7. Kaylor
7
KAYLOR
O f the four, why did it have to be the brooding, hot one?
Dark hair fell messily across his forehead. Two faint scars curved beneath his right eye, and tattoos crawled up the side of his neck, vanishing beneath the collar of his hoodie. He leaned casually against a stone pillar, the dim light accentuating the sharp angles of his face and the dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Great,” I muttered under my breath. “I figured you’d be jumping for joy.”
“Don’t mistake intrigue for elation. I still want you gone. By all means, run away. But for pure interest, where exactly are you going?” he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Home? Not to be the bearer of bad news, but home doesn’t exist anymore.”
Oh, that fucking hurt. I flinched and did my best to recover, schooling my features into something hard like stone. “As far from here as possible.”
“Fine. Go. You might want to take the south exit instead of scaling a wall with that arm,” he suggested flatly with this he-couldn’t-care-less attitude I didn’t doubt he perfected.
He might be trying to help, or he might be setting me up. Regardless, I had no idea which direction was south, and I sure as shit wasn’t going to ask him to point me in the right way. “Why should I trust you?”
He smirked, pushing off the pillar and strolling toward me with an infuriatingly casual stride. “You definitely shouldn’t, little raven.”
I scowled at him. “I might be little, but I’m not a damn bird.”
A sliver of moonlight touched the side of his face, hitting the twinkling diamond stud in his nose. “You should return to your cage before Evan notices you’re missing and clips your wings.”
Why did that analogy make me shiver? My chin lifted, and I kept my gaze on his, refusing to let him think he could intimidate me because I was positive he was used to people cowing under him. “I’m not your prisoner. You can’t keep me here.”
Kreed’s hand, the one tatted with card suits, lifted, capturing strands of my loose hair flying in the wind. He twined them around his finger. “You’re right. I’m not the one locking you up, little raven, but I also won’t help you fly the coop.”
I straightened, trying to mask my fear with defiance. “Are you always such an asshole? Or just when the full moon is out?” It wasn’t Kreed I feared but whether or not he would rat me out or drag me back to my gilded cage. Okay, not entirely true. I did fear Kreed a bit, but that nugget of unease was overwhelmed by curiosity.
“At least we can agree on something. I am an asshole, and while you’re in this house, you’d be wise to remember that I could make your life hell at any second.”
He still had hold of my hair. I needed to figure out a way to get it out of his grasp without causing me pain. “Is that a threat?”
He shrugged nonchalantly, getting on my nerves.
I couldn’t pinpoint just what it was about him that got me so fired up, but everything about Kreed made me want to lash out. “Why does it matter to you? The way I see it, what I do is none of your business.”
He gave a little tug on my hair. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. You’re my business. Everything you do is my business. Everywhere you go is my business. And sneaking off in the middle of the night… Well, that’s inconvenient as fuck for me tonight.”
I tipped my head to the side, but he didn’t release my hair, and I ground my teeth at the pain. “Oh, so you prefer if I pencil it into your calendar?”
“Preferably.”
I swallowed roughly. “Like I said, you’re a dick.”
“I think the name you used was asshole,” he corrected.
“Tomato. Tomato.” Tired of him using my hair as a leash, I braced myself as I reached up and yanked the silvery strands out of his grasp. “What do you want?” I demanded, retreating a step, craving space from Kreed. He had this presence about him that turned me inside out.
His dark brow lifted suggestively. “What are you offering?”
“How about you let me go out of the kindness of your black heart,” I snapped, taking another step back instinctively.
He chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down my neck. “If only I had a heart. But dear old Pops would lose his mind if I let you wander off. You’re his precious little ward, after all.”
My jaw tightened. “I’m nobody’s. And I can take care of myself.”
“Sure, you can,” he said mockingly, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. “That’s why you’re skulking around like a scared rabbit instead of walking out the front door.”
My good arm itched to fly through the air, connecting with his too-perfect jaw, and I considered it for a moment, weighing the consequences. Would he smack me back? Kreed had this dark edge about him that left me uncertain what kind of guy he was, but I wasn’t sure his moral compass included never laying a hand on a girl. “I wouldn’t have to sneak around if Evan weren’t everywhere I turned.”
“Evan?” Kreed echoed. “You’re already on a first-name basis with your security. Perhaps I haven’t given you enough credit.”
I flipped him off before I thought about what I was doing, tired of this conversation. I’d gotten to the point where I honestly didn’t care if Kreed ratted me out. I had to get over this wall before I did something foolish.
Turning my back on Kreed was my first mistake. One I wouldn’t likely make again. It only took me once to learn a lesson the hard way. I had my hand on the stone, ready to hoist myself up, when Kreed’s hands were suddenly on my waist, pulling me roughly away from the wall and my freedom.
I stumbled, caught off guard, as he pressed me against a tree, the cold bark digging into my back. The hard press of his body pinned me to the trunk as his hand shot up to cover my mouth.
God, why does his body fit perfectly with mine?
And that shouldn’t have been my first thought.
A normal person would have been thinking about how to escape this situation, not how hot it was.
“Quiet,” he hissed, his face inches from mine, the warmth of his breath fanning my cheek.
