Blurb
Thorne Haven is a town founded by two families. Secrets have hidden themselves within the walls of Thorne Manor and Haven castle.
But as time passed and the ancestors were forgotten, the six boys—three Thorne brothers and three Haven siblings found their love of the darkness.
Whether it ran through their veins, or if they were just called to it, they became addicted to the feeling of exhilaration that came with the forbidden.
And so, the game was born.
The Burning Roses.
Venture into the darkness with the men of Thorne Haven.
1
Damien
Being back in Thorne Haven is a welcoming distraction from school. The town I grew up in has been my solace for a long time. Even after the heartbreak I’d been through, I’ve always loved Thorne manor. It may be an enormous house, but it’s always been home.
Finn, my youngest brother, doesn’t feel the same. And even though we may never escape our heritage, I have a feeling one day he’s going to pack his bags and run. Cassian, our middle brother, is like me. Thorne Haven runs in his veins, and I doubt he’ll ever leave.
Also, it might be the girl he’s so infatuated with. But mostly, he loves the small town that we call home. Stalking through the house toward the living room, I can hear Joy, our housekeeper, in the kitchen preparing dinner.
As the evening takes hold of the house, the soft yellow bulbs shimmer like gold on the furniture as I reach our living room. The white leather sofas, along with dark wood tables, ensure the space has a homely feel. The off-white walls and enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling offer a bright yet warm atmosphere.
Settling on the sofa, I pull my phone out to tell Finn to grab some beers on his way home. Our father prefers his spirits and never has any good beer in the fridge. I hit send on the message as the doorbell rings. I’m about to get up when I hear the clicking of heels, and I’m certain it’s Miriam, our maid. It seems my father has his entire staff on standby while he’s gone. The house is usually quiet. Most times, it feels as if nobody lives here. With Dad traveling for work and Finn out with whatever girl he’s been fucking around with, it’s normally only Cass and me here. And with our bedrooms on either end of the manor, we hardly see each other.
Creed saunters into the living room, where I’m lounging moments later. He’s dressed in dark jeans with a dark green button-down shirt. With college on spring break, I’m ready to relax and perhaps toy with a few pretty girls while I’m home. With my father away on business in London, we have the house to ourselves.
And that means a party is most definitely on the horizon. Being the eldest Thorne brother, I’ve come to realize my responsibilities once I’ve graduated will be to step into my dad’s shoes. The amount of pressure that sets on my shoulders is enough to have me needing to blow off steam.
Even though I’m acing all my classes, there is always a concern that I won’t make my father proud. All three of us, Cassian, Finn, and I, aim to make sure our father has nothing to worry about when it comes to Thorne Industries. As much as we may want to follow our own paths in life, the lingering requirement is for each of us to work for the family company.
It’s our legacy.
“What’s up, D?” Creed greets as he flops onto the opposite sofa, his green eyes locking on my blue ones. “It’s good to see you. Been far too fucking long.” He offers me a mock salute, which I respond to with an eye roll. He has missed me, and I certainly missed being home.
“I’m here for a month. We need to do something,” I say. I’m not sure what, but knowing Creed, he’ll have a plan up his sleeve. He’s my best friend, the only person I trust other than my brothers. He’s the eldest of three Haven brothers.
“I’m thinking we need to get you laid,” he tells me before chuckling when I throw a cushion at his head. “Fuck off!” It hits him right in the face.
“That’s what you get for telling me I need pussy,” I bite out, a smile curling my lips. “But I wouldn’t deny a woman if she walked through that door right now,” I continue before pulling out my phone.
“You know, you should’ve brought home some of those college girls you’ve clearly been enjoying,” he tells me. “Wouldn’t mind some pretty new toys to play with.”
“Why? Not in the mood to eat locally?” I taunt, knowing that Creed has most probably fucked his way through Thorne Haven and our neighboring town as well.
“No, I think we need something…,” he tips his head to the side while tapping his finger on his chin as if deep in thought, “More.”
“More?” I sit forward, leaning my elbows on my knees, my interest piqued. “What do you mean?”
He pushes to his feet, walking over to the liquor cabinet. He helps himself to a double shot of brandy—the rich amber liquid sloshing when he turns to regard me. “We need something fun, exciting. Perhaps a game to keep us entertained while you’re here. And if all goes well, when you return to Thorne Haven for good, it could become our ritual before a party, or maybe just to enjoy a girl for a night,” he says before taking a gulp of alcohol. I watch him swallow before he speaks again. “A game in the woods. Where we choose the girls, and they either accept or decline. But you know how they are, I guarantee every one of them will accept.”
“And you’re so sure?” I test, knowing that when Creed sets his mind to something, there is no way I can dissuade him.
“Of course.” He finishes his drink and pours another before he tips the glass toward me. “You know the girls in this town fall over themselves to get to us.” He’s not lying. Even while we were in our senior year of high school, we had a pick of any of the females, and it wasn’t only the students. Married women would proposition us, but what do you expect in a town where money buys everything, and the MILFs are bored housewives with nothing else to do? The husbands were running businesses and traveling, leaving their wives gagging for a good, hard fuck.
And who were we to refuse them?
Tipping my head to the side in interest, I grin. “So, what’s the game?”
“Burning Roses,” he tells me as if he just came up with a cure for cancer.
I rise to full height, meeting my best friend’s gaze. “What?”
“We leave a burning rose on the doorstep of the chosen girl,” he explains easily. “A small card will be left with the rose inviting her to a game of cat and mouse.”
Stalking toward where he’s standing, I stop in front of him, curious but concerned about how this could possibly play out. “And where will this be taking place?”
“In the woods,” Creed says with a shrug. “It’s dark, dangerous, and exciting.”
I grab a tumbler and pour myself a drink. Even though he’s come up with some good ideas in the past, there are times I worry about how his mind works. “What happens when we catch the girl?” I ask. “Because we know those woods better than anyone in this town. There is no way they’ll escape us.”