Kissed by Shadows: A Forced Proximity Dark Mafia Romance (The Shadowmen Book 1)

It’s only the memory of Iris’s sweet body that keeps me going over the next few days of what can only be described as pure torture. I’m beaten, nearly drowned, and then left chained up outside naked as the world freezes around me. The shivers have long since stopped when shiny black shoes appear in my vision.

It almost takes more energy than I possess to lift my head to look at my sire, the man who gave me life but seems determined to try and snuff it out at any opportunity.

“You are lucky, Nikolai. If you were anyone else, you’d be dead,” he casually tells me, Dima and Andrei coming up either side of me having come in with my father. Sergi crouches down, reaching into the pocket of his black cashmere coat and pulling out a small key. Almost tenderly, he reaches out, slotting it into the lock that holds the metal collar around my neck. With a small snick, it opens, the collar and the chain that’s attached to it rattling as it falls to the ground and it takes almost more than I possess not to go limp and show him any weakness. “Do not fail me again, or those Shadows won’t be the only ones to pay for stealing what didn’t belong to them.”

A shiver breaks over me that has nothing to do with the cold air surrounding me. What is he planning? And what happened while I’ve been tied up like an offering to winter?

Standing up, he casts a final, almost emotionless look down at me before turning on his heel and striding away. Warmth surrounds me as my coat is thrown over me, strong hands grasping underneath my arms and pulling me to my frozen feet. I grit my teeth hard as pain flares across my whole body, though it’s not as strong as I know it should be. I probably have the beginnings of hypothermia. It’s not a condition that is new to me, so I recognise the symptoms.

“We need to get you warm, but we’ll have to do it slowly so as not to shock your system,” Andrei says as they practically drag me along the path back towards the house.

I can’t respond, not even to ask if there has been any news on Iris and what Sergi plans to do with her. All I can do is hold on to the last of my consciousness as we enter the house, the warmth like a blazing fire against my freezing skin.

IRIS

I’m a hot, sweaty mess by the time we’re done at the gym, and not in the attractive, just-fucked way. Nope, it’s the I-can’t-fucking-breathe-I’m-going-to-die way.

“You’re not going to die from a workout, Little Lamb,” Rowan scolds, and I crack my eyes open to find all three of them looming over me as I lay sprawled on one of the mats, trying to remember how to breathe.

“I. Might,” I huff out, moaning as I try to move. Everything aches, and I am not a fucking fan.

“Come on, Princess. Let’s get back and you can have a nice hot bath and some lunch, then nap before the club night tonight,” Roman cajoles, offering his hand for me to take.

“Club night?” I ask, taking his hot palm and allowing him to pull me to my feet. Immediately, I sway into him, and he wraps his strong arms around me, so I nuzzle his sweaty chest and take a deep inhale of his scent. Who am I to waste a chance to hug and sniff the man?

“You’re coming with us tonight, Peaches,” Hunt rumbles, and I open my eyes fully to find him watching us, his usually harsh features softened as his green eyes trace over me. Excitement makes my heart race, but I’m too sore and comfortable to move away from Roman. “It’s safer if you stay with us as most of the crew will be there too, and Petrov messaged saying that he thinks his father is planning something.”

My heated body suddenly goes ice-cold, Roman pulling me closer when I start to tremble.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, we won’t let anything happen to you,” he assures me as he rubs soothing circles on my back. The sweat on my body feels like it’s frozen, and I sigh in relief when Rowan presses himself against my back, sandwiching me between them, lending me their strength.

“They’ll have to come through us to get to you, and they won’t make it whole if they try,” Rowan promises, a shiver running through me at the promise of violence in his dark tone.

“Let’s take you home,” Hunt states, grabbing our bags and water bottles. It feels right that their flat is now my home, my old house now tainted with the betrayal of what my father did. Striding across the gym, Hunt says goodbye to people as he passes.

They look up at him with such respect and adoration that warmth flares inside my chest. He really is a natural leader, and I know that he cares deeply about his people and their well-being. He may be a criminal, may sell drugs and do all sorts of other morally grey things, but I know he would never knowingly put anyone in danger.

We head back out into the cold, the temperature having warmed up a little—or perhaps that’s because I’ve just done a shitload of exercise and have a furnace either side of me, caging me in as we walk.

Hunter heads straight to the kitchen, declaring that we need protein, and the twins lead me to my bathroom, Roman putting the plug in before turning on the tap. I watch, Rowan beginning to strip me as his brother takes several bottles from the shelf and pours in oil, epsom salts, and bubble bath, the room filling with a fragrant steam.

Roman looks up just as the last of my clothing comes off, and his brown eyes go molten, his gaze burning as it traces across my body.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispers reverently, and I flush scarlet, shifting on my bare feet. Rowan presses against my back, completely silent, but the way his fingers tease and caress me tells me more than words ever could, and I’m soon burning up.

“I told you, Will, she’s fucking fine,” Hunt growls out as he marches into my bathroom, and I spin just as he pauses, his green eyes going wide as he takes in my nakedness, Rowan having moved aside when I turned.

