Avarice Page 9

  “Oh God,” Ava whispered, her fingers curling against the wood.

  Midas leaned over her, kissing her shoulder gently before his teeth latched onto her neck, his cock thrusting up into her in a brutal shove.

  Ava screamed, her body stretching around him, trying to accommodate just how large he was. Usually, Midas moved slowly, knowing he was thicker than most men. His control had completely abandoned him, though, and he withdrew and slammed into her again. Over and over until he lost where she ended and he began.

  Ava’s screams turned to moans, her new-found claws appearing once more and scraping down the wall, leaving furrows in their wake.

  “That’s it, baby. Don’t hold back,” Midas growled, his fingers digging into her hips as his thrusts deepened. “Come for me.”

  Her body clenched around his cock, her back arching as her juices coated him, her mouth opening in a gasp of pleasure. Midas grabbed the back of her head, his lips finding hers, drinking down her noises as his own orgasm slammed into him, their moans tangling between their teeth.

  Their auras exploded around them, the fireworks bright, even behind his closed lids.

  Midas thought he felt the faint sensation of wings slide just between his shoulder blades as they stumbled sideways and collapsed onto the bed, drunk on pleasure and magic.

  Time passed, their breathing settling back into a natural rhythm. Midas felt his mind begin to drift, sleep tempting him.

  “Midas?” Ava whispered, her hands making circles over his chest.

  “Hmm?”

  “Where did you go yesterday?”

  Midas yawned, fighting back the Sandman. “The library.”

  Chuckling, Ava leaned up on an elbow, raising a brow at him. “Really? You passed up sex with me to go read?”

  Midas grinned and smoothed a hand over her hair. “A mistake, I assure you.”

  “Indeed,” she said, shaking her head. Self-doubt flickered within her. Midas’ abilities latched onto it, aching to wipe it away.

  “You don’t believe me? Should I prove it again, perhaps?” He grinned lazily, his eyes raking over her.

  Ava scowled, flopping back onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. “What, are you all mind readers?”

  Midas held back a laugh. He wasn’t an idiot. He didn’t want to die today. But damn if she wasn’t adorable when angry.

  “Hardly. I’m somewhat of an empath,” he said. “I’ve always been able to read emotions, even before... this.”

  “Oh,” Ava said, sounding slightly contrite. She curled up on her side so she could see him better, curiosity pouring from her. “What’s that like?”

  It was Midas’ turn to look away. He stared up at the ceiling and shrugged. “It’s an asset. It makes our jobs easier.”

  Ava reached out, placing her hand on his bare chest. He put his own hand on top of hers, holding her to him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” she said.

  Midas shook his head, staring at where their hands intertwined. “No, it’s okay. I just don’t talk about it very often, is all.” He turned towards her, his hand gliding up her arm. It felt...nice. Like he was caressing her soul as well as her skin. “When I was a boy, I would hide in the woods, sometimes for days at a time. I couldn’t figure out how to block the emotions. It was… overwhelming, to say the least. And then I met Ody.

  “He helped me learn control. He was a military brat, even back then.” Midas snorted. “I’ve never met more of a control freak. Well, other than myself, that is. He taught me to use my head to block my heart. Focus on the intellect behind the emotions. Use them to our advantage.” He stopped, his hand settling on her cheek. “And then you came along. So much for control, huh?” He chuckled.

  Ava grinned, her eyes softening as she met his gaze. Then her eyes widened and she sat up, grabbing the sheet and pulling it to her chest. “Shit. We forgot about Ody and Ramé.”

  Midas barked out a laugh, pulling her back to him. “We were a little preoccupied.”

  Blushing, Ava giggled softly. It was the most innocent he had ever seen her, naked and curled up against him, the scent of their sex still in the air.

  Midas felt a piece of his heart wrap around that sound, clinging to it.

  “Still, we should probably let them back in,” she mumbled, nuzzling his chest.

  Midas groaned. “If we must.”

