*** ~~KNOX~~ *** I can hear Hunter retching his guts out in the bathroom, each heave a reminder that last night did its job. That’s how you know the bachelor party was a success—when the groom wakes up barely human, hungover, and halfway questioning every decision that led to this moment. We both got back late. Way after the rehearsal dinner ended. The after-party spiraled into something else entirely—shots of things I couldn’t name, groomsmen and strangers dragging us into different corners of the bar, music too loud to remember what it meant to have coherent thoughts. I have a strong stomach. Always have. But even I pushed my limit last night. Now I’m sprawled across Hunter's hotel room’s couch, one leg hanging off the edge, half-covered with a throw blanket I don’t remember grabbing. The air conditioner hums too cold. The light filtering through the curtains is too bright. My head doesn’t hurt, but it’s heavy. The bathroom door creaks open. Hunter emerges, pale and damp
*** ~~SLOANE~~ *** I don't think I can see beyond the cloud of rage in front of my eyes. I stand still, arms folded over my chest, watching the two of them—Knox and Hunter—staring each other down like opponents in a ring. Knox’s face, as always, is unreadable. Hunter, on the other hand, looks… tired and confused. Today isn't turning out as I expected it to. It's coming with a lot of anger. It started the moment I opened my eyes to find someone beneath me. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. But when I turned, ready to fight, ready to scream or hit or run, I saw Finn. Lying on my bed like he belonged there. Said he couldn’t sleep. Said he needed to talk. That was when he told me. That Knox had asked him to end our friendship. Because Knox wanted me. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Just grabbed whatever clothes I could find, yanked them on, and demanded one thing: tell me where Hunter is staying. Finn knew. Delilah had mentioned it while her tongue was apparently halfwa
His hand moves quickly to my shorts, unzipping them and pushing his hand inside through my pants until he finds my heat. He draws moisture from there to my clit and begins circling. I'm panting and moaning now, my body moving to the rhythm of his touch. "Our bet?" I manage to gasp out. "Have you forgotten so soon? We made a bet. Wedding doesn't happen, you become mine." I shake my head, trying to clear the fog of lust that's clouding my thoughts. "Those were not the terms. You said you'd chase me." "Same difference.” “I have to go talk to him. To Hunter. He can't stop the wedding." "I think you've done enough talking today, Kitten," he says, his fingers no longer torturing my clit but pushing inside me. I can feel my body responding, my hips pressing back against him, seeking more of his touch. "You came here to call me a terrible person for wanting to destroy my friend's wedding, a wedding with a woman who doesn't deserve him. But you're insisting the wedding must happen,
I stare at him. Knox is sitting at the edge of the bed, his dick hard and glistening, his eyes fixed on me. I know what he wants me to do. I know what I want too—my body still aches with the emptiness he left in me, a slow, smoldering burn where his fingers and length had been. “Can we talk about this afterwards?” I ask, trying to bargain the only way my faltering senses allow. He smiles. “No.” Then he bends and starts peeling his shoes off, letting each fall with a dull thud against the hardwood floor. His socks follow. His fingers go to his pants next, sliding them down, taking his boxers with them, never once standing. For the first time, I catch a glimpse of his thighs. Muscular, with veins mapping their way down to his calves. Once the pants and boxers are on the floor, he pinches the condom, takes it off, ties it, and tosses it to the floor beside the heap of clothes. I don't once look away. My eyes are stuck to the thick length between his legs, the way it twitches. The v
I climb up after him, swing a leg over his face, and plant my knees on either side of his head. Then I go down a little. “When I say sit, you fucking smother me. Do you understand?” “Yes,” I whisper. I start to lower myself again, hesitating just enough that my center brushes his nose. “You’re not listening,” he growls. Then he grips my hips and pulls me all the way down. The first swipe of his tongue makes my thighs tremble. I grind against him without thinking, moaning as his mouth devours me. He doesn’t lick. He feasts. Tongue flat and firm, then pointed and teasing. My hips start moving on their own, rubbing me deeper into his face. He groans into me, and I nearly collapse. Lifting me up a little, he says, “Put my dick in your mouth, Sloane.” I lean forward, reach between us, and take him back in my mouth. And just like that, I’m riding his tongue while sucking him, pleasure coursing through me in every direction. He starts fucking me with his tongue, deep and slow, the
Almost an hour later, I’m in Knox's car, staring at the imposing building of his parents’ house. I’m supposed to walk in and end what’s left of my friendship with Finn. But I don’t move. Back at the hotel, I’d been so comfortable enjoying the back and forth between me and Knox. It had been easy to pretend the world didn’t exist when it was just us, tangled in bedsheets and breathless moans—Knox, it seems, only needs a few minutes to regain his erection after blowing a load, which had been exhaustingly pleasurable. But at some point, he announced that his chartered jet was leaving for New York in two hours. And just like that, reality sank in. No more denial. No more playful distractions. The time had come. I haven’t been able to say much since the beginning of the drive here. Not since he turned the key and started the engine. My mind’s been a mess of noise and silence, one crashing against the other until all I could do was stare out the window. I have to do this. End things
