Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
IGNACIO
“Y ou look pissed,” Elijah observes quietly as I walk beside him toward my car.
“Caught my dearest little sister making out with Liliana in the north tower,” I mutter. “That shouldn’t upset me, right? I interrupted her making her move and asking the little mouse out.”
“Well, it shows we didn’t cut Lili off from the little mouse,” he says slowly. “Wait, like making out? Was it hot?”
“Lili straddled her lap and everything,” I sigh. “I’m going home with a raging hard on. I hate that I’m attracted to her.”
“Hate sex is hot,” he reminds me. “Now, why does it really bother you? I’m attracted to her, but I would still throw her off a cliff and enjoy her screams.”
“You’re such an adorable psychopath,” I admit. “That’s the problem, it could be a lot of things.”
“Well, out with it,” Elijah says, throwing up his hands. “I don’t have all damn day, Nacio.”
He does, but this is how he’s going to push me into telling him. He and the guys slept in my room with me for a full week after my mom died. They’re my everything, closer than the brothers I never had.
“I think my dad likes her more than me,” I mutter. “It’s so silly, but he rode in to save the day for her, while I have to make the best of any situation I’m in. ‘Use your brain, Nacio.’”
Elijah smirks at the bad imitation of my father I just gave.
“You’re his son and his heir,” he reminds me. “You’ve always had the best father of us all. He’s actually involved, makes your debate meets, cheers you on. That’s more than most of us. I think you may be experiencing a little jealousy with a side of attraction.”
“Thanks Dr. Phil,” I deadpan before shrugging. “Maybe I am a bit. Ugh, I either need to fuck her or get rid of her. Watching Lili and her just made the conflicting shit I feel bury even deeper under my skin.”
“Well, you’ll get your chance at my party. My parents approved of it,” he says.
“What did that cost you?” I ask, curious.
“Nothing, I just have to make sure I clean up,” he grunts.
“The swim team freshmen will do it and not even complain,” I say. “I’ll make sure Jared sorts it.”
“Alright, you good?” Elijah asks.
I have no other choice, so I nod and unlock my car door, sinking onto the cool seat. Time to face the music and see my father.
The drive doesn’t take long, despite the traffic, and I manage to avoid my stepsister and her new girlfriend by arriving before them. Entering through the garage, I put my keys in my pocket in case this conversation goes badly.
“Nacio?” Dad calls out, coming out of his office. His hair looks out of place, as if he’s been running his hands through it repeatedly. All of this shit at school and Rachelle must be stressing him out. “Are you here for good or are you leaving again?”
“It depends,” I say honestly.
“Well, come talk to me,” he says, waving his hand. “My sleep has been shit lately, and I need a cafecito.”
“Are you asking me to make it for you?” I tease him, crossing the house to his office. The man has his own espresso machine and fridge in here. He’s very particular about his coffee.
Even though he works away from home typically, by the time he comes back, Dad is ready for a pick me up.
“Yes, I am,” he groans, throwing himself on the couch in his office while I snicker. I was so angry with him, but he’s my dad.
A part of me is also afraid of disappointing him, which is why I stayed away. His protective instincts were at an all time high, and I’ve noticed he tends to let his mouth run when he’s angry when it comes to the little mouse. It was easier to not put myself in his path.
Dropping my bag on the floor, I make him a Cuban coffee with the espresso machine, adding the perfect amount of demerara sugar while it brews. Turning, I walk it over, waiting until he sits up to take it.
The first sip he has tells me immediately that it’s perfect.
“Thank you,” he says. “Shut the door and sit, we need to talk.”
Nodding, I do as he asks and sit on the edge of a chair across from him, making sure not to fidget. I don’t know where I stand with him, and it makes me nervous.
“Why do the Kings have it out for your sister?” Dad asks.
“She isn’t my sister, for one,” I remind him. I may tease Rachelle about it, use it to fuck with her, but I’ll set aside the bullshit with my father. “She’s just some girl you’re getting attached to because you married her mother.”
“I’m sure that’s how it seems on the outside,” he grunts. “Rachelle is very easy to get attached to. Just look at Lili, the girl is smitten.”
“And grinding on Rachelle’s lap at school in the tower,” I mutter. “They put quite the show on for me.”
