The Rise (The Kings and Gods #3)

Chapter 14

Lana

I yawn and roll over, stretching my body out a little. The soreness between my legs reminds me of what he did to me. I can’t believe he actually did it, but I’m learning this is how Hunter operates. I hear movement in the bathroom and sit up, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and standing. When I enter, I see Hunter pulling up a pair of gym shorts.

“You working out?” I ask him. He looks over his shoulder and smiles.

“Something like that. You look well fucked,” he adds, causing me to smile.

“I feel it, too.”

“Good. Next time, don’t doubt me,” he warns before slipping on a pair of tennis shoes. I don’t think I’ve seen Hunter in anything but boots since I’ve been here.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re about to have a little fun. You in?” I nod my head and reach for the closet door, throwing it open. I grab a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, bra and quickly dress while Hunter finishes up in the bathroom.

“What kind of fun are we having?”

“Well, it might be a little more fun for me than you. You remember I told you some guys will fight to live?” I nod. “There’s two who want to do it. Me and Silas are going to fight them.” Now, my heart leaps.

“Is that smart? What if they win?”

“Then one of us is dead,” he replies as if it’s not a big deal.

“What the fuck, Hunter?” He looks up and grins at me before stalking toward me. He wraps his hand around my throat and tugs me closer to him.

“Did you learn nothing from that chair?”

“You could get hurt.”

“I probably will get hurt, but I’m not going to lose.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

“Are you doubting me again? You need another reminder?” I shake my head. There is no way in hell I can go back into that chair right now. My body would completely give out then. “Good girl. I like it when you listen to me, Lana.”

“You do?”

“You know I do. Makes my fucking cock hard, but I also like watching your punishments too. It’s sexy as hell.” Hunter brings his mouth to mine, kissing me with a new passion. His mouth moves perfectly with mine, like we’re one. When he pulls back, I’m breathless, and my cheeks are heated.

“You know you’re going to be trouble, little rebel.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You like testing me and I think I like it when you do.”

“You like to punish me,” I add. Hunter smiles and nods his head.

“I love to punish you.”

“Is that your kink? Punishments?”

“My kink? I don’t really think of it as a kink. It’s just something I like to do,” he tells me. I nod my head and when he starts for the door, I follow him. We’re down the hall and into the main room when I see the other guys and the ring set up.

I follow Hunter over to the chairs where he nods for me to sit. I take the first seat, and then I watch. Hunter climbs in the ring first as another man is dragged toward it. Once they’re in the ring, all hell breaks loose. I’m not exactly sure what the hell I thought was going to happen, but this is brutal. They’re bare-knuckle fighting, blood slinging from their faces.

I wince every time Hunter gets hit, but he always comes right back, looking even more pissed than before. I watch the way he moves in the ring, throwing punch after punch. I can see the rage he was talking about deep down in him, and I think he’s right. When he snaps, I don’t want to see it. Yet, there’s a part of me that does because I wonder what he’d do to me if I were in his way at that time.

Rylan sits down next to me and watches the fight, calling out things to Hunter about keeping his hands up.

“Do you do this too?” I ask him.

“Sometimes.”

“And Tamsyn doesn’t care?”

“Oh, she cares. She hates it when I do this, but we all need a release, and sometimes this is it,” he explains to me as I continue to watch.

The guy falls to the ground as Hunter stands over him. He grabs his throat and lifts him off the ground before slamming his fist into his face once more. The guy’s head falls back, lifeless, and I gasp. It’s not like I’ve never seen anyone die before or by Hunter’s hands, but this is different. It feels different.

The others cheer as some guys drag the now dead man from the ring, and Hunter makes his way over, sitting next to me after fist-bumping Rylan. Then it’s Silas’s turn. I shake my head before starting to stand, but Hunter doesn’t let me get far. He pulls me back down into my seat and holds me there.

“I don’t want to watch this anymore,” I tell him.

“I didn’t ask you.”

