Miscreants: Next Generation Read online

  “I’m sorry,” Mack cried out. “I shouldn’t have—!” His shrill voice cut off with another agonized scream as Samael put more weight on the bone, causing a portion to snap off.

  “You’re right, you shouldn’t have,” he affirmed matter-of-factly.

  “Lilith,” Dawn whispered, coming way too close to me.

  Since we were the same height, I found myself looking into eyes nearly the same color as mine.

  They were brighter, damn near sparkling. I wish I could say that was the only similarity we had.

  It was easier to list the differences between us. Like the freckles that covered her bubble shaped cheeks and her ample chest. Or her amazingly plump lips. It didn’t take a genius to know why Samael kept her around. The way she was staring at me right then was not only kinda creepy, but…was that hope reflected in her gaze?

  “Do something,” she urged with a whisper.

  “Excuse me?”

  There was no way she could be serious. Had this girl learned nothing since being here? Her distress wasn’t going to have any effect, and neither would me pretending to care. Samael wasn’t swayed by the discomfort or emotional opinions of others. That’s part of what made him so lethal, never giving a damn.

  When Samael wanted to inflict harm, he did. And he wouldn’t stop until he was the one who decided it was enough. The level of brutality was always subject to the reason he felt the need to get violent in the first place—justified or not.

  He was like me, a Savage at heart. The only moral code he followed was whichever one he felt was right. He’d used that same perspective when building an empire to call his own, which was a major attribute to why it was thriving so well.

  To prove my point…

  “Mal,” I called to get his attention.

  Unsurprisingly, I was ignored. He reached behind him and lifted his shirt, going for the gambit that was secured in a horizontal holster.

  Having the foresight to know what came next, I tried again. “Samael.”

  Still ignoring me, he lurched down and inserted the blade into the back of Mack’s neck.

  He forcibly dragged it down until it rested between his shoulder blades, pushing the blade deeper as he went.

  Blood welled up and spilled over, creating multiple rivets over the separated flesh and dripping to the ground. Keeping a firm hold of the gambit’s handle, he reversed the motion, dragging the blade back up and twisting it twice to deepen the initial entry wound. There was a heavy intake of air as Mack gasped and choked. His body spasmed, fingers burrowing into the dirt before he became utterly still.

  I stared down at him, feeling nothing for the guy but a mild case of pity. If I hadn’t grown up among Savages or witnessed Samael’s homicidal tendencies on multiple occasions, this would have traumatized me.

  Samael removed his blade, wiping it clean on the hem of Mack’s shirt before rising back to his full height. His shoulders rose slightly as he inhaled and exhaled. When he turned to look at me, his eyes conveyed what the kill made him feel.

  Satisfaction.

  Excitement.

  Death. The taking of a life. It could bring with it an indescribable high. One that Samael needed. Struggling to remain nonchalant and indifferent beneath the weight of his gaze, I gestured to Mack’s unmoving body.

  “Was that all?”

  “Yeah, you can go now.” He turned away from me, his tone dismissive.

  I stared at his back for a moment, feeling like I should say something else, but I was hesitant to do so with an audience.

  Dawn gave me a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes before stepping up beside him.

  Would it have been wrong of me to grab her by the hair and drag her away from him? I knew jealousy was a waste of time, but there I was, caught up in my feelings and ready to throw away some more of mine.

  It wasn’t as if I didn’t understand her, either. Samael was incredibly special. Loyal to his own detriment. Intelligent. Intensely masculine. Falling in love with him was a casualty any women could become a victim of.

  Too bad that knowledge didn’t cool the burn seeing her near him caused.

  In my mind, even when he wasn’t mine, he was mine.

  Bloodied and all.

  In the end, Takara wisely grabbed my hand and led me away, saving my dignity before I could make a bigger spectacle of myself.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “You can’t learn from mistakes you never make. Some of us make more than a few before we see the error of our ways. The damage we do may be irreparable. That’s a shitty part of life, but no one can take away the lessons they give us.”

  The words were spoken to me by my father three days before everything changed.

  Three days before I was tricked away without any kind of warning or goodbye.

  I was young and foolish, but the thing about that is that eventually we’re forced to grow the hell up. There are certain realizations that come with growing as a person, good and bad. For me, I realized there’s more to life than I’d ever fathomed.

  I learned the hard way that it’s impossible to remain free of burdens and heartache. Sooner or later, you’ll have to make choices, and with them comes consequences—negative and positive.

  My father’s words often repeated inside my head. I wondered what he’d say to me now, today. I wasn’t anything like the little girl from back then. How disappointed would he be to see this version of me?

  What about my mother? How much had she changed after losing all her children? I knew Cam was alive, but there was no way he was still the same after what Braxton had done to him.

  With a sigh, I pulled on a pair of cotton shorts, digging through my dresser for a matching tank.

  It was dark out now, and the faction was as active as ever. Music blared with no regard for the hour or the cabin’s thin oak paneled walls. Takara had offered to stay with me, but I think she could sense I needed to be alone for a while. My mind hadn’t stopped spinning since the night before. The day’s events only added to the chaotic swirl. I needed some quiet before it spiraled any further.

