Chapter 31 Thankfully Theo was correct. The sprinklers being activated stopped any real damage to the ground floor levels, though from what we estimate, the lab is pretty much destroyed. Oh, no. What a shame. Besides the equipment which I ensured was out of action for a second time, several patient rooms and the main hallway have suffered too much damage and will need proper repairs. From what Damon explained, the contract only pertains to the medical equipment, so even if Lilydale was able to replace it, they would also be solely responsible for the facility repairs. It could be worse, but since the underground levels are basically just a pit of concrete, the structure held up well so we're safe up here. The biggest risk we have is Alexander trying to force my hand. I've already been forced to sign his bullshit document giving him access to Damon's trust fund for the purpose of fueling Lilydale's costs, but hopefully, we've done enough damage that it will cause legal issues. Likewise, now that we've destroyed the equipment again, it may have jeopardized the contract. If Alexander and Arthur want to continue their torture clinic, they will have to outlay a lot of money to get it fixed. And that shit takes time. But if there's anything rich people hate more than poor people, it's having to spend too much money. I suppose if I'm being honest though, the lab is probably the least of my problems. Rian made it clear that he was ordered to kill me. There's no doubt in my mind that the order came from Alexander-he wants me out of the way to steal my shares and fuck Damon over. We're all on edge now. While the guys had their suspicions about Rian from the start, we have no idea if he was just a disguise. For all we know there could be more of Alexander's spies hiding in Lilydale, waiting to do his bidding. 'I can practically see your mind running a hundred miles an hour,' Grey murmurs from behind me. We're curled up on his bed, resting while everyone else enjoys free time. Damon and Theo are together somewhere, working on finding out information. 'I'm getting a little sick of being a constant target,' I grumble quietly. 'But even more so that Theo was nearly hurt because of it.' Arms tighten around my torso, pulling me further against him. 'He can handle himself,' Grey answers, burying his face into the side of my neck. 'We're more worried about you.' I laugh softly. 'I can handle myself too.' Grey hums in agreement. 'Yes, you can my little pyromaniac.' 'Not just a maniac?' 'You?' he laughs. 'No. You're too sweet to be a fully fledged psycho.' 'I beg to differ. I set someone on fire. Well, twice. It's becoming a bad habit.' 'I'm inclined to disagree,' he murmurs. 'Because I think it makes you a good girl.' I roll my eyes even though he can't see it. 'Of course you'd think that.' Grey leans forward, reaching his hand down my body to skim my skirt up with his fingers. I glance down at the words marked into my skin on my inner thigh. 'Mine,' Grey whispers, reading it aloud. 'Yours.' Brushing my hair gently from my shoulders, he places a kiss along the junction of my neck. 'You're marked by all of us now. My scar on your thigh, Theo's ink on your body, and Deadman's heartbeat on your ribcage.' 'You've taken over inside too,' I tell him. 'You own every part of me.' 'Good,' he replies against my skin, trailing his lips along the top of my shoulder. 'But it's still not enough.' His fingers play with the hem of my skirt, slowly inching toward my inner thigh. Slowly, he pulls my underwear aside, dipping his finger in. Arching against him, I turn my head to find his face. 'Oh? What else did you have in mind?' I ask breathlessly as his finger slides inside, curling to stroke my pussy. 'Ride me, little killer,' he orders softly. Well, when he says it like that, how can I refuse? Turning around, I place a hand on his chest, pushing him back into the bed as I straddle his hips. Grey pushes his pants down, just far enough for his cock to spring out while I line myself up. Pulling the cotton aside, I slowly sink down on his length, the two of us moaning as he fills me completely. When my hips are flush against his, he grabs my waist, locking eyes with me. 'You feel so fucking good.' I nod, biting my bottom lip as I roll my hips. 'So do you.' 'This body was made to take me,' he growls deeply. 'So fucking perfect.' I push up on my knees and drop back down, my pussy eagerly engulfing his hard cock. Grey lets me take control, deciding the pace as he helps guide me up and down. Fingers dance across my skin to find their way under my skirt. His thumb draws precise circles around my clit while I ride him into the bed, the familiar rush of building pressure gathering in my lower abdomen. 'I need more,' I say with a quiet groan, and Grey responds instantly, thrusting his hips upwards into me. A tiny cry escapes my lips at the sudden deepness nestled in me, the sound of our skin slapping together as he takes over, spearing into me from below. 'I could stay in this perfect little cunt forever,' he murmurs, still playing with my clit. My hands rest on his toned chest, using him for balance as he fucks me hard. 'Then stay,' I say clenching around him. Grey pulls me down, slamming his lips to mine. 'Don't tempt me.' I kiss him back, rocking my hips slowly. Our tongues find each other, stroking in time with his thrusts as he starts moving again. 'I'm going to come,' I moan into his mouth. 'Then fucking come for me,' he says between kisses as he starts fucking me harder and deeper. It sends me-no, throws me-over the edge a few seconds later, my whole body shaking as I cry out into his mouth. He doesn't slow down, dragging my orgasm out of me as our hips smash together. Just as I start to come down from my high, Grey makes a deep throaty groan, stilling as he shoots his release into me while bruising my waist. 