26. Kreed
26
KREED
T he rich scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen. I leaned against the counter, sipping from my mug, trying to shake off the weight of last night. I’d left her in my bed this morning, crawling out before the sun came up for a run. My body still felt the ghost of her touch, her taste lingering on my lips. I curled my fingers around the ceramic mug as I took another sip, trying to push the memory of Kaylor’s body pressed against mine, her breathless moans, her fingers clawing down my back— Fuck .
I should’ve felt guilty.
I should’ve walked away.
But I didn’t.
God, she felt like heaven to my hell. Angelic. Pure. Untouchable. And yet, not once had she shied away from me. Never did I catch a flicker of fear in those sultry, knowing eyes. Her need had matched mine. Her hands had pulled me closer, not pushed me away.
She was something I was never supposed to have.
Every kiss we shared was imprinted in my mind. Every stolen moment was burned into my memory, and now, I’d gone and slept with her.
If thinking about her lips used to drive me crazy, how the hell was I supposed to function knowing how it felt to be inside her? To hear the way she gasped my name? To feel her fall apart beneath me?
Torture.
I prided myself on self-control. I had built my life around it. Ruthless, unwavering restraint, but with Kaylor, my control had turned to fragile threads, and she was a wildfire tearing through them, one slow, devastating smile at a time. Even the damn sound of my name from her lips affected me.
She had power over me, and if she ever found out how much…
She could destroy me.
Worse, if my family ever found out, they’d see it as a betrayal.
Maybe it was.
I could no longer tell what was right and what was wrong. My moral compass, already shaded in gray, had become so fucking murky I wasn’t sure it even existed anymore. Kaylor could never be mine. No matter how much I wanted her, it wasn’t possible.
If it was only lust and attraction, I could’ve walked away. I had a dozen other girls eager to satisfy my needs.
The problem was…she made me feel things. Things I had no right feeling. Not about her.
Those other girls? They didn’t do it for me anymore. Not even when I closed my eyes and pictured her. Maybe at first, I could convince myself it was just attraction. But now?
A substitute wouldn’t do.
The kitchen door swung open, breaking me from my thoughts. Raine strolled in, looking way too smug for this early in the morning. He poured himself a cup of coffee, leaned against the counter beside me, and took a slow sip before cocking a brow. “Sleep good last night, little bro?” A lazy smirk graced his lips.
I’d gotten little sleep for obvious reasons. “Eat shit, Raine.”
He chuckled. “Not your usual chipper self this morning, I see. Could it have anything to do with all the moans and groans coming from your room last night?”
Fuck.
I stilled, my fingers tightening around my mug.
Raine’s smirk widened. “Oh, and a certain someone I saw sneaking out of your room this morning?”
I clenched my jaw.
Kaylor had left my bed?
My room butted Raine’s, separated by an all too thin wall, but other than the knowing looks, we never pointed out the obvious when one of us brought a girl home. Well, not us. Just Raine. I didn’t bring girls into my bedroom. Ever. Until last night, but in my defense, I hadn’t invited Kaylor in. She’d been there when I walked through the door. Just another rule I seemed to be breaking for her. It had to stop. I had to put an end to this. God only knew what else Raine heard.
"Not judging," Raine continued, clearly enjoying himself. “Just making an observation. And, you know, trying to decide if I should be disgusted or proud.”
Before I could tell him to go to hell, Mason strolled into the kitchen, running a hand through his messy curls, looking half asleep. “Who was sneaking out?”
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. I’d been the one sneaking around last night, and Kaylor caught me. She always seemed to be where she shouldn’t be. The girl had a nose for trouble. “No one.”
Raine’s lips twitched.
Mason’s eyes flicked between me and Raine, intrigue sparking. “You got laid last night?” He grabbed a banana from the counter, peeling it with one hand. “At least someone in this house is getting action. Who’s the unlucky girl?”
Raine lifted a brow at me over the rim of his coffee before it touched his amused lips.
Jackass.
“My sex life isn’t up for conversation. Especially not this early.” I took another slow sip of coffee, wanting to end this before it got out of hand.
Mason froze, mid-bite, his eyes flicking between us. “I beg to differ. This is a big deal. You brought a girl home. Into your room. That’s like spotting a unicorn in a field of four-leaf clovers.”
I scowled at my youngest brother. “Where do you come up with this shit?”
Raine hooked an arm around Mason’s neck, messing up his hair. “He’s special.”
Mason elbowed him off. “I’m just saying this is historical. Who’s the girl?”
“Kreed never kisses and tells.” Raine grinned and sat on the other stool beside me.
