18. Pandora
PANDORA
It’s a beautiful sunny day, and Carly and I had decided to study together out on the quad. She had brought a large beach towel to protect our butts. After an hour of studying, though, I’d gotten distracted. No matter how exciting organic chemistry is, I have other things on my mind.
“You forgot Blaze Bouchard,” Carly says, looking over my shoulder.
I tilt my head at my notepad, re-reading my list. It’s got all the Kappa Omega losers I know I’d seen that first night.
“I don’t think he was handing out bad drinks,” I say. I frown.
Why don’t I think he could have done it? Just because he pretended not to know Carly was there… hell, he could have roofied her and passed her on to one of his frat brothers before I arrived.
“I know I talked to him, though,” Carly says quietly. “He was really charming.”
Yeah, he would have been. I add Blaze’s name. Out of all the guys on the list, maybe he’s the most likely suspect. After all, he’d have easy access to drugs, and he’s all smiles and good cheer until you give his precious Asch a booboo .
Of course, Asch had insisted the guy had been dealt with already. That would imply it wasn’t Blaze, but it also means I’d have to trust Asch.
“Who’s Declan?” Carly asks, pointing at the name.
“Some sophomore with an inferiority complex,” I say. “I wouldn’t even have remembered him if he hadn’t gone out of his way to insult Asch.”
River had gotten me the names of most of the frat guys, and I’d found pictures of them online via their socials or school articles. Unfortunately, I hadn’t exactly been paying attention that first night. Carly’s memories aren’t particularly clear either.
“Zayden, Blaze, Declan, Brock, Tate, Holden, Keegan...” I frown at the list. “Maybe I should just castrate all of them?”
Castrating Blaze would be a shame, though. I really like his cock, and he needs his balls to make that part function.
And okay, maybe Blaze is kind of fun. The way he and River had gone for me the other night… I still get goosebumps remembering it.
“You mean, get them expelled?” Carly corrects. “You don’t want to go to jail because of them.” Her voice gets lower when she continues, “Because of me.”
I turn to face her directly. “Carly. If I go to jail, it’ll be because of something I did of my own volition, and it was so explosively violent and public that even the best lawyers can’t get me out of it. It’ll have absolutely nothing to do with you.”
She laughs, like I said something hilarious, when of course I was being dead serious.
I wonder if she remembers how much I scared her that night.
“Thanks for the sentiment,” Carly says. She brushes a strand of her black hair back. “Anyway, don’t you have actual studying to do? You said something about a test?”
I groan. “Yeah, intro to organic chemistry. Which I don’t really care about, because I’m never going to actually see all the small molecules.
” I put my investigation notebook back into my backpack and tap on my tablet to bring the study notes up again.
“I think I’ve got it though. You want to quiz me? ”
I spread out onto my back and close my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my skin.
Carly shrugs. “Sure, if you read through my essay draft later. I figure if I can convince you of my interpretation, the professor has to agree.” She takes my tablet and scrolls to the sample questions, reading them out loud.
We’ve gone through about half of them when I tense, sensing somebody approaching. I sit up and get between the intruder and Carly, glaring in their direction.
It’s a large guy, well over six feet—maybe even six-six, Jesus he’s tall—with enough muscles to easily fling both me and Carly over his shoulders.
His face sports a scar down his lip, and his eyebrow is pierced.
His black hair is pulled back into a half ponytail.
His tight leather pants are apparently designed to highlight the size of his bulge.
I bet he’s got abs for days under the loose tank top.
“Carly,” he says in a soft voice. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
Carly squeaks uncharacteristically. “Oh. Um. Sorry. I was studying.” She pulls her phone out and winces. “Yeah. Sorry. Pandora and I were here the entire time.”
I look between the two of them, even more curious now. “Introduce me, Carly.”
Carly looks apologetic. “Oh. This is Re?—”
“Reaper,” the guy interrupts. “Call me Reaper.”
Well, well. That is not the name a totally harmless guy picks for himself. I smile at him. “Hey, Reaper. I’m Pandora. You a friend of Carly’s? Her boyfriend?”
Reaper’s nostrils flare. “No. Her brother.”
Carly groans. “I wish you’d stop using that name. You’ll scare everyone if you call yourself Reaper.”
I get up and extend my hand to Reaper. “Nah, I think it’s cool. Reaper, huh.” I give Reaper a flirtatious smile. “You look like you’ve got the muscle to back it up. Are you on the boxing team? ”
“No.” Reaper doesn’t take my hand. “Are you the one giving Carly weird ideas?”
My smile drops. “What do you mean, weird ideas?”
He folds his arms across his massive chest, and I have to crane my neck to meet his gaze. “Investigating Chaos. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. I’ll handle everything.”
Handle everything? So far, he’s handled nothing.
Not that I’ve done any better.
I’m not any closer to finding out who roofied Carly, or who seduced and murdered Rachel.
“Well, if you beat me to it, that’ll take care of things, right?” I answer with fake cheer. I take a step closer and run my fingers along the length of his bulging arm. “Maybe we should exchange notes though. I can tell you who needs a few bones broken, which assholes need reaming…”
Which cunt needs fucking, usually.
Weirdly, even though Reaper is definitely my type, I’m not actually that interested in following through.
I’m more doing all of this out of habit.
What’s changed? Why isn’t my heart in this flirtation?
Before I can think on that, someone else approaches — someone who does make my chest tighten uncharacteristically.
Asch stands there, glaring down at me. “Pandora.” He glances aside at Reaper and Carly, his expression turning wary as he takes in the sight of the former. “You and I need to talk.”
I slot myself closer to Asch. “Hey, Asch. Have you met Reaper? He’s Carly’s protective big brother, apparently.” I squeeze Asch’s bicep. “Hmm. You need to lift more, Asch. Your muscles don’t compare to his.”
