Dark Devotions by Nichole Greene
25
OLIVIA
I wantedto wear something bold to the fundraiser. Something powerful. Something that Tripp would have never allowed me to be photographed in. So I grabbed Sawyer, who called his personal shoppers, and we spent an entire day searching up and down Fifth Avenue for the perfect look.
I turn and look at my reflection in Sawyer’s mirror. The woman looking back at me is both familiar and foreign to me. My skin is sun kissed but beyond that there’s a glow to me that I haven’t seen before. A sharpness to the gaze staring back at me. I’m not the innocent girl I once was, no longer cowering from the violence delivered to me. The brutality of Tripp’s words and actions hurt me deeply, but I’ve been finding strength slowly.
I went with a white slim cut tuxedo and pointy toe stilettos to make a bold statement, especially knowing that Tripp would hate it. He hates menswear on women. The jacket buttons at the bottom of my rib cage leaving my chest exposed as I opted to not wear a shirt under it. Double stick tape and a prayer are the only things giving me confidence right now.
Sawyer brought in a beauty squad for me. They twisted my hair back into a sleek knot low on the nape of my neck. My eyes are smokey, and my face is perfectly contoured. It’s all topped off by a bold red lipstick.
“You ready, Liv?” Sawyer asks as he walks into the room. He stops short when I turn to face him. His eyes widen as he looks down my body slowly and then back up. “You look stunning.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself.” Correction, he looks fucking incredible. All the guys have opted to wear black on black Brioni tuxedos. The price tag of those is pretentious as fuck—I’d know because Tripp was obsessed with Brioni and Kiton, constantly wishing he could be dressed by the designers. This is the guys’ way of saying ‘fuck you’ to him.
He steps toward me, reaching out to trace the exposed curve of my breasts with his finger. “I have a surprise, something that will complement this perfectly.” He pulls a box out of his jacket, and when he does, I notice the glint of his gun in its shoulder holster.
I know they’ll all be carrying tonight and with good reason. It doesn’t change the fact that it still makes me uneasy. Staying with them means getting used to this though, and their love is worth it.
I open the red box and see a gold lariat necklace with four diamond pendants hanging from it. There are matching diamond stud earrings as well. It’s breathtakingly gorgeous. My lips part to thank him when I look up into his cobalt eyes, but no words come out.
“Let me put it on you.” He carefully pulls it out of the box and stands behind me, draping the necklace over me.
I take the earrings out and put them into my ears as he watches. Our eyes meet in the mirror as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back to him. I melt in his hold, obsessed with the contrast between us. His dark hair, blue eyes, and black suit versus my blonde hair, brown eyes, and white suit.
“I love you, Liv.” His eyes stay on me. “We had this necklace designed for you. This knot represents you.” His fingers run from my neck down the center of my chest to where the knot hangs against my sternum. “Each of the diamonds represents one of us. You hold us together.”
“We didn’t realize it until you were gone,” Grant says as he enters the room with Lake and steps up beside us.
“They’re speaking for themselves, Livvy. I always knew how important you were to me, and I never fucking forgot.” Nolan pulls me from Sawyer’s arms and kisses me. “You look beautiful,” he tells me after he’s done feasting on my lips.
“You all look disturbingly handsome.” I step back from the four of them and take them all in. They all have such distinct looks, equally attractive but different. Lake with his deep bronze skin, black hair, and broody dark eyes plus all the muscle and tattoos is incredible, especially dressed in all black. Grant looks devastating with his perfectly styled blonde hair and sharp green eyes; he was made to wear suits. Then there’s pretty boy Sawyer who has never looked anything other than perfect. Finally, Nolan and his edgy vibe, his tattoos sneak onto the back of his hands, and one creeps past his collar. He’s the only one to deviate from the look the other three have going on by not wearing a tie.
Lake walks around me with a slight frown. “You won’t be able to carry wearing that.”
“She’ll be with one of us all night. Plus, the other security will be there,” Grant says.
