Chapter 3 #2
I crumpled the note and shoved it into my jeans pocket. “Piece of something.”
The girl was young, probably a sophomore, and lipstick and mascara smeared her face. My stomach knotted as I did a quick scan. Besides the purple bruises, she seemed okay, except for being left alone and drunk at a frat house.
Frat house. Right.
“Should we wake her up, or do you want me to just sling her over my shoulder?” Axel asked. “She probably weighs nothing.”
“We should wake her. Wouldn’t want her screaming if she woke up to two strange guys stuffing her into a car.” I snapped my fingers in her face, and when that didn’t work, I tapped her cheeks.
Nothing.
If she didn’t get up soon, it was either slapping her awake or letting Axel carry her.
My roommate leaned down, inches from her ear. “Fumble!”
She screeched and bolted upright, almost cracking her forehead against Axel’s nose. “What the hell!”
Thank fuck she wasn’t comatose from too much alcohol. Or something worse.
“Do you know where you are?” I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring. I didn’t have time for this.
She grabbed her head as her bloodshot brown eyes widened. “Um, no.” Her voice came out groggy. “I was partying with some people at the Sigma Delta house and—”
“You’re still at the Sigma Delta house.” I hauled her up. “It’s time to go.”
She stumbled and tried to push me off. “I’m missing a shoe.”
“I don’t care.” I steered her through the arched doorway, ignoring the looks from others meandering around the house before classes. “If you want a ride home, you’re coming with us.”
The sorority girl pouted. “Maybe I don’t want a ride home. Maybe I want to go back to Sebastian’s room.”
I rolled my eyes. “Who do you think dropped you out here? He’s not the type to cuddle in the morning.”
She grinned up at me. “What about you, handsome? The name is Ashleigh.”
Axel laughed as we stepped onto the extravagant stone porch with views of the manicured lawn. “You’re barking up the wrong tree. Killian doesn’t know the meaning of pillow talk or cuddling.”
Ashleigh squinted one eye and studied me. “Killian Davenport?”
I was as recognizable here as my stepbrother, considering the Davenport family had donated a shit ton of money to Stonewall University.
“Yeah, and I don’t go for my brother’s seconds.”
Her lips thinned, and she yanked her arm out of my grip, falling straight toward a rosebush. Luckily for her, Axel decided not to be a dick and caught her before she ended up with thorns in her face.
So far, my junior year was getting off to a rocky start. Hopefully, no other surprises would emerge to fuck up my day.
Ashleigh passed out in the back seat of my silver Audi as we sped to the ZB house. After parking, we both got out and Axel carried her to the door of the white Greek Revival with columns soaring to the roof and multiple windows with black shutters on the front facade.
The scarlet door opened, and my head snapped back at the disheveled guy who stepped onto the large brick porch, his shirt buttoned wrong and black hair sticking up all over the place.
“What’s up, fuckers?” Slate, one of our brothers and close friend, sported a shit-eating grin.
“What are you doing at the Zeta Beta house?” Axel adjusted the girl on his shoulder. “I thought they banned you after that prank you pulled with the bubbles in the hot tub.”
Slate shrugged and sauntered between us. “What can I say? The ladies can’t resist my charm for long. I’ve been forgiven, boys, and you know how good makeup sex is.” He winked a bloodshot hazel eye.
Slate Wentworth would be on their shit list again soon enough, no doubt. He couldn’t control his impulses to create laughter and havoc any more than I could control mine to don this fraudulent mask.
He slapped Axel’s arm and jerked his chin to the unconscious girl. “Looks like someone else had a wild night.”
Axel scoffed. “This is a little present Bass left us to deal with.”
“What a prick.” Slate skipped down the stairs. “Oh, good, you drove. You can give me a ride back to the house.”
“No! We’re going to be late.”
Slate ignored my protests, darted down the pathway, and hopped into the backseat. Checking my watch, I ground my teeth.
“Relax, dude.” Axel rang the bell even though the door was open. Entering a sorority house at the wrong time could leave a guy scarred for life, mentally or physically, if a sister mistook him for an intruder.
Someone finally emerged onto the porch, and I mumbled a string of curses as the tall, shapely blonde delivered a man-eating smile.
“What brings you to my door, Killian?” Lorelei, my frequent hookup, fluttered her fake lashes. Her pleated skirt and low-cut top would draw any guy’s attention, so it wasn’t as if I could help but stare at her tits pushed up to her neck.
The girl was so single-minded she didn’t even notice Axel holding one of her sisters. “Making a drop off.”
When she caught sight of the girl, Lorelei’s nostrils flared, crimson flaming her cheeks. Instead of just the jealousy I envisioned, she actually looked hurt. “You hooked up with Ashleigh Royston last night?” She popped her hands on her hips and sputtered. “That’s just—”
“Battenberg, shut up and tell me where to put her,” Axel growled. “I’m strong, but I don’t feel like standing here for the next ten minutes while you rant.”
Lorelei jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Put her on the couch on the left.” As Axel disappeared inside, her dark brown eyes hardened. “Her? Really?”
“I didn’t sleep with her, Lorelei.” I pinched the bridge of my nose as a headache throbbed to life in the center of my forehead. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”
She scoffed and flicked her perfectly curled hair over her shoulder. “None of my business? And here I thought you and I had a deal.”
My mouth hitched into a sneer. “We hook up sometimes. That’s the extent of our deal. There’s nothing else between us.” I regretted fucking her multiple times last year and over the summer, but I’d been desperate for a distraction, and her warm pussy and dick-sucking lips provided a good one.
The sharp, frigid edge to my words wiped the haughty attitude right out of her. Lorelei slipped on a sweet smile and batted her lashes again. “I’m just teasing, Kill. Don’t be so unreasonable.”
She thought her pussy was good enough to make me reconsider my no-strings rule. It wasn’t. They were all the same to me. And Lorelei wasn’t the first girl to try to sink her claws into me. She surely wouldn’t be the last.
Of course, they didn’t want the real me, not the one behind the shiny, expensive mask. The Davenport name, money, and prestige drew socialites and sorority girls like flies to honey.
She dragged her finger down my forearm over the serpent and dagger tattoo. “What about the masquerade party? Can’t we at least go to that together?” She bit her lip, purposely trying to lure my attention to her mouth. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Doubtful.
“I don’t do dates, remember?” I pried her hand off. “See you later.” Ignoring Lorelei’s protests, I pivoted and marched back to my car to wait on Axel.
My fists clenched at my sides as memories bombarded my mind. The last time I caught feelings for someone, it ended in disaster, and I’d do anything to ensure that never happened again.