Forbidden (Blood Ties Book 7)

“Helene King.”

The moment my name left my mouth I knew it was a mistake, one I could never go back from, and the impact was like a bomb.

“You’re…who?” Riven snarled, his dark eyes glittering with rage.

But I couldn’t stop. I was a runaway freight train, one fueled by terror and sheer fucking satisfaction. I pushed upward and snarled back. “That’s right, motherfucker. My real name is Helene King. You know, the same King your fucking leader has been hunting for the last goddamn decade. Well,” I pushed against his hold around my throat. “Here I am.”

My breaths were light and fast. My body was screaming at me to fight or run. But I couldn’t run, not now…not when I was so far in. That left my only option to fight, and fight I could…the only way I knew how. Dirty.

Riven’s grip eased around my throat as he jerked a glare at Kane. “Did you know about this?”

The doctor’s eyes were filled with fear. “No.”

Riven released his hold, his brother now his sole focus. “Are you sure about that? Something like this would come under doctor-client privilege.”

You’ve got to be kidding, right? I unleashed a hard bark of laughter. “Somehow I doubt any of you ruthless fucking bastards would think twice about any goddamn oath you took.” I glared at The Priest. “Including one made to God. So no, Kane didn’t know, because I never told him.”

Riven swivelled his focus back to me. “So why tell us now?”

I jutted my chin in the air. “Because right now, you have as much to lose as I do.” I jerked my head toward the connecting doors. “Those men out there are my enemy, not you, not anymore, at least. Nor am I yours. We can work together.”

“Work together?” He lashed out to grasp my throat once more. “I don’t work with my food.”

Rage burned inside me and if I was honest…desire. How could someone so vile be so fucking hot? “Is that all I am to you?”

His lips curled as he searched my eyes. Still, I saw the truth, even if he was too gutless to admit it. I saw it in the way he looked at me, especially when his brother looked at me the same way. He was so fucking jealous he couldn’t think straight.

The edge of his lip curled before he rose. “What makes you think I won’t kill you?”

“I could ask the same,” I murmured. “After all, I’ve had plenty of opportunities. If you remember.”

The deep scowl came. Stars ignited. There it was…that understanding.

“You planned this?”

I smiled, for a second at least. Until he clenched his grip, cutting off my air. Panic plunged deep inside. I kicked and thrashed before he let go, and instead, gripped my mouth. I gasped, spluttering, trying to tear my head away as he shoved his thumb into my mouth, forcing my jaw to open.

He leaned down. “You think this is going to give you the upper hand? This changes nothing between us. If anything, it makes you fair game.”

Movement came from behind him. Riven’s cruel grip held me still. I couldn’t track Thomas as he shuffled toward a cupboard.

“Are you ready for that, Helene King?” Riven asked.

I jerked my gaze to Riven’s as he reached behind him. Steel shone as he grabbed my wrist and slapped a cuff tight.

No!

“What the fuck?” I yanked from his hold.

All three moved in like predators cornering their next kill. Riven yanked the cuff, pulling me forward. “Kane, cuff her to the heater until we decide what to do with her.”

I lunged, swinging my fist, aiming right for the bastard’s cock. I didn’t get there. Riven grabbed my wrist, stopping my blow. “Careful with this one.” He stared into my eyes. “She’s trouble.”

Kane grasped the cuff his brother held. “Think about what you’re doing here,” he started with that low, dulcet tone that lulled me. “We knock you out and you’ll be helpless. You don’t want that, do you?”

I fixed my focus on him.

And gave in.

They’d won…and they knew they had.

My ass slid from the sofa as I was pulled to the far wall of the apartment.

“Sit,” Kane urged.

I looked at the heater.

“It’s not on, don’t worry. You won’t be burned.”

Hate filled me as I glared at him and reached out with my other hand, touching the cold steel. He dragged me toward the floor, feeding the other end of the cuff behind the pipe sticking out of the wall and grasped my free hand, cuffing it on the other side.

“You don’t have to do this,” I urged. “I’m on your side.”

He gave a chilling smile as he rose. “Somehow, Helene, I doubt that.”

I yanked the cuff as he rose. “Give me a chance to prove it.”

He glanced at the steel as it bit against my wrist. “This is us giving you a chance.”

Riven and The Priest stepped closer until all three stood in front of me.

