18. Kreed
18
KREED
T he party was a blur of noise and movement, but none of it mattered. My beer sat untouched in my hand as I leaned against the crumbling wall of the old church, watching and waiting, ignoring the chaos as it faded into static.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Kaylor.
I had no business letting her occupy even a fraction of my mind. What she did wasn’t my concern. And so what if she was a good kisser? I’d kissed plenty of girls, but only when they understood the rules—when they knew how to be discreet. How to keep their mouths shut.
I doubted Kaylor ever kept something hidden in her entire life. She seemed like the kind of girl who liked attention. She sure as hell knew how to draw it.
That damn get-up.
If I’d known she’d be showing up to Raven Night in that little black number, I would’ve either made her change or refused to let her leave the house.
Then, as if she hadn’t already turned every fucking head in the room, she had the balls to kiss me in front of everyone like it meant something. Like she meant something to me, but what really got under my skin—what had my jaw clenching and my grip tightening around the bottle in my hand—was that I couldn’t get the damn kiss out of my head.
A kiss shouldn’t do this to me. I didn’t fixate on things like the way her lips felt or what she could do with her tongue. And yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop replaying it.
If I didn’t shake it off now, I’d find myself marching into the cellar and dragging her into a dark, empty room just to remind her exactly who she belonged to . The more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea became.
I pushed off the wall, ready to go find her. I had no business thinking about her. Watching her. Wanting her. But my body wasn’t listening. My lips still tingled from the press of hers. My blood still ran hot from the way she melted into me.
And I fucking hated it.
I told myself it was just a kiss. Just a mistake.
But I wasn’t stupid.
I could lie to everyone else but not to myself.
Something about her had burrowed under my skin, dragging up feelings I didn’t want and definitely couldn’t afford.
I shook my head, shoving those thoughts away. She was off with Maddox now, playing whatever stupid game he’d cooked up to mess with her. I should’ve stopped her, but instead, I let her walk away. Told myself it wasn’t my problem.
Except it was.
“Kreed!”
I turned at the sound of my name.
Poppy.
She stumbled toward me, her gold eyes wide and frantic. Even in the dim light, I could see the panic etched into her face. Her breathing was ragged like she’d just sprinted across the church.
“Kreed,” she gasped, grabbing my arm. “It’s Kaylor.”
Everything in me went rigid. “What about her?”
“You haven’t heard?”
“Poppy, spit it out.” My voice was sharp, the impatience clawing at my gut.
She swallowed hard. “It’s Bodie,” she said, her voice trembling. “He’s got her in the cellar. Maddox and the other guys are down there, and—and I think he’s going to?—”
I didn’t wait for her to finish.
Shoving past her, I pushed through the crowd, my chest tightening with every step. Rage simmered just beneath the surface, waiting to detonate. I didn’t need details. I knew Bodie’s reputation and exactly what kind of shit went down in that cellar.
If he’d laid so much as a finger on Kaylor…
Fuck! It would be my ass. I would be the one who got the brunt of my father’s anger. I was the one responsible for tonight. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
My vision blurred red.
“I’m coming with you,” Poppy called behind me, struggling to keep up.
I didn’t slow down. “You’ve done enough.” I had no time to keep her safe. It was bad enough I had to rescue Kaylor, and I didn’t need another girl getting in my way.
I stormed down the stairs into the cellar. The air was thick, a damp mustiness that clung to my skin like a vice. Candlelight flickered against the stone walls, casting long, distorted shadows. But I only saw one thing.
Kaylor.
She was pinned against the wall. Bodie’s hulking form loomed over her, his hands wrapped around her wrists, trapping them above her head. Her body twisted, struggling. Her breath hitched—sharp, ragged, and her wide, terrified eyes locked onto mine.
My blood turned molten.
The laughter and cheers from the other guys in the room barely registered. Maddox stood nearby, leaning casually against a table, watching. His smirk deepened.
He knew.
He knew exactly what Bodie was going to do, and he let it happen.
I didn’t think. I reacted. “Get the fuck off her!” I roared. The room shook with the force of my voice.
Bodie barely had time to turn before I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and ripped him away from her. He stumbled. Didn’t even have a chance to breathe before I slammed him into the wall. His head didn’t just ping. It crashed through the drywall with a satisfying crunch. I should’ve stopped there. But I wanted to break something.
My fingers curled against the top of his skull, yanking him out of the wreckage, just to send him back in. His groan barely registered before my fist connected with his jaw, the force sending him sprawling to the ground.
The room fell silent except for the sound of my ragged breathing. And Bodie’s pathetic, wheezing groan.
He tried to push himself up.
I wasn’t done.
I grabbed him by the collar, hauled him up, and slammed him back down. My knuckles throbbed. I welcomed the pain. Welcomed the way it dulled everything else. The anger poured out in every punch. And I didn’t stop.
“Kreed, man! Stop!”
Maddox’s voice sliced through the haze, but I barely acknowledged it. My knuckles cracked against Bodie’s jaw again, the impact sending a sharp jolt up my arm.
