Conviction (The Cassano Series Book 4) Read online

  Conviction

  Scarlet Wolfe

  Copyright © 2015 Scarlet Wolfe Books

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Contents

  Notes

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  End Notes

  Acknowledgements

  Notes

  Conviction is the fourth novel in The Cassano Series. Concealment, Consumed and Coercion must be read prior. Conviction is told from the points of view of Zev, Victoria, Tara, Adrian and Sadie.

  It is for a mature audience due to harsh language, physical abuse, and descriptive sexual scenes, including aspects of BDSM.

  Cover Photography by Ron Reagan Photography

  Cover Design by Kim Black at TOJ Publishing Services

  Cover Model Ivan Gabriel

  Dedication

  To Samantha Wiley. Thank you for your friendship and skill, and for routinely squashing my self-doubt. You’re invaluable and a special friend.

  Chapter One

  Zev

  “You came!” Aggie shouts with a squeal. Her hug that practically knocks the wind out of me leaves me laughing. She’s thirty-five, and I don’t think she has changed perfumes since she started wearing it as a teen. It’s a fruity scent that reminds me of Tara.

  I hold her tightly, comforted by the familiarity I’ve missed, and I have no one to blame but myself.

  “Yeah, you got me here.” She steps back, viewing me from head to toe as she squeezes my bicep. It’s awkward, so I glance over my shoulder and see Adrian and Victoria retrieving bags from the rental car.

  “Handsome as ever, and you’ve been working out.”

  “Alright, alright, enough about me. How have you been?”

  Aggie’s smile dims a bit. “I’m not bad. Busy as ever with Mom.”

  I don’t know what compels me, but I grab her and hug her again. “I’m sorry you have to handle it alone.”

  “Geez, all my brothers are getting soft in their old age. Did you get my birthday card?”

  I guess she doesn’t want to spoil the good moment by talking about serious shit, and that is fine with me.

  “Yeah, I got your card. Thank you, but remember, you’ll always be older.”

  “OK, maybe you haven’t changed.” My sis pinches my cheek as Adrian and Victoria approach us.

  “Aggie, this is my girlfriend, Victoria. Victoria, my evil twin, Agatha.”

  Aggie swats his arm. “Don’t let him fool you. I’m not nearly as manipulative as he is.”

  Victoria’s brow lifts as she looks to Adrian.

  “Hmm … and you call me manipulative. I’m hearing from a reliable source that you’re no better.”

  “We’re going to get along great.” Aggie’s arms wrap around Victoria, catching her off guard, but she hugs my sister back. “OK, let’s get inside. Oh, Mom is doing well mentally, so you should have a good visit.

  “She does tire easily and is suffering from some serious headaches. I can barely get her to take any pain medication, so she might need to nap often.”

  My stomach tightens. I’m nervous as hell to see my mother. It’s been a while, and she’s going to remind me. I pray she’s as mentally well as Aggie let on.

  Victoria

  Aggie is stunning. She has a similar nose as her brothers, minus the bump at the bridge. Unlike Adrian’s dark hair, hers is auburn. Her eyes are a unique hazel color like Zev’s, yet somehow she favors Adrian so much. I think it’s the shape of her eyes and mouth.

  I need to stop staring, but it fascinates me that he has a twin. I haven’t asked him why Theo had to be the one to tell me about it, but we’re going to discuss that on this trip.

  We enter the living room, which is spacious but a little dated. I take it all in, along with a deep breath. I’m in dangerous situations often, but my stomach is in a knot coiled tighter than any I can recall.

  I’ve never met the mother of a man I’ve dated, and Adrian isn’t just any man. I believe with all my heart that we were made for one another, so it’s imperative I make a good first impression with the females of his family.

  Adrian sets down our suitcases and takes my hand into his. “Hey, you OK?” The sweat from my hand is noticeable in his grasp. My free hand immediately goes across my stomach.

  “I’m nervous.”

  “Don’t be nervous. Aggie and my mother love you already, but I do enjoy seeing you vulnerable,” he murmurs with a smirk on his handsome face.

  “I’ll get Ma,” Aggie says with a knowing smile. We take a seat on the sofa, and I look around the room again, trying to send my mind elsewhere.

  “Mom will barely let Agatha make changes to the house, or I would’ve updated it. She’s too paranoid about everything.”

  I glance to Adrian, and I believe he’s nervous now.

  “I know you would do anything for your family. Don’t think you have to explain yourself on this trip, OK?”

  “I love you, and I’m glad you’re here with me,” he whispers before his warm lips touch my temple.

  “Damn, Adrian, she’s stunning,” his mother says. Her entrance is followed by Agatha, who’s wearing a grin. Shit, open your mouth, Victoria, and let words come out of it.

  “Um, thank you. I’m Victoria,” I say, reaching out to shake her hand. I’m swiftly in her embrace, and the flowery scent from her hair fills my nostrils. It’s thick like Agatha’s but grey.