  Ava laughed again before untangling herself and grabbing a t-shirt from her closet, the long fabric sliding over her and covering her sexy nakedness.

  “Hey, I didn’t say anything about getting dressed,” he grumbled.

  Ava lifted a brow at him before sauntering towards the door. “I may have let you get away with that whole macho man act earlier, but don’t let it get to your head.”

  Midas grinned. He loved a challenge.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ava

  “Ava! Go! Now!” Her mother shoved her away, making Ava trip over the overturned chair in the kitchen.

  “I can’t leave you!”

  Slap

  Ava reached up, her hand covering her now heated cheek, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Do as I say,” her mother snarled. Her anger was contradicted by the tears trailing down her cheeks. “Don’t look back. Run to the river, just like we’ve planned. Find Sal.”

  The sound of footsteps in the hallway made Ava jump, panic sending her eleven-year-old self scurrying for her bedroom.

  She looked back in time to see her mother turn towards the front door, a dagger in hand, chin lifted in defiance as the first knocks rang out.

  Ava’s fingers struggled with the latches on her window, the locks there rusted and stubborn. Sobbing, she gave up and looked around, desperate for another exit point.

  The slamming bang of the front door opening made her blood freeze. In desperation, Ava resorted to the only hiding place she had left. She silently slid beneath her bed, covering her mouth with both hands to silence her breathing. With her bedroom door cracked open, she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

  “Hello, Wyvern,” a cruel voice said from the other room.

  “Tigercub,” her mother purred, tilting her beautiful head, her blonde curls bouncing.

  “You have something that belongs to me,” he said, stepping into view. He was massive, his white suit only emphasizing his size. A redhead with prominent brows, he stepped toe to toe with her mother, dwarfing the tiny woman.

  “And that would be?”

  “Don’t play cute,” he growled. “I know it was you. Give me back what is mine or I’ll be forced to take it out of your hide.”

  Her mother looked up at this brute of a man and laughed.

  Ava had never felt more proud. Or more angry. Was her mother’s damn treasure really worth her life? Or Ava’s for that matter?

  Glancing sideways at the stash of glittery objects Ava had stolen over the years and hidden beneath her bed, Ava winced.

  The monster man grinned, a harsh baring of teeth. “Something funny?”

  Her mother shook her head, the dagger glinting behind her back. “You are sadly misinformed. I suggest you go back to whatever cave you crawled out of. Perhaps you dropped your precious egg there?”

  The man lashed out, his meaty hand wrapping almost completely around her mother’s throat. “I never said it was an egg,” he growled.

  Ava held her breath, fear freezing her in place.

  “Maybe we can come to an understanding,” his tone turned softer, his other hand reaching out to finger one of her mother’s curls.

  Suddenly, the dagger flashed out, slicing deep into his side. Crimson blossomed upon the ivory suit jacket.

  “Bitch!” he roared, slapping the dagger away as if it hadn’t just taken a slice out of him. He backhanded her mother, sending her spinning into the kitchen table.

  Ava’s mother lifted her eyes and found Ava’s. Their gazes locked. Her mother’s eyes widened, fear flashing in them before determination took
over. Snarling, she whipped around, a furious tornado of rage and pain. Ava watched her mother’s aura light with it, pulsing as the tiny woman who birthed her fought for them both.

  It wasn’t enough.

  Ava cried as she heard her mother scream, the rage in the air quickly turning to fear and sobs as the sound of her mother’s dress tearing echoed through the small apartment.

  And all Ava could do was cry, hidden away among her shinies, a coward through and through.

  Ava woke with a gasp, swallowing down the bile that wanted to make its way up her throat. Sweat slicked skin shivered with the remnants of her nightmare. She ran a hand over her face, her hand instinctively sliding beneath her pillow. She found the tiny elephant brooch her mother had given her on her seventh birthday and wrapped her fingers tightly around it, the bite of the diamonds pulling her away from the dreams and into reality.

  She glanced over at the Fabergé egg resting on her dresser as tears threatened to drown her.