“Volkov and crew will be in attendance, too,” Nolan adds.
“Tripp won’t get his hands on her. We’ve gone through everything a hundred times, playing out each possible scenario,” Sawyer says. “There’s not a possibility we haven’t prepared for.”
Lake looks grim, like he doesn’t fully believe that. I grab both of his hands entwining our fingers and look into his eyes. “I promise I’m going to be careful. The last thing I want to do is get in Tripp’s web again. I’m not reckless, and I’ve come too far to start now.”
He nods with a clenched jaw before pulling me to him and leaning his forehead against mine. “I will burn the world down before he ever lays a hand on you again,” he whispers. Then he pulls back and puts his mercenary face on. “Let’s go over everything one more time.”
By the time we talk through every scenario and each response we should have, the limo is downstairs waiting for us. I catch our reflection in the widows of the lobby of our building. We look powerful. I’m flanked on both sides by my guys. I now seamlessly fit into their unit, walking together stride for stride to finally take down my tormentor.
The driver holds the door open for us, and I slide in first. They file in behind me. Nolan looks around at everyone and shakes his head a bit. He grabs the bottle of champagne and pops the top offering me a glass first.
I gladly accept it. My fingers shake a bit as I take my first sip. The bubbles hit my tongue, and I relax a fraction. We have a bit of drive to get to the venue. No one talks, we all just sit in a tense silence, some of us sipping a glass of champagne, others looking out the window as the city goes by.
All too soon we’re in front of the hotel. Sawyer tells the driver not to worry about opening the door for us as he gets out first. There’s some media already taking photos beyond the velvet ropes lining the stairs.
“Grant! Who are you with tonight?” a young female reporter yells.
He looks at her with a devastating smile and a wink, “Julia, you know I never tell.”
“Will you tell me what you think of your business partner being under investigation for fraud and money laundering?” she asks pointedly.
That makes him stop and look back at her. She raises an eyebrow and holds her recording device out toward him. He looks at me and nudges me to go on with the other guys. Nolan reaches out and links our hands. He gives not one fuck about people seeing me on Grant’s arm and then holding his hand.
“Do you know what that was about?” I lean toward him not wanting anyone else to hear.
“No clue. He has a lot of business partners though. It’s not one of us.”
We walk into the ballroom and look around. I know all three of the guys are checking to make sure all the security is in place and that nothing is out of order. I, on the other hand, am scanning the crowd looking for Tripp. I look all over the room but he’s not here yet, perfectly to plan. We don’t want him to see me before he’s on stage to give his speech.
I smile when I make eye contact with Lilith, and she motions for me to come over. She is standing with her husband, a tall blond man, and a short brunette with beautiful curly brown hair. I look over at Lake and indicate that I want to go say hello. He makes eye contact with her husband, and they have an entire silent conversation before Lake gives me a nod. She watches the exchange closely and then rolls her eyes mockingly.
“They’re so ridiculous.” She hugs me in greeting. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” She points at the big guy. “This is my cousin Levi Marsh and my best friend Ivy Marsh. That guy over there with red hair is my friend Griff Potter. His wife’s name is Claire.” She gestures to a couple at the bar holding hands.
We make small talk for a while. Eventually Grant joins us with Griff and his wife. Then the rest of my guys migrate over. Each of them makes sure to casually touch me in some way. I can’t figure out if it’s to reassure me or to claim me, either way it’s subtle enough that I doubt anyone notices.
“It’s time for us to go.” Grant leads me away from the group and out a side door. We walk down an empty corridor and into a small conference room.
“What was that reporter talking about?” I ask.
“She was mistaken. There was word around town that I was working with a shady investor, but I actually met with him before our trip to Costa Rica. Sawyer and I both got bad vibes from him, so I didn’t move forward. That was the day Tripp confronted us.”
