyes widened, catching Pierce’s. He didn’t so much as twitch.

“You’d call your father a monster?” he asked. 

“What else would I call him?” It was disconcerting watching Vassière. His expression didn’t match his voice. “Especially after devoting my life to rebuilding the island he destroyed. It is a shame that we can’t pick our parents.” The look Guy gave me was pointed as his finger traced the length of the gun barrel. “I assure you, I wouldn’t have picked mine.”

“You had a difficult relationship?” Pierce asked. “A lot of people we’ve talked to claim you’ve followed in his footsteps?”

Somehow he didn’t make it sound like an insult, but Guy’s hand closed over the gun, lifting it again. I bit my lip, nostrils flaring as I forced myself to keep quiet. I glared at Pierce. He wouldn’t be asking leading questions if the gun was pointed at him. Guy sighed audibly.

“It is understandable, but it hurts the suspicion I still face.” His tone was perfectly earnest, but there was menace in his hazel eyes. “Even after all the work I’ve done. I’ve set up preserves to protect biological diversity. Built rehabilitation and aid centres to strengthen local communities. The ecological initiatives alone mean we have the cleanest seas in the tropics. Our recycling plant is better than the one in Rapture City. Did you know we don’t have air conditioning here? The entire island is carbon-positive. I hope one day people remember the name Vassière for the good I’ve done, rather than forever thinking of my father.”

The first flicker of genuine emotion touched his gaze, pride. Vassière wanted to save the world.

“Carbon positive? That’s impressive,” Pierce said. “It sounds like environmental issues are close to your heart?”

“Of course, this island is my home.” Vassière's smile almost looked genuine, but it dropped quickly as he continued. “I would not see its sandy shores drowned beneath the yoke of capitalist greed. I worked personally with our government to ensure the oil rig they were planning off the coast was never constructed. Imagine what a spill would have done to such a sensitive ecosystem—”

There was no need to imagine because he was happy to elaborate. My eyes flicked to the plastic wall clock as he kept talking. Twenty minutes about sea turtles alone. If he didn’t have a gun pointed at me, I would have thought he was a saint.

“And if your viewers could find it in themselves to donate to the fund,” Vassière said, giving a last impassioned plea like a media-trained statesman. “The impact it would have on the lives of the people of this beautiful island would really be something.”

The flashing red light clicked off as he turned off the recorder. “I’m assuming there were no other questions?”

“You answered them all.” Pierce's smile was tight, his eyes on the gun. “Thank you for making the time to talk to us. I know you’re a busy man.”

Vassière’s hand didn’t shake from gripping the gun. His knuckles weren't white. He was comfortable with the weapon, familiar enough with holding people at gunpoint that he wasn't even nervous.

“You had something worth my time.” Their gazes were locked. Unblinking. “I’ll expect you to cover up the disappearance. When the police ask, a few of your neighbours will say she was spotted leaving the building earlier this evening. It’s dangerous to wander the city after dark. If you keep quiet, Aldridge, I’ll make sure you aren’t a suspect.”

Pierce’s eyes flicked to mine, then back to the recorder, then the gun. He was weighing his options. Vassière reached into his pocket, metal clinked as a pair of cuffs landed on the table.

“Put them on,” Vassiére said. “Behind her back. Let’s not turn this into a murder?”

I pushed the chair back, throwing myself out of my seat. I made it to the door before Pierce’s weight slammed into my back, pushing me against the wood as he grabbed at my arm.

“It’s not what you think it is.” His breath was hot against my cheek. He felt closer now than he had when he was inside me. “I’ll get you out of this—”

“Get the fuck off me.” I kicked back at him as metal closed around my wrist. It clinked, synching tight. “He’ll kill you for this!”

Kane Kelly would put a bullet straight between Pierce Aldridge’s eyes if he found out what he’d done. I wouldn’t even feel bad about it. He caught my elbow as I slammed my arm back, wrenching it further to snap the other cuff around my other wrist.

“I’m sorry.”

I slammed my head back, but he dodged. Guess it wasn’t the first time he’d had to restrain someone. I really didn’t want to think about that.

“I’ll take her from here.” A second later, Vassière had me, arm around my shoulders and gun pressed into the side of my ribs. It tickled. Nothing so terrifying should tickle! “Calme-toi, ma Cherie.” He yanked me back, and I shrieked. “Don’t look so heartbroken, Aldridge. It’s a fair trade. You get the prestige of an exclusive with a figure as mysterious and reclusive as I am.” His hand closed over my throat and I froze. “And I’ll make millions off her cunt.” The tendons of my neck strained under his grip. “The investigation around her disappearance should be closed within a few weeks. After that, I want you off my island.” It didn’t matter that he wasn’t squeezing. I couldn’t breathe with his hand on my throat. My chest was too tight. Black dots crept in at the edge of my vision as everything turned too bright. “C‘est clair?”

Pierce took a step back. His face grey as he stared at the monster holding me was so vivid in the overbright glow of my panicking eyes.

“We’re clear.”

Chapter Text

Ten Months Previously…

The SUV splattered the curb with a wave of overflowing drainage water. I jumped back to avoid getting splashed. I was mid-flipping off the driver, glaring at him from beneath my soaked hood, when the tinted window of the asshole car rolled down with a buzz like an angry wasp.

“Vi.” It was going to be one of those days. “Get in.”

Kane Kelly was on the far side of the back passenger seat. I turned my hand, giving him the finger instead.

“Hell no, Kelly!” My ankle boots had already been wet. Now they squelched when I moved. My socks were soaked. “I’m not getting in your car.”

The street wasn’t that busy. There were a few people halfway down, waiting for the bus. It was a five-minute walk to the subway station, but the city district was empty at eight PM on a Tuesday. My own stupid fault for staying late at work.

“If I have to drag you in here,” Kane said. “Then I’m not letting you back out again.”

“What are you going to do?” I folded my arms. “Lock me in your stupid dungeon?”

“Don’t fucking tempt me.” He leant forward, and the streetlight caught his eyes glinting with pure menace. “For once, just do as you’re told and get in the damn car.”

I glared at him. I was so close to saying no, but I was also tired. Work was too hectic for me to risk getting abducted by my ex right now. There just wasn't the time.

“Fine.” The door clicked as he pushed it open from the inside. “You’ll give me a ride home, right? I don’t want to do the changes if I get on at Midtown.”

My soaked clothing slid across the leather as I closed the door behind me. I made a barricade on the middle seat with my wet backpack. My hood hadn't stopped the rain from plastering my hair to my forehead. I pushed the strands aside with my hood, unthawing in the warm car. Kane’s eyes followed the movement of my hands. There was more space in the back of the car than I’d thought. It was a little stretched out, but not a full limo. The block between the front and the back meant I couldn’t see the driver.

“Is Jack in there?” I asked. “I didn’t check.”

“Jack has more important things to do than drive me around all day,” Kane said. “Take off your hoodie. You’ll get sick.”

I almost didn’t on principle, but then, that would have only hurt me. I was stubborn, not stupid.

“Who’s he murdering today?” My zip slid down with a soft snick, before I shrugged the jumper off my shoulders, dumping it over my bag on the seat between us.

“He doesn’t just murder people.” Kane picked up my discarded ball of a hoodie. He shook it out, twisting the arms and hood back as he folded it in a neat square. He picked up my backpack too, laying them both down in a neat pile on the seat across from us. “Sometimes he runs surveillance or dips into extortion.”

I was still on the edge of the seat as the car pulled away from the curb. I should have leaned back and put my seat belt on, but then Kane wasn’t wearing his. Any restraint felt risky around him. It was dumb, but no dumber than getting in his car.

“Wish I had a Jack.” I tried a smile to see if I could lighten his scowl. “Can I borrow him to do some recon for an article?”

He didn't smile back. His gaze was fixed on me as the dull buzz of the heating vents filled the silence following my request.

“I needed to talk to you about that,” he said.

That definitely wasn’t good. I shifted, tugging my skirt down. His eyes darted straight there, following the movement, with a fixation that definitely wasn’t safe or healthy. It had been nice this morning. I hadn’t bothered with tights, because I’d only just shaved my legs. A lot of bad decisions had been made today, but a skirt was now top of my list.

“Kane.” When I said his name, his eyes snapped back up, like he’d been caught doing something bad. “You can’t interfere with my work. I’m not sacrificing my journalistic integrity—”

He snorted. “What integrity? Your last article was on the inflation of puppuccino prices.”

I folded my arms, glaring at him.

“That got a lot of hits.” It was better to ignore the little flutter in my chest as my heart squeezed a little. He’d read it. “I’m reporting on what matters to the people of Rapture City.”

Just a few opinion pieces a month. I was getting close to a promotion. Once my article this week went out, I’d be off edit and on news full time.

“Stick to puppuccinos and we won’t have a problem.” Kane’s voice was too soft. I slipped back towards the door. The glint in his eyes wasn’t friendly. He was pissed about something. “You’ve been investigating Liedecker.”

Shit! “No, I haven’t.”

My voice was high-pitched enough that I winced. The look he gave me was pure warning. I wasn’t dealing with amused Kane or angry Kane. This wasn’t even quietly yearning, but leaving me alone, Kane. Nope. This was Mob Boss Kane, and Mob Boss Kane was about to tear me a new one.

“Lie to me again, sweetheart.” It was a growl. A warning that he was about to bite. “Please.”

“Come on, Kelly.” My hand flew out, waving towards the seats opposite. “He’s fair game, those dry cleaners he’s running all over town aren’t making any money, everyone knows they’re a front—”

“You’re not running an exposé on Leidecker,” Kane said. “Half the dirty money in the city is getting cleaned through those shops.”

“Can I get that on the record?” 

His hand closed around my throat, moving faster than my blink. I choked. My shout cut off in a whimper.

“Please, keep pushing.” His lips were a millimetre away. So close I could taste his breath. It smelled fresh. He must have just had a mint. “Give me an excuse.”

The black dots started at the edge of my vision. Raw panic that would only get worse. I swallowed, and his fingers squeezed, tightening. Carefully, I lay my palm over his.

“Kane.” I tugged at his grip. Something in my voice got through to him. His eyes softened. His hand dropped to his side, but he didn’t move back. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s not fair.”

“Stay out of my world, and I’ll stay out of yours.” He wasn’t backing down, but neither was I. “You broke the rules, Vi. No stories about the mob. The only criminal you get to expose is Stein.” My gaze flicked to the door. We weren’t going that fast. I’d never thrown myself out of a moving vehicle before. No time like the present to try new things. “Don’t even—”

I turned, hands flying to the door handle. He was quicker, slamming the lock down before I could open the door. His arm surrounded my waist, yanking me back. I kicked at him, elbows flying. It was a scuffle, knees and nails that ended up with my torso across the seat, knees on the floor, and his weight on my back.

“I’m not dropping the story!” I tried to push up, but he grabbed my elbow, shoving me back down into the leather. “Damn it, Kane, no! It’s not fair. I have witness testimony and a paper trail from City Hall. Tax records. I’m interviewing him tomorrow. It's too late to drop it!” His hand slipped under my skirt, squeezing my ass. I choked, a frustrated gasp. “Kane!”

“Short skirt, Vi?” He flipped it up, and I was grateful for the divider; otherwise, the driver would have been able to see everything. “Red panties?” He was smirking. I could hear it. “Weren’t planning on meeting someone, were you?”

I bit my tongue, keeping my mouth shut. Danny got off at ten. He was supposed to be coming over. I sure as hell wasn’t telling Kane that. He stilled at my silence, reading it like it was guilt. His fingers dipped into the top of my pants, tugging them down.

“Kane.” This was bad. “Stop.”

“Best leave my handprint on your ass then, hadn’t I?” His voice was low, furious. “So he knows better than to touch it.”

He knew about Danny. How the hell did he know about Danny?

“Don’t—”

I felt the sting of the smack in my gums as his hand imprinted itself against my ass. 

“Fuck!” I yelped, eyes burning.

“Drop the story on Liedecker,” Kane said.

“No.” I clenched my fists, face burning as it pressed into the cold leather seat.

The second slap ricocheted through the car. Loud as a gunshot, in exactly the same spot. I let out a low whine, whimpering like a kicked dog.

“Drop the story on Liedecker.”

“Fuck you, Kelly!” I meant it to be a growl, but it was too breathless.

He was so fucking strong. It wasn’t fair.

“But that’s against the rules, isn’t it, Vi?” Kane's lips brushed my ear as he leaned in. “Do you really want to keep going?” I turned as far away from him as I could when he had me pinned. “If you insist.”

My teeth clacked together at the third slap. It burned. Skin that was already tender. I’d be using the standing desk for a week.

“Ow.” If he hit me again, I was going to cry. 

It wasn’t fair. His hand stayed against my bare ass, rubbing the bruising skin.

“If you don’t drop the story—” He whispered the words like a curse. Each one a needle of ice down my prickling spine. “I can’t let you go, Vi. I’m going to have to take you back to the loft, to the spare room. If my hand doesn’t convince you, it will be the paddle. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just have to belt you. And if you’re still feeling stubborn after that—”

“I’ll drop the story.” I closed my eyes. The cold, black leather soothed my burning cheeks. I refused to cry, not in front of him. “You win.”

His fingers shifted, brushing the underside of my ass cheek. 

“What’s so special about Danny Zullo?” Of course, he knew. 

“Stop stalking me.” It was hard to sound threatening when my voice broke.

He laughed, thumb curling round to brush my inner thigh. “You know he’s sleeping with two other girls.”

“We’re not exclusive.” It was none of his business. I could tell him that, but I didn’t particularly want Danny dead. “He can sleep with who he likes.”

It had been years. I needed to move on, to try something normal. Danny was the first guy I’d been able to handle letting get close. He was just nice, through and through. The real nice, not the entitled pretend nice.

“So it’s just sex?” His voice was low with mocking amusement as his fingers slipped down my centre, drifting towards my clit. “If you’re that frustrated, you should have told me. I can take care of you.”

“Harper—”

“We’re not talking about Harper right now.” He found the exact spot that made me moan. “This is only about you, sweetheart, remember?” His thumb brushed my slit. “And don’t tell me you don’t need it. You’re soaked.”

“That doesn’t—”

I cut off in a gasp as his fingers pressed to my clit. Firm enough to make my toes curl. I shouldn’t be so turned on, but it was like fire. Heat building in my stomach as he teased me, rubbing till I whimpered. His thumb slipped inside me. A deliberate shallow thrust that hit every nerve in me. I twisted under him. It was too sensitive, too much, so fucking good, that spit slipped past my lips. I drooled on his fancy leather seats.

“There it is.” He kissed my burning cheek, mouth hotter than my skin. He was everywhere, surrounding me. His aftershave smelled so good. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s just you and me. Let go.”

It hit me so hard my hips bucked against his hand. I cried out, high and breathy. It felt so fucking good! Wrong and twisted and everything I needed. I could have sworn I didn’t used to be messed up. He’d done this to me, made me need him, and it wasn’t fair! When I went limp, he pulled his hand away from my cunt. He gripped my chin instead, turning my face towards him as he searched my dazed eyes. The heat in his gaze should have been scary, but it just made my stomach twinge. An aftershock of the wave that drowned me.

The kiss was brutal, a scorching press of his lips as his tongue searched my mouth like he was looking for answers. My panties were still around my thighs. The buttons of his jeans popped as he pulled them open. I pulled my head back, jerking away from him.

“Kane, no—”

His mouth covered mine again, lips bruising. His hand spread across my cunt, gathering the slick there. The back of his fist brushed against my inner thighs. The car filled with the wet slap of him jerking himself. His lips dropped to my shoulder, the kiss sloppy against the side of my neck. I whimpered, and he shuddered, abdomen hitting my ass as he fucked his hand. Kane groaned low in the back of his throat as he came, and the sound lit me on fire again. It took a minute for him to catch his breath. Exhausted silence as he rested his forehead against my shoulder. Close and warm. Almost a hug.

“Hold still.” He said it so firmly that I didn’t think about moving.

My panties caught as he tugged them up my thighs. His knuckles brushed my bruising butt as he tugged my pants the rest of the way. I flinched. They were soaked, covered in a sticky layer of his cum, which pressed against my cunt. 

“That’s disgusting.”

I snapped my head around to glare at him. The bastard was smiling. 

“Keep them on for Danny. See if he gets the message when he finds my cum in your lacy red panties and my handprint on your ass.” He gave my rear a light tap to punctuate the point.

I hissed. “You’re a caveman.”

“No, Vi.” He was still so fucking close, hovering over me with his hand pressed against the seat to block my escape. “I’m a dangerous and violent man , and if you don’t break things off with your little fuck buddy, I’m going to put a bullet in his head. Are we clear?”

I glowered at Kane, wishing I had the balls to slap him back. “Fine.”

“Good.” He leant over to grab my backpack from the seat opposite. “Put your seatbelt on. We have another twenty minutes of traffic on 5th Street before we get to your neighbourhood.”

I shivered as I got back up, feeling the squelch of moisture against my cunt as I slipped into my seat. It was hard to focus. My eyes were hazy, and my heart hadn't slowed down yet. Danny was nice. I liked him, but not that much. It’s not even like I’d have to call to end it. I could do it over text. It wasn’t a great sign that I was more upset about ditching the story than I was about ending things.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He pulled my phone out, trying his thumbprint on the scanner. It didn’t work. Deleting the biometrics he'd put into my phone when he abducted me was one of the first things I did after I'd finished escaping.

“You disabled it?” He had the balls to look hurt when he glanced over at me. Kane held out the phone. “Unlock it.”

“No.” Not a chance in hell. “Why?”

“You’re going to break up with Danny before I let you out of this car.” Kane shook the screen between his fingers. I glared at him. “What do you think his mum will say at his funeral? Angela's lovely. She works at a care home for the elderly—”

I pressed my thumb to the scanner, glaring at him as he pulled up my contacts and opened the messaging app. The screen clicked with little buzzes as he wrote out the message. I was fuming, arms folded. When he was done, he showed it to me.

Hey Darren, change of plans. I can’t do tonight. But I’ve been meaning to say it’s not working out. I think we should break things off. See you around sometime.

“His name’s Danny.” My eyes flicked past the message up to his face. “And that sounds nothing like me.”

He turned the phone back towards him, squinting at the screen. “Must have been autocorrect.”

“It says his name on the contact.” I glared at him. “Do you need reading glasses?”

Kane looked me dead in the eye, gaze icy as he clicked the send button. I hissed at him like a pissed off cat. I was this close to spitting in his face.

“Ooops,” he said, “I meant to click delete. Must be my eyes.”

He was scrolling again before I could scream at him. My eyes flared as wide as my nostrils as he found the number of Liedecker’s assistant. He hit the call button, putting it straight on speaker. I tried to grab the phone out of his hand, but he only raised it.

“Nicholas Liedecker’s office.” Came through loud and clear. “This is Tiffany. How can I help?”

Kane’s expression was merciless. There was no escaping it.

“Hi, Tiff.” This was awful. I was about to destroy everything I’d worked for the last year and a half. It wasn’t fair. “It’s Viola Cox—”

“Vi?” I could hear Tiffany’s smile, bright and bubbly. “Nick was just telling me how excited he is for the interview tomorrow.”

It had taken months of sucking up and a fake style piece to get to this point. I wasn’t a threat. Liedecker’s PR team didn’t even think I was a serious reporter after the amount of fluff pieces that had gone out under my name. The thought of how disappointed Mindy was going to be stung more than my aching ass. It sat like lead in my stomach.

“Sorry, Tiff.” My palms ached from the bite of my fingernails. “The Chronicle’s pulled the piece. We’ve decided to go in a different direction for the segment.”

What direction, I sure as hell didn’t know. But I guess Mindy had two days to figure it out. She was going to kill me.

“Oh.” Tiff breathed out, her voice shifted. “He’ll be disappointed. Mister Liedecker was really looking forward to meeting you.”

Her tone didn’t sound right, not disappointed. Scared.

“I really am sorry.” 

Kelly's eyes were remorseless. His scowl deepened every word she said. The heat in his gaze turned molten.

“It’s alright—” 

Kane didn’t let her finish. He hung up, cutting her off mid-sentence.

“Give that back!” I grabbed the phone out of his hand, and this time he let me. 

The button clicked as I locked the screen before he could do any more damage. The bastard was smiling. 

“You ever heard of the word please?” he asked.

“Please kindly go fuck yourself.” I picked up my backpack and slipped my phone back into the pocket.

He fucking laughed. When I put my bag down, he hooked an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. My back pressed to his chest. My stomach dropped, cheeks tingling as my throat closed up.

“Kelly.” My voice shook, breathless and too high. “What are you doing?”

“If you don’t put your seatbelt on.” His lips brushed my ear. “Then I’ll have to hold on to you for the rest of the drive.”

I tried to pull his forearm away, but he only tightened his hold. When I whimpered, Kane reached over, slapping the top of my thigh hard enough to sting.

“Sit still, and shut up.” There was a bite to his voice, like he'd sink his teeth into my skin if I pushed him. “You had your chance to do what I said, and you wasted it.”

I tried to find the anger I'd had so much of a minute ago, but it was gone. “Fine.”

“Good.” He shifted, taking his phone out of his pocket.

The screen unlocked with a click as he pulled up his emails.

“What are you doing?” I stared at his screen.

He let out a short breath that sounded like a huff. “Catching up. I got shit to do.”

“Should you email about crime things?” I couldn’t believe he’d be stupid enough to leave a paper trail.

It was enough of a surprise that I relaxed against him. He was warm, and I was cold. Still damp from the rain. He'd just violated me. I knew I shouldn't be cuddling him, but it felt so nice. A little ball of warmth in my belly that soothed my aching skin. I had to stop myself from nestling into him.

“I run legitimate businesses, too,” Kane said. “Not just a criminal empire. Otherwise, the IRS would have a lot of questions for me by now.” His fingers slipped down my side, stroking enough that it tickled. “Now sit still and shut up, or I’ll see how many times I can make you come in the next fifteen minutes.”

My mouth snapped closed, lips sealed. We sat in silence for fifteen damn minutes, while he checked his emails, and I wondered in my head if he’d kill me if I punched him in the dick. It was maddening. The soft brush of his fingertips slipping under my shirt to trace my hip bones. Tickling touches across my lower belly, taunting me without once looking away from his phone. When the car finally pulled up opposite my building, he clicked his phone off, slipping it into his pocket. Kane removed his hand from inside my shirt, but he didn't let go of my waist. His thumb brushed over my skirt. Up and down my hip. The movement didn't feel conscious. He was thinking too hard. I didn't like it. I turned my head, glancing at him as I tried to read his expression. He had the best poker face I'd ever seen.

“Kane?”

He blinked, pupils dilating, as his eyes focused. He'd been somewhere else. I tugged the back of his wrist. My building was right there. So close.

“I want to go home,” I said, not daring to blink when there was so much blue staring back at me. “Please, let me go.”

There was no warning before he moved. Kane pinned me back against the seat, his lips covering mine. I froze, and he squeezed, fingers digging into my arm where he'd trapped me in against the creaking leather. He deepened the kiss, using my muffled gasp to push my lips further apart. It was all for him, my mouth, my body, the shiver as I wrapped my hand around his shoulder, kissing him back. The encouragement spurred him on, his chest pressing to mine as he took everything. My breath, my fight, my fucking self-respect fled the moment I moaned. He broke away, his head dropped to the crook of my neck as he shuddered. His shoulders were rigid. There was nothing soft in the way he held me. His body was a cage. Rib bones wrapped around a racing heart.

“Kane—”

He tilted his head up, the skin of his cheek brushing mine.

“Strike two, Vi.” His breath ghosted my ear. He didn't sound ok, it was like he was in pain. “There better not be a third one.”

“There won't be.” I held on to him, hand brushing down his back. Convince the beast not to bite with gentle hands and soft touches. “I promise Kane, there won't be! I—”

“I can't see you again.” It sounded like he was breaking up with me. I could have laughed, but his grip turned biting. “The things I want to do to you—”

I flinched, clinging to his shoulders when he laughed. It sounded bitter, desperate, and cruel. He was hanging by a thread. Desperate Kane was not a Kane I wanted to be around.

“Don't give me an excuse,” he said. “Please.”

“I won't!” I'd never meant a promise more.

His lips brushed my cheek. The soft touch, the antithesis of his bruising grip.

“That's my girl.” He took a deep breath, holding on for another second, before he let go.

I didn't look back, grabbing my bag as I pushed open the car door, stumbling out onto the wet road. When the rain splattered my face, I realised I'd left my jacket. I didn't go back for it. Water splashed under my running feet. There was no looking back. I couldn't ever let him drag me back there.

Chapter Text

Day One 

There are a few times in my life I’ve been utterly fucked, but blindfolded and hanging by my wrists from a meat hook was probably the worst of them. I whimpered as I tried to balance on my toes. The surface beneath them was slippery, probably glazed. The strain on my shoulders was already torture. At least I wasn't naked. A lighter flicked. The crack of one of those fancy metal ones. I smelled the cigar as Guy Vassière inhaled. It wasn’t the first time I’d had it blown in my face.

“You should call, Stein.” If he was still seeing Betty, he could at least get me out of this. I’d take the chance he didn’t actively want me dead. I couldn’t exactly ask Kane. ‘And where did you find her? Sneaking out of a man’s room at midnight, you say?’ He’d kill me or Pierce. Maybe both of us. “You can work something out.”

Footsteps echoed on tile as Vassière stepped closer. Tile was bad. It was the sort of surface that was easy to hose down. Blood might stick in the grout, though, depending on what they used to seal it. I turned my head towards the sound, but the blindfold was too tight for me to see anything. The smoke gave away his position, but it was getting thick enough it wouldn't be a clue for long. Lingering cloyingly in the still air. We were in a small enclosed space with bad ventilation. I was almost proud of how much I could deduce without my eyes, but I doubt anyone would pat me on the back for my investigation skills.

“Stein will pay my ransom!” Even if he wanted to, Betty wouldn't forgive him if he just let me die. I was so fucked. “If this is a ransom thing?”

Please let it be a ransom thing!

“Chut, ma chérie.” Guy’s finger touched my lips. “Calme-toi.”

Not a ransom thing. I snapped at him, teeth catching the side of his hand. I bit down hard.

“Putain!” He grabbed my hair, trying to yank my head back. “Let go.” I dug in harder, deep enough to squeeze thin bones. “Let go, or lose a finger.”

I pulled back, sucking in a breath, before I spat the taste of his skin out of my mouth. “Don’t touch me!”

I heard the soft breath he took. The cloying cigar smoke filled the air. It smelled like the ones Kelly smoked. 

“Bâillone la.”

There was a movement behind me, a ripple of warning, before the cloth was there, pulled tight around my lips. They knotted it and I choked. teeth digging into the thick fabric.

“Calme-toi.” He spoke low and soothing, like I was a spooked dog. “Calme.”

When his hands touched the bottom of my shorts, I tried to kick, leg grazing his shin. He laughed, and I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted to kill anyone more. I went still as he tugged my jean shorts down. The pants came with them, cotton catching as they slid down my thighs. Vassiére clicked his tongue, the noise filled with scorn.

“Sal fille.” His hand drifted over my mound, tugging at the hair there.

I bit into the gag, trying to keep the whimper in. He kept tugging at it, hands exploring where the hair covered me. He was touching me, and I couldn’t stop him. Vassiére kept tutting like my body hair was disgusting.

“Enlève-le.” Hands tugged at the blindfold, fingers twisting in my hair.

Guy took another puff of the cigar, breathing smoke into my face. My eyes stung, and I pulled back, still blinking as his fingers twisted in my pubic hair. Hazel eyes, brown flecked faintly with green. Tan skin with black eyebrows and blacker hair. No grey in it yet, lines at the corner of his eyes, but not deep ones. Kane’s age. A year or two either side of him, at most. I couldn’t help the noise I made, the broken whimper. He showed me his bright white teeth in return. A shark’s smile.

