CHAPTER NINE
CLOVER
By the time the weekend rolled around, I felt like I’d earned a night out with my friends. I planned to meet Lyra and Raina at a frat party in an hour. The summer didn’t slow down the parties. If anything, it amped them up.
There was a good chance that Zane would be there. I didn’t care. I’d decided that I’d had enough of his crap. I didn’t want to use the Angels against him, but if he gave me another reason to, I would.
With the latest Taylor Swift album playing on my phone, I busied myself with getting ready. I was feeling super cute in a black and rainbow skirt with a silver top that matched the silver and pink eye shadow I wore. Dark purple lipstick decorated my lips. My shoulder length locks were slightly waved from the braids I’d weaved into it earlier.
Feeling ready to party, I gathered my things and headed out. The pink bracelet Daire had given me was wrapped around one wrist. The only time I’d removed it had been to shower. I wasn’t sure if it was water safe. Not wanting to take any risk of ruining it, I’d played it safe. Although I hated to admit it, the bracelet did make me feel safer. Knowing that I could summon the Angels at any moment provided me with a sense of comfort. Not that I’d ever tell them that.
As I sat in the back of an Uber on my way to the party, I wondered if the Angels would be there. I hadn’t seen them in a few days, although I suspected they were lurking around. They seemed to have a way of keeping an eye on me.
Loud music pounded from the house when I arrived. I’d been to a few parties here before. The inside door stood open. Through the screen door I saw a packed house. I let myself in, feeling good about getting out. I’d hidden in my dorm room all week. I needed this. I wondered if Raina was here yet.
The inside of the house smelled like marijuana, alcohol, and way too many bodies crammed into one space. I entered into the living room, finding it packed with people. A staircase to my left was occupied by a couple making out. Those going up and down squeezed by like they weren’t even there.
A keg sat on the floor next to the couch. Three frat guys held their buddy upside down while he did a keg stand, chugging beer like it was a sport. The chatter of voices and laughter made it impossible to pick out any particular conversation. I made my way through to the kitchen where some guy drunkenly cooked spaghetti. Two others dug through the cupboards, devouring any snack they came across.
A case of vodka coolers on the counter drew me. I helped myself to a strawberry cooler, wishing it had been refrigerated but willing to make do. A guy from my criminology class took the opportunity to flirt with me. I did the whole smile and nod routine while seeking a way out of the conversation. When Lyra entered from the backyard through the small porch off the kitchen, I excused myself and rushed over to her.
“How’s it going?” I greeted her with a hug. “You have no idea how bad I needed to hang with my girls. Is Raina here yet?”
Lyra shook her head, her long brown braid moving like a snake. “Haven’t seen her. Jet has been making me crazy lately. He’s going to a concert tonight. I really need this break from him.”
I pursed my lips, frowning as a I took a drink from my cooler. Lyra’s stepbrother was a total asshole. He was also rumored to be the leader of a campus cult. I didn’t know if that was true, and I didn’t want to find out.
“I’ve had a rough week too,” I muttered. “I’m sick of men and their bullshit.”
Lyra winced. “I hate to break it to you, Clover, but Zane is here. He’s out back.”
Of course he would be here. I groaned, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I hope he doesn’t try to talk to me. I’m sick of his temper tantrums.”
“Hey, ladies! Are we drunk yet?” Raina bounded up to us with an enthusiastic smile. Eyeing the drink options on the counter, she helped herself to a plastic cup of whiskey. Straight with no ice or mix.
I held up my cooler bottle. “Working on it. You look good tonight. I see you’ve been wearing someone’s hands as a necklace. Gage?”
Raina’s hand strayed up to the bruises circling her neck. She hooked a finger through the metal collar she wore and grinned. “Who else? He’s not happy unless I’m marked up for days. It’s cool though. I like it. A lot.”
“So we’ve heard.” I rolled my eyes. Raina had endless wild sexy stories.
“You should give it a try some time,” Raina said with a wink. Glancing over her shoulder, she added, “Speak of the devil.”
A shudder rippled through me at her words. If the Angels had their way, I probably would be giving many things a try that I hadn’t anticipated. Kill me or keep me. Those were my choices. Surely they planned to take full advantage of what that meant.
Gage slithered up behind Raina, pulling her against him as he bit the back of her neck. “Talking about me, Cherry Pie? Only good things, right?”
“Of course. What else could I possibly say?” Raina turned to place a hand on his chest. Giving him a gentle shove, she said, “Now get out of here. I’m having girl time. No boys allowed.”
Gage helped himself to a handful of her ass before heading back to the living room where Knight and Havoc mingled. The very thought of the Angels touching me like that made me guzzle back the rest of my drink. Ditching the bottle with a pile of empties, I grabbed another drink.