A hand yanked me back, breaking my focus. Maddox.
“That’s enough!” he barked, shoving me backward.
I turned on him, fists clenched, chest heaving. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I roared. “You just stood there!”
Maddox’s usual smirk was gone, replaced by something colder. “It was just a game, Kreed. You’re the one who lost his damn mind.”
“She’s not a game,” I seethed, my voice low, venomous. “Or have you forgotten the rules?”
Maddox’s jaw tightened. “Fuck the rules.”
Tension crackled between us. Every muscle in my body coiled, ready to snap, but before I could say another word, a soft voice cut through the silence.
“Kreed…”
I turned. Kaylor stood there, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold the pieces together. Her lips trembled, her eyes shiny with unshed tears, but behind the fear was something else. Something sharp.
Anger.
I grabbed her jacket off the floor and held it out. “Let’s go.”
She hesitated, then reached for me, her fingers cold and shaking as they slipped into mine. For once in her life, she didn’t argue. Thank fucking God. I was in no mood for shit. Not right now.
Despite how incredibly good it felt to beat the crap out Bodie, it only fueled the need for violence simmering within me. That had only been a taste, and the darkness wanted a whole damn meal. I only hoped my control would win, that I had enough willpower to push the craving aside and bank the fire.
My grip tightened around her hand as I led her past Maddox and the others. Their eyes burned into my back, but I didn’t look. I didn’t care. My skin was still buzzing with the need to finish what I started, to put Bodie through the wall a third time.
But the worst part? The sick part? That wasn’t even the real fight raging inside me.
This—her—was the real problem.
As we climbed the stairs, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Maddox had pretty much declared open season on the new girl tonight. My coming to her rescue also sent a message. It just wasn’t a message I was sure I was comfortable with. I had to figure out what to do with her. I could give her to the wolves, or I could make her part of the pack.
Regardless of which I chose, someone would object. Maddox. Mason. Kaylor. My father.
I had no business touching her. No business caring. Yet here I was, dragging her out like she meant something to me. Like I had some kind of claim.
I clenched my jaw, needing to get my head straight. “Are you okay?”
She blinked at me, doing everything in her resolve to hold the tears I knew were there behind her trembling lip at bay.
“Dumb question,” I mumbled. Of course, she wasn’t okay. Any idiot could see how upset she was, but I also detected something else. Anger. I wasn’t the only one with fire in their veins. Good. She would need the grit and more if she wanted to survive until her eighteenth birthday. Tonight only gave her a glimpse of what she could expect from being tangled up with us.
“I’m fine,” she lied, forcing a smile, but I could see the fear still lingering in her eyes.
“Bullshit. But we can pretend otherwise. At least until we get you out of here. Where’s your mask?”
“I don’t know. I dropped it somewhere down—” Her voice broke off as if she couldn’t bring herself to mention the cellar or what happened.
My fingers forked through my hair. What a fucking way to end this night. Hell, it had barely begun, but honestly, I no longer wanted to be here. My mood soured, and the crowd of people only made me antsy. I craved the night. The silence. The cold air.
As we neared the exit, a figure stepped into our path—Poppy.
“Shit, Kaylor, are you okay?” she asked, reaching for her hand only to realize I still had it.
And I wasn’t letting go.
“Not now,” I snapped, not caring how harsh I sounded. This girl and I weren’t exactly friends to begin with.
Poppy pinned me with a glare sharp and accusing, as if this was my fault. “You might be Nash’s best friend, but I don’t give a damn about your reputation.”
My brows raised. It made sense that Kaylor would gravitate toward one of the only girls at school who had a rebellious streak. What a pair of trouble they made.
Perfect. Just what I needed. Another goddamn headache.
My little raven attracted danger and disorder wherever she went.
The fuck? Why had I thought that? She isn’t mine. I don’t want her to be mine.
“You should,” I lashed back, my grip tightening involuntarily.
Poppy didn’t flinch. “I just want to make sure my friend’s okay.”
Kaylor wiggled her fingers in my grasp, forcing me to ease up. “Isn’t that why you came to get me? Because you knew I would put an end to it?”
“You went to Kreed?” Kaylor asked Poppy, something like shock lacing her words.
Poppy nodded. “Yeah. What better way to stop evil than with evil?”
“I’m not going to take offense at that.” My fingers curled tighter around Kaylor’s again. “But since you dragged me into this, I’m taking her home.”
“I need to hear it from her. Sorry, but I don’t trust you.” Poppy’s gaze flicked to her friend.
Kaylor swallowed hard. “It’s okay. Really. Kreed can take me home.” Her voice wavered, but her eyes didn’t. “I just…I need to get out of here.”
Poppy hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Or tonight, if you want.”
“Tomorrow’s fine,” Kaylor murmured.
I watched the exchange, something twisting in my gut. “Can you walk?” I asked her.
“I-I think so,” she stuttered.
Bullshit.
“Here.” I shrugged out of my hoodie and tugged it over her head before she could protest. “Put this on.” The sleeves hung over her hands, swallowing her up.