“Ma chérie,” Guy Vassière murmured.

I slammed my knee against his thigh, and the motion yanked at my arms, sending me back on the chains. Guy Vassière had shoved me in a trunk and brought me home with him. This was beyond bad. This was how I died. He laughed, circling behind me. The chain clanked as he grabbed my hip. His palm slipped down, feeling the line between my butt cheeks.

“Salle,” he sighed.

Then he was gone, moving away as he turned his back on me. It was the first time I’d noticed there was a rest of the room. Soft lighting and one of those beds that beauticians and doctors use. I started to recognise the smells, melted wax, and hot oil. I heard the tap turn, the rush of water through a pipe or a hose. A fine freezing spray brushed the back of my ankles. Vassière settled into the chair by the door. Tapping his cigar in the glass tray on the table beside him. My gaze dropped to the drain a foot to my right. 

The water hit my back like knives. High pressure. I screamed into the gag. I don’t want to talk about what happened. Not about the feel of metal scissors brushing my spine as my shirt was cut off. Not the hot wax against the top of my pubic bone as a woman in a green shirt spread it with a little wooden spatula.

I slammed my head down, hitting her hard enough that she shrieked. Scrambled back with a hand to her bleeding nose as she stared at me with wide, betrayed eyes. Not the look that passed through them as her face went from blank professionalism to anger. Not the sound of Vassière’s laughter as she glanced back at him, looking for help. 

He shook his head, stubbing out the last of his cigar. Vassiére wore two gold rings, one on his index finger and one on his thumb. Soft light glinted on the edge as he slipped them off. The metal clinked on the glass as he laid them beside the ashtray. He stood, undoing the cuff of his white shirt. The linen wrinkled as he rolled it back, revealing the lean muscle of his forearm. I shook as he approached. He rolled the other sleeve with the same slow inevitability. I’m not sure I’ve ever been closer to pissing myself. Vassière raised the back of his hand, and I flinched back, hiding my head between my arms. It wasn’t where he was aiming. It came down hard across my cunt, and I howled into the gag. Dark spots danced in my vision. 

“Allez.” He summoned the woman back to work.

Then the wax was back. So much fucking wax. I don’t want to talk about what it felt like when she put her spatula on the inside of my mons. Or how hard I screamed every time she yanked it off, ripping out hair that I’d only ever shaved. I’d had a wax once in my life. I’d let the nice lady do the bikini line, and then told her to stop. Alice had been merciless after. Called me all kinds of pathetic. She went every month. I didn’t even argue with her. She was a hell of a lot tougher than me. The woman in green did everywhere, pausing once to tie her long black hair back in a tight ponytail as she set to work.

By the time it was over, I was done, covered in sweat and shaking. If I had any secrets, I would have spilt every one of them. It stung when she rubbed the cream into my burning skin. I felt like raw chicken as I hid my face in my arm. Trussed up and plucked. My eyes hurt, but I wasn’t going to cry, not really, it was just moisture from the pain. How the hell did women do this? I’d never understand why anyone would volunteer to be tortured.

She drew back, and I caught sight of the woman’s face, the swelling around her eyes from where I’d head butted her. Vassière rose, and I flinched back as he circled closer. He didn’t look at my face. His gaze flicked over my body, lingering on the bare skin. More assessing than it was hungry. 

“Bien mieux.” His fingers trailed over my butt, cold against the violated skin.

My mind went blank. If he went lower. Oh god, if he went lower! He reached up, pulling above my head, at the chain of the cuffs. My heels dropped to the wet floor. Vassière yanked my arms down, trapping them against my chest.

“Ce prochain, Astrid.” He tugged at the matted strands of hair hanging around my face. My heart froze. “Boucler ses cheveux.”

What did boucler mean? Please, not cut. I don’t know how long I was in that awful room that smelled like cherry blossom and coconut, but by the time Astrid was done with me, I was someone else. 

I kicked Vassière’s heel as he dragged me through the doorway. It was the middle of the day, at least, maybe later, when he pulled me into a wooden tree house so much bigger than a treehouse should be. Bug nets on the windows, a ceiling fan turning high above our heads, and a statement bed with a twisted driftwood headboard. His arms strained as he pulled me there, shoulder hitting my stomach hard enough to wind me. He shoved me down, landing on top of me so his legs parted on either side of my torso. He yanked my hands back above my head, setting one wrist free to loop the chain through the wood. The cuff snapped closed again. I stared at my wrists, the feel familiar in all the worst ways. It was happening again. I couldn't do it again! My eyes snapped to his face.

He smiled at me, that same shark’s smile as he reached for the gold straps of the ridiculous lingerie. His hips shifted, thighs tensing against my side. There was enough give in his suit pants that I could feel him growing against my stomach. My heart pounded in my ears as I bit down on the gag. Vassière tugged at the strap, and my thighs tightened, legs ready to kick. He traced the neckline, the edge of his nail dipping inside the seam, watching his own hand with a distant fascination. He took a breath, snapping out of his slow perusal as the sharpness returned to his gaze. Vassiére tapped the screen of his watch, checking it before he glanced back at my face.

“Sois sage ma chérie.” The warmth in his eyes was terrifying.

Smiling like we were friends when he was a psycho who’d abducted me. He sat back, slipping off the bed. A woman I hadn't noticed at the door opened it for him. I only waited long enough for it to close behind them before my gaze flicked up to the cuffs. Other than the threat to cut my finger off, I hadn't understood a word he'd said. I yanked, seeing how stable the bed was. It shifted under the pull. Driftwood probably wasn’t that sturdy. If I tugged hard enough, I could break it. I twisted, rolling onto my stomach before I pushed up to my knees. The bed jolted as I tugged against the cuffs, hands twisted over one another. It would take a while, but maybe I could break the damn headboard. 

I yanked again, pulling and pulling. The wood groaned, tension in my arms hurting the sockets. I was exhausted, running on the fumes of panic and adrenaline. But I wasn't going to just lie back and wait for what came next. It must have been twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, of pulling with every bit of strength left in my muscles. My stomach sank when the door opened. A heavy bag dropped on the floor, and my whole body went rigid. Footsteps that made the hair on my scalp stand on end and my hairless skin prickle. 

“Fucking Guy.” He didn’t sound pleased.

My head snapped up as the first flicker of hope filled my chest. I knew that voice. I slumped, so relieved as a shock of recognition passed over Kane Kelly’s face. Pure surprise as he stared at me.

“Vi?” His lips parted, mouth slightly open.

A noise left my chest, a desperate, relieved whimper. He was here. Kane was here. Whatever the fuck was going on, he’d fix it. He blinked, a thousand emotions crossing his face, before he slowly smiled.

Chapter Text

I pulled again at the cuffs, arms crossed over one another. My shoulders ached from how hard I’d been yanking. I tried to say his name through the gag, but it didn’t come out. More of a wet, angry snap. His brow rose as he looked over me in a leisurely sweep. His gaze caught on the sheer gold fabric they’d put me in that wasn’t even long enough to call a dress. It stopped just below my ass. Lacy enough on the skirt to hint that I wasn’t wearing underwear. There was no pretence with the bralette. The fabric was tight enough to lift my breasts, but it didn’t hide my nipples. One obscenely thin strap had fallen down my arm. The fabric clung to my skin. I was sweating from the humidity and my fight with the headboard. The artful curls they’d burnt into my hair were pulled apart, and the places they’d pinned it back were hanging on by a thread.

I tried to say his name again. “-a-e.”

His smile widened, gaze flicking up to my face. “Sweetheart, what are you doing in my treehouse?”

I blinked, staring at him for a few long seconds. My knees buckled as I dropped back to the mattress, arms still twisted. I’d been up for over twenty-four hours. I couldn’t have said what time it was now, just that Kane was here, and that meant I could be done. The tiny dress covered me if I rested on my heels. I shook my cuffed wrists, hoping he’d be reasonable.

“Did you get yourself stuck in a trap?” I caught a flash of his teeth as he smiled before my eyes dropped closed.

The floorboards creaked as he rounded the bed. His hand landed on my shoulder, a gentle squeeze. I leaned my forehead against his arm, giving something close to a nod. It was Kane. He wouldn’t kill me; we were over that phase. 

“Turn over.” His grip was firm as he pushed me back towards the only pillow I hadn't kicked away. “You’re all tangled up.” 

I shifted, opening my eyes as he nudged me to uncross my arms. My elbows bent as my wrists tugged back towards the headboard. Kane leaned over me, like he was about to hug me. I swayed towards him. Desperate for the safety of his arms, even if it was just for a few seconds. I’d thought I was so fucked. He reached for my wrist, but his fingers kept going, closing around my throat. Adrenaline flared through my limbs as my heart took off.

“Lie back.” I caught the look in his eyes; his fingers twitched, tightening.

He wasn’t going to untie me. 

“-a-e, -ea-e.” I tried again, tongue pressing to the strip of linen in my mouth. “-o-!”

His arm curled around my waist as he lifted my weight, pulling me down the bed. I curled to the side, kicking with my legs, but he was too far up for me to reach. Panic left me in a shriek. I stretched my neck to get away from his grip.

“Don’t scream like that.” His hand tightened. “You’ll strain your throat.” 

I was going to kill him. I screamed as loud as I could with the wad of linen in my mouth. 

“Guy is one twisted motherfucker.” Kane’s eyes danced like this was funny. “But you have to love Island courtesy.” He turned his head, eyes drifting down over my body. The skirt had ridden up, showing too much. “They waxed you? I was wondering why Astrid had a black eye.”

I bit into the gag, growling from the back of my throat as he reached down, fingers brushing over the tender skin. 

“Don’t close your legs.” Kane’s eyes darkened, following the path of his hand. “I love your cunt, sweetheart, but this is something special.” He trailed the seam of my thigh, pressing lower, slipping between my arse cheeks. “They did here as well?” His brow rose. “They bleach your arsehole too?”

I had no fucking clue what most of the things they’d done to me were. It was all a painful, furious blur.

“-a-e!” My eyes stung as I tried to say his name.

Why did he have to be like this? Why couldn’t he just, for once, be a decent human being? His lips flicked up, a half smile like he could read what I was thinking. 

“Don’t cry, Vi.” Joke's on him if he thought he could make me. He leaned in, lips touching the tip of my nose. “If you're good, I’ll make sure you enjoy it.” I glared at him, nose flaring as I let out a frustrated breath. For a moment, he just stared, studying my face. “I’m not letting you go. I did what you asked. Haven’t gone after you.” His eyes were dark, a wolf waiting in the trees for a sheep to slip free of the herd. “I was this close to dragging you out of Sullivan’s that day, the case against Stein be damned.” His jaw clenched, the first flicker that wasn’t laughter in his eyes. “I let you go.” He said the words slowly, drawing them out. It wasn’t exactly news to me; I hadn’t escaped him or stolen back my life. “Let you go in the police station when I could have dragged you out of there. In the courthouse, too. Let you go again when you agreed to stop looking into Liedecker.” He took a shallow breath. Kane was still pissed about that one. “But I’m not passing on this. I’ve missed you too damn much.” His hand withdrew from between my legs, and I snapped my thighs closed. It didn’t matter; he pulled the bralette down so my right breast popped out of the flimsy fabric. “Fuck, I’ve missed these too.”

Made sense. Harper wouldn't have let him touch her. The thought of her made everything so much worse. His mouth closed over my nipple, pulling it between his teeth. Wet and hot as he sucked hard. I gripped the cuffs, metal biting into my palms. 

“Your skin is so soft.” He was laughing, breathless. “You taste like coconut, fucking delicious.” His palm picked up where his mouth left off, cradling the underside of my breast as he brushed his thumb across my nipple, spreading his spit across my skin. “They really did a number on you. Almost turned you into a real woman.” If my hands were free, I would have slapped him. “What have they done with my Vi, huh? Where’s that scraggly little street kid that runs around my city, getting herself into trouble?” He kissed the middle of my chest, tongue slipping out to taste my skin. “You’ve pissed off so many people in the last two and a half years. I've lost count of the times I’ve had to stop someone from putting a bullet in your head.”

I growled at him instead of replying. A low noise in the back of my throat, like I’d heard muzzled dogs make in the park. 

“There she is.” His grin turned cruel, fingers twitching still around my fucking neck. “What should I do with you, Vi? I could eat your little cunt again, make you scream through your gag.” His palm brushed down the sheer fabric, hot against my stomach. Damp from the humidity of the jungle. “I'm not sure I have the patience. It’s been too fucking long.”

He finally let go of my throat, and I sucked in a deep breath through my nose. I tried to curl away from him. His hand slammed against the mattress beside my head. 

“Move an inch.” He warned, darkness in his gaze. Kane Kelly, the murderer. “And I’ll slap you so hard you get another concussion.”

I froze, biting hard into the gag. He wouldn’t. The bed lifted as he stood up. He undid a few buttons of his white linen shirt before he pulled it over his head. His shorts followed seconds later. He kicked them off his ankles, leaving his clothes in a bundle on the floor. My gaze stayed on that bundle. It wasn't like him; he hung everything, or at least folded it. Kane wasn’t sweating, but his skin glistened from the humidity. He hadn’t aged much; if anything, he was more defined now than when I first met him. 

“I’ve been using the gym.” Kane noticed the direction of my gaze. “Helps with the stress.”

I rolled my eyes, glancing pointedly away. Poor mob boss, having to take up weight lifting, because all the murder and drug smuggling was giving him chest pains. The slowly turning ceiling fan blurred a little. I blinked away the sting from my eyes. I refused to cry.

“How thoughtful.” Kane moved to the side table, investigating the basket on top. He lifted the white cloth covering, brow twitching upwards. “They left us some toys.”

This time I didn’t growl; I whimpered, turning my head away. I didn’t want to see what he pulled out of the basket. The bed shifted as he moved over me, his weight pinning my hips to the bed. I flinched as his dick thumped against my lower abdomen.

“Let’s see if we need this.” He was holding a clear plastic bottle with sticky-looking liquid inside.

Oil or gel. He shifted down my thighs, making the space to reach my cunt. His fingers dipped into my slit, pressing the tip of one knuckle inside. Kane frowned. 

“Right.” He sounded offended that I wasn't soaked. He flicked the cap open with the edge of his thumbnail. “Lube it is. Wouldn’t want a repeat of last time, would we, sweetheart?”

The last time we’d had sex, he’d left handprints around my neck and been so rough I bled. There were so many reasons I hadn’t been brave enough to let another man touch me for two and a half years, and he caused all of them. I froze, another one of those fucking whimpers leaving my throat as my whole body tensed. My nose flared, and I was so close to crying. It was boiling, heavy and hot because it hadn’t rained yet today, but I was shivering. This wasn’t supposed to happen ever again. I wasn’t supposed to be chained to Kane Kelly’s bed. The bottle squirted, and I yipped as cool liquid covered my cunt. 

“Shhhhhh.” Kane's voice was smooth as liquid caramel. “Relax.”

I hid my face in the gap between my arm and the pillow. The gag hurt. Soaked through already from my spit. Kane rubbed the gel across my cunt. Spreading it along my entrance. His body covered mine, leaving the smallest gap between us, as he hovered over me.

“Sweetheart, I’m not sure if you know this.” His finger pushed into the knuckle. “But I’m a bit fucked up. When you whimper, it makes me so hard my dick hurts.”

Didn’t I fucking know that! I closed my eyes, squeezing them tight as his thumb brushed over my clit. His dick twitched against my thigh. The smaller I got, the bigger he felt. He tugged my right thigh wider. I felt him there, against my slit. A sound echoed in my ears—the pounding of rain against the thatched palm-fronds above us. A thousand drumbeats. The afternoon storm had come. Inevitable. Inescapable as the stretch as he shifted. The tip of him became so much more. The lube helped him get in, but it didn’t make an inch of me relax.

Kane didn’t stop at the resistance of a body that didn’t want him. Kept pushing, a bead of sweat on his forehead, as he stretched my insides with a painfully slow push. He slumped over me when our stomachs touched. Face buried in my neck.

“Your hair's so long now.” He sounded reverent, breath loud in my ear, as his nose brushed just beneath it. “You get more beautiful every year.” 

I didn’t want to listen, focused on the rain instead. Which was working great until he moved, hips shifting. Bare skin made everything down there slipperier. He almost came back out again. Kane laughed, a breathless, delighted sound.

“This dress needs to go.” The straps bit into my shoulders. I gasped as he tugged. “One second.” He yanked again, harder, and they snapped. I recoiled as a bit of elastic whipped my cheek. Flimsy fabric hissed as it tore, like it had been designed to be ripped off. Then his skin was against mine. Sweaty from the heat, and slippery from the lube. “Fuck, this isn’t going to last long.”

Quick and dirty. It was more his style. My cunt clenched around him as he grunted. Face buried in my shoulder. He fucked me into the mattress, his weight compressing my chest as his dick stretched the space inside me. Tugging and pushing. There was a damp patch under me, from my sweat and his. Cold despite the heat. 

My breasts pressed against his chest, crushed under him. He made a noise in his throat, a groan as his movements sped up, becoming as uneven as his breathing. Kane slammed forward. Hips digging into my inner thighs. He was whispering and swearing under his breath, so quietly I could barely hear the words. I felt his cum, though, hot inside me where the lube had been freezing.

I was full, trapped beneath his weight. He'd just used me. Fucked me when I'd been chained to his bed like a gift. I don't know if I'd ever felt this dirty before. The metal of the cuffs clinked softly, a tinkling chime; I was still shivering. Kane turned, and I could see his eyes. The same blue as the shallow parts of the sea around the island. He lifted his hand lazily to grip my chin. Turning my head away from him. The gag tightened, cutting into the corners of my mouth as he pulled on the knot at the back. It took him a second to undo it. Moments to pull the linen from my mouth, ball it up and throw it on the floor. Spit I couldn't stop, spilt out of my mouth. I swallowed, wiping my face on the pillow as I sucked in a painful breath. My jaw hurt, but not as badly as my chest ached.

“You’re a fucking bastard, Kane Kelly,” I said. “Harper—”

His mouth covered mine, fingers gripping my chin to keep me there. I pressed my lips closed, and his teeth sank into the bottom one, a sharp nip before he pulled back.

“Don’t mention her this week.” He brought his other hand up, index finger covering my mouth. “Do everything I fucking tell you to.” His eyes searched mine. There was real anger in his gaze. “You have no clue how much trouble you’re in this time, do you?” His brow rose, daring me to say something. “Did Guy ransom you? Or did you piss him off enough that he’s decided to keep you?”

My lips parted, but for once I had nothing clever to say. I didn’t know. Guy had barely talked to me, and when he did, I hadn't understood him. He pulled back, wincing as he slipped out of me. Viscous liquid followed him, a trail of it spreading down the seam of my thigh.

“You don’t have a clue, do you?” Kane’s hand brushed through his hair as he sat back on his heels. He tilted his head back, frowning at the ceiling fan. The beat of the rain filled a silence I wasn't brave enough to break. “Fuck.”

Chapter Text

Outside the window, the rain was a curtain. I was so scared, and so unbelievably exhausted. Even though the adrenaline was still there, I was sinking into the bed I was still tied to. The knock on the door snapped me wide awake again. Kane glanced at me before he grabbed the sheet. He took the time to adjust it, laying it over my body. 

“Don’t be scared.” Kane’s voice was soft, a murmur in my ear as his fingers touched my cheek. “It’s just Jack. I told him to come.”

It took a moment, a blinking, terrified second, before I nodded. “Can you—”

I swallowed. It shouldn’t be so hard to get the words out, but he was staring at me again. Intent and a little worried.

“What?” he asked, lips close enough to kiss.

“Can you take the cuffs off before you let him in?” It was humiliating already.

The last time I’d seen Jack Spyte, he’d been helping me escape. What a joke!

“When he’s gone,” Kane said. “I need to talk to him first, just relax—”

“Sure,” I said. “That’ll be easy when I’m chained to the bed.”

Why wasn’t it the first time? He didn’t reply, turning toward the door. 

“Get in here.” Kane’s voice echoed back to me, along with two sets of footsteps.

“Damn, boss, I know I told you to blow off some steam.” Jack stepped around the corner, still looking at Kelly. “But that’s—” He froze as he met my gaze, the tan of his face going pale. “Vi!”

He took a step towards the bed before Kelly’s hand slammed down on his shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Why did his voice make it sound like it was my fault?

“Oh, you know, the usual.” The metal dug into my wrists as I shrugged, throwing a glare at Kelly. “Mob boss abducted and imprisoned me in his secret evil lair.”

Jack recovered quickly enough, shooting me a smile that showed the gap in his teeth.

“You know, once is an accident,” he said, holding up his hand as he began counting fingers. “Twice is bad luck.” The third digit rose, and I knew he was dragging it out. “But three times and you’ve got to ask yourself some hard questions.”

I glanced up as I tried to remember how many times he’d drugged me. Three, if the injection counted. Asshole.

“You’re right.” I raised my eyebrows. “I should have taken up jogging, so I’d be fast enough to run away, but honestly, gyms suck and I hate cardio.” My gaze shifted to Kane, and his expression surprised me. There was a flicker of warmth in his eyes as he glanced between us. “Think you can convince your boss to uncuff me?”

Jack laughed outright as Kane’s gaze snapped to mine. 

“Still no.” Kelly shook his head before he sat down on the end of the bed. His hand closed over my ankle through the sheet. “Pull up a chair; we need to talk.”

Jack picked up an armchair from the seating area, thumping it at the end of the bed before he dropped into the seat.

“New orders?” he asked, giving a half nod towards me.

I could only see half of Kelly’s face, but watching his smile disappear still sent chills through me. I was looking at the ruthless mob boss again. It was the version of him I got to meet when I was in trouble. I shifted, the cuffs at my wrist clinking as the muscles in my back relaxed. It was Jack and Kelly. Under any other circumstances and I’d be terrified, but right now I was actually glad they were both here.

“I can’t be with her every second,” Kane said. “When I’m not, you are. Anyone touches her, kill them.”

Jack’s eyes flicked to my face. “And the other stuff—”

He left it hanging, open in the air. They were visiting Guy Vassière for a reason, one Jack was smart enough not to say in front of a sort of reporter. After all this time, where was the trust? I blinked slowly, stifling a yawn. Kane turned his head, glancing back over his shoulder at me.

“Orders still stand,” he said. “But Vi comes first. Anything happens to her, someone dies.”

It was almost sweet. A balm to the panic that had been racing through me for hours. For a second, I was speechless. I had nothing clever to say, not when Kane Kelly’s pupil was so small, all I could see was blue. Jack brushed a hand through his hair. He was uncomfortable.

“What if it’s Guy?” 

Kane grimaced. “I’ll deal with Guy.”

“What’s—” they were both looking at me already; there wasn’t a better time to ask. “What’s going to happen to me?”

Kane frowned, letting go of my leg to scrub a hand across his face. He looked exhausted.

“Nothing,” he said. “We’re going to spend a couple of days at L’Élysée, and I’m going to talk Guy into letting me take you back to Rapture with me at the end of it.”

“Out of the goodness of his heart?” I felt dumb even saying it.

Jack snorted, but he shut up fast when Kane dropped the hand over his eyes lower to shoot him a hard look.

“Probably for an amount of money that’d make you sick,” Kane said. “If he figures out I care about you, he’ll make me pay through the teeth.”

My stupid, idiot of a stomach gave a warm flutter when he said he cared about me. 

“You're enemies?” It was hard to tell with them.

Kelly had hated Stein, but he’d still been doing business with him. I’m not sure grudges meant anything in their world. Money seemed to always come first. It was the reason he was marrying Harper. 

Kane exhaled through his teeth, the sound close to a whistle. “He’s my oldest friend.”

My stomach flipped for a different reason, shifting so fast from butterflies to snakes, I was almost sick. His oldest friend was a psycho trafficker who’d abducted me at gunpoint, tortured me and tied me to another man’s bed. Left me for him as a fucking present. I gave up trying to join the conversation as I turned my face away. I didn’t want to look at either of them. Leather creaked as Jack shifted forward.

“You alright, kid?” I didn’t answer. I could hear them looking at each other. A shared glance that was probably them deciding I was crazy. “You don’t mind me looking out for you? It’ll be just like old times.”

I pulled myself back to the moment, giving a halfhearted attempt at sass. “The old times when you used to stalk me for Kelly—”

“Used to?” Jack asked.

I narrowed my eyes, gaze darting between them. Jack’s lips were a straight line. Mine would be too, if Kane were glaring at me the way he was glaring at him.

“Whatever.” It wasn’t worth the battle. So what if Jack was following me around town, taking pictures of me drinking coffee and shit. “You get any good candid pics? I could use some new headshots.”

Kane dropped his hand, the full weight of his gaze landing on me. Still, mob boss Kane. It woke me back up again, more of a shock than a slap.

“What are you doing on the island, Vi?” He wasn’t even close to smiling.

My tongue darted out, wetting my lips. I cleared my throat before I spoke. “I’m here for work—”

Kane’s brows rose. It was the only movement; he was so still, I wasn’t sure he was breathing.

“Not as a reporter,” I said, excuses slipping from my lips like big fat raindrops. “Pierce Aldridge is doing a story here, and Mindy sent me to check in on the production because they’re over-budget. I was supposed to get an interview with him at the same time, but that’s it, I swear—”

“Pierce Aldridge?” Kelly’s voice dropped low enough that Jack shifted back, hand going to the arm of his chair. 

The name was probably a dirty word in the circles he ran in. 

“He’s a shark,” I said. “And so pompous, he told me the other day he was a citizen of the world.” Or at least close enough to it. “And he’s not as smart as he thinks he is—”

I tailed off as Kane’s eyes narrowed, forcing myself not to shrink. Nothing to see here, absolutely no guilty conscience. Not someone who broke the fucked-up rules where she’s not allowed to mention anything about her ex, even though she never signed an NDA or anything.

“Hell, kid, you sound like you have a crush on him,” Jack said.

The storm might be letting up outside, but there was thunder in Kelly’s eyes. I grimaced, shooting a look of disgust at Jack.

“He’s old!” I said.

“Younger than Mister Kelly,” Jack said.

I wasn’t sure if they were on to me or not.

“Where did Guy take you from?” Kane wasn’t even looking at me. 

The question was offhand, unconcerned.

“He knocked on the door in the middle of the night,” I said. “I opened it, and he had a gun on me. He cuffed me and put me in the trunk of his car.”

It was ninety-nine point nine per cent true. 

“Why did you open the door in the middle of the night?” Kane asked, palm dropping over my ankle again. “Who were you expecting?”

My mouth opened, lips parted as I stared at him. “What are you saying?”

Kane didn’t blink. “I’m asking if you were letting Pierce Aldridge into your room in the middle of the night?”

Jack shifted, the leather creaking. “I should go—”

“He wouldn’t have stepped foot in my room,” I said. “It’s against H.R. policy—”

Kane’s grip tightened, his jaw clenching. “So you did invite him in?” 

“Of course not!” Damn it, he couldn’t possibly know. “Kane, come on, of course I don’t like Pierce Aldridge.” Not anymore, at least. “And I wouldn’t sleep with him. He’s an arsehole, but I don’t want him dead.” I wouldn’t have been all that broken up about it, considering he was working on me for a story. But that also wasn’t something I could tell Kelly. “How do you even know him?”

“Everyone knows Aldridge,” Jack said.

I glanced between them. “They do?”

“The only reason someone hasn’t killed him yet is because he’s got dirt on half the mob,” Jack shrugged. “He gets enough on you, and you throw him a story—something innocent enough that you won’t do time for it. Aldridge wins a new award for his work, and the guy getting exposed takes a cut, so there are no hard feelings. He’s been doing it for a decade.”

My mouth dropped open, lips parted as the pieces fell into place.

