43. Talon
Talon
I can’t sleep. Hearing her scream bloody murder has my insides wrecked. She twitches in my arms even now, but nothing close to the way she was earlier.
Thoughts of the dream she told me about swirl. If I could reach into her brain and pluck those things out, I fucking would. As it is, I’m going to fucking bury Cody, and no one will ever find him.
Staring at the ceiling, I think about what Creed told us. How he and Mack think one of the staff here is part of Serge’s following.
After tonight, I don’t think I can leave her alone with anyone except me or the boys.
Her alarm goes off at exactly seven. She twists in my arms to turn it off, and I pretend to be asleep. Part of me doesn’t want her to go today, especially since we have Mr. Skeens’s class, and Cody is her partner for that assignment.
I know what’s expected of me, but I promised her I wouldn’t leave her alone with him.
So, I won’t.
“I know you’re awake,” she laughs and turns back around to face me.
“Can’t get anything by you,” I drawl.
She climbs over my body, straddles my legs, and kisses me. Her lips are soft, confident in their movement. My dick twitches behind my sweats as I grip her hips, digging my fingers into her fleshy sides.
“Good morning,” she whispers against my chin, where she places wet kisses–trailing them down the column of my neck.
“No, you don’t,” I chuckle, holding her hips tighter so she can’t wiggle her way down. “If we don’t get up now, I’ll keep you in this bed all day.”
“Mmmm,” she stretches out above me. Her shirt lifts, exposing a strip of skin that I want to kiss and bite. But I know if we were to start, I wouldn’t be able to hold back, and she isn’t ready for that. “That doesn’t sound so bad,” she smirks.
She swirls her hips against my now completely hard cock, and I rumble a warning, “Spice, I’m holding on by a thread.”
Because I want nothing more than to sink inside of her tight warm cunt and fuck her so she screams my name over and over until she forgets her name and passes out from the pleasure only I can give her.
And I think she’ll like it. My little Spice loves the way I fucked her mouth. So I have no doubt in my mind that when we do cross that line, she’ll be ready and fucking weeping.
She palms my cock over my sweats, and I groan, wrapping my hand around her wrist to stop her.
“Play nice, baby,” I croon, “or I’ll deprive you of your surprise.”
“Surprise?” Her face lights up like a kid on Christmas. I almost slip right then and there, and tell her about the concert tickets I got my hands on for that band she loves.
I nod, giving her a smirk. Lifting her off me, I roll out of her bed and stretch. She watches me with eyes made of sin, and I have to swallow down my words.
A knock comes on the adjoining door, and I throw the lock, letting Toby and Banks in. They’re already dressed, backpacks thrown over their shoulders.
“We’re heading to the cafe if y’all want to join,” Banks says, but Toby eyes Cin. I know he’s concerned about her, but I want to tear his eyes out of his head.
He’s had his fingers inside her perfect pussy, and it makes a part of me want to kill him. Even though she consented, it still lights a rage in me like never before. I know he did it to make me realize what an idiot I was being, but I still hate him a little for it.
“Are you alright?” He asks her, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
“Yeah,” she wrings her hands in front of her, and I know what’s about to come out of her mouth before she says it.
“Cin,” I warn, “no more apologies.”
She rolls her eyes, “yes, sir.”
This girl.
“Y’all get dressed, we’ll meet you there,” Toby heads for the door and opens it, “hi Griff.”
Griffin pokes his head in, surveys the room, nods, and backs out without a word.
I get the feeling he doesn’t like me much, but I don’t fucking care.
She's still on the bed, sitting there looking at her toes.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” I bend down so I can catch her eyes.
“I have this feeling,” she starts and stops shaking her head, “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
She smiles and scoots to the edge of the bed. I won’t press her this time, but fuck if I don’t want to. She waltzes off to her closet, and I take that as my cue to do the same.
Hurrying through my morning routine, I meet her in her room, grab her stuff, and throw it over my shoulder. She's lacing up her boots as I assess today's outfit, which consists of only black–which isn’t unusual, but she normally has some color.
I don’t mention it, opting to let her come to me. We shared heavy conversations yesterday, and I know she’s still feeling the after-effects of her nightmare.
Even though she tries to hide them, I can see the cracks in her armor.
The way her smile doesn't reach her eyes, the makeup she uses to cover the still-healing bruises she has. How even her words are less sarcastic.
She stands, and I follow her out, making sure the locks engage on the door. Griffin also stops to check, and then we set off toward the cafe.
Henry smiles as we approach. Catching sight of us through the glass. He nods to where Toby and Banks are sitting with two to-go cups already in our places.
Cin takes a big sip of hers and sighs in pleasure. When she catches Henry's eye, she mouths a ‘thank you’.
We sit and enjoy our breakfast sandwiches and drinks before heading to class where Mr. Skeens eyes Cin as we walk in, and something about it sets off an alarm in my head.
He looks wrecked like he’s been up all night. His hair is disheveled, and his shirt is untucked. Not the clean-cut professional I’ve come to expect.
Cody is already sitting in the seat beside Cin’s. She looks back at me, and I nod. I need to see what he’ll do. She slides into the seat with a smile that’s clearly forced, as Cody beams.
“Good morning, Cinny-Mae.”
I. Hate. That. Fucking. Nickname.
I want nothing more than to smack it out of his vocabulary. He doesn’t know her anymore, and I don’t care how long they spent as friends. He’s clueless when it comes to her.
They exchange words, minimal as they are, and I want to rip out his vocal cords.
Mr. Skeens starts his lecture, only to be cut off mid-sentence when Mr. Finnighan comes barging in. He looks pissed, and I already know this is going to be bad.
“Miss Morgan, Mr. Skeens, come with me.”