“Hunt? Let me speak to her then. She’s not answered my calls in almost a week, and you’re telling me she’s been with you the whole fucking time?” Willow’s angry voice sounds in the room and I’m rushing towards Hunt, grabbing the phone off him, then realising too late that it’s a FaceTime call. “Iris!”

“Uh, hi, Willow,” I reply, my blush increasing as I try to hold the phone so that I’m not showing her my boobs.

“Wait, are you naked?” she asks, her pixie face screwed up, her blonde curls wild as she lounges on a bed, early morning light filtering in.

“Um, well, the twins were just running me a bath and um…” I trail off, freezing when Hunter presses against my back, his large arm wrapping around me, his palm splayed across my stomach and sending delicious tendrils of heat all across my body. Her eyes go wide, flicking behind me, and then her mouth parts on a shocked gasp.

“Oh my god, you’re fucking them all, aren’t you?” she questions, and I wince as she cackles like a madwoman. “Fucking called it! I told Hunt all about Lilly and her Knights, and suggested they do the poly thing with you, though I guess it’s not strictly poly as Lilly isn’t fucking anyone else and neither are the guys⁠—”

“Willow,” Hunt warns behind me, and it takes more effort than I’d like to admit to keep the shiver the sound of his voice creates from showing on my face. Willow snaps her mouth shut, but there is a definite smirk on her lips. “As you can see, Iris is fine and well taken care of.”

“I just bet she is,” she interrupts while waggling her eyebrows, and a startled laugh falls from my lips.

“Willow!” I gasp, swallowing when Hunt’s hand travels lower, but she just sniggers.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to your twin sandwich,” she teases, and then her nose wrinkles. “But like, don’t give me any details because they’re like brothers to me, and Hunt is my brother, so that’s kinda gross.” She pauses for a tiny breath, then her already large eyes go comically huge. “Oh-my-god-have-you-fucked-in-my-bed?!” She doesn’t even take a breath and I nibble my bottom lip, trying to remember if we’ve had sex in my–her bed. “Actually, don’t answer that, but we are going to have a proper catch up later, I need to know everything. Just nothing sexual, see previous conversation.”

She blows me a kiss before ending the call, then I’m left staring at a blank screen. I guess that’s Willow for you. She’s like a whirlwind, a storm that blows in, throws your shit around, and then leaves. She wasn’t as forceful when I first met her all those months ago, but she’s come such a long way and found her strength again, refusing to let those bastards take it from her, even when they took so much.

“So I guess we have her approval then.” Roman chuckles, sauntering over to me and trailing a wet finger across my chest, leaving bubbles in his wake. My nipples pebble, my eyes threatening to close as sparks fly from his caress.

He gives me a devastating smirk, then Hunter’s hands grab my hips, pulling me back as Roman grasps my chin and tugs me forward and down, causing me to drop the phone on the floor. I’d worry about smashing the screen, but it’s kinda Hunt’s fault anyway so tough shit.

I wobble, but they don’t let me fall, even when Hunt kicks my legs further apart and my body is at a ninety-degree angle from my legs. The water turns off just as I open my mouth to protest, though Evangeline is fucking purring and rolling over. But Roman is too quick, stuffing his cock in my mouth as soon as it opens.

“We take you when we want, Princess, remember?” he grits out harshly, and I roll my eyes to look at him, sucking him deeper. I watch his jaw clench when my tongue massages his rock-hard length, feeling each piercing on the underside of his shaft.

A deep keen leaves my lips when Hunter starts forcing his way into my pussy, clearly having freed his beautiful cock while Roman distracted me. My muscles refuse him entry, and he groans as he sinks into me, inch by deliciously painful inch. Roman nudges the back of my throat and I gag.

“She just gushed, such a good fucking slut for us,” he purrs, pulling out and slamming back in so hard that Roman sinks down my throat until my lips touch his base.

My eyes stream, and I have to concentrate on breathing through my nose, tiny slivers of air reaching my lungs as he chokes me with his large dick. Then they both pull out at the same time before slamming back into my body, and I scream and gag as they fuck me hard. Movement to the side has my eyes rolling when I find Rowan watching us, his hand wrapped around his dick, pumping it up and down, his gaze so hot it scalds.

My fingernails dig into Roman’s arse as they use me, building me up quickly until I’m writhing between them, my orgasm hitting me like a ton of bricks. My legs tremble violently, the stars coming down from the heavens as pleasure strips me of all that I am and leaves me bare.

Sounds of Hunt and Roman finding their own releases fill my ears soon after, and reflexively I swallow the cum that Ro forces down my throat, though I don’t manage to catch it all because some dribbles down my chin. I gasp as he pulls out, stumbling when Hunt does the same, his climax dripping down my thighs.

Roman’s fingers tangle in my hair and my knees collapse as Hunt lets go of my hips.

“Such a good girl getting on your knees for my brother,” Roman rasps, using his grip on my hair to turn my face until Rowan’s pierced cock is right there. “Open up, baby.”

