Marrying the Mob Prince

CLAIRE

If Cainan was the devil, why did he feel like paradise?

I sat on the bed, my body still tingling from unspent pleasure as he showered. He'd been in there a while. Perhaps I gave him a lot to think about. He'd certainly given me a mindfuck.

Sex with Cainan felt no different than a primal act of claiming. Was it rape if I'd submitted to him eagerly? If this collar made me feel protected from the evil outside? The water stopped running.

Cainan emerged, wreathed in steam with a towel tied to his waist. He seemed oddly subdued, as though he'd picked up on the energy shift between us. He changed into slacks and a shirt. "We have a retirement party to get to. Put on the dress I laid out for you."

"I'd rather be locked in the guesthouse."

"It's non-negotiable." Cainan shrugged on a cream blazer. "And Starling, I need you to be perfect. My father can't know that you're disobedient." "Why not?"

His glare dove into me as he smoothed his jacket. "Look, I'm close to something I've wanted for a very long time. You're not going to mess this up for me. But you're right. You're here for a reason other than being my toy. And it's important." My belly fluttered with hope. "What is it?"

"I'll tell you after tonight." He took my face, the gentle touch filling me with heat.

"What are you planning?"

His hand contracted on my cheek. "The less you know, the better."

***

Fifteen minutes later, we left the guesthouse. Dozens of people wandered the grounds in a drunken stupor. Soft red light illuminated the pool where naked women leisurely swam like swans on display. Men in board shorts and tropical button- ups mingled outside, smoking and eyeing the girls. There seemed to be twice as many guards on patrol as a constant stream of cars headed into the property. Loud, bawdy laughter filled the air. A heady scent saturated the octane-fueled atmosphere, mingling with the savory aroma of cooking meat.

The chains draping my body bounced as I walked across the lawn, striding beside Cainan. I wore a bodice of hundreds of thin, platinum strings. The dress ended mid-thigh, and nothing covered my modesty but a nude thong. Cainan's hand landed on the back of my neck as we approached a house teeming with people. It was hot, with air so thick that breathing in beaded moisture on my upper lip. We strolled into a grand ballroom of tables and chairs, where everyone wore masks. White cards flashed among the sea of masked men after a woman in lingerie was paraded onto the stage. The bass from the annoying club music pulsed through me as I gawked at the bespectacled man at the podium. "Do we have ten thousand?" he offered, staring out into the crowd. "I have fifteen. Fifteen-twenty."

An auction?

My shattered mind refused to piece it together. After a smattering of applause, the girl was escorted off stage and another was brought in to replace her. She looked terrified. This is fucked up.

My mouth dried as the auction proceeded.

A man claimed his prize at the end of every sale, following a brief chat with a man I assumed was his trafficker in a private room. I stared at my shaking palms. This had to be a dream. Nothing but a wild nightmare could conjure such madness. Rough fingers circled my bicep as Cainan led me away. We walked past an archway of black and gold balloons on strings. It could've been a Gatsby-themed party with the art deco accents, the gilded serving platters, and the rich food. The opulence and glitz made me sick. Iced Dungeness crab. Bowls of sturgeon caviar. Mussels sat in shells with olive oil from Greece, according to the little cards beside them.

Girls were everywhere, naked and spread-eagled. One straddled an older gentleman whose pants were shoved to his ankles. She bounced on his lap, their flesh slapping loudly as another girl sat on his face, his tongue greedily devouring her pussy. Another man forced a bound woman to snort a line of white powder before yanking her head back to his erection. A brunette lay on a craps table while men rolled dice over her body. They reached into the table, dipping their fingers inside her, and then in the mounds of cocaine. They slapped her breasts. A red-faced woman bent over a poker table moaned as a man finished inside her with a series of punishing thrusts before standing aside for the next. Cainan's bored expression flickered with interest. "See anything you like?"

His cavalier tone filled my mouth with bile. No, he was not the perfect man I'd met in Boston. Perhaps that man had never existed, but I refused to believe he was a one-note bastard who threw retirement parties side by side with slave auctions.

"Can't you see how awful this is? How evil?" I pleaded to him, balling my hands in his shirt, dragging his disinterested gaze to me. "Cainan, you have to stop this."

He blinked, breaking eye contact to scan the debauchery. "This? This is nothing to be alarmed over."

"It's a disgrace."

"It's a party," he grunted. "You should see this place when a girl tries to escape."

Tears stung my eyes at the hopelessness of the situation. Was there not enough humiliation at being sold? I tried to block out the debauchery, but everywhere I turned there was horror or the sounds of the men grunting. Oblivious to my torment, Cainan wheeled me into a private room saturated with smoke. He ushered me through the lightly tinted gray haze. A row of naked girls in leather collars knelt, their heads pointed down, like dolls waiting to be picked up and played with. An older man sat at the head of the table surrounded by a group of chain-smoking men. He lifted his lit cigar, tapped it against the crystal tray, and stuck it in his mouth. Smoke streamed from his nostrils. His hawkish glare narrowed as it fell upon Cainan.

