Bitter Vows (Crimson Falls 1)

My brother is clever.

And I’m fucking fuming.

“Isaac, go to the office and let Kahn know we’ve fucked up once again. Tell him I want this sorted. I want the whole team, not just two fucking imbeciles on the case. Darius needs to be found, and he needs to be found right fucking now.”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Shaw,” Isaac says as he quickly packs his laptop and tracing device away. The moment he’s gone, I crack the knuckles of both my hands to stay calm, but the thought of my brother evading me once more only seems to make me angrier.

I spin around, facing the two ex-soldiers who are standing in my office. “This is why I asked you to keep tabs on him. How the fuck does he keep disappearing?” My fist slams against the wooden top of my desk, the thud loud and resounding in the office space. Anger surges through me as my men stand before me, shaking in their fucking combat boots.

“Sir,” one of them says. He’s been with us for a few months, and Kahn swore he’s good. They knew each other while serving, but I’m not impressed with the bullshit they’ve fed me. The excuse is that they had taken a wrong turn, and the car Darius was in sped off in another direction. It’s amateur, and I’ll be talking to Kahn about it. “We fucked up, I understand, but we do have a location. We know he hasn’t left the vicinity—”

I pin him with a glare which shuts him up quickly. “And how would you fucking know that?”

“The second team that was tagging him has scoured the roads. They picked up the SUV he’s been driving.” My rage eases slightly. Having my brother close by is dangerous because we’re both volatile around each other.

“Then go back out there and find the fucker!”

They don’t respond. Their answer is feet shuffling quickly out my office door. When I glance at the exit, I notice a pretty redhead staring at me with wide eyes. Last night, I took her once, and the second time, I tried to be gentle, but with those nails scraping down my back, I fucked her hard, and I’m certain she’s still feeling the aftereffects.

“Come here,” I command, allowing the anger to slowly dissipate because the sight of my soon-to-be wife walking toward me barefoot and dressed only in my shirt makes my dick take notice, and my mind focuses on her instead of the fuck up of my men.

“You sound angry,” Scarlett observes, her gaze raking over my creased shirt and my slacks. I quickly pulled on this morning when Kahn called. When she reaches me, her hands cup my face, her thumbs circling my stubbled jaw. I had no time to shave this morning because I was too wrapped up in her naked body.

“I am. I was.”

She tips her head to the side, her pretty lashes fluttering along her cheeks as she whispers her question. “Why?”

“My brother has evaded the tail I put on him.”

“What is it about you two?” she questions, genuine curiosity dancing in her eyes as she watches my reaction, which is more than a wince, perhaps a grimace at the idea of retelling the story about my brother.

“Go and get dressed. I want to take you to Heaven,” I tell her, ignoring the question but rather craving to have her in my club, in my private room where I can dominate her until I’ve had my fill.

Her mouth pops open as if she’s about to ask why, but I pin her with a look that says don’t ask questions. She moves effortlessly from my office, and I quickly tap out a message to Kahn to ensure it’s all set up for when we arrive. Tonight, my little red will learn more about her future husband and just how he enjoys his games.

30

Scarlett

When we walk into the club, the breath is knocked from my lungs. The dark yet decadent interior is drenched in pure elegance. This is not what I expected when Lycan told me it’s a club where people come to act out their most salacious fantasies.

Black and silver.

Deep tones of red and purple.

Low lights that only offer hints of depravity.

My first impression of Heaven is that its name suits the club. Everything drips with lush opulence. Even though I imagined it being more of a dungeon, a play on the idea of heaven, it’s not. The black leather sofas that line the circumference of the club look soft and inviting. The bar is steel and wood, giving off the allure of luxury. Women and men fill the dimly lit space, some on their knees, others on stage. A scene playing out at the moment is of a woman bent over and bound, the man behind her spanking her with a wooden paddle.