  “I’m Denise, and you’re already family, dear. I can’t get over how my boys have changed since meeting you and your sister.”

  “Yes, Sadie. She’s extra special.” The knot in my stomach coils even tighter as I think of my sis and the fact she’s angry with me.

  “Xavier, it’s your turn to find a sweet woman,” Denise adds.

  “Uh, Zev, do you want to help me make drinks?” Agatha asks. “Will iced tea work for everyone?”

  “Sure,” Adrian and I reply simultaneously.

  “Listen to them, Aggie. They’re in sync like they’ve been together for years.” Their mother’s grin is broad as she looks to her daughter.

  It warms my heart to know I’m a part of something that brings Denise happiness before her death, and I will be there for her children once she’s gone. It’s a promise I will make to her while I’m here.

  Chapter Two

  Tara

  Noah pulls on my hand as we stroll down the hall to one of the BDSM suites. “Relax, the room is right here.” We reach the door, and he graze
s my cheek with the back of his hand.

  I close my eyes as images flash through my mind. I envision Zev’s dimples as he smiles at me and his dark with desire eyes the moments he has longed for me. The times we’ve laughed and talked for hours warm me, the happiness stilling my nerves.

  Then, I picture him in handcuffs. He will hate me after this, but I will always love him. He will be my forever “what if” as he keeps his freedom.

  “Open your eyes. Have you been to one of these rooms before?”

  “Yes,” I whisper, my gaze now tilted up at his tall frame.

  “Good. It means you’re into kink. Let’s play, Tara.”

  Opening the door to the suite, Noah steps aside for me to enter. My lounge uniform has spaghetti straps and a sheer, black mesh fabric that stretches from under my breasts down to my hipbones.

  It’s attached to a short, ruffled skirt. Along with my thigh highs, there is little to the outfit, so I feel a chill and would give anything to be shielded inside Zev’s embrace.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  Lord yes. Please, numb me before I have to experience this nightmare.

  “Wine please.” He approaches the minibar in the colossal room and makes us drinks.

  I’m unsure what to do, so I drop my tote bag to the floor and take a seat on the black leather sofa. It matches all of the walls except for the two opposite of each other that are a sensual red.

  There is a massive window with open curtains overlooking the Strip. We’re too high up for anyone to see in, so I imagine they’re staying open. This is only a large sitting room. I’m fully aware there are other rooms we will be visiting.

  My eyes tilt up, and Noah’s are piercing me as he hands me my wine. “You need to loosen up. You look terrified.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m a bit anxious. You know, wired from working.” Holding up my glass, I find a smile. “This should relax me.”

  Taking the spot next to me, he sits closer than I’d prefer. His arm rests on the back of the sofa, and fingers begin playing with my hair.

  He’s in jeans and a burgundy button up shirt. His short, blonde hair is neatly styled, and he smells strongly of cologne. He’s wearing too much, and I wonder if I will ever get the scent of it out of my nose.

  “You’re the most attractive woman in the lounge. Do you like working there?”

  “Um, I have a business degree I’m hoping to put to use soon.”

  Leaning in, his nose grazes along my cheek to my ear. His tongue begins to trace it, and I come to the conclusion that we’re finished talking.

  A familiar frigid chill washes over me. I close my eyes and take a steady breath to keep from trembling. I must remember why I’m here.

  It’s meaningless sex like it was with the few other men I slept with from the lounges. I need to hold onto that thought and get this over with. The sooner I do it, the sooner we’re finished.

  Sitting up straighter, I take a long drink of my liquid courage. As I place my glass on the table next to me, he begins trailing kisses down my neck. I clutch his knee to feign interest, and his growl is jolting against my ear. The sound is disturbing, a clue of what’s to come.

  My head is turned toward him with his rough fingers, and he plunges his tongue into my mouth. It’s an invasion like none I’ve ever felt before, igniting my guilty conscious.

  Zev … what would he think?

  I’m pushed over onto the sofa next, and his solid mass weighs on my small body. Shit, he’s going to be rough.

  I stare up at the ceiling and fight to breathe. It feels as if I’m sinking in the frigid lake I first fell into once I handed myself over to Noah in the lounge.

  I fall farther and farther…

  Deeper into disgrace.

  The brown, murky water wraps me like a cocoon as I disappear to the bottom, keeping me from feeling what his hands and mouth are doing to my skin.

  His wet lips are in a frenzy, laving over my neck and chest. My breathing slows as I envision the freezing water numbing me.

  I succumb to the helplessness.

  The hopelessness.

  The nothingness.

  Forcefully, he yanks down the spaghetti straps of my uniform until he can get to my breasts. His lips are on one swiftly, sucking hard. I’m relieved he’s hurrying, quickly trying to get to what he desires. I don’t want him to give me an ounce of pleasure, and I want it over with.

  Abruptly, he sits up on his knees. “Get up.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t question me tonight. Call me sir and stand up. I want to watch you undress. Then, we’re going to one of the other rooms.”