It was unfair that Cainan resembled his dad so much. They were clones, even in their mannerisms. His father did the same one-shouldered shrug and his face creased with a dimple when he smiled, in the same spot. I gaped at him before remembering Cainan's advice from earlier. Don't look at my father. Don't talk to him. Attila is better at spotting defiance than I am. I averted my eyes, cheeks flushing.

Cainan detached from me and shook hands with the others, who beamed at him like a favorite nephew. Then he nodded at the elderly man. "Father."

Attila gave Cainan a grumpy nod. "How was the trip?"

"Uneventful." Cainan's large hand settled on his father's upper back. "I'm glad to be home."

That's right. He grew up on this batshit insane property. No wonder he didn't blink when we wandered through the party. Attila's firm mouth didn't reciprocate Cainan's smile, but something in his manner softened. "Have you made yourself useful since you've returned?"

"Oh, yes. Lots of inquiries to deal with." Cainan slid his hand from Attila, a condescending grin hitched on his handsome face. "It seems my half-brother has been lax with his responsibilities. And of course, I've been breaking in my new girl." "Yes, Rylan told me about the fiasco at the airport."

"I wouldn't call it that," he said with a conspiratorial wink at me. "Merely a learning opportunity for my pet."

Ice stabbed my heart.

Cainan's stare broke as he addressed his father. "Are you enjoying your retirement party?"

His father grunted. "I'm seventy-five. I don't need cunt like I used to."

Cainan snorted. My lip curled with disgust at thought of this old man's wizened cock engaging in intercourse. No doubt, he had to take pills just to get it up.

"So is this the little Starling bitch?" Attila's attention centered on me as he clutched the table. "Let me have a proper look at her."

Cainan grasped his father's upper arm to help him to his feet, a gesture that he didn't seem to appreciate. He ripped his bicep out of his son's grasp and, using the table as a walker, stubbornly made his way toward me. Cainan watched me intently. Behave.

Cainan's father limped into my personal space, strangely imposing for an older man. His gaze swept up and down my body. He touched my hip. Brushed his fingers on the bandaged tattoo. He prodded it gently, and I let out a low hiss. "Do you know why you're here?"

I pressed my lips into a firm line. A horrible feeling that Cainan had led me into a trap consumed me. Rylan's gloating smirk flashed across the room.

Attila whipped his head around, snarling. "Why doesn't the bitch answer?"

"I told her that her mouth had only one use, and it wasn't for speech." Cainan's weighted stare dove into me before he eased into a smile. "I give you permission to speak."

Stubbornness gripped my throat, but Cainan had been very clear. If I disobeyed him in front of his father, he would show me no mercy. I didn't trust him now, with his full mouth curling with a cynical twist. I especially did not trust my feelings when I met his dark eyes and studied his secret expression.

If you don't behave, I can't protect you.

"No," I blurted. "I've no idea why I'm here."

"Ah. Well, allow me to bring you up to speed. You're here because of your sister."

"Indie?" My heart skipped as I glanced from him to Cainan, whose arrogance betrayed nothing. "What's she got to do with this?"

"Your nosy cunt of a sister dug too deep in my affairs and ignored multiple warnings to stop. Since we couldn't kidnap her, you're here instead. You will pay for her indiscretions. You belong to the Sandors. You are my son's whore. You will obey him in everything. If he commands you to kneel, you will drop to the floor and open your mouth. If he wants to hurt you, you will endure it. If he's inclined to share you, you will spread your legs. If he wishes to breed you, you will thank him for the privilege."

They're all fucking crazy. Heat stole into my body as I studied Cainan's, who seemed emboldened by his father's speech. He stood behind his father, a lion eager to pounce.

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My attention snapped to Attila. "Yes, sir."

"You will address me as master."

"Yes, master."

Attila straightened, nodding curtly. He let me go and stepped aside. Then Cainan swiftly took his place, his gentle hand cupping my face. He stroked my cheek, firing up nerves that should be dead. My breath burned in my throat. Cainan lightly fingered my jaw. "Kneel."

I hesitated for a second before I cooperated, my knees touching the marble. Cainan's soft touch returned to my head, stroking.

"Look at me."

I obeyed.

"Open your mouth. Wider."

I widened my jaw until it ached, unable to suppress the tingling from spreading to my lips when Cainan's thumb played with my mouth. He slid inside. "Suck," he commanded.

I trembled as I closed my lips around him. He thrust inside my mouth, pressing down on my tongue, and then he pulled out with an affectionate pat on my cheek. "Get on the table."

My breathing hitched as the raw command stirred unwanted feelings.

"Don't be shy. Climb up." Cainan offered his hand, and I awkwardly hauled myself over the table. "Stay on your hands and knees. That's it. Good girl."