“Should we go outside?” Raina asked, nodding to the back door. “It’s getting stuffy in here. You’d think nobody here wears deodorant.”
I made a face. “Zane is out there. I don’t want to talk to him right now.”
“Then don’t talk to him. If he makes trouble, we’ll kick his ass out of here. Don’t give him any power over you. He’s nobody.” Raina steered me along to the back door.
She was right. I couldn’t let him affect me so much that I was going to hide out at a party to avoid him. Screw Zane and his messed up temper.
The backyard was on the smaller side. There was a brick encased firepit in the middle, a circle of lawn chairs surrounding it. Groups of people stood about, drinking and mingling. Zane stood in a far corner with guys from campus. It was only a matter of time until he noticed me.
The three of us passed some time laughing and joking with each other. People that we knew from class came to chat here and there. Summer plans and next semester’s class load were common topics. Everything was going great. Until Zane got drunk enough to come over.
“I know I’m the last person you want to talk to,” he began, holding up a hand. “I need to apologize for what happened the other day. I shouldn’t have flown off the handle like that. Seeing you with Daire set me off. I’m not sure why it hit me so hard. I’m sorry.”
Raina’s brows shot up. I cringed. I hadn’t told her about any of that, knowing exactly how she’d react. Lyra merely watched the exchange while sipping her drink. Her expression revealed nothing.
“How exactly did you fly off the handle?” Raina asked, eyes narrowing.
Zane ignored her, his focus on me. I stood there feeling awkward, wishing I knew how to handle these situations.
“I don’t want to hear it, Zane. Just leave me alone, okay?” Being with my friends gave me the courage to stand my ground. Or maybe that was the alcohol.
“Do you want me to break his arms?” Raina offered, her tone casual like she discussed the weather. “I can make sure he never fucks with you again, Clover.”
Zane’s face grew pinched with irritation. He knew better than to mess with Raina. She was the daughter of the city’s top mob boss. The heiress to the city. Along with the Gods, she would one day run the city’s crime world. It would be nothing for her to make him disappear.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one who could make Zane disappear without a trace.
I shook my head, giving Raina a pleading look. Having her get involved wouldn’t help. “No, please don’t. I’m sure Zane was just about to leave.”
Taking the hint, Zane whirled on a heel and stalked away. My shoulders slumped with relief. It didn’t last long.
Raina turned to me with a pointed look. “What’s going on with Daire? Why would Zane have seen you with him?”
While she and Lyra eyed me, I struggled to form an answer. “It was nothing. I was working outside and Zane was hassling me. Daire stopped to make sure I was okay. It made Zane jealous. That’s all.”
How could I tell my best friend that the guys who hurt her had decided that I belonged to them? I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.
Pretending not to notice Raina’s suspicious gaze, I said, “I have to pee. I’m going to find the bathroom. I’ll be back.”
I took off before she could stop me. Luckily, I reached the main floor bathroom right as a girl was exiting. There was no line so I snuck right in.
Closing and locking the door, I peed and washed my hands. Then I took a minute to breathe and compose myself. This was supposed to be a fun night out to unwind from the past week. It felt like my whole life had flipped upside down in a heartbeat.
I emerged from the bathroom to find a small line of people waiting. With an apologetic smile, I hurried down the hall back toward the living room. When Blaze stepped out in front of me, I plowed right into him.
My breath escaped me on a surprised grunt. He’d materialized out of nowhere. I quickly realized he’d been lurking in the adjacent hall that led to the garage. Waiting for me.
Blaze placed both hands on my arms to steady me. “Whoa, where are you off to in such a hurry?”
“Raina and Lyra are waiting for me.” I pulled free of him, taking a step back.
“They can keep waiting.” Grabbing me firmly by the waist, Blaze steered me into the small hall where he’d been lurking. He pressed me against the wall, blocking my escape with his body. “Why are you so nervous? You belong to us now. Better get used to it.”
“I’m not nervous,” I protested. “You caught me off guard. That’s all.”
Blaze smirked, knowing damn well that I lied. “Have you told Raina about us yet? Eventually, she’s going to find out.”
“I’ll tell her when the time is right.” My breath caught as Blaze ran a hand brazenly along my thigh. Should I push his hand away? Would he let me?
Frozen in place, I stared up into his amber eyes. They gleamed with wicked delight. His fingers caressed my skin, creeping higher. In a white t-shirt and jeans, his hair falling over his forehead, Blaze had a devil may care vibe that made my stomach flutter.
“I see that you’re wearing the bracelet. Good girl. Make sure you use it.” Inch by inch, Blaze’s hand drifted up beneath the hem of my skirt.
Heat followed his fingers, engulfing my whole body. I resisted the way he made me feel. Everything about it was wrong.
When his hand entirely disappeared beneath my skirt, I slapped my own hand over it. “I have to get back to my friends.”
