Deceived: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (The Devil's Syndicate Book 1) Read online

  His dark eyes flicked down to mine. The hatred in them made me flinch.

  “You want to know why we took you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Because fuck Frank Russo, that’s why.”

  His eyes snapped forward again. Papa had enemies by the dozen. The way he’d practically spat my father’s name told me this happened to be personal for him.

  “So you hate my father. How original.”

  “Listen here, little girl, you have no idea how much fucking shit you’re in right now so I suggest you shut that little sarcastic trap of yours and keep your childish thoughts to yourself.”

  I rolled my eyes. Typical really. Thinking he could just tell me to be quiet and expecting me to listen.

  “I’m not a child. I’m twenty-one.”

  His eyes met mine again. The deadly gleam in them had me regretting my words.

  “I’m well aware you’re a grown woman.” His eyes roamed across my body in his arms. “But if you think you can use that to your advantage, you’d be mistaken.”

  He clearly didn’t realise how hungry his eyes had turned when he looked at my naked flesh.

  “Trust me, I’d rather die than sleep with any of you.”

  His expression darkened.

  “That can be arranged, sweetheart.”

  I scowled. He had no right to call me that. I hadn’t much minded Xav calling me angel, but he seemed to want to take care of me.

  “Going to kill me then? Might as well get on with it. No point wasting time.”

  I didn’t have a death wish, but I understood my situation happened to be precarious.

  “If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of taking you from right under your Daddy’s nose.”

  I stowed away that piece of information for safekeeping. Perhaps I should be more freaked out than I was. I’d stared into the faces of monsters before. The things I’d seen left scars on my soul. So being kidnapped wasn’t top of the list of most fucked up events in my life.

  Knox walked into a room and set me down on the floor by the back wall. I slumped against it, only just getting the feeling back in my limbs. He grabbed my wrist roughly and attached a steel cuff to it.

  “Why won’t you tell me who you are? I’ve seen all your faces, not like you’re being very secretive.”

  He didn’t look at me as he picked up something else from the floor and gathered up my hair with one hand. He snapped a steel collar around my neck with a chain attached to it. If I thought it was worth it, I’d have complained about him chaining me to the wall. His general attitude towards me told me it would fall on deaf ears. He dropped my hair and stood up. His dark eyes raked over me, hunger burning inside them.

  “You’re far too curious for your own good.”

  “I’m not what you expected, am I?”

  He cocked his head to the side. He was wearing all black again. Whilst Xav had been all bulging muscles, the demon from hell was more athletic in build. He’d carried me with ease, which meant he had upper body strength in spades. He flexed his hands at his sides.

  “I’m sure you heard what they called me.”

  Ignoring my question, I see.

  “Knox.”

  He let out a low hum of agreement.

  “That’s not your first name.”

  His eyes narrowed and he took a step towards me, his feet nudging against my bare thigh. I flinched back away from him.

  “And how would you know that, little girl?”

  I almost spat at him for calling me that again.

  “I’m not stupid that’s how.”

  “Clearly not. Stupid little girls would be screaming and begging for their lives right now.”

  I shrugged. No point in begging a demon for mercy. Monsters didn’t deal in mercy and kindness. They dealt in death and destruction.

  “I’m under no illusions about my father and the kind of company he keeps. You don’t scare me.”

  “I’m not in business with your father,” he spat, venom seeping from his words.

  “No, I’m sure it’s all just some convoluted revenge plot you’ve cooked up because you think he’s wronged you. You’re not the first man to want Papa dead. You won’t be the last.”

  I could tell Knox wasn’t happy with my response. His eyes narrowed to slits and his fists clenched by his sides.

  “You think you know everything, Ashleigh Vittoria Russo.”

  He squatted down on his haunches, his eyes hardening. Reaching out, he gripped my face and forced me to look at him.

  “You have no idea what kind of man I am or what I’m capable of.” He leant closer until his nose was almost brushing against mine. “Unless you wish to wake the beast, I suggest you keep your smart remarks and questions to yourself. I’ll take pleasure in punishing you if you keep pushing me.” His eyes lowered to my mouth. “I can think of many ways to punish that smart mouth of yours. Many, many ways, sweetheart. Don’t think I won’t follow through. I don’t care who your father is nor am I scared of what he’ll do when he finds out I have his little princess.”

  My bottom lip trembled. For the first time since I’d woken up, my confidence wavered. Isabella said they weren’t men I wanted to know. Knox’s words confirmed that for me. The conviction in his voice had my heart racing in my chest. What kind of man wasn’t afraid of Frank Russo? A man who possessed more darkness than the head of the Russo family himself.

  “Do you know what your family call me?” he whispered, his breath fluttering across my face.

  I shook my head.

  “Il Diavolo.”

  I’d been right. Knox had walked out of hell itself. And he was known by two words.

  The Devil.

  “But you, Ashleigh, may call me Quinn.”

  “It’s Ash,” I whispered.

  I had no idea why I told him that. My mother and father insisted on calling me Ashleigh, but everyone else referred to me as the boss’ daughter or just Ash.