“Hunter, I don’t want to see this,” I repeat.

“This is our life, Lana. This is what we do, and you might as well get used to it because you’re not going anywhere.” His words are like an icy hand wrapping around my spine and never letting go. I can’t do this. As much as I like Hunter, I don’t think I can do this. When Hunter releases his hold, I stand and run. I hear him cursing behind me, but I don’t stop. Thankfully, someone opens the front door, and I run out just before it closes.

“You know how much I like the chase, little rebel,” Hunter calls out. My heart has kicked up a notch as I dash through the trees. He’s going to find me. There’s no doubt in my mind, but I have to try, don’t I?

I run toward the edge of the trees, only to be met by the giant brick wall Hunter had built. Taking a deep breath, I scream. He’ll know exactly where I am, but I’m so frustrated I don’t know what else to do. It’s all too much, too fast. I can’t do this. I don’t know if I want to do this.

I hear the twigs crunching as Hunter approaches me, and I spin around just in time to see him lunging for me. I start to move out of the way but he’s already on me. He tackles me to the ground, my air leaving in a whoosh. Hunter crawls up my body, sitting on my hips so I can’t move, my hands thrust above my head.

“Where are you running to?”

“I can’t do this, Hunter.”

“Do what?”

“This! All of this! I’m not you. I’m not one of you!”

“So you’re saying you’d rather steal kids and let them be sold?” he growls in my face.

“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it. I just … I can’t do this!”

“What part can’t you do, Lana?”

“All of it. It’s too much. Do you know how badly it hurts to see them, Hunter? How much I think about my childhood?” His gaze softens as he looks down at me. Rain begins to fall, but Hunter doesn’t move. He keeps me held like this, his gaze burning into mine. Finally, he releases me as tears begin to fall down my cheeks. Hunter moves to sit next to me, his back resting against the brick wall. I shove myself up and sit next to him.

“I didn’t think about how it might affect you,” he admits.

“I didn’t either, but it’s killing me,” I tell him. Hunter reaches for me and pulls me into his lap, cradling me against his chest as I begin to sob.

“I’m going to kill them all, Lana. I know that won’t make the pain go away, but I’m going to make sure they die for what they did to you,” he promises me as he runs his hand up and down my arm.

“I just don’t know how to be what you want me to be.”

“You don’t know what I want you to be.”

“Then tell me.”

“I want you to be you. I want you to be the Lana they tried to suppress. I want you to be the girl you always dreamt about being.”

“I don’t know who she is anymore,” I whisper as the rain pelts our flesh.

“When you were younger, what did you want?” he asks.

“I never wanted to have kids because I didn’t want them to live through what I did. I yearned for a parent who actually cared about me. I begged to be set free, even if it was in death. I never thought I’d get out of that place, Hunter, so I have no idea what I wanted.” He sighs, and I cry. It’s not a lie. It’s what I felt. You know all little girls wanted a fairy tale. I just wanted someone to care and love me. I just wanted someone to take away all the pain and the hurt I felt for so many years. It didn’t matter how they did it only that they did.

“I’m no parent, and I’m probably not the best person in the world, but I have you now, Lana. And I know I have a fucked up way of showing it, but I do care.” Now, the tears fall harder and faster. How can he care about me? After such a short time? Can he really see something more in me the way I see in him?

I turn my head and look up at him. His hair is sticking to his face as the rain keeps falling making him look even more beautiful than he already did. Hunter looks down at me and just stares into my eyes. Then he leans in and presses his lips to mine. Everything else fades away. All the doubts. All the hurt. All the pain. How does he do that to me? How can a man I barely know make years of hurt just wash away?

“I don’t know what you’re thinking and I know you have a hard time trusting me, Lana, but I promise I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You have to believe that.”

“I do. Somewhere deep down, I do.”

“Good. Now, come on. I don’t need you getting sick,” he says, lifting me off his lap before standing and taking my hand.

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“No punishment?” I ask. This is Hunter we’re talking about. He enjoys punishing me.