Mason tossed his banana peel into the trash, side-eyeing Raine. “When do you go back to college?”
“Never,” Raine grinned. “Wouldn’t you love that?”
“That better be a fucking joke,” Mason mumbled, moving to the fridge.
Raine lost the teasing light in his features and stared into his mug. “I wish it was. Until we get a handle on this situation, I’m staying put. Direct orders.”
Pulling out a jug of orange juice, Mason set it on the counter and went to the cabinet for a glass. “I can’t believe Dad brought you home. We were dealing with it just fine.”
“Oh, really?” Raine stared at Mason, raising his brows. “Is that why she nearly got taken at the club?”
Mason poured his OJ. “Maybe the question you should be asking is why the hell she was at the club?”
They both looked at me accusingly. “Guilty,” I admitted, holding up my hands in sarcastic surrender.
Raine’s brows drew together thoughtfully. “Look, we only have a few months until she turns eighteen. How difficult can it be to keep her out of the enemy's hands?”
Mason snorted. “Good luck with that.”
Before I could threaten bodily harm, the kitchen door swung open again, and Maddox sauntered in with a yawn. “I think I’m going to fuck Kaylor,” he announced, stretching lazily.
I spit out my coffee, spraying it over the counter.
Raine just laughed, a twinkle in his light-green eyes. I was the only one in the family who hadn’t inherited our father’s eyes.
I swore to God there was never a dull moment in this damn house.
“How do you figure sleeping with her is going to help the situation?” Mason asked his twin.
“How indeed?” Raine echoed, his gaze catching mine. “Kreed, do you object?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, drinking more of my coffee, but at this point, I was considering throwing it at him.
Maddox cracked his knuckles. “I’d seduce her first, of course. I’m not a total animal.”
“Good idea,” Raine encouraged, being the damn instigator he was, but when push came to shove, he wouldn’t let Maddox do anything stupid. Raine was the damn responsible one.
My fingers curled into fists under the counter. “What makes you think you can get her to like you? You’ve been a complete asshole,” I pointed out.
Maddox meandered through the kitchen, grabbing the protein shake Amelia made for him each morning. “Girls dig that shit. It’s like bully romance or something.”
“Have you been reading smut again?” Mason asked, lifting his glass of juice to his mouth.
I’d like to say this was an unusual breakfast conversation, but it wasn’t.
“Get the fuck outta here,” Maddox retorted, shoving Mason on the arm.
Mason rolled his eyes. “Please then, tell me how you know what the hell bully romance is. I’m not sure I even understand, and I’m the romantic in this family.”
Raine, however, looked amused, rubbing his chin. “Sorry to disappoint, Mad, but I think our girl has her eye on a different Corvo.”
“Who? Dad?” Maddox snorted. “That’s absurd. I know we joke about it, but she definitely isn’t into the old dude father figure. I’m telling you. We had a moment yesterday. She wanted me to kiss her.” He touched the corner of his mouth.
“Interesting. Kreed?” Raine said, leveling me with a look.
I shot him another you’re-not-fucking-funny glower. “Has anyone forgotten that Dad strictly forbade us to touch her?”
Half of Maddox’s buff shake was gone. He swirled what remained in the blender cup. “When have we ever given a damn about Dad’s rules? Especially you.”
“And what do you expect to gain by sleeping with her? Besides busting a nut,” I quickly added, knowing Maddox. “How does this help us?”
He shrugged. “I get her to trust me.”
“So, you’re going for an enemies-to-lovers approach,” Mason added, still stuck on his analogy.
Maddox nodded. “Bingo.”
I set my mug down with a little too much force, the ceramic clinking against the countertop. My jaw was so tight it ached. “Enough with the damn book references. You guys are idiots.”
Mason rubbed at the back of his neck. “Says the guy with a room full of books.”
I shook my head. “We’ve got to get to school.”
“Wait,” Raine said as I started to get out of my chair. “Mad might be onto something.”
Planting my butt back down, I eyed my older brother. “You’re not actually considering his idea.”
Raine scratched at the stubble under his chin. “It’s not half bad except for one small detail.”
“Which is?” Maddox prompted.
“Instead of Mad, it should be Kreed who seduces her,” Raine stated, glancing at each of us.
Maddox’s first inclination was to rebut the idea. “Why the fuck Kreed? What’s wrong with my dick?”
“So many things. We don’t have time to go into details,” Raine muttered before pinning me with an inquisitive brow raise. “Kreed? You up for a challenge?”
I frowned at Raine and his emphasis on the word up. I swore, having brothers was starting to be the bane of my existence. “You’re the one with the ladies’ man reputation. You seduce her.”
