Chapter 20 #2
"Seems the wayward, missing, slutty princess has reappeared, relatively unscathed, but still uncivilized, I see," a growly-toned, deep voice utters from behind me, causing the hairs on my arms to stand on end.
I instantly turn my head to stare at my new stepbrother, otherwise known as the asshole who had his cock shoved down that poor girl's throat yesterday in the courtyard.
He stands in the kitchen doorway, blocking that exit like a Neanderthal.
I give him a nasty smirk, one filled with the desire to see him dead and buried, and force myself to ignore his comment as he comes closer, sizing me up, and my hand clenches tightly on the handle of the metal coffee carafe.
He must see the direction of my thoughts, and know that I'm mere seconds away from throwing it at him.
"I wouldn't if I were you, slut. You'd just give Joffrey more work cleaning it up, sis.
" His dark, volatile eyes meet mine, daring me to act, and he has the audacity to wink at me. Motherfucker, I'll end you.
"Cross..." Gerald growls with a warning, but the two of us ignore him, lost in the malice radiating between us. He, too, is sporting bruises, I see, but I know that I didn't give him them, and that makes me irrationally sad.
I allow my eyes to slide along his tall, broad form, admiring how he fills out the gray sweatpants he's wearing, which hang so low on his hips that it's a wonder how they stay up.
I feel a bolt of heat rising up the back of my neck, at the memory of what he's hiding with that material, and how it's pierced.
Jesus, get it together, Olly. It was just a cock.
The white, sleeveless shirt Cross is wearing displays his thick, muscular arms, and the intricately snaked black tattoos down his right arm, ending at his veiny hand, intrigue me.
Everything about his appearance is right out of my personal spank bank.
Well, that is, until he opens his heinous mouth.
Pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside. The same can be said for me, I suppose.
"I'm not your fucking sister, creep." I force myself to return the carafe to the counter, even though everything in me is screaming to slam it across his temple, and make him bleed.
I bet he would look even more attractive with blood pouring down his face.
A memory instantly rises of a pretty, pale vampire, with deranged hazel eyes, flecked with amber and green, daring me to strike him, and the aftermath that followed when I fulfilled his very wish.
"Language, Olivia!" My mom shouts, a pink tinge rising across her cheeks, and I roll my eyes in her direction. Is she really going to pretend to be some great mom with perfect manners for this guy? Come on, lady, this act isn't fooling anyone.
Gerald turns his attention to his malignant son, breaking the heaviness that I feel across my skin with his gaze, and I finally remember how to take a deep breath. "Who was the guy, son?"
A look of vexation briefly makes an appearance on Cross's face, before he forces his glance away from his father's and meets mine.
His eyebrow rises dauntingly, and I know whatever he's about to say is going to have my blood pressure soaring.
I contemplate launching my hot coffee at his face, but I'm in dire need of the caffeine.
"Does it matter? It looks like my new sister is a cheap skank.
" His lips twitch, as he leans nonchalantly against the kitchen counter, as if he doesn't have a care in the world, and doesn't fear me. Time to fucking change that.
"Skank?! Are you fucking serious right now, asswipe, especially after what you pulled in the courtyard yesterday?
!" I take a step closer to him, my fist tightening at my side, and my other hand clenched so harshly around the coffee cup that the hot liquid spills over the edge onto my fingers.
My adrenaline is rising to the occasion, daring me to resort to my favorite activity, violence.
His mocha-brown eyes accost me with unmasked heat, sliding down my body as if they have every right to, and can see beneath the fabric I'm wearing.
My nipples pebble in my bra in response to his stare, and I feel a wave of heat up the back of my neck.
"That's his shirt, right?" He straightens his large form and takes a step closer to me, until I can feel the heat radiating off his impressive body, and get a whiff of his scent.
The smell of rich cloves, mandarins, and cardamom teases my senses, and I have to hold in the urge to take a deep sniff of him.
"See, little sis, you prove my point." He points his chin at Sim's oversized T-shirt.
"Only a nasty skank would do the walk of shame in her one-night-stand's clothes.
" I don't hesitate. My hand rises in the direction of his face, fully prepared to reorganize his pearly whites.
Instead of turning away, Cross leans closer as if he can't wait for me to strike him, and that gives me pause.
"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!" Gerald shouts so loudly that the whole room goes still. "Whatever this is, whatever is going on between the two of you, knock this fucking shit off! You're family. She's a Weyburn now. I won't have you at each other's throats under my fucking roof. Do you both understand me?"
It's on the tip of my tongue to correct him that, in fact, I'm not a Weyburn, nor will I ever be, but I don't even get a chance before Cross opens his vicious mouth, and bares his teeth like a feral wolf.
"Just 'cause you married a pretty gold digger after a few weeks of knowing her, doesn't make her, or her skank of a daughter, my family. Neither of them are Weyburns, Dad."
The rage on Cross's face is palpable, and he doesn't bother to wait for a response from Gerald.
With one last furious glance in my direction, he turns his back on his father, and strides out of the kitchen area without a backward glance, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room with him.
"Your son is a disgusting, abusive dick," I growl.
Gerald's furious gaze meets mine. "ENOUGH!
Whoever you were with last night, it ends now, Olivia.
You made an agreement with me, or did you conveniently forget that in the two days you've been here, hmm?
" He leans forward, his coffee breath assailing my nostrils, and I have to force my gag reflex not to activate.
A part of me wants to take a step back and away from him, but I don't dare give up ground to someone like him.
I don't bother answering him, even though it grates on my nerves to stay silent, and allow this man to believe he has power over me.
He fucking does, idiot, you made sure of that, my mind reminds me.
"My son is now your brother, and you are now my daughter, Olivia, regardless of either of your wishes.
In this house, under this roof, we are a family united.
If you can't abide by the terms of our agreement, perhaps I should contact Soule University, and let them know that there has been a mistake and I won't, in fact, be paying your tuition, or your car insurance. "
Panic surges through me, like a tornado wrecking everything in its path. I can't complete my plan without access to the University. Additionally, I need a way out of here, and a degree will help me achieve that goal. "You can't do that!" The childish words leave my lips, and I internally cringe.
"Oh, Olivia, I can, and I will. You don't get a free ride under my roof.
You'll follow through on your agreement with your mother and me, or I'll ship your ass back to where you came from, and you can try being homeless and poor instead.
Do I make myself fucking clear, daughter?
" His intense eyes bore down into mine, with the promise of doing precisely that.
There is no negotiating with this monster.
I knew it when I agreed, and I know it now.
I'm stuck here, playing by his rules, at least for the moment.
"Mom? Mom, please!" I implore her with my eyes to do something, to call this asshole out, to stick by my side for once in her life.
Instead, she lowers her eyes to the surface of the counter, and refuses to meet mine. Coward. "You agreed to live under Gerald's roof, and follow his rules, Olivia. Please don't ruin this for me. Please."
Unfuckingreal. I don't bother to utter another word, storming upstairs to my pretentious bedroom to get ready for school. I may have agreed to play by Gerald's rules, but only for now. The minute I get what I want, I'll be leaving this place and everyone in it behind, and never looking back.