“We need to keep her quiet.” Riven’s deadly gaze moved down my body. “Every day and all night long.”

“She stays with me,” Thomas muttered, that same chilling stare fixed on me. “When you leave.”

My body reacted.

Tightening, warming.

“You wanted this, right, Helene?” Riven dropped his hand and unbuckled his belt. “We’re about to see how much.”

“Fuck you,” I whispered, meeting that stare.

He just smiled. Still my pulse skipped as he unbuttoned his trousers and sank to his knees. “I think you prefer me to do the fucking.” He gripped my legs and gave a yank, wrenching my ass along the floor until my arms yanked backwards and I dropped. “In fact, if I remember correctly, you fucking loved it.”

He ran his hands along the outside of my thighs, then reached for the button of my jeans. “Tell me, what was your plan here? Invade our lives, seduce us enough to what? Use us? Was that the plan?”

He licked his lips as he looked down at me helpless underneath him, my arms stretched over my head, the angle jutting my breasts hard against the fabric of my shirt. I didn’t need to look to see how hard he was at the sight. He looked so fucking desperate.

Panic surged inside me, making me thrash under him.

His voice was husky when he spoke. “Was that it? You thought you were the one using us?” He flinched a second before he lunged forward and grasped my jaw with his cruel hands as he stared into my eyes. “I wonder if it was part of your plan to enjoy it?”

Fuck you!

I clenched my shackled fists, bucking as I tried to tear my gaze from his. I would not let him get under my skin…I would not let him get under my skin.

“Those sounds you made when I fucked you were too genuine to be fake.” He gripped me harder and yanked my legs apart as he pushed himself between them. “And you hate yourself for it, don’t you?”

“GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” Rage seethed as he grabbed the top of my jeans and stopped.

“All you have to do is say the word and this can all stop,” he said carefully.

I gasped, sucking in hard breaths, and stopped fighting. He was testing me, pushing me to what? Buckle under the pressure and give them everything they wanted? They’d use me. That’s what men like Riven did. They exploited and used, then hung you out to dry.

I said nothing as he waited, then slowly slid the zipper of my jeans down.

“Last chance, Helene.” He gripped my ass and lifted, tugging my jeans off to mid-thigh. “Say the word and this all stops.”

“So you can hang me out to dry?”

That cold smirk was callous. “Now why would we do something like that?”

I flinched. I didn’t trust him. I glanced at the others. I didn’t trust any of them.

Only, they’d protected me, hadn’t they?

My jeans slid out from under me and my panties were pulled off. Heat rushed to my cheeks when I met The Priest’s stare as Riven pulled one boot free, then the other.

In the space of a heartbeat, my jeans were gone, leaving me on the cold tiled floor. Panic filled me…the kind that made me freeze.

He saw.

Staring down at me.

He saw.

His hands stilled. That smirk faded instantly.

“Say the words, Helene.” His gaze drifted over my scars. “Tell me to stop.”

Come home, Helene. Vivienne’s words resounded in my head. She was why I was here. Without them, I had nothing. I licked dry lips and whispered, “Not on your fucking life.”

There was a quirk in the corner of his mouth. His thumb brushed along a scar on my thigh, drawing his gaze. He fixed on that scar before those dark eyes shifted higher. I swallowed hard as realization dawned in his stare. His scowl cut deeper, moving upwards to the tiny white lines I’d done to myself, then the thick, pink raised scar the bomb had left behind.

“King,” he whispered, and licked his lips. “The same King that bombed the building. The same King that took out five of my men to get Ryth Castlemaine and her father free.”

A cold shiver raced through me.

He lifted that dangerous stare to mine, then he slowly pulled away and pushed to stand.

I said nothing, just watched as he turned and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Kane barked.

But Riven didn’t answer, just zipped and buttoned his pants once more, then shoved through the connecting door and disappeared.

“What the hell just happened?” Kane turned back to me.

I wanted to answer, but that icy grip inside me clenched tight, choking the words in the back of my throat. I should’ve known this was dangerous. Should’ve known telling them the truth was placing my life in the palms of their hands.

Only, without it, my life was forfeit anyway.

And so were my sisters’.

The thud of the door sounded and Riven’s heavy steps faded until they were gone.

Where the fuck are you going, Riven?

And what are you planning to do?