'Stay,' he murmurs when I make a move to crawl off him. 'I want to stay like this for a bit longer.' I lay down on his chest, our bodies still joined. I can hear his heartbeat through his chest as his arms tighten around my back. It's exactly what I need right now. Because for a brief moment, life feels perfect again. Which can only mean one thing. It's about to come crashing down on top of us. 'Christopher lodged a complaint,' Damon tells us as we sit at the table eating dinner. 'I gave him the files that Avery grabbed.' Theo is on my right, one hand holding a fork while the other rests on my leg. Damon is on the other side, ignoring his plate of food while Grey sits across from us, listening closely. 'That's good,' I answer. 'Do you think they will do anything about it?' 'Let's hope so,' Damon answers. 'Because Arthur is going to lash out at any second. Speaking of which; the patients are doing well apparently. Dr. Markel is treating them alongside Christopher. No permanent injuries thankfully.' 'Physically, at least,' I mutter sadly. 'Mentally they are probably fucked up.' Theo squeezes my leg. 'They will be okay,' he says, surprising me. 'That's the most caring thing you've ever said about the other patients,' I point out, amused. 'Don't get used to it,' he shoots back. 'I'm just telling you what you need to hear.' Grey nods. 'He's right though. They will be fine. It will probably take them some time to process everything, but at least they are in the hands of Christopher now. He's no Freud but he's a damn sight better than Elsher.' 'You got that right,' I mumble in agreement. 'Where is he anyway?' 'Probably hiding and licking his wounds,' Damon answers. 'Or Arthur's. I have no doubt that they are planning their next move and trying to salvage things.' 'Good luck to them,' I reply, pushing my plate of plain pasta away. 'It's a lot of money to fork out. Even with the trust fund and Alexander's ability to access it, they won't want to. They are too greedy.' 'Agreed,' Damon says. 'But it means they will turn their sights to us. We need to stay on alert. It's likely there's other people here that are willing to do their dirty work for them.' And by dirty work, he means kill me. Or any of us, really. Damon and I are public enemy number one. 'We need to keep Avery with us at all times,' Grey comments. 'Even at night.' 'Implement the ASS schedule again?' I joke. Grey grins at me. 'Fuck that. Literally and metaphorically. You'll be staying with one of us. We'll need a new roster. Unless of course these two assholes are happy to just let you stay in my bed every night.' 'Not a chance in hell,' Theo replies. 'Aves can stay with me and the pair of you can cuddle.' 'Damon cuddle?' I snort. 'Not sure he's capable of such a feat.' Damon cocks an eyebrow at me. 'Do you want me to cuddle you?' 'Is that code for strangulation?' I tease. 'Because yes either way.' His lips twitch, fighting back a smirk. 'It can be arranged. I'll leave you to question which one.' 'He's after my wealth,' I tell Grey. 'Cashing in on the life insurance policy. Oh, wait-I left it all to his dad.' The three of them simultaneously put down their forks, glaring at me. 'Oops, too soon?' 'Theo, control my wife,' Damon says. 'That smart mouth of hers is going to get her in trouble.' The hand on my leg shifts higher. 'I don't think she knows how to stay out of trouble.' I throw Theo a side eye. 'You're one to talk.' 'Speaking of talking,' Grey interjects. 'Perhaps it's time we tell the other patients what's going on. We need everyone to stay on alert and the only way we can ensure their safety is to have them on board.' 'Will they even believe us?' I ask warily. 'I mean, when you think about it, it sounds outlandish.' Grey nods. 'It does, but now that we have nearly a dozen patients who have been subjected to their bullshit, it's more believable.' I frown. 'Maybe we should have Dr. Smith help with this.' Damon deadpans. 'He's not going to tell patients what is secretly happening behind closed doors.' 'Maybe not,' I agree. 'But with some of their conditions, it could be upsetting. They need support. The last thing we need is for a bunch of struggling patients to lose their shit.' 'She has a point,' Grey says. 'He doesn't have to confirm or deny it, but we can't risk the whole facility being triggered. People could get hurt.' 'People are already hurt,' Theo replies, unfazed. 'Give them some credit. Most of them have never been given the opportunity to be in control of their own situations. If you tell them, while we run the risk that they might react badly, many may appreciate the gesture of being given information.' 'You sound like Dr. Smith,' I joke. 'Who are you and what have you done with Theo?' Theo narrows his eyes at me. 'It's as if you like my angry side. Want me to practice on Grey?' 'Try your luck, asshole,' comes the reply from across the table. I hold up my hands in defeat. 'Alright, wise one. Let's fill Dr. Smith in and start warning patients. Maybe it will be better if we do it one by one, rather than making a loud announcement where it will get back to Whitface.' Damon nods. 'I agree. We'll arrange a meeting tonight and have the other Cirque des Morts members assist. That way we can get it done faster and all have the same story.' 'Thank fuck,' I breathe out, wrinkling my nose at my plate. 'Tony's cooking has spoiled me. I definitely need the energy from better food if we're about to open the flood gates.' Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!