Carnage by Sarah Bailey

Thirty One

Drake

I watched Scarlett move towards my desk, her hands clutching the mug she was carrying and her cheeks holding a slight flush to them. My eyes roamed over her face, taking in the swollen nature of her bottom lip.

Had she been nibbling on it?

Or had someone else?

I shoved the fleeting thought away as she set the mug down on my desk. I looked at my watch. Exactly on time. The way she averted her eyes had me wondering if she feared me. I didn’t want to make her afraid. No, I wanted her to obey. And after Friday night, I knew she could if she was so inclined.

Thoughts of her coming over my cock twice had it rising to attention. I clenched my jaw and tried not to shift in my seat. The woman had an effect on me I didn’t appreciate. The desire coursing through me was evidence of her strange power over me. Her mere presence made it difficult for me to think about anything else other than holding her down on my desk. Of making her do exactly what I wanted. Of punishing her, making her skin break out in welts. Making her bleed for me.

The others gave me shit about my fascination with blood and death. It was a rather fucked up thing to be turned on by, but I wasn’t normal by any stretch of the imagination. None of us were. Still, the others had more palatable kinks. It’d always been a challenge finding a woman who wouldn’t baulk at the thought of blood mixed with sex, let alone be willing to indulge me.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Scarlett’s eyes were still averted. She fidgeted, her fingers gripping her skirt.

“Can you pick me up lunch today? I don’t have time to go upstairs.”

This event we were going to on Thursday evening was taking up far too much of my time. Yes, I was pleased I’d been asked to open this business awards ceremony, but it was a pain in the arse at the same time. It was some fancy black-tie event with cocktails, canapes, a band and dancing. West complained last night when I told him there was no excuse for him not to attend. After we’d announced our new employment scheme, we’d been nominated for an award in the financial services, banking and insurance category. Prescott had organised all that shit, but they wanted the opening speech from me, the CEO. The one who they thought ran the company. In reality, the four of us did so equally, all playing to our strengths.

“Of course, the usual?”

I gave her a nod and picked up my mug.

“Did you get the tuxes back from the dry cleaners yet?”

“They said they’d arrive tomorrow morning.”

I sipped my coffee.

“Good.”

Setting my mug down, I opened my drawer and pulled out an invitation. Scarlett watched me slide it across the desk towards her.

“I spoke to the others and we all agreed you should attend with us.”

Her eyes scanned over the invite.

“Is it mandatory? Like a work thing?”

I didn’t want her getting out of it even though I didn’t strictly need her to come with us.

“Yes. I need you there.”

She gave me a nod but didn’t meet my eyes.

“Okay… it’s black-tie, right?”

“Mmm. It won’t all be work. You’re welcome to enjoy yourself too.”

I couldn’t deny I was looking forward to seeing Scarlett in a dress. Would she wear her hair up? No doubt it would please West if she did. He had a thing about necks. And I had a thing about women kneeling for me. The thought of her doing so with her beautiful wavy hair spilling down her back waiting for my command had me clenching my fist. I shook it out the next moment.

Scarlett picked up the invite and scanned it before giving me a nod.

“Anything else?”

I breathed out through my teeth, jaw clenching because I wanted to hear her at least say my name or call me something else. Francis had mentioned she’d joked to him about the ‘sir’ business. And fuck, if I didn’t want her saying it to me. Obeying me. Being mine.

“Yes. Come here.”

Her eyes flicked up to mine, apprehension in them. Scarlett had been content to ignore what happened on Friday, but I wasn’t. Whilst I might have retained my self-control, there was no doubt now I’d had her, I wanted the woman again. The need to touch her pounded in my veins, making me drunk off it.

“Now, Scarlett.”

My little wisp.

She came around the desk with no further hesitation. She let out a yelp when I gripped her wrist and tugged her closer.

“Sit.”

I released her and sat back, rubbing my hand over my lap to indicate where I wanted her. Her hazel-green eyes widened and she blinked.

“What?”

“Do I have to repeat myself?”

Scarlett swallowed, her eyes flicking between my lap and my eyes. I waited, knowing she would eventually do the right thing.

“Why?”

I didn’t expect her to talk back. Scarlett had been a fiery little thing when she’d been a teenager, but every time we’d interacted now she was an adult, she’d deferred to me. It gave me a sick thrill to see the old Scarlett remained somewhere inside her. I wanted to rip it out of her. Have her disobey me only to punish her for it.

“My patience is wearing thin. Sit down.”

There was a moment’s hesitation before she finally conceded and perched herself on my lap as far away from me as she could possibly get. Her small act of defiance made me want to smile, but I refrained, keeping my face void of expression. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at me, waiting for me to speak.

My hand flicked up and I caught her chin, tugging her face closer to mine.

“You’ve been awfully quiet these past two days.”

“You kept me busy,” she retorted.

“Don’t talk back to me, Scarlett, you won’t like the consequences if you do it again.”

Her mouth snapped shut and thinned. The woman was walking a fine line with me as it was. My free hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her body closer, seating her more firmly in my lap. She put her hands out to steady herself, her two palms landing on my chest. The touch had me gritting my teeth. This woman would be the fucking death of me if I wasn’t careful. I itched to run my hands over her body, underneath her clothes to feel that soft skin. To make her scream.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to answer my questions with complete honesty. If you lie to me, I’ll know. If you hide anything from me, I’ll know.” I gripped her chin harder and ran my thumb over her still swollen bottom lip. “I won’t hesitate to deal with you in a manner I see fit if you decide to keep anything from me. I don’t like liars. They meet with the rough end of my form of justice.” My thumb slipped between her lips, stroking across the tip of her tongue. “Am I making myself understood?”