Chest heaving, I comply, tasting salt as Rowan slowly feeds me his cock, his hand still pumping up and down its hard length.

“That’s it, Little Lamb, hold still,” Rowan commands, his jaw tight as he jerks off into my mouth. I whimper when a hot body presses behind me, fingers dancing across my sweat-soaked skin before dipping low. A deep moan sounds from my lips when they make contact with my swollen clit, Rowan cursing as the noise vibrates up his shaft.

“You’ll come for me again, Peaches, because I demand it of you, and you’ll do as Daddy says,” Hunt growls in my ear, his fingers circling and pinching my nub until I’m once again on fire, my vision blurring as another orgasm rips through me.

“Fuuuck!” Rowan curses, his dick jerking as hot cum fills my mouth and I try to swallow it all down. Again, some slips free and drips down my chin, but I don’t care because I’m too busy trying to remember how to breathe as Hunt slowly withdraws his touch.

“Such a good, beautiful girl for us,” he praises in my ear, and I slump back against him, my heart pounding, my breaths rasping from my throat as my eyelids flutter. “Time to get cleaned up and fed, beautiful.”

“Well, she’s already had two servings of protein.” Roman chuckles, bending down and helping Hunt drag me to my feet. My legs are still shaky, and I lean into Roman, though I guess two back-to-back orgasms will do that to a girl.

Hunt huffs a laugh before placing a kiss on my temple. “Well, she still needs to eat proper food, so come to the kitchen after your bath, I’ll have your lunch ready.” My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly and they all chuckle. “Don’t take too long,” he commands, leaning down and kissing me lightly on my swollen lips, uncaring of the twin’s cum that I know is still there. Then he’s striding from the room, and my heart twinges that he’s not staying again.

“Hey, he’s a feeder, baby,” Roman tells me as he helps Rowan get me up off the floor. I look up at him, nibbling my lower lip. I guess my feelings of slight rejection by Hunt is obvious. “Feeding the people he cares about is his love language.”

“I know, I just…” I trail off, thinking as they help me into the tub. The water is the perfect temperature, and I sigh as I sink down into it, the twins crouching either side of the large tub which is filled with bubbles. “I like cuddles.” It feels lame when I say it out loud, and I look away from them, down at the bubbles as I chew my lower lip until it stings.

“Hunt never grew up with cuddles, aside from Willow, but even then he was always in protector mode, making sure she was okay and looked after,” Roman tells me, gently taking my chin in his fingers and turning my head so that I’m staring into kind, chocolate eyes. “It’s not something that comes naturally to him, but I know that he likes cuddles too.”

“And he cares for you a lot, Lamb,” Rowan tells me, and my head turns of its own accord, Roman’s fingers dropping as I stare at his twin.

“How do you know?” I ask, my vulnerability too much to hide.

Rowan’s face softens, his hand coming up to cup my cheek in his palm. “He’s never let any woman, other than Willow, enter the flat before, let alone stay.” My eyes widen, my lips parting, and his thumb caresses the lower one. No doubt it’s swollen from the rough treatment he and his brother gave it, not to mention my own teeth. Can’t complain though as I seem to enjoy it rough. “He has a compulsive need to make sure you’re fed. He watches like a fucking hawk to make sure you eat enough, encouraging you to eat more when he thinks you’ve not had enough.” I lick my suddenly dry lips.

“He never takes his eyes from you when you’re in the room,” Roman adds from my other side, and I look at him as he brings a soapy sponge up and starts washing my arm. “When we went away, he checked in with Bubby and you guards almost hourly, and when he got the message from Nikolai about tonight, he freaked the fuck out, calling in all our crew to come to the club to help watch over you, reading them the riot act.”

My heart thuds inside my chest like a gong. Hunter can be so…well, standoffish. I knew that something was growing between us, but I had no idea of the ways he was protecting me.

“This, I mean, what we are all doing together,” I stammer out, swallowing as I try to control the blush that spreads across my cheeks and chest. “It’s, well, it’s not how things are normally done.” I startle when Roman barks out a laugh.

“Fuck normal, Princess.” He passes the sponge to Rowan as he continues to chuckle, who washes my other arm.

“I mean, if things get, well, serious between us, how…” I glance down at my lap again. Fuck’s sake, my words trip over themselves as I try to get them out. I’ve known these guys for less than a week, but it doesn’t feel that way. Instead, it feels like we’ve known each other for years, that we fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Although, there is still one piece that is missing.

“Things are already serious, wouldn’t you say, brother?” Roman asks, and my head shoots up, my breathing shallow as I look into laughing brown eyes.

“Absolutely,” Rowan agrees, and I switch my focus to him.

“B–but that’s not normal, right? Like, we’ve only known each other for a week and—” Rowan leans in, stopping my words with his lips a hair’s breadth away from mine.

“Fuck. Normal,” he breathes out against my skin, then he closes the distance and seals his lips to mine in a tender kiss that has tears springing to my eyes.