  His eyes flickered with heat for a moment before it was gone. Then he stood, turned and walked away. I stared at his back, realising just how much I didn’t understand about what was happening to me. He hadn’t explained anything. Not really.

  He paused in the doorway, turning back to me slightly.

  “If you think you can cry to the others, you’d be mistaken. You belong to me now, Ash.”

  Before I had a chance to formulate a response, he walked out of the room and the door slammed shut behind him.

  Quinn Knox is the devil incarnate, was the first thought I had. The second was I happened to be screwed. Well and truly screwed.

  I shifted, testing my limbs, which moved with some complaint. At least the drug they’d administered to knock me out had all but worn off. The room he’d put me in was another matter entirely. There was a small metal-framed bed with a thin mattress to my right and a metal toilet to my left. That was it unless you counted the window above me with metal bars across it and the single bulb hanging from the ceiling.

  I shifted up on my hands and knees with some effort and dragged myself over to the bed. The chains tethering me to the wall gave me enough slack to lay down on it. I fingered the cold steel collar around my neck. The rational part of my brain told me there was no way out of this. Trapped as a prisoner at the mercy of a man who was beginning to terrify me to my very core.

  Hot, salty tears erupted from the corners of my eyes as I shivered. I had no blanket. Nothing to cover myself with. He’d left me naked and alone, chained to the wall with no hope left in my heart. So instead of being brave like I ought to have been, I cried silent tears of regret and shame, wondering what the hell would happen when Papa found out who had me. I’d heard the words Il Diavolo whispered before. If Quinn really was The Devil, then my situation was dire.

  “Papa,” I whispered. “Please come for me. Please don’t leave me here alone.”

  I curled myself up into a ball, my tears soaking
the thin mattress below me until I drifted off, allowing exhaustion to consume me.

  Chapter 3

  I had no interest in dealing with Xavier, Rory, and Eric’s concerns about the Russo girl. They’d all agreed to this course of action. They didn’t get to question me now. Not when we had her in our clutches. Admittedly, I shouldn’t have asked them to strip her bare. Having the image of her naked skin branded on my retinas did nothing to quell my dark mood. The stupid girl had talked back to me. Made my fingers itch to punish her for her insolence. I’d teach Ash how to show me the respect I deserved if she insisted on testing me.

  My three partners in crime barged into my office within minutes of me entering and sitting down after placing the Russo girl where she belonged. Chained up and unable to escape.

  Ashleigh Vittoria Russo is mine.

  “You really are a piece of shit,” Xav snarled, slamming his hand down on my desk after he’d advanced towards me.

  “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts now,” I replied, looking down at my nails.

  “You know what, I think you take that fucking title they gave you far too seriously. What the fuck happened to treating a woman with decency, huh?”

  I looked up at him, noting the burning rage in his blue eyes. That was Xavier’s problem. He’d always been a hothead. Barging in all guns blazing without a second thought for the consequences of his actions. He had a hero complex and clearly, he thought Ash needed saving. Little girls who did their father’s bidding didn’t need saving at all. They needed to learn their fucking place. My hand curled into a fist under the table. I couldn’t allow that girl to get under my skin.

  “We all agreed, Xav,” Rory said quietly, saving me from answering.

  Did I care they’d given me the nickname Il Diavolo? Not particularly. It served my agenda. Having them fear me. Xav thought it had gone to my head. He couldn’t see beyond his own fucking need to save lost souls. Everything I did had a bigger picture. Every move I made brought us closer to our ultimate goals.

  Xavier paced away, glowering at Rory. He’d fall in line. His bark was far worse than his bite. Xav might look like a jacked-up bodybuilder, but he had a soft heart underneath that façade. Besides, they all deferred to me one way or another. I’d kept them alive this long. I’d fought their battles since we were kids.

  “That was before you decided to chain her up naked.”

  No one spoke for a long moment. The elephant in the room had reared its ugly head. I doubt any of us could say we hadn’t looked at Ash and wondered what it’d be like to slide inside her lithe little body. And it wasn’t as though we hadn’t fucked the same woman before. Never at the same time, but sharing women had never been a big deal. Not when you lived in the way we did with all the shit we’d done over the years.

  Eric had been the one to remove her clothes. Rory kept his distance, which wasn’t unusual for him. He didn’t much like human contact unless it was on his terms. Xav didn’t want any part of it. He hadn’t minded picking her up and carrying her into one of the spare rooms. Hypocrite.

  “Did you forget who she belongs to?” I asked, my voice barely above a murmur.

  “As if I could fucking forget. You and your sick fucking games, Quinn. When will it end?”

  I flinched. He rarely called me Quinn. I’d been known as Knox by the world for longer than I cared to remember.

  “What do you want me to do? Act like she’s an innocent? That girl is not innocent and you know it. I suggest you get off your high fucking horse, pipe down and let me deal with Ashleigh Russo.”

  Xav clenched his fists, staring at me with unconcealed disgust.

  “You’ll regret treating her like this.” He stabbed a finger in my direction “Mark my fucking words.”

  He stormed out of the room, barging past Rory.

  “Xavier,” Eric called, hurrying after him. “Come on, man, you know Quinn’s doing what he thinks is best.”

