Wicked Games by Jarica James
Otsana
When we got back to the estate, Keir made a beeline for our rooms. But I’d had enough excitement and instead headed for the kitchen. Angelina always left treats on the counter and I would literally kill for a cookie or something chocolate right about now.
“There you are,” Dani said as she took a bite of the last cookie on the platter. I glared, but my asshole cousin smirked and shoved the whole thing in.
“I’ve killed for less,” I muttered, heading for the pantry instead.
“You love me,” she said, but it was muted by the giant bite she was chewing. I poked my head out and raised an eyebrow.
“Classy. Should I take a pic for Helena?” She finished her bite and laughed.
“No. How was being babysat?” My gaze darkened at her question and she chuckled. “Well if it’s any consolation they’ll be busy dealing with things. I heard Ky and Kill yelling about traitors. Come with me and Helena to the club?”
“Tempting. But they’d never let me hear the end of it. Last time I went out without them I got kidnapped.”
“You’ll be with us at their club, Sana. Damn, I didn’t think you were this dick whipped.”
“Not dick whipped, just respecting their wishes,” I bit out. Giving up on the hunt for snacks, I went back out and leaned against the counter. “Plus, I’d have to go in there to get ready. They’d know and try to come and honestly, I need to breathe tonight.” I felt like I was suffocating with all the restrictions. I didn’t move all the way out here and risk Eros’ anger just to be stuck obeying the men. Sure, with them I was working up to being an equal and it was out of actual love, but it still felt oppressive.
“And just imagine the sex after. Hate fucks do the body good sometimes,” she countered. “Come on, I have a dress, believe it or not.”
I didn’t protest again as she walked away, leading me to her room. She disappeared into the closet and came out with a little black dress. The neckline was plunging, with a single strap holding the two sides together just below where my boobs would hit. It was a silky material and the straps were halter style. And somehow it fit me perfectly. Dani made quick work of my makeup before practically pulling me outside.
“Come on, she’ll be here any minute.”
“Sure, call me dick whipped, but you’re pussy whipped,” I teased as we went to the front door. The guys were still out of sight, so I took that as a sign.
Helena pulled up just as we stepped out, her cherry red SUV shining in the streetlights. We glanced back at the house before diving in. I wasn’t crazy enough to give the guys nothing, so I posed for a picture as soon as we were on our way. I pulled up the group chat and threw it in with a quick message.
Me:If you want to rip this off of me, I’ll be at the club for the night. I need some fresh air.
Keir:No.
Killian: Tonight is not the night.
Ky:Are you alone?
Me: No, I’m with Helena and Dani. And we’re going to your club. I survived a long time before you, so just let me breathe.
Keir: You have one hour, then I’m coming down there and fucking you right in the middle of the club.
Me:Looking forward to it.
Smirking to myself, I tucked my phone away in my bra. There was whiskey and music calling my name and I was going to enjoy every moment before the guys came to ruin the fun. Or bring the fun, I suppose.
Helena parked in the back lot before leading us through the entrance Killian carried me through when we reunited. This time though, it smelled like cigarettes, and the pulse of the music filled the air, even if it was muted by the employee door.
The club was packed, the music near deafening as soon as we opened the door and walked out to the main floor. It also jumped by at least twenty degrees and I was glad for the thin material of my borrowed dress.
“We’re going to dance,” Dani told me before they disappeared into the crowd. I wasn’t afraid to be alone, so I went to the bar. The bartender seemed to recognize me and at this point I didn’t even question the nod of respect.
“What can I get you, ma’am?”
“Double shot of whiskey.”
“Family drinks for free,” she said, waving off my offered money before making the drink. I didn’t miss the fact that it was high end whiskey she grabbed from the top shelf. I knocked it back as soon as she slid it over, the fiery liquid burning as it went down my throat. The warmth in my stomach helped ground me as I signaled for another. I slid onto the barstool, nursing the second one and crowd watching. Dani and Helena were grinding together and I didn’t want to interrupt, so I just enjoyed the atmosphere for now.
“You come here often?” The voice had me turning to my left, a man smirking at me with a smarmy grin.
“Well, seeing as how my boyfriends own it, yes,” I countered, sipping my drink and turning back to watch the dance floor. Apparently saying boyfriends wasn’t enough of a fucking hint, because he shifted even closer.
“Boyfriends? It seems they aren’t around,” he said, leaning in and nibbling on my ear. Disgust nearly overwhelmed me and I stepped away. I didn't say anything, drinking down the rest of my whiskey first. I nodded to the bartender who cleared the area before spinning to face him. He leaned back at first, a sly smirk on his face. When I didn’t protest or lash out, he leaned forward to whisper into my ear. His breath blew across my face, a mix of acrid garbage and booze and it took everything in me not to punch him.
He started mumbling what he considered dirty talk. But I was done with him, slamming my hand into his throat, knocking him backward and pinning him to the bar.
“It’s not my boyfriends you have to worry about. Touch me again and I’ll cut off your dick and feed it to you,” I said. To drive my point home, I slammed my hand against his crotch and squeezed until he screamed in pain. When I released him, I walked out to the dance floor, no longer caring if they wanted alone time. If she didn't want me around, she wouldn’t have invited me.
Dani smirked when she saw me. “Causing trouble already, Sana?” Helena laughed, glancing behind me to see the man curled up on the ground. People were surrounding him, ignoring him like he was just another drunk passing out on the floor.
“He’s lucky it was just me,” I grumbled.
“And he’s dealt with. So, dance time,” Helena announced, taking both of our hands and lifting them, rocking her hips to the beat. Needing the distraction, I followed her lead and let the music take over.
