Revealing the Monster by Amelia Hutchins
Chapter Ten
When the monsters come out to play, you can either accept it or fight them. My monsters are planning to destroy me, and I came to play. ~Lena
It took a little over twenty-four hours of scanning the files that Alden had given us before I tossed them aside, frowning. I’d learned several things, but none of them did us any damn good. Turning at the sound of the bathroom door opening, I let my gaze slide down Lucian’s body with a wicked smirk dancing in my eyes.
Runes and tattoos of skulls covered his abs, along with both arms. His hands worked the button of the expensive Italian suit he was wearing tonight as he strolled into the room. Muscles rippled with every small action he made, causing his pecs to pulse and the light to catch on the barbells in his nipples.
Standing, I moved toward him as if drawn to him by an invisible thread. His midnight-blue gaze sparkled with laughter, narrowing on me when I stopped in front of him. Running my hand down his stomach, I feasted my eyes on the trail they took down the masculine contours of his perfectly ripped body.
I touched my lips to his chest, kissing just above the heart that held me beneath its thrall. This monster was mine, and I’d never expected to love him this much. But what I felt for him wasn’t just love; it was a soul-deep connection that ran deeper than anything I’d ever felt before.
“You find anything in the files?” he asked, his hand resting over mine.
“Only that the assumption is I am the key to you and Abaddon. Oh, and I am also the key to Hell, which is why it was fractured when I entered it. One key fits all doors. What in the hell were you guys thinking?” I leaned forward to kiss his chest again, inhaling his masculine scent of sandalwood, musk, and amber. “Is it bad that I want to stay inside this room tonight and just fuck you all night?” I asked, glancing up to find him smiling down at me.
“When the seal was created, its makers assumed it wouldn’t evolve, and no one would be stupid enough to fuck around with me. And to answer your second question, if it wasn’t opening night, you’d be tied to my bed, being railed into the mattress for that little taunt you did when I took you on the hood of that car you love so much.”
“I do love that car,” I teased, smirking up at the twinge of jealousy in his tone. I’d told him that I wasn’t sure which made my pussy clench harder, him or the car where he was destroying me. “But I also liked it more with you fucking me in the middle of nowhere. You, nature, and that god damned Bugatti Chevron. Mmm, I’m getting wet just thinking about your car again.”
“Imp, behave. I’d hate for you to be too sore to manage your first night as the Mistress of Chaos. What would our guests think if you arrived with me dripping out of that tight pussy, unable to walk right?” he growled huskily.
“That you showed me who I belonged to before releasing me into the crowd? I look better with your hands around my throat, and we both know it.”
“Tempting, woman,” Lucian murmured, leaning down to brush his lips against mine in a feather-soft kiss. “Get showered, and get your tight ass into something sexy. The club will be busy tonight. The line is already around the building, and it’s open to anyone brave enough to tread through demons to get here. Lucifer may try to reach you tonight. So remain vigilant, and I hope you didn’t screw up the lower level with your hostile takeover.”
“I needed something to keep my mind off other things, Lucian. You told me to put my mark on this place, so I did.”
He made a strangled sound deep in his throat, shaking his head. I didn’t move, knowing he was leaving the room after he’d finished dressing in his suit. I’d hoped to find the answers to our mating issues in the files, but nothing was documented about the furies ever claiming a mate.
“What happens if we break the bond and not the mating link?” Lucian’s shoulders dropped before he turned, eyeing me. He smoothed his hands over his crisp, white shirt that was striking against his bronze flesh. Silently holding my stare, he fixed the cuffs before pulling on the black suit jacket.
“We don’t know, Lena. I haven’t found anything that says the furies ever mated to another being. You claimed me and used the furies to achieve what you wanted. They don’t love or feel that emotion on any level; it’s new for them. You still hold human emotions because I forced the furies to free that part of you.”
“Yeah, I get that feeling when I say something is bad, and they freak out. They enjoy bloodshed and making me ravenous to use you in very bad ways. I also hate that in claiming you, I claimed Spyder. I need to make this right.”
“You’re an enigma to us,” Cupping my cheek, he leaned over and kissed my forehead before striding toward the door. He paused, turning to smirk at me. “I do hope you know what you’re asking of me. I won’t share you again. Not even with Spyder, Magdalena. You’re mine, and you have been since the moment I saw you staring up at the moon, looking so fucking lost that it awoke something within me I didn’t understand. I do now. You were created for me and only me. I’m not a hero, and you know that. You’re not the type of girl who wants a hero. You needed a villain who will destroy worlds for you. Girls like you are a rare breed that needs a monster to play with, revealing the monster within themselves.” Turning the doorknob, Lucian stepped over the threshold and smiled back at me. “I’ll see you out there, gorgeous. This better be some show you’re putting on tonight. My reputation is on the line here.”
