19. Kaylor
19
KAYLOR
T he January wind bit through my clothes as I rushed into the house, the front door slamming shut behind me with a hollow thud. My hair whipped across my face, the icy sting of the night still clinging to my skin.
Inside, the house was dark, the kind of quiet that felt oppressive. The silence seemed to press down on me, suffocating and heavy.
I stood just inside the door, my breath visible in faint wisps from the cold outside. The darkness stretched before me, and for a moment, I couldn’t move.
The flashes came unbidden—candlelight flickering against stone walls, cruel laughter echoing in the cellar, rough hands gripping my arms, my shoulders, my waist. My chest tightened, and my breathing grew shallow.
I froze, my feet rooted to the floor as my fingers curled around the edge of the banister, gripping it so tightly my joints ached. The anger I’d felt toward Kreed on the drive home had shielded me, but now it was gone, leaving me vulnerable to the ugly reality of tonight.
“Kaylor.”
I jumped at the sound of his voice, spinning around to see Kreed standing in the doorway. The porch light lit his back, his sharp features illuminated by the faint glow. From his expression, he hadn’t expected to see me still downstairs and probably assumed I would have already locked myself in my room, which had been my intention, but shit happened.
“What’s wrong?” He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he took in my stiff posture and the way my hands gripped the banister. He scanned the dark surrounding us with a sharpening gaze, as if looking for an intruder, before landing back on my face.
I struggled to find the words, my throat tight as I stared at him. I had two choices. Suck it up and spend the night alone. Or… “Are you leaving?” I whispered. The question tumbled out before I could stop it, and my cheeks flushed.
He closed the door, banishing most of the porch light and leaving us alone in a cloak of twilight. “Do you mean your room or the house?”
My fingers flexed on the banister. “Either.”
For a moment, I thought he’d laugh or roll his eyes and leave, but to my surprise, he stepped into the room. His dark gaze stayed locked on mine, and the intensity of it made my cheeks burn hotter—made me wish I’d kept my mouth shut—until he replied, “I guess that depends on whether you want me to stay.”
“I do. Want you to stay,” I added, taking a deep breath and letting the air fill my lungs before releasing it slowly. “I don’t want to be alone.”
Without waiting for an answer, he gently pried my fingers away from the railing, his touch firm but careful. “Come on,” he said, guiding me toward the stairs.
I let him lead me, my legs moving mechanically as we climbed. I could feel his presence beside me, steady and solid, and it grounded me enough to speak. “Can you…turn on the light?”
He flicked the switch at the top of the stairs, flooding the hallway with a soft yellow glow. “Better?”
I nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Once the door was shut, I leaned against it, my heart pounding. How the hell had I just asked Kreed to stay with me? The intimacy of my request hit me like a freight train. I hadn’t meant it like that, but now it was all I could think about.
Kreed.
And me.
Alone.
In a room with a bed.
This shouldn’t be a big deal, but because it was, and because I was freaking out, it forced me to realize I might not hate Kreed as much as I wanted to.
How cliché. I could not… I would not…fall for Kreed Corvo.
Shaking the thought away, I changed quickly into an oversized T-shirt and shorts. The chill in my bones refused to ease, so I grabbed Kreed’s hoodie from the bathroom counter and pulled it on. It was soft and warm, the faint scent of him clinging to the fabric.
When I stepped back into the room, I froze. Kreed was lounging on top of my bed, fully clothed, scrolling through his phone like he belonged there.
Something about the way he looked—his long legs stretched out, his dark hair messy, his expression relaxed—made my stomach flip. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if this had been a terrible idea. I’d never seen anything more appealing in my life than Kreed Corvo on my bed.
Fuck. Me.
And I didn’t mean literally, but at the moment, I probably wouldn’t say no if he asked.
Twisted, considering the night I had, but something about being in Kreed’s arms made me feel safer than I’d felt since my parents died.
