24. Kaylor
24
KAYLOR
T he slow, deliberate chime of the grandfather clock downstairs wrenched me from a restless sleep, dragging the weight of my humiliation along with it. Who the hell still owned a grandfather clock? I needed to get a fan or something to drown out the noise.
Groaning, I rolled over, pressing my face into the pillow, but the memories came anyway—Kreed’s hands on my waist, his mouth on mine, the heat of his body, the sharp interruption.
Raine Corvo.
Ugh! I’d been on top of Kreed. Half naked. In front of his brother.
I groaned again and kicked off the blankets as I sat up, my pulse hammering. I had to have lost my mind. There was no other explanation. Kissing Kreed Corvo? What the hell had I been thinking?
I wasn’t. That was the problem.
Shoving aside the spiraling embarrassment, I grabbed the oversized hoodie I’d stolen from Kreed—God, I really needed to stop taking his clothes—and made my way downstairs.
What would happen when we saw each other? How was I supposed to act? Would he say anything? Would he act like nothing happened? Ignore me completely?
A small, pathetic part of me hoped he might be…nice.
The house was quiet except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock, like a countdown to something I wasn’t prepared for. It was a Sunday, and I should be snoring logs. The scent of coffee guided me to the kitchen, and my stomach twisted the second I spotted Raine leaning against the counter, a steaming mug in his hand.
The eldest Corvo fit the bill. Tall. Dark. And handsome as hell.
I hesitated in the doorway, debating whether I should turn back and pretend I never saw him. Too late. He glanced up, flashing a slow, knowing smile and a pair of lethal dimples.
God help me.
“Morning.” His voice was deep, smooth, and laced with amusement.
Holy. Hell.
I hadn’t gotten a full look at him last night, not with the circumstances, but in the light of day, Raine was just as devastating as Kreed. In a different way. If Kreed was all sharp edges and smoldering defiance, Raine was smooth, polished precision. He watched me with the eerie calm of someone always three moves ahead, and it made my breath hitch.
Like his father, Donovan.
“You could stand there gawking,” Raine mused, “or you could sit down and have coffee with me.” He reached for the pot. “We seem to be the only ones awake. Besides my father, who left an hour ago. And Kreed.”
Kreed was awake?
I chewed my lip, debating whether this was a horrible idea. But caffeine won out over self-preservation. “Why the hell not.” I just really wanted the caffeine in my system. I stepped into the kitchen, watching as he grabbed another mug and poured. Without a word, he slid the cup across the counter toward me. I caught it just before it spilled, muttering a quiet “Thanks.”
He didn’t respond. Just watched as I wrapped my hands around the mug. I focused on the warmth seeping into my fingers rather than the fierce glint in his gaze. It made me wish Amelia was around.
“So.” He took a slow sip of coffee. “You and Kreed… I didn’t see that coming.”
I nearly choked. Heat flooded my face as I avoided his gaze, opting to stare at the swirling black liquid in my cup. “Yeah, uh…not my finest moment.”
Raine chuckled. “No, I’d say it was quite the moment.”
I winced. “Please. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen. I’m sure Kreed’s already forgotten.”
“I highly doubt that.” The certainty in his tone made my stomach tighten. He tilted his head slightly, watching me like he was piecing something together. “Is that what you really want? I got the feeling you were into Kreed, but if that’s not the case…”
I frowned, finally glancing up. Was he flirting? I couldn’t tell. And that alone made me uneasy. Or maybe my mind found the possibility unfathomable. “What do you mean?”
He smirked, taking another sip before setting his mug down on the counter. “Doesn’t matter.”
It did matter. The way he said it, like he knew something I didn’t, unsettled me. I cleared my throat. “Where’s Kreed?”
Raine lifted a brow.
“You said everyone else was still asleep except for your father and Kreed,” I explained at the question in his eyes. “Where did he go?”
“For a run.”
I took a sip, letting the warmth calm me. “You didn’t go with him?”
“Running’s not my thing.” His smirk deepened. “I’ll never understand how he wakes up before the crack of dawn just to jog through the streets.”
“Me neither. Why waste the time when it could be used for something actually useful? Like sleep.”
Humor twinkled in his light green eyes. “Exactly.”
A stretch of silence settled between us, but Raine didn’t seem in any hurry to fill it. He leaned back against the counter, still watching me, like I was a puzzle he was figuring out piece by piece. Finally, he pushed away, grabbing his mug. “You should be careful, Kaylor.”
The offhanded way he said it sent a ripple of tension through me. I frowned. “Careful of what?”
Raine smirked again, but this time, there was no amusement in it. “Of getting too close to things you don’t understand.”
He walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a coffee that suddenly tasted bitter.