“Trust me,” I said softly, smiling with the knowledge of what I’d set up for his opening night.
Was I nervous about running his sex club? Hell yes, but I’d looked at it from a woman’s perspective and then had help from some pretty knowledgeable people on what immortals liked. I had an entire team of dancers specializing in pleasure, and I’d reinforced the plan to shed all inhibitions and let my inner deviant out to play tonight.
I showered quickly, putting my hair into one thick braid that Lucian preferred during our sessions, controlling me inside our bedroom. Sitting in front of the vanity, I slid the thigh-high stockings up my legs, smiling at how they looked with the skull lace tops. Standing, I fixed the layers of lace that crisscrossed over my lower back and hips. The panties I pulled on over my hose were midnight colored, with muted colored skulls on the satin.
My heels were four-inch platforms, making my legs look longer and me taller. I’d need it tonight more than I would have if I’d been sitting on the sidelines, watching. Slipping my dress on, I smirked impishly. I adjusted the top that was all lace, minus the space over both nipples, which had a delicate pattern. Pulling the ruffled skirt down over my rear, I spun around to take in my reflection before adding makeup.
It was a daring outfit, but I’d promised Lucian I’d shed the human part of myself tonight while maintaining the image of still being one. He was pushing me to be a part of his world, and I wanted it with everything within me. I desired to fit in somewhere, and I no longer felt at home here.
I felt needed with Lucian—wanted.
He gave me a blanket of protection that I hadn’t realized was missing until he’d wrapped me up in it. The man was an enigma, or more to the point, he wasn’t even a man. I still could hardly whisper what he was inside my head without shuddering. How many women could say they belonged to something like him, like one hundred percent belonged to him, heart and soul?
We’d created life together; even though we’d lost it, it was ours. We’d made a being, and he’d been such a beautiful thing. My heart clenched, forcing me to dismiss the direction my thoughts were heading before I went too deeply into the depression that came with those memories.
Tonight was about discarding that part of me and taking control of who I had become. I’d become his monster, sleeping with the biggest and baddest being in the universe, and I’d played with his monster too and won. I was Lena freaking Fitzgerald, daughter of the witches this world failed to burn, who were admittedly all dead, minus a few. Frowning, I released the air in my lungs as the thought deflated my ego.
Peering into the mirror, I noticed my blackened eyes, and my spine itched at the reminder of what I was now. I wasn’t a witch any longer. I was a fury, protector to gates and worlds. I was a mythical creature created by a Prince of Hell. I couldn’t afford to look weak anymore or allow anyone to sense weakness within me. They wouldn’t hesitate to use those things against us.
My eyes flicked to the clock before I grabbed the bracelet with the tracker embedded into the trinket, slipping it on as I exited the room. Devlin leaned against the far wall, smiling at me as his soft whiskey gaze slid over my outfit. He snorted, shaking his head while Bane grunted his agreement.
“Poor prick,” Bane stated, unfolding his massive frame to push off the wall.
“Poor us,” Layton argued, his sparkling eyes filling with laughter. “Damn, woman. You plan to start a riot in the club with that get-up?”
“He stuck you guys on babysitting duty, didn’t he?” I exhaled, shaking my head while mentally starting a list of things that could go wrong with Lucian’s men encircling me all night. “Remember, tonight is important to me, too. I am proving my place here among you.”
“Your place is on his dick, and it’s secured. He adores you, little fury.” Devlin stepped closer, holding his elbow out for me to take. “We’re only escorting you to the lower level. You’re on your own once we get inside. Lucian vetted that guest list harder than he’s ever scoured through one before. He only invited trusted clientele and acquaintances to that level of the club tonight.”
I bristled at that news, even though I had expected it. Not everyone had the Devil stalking them, trying to make them into his newest slave. Lucifer hadn’t attempted to reach me beyond pulling me to him during stasis, which was strange, but he was terrified of Lucian and Spyder. Eventually, he would get tired of playing with me.
We entered the main club, and I peered up at the staircase leading to Lucian’s office, remembering the time I’d spent there. We’d wrecked it several times, yet every time I’d gone there, it was in pristine condition. The man loved organization and cleanliness. How he’d fallen for the hot mess express that I was, was a mystery.