Just like that, his tone snapped me out of my momentary insanity. I had a few choice phrases for Kreed, none of them pleasant, but the snappy retort on my lips died as a flashlight beamed across the yard, bouncing over the grass, and the sound of approaching footsteps caused my stomach to drop. One of the guards was making their rounds and coming straight at us.
“Shit,” I whispered behind his hand, my heart rate kicking up and my eyes wide. My breath hitched as Kreed’s gaze locked onto mine, silently conveying his early command. His two scars caught the faint moonlight, a stark reminder I didn’t know him—didn’t know if he was trustworthy.
Why exactly was he helping me?
Was he saving himself?
Or was he actually lending me a hand?
Regardless, I got a feeling his help wouldn’t be free. Kreed would want something in return or would want me to owe him a favor. I wasn’t particularly keen on being indebted to Kreed Corvo.
The guard’s footsteps grew louder, the flashlight's beam sweeping dangerously close. My heart thundered in my chest, and I fought the instinct to run, knowing any movement could give us away.
If he swung the light at just the right angle, the guard could catch a glimpse of our shadows.
That would be bad.
At least for me.
The jury was out on Kreed. Surely, he was free to come and go as he pleased.
I never did ask what he was doing outside. Was he coming or going? Had he been following me?
Kreed stayed perfectly still, his expression indecipherable as the guard lingered nearby. I couldn’t take my eyes off Donovan’s son. My body seemed to become hyperaware of every point where he touched me. My breasts against his chest. His fingers pressing into my hips. His other hand covering my mouth. Despite the chill kissing the night’s air, my skin flushed.
No. Uh-uh. No way.
I’m not having a reaction of any kind to Kreed Corvo.
Not fucking happening.
Even if I had to wear a chastity belt, lock up the penis fly trap, whatever it took, my kitty wasn’t going anywhere near him.
Off-limits.
It had to be my recent trauma screwing with logic. Kaylor Steele does not go for guys like Kreed. Never.
His mouth was too damn close to mine. Lickable close. Kissable close. Tastable close.
Why am I so obsessed with his lips?
Maybe because you can’t stop staring at them.
What is wrong with me?
Kreed was not …I repeat, was not someone I wanted to get mixed up with, and not just because his daddy warned me not to. He was trouble. I didn’t have to look at his school record, hell, criminal record to know it. I avoided guys like him at the academy. I wasn’t about to make an exception now that I was going to Public.
After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps receded, and the light disappeared, but Kreed didn’t release me. He didn’t back away. Nor did he remove his hand from my mouth.
He watched me.
I found myself entranced by him, by the gleam in his silver eyes.
My gaze darted to his lips. And then I did the most wicked thing I could think of—surprising not just me but him.
I licked the inside of his palm.
It was worth seeing the darkening of his eyes.
He finally released me, stepping back with a smirk that sent a fresh wave of irritation through me. “He’s gone. For now. But he will be back. We’ve all suffered the wrath of Evan. He’s relentless, which is why he works for my father.”
My heart faltered.
“You’re welcome,” he said, his tone laced with mockery.
My eyes narrowed. “What exactly am I thanking you for? Not exposing me? Somehow, I think that was for your benefit, not mine. I’m the one who is a prisoner. Not you.”
“Prisoner, huh?” he echoed, raising a brow. “You have a funny perception of things, little raven.”
“What would you call being held captive inside a house with security watching your every move?” I snapped.
“Protection. Surely you haven’t forgotten what got you here?”
How dare he bring up what happened to my parents. “I’ll never forget.” And the last thing I would admit was that he might have a valid concern. The people who murdered my parents were still out there, and since I had no information on whether it was planned or a random attack, I shouldn’t assume I wasn’t in danger.
“I can see the wheels working in that pretty head of yours.”
Had he just admitted he thought I was pretty ? Don’t let that go to your head, Kaylor.
“You’re impossible,” I declared, brushing past him.
He grabbed my arm, stopping me, his grip firm but not painful as his expression darkened. “If you pull a stunt like this again, I won’t be so generous. You get one pass.”
I ripped my arm free, anger flaring within me. “I didn’t ask for your help.”
“Good thing you hadn’t,” he shot back. “And don’t worry, my father won’t hear about this from me. You’re welcome for that, too. Try and stay out of trouble.”
I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling through my veins to where I didn’t even feel the cold anymore. “Fuck off.”
He chuckled, low and sarcastic. “Gladly.” Kreed turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me fuming and more confused than ever.
I glared after him, my mind racing. Kreed was trouble, that much was clear. But for someone who seemed to take such pleasure in antagonizing me, he’d just kept me from getting caught.
Or so I thought…
A whistle cut through the night’s silence. “She’s in the back, near the wall,” Kreed announced, his voice raised.
“Son of a bitch,” I hissed under my breath. That prick. What was the point of hiding me just to turn me in?
I hated him. I hated Kreed Corvo with a vengeance. Actually, vengeance sounded pretty nice. I would get him back.
Shaking my head, I turned toward the house, accepting my fate. My escape was foiled for the night. It was pointless to try to run.
The flashlight hit me in the face, blinding me. With a sigh, I put my hand in front of my eyes, blocking the beaming glare.
At least I no longer had to come up with a way to get back into the house. Kreed had taken care of that. I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling he was far more complicated—and far more dangerous—than I initially thought.