“Oh, little rebel, you are going to be punished for this. Just not out here,” he confirms, and my heart leaps.

Hunter keeps walking until we’re back inside. Water drips onto the floor as the guys turn to look at us. Silas grins, blood dripping from his lip from his fight.

“You had a runner,” he states, watching me.

“She didn’t get far,” Hunter tells him before turning to me and stripping me out of the wet clothes. I’m standing in the middle of the room, trembling from the cool air as the guys stare at me.

“Make them stop,” I reply softly.

“Stop what?”

“Starring at me, Hunter.”

“That bother you?” he asks, and I nod my head. Then I see the dark, sinister grin tug across his face. Hunter pulls me to the center of the room before forcing me to the floor. The chains that usually hold someone’s ankles are now wrapped around my wrists to hold me in place. I jerk at them as everyone in the room watches me.

“Hunter!” I snap at him, but he just chuckles.

“You wanted to put on your own little show by running, didn’t you, little rebel? Now you can show them just what I do to you.” His words send a chill over my body as he leans down and spreads my legs wide. I try to pull them back when he calls for Rylan and Silas. They each move to either side of me, grabbing a leg and pulling it back. I try to fight them, but it’s useless. They’re so much stronger than I am.

That’s when Hunter leans down and runs his tongue along my slit. I gasp and arch my back, trying to fight what I feel. I shake my head, not wanting everyone to watch me like this, although it isn’t the first time he’s had me on display.

“Stop!” I cry out as his tongue dips inside of me. I keep trying to kick my legs, but they keep holding onto them tightly as Hunter licks at me.

“I’m never stopping. You’re going to show them how much you want me, Lana. How much you fucking need me,” Hunter roars before diving back in. He licks, he sucks, and he makes me scream his name. He knows exactly what it is he’s doing to me, and every single man here is a witness to it. I feel my cheeks flush, knowing that they’re all seeing me like this, but I can’t seem to find it in me to care when he pulls an orgasm from me.

“Oh God!” I cry out as he laughs.

“Your God. I’m your God, Lana.” He reminds me as his fingers find their way inside me. He works them in and out before pulling them free and shoving them in my mouth. I gag when he presses them down the back of my throat, and he smiles. He likes this.

Hunter sits back a little and pulls his cock from his jeans, not ashamed that everyone is watching him. He strokes himself as the other two keep my legs pulled back. Those piercings feel like nothing I’ve ever felt before in my life and I can’t pull my eyes away from them as I watch him.

Hunter grins at me, knowing I’m watching him as I lick my lips. Then he leans back in, teasing my entrance and causing me to groan.

“Tell them, little rebel. Tell them who you belong to now,” he urges me, pushing just the tip inside. I gasp and need more. I want more.

“You.”

“And who am I?” he asks, pulling back out of me.

“My God! You’re my God!” I scream for him. No one says a word as he thrusts all the way into me. His piercings hit all the right places and have me whimpering and gasping for air at the same time. Hunter grabs my inner thighs and parts me further as he dives in. I can’t control the sounds coming from my mouth, and I don’t think anyone cares if I do. I tug at my arms, wanting to touch him. Needing to feel him, but he just laughs and fucks me harder. I’m spread wide open for any of them to see, but at the moment, I don’t care. All I want is him. Hunter.

“You’re going to come all over my cock, little rebel? You going to show them just how good I fuck you?” he asks as he keeps pumping into me. I keep pulling at the chains binding my arms until I feel blood dripping down my wrists. Hunter looks up, and a loud growl rips from his throat.

“That’s right, little rebel. Fucking bleed for me!” he roars as his cock swells inside me. His hand comes down to my clit and roughly circles it. My body tenses, and I let go, coming for him just like he wanted me to. I cry out his name, my pussy milking his cock for everything he has.

Hunter groans as he pulls out of me, and the guys release my legs. They fall to the floor, and the guys laugh as they stand and walk away.