“Let me guess.” Kane’s voice was velvet soft. “Aldridge was doing an exposé on Guy, and you just magically ended up here?”

I was the cut. I slumped back up, eyes catching on the thatch of the ceiling, blurring slightly. If I had more energy, I’d be pissed; now I was just sad and tired. When I didn’t reply, Kane didn’t drag me into the conversation again. I must have drifted, because the next thing I felt was Kane’s hands on my shoulders.

“Come on,” he whispered, as if he didn’t want to wake me. “You need to clean up.”

I groaned; I was so tired. It felt like peeling my eyes open with knives.

“Please.” I needed to sleep.

The light had changed; the clouds cleared to let the golden rays of sunset through. It felt surreal, a waking dream.

“Get washed,” Kane said. “And then I’ll let you sleep, alright.”

“Alright.” There was no arguing it.

Kelly was here now. He’d take care of it.

Day Two…

It was still dark, the air cool against my skin. I shifted, turning in the soft sheets, before my wrist caught, pulling tight with a clank. My eyes opened real fast after that, fixing on the twisted driftwood headboard. The metal cuff. I turned my head, catching sight of blonde hair. The bare skin of a man’s broad back.

“No!” I pushed back, half falling off the edge of the bed.

My arm almost yanked out of the socket as my knees cracked against the floor.

I grabbed the other side of the cuff, searching for a catch. A way to pull it free. I had to get out. I got it now, understood why an animal would chew off its own foot to escape a bear trap.

“Vi.” Kane was sitting, the blanket over his lap, and the bare muscles of his broad chest turned towards me. “Vi, calm down!”

“What did you do?” It couldn’t be happening, not again. “Where the fuck am I!”

His brow rose, eyes still hazy with sleep, as he stared at me like I was insane, and he didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

“You hit your head?” he asked. “Or are you just panicking?”

Hit my head? Why would I—

I took a breath, a deep one, as the haze of sleep cleared, the shock ebbing as I stared at his face. He didn’t look angry or pleased. Kane looked tired, like he was stressed and he hadn’t gotten enough sleep. It started slowly, the realisation of where I was. Guy Vassiére had abducted me, cuffed me to this bed and—

The chain clanked as I pulled on it. “Why am I still handcuffed?”

Kane’s eyes darted to my wrist, then back to my face.

“In case you woke up and freaked out,” he said.

Right. Like I just had. The tension released in my legs, and I dropped back to my knees. Shit.

“Kane.” I pressed my face to the mattress, wrinkling my nose. The sheet smelled of sex. “Can you take it off?”

“Are you going to run away?” He asked, his voice still rough from sleep.

“No.”

He laughed, a dry, half-chuckle. That was fair. I didn’t believe me, either.

“Lie back down,” he said. “You’re awake, so let’s talk.”

It took a second to force myself to get up. A few moments before, I pressed my palms to the bedsheet, climbing back onto the mattress. Kane pulled the cover out of the way, laying it over me as I shifted onto my side. One arm under the pillow to hide the cuff. Like that made it better.

“Talk.” I scowled at him, and his only response was a lip twitch.

The bed dipped as he shifted closer; I could feel the heat radiating off his bare skin. He mirrored me. Lying on his side, head resting on his palm.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, taking that tone with the only person who can get you out of this.” His smile didn't drop, though.

A tight mean grin. Of course, he was enjoying this. I was miserable and terrified, and he was having the time of his damn life.

“What happens today?”

“Nothing much,” Kane said. I squinted at him. “We’ll spend a few hours by the pool; you can swim if you want?” How generous of him to offer. “This evening we’ll probably have drinks with Guy.”

Drinks with Guy, because they were friends. My palm itched to slap him just for that, but that really would have been stupid.

“Goodie,” I muttered.

“Trust me, Vi.” Kane’s voice was soft enough that I almost wanted to. “Keep your head down, and I’ll get you home.”

Trust him? Trust Kane Kelly? I sighed, head turning into the pillow as I hid from the look in his eyes. He shifted closer, warm skin pressing against mine as his lips touched my cheek. Maybe just for a few days, I could. I turned, catching the corner of his mouth. He tensed as I gave him the quickest kiss, closer to a peck, before I hid my face again.

“Okay,” I said, words muffled by the pillow. “I trust you.”

Chapter Text

I eyed the green water. Kane had called it a natural pool. We were lying on one of those double sunbeds, with a canopy. Half shaded by the palm fronds that spread light and dark across my body in stripes. I’d been half asleep for a while. The gold swimsuit was tight against my skin. I’d have gone and dipped in the shallow end at some point, but I didn’t want to venture into the danger zone. There were a few other people at the pool. A couple of girls were sunning themselves. It would have looked like a holiday resort if they weren’t, you know. Prisoners. Or maybe they weren’t. They seemed happy enough; I couldn’t see any bruises on their skin. Maybe I was the only person who’d made the trip here in the trunk of Guy’s car. Ice clinked as Kane took a sip of his drink.

“You awake?” His voice was soft as he leaned closer, shifting across the lounger so he was next to me.

“No,” I said.

It was hot, but there was a soft breeze in the shade. Maybe I could just sleep through being held hostage by a people smuggler. That’d be nice. He took another sip of his drink before he put it down on the table beside the lounger. Kane gripped my chin, leaning in for a kiss. It was gentle; my lips parted, opening for him. Cool liquid spilled from his mouth into mine. I almost choked as I tasted the blend of lime and tequila.

“Swallow it.” He used that voice, the one that made my stomach clench.

My throat bobbed, eyes opening to look at him. 

“Did you just spit in my mouth?” I felt betrayed on every level. “What the fuck, Kelly!”

“I shared my drink with you, Vi.” His voice sounded like sin. “You should thank me for breaking the rules for you. The girls aren’t allowed alcohol.”

I scowled at him. “Fuck you.”

I really didn't want to be one of the girls.

Kane smiled. “If you insist, sweetheart.”

“What, no.” I didn’t shout it, I whispered, eyes darting around to the women at the pool. We were secluded; they couldn’t really see us, but it wasn’t exactly private. “Kane!”

He leaned over me, one hand on my shoulder as he used the other one to pull my bikini bra to the side.

“Keep quiet, Vi.” Kane’s voice dropped, lips hovering above my breast. “Unless you want an audience?”

His mouth closed around my nipple, hot and wet. I had to bite my lip not to gasp. One hand gripped his shoulder, and the other covered my mouth as he pulled my skin between his teeth. Brushing with his tongue. It was torture. I shifted underneath him, whining. My eyes fixed on the other side of the lounger. The gap where I could see the green water of the pool. Hear a woman laughing. He let go of my shoulder to trail his palm down my side. Kane slipped his hand inside my bikini bottoms. Fingers searching for his favorite spot.

He tugged at my clit, and I couldn’t keep the noise inside, the little broken one. He let go of my nipple with a pop that was too loud, turning his attention to the other one. Brushing the bikini cup aside with his nose. He didn’t suck this time. He licked my skin. Tongue flicking out to tease my nipple, distracting enough I didn’t notice his hands move. Had a moment to feel a tug at the bow at the side of my bikini as it came undone. His other hand was still on my clit. Rubbing so firmly that I was arching against him an inch from finishing. Surely he’d leave it at that—

The head of him pressed against my center as he lifted, abandoning my breast. His lips hovered over mine. Eyes on my face as his dick pressed against me. The skin buckled as he pushed. 

“Kane!” My hands flew to his shoulders. “They can see us—”

“They can see me.” He pushed further, the space inside me ached as it stretched for him. “I’m not ashamed; I’ve got a great ass.”

“Kane.” My hips bucked as he pushed. “Please—”

“Keep making noise,” Kane said. “And they’ll definitely see us.”

I dropped my head back, and he pushed all the way in, one deliberate thrust, that made toes curl. Kane saw the moment I gave up. He shuddered at the victory. His arm came up, slipping behind my head, as he leaned in. The kiss was soft. Like a reward for good behavior.

“That’s my girl,” he said. 

It was sweaty as his hips bucked against me, pressing against my clit. I wasn’t going to cum, but I didn’t think it was about that. Not for him. It was the kisses he covered my skin with. The way his hands brushed down my ribs. Touching and teasing. Feeling so gently as I writhed under him, teeth digging into my lip as I tried not to moan. To be quiet when anyone who walked past would see everything. 

His breath ghosted across my wet lips before he kissed me again. I couldn’t help the noise I made. The moan as his fingers teased my nipple. I was out of it, but not so lost I didn't hear the distant voices of the girls by the pool go silent. There was a soft giggle and then the conversation resumed. Kane didn’t notice or care. He let out a low groan as his hips bucked, digging in so deep it almost hurt.

“I missed you.” It was a whisper, voice heavy in my ear.

My eyes itched as they caught his. His gaze was brighter than the blue of the sky. It wasn’t fair how beautiful he looked. My cheeks burned, my throat aching with words I didn't have.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

I yipped, throwing my arms around Kelly’s shoulders, as I pressed my chest to his, hiding my face in his neck. Guy was here, fucking Guy! He sat down on the side of the daybed, with a glass that looked like cola and smelled like rum. Kane’s palm covered my back, still inside me, as he held me against him.

“She’s shy,” Kane said, his voice soft enough to make it sound like an apology.

“And scared of me.” Guy took a slow sip of his cola. “How are you enjoying my gift?”

I tensed, hands fisting on Kane’s shoulders. I hated this man. He’d abducted me. He was a monster.

“She’s sweet.” Kane’s tone made my stomach flip. “I meant to thank you for her.”

“No thanks necessary,” Guy said. “Just bring that goodwill to the negotiations.” Negotiations? “She only came in yesterday. I’m surprised you got her under control so quickly. She’s a biter.” My eyes flicked to his hand, to the bruise where my teeth had dug in. I felt Kane tense as he saw it. “Mind if I look?”

It was a million degrees, and I was still shivering.

“Of course not.” He couldn’t be serious; he just couldn’t. Kane’s hand shifted to my shoulder, a soft tug. “Lie back, Viola.”

I hid my face in his neck, shaking my head. Kane’s grip on my shoulder tightened. I tensed when he yanked. Crying out as he pulled my arms off him. He forced me back against the lounger, hand in the middle of my chest, pinning me in place. I couldn’t speak. My painfully hot eyes were fixed on his as I gasped. He was still inside me. 

“Please.”

Kane wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t. But in that moment, all I could remember was the day he’d threatened to share me around, to let Jack fuck me. The lounger shifted, and I flinched as Guy raised his hand.

Kane caught his wrist. His hand hovered inches above my chest. I could see the dents of my teeth on the underside of Guy’s palm. I hadn’t broken his skin.

“Look with your eyes.” Kane’s voice dropped, the courtesy gone as a hint of anger slipped through. “Unless you want another bite?”

Guy smiled, drawing his arm back as Kane let go of him. “She’s not the prettiest whore I have, but you must be enjoying the first go at Stein’s bastard daughter.”

The way he said Stein was full of vitriol, the purest hatred. I wanted to get away from them both, but I couldn't move. Too much of Kane's weight was balanced on the hand on my chest. I could barely breathe.

“I’ll leave you to finish,” Guy smirked as he stood. “Drinks later on the veranda?”

“I look forward to it.” I don't know how Kane could sound so calm.

But then the position we were in wasn’t nearly so humiliating for him.

He watched Guy walk away. The man's glass dangled carelessly from his hand as he stopped briefly to talk to the girls lounging in the sun by the pool. My eyes barely focused on them. They got up one by one. Put their hands on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. I looked away when one girl did more than that. With an open-mouthed kiss, her hand slipped into his shorts. Guy stopped her, taking her palm and the other girl beside hers hand as he led them both away.

“Kane,” I gasped his name, voice shaking. “Eleven.”

“Eleven?”

“How terrified I am right now.” I shivered, teeth clacking. “Eleven, eleven out of ten.”

Kane wrapped his arms around me as he covered my body. His hand gently rubbed my back.

“It’s alright,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

“The room.” I was terrified of making any more noise. “Please, can we go back, please?”

He dipped his head, lips pressing to my temple as he covered me up. Pulled the bra back in place and tugged at the strings of the bottoms, lacing them back up.

“What’s going to happen to me?” My voice was so small. “If he doesn’t sell me to you—”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you.” He sounded so sure about it.

I wasn’t. 

He might be King of Rapture City, but on the Island, Guy was god and emperor. 

“Please, can I have your shirt?” My voice shook as I gripped his forearm. “Just to wear back to the room. Please.”

“There’s a dress code.” His jaw ticked as he eyed the path back to the treehouses. “Until I sort out a price with Guy, you have to wear the outfits; it’s dangerous if you don’t.”

I swallowed, glancing towards the girls by the pool. They were all in the same bikinis; the only thing different was the color. There were two reds, and the rest were green.

“What does it mean?”

My stomach flipped. He followed my gaze to the pool. Mine was gold; it was the only one that color.

“Green is available,” he said. “Red don’t touch.”

“And gold.”

His eyes flicked back to mine. 

“It means you’ve been rented,” he said it so gently. 

I was going to be sick. 

The shower sloughed off a layer of sticky sweat and cream. A rain shower in a rain forest, spraying the finest mist everywhere. Kane didn’t come in. He left me alone for fifteen whole minutes to gather my thoughts and calm down. Maybe he could tell just by the look on my face that now wasn’t the time to push me.

The bathroom was as beautiful as the rest; the open skylight let in the jungle above. Shaded with palm fronds. It was almost like showering outside. If I’d been less of a mess, I’d have considered escaping. The water was lukewarm, cooling mentally and physically. By the time I turned the dial to flick it off, I’d got my head back together. The towel was as soft as the sheets. Thin but nowhere near ratty. I wrapped it around me, leaving my wet hair trailing down my back, before I slipped into the main room.

Kane was in the chairs by the window, looking out through the bug nets at the jungle. It was still warm; the rain would come later. For now, the sky was a deep, painful blue dotted with clouds and half blocked by palm fronds. Paradise. I grabbed his white linen shirt from the chair he’d left it on yesterday. The shoulders draped halfway down my upper arms. The hem, to mid-thigh. He’d already rolled the sleeves, but I rolled them even more. Kane glanced over at me, his gaze slow as it slipped from my bare feet, up my legs, stalling on the hem of the shirt.

“There are clothes for you in the cupboard.”

A sea of gold that made my skin crawl just looking at it. Rented. As of yesterday, I was officially a whore. Guess it didn’t matter that I didn’t get paid for it. 

“I’ll put them on if I have to go out again.” I rubbed my arms through the sleeves of his shirt. “What are the chances I can just hide in here tonight?”

His lips twitched up, half a smile, just for me. “Not great.”

“I can’t—” I had to take a breath, steeling myself. My points had all seemed so clear and easy to make in the shower. “You can’t let him touch me.” Kane’s brow rose; it wasn’t a question or a request. It was a necessity. “Please.” I hated begging, but what choice did I have? “I can’t do this if he does. It’s too much!”

He tilted his head back, eyes narrowing slightly. “Too much?”

“I know what being here makes me.” The words tasted foul. “I’m not a whore, Kane. I can still count on one hand the number of men I’ve slept with.” If now only just, thanks to Aldridge. “I know you didn’t want me seeing other people, but you didn’t need to try so hard to threaten them away.” It had been pointless. “Most of the time, I could barely stand being touched.”

It had taken a year before I could kiss someone without hitting them, and months after that, till I got to the point with Danny where I was willing to try to do more, and only because it had felt safe. He’d been stupidly nice, and seeing enough other people, I wasn’t afraid he’d get possessive.

“Please.” The word hurt. “Today wasn’t okay; you can’t just do that to me—”

I flinched as he stood, forcing myself not to step back. Kane peeled my hands away from my upper arms, uncrossing them as he wrapped them around his waist. His forearm covered my shoulders as he pulled me into his chest. A hug that I needed.

“When was the last time you had a vacation?” Kane asked.

“A vacation?” I was surprised enough by the question that I took a second to think about it. “I went camping once, in upstate Bluff, when I was a kid?”

His arm tensed, and I was glad I couldn’t see his face. I didn’t want pity right now.

“Well, think of this as a vacation,” he said. “Spend a couple of days here with me; we’ll treat it like a weekend getaway. A fling. The normal rules don’t apply. None of it counts. I’ll have you back in Rapture by Monday, and you can go back to hating me and cursing my name. But until then, it’s just you and me.”

His palm spread, brushing down my back, slow and steady.

“But it’s not just you and me.” I turned my face into his chest, breathing in. “We’re surrounded by monsters!”

“And I’m the biggest one.” It sounded like a promise. “Guy’s a kitten compared to me.” I scoffed. Guy didn’t seem anything like a kitten. He was insane! “As long as I’m with you, you have nothing to be afraid of. Hell, we both know I haven’t let a man near you in two years. I’m not going to start now.”

“You promise?” 

I shouldn’t be begging him to be a possessive, jealous bastard, but until we were off this island, that’s exactly who I needed him to be. 

“Hey.” There was something soft in his voice, close to vulnerable. “Look at me.”

I took a breath, eyes squeezed closed, before I tilted my chin, looking up at him. “Yeah?”

“This.” His palm brushed down my back, slow and so careful. “You in my arms, needing me, is all I’ve wanted for two years.” He leaned in, lips hovering so close. “I’m not going to waste a second of it. I can’t.” Kane’s gaze flicked between mine. “But you have to let me protect you. Trust me. I’ll make sure it doesn’t go too far.”

He sounded worried enough that I couldn’t even be mad. I bit my lip, drawing it between my teeth. It was terrifying to put my life in his hands, but what choice did I have?

“Okay,” I said.

Kane closed the gap, the kiss so achingly gentle, it broke something inside me. The taste of his mouth, the feel of his arms around me. It really shouldn’t have felt like the world finally made sense because I’d found my place. It shouldn’t, but it did. And for as long as I was on this island, as long as I needed him, I’d let it be just that. The real world was waiting for me, and Kane Kelly was my only chance of getting back to it.

Chapter Text

Kane adjusted the metal strap, tightening the watch around his wrist. His were probably twice the thickness of mine. The wicker wardrobe shuddered as he pulled the door open, tilting his head to look inside. Wooden hangers clacked as he flicked through. It was rustic. Boho chic. He glanced back at me, fingers resting on a hanger. We both knew I wasn’t going to like whatever he picked.

My teeth were gritted so hard my gums ached. “Just show me.”

I had plenty of time to glare at the gold silk before he laid it beside me across the bedsheet. My stomach dropped.

“Is that what you see when you look at me?” I asked.

His gaze flickered from mine back to the dress, and I knew he remembered. The first morning we'd spent together, before everything went so wrong. When he'd given me money to buy an interview outfit and tried to convince me to go to Tia’s. To let them turn me into a real girl.

“It's the best of what's in there, trust me.” I really didn't. Kane’s brow lifted, like he could tell exactly what I was thinking. “You have to behave yourself.” There was a warning in his tone I didn’t want to listen to. “You can’t piss Guy off; otherwise, things will go south fast.”

I was sulking, so sue me. Being abducted put me in a terrible mood.

“How much more south can they get?” I pulled the dress straps off the hanger.

The fabric was so smooth it set my teeth on edge. It would stick to my skin in the heat.

“A lot more,” he said. “We’re only in the tropics.”

“Hilarious.”

Kane stepped back, pulling a tin from his pocket. It clicked as he opened it and dropped a small white pill into his palm. He popped it into his mouth.

“Are you on drugs?” If he was high right now, I was so fucked.

Kane glanced up, still for a second before his brow rose. 

“It’s a mint.” He pushed it out between his lips, showing me the small white ball before he pulled it back into his mouth. It crunched between his teeth. “Want one?”

I shook my head when he offered me the tin. Kelly ducked down, leaning in. I tasted the mint on his breath as his lips brushed mine, and some of the tension squeezing my chest tight settled. 

“It’s going to be alright.” His eyes flicked between mine, serious enough that I almost believed him. “Now get dressed.”

The veranda had a view out over the jungle, with cliffs down to the beach. A little private cove that probably would have been perfect for smuggling and piracy once upon a time. I clung to Kelly’s elbow, holding on because balancing wasn’t working for me. Not in the stupidly tall heels he’d picked. I couldn’t even be mad at him for it. He’d shown me the options, and they were the shortest pair. On the way here, I’d tripped twice, slid once and almost taken us both out on the stairs.

Vassiére was sitting on a wooden chair that looked a lot like a driftwood throne, another beside him waiting for Kane. There was a table between the seats and a double daybed covered in white cushions. Two girls in green reclined among them, positioned perfectly to look graceful rather than comfortable. Like their job was just to lie there looking sexy. One blonde, one brunette and a mousy girl stood to the side of the bed wearing white. She was so still I almost missed her. 

“Kane.” Guy's hands pressed to the polished arms of his seat as he stood.

Kelly let go of my elbow, and I swayed, my ankle rolling when I hadn’t even moved. Like a baby deer that hadn’t learned to walk yet. The thump of their palms on each other's backs was like a drumbeat as they hugged. Two gorillas beating their chests.

“I’ve missed you.” Guy’s arm rested over Kane’s shoulders as he pulled him towards the chairs. “Viens.”

I shut down the sense of betrayal as Kane abandoned me without a backward glance. It wouldn't help me balance. The blonde sat up from her cushions. She smiled at me, her eyes warm as she beckoned me over with a graceful twitch of two fingers. Guess that’s where I was going. Without Kelly's arm, I wobbled, but I made it to the couch. The silk dress tightened against my skin as I sat on the edge of the daybed. Slippery as I tugged it down to cover more of my thighs.

“Do you want a drink?” Guy asked. “Cigar?”

“I’ve quit,” Kane said.

My gaze snapped up to his face. Drinking or smoking?

“You quit?” Guy looked as surprised as I was. “Why?”

Kane sat back in his seat, his arm draped over the side. He couldn’t have looked more relaxed.

“Figured if I kept going, it would kill me,” he said. “I decided it was worth sticking around.”

Guy tilted his chin as he glanced towards the darkening sky. “You’re talking like an old man.”

The colors of the sunset spread across the horizon. Purple, blue, and pink. So infinitely beautiful that it seemed unfair, the view belonged to a man like Vassiére. He didn't deserve it.

“Forty-three isn’t young.” Kane smiled when he said it.

“Kane Kelly quit smoking.” Guy shook his head. “This doesn’t have something to do with Harper Stein, does it?”

Kane’s smile wavered, tightening. I fidgeted; Guy hadn’t so much as looked at me. It was like I was invisible. 

“In a way.” A hint of something colder flicked into his tone, and Guy's brow rose, noting the change. “Enough about Stein. How many of the others have arrived?”

Vassiére snorted.

“Too many,” he said. “The island’s crawling with the brotherhood.”

Kane stiffened, his shoulders tensing. I could almost feel how hard he wasn’t looking at me. The brotherhood? 

“Are you ready?” Kane sounded like he might actually care. “For tomorrow night.”

The look Guy shot him was pure indulgence. 

“Of course, I’m ready. The sooner it’s done, the sooner I can get you cretins out of my home,” he said. “They’re a bunch of savages.” He flicked his fingers. “Anouk, two rum and colas.” Guy glanced at Kane. “You haven’t given up caffeine, have you?”

Kane smiled. “Cola’s fine.”

I glanced back over my shoulder to see the woman dart away. Anouk. Off to get their drinks without Guy having looked at her once. It made it worse to know her name. The two women lying around like ornaments had names too. In any other situation, I’d have been furious to be ignored. But right now it seemed like the best possible outcome. I sat straight at the edge of the daybed, determined to, for once, keep my mouth shut and not draw any attention.

Anouk brought their drinks, returning to her place behind the sofa. Must have sucked to spend the whole evening on her feet just waiting. It was a long wait; Guy had a lot to say.

It was uncomfortable listening to them, seeing how relaxed Kelly looked. A wide smile on his lips as he cracked up at something the other man said. The brash sound of Guy's laughter when Kane made a joke. Old friends shooting the shit.

The last of the sunset was gone from the sky when the daybed shifted behind me. One of the women had moved closer. She smiled as I turned my head to look at her. Her hair was that bright shade of blonde that only bleach could get. I frowned as she leaned in, cheek touching the side of mine. Cherry blossom and coconut filled my nose. The scent of moisturizer, not perfume. 

“If I have to put up with one more renegotiation with Ottaviani.” Guy slapped his cup down on the driftwood table, shaking his head. “All he talks about are margins, like he thinks I can smuggle the coca through cheaper if I just cut a few corners.”

Kane smirked as he leaned back in his chair. “Davide’s always been cheap.”

“Cheap as his counterfeit suits.” Guy shook his head, disgusted.

They were gossiping. I would have laughed, but I was preoccupied. The bed dipped again as the brunette shifted to my other side. Cornering me like a pair of wolves. Her hand landed deliberately on my thigh, fingers inching upwards. I turned my head towards her, about to tell her to stop, when the blonde pulled on the strap of my gold dress. It was a second, a moment, between me wondering what the hell was going on, and her hand closing over my bare breast.

“Hey!” My head whipped back around to tell her to get the fuck off me.

The blonde's lips covered mine, a soft kiss that tasted like lip gloss. I yanked my head away, getting all of a few inches, before skinny arms wrapped around my stomach that were too damn strong.

“Stop it!” I tried to push them both away.

“Chut, ma chérie.” Guy was looking at me for the first time that evening. A warning in his eyes. “Don’t interrupt.”

The blonde leaned in again, lips pressing to my neck, and my breath came short. I didn’t want strangers touching me.

“Kane?” My voice broke on his name, and Guy chuckled.

Kelly was still, eyes on the brunette’s hand as it slid beneath the short gold skirt. I couldn’t read the look on his face.

“I thought you might enjoy watching her training.” Guy’s smile showed too many teeth. “You have to get them used to the other girls.”

She touched the junction of my thighs, covering the lacy excuse for underwear that had enough holes I could feel her palm against me. I grabbed her wrist, yanking it away.

“Don’t touch me!” It sounded like begging.

The blonde caught my chin, fingers digging in as she tugged my face around. Her palm cracked as it slapped across my cheek. Hard enough, my ears rang. My jaw ached as she leaned in again. Her lips followed the slap. A warm mouth against my burning cheek. The world whitened at the edges as, for a moment, I was in two places at once. Chained to a bed, terrified because I didn’t know if Kane Kelly was going to kill me. I whimpered, and the woman tensed.

“Shhh,” she said, lips brushing mine.

Her kiss was warm, soft in a way men’s never quite were. Gentle, like she was trying to coax movement out of me when I was frozen. The brunette’s mouth closed over my nipple, the muscle of her tongue teasing the nub. Her palm returned between my clenched thighs. Fingers pushing to find a way between them.

Kane's gaze was on her hand, as if he was waiting for my legs to part to glimpse the show.

He wasn’t stopping it. He’d promised. Hadn’t he promised? My eyes squeezed closed as I took a breath in. I shivered, stomach dropping like I'd swallowed lead. Oh God, did he promise?

I’d believed him again.

“Relax.” The blonde whispered. “Just do what he wants.” Her tongue darted out, pressing to my pulse point as she licked the skin. “Imagine you’re somewhere else—”

“Eloise,” Guy said. She flinched, her head snapping round. “Ne lui parle pas.”

The look on her face, the way she dipped her head. How empty her eyes were as she turned back to me broke something inside me. Kane said he wouldn’t let another man touch me. But they weren’t men. They were two hostages with no more choice in what came next than I had. But damn it if the thought didn’t make me furious.

Fuck Guy Vassiére, I’d make him bleed. I went limp, and the brunette’s grip slackened just for a moment. One was all I needed. I threw myself forward hard enough to break her hold. Kicking Guy’s drink off the driftwood table as I snarled at him. Like hell he was going to train me. I’d break his damn nose. Glass shattered as Vassiére's eyes widened. I fucking owed him for the waxing.

“Enough.” Kane’s arm surrounded my waist, yanking me back mid-leap.