“I still think I’m the better candidate,” Maddox grumbled. “Look at me.” He made a sweeping gesture down his wrinkled white tee and loose-fitting sweatpants.
Raine swiveled in his chair. “Something tells me our heroine has a thing for the moody, damaged, silent type. Isn’t that right, baby bro?” he directed at me.
If the only way to get him to shut up about it was to agree, then fine. It didn’t mean I had to go through with it. They just had to think I was. “What the fuck ever. If it gets you off my back, fine.”
“Then that’s settled,” Raine grinned smugly. “Get her to fall in love with you. I have a hunch she’s already halfway there.”
Mason shook his head, dropping his empty glass of orange juice into the sink. “You’ve been home for like two seconds. How could you have a hunch about anything?”
Raine drained the last of his coffee. “I have killer instincts. Or have you forgotten?”
When I had been with Kaylor last night, I hadn’t thought about the day after. What I would say to her. The fact that I had to see her. Hell, drive her ass to school. I should have set the ground rules before taking her to my bed.
Just another rule I’d broken.
And now my brothers had this harebrained idea to get her to fall for me. Absurd. Somehow, I’d become the villainous main character in Maddox’s stupid love plot. I had Raine to thank for that, pushing me forward as volunteer. Not that I was down for anyone else to take up that role. The idea of Maddox, Mason, or Raine seducing Kaylor didn’t instill pleasant thoughts within me.
And there lay the problem.
I wasn’t supposed to feel anything for this girl—nothing but cold hatred. Hell, I’d even settle for numbness, but somehow, she cracked the ice, and now it was melting.
I had to get back on track. I had to reinforce my guard. I had to remember why she was here.
I could do this. I could shatter the little raven’s heart. I could break her. I could do irreparable damage to her already fragile heart. I was capable of it.
She wouldn’t be the first girl I’d destroyed.
And probably not the last.
Then she walked into the kitchen, and my confidence, something I rarely lacked, went poof. It should have been easy to shake off the weight of last night, to put some much-needed space between us, but something about this girl messed with my head, and I couldn’t pinpoint how or why. My gaze tracked Kaylor as she pretended I didn’t exist while pouring a cup of coffee, and I realized nothing about this was simple.
There was still a charge between us—something unspoken, heavy, and damn near suffocating.
She looked the same as she always did. Sleep-tousled hair. Lips still a little swollen from mine. Wearing that same attitude like armor, but I picked up the hesitation in the way she moved, the slight tension in her shoulders.
This needed to stop before it became something we both regretted.
I exhaled, setting my third cup of coffee on the counter. “We should talk.”
Kaylor stilled for a fraction of a second before turning to face me, cradling her mug in both hands like it was the only thing keeping her composed. “About what?”
I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms. “About last night.”
Her jaw tensed. “Nothing to talk about.”
I let out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah, there is.”
She rolled her eyes, taking a long sip before setting her mug down with a sharp clink. “Fine. Say whatever it is you’re dying to say, Kreed.”
I studied her, trying to ignore the way my gut twisted at the coldness in her voice. “Last night was great, but it can’t happen again.” Even as the words left my mouth, I knew this wasn’t probably the best approach to get her to fall in love with me, not that I was actually considering my brothers’ ridiculous scheme. Regardless, I was bumbling this, but Kaylor wasn’t like other girls. Something told me the more I pushed her away, the more she would want me.
Her brows arched just a touch, something fleeting and opaque crossing her face before she scoffed. “Wow. You really think that’s what this is about?”
“I just don’t want you thinking?—”
She cut me off with a bitter laugh. “Thinking what, Kreed? That it meant something? That I’m going to start knocking on your door every time I have a bad dream?” She shook her head, a smirk twisting at her lips, but there was something sharp in her tone, something almost angry. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
I clenched my jaw, irritation sparking in my chest. “I’m just saying we live together. Things could get messy.”
“Messy?” She snorted, stepping closer. “You don’t have to worry about messy. It was nothing. You were there. That’s it. Could’ve been anyone.”
Something snapped inside me at her words.
Anyone.
I hated how easily she said it. Like it hadn’t meant anything. Like it hadn’t wrecked me in ways I hadn’t processed yet. Like I cared.
I’m the one who shouldn’t care. This shit was flipped around.
I stepped forward, towering over her now, my pulse hammering against my ribs. “That so?”
Her chin lifted defiantly. “Yeah.”
