These Violent Delights

Chapter 33: As You Wish Miss Ren

"The one and only." Vicrul shot you a smile as he grabbed the scythe off his back, pushing it toward you. "May we come in?"

You just stared at him, your body screaming at you to shut him out, but the clusterfuck of thoughts and emotions romping in your head kept you inoperative. Firstly, just the mere sight of him was confusing as fuck—with his tan vest, dark navy pants, and brown, weathered boots, he looked like he woke up in a Resistance bunker this morning.

Then there was the small detail that he didn't have his mask on. It was just him and his stupidly attractive face, looking at you with those light, amused eyes and a smile brighter than the suns on Batuu. He looked just as you remembered the last, and only, time you saw him maskless: the night on Canto Bight. When he made you beg him to come.

You gulped. You had seen him and Ushar since then, but they always had their helmets on. Not being able to see their faces acted as a buffer between you and all of his knights, especially the two that saw you in a more...compromising position. Always clad in armor and their helmets, it made their presence less personal and easier for you to ignore them and what had happened. But not anymore.

Without taking your eyes off him, you quickly reached for the close button. "No."

It was almost shut when he wedged his boot in the sensor, forcing it open as he invited himself into your room. You stumbled back, mouth agape. "Excuse me—I said no."

He gave you an apologetic look. "Sorry, Miss Ren. Master's orders were to come inside."

The further he walked into your quarters, the further you backed away from him. You had never been alone with one of Kylo's knights before, and you definitely never had one inside your quarters. Panic surged through you. What if Vicrul was lying? What if the Supreme Leader didn't send him, but instead, he was in here to take advantage of you? You shot a desperate glance at the kitchen behind you. You still didn't have any knives, but you did have forks now, and you weren't afraid to give his jugular the Hux treatment if necessary.

"You think I'm here to do that?" came Vicrul's wounded voice, snagging your attention. "Really?"

You raised your voice at him as you kept retreating. "You're in my quarters uninvited and inside my head? Really?"

"I'm gravely insulted," he said, looking truly beside himself that you thought he was here to assault you. "What do you think of me?"

"I think you're a fucking liar," you shot back, your eyes narrowing into accusing slants. "There's no way Kylo trusts you in here with me all alone after what happened that night."

Vicrul came to a halt. "You mean when Master Ren invited me into the room? To fulfill one of your fantasies?"

"No, that's not what I meant," you said, starting out strong, but your confidence began to waver under his probing stare. You cleared your throat. "I meant how you....how we...."

He raised a brow, a slow smirk twitching on his lips. "How we liked each other just a little too much?"

Your jaw dropped. "I didn't like you."

"Fine," he said, with a slight eye roll. "Let me rephrase, Miss Ren—I liked you a little too much, and trust me, I paid for it the day after. I am still paying for it. But physical attraction doesn't change anything, and I know this might come as a surprise to you, but my interest in you is why he trusts me with you."

You blinked. "How in the galaxy does that make any sense?"

"He doesn't like it, but my fancy for you means you're safer with me. All of us blindly follow his commands, but following his orders to protect you, while I also want to protect you?" Vicrul gave a half-shrug, idly shifting his weapon in his hands. "It's what he thinks is best, so, luckily for you, here I am."

You viciously swung your head from side to side, refusing to let his words flatter you. You were already in too deep with Kylo as it was, and the last thing you needed was another giant, ridiculously hot Force-user making you question your attachment to your own free will. "Well, unluckily for you, I didn't agree to any of this, so get out of here," you snapped, throwing a hand toward the door. "Now."

Vicrul let out a tight exhale. "Hold on, let's just start over, okay? Just look at this, please." You eyed him cautiously as he put his scythe on his back, retrieving his datapad from his pocket to hold it up. "Master Ren had a feeling you'd respond this way. Please watch."

As he tapped play, you reluctantly stepped closer, watching the holoscreen come to life. You squinted; it was clearly Kylo, but there wasn't much light. Just a blue haze that illuminated his face, smudged with dirt.

It started with him saying your name. "I gave Vicrul permission to enter your quarters while I'm on Exegol. It's for your own—" an ear-piercing noise cut him off, the device momentarily flashing white before he hissed, "good fucking god." There was a shuffle, then he appeared on the screen again, his hair blowing back and shoulders jerking as he moved with urgent celerity. Setting his seething expression on the screen, he shoved an accusing finger at the holocamera. "Don't you dare go for a fork, Kitten. I'm not in the mood."