We both fell into his chair. I was too mad for words. I snarled instead. Guy was still blinking. Kane’s hand slapped over my mouth, trapping me against his chest. My legs caught beneath his thighs as he tensed to keep me there. 

“Be quiet,” he said. Lips touching my ear. “Do you understand me? Don’t move a fucking muscle!”

I turned my head, eyes meeting his. Our gazes caught, I growled into his palm from the bottom of my chest. If they wanted to treat me like an animal, then I’d show them what rabid looked like. His jaw clenched, rolling to the side, beneath his closed lips, like he was holding back from shouting at me. I glared right back at him. He didn’t stop it. I let the accusation fill my gaze. His eyes flicked between mine, and for a single moment, his expression softened. Guy’s laughter cut through our standoff, making what hair I had left on my body prickle. 

“I’m going to have to put her in the cage.” He tugged the messed hair back into place. “Do you need another drink? I’ve just bought a tequila distillery in Jalino?”

“Sure.” Kane shifted his attention, and it was like I became invisible. “What are you planning on doing with her? Other than the cage?”

Guy beckoned to Anouk, and the woman was moving again. He pulled a case from his jacket pocket, flicking it open to pull out a cigar. 

“Do you mind?”

Kane shook his head. “Go ahead.”

“I haven’t decided yet.” He snapped open his metal lighter, taking a short puff to light the cigar. “There’s something satisfying about having one of Stein’s daughters at my mercy.” He glanced up, but he didn’t meet my gaze, hazel eyes flicking over me as he exhaled a thick cloud of lazy smoke. I hadn’t pulled my sleeve back up. My breast was just there, for him to look at. The skin glistened from another woman’s spit. “I owe the old bastard a few bad turns. But then I’m hardly his only enemy; the price on her head is a few million now.”

Since when had there been a price on my head? The anger leaked out of me; I shifted back, shrinking into Kane’s arms. Guy’s smile widened.

“Harper Stein might be untouchable.” His cigar rested in his hand, slowly burning though he’d barely touched it. “But when I heard you were engaged, I was sure she wouldn’t last a month.”

“Killing her would be too easy.” Kane’s fingers clenched, digging into my jaw. “There’s something more satisfying about Stein knowing I’m fucking his daughter. Let the bastard sit with it.”

Guy’s white teeth flashed in a wide grin. “Well, you can tell him you’ve fucked them both now.”

Kane’s laughter sent a spike of pain straight through my chest. I flinched, and his thumb rubbed my cheek. My lips were smashed together against his skin. Soft enough, I bet he moisturized. Kelly wasn't risking me saying a word.

Guy didn’t know that Kane and I had ever been a messed-up thing. He’d abducted me because I was Stein’s daughter, and he’d let Kane have me first, because he knew Kane hated Stein.

They were old friends. Why did they have to be friends?

“So you are thinking of selling her?” Kane asked.

Guy rolled his eyes, taking a puff of the cigar. He didn’t inhale, holding the smoke in his mouth before he blew it out.

“Not to you,” Guy said. “You’d kill her too quickly; it’d be a waste.” His gaze flicked back to Kane. “How did you get her to behave?”

They were both so comfortable talking about me as if I weren’t there.

“Threatened to put a bullet in her mother’s head,” Kelly said.

I tensed, breath catching. I couldn't get enough air through my nose, not when my heart kept stuttering. That day was burned into my mind. I hadn’t ever really stopped being scared since.

“Take your hand off her mouth,” Guy said.

It took a moment for Kane to follow the instruction, his fingers clenched once, before he let go of my jaw. He tugged up the fallen strap of my dress, hiding my breast before his hand dropped to spread across the silk covering my stomach.

“Ma chérie.” Guy met my gaze with a smile that was all teeth. “Monsieur Kelly and I are very old friends. If you ever try to attack me again, he will kill your mother for me.” His smile didn’t drop; his eyes looked warm; I’d have called them friendly if he weren’t utterly insane. “C’est clair?”

I couldn’t blink. Kane wouldn’t hurt Betty. But that did nothing to calm the fear I felt. Two and a half years later, and I could still feel the rain soaking my skin, see the fury on his face as he dragged me away from that restaurant, and I’d realized I was probably never going to see my mother again. Had had the creeping feeling even then that he was going to hurt me.

“Answer him, Viola.” Kelly’s lips brushed my cheek, a hint of ice in his tone that suggested he might just kill me if I didn’t.

I flinched, pulse pounding in my ears. “C’est clair.”

I sat on the cloth chair in the corner of the room, my knees under me, as I glared out at the darkness. The sound of the running tap was loud in the bathroom. Kane had been in there for a minute, messing around.

“Vi.” He stood in the open door, arms folded as he stared me down. “You want a bath?”

That’s what he was doing. Filling up the ridiculous freestanding bath, going about his evening, like it was all fine and normal.

I glared at him. “If I say no, will you shoot my mum?”

His gaze stayed level. “I told you to behave yourself, and you tried to claw Guy’s eyes out.”

I turned my face away. “He deserved it!”

“We’re guests in his house,” Kane said, like I was being petulant.

“You’re a guest.” I glared at the bug net. “Guy abducted me, remember? I get to wear a color-coded outfit and be tortured and fucking molested.”

He cleared his throat. “You’re pissed about that, huh?” I didn’t dignify it with a reply. “I thought you were into girls.”

“You have no fucking clue what being bi is if you think I like kissing women to put on a show for two dirty old men!” My eyes snapped back to him as I put every inch of my anger into my glare. “You promised!”

He’d promised to protect me, and he’d done all of nothing! I was an idiot for trusting him. Kane uncrossed his arms, holding his hands up in front of him. 

“I’m sorry; that was out of line.” His apology didn’t make it better.

I dropped my forehead to my knees. I was so tired, and so hurt. Guy had just decided that I was going to have fucked-up playtime with his other hostages, and Kane hadn’t even tried to stop it. I felt bad for myself, and I felt so much worse for them. I heard him approach, but I didn’t look up. He kneeled in front of me, hands on my arms as he tried to rub the warmth into skin that shouldn’t be so cold on a tropical island.

“You said tortured?” Kane asked. “Did he hurt you before I got here?”

I clenched my jaw. It sucked how small I felt.

“He hung me from a meat hook and watched one of his hostages wax me.”

Kane glanced up at the open roof beams. “Aside from the meat hook, isn’t that just a day at the spa?”

I glared at him, eyes stinging. “It’s not funny.”

I hadn’t cried yet; I wasn’t going to break now. Kane leaned in to kiss my forehead. He smelled a little like tequila, more like the smoke from Guy’s cigar.

“Let’s take a bath, sweetheart.” His tone was deep enough that it was hard to argue with. “Wash it all away.”

I let him take my wrist, let him pull me out of the chair, and lead me to the bathroom. Leaned into his touch as he slid the stupid gold silk off my body. Took his hand as he helped me into the steaming tub and leaned back against his chest when he got in behind me.

“He’s your friend?” I whispered because the words hurt. “Not just a business partner, but your actual friend.” He’d said as much, but I hadn’t really believed it. My ear pressed against his chest as I listened to the steady beat of his heart. His chest hair tickled, but the familiar scent of his skin was comforting in a way it had no right to be. “You smiled at him the way you smile at me.”

I’d tried to distance myself from the idea, but I couldn't anymore. Kane’s sigh ruffled the hair of my scalp. 

“Our families have been working together for generations. Known him since we were kids. Used to spend a week every summer down here. We even went to the same college.” Water tinkled as his arm moved, wrapping around my shoulders. “He’s like a brother to me.”

I kept my face hidden in his chest. I didn’t want to move.

“You killed your brother.”

I’m not sure I’d ever been in more trouble. Kane Kelly was the only thing protecting me from a psychopath, and he sucked at it.

“A brother I don’t want to kill,” Kane said, “well, didn’t.” His grip on my shoulders tightened. “He’s pissing me off.”

“He’s a monster.” My chest ached.

I knew Kane wasn’t good. But Guy was worse.

Kane’s lips touched the crown of my head. “We all are, sweetheart.”

If that didn’t just make me want to weep. I tilted my head, eyes searching his.

“Have you slept with any of the women here?” My throat ached as I asked. Kane Kelly slept with whores. He didn’t say anything, lips tightly sealed. “They’re hostages, Kane. It’s rape!”

He reached up, wet fingers catching in my hair as he brushed it back from my cheek.

“Isn’t that what I do to you?” His tone made it a question.

A statement that twisted like a knife in my stomach. It was still hazy, hard for my mind to process. How many times it had been.

“Why do you have to be like this?” My voice shook.

Eyes squeezed tightly closed as I clung to his upper arm. His hand brushed down my back, rubbing skin beneath the surface of the bathwater.

“You’re overthinking it.”

I scoffed, a little burst of laughter that didn’t feel entirely sane. “Of course, I’m overthinking; I’m in the bath with my future murderer.”

Isn’t that what Guy said—that he’d kill me too quickly?

Kane tensed, lifting my chin as he tugged my face up towards him.

“Look at me, Vi.” His voice was so soft, close to coaxing. I let my eyes open. “No one’s going to kill you, not me and not anyone else. You’re going to die a rich old lady surrounded by designer grandkids.”

I glared at him. 

“You can’t know that,” I said. “What if I get cancer?”

“Then I’ll pay someone to cure it.” Like the world was that easy.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t look away; he was holding my chin.

“What if—”

His mouth covered mine, lips burning as he swallowed the rest.

Chapter Text

Day Three

I woke up to the smell of coffee; even in sleep, I’d curled up small. Guess my subconscious wasn’t feeling brave enough to spread out. I’d put his shirt on again last night before I fell asleep. It felt safer surrounded by his scent. Of all the outfits in the cupboard, none of them could be called pajamas. I opened my eyes to see Kane sitting up, a cup of coffee in his hands. He hadn’t caught me looking, and I took the unguarded moment to study him. The slight frown on his face as he brought the white cup to his lips. The way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. When my eyes darted back up to his, he was looking at me.

“I can’t do it.” I felt raw. “Please, I can’t go back out there.”

Kane put the mug down on the side table, his hand fell between us over the white sheet.

“Vi.”

He was about to say no; I could hear it in his voice. I’d have to face another day like yesterday. Another day that ripped open every wound he’d given me, split the scabs that had barely stopped bleeding. The open door inside me slammed closed. I pulled my arms back as I sat up. I’d get to the bathroom, I could panic there. He caught my wrist before I could get out of the bed.

“Vi?” he asked. “What is it?”

My gaze met his. 

“What is it?” I couldn’t believe he needed to ask. “You fucked me in front of people, even though I begged you not to. You let those women touch me, you—” 

My breath was too shallow, far too shallow. Panic tightened my chest like a vice. Not yet. I just had to get to the bathroom. It might be open to the jungle, but Kane Kelly wouldn’t be in it!

“Guy knows what Stein did to me.” His grip tightened, stopping my escape. “It’d be suspicious if I didn’t fuck you.” I flinched, and he hesitated. “If I hadn’t come this weekend, he’d have you in the cage right now.” Kane's eyes tightened at the corners. “He hates Stein almost as much as I do. He’d torture you on principle.”

“I put him in jail!” My throat ached. “I hate Stein as much as the rest of you—”

Kane shook his head.

“You don’t,” he said. “When you put him inside, you lost his protection.” His lips twisted, and he might have looked guilty. But it couldn’t be; you had to have a conscience to feel guilt. “Right now, Guy owns you. If he decides he wants a show, there’s not much I can do.”

I shivered, nerves pulled as tight as his grip on my arm. He was the only thing protecting me. Pushing him away would be dumb.

“I’m not okay, Kane.” I needed him to understand. “If a stranger touches me, I’ll freak out.” 

I’d already told him once, and he hadn’t listened. This time, I needed him to hear me. To at least try to understand.

“I won’t let anyone touch you.” A promise he’d already broken once. “Guy was fucking with me yesterday. That whole demonstration was because I stopped him from touching you by the pool. He was proving a point—”

“Why don’t you just tell him?” My voice came dangerously close to breaking.

I couldn't listen anymore; I didn't want reasons or explanations. Kane just had to say one thing—that it wouldn't happen again. It was all I cared about.

“Tell him what, sweetheart?” Why couldn't he just say it?

“He’s your friend; just get it over with.” His hand tightened, squeezing my wrist bones together. “Pay him, say whatever you need to say to get me out of this. Please, Kane, tell him you’re in love with me—”

“What makes you think I’m in love with you?” The words snapped out so fast.

They hit harder than Eloise’s slap last night. Like a punch to the diaphragm. Kane Kelly was a psychopath; he wasn’t capable of love. I yanked my hand back, and his grip was loose enough for my wrist to slip free.

“Right,” I nodded. “Of course.”

I pulled the sheets aside, slipping out of the bed. Bathroom. Just get to the bathroom, get away from him. He didn't love me, and I couldn't even think about all the pathetic reasons that hurt so much, because if he didn’t love me, what real reason did he have to get me out? He could just leave me here, come for the weekend, finally get fucking me out of his system and then leave me behind.

Stein was in jail. I’d made sure of it, because that stupid ring had burned so brightly in my mind. Despite everything he did to me, I'd still felt so bad about his girlfriend and child. The family that my biological father had murdered. Wouldn't that be the perfect revenge? I turn on Stein, and then Kelly leaves me with Guy to torture. All the revenge he’d ever dreamed of. His body blocked me before I’d made it around the bed.

“Vi!” He caught my upper arms, a wall in front of me. “Wait—”

I needed him the hell away from me. “Let me go.”

I was such a fucking idiot. He didn't love me!

“Hey.” He caught my jaw, tilting my chin. I kept my eyes down. “I care about you, alright.” He bent his knees just slightly, and his eyes were there. Bright and so blue as he stared at me. “You don’t want me, remember.” He sounded so certain. “Love takes two people. If it’s one-sided, it’s just obsession.”

My chest burned where my stomach and ribs met. He'd caused all the stupid, fucked-up pain inside me; he could have it back!

“Tell him you’re obsessed with me then.”

I saw the briefest flicker of hurt in his eyes. There for a single heartbeat and gone so fast I could barely trace it. I almost regretted the words.

“You want obsession, Vi?” Kane’s hands tightened on my upper arms.

Now I definitely regretted it! “Kane—”

His lips covered mine, forcing my mouth open as he pushed me back. My feet slipped across the floor as I tasted the coffee on his breath. Kane’s hand curled in my hair, tugging my head back as he shifted focus; his teeth dug into my neck, pulling a patch of skin between them as he sucked hard enough it hurt.

“Kane!” 

He grabbed my thighs, lifting, and the world flipped. I hit the mattress, and he was on top of me, tugging his shirt up to my stomach. His hand went straight to my cunt, palm flat over my center. I tried to snap my legs back together, pushing hard at his shoulders. I didn’t want him touching me, not when he was angry.

“Please, Kane.” My voice shook. “Don’t!”

His breath burned. “You’re pretty wet for someone who doesn’t want to be fucked.”

“That’s not—”

“You want me to rescue you, Vi.” He gripped my cunt, palm covering me and fingers digging into my lower belly. He shook me, moving my hips hard enough that the mattress bounced. “You think you can demand I save you without giving me a thing in return? Do you really believe I’d help anyone out of the goodness of my heart?” His laugh made the hair rise on my bruised arms. I knew that sound. He was furious. I shoved hard at his shoulders, panic climbing in my throat so tight I almost choked. He let go of my cunt, grabbed my wrists instead and slammed them down on either side of my head. “You want off the island, then you can earn your freedom.” Kane leaned in, eyes locked with mine, pupils so small they looked like wasp stings. “So stop struggling and open your fucking legs!”

I went limp under him. My knees dropped open as I squeezed my eyes closed. He was proving a point. I felt the stinging stretch as he pushed inside. My mind shut down, pulling away from the moment, the burn in my stomach of humiliation and hurt. Kane Kelly didn’t love me.

Had I thought he’d save me out of the goodness of his heart? I really was an idiot. Kane shuddered, his weight falling heavy on me. He breathed out, and I felt the rise and fall of his chest. I couldn’t cry. I wouldn’t. 

We stayed like that for too long. He hid his face in my neck, breath heavy. When he moved again, it was to brush his thumb across my bottom lip. The pad rough against my skin. Kane leaned in to kiss me. It was so much gentler. He’d won. He always won.

“Please,” I whispered when he broke away. “Whatever you want.” It had been stupid to pretend I had a shred of power in any of this. Kane had everything in his hands. He could either rescue me or let me hang. There was nothing I could do. “Please, just get me out of here.”

If he did that, I'd let him have anything he wanted. Guess I really was a whore, just like my mother.

“I’ll talk to him tonight.” Kane’s voice was as quiet as mine. It didn’t make the hurt go away. The wounds in my chest just wouldn't stop bleeding. I don’t know how I ever forgot how terrifying he was. “Whatever he asks, I’ll pay it.”

He was inside me, but he didn’t move. Kane’s mouth touched mine again, a kiss so gentle I could lean into it, untense and let my hands brush the back of his arms; sigh softly into his mouth as his tongue brushed my lower lip. Let my mouth fall open to him. Give up and just focus on the feeling. Whatever he wanted. His moan vibrated. As soft as the brush of his eyelashes against my cheek. My cunt clenched around him as he shifted. A flutter that pulled him deeper. We broke apart, and I caught a breath.

His lips touched mine again, coaxing. I don’t think he’d ever moved so little when he was so far inside me. But when I opened my eyes, I caught sight of his face, his eyes closed, and no frown on his brow. He looked peaceful. The weight of my gaze tugged his attention to me. He pulled back, eyes hazy as his gaze flicked across my face, looking for something he wouldn’t find. I’d do anything he wanted, but I couldn’t give him that. None of it stopped the heat building inside me. The painful, needy ache.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

I’m not sure how much longer the kiss lasted before his hips shifted, pulling slightly back. The movement brought a whine to my throat, a low moan into the kiss. I felt full, heavy. My legs came up again, knees squeezing his hips as he fucked me just as slowly as he’d kissed. 

“Just breathe.” 

I wasn’t sure who the words were for. But I took his advice, heels pressed to the bed as I canted my hips to meet his slow movements. He didn’t speed up, and every shift felt like he was stretching me wider. Full and moaning under him, twisting and writhing. 

“You’re so beautiful.” There was something desperate in the way he held me, pulled me close and nuzzled the skin of my neck, nose brushing the aching bite he’d given me. “I’m obsessed with you, Vi. I have been for years now.”

I moaned again, so, so full. 

“I’ve got you,” he repeated over and over. Lips brushed my skin with every word. “I’ve got you, and no one is going to take you from me!” My skin prickled; his touch burned. “Not Guy, or Stein, or Saul. Not Pierce fucking Aldridge. No one.”

He lifted back, making space for his fingers. He caught the nerves trapped between our bodies. Teased me as slowly as he was moving. A press and then a pinch as he trapped it between his fingers, the brush of his thumb that had my hips lifting higher, moisture thick in my mouth as I let out a wet, desperate whine.

“Please.” Blood rushed in my ears. “I need you.”

His teeth caught the other side of my neck. Kane bit down, sucking hard on the skin. His hips jerked. The stretch of him inside me was deep enough to call agony. It was the only word strong enough for the scream that left me. The whining, broken moan as my cunt clenched around him. 

“Please!” I shook as he groaned.

Felt the shudder ripple through his muscles as he pushed deep. His weight made my ribs ache. His hips gave the smallest desperate thrusts as he came, so, so deep inside me.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered.

Kane’s eyes were still closed. I barely caught my breath, skin covered in a sheen of sweat, as I wrapped my arms around him, clinging to him as tightly as he was holding me. We stayed like that for a long time. Until I turned my head. I thought he might have fallen asleep, but his eyes were open, cheek resting against the pillow.

“I’ll call Jack.” His voice was still a little gruff. 

He cleared his throat, and my mind spun, uncertain of what he was saying.

“I don’t—”

“I have to go out.” His tone bordered on businesslike, brisk even though he was still so close to me. Building the wall back up between us, word by word. “You can hide in here with him today. He’ll protect you.” His eyes hardened. “I can’t do anything about tonight.”

“Tonight?” I asked.

“Guy will want to show you off.” At the blank look on my face, Kane finally elaborated. “Every family on this side of the ocean is in town.”

I blinked at him, not a single smart thought in my entire head. “Like a crime convention?”

Kane’s brow rose. “Like all the meanest bastards on the entire continent have come together to make alliances for the next five years.”

It was a crime convention! I brushed my teeth across my lower lip.

“How many of them have a grudge against Stein?”

“About half of them,” Kelly said.

Half was less than I’d expected. “And how many of them have a grudge against you?”

He shifted, and I had to bite my lip because his movement tugged at my insides. “The other half.”

Oh goody.

The noise of the jungle was a distant buzz as the hot water brushed my skin. Gentle as the steam rising off the sweltering forest. When I slipped out of the shower, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. The towel wrapped around me did nothing to hide the red patches on my arms, where he’d gripped me too tight, the purple marks on my neck.

I almost laughed at the sight of them. He’d given me hickeys, like a horny teenager. 

“Asshole,” I muttered, pulling his button-up back on. 

I had underwear, even if the only sets in the cupboard were lace and thongs. I slipped them up my legs, skin still soft from the wax. The reminder of the day I arrived here made my stomach churn. It was only two days ago that I'd been hanging from a meat hook, as Guy ran his hands over my body like he owned it. The door cracked open.

“I’m busy!” Could he not give me ten minutes to myself?

“Jack’s here.” Kane kept the door slightly cracked, peering at me through the gap rather than coming in. “I need to go out.”

I folded my arms. “What do you want, a kiss goodbye?”

Just because he’d fucked the sense out of my head this morning didn't mean I liked him again. His jaw tightened. The door creaked as he pushed it wider.

“I’d love one, sweetheart.” He raised his finger, tapping his cheek deliberately. “Right here.”

I debated telling him to go to hell, but the warning in his eyes stopped me. He was pissed again already. A hair away from losing his temper. Wooden boards creaked under my bare feet. I felt a little sheepish as I reached him. Snapping at him was stupid; it was like pulling a lion’s tail and being surprised when it turned around and bit you. I touched his shoulder, palm flat against his upper chest for balance as I lifted onto my toes. His cheek was cool against my lips, fresh from the shower.

“Have a good day, honey.” My tone was closer to vinegar. “Don’t let the boss work you too hard.”

The door slipped open as he pushed me back against the bathroom wall. His teeth trapped my bottom lip as he tugged it into his mouth. Hand slipping under the hem of the shirt, fingers spreading across my thighs. He squeezed my ass as hard as he sucked on my lip. My hands curled in the linen of his shirt. Kane pulled back, lips touching my cheek. A final lingering kiss.

“This desk job is killing me,” he said.

It took a second for my brain to catch up, to realize he was running with the joke.

“You’re what, a few weeks off of retirement?” I patted his shoulder. “Hang in there, buddy.”

His brows lifted at the same time as his lips.

“A few days at most.” His smile turned teasing, the threat gone from his eyes. “How do you want to spend it? World cruise or stay close to home to look after the grandkids?”

I tapped one finger against his chest as I thought it over.

“Kate can look after them herself,” I shrugged. “She gave us enough hell growing up; payback's a bitch and all.”

“Kate?”

“Kate Kelly,” I said. “Blue eyes, blonde hair, the image of her father and tall enough to look down on her mother. Her dad was enough of a narcissist to basically give her the female version of his name.”

His smile dropped, lips parting to show a hint of his teeth. Kane's eyes weren't right, a little too bright as he stared at me.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” He reached up, thumb brushing across my cheek, careful, like he was holding something precious. “Kane?”

“No reason.” It looked a lot like there was a reason. He stared at me for a moment that stretched long enough to be awkward before he cleared his throat. “Listen to Jack. Do whatever he tells you, alright. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

I nodded. 

“I always listen to Jack,” I said. He didn't need to blink for me to read the disbelief in his gaze. “What I do. He was a great boss.”

“He drugged you.” His lips tightened into a thin line. “Multiple times.”

Kane Kelly almost looked jealous.

“Because you told him to,” I said. “And really, you’re terrifying enough, I don’t even blame him for doing it.”

He breathed sharply through his nose. Offended and annoyed. Well, good. That was exactly where I wanted him.

“Shouldn’t you make more of an effort?” I tilted my head, offering him my most innocent smile. His eyes narrowed immediately. “If you’re figuring out the next five years? A few hours seems like you’re not taking your criminal enterprise seriously.”

“Maybe I’m not,” he said. “Maybe I’m considering a career change. Work a regular nine-to-five and come home to you cooking me dinner?”

“Sure, if you like burned chicken and ramen noodles,” I offered. “I’ll make it for you every night.”

He didn’t need to know I could cook. He didn't deserve to be spoiled.

Kane’s lips twitched at the corner before he glanced up. “I really have to go.”

My grip on his shirt tightened, an unconscious twitch as my stomach dropped. I was more terrified of him not being there than I was of him. It wasn’t smart.

“Okay.” It wasn’t, but I smiled anyway. “Don’t—”

I trailed off, heat rising to my cheeks. He waited, patient for whatever I had to say.

“Don’t get killed, alright—you’re my ticket out of here,” I added it quickly before he could get any ideas.

His smile widened, too smug.

“No guns are allowed at L’Elyses,” Kane said. “No violence on the island at all. Guy’s house, his rules.” He leaned in, kissing the bridge of my nose. “I’ll be fine.”

Jack was in the seating area, a paperback in his hands, as I slipped into the seat across from him. He glanced at me once as I sat down before his eyes slipped back to the page. My gaze narrowed on the cover. 

“Crescent Wolf?” I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

I didn’t take him to be a paranormal romance fan.

“A friend recommended it,” he said, turning the page without a hint of a blush. “It’s her favorite book.”

This time, I couldn’t keep the surprise off my face.

“How are you finding it?” I didn’t have to pretend to be interested; I was absolutely fascinated by what he would say.

Jack glanced up from the page, his brow lifting.

“It’s messed up.” He grimaced. “Some of the kinkiest porn I’ve ever read, and Vi, I’ve done some pretty fucked up shit. I don’t know if some of it is even possible, and the dude growls every time he cums.” Jack shook his head, flipping the book around to glare at the cover. “Plot’s decent though.” 

“Yeah?” I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs. “What do you think of Alpha Dane?”

“Psycho,” Jack muttered, folding the page of the book down as he closed it. He chucked it down on the driftwood table between the chairs. “What he did to Gabriella was horrible. She should have stabbed him sooner.”

I was about to tell him I couldn’t agree more when my eyes caught on his knuckles. They were an odd shade of purple, with a split of red along one of them.

“I thought there was no violence allowed on the island?” I asked. Jack raised his brow, lips a tight line. I nodded at his knuckles. “Who’d you beat up?”

“Who do you think?” A question for a question.

It took a second to click. 

“Aldridge?” He gave me nothing, not even a flinch. “Is he alive?” Oh, God! “Jack, did you kill Pierce Aldridge?”

I was going to be sick. Sure, he’d been ready to fuck me over, but if I hadn't been in his room when Guy came, he wouldn’t have been able to grab me. If he was dead, then I'd got him killed. Mindy was going to be so mad! Jack let me sweat for a few seconds before he sat back in his chair, smiling wide enough to show the gap in his teeth.

“I just beat the crap out of him,” he shrugged. “I know what I’m doing. He’ll live—talks all pretty, but once you get him on the ropes, he can spit out some real nasty shit.” His brown eyes were too sharp, hunting for guilt. “For a guy who sold you out, he seemed pretty worried about you. I told him you’ll be back in Rapture by the end of the week.”

I swallowed, gripping my kneecap tight. Ignoring the burn of hope in my chest. If Jack thought they were getting me home, then it meant Kelly probably actually meant to rescue me. Right? But then the other part of what he'd said hit me.