“You good?” he asked, his voice breaking through my spiraling thoughts.
I’d been staring. Worse… I’d been caught staring. Get a grip, Kaylor. “Yeah,” I said quickly, pulling my gaze away. “Fine.” I crossed the room, his hoodie dwarfing my frame, and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping as much distance as possible. “I hate parties, you know,” I blurted out, somehow needing to get this off my chest and do so quickly so I could put this entire night behind me.
He let out something between a chuckle and a snort. “You pulled quite the stunt tonight.”
“About that kiss…” I started to say, pulling my legs up onto the mattress and crossing them into a pretzel.
He put his phone down on the side table. “I had it coming.”
I blinked. That wasn’t the response I was expecting. “How bad is it going to be on Monday?”
He shrugged, dropping his head on the back of the headboard. “Does it matter? Who cares what they think. What anyone thinks.”
Brushing my hair to one side, I toyed with the ends. “How does one even adopt such an attitude? Think you could sell me some of your cocky confidence?”
His lips twitched. “Cocky, huh?”
Damn his mouth. The slightest movement drew my gaze. “What else would you call it?” I retorted, forcing my eyes up.
“Did you bring me up here to talk or sleep ?”
My stomach clenched at the way he said it, and I swallowed hard. “I can’t tell if I just have a dirty mind or if everything out of your mouth has a double meaning.”
His smirk deepened. “It’s definitely you.”
“Kreed?”
His eyes closed for a second as if he was fighting an internal demon.
I hesitated, then forced the words out, my throat dry. “Thank you. I should have said it earlier before you pissed me off. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” The admission was hard to get out, feeling like sandpaper rubbing against my throat.
His gaze snapped back to mine. “There’s no point in thinking about what could have happened,” he said finally. His voice was low, edged with something I couldn’t quite name. “You’ll drive yourself crazy. It’s easier to forget it. Pretend like nothing happened at all. The less you talk about it, the sooner it will die down and be forgotten.”
When had he gotten so close to me? Had I moved? Or had he?
“I have no interest in repeating what happened to anyone,” I told him. “If you’re worried your father will find out, it won’t be from me.”
Did his lips actually pull up at the corners?
“This is a one-time thing, got it, little raven?” His voice dropped, rougher now, sending a shiver down my spine. “I can’t spend every night in your bed, no matter how much you might want it.”
I scoffed, ignoring the heat in my face. “As if, Corvo. This has nothing to do with sex. This is purely a business arrangement.”
His brow arched. “Is it?”
I sucked in a sharp breath as his thumb brushed just beneath my bottom lip. My entire body reacted like he’d set fire to my skin. My heart pounded. My stomach twisted. Such a simple touch, but it sent something dangerously close to need swirling in my core.
“I asked you to stay for your shitty company,” I managed to say, my voice weaker than I wanted it to be. “Not for what’s in your pants.”
His smirk was slow and knowing. “Now stop overthinking it, Kaylor,” he murmured, his tone softer but still firm. Get some sleep.”
Sleep!
He wanted me to sleep after the storm of lust and confusion he just created inside me? How did he expect me to get my body to calm down with him lying next to me? With the sound of his rhythmic breathing in my ear?
Like I could possibly sleep now with my body still humming, my pulse refusing to slow. Like I could shut my mind off when he was right there, his breathing steady, his presence filling the room, the space between us impossibly charged.
I hesitated, then slipped under the covers, deciding the best decision for me was to close my eyes and pretend anyone but Kreed lay beside me. The dent in my plan was I couldn’t trick my senses. His scent lingered in the air, giving me no hope of deceiving my mind.
“You’re thinking,” he muttered.
My eyes popped open, glaring at him. Kreed remained close, but I didn’t doubt for a second he felt my gaze. Sighing, I snuggled deeper against the pillow and tried again.
God help me.
I was so, so screwed.