  A gentle hand gripped her chin, pulling her attention to the man lying beside her.

  Ody met her gaze. The pain in his eyes mirrored her own. “Hey,” he whispered.

  Ava swallowed, having to try twice before words came out. “Hi.”

  Ody ran his hand over her cheeks, wiping away her tears. “Wanna talk about it?” he asked.

  She shook her head, wanting to look away but finding it damn near impossible.

  He just nodded, his calloused palms moving to her hair, caressing the strands. “They say the nightmares get better. I think they’re fucking liars.” His lip curved in a sad smile.

  Ava curled onto her side so she could better face him. “Wanna talk about it?” she asked.

  His brows furrowed, his attention remaining on her hair. “It’s strange. When you’re in the midst of battle, everything moves so fast. If you were to ask me what had happened right after a fight, I couldn’t tell you. It’s just a blur, you know?”

  Ava nodded, although she didn’t really know. Her goal was to stay away from conflict. Stealth was her game. She wouldn’t give her inner coward another shot at failure.

  “But for some reason the dreams...Well, the dreams always remember the details. The smells. The sounds.” He swallowed, his fingers massaging her scalp. “Maybe it will fade over time.”

  Ava gave her own sad smile. Perhaps. She really doubted it though.

  “It’s always the sounds that sit with me the longest,” she whispered. She couldn’t let Ody rip himself open like that and not share her pain with him. A coward she may be, but in the dark of night, in shadows and whispers, she could give him this.

  Ody leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then tucked her into the curve of his shoulder. The deep rumble of his voice settled over her as he began to sing a low song.

  The lullaby chased away the lingering echoes of screams better left forgotten.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ava

  This is nice.

  Ava curled up on the bed, settling into a nest of three delicious men. Her apprehensions seemed to have abandoned her after multiple orgasms. Who knew?

  “We can’t lay here all day,” Midas mumbled, his hands moving down her back.

  “Why the fuck not?” Ramé said, nuzzling her neck.

  Ava was going to have to agree. Why the fuck not?

  “We’ve still got a mission to complete. Not to mention figuring out what the hell is going on with all of us.” Ody didn’t sound too happy about the thought of leaving her tiny bed either. “We also have a ruby to exchange.”

  The reminder of bounties made Ava’s skin run cold.

  “Who’s the mark?” she asked

  “Lobah Pontiki” Ody replied, massaging her calf.

  Ava froze, her heart stuttering a little.

  Lobah. Her only true friend in the world. Little Ms. Princess Pirate herself.

  “You know her?” Midas asked, obviously sensing her unease.

  “And if I did?” Ava looked up, glaring at him.

  Midas held his hands up in surrender. “Easy, love. It’s just a mark. We don’t have to take her in.”

  Ava felt the snarl building in the back of her throat and fought to push it back. Friends were more rare than treasure, in these parts. She hoarded them just as possessively as she would any trinket or shiny.

  It was Ramé’s turn to comfort her. His large hands slid up her arms, and the simple touch shot straight to her center, effectively distracting her from her anger. “Calm down, wild cat. No one is going to hurt your friend. We should talk to her, though. Find out why the Council wants her so badly. Information is never a bad thing when it comes to those fuckers. Who knows what they’re up to.”

  Ava nodded, trying to bring her focus back to the problem at hand. “We might be able to kill two birds with one stone. There’s a witch that hangs out with Uncle Sal. She tells tales of mating bonds and magic. I always thought it was rubbish, but, well…” She ran her hand just above Ody’s stomach, his aura caressing her own. ”You never did tell me what you found at the library, Midas.”

  Midas sighed and rubbed at his face. “Nothing really useful. Ramé said he discussed the Caves with you?”

  Ava nodded.

  “Well, everything I read pretty much confirmed what we already knew. Myths and legends of Affinities once having the ability to shift into their true forms. It’s all conjecture, though. Nonsense about gods and curses.”