“I’m sure you were being a dick and deserved it. Are you saying you didn’t?” Dad asks, amused. At the roll of my eyes, he shrugs. “Lili can’t get Rachelle pregnant, so I’m going to turn a bit of a blind eye to whatever they’re doing. Few people know about how to gain entrance to the tower, anyway.”
“So you’re just going to let them fuck?” I ask incredulously. I shouldn’t be upset at all, but damn this is a double standard.
I mostly fuck teachers and my best friends, so I can’t really say shit, though.
“Nacio, settle down,” Dad says, chuckling under his breath as he takes another sip of his drink. “Are you saying you didn’t deserve for them to make you jealous?”
“Sister, remember? That’s inappropriate,” I tell him.
“Hypocrite,” Dad grunts. “As interesting as this is, we need to move on. This thing you two have going on isn’t healthy. Rachelle isn’t built to take the kind of abuse you enjoy with your friends. Are you trying to kill her?”
“I mean, it’s not the first person we’ve killed,” I say. There was a kid in our fourth grade that we chased off a cliff. None of us felt a twinge of regret. He was a bully, and his favorite victim was Lili.
She doesn’t know we did this and never will. He’s not the only one I’ve killed either, only it’s usually to help Dad with work. Grooming me to take over takes time, and I know my place. It won’t be any time soon, there’s still college to worry about and an entire life to enjoy before I take over.
“Ignacio,” Dad groans. Oops, he’s getting irritated with me. “Choose someone else to torture, I don’t give a fuck if it’s a teacher.”
“No one wants her at the school, Dad,” I tell him. “If we aren’t the ones torturing her, then it’ll be someone else.”
Done with this conversation, I stand, signaling this is over.
“Anything else?”
“Since you have such a high lust for blood, Tobias has a job he could use some help with,” Dad grumbles. “Change into something you don’t plan to wear again.”
Wonderful, torture and disposal. This is how my father punishes me, by using my “blood lust” as he calls it for better use. The funny thing is, it actually does help for a few days. The men always deserve it too.
It scratches the itch.
“Fine,” I sigh. “So I’m dismissed?”
“You’re such a pain in the ass, Nacio,” Dad says, putting aside the empty cup. It’s way too delicate and small in his large hands, but it’s the only way to drink coffee in his eyes. “Yes, you are. Tobias will come pick you up. It’s a dirty job, I wouldn’t suggest eating.”
Staring at him for a moment, I blow out a breath. Fucking awesome.
“Wonderful,” I grunt.
“Take a change of clothes. You can’t just come traipsing through the house covered with blood anymore,” he calls to me as I start walking toward the door.
“Must get old,” I say, rolling my eyes. He can’t see me since I’m not facing him. I’m not an idiot, my father is fucking scary.
“Eh, Julia and Rachelle are worth it. That’s why I want you to stop whatever this nonsense is,” he says.
I can’t. Jared won’t allow it, and the others are invested in seeing how far they can push the little mouse. We’ll either fuck or kill her before it’s over, but the probability of both is high.
I say none of the things running through my mind, though. I simply say, “Yes, sir.”
We both know I’m full of shit as I pull open the office door to find a man I don’t know on the other side.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“Come right in,” Dad says instead, purposefully not using a name.
Stepping aside, I scowl as I watch the stranger walk inside. He’s got sandy blonde hair, is wearing a suit and tie, and has blue eyes. This isn’t the sort of man who would work with my father, and this makes me glance over my shoulder at him.
“Leave it alone, Nacio,” he growls as the man walks into the office.
“Hmm,” is all I say as I walk out to see my stepsister walk in through the front door alone. “I’m surprised your girlfriend let you out of her sight.”
“Girlfriend?” Julia asks, walking into the foyer to say hello to her daughter.
Ha. Good luck explaining that.
Rachelle glares at me as I walk away, leaving her to deal with her mother. I don’t know what Julia’s feelings are about having a bisexual daughter, but it’ll still be an interesting conversation for Rachelle to have with her.
Too bad I have places to be now and can’t watch the fallout.
* * *
LILIANA
I really should go home, but I don’t want to. I’ve been at Rachelle’s house all afternoon, doing homework while she was at her therapy appointment in Mr. Emil’s office, had dinner with them, and now I’m laying next to her in her bed while she finishes up her math homework.