I winced at the pleasure it gave me as I bent over, horribly vulnerable in that position. Cainan roughly wedged my legs apart, the chains gliding up my waist. I had no protection against these men. I had nobody except my owner, a man who'd taken advantage of me several times already. And probably planned to do it again.

His touch returned in an intimate spot. I choked on my saliva as his thumbs pressed into my vulva and opened my lips. He didn't penetrate me, but he held me open. I heard the others move closer. I squirmed, wanting to get away from the torturous pressure stimulating me.

"She looks tight," Attila commented.

"She is. Feels like a virgin." Cainan slowly began to massage me, and I breathed in shallow gasps. "She fought a bit in the beginning, but stopped when we started fucking. I think taking her ass was our turning point, wasn't it, sweetheart?" He told me this would happen, that I'd be humiliated, but I wasn't prepared for how it'd feel. A lump raised in my throat as he massaged me. Pain shot through my jaw from my clenched teeth. I felt a lot of things-angry, scared, annoyed. Aroused.

I was shamefully wet.

"Why claim her for yourself?" grunted his father, who stood in front of me. "Wouldn't it be a better punishment to give her to the collective?"

"True, but I don't like sharing. I'm selfish. Just like my old man, in that regard." Cainan's arm glided over my breasts, his hand snaking up my throat to hold it gently. "Once I'm finished with my little bird, I'll wrap a leather collar around her pretty neck...but not until she stops entertaining me."

My heart thudded. Was he lying for his father's benefit? He slapped my ass, and then lightly smacked me between my legs. The shock almost made me crumble.

Attila leaned in close enough for his foul breath to billow over my nose as his son held my throat. "I'm not sure I believe this bitch is completely tame." "How so?" asked Cainan.

"Defiance. You can see it here." Attila rapped the space between my eyes. "She's not intimidated by you."

"I don't need to break a woman to make her obey."

"She won't become a slave until she is broken." Attila's glare, hooded with disappointment, flickered to his son. "Until she has no sense of self and there is nothing in her gaze but a hollow abyss. You have much to learn."

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I swallowed hard.

Cainan seemed to sense my distress. He rubbed my back, his fingers lingering too long on my head. Attila frowned.

"You treat her like a beloved pet," he said in a scandalized tone. "She is your slave. Not a girlfriend."

"I'm well aware," Cainan responded coolly. "Don't mistake my lack of brutality for weakness."

"She is not afraid of you. Until she is, she'll be a threat."

Cainan tried to bury his smile. "I can handle one little girl."

"She's not dangerous to you, my boy." Attila pointed at me. "That bitch will turn on you the moment she has a chance."

My hackles raised, but I forced myself to look down. To appear like a cowed submissive.

"If she does, she knows what's in store for her." Cainan tapped my spine, indicating I should answer. "Don't you?"

"Yes, master."

He stroked me soothingly. "I'm telling you, she's a good girl. Does she test boundaries? Yes. But that's a normal part of the process, one that I happen to enjoy." Attila stopped pacing, and I chanced a look at him. Attila stood in front of his son, studying him.

"You are the same boy you'll always be."

Cainan blinked. "Father?"

"You're not ready to take over the estate."

The effect those words had on Cainan filled my chest with ice. His fingers bit deeply into my hip as he stared down his father, who held up a hand to silence him.

"I don't question your motives, son. I question your commitment."

Anger trembled in Cainan's voice. "I assisted the Boston branch from the ground up on your orders."

"You let a slave escape three years ago. From this island."

A tic jumped in Cainan's jaw. "Tony Costa was more useful to me in Boston than he was in a fighting ring."

"Still, you set him free." Attila reached his chair at the head of the table, his arms shaking from the effort of keeping himself upright. "Last I heard, he has a wife and child."

"We free slaves after they've fulfilled their use," Cainan shot back. "Do we not?"

"Yes," Attila admitted after a pause. "But you had him under your control. You could've kept him as a bodyguard. Or a hostage. You could've negotiated an exchange. Instead you released him." "What I do with my property is my business."

"Your actions reflect on this family. You are supposed to be my heir, but you're too soft for this work." He gestured wildly at me, and I flinched. "You can't even tame this girl to my satisfaction!" Cainan's brittle smile hardened into a leer. "Since I was a child, you've told me you needed an heir. You swore you'd hand it over."

"I did. And I still do."

Cainan balled his fists. "Then let's get this over with."

"No," he snapped. "I'm not ready to retire."

"You don't have the luxury of time!"

"Calm yourself, son. You're embarrassing yourself with these hysterics." Attila dragged the cigar out of the ashtray and put it to his lips. "I am not unreasonable. If you want this as badly as you claim, your slave will prove it to me. I will choose three arduous tasks to be performed by your slave. If she completes the tasks, I will sign over everything to you. But if you're not man enough to control this girl, you'll never replace me."