The Promise (Wolfe Creek Duet #2)

1

THEA

I’ve been betrayed by every single person who was supposed to love me. Maybe this is what love is, a series of betrayals until you get so accustomed to the pain that love isn’t love without the deception. But I’ve betrayed everyone I’ve ever loved too, so I’m no better than them and I’m not changing my ways any time soon.

“You look so fucking good taking all of me, princess,” Damian encourages as he thrusts his cock into the back of my throat, dragging me from my dark thoughts. He’s been face fucking me for the last five minutes and I’m determined to make him break first. I want him begging to be inside of me.

He might think he’s in control, but we both know I am. At least, for the moment.

I stare up at him from the upholstered bench I’m sitting on—an added piece of furniture to his room now that I’m spending more time in here. We’ve put it to good use. I can’t count the number of times he’s had me kneeling on it, ass in the air and fucking me. It’s paid for itself, really.

My eyes settle on the tattoo covering his chest, the one of a man slaying a dragon. The details are intricate. From the creature’s scales to the delicate swirling lines that make up the hilt of the sword the man’s holding.

Another tear slips down my cheek as he thrusts again. “You’re being especially stubborn today,” he grates out. I can tell he’s close, but he doesn’t want to finish in my mouth. My eyes flick up from the tattoo to meet his stare.

I harden my gaze, letting him know I can outlast him.

Damian huffs through his clenched jaw as his grip on my hair tightens, drawing another tear. “Fine, but acting like a brat will cost you, Thea.” His frustration makes my lips tug upward.

He yanks my mouth off of him, forcing my head back so that I have to stare at the ceiling. Dropping my gaze, I catch those icy blue eyes. Damian’s auburn waves have fallen over his sweat pricked forehead. Yes, I’m the one in control.

I bite down on my lower lip and close my eyes as I arch my tits toward him.

“Damn it, you know exactly what you’re doing.” I think it slips out unintentionally. It makes me smile wide.

I’m trying to think of something to say that will push his buttons when Damian hooks a tattooed arm around my waist and flips me over. I clumsily plant my hands on the edge of the bed as my knees hit the cushioned bench painfully. “Jesus, Damian.” I glare at him over my shoulder.

“Please, you’ve taken harder beatings than that.” I watch as he drops to his knees between my legs. “Not like you didn’t deserve it for being so fucking obstinate,” he mutters under his breath. I’m about to challenge him when his hands spread my cheeks and I feel the warmth of his mouth cover my pussy, it’s a stark contrast to the press of the cool metal of his ring against my ass.

“Ohhhh,” I moan out, enjoying the feel of his tongue swirling around my throbbing clit. The tickle of his stubbled jaw adds to the almost overwhelming sensations racking my body.

Damian pulls away and a wave of cool air hits my slick skin, making me shiver. Then, his fingers slip inside of me, slowly… tenderly. He might be rough with my punishments, but he’d never hurt me in a way that I didn’t want him to.

I’m getting lost in the feel of him rhythmically stroking that sensitive spot when I hear the familiar buzz of my toy. It pulls a smirk from me. He reaches around and the suction makes my back arch as waves of pleasure pulse over me.

“Right there, princess?”

I balance on one hand and shift the toy slightly. “There,” I pant out, finding my stability with both hands back on the bed.

The building sensation between my legs feels almost unbearable as my skin grows hot and my thighs begin to shake. “You’re close, aren’t you?” Damian asks before tracing his tongue over my ass and biting down hard. “Tell me. Tell me you’re close,” he demands.

“I’m close, Damian.” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. He pulls the toy away and stills his fingers. The pressure eases and I lose my orgasm. I huff in frustration.

“Doesn’t feel so good, does it?”

“Fuck you,” I snap.

He chuckles roughly. “Oh no, you had that chance. Now, you’ll have to wait for my cock until I feel you’ve earned it. In the meantime, I’m going to get you as close as possible to coming and take it away. Over. And. Over.” His words are drawn out and exaggerated. I roll my eyes. “Look at me,” he commands harshly.

I don’t want to, however; I don’t have a choice. This is an exchange of power, and I know it’s my turn to give in. Looking back over my shoulder, I raise my brows expectantly. “Yes?”

“You’re going to tell me every time you’re about to come. Do you understand me?”

I bite down on the corner of my mouth to suppress the defiance that wants to come out. “Fine.” Damian’s eyes narrow. “Yes, sir,” I push out in a falsely obedient tone.

“That’s my good girl.”

The words make my stomach flip and I hate it because all I want to do is call him a bastard.

My toy begins buzzing once again and his fingers caress that spot he knows so well, making my release build quickly.