The door is open because it’s respectful while her parents are home, and I’m happy to just stare at her. It’s silly, but she’s gorgeous. Her hair is lighter than mine, shades of chestnut hues underneath the light in her bedroom, her eyes narrow in concentration as she bites her lip.
“You’re staring,” she murmurs, lips twitching as she writes down the final number for her answer and tosses the notebook to the side.
“Unapologetically,” I say, shrugging. “I can’t help it. What’s next?”
“It’s unending,” Rachelle groans, opening her laptop. “I have to finish this paper now for tomorrow. I just have the conclusion to do.”
“You’re motoring right through it all,” Mr. Emil observes, leaning against the door.
He’s checked in on us a few times, and her mom brought us dessert an hour after dinner. He’s never come further than the door, though. Rachelle told me that he’s being very careful about her boundaries. It’s really nice to see how serious Mr. Emil is about making sure she’s comfortable at the house.
Now if Nacio could stop being such a dick, then her home life would be a dream.
“Trying,” Rachelle sighs. “It feels like it's never ending.”
Sitting up a little more, I prop the pillows higher against my back. Her bed is really comfortable.
“The top six students in each school grade level get a prize at the end of the year,” I tell her, thinking about how hard the Kings work to secure the top spots. “Every grade is different.”
“Last year, the school sent the freshman to Vermont for a week over the summer,” Mr. Emil remembers, chuckling. “You five talked about that trip for weeks afterward. No responsibilities was a very good reward.”
Nodding, I remember. The guys weren’t so terrible that week. I know the others don’t have the best home life, but Ignacio has always been a little less intense than them. Apparently, that’s not true anymore.
“I doubt I’ll be at the top of anything,” Rachelle says wryly, checking a note in one of her many library books surrounding her. History class is always research paper intensive. “I feel as if I’m barely treading water.”
“I doubt that,” Mr. Emil says before changing the subject. “I’m headed to the school for a teacher-board meeting to discuss removing Mr. Lee as headmaster. Parents are properly whipped into a frenzy, because some of their children have received similar mistreatment.”
“How so?” Rachelle asks, giving her stepfather her full attention. “What has he been doing?”
“He ignored reports of a coach acting sexually inappropriate with the female track team for one,” Mr. Emil says, lip curling in disgust. “An entire third grade class told their parents that their teacher made them run laps around the school in a torrential downpour for two hours because they disrupted class as well. Mr. Lee told the fourth graders that they should behave if they want to stay dry.”
“Aren’t they all eight years old?” I ask, jaw dropping. “That shouldn’t be what Carlysle Prep is about. To be honest, though, I started carrying a weapon with me there in middle school. It’s more of a war zone than anything else recently.”
“I told Julia that I really didn’t remember it being so bad,” Mr. Emil sighs. “Cutthroat academics is fine, but sexual harassment shouldn’t happen at all.”
Rachelle shudders at the thought, and I remember that she hasn’t chosen a club or sport to get involved in.
“I have till Wednesday to decide on this whole club thing, right?” she asks. “Exercising isn’t exactly something I enjoy doing on purpose.”
Mr. Emil snorts, amused as I shake my head.
“Wednesday is the day they’re choosing for you,” I explain. “Tuesday is your cut off. The school is odd about their deadlines, and feel that taking the initiative by getting it done earlier shows excellence.”
“It’s bullshit dogma,” Mr. Emil grunts. “Have you looked at the handbook with all of the clubs?”
Leaning over, Rachelle grabs it from an end table, dropping it on the bed with a wince. The thing is huge.
“My eyes started to cross when I got to that part,” she admits, sighing. “I have no idea what I want to do. There’s so many options.”
“Do you have any hobbies?” Mr. Emil asks.
Hearing him ask that makes me blink, realizing how little he actually knows about her.
Julia joins Emil at the doorway, brow raised. “What are we talking about?” she asks.
“Hobbies that I don’t have,” Rachelle says, amused.
“There wasn’t a lot of time or money for those,” her mom agrees, sighing. “Reading probably doesn’t count.”
“What else?” I ask, crossing my legs underneath me.
“You were learning photography at one point.” Julia remembers. “I don’t know if there’s a way for you to continue that. Your photos were pretty.”
“I was eleven,” Rachelle reminds her, laughing. “I don’t think they were that great, Mom.”
“But do you remember any of it?” I ask. “I’ve had to fill in way too many times to take photos for different events. We desperately need another photographer for the newspaper. Unless you need space from me, of course, then there’s an actual photography club.”