You frowned as the screen blinked black. You were used to Kylo being short with you, but something about him appeared...off. He seemed more stressed than usual, and even though it had only been about eight hours since he left, it looked like he hadn't slept in days. Then there was the tiny, insignificant concern that he had just gotten struck with a fucking lightning bolt right before your eyes.

"Ummm..." you started, rubbing at your forearms, "will he be okay?"

"Yep," Vicrul replied casually, as he tapped on his screen. "He'll be just fine."

"Then why did he look so agitated?"

A frown tugged at his lip. "Exegol."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. But it can be draining," he explained, setting his gaze on you after putting his device away. Seeing you were still watching him with cautious eyes, he held his hands up, speaking slowly with resolute sincerity. "Look, you don't have to like me being here, but you don't have to be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you."

You did feel better after watching Kylo's video, but still, you didn't like this. You jutted your chin toward his giant-ass weapon. "Then why did you have to bring that thing in here?"

Confusion took hold of his features as he followed your gaze. "You mean my scythe?" he asked, looking back at you quizzically. You nodded. "Lucy always goes where I go. She has nothing to do with you."

"You named your scythe?" You scoffed. "That's weird."

"You didn't name yours?" he asked, dead serious as he took the blade off his back again. "That's weird."

"I don't have a scythe."

Now he was the one to scoff. "That's even weirder. They are hands-down the best—"

"Vicrul," you rigidly cut him off. "Tell me why Kylo sent you and Lucy here, please, and thank you."

He paused, exhaling through his nose as he pressed his lips together. He extended his scythe toward the kitchen. "May I?" After you gave him a clipped nod of affirmation, he walked to the table and set it down, then turned to look at you. "Master Ren didn't divulge why he insisted I stay in here with you. But if you ask me..." he started, leaning against the table and crossing his arms and ankles, "I'd say it has to do with the growing amiability between you two."

Your head jolted back. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Vicrul's entire upper body shook as he made an arrogant noise of amusement. "Only everything and anything."

"How?"

"It puts a target on your back, being this close to the Supreme Leader," he explained with exaggerated deliberateness. He cocked his head to the side. "Didn't you know that?"

"Uh, no? Care to explain what the kriff is going on?"

Vicrul pursed his lips and looked you up and down, then abruptly pushed himself off the table, breezing past you. "Pants first, then we'll talk."

You looked at your feet, stiffening as you realized you were pantless. You had been so surprised to see him here, you had forgotten you were only wearing knee-high socks, underwear, and one of Kylo's shirts. Slowly raising your head, you peered at your guest as he sat down in the living area. He sprawled his legs out in front of him, draped his arms across the top of the couch, and tipped his face toward you, his pale blue eyes gleaming with amusement. When his lip twitched up into a smirk, you resisted the urge to slap it off his face.

"I'll be right back," you said through gritted teeth, pivoting to enter your bedroom. "Pants are a good idea."

"Only if you want to, M421," he called out, pausing before he said, "I've already seen it all before, anyways."

Death by a comet. Death by a black hole. Death by a sarlacc. You would take any of those options right now, you thought as you silently fumed by your bed, your cheeks on fire. It wasn't until Vicrul started whistling to himself that you were able to move to your closet, looking for a pair of sweatpants and ideally, a noose. Unfortunately, Kylo didn't equip you with one of those, so after you put on your pants, you braved walking into the living room again. You had hoped that the whistling meant he was distracted, busy with his datapad, perhaps. But no. He was right where you left him, eyes locked on the bedroom door, waiting for you as he held a candle up to his nose. You gave him an odd look as he put it back down on the side table.

"Abrasive at first, but much sweeter the second time around," Vicrul muttered in approval, leaning back to resume his at-ease position. "Kinda like you."

Annoyance surged through you. "I'm happy to see you've made yourself at home."

"Thanks," he said with a charming smile, patting the sofa cushion beside him. "Join me. I saved you—" Vicrul cut himself off, leaning forward and pointing near your feet. "Is that a cat?"

You looked down to see Ani peeking around the doorframe, trying to sneak a glimpse at your obnoxious visitor. You rolled your eyes and looked back at Vicrul. "No. It's a rathtar."

"Ah, interesting," he mused, stroking his chin. "That's why Master Ren didn't want us to join today's assignment—he was picking out a kitten for his Kitten." He paused for a moment, then chuckled to himself. "How adorable."