  A rustling sound came from the left, and then the curtain was moving. Samael stepped in, looking freshly showered. Just like that, my room was suddenly ten times smaller. I tore my eyes way from him and grabbed the first tank I saw.

  “Did you forget how to knock?”

  “You never did.”

  I pouted, pulling on my top.

  I hadn’t seen him since I was called to witness Mack’s death.

  “What do you want?”

  “For you to look at me.”

  The softness of his tone plucked at my heartstrings. I turned and gave him my full attention. He was leaning against the wall, the soft glow from my lamp lighting his features. His eyes seemed so dark right then—bottomless pools of nothing. Being the target of his heavy weighted gaze made me feel uneasy. I always felt as if he could see right through me.

  “Are you happy now?”

  “Yes.” Huh? What was with that blunt reply? “You never look at me anymore. You avoid me as if I’m carrying the plague.”

  “That’s not—”

  “I don’t blame you for pretending to hate me, but it’s not going to change anything. You’ll always be mine.”

  Where was this coming from? I couldn’t find the words to reply right away. My first thought was to immediately shoot down his accusation.

  The second was that maybe leaving all these misunderstandings as they were would benefit me in the long run. There was a physical ache in my chest, leaving those words to linger between us, but I persevered by changing the subject.

  ““So?” Unsure what to do with my arms, I crossed them loosely and popped out a hip, trying to appear unaffected. “Why are you going on another run?”

  “There’s something I need to see personally.”

  He’d replied without missing a beat. What had I really been expecting? Samael never let himself be vulnerable.

  “Something that’s not in the gigantic storage unit you’ve got?”

  “Yeah,” he replied dismissively.

  “Okay, so what time are you leaving, and who are taking with you?”

  He tilted his head to the side and gave me a scrutinizing perusal. “What’s with all questions, Lils? Planning on going somewhere?”

  My pulse spiked. There was no way he could know what we were up to, right? That wasn’t why I’d even asked. I was genuinely concerned about him. Composure in check, I waved his question off.

  “Only if you take me with you.”

  “You and I both know that’s not possible.”

  “But why? I’ve been at the lodge for over a year. I’m going stir crazy.”

  “When will you let it go? We’ve been over this. It isn’t safe for you out there.”

  “It’s not safe for you either!”

  “You don’t know what they’re—”

  He cut himself off and ran a hand through his hair, a sign he was frustrated. “Fuck, Lilith. You’re the only person who drives me fucking crazy.”

  “Good,” I lilted. Then, because he’d just irritated me, I looked around the room for something to launch at his damn head.

  His gruff burst of laughter had my attention bouncing back to him.

  “Looking for something to throw?”

  “No. That would be childish.”

  He gave me a cocky grin. “I think you forget how well I know you, babygirl.”

  His smile…his smile was what made the truth strike me. That this could be the last time we were together like this. The harsh slap of reality stoked flames of slow burning anger and caused my heart to split further apart. I hadn’t remotely begun to contemplate this. I didn’t know how to process life without him.

  If he were the s
un, I was the moon. One wasn’t supposed to be able to exist without the other, but he’d gone and built a wall between us, taking on the weight of the world alone.

  I knew he had his reasons, protecting me amongst them. He’d done that time and time again. Then one day he’d stopped letting me in. I didn’t understand. To think I’d have to walk away from him when there was so much left to talk about…How was it possible to feel this level of pain and still be so in love?

  “I didn’t want this.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, harsher than I meant to. The bitterness that crept up my throat earned me another look I couldn’t decipher.

  “I didn’t come here to argue with you.”

  “Then why are you here? This cabin isn’t exactly near anything or anyone else.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d be awake when I head out tomorrow. I came to make sure you were okay.”

  “As you can see, I’m fine.” I stretched my arms out on either side of me.

  He narrowed his eyes, his expression going from stoic to studious. “You’re lying.”

  “How are you going to tell me what or how I feel?”

  “Because you tend to lie about it.”

  “Mal.” I sighed and rubbed my brow. “I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do. I’m fine. You can leave now.”

  “Nah, I think I’ll stay here tonight.”

  “That better be sarcasm.”

  Of course, with my luck it wasn’t. He began to kick his boots off, stretching leisurely in the process.

  “Um. What are you doing? The couch is in the other room.”

  “If you need me to clarify, I meant I’ll be sleeping in your bed.”

  Oh, no. I couldn’t be that close to him right now. My resolve was on the line.

  “And how would Dawn feel about this?”

  “That you think about her far more than I do? She’d probably feel freaked the fuck out.”

  “Whatever. You can have the bed. I’ll take the couch.”

  I started to storm past him. He side-stepped and blocked my path.

  “If I’m sleeping in your bed, it’s because you’re in it.”

  “But I’m not.”

  “I can fix that.”

  He scooped me up, hoisting me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing. Ignoring all my protests and struggles, he carried me to the bed and dropped me.

