Chapter 26 Lexi
Lexi
Ican’t believe I just did that.
The thought loops in my head as I pull my clothes on, hands shaking so badly I can barely button my jeans. The air in the bedroom feels too heavy to breathe.
The intensity of what just happened—screwing both of them—wasn’t what I expected. They handled me well enough. But there’s this gnawing feeling in my gut that if I hadn’t been so willing, they wouldn’t have been so easy on me. That thought terrifies me more than anything else.
Atticus is already gone. Didn’t even wait to see if I was okay. Just got dressed and left like I was nothing more than a transaction he’d completed.
Revan’s standing in the doorway now, watching me like a hawk as if I didn’t just orgasm and let him fuck me like rabbit.
“You ready?” he asks, like we just had coffee instead of what actually happened.
“Yeah,” I mutter, not meeting his eyes.
He smiles. “Let’s return the car.”
My stomach knots so tight I think I might be sick.
The Charger. Koa’s car. The one I stole because I threw a fit about him getting high, and now I’ve gone and slept with two Reapers. Whatever that means. By the looks of this place—the mansion, the men, the masks—it’s not good. It’s probably worse than a drug dealer who doesn’t do drugs.
I follow Revan down the hall, my legs still unsteady. “Where’s Atticus?”
Revan doesn’t answer. Just keeps walking.
We round the corner, and he says casually, “The boyfriend won’t know what’s coming for him.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I snap.
Revan glances at me, amused. “Cute that you think labels matter here.”
We step outside into the cold night air. It bites at my skin, shocking me back into my body and where I’m at. I turn and see the nice cars, the mansion and its gate. Holy shit, this is a different kind of hell.
The Charger’s parked in the driveway—gleaming black, freshly washed, like someone cared enough to make it look new before giving it back.
It’s unsettling. Too clean for what it means.
“Did you wash his fucking car?” I scoff.
Revan chuckles, low and dark. He tosses me the keys. They’re cold and heavy in my palm.
“Show us the way, Lexi,” he says.
“Wait. Where are you guys going?”
“We’re driving behind you. Where we like it.”
Heat floods my face. I get in the car before he can see me blush.
The drive feels endless. Like I’m being ferried back to the executioner.
Every mile that passes makes my chest tighter. My hands are slick with sweat on the steering wheel. In the rearview mirror, I can see the black sedan following.
I stop at a gas station halfway there. My hands are shaking so badly I can barely keep driving.
I’ve seen what Koa is capable of, seen what he’s done to my own brother, the fury in his eyes, and how possessive he got after I slept with him.
I’m afraid he’s going to tie me to a tree and leave me for the night, or even worse, leave me for days.
This is why I called Jasper, why I have these two men following me.
Sleeping with them was just spur of the moment.
I can’t think straight, so now I’m pulled over before I do something reckless and drive off a cliff.
Revan pulls up beside me, gets out, leans against his car with that infuriating smirk.
“Are you going to fill his tank up before you return it, sweetheart?”
“No.” I swallow hard. “I forgot to ask you and Atticus not to get involved if you don’t have to.”
He walks over, leans down into my open window. Close. Too close. “What do you mean, Lexi?”
He’s mocking me. I can hear it in his voice. I hate it when he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear like we’re lovers instead of... whatever the hell this is.
“Fine. We won’t,” he says.
“Promise?”
He smirks. “We don’t do promises, Lexi. That’s why we like each other.” He taps the hood of the car. “Get your ass back on the road so we can move on with it.”
I take off before he can say anything else. I don’t wait for them to catch up.
Campus is quiet when I pull in.
It’s late—past midnight—and most students are probably asleep.
I park in Koa’s usual stall. My hands won’t stop shaking.
Atticus parks across, not being suspicious.
I exhale, building my nerve. I can do this. I’m going to just leave this car here, go up to my dorm, and let these two hang here for backup.
I leave the keys inside the car and take a deep breath. I open the door.
The second my feet hit the pavement, I’m slammed against the car.
Koa.
He came out of nowhere—fury and desperation radiating off him in waves. His hand wraps around my throat, pressing firmly. His face is inches from mine.
“Do you know what you’ve fucking done?” he seethes in my ear.
I look down at him, trying to find my voice.