You didn't respond. You didn't know how to. This whole fucking-the-enemy thing was already weird enough, but now a Knight of Ren was in your living room, inviting you to sit next to him as he made small talk? What was next, a dance party with General Hux?

After the silence became deafening, Vicrul sighed, his demeanor shifting into something much more serious as he sat forward, placing his elbows on his thighs as he clasped his hands. "Look, I don't want to be here either, but neither of us has a choice—the Supreme Leader asked me to come here. We might as well converse like normal human beings if I'm going to be here for a few days."

"A few days?" you repeated, your jaw dropping. "You're going to be here the whole time?"

"Other than when Ap'lek relieves me every now and then—yeah," he said, wincing. "I'll be here the whole time Master Ren is away."

After a long moment of consideration, you let out a dejected sigh, pouting. "This sucks," you muttered, padding into the living area and dragging your feet as though they weighed a thousand pounds.

"It does," he agreed, sliding over on the couch to make room for you.

Despite his gesture, you walked past him to the chair nestled in the corner. You sat down with a heavy clunk, tossing the blanket on your lap as you set your weary eyes on him. "Tell me what's going on, please."

He didn't hesitate, slanting his body on the sofa so he could face you. "The Finalizer is a massive Star Destroyer, filled with seventy-five thousand First Order personnel. And here you are, an ex-Resistance fighter—who still hasn't sworn fealty to the Order, might I add—sitting comfortably in your quarters that the Supreme Leader personally granted you. Most, if not all, assume you're still a threat."

You looked at him stupidly. "So?"

He raised his brows. "You really think that many people are okay with that?"

"It doesn't matter if they're okay with it. The Supreme Leader allows it, so they have to be okay with it, too."

Vicrul tsked at you. "Your perspective is too small in here, skewed. Yes, he's powerful. Yes, he's in control. But he has enemies within the Order. A lot of them."

"He has enemies everywhere. Doesn't mean they can do anything about it." You lifted a hand and formed it into a claw, like Kylo. "Big, scary Force-user, remember?"

"Maybe, maybe not," he said, leaning back again. "But there is always someone stupid enough to try and question his power. It wouldn't be the first time, even in recent history. And right now, you're the obvious target. Especially since he's gone."

"So you've said." You frowned, fingers fussing with the blanket. "When you say target, do you mean...someone would go as far as to come here and kill me?"

"Absolutely."

You shivered as a chill crawled up your spine. "But why?"

"Payback for your ties to the Resistance or Kanjiklub, or as a way to inadvertently hurt Ren."

"But why would First Order wackos wanna hurt the man they follow? I don't get it."

"You have to remember that the First Order was established before Ren. Many assumed Hux would take Snoke's place as Supreme Leader, a long-awaited day for them. But Kylo seized control, and that was that. Nobody could, or would, challenge him, but that didn't mean those that affiliated with Hux stopped affiliating with him. Think of Ava—she knew she would get in trouble for poisoning you, but she did it because she was loyal to Hux, not Ren. There are many people that think that way."

Your brows pulled together. "And Kylo knows this?"

"Of course he does."

"And he doesn't...kill them?"

"Why kill them when you can use them?" he said with a shrug. "Master Ren has no reason to dispose of them. Hate is part of any ruler's territory. Hence the target on your back, now that he's fond of you."

"So you think that Hux or one of his men might try to kill me."

"Hux? No. He's an intolerable cunt, but he isn't an idiot. He knows better than to risk his life trying to get even with you. One of his subordinates, though? I wouldn't put it past them."

"That's stupid. No one will dare hurt me," you insisted. "I'm... I'm..."

"Master Ren's girl?" he offered, his fingers tapping on the armrest as he watched you.

You jolted back like you were stung. "What? No. I am his prisoner."

Vicrul spoke with that painfully pleasant voice of his. "Whatever you say, Miss Ren."

You pressed your tongue against your cheek. "I have a name, you know. You can call me that instead."

"I do know. I simply like Miss Ren better."

You glowered at him, but all he did was hold your gaze with a smug expression. It made you want to strangle him, but you had to settle with being snippy instead. "If Exegol is draining, why aren't you there to help him, huh? Is babysitting duty all you're good for?"

He maintained unbothered, clearly not interested in rising to your accusations. "Master Ren is a big boy. He can handle the problem himself."

"So there is a problem," you said, shifting in your seat. "Is he having trouble with the vergence? Are the dark powers fucking with his head?"