The mood in the room shifted in the blink of an eye, the music ending with a screech as gunshots rang out. The screams and push of the crowd nearly knocked us off our feet, but Helena was clutching our hands so tightly it helped us to stay upright.
“Come on, back entrance,” I hissed.
“No,” Dani said, tugging us away. There was smoke billowing out from under the door, which meant everyone was trapped inside. Someone had clearly started a fire in the entry hall, but I couldn’t see enough to figure out what it was for sure.
“Sana!” Mattias’ voice called down from VIP. He waved us up while trying not to be seen behind the partition.
“Come on,” I hissed, yanking them forward as another round of gunfire went off. I refused to think about how many were getting killed in the shootout and instead tried to keep my cousin and her lover alive.
The moment we started to climb the stairs, the gunshots became more pointed, ricocheting off the metal railing as we ducked down and tried to get out of sight. As soon as I reached the top, I dove behind the couches where Mattias was waiting.
“I’ve called the bosses, but I was instructed to keep you safe, let’s go,” he said, turning and heading back for the bar. I glanced back to make sure they heard, heart stopping as a man came up behind Helena. Reaching for my combat knife from my thigh harness, I tried to jump over Dani to stab him, but I was too late, the gunshot ringing out before the knife penetrated his neck. It missed me by an inch as I slipped in the blood covering my arm. We were a tangle of blood and limbs as I tried to make sure they were okay.
“No!” Dani’s scream was earth shattering, the agony lacing it slicing through my soul. Her face was pure agony and I didn’t even know what to do. I froze, unable to process the fact that she witnessed her girlfriend die right in front of her, the bullet going right into her skull and ending her in mere seconds. She had no chance to react, not even realizing what hit her. But it was an image I would remember for the rest of my life.
“Dani,” I whispered, reaching for her. But her face had gone cold, despite the tears racing down her cheeks.
“No, I have to go.” Her voice sounded hollow and I knew that Dani had checked out completely.
“Exit is behind the bar,” Mattias supplied. He swallowed hard, eyes glassy. I wasn’t sure what his relation was to her, to the Family, but from his own reflection of pain it was close enough to hurt.
“Let’s go, my queen,” he said, pulling me toward the exit with him. The last sound we heard before leaving the bar behind was the sound of exchanging gunfire, the Adrostos arriving to take control of their territory.
Oh god, what have I gotten Dani into?
* * *
Kyrell
The club was in shambles.Dead bodies lined the dance floor, more people trapped in like rats than had escaped. My anger was so intense it nearly left me breathless, the fact someone came on our doorstep and dared to do this had me ready to hunt down every Lach in existence… if it was only them. Now that Eros was involved, our usual enemy pool had increased.
It was easy to spot our enemies, the four men standing at the entrance with assault rifles, a dead giveaway. We didn't hesitate to fill them with holes, the sound of sirens approaching kept us moving forward, further into the club.
Inside, we found several gunmen waiting, the gunfire starting as soon as we made it through the door. Lunging behind the partition, I took a breath before leaning into view and opening fire, hitting two before ducking back to safety. One of my brothers took the next one, more bullets flying before Keir declared it safe.
“VIP,” I said, already having told Mattias to get Sana, Dani, and Helena the fuck out of here.
The carnage was sickening, there were so many bodies I couldn't count them all. Knowing Eros and the Lachs, this was likely a very purposeful massacre. I could already see the headlines, warning the city of gang violence, ruining the safety our empire has built up so far.
“No.” Killian’s pained whisper had both of us hurrying faster up the stairs, stopping at the sight of Helena lying in a pool of blood. Her lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling, a macabre grimace on her mouth. A man was next to her, the knife sticking out of his neck clearly Sana’s. I’d recognize her gold plated dagger anywhere.
“Fuck,” Keir said, crouching down to close her eyes. “I’m sorry, Helena.”
“Dani is going to raze the city,” I said with a sigh. “It’s what I would do.”
“If she hasn’t already started,” Keir countered, standing up and walking to the back exit. A trail of bloody footprints led the way, no time to move carefully to safety. I was feeling vulnerable after such an intimate attack, but we had to avoid letting it show. After all of the fucking low blows and setbacks we’d suffered lately, we didn’t need this.
Sana and Dani were nowhere in sight, which meant Mattias had taken them back to the estate. One of us would have to talk to the cops, but that fell on Killian this time, the club was in his name.
“Keep me updated,” he sighed, already knowing what it meant for him.
“We will,” Keir promised as we all headed for the front where we were parked. Killian went toward the entrance while Keir and I went for my car. He could call for a ride later.
The surprises seemed to keep rolling in, as we got home and found only Sana waiting on the porch. She was covered in blood and had clearly been crying, though anger had settled in too.
“Dani’s gone. She ran ahead of us and I haven’t seen her since. She didn’t take our car but she was long gone when we reached it. She won’t pick up her cell either.”
Her voice sounded broken and if we hadn’t already killed those at fault, I’d be out there hunting them down and filleting them like a piece of meat.
“We saw Helena,” Keir said softly, pulling Sana close and rocking her. “Dani just needs time. Trust us, losing someone you love is hard, and in this case, she’ll never get her back.”
Sana let out a choking sob and I growled at Keir’s lack of empathy. “Nice, brother.”
He shrugged, unapologetic. “What? It’s the truth. Dani needs space to sort through her shit, and until then, we have to keep on our game. We’ve got a nightclub shootout, dozens dead, traitors amongst us, and shipments going missing right and left.”
“He’s right,” Sana sniffled. “We’ve got an empire to keep and psychopaths to end. There’s no rest for the wicked.”