She nodded.

“I’m going to need verbal confirmation.”

“Yes, Drake.”

My chest tightened.

“Oh no, you don’t get to use my name when we’re alone. Not any longer.”

“What should I call you?” she whispered, her body trembling in my hold.

“I think you know.”

She swallowed and as she did, her tongue brushed over my thumb again as I hadn’t removed it from her lip.

“Yes… sir.”

Keeping my cool with her words took a considerable effort. It fed the darkest parts of me, taunting them to come out and play with her.

“Why is your lip swollen?”

Her eyes grew conflicted, but I didn’t allow her to respond.

“And what did you do to Prescott yesterday?”

“What makes you think I did something to him?”

Pulling my thumb from her mouth, I tightened my grip on her face further. She winced, but I didn’t care. She needed to learn a lesson.

“What did I just tell you?”

“Not to talk back to you.”

The challenge in her eyes was like lighting the fuse to the detonation button on my temper. My fingers dug into her waist, the only sign of how her words affected me.

Breathe. Stay calm. Do not allow her to rattle you.

Having her in my lap didn’t help matters at all. Her pert behind was far too close to my dick. Fuck. I wanted to rip her skirt off and plunge inside her. Punish her with cock so she’d know her damn place.

“This is not a game, nor will you like it if you continue to push me.”

She pursed her lips. Fuck me. Had the others encountered her attitude? It shouldn’t surprise me. Scarlett had never been one to let anyone walk all over her. She was strong as fuck. Our equal in every sense of the word. And yet, I wanted to fuck that attitude out of her so damn bad, I could barely think straight.

“Francis kissed me.”

I raised my eyebrow.

“Just now?”

“Yes. He brought me tea, we talked and… I may have asked him to kiss me in a roundabout way.”

I rubbed her bottom lip again.

“Why did you want him to kiss you?”

Her cheeks flushed in the most adorable fucking way.

“I wanted to experience a kiss. Prescott—”

She looked away, closing her mouth.

“Prescott what, Scarlett?”

“He didn’t kiss me yesterday,” she whispered, still not meeting my eyes.

I had a feeling the reason Prescott was quiet had something to do with her. Getting answers out of him was like pulling teeth. Better to go to the more pliable source. Scarlett would tell me what happened if I pushed her hard enough.

“Explain.”

Her eyes flicked back to mine and there was resignation in them.

“I asked him to tell me why you took me on Friday and who did what to me, and in exchange he made me…”

She nibbled on her lip.

“He made you do what?”

“Let him do what he wanted.”

I wanted to shake my head. For a girl who’d demanded she get fucked and filled with cum on Friday night, she was rather reticent now. And the fact she’d gone to Prescott for information concerned me. Why would she think she could manipulate him in that way? What exactly had he told her about Friday?

“And what was that?”

“To… to…”

“Did he want to fuck you, Scarlett?”

The way her pupil’s dilated told me exactly what I needed to know. She was remembering what he’d done. And what we’d done to her too.

“Yes… and I let him.”

“And what did he tell you afterwards?”

She took a breath.

“That you all wanted me… that I’m your possession… that you own me.”

“Is that all?”

“Well, he told me who did what to me on Friday, but yes, that’s it.”

Typical. Prescott lured her into thinking he’d tell her the truth of why we decided to fuck with her head. She had no clue and it would stay that way for now. Scarlett didn’t remember who we were. When she did find out, there would be hell to pay.

“Did you like it?”

“Like what?”

I drew her closer to me.

“The way he fucked you.”

A shiver ran through her.

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you want him to do it again?”

She nodded as I loosened my grip on her chin, caressing her skin with my fingertips. I almost smiled. She could hide her real intentions for being here, but she couldn’t hide her desire. It was written all over her face.

“Do you want to get fucked by all of us again?”

Her lips parted with her breath.

“Answer the question.”

She fidgeted in my lap. It didn’t help with the need to fuck her into next week lacing my body. If she moved any closer, she’d be right on top of my dick. Then I’d have no self-control left. I’d force her down on my desk and make her scream so loud, it would carry down the hallway.

“Yes, sir,” she murmured.

I needed her off my lap and as far away from me as possible. I was so close to calling the rest of them in here, making Francis tie her down on my desk and for us to use her until she was crying and begging for it to end.

“Go back to work, Scarlett.”

I released her. She blinked and the disappointment flooding her features gave me so much fucking satisfaction. She would have to wait because she sure as fuck did not deserve a reward right now. Her attitude would need an adjustment first.

“Now.”

There was no more hesitation. She jumped off my lap and walked away. I turned back to my computer, but it didn’t stop me from watching her leave. At the door, she glanced back at me, confusion spreading across her features. Probably wondering why I demanded answers from her before sending her away with nothing to show for it. Well, other than her likely drenched knickers. There had been no mistaking the desire and arousal flickering in the depths of her irises, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

When she left, I let myself smile and adjusted my cock. Our plan to mess with her head was working perfectly… even if it was giving me a fucking headache in the process. No matter how I wanted to use her little wisp of a body for my pleasure, I wouldn’t. Not yet. Not until she proved herself worthy of such a fucking privilege. And she would… eventually. Because that girl was nothing if not resourceful. After all, she’d come here to battle against the four of us. It took a special sort of woman to have the balls to take on the so-called Four Horsemen. And Scarlett was the only girl in this entire world who could match us blow for fucking blow.