*** ~~FINN~~ *** Delilah is panting and bouncing on top of me, her manicured hands braced on my chest. She throws her head back like she’s in the middle of some kind of religious experience, but all I feel is the weight of her—skin against skin, motion without meaning. My mind is elsewhere. I’m not even in the room. I’m in Asheville. Still in that damn house. Still stuck in the moment Sloane slammed the car door and refused to look back at me. I try to focus—on Delilah’s hands on my chest, on the way she gasps my name—but every time I close my eyes, I see Sloane. Her expression blank, her silence louder than any goodbye she could’ve given me. She’s not answering my texts. Not my calls. It’s been over forty-eight hours, and all I’ve gotten is radio silence. My father had practically chased me out of his house, red-faced and yelling, threatening to set everything on fire if Delilah didn’t leave immediately. I hadn’t even argued. I packed up in a hurry and caught the first flig
Her voice scrapes something sharp in me. Of course she’s thrilled. Sloane and Serena couldn’t be more different. Although they're both opinionated, Sloane thinks before she speaks. She's often secretive about her deepest feelings; this I know all too well. But Serena says whatever the hell crosses her mind. No filter. No hesitation. It’s like she’s allergic to silence. Every thought becomes a soundbite. It’s no wonder we’ve never gotten along. Especially back when they lived together. That apartment was a minefield. Sloane would be in the kitchen quietly stirring tea, trying to decompress from a long day, and Serena would burst in like a storm, unloading whatever drama she’d dragged home. I remember those nights all too well. Me sitting on the couch. Serena ranting from across the room. Sloane giving me that silent look—equal parts exhausted and apologetic—like she wished she could disappear. I never told her this, but sometimes I wished we both could. “Look,” I say, lowering my
He clears his throat and speaks first. “I am trying to think of a decent reason why you’d want to help Finn,” he says, voice steady. “He broke an arm, not his spine. He has Delilah. If you think he needs help, it can be arranged—without you being there. So what’s the problem? Is there something else I should know about your incessant need to save him?”I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out.Because he’s right.I don’t have to be there.But I need to be. Because despite everything, I still feel guilty for cutting him off. Finn doesn’t keep friends. He has acquaintances, followers, yes—but not real people who show up. Except me. And Delilah.And then… there’s the other reason.“He’s calling everyone in my family,” I say quietly. “And I have to make him stop. The only way I can do that is by handling him carefully.”“How about you just tell him to stop?”“Do you even know your brother? You think he’s going to pause his revenge spree because I said so?”“Revenge spree?” He lifts
I wake up sore all over, having no single idea how I ended up back in Knox's bedroom.The room is bright as sunlight filters through the tall windows, casting long, pale rectangles on the wood floor. I’m in his bed, tangled in the sheets, my skin sticky with sweat and something else. The air smells like him—like clean soap, expensive cologne, and the raw scent of what we did last night.Except… I don’t remember how it ended.The last thing I recall is him unlocking me from the guillotine in that dark, red-lit room, my legs shaking so violently I couldn’t stand. I think I remember him wrapping a blanket around me. Maybe. After that? Nothing.I push up on my elbows with a wince. Every muscle in my body complains, a deep, pleasant ache settling low in my belly, between my legs, my thighs. Even my jaw hurts a little. Jesus. Did I faint? I must have.Honestly, with the way he wrecked me, passing out is probably the most reasonable response.The bed is cold beside me. Knox isn't here. I rea
I hear him backing away from me and climbing back onto the bed, and then I feel him pulling out the humming device from my ass. I moan loudly, bucking my hips as the sensation of it leaving sends waves of pleasure through my body. It definitely feels better leaving than when it went in. He pushes it back into me, and I see stars, my body convulsing with the intensity of the sensation."You're seriously dripping down your leg," he says. "Didn't you just cum twice outside?"He slaps my vulva, and indeed, it makes a wet sound, confirming his words. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and arousal."Now, I have to make sure that no drop goes to waste," he murmurs. Then I feel something wet on my left inner thigh. His tongue laps up whatever is flowing down, and I moan, needing his mouth on the part that aches most, the part with those balls that tingle when they move. The humming device in my ass is only worsening the need.He leaves my left thigh and starts fe