Asch rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.” He glances back at Reaper. “We know each other,” he says. “Reaper, mind if I steal Pandora for a few minutes?”
Reaper’s eyes narrow. “She isn’t mine. But Nu Rho isn’t like Chaos. We don’t buy and sell women. ”
Asch blinks at him, looking genuinely taken aback. “Excuse me?” Anger edges his voice as he goes on, “Kappa Alpha doesn’t buy or sell women. Jesus Christ.”
My interest is piqued though. I let go of Asch and get closer to Reaper again. “You got proof to back that claim?”
It’s the first real lead I’ve gotten in ages, aside from all the ties to the Bouchard Syndicate.
Reaper clenches his fist. After a few moments, he shakes his head. “No.” He puts his arm around Carly. “Let’s go. Don’t get close to Chaos again.”
“I wasn’t going to!” Carly says, but she grabs her backpack and lets Reaper lead her away.
She looks over her shoulder and mouths ‘later ’ at me.
Yeah. I definitely need to have a nice, long chat with Carly and her brother.
I turn back to Asch. “Thanks. You ruined a nice chat with a hot guy. I could have been getting laid right around now.”
Let’s see what he thinks about that.
“Just as long as you’re not trying to hump Blaze’s leg,” Asch says snidely.
“You’re his bitch, not me,” I point out.
Asch bares his teeth at me. “You think I’m a bitch now ? Wait and see what happens if you keep fucking with him. I’m serious, Pandora. Back off.”
Doesn’t he know that telling me not to do something is a surefire way to ensure I’ll keep doing it? Even Mama learned that lesson quickly.
I go to him and wrap my arms around his neck. “Yeah? Or else what, Asch?”
He tenses but doesn’t pull away. “Your family can’t protect you here.”
I kiss his chin, enjoying the feeling of scruff. “No, but if something happens to me, I know what their reaction would be.” I tap my fingers along his jaw. “I think they’d strap you down and make you watch while they cut Blaze open. He’d lose more than a finger before they’re through with him.”
Fuck, there’s something wrong with me that the image of cutting Blaze open is starting to turn me on.
Scratch that, I already know there’s something wrong with me, so why not go with it?
“Do you think he’d scream and beg, or would he try to be brave for you?” I continue. “He wouldn’t want you to think less of him, after all.”
“You think they’d get away with that without the entire Bouchard Syndicate getting involved?” Asch asks, grabbing my hand and pulling it away from his face. “If you think so, you’d be in for a rude awakening. You think you’re untouchable, but you aren’t.”
“I haven’t felt a lot of touching from you,” I taunt. “You don’t particularly scare me, Asch.”
I want to see what Blaze sees in him. It can’t just be his pretty face. Whatever’s underneath the surface, I want it.
“It’s easy to say that when we’re in the middle of the open, isn’t it?” he says. “Of course I don’t scare you when all you have to do is play the victim, and anyone around here would run to your rescue.”
My eyes light up with excitement. “You think I wouldn’t do the same in private?
Come on, then. Where do you want to go? My bedroom?
I’ve got a snake you can meet there. Or would you prefer the tunnels?
Still unused this time of year. Your bedroom?
Can we even get through the door, or will we have to fuck on Blaze’s bed again? ”
His jaw clenches. “Why are you so determined to get a rise out of me?”
I don’t even know, except that he’s important to Blaze.
Blaze, who I’m supposed to be investigating.
“Why are you determined to be so boring?” I counter with a pout. “Seriously. I know you aren’t actually dull, but if you’re going to be like that maybe I should go catch up to Reaper and have him throw me down onto the grass. ”
“Why would I care if you fucked him or not?” Asch counters, but there’s something in his eyes that makes me think he would. “I thought I made it pretty clear that I don’t actually want you.”
“Well, for the record, I’d probably have to gouge an eye out if I caught you with another woman,” I say, keeping my voice light. “ Your eye, to be clear.”
It was supposed to be a joke, maybe, but I realize I’m being serious.
I don’t want Asch to be with anyone else.
I guess he could be with Blaze, or River, but any other person?
Something starts scratching inside my chest.
He steps into my personal space, and his voice is low and menacing as he replies, “You think you get a say on who I’m with?”
“Who does?” I ask, grinning up at him. “Blaze? If he tells you to keep your cock to yourself, would you listen? Or do you dream of having him fuck you open? Do you want him to claim you?”
“Shut the fuck up,” he snarls in my face, his hand coming up so fast that for a second, I think he’s going to slap me. Instead, he traces his fingers along my cheek, and he laughs like he hadn’t just snapped at me. “You want to be hurt, Pandora? Is that what this is? A cry for attention?”
“Oh, Asch,” I answer, leaning into his touch. “I don’t need to cry for attention. I can just go grab Blaze, and he’ll give it to me, no questions asked.”
He grabs me by the hair, twisting painfully, deliciously . “You want to hyperfocus on someone, you hyperfocus on me . Get Blaze out of your head. He’s not yours to play with.”
“You’d have to actually play with me for that to work,” I point out, struggling only so I can get more of the stinging pain as he pulls on my hair.
Please, do something about this already, Asch.
My cunt is throbbing so hard now.
“I don’t want to play ,” he replies. He abruptly releases my hair, only to grab my wrist .
We’ve attracted a small audience, but he ignores them.
“Let’s go.”
Finally .
I reach down to pick up my backpack. I manage to grab it before Asch yanks me onward.
My mind is swimming with arousal, and I can’t help but smile widely as I let him drag me along.
I see River across the quad, and I wave to him.
I’ll tell him about this later.
Right now, I’m ready for Asch to show me what he’s made of.