  I rolled my eyes as Rory shut the door behind them. He leant up against the wall and levelled his gaze on me.

  “What?”

  He didn’t speak, just continued to watch me with those discerning hazel eyes of his. Like he could strip the world bare and make it his bitch. In all honesty, he probably could.

  “Those two fuckheads can go deal with their hardons for each other.” Rory raised a single blonde eyebrow. “You think I don’t know?”

  “I didn’t say anything,” he replied smoothly.

  I glanced over at the monitors on my desk, noting Ash had curled up on the bed and was fast asleep. She looked like a little blonde angel, just like Xav had called her. Except I knew that girl was no angel.

  “Those two have been obsessed with each other since forever.”

  “You really are a prick, Quinn.”

  I shrugged. Xavier was bisexual and Eric had always said he loved people, not genders. I didn’t give a shit who they stuck their dicks in. As long as they did their jobs and didn’t let whatever went on between them effect that, I wouldn’t interfere.

  “If they’re happy then what do I care? Say… I wonder who fucks who.”

  Rory gave me a look as if to say ‘what the fuck, man?’. I put my hands up.

  “Okay, you’re right, it’s none of my business.”

  He shook his head. Rory was used to dealing with me.

  “You need to get your shit straight,” he murmured. “You can’t let this girl blind you.”

  “What makes you think she has?”

  He gave me one of his signature looks. Rory. Ever the silent stoic type. Only speaking when he had something important to say. Everything else was conveyed with a single look.

  “Spit it out already. I’m tired of having to work out what you’re trying to say without words.”

  He shoved off the wall and walked over to my desk, taking a seat in front of it. He tapped his fingers on his thigh.

  “Xav and Eric don’t know you like I do.”

  My eyes flicked back to the monitors again. Rory knew exactly what I’d do to little Ash Russo if I had half the chance. We met Xavier and Eric in school, but Rory and I had grown up next door to each other. We knew what it was like to rise from the ashes of the shitty lot we’d been given in life. We kept each other’s dark and depraved secrets.

  “So?”

  His stare told me exactly what I needed to know.

  “I’m not going to touch her.”

  His eyes flicked towards the monitors and back to me. I knew Rory’s type. Little angelic girls who liked a man to do depraved shit to them. Ash fit the bill in some of those respects. Quite honestly, I think she fit the bill for all four of us even if Xav and Eric were preoccupied with each other.

  “You don’t believe me.”

  He shrugged, continuing to tap his fingers on his thigh.

  “Talking to you is like pulling teeth, you know that, right?”

  “Says the man who doesn’t know when to shut up.”

  Touché old friend.

  I flashed him a grin.

  “Are you going to stop me if I do?”

  I wasn’t sure I trusted myself not to if she chose to provoke me further. What I needed was to stay away. The boys could take care of her.

  “You’re going to do what you want regardless of my intervention.”

  I shrugged and ran a hand through my hair.

  “Don’t touch her, Quinn. You know it will only lead to trouble.”

  Rory had a point. We had her here for a reason and that had nothing to do with my innate urge to have my way with her. The things I’d do to that lithe body.

  Stop thinking about her like that.

  “I won’t.”

  His eyes roamed over my face.

  “You will.”

  I didn’t answer. He stood up, nodded at me and walked towards the door.

  “For the record, nothing has happened between Eric and Xavier. If it had, I would know.”


  “They need to get on with it then. I’m tired of those longing looks E gives Xav.”

  “You should worry more about yourself and the girl.”

  Fuck Rory. Fuck him knowing everything about me.

  I sat back and stared at the monitors. A part of me wanted to reach out and touch the screen as if I could stroke her hair back from her face. She looked very much like her mother but so much younger and infinitely more angelic. Deceptive which made her dangerous. Too fucking dangerous.

  I had to reign in any urges I had towards her. Regardless of her sins, those were not part of the plan. We had her for a reason and jeopardising that could cost us everything.

  Chapter 4

  I was cold. Too cold. My body shivered as I curled in on myself on the narrow bed. Why had they taken my clothes? Why were they doing any of this to me? Yes, I was Frank Russo’s daughter but that didn’t mean shit. If they wanted information, then they’d be sorely disappointed. Papa would hurt me if I told them anything.

  I had the distinct impression eyes were on me. Peeking out from my knees, I found the dirty blonde-haired man with the scar on his eyebrow leaning against the doorframe watching me intently.

  Unnerving. Totally unnerving.

  Didn’t make him any less attractive than the others. Honestly, it was like four bloody gods had a hold of me, although I hadn’t particularly studied the last man with the green eyes.

  “What do you want?”

  He didn’t speak. Just stared at me.

  “You’re one of those quiet types.”

  Nothing. Not even a hint of an acknowledgement. I shifted, uncurling my legs and sitting up against the wall. I crossed my arms over my breasts. I didn’t think he had any interest in me but being naked for their perusal was starting to make me uncomfortable.

  “Quinn said none of you will help me.”

  His lip twitched.

  “Is he just going to leave me here to starve and freeze to death?”

  “No.”

  That single word conveyed so much. His voice was deep, rich and calming. I cocked my head to the side.

  “Then can I get some water… please?”