  Ava’s heart raced. “That coincides with the story Cyclone tells.”

  “Why wouldn’t there be shifters around then?” Ramé said. “Surely we’re not the first mates to have met. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  Ody sat up, jostling them all as he made his way to the edge of the bed. The scars on his back beckoned Ava closer, calling for her to kiss away his pain. “We aren’t going to find out sleeping the day away. First, we need to meet with Mattheus. Then we can meet the girl and her witch.”

  A half hour later, Ava stood at the foot of her bed, scowling down at the stubborn jackass sitting on it.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “No,” Ody said, his eyes deliberately not meeting hers as he tied his leather boots, his big body looking out of place on her tiny bed.

  “No?” Ava put her hands on her hips defiantly. “No?”

  “No.” He looked up at her, his mouth a tight line.

  Ava scoffed, looking for someone more reasonable. Ramé and Midas wouldn’t meet her gaze.

  Cowards.

  “I’m the one that got the ruby back. Shouldn’t I be allowed to be there for the transaction?” Ava practically spit the word ‘allowed’. As if she needed permission. She didn’t mention that it was sort of her fault Raul had the ruby in the first place. Technicalities and what not.

  Ody stood, grabbing his leather jacket and slipping it on. “These men are dangerous, Ava. We don’t meet with them lightly.”

  “Oh and you don’t think I can handle meeting dangerous men?”

  Stepping forward, Ody lifted her chin gently, his thumb caressing her in that way he always did. It soothed some of her ire, but only just. “Sunshine, I know damn well that you can take care of yourself. But we just had a bit of a scare. Can you please wait here? For me?”

  Ava looked down, frustration welling up within her. If she dug deep, she could admit why she didn’t want them to leave her behind. It had little to do with the dead body they had left in the sewer. Ava was a survivor, and while she may not like violence, she wouldn’t beat herself up over protecting herself. Not over a pissant like Raul. No, this was something else.

  Ever since she had tampered with their bond and finally sealed things with Midas, Ava felt more connected to her men than ever. She not only wanted to be with them, she needed to be. She needed to know they were safe. To be able to reach out and touch them. The truth was, she was scared, terrified of what was happening to her. Had she really, truly shifted, like she and Midas had hypothesized? Ever since they got the insane attraction betw
een them handled,, Midas’ inner nerd had come out in full-force, trying to find answers into what had occurred while Ava had been bound to that chair. Shifted. Sure, it was a partial shift, but it was still pretty fucking life-altering.

  For the first time, Ava wanted someone to lean on, someone to share all these unexplored feelings with, especially now that she had bonded to such rare affinities.

  She needed to see Lobah. She needed to find Mistress Cyclone and get some answers to this madness.

  “She could stay with me on my bike,” Ramé said, pulling Ava out of her head.

  She glanced up, hope swelling. But staring into Ody’s hard eyes, she felt that hope dwindle. “Please, Ody?” Pulling up all the charm she could muster, Ava gave him the full weight of her puppy dog eyes. Well, Wyvern eyes, as it were.

  After a long moment, Ody sighed, dropping his head in defeat. “Fine. But you two stay on the bike, out of sight. Got it?”

  Smiling Ava wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly. “Thank you. I promise to behave.”

  Ody chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “Why do I have trouble believing that?”

  “Come on, wild cat.” Ramé held out his hand to her, pulling her in for an inappropriately passionate kiss before heading for the door.

  Ramé’s bike was unlike anything Ava had seen before. It was black and gold, the slick machine looking very primal. Ava breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of steel and oil, running her fingers along the shiny exterior. Oh, I need one of these… she thought, resisting the urge to purr with pleasure. Refusing the helmet Ramé offered, despite his rather desperate pleas, Ava hopped on behind him, wrapping her arms around his muscled midsection. Ava had never been on a motorcycle before, and she quickly realized what a mistake that had been. Feeling the wind through her hair was ecstasy. It was almost like she was flying. She could practically see her wings outstretched, soaring through the air..