Shadows passed behind Blaze’s eyes. “You will. When I’m ready to let you go.”
“Come on, Blaze. Not here. This isn’t a good—”
His free hand wrapped around my throat, cutting off my words and my air flow. Adrenaline rushed through me. I didn’t know what to expect from a guy like Blaze. I was about to find out.
“You’re not the one calling the shots, Rainbow. Did you already forget about our deal? Kill or keep, remember? Unless you’ve changed your mind.” He waited for me to stiffly shake my head before running his fingers over my panty clad core.
A soft whimper became trapped in my throat. He eased his grip enough to let me take a few breaths before squeezing tight again. As he rubbed me through my underwear, Blaze’s gaze locked on my face.
“It’s okay, Clover,” he murmured, leaning in to brush his lips over mine. “I want to feel you come on my fingers. Then I’ll let you go. I’m not going to hurt you yet.”
He tugged my panties aside, running a finger over my bare skin. Pleasurable sensations sang through me. I hated the way my body reacted to him. Blaze and his friends were horrible people. I hated them.
A flick of my clit made me twitch. Again he loosened his hold on my throat to let me breathe. I sucked in a deep lungful of party air, savoring it. Then he kissed me, sliding his tongue between my painted lips.
Blaze’s kiss was hard and possessive. He kissed me like he would eat me alive. My body trembled with both fear and excitement. His smoky scent flooded my nostrils, filling me with a sick anticipation. I wanted him, and I hated myself for it.
When he dipped a finger between my folds, he found me wet for him. Shame made it hard to meet his eyes. With my head pinned against the wall, I had no choice.
“Your eyes say no but your body says yes,” Blaze murmured with a cocky grin. “Did Zane even make you come? I’m going to make you melt for me.”
I didn’t answer his question. It was none of his business. I also didn’t trust myself to speak without moaning as he pushed a finger inside me. Zane had managed to get the job done, although he was far from the best I’d ever had. He sure hadn’t made my head spin the way Blaze was doing right now.
Blaze’s fingers dug into my neck with a bruising force. The way he touched me told me that he’d be a lot more aggressive in a private setting. I thought about what they’d done to Raina and shuddered. Would I be able to take it if they did that to me?
He pumped a finger in and out of me before dragging it over my clit. I bit my bottom lip, trying not to make a sound. My body was drenched in heat. What was it about this guy that made me want him so bad? Even though I’d seen him murder a man and knew he’d watched while my friend was abused, I was hot for him. My pussy was almost dripping.
“Why so quiet, Clover?” Blaze taunted. “It’s loud as fuck in here. Nobody will hear you come for me. Don’t fight it, Dollface. You’ll have plenty of chances to fight and resist later.”
The dark promise in his words scared the hell out of me. It also turned me on like crazy. Maybe I needed mental help.
He rubbed my clit until a moan slipped from my lips. Then he thrust two fingers deep inside me, making me gasp. My legs began to shake. I grabbed onto Blaze’s arms, holding on as I desperately tried to stay on my feet.
His skin was decorated in ink. My fingers dug into a vicious raptor on one arm and Dracula on the other. The music notes tattooed behind his ear and down the side of his neck held me entranced. Anything to avoid eye contact.
My moans increased in frequency as he hit my clit with his thumb. His other hand tightened dangerously around my throat. My vision began to grow spotty. I had no choice but to trust him not to kill me. Right when I thought I’d pass out, he let me breathe again.
“Jesus, you’re wet.” Leaning in to press his lips to the side of my neck, Blaze rubbed his hard cock against my hip. “You love this, don’t you, dirty girl? I can’t wait to get inside you. I’m going to fucking wreck you.”
His fingers moved faster between my legs, his thumb working my clit until I couldn’t take it anymore. His words were both a threat and a promise. I found myself looking forward to it.
As my moans grew louder, Blaze pressed his lips to mine, taking them into him. My hips bucked as I came hard. Shockwaves of pleasure rippled through me, leaving me lightheaded and breathless. Maybe that was the lack of oxygen.
Blaze released my throat, letting me breathe properly as I panted for air. He patted my cheek and said, “That’s my good girl.”
That’s when we realized someone was watching. We glanced over in unison to find Zane storming away. I swallowed hard. My throat was sore. As much as I hated that Zane had seen us together, I was relieved that it hadn’t been Raina. I wasn’t ready for her to know about this yet.
Blaze chuckled. “I guess Loverboy knows he’s been replaced. Good. Maybe he’ll fuck off now.”
As the pleasure high faded, the shame settled in. I shoved Blaze away. “I have to go find my friends.”
I tried to stalk away on shaky legs that didn’t want to hold me. Blaze’s self-satisfied laughter followed. I didn’t let myself look back.