Not bothering to waste time, I headed down the stairs that led into the darker side of his club. Entering, the staff stood at attention, watching me for any sign of weakness. The men that had acted as my shadows scattered, leaving me on my own.
“Danika, Amber, and Jasmine, with me,” I ordered, turning to look up at the window where I could feel Lucian staring at me, even through the darkened glass. How many times had that man fucked me against it, forcing me to think that the club below could see him railing me from behind? How many times had I come for him getting off on it and never told him? He had no idea of the monster he’d created, but he would soon enough.
The girls fell into step with me as we approached the bar. I nodded at Morris, the bartender, who was shirtless with barbells in his nipples, glinting as they caught the light above. Devlin sat on a barstool, his eyes raised to the window, making me wonder if Lucian’s men could see through it, whereas other creatures couldn’t.
“Morris, you procured the herbs, whiskey, and aphrodisiacs I requested for tonight, right?” I asked the moment I’d reached him.
“Yes, ma’am. There’s enough for three hundred people. Question though, isn’t the room limited to only one hundred guests?” he pried, scrutinizing me before flicking his gaze up to the window.
“It is, but most of our clients are immortals, and they’ll need more than the humans we’re supplying to whet their appetite before they head into the other rooms of the club. Are the girls ready for the stage, Danika?”
“Yes, Mistress. They’re in the uniforms you acquired, and I have instructed the men joining them on what to do for the show.”
“Servers are prepared as well?” I asked, directing the question to Amber.
“We’re ready, and they’re dressed to serve those who require their specific service. Some are clothed to indicate they’re off-limits, and the others who are open to being the entertainment are wearing the colors corresponding to their agreed-upon uses. We are distributing the menu to the one hundred guests allowed inside. As long as they follow the menu chart, they shouldn’t have an issue finding willing participants for the night. Men and women alike are wearing similar outfits so that all appetites are available to be satisfied.”
“And the others? The swings and poles are all set?” I asked, watching as Jasmine smirked.
“Dancers are at the ready below, as well as above. The ones for the bar are in costume and will enter after the guests arrive. The ones wearing body paint are receiving finishing touches, but they’ll be done in time for the doors to open.”
“Good, that’s good, everyone. Miller, help Morris prepare the trays, so the girls need only to carry them to tables when it is time. Let’s kill the lights and double-check that each of the sequences is prepared for the shows. Tonight needs to go off without a hitch, and the protective measures I’ve added need to work. It will prevent our girls from being abused or accidentally taken to feed the wrong clientele. Lucian is entrusting us to run the show, and I don’t intend to let him down.”
Tapping the bar, I watched Morris pour the amber whiskey into the glass before he pushed it to where my fingers sat. My eyes slowly flicked to the double-sided window of Lucian’s office, finding him visible as he studied me. I held up my glass to him, and he lifted his in return before we both downed our drinks together.
Setting the glass onto the bar, I nodded. “It’s perfectly aged and exactly what I wanted for tonight. Good job choosing it, Morris.”
“Thank you, Mistress,” He smirked as he glanced toward Lucian, causing my eyes to narrow on the way he watched him.
“Lucian helped you choose, didn’t he?” I asked pointedly, noting the color was draining from Morris’s face. “It’s okay. I’m not going to punish you. Next time, you listen to me. This is now my portion of the club, and every little thing will be what I expect of you. If not, I will ask him to claim your fucking soul or withhold my pussy until he does. Do you understand me, Morris?”
He blanched, knowing I wasn’t human either. In fact, the entire staff had watched me walk through the club covered in demon entrails with my wings out more than once in the last week alone. Morris didn’t answer, choosing to look at Lucian for help. My eyes slid to black, and darkness spread over my face as the furies peered out at what had offended me. Sliding my gaze to Lucian, his lips jerked into a devilish smile that made my back itch to free my wings.
I refused to fail his test, which would undo everything I’d planned for tonight. I’d spent hours on my knees, learning to serve his stuffy ass while controlling the furies within me. I was literally the worst submissive in the history of them, but I’d learned from Lucian. I could withstand an orgasm for hours, and while I didn’t come on demand, which was one of the stupidest things a man could think he controlled, I still tried!
The lights dimmed, forcing my attention to where each lighting sequence was tested with satisfactory results. Smiling in triumph, I nodded toward Lucian’s men guarding the staircase. All the lights went off as my heart thundered in my chest.
I stepped back as the lights above the tables turned on, allowing the clients to find their seats. It was showtime, and I had something to prove to the master. Everyone here called Lucian, The Master of Chaos, and I was his mistress.