“Why would I need space from you?” she asks.
“Maybe because Lili hasn’t gone home yet today and she’s worried about smothering you, hijita ,” Mr. Emil says, smirking.
Julia hip bumps him as she hides her own smile and my cheeks burn hot.
“Meh,” Rachelle says as if she wasn’t feeling smothered by me earlier today. I know it’s because she felt I didn’t trust her to stay, to keep her promises not to cut. Following her into the bathroom was also excessive. “Is it all digital photography?”
“It is for the newspaper, but the school likes to have print photos of any really exceptional photography,” I explain. “We have several dark rooms at the school too, since different clubs use them.”
“That does seem fun,” she admits. “Do I need a camera?”
“The newspaper has them,” I tell her. “You just check it out and bring it back after the event you’re covering. It can even be the next day since some of the sports games or meets run late.”
“If this becomes something you find you enjoy, we can buy you a camera,” Mr. Emil says too.
“Really?” she asks, to which he just nods and excuses himself to go to the school.
I don’t think she knows how to accept large gifts like this anymore after being on the other side of the financial spectrum for so long. Mr. Emil would rather walk away than let Julia and Rachelle see how sad that makes him. I can understand why, too.
A camera shouldn’t feel like such a big deal.
“Let me know if you guys need anything,” Julia says with a smile before following her husband.
Rachelle goes back to her homework, while I grab a book from my backpack to read and get a jump on my English class. Being caught up doesn’t mean there isn’t anything left to do…
* * *
Blinking, I wake up to darkness all around me, and Rachelle cuddled up against me. I can feel books near my feet and chuckle to myself, apparently she finished and decided to call it. She’s still wearing her uniform, as am I.
Grabbing my phone from my backpack, I wince when I see that it’s after two in the morning and there are messages from my father.
Dad:
Your location says you’re still at Emil’s house, so you must be safe. Did you forget where you live?
Rolling my eyes because I’m doomed to be surrounded by overdramatic men, I text him back.
Me:
I’m so sorry. I fell asleep and just woke up. I’ll come home now.
Dad:
Be careful. I got worried, I didn’t expect you to have an overnight.
He’s very protective, and with good reason since Mom was murdered when I was three. It’s just us now, so I try to make sure he doesn’t worry about me.
Easing carefully away, I push a pillow underneath Rachelle so she can snuggle around it. She’s really cute as she sighs and slides deeper into sleep. Picking up my bag and shoes, I check to make sure I have everything with my phone flashlight. Deciding I’ll just ask Rachelle tomorrow if I’ve left anything, I put away my phone and creep out the door, locking it before I pull it closed behind me.
If I’m not in bed with her, I want to know that she’s safe. Ignacio is a chaos gremlin of anger, I don’t trust him very much right now.
“Doing the walk of shame, Lili?” the devil asks, leaning against the wall. He’s currently shirtless, joggers low on his hips. The problem isn’t that Ignacio isn’t gorgeous, it’s that he uses it like a weapon.
I can’t be with someone that I’m not safe with. I don’t enjoy having games played with my heart.
“I fell asleep,” I respond, yawning. “Nothing happened.”
“So you didn’t eat my sister’s pussy until she creamed for you?” he asks, pushing away from the wall to prowl toward me. That’s the only way I can describe it, his hips rolling as he moves. God, I can see every single muscle on his chest on display, as well as the eight-pack of his abs. “Wasn’t that what you said at the tower, Lili?”
“Completely forgot you were there,” I mutter, pressing my back against the wall as he gets even closer. My fingers drop my backpack as Ignacio’s stupidly muscled arms raise over my head to cage me in.
He just needs to move away so I can get home, and I can spend some time with my vibrator imagining a Rachelle and Ignacio sandwich.
Wait, where did that come from?
“I’m going to make it a point to not be quite so forgettable,” he says, smirking.
He looks like he’s just getting to bed himself, sleep nowhere within his gray eyes. Ignacio looks too alert, his body coiling like a cat, waiting to strike as he leans over me.
“That’s not what I meant,” I tell him, placing my hands on his warm skin and pushing him away.
“Then what did you mean?” he asks, his lips now against the shell of my ear.