  I hit the mattress, bounced once, and then immediately tried to get up. His hand shot out and wrapped around my throat, forcing me backward until I was flat on my back. His grip wasn’t tight enough to hurt but strong enough to make my body do his bidding.

  “Now, Lilith,” he reprimanded in a mockingly stern voice, towering above me. “This is just one of the many reasons you’re not allowed to leave. You see how easy it would be for a man to take advantage of you?”

  “This is only happening because it’s you,” I retorted.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  He leaned down, positioning his body on top of mine. His face hovering a hair’s breadth away, our lips skimmed.

  “You always liked it like this. You get off knowing that I could kill you at any second.”

  He placed a soft kiss on my forehead before rising enough to see my face. I swallowed, wondering if he could feel the way my pulse was racing against his palms. I should’ve pushed him away, but I really wanted to pull him close.

  “Is there a point to any of this?”

  “What do you think I’m proving right now? Look at the position you’re in. If not me, who could keep you safe?”

  “Myself.” I grabbed hold of one of his offending wrists and tried to turn my head.

  “You remember Francis?”

  I winced as his grip grew tighter, trapping me beneath his heavy gaze. I knew he was taunting me. I wetted my lips, cognizant of him watching my every little move. Like a predator studying its prey.

  “How could I forget?” I rasped.

  To be honest, I hadn’t thought about that in a while.

  That incident didn’t cause as big an uproar as it should’ve. And no one had ever suspected Samael. Then again, at that time he was still considered a sickly boy that couldn’t leave the house. What a load of crap that ‘sickness’ had turned out to be.

  Regardless, the point he was trying to make was moot. There was no way in hell I’d simply lie there and take whatever happened to me. He was the only one I’d ever let touch me since the Francis incident.

  He chuckled and drew back some, leaving his hand where it was.

  “Seems I was getting worried for nothing. You’re still the same.”

  Heart beating erratically, I stared up at him, struggling against the lecherous desire trying to snatch away my common sense. His words, his touch. They evoked a flurry of emotions within me.

  Samael had me since before I was old enough to understand I was in love with my best friend. Before I realized how terrifying it was to fall for someone of his caliber.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered calmly. His hands fell away, going straight to the hem of his shirt.

  Mind swirling, I remained quiet, rubbing my neck to alleviate the sensation his touch left behind.

  When he finally removed the one piece of clothing that was blocking my view of his amazing torso, my hand froze. My eyes eagerly devoured every line framing his eight-pack.

  Sweeping upward, I took in the massive tattoo that expanded across his toned chest. When I met his stare, I was rewarded with another smile.

  “Should I drop my pants, too? I promise the view’s still just as good.”

  I bit my lip to stifle a laugh, eyes dipping back to his chest. The sinister gaze of a stag collided with mine. Its large antlers extended to each of his pecs.

  “Does it bother you?”

  I wasn’t entirely sure what he was asking, but his demeanor went from playful to somber before I could bat an eye. Did he really think a tattoo changed how I felt about him? Regardless of what the symbols on our bodies represented, I only saw him.

  Drawing in a breath to steady my nerves, I extended my hand to him. He accepted it and let me pull him closer. I scooted over so he had room to sit beside me.

  “Nothing about who you are or what you’ve accomplished bothers me.”

  “Nothing, huh?” he questioned, sinking down.

  “Nope.” I laid my head on his solid shoulder. “You’ve done amazingly well. I’m proud of you.”

  He pulled his hand from mine and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me onto his chest when he leaned back. Good thing that I had a queen-sized bed, or this never would’ve worked.

  “You’re proud of me?”

  I wasn’t liking the doubt I heard in his tone. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

  “I’ve never heard you say that until now. I thought…” he trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

  His voice had reverted back to its default setting: flat and emotionless.

  I turned back time inside my mind. I was positive I’d told him this before, but there wasn’t any specific memory to prove it.

  Had I never said that to him until now? A dullness spread through my already aching chest. Everything I wanted to say was swallowed back down.

  “I’m proud of you.”

  Those four words held a deeper significance to him than one might imagine. It tied into the past that had a hand in shaping who he was.

  I hated this.

  I desperately wanted to break his walls down, but I knew in the end it was better for both of us if I didn’t do anything. Who was I to dig into his wounds and then leave him to bleed?

  Remembering what I said to him the night before, I closed my eyes out of shame and regret.

  When I reopened them, I peered up at him and found he’d already been looking down. There was a tangible tension between us. Had this been a different point in time, this situation wouldn’t have been remotely like this. He would be touching every part of me before finally bringing our bodies together.

  I missed that.

  I missed him.

  “Will you kiss me?” I blurted out.

  His perfect brows rose ever so slightly. My face warmed. Why did I say that?

  “Igno—”

  He flipped me onto my back, causing my sentence to end on an “oof.” He spread my legs and settled his body between them. Soft, calloused hands slid beneath my thighs, pulling me snug against him.

  “Mal.” I flattened a hand against his chest. He did everything intensely, especially this.