“What nasty shit?” What had Aldridge told him, and what would Jack tell Kelly?

“Asked me how I liked working for a violent, abusive rapist.” Jack’s brows flicked up. “Interesting choice of words, isn’t it? Violent, sure, but abusive rapist?” He winced, shaking his head. “Why would he think a thing like that about Mister Kelly?”

The weight on my chest crushed my lungs. “I didn’t—”

Jack looked away. “You know, you can tell a lot about a girl from the way she is in bed—how she reacts when you touch her, if something freaks her out.” 

His fingers grazed his Adam’s apple as he scratched his neck. Was ripping someone’s hand away from my neck, telling them I’d been strangled? I’d been more concerned he’d thought I was weird than what he’d read into the moment. It seemed pretty dumb now, thinking about it. Jack caught me looking at his hand. 

“I’m not looking for a confession, kid,” he said. “Good on you if you fucked Aldridge. What Kelly did to you was fucked. He deserved the concussion you gave him, and he deserved to lose you.” He reached over, finger tapping the cover of the book. “Just like Alpha Dane deserved it when Gabriella stabbed him.”

I couldn’t think for a moment, my mind entirely blank. “You work for Kelly?”

Jack smiled.

 “I owe him my life and my loyalty,” he said. “Doesn’t mean I always agree with all the shit he does—”

“Oh, come on!” I shook my head, not sure why my shoulders tightened. It didn't make any sense. He'd helped me escape that day and was keeping quiet about Aldridge now. I just didn't understand him. “You roofie girls—”

“You’re assuming I don’t ask first,” he said.

I stopped, mouth open. 

“Do you?” There was no way in hell that was true. “How does that conversation even go? Hey, mind if I fuck you when you’re unconscious?”

He smiled, but it wasn’t that friendly. “Not that complicated, is it?”

I folded my arms, glaring at him. “I don’t believe you.”

“It's funny that you think I give a fuck what you believe.” Jack reached for the book again, cracking the spine.

I gaped at him, but he didn't blink. It was conversation over, just like that. He went back to reading, and I went back to staring out the window, head spinning and more confused than I’d ever been, because fucking, fuck!

Chapter Text

My heart jumped to my throat at the knock on the door. Kelly couldn’t be back already. He wouldn’t knock. The wood pushed wide as Guy stepped inside, Eloise a step behind him, a bundle of gold fabric in her arms. 

“Monsieur Vassiére.” Jack pushed his chair back, stepping in front of me.

He acted fast enough that I didn’t have to think; I shifted back in my chair to curl my arms around my knees. 

“Jaque.” Guy beamed as he crossed the room like he had every right to just let himself into Kelly’s treehouse. He took Jack’s hand, gripping it in a firm shake. “I missed you yesterday.”

His palm slapped against Jack’s back as he pulled him into a hug.

“It’s good to see you too, monsieur—”

“I’ve told you too many times to call me, Guy.” His teeth were so white they sparkled as he smiled.

Eloise stood a few steps behind him, the folded bundle resting in her arms as she looked straight ahead. She’d tied her hair back today in a tight high ponytail. The green dress she wore had too many holes to really call it clothing. I don’t know how she was walking in the heels; I’m not sure I could have balanced in them well enough to stand.

“What happened to your knuckles?” Guy released Jack.

A hint of something darker crept into his smile. Jack didn’t look down at his hand.

“Had a disagreement with a wall.” He kept his position, body-blocking mine. “I’ve been working on anger management, but I still slip up sometimes.”

Guy stepped back, arms folded as he looked Jack over. 

“There’s no fighting allowed on the island.” His voice was as menacing as his smile. “You know the rules.”

Jack held up his hands in front of him, dipping his head in the slightly goofy way I’d seen him do a thousand times. Mostly when he was pretending not to be dangerous.

“Of course not, Monsieur Vassiére,” Jack said. “I didn’t even bring a gun.”

Guy’s brow rose, but after long enough for me to start sweating, his smile returned.

“I swear you’ve gotten taller again.” You’d never have known he’d been scowling a moment before. “How old are you now, uh?”

“Turned thirty a few months back,” Jack said. 

He was closer to my age than Kelly’s. I’d always thought he was older. He acted like it.

“I remember when you were fourteen.” Guy grimaced. “You’re making me feel ancient.” It was weird seeing someone treat Jack like he was a kid. “Surely you don’t want to hide in here all day; come out and get a drink.” He waved a hand towards the door, and my stomach dropped. “The girls have missed you.”

My fingers itched to reach for the back of his shirt, but I didn’t have to. Jack sat back on the arm of my chair, arms folded.

“I can’t afford them.” He made it sound like a joke, and Guy chuckled.

“Jaque, you know there’s no charge for you.” He clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder, steering him to his feet as he turned him towards the door. “Why don’t you go see who you fancy, or you can get to know Eloise.” His arm draped over Jack’s shoulders, and I was so close to grabbing the back of his shirt. He couldn't leave me. “She’d be delighted to help you relax.”

Jack’s whole body stiffened, the muscles of his neck rippling.

“That’s kind of you.” He shrugged Guy’s arm off his shoulder in a movement that was both firm and respectful. “But I’d prefer not to.”

“Non?” Guy asked, turning to watch Jack as he moved.

He circled back to his chair, sitting down across from me, deliberately casual.

“Got a girl back home.” Jack gave his trademark goofy smile. Nothing to see here, not a ruthless hitman. “She wouldn’t be too happy about Eloise helping me relax.”

Guy’s brow rose, his smile gone. “I see.”

“I’m fine just here,” Jack said. “Keeping Vi company.”

The silence lingered too long as the men stared each other down. Neither of them looked friendly, but they were both smiling. Guy took the spot Jack had vacated, sitting on the arm of my chair as he placed a deliberate hand on the back. I tensed, jaw clenched so hard my molars ached. I didn’t know who to look at, Jack or Guy.

“It wasn’t a suggestion.”

It was Guy’s house. What he said went. Jack still waited another second before he rose. He gripped the arms of his chair as he pushed himself up. The warning in his eyes was clear as he met my gaze. Don’t do anything stupid!

“Of course,” Jack said.

My head turned, watching his back all the way to the door, the panic climbing inside my chest. Kelly said he’d deal with Guy, but he hadn’t yet. Now he was here. He could kick Jack out because it was his home. I was in so much trouble. The door clicked closed behind him, and Guy’s fingers closed around my chin. His grip was gentle as he turned my face up towards him.

“Don’t be scared, ma Cherie.” Hazel eyes darted across my face, voice soft, like he was talking to a scared animal. “Let me look at you.”

I couldn't move. It had been one thing to lunge at him when Kane was there. Easy to snarl and pretend I was angry rather than terrified. Now I was alone. Jack was gone, and Guy Vassiére was smiling down at me like a benevolent god. He released my chin, tugged at the collar of my shirt instead to inspect my neck. His smile dropped away.

“I told him not to mark you.” Guy shook his head, offering me a tight smile. It looked more genuine than the ones he'd given to Jack. Softer. Sympathetic. “Monsieur Kelly can be a brute, can’t he?”

His thumb brushed my neck, skimming across the purple mark. Eloise was still standing by the bed, her gaze cast down. Silent, and still. Waiting on the emperor’s whim.

“You’re so quiet today,” he said, voice close to intimate. “A little lion cub cowering at the back of her cage.” His smile was back as his palm covered the back of my neck, fingers resting there without grabbing. “I almost feel bad for throwing you to the wolves.”

Kelly was definitely a wolf, one I really wished would get his ass back here. My eyes flicked past him to the door. He’d be back, Jack would get him, and he’d come back.

“Don’t worry.” He followed my gaze to the door. “We have time. Monsieur Kelly is in a very important meeting right now. One he cannot afford to leave.”

My nails dug into my knee, dread slipping down my spine with a thousand razor-covered strands.

“What do you want?” I wasn’t brave enough to raise my voice.

His gaze slipped down, lingering on Kane’s shirt for the length of one of my shallow breaths before his lip curled.

“Don’t you like your clothes?” he asked. “The girls had so much fun picking them for you. They’ll be heartbroken if you don’t wear them.” He was insane! His other hostages wouldn't care what I wore. “They’re all excited to meet you, aren’t they, Eloise?”

His voice rose on the question, loud enough for her to hear it.

“Oui, monsieur.” Her unsmiling face and downcast eyes didn’t really sell it.

“Astrid isn’t happy with you still.” Guy’s smile was pure indulgence. It made my skin crawl. “I’m afraid you’ve made an enemy there, ma Cherie.”

His eyes dropped to my lips. There was a pause, a break in his monologue that lasted long enough for me to know exactly what he was about to do.

Guy leaned in, and I pushed back, heels and spine locking as I got out of the way. His hand went with me, still at the back of my neck as I put the distance back between us. His head didn't follow, though; he stayed where I'd been a moment before his gaze caught mine as he pouted. Gentle disappointment in his eyes.

“I can’t walk in heels.” It came out fast, panicked, and his pout turned into a wide smile. “They’re very pretty, but I—”

“Hate them as much as the dresses?” His thumb brushed my nape. Up and down, tickling the strands of baby hair at the back of my neck. “They’re for your protection.”

My gaze flicked to Eloise, and this time he followed the look, leaning back to glance at her for the first time since he’d brought her here.

“Eloise.” Guy beckoned her. Her heels clacked on the wood as she approached, stopping across from him. “Explain to ma Cherie, what it means when you wear green?”

Eloise's eyes met mine. They were a pretty shade of blue, darker than Kane’s.

“That I am available to be booked,” she said.

“To be booked,” Guy repeated it like it was important. His grip tightened around my neck. “A man can’t just grab her without paying first.” He was watching me, measuring my reactions. “What does red mean, Eloise?”

“That I’m bleeding,” she said.

I flinched, and he showed teeth as he let out a soft laugh. He made them wear red if they were on their period? My stomach twisted, and he was watching me closely enough to see it.

“It’s perfectly natural; your cycle is nothing to be ashamed of.” Guy's thumb tapped once against the base of my skull. “What does white mean?”

“I am not to be touched,” she said.

“And gold?” Why didn't he blink?

Surely he needed to blink?

“That I am unavailable for reservation because someone has booked my services.”

I swallowed, and his eyes followed the bob of my throat. “So you’re not supposed to touch me if I’m in gold?”

“Monsieur Vassiére can always touch you,” Eloise said sharply. Like I was a child who needed telling off. “It is his right.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to be quiet. What did you even say to crazy like that? Whether they were her words or his, they reeked of brainwashing. The kind where a hostage said absolutely anything their captor wanted to hear to avoid being killed. 

“You’re not wearing gold.” Guy's eyes narrowed as his gaze flicked down to Kane’s shirt. There was no indulgence in the look, only disgust. “When you’re not wearing a color, what are the rules, Eloise?”

“There are no rules, monsieur.”

“Exactment,” Guy said. “If you’re not wearing your clothes, then any brute could just come in here and have his way with you.”

He let go of my neck, his hands going to the front of my shirt. I grabbed his wrists to stop him.

“No!” I wouldn't let him touch me!

I wouldn't—he bared his teeth at the panic in my eyes, a bright, cruel smile.

He didn’t pull like I was expecting; he tugged the sides of the shirt together, doing another button up so more of my chest was covered.

“We wouldn’t want that, would we?” he said.

I caught my breath, clinging to his wrists as he gripped the edge of the next button, slipping it gently through the hole to close the collar of Kane's shirt.

“Not without them paying first,” I said, arms shaking.

“Now you understand,” he said.

He let go of my shirt, and I let go of his wrists. Slipping further in the chair so I was as far from him as possible. Eloise was still standing there; I’d thought she was a hostage.

It didn’t make sense.

“Can you choose to wear white?” I asked.

Eloise smiled at me, her eyes warm.

“Of course,” she said. “I can choose to wear it whenever I need a break. If I’m sick or I need a mental health day.”

A mental health day?

“See.” Guy's hand returned, landing on my shoulder this time. “I’m not a monster.”

Eloise’s smile turned slightly strained. I glanced up at him again, and Guy raised his brow. I stared at him for a moment before I glanced back at Eloise. There was something I was missing.

“He pays you?” I asked.

Guy’s grip on my shoulder tightened.

“I have a salary,” Eloise said. “Twenty-five days' holiday a year, and public holidays.”

“Twenty-five days’ holiday?” That was more than double what I got at the Chronicle. My lips parted as the truth struck me. “You choose to be here?”

Eloise nodded. “Of course.”

Like it was the most obvious, basic thing imaginable. I twisted in the seat to look up at Guy.

“Can I leave?”

“Can’t sneak a thing past you, can we?” His eyes glittered with amusement. “I suppose you have me there. Eloise chooses to be here. No one is forcing her to do anything she does not wish to—I think whores work harder when they’re happy.” His hand drifted, moving from my shoulder back to my neck. “But you’re not one of my girls. You’re my prisoner.” He walked his fingers up from my clavicle to the tip of my chin. “Right now, the price on you is high enough; I’d be a fool not to rent you out, but eventually your father’s allies and enemies will lose interest in that petite chatte of yours.” He leaned in, gaze heavy. “Unless you can give me something more valuable.”

I held his gaze unblinking. “I still bite.”

His lip twitched. I thought he’d smile, but he sighed.

“I’ll get the cage ready then.” His eyes glimmered with the perfect mimicry of sadness. Like a puppy-dog being told off. “It’s been years since I’ve had to put a girl in there.”

“Treat me like an animal.” I glared at him. “And I’ll behave like one.”

His fingers caught my chin, expression turning icy as he bared his teeth. “You mean you’ll roll on your back and whimper like a little bitch?”

“No,” I said, glaring right back. “I’ll throw my shit at you.”

He finally blinked. Guy was silent for a second before he let out a sharp laugh. Surprised enough that the amusement looked genuine.

“Ma petite singe.” He pinched my cheek as he glanced at Eloise, still laughing. “Je suis amoureux.” Her eyes caught mine before she smiled. It was soft, a hint of camaraderie, though I couldn’t have said who it was for. His hand went back to my nape, fingers spreading in my hair like he owned me. “Eloise, show ma Cherie the dress the girls picked out for her—”

The door cracked wide, and my head moved an inch before Guy’s grip tightened, stopping the movement.

“You’re back early.” His smile turned wide and guileless as he greeted the man at the door. “Is all forgiven?”

Kane's whole body was tense. The look in his eyes made me shrink on reflex. “What are you doing here, Guy?”

Guy’s brow flicked up as he waved a hand to Eloise. “Dropping off a dress for tonight. One more appropriate for the event.”

My heart lifted, breath coming easier. He was back; Kane was back. His gaze caught mine, lingering on Guy’s hand at the back of my neck before he looked up at his oldest friend.

“We need to talk.” Kane’s cheeks were flushed, and his shirt clung to his skin, damp at the chest and underarms.

He’d been running.

“It’ll have to be tonight, I’m afraid.” Guy let go of the back of my neck, standing. “I have another appointment to get to.”

Eloise put the dress down on the chair across from me before she followed him. Loyal as a dog and three steps behind. He might have been paying her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t terrified of him. Kane caught Guy’s elbow as he went to pass. They stared at each other, neither of them smiling. 

“My house.” Guy’s voice was sharper than a knife.

Kelly didn’t back down. “My girl.”

His tone wasn’t normal; there was too much bite in it. Guy’s brows snapped up, eyes widening. He turned his head, glancing back at me. I couldn’t read what he was thinking. Only watch his expression change.

“Putain, tu es sérieux.” The last of his amusement disappeared, replaced by something by open frustration. “Grab me at the start.” Guy’s voice changed as he turned back to Kane. “And you’d better be fucking honest with me, for once!”

Kane nodded, the slightest flicker of what might have been guilt crossing his face before he let go of Guy’s arm, stepping back. Guy ran a hand through his hair, mussing the curls as he eyed the door.

“Putain.” He scowled. No more straight-backed, easy confidence. He looked thrown off balance. Lost. “Liedecker’s waiting.” His fist hit Kelly's shoulder before he pointed a finger at his face. “Tonight, we talk!”

I closed my eyes as the door closed behind Guy. The boards creaked, and I took a deep breath, opening my eyes in time to catch Kane kneeling in front of me.

“Sweetheart—”

I threw myself at him, arms wrapping around his shoulder. Kane pulled me to his chest. He was damp, smelled of sweat and stress.

I couldn’t have been happier to see him.

“You’re back.” My voice shook as I held on by the strength in my fingertips. “You came back!”

“I’ve got you.” He buried his head in my neck. Holding me as tightly as I clung to him. “I told you, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Chapter Text

The dress made me feel like I was pretending to be a pixie. Swathes of fabric on the skirt that puffed out, and not enough on the top. The bodice dipped low at the front, and there was no back. It hissed as I shifted closer to Kane’s side, and he glanced at me from the corner of his eye before he draped an arm over the back of the sofa behind me. It was busy, with people everywhere across the terrace. Mostly men. Apart from the girls in green weaving through them, holding trays and leaning on arms. Smiles and laughter and so much money in the air you could smell the paper. Jack sat in the chair beside us, his eyes up and flicking across the crowd. 

I kept my voice low as my lips brushed Kane’s ear. “How long do we have to stay?”

“Late.” He didn’t sound thrilled.

I turned, palm resting on his thigh. It felt safer when I was touching him. He was watching the crowd, looking for something.

“There he is.” Guy had just stepped out of the main house. 

His hand was already on another man’s back. A wide, welcoming smile as he played the perfect host. I’d seen the palatial mansion behind him on the first day, but not since. White columns and rough stone. Looking at it made me wonder why the most beautiful places were always home to so much horror. Kane caught my wrists, peeling my hands away from him. He put them back in my lap. 

“I won’t be long.”

I nodded, forcing myself not to grab him as he stood. He threw a look at Jack, a wordless warning. The other man nodded. I swallowed my unease, straightening my spine and pretending to be brave. If Kane was gone, I didn’t want to look vulnerable.

I glanced at Jack. He was looking back at me from the chair opposite, his brown gaze steady. We hadn’t talked about this afternoon; I’d rather talk about anything but that.

“So,” I said. “Who’s the girl back home, anyone I know?”

Jack’s brow flicked up; I knew before he even opened his mouth he wasn’t going to answer.

“Gold’s not your color.”

The glittery mess of material was like a princess dress. It was enough of a joke; I was surprised it hadn’t come with a tiara. I searched the side of the bodice for a label.

“I think I saw this on the sale rack at Tia’s.”

“There is no sale rack at Tia’s.” Jack shook his head. “If stuff doesn’t sell, we burn it.”

I stopped, hand dropping to my knees as I stared at him. “You own Tia’s?”

Jack nodded. “Through a couple of other holdings, yeah. There’s a lot of money in high-end boutiques.” He reached for his drink, taking a sip. “Don’t tell anyone, though, otherwise the other bad guys won’t let their wives and daughters shop there anymore.”

“Does Kane own everything in Rapture?” I asked, eyes narrowed as I stared at him.

He shifted, glancing my way again with a mocking disgust. “Bit of a dumb question, isn’t it, Vi?”

I had no reply. Instead, I turned my focus back to the veranda. My palms pressed against the cushions as I slid along the couch, closer to Jack.

“So.” I nodded to the crowd. “Who are they all?”

The look Jack gave me was full of genuine disgust this time. “Seriously?”

“What?” I couldn’t figure out why he was looking at me like an idiot.

“You think I’m going to give a breakdown of all the biggest criminals on the continent?” he said. “Names, ages, rackets.” He held my gaze. “To a reporter.”

I opened my mouth to say something smart, then closed it again when I came up blank. He was right; he wasn’t dumb enough to tell me, and honestly, I didn’t want to know. Ignorance felt a lot more like survival than bliss. My eyes burned as my gaze slipped across the veranda. The biggest criminals on the continent, and I had the feeling that I’d already seen too much. That I’d heard things I shouldn’t and—

“Harry?” I didn’t mean to say it so loud.

Jack made a muffled noise as he caught my wrist, yanking me back down before I’d even realized I was getting up. Harrison Stein’s head turned, his eyes meeting mine from twenty meters away. He was presentable for once, wearing a stupid-looking linen suit. His long hair tied back. He was talking to an old man, the sort that wore a wide hat over his slicked-back silver hair, hands clasped behind his back and his posture almost armed forces straight. The smile Harrison had been wearing as he talked to the man disappeared. 

I watched the recognition fill my half-brother’s eyes. His gaze dropped to the gold dress. For a few seconds, I didn’t breathe. Surely he—

Harrison Stein turned back to the man he’d been talking to with a smile. Showing me his back, with a finality that said everything it needed to. He didn’t care what happened to me. Wouldn’t give a shit if I died here. The old man noticed; his gaze lingered on me before he laid a palm on Harrison’s shoulder. He leaned in to whisper something in his ear. 

“I thought Vassiére hated Stein?” My voice shook.

All the times I’d listened to him talk down to me, I kept my temper and hadn't even punched him. Stein had insisted I be nice to my older brother, that if we tried, we’d get along. Where had biting my tongue got me? I was in the worst situation of my entire life, and he’d just snubbed me. Acted like I embarrassed him.

“The Island is neutral ground,” Jack said. I caught the twist of his lips. “Sacred.”

“Sacred?” I shouldn’t be surprised. 

I knew Harry was the worst. After I’d sent his father to prison, I could understand how he didn’t like me, but god, I’d sat through a month of being told that family mattered, of Stein insisting that we could be one. That everything would be different, because blood meant something. Harry didn't sneeze unless daddy told him to. If he was turning away from me now, then Howard Stein really didn’t give a shit what happened to me. 

So fucking much for unconditional love! “I thought nothing was sacred to men like you!”

“Stop asking questions, Vi.” Jack showed his teeth. “Just trust me when I say you don’t want to know the answer.”

I pulled back, ripping my wrist from his hand, to fold my arms. He was right; I didn’t want to know the answer, or why Kelly and the rest of the monsters were here, or why they had a sacred island. Secrets like that could get a girl killed.

“I can’t believe he just turned his back.”

Jack snorted. “What did you expect? That kid’s more of a douche than Parker Kelly was—you wouldn’t believe the shit those two used to get up to together.”

“They were friends?” I didn’t know a thing about Parker Kelly, only that we’d met the day Kane murdered him. “What the hell was I doing hanging out with a guy like that?”

I was disgusted with twenty-one-year-old me right now. She’d thought she was so smart. Fearless and indestructible, and where the hell had she gotten me? Stalked and abducted by an apex criminal. Then twenty-two-year-old me had got me on the shit list of every monster on the continent, whose fuck up was only followed by twenty-three-year-old me, who was so much of a mess, she had let Kane Kelly basically destroy her career by blowing the article that would have got her promoted to an actual journalist. If only me, now at twenty-four, wasn’t just as stupid, because somehow, I’d taken what was supposed to be an easy trip, an opportunity to help Mindy out and make up for my fuck up last year and blown it again. Ruined Pierce Aldridge’s documentary and got myself trafficked because of the shit twenty-two-year-old me pulled!

“At least it didn’t take you long to figure him out,” Jack said. I glanced at him, brow raised, still feeling surly as he pulled me back to the present. “He told you this story about how he shot a bear, and afterwards he turned the hunting dogs on its cubs.”

I pressed a palm to the middle of my stomach. “That’s sick!”

“You know, I was really annoyed the first time I heard the story, too.” He smiled, showing the goofy gap in his teeth. “Disappointed that the grizzly didn’t eat him.” Jack glanced my way. “Can you guess who was with him?” My head snapped back to the crowd, spying my half-brother’s back as he physically distanced himself from me. “You’re smart for someone who asks a lot of dumb questions; you knew after that story to get the hell out of there.”

His lips pursed, and for a moment I thought he’d say something else. Jack glanced away instead.

“Was Reggie there too?” He’d dated both Harper and Alice.

If he were as much of a creep as Parker Kelly had been, I didn’t want to think about it.

“Don’t talk to me about Reginald King.” Jack’s scowl deepened.

“Why?”

He gritted his teeth. “Because Kane didn’t let me kill him when I wanted to, and I’m still pissed about it.”

“You shouldn’t own up to so much murder in front of a reporter,” I said.

His jaw loosened into a smile. “Going to do a story about me?”

“Honestly, I’d love to get your angle on the whole consensual roofie-ing thing; it would make a great culture piece.” His brow rose, but I knew he was listening. “Do you have contracts or verbal agreements? Are the drugs legal in the first place, like can you buy them over the counter or—”

Hands dropped onto Jack’s shoulders. A man about twice his size pushed him down into his seat before he could get up.

“Don’t believe her; she’ll butter you up for a story and then pull it at the last minute.” My heart stuttered as I recognized the man who sat down beside me, draping an arm across the back of the sofa as he made himself comfortable. Gray eyes and black hair streaked with white. His face ageless, skin too tight, like he’d had work done. “Good to see you, Spyte.”

Jack’s face went blank; I knew that look. It was his ‘about to kill someone’ face. 

“Liedecker.”

Nick Liedecker, money launderer primarily, but he had a few smaller rackets. The subject of the three-page exposé that Kane had made me pull the day before I was supposed to interview him. His gaze shifted from Jack to me. Liedecker smiled.

“Viola Cox, we finally meet.” His smile was older than his face. You could tell by the receding gums. He put his whisky down on the low table. “You look just like Beatrice used to, makes me feel about twenty years younger than I am.” Liedecker laid his palm on my thigh through the gauzy fabric of the dress. “You know, I missed her when she got off the game.”

My stomach flipped. He’d fucked my mom. He’d fucked my mom, and he was touching me!

“Liedecker.” The chair creaked as the guy behind Jack shoved him back down, hard. “Don’t touch her. She’s in gold.” 

Liedecker smiled, his eyes on mine as his hand shifted, thumb brushing against my leg through the skirt of the dress.

“I think Guy will be fine with a preview,” he said. “I just paid a hundred K for a weekend with her.” My breath caught. I should hit him. Punch his throat. I shouldn’t be frozen. “I’m sad we didn’t get to have our little interview.” His smile was disgusting as his voice dropped lower. “You can ask me some of those probing questions you were planning on Saturday. I’ll even tell you the truth—”

He caught my wrist, my hand an inch from his cheek, close enough my fingers touched his skin.

“Come near me, and I’ll bite your dick off.” I kept my voice low, eyes as hard when I could hear my pulse screaming in my ears.

Liedecker’s grip tightened, a smile on his creepy, ageless face. “Would you listen to that? She looks like Beatrice, and she talks like Stein.” He leaned closer as I leaned back. “You’re going to be worth every dime.”

There was a click, like a safety being flipped off. I hated that I knew that sound now. Liedecker froze, his eyes still on my face.

“I warned you once already, Nick.” Kane was back, gun pressed into the back of another man’s head. “Now get your fucking hands off her.”

Guy stood across the table, arms folded as he frowned.

“There are no guns allowed here.” Liedecker let go of my wrist, hands raised as he shifted away from me. “Come on, Kelly, the little bitch is a traitor. She’s fair game.”

I was too surprised to blink. A traitor? A traitor to fucking what?

“She’s not for sale,” Kane said, his jaw clenched as he stared at Guy.

“Yes, she is.” Despite the gun, Liedecker tilted his head back to laugh. “I’ve already booked her for next weekend.” Next weekend? My eyes didn’t focus for a few seconds. I was supposed to be gone by the end of the week. “If you want another go, you can rent her afterwards, but she’s got a long waiting list.”

He couldn’t see Kane’s face. If he could, he would have stopped talking. I shifted back, away from them both. I remembered that look. I had nightmares about it. 

“Refund him.” Kane’s tone was deadly enough that Liedecker stilled. Finally realizing that Kane Kelly wasn’t fucking around. “Give them all their money back and close the list. Now!”

Guy pulled his phone out, skipping through his contacts as he made a call. It was silent as he put the phone to his ear. The only sounds were the buzz of insects and a distant whoop from the jungle. Everyone was watching the show.