Over and over, like promised, Damian edges me until my entire body is slicked with sweat and I’m begging him to make me come. “Please,” I plead, my voice rough from the cries of pleasure.

He pulls away once again. I whimper, not sure I can withstand the torture of him denying me again. But this time, he stands and gives me what we both want.

Damian teases my entrance with his cock, tracing slow circles and drawing out my agony. Just as I’m about to cry out in need, he pushes inside of me. I gasp in both surprise and relief.

I’ll never get tired of him fucking me. I think Damian’s cock was made for me. Maybe I was made for him. Because the way our bodies fit one another and the way he makes me come is unlike anything I’ve ever felt.

He wraps my hair around his hand and jerks my head up while his other hand reaches around my throat. That familiar grip on my neck makes me smile despite the ache of my scalp and the tightening of my airway.

Yeah, we were made to fuck one another, I’m sure of it.

I stare at the bare wall, fighting the pull of sleep. The rhythm of Damian’s chest against my back is trying to lull me into it. It’s early morning and I have clients to see soon, but another hour of sleep is what my body needs.

“What’s on your mind, princess?”

He reads me too well, he always has. It makes it difficult with the kinds of things I’m hiding. I’ve had to become good at finding reasons for staring off into the distance, for the sentences that trail off for no reason, and for the hyper awareness that I can’t seem to shake.

Thankfully, today I don’t have to dig up an excuse.

There’s something on my mind that I can be honest about. Although, that doesn’t help the nervousness forming a lump in my throat. I take a deep breath and remind myself that he’s the one who suggested it. Damian wouldn’t have done that unless he meant it and I’m ready to take him up on his offer—on my terms, of course.

Turning in his arms, I meet his gaze beneath furrowed brows.

“I want the property on Olive Way.” I harden my expression in determination. “It’s still for sale and you said you’d buy it for me if I wanted it. I want it.”

Damian’s eyes soften and a smirk tugs at his mouth. “You want it?”

Nodding, I hope for a quick yes and to have this over with. I hate asking for things. I hate being handed things even more. However, Cassie and I need this. I’ll put my ego aside for the business.

“I do. But…” This is the part I’m anxious about. His chin lifts in quiet curiosity. “I want it to be in mine and Cassie’s name. No strings attached and no ties to your businesses.” I expect him to scoff, possibly laugh. Instead, I see a sparkle in his eyes.

Damian leans in and kisses me. “I’d be happy to do that for you, Thea.”

My face scrunches in suspicion. “That’s it? You’re happy to do it? No conditions?” This was too easy.

He props himself up. Tracing his finger over my jaw, I watch his gaze follow his trail until he reaches my bottom lip. Tugging on it gently, he smiles sweetly. “You know me better than that, princess. Of course there will be conditions. But I’m happy to put the property in your name. I don’t want a piece of your business.” The way he says the last part makes me sit up in bed.

“So, what do you want?” I question, my jaw tightening in anticipation as my mind runs through the possibilities.

“You, of course.”

My head tilts in confusion. “Damian, you already have me.” I search his face for answers, but I come up with nothing.

His head drops. When he looks up at me through his thick lashes, there’s a deviousness that I know can’t mean anything good. His skeletal tattooed finger circles the top of my hand lightly. “Thea, I want you on my terms. I want you when you’re unwilling and not expecting it. I want you to promise me you won’t say no, but you’ll fight me like you did. And I want that anytime and anywhere of my choosing.”

My heart thuds loudly and I swallow as I take his counter to my deal into consideration. “You want to… rape me?” The word feels thick coming off my tongue.

Damian brushes a wave of dark hair off my shoulder. “It’s called consensual non-consent, if that makes it easier for you to process. But yes.” My brows pull together. We’ve never talked about anything like this. I’m not sure what to think. Of course he’s restrained me, but I didn’t fight against it. I wanted it. This... This is entirely different.

“I—I don’t understand. Why?”

Unexpectedly, Damian’s face becomes serious. I wonder if he’s thought about why he wants this. Of course he has. He thinks everything through.

“I want all of your trust, Thea. I want you to submit to me fully. This is the ultimate form of submission. This is much different from the punishments I give you now.” I’m not sure I understand. He sees that and continues. “We would each play a role. I would be your attacker, unrelenting and taking what’s mine without consideration to you. And you…” His fingers intertwine with mine tenderly. “You would be a victim. Helpless and at my disposal.”

I swallow. It should be nervousness that I’m trying to suppress, but it isn’t. The way he’s describing our roles makes heat rush through my body. It doesn’t make sense. Something about the fear of never knowing when he might force himself on me sends a jolt of excitement to my brain.

