Carnage by Sarah Bailey

Twenty Three

Scarlett

The moment I got into the flat, I let out a long sigh of relief. I was safe here. Today had been fucked up in so many ways, I could no longer count them. I hung up my coat and dumped my bag down on the side table, wanting everything and everyone to disappear for a few hours.

“Mase?” I called out as I kicked off my heels.

There was no answer. I trudged down the hallway to the kitchen and found it empty, as was the living room when I checked it. Who knew where he’d got to. He was usually here when I got in, and wanted to know all about my day, whether I’d got any information they could use and what the Horsemen were up to.

Deciding it was for the best he wasn’t here as I didn’t feel like dealing with the inquisition, I went into the bathroom and started running myself a bubble bath. I snagged a bottle of white wine from the fridge along with a glass before undressing in my bedroom and pulling on a robe. I padded out back to the bathroom, shut the door and poured myself a glass of wine. Then I put my hair up in a bun. The robe fell to the floor the next minute. Sinking into the hot water with my glass, I let out a deep groan of pleasure. After the shit I’d dealt with today, I needed this.

I sipped at my wine and stared up at the ceiling. My mind ran riot with thoughts of both West and Drake. The former for obvious reasons. He’d taken me into his office, bent me over his desk and fucked me. It didn’t matter to him we’d only shared a few words between us. The man claimed I was his. And I had no idea why I hadn’t disputed it. Well, the situation had got out of control so fast, I didn’t have time to tell him he was crazy. I also didn’t have much of a choice but to give in to what he wanted.

Be honest… you wanted it too.

I shivered. I wasn’t meant to find them attractive. Wanting any of them went against everything. I was here to destroy them, not catch feelings. Not that being fucked by West had caused such a thing. You could have sex with someone without liking them or wanting more out of the relationship.

The thing was, I didn’t hate it. The sex. I’d never experienced such intense pleasure before. Never craved the feel of a man against me. I hadn’t been allowed to be around them. Now I had four of them I had to get close to. And I had to admit to myself I wanted to be close to West again. Intimately.

Say it. You want him to use you again.

I set the glass on the counter next to the bath and rubbed my face. My wayward thoughts were not leading me anywhere good.

It hadn’t only been West. Drake had caused me heart palpitations today. I’d been so flustered after my experience with West, I’d hardly had a chance to gather myself together. When Drake had stared me down and was questioning me, I’d almost wilted. The intensity of him made my knees go weak. He had such an intimidating presence. And the way he’d demanded I answer him without words… I had no idea what to do with myself. It was almost as if he was trying to get me to admit to the sex with West.

Did he know? Had West told him and the others?

I sank lower in the water, my cheeks flaming at the thought of them discussing it. It led me back to the dream I’d had. And how I had to admit to myself it hadn’t only been Prescott chasing me in it. It had been all of them.

Before I could stop myself, I ran my fingers over my breasts, moaning when I flicked my nipples. The very idea of being chased by them turned me on. Especially in light of what happened today. My mind fired off, erotic images filling my senses and making me ache for a repeat. Of West pinning me down and taking me. This time he was brutal, making it hurt whilst Drake whispered in my ear all the ways he was going to punish me for being a bad girl.

My fingers slid lower across my stomach until they met my clit. I stroked myself, remembering the way I’d been filled earlier. The horrifying but beautiful experience of being taken by a man who should, by all accounts, terrify me.

“West,” I moaned.

His unhinged nature called to me as if on some level we were kindred spirits. I didn’t know how. It made no sense, but I felt it anyway.

Fuck me, West, please.

I was too far gone to care that I should not be getting myself off to thoughts of my employers doing deviant things to my body. These were the men I’d been sent to destroy. But did it mean I couldn’t enjoy myself with them before I had to turn them over to my family?

Why did everything about this leave me conflicted? And the guilt flooding my system over craving more experiences with them did nothing to temper my desire. If anything, the guilt fuelled it.

“Bad girl,” I whispered. “Such a bad girl.”

I closed my eyes, letting the fantasy of them carry me under. To drown me in their sea of fucked up depravity.

“Scar, are you in… oh, oh shit.”

My eyes snapped open. For a moment I froze in place, then I abruptly pulled my hand from my pussy and turned my head. Mason stood in the doorway, his brown eyes wide like a deer in headlights. I hadn’t heard him open it. He dragged his eyes from me and coughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned away. My body was covered by the bubbles. I’d kept my modesty, but it didn’t make this any less awkward. He’d caught me masturbating. He had no idea what I was thinking about but it didn’t stop my face from burning.