I woke slowly, the kind of slow that came from when the bed was too warm and too comfortable to leave. My body felt cocooned, wrapped in a rare sense of peace, the softness of the covers lulling me back toward sleep.
But something was off.
The feeling hit me like a prickle at the back of my neck—a sense that I wasn’t alone, like I was being watched—but heaviness pulled at my eyes. They didn’t want to open fully. Not yet. Not when I was so snuggly warm. I buried deeper into the cozy toastiness, the warmth so inviting, but the unease was persistent, nagging at the edges of my awareness. For a blissful moment, I let myself sink back into the haze, but my brain started to connect the dots and become more and more aware.
Raven Night.
The cellar.
Kreed.
Oh, God.
What have I done?
Or the question should be, what did we do?
I tried to pull the memories of last night from my still-fuzzy-with-sleep brain. I’d asked him to stay. That much I was certain of. A jolt of electricity hit me, and my eyes shot open. My breath caught as I took in the scene.
I wasn’t just lying next to Kreed. I was draped over him, my legs tangled with his, my hand resting firmly on his chest, rising and falling with each of his slow, even breaths. The hoodie I’d borrowed from him had ridden up slightly, the hem brushing against his hip.
Panic flared in my chest, but I didn’t dare move. The moment was already too intimate, too vulnerable, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to see his reaction when he woke, but that nagging feeling of being watched only grew stronger.
Carefully, I shifted my head just enough to look toward the end of the bed, and my heart nearly stopped. I stifled the scream before it unleashed, putting my fist to my mouth.
Mason and Maddox were sitting there, their expressions wildly different. Mason grinned at me from ear to ear, his amusement shining bright as the morning sun. Maddox, on the other hand, scowled so deeply it was a wonder his face hadn’t frozen that way.
I gasped, jerking back instinctively, and the sudden movement was enough to wake Kreed. His eyes blinked open, groggy but sharp, and he immediately noticed the presence of his brothers.
“Don’t you two look cozy,” Mason drawled like the shithead he was, a card flipping between his fingers, undoubtedly, the Joker. It was always the Joker.
“What the fuck are you doing in here?” Kreed growled roughly with sleep.
Mason snickered, flinging the card at Kreed before leaning back on his hands. “I came to check on our little sis. Looks like you beat me to it. No wonder you left Raven Night early.”
The card hit Kreed’s chest and fell onto the bed. He scrubbed a hand down his face before pointing at the door. “Get out.”
Maddox crossed his arms, his glare shifting from me to Kreed. “And you had the nerve to put an end to my fun just so you could get your dick sucked.”
Kreed sat up, carefully untangling himself from me, his scowl deepening. “Fine. Stay. But I’m leaving.”
“Relax.” Mason flashed a crooked grin. “We’re just here for the show. This is one hell of a morning after.”
“There’s nothing to show,” Kreed snapped, running a hand through his hair as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “And nothing happened.”
Maddox arched a brow, his tone cutting. “Doesn’t look like nothing. Looks like you had a private party of your own. So, menace.” He turned to me, taunting, “How is he? Live up to the hype? Legendary in the sack like?—”
“Out!” I shouted, my cheeks flaming.
Mason’s grin widened. “Aw, come on, Kaylor. Don’t be shy. We’re just getting to the good part.”
Maddox shrugged. “Oh, I get it. Just like nothing happened last night in the cellar. Right, Kaylor?”
Horror. Anger. A storm colliding in my chest.
Before I could react, Kreed stood, landing a sharp punch to Maddox’s shoulder—hard enough to make him jerk. “Maddox, you don’t always have to be a dick.”
Maddox scoffed. “If that’s true, then you don’t always have to be a brooding prick. And Mason wouldn’t be the playful bastard. And Raine?—”
“You made your point,” Kreed muttered.
I pressed my fingers to my temples. “All of you, just get out of my room.”
Someone cleared their throat. Deep. Commanding.