I had a mind to chase after him and demand he expand on this idea of being cautious. Did it have anything to do with the guy who tried to kidnap at the club? At least I’d come to the conclusion the creep was there to take me, not kill me, because if he wanted me dead, why hadn’t he just shot me in the bathroom? He had the time and opportunity. So, the only thing that made sense was that he wanted me alive for some other purpose.
For something else.
Something worse.
Terrifying.
Having Raine in the house changed the dynamic in a good way. Maddox was less of an ass. Mason, well, he was still the non-serious one. Even Kreed and Donovan appeared less serious and harsh.
But it only lasted for the weekend. Come Monday morning, Kreed returned to ordering me around. We hadn’t discussed what happened Saturday night, which was fine. I didn’t want to have a discussion about what a mistake it had been or how he regretted his momentary lapse in judgment.
To hear whatever excuse out of his mouth would hurt, whether I admitted it or not. Somewhere, I let my feelings for Kreed get messy. It was so much easier when my disdain for him was clear-cut. I had to get back there.
Lucky for me, Kreed made it all too easy to hate him.
“You’re riding to school with us,” he informed, moving past me in the hallway.
I trailed behind him. “Poppy?—”
“Isn’t coming,” he cut me off before I could finish, taking the stairs.
“I just talked to her last night,” I snapped, annoyed I was talking to his back.
“Doesn’t matter. Her offer to drive you has been rescinded.”
“By who?” I huffed, catching up to him and doing my best to make up for his long steps.
“Me. Now get in the fucking car, little raven, before you ruin my day,” he barked, the brisk wind blowing his hair.
I folded my arms and glared at him. “It seems only fair that I wreck yours since you are destroying mine.”
Mason came up behind me, grinning. “Oh, this ought to be fun.”
Kreed’s eyes went over my head. “Mason, get fucked.”
“Only if Kaylor is offering.” The youngest winked at me.
“I don’t care if she is begging for you to take her. Touch her and I’ll forget you’re my brother,” Kreed threatened.
Mason’s expression remained amused. “A little aggressive this early in the morning, don’t you think, brother? You’re starting to sound like Maddox.”
“Who sounds like me?” Maddox asked, appearing on the other side of me, and just like that, I was boxed in by Corvos.
“Kreed’s being an overprotective alpha asshole,” I replied before Mason or Kreed could say anything.
“Welcome to the family,” Mason said, draping an arm around my shoulder as Kreed opened the front door.
The next thing I knew, I was being ushered outside and into Kreed’s SUV.
They hadn’t even given me a chance to grab my coffee. Guess who was going to have a shitty day? Me and every Corvo in this car.
Huffing, I crossed my arms and sank into the back seat. Monday mornings were already bad enough, but this one felt heavier, like a gloomy storm pressed down on me.
Tension crackled in the car, thickening because no one was talking. Mason messed with the radio, flipping through stations, not settling on anything for more than a few seconds before moving on.
Something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. A black sedan, trailing a little too steadily behind us. My stomach twisted. Shifting slightly, I craned my neck to get a better look as Kreed took the next left, seeing the vehicle follow suit. “Is that car following us?”
Kreed didn’t even glance in the rearview mirror. Maddox, however, turned his head slightly before letting out a scoff. “Yeah, no shit. I’m surprised that you noticed.”
I shot Maddox a bitchy glare. “Why?”
Mason leaned back against the seat, looking way too relaxed for someone who just admitted we had a tail. “We’ve been assigned additional detail. Courtesy of dear old Dad.”
I frowned. “All of us?”
Maddox shot me an unimpressed look. “It’s because of you we all have extra security.”
“So, it’s my fault your life is shit.”
“Yeah, pretty much, menace. You’re finally catching on. You think getting attacked in one of his establishments wasn’t gonna have consequences?”
I clenched my jaw. “Your dad thinks whoever is after me might try something at school?”
“He’s not taking any chances,” Mason said over his shoulder, changing the radio to the hundredth song.
I hadn’t been scared before, but now…I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to school at all. “Should we have called the police? Told them what happened?”
“It’s been handled,” Kreed informed roughly, his gaze catching mine in the rearview mirror.
I stiffened. “What does that mean?”
“It means, little raven, you don’t have anything to worry about. Nothing will happen to you. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not while we’re around. Okay?”
When we finally pulled into the school parking lot, I barely waited for the car to fully stop before pushing open the door and stepping out. The Corvos went one way, and I went another. At least, that’s what I thought until I caught a glimpse of Evan, my shadow, following at a safe distance.
I exhaled sharply through my nose, ignoring the prickle of unease under my skin. I hadn’t been worried before, but somehow, having a bodyguard assigned to me made the situation feel a hell of a lot more real. And a hell of a lot more dangerous.
