Chapter 9
The Jealousy
Luke
After showering and jerking off with the taste of Harper still in my mouth, I return to Caden’s room. I find Nico, Eli, and Jack sitting on the couch, the TV playing low while they watch a highlights reel from a college football game.
Everyone wears the clothes they wore to the party.
I’m surprised Caden isn’t here. The shower is on in the bathroom, but there’s no other noise coming from there.
“Where’s Harper and Caden?”
Eli jerks his head to the bathroom door. “As far as we know.”
Clenching my fists, I want to barge in and find out what’s happening. But I have no right to be jealous. He has as much right to be with her as I do. But she riles me up, and I don’t understand it. I’m possessive of her, but also enjoy watching my brothers get her off.
That doesn’t stop the licks of jealousy that burn across my chest. I want more of her. I can’t explain it.
She and Caden seem to connect on a different level. Maybe she likes him more. She’s brought him sandwiches every day since he stole hers. At lunch she sits on his lap. She even admitted her mom would like him best.
Over me.
Caden’s one of my best friends, and I still can’t help to ask why him.
I sit in the chair and try to calm myself. Try to tell myself it doesn’t matter. This whole thing is about us owning Harper. That means we all share her. And eventually that will include spending time alone with her.
“So why Harper?” Nico’s question draws me out of my obsession.
“She’s the last.” I note the flinch in Nico’s eyes. It was a strategic move to bring him in. To let Harper believe she has a friend on the inside. To make sure Nico doesn’t undermine our progress. He wants her as much as the rest of us do. It’s plain to see and I can’t blame him.
Nico narrows his eyes and his words are a little bitter as he tosses them out. “It could have been any girl then?”
“Harper is unique. She’s never kissed anyone before us. Never had anyone else touch her. She is completely ours, unlike every other girl in our high school.” I temple my fingers before my lips as I watch him react to my statements. I haven’t forgotten he said he returned for her.
“She’s not a sex toy.” No emotion tinges his words this time. His tone is casual. Nico crosses his ankle over his knee. He’s trying a new tack.
“We never claimed she was.” I lower my hands and raise an eyebrow. “We own her for the year. The entire school year. She will only belong to us and fuck us during that time.”
“And after?” Nico’s voice is a little tight. He wants Harper to himself, but he never kept in touch with her. If he had, would she have claimed a long-distance boyfriend? Would he have found a way to see her? To claim her as his own?
My insides boil at the thought of him taking what’s mine.
“I’m curious. If you still want Harper after all these years, why didn’t you keep in touch with her?” I lean back in my chair, letting the fire ease from me. She’s mine now. That’s all that matters.
“When I left, I was twelve years old and didn’t really think about keeping in touch.
I didn’t think we’d ever come back.” Nico’s gaze takes on a far-off look.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to find Harper free.
But I also didn’t think you guys would own her.
” His eyes refocus on me. “What the hell happened after I left?”
“We took our rightful place as leaders of the pack.” I straighten my shoulders and sit a little taller. “We were the most popular, the most desirable, and the most unattainable.”
“We threw the best parties and fucked the most girls,” Eli adds. “We dominated in sports. It didn’t take much for us to become legends.”
“The virgin stuff happened by accident.” Jack rests his elbows on his knees and grins.
“Caden’s closet saw more action than we ever did.
Kylie Elias thought she could lose her virginity to all of us, separately and we wouldn’t figure her lies out.
Too many girls took that shit too seriously.
But then it became a thing, losing your virginity to a horseman. ”
“They either came to us, or we wore them down until they couldn’t help but give in to us.” Eli rubs the back of his neck and glances toward the bathroom. “Most girls are easy to convince. They’ve already done stuff. It’s just taking them to the next level.”
“But Harper—” I stop. I don’t even know where to begin with Harper. I wasn’t lying when I called her a freaking unicorn. “We’ve been working through our class since eighth grade. This summer the remaining girls either lost it to one or two of us or someone else, until only Harper remained.”
“It was unlucky for her then?” Nico’s mouth sets in a firm line. Fuck, if I had it bad for a girl and came back for her to find her being tag teamed by a bunch of dudes, even my friends, I’d be mad too.
“Yes, she’s the last, but she’s not like the other girls in our class.
” My eyes are drawn to the door where the shower is now off.
“We created her. Our rule made her hide herself away from everyone. She submitted to us, but not because she wanted to. Instead of crying and begging, she got angry. She defies us when she can.”
My lips twist up into a smile thinking about her defiance. The way she makes me feel inside is unexplainable, undefinable. I need to possess her. Control her. I want her to defy me and submit to me in the same breath. I want her to give in to me fully, completely.
I’m obsessed with her.
