Titan (Dark Kings 1)

He slaps me across the face so hard it has my entire body whipping around, and I fall flat on my face. Pain explodes in my cheek, and my breath is taken away from the impact to the hard floor. My eyes sting, and my cheek throbs. I close my eyes, biting my lip to keep from making a sound when I want to scream from the pain.

He sighs heavily from above me.

I sit up and look down to my legs and notice my dress has ridden up. I grab the hem and shove it down quickly, trying to cover myself up.

His dark chuckle fills the large office.

The door opens, and my head whips up to see a woman about my age walk in with several pieces of paper in her hand. She doesn’t acknowledge me in any way. “Here are the papers for Miss Lee, sir.”

That’s my mom’s maiden name.

He takes them from her, saying nothing, and she leaves just as quickly as she entered.

He tosses one to the floor in front of me, and I pick it up. I read over it, and it’s a medical bill. Twenty-five thousand dollars and thirty cents. I swallow the lump that starts to suffocate me.

I look up to meet his eyes and they are on my legs. I try to push my dress down farther, but it’s pulled too tight. I stand. What if he forces me …?

“I’m not gonna rape you, Emilee,” he says as if reading my mind, and my breathing picks up.

Then his eyes run up my body, hovering on my chest before finally meeting mine. “No, you’re going to open those pretty legs of yours and allow me to fuck that pussy all on your own.”

My entire body goes rigid, and a coldness sets in my bones. His words sound so final as though my future is already decided. He knows he has me at a disadvantage. I don’t have the kind of money for my mom’s care, and I don’t have any way to make that much, that fast. And I won’t allow her to go without the best care money can buy.

It’s extortion. But what can I do? How do I prove that?

He picks up the scotch he poured and hands it to me, saying nothing.

I hold it in my hand and look at the amber liquid. It’s like he’s offering me a present. Something that can dull the pain, but it won’t be enough. I’m a cheap drunk, but I’m not a whore. I don’t sleep around. I don’t spread my legs for any guy who looks my way.

He reaches out, and I stiffen when I feel his hand on my thigh. I swallow the bile and spin around quickly to face him and throw the drink in his face. “I will not let you do this to me or my mother.”

“You little bitch.” He reaches for me, but I run for the door and yank it open, hitting him in the face. He falls onto his ass at the impact.

I run like hell down the hall.

“Emilee?” my father’s assistant calls out my name, but I ignore her as I take the emergency exit, not even bothering to wait for the elevator.

CHAPTER ONE

TITAN

I SIT BACK in my seat at our custom black stone conference table. A skull is carved out of the middle. Kingdom is written in gold letters at both ends of the table. I sit at one, Bones the other. The thick, black curtains pulled closed to keep the sun out of the room.

Bones looks down at his watch and lets out a growl. “Where the fuck is he?”

“Grave is always late.” I state the obvious.

Bones called an emergency meeting after we got the call about Nick York. All kinds of red flags have now gone up, and we need to discuss our next step.

Cross sits to my right, holding his Zippo in his hand. The sound of him flipping it open and then closing it is grating on my already short nerves. My headache still lingers like a one-night stand refusing to leave after I’m done with them.

“We’ll start without Grave.” Bones slaps the table.

“I say we kill George,” Cross announces, straight to business.

I shake my head. “Dead men can’t pay debts.”

“No, but with Nick and George both dead, we can take the company,” he counters.

I snort. “And exactly what are you going to do with it? You don’t have enough spare time as it is.”

“The company is not up for grabs,” Bones states. “Titan is correct about already being spread too thin. Plus, I don’t want the hassle.”

“I’m sure Nick has left it to Emilee. She would be more than willing to sell it to us.” Cross shrugs.

“How would you know what she would do?” I ask.

“Common sense. She doesn’t even live here. You think she’ll move back here to take it over?” He shakes his head.