Swallowing, my steps slowed as a sickening thought crept in.
Someone might actually try to snatch me at school.
“You almost had sex with Kreed Corvo.”
“Shh.” I shot Poppy a warning glare, glancing around to see if anyone heard as we walked down the hall. Not that it mattered. The entire school already thought I was sleeping with Public’s bad boy.
She was utterly unfazed, her boots clamoring on the floors. “What? Everyone already thinks you’re screwing. Only you, Kreed, and I know the truth. I swear, even Maddox, Mason, and Nash think you hooked up.”
“They do not,” I scoffed, refusing to believe the twins had bought into the rumors.
Poppy leveled me with a look. “Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
She hesitated. “I didn’t think things would go this far with him. I got the feeling you were interested or fascinated. I couldn’t tell, but you like him, like like him.”
I didn’t like the weird feeling in my gut. “I was having a bad day after the police station. He was there. Neither of us meant for it to happen, and I doubt either of us will make that mistake again.” I exhaled sharply. “Kreed hates me.”
“I didn’t hear you deny that you like him.” She gave me a knowing look. “Girl, you’re in so much trouble. Of all the guys at Public, you had to fall for Kreed Fucking Corvo.”
“I don’t want to like him.”
“I’m not sure it works that way.”
I groaned. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Depends on your definition of bad…”
“But what? You can’t leave me hanging like that, Poppy,” I warned.
She shrugged. “You look like the type of girl who wants romance. Someone to treat you like a princess. You deserve that.”
“And you don’t think Kreed is capable of those things.”
We hooked around the corner, taking the stairs to the first level. “Do you?”
I sighed. “No.”
“His tastes run a little more…businesslike.” She hesitated, chewing on the corner of her lips. “I’ve heard things.”
I frowned. “Like what? What things?” I asked because how could I not? My curiosity surrounding Kreed grew daily. He was something of a mystery, the kind that made you want to pick apart the pieces until they made sense.
“That he treats girls like sluts. That he doesn’t respect them and only cares about himself. Oh, and apparently? He doesn’t like kissing when he’s, you know, in the act.”
My brows pulled together as we approached my locker. “He didn’t seem to mind kissing me.”
Poppy gave me a look, but my mind was already spinning.
Maybe there was some truth to the rumors, but I wasn’t looking for a relationship. And Poppy might be right—I was a romantic. That didn’t mean I couldn’t do casual.
How would I know if I didn’t try?
Wait.
Was I actually considering this?
No. Absolutely not.
I needed to maintain my disdain for him. It was the safest bet.
“Just be careful,” Poppy warned. “He loses interest fast, and I don’t want you to get hurt. I like you too much to watch an asshole like Kreed Corvo break your heart. He isn’t worth the tears.”
“I’m always careful.”
“Whoever told you that is a liar.”
I whirled at the sound of Maddox’s voice, my eyes finding him directly behind me, too close.
His hands came out to steady me, settling on my hips before I smacked into his chest. He wore a fitted dark green sweater that pulled the color out in his eyes. “Your name is MENACE in all caps,” he said, smirking.
I scowled, wrenching my hips out of his hands. “What do you want, Maddox?” We were in the middle of the hall, forcing everyone to walk around us, but Maddox could have cared less. Poppy waved at me as she got swept into the crowd, leaving me with the wolf.
“To find out what you were doing with two of my brothers in the middle of the night.”
My pulse stuttered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Raine and Kreed…does that jog any memories?” The scent of his cologne curled around me like smoke.
I swallowed, shaking my head. “Nope.” How the hell would he know about that? The only way was one of them had to have squealed, and my gut said it wasn’t Kreed. “Did Raine say something to you?” I swallowed. How the hell did he know about that?
His jaw flexed. “Should he have?”
I scoffed, lifting my chin. “I don’t want to play any of your reverse psychology games. Turns out I don’t like playing with you.”
He grabbed my arm, whirling me around until my back hit the cold lockers. Both hands caged me in, his palms pressed against the metal wall.
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What the hell, Maddox?”
His eyes darkened. “How could you?” His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “You’re a Steele. You only know how to plot, scheme, and destroy. Fun isn’t in your blood.”
What the hell is he talking about?
My lips carved into a deep frown. “What does who I am have to do with anything?” Half the time Maddox opened his mouth, I didn’t understand what he was saying. He confused me more than any of the other Corvos.
Brooding Kreed? I could figure him out.
Flirty, impish Mason? Made sense.
Raine? Controlled, responsible, predictable.
Maddox? He made my brain hurt.
I forced my voice to steady. “Maddox, answer me. I deserve the truth.”