No, she’s not like other girls. She responds naturally and beautifully to our touch. She’s not shy about exploring and doesn’t stifle the noises she makes when she’s worked up. Not embarrassed of her sexuality, she owns it and she’s curious as hell about it too.
Nico nods. “As long as you don’t hurt her, I’m all in.”
My insides tense at his promise. The threat those words imply.
“But if you hurt her…” Nico lets it hang in the air around us.
I nod in acceptance of his threat, but have one of my own. “If you try to take her away from us…”
He may not know us as well now, but he knows who we became the day we all decided to become the horsemen. At the time, Apocalypse was our leader, but when he left, as Death, I took over. I won’t back down to him now.
Our eyes meet and he nods in acknowledgment. If I hurt her or if he tries to take her from us, we’ll no longer be brothers. We’ll be at war.
Harper
Caden hands me a toothbrush and toothpaste.
The tears finally dried up, but he continued to take care of me.
He started my shower. While I showered, he sat on the toilet seat and talked about his cook and what a pretentious dick the guy is.
He wouldn’t even make Caden a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when he was eight, because in the cook’s words, “It’s too lowbrow. ”
What fucker wouldn’t make a kid a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? That’s pretty shitty.
Caden handed me a towel when I stepped out. He hasn’t touched me the entire time. Just handed me my panties, bra, jeans, and one of his oversized t-shirts. And of course, my collar courtesy of Eli. I feel like a little kid swimming in his t-shirt while I brush my teeth with him watching.
After I rinse and wipe my mouth, Caden asks, “Doing better?”
I glance at my reflection. My eyes are still a little red around the edges. I don’t have any makeup with me to cover anything. Including the still healing hickeys.
I don’t feel the same as yesterday morning. But I guess that’s just part of growing up. And being in a quasi-relationship with five guys.
“I’m fine.” Moving to stand in front of Caden, I run my hand through his dark hair. Tugging his head back, I look into his green eyes. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
His arms drape around my waist, holding me loosely. He gives me a small smile. “You take care of me. I figure it’s only fair to take care of you.”
I lean down and press a kiss to his lips before I back away and take a breath. Time to face the others.
Caden stands and opens the bathroom door, leading the way out. The guys all look over at me.
“What’s the plan for today?” I stop myself from fidgeting.
“First thing is to get you out of those clothes.” Luke’s discerning eyes runs over me with a frown on his lips.
I almost shuffle backward. “Excuse me?”
Luke smirks as he meets my eyes. “You need to go to your place so you can change.”
“We need to check the basement for strays first.” Caden grabs his socks and shoes and sits in a chair to put them on.
“Strays?” I sit on the couch between Nico and Eli. Nico gives me a warm smile and I almost blush, remembering what happened last night and this morning. He and I went from zero to sixty in a few hours. Yeah, I didn’t really process anything while in the shower. I’m not sure if I can.
“People who overstay their welcome.” Luke rises and holds his hand out to me.
I take it without hesitation, and he smiles that evil smile of his. I’m beginning to trust them more. I don’t really have a choice. Public humiliation or give in to the pleasure they offer me? That’s easy.
If last night is any indication of what giving in feels like, I’m all for it.
“Whether they got too drunk to drive or found a place to fuck, we need to get them out before the cleaning staff arrives.” Caden nods toward the door.
We head back the way we came last night. At least, I’m pretty sure this is the same way. I couldn’t tell you how to get to the basement or Caden’s room any more than if they had blindfolded me before leading me. This place is a maze.
Luke holds me back as the others go in.
Various sounds of hey and what come from the room. Along with some grunts, whines, and groans about it being too early.
“Why aren’t we in there helping?” I finally turn to look at Luke.
“What were you and Caden doing in the bathroom?” For a second, Luke sounds like a jealous boyfriend, but that can’t be right. I mean, he’s the one who came up with the games for us. He never claimed me for himself; he claimed me for the horsemen.
“Umm, he was making sure I was okay.” I’m not about to tell Luke I was crying and Caden helped me get through it. I can’t even explain what I was crying over. Probably just overwhelmed with everything.
“You like Caden.” It’s a statement. Not a question.
“Caden…” Well fuck, what do I say? Caden is nice to me sometimes. Other times he likes to boss me around or force me to do things. But sometimes, I feel protected with him. “I guess sometimes I like him and he’s nice to me. Sometimes.”
Luke’s eyes narrow, as if he’s trying to read extra meaning into what I’m saying.
I give up. Putting my hands on my hips, I close in on him until my chest bumps against his.
My gaze holds his. “What do you really want to know, Luke? Do you want to know if he went down on me or if I went down on him? Do you need to know every single second of interaction between me and any of the guys, or just Caden?”
He grabs the tops of my arms and tips his head like he doesn’t understand what he sees when he looks at me.
“All clear,” Eli calls from the game room.