Surprise crossed his face. "He told you about the vergence?"

"Yes, actually," you said, a touch of defiance in your voice. "I've known about it since the last time he went there. I know it's a concentrated source of Force power that can help him astral project, but it can also be dangerous. It's why the General's troops almost assassinated him."

First, Vicrul looked confused, then came a quick burst of laughter. "Bloody hells, I forgot about that!" he said, his features lit up with amusement. With a pleased sigh, he widened his legs and dug his back into the sofa, staring off to the side as though he were recalling a fond memory. "Good times, good times."

You were less amused. "Is something like that happening to Kylo?"

"No, no," he said, quickly looking back at you as he waved a dismissive hand. "That place is just an energy suck. It's not dangerous for someone with Master Ren's abilities, but it is still exhausting. What he's doing takes a lot out of him, in particular."

You bit your bottom lip. "Which is...?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it just as fast. Understanding flickered over his face as he tilted his head to the side, a half-smile finding his lips. "Do you swear fealty to the First Order?"

You threw your head back and groaned. "Not you, too," you said, blowing out a flustered exhale. "Did he put you up to this?"

"Up to what?"

"This," you said, throwing an agitated gesture between you two. "Did he send you here to try and make me submit to the First Order? Is that why he insisted you come inside?"

"What? No," Vicrul said, looking at you like you were crazy. "Master Ren didn't say anything about that. Lucy and I are just here to protect you."

"Ah, yes, of course," you shot back, sarcasm dripping from your every word. "From the First Order officials that all of a sudden want to kill me."

"Mhm."

"Because you can't just protect me from outside my room like you always do."

"Uh-huh."

"Right, right," you continued, flippantly shaking your head, "so instead, you have to sit inside my quarters, where we can conveniently have a conversation about swearing fealty to the Order."

"Sure, if you want to."

After a beat of silence, you narrowed your eyes. "You really think I don't know this is a setup?"

"You're setting me up?" Vicrul asked, feigning confusion. When you snapped your head back with a groan, he spoke over you. "Okay, okay—I promise that's not why I'm here." He only paused for a split second before so obnoxiously adding, "But since we are talking about it—"

You sighed, swinging your legs onto the chair. "Here we go."

"—I wouldn't be here if you did swear fealty to the Order. You needing protection wouldn't be a thing if they didn't see you as an enemy. Just saying."

"Never gonna happen," you said, shaking your head and wrapping the blanket around your body, bringing it under your chin. "I'm no saint, but the First Order is pure evil."

"Fair," Vicrul said, pressing his lips together and nodding his head.

You considered him carefully. "I sense a but."

"However," he said with emphasis, "evil is a subjective term."

"How?" You snorted. "Killing innocent people makes you evil."

"Innocence is also subjective," he said, gesturing toward you. "I have read your file. All of us have. You have been responsible for countless deaths. Am I wrong?"

"I—" you started, but had to stop. There was no use in lying. "No. You're not wrong."

"Didn't think so. And Master Ren eliminates those he perceives as a threat. Isn't that exactly what the Resistance does? Isn't that what you do?"

"Yes." You raised your chin a fraction, your tongue suddenly too large for your mouth. "But it's different."

"Is it?" he challenged, giving you a look. He gestured to the other end of the sofa, situated right across from your chair. "Do you mind?"

You glanced at it, then him, and shook your head no, giving Vicrul permission to slide to the other side of the couch. As he got comfortable in one graceful movement, you had to sit back in your seat, feeling overwhelmed by his proximity as he leaned in, wafting a clean, musky scent your way.

"The moment Kylo took you, you would have murdered him if you had the chance. You would have sliced his head clean off his shoulders, if you could reach up that high," he deadpanned, ignoring your less-than-amused stare. "And even right now, you would murder every single life form on this flagship just so you could escape, no?"

You didn't respond, only shrunk in shame when you realized he was right—you would do anything to be free again, including killing everyone standing in your way.

"Ah, I see. No need to be ashamed. I'm not judging you. I'd kill anyone that stood between me and my freedom, meaning both of us would commit mass murder for personal interest, just like the First Order has done." He put his hands up in surrender when you looked away and shook your head. "We don't have to get into it now, but let me say this—no one is trying to convince you that the Order is good. They've done horrible things over the years, but if you've been paying attention, none of that is happening under Master Ren's rule."