He sits down in one of the chairs and pulls me onto his lap. With a wicked smile, he slides his hand inside my jacket, caressing the bottom curve of my breast. “You know, I never thought suits were sexy until I walked into Sawyer’s room and saw this.” He rolls my nipple between his fingers. “What should we do while we wait for our cue?”
My jaw drops when he pinches my nipple just shy of painfully. I shift my weight and squeeze my thighs together. He moves his hand out from under my jacket but wraps it around my neck turning me to face him. “I need words, Liv.”
“We probably shouldn’t do that,” I manage to answer once my brain starts working again.
“What is that?”
“Have sex.”
“Why not?” he asks as he pushes my thighs apart.
“Someone might come in.” I tremble at the way the heat of his hand bleeds through my pants.
“That’s half the fun, Liv.” He cups his hand over my pussy, the heel of his palm rubbing against my clit. “I’d love to make you scream so loud, Tripp will hear you yelling my name.” His palm increases the rubbing, the friction of his hand and the seam of my pants already have my orgasm building. “Wouldn’t that be a fun kind of torture for him?”
I can only nod. I feel him hardening beneath me. I pull his hand away from me and drop to my knees. My core is screaming for release, but I want him. I want to feel him fill my throat. I want to listen to him degrade me while he does it.
I look up at him through my lashes. “Fuck my face, Grant.”
His eyes change with that request. He grips my chin and tilts my head back. “If you want the gift of my cock down your throat, you’re going to have to ask nicer than that.”
I swallow nervously. “Please fuck my face, Grant.” My voice trembles, but it’s not with fear, it’s sheer anticipation. There’s something raw and primal about him like this.
He stands, the outline of his hard length right at eye level. “Take my cock out,” he commands.
I do as he says, undoing his belt and opening his pants just enough to release his cock. He rubs the tip over my lips, smearing the drop of cum that had already beaded there over my lips. “I’m going to fucking love having those red lips around my cock, Liv. Are you ready to let me use your mouth?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
He takes that moment to drive his cock past my lips and deep into my throat. His skin tastes clean with just a hint of salt. I start to bob my head, but he holds me still, tilting my head back so I can see him.
“If it’s too much, tap on my right thigh twice.”
I nod, already gagging a bit at how full I am of him. I hold still as he slowly drags his dick almost all the way out of my mouth before slamming back in all of a sudden. He does the same thing, increasing his pace.
“Do you like being on your knees for me? Choking on my cock like a good fucking girl?”
I whimper and try to nod, but he’s using my mouth so hard and fast that I can’t. Tears start to roll down my cheeks and my face reddens as I can’t breathe.
“Look at you,” he says with reverence. “So beautiful on your knees with your mouth open for me to use. I bet your cunt is soaked.”
It is. I can feel the wet heat of my arousal gathering in my panties. Every dirty thing he says, every name he calls me makes me want more. I feel like I have opened up a whole new layer of myself. I almost come when I feel him surge inside me, shooting cum down my throat as his chest rises and falls rapidly.
He blinks and his face softens. He pulls his cock out of my mouth and tucks it back inside his pants. Then he stands and grabs a handful of tissues. Without speaking, he dabs my cheeks where tears had rolled or gathered. Then he wipes my lips.
“How do you feel?” He sits back down and pulls me into his lap.
“I feel good.” I press a gentle kiss to his lips. “How do you feel?”
“Fucking incredible.”
The door slams open, and all my nightmares come to life. Tripp walks in, a crazed look in his eye that intensifies when he sees me sitting on Grant’s lap. His hair is disheveled, and his tie crooked.
“Olivia, you have two seconds to get up before I shoot him.”
In the time it takes me to stand, a bullet flies past me and into Grant’s chest. Everything slows down and speeds up at once. The look of pain and horror that crosses Grant’s face devastates me. I try to grab him, to cover his wound, to do anything to help him, but rough hands grab me, and I’m tossed over a shoulder.
I struggle. I kick. I hit him in the back, but nothing affects him and finally he drops me. I feel a tiny bit of relief until something heavy cracks me in the temple and everything goes dark.