He tightens his grip just slightly. Leans in until his lips brush my ear. “You’re going to pay for this.”
I push against his chest. “I’m returning your car. So be grateful.”
He laughs. Actually laughs. And when he pulls back, he’s smiling—that beautiful, devastating smile that makes my stomach dip even now. Even when I should hate him.
“There’s that word again,” he murmurs. “Grateful.”
Then he kisses me.
Hard. Desperate. Like he’s trying to brand me.
And for a second—just a second—I forget everything. Forget that I stole his car. Forget about the drugs. Forget what Atticus and Revan and what I just did.
It’s just me and Koa and this kiss that tastes like blood and rage. He’s going to make me pay, but by the looks of it, I might be paying in a lot of foreplay because his dick is hard against me. If I knew it would turn into this, I wouldn’t have brought back up.
A dark shadow falls over us, and I tremble as I look up.
Atticus and Revan are standing behind Koa, wearing black masks that cover half their faces. Shit. I shiver.
The next thing I know, Koa’s being ripped off me.
Atticus grabs him by the collar and throws him to the ground like he weighs nothing. Koa hits the pavement hard, rolling to absorb the impact.
He looks up at them and laughs.
Blood drips from his split lip where Atticus must have already hit him. He spits it onto the concrete and keeps laughing.
“Reapers?” he says, mocking. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Right now’s kind of a bad time.”
He stands slowly, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Koa’s not afraid. Not even a little. What the hell is going on?
“Let me handle my business,” Koa says, still grinning. “And then we can handle this… on the ice.”
“Or,” Revan says, voice dripping with amusement, “we can handle it right now.”
He punches Koa in the stomach.
Koa doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even step back.
Instead, he rushes Revan—full force, tackle-style—and slams him to the ground. They hit the pavement hard, and Koa starts throwing punches.
One. Two. Three. Each one landing with a sickening thud.
Atticus just stands there. Watching. Like this is entertainment.
When Koa gets in too many hits—when Revan’s face is bloodied and his guard is dropping—Atticus finally moves.
He grabs Koa from behind, arms wrapping around his chest, lifting him off Revan. It’s deadly the way Atticus moves. Holy shit.
“Stop!” I hear myself scream. “Stop it!”
But they don’t hear me. Revan gets up, spits blood onto the ground, and starts punching Koa while Atticus holds him in place.
Stomach. Ribs. Face.
Over and over.
“Stop!” I’m running toward them now, my voice breaking.
Revan turns to look at me, chuckling darkly. Blood drips from his nose. “We’re not done here. Move.”
Before I can respond, another figure emerges from the shadows.
Oxy.
He’s massive—built like a bull, shoulders twice as wide as anyone else here. He doesn’t hesitate. Just grabs Revan and throws him to the ground like he’s nothing.
Atticus still has Koa in a headlock. Koa’s face is turning red, then purple, then blue.
“Stop!” I scream again. “You’re going to kill him!”
Oxy doesn’t waste time. He grabs Atticus, tries to pry him off, but Atticus tightens his grip.
Koa’s eyes are starting to roll back.
Oxy changes tactics—grabs Atticus by the throat and squeezes until Atticus has no choice but to let go.
Koa drops to the ground, gasping, coughing, clutching his throat.
I rush to him without thinking. Drop to my knees beside him. “Koa. Koa, breathe. Just breathe.”
He’s still coughing, struggling to pull air into his lungs. His face is a mess—blood everywhere, one eye already swelling shut.
I look up at Atticus. He’s standing over us, straightening his jacket, not even breathing hard. Where the fuck is Oxy? I turn and notice him in the bushes, trying to get to his feet.
Atticus just looks down at me and smirks.
Like this was fun. Like almost killing Koa is just a game. He doesn’t say anything, and I notice that he’s quite quiet.
“You’re fucking insane,” I spit at him.
He licks his lips as he watches me.
I push against his chest, trying to make him move. “Leave. Just leave!”
But he doesn’t budge. Just keeps staring at me with those cold green eyes.
Behind him, Revan’s getting up, wiping blood from his mouth. He’s grinning too like he’s enjoying this.
Oxy makes his way over while Koa stands to his feet.
My heart thuds against my ribs as I watch all men rise. I’m freaking the fuck out.