And fuck, if that didn’t do something to me.
Seeing her in my hoodie, wrapped up in something of mine, made my stomach clench in a way I didn’t like. In a way I didn’t want.
I stepped closer, torturing myself. The scent of us—her and me—mixed together, clogging my senses.
This night needed to end.
I had half a mind to drop her off, raid my dad’s liquor stash, and drink myself into oblivion.
Maybe then, I could clear my head. Maybe then, I could stop thinking about the feel of her skin against mine. The way her lips had lingered on mine hours ago.
Maybe then, I’d stop feeling like I’d just started a war I wasn’t ready to fight.
The ride home was silent except for the low rumble of the engine. Kaylor sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold everything in. Her head was turned toward the window, but I could see it, the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers dug into the sleeves of my hoodie like she was holding on for dear life.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles whitening as the weight of what happened in the cellar settled over me.
Maddox had crossed a line tonight. No surprise there. That was what he did best. Pushed people past their limits just to see what they’d do. And Bodie? He was going to wish he’d never so much as looked in her direction. I’d make sure of it. For now, the only thing that mattered was getting her home and stressing how important it was that she kept her mouth shut about tonight.
If my father got wind of this…
I glanced at her, catching flashes of her face under the flickering streetlights. She was shaken but still holding it together. Barely. Most people would’ve crumbled under half the shit she’d been through lately, but Kaylor was still standing.
I didn’t know whether to admire it or be pissed about it.
“We should talk,” I said, breaking the silence.
Her head snapped toward me, her brows furrowing like she couldn’t believe I had the nerve to suggest something so reasonable. “You can save me the I told you so. I’m already beating myself up.”
Fair enough. “I’m not saying anything.”
“Why not? I wish you would.” Her voice sharpened, cracking under the weight of frustration. “Yell at me. Blame me. Do something. Anything but this calm silence. I can’t take it.”
I exhaled, my eyes locked on the road. “What do you want me to say? That you had no business being there? That you don’t belong in our house?” My fingers flexed against the wheel. “That?—”
“You made your point.” The silence stretched again, thick and suffocating, until she finally spoke, her voice quieter this time. “Why do you hate me?”
I clenched my jaw. “Maddox hates everyone.” I didn’t want to explore my feelings about her. This was a dangerous road to travel.
She let out a bitter scoff. “I didn’t ask about Maddox.”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to. This was a dangerous road to travel.
Her tone hardened. “What did I do to deserve all of this?”
“It’s complicated.”
She let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.” I glanced at her. “You’re better off not knowing.”
Her fingers curled into fists. “So, what? I’m just supposed to sit back and take it? Let you and your brothers treat me like garbage because it’s complicated?”
My jaw worked. What was I supposed to say? That my dad was a bastard? That Maddox and Mason saw her as a threat to the balance we’d spent years maintaining? That I couldn’t stop thinking about her even though I knew I shouldn’t?
None of it would change a damn thing. None of that would make this any easier.
“Does this have anything to do with your dad? With me living with you?” She hesitated, then her voice dropped to a whisper. “Because I didn’t have a choice, Kreed. Have you ever stopped to think about how I feel? What I’ve lost?”
My chest clenched. “Yes,” I admitted. “We just don’t give a shit, little raven.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. “You’re evil. All of you.”
I smirked. “I think that’s the first compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“You want to hate me? Fine. But it won’t compare to the hate radiating inside me.”
My smirk faded. “We’ve been too easy on you. That ends tonight. The only thing you should feel when you think of us is fear.”
She let out a harsh breath, then turned toward me, her eyes burning. “Is that why you nearly beat that guy to a bloody mess? Because you’ve been too easy on me? I’m not buying it, Kreed.”
I groaned at the sound of my name on her lips. I didn’t know what it was about how she said my name, but it stirred something within me.
She studied me like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “You’re not as bad as you want everyone to think. And I bet Maddox and Mason have a heart buried somewhere under all that cruelty and sarcastic humor.”
A cold, hollow chuckle slipped past my lips. “You’ve got us all figured out, huh?” I flicked my eyes toward her. “Then you don’t need my help.”
She exhaled sharply. “If you hate me so much, why did you stop me from leaving?” Her voice broke, but she didn’t stop. “I want to leave, Kreed. Can’t you see that? It would make more sense to help me, not keep me here.”
“For the same reason you can’t leave.” Because the truth was, she couldn’t leave.
And neither could I.
Her eyes locked onto mine. “It’s your father, isn’t it?”
I said nothing, which spoke volumes.
“Unbelievable.” She shook her head, her lips parting like she wanted to say something else, but then she turned away, reaching for the door handle.
The SUV barely rolled to a stop when she shoved it open. The wind had picked up on the way home, howling outside as she hopped out, her platinum hair whipping around her face. She rushed toward the house, never once looking back.
I sat there for a long moment, staring at the front door.
The truth was, I didn’t hate her.
Not even close.
And that was the real problem.