Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Cherry Laurel: “Both the leaves and the fruit pips are a reliable source of cyanide, which starves the nervous system of oxygen and can lead to death.”
-Fez Inkwright, Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants-
Ace
I watch as Law and Thea head into the house, my heart still beating out of my chest. My lip stings from the punch Law got in and my ribs feel fucking bruised, I deserved far more. Thea saw it, the clever girl knew exactly what I was doing.
“What the fuck just happened? Logan enters my line of sight, worry etched all over his beautiful face.
“It’s nothing Lo,” I respond, spitting more blood to the ground.
“Bullshit.” He snaps. I raise an eyebrow at his tone but he doesn’t back down, his eyes hard as he watches me.
The humidity builds around us and his chest glistens with sweat.
It makes the ink on his tattoos shimmer and shine in the light.
Logan has always been beautiful but the ink on his skin makes him hypnotic.
There are moments I’m almost overwhelmed by him. “Ace?”
“Have you seen her?” I ask, my voice soft. He shifts on his feet, an uncomfortable look passing over his face. It’s answer enough. “I went into that barn so mad. I didn’t have all the information, not like I should have. And the things I said… fuck Logan I deserved far more than Law’s fist.”
I can see the struggle in his eyes. He’s torn between comforting me and telling me to fuck off and go comfort Thea. The air stills around us as the storm officially dies off, leaving behind the thick, suffocating summer air.
“Just tell me what you know.” I say with a defeated sigh.
Logan hesitates. “Royce managed to get into our phones. He cut us all off from each other. And he was the one to send the original text, not Thea.” His words add to the shit storm of emotions currently attempting to drown me.
“When I found her on the side of the road she wasn’t good.
I had to force her to vomit up the drugs that she had taken. ”
Logan doesn’t stop recounting the first few days with her, he doesn’t spare any detail.
By the time he is finished my body is renewed with murderous rage towards the asshole.
I hated him in high school, the sniveling little cunt.
He had always been obsessed with Thea, but he never could touch her. Not with us around.
“He was just waiting for us to leave.” I growl. “I’m going to fucking rip him to shreds.”
Logan drags his tongue ring across his lower lip. before he steps closer to me. “Don’t you dare go fucking rogue on this. Law and I are owed his blood just as much as you are. ”
I step forward so he’s behind my line of sight, avoiding those emerald eyes as I watch the house.
I can’t tell him I won’t go it alone. Logan and Law both have connections that could help with this but mine are stronger.
And truthfully I need to draw this game out, I need Royce to feel the fear and terror Thea felt every time he hurt her.
I want him to know he’s being hunted and yet only ever seeing shadows until the moment I’m in front of him, knife in hand.
But before I can do anything I need to check on Thea.
Logan steps closer to me, his body heat pressing into the muscles across my back. His lips graze my neck and I feel myself stiffen under his touch. His hands loop around the hard plain of my stomach, his fingers tracing the muscles up and down.
“What are you doing Lo?” I growl.
I feel him shift, his body moving around mine until he’s dropping to his knees in front of me.
His emerald eyes shine up like green flames and his tongue licks out against his bottom lip.
In a bold move he reaches up and starts to slowly unzip me.
He pauses, looking up at me once more when my pants are open, as though now he has the thought to ask permission.
I raise my eyebrow at him before I step back from him. Disappointment flushes his face.
“Seems to me, princess, you’ve gotten rather bold.” I watch his reaction and just as I suspect he relaxes hearing his pet name. “Law must not have been disciplining you very well.”
I circle him as he sits on his knees, hands positioned atop his thighs, eyes cast to the ground.
The perfect submissive pose. At least until he fidgets.
Logan has never been good at sitting still.
I don’t often make him do it, reserving it for moments where he’s truly earned punishment.
Or moments when I need to see him struggle.
He lets out an impatient sigh.
“Already getting tired princess?” I make another circle around him. The anticipation building.
“I was doing this to help you feel better,” He pouts, body wiggling back and forth.
Coming behind him I run my fingers through his hair allowing my nails to graze his scalp with each pass.
Logan’s body relaxes, the fidgeting melting away.
And it’s at that exact moment I fist his hair and drag his head back so I can lock eyes with him.
Bending down I lick a long line up his face and enjoy the whimper that falls from his lips.
“Until I can see that you are going to be a good little princess for me I don’t think I’ll be giving you anything. ”
I release my grip on his hair and step backwards from him. Logan whirls on me, his face flush with arousal and when I glance down I can see his dick pressing against the sweats he pulled on when he chased Thea out of the house. “Sir…” He crawls towards me with a hopeful look in his eye.
I shake my head, feet carrying me backwards. “I think this will be good for you. Like I said, Law has clearly been slacking a bit too much. This will help remind you who exactly is in charge here.” I turn my back to him and head towards the exit.
“This isn’t over!” Logan yells after me.
“I’m well aware Princess!” I call back, with a devilish smile painted on my face.
I hear him curse but ignore the sound as I make my way towards the barn before doubling back out of Logan’s line of sight and heading towards the house.
I’m silent in my approach, my destination dark despite the other lights on in the house.
My hand presses against the glass, the window giving way and sliding to the side.
I make a mental note to have Law double check the windows, particularly Thea’s.
The first floor window isn’t too far off the ground but it still requires me to hoist myself up and brace myself as I drop into the dark room.
I pause, listening for any indication that Law heard me.
Their muffled voices are barely audible from behind the closed door and don’t seem to get closer.
The space reeks of Thea, her lavender scent painted on damn near everything, though I highly doubt she’s actually sleeping here much.
When I’m sure he isn’t about to bust me I make my way further into the room.
Thea’s bag sits on the floor, the only indication someone is using our guest room.
“Let’s see what you’ve got in here.” I mutter to myself.