“Liedecker,” Guy said. “Full refund.” He hung up immediately after, slipping the phone back into his pocket. “It’s done; put the gun away, Kelly.”

Kane didn’t straightaway. “Sweetheart, come here.”

I jumped up, clambering over the back of the sofa, not caring if I flashed anyone as I slipped behind Kelly’s back. When he felt my hand on his arm, he put the gun away, tucking it back inside his jacket. 

“You want her.” Guy Vassiére looked pissed as his eyes caught mine. “Then get her on a leash, Kelly—you know how this ends if you don’t.”

I flinched, dropping my gaze. I didn’t know the specifics, but I was getting a dead woman walking feeling. Kelly shifted, arm falling over my shoulders, as he dragged us both a step back.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Kane said.

Kane pulled me with him. His movements were deliberate as he walked across the center of the floor. I leaned against his side. Only looking up once, when we passed Harrison Stein. He was still standing with the fancy Grandpa, and as I passed, the old man smiled at me. I decided then and there that I didn’t want to know who he was. A group of the most sadistic bastards on this continent, and I didn’t know how many had bought a spot on my waiting list. 

“What about Jack?” I whispered.

“He can look after himself tonight.” Kane’s voice was low; he spoke out of the side of his mouth. There was a don’t fuck with me vibe pouring off him that made the fact he was running away seem more like a statement that he was big enough and scary enough to walk me out of there after canceling Christmas. “He had one fucking job.”

The pool was still warm. My flouncy skirt pulled up and legs bared to the knees as I dipped them in the water. Kane had rolled his trousers up to the calf, one leg resting in the water, and his arm around his other bent knee. He'd left his jacket on the lounger behind us. His arm had barely left my shoulders. I didn't want him to take it away.

I pressed my palm into the stone, staring down at the dark water. There were lights on the sides that illuminated the green. We were at the deep end, but that was fine. It was nice just to dip my calves.

I assumed Kelly would march all the way back to the treehouse, but when we got to the pool, he’d just stopped. Kneeled to touch the water, and then smiled as he looked up at me. That smile had been one of the sweetest things I'd ever seen.

And now we were here.

“So.” I pulled my lip between my teeth. “Liedecker sucks.”

Kane gave the softest chuckle as he shook his head. “You’re dangerous, you know that.”

“Me?” I fiddled with the flouncy skirts. At least it was cool when the air was so hot. “A party full of the biggest, nastiest criminals on the East Coast, and I’m dangerous.”

“You parade around with those clever eyes and that smart mouth.” He leaned in, his eyes darting between mine. “Did it ever once occur to you not to be rude to men that kill for a living?”

“I was sitting on the sofa, not parading!” My mouth opened, hanging there for a second before I closed it. “And they’re assholes.”

“Of course they’re assholes.” He breathed out through his teeth. His hand touched the center of my back, fingers spreading wide. “You didn’t get to swim yesterday, did you?”

“No.” I frowned at him, confused. “But—”

He pushed, and I let out a shriek as I tried to grab him. It was too late. The pool was deep, and I slipped straight in, water closing over my head. I kicked out, flailing as I squeezed my eyes closed. Trying to hold my breath, but it was tough when the panic hit.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

I was supposed to paddle right, move my arms. It wasn’t even cold; it was warm. I was about to fucking drown in bathwater.

Arms closed around my waist. As soon as I was above the surface, I twisted. Eyes flying open as I gasped a breath. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders as I tried to climb him.

“Get me out!” I was begging.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kane was wrestling me more than holding me.

I wrapped my arm around his neck when we both came dangerously close to going back under.

“I can’t touch the bottom!” Oh God! “It’s too deep.”

“Calm down, stop flailing.” Why was he shouting at me? “Just wrap your legs around my waist and hold on.”

I took a deep breath, shaking as I clung to his wet shirt. The water rippled around us as he took us halfway across the pool, with only one arm. When his feet touched the ground, Kane kept walking, and I kept clinging to him. It was safer that way, to let him do it.

“It’s shallow here,” Kane said. “You can stand.”

I slipped down, feeling blindly in the dark water, because it was hard to judge the distance. When I felt the tile, I let out a sigh of blind relief. Leaning my head against his wet shirt as I pulled myself back together. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, resting there.

“You can’t swim,” he said so gently, like he had to double-check.

I couldn’t look up at him; it was too embarrassing. 

“Mom couldn’t really afford lessons, and the school district in West Brom isn’t great. It—” I took a shallow breath, because it sucked. Stein had had the nicest pool I’d ever seen, and I had avoided it so fucking hard, because I couldn’t stand the idea of my preppy siblings knowing I couldn’t swim. “I never learned.”

He pressed his fingers under my chin, tugging my face up. The kiss was so soft. We were both soaked. Wet hair and clothes. I could taste the pool water on his lips, bitter. The rum was barely there, sweet, and my racing heart slowed, the flush of adrenaline petering out. It was nice. By the time he broke away, I felt calm again. Safe and cool from the relentless island heat. Protected by his arms and the dark water.

He just looked at me, eyes flicking across my face like he was searching for answers.

“How do you do it?” Kane laid his palm across the top of my chest, like he was measuring the heartbeats. “How is it that every time I want to be mad at you, I find out something new about you that breaks my damn heart?”

I looked down. He just had to ruin it.

“I don’t want your pity.”

I hated everything about the island. It was supposed to be an opportunity, away from Kane Kelly and Rapture City, where no one knew who I was. A chance to make up for everything I’d blown. I’d thought I was tough, that I could handle the danger.

I couldn’t even fucking swim.

That was it—the last straw. The sob broke free. My shoulders shook as I hid my face in his soaked shirt. He grabbed my waist, pulled me up and wrapped my limp arms around his shoulders.

“I’ve got you.” His voice was so calm, so steady. “Just hold on.”

The second cry was harder, uglier as I hid my face in his shoulder, legs closing around his hips as I clung to him. The water lapped around us as the bugs sang and the monkey somewhere made its weird noise. I wept; it had been so long since the last time.

Almost three years.

“You hurt me so much.” My voice broke. “Why did you do it?”

I still had nightmares about it. The moment he’d slipped the ring off my finger. If I let myself remember it, then I could still feel his hands around my neck. It wasn’t the worst bit.

“I was going to let you do it.” Tears slipped down my cheeks, too many to feel them anymore. Snot and salt and pool water. “My whole life, nothing was ever easy. I fought for everything, and you were going to take it from me, and I—” My shoulder shook as I took a breath. Throat burning. “I would have let you kill me.” I couldn't forgive myself. “You were too strong, and you were so angry. You were so fucking angry.” My shudder hurt, a scratch from my chest to the base of my skull, nerves rebelling. “I’ve never given up, not ever! I gave up. You made me give up.”

I wanted to hit him, to scratch him and slap him, but then he’d let go of me. 

He couldn’t let go of me. 

The words ended, and the tears took over, painful and violent. It took a long time for them to stop. When they did, I was done. Limp against him, my legs still looped around him like a sleeping child.

Kane put me on the side first. Water splattered the paving stone as he climbed out after me. He wrapped his dry jacket around me. It was warm, and it smelled like him when I turned my soaked face into the collar.

There was a slow walk, his arm around me every step.

A shower, hot water and soft towels, and we both had wet hair again by the time we made it to bed. The switch to turn off the lights was on his side, but he didn’t touch it. I lay facing him, head on the pillow, as I stared.

I felt numb inside. Broken.

“Is that the first time you’ve cried?” He asked. “Since it happened?”

Since he figured out who my father was, flipped out and tried to murder me. I’d had no idea what the hell was going on until he’d dragged me in front of Stein and introduced me to the father I never knew, with a necklace of bruises in the shape of his hands.

“Yeah,” I said. “It is.”

His lips touched my forehead. The kiss felt like disinfectant on an open wound. It made my chest burn.

“I’m sorry, Vi.” It was a whisper, as if he was afraid to say it. “I'm so sorry I hurt you.”

My eyes dropped closed. “You’re still a bastard, Kane Kelly.”

Nothing had changed, and everything had.

Chapter Text

Day Four

It was an oven. A mouth closed over my shoulder, teeth that grazed without biting. I felt so full, pressure everywhere as my hand curled into the sheet. My breath caught as I let out a soft sound between a grumble and a moan. My thighs tightened around the hips between them.

“I’ve got you.” He moved, and I felt it inside me. “You’re safe.”

A flush of heat, straight through my core as he curled, pushing deeper. It hurt to open my eyes. My eyelids were heavy, scratchy. Kane’s groan brushed my skin, making everything tighten.

“Fuck.” His voice was so light. 

Breathy. I curled my arms around his back, clinging to him as I turned my face into his neck. 

“Kane?” I gasped his name as his hips dug into mine, pushing harder and harder.

“You’re obsessed with me, too, Vi.” His lips brushed my ear, breath burning my skin. “I know you are.” 

It felt like a dream, like I was still asleep.

“No.” That wasn’t right. I arched against him, gasping. “I’m in love with you.”

It didn’t feel so terrifying to say it. He’d never know, couldn’t hold it against me or hurt me with it. He shifted, pulling me back with him, and I slipped further down the bed. My eyelids flickered to catch sight of the rafters above, the slowly turning ceiling fan. It had to be a dream. I didn’t have a thatched roof or a ceiling fan. His breath was coming fast, heavy in my ear, and as the sleep cleared from my eyes, I felt him tighten. He pressed me hard into the mattress, his hips giving the smallest movements because he was buried so far inside me my belly ached.

“Wait,” I whispered, head turning again as my eyes widened. “Kane—”

His mouth covered mine. The kiss hard as he tensed all over. He let out a laugh, closer to a groan as he came. He didn’t pull away when he finished; his lips moved against mine. Greedy and just a little desperate. I’d almost forgotten my own name when he pulled back, eyes meeting mine in the light of early dawn.

“Kane?” He’d just decided to fuck me when I was asleep. There was something wrong with that. I should be pissed about it. I was more confused, aching in a way that was and wasn’t pleasant. “What—”

Kane’s lips brushed the bridge of my nose, another kiss on my cheek, then my temple. Another just below my eye, then my neck, his breath sharp. 

“Stay with me, Vi.” His voice was a gruff murmur, deep and throaty. “Don’t leave me again.” Kane’s eyes flicked between mine, a hint in them that was so open and so close to hope. “You won years ago. Please choose to stay with me this time. I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t make me let you go.”

“I—” There was something so open in his eyes, aching and vulnerable. What the fuck was happening? I was barely awake. “I need the bathroom.”

He closed his eyes, head dropping to rest against my neck as he took a breath. Deep enough, his shoulders shook. Oh God, was he mad?

“Kane?”

“Alright,” he muttered. “Alright.”

Kelly pulled away, and I slipped out of the bed, legs shaking as I darted for the bathroom. Pulling the door open only to shut it behind me. My breath was too deep, sucking in too much air. It couldn’t be right. I sank down, my legs giving out as I tugged them to my chest. My center was so sticky, wet, seeping out of me, and I didn’t think I could move to clean it up. Stay with him? I couldn’t stay with him. I needed him to get me back to Rapture. After that, it had to be over. It had to end. I’d trusted him, and he’d tried to kill me. 

My eyes burned, and this time, the tears fell, slipping down my cheeks as I covered my mouth to stifle the sob. I didn’t want him to hear. I didn’t want Kane Kelly to wrap his arms around me and wipe away my tears. It had to stop. I refused to become like Betty. At this point, I wasn’t all that much better than her, but that didn’t mean I was going to just give up. If it was my choice, Kane could beg me all he liked. He’d killed the part of me that loved him the day he wrapped his hands around my neck. He didn’t get to bring her back. I wouldn’t let him.

Shade striped the ground of the bar area, cast in slats from the open roof. It was a bold move to leave so much uncovered, considering how much it rained on the island. But Guy didn’t let a little thing like practicality get in the way of style. His chair creaked as he leaned back, his eyes on Kane. The girl in white was behind the bar, waiting to be summoned, but he hadn’t twitched a finger towards her. Jack leaned against the wooden post beside the table, arms folded. 

Somehow, the most surprising thing I’d learned that morning was that Kane had finally caved in and gotten reading glasses. The square frames suited him; they made my stomach flutter a little as he leafed through the printed documents in front of him. His finger tapped against a line, and I leaned over in my seat, trying to read where he was pointing. The number of zeros made my head hurt.

“Six million?” He glanced up, eyes hard.

“Right now, I can charge a hundred thousand for a weekend with her.” Guy wasn’t smiling for once. “I had two and a half million guaranteed over the next six months. Her price would have dropped after that, but I’d have easily made six on her in the first five years.”

I dug my nails into my thigh, suppressing the urge to rip his throat out. I could have done it; I was mad enough to scratch the hazel eyes out of his head. He’d had a five-year financial plan for the investment he’d made when he abducted me. They were scum, all of them. Kelly, Stein, Vassiére. What I wouldn’t give to expose the lot of them. Hell, I’d let their lawyers call me a whore in front of an open courtroom and a full gallery of press! I’d spit in their faces—

Kelly’s hand landed on my thigh; his thumb stroked the inside. Deliberate, like he could feel the steam rising off me.

“Alright,” he said. “Six Million.”

My eyes followed his pen as he signed, darting higher as a phrase almost glowed in the paragraph above. Thoroughbred mare, three years old. I squinted, heat rising to my cheeks. 

“You’re buying a horse?” My eyes flicked up in time to catch the twist of Guy’s lips. 

A flash of teeth that I knew was mocking. He was all smiles now that the business was over.

“The transfer of so much money requires a paper trail. The declaration of a three-year-old horse will raise far fewer questions than a twenty-four-year-old woman.” Guy reached for his cup, taking a sip of his coffee. “It shouldn’t really say thoroughbred—”

“Guy.” Kane didn’t say it loudly, but Guy closed his mouth.

He took another sip of coffee before he put his cup down. 

“There are procedures for this situation.” He raised his hand, fingers twitching once.

Anouk moved from behind the bar. I turned my head to watch her as she came to stand by his shoulder.

“Jack,” Kelly said, taking his hand away from my thigh as he slipped the contract across the table towards Guy. “Go with her.”

He took a breath, as if he were stealing himself before he turned in his seat to look at me. His blue eyes softened as he laid his hand on my shoulder. Whatever he was about to say, I wasn’t going to like.

“Anouk will take you into the main house,” Kane said, his tone firm. “You’ll need to sign some things—”

I grabbed his wrist, holding on to him. “I’m not signing an NDA.”

Were they joking? Kane didn’t blink; he watched my face, eyes hard. 

“If you don’t sign it, you don’t go home.” It wasn’t a threat.

My chest twisted, heart stuttering. I was too close to the edge to hold back the tear. Felt the painful trail it left down my cheek, and watched Kane’s gaze trace its path as I sniffed. I let go of his wrist, wrapping my arms around myself instead. I was crying in front of Guy Vassiére. It was humiliating, and I couldn’t stop.

Kane leaned over the arm of his seat, his arm covering the tops of my shoulders as he kissed my forehead.

“It’s alright.” His whisper wouldn’t stop everyone else from hearing. “I’ve got you.” 

It was even worse that I could stop myself reaching for him, clinging to the front of his shirt. A hundred thousand a weekend for six months, whilst Howard Stein’s enemies got their rocks off raping his daughter. 

“Come with me.” I didn’t want to beg him in front of witnesses. I didn’t even want Jack to see me being this pathetic. “Please.”

“It’s just us today; everyone else left last night.” Kane’s thumb brushed my cheek; he was speaking so gently. “Jack won’t let anything happen to you. Guy and I need to have a conversation, alright. There’s no reason to be scared anymore.”

“I’m not scared.” I didn’t even believe it when I said it.

He caught the moisture under my eye, wiping it away with the softest smile.

“Of course not, sweetheart.”

If there weren’t witnesses, I’d have climbed into his lap, wrapped my arms around him and just clung to him. I took a breath, forcing myself to pull away from him. He didn’t stop me. My chair scraped the stone as I stood, avoiding looking at Guy. I didn’t want to see his reaction. I don’t think I was this humiliated when he strung me up naked from a meat hook and had me waxed. No one was supposed to see this. No one was supposed to know that I needed Kane Kelly. Especially not Kane Kelly!

Jack moved from the post. I felt him beside me without looking. He didn’t touch me. Anouk slipped around the table, waving a hand across the bar, back towards the doors to the main house. It was easy enough to follow her. Simple to keep my head up and not look at anyone or anything.

A doctor’s office shouldn’t have a meat hook in the ceiling. It wasn’t right. Being back in the room, Guy had first brought me to put me on edge. I perched on the edge of the examination table, heels kicking together. Jack leaned against the door, arms folded. Astrid flicked the torch between my eyes, and I blinked, pulling back. 

“Is this necessary?” Jack asked.

“It’s fine.” I wasn’t certain exactly why I needed a doctor’s exam, but if it got me out of here, I wasn’t going to slow things down. Astrid clicked off the torch, turning her head to look at Jack.

“It’s standard procedure,” she said. “It would be better if you left the room for the next part. Unless you’ve been permitted by the buyer to see her naked.”

Jack didn’t flinch. “She’s not stripping.”

“I see bruises on her arms.” Astrid scowled at him. “I need to assess her condition so I can sort out any medication she needs.”

“No—”

I cleared my throat. “It’s alright, Jack. She’s a doctor.”

Or a beautician, I wasn’t really sure at this point. If she could give me something to get rid of the hickies, I might say thank you. He shifted. Arms dropping to his side.

“Vi—”

“I don’t want you to see me half-naked.” No way was I taking my pants off. “She’s right, please.”

He scowled, glancing again between us before he let out a sigh. The door clicked behind him, and I winced, gripping my arms.

“Sorry.” I felt small today, tired and a little scared. I was so close to getting out of here, it felt too good to be true. Like if I made one wrong move, it would all disappear. “About the head butt. That was shitty of me.”

Astrid glanced at me, gaze flicking over me for a second, before her frown dropped away.

“You were scared.” Her voice was soothing, from somewhere in Europe where they spoke a different language. “Take your shirt off, and lie down on your front. We’ll start with your back.”

I had to take a breath before I did. My fingers shook as I slipped my top off. Gold. I was still wearing gold. She didn’t look at me, and I turned quickly, lying on the table. I closed my eyes as I heard her putting on gloves. The slap of latex. It was fine; she was just looking. Metal clicked, the soft buzz of something charging. 

“You’ll feel a slight pinch,” Astrid said.

My eyes flew open. “What, why?”

There was a pinch in the middle of my right shoulder blade, and then—

I screamed.

It fucking burned.

I pushed back, scrambling to my feet as I threw myself off the table. Backing up to the wall with my hands up in front of me. The door pounded, vibrating under the hits.

“Open the fucking door, Astrid!” Jack was bellowing, punch after punch.

I stared at the woman across from me. She was holding a metal device with a glowing end that looked like a flower. 

“What the hell is that?” It was red hot.

Astrid glanced at the door, her hand shaking as a flicker close to fear crossed her face.

“It’s standard procedure to add a tag after a sale,” she said, blinking. “The mark of receipt.”

My head kicked into gear, fear going out the window; keeping my head down hadn’t worked.

“You branded me?” I fought the urge to hit her. It wasn’t her choice. “Get me some burn cream and a fucking bandage!”

She darted for a drawer, pulling it open. I slapped my hand against the door, and the pounding stopped. 

“I’m fine, Jack,” I said. Aside from the pulsing skin of my shoulder. “Give me a minute.”

“Vi.” His voice shook. “Let me in. I don’t give a shit if you’re naked.”

“I said it’s fine.” It wasn’t. I was furious. “Calm down, I’ll be one minute.”

He’d make whatever the hell the situation was worse. I turned back to see Astrid standing by the bed, a pot of cream in one hand and the bandage in the other. 

“If you try anything funny—” I didn’t even know if she was a hostage; she probably got paid to be here. “I’ll let him kill you.”

She nodded, and when she looked down, I saw the flicker of fear in her eyes. Not for Jack. She was scared of me. If that wasn’t the biggest joke of all.

Jack was a mess by the time I opened the door, tan skin covered in sweat and panic in his eyes. He grabbed my wrist, yanking me down the long corridor. I followed, rushing a little to keep up, wincing as we brushed past where Anouk was waiting. A tablet in her hands.

“She’ll sign later.” Jack spat the words in passing. 

Then we were outside. The air was heavy, muggy with the storm that was about to hit. He didn’t slow down, racing down the path to get us back to the treehouse. I didn’t stop him. I hadn’t exactly wanted to leave this morning. It had only gone downhill since. He smacked a fob against the sensor, pushing me inside. Slamming the door closed behind him as the first drops of rain hit the thatched roof. A second later, it was a storm.

“What the fuck was that?” He was glaring at me, as if it was my fault.

“She branded me,” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t—”

He grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around to yank down the back of my shirt. The tape tore as Jack ripped away the bandage. I felt the breath he took, but I had no idea what he was thinking; I couldn’t see his face.

“Ghost Orchid,” he said, like it meant something.

“Jack?” 

His movements changed, turning careful as he stuck the bandage back in place, smoothing the tape.

“Kelly keeps his car key in his wallet,” he said. “Parking lots at the front of the main house. The plates are registered, so the gate opens automatically.”

He let go, and I pulled away, turning my head to look at him. “Jack?”

“It’s automatic.” His jaw was so tight it looked painful. “I know you don’t have a licence, but it’s basically a go-kart. Press the on button. Brakes on the left, accelerator on the right.”

“Why would I—” I blinked, trying to read his expression. “We’re going back to Rapture tomorrow?”

Kane promised. Jack glowered at me, his lips twisting in disgust.

“Come on, Vi, you’re not that naïve,” Jack said. “We both know Kelly gets dumb when you’re around. You can’t trust him, not ever.”

He really was helping me. “Why?”

The same question I’d asked him before. I thought he wouldn’t answer, like last time. Jack glanced at the door. His eyes guarded.

“You’re too damn stubborn to give him what he wants,” Jack said. “He’ll push you, and you’ll push back, and when he snaps, he’ll hurt you, Vi. Really bad. Hell, he might even kill you.” He swallowed, shaking his head. “And then he’ll lose his damn mind.” His shoulders slumped, as if he knew what he was doing was stupid and dangerous, but he was going to do it anyway. “I don’t want to work for a mad Kelly; he’s terrifying enough sane.” 

My lips parted, a thousand questions racing through my head. “Why do you work for him?”

Jack looked as uncomfortable as I felt, like the question burned.

“Because he hired me.” His lip twitched as he tried for a joke before his smile dropped away.

“Jack—”

“He saved my life.”

I glanced at the door. Kane could be back any minute. But like hell was I going to leave that one hanging.

“How?” I’d never seen him so honest.

No teasing grin or deflecting jokes.

“My dad, double-crossed, Darren Kelly.” Jack looked tired. “He had my parents executed. Saul did it himself, dragged us all out of our house, took us to a warehouse down by the docks. He shot them both. In front of me, when it was my turn, Kane stepped in.” His hand was a fist at his side, but it was the only tell. Every other piece of him was still. “If he hadn’t stepped in, Saul Kelly would have blown my brains out.” He shook his head. “God, I was terrified. I thought he was a creep. Couldn’t think of any other reason he’d have saved me. He never touched me, treated me like I was his little fucking brother, and I still hated him for years.” He breathed out slowly through his teeth. “It wasn’t until he sat me down when I was eighteen, told me he was going to kill Saul, that I really trusted him.” He gritted his teeth. “Took him ten more years to do it, but he did.”

It was his story, but I wondered how many times he’d told it. Who knew it, from someone else. Saul, or Kane, or their father.

“How old were you?” My fingers twitched.

If it were anyone else, I’d put a hand on their shoulder.

Jack wasn’t the sort of guy you comforted.

“Thirteen,” Jack said. I didn’t flinch, but it was close. When he was thirteen, Saul Kelly shot his parents in front of him. Kane Kelly had raised him. “He killed my fucking mom!”

There was no sorry, no words. I took a step back, stomach churning. What was Jack Spyte? A henchman, a murderer, a hostage? Just another victim of men like the Steins, or Vassières or the Kellys.

“Shit,” I said. 

He smiled, a bitter half-smirk. “Poisoning Parker Kelly was one of the happiest days of my life. I only wish Saul had been alive to know.” 

Our eyes met, and there was something unknowable in his.

“Kane’s the closest thing I have to family.” Jack shook his head. “I owe him everything. Sometimes you have to protect family from themselves.” 

The door buzzed, and Jack stepped back, dropping to his knees as he bowed his head like he was waiting for a damn execution. Kane stepped inside a second later, his eyes narrowed as he glanced between us. His hair was wet, slicked back from the rain. The storm was still pounding outside. The sky a malevolent gray.

“What happened?” He asked.

“They gave her an Orchid brand.” Jack stayed on his knees, head down.

“Get up,” I said, reaching to pull him up, but Kane was there before I could.

He caught my wrist, pulling me back behind him. I turned my head, glancing up at his face to see the prickle of fury in his eyes. 

“Why didn’t you stop them?” I could almost hear his teeth crack.

I tugged on Kelly’s arm, trying to pull his attention back. “It wasn’t his fault; I didn’t want to undress in front of him—”

“I left the room.” Jack’s shoulders hunched. “I left her alone with Astrid.”

“Kane,” I said, the look in his eyes wasn’t sane.

I’d seen him less furious when he put a gun to someone’s head.

“Get out,” Kane said, and Jack scrambled up, still not daring to look at the man in front of him. “I don’t want you back in Rapture for a couple of months. Take some time off.”

My chest filled with relief. A vacation didn’t sound like much of a punishment. I wouldn’t have thought it was if it weren’t for the way Jack glanced up, his face going bright white.

“Mister Kelly?” It was the closest I’d ever heard him to pleading.

 “Get the fuck out of my sight, Jack.” Kane’s tone was lethal. “Now.”

My throat ached as I watched Jack leave, a thousand thoughts racing through my head. I still waited until the door closed before I tried to defend him.

“It wasn’t his fault—” The words died as Kane turned his head to look at me.

His blue eyes were empty, a lion watching its prey.

“Show me.” He didn’t sound angry when he spoke; his voice was softer, tired.

I turned when he released my hand, slipping the top down my shoulder to show the bandage. His knuckle brushed my back before he pulled the gauze carefully to the side. It was still throbbing; the sticky air made it feel worse. I could feel the weight of his gaze. The heat strayed dangerously close to fury. I hated it when he was angry.

“Kane?” All I ever seemed to say anymore was his name.

“It’s alright,” he said. “I’m not mad at you.”

He smoothed the bandage back into place, leaning in to kiss the back of my neck. His arms surrounded me, a hug that made me want to weep.

“It’s not his fault.” I shouldn’t even be defending Jack Spyte.

He’d drugged me multiple times. I should have hated him, but I didn’t. 

“Doesn’t matter.” Kane’s thumb brushed my upper arm. “He didn’t protect you.” 

He made it sound as if the failure was unforgivable. I shifted, and he let me turn in his arms so I could look at him. For a second, I did just that. There were raindrops in his hair. He’d got caught in the storm. I reached up, fingers twirling in the wet strands, as a droplet of cool water slipped down the back of my hand. I spent so much time being afraid of him or furious with him. But I couldn’t be mad at him today. He’d saved my life.

“We’ll leave in the morning.” Kane’s voice was low, hushed. “One more night, and then I’ll take you home.”

We could have left then, been off the island in an hour or two. As much as I wanted to be out of there, the moment we left, it was over. I wouldn’t be able to touch him. I might never get the chance to touch him again. In one year and four months, he was marrying Harper. The countdown kept ticking. It sounded like a long time, but I’d known him for longer now. Hated him with a passion and missed him like a sickness for two and a half years. When he married her, we would be done. I couldn’t become my mother; it would be too fucking sad. 

