My Stepbrother, My Damnation

Lina West's POV:

This was a dream.

Nah, a freaking nightmare and I've no fucking idea how to get out!

Maybe it'd end it if I struggle harder. Or yank better so my wrists would fly off these cuffs.

Or maybe.. just maybe it'd end if these sharks succeeded in dragging my best friend, Olivia into their tank.

"Lina, help me!" Olivia's screams were capable of shaking a mountain.

And to God, we needed that. Now. Immediately.

But I couldn't even move!

There, I sat in a chair, chained to it. In front of me was a tank. It was massive, and dangling from it was Olivia.

Her wrists were bound above her head, and body suspended over the massive tank.

"What is going on?" Frantic, confused and scared, I yelled out.

My emotions clogged my nostrils. Still, I smelt salt mixed with blood.

Good Lord, how did we end up here?

Heavy, unsteady breaths filtered from every hole in my face.

Olivia and I visited a club at a hotel. Yeah, we decided to end our first day in LA by clubbing.

Not doing this!

How did th–

"Lina, fucking help me!" Olivia screamed so hard I feared her lungs would burst out.

But three sleek sharks with flashing teeth broke through the water.

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all!

Beads of sweat rode down every pore in my body. Then something else rode into this space.

First, Olivia's frightened whimpers got swallowed by rumbles of an engine.

A motorbike.

Instantly, I snapped my head to a side. My brown eyes almost fell out of their socket.

The moonlight that slipped in bathed the motorbike. Then a face.

A familiar, brief but oh, devilishly handsome face.

His presence seemed to shut even the hungry snarls of the sharks. Hell, even the whooshes of the water stopped.

Only thuds of his leather boot filled the air. Followed by his cologne.

Without flaring my nostrils, I caught a whiff of it, and damn, it couldn't be mistaken.

When I spilled a drink on someone, I smelt this only at the club. I saw this fucking face.

"What is the meaning of this?" I could only mutter.

Anger rose in my throat but reasoning, and maybe fear pushed it down.

I swallowed emptiness, my eyes pinned on the figure as he walked.

No, he didn't walk.

He stalked closer like a predator. Those ocean blue eyes were slanted at me like a prey.

Then he stopped right beside my chair.

"Fancy meeting you here, Miss Tequila?"

Ugh, I didn't know what upsetted me more.

His velvety smooth voice. This fucked up situation. Or that horrid nickname he coined simply because I spilled my tequila shot on him!

My gaze crawled to his face, and the glint in them made my spine tingle.

"You did this?"

"You stole my watch!" My tongue was cut off.

Perhaps due to how sharp he retorted. Or his accusations.

What the hell?

"I didn't steal your watch!" I denied, my jaw dangling with pure shock.

"I merely spilled my drink on you. I apologized! Our interaction lasted, two seconds so how could I have–"

"Boring" He did an eye roll then sigh.

But I never got to hear the sound as clashes of metal drowned it out. Then–

"Olivia!" I whipped my head forward, and watched her scream madly.

The chains holding her suddenly dipped and her shoe almost touched the water.

"Stop this!" I began thrashing and so did the hungry sharks.

"No!" I wanted to break free from these damn chains as one managed to lung high.

Her screams tripled as the sea creature manged to tear her shoe away.

"I swear to you!" I shook my head so much it'd fly off my shoulders.

Still I caught a glimpse of this.. devil's face. He was bored, unamused and so disinterested by this.

"I didn't take your watch. I didn't!" He went ahead to yawn then exhaled.

"Miss Tequila" His hands were nestled in his pockets as he came forward.

His black hair was slick back, giving a clear look at his fine features.

I caught a glimpse of the little tattoo next to an eye then his smirk.

"But I can find it for you" I found myself trying to bargain with him.

I sniffled, disregarding how tight my chest was.

"Just give me a chance. I'll..!" I clenched my jaw then continued.

"A chance, please Mr.."

"Riven"

I gasped sharply.

Again, his rude quick responses weren't the cause. Riven had caught my chin.

I whimpered, wishing to enter this chair as his cold gaze schooled my face. Again and again he tilted my head to side then he smirked. More widely

"Earn your chance" Riven was so close his breath mingled with mine.

"H-how?" I stuttered only for him to snake a finger towards my lower lip.

He was close. Too close. It was blurring my senses.

Even my sense of smell since his cologne flooded my lungs. And sight since I focused on him. Only him.

"You'll get your chance soon. Now, sleep"

I wasn't opportuned to do or say anything else before the world tilted.

I fell into darkness.

★

It was bright, alright. But it’d never brightened my now very dark life.

As I glanced at the glass chandelier dancing from the ceiling, I sighed.

I didn’t know shit about time. But according to Olivia who I left back at the hotel, it was morning. 

And also time to have breakfast with my mother, Willow West, and my soon-to-be stepfather, Ryker Rythrone.

I came to L.A. for college, and also... a wedding.

Ugh!

Just thinking about it made my tongue bitter.

It had been nearly a decade since Pa died, and Ma decided to settle down again. To have a wedding. 

I wished she’d exclude me from it.

But here I was, standing in a bright, fabulous living room after sitting in darkness.

Last night felt like a dream. No, a nightmare but it was real.

Somehow, I’d made a deal with Riven, or whatever he called himself.

That man wasn’t normal. His actions weren’t. But I’ve–

“Adelina!”

Mother’s voice swept my thoughts away, bringing reality back to shore.

Her steps were muffled against the velvet carpet, yet she ran.

Her arms were wide, ready to cage me in an embrace. And really, I was too weak not to run into it.

“Darling!” She gushed, raining kisses all over my face. 

Then she cupped it, her fingers pressing into my cheeks.

“You look so tired. Are you this jet-lagged?”

More like Riven-lagged.

“Ma, please.” Exhaustion turned to irritation quickly in my system.

I didn’t want to take it out on her, so I gently pushed her hand away.

“Darling, are you mad at me?”

I took a step back, barely realizing how much she glowed.

Of course she would.

She was getting married to Ryker Rythrone; a man who ruled an empire.

“She’s here,” came a deep but merry voice.

Ryker was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in an immaculate suit.

“Welcome, Lina.” As he slid an arm around Ma's waist, he stretched one hand toward me.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, shaking it.

“I do apologize for the lateness of my son,” he added.

I curved an eyebrow at that. Son?

Ma noticed my confusion and chuckled.

“Yes, darling. He has a son - a senior at the college you’ll be going to.”

My confusion turned to full-on irritation, and I scrunched my nose.

“Your stepbrother will keep an eye on you. How sweet would that be?” Ma gushed harder.

I groaned, but the creak of a door swallowed it.

“Extremely sweet!”

That voice consumed everything in me. Even my strength and I went stiff.

Not until a hand dropped on my shoulder.

“I’ll take good care of this little miss.”

The voice kept booming in my ears, pumping dread... but also an ounce of strength.

Slowly, I turned, then

lifted my head.

And there he was.

“Excited, lil missy?” The tiny tattoo at the corner of his eye?

Unmistakable.

His bored expression and smirk? Unforgettable.

And the realization that Riven was my stepbrother?

Unbelievable.