It takes me no time at all to upend the contents and to find exactly what I’m looking for.
And not a moment too soon as I hear approaching footsteps.
Making a split second, admittedly impulsive, decision I tuck myself back into the shadows of the room and wait for my prey to arrive.
Thea
The moment I’m in the house I drop Law’s hand and try to get myself under control.
The further I got from Ace the more confused and out of control I felt.
His statement about my body is the only clear thing that my brain can focus on.
Over and over his voice plays through my mind until the words are twisted and it’s Royce telling me how ruined I am.
“No one will ever want you. You are mine forever. My doll Theodora.”
“Thea?” Law comes up quietly behind me. He drops a towel around my shoulders gently, the fabric warm from the dryer still. And while I know he means well by it the feel of the towel against my skin is suffocating.
“You think that brand hurt… next time I’ll make sure you can’t hide it. Everyone should see how ruined you are.”
“I’m okay,” I manage, attempting to hide the wince as Royce’s voice hits me over and over again. “You should get yourself to work.”
“Thea look at me.” He demands.
“Yes, look at him, Theadora, so he can tell you to your face how he doesn’t want you anymore.”
Taking a deep breath I turn towards Law. He narrows his gaze as concern shoots across his eyes. I offer him the most reassuring smile I can give hoping he can’t see through the lie.
“Such a fucking whore. Letting them touch you. You are mine.”
My mind is already zeroing in on the small blade tucked away in my pack in the bedroom. The one thing that I know, without a doubt, will shut up the voices in my mind. My palms sweat and itch and the feeling is a living beast wrapping its way around my body until it’s choking the air from my lungs.
Finally Law presses a kiss to my forehead, oblivious to the spiral within. “We’ll talk about this later darlin'.” He says gruffly. “You understand?”
My eyes blink and I keep the soft smile on my face. “I understand.”
He gives me a smile that has guilt washing over me because I have no intention of following up to this conversation.
“I’m going to go take a shower.” I say, pulling free of his arms and letting the towel drop to the ground. “I’ll see you when you get home!” My voice sounds wrong but I do my best to smile before I’m backing away from him.
“Just come back to me, little doll. I know what you like. What you love even. They can never love you like I can.”
I don’t bother looking around the bedroom as I push through the door.
My only focus on the small, hidden, zipper pouch in the backpack.
My hands fumble with it, shaking with an embarrassing amount of need.
A whisper of relief starts to crawl up my spine as my fingers find the pouch only for a cry of disappointment to fall from my lips when I don’t find my sharp escape.
“No, no, no, no.” I practically sob, ripping the meager contents from the bag. For good measure I even flip the whole backpack over, shaking it until every crumb falls free. But not my razor.
I can hear Royce laughing in my mind and I grip my head as if I could squeeze him out.
“No escaping me. Never again. I’ll always be in your mind. And someday I’ll be in your body again. You can’t carve me out.”
“Looking for this?” I whirl at the sound of Ace’s voice, eyes wide as I take him leaning against the wall next to the door I had carelessly flung myself through before shutting it.
He cocks his head as he watches me kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down my face, and my belongings strung out around me.
In between his fingers he holds the slim razor, the one hidden in that pocket.
“You had no right to go through my things.” I spat out.
He cocks his head before prowling forward.
The movement gives me the distinct urge to run, to flee, to escape this predator before he devours me.
Ace stops close enough that I would have to drag my gaze up his whole body, head tilted back, in order to see him.
So instead, I keep my eyes trained on his dirty, black boots.
“I had every right, Cricket.” Oh so slowly he bends down, two fingers under my chin forcing me to meet his eyes.
I shake my head. “Why do you care? What does it matter to you?!” I hate that it comes out more broken than angry.
He leans into my space, dangerously close to me, our breath mingling, those sinful lips a hair's breath from my own. “Because your blood is mine and if it spills it’s because I’m spilling it.
” A flush of heat moves through my body with his words.
A battle between anger, shame and lust swirls through me as liquid heat begins to pool between my thighs.
“So when you want to hurt Cricket, you can come to me on your hands and knees and I’ll give you the exorcism you're so desperate for.”
His hand trails from my chin down to my neck and I let out a whimper of need.
His voice is a lazy purr. “You know, I was worried I would break you but now I think you might like the darkness just as much as I do.”
“He already thinks you are broken. He sees you exactly for what you are.”
“Get out.” I growl. Whether it’s aimed at Royce’s voice or my stepbrother in front of me I have no idea. “Get out, get out, GET OUT!”
He raises his hands up in defeat, the blade still between his pointer and index finger glitters in the bedroom light.
I hear the sound of thundering footsteps and Law’s voice yelling my name.
I watch Ace casually put his body in front of the closed door, one foot coming to rest on the wood while the other stays planted on the floor only a moment before Law’s fist is pounding against the door.
“Thea?! What's going on? ” His voice is shaking with barely contained anger. The door rattles against his body. “God damn it, open the door!”
Ace seems to press back harder against it, raising an eyebrow at me, a silent dare to yell for help.
One that I refuse to take and instead my lips stay stubbornly shut.
We hold each other's eye contact, refusing to be the first person to break. It isn’t until Logan’s voice comes filtering through that Ace breaks it.
He holds his finger up to his lips, a motion of silence before he’s moving past me.
His gait confident and unhurried as he heads towards the window.
I follow him with my whole god damn body, turning from the place on the floor until I'm facing the back of the room where the window sits flung open.
Ace casts one more look at me, thrown over his shoulder with a casual confidence. “You remember what I told you sis.” And with those words he uses the frame to hoist himself up and out the open space just as Law manages to kick the door in.
It isn't until Law is pulling me up off the ground that I realize Royce’s voice is no longer in my mind and I sink into the blissful silence.