For one more night, none of that mattered. Tonight, he was mine. My fingers drifted, slipping down the side of his face as I traced his jaw. Sharp cheekbones and eyes so blue they burned to look at. Fine lines at the corners that would grow deeper with time. Skin that tanned rather than burned. It was already a shade darker than when he’d arrived. A nose with the smallest bump and a crooked smile, I knew, belonged to me.

“You’re beautiful.” The words slipped out, but I didn’t regret them.

He closed his eyes, tense, before he turned his face into my palm. I wasn’t crazy. He was still a monster. But he wasn’t as bad as his brother. He might well be a better man than Stein. Braver. I couldn’t convince myself that I hated him today. I lifted onto my toes, pressing my lips to his. His breath caught when I kissed him. I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Kane gripped my hips, steadying himself, before he broke away. “Stop.”

I blinked, lips parting as I stared up at him. He didn’t want me?

“You need to eat something,” he said. “You barely touched breakfast, and it’s past lunch.”

“Kane—”

He dipped his head, catching my lips in a kiss that lasted a heartbeat before he pulled back. 

“Later,” he said. “We have time tonight. There’s no rush.”

I groaned, pressing my face to the wet material of his shirt. He held me close, head resting on top of mine.

“Does it hurt?” His voice was a whisper in my ear.

“Yeah,” I said. “It keeps throbbing.”

His arms stiffened before he pressed another kiss to the top of my head. Holding on to me, like he needed a hug.

“Sorry.” He just kept apologizing; must be something in the island air.

“Not your fault,” I sighed, a wave of exhaustion following the calm.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone.” I could hear the guilt in his voice.

“It’s alright,” I said, palm smoothing the back of his shirt. “I’ve got you.”

It was funny how much it felt like I was saying something else. How close those three words were to the ones I actually meant.

Chapter Text

The bug nets on the window kept the mosquitoes away, but they did nothing for the heat. An uncomfortable layer of sweat stuck the sheets to my skin. Kane’s skin was cold from the shower. Fresh with the scent of soap. It wouldn’t stay that way long in the humidity, but for now, he was doing a lot better than me. His palm smoothed down my side.

“You’re thinking too much.” Kelly’s lips touched the top of my head. “I can hear you.”

“Sure am.” I rubbed my cheek against his chest. 

Partly because my nose itched, but mostly because I wanted to breathe him in. I ran the pads of my fingers across his pec before I traced the line from his diaphragm to his belly button. Dipped my nail inside, swirling around the space. He let out the smallest laugh.

“Keep this up, and I’d almost say you were worth the money.” I didn’t need to see his face to know how smug he looked; I could hear it. “Are you feeling grateful, Vi?”

“Fuck you!” I scowled at his chest. He just had to ruin it. I didn’t want to stop touching him; it was hard to drag my hands away. I’m not sure I’d ever had the freedom to just touch him. “And fuck Guy, and fuck you again for classifying me as a horse—I can’t believe you bought me!”

There was fucked up, and then there was your ex, who's currently engaged to your half-sister, buying you from a human trafficker’s island sex compound. I’d really thought the weirdest we’d get was his dungeon. But Kelly was an enigma wrapped in an asshole.

His hand slipped down my back to grip my ass. Whatever had been holding him back this afternoon was gone. He was showered, fed and hungry.

“I did, didn’t I?” His finger dug in, and I winced. “We should celebrate.” Kelly’s fingers spread, grazing the edge of my asshole, with a deliberate press. “I haven’t fucked you here before. There are still plenty of toys in the basket—”

I tilted my head, lifting onto my forearms to frown down at him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

His palm shifted, spreading safely across my ass as he stopped teasing me. Kane took a deep breath before he reached up, thumb spreading across my cheek as he traced the bone. Jack’s warning kept twisting in my mind.

He’d been weird. He didn’t slow things down or make me eat and shower. Kane didn’t push me away when I kissed him. Our gazes locked, and I could see him thinking, read his expression for once. Whatever came next would be the truth.

“I’ve been thinking about going south.” Kelly watched my reaction, waiting for me to flinch or bite him. “Buying up fifty thousand acres and starting a farm.”

“A farm?” Had he lost his mind? “What are you talking about?”

His lip lifted in half a smile. “Grow coffee, or mangoes, hell, the avocado market is insane right now; could make a lot—”

“Kane,” I repeated, “what are you talking about?”

“Running away.” He wasn’t joking; he wasn’t even smiling. “Getting out of this game and taking you with me.” His eyes searched mine. “It’s as good a time as any to retire, and you’d make as good a wife as you would a prisoner, so why the hell not?” God, he was serious. “I spent fifteen years hunting my revenge, and now if I take any of it. If I kill Harper, or Stein or Betty Cox, then I lose you. So why bother anymore? Why not just take you and go? Put it behind me, get therapy or some shit, and move on.”

I should be terrified; my heart shouldn’t get that strange fluttery feeling.

For a second, I imagined what it might be like to wake up beside him every day. Build a home together that was filled with things we picked. No plain white mugs like the ones in his cupboards. No gray walls. If he wanted to run away with me, then it would be a to a life filled with color. There’d be no way I could escape him, and nothing that could take him from me. It would be like the Island, without the fucked-up bits. We could start again, away from everything else, where none of it would matter.

I almost laughed at the idea, as it turned sour in my stomach. It would be just me and him, nowhere to run and no one to save me if he turned. Did I really believe he wouldn’t kill me? Jack loved him, and even he wasn’t sure.

“Don’t you think your therapist will have something to say about you abducting me?” I paused, a moment thinking it over, before I added. “Again.”

“Therapists don’t judge you,” Kane said, like he was so very wise. “They teach you how to judge yourself.”

I let out a sharp breath, cheeks billowing with my disgust. “Rich people always pay for the weirdest shit. I’ve been judging myself for free for years!”

He laughed, and I was stupid enough that the sound of it made me smile. The bed shifted as he moved, twisting. He rolled us, and I landed on my back. His smile disappeared as he leaned over me, palm covering the side of my jaw.

“What do you say, sweetheart?” His gaze was too intense. Hopeful. “Run away with me?”

My stomach twisted.

“We can’t!” I tried to make it firm, but it came out a whisper.

He closed his eyes, but not before I saw the hurt in them. It wasn’t pain; it was agony.

“Four times.” His chest vibrated with the words. “Four times I’ve let you go.” His lips were so close to mine I could taste the mint on his breath. “I took my eye off you for five minutes, and you landed on the Island. After Liedecker, I warned you to stay clear of the mob, and you still came here. I can’t trust you to listen to me, and you don’t learn from your mistakes. And honestly, Vi, I don’t want to let you go this time.” His fingers twitched against my cheek. “Four days isn’t enough. The rest of my life wouldn’t be enough.” He was actually going to do it. “Tomorrow I’m getting a boat. They can sail us south. I’ll get a plot somewhere in the amazon and we’ll disappear.”

Panic rose, tightening my chest. “You can’t just decide the rest of our lives on a whim!”

“It’s not a whim.” Kane pursed his lips, one corner twisting. “I’ve been thinking about it for a year. Been thinking a lot harder about it the last few days. I was this close to calling it in the car last spring.” He held his thumb and forefinger up. A millimeter between them. “But after this I can’t—”

“You’re right, you can’t, Kane!” He was serious. Kane Kelly was going to run away, and he was planning on taking me with him. “You promised—”

His lips covered mine, shoulders shaking as he kissed me like I was everything. His entire world. It felt like he was trying to steal the breath from my lungs. Swallow my soul. When he broke away, his eyes begged me to say yes.

I shook my head, and his gaze turned to stone.

“Coming here was your third strike, Vi.” His voice dropped low as his fist curled in the pillow beside my head. “You don’t get another one. If you don’t want to run away with me, then maybe I’ll just stash you somewhere. I got a few places.” He was turning. Spite twisted him in front of my eyes. “I can spare a week a month, come down, fuck you till you can’t walk, then head back to Rapture. That way I’ll always know you’re safe, because I’ll know you’ll be where I left you, surrounded by armed guards and barbed wire, and enough guns to shred any bastard that tries to take you.”

I turned my face away, squeezing my eyes closed. 

“You promised.” Promised that he’d get me back to Rapture. But of course it was a lie. Of course, he wasn’t going to rescue me. What had Kane Kelly ever done out of the goodness of his heart? “I want to go home.” And he wanted to lock me in a maximum-security prison. “Please.”

His breathing was too heavy. Muscles tight. He’d beg, then he’d threaten, and then he’d bite. I knew what came next; he was predictable to me in the worst way. A thousand colorful cups shattered in my mind. What a stupid fantasy. I couldn’t run away with him. We wouldn’t build a life together. If I stayed with him, it would only end one way. He’d kill me.

“It was a joke,” he said, his thumb brushing my cheek. The edge of his half-smile caught my opening eyes. “I’m not running away, don’t worry. I’ll take you home tomorrow, straight back to Rapture.”

He was lying. Kane Kelly had a hell of a poker face, but I could read him. My stomach churned. Wherever we went tomorrow, it wouldn’t be home. He'd been up to something from the moment he found me here, and I'd been stupid enough not to see it till now. To take him at his word and believe that, for once, I could trust him.

But we had one more night, just one more before the illusion shattered. One more night, we could both pretend to be better than we were.

I reached up, fingers resting on the edge of his jaw. Lifted my head to press my lips to his and tasted how sweet the kiss was. Felt the shudder roll through him. The way he tensed. I touched his chest, pushing him back without breaking the kiss. He let me, hand falling to my hips as I climbed on top of him. The kiss broke when he pulled away. He rose until he was sitting up. Back propped up by his pillow and the headboard. Our eyes held, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to do.

“You should take this off.” He tugged at the hem of my shirt, popping the bottom button.

I did the next one, breaking eye contact to glance down so I could see what I was doing. He was getting hard underneath me, trapped inside his boxers. I undid the next button, the gap high enough to show my belly button. His eyes burned, gaze fixed on skin. I reached for the hem to pull it over my head, and he grabbed my wrist.

“One by one,” Kane said.

My lips parted, teeth brushing the bottom one before I let go of the hem, and he released my wrist. The next button showed my ribs. I felt him twitch, pushing the fabric of his boxers up against my bare cunt. He lifted his hand, resting one behind his head as his other palm dropped to my thigh. There was only one button left. His eyes fixed on my chest, hand slipping up my leg. His thumb brushed my center the same moment the button popped open. He pushed against my clit, one slow circle as I pulled the sides of his shirt apart.

“Take it off slowly.” His voice was too deep, a growl from the bottom of his chest as his eyes fixed on my breasts. “One arm at a time.”

I shuddered as he pressed harder at my clit, making a slow circle. The fabric of his shirt felt like a caress against my skin as I pulled it off.

“Throw it on the floor.” He swallowed, eyes glinting with obsession as he let them roam over me. Kane swallowed, a flush rising to his cheeks. “Beautiful.”

My hips shifted, bucking against his hand. It wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I’d meant to take charge, but it wasn’t working. He let go of my cunt. Fingers brushed up my side, slow enough to burn before his palm closed over my breast.

“So fucking beautiful,” he murmured.

I shifted my hips, rubbing against his length trapped beneath me. I wanted him to touch me again.

“Lift up, sweetheart.” The way he said it made my stomach flip. A ball of aching heat as I lifted to my knees. “Take me out, and put it inside you.”

I hesitated, glancing down and then back up. 

“Will you—” keep touching me, please keep touching me.

He smirked as if he could read my mind. “Of course.”

My thighs shook as I leaned over him, my hand balancing on his shoulder, so I could tug him free. He was so warm in my hand, smooth and silky. It caught at my entrance. I slipped slowly down, thighs shaking at every inch as he pushed deeper inside me. He didn’t move, his hand still against my breast. He caught my nipple between finger and thumb, squeezing as I sat. My hips bucked, and he pressed against the front of my cunt. The stretch made me buck again slightly harder, breath catching in my throat. It was different, intense. Painfully full. 

“Kane.” My voice broke as he let go of my breast.

His hand dropped to my ass as he squeezed. He pulled at my hips, then pushed them back. It burned through me, the pain high enough up to say it was in my abdomen.

“If you want to fuck yourself on me,” he said. “You have to move.”

I gripped his shoulders, giving a bounce as I rubbed against him. My breath caught as I whimpered. His other hand dropped to rest against my stomach, fingers stroking my belly.

“Have you done this before?” There was the lightest curiosity in his tone, closer to teasing. “You haven’t, have you, Vi?” Heat blazed across my cheeks. “So selfish. You won’t put it in your mouth, and you always expect me to do the work.”

He might as well have slapped me. My blush deepened as my hand dropped from his shoulder.

I’d show him selfish.

My fingers brushed my clit, and the pain in my stomach turned to ecstasy. It felt so good, I cried out. He caught my wrists, yanking them away before he trapped them both behind my back. Kane squeezed them in one hand.

“Don’t you dare.” His voice was low as he tugged until my back was arched. “I didn’t pay six million for a lazy whore; you can work harder.”

I should be furious or disgusted. But I was on the edge, a string about to snap, and he had the power to make it painful or incredible. I needed him to touch me.

“Please, Daddy.” My voice broke on the word, shame defeated by the need inside me. “Let me cum.”

It really was the magic word. His hand dropped between my thighs, pressing hard against my aching clit. My hips bucked, and his dick pushed against the front of my cunt. I was so full, stretching and shaking as I shifted my hips. He rubbed me harder and harder as the heat built.

It wasn't long before something inside me burst. I screamed, choking and shaking as the shocks spread from my belly to my chest. Stealing the vision from my eyes as they rolled back. My toes stretched, feet arching and thighs burning, and—

“Oh God, Kane!”

It was the hardest orgasm of my life.

He let go of my wrists, and I fell boneless. Head buried in his neck, and my hands pressed to his chest as I caught my breath. My clit felt raw. It ached more than my cunt.

“Say thank you.” He breathed the words in my ear, voice low as his arms surrounded me.

I tilted my chin up, eyes dazed as I looked at him, searching his expression. His skin glistened, covered with sweat. He was still rigid inside me. I didn’t have any words to give him. I shifted instead, pressing my lips to his. The kiss was lazy, half asleep.

His lips tingled against mine, filling my chest with warmth. My tongue slipped through his parted lips to taste the inside of his mouth. Little aftershocks were still running through my fluttering cunt. I moaned, tensing around him.

He shuddered, and I knew he’d snapped, a lion going in for the kill. He gripped my hip, arm curling around my body. His forearm was a line up my spine so his hand could close around the back of my neck. I wrapped my legs around his hips as Kane rolled us. The bed creaked with his first thrust. My cunt was tender enough that I gasped again. He swallowed the sound. Mouth covering mine as he kissed me back, taking over the kiss and sucking hard on my lips.

The slap of our bodies coming together was indecent. Loud enough to make me blush again. He groaned, hand still holding the back of my neck as he fucked me like he was trying to plant a flag in my womb. 

“You’re mine, Vi.” His voice was broken, as out of control as he was. His hand shifted, palm twisting to cover my throat as he squeezed softly. “Every inch of you. I fucking own you!”

I cried out as he came, another wave racing through me as his hips jerked. Bucking, so my breasts pressed against his chest. Cunt squeezing around him as his cum filled me. Breath tight because his hand was around my throat, and it felt too good for me to care. My whole body was shaking. Legs tight around his waist as he let go of my neck, his lips covering mine as he kissed me one more time.

Just one more time.

We broke apart, and Kane pulled back, gaze darting across my face. My head was buried in the pillows, hair tangled. A sweaty and sticky mess. 

“Beautiful.” He repeated the word, and my cheeks burned with another blush.

I knew the glint in his eyes—obsession, adoration and yearning. Need and want, and desire. A thousand words that could be used when only one of them was the truth. The one neither of us would say. His lips touched my cheek. The kiss made my cunt tighten. Kane hissed, a sharp breath from the back of his throat.

“That hurts,” he said.

I smiled at him, languid and relaxed and dopey. So fucked.

“It’s your own fault.”

His lips parted in a wide, bright smile as he stared back at me. Kane shifted back, breaking eye contact as he pulled out of me, slowly enough, my cunt clenched at him. He rolled to the side, grabbing a pillow as his head crashed against it. His eyes slipped closed, a puff of breath leaving him as every one of his muscles relaxed. It was strange to see him so defenseless, no walls inside him, no twisted plans running through his head. Just exhausted contentment. 

He cracked one eye open, catching me looking at him. “You should clean up.”

My fingers brushed his cheek, feeling the rough skin. “You should go first; I’ll probably be in there for a while.”

Kane’s chest rumbled as he made a noise close to a growl. “Fine.”

He lifted himself on his forearms, pausing long enough to kiss my cheek, before he was gone. 

I left the shower running when I was done. If he woke up, he’d think I was still in there. Unless he checked his watch, he might believe no time had passed for hours. I’d stashed clothes in the laundry basket the day before. They were the most sensible ones I could find. Gold mini shorts and one of his shirts, long enough to cover them.

I was so careful when I opened the door, slipping it closed behind me without making a sound. He was under the covers. The lights were still on, his breathing shallow enough that I knew he was passed out. Exhausted. I padded so carefully across the floorboards, bare feet testing every step before I committed my weight. His wallet was on his side table; the leather didn’t even crack when I opened it. It was like playing Operation. How slowly I pulled the key to his car out. A plastic square with a shiny logo. When I had it in my hand, he let out a heavy breath. Kane groaned, his arm spread across the bed, and I stood frozen in the act. If he opened his eyes, it was over. Tomorrow started today, and it wouldn’t be the one that led back to Rapture.

“Vi.” It was breathless.

I couldn’t tell whether he was awake or not. His arm curled around my pillow, tugging it back against his chest. He took another deep breath before his muscles relaxed. Like the scent clinging to the fabric had soothed him. Kane's breathing evened out. He was fast asleep, and I couldn’t look away. I could put the key back, climb into bed with him and fall asleep in his arms. Tomorrow, he wouldn’t take me to Rapture. We’d go south. Disappear. Leave everything behind. It would be so much simpler. I wanted to so much. I had to stop myself from taking too deep a breath in case it woke him.

He hadn’t told me he loved me at the end, when he was whispering sweet filth in my ear. He’d said he owned me.

I put his wallet back down on his side table, closed and exactly where he’d left it. The floorboards didn’t creak as I crossed them. The door only let out the softest hiss. I glanced back. He looked so peaceful, with the slightest lift to his lips, like he'd been smiling when he fell asleep. I still crept down the treehouse steps, not daring to run, not yet. I slipped the car key into his shirt pocket when I reached the bottom. It was time to run.

No one was out so late at night, but Guy was kind enough to leave the lights on to guide the way. Guess light pollution wasn’t on the list of environmental issues he cared about. I made it a long way before I hit any kind of obstacle.

“I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t kill Harper.” Vassiére’s voice pulled me up short. I stumbled, gaze snapping to where he was sitting, in the shadow of the veranda. My hand flew to my mouth, catching my scream. “Wives and children are supposed to be sacred, but he’s been plotting against Stein for a decade. The girl lands in his lap, and he does nothing. That’s not the Kane I know.” His laughter had an edge to it. It filled the night air like the distant bark of a dog. “I suppose it makes sense now, seeing the way he is with you.”

There was no gun in his hand. He had a tumbler in one, and the other was draped over the side of his chair, lazy. I should run; I might still make it. Guy’s eyes glittered in the dark. For four days, he’d held me hostage, and if Kane hadn’t been here, he’d have tortured me. He’d had a waiting list of horrible men ready to go, all looking for vengeance against Howard Stein. I could have asked why. Why had he been so ready to torment me for the sins of a man we both despised? But I already knew the answer.

Money.

“What way is he with me?”

He brought the glass to his lips, ice clinking as he took a sip. “The same way he looked at Mel.”

And just like that, I had a name: Kelly’s dead girlfriend. The woman my father murdered.

“You’re nothing like her, you know,” Guy said. “Same build maybe, but that’s about it. He doesn’t usually go for your type. Kane’s always preferred brunettes.”

I glanced along the path, freedom so close I could taste it. But if I walked away now, then I’d never know.

 “Why did you take me if it’s against the code or whatever to hurt each other’s children?” I asked.

His lips twitched, a grin he was holding back. 

“You broke the rules,” he said. “Send one of us to jail, and you make an enemy of all of us. That act alone cost you every protection your father gave you. I’m surprised someone didn’t get you before me.” He brought the glass to his lips, taking a sip. “Aren’t you curious what Kelly must have done to protect you?”

Looking at it through that lens cast a sickly glow over the last two years. I hadn’t left Rapture City until I came to the Island. Liedecker had made a play back when I tried to write an exposé on him. Kane stopping me from interviewing him was probably the only reason I hadn’t ended up in trouble a lot sooner. I thought I’d been hunting him, but he’d been trapping me. Kelly had stepped in. Protecting me in the shittiest way imaginable. The first of Stein’s enemies that had had a real chance to grab me was Guy. He’d snapped me up so fast it was almost funny.

“Isn’t Kelly in trouble?” If they had a code, surely he’d broken it too?

“Nothing comes back to him, does it?” Guy said, a touch of malice in his eye. “It was your article. Your secret statements with the police, your sealed testimony in court. Not a word of which links back to Kelly.”

Only the part where Stein’s lawyer made out that I was Kelly’s whore. Guess that was technically true now. He’d paid a hideous amount of money for my life, and I’d fucked him after.

“We all know he did it, but there’s no proof,” Guy said. “They brought the law into their feud. They’re in as much trouble as each other.”

Stein and Kelly. “In trouble with who?”

Guy’s lips twitched, his little finger tapping the bottom of his glass. “Those who know will never ask.”

He was speaking in riddles now. Great. 

“Cool,” I nodded, letting it sink in because I definitely didn’t have time for that, but— “Does it have something to do with the brotherhood?” His smile widened to show teeth. “You’re not all in some creepy secret society—”

Guy’s eyes darkened with hunger as the words died in my throat. I forced my mouth shut before I said anything else.

They all knew each other. They had a code. I’d heard the word brotherhood too many times for that not to mean something. Kelly’s family had been working with his for generations. Maybe a secret society wasn’t so much of a stretch.

If that really were the case—

“Oh no, please continue,” Guy said. “If you get it right, then this will all become a lot more interesting.”

He let it linger there. Baiting the hook like a fisherman. If I got it right, nothing good happened. It was the biggest story I’d ever stumbled across. A secret society pulling the strings of the world. Conspiracy theory grade material, but one of the ones that was actually true.

If I asked Guy now, he’d tell me; I could see it in his eyes. He’d probably do it just for the hell of it. Spite, or chaos, or revenge. None of which would end well for me. 

 “I’m leaving,” I said. His brow rose, but Guy made no comment. I couldn’t tell whether he was disappointed or not. “You really aren’t going to stop me?”

“Kane bought you,” Guy said. “You’re not mine now; you’re Kelly’s. If he’s careless enough to lose his wife, that’s his problem. “

I shook my head, my feet itching to go, but I couldn’t leave it at that. “I’m not his wife.”

He had nothing to say to that. Just the cruel glitter of his smile as he stared me down as hard as I was staring at him.

“I’ll see you at the wedding,” Guy said.

I shook my head. “You’re not invited to my wedding.”

He was letting me go now, but that sure as hell didn’t mean anything was forgiven. Guy laughed as I finally stepped away. I had places to be that were very much not here. If he wasn’t going to stop me, I wasn’t going to stick around and wait for Kane to wake up.

“What makes you think I’m talking about yours?” Guy asked, the words hit my back like a hail of bullets, a knife slipped between unsuspecting ribs. “I’ve already received the invite. As the best man, how could I miss it?” My stomach dropped, twisting with that horrible feeling, the burn in my chest as I thought about that white slip of paper that I’d found in the mailbox the day I took Mindy’s offer to come here. “Who doesn’t love a summer wedding?”

I took one last glance back at him, my eyes burning with the heat of my glare. “The next time I see you, I’ll break your nose.”

He laughed outright, as if I’d said something funny.

I was done! I was done with the Islands, with Guy Vassière and Kane fucking Kelly.

They could all go to hell!

“I look forward to it, ma chérie.”

Chapter Text

Day 5

I was so ready to take on the world until I reached the dirt lot, stared out at the sea of metal cars, and realized I didn’t have a clue how to drive. The key was carbon fiber and metal, a polished front, with a fancy electric symbol. I flipped it in my hands, looking for a button to click to tell me which one of the metal death traps, I had no idea how to even start, it belonged to.

“Go-kart my ass.” I’d have cursed Jack’s name if I thought it would get me anywhere.

“Need some help?”

I jumped about a foot, hand clutched to my chest, and bare feet hitting the sandy dirt. The flat cap threw me off, that and the wig underneath it. Red curly hair like a clown. But the voice I would have recognized anywhere. Jack was sitting on the low wall to my left, legs spread out and arms folded. I had to get my breath back before I could speak.

“What are you still doing here?” He was wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night! What a creep! “I thought Kelly banished you.”

Jack stood slowly, hands up in front of him. “Boat doesn’t leave for another few hours,” he shrugged. “Figured if you got those keys, you’d need some help getting out of here. Guy gave me the heads-up you were on your way—”

“Vassiére told you I was escaping?” I turned my head back to the sandy path, the dense palm fronds that led back up to the main house. Jack and Guy, working together to help me escape Kane. I was doing the math, and it just wasn’t adding up. “What’s going on, Jack?”

He didn’t answer. Jack approached me instead, slipping the key from my hand before he walked over to a four by four. When he got close, it buzzed, unlocking.

“Questions later,” Jack said. “Let’s go.”

My mouth hung open long enough to catch mosquitoes. Guy Vassiére just letting me go? That was suspicious, but Jack helping me escape Kelly?

I climbed up into the passenger seat, butt landing with a thump as Jack rounded to the driver's side. It was all open, a roll cage without a soft top.

We didn’t say anything else until we were out of the parking lot. The gate made me feel sick to look at.

“Is he worried about an invasion?” I asked as the steel shuddered open for us.

Jack took his foot off the brake, and the car rolled forward. I slipped a little lower in the seat as we made it through the gate, the breath burning as it left my chest. I came here in a trunk, and I was leaving. My hands came up, covering my face as I fought with the feeling in my chest. Relief. Complete, exhausted relief.

“You alright?” Jack asked.

I glanced at him through my fingers. His disguise still looked ridiculous, but if I hadn’t heard him speak, I wouldn’t have known it was him.

“Why?” 

“He sent me away.” Jack’s voice was soft, hard to hear over the rush of the wind. 

The open top meant we could hear everything. The hum of the engine, the noise of the road. As soon as we were out of the compound, it got rough.

“He’s been up to something for a while.” His grip on the wheel tightened as he wrestled with it. “Off the books—a project that seemed shady even for us. He got rid of me today, Vi. I’m the only person who’s always around. What do you think it means if he wanted me gone?”

I swallowed, because that one I already had the answer to. “He was planning on disappearing?”

Jack didn’t have to nod. 

“You figured it out yet?” he asked. “The whole conspiracy?” 

The headlights were a tunnel before us, showing only palm fronds and the sandy dirt track. He took the bend slowly, and up ahead, a stream crossed the path. It was the wildest place I’d ever been. The middle of nowhere. If I were driving, I’d have crashed already.

“I’ve never made more of an effort not to put the pieces together.” Whatever the brotherhood was, I didn’t want to be in on it.

“What do you think they’d do if he disappeared?” Jack was close to whispering.

I really didn’t want to think about it. “They’d find him?” It wasn’t really a question. Jack still nodded. “And they’d kill us both?” It was past midnight on one of the worst weeks of my life, and I’d had some pretty awful weeks thanks to Kelly. I was just so tired! “So, you and Vassiére are helping me escape—”

“To stop Kelly from doing something dumb enough to get himself killed,” Jack said. “I told you, Vi, when it comes to you, he just can’t be fucking trusted!”