We stood there, locked in a silent standoff, the air thick with everything we weren’t saying. I wanted to believe her. Wanted to walk away and let this be what it was—a mistake, a lapse in judgment, a moment we could forget, but the way she was looking at me, the way her breath hitched just slightly, told me otherwise. Raine would be so pleased with himself.
I could feel the heat still lingering between us, that same tension that had drawn us together in the first place. Instead of clearing the air, I’d made it worse.
I fucking hated how conflicted I felt.
“Am I interrupting something?”
The deep timbre of my father’s voice cut through the thick silence like a blade. Kaylor and I both stiffened, our heads snapping toward the doorway where he stood, arms crossed, eyes sharp and assessing.
I didn’t know how long he’d been standing there, but judging by the tightness of his lips and the knowing glint in his gaze, I’d bet too damn long.
My father was no fool. He saw things and read between the lines better than most, and right now, there were too many unspoken words hanging between me and Kaylor, too much tension crackling in the air.
“You two look like you're about to kill each other.” He said one thing but meant another.
I caught the undertone. They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. My father was trying to decipher which side of the line Kaylor and I had crossed. Straightening, I locked down whatever war was waging inside me. “We’re just getting ready for school.” My voice came out smooth and controlled, but my father’s stare didn’t waver.
His gaze flicked between me and Kaylor, taking in the space—or lack thereof—between us. Kaylor, to her credit, didn’t crumble under his scrutiny, the same fire in her eyes that had driven me to madness minutes ago. My father exhaled through his nose, looking unimpressed. “Right,” he drawled like he didn’t believe a word I’d just said.
Neither did I.
He stepped fully into the kitchen, walking to the coffee pot. The silence stretched, the weight of his presence pressing down on both of us.
Kaylor took the opportunity to grab her bag off the counter. “I’ll wait outside,” she muttered before slipping past him without another word.
The moment she was gone, my father turned to me, coffee mug in hand. “You’re screwing her?”
I clenched my jaw. “No.”
He took a slow sip, watching me over the rim of his mug. “Could’ve fooled me. I thought I made it clear. You weren’t supposed to get physically involved.”
I didn’t respond. There was nothing to say.
Because he wasn’t wrong.
He leveled me with a stare that felt like it could pierce right through my bullshit. “You do know what’s at stake, don’t you?”
I swallowed, my muscles locking. “Of course.” He never let me forget.
“You sure?” His voice was deceptively calm. “Because the way I see it, you’re playing a dangerous game.”
I clenched my fists at my sides. “I can handle it.”
My father studied me before shaking his head, amusement laced with something harder in his gaze. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself, but you will end this thing with her before it gets out of control. She isn’t here for your amusement. She isn’t a toy for you and your brothers to play with. If you need a release, go to the club.”
It was just like him to suggest I sleep with one of his strippers. God knew he did. My father had little respect for women, my mother included. I hated how he made me feel like a kid again, like he saw straight through me. Like he knew damn well that whatever happened last night hadn’t just been a onetime thing, no matter how much I wanted to convince myself otherwise.
Without another word, he took his coffee and walked out, leaving me standing there, my fists clenched, my mind spinning.
Fuck.
Shit was getting out of control. This was his show. I didn’t want to be involved in his business anymore. He had Raine to inherit his fucking legacy.
My father’s voice still rang in my ears, each word fueling the fire burning in my chest. I couldn’t stay in that house for another second without punching a hole through the damn wall.
Storming down the hall, I barely registered anything around me. My only focus was getting the hell out of there. The front door slammed behind me, and I stalked toward my car, yanking open the driver’s side door. My hands were shaking.
I needed to get out. Needed space.
Needed to breathe.
The passenger door creaked open, and my head up, pulse spiking, ready to bite someone’s head off until I saw her.
Kaylor.
She climbed in without hesitation, pulling the door shut behind her. “Where are you going?”
I revved the engine. A warning for her to get out if she knew what was good for her. “What the hell are you doing?” My voice was harsher than I intended, still rough with anger.
She didn’t even flinch. Just reached for her seat belt like she had every right to be here. “I’m not letting you go off like this alone.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “You—what?”
She glanced at me, lifting a brow. “I’m going with you.”
I clenched my jaw, inhaling sharply. “Not happening. I’m already in hot shit with my father because of you.”
The resolve in her gaze remained steadfast. “Too bad.”
I should’ve told her to get out. Should’ve snapped at her for inserting herself into something that had nothing to do with her.
But I didn’t.
I just exhaled through my nose, too exhausted to argue. “Fine.” I turned back to the wheel. “Buckle up, little raven. You’re about to see just how bad my mood can get.”
Tires squealed as I tore out of the driveway, leaving the house and my father behind in the rearview mirror.