He tilted his head. “I owe you nothing.” His gaze dropped to my lips, lingering, and a sinking feeling spread through my stomach.
Oh no.
I knew that look.
He wouldn’t kiss me.
Would he?
Maddox was the last Corvo I’d expect to have any interest in me. It wasn’t like he was hard on the eyes, but he wasn’t Kreed. I doubted Maddox wanted to hear me say that. Then again, perhaps it would stop him from making a mistake. And the way he was staring at me right now, like I was something he wanted to claim, made my pulse pound with warning.
Right?
It was definitely alarm.
I didn’t want Maddox to kiss me. I wasn’t curious.
Right?
Flattening my palm against his chest, I pushed, hoping to jolt him back to reality. It had the opposite effect. Before I could fully process what was happening, Maddox moved. His mouth crashed against mine.
I froze.
What the fuck is happening?
For half a second, shock paralyzed me, my brain scrambling to catch up. Then, reality slammed into me. Maddox was kissing me!
A sharp wave of fury surged through me. I acted on instinct. My teeth sank into his lower lip—hard—the sharp taste of blood filling my mouth.
Maddox jolted back with a curse, his hand flying to his mouth. “Shit.” He wiped his fingers across his lips, smearing red. His dark eyes lifted. “Bitch,” he hissed.
I glared at him, my own lips tingling from the contact. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What?” His smirk was sharp, taunting. “Kreed’s good enough to fuck you, but you can’t stand my touch.”
Why not take things further? I’d already gone this far. What was the worst that could happen?
I spat in his face.
His eyes flashed.
“No matter how much you try,” I said coldly, “you’ll never be him.”
“Damn, menace.” He ran his tongue over the cut, tasting the blood, before grinning down at me. “Didn’t know you had that in you.”
Neither did I.
Maddox’s tongue ran over his cut lip again, and he laughed. Dark. Twisted. “You got it bad for my brother.” He shook his head. “That’s just perfect.”
Ice threaded down my back.
“If you only knew the poetic justice in all this.” His smirk widened. “I cannot wait to watch him rip your heart out. And trust me, he will. He’s going to break you to the point of irreparable. And I’m going to savor every second of your heartache.”
I swallowed hard. “What are you talking about?”
His eyes gleamed. “You don’t actually believe he has feelings for you, do you?”
I lifted my chin. “Maybe the real question is—why the hell do you think I give a shit about any of you? Have you ever stopped to consider that I’m using him? All of you?”
His expression flickered.
I stepped closer, my voice a whisper. “Don’t underestimate me, Maddox.”
His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite name, but there was no mistaking the amusement curling at the edges of his bloodstained smirk. “There she is. I knew you were in there somewhere.”
My stomach pitched, and I shoved at his chest, knowing Maddox wouldn’t move unless he wanted to. Relief washed over me when he stepped back.
“Maybe we can pick this up at home, menace. Leave your door unlocked tonight.” He winked. “Not that a locked door would keep me out.” With those lovely parting words, Maddox turned and sauntered off down the hall.
“Asshole,” I muttered, taking a moment to calm my racing heart. My fingers shook as I turned the dial on my locker, putting in the code, but the damn thing didn’t unlock the first time. It took me two more attempts before I got the blasted thing open. I cursed Maddox. And myself for letting his words get to me.
He hit a nerve, and I hated to admit it.
Perhaps I did have another side to me, a dark element. Perhaps it was why I was so drawn to Kreed. Perhaps the whole good girl act was just that… an act.
Who the fuck am I?
Who was Kaylor Steele?
The locker creaked open, and as I reached for my books, something white fluttered down, landing at my feet. Frowning, I bent to pick up the slip of paper. It was small, the edges crisp like it had just been placed there.
A phantom draft slipped beneath my skin. When I unfolded it, my eyes locked onto the single line of text typed neatly in the middle of the page:
They Won’t Stop Me
A sharp inhale caught in my throat. My grip tightened on the note, the paper crinkling slightly as my pulse pounded in my ears.
I whipped my head around, scanning the hallway, but there was no one suspicious lingering nearby. Just students going about their day, talking, laughing, and shoving books into lockers like nothing was out of the ordinary.
But this? This was far from ordinary.
I suddenly wished I hadn’t run Maddox off. My eyes found Evan at the corner of the hall, standing rod straight, expressionless, and hands folded in front of him. He had a little device stuck into his ear that he used to communicate with the other guards.
Someone had put this in my locker. Someone who knew where to find me.
The man from the club—the one who had tried to take me—was he the one behind this? Or was it someone else?
A fresh wave of unease rolled over me. I needed to tell someone.
But who?
Kreed?
I shook my head, pressing the paper against my palm.
Could I trust him?