I exhale, trying to picture the room in my mind.But spinning has done its work. I have no bearings. I could be facing the wall. The bed. That terrifying X-shaped frame.That’s the point.He didn’t want me to choose. He wanted fate to choose.So I take a step. Then another. I keep walking, arms out, breath shallow. My palms skim the air. Then.Bump.My knees hit something.I reach forward. Cold iron. Then softer—mattress.The bed.“Great choice,” Knox murmurs—right into my ears.I jump. “Jesus, you scared me.”The words barely leave my mouth before he’s pushing me forward, pressing my head down onto the bed. My ass is lifted high into the air, and a sharp swat lands on my ass cheek. I yelp in surprise. Knox's voice is low and commanding behind me."What did I say about talking, Bunny?"I bite my lip, remembering his rule. "No talking, Master."He lifts me even higher, and the next spank lands directly on my vulva, targeted precisely at my clit. The sensation is electrifying, and I moa
I take a step back on instinct. He keeps walking toward me, a predator who knows the prey won’t run far. My back hits the shelf. The dildo is still in my hand when he stops in front of me and gently pries it from my fingers, placing it back in its spot. He leans in. “Do you know why I brought you here?” His voice is low. I shake my head. “Use your words, Sloane.” “No.” “I like this room,” he murmurs. My throat works. “It’s a very… unusual room.” “Are you scared?” I hesitate. My heart is practically jumping out of my chest. The red light makes everything feel sinister and charged. I don’t know what kind of things he’s done here. I don’t know what he plans to do to me. But I can’t deny the heat rising in my belly. The curiosity tingling along my spine. “Yes,” I whisper. “I’m scared. But I meant it when I said I want to know everything about you—even the scary parts.” He grabs me by the neck and pulls me close until our mouths are a breath apart. “Are you sure about that? So
*** ~~SLOANE~~ *** My hands are wrapped around Knox’s neck as he leads me back into the house. I’m clinging to him with trembling legs. My skin is damp from everything he just did to me outside. I don’t know how I’m even conscious right now. My body feels wrung out, like someone twisted every drop of strength out of me and still left me wanting more. He only pauses once, just inside the door. He leans forward, reaches down, and slides off his house slippers with the same precision he used yesterday when we came in through the other door. Neatly. One foot, then the other. Perfectly lined beside the door. And I just… watch. Not because it matters. But because I can’t figure him out. I’ve seen him walk into other places without blinking. His parents’ house. My apartment. A hotel room. He never gave a damn where he tossed his shoes. But here? In his own home, he does this. Why? Not like he'll answer. If I had to put pennies in a jar for everything I couldn’t explain about Knox
I stare into her eyes. “A taste of what?” “Me.” “What part exactly?” She cocks an eyebrow. “Is there a part you don’t like?” “Not exactly.” She draws again from the cigar, eyes watering as she braves the burn. Then she leans forward, blowing smoke into my face. “Is that a yes or a no?” she says. “Do you want a taste of me or not?” I grab her waist and pull her flush against me. “Shoot me if I ever say no, Bunny.” “I would if I knew where you kept your gun.” “Pardon me. I assumed you saw it in the car when you stole my keys.” She chuckles low. “I don’t believe that’s the only one you have.” “Ha.” She leans sideways and crushes the butt of the cigar on the ashtray, letting it fall. She then takes my hand and presses it between her legs, guiding it beneath the hem of the shirt. Then she lifts her hips slightly and lets me in, pushing three of my fingers inside her. And she moans—soft at first. Her head tilts back, exposing the long line of her neck, glasses sliding further
*** ~~KNOX~~ *** I fell right into that trap, let myself be at rest, let myself become too happy. And now the dreams are back. It’s the price of comfort. The consequence of peace. I’d gone over a year without them. Twelve solid months of silence in my sleep, of not waking up drenched in sweat or shivering with the taste of blood in my mouth or phantom screams still ringing in my ears. I thought I’d finally outgrown it. That maybe I’d found the answer. Hate. It had worked. Hatred for Finn. For our father. For the bastards overseas. For the pimps and predators who loitered in my club pretending to be businessmen. Hatred kept the noise quiet. Kept the chaos buried. As long as I kept burning, I didn’t feel the cold. But then came this woman. This girl who wore her damn glasses to bed like a librarian who got lost and wandered into my life, asking to be destroyed. She didn’t even know how enchanting she looked—curled up in my bed, clothed in one of my T-shirts, hair mussed and lips
Knox walks over without a word, climbs into the bed, and pulls me into him. One arm drapes over my waist, the other reaches out and turns off the bedside lamp.Darkness fills the room.I can feel the thump of his heart beneath my cheek.I slide my hand down, fingers trailing the hem of his shirt and then slipping beneath it. His skin is hot, tight over muscle. I keep going, dipping under the waistband of his pants. The elastic snaps as my wrist slips past it.I find what I’m looking for with no effort.Hard already. Just from being close.The part of him that’s ruined me more times than I can count. The part that makes me forget my name when it’s inside me.It twitches in response to my touch, like it’s greeting me. Like it remembers me too.My fingers graze the piercing, and even in the dark, I can feel his breath hitch. Just a small break in the rhythm, a crack in the calm.God, I love that.“Did it hurt when you got pierced?”“Somewhat.”“Why’d you get it?”“Because I like pain. An