“Haven’t you heard of knocking?” I asked, dipping even lower into the water.

“I didn’t think, shit, Scar, I’m sorry.”

I let out a huff and crossed my arms over my breasts under the water.

“Did you want something?”

“I… uh… no. I mean, did you want dinner?”

Having the man who was like an older brother to you walk in whilst you’re getting yourself off to your employers in the bath was not the way I wanted to spend this evening.

“Yes… now, can you please leave?”

When he didn’t move, I frowned. Didn’t he realise how embarrassing this was for me?

“Your father called. He wants to know why you’ve not responded to their messages.”

I sighed. Both my parents had texted me in the past few days. I hadn’t wanted to deal with them, not when I had nothing to report. Not like I was about to tell them I’d decided to get close to the Horsemen by essentially seducing them. Though, right now, it felt like it was the other way around. They were after me. Well… West was. And he was the type of man who took exactly what he wanted without a care in the world.

“I don’t have anything to tell them.”

“They want to know how you’re doing.”

“You didn’t tell them already?”

“From you, Scar, they want to hear from you.”

“Fine. I’ll call them after I’m done in here. Now, can you leave?”

My voice was laced with irritation. I didn’t care to mask it. I wanted to be left in peace. Not like I would be able to continue what I’d been doing before, but he needed to get out.

“Okay, okay, sorry again.”

He walked out, shutting the door behind him. I glared at it. I resented the fact they didn’t trust me enough. They had to send a babysitter. Whilst Mason was here for my protection, he was also my keeper. There wasn’t much I could do without his knowledge, except for when I was at Fortuity. They couldn’t infiltrate the building or its security. I was their only way in. And it meant they had to rely on me to do my part. Something I knew they weren’t happy about. It was my only way to freedom, or I’d never get away from their oppressive regime. I had to do what they’d asked of me.

I didn’t linger in the bath, making sure to wash thoroughly. I’d spent the rest of the day smelling of West after our encounter. No way I wanted Mason to get suspicious. No one could find out about me having sex with one of them.

Letting out a sigh when I got out and dressed, leaving my hair wet, I knew I couldn’t put this off any longer. I sat on the end of my bed and dialled my father’s number.

“Scarlett,” came his disapproving voice the moment he answered.

“Hello.”

“You haven’t been answering my messages.”

“I’m sorry.”

I didn’t come up with an excuse. Wouldn’t be any point. He’d merely get on my case about it. It was better not to antagonise Stuart Carver, or his wife, Phoebe. They weren’t my birth parents. I’d been adopted. They hadn’t given me details about my birth family. The one time I’d asked, I’d received the worst imaginable response of them. I’d never tried to ask again. Dad got mad and Mum cried. All it did was leave me with a boat load of guilt. As if they couldn’t possibly understand why I’d want to know when they were my ‘real’ family.

“Mason said you’re struggling.”

I gritted my teeth. Trust him to have told them that. Whilst Mason and I were close, I was always reminded where his loyalties lay.

“I’m not. It’s going to take time to get them to trust me, is all.”

“Yes, yes, of course, that isn’t what I was talking about.”

“Then what?”

I tried to keep the bite out of my voice.

“The nightmares, Scarlett.”

I flinched.

“They’re not that bad.”

It was a lie. Over the weekend I woke up screaming two nights in a row. Mason had rushed in and wrapped me up in his arms, telling me it was okay. I hadn’t cried, but my body shook for several minutes until I calmed down. And I couldn’t remember what I’d been so scared about.

“I think you should come home this weekend. Let Karl look you over.”

As if I wanted to go back home to my prison, neither did I want to see Doctor Leonard either. He gave me the creeps and was too friendly with my father.

“I’m fine, Dad, I promise. There’s nothing to worry about. I can handle it.”

“If you’re sure…”

The fake concern in his voice made me roll my eyes. I’d always had a feeling he only said these things as a way of making me think he cared. The truth was… he’d shown me enough times he didn’t.

“I am.”

Besides, I’d agreed to stay late on Friday at work. I didn’t want to have to travel down to Kent the next day.

“Fine. I have to go. Don’t ignore our messages again. Is that understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

He hung up without saying goodbye. I dumped my phone on my bed and lay back, digging my hands into my eyes. Talking to him always made me wary. You never knew what type of mood he’d be in. I was glad he’d not given me a lecture. After the day I’d had, there was no way in hell I wanted to sit and listen to that.

Now I had to go make small talk with Mason knowing he’d dobbed me into my father. To say I was irritated was an understatement, but such was my fucked up life. And little did I know, it was about to get so much worse.