Like we were a litter of kittens following a string, our heads turned in sync toward the doorway.
Kreed groaned.
Maddox muttered a curse.
Mason? His lips twitched.
And I just…blinked.
Because Donovan stood in the doorway, his shrewd, glass-like eyes flicking between his sons. He was freshly showered, clean-shaven, and dressed in a crisp suit, appearing composed. “Anyone care to explain?” he asked, each word delivered with a frozen edge that left no warmth behind, “what the three of you are doing in here?”
Amusement danced in Mason’s features as he stretched out on the bed, propping his head onto his hand. “What does it look like, Dad?”
Donovan’s expression didn’t shift. “It looks like one of you better start explaining.”
“I-It’s nothing,” I blurted, unsure what the hell I was doing. “I had a nightmare last night and couldn’t sleep.”
Mason whispered out the side of his mouth, “Quick thinking, kitten.” It was so low I hoped his father didn’t hear.
It was difficult to gauge my godfather’s mood. His face never changed. Regardless, my hand itched to smack Mason on the back of the head. His commentary, no matter how quiet, wasn’t helping.
His stare clung to me, probing for cracks I wasn’t ready to show. “Is that so?”
I swallowed hard.
His eyes flicked to his sons again, his lips pressing into a thin line. Then back to me. “How often are you having these nightmares?”
What he really wanted to know was how many nights his sons had snuck into my room or if this was the first.
Maddox straightened, his scowl firmly in place. Mason didn’t even bother hiding his smirk. Kreed stayed silent, his hands shoved in his pockets, avoiding his father’s disapproving glare.
My guardian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Kaylor, you’ve been through a lot. It’s no surprise you’re having nightmares. If they’re that upsetting, it’s best you see someone instead of relying on my sons for support. Their focus needs to be elsewhere, especially with the championship game coming up next weekend. Maybe it’s time you talk to someone about it.”
Support. That was definitely a subtle reprimand. A way to remind them where their priorities should lie. Their focus needed to be elsewhere. Not in my bedroom.
“You want me to see a shrink?” I forced out the words, my insides writhing.
“A therapist,” Donovan clarified, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re carrying unresolved trauma from your parents’ deaths, and it’s obviously affecting you. We’ll set up an appointment this week before it bleeds into other areas of your life like school.”
Bleeds. A deliberate word choice.
I nodded stiffly. I wasn’t sure how I felt about talking to a stranger. But maybe…maybe they could help me with more than just my parents.
Like how to get out of this fucking arrangement.
Donovan turned to his sons, his expression hard. “And as for you three… You need to get your heads on straight. The championship game is coming up. Colleges are watching. Scouts will be in attendance. You don’t have time for whatever nonsense went on last night.”
Mason opened his mouth, probably to be a smartass, but Donovan silenced him with a look.
“You had your fun. You don’t win trophies or get scouted by showing up distracted. Now it’s time to get serious. I won’t tolerate distractions,” my godfather warned.
Distractions? Am I the distraction?
Kreed lifted his eyes, his jaw locked with restraint. “We’re ready.”
“Good,” Donovan clipped out, holding Kreed’s eyes for a strained moment. “Kaylor, I’ll make that call. It’s probably a good idea after everything that happened for you to talk to someone.” He turned and walked out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
The tension lingered even after he was gone.
Mason let out a low whistle, shaking his head as he picked up the discarded Joker card. “Well, that was fun.”
“Shut up, Mason,” Maddox snapped, shoving off the bed.
Kreed’s eyes met mine, dark and veiled, then he turned away in silence, following Donovan into the shadows beyond the doorway. Maddox and Mason trailed after him, their voices low as they bickered on their way down the hall.
I sat there, staring at the empty doorway, my heart still racing. If Donovan suspected there was more to the story, he hadn’t pressed it—for now, but something told me this wasn’t the end of it.
And I wasn’t sure how much more of this house, these people, or my fraying nerves I could take.