  Pulling my legs out from between his, I shift and climb off the sofa. He sits comfortably and rests his arm on the back of the cushion again. His eyes prowl over my body as I first unhook the garter straps from my thigh highs.

  I peel off my one piece uniform, my body quivering with every inch of skin I reveal. I’m now wearing only silver strappy high heels and my sheer, black thigh highs. The urge to cross my arms and cover my bare chest is a battle I’m forced to lose.

  Regret stretches an arm into the water. It tries to grasp my hand to rescue me. It could save me if I let it. I could feel and breathe again, fleeing right out that door. I could never look back. Zev’s not waiting for me, and I don’t owe him anything.

  But I love him.

  “Turn.” Doing as Noah commands, I pivot away from him. I’m exposed and vulnerable … disgusted. “Your ass is incredible. Maybe spankings should be added to the agenda.”

  I sense him stalking toward me. A cold hand skirts down my arm as his heated breath warms my shoulder. I want to stay frigid. Numb.

  “Zev told you I could show you a good time. I wouldn’t want to disappoint,” he says in a low voice. His hands grip my shoulders firmly, stilling my trembling body. “Do I make you nervous, Tara?”

  “A little.” I close my eyes and swallow. Without another word, he takes my hand and leads me out of the room into another open space down the hallway.

  The floor is a smoky marble, black swirly amongst it. The walls are red, and there’s a St. Andrew’s Cross mounted to one of them. It’s wooden and in the shape of an “X.” Two metal, black sconces decorate each side of it with fake candles that are flickering.

  “Go stand in front of the cross, facing me.”

  “Yes, sir.” I start across the room, and my legs are wobbly. I wish I could say it’s from too much wine. One more glass would’ve been beneficial.

  Noah secures my wrists and ankles into black leather straps with silver buckles. His breathing is controlled, his chest close to mine as he hooks my right wrist.

  As his hand pinches over the restraint, he shoots me with a look of lust and determination. I’m scared of this man and what lurks inside his twisted mind.

  He strolls to a dresser that’s black with two glass doors. Some items fill the inside shelves. There is a vase and a bowl, and I wonder what the hell they’re doing there. I imagine chewing Zev’s ass about the purpose of them.

  There are a few drawers below the glass doors. Noah slides the top one open and retrieves two red scarves. Opening the next drawer, he pulls out a flogger.

  I fear his capabilities as he holds something he can strike me with. My heart thunders, and the pounding reaches my ears. He ambles back, slaying me with another stare before he ties the blindfold around my head.

  “Uh, sir, shouldn’t we discuss my safe words and limits.”

  “There is one limit, Tara. Mine. I’ll decide when I’ve reached it.”

  In any other situation I would be demanding to leave, but I recall the end goal and think of Zev. I have no choice and must play by Noah’s rules.

  After he’s finished with the blindfold, I can’t see him, but I feel his burning breath. “Open your filthy mouth.”

  His tone is harsh, and I’m beginning to think he’s taking on an alternate persona. I do as he says, and the silky scarf shoves between my lips.

  T
he leather strips of the flogger drag around my nipple. It stiffens from the sensation, and I inwardly scold myself for the physiological reaction my body is having.

  It glides along my other nipple, and his silence is unnerving. Maybe it’s a good thing. I will exile my mind once again to the murky bottom of the lake, leaving my body for him to use.

  The flogger trails down my taut stomach and slips between my legs.

  “Why aren’t you reacting to this? I thought you enjoyed this shit? Maybe I need to be rougher.”

  Fuck. Play the part, Tara.

  The bundle of leather snaps my stomach, and I jerk, unable to escape. My skin stings, but I can tolerate it. I whimper into the scarf, faking the emotion behind it.

  “There we go. You like it hard. I can give that to you.” The strips hit my stomach again, stronger this time. He then swirls them around each of my breasts. The next sensation is the flogger striking my left thigh.

  It hurts, and I let out a yelp against the scarf. He groans, and it’s a desperate sound. It’s as if I’ve given him the exact response he wants, yet it’s not nearly enough for what he needs.

  The flogger cracks against my right thigh, and I attempt to cry out louder, the pain much worse than before. He’s chasing the exhilaration, the flogger his channel for power.

  I’ve never analyzed why, but since I’ve been an adult, I’ve been into kinky sex. Maybe it’s because of my adventurous spirit.

  I enjoy it, but Noah has already broken the rules by not setting limits, and I fear that the man who I thought was a control freak has no control whatsoever in this environment.

  The leather snaps across my stomach again. The pain brings me back to the present, and I stifle my cry because this time it wouldn’t be only a cry of pain.

  It would be a cry of helplessness, fear and the feeling of abandonment. It would continue as a sob, soaking the fabric gagging me and releasing the sorrow and shame–revealing the truth to Noah.

  My hair is suddenly gripped, and my head is tilted over. He’s constricting his hold, creating a prickling across my scalp.