Page 30 of The First Seal

"I do many things. Firstly, who wouldn't love stalking their prey? It's such a thrill watching you from afar like a predator waiting for its meal. And seeing your reactions on the camera footage is just... delicious. Secondly, I have this little habit of leaving 'gifts' for my favorite people. They usually come in the form of flowers or gems... but sometimes they can be more unexpected. Lastly, I like to have satanic rituals in the basement." I say this and the room goes quiet. My brothers look at me as if I lost my damn mind and Ember looks like she has just seen a ghost. I guess being honest was the wrong route. So, I say, " I am just kidding. I like to do tattoos and get tattoos."

"What about you, Little Storm? What do you like to do in your free time?" Aspen asks her.

"Well I like to read. I mostly read dark romance or dark fantasy romance. I also like to watch movies and TV shows. Lastly, I love to torture and kill in my free time." She states with a menacing grin.

"See, we do all have something in common. We all like to torture and kill." I purr.

Chapter nineteen

Ember

Waking up the next morning, I feel on top of the world. I realize my bed is empty; the absence of the guy's body heat has me feeling kind of bummed. It was amazing getting to know the guys a lot better last night, plus getting closer to each other. The conversations flowed easily where I felt I could drop my walls and talk openly. The last thing I remember is us all laughing at my Onyx saying "See we do all have something in common. We all like to torture and kill." and then Blaze turning on a movie. I can't remember what movie it was though. But I do know I passed out after like ten minutes into the movie.

I was really hoping to wake up this morning with all of them in my bed. I am starting to feel a pull towards all of them. Maybe one of them could be who I marry? Nope. Nope not gonna think like that today, today is going to be a good day.

That's when I realized that today is the day I get to see my childhood best friend Niko play in his baseball game. I have seen him play a few times before, but not often.

Papa never wanted me to go out like that, not until I understood the dangers of being a Mafia Princess and was able to handle anything thrown my way. After all that training, it always came in handy because I was kidnapped before and held for ransom when I was sixteen years old. I was saved just in time by some of Papa’s men before my captures had a chance to do anything to me.

I was running late for school that morning because Papa and I had got into a fight about me going to the mall with Niko after school. This was my second year in the Saint Helena Academy, an all girls private school because Papa didn't feel like public school was good enough or safe enough. Yet he was preparing me to take over as Don one day. Showing me the inner workings from the drug running operations, money fraud, imported shipments, and even murder. There are still a few that I don't know about, and he said I will know those things once I take over, and then I would be privy to that part of the inner circle. All I really know is that Papa has two new projects happening, and one I can't know about yet.

I texted Niko stating that I can't meet up with him after school while Arty is driving me to Saint Helena Academy.

Arriving at the Academy, I get out of the car telling Arty that my new friend Valerie Hart was going to bring me home because she just got her license and she wants to show me her new car. Valerie is a blonde, bubbly yet intimidating person who also used to cheer at her old school. We are total opposites yet get along perfectly. We instantly clicked, as if fate itself brought us together.

I am about to open the front door and walk into the building when I hear someone whisper my name.

"Ember. Pst. Em." A cracking young male voice whispers.

I look over to my right, and see someone quickly disappear to the other side of the building. Me being the curious cat that I am, I hurry over to where the mystery person went.

"Hello?" I ask as I round the corner, heart beating out of my chest. There standing against the wall is Niko, smiling his perfect smile.

"Are you ready?" He inquired and side-eyed me. Wow! No “Hey, how are you?” or “What's up?” Nope, just “are you ready.”

"For what?" I asked, confused about what he was even talking about.

"To go to the mall. Since you can't go out tonight we can go during the day. Lets ditch!" Niko expressed with a raised eyebrow.

"Hell ye-." Is all I get out before someone hits me on the back of the head. I keep going in and out of consciousness. There was a faint screaming coming from Niko for me to get up, and another voice saying they needed to shut up the screamer. I get hit again, my ears start ringing and my vision goes black.

They kept my head under a bag of some sorts, the entire time I was there. My hands and feet were tied to a chair by what I could only assume were zip ties, as well as something keeping my mouth closed. Definitely tape, I could feel the sticky glue on my lips and smell the adhesive with every breath I took. I heard them talking on the phone to someone, probably the ring leader, making demands. My ears were still ringing, and it felt like I was underwater with the muffled sounds of voices seeming to be so far away. At one point I must have passed out because I was woken up with cold water dumped on my head and being slapped in the face. I could only assume another person was around me as they were caressing my chest and arms. The bile rising in my throat at being thoroughly violated. I kept crying, hoping Niko was okay and was able to get to Papa.

My muscles were stiff and aching after what felt like hours of just sitting in this chair. My every sense was being assaulted, having no sight and muffled hearing. I flinched as gunshots went off from behind me. There were men screaming in pain in every direction. The instincts for self preservation were at the forefront of my thoughts. I wanted to move out of the way and take cover but I was securely tied to this wretched chair. I must have been hallucinating as I thought I heard a wolf growling. But once the bag was taken off of my head, I was met with the most stunning brown eyes and the smell of Cypresswood and lavender assaulting my senses, overtaking the smell of tape over my mouth.

I don't remember much about that day or who even saved me. I must have passed out because next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital room with Papa yelling at someone on the phone. When I asked him what happened, he said I was kidnapped and held for ransom but didn’t give me any more details than that. He just reassured me that his men tracked my phone, killed everyone involved, and then rescued me. Papa told me that Niko came to him beaten up and bleeding saying, six men kidnapped me and was the reason he and his men were able to find me so quickly.

After that Papa had me take every self defense class, boxing and training with some of his best hitmen.

Shaking the memory of my kidnapping from my thoughts, I get out of bed and run to the bathroom needing, the warmth to soothe my mind. I turn on the shower and jump right in. I quickly wash my hair, shave, and wash my body.

Once I am out of the shower and standing in front of my mirror, everything that had happened last night runs through my head.

"I fucked all four of them." I blurt out the shock of last night's events taking hold. But that quickly fades away, when I remember how amazing and right it felt.

Throwing my wet hair up into a messy bun, I pull on an oversized tee and some short-shorts, following the smell of eggs, biscuits, and sausage gravy downstairs to the kitchen.

Rounding the corner, I smash my face into a very bare chest. This has to be the world's hardest chest.