Damian licks his lips. He must see that this is turning me on. “I’ll be rough with you, like I am now. However, there won’t be a buildup. I’ll come up behind you when you least expect it and bend you over the dining room table.” He pauses, taking in my expressions.

Against my will, my lips part and my breathing speeds up. “Then what?” I whisper.

“I’ll force your legs open and fuck you. I’ll fuck you as you cry and tell me no. I’ll fuck you even if you beg me to stop.”

“What if it’s too much? What if I want you to stop?” I question.

He smirks. “That’s what safe words are for, princess.”

The property of mine and Cassie’s dreams in exchange for Damian’s use of my body when and how he wants. I don’t understand why this is what he’d ask for in return. It’s too good to be true. But I don’t have much bargaining power here. My body is all I have to offer and I’m giving it to him freely as it is.

“Deal.”

“Deal.” He holds out his hand and we shake on it.

A pit forms in my stomach. I’ve made a deal with him before. I joined their pact a few months ago and look where that got me—kidnapped and nearly killed. This is probably a bad idea.

DAMIAN

I only feel slightly bad about the deal I’ve made with Thea as I watch her walk out of my bedroom. After all, I’m buying the property she’s had her eye on for months. I told her I wanted her trust and submission. That wasn’t a lie. I do want those things, more than almost anything. But that will be difficult once I tell her about Adrian tomorrow.

The thought of her pulling away from me once she finds out about my brother has left me restless. And just when I thought there wasn’t any hope, Thea provided the perfect opportunity for me to keep her close.

I watched her contemplate the deal, trying to figure out why I would ask for her body, which she already gives me. While she gives it to me freely now, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to say that after I reveal the lie we’ve all been keeping.

This is my collateral.

No matter how pissed she is at me for keeping another secret, she’ll have to honor her end of the deal. Especially since I’m going to make an all-cash offer on that property and request a quick closing.

I don’t want her backing out.

I’m a fucking prick. There’s no denying it, but I can’t lose her. I can’t risk her pulling away from me when I’ve just gotten close to her.

The feeling of needing Thea has grown stronger these last few months, despite trying to keep my distance. I thought being the last of my brothers to have her would have helped, but it only drove me mad. It made me pressure each of them to speed up their relationships. It made me impatient, agitated, and moody.

Not that I’m not all of those things. However, I usually keep those flaws hidden beneath a mask of coolness.

Thea’s ruined that. She’s ruined the man I used to be. And I don’t know if I love or hate her for it. That’s something I need to figure out. Her pulling away from me will make that harder. So for now, she’s tied to me. Whether she likes it or not.

Taking a seat at my computer, I unlock my phone and type a quick message to my realtor with the property address and my offer. Not a minute later, she replies that she’ll make it happen.

My computer whirs to life as I shift the mouse around on the desk.

In the corner of one of the screens, my gaze is pulled to a folder labeled C.W. Cole’s folder has a hold on me. I double click it. Inside, I read over the sub-folders. Bakery. Bank Statements. Contracts. Leads. Medical Records.

The first couple of weeks after the cabin incident, I spent all my time gathering every shred of information I could and trying to find my brother. I came up empty-handed—I still have nothing. Cole’s essentially disappeared. For all I know, he died of the neck wound Thea gave him.

I could be chasing a ghost.

That feels too easy, though. I called the hospitals in the area for two weeks after his disappearance. I scoured the news for articles of unidentified men found within a fifty-mile radius of the cabin. I waited for news of his Range Rover being found.

Nothing. Absolute unnerving silence. My leads have run dry.

Cole’s bank account and debit card are still active, just in case. He might get desperate and use it. I check daily. Before he kidnapped Thea, he was withdrawing thousands a week. He had a plan all along and might be in hiding for a long time, depending on how frugal he is.

Or maybe he’s just dead.

I rub my temples. I’m not sure what I prefer more—the idea that Thea took him out or that I still have the chance to.

Closing the folder, I turn my attention to my emails. An unread email from a new client I’ve taken on stands out among the others. Sighing, I open it and read over the few lines detailing deadlines and meeting dates to provide progress updates.

I can’t keep doing this. I’ve said this to myself over and over again, but lately it’s weighing heavy on me. I need out. That thought makes panic surge.

The idea of retiring and relying solely on investments sends me into a doom spiral. I try to remind myself that there’s plenty of money in the accounts, enough for all of us to live lavishly if we choose. Although that doesn’t stop the voice of younger me from rising up to warn me about the poverty I came from.

“That’s not my life anymore,” I mutter in frustration, forcing that voice inside of me back down into the darkness where I keep him buried.

Putting my computer to sleep, I promise to reply to the client’s email later. For now, I need to practice what I’m going to say to my brothers and Thea about Adrian coming home.