“You’re a pompous ass,” I grunt, annoyed when he doesn’t move an inch. “Stop hitting on your stepsister’s girlfriend, Nacio. That’s low even for you.”
“Is that what you two are,” he says, as if it’s news to him. Selective memory isn’t cute. He was right there when I asked her. “Is Dad going to be alright with his new daughter dating the help?”
My father has never been the help, nor has he ever been treated as such. Our parents are best friends as well as associates, and he’s being intentionally cruel. That’s fine, two can play this game.
“What is your dad going to say when he realizes you’re thinking about his new daughter’s pussy and how good it tastes?” I ask innocently, my hand pulling down the waistband of his joggers slowly.
Ignacio pants as he gets lost in the feeling of my fingers grazing over his skin, not realizing that I’m pulling one of the blades from the holster at my thigh. I didn’t take them off when I fell asleep, and to be honest, I keep them near me even at home. I know exactly how dangerous my dad’s career choice is, and there’s even a safe room in my closet.
Everything is sealed in that room once I enter it for twenty-four hours unless needed for a longer period of time. It’s flame proof, flood proof, has its own air supply, food, and water. There’s even a small toilet as well.
Dad thought of everything, and doesn’t fuck around when it comes to my safety. I also don’t mess with fuck boys who don’t care about other’s feelings. I’m not a toy.
Ignacio doesn’t even notice the coolness of the blade until the point is against the base of his cock. His pants are pulled down enough to expose most of his length, and he’s rock hard. I struggle not to pay attention to how good he feels since I’m inadvertently touching his cock. Nope, I am firmly not interested, even as my pussy clenches around nothing, making me shift on my feet.
“Lili,” he growls dangerously, unmoving. “I’m not a fan of sharp instruments around my cock unless there’s a warm, wet mouth accompanying it. Are you going to be a good girl and drop to your knees for me? I’ll make it good for you if you make sure to be loud enough that she wakes up.”
Sick fuck.
“I’d rather have her over you any day,” I say. “I’m not giving her up. You want to make my life hell alongside her? Fucking bring it, little boy.”
“There’s nothing little about my cock,” he rasps, careful not to move his pelvis as he licks up my neck.
That shouldn’t be this hot. My thighs clamp together as I pull in a breath, unfortunately inhaling how fucking delicious he smells.
“You’re so warm, Lili,” Ignacio croons. “Are you sure you don’t want to bounce on my cock outside of her room so she’ll wake up— ow! Fuck.”
There’s a thin slice of blood just above the base of his cock, my lips curving in a smile at the sight. I somehow enjoy the sight of blood on him much more than on his stepsister’s skin.
“I’m not interested,” I say. “Not unless you choose her over whatever fucked up shit you have going on with the Kings. Until that happens, I’d rather cut it off than fuck you. Now back up before I have to explain to Mr. Emil why I stabbed his son.”
“I’m almost tempted to see if you’d go through with it,” he says, glancing at the door where Rachelle is sleeping.
“The door is locked, don’t fuck with her while she’s sleeping. Ever,” I growl, moving the knife to his throat. It’s his fault for leaning over me and giving me access. My fingers release his joggers, snapping against the base of his cock as I grab his hair to keep him in place.
“Shit,” he yelps. “This is a little more pain than even I enjoy, Lili. I promise I won’t fuck with her while she’s sleeping, okay? For all I know, she sleeps with the damn taser.”
“She does,” I lie. Rachelle told me some of what happened when Colton came into her room and sexually assaulted her. I plan to move really slowly with her, find out what she likes and what her limits are.
My girl is working on herself, going to therapy every single day in Mr. Emil’s office with the doctor he found. I don’t want anything to set her back. Ignacio and his friends need to keep their hands to themselves.
“If you continue on this path to get rid of Rachelle, I will slit your throat and remove you as Mr. Emil’s heir,” I say softly, my lips now against the shell of his ear as I hold tightly to his hair. “Maybe he’ll just adopt her and not mourn you at all because you’re such a morose asshole. Be better than this, Nacio.”
Snarling at me, he yanks his head back like a damn bull, but I hold on even tighter to his hair as he stands tall. My feet are dangling in the air because Nacio is six foot two, but my upper arm strength is keeping me in place, my knife perfectly positioned against his throat. Unlike Rachelle, I’m not allergic to exercise.
My father has me running every morning in school, training with his men sparring when I get home