"So he's said," you mumbled, your gaze drifting back to his face. He opened his mouth to speak again, but a high-pitched ding carried his attention down to his datapad. You lifted your chin, trying to peek at his screen, but you couldn't see a damn thing. "Is that him?"

A line formed on his forehead, his lip pulling down. "Yes."

You adjusted, uncomfortable with his growing look of concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Sure."

You sucked down a silent inhale, trying not to lose your mind. You wanted to know what was going on, but asking Vicrul outright wasn't working, and it's not like you could tackle him and grab his datapad. Although you were positive you could take this man if he wasn't Force-sensitive, the ability to control your body with an invisible power gave him an undeniable edge, so you were left with only one possible but crazy option.

Seducing him.

You slid the blanket off your lap, turning to set it on the back of the chair. Vicrul was still looking down at his datapad as you untangled your legs and relaxed your position with caution—you didn't want to move too quickly and get his attention yet. You had to make yourself look less...homeless first. You started with your shirt, pulling it down to expose more skin, then propped an elbow up on the arm of the chair, bringing your fingers to your collarbone. Tilting your head to the side, you traced your flesh with soft strokes, tacked a sultry smile on your lips, and waited for him to look up.

Vicrul kept his eyes locked on his screen. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Fucking fuck. "Do what?" you cooed, trying to keep your voice even. "I'm just getting comfortable."

"Get too comfortable while I'm here, Miss Ren, and both of us will lose our heads."

"What, for being too warm and taking the blanket off my lap?" You scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not ridiculous—you're ridiculous," he said, flashing you a brief glance before looking down again, shaking his head in disapproval. "Seducing the Supreme Leader's most entrusted knight to collect intel won't get you anywhere but thrown back into your cell."

You hesitated in stubborn silence for a moment; you didn't want to admit that he was right. "How could you possibly know that was what I was doing?"

"You were quiet. You're never quiet," he muttered, tapping his datapad one last time before setting it down. "The only time you're quiet is when you're up to something."

You thought about that for a second, your posture sagging in defeat. "Fuck. I'm my own worst enemy, aren't I?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Good try, though. It might have worked."

"Really?" you asked, excited.

"Not even a little bit."

Your spine bowed. "You're mean."

"I'm not." He got comfortable, parting his knees as his hands rested in his lap. "You're just approaching it the wrong way."

You scoffed. "Tell me, how should I have approached it?"

"By begging me."

You rolled your eyes, letting out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, right. Good one."

"Well, why wouldn't you?" His eyes darted down your body so quickly, you thought you imagined it. "It worked last time, didn't it?"

Your laughter died in your throat, the smile sliding off your face as an uneasy silence settled between you two. Not just uneasy, charged as you stared at each other, the shift in energy painfully obvious. The air suddenly felt dense, heavy. Electric. When you found your voice again, it was just a whisper. "Stop looking at me like that."

Vicrul kept his tone light, innocent. "Like what?"

"Like... like you are undressing me with your eyes."

"Undress you?" He placed his massive hands on his thighs, a smirk landing on his lips as he tapped his fingers with a lazy drum. "I would never."

But the way he was looking at you told you otherwise. His body language reminded you of the night on Canto Bight. At ease, yet watching you with an intensity akin to a predator tracking its prey before they closed in. It put you on edge, fear mixing in your belly with something you wished would fuck right off—excitement, as you remembered the way you had felt with Kylo's hands on you, as Vicrul and Ushar watched...

Clearing your throat, you abruptly got to your feet. "This has been great and all, but I'm going to bed."

Amused eyes watched you cross the living area. "Goodnight then, Miss Ren."

"Stop calling me that," you snapped as you got to your bedroom door. You waved an agitated hand toward the exit. "And please, feel free to fuck off at any time."

"Sure," came his unbothered response, his fingers still tapping his thighs. "But until then, I'll be right here if you need me."

With one last glare, you stepped into your room, smacking the controls to close and lock the door. A few steps inside and you let your body collapse into bed, bouncing slightly under your weight as Ani meowed at the disruption. Getting under the covers and snuggling beside him, you closed your eyes and took a few deep breaths, grateful you could at least enjoy the silence and solitude of your chambers.

But then, as though Vicrul was in your head and wanted to torture you, he started whistling in the other room—very fucking loudly—and you seriously considered assassinating him with his own scythe. Alas, you were tired, so you settled with placing a pillow over your head, drowning out his peppy little tune with a scream so loud, it could rival the screech of the Imperial siren.