Jack’s fist wrapped against the shitty door, hard enough that the plywood bent. I couldn’t believe I was back here. Five days later. It felt surreal. The door yanked open, revealing black hair and dark eyes, a ruffled shirt and stubble on his chin that came close to rugged. Pierce Aldridge’s face softened when he saw me standing behind Jack.

“Vi?” He gripped the frame of the door, and I didn’t want to read the look in his eyes.

Regret, pity. God knows what else.

“Is he here?” Jack asked, his expression as cold as I’d ever seen it.

Pierce pulled the door wide, waving a hand behind him. “Come on in.”

Jack hadn’t briefed me in the car. I had pretty much no idea what was going on. But hell, if at this point I didn’t trust him, then who could I say I actually did trust? Alice, maybe, if I hadn’t pushed her so far away, we were more acquaintances than friends now. Pierce got out of the way as Jack grabbed my wrist before he brushed past him, his body a physical block between us. The door closed behind us.

“Make yourself at home,” Aldridge said.

I’d never heard politeness sound so barbed. I would have glared at him, but I was too busy being relieved at the sight of the man at the table.

“Charlie?” Thank God for Charlie! “What are you doing here?” 

He hadn’t changed, though it was weird seeing him in jeans rather than a suit. The only concession he’s made to the heat was a T-shirt. The most dangerous man in any room, and my first thought was that he probably wasn’t here to kill me.

“Aldridge called Mister Stein just after Vassiére took you.” Charlie waved a hand towards where I had a feeling Pierce was loitering. I didn’t look back at him. I didn’t want to see the shitty bed we’d fucked on, or have to thank him. “Your father sent me here to—” Charlie grimaced. “Apologies for the language, Miss Cox, but the exact orders were to cut the dick off anyone who touched you.”

His gaze dropped to Jack’s hand still around my wrist. The look was painfully bland and somehow pointed. Jack actually let go, palms raised in front of him as he stepped to the side, and Charlie gave the smallest nod of his head, in what might have been approval.

“Huh.” My brows rose. “Who’d have guessed he cared.”

“But.” Charlie laid his palm flat on the table. “Betty asked me to bring you home, and when it comes to you, Betty’s orders beat Mister Stein’s.”

I wasn’t buying it. I folded my arms, eyes narrowed. “If you’re here, why aren’t you protecting Harrison? Surely keeping the heir safe trumps rescuing the bastard?”

“Charlie’s not allowed on the island,” Jack said.

My eyebrows climbed higher. “You’re not?” 

“No guns, bombs, rocket launchers or Charlies.” Jack clarified, his eyes sharp when I glanced at him. “Technically, he’s a lethal weapon.” 

“But—” Sure, Charlie seemed tough, but I really didn’t get why all the big, scary criminals seemed to cower when he was around. He was Stein’s lapdog. “He’s so nice.”

Charlie smiled, and it didn’t even seem that chilling. 

“Christ,” Aldridge muttered.

He was standing by the bathroom, arms folded as he leaned against the closed door. I wasn’t sure how to deal with him right now. The bruising around his eye socket made me feel guilty. I was willing to bet it matched the cracks on Jack’s knuckles.

“I need to go.” Jack’s whole body was stiff. He’d barely looked at Aldridge; his entire focus was on Charlie, like he was too nervous to take his eyes off him. “I’ve got to get to the port.”

Charlie raised his palm, waving him away. “Doors there, Spyte.”

Jack cleared his throat before he glanced at me, hand scratching at the back of his scalp. 

He smiled, and there was nothing mean in it for once. “I won’t be around for a while.”

“It’s not like I’ve seen much of you around Rapture,” I said.

He nodded at that, his smile strange. “Yeah, you wouldn’t have.” But I had the feeling he’d seen a lot of me. I really didn’t want to think about how much time he’d spent guarding me over the last few years. He glanced at Charlie. “You have her schedule, right, and you know that she always goes to that coffee shop on Eighth when she’s trying to hide from people—”

“I’m aware,” Charlie said. 

Jack turned his gaze back to me. 

“If you go there, quit sitting by the window, keep your back to the wall, the corner with the pillar in front of it,” he said, like it was important. 

“But the window seat is my favorite.” It was half the reason I went there. “It has the best reading light.”

“That glass isn’t bulletproof.”

Oh. Right.

Jack looked like he was going to hug me goodbye, but we weren’t that close. “Take care of yourself, kid.” 

“You too, John.” I gave him a wink after, and his smile almost looked real.

Jack didn’t turn his back on Charlie as he slipped out the door, closing it behind him. I gripped my hands together, feeling ridiculously awkward. My bag was in the corner of Pierce’s room, packed and waiting for me. Which meant he probably had my passport. 

“I talked to Mindy,” Aldridge said. “Smoothed things over. We wrapped the documentary early. We can do the interview back in Rapture—”

“Why are you still here?” I didn’t really want to look at him. 

I wanted to be mad at him. It wasn’t working so well after everything that had happened. He’d called Stein; it was brave considering he was the one who put the cuffs on me for Guy. I didn’t even want to know how that conversation went. So, I was fucking your daughter, and your frenemy, who actually despises you, came in and abducted her at gunpoint.

“I sent Mickey back days ago.” Why did he have to look so earnest? “I wasn’t going to leave without you, Vi. I couldn’t storm Guy’s compound.” He took a step away from the door, careful, like he wanted to move closer but wasn’t sure how I’d react. “When Jack came to kill me, I figured we at least had an in, if we could talk him into sneaking you out. Spyte’s decent, for one of them.” I didn’t know if by one of them, he meant a criminal or the brotherhood. What story was Pierce Aldridge really following? A sexual assault story wouldn’t make nearly a big enough splash for a journalist like him. His smile was as awkward as I felt. “Charlie was already here, hiding in the toilet.” The look he threw at the other man was rich with accusation. “He let him lay into me for ten minutes before he interrupted.”

“It was three minutes and fifteen seconds.” Charlie placed a hand to his stomach. “Island food doesn’t agree with me. I was busy.”

Long enough for the ugly purple ring under Aldridge’s eye and the bruise on his jaw. Hits he’d taken because Kelly sent Jack here to find out if we’d fucked, and probably to kill him if we had.

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t really owe him an apology after he recorded things I said to him in confidence. But he was still here. I’d have expected him to run like a rat, but he’d called Stein. He’d stayed. “About your face.”

I could be magnanimous.

“Our flights in a couple of hours.” Charlie didn’t raise his voice, but Pierce froze, feet locked as his gaze snapped to the other man. He’d looked so calm when he’d been interviewing Guy, like he wasn’t afraid of anyone. But one word from Charlie and his lips were a line. His hands were shaking. “You’ll both be back in Rapture by tonight—Mister Stein pays his debts, Mister Aldridge, and he is grateful to you for letting us know of Miss Cox’s predicament.”

Somehow, his tone made it clear that gratefulness would disappear if he didn’t tread carefully.

We still had half an hour to wait. The bright side was that I had my own clothes back. Jean shorts and a passport. I’d need to change on the big plane. Rapture would be freezing. But even at 6 am, it was too hot. The first flight out couldn’t come soon enough.

“You want another coffee?” The ring of his black eye peeked out from beneath Pierce’s sunglasses.

The Island documentary was over; it was the second story I’d blown for the Chronicle. 

“I’m good.” I could be polite even if I still wanted to punch his dick. 

“Vi—”

“Can it, Aldridge.” Turns out Charlie wasn’t a morning person. “No more talking.”

Pierce brushed a hand through his hair. “We’re colleagues.”

Charlie’s silence spoke volumes.

“Charlie.” I didn’t really want to be defending Pierce, but he emphatically wasn’t the worst guy I’d ever slept with. “It’s fine.”

Charlie’s whole body tensed, and I thought for a second it was because of me, before I heard the scrape of the chair against the tile. The deliberate thump of someone sitting at the table next to us. I didn’t have to turn my head to know who it was; I could smell him. Kelly’s chair was turned to face me, his elbow on the table and his chin resting on his open palm. His eyes were bright in the morning light. He’d had a lot more sleep than I had.

“You want a drink, Charlie?” Kane asked. “You’re looking tense.”

I was feeling it. Charlie’s hand dropped, looking for a gun I knew he didn’t have on him.

“Don’t shoot his dick off,” I said, meeting Charlie’s gaze through his tinted glasses. 

It was an empty threat right now, but I could play games too. Aldridge’s lips twisted as he looked at Kane. Pure disgust. I didn’t have time to tell him to be smart.

“It’s six AM.” Charlie sat straighter in his seat. “And I’m working.”

Kane didn’t look upset at the rejection, his arm draped over the back of the plastic chair. “I’ll pay you double what he’s paying you.”

Charlie’s face gave away nothing. “You’ve got a wedding to plan, Kelly. Why don’t you focus on that?”

“Vi?”

My shoulders tensed as his attention slipped back to me like a lead weight around my throat. Why was this so difficult? It should be simple. I should just tell him to go to hell. My stomach shouldn’t be turning as if I owed him an apology. It was hard, really, really hard, to meet his gaze.

“Kelly,” I said. His lips twitched, one corner of his mouth lifting. He didn’t even look mad. “Sleep well?”

“Like a dream,” he said. “Until I woke up to a flooded bathroom and Guy shouting in my ear about water waste.”

My brow lifted. “That sucks.”

His foot reached out, closing the gap to brush against my ankle.

“Kelly,” Charlie growled.

Kane’s shoe tapped against the edge of mine like we were playing footsie. 

“Offer still stands, sweetheart—if it was the jungle that put you off, then it’s not a deal breaker. You pick; I don’t care where.” He nodded towards the terminal building. “My jet’s over there.”

I took a breath because it was so much harder than it should have been. Why did I want to? Even if it wasn’t the dumbest thing I’d ever considered, I still couldn’t. If I said yes, we’d both end up dead.

I didn’t want Kane dead.

“I want to go home.”

He shifted closer, seat scraping the tile, and I couldn’t make myself pull away.

“Vi—”

“She said no, Kelly.” Aldridge sat back in his seat, jaw clenched tight enough I could hear his teeth creaking. “You should listen—for once.”

It was a secret he shouldn’t have known. It made it sound like I’d told him. I watched the reflection of my face pale in his sunglasses. Kane’s gaze was still on me when he opened his mouth.

“Interrupt again, Aldridge.” His voice was lethal. “And it won’t just be you I kill. It’ll be your whole family. Nieces and nephews—”

His face didn’t change, eyes so calm, right until I flinched. Pushed my chair closer to Charlie.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” It was so different seeing him in the too-bright morning light, through everyone else’s eyes.

We weren’t trapped in Guy’s prison anymore. He wasn’t protecting me. Kane Kelly was a monster, the sort of man who’d wipe out someone’s whole family because they said something he didn’t like. 

He didn’t blink, and he didn’t apologize. “You know who I am.” 

He made it sound like I was the only one in the world who did. God, I was exhausted, on edge and strung out, and I just wanted my own bed. I needed Betty and a hug from someone who wasn’t a psychopath! Charlie was right; he had a wedding to plan, and it shouldn’t hurt so much that it wasn’t to me.

“Harper will be missing you.” The words tasted as bitter as they sounded. “You should go fly your private jet back to her.”

He snorted, sitting back in his seat as he looked away. 

“I doubt it.” Kane closed his eyes, jaw clenched. We all watched him think it over. “No one could stop me.”

I didn’t need to ask what he meant. He could drag me out of this terminal, and no one would say a thing. It was Guy’s Island, and Kelly brought me. Unfair and square. If it were just the two of us, I wouldn’t stand a chance. It would be game over. 

But I wasn’t alone now. “Charlie would make it painful, though.”

He smiled at that, and I knew it was real.

“I could give you and Charlie a ride.” No surprise the offer didn’t extend to Aldridge. If we left without him, I had a feeling he wouldn’t make it off the island. “Private beats coach.”

I’m sure it did.

“Kelly.” I almost felt bad for him. “We both know I’m not dumb enough to get on your jet.”

He laughed again, and I hated that I hated how sad he looked. 

“Alright, Vi.” He scratched at his scalp, shaking his head. “Alright.”

His chair creaked as he got up; our gazes held, and the moment lasted too long. Cold and painful. All I could do was sit exactly where I was, not move or twitch a muscle. It felt like sticking a dagger through muscle and bone to pierce my heart. Kelly took one long final breath. I watched the rise and fall of his chest before he turned his back on me.

I didn't realize I'd moved until I felt Charlie's palms on my shoulder, pushing me back down into the seat. Firm enough, I wasn't escaping unless I started screaming.

I couldn't do that.

Kane didn't look back. He walked away, across the red tiles and then over the grass towards the glass doors. If he'd looked back. If he'd seen my face, he never would have left me.

Chapter Text

Eight Months Later…

Falling asleep wasn’t the hard bit. My days were busy enough that by the time I crashed out, I was done. It was the waking up. The few hazy moments when somehow I could smell him. The certainty that I’d turn over and he’d be there, arms ready to pull me against him. It sucked how much I wanted that hug.

No one else’s helped. Not mom when Charlie walked me through the door at sunset, and she wept. Not Harper’s when she told me that Harry had said he was: ‘sorry he had to ignore you.’ She’d clung to me tighter than Betty had, like she was afraid I'd disappear and leave her all alone with the monsters.

Then there were the awkward pauses at work, when people looked at me, like everyone knew something had gone down, but no one was sure what. Only that Pierce and I had messed up so badly that, for the first time in a decade, the South Islands no longer accepted press visas. 

There were days when my eyes would drift on the subway, and I’d wonder, what if I had said yes? Imagined what it would be like if I’d climbed back into that bed. Every bad day at work, every shitty story. Every morning, I woke up and reached for him and wished I’d never left.

Alex dumped a stack of papers on my desk with a thump that jolted me. Lukewarm coffee spilled on my top. Another white t-shirt ruined.

“Print copy for the style page,” he said. “Also, Aldridge wants to see you in his office.”

“Great.”

I flicked through the glossy pages, because there hadn't been a 'right now' in the request.

Pierce Aldridge came back to Rapture City with me. He'd never left. At first, he’d been Mindy’s maternity cover, but she’d been back for months.

He was still here.

They’d made him head of online content. But his number one priority seemed to be chief pain in my ass.

“Don’t look so glum.” Alex crossed his arms on the handle of the mail cart, leaning over to look at the spread I was inspecting. Beige was making a comeback in the home decoration section. I grimaced at the ugly brown-pink couch. “I wouldn’t mind being mentored by an award-winning investigative reporter.”

“Back in my day.” I lifted my eyebrows, giving him the side-eye. “Interns had some respect.”

My intimidation tactic had absolutely no effect.

“I’m older than you.” Alex smiled at me. “Go see what he wants; he'd been sweary again today.”

“How many times did he say Christ?” I gave my best shot at mimicking Aldridge's accent.

“Three in one meeting,” Alex said. “And one Pardon with that eyebrow thing he does.”

“Ah, crap.” I let out a dramatic sigh as I rolled my wheely chair back across the carpet.

Aldridge was on his phone when I got to his door. He made a motion with his wrist, and I slipped through, closing it behind me.

“Of course,” he said. “You know I wouldn’t miss Christmas, Mum.”

He had a mom? Who’d have thought?

“Look, it’s working hours over here. I’ll give you a call later, when you wake up.” His eyes caught mine, holding my gaze. “I love you too.”

Aldridge clicked the phone off, and I hovered in front of his desk. He didn't seem in that bad a mood, a little broody, but that was his vibe. I cleared my throat. Not sure what he wanted, but I got the feeling I was about to get told off.

“That was sweet.” I couldn’t think of another way to put it.

His hand was still resting on his phone, gripping the sides.

“We don’t all murder our families to take over the empire,” Aldridge said.

He probably meant it as a joke, but it sounded a little bitter. I winced. Was it too soon?

“Not all men, huh?” I asked.

His brow lifted, gaze heavy as he looked at me through his dark-framed glasses. The chair creaked as he sat back. 

“Your last piece was—” he pursed his lips, like he was considering his words. That was never good. “It was bad, Vi, even for fluff.” I tried not to flinch, but it hurt. “I had to rewrite it last night.”

My palms stung from the bite of my nails as I tried not to cry. I couldn't start sobbing in front of him. I don’t know when I became so pathetic. For three years, I didn't shed a single tear, but since the Island, I hadn’t stopped crying.

“Are you alright?” Why did he have to look so concerned?

Like his eyes could see the cracks splitting me apart. He was watching me split apart with such earnest eyes that I wanted to scream at him.

“I’m fine.” If fine was waking up way too early and falling asleep at my desk. 

Fine was looking over my shoulder every step I took outside and second-guessing every word I wrote in case someone read it as treason. The constant twisting suspense that made the hair at the back of my neck itch, because one day, one of them was going to get me.

I kept trying to convince myself that I just had to keep going and things would work out, but I’d done the math. The best I could hope for was that it was Kane. I didn't want to consider what would happen if it were one of the others.

“It’s okay if you’re not fine about what happened to you,” Pierce said. “If you need to talk to someone, I’m here.”

I scoffed. “So you can record it?”

His chin tilted back, eyes narrowed. He was done playing nice.

“We both know I’d be dead before that story ever printed.”

My gaze drifted past him to the skyline of Rapture City. The towers that the Steins and the Kellys built.

Aldridge knew about the brotherhood. He had to. He must have been ecstatic when I turned up. The daughter of one member and the ‘whatever the hell Kelly and I were’ of another. How could he resist?

I wasn't sure about Mindy. If she knew, then I didn't want to consider what it meant that she'd sent me to Guy's Island. She was avoiding me, but I was avoiding her too.

“What do you want, Pierce?”

“To take you to dinner,” he said it so calmly.

No big deal, just an out-of-hours rendezvous with the colleague that fucked me, then fucked me. My eyes snapped to his. Was he serious?

“Just to talk.” He raised his hands, expression rueful. “I know you know the best places to eat around here.” Didn’t I just! Rapture was my city. “Wherever do the best burgers—you owe me a guided tour.”

My nails dug into my biceps. “Because you helped rescue me?”

Pierce didn’t flinch at the acid in my tone. He was used to it.

“Because I showed you the best burger on the island,” he said, a touch of wistfulness in his stupid fancy accent. “Remember?”

I remembered. It had been a really good burger.

“Oh.” I dropped my arm. “Right.”

My chest clenched, an ache like a fist tightening around my heart. 

Kelly had saved me from Guy, Jack had saved me from Kelly, and Charlie got me off the Island, but Pierce—

Pierce was the reason I still had a life to come back to. He'd smoothed things over with the Chronicle. I was pretty sure he'd saved my job. Mindy hadn’t given me a story in weeks. The only one who still trusted me was Aldridge, and even he’d been covering my pathetic, messed-up ass.

I owed him, and I really didn’t want to owe anyone. If I said yes, there was like an eighty percent chance Kelly killed him.

“I don’t—”

He held up a hand. “Just think about it, Vi. No pressure and no rush.” He was being too nice again. It was suspicious. “I’ll email you the brief for your next piece.” He turned to his laptop, finger moving across the trackpad. “There’s a new bistro down on Fifteenth that I want you to check out for the culture section—”

“I was actually wondering if I could have some time off,” I said. His hand stilled on the keys as his eyes darted to my face. I scratched the back of my head, stomach twisting as heat touched my cheeks. “Just this afternoon and tomorrow.”

His eyes narrowed, and my throat tightened with an unpleasant ache too close to guilt.

“Everything alright?” Did he sound suspicious or worried?

It bothered me that I couldn't tell. One of my strengths was reading people, but he was too good at camouflaging. He'd fooled me once already. Pierce Aldridge was growing on me, and I really didn't want him to like him, but he was making it almost impossible to hate him.

“I just need to take care of something.” I shouldn’t be asking him.

Not really; Mindy was my boss. But he was the one giving me work, so—

“Let Friar know,” he said. “She’ll approve it.” His fingers brushed the edge of his laptop screen as he adjusted the angle. “And when you’re back, you can let me know about dinner.”

The door of Tia’s was too fancy to chime; it let out a little breath as I opened it. The circulating air was cool on my skin. I didn't have an appointment, but no one was there. It was worth a shot.

“Can I help you?” Jess was behind the counter. 

She didn’t recognize me, but I remembered her. Her expression wasn’t unfriendly. But it wasn’t welcoming.

“I don’t have an appointment,” I said, “but Kane Kelly told me to come.” Like three years ago, but I was banking on that offer not having an expiration date. “I need a dress, and—uh—” I glanced down at my jeans that cost ten bucks, my trainers with a split in the sole, and the coffee stain on my t-shirt. “Everything else.” I had lost my damn mind. “You can put it on his account.”

Her brow lifted. “Go on inside and look around. I’ll be with you in a second.”

It was time to stop being a mess. To act my age, or whatever I was supposed to look like at twenty-five.

The store smelled like air freshener; it made my stomach flip. The floral scent was too close to the room on the island.

My breath shook as I calmed myself down, pressed a hand to my diaphragm, and made myself pull it back. It was too late to back out now. My eyes drifted over the racks as I searched for something I didn’t hate. Silk, kind of two-tone, a deep red that looked almost purple when the light touched it, caught my eye.

The dress was elegant. Something a woman would wear. The door to the reception opened behind me as Jess stepped through.

“We’ve cleared out the next two hours.” She was smiling now. Guess my references checked out. “Would you like some help deciding? I can get you some champagne too, if you’d like.”

“Champagne, no,” I said, turning to look back at her. “But I could use some help.”

I don’t know if I’d ever said anything more truthful. I’d escaped the Island, but it felt like a part of my soul that had climbed back into bed with Kelly. Was still sleeping in his arms. I was cut in two, split down the middle. This had to end.

“Of course.” Her tone was rich with sympathy. 

I must have looked pathetic, because even Jess felt sorry for me.

The code to the unmarked door was the same. He really should have changed it. But I guess sometimes he made crappy choices, too.

It felt strange walking down the wide staircase. The same green carpet and gold railings. Like going back to another time. One where I was just as stupid as I was being now.

The club was empty in the middle of the day. Closed. It was a Tuesday. Silent, aside from the figure at the bar, a laptop in front of him, and a pair of reading glasses. I had no idea how he made them look cute, but he did. I stopped in the middle of the floor.

For a minute, I just stared at him. Broad shoulders stretched his white shirt; his jacket rested on the chair beside him. Elbow on the counter as he rubbed his chin. Eight months since I’d watched him walk away from me.

I still wanted to call for him to come back.

“Hey,” I said.

Kane tensed. If he was surprised to see me, he didn’t show it as he glanced up.

“What are you doing here?” He wasn’t frowning or smiling.

But his gaze slowed down as he noticed the dress, tight and silky beneath the jacket. The flats matched perfectly. An outfit that cost a thousand bucks. He should know; he’d paid for it.

I’d expected at least a message afterwards, but there’d been nothing. No car pulled up beside me on the road. No pissed-off Kelly glowering at me from the back seat. I’d basically stolen from him.

I dug the tip of my shoe into the carpet, twisting. “Where is everyone?”

He sat straighter, palm flat against the counter. “Harper’s still in Paris with Carly.”

I already knew that. “And Jack?”

Kane’s index finger tapped once.

“Haven’t heard from him in a month. Last time we caught up, he said he’d be back before the end of the year.” His jaw clenched. “I think he’s pissed at me.”

No doubt. He’d banished him.

“Vi?” He said my name the same way he'd sighed it half asleep, and reaching for my pillow to hold because I wasn't there. “Why are you here?”

“Is—” I swallowed, cheeks stinging with a blush I couldn’t stop. “Is today really your birthday?”

It had been three years since the Chronicle published the exposée on Stein. To the day. If he’d been joking, then this was about to be really awkward. Kane Kelly blinked, his lips parting before the corner of his mouth twitched.

“It really is,” he said.

I rubbed my arms through the starched jacket. “Got any plans?”

A smile broke across Kane's face, so close to sweet, another sliver of my heart shattered. Crunched like fractured glass.

“Not anymore.” He stood from the stool, his steps measured as he crossed the room. I forced my feet to stay still, to tilt my head to look at him. The last time we’d both stood here was when he’d injected me with benzo. His brow lifted. “Unless you weren’t planning on staying?”

“Just for tonight.” I couldn’t make my voice go higher than a whisper. “Just this one last time, okay? You have to let me go in the morning.”

His smile dropped, and another crack started. “Have to?”

It ripped through my chest like the seam of fabric pulled too tight.

“If you don’t swear you will, I’m leaving right now.” I folded my arms.

My firm voice went really great with my quaking knees. Kane didn’t point out that I couldn’t go anywhere if he didn’t let me. That I’d as good as handed myself over to him, and he’d told me a thousand times that he wouldn’t let me go.

It was so, so stupid.

“Why?” Kane asked.

The only question that had ever really mattered.

“I owe you for getting me out.” He’d saved me from Guy, unfair and square. My hand shook as I dared to press my fingertips to his cheek. I wanted so badly to touch him. Had needed to feel him for months. “And I don’t want you to be alone on your birthday.”

He took a breath, his shoulders tensing. A sharp flash of pain crossed his face. Guess he had cracks inside too.

Kane cleared his throat. “What are the rules?”

Oh God, stupid. I was so, so stupid!

“There are none.” No safe words. I wasn't allowed to say no to him. “Just let me go in the morning.”

I hadn't lost my mind. He'd stolen it.

Infected me with his scent and his touch and his smile. This had to be the last time. One last time, so I could get this sickness out of me.

I couldn’t live the way things were now.

Kane could read me as well as I could read him. Surprise widened his eyes enough to show the whites before his gaze turned cold.

“You want me to hurt you?” he asked, like he didn't want to believe it.

Somehow I nodded. His lips tightened into a line.

“Vi—”

“Please.” I could feel the tears in my eyes, too many.

They'd start soon, and I wouldn't be able to stop them. Kelly's jaw clenched as his hand rose, finger pointed at the door.

“You get one chance,” he said. “To walk away and pretend this never happened.”

And he’d let me.

Just like he'd let me go in the alley outside Tia’s, in the precinct, and at the courthouse. Like he’d walked away from me on the Island, not because Charlie was there, but because I'd asked him to.

But even if I left now, I’d still have this feeling. These fucking cracks in my chest that demanded I go back to him. This horrible, painful need for him to hold me. Just that, so the world could feel safe. I straightened my spine, pretending I was still me. The Viola Cox, who worked her ass off to earn her place in the world. Smart and resilient. Dammit, I used to be plucky!

“I know who you are, Kane.” And I needed him to show it to me.

Beat the lesson into my skin so I’d never forget it. He had to hurt me badly enough that I’d stop waking up every morning reaching for him.

He closed his eyes. I really thought he’d tell me to get out. I wasn’t even worried about the humiliation. He couldn't send me away.

“Kane?”

He leaned forward, forehead touching mine as he breathed in. When his arms wrapped around me, I melted against him. For the first time in months, I felt safe. Like the world was right, and I was where I belonged.

“Please,” I whispered. “I need you—” My breath caught too close to a sob. “To fix this. I need to hate you again.” His shoulders tensed. I hid my face in his chest, breathing in just for the smell of him. That wonderful, horrible scent that made my whole body scream to be closer to him. “If I don’t hate you, then I’m not going to make it.” 

If I didn’t hate him, then how was I supposed to watch him marry Harper? How was I supposed to live my life, knowing I could never have this?

The scent of his skin and the warmth of his arms around me. The only safe place in a world that was so mean.

I’d become my mother, and I couldn’t be Betty. Her whole life spent loving a man who treated her like a possession. Trapped and too broken to save herself.

“Please, Kane, make it stop,” I whispered. His arms tightened around me, holding me so gently that a tear slipped down my cheek. “I need you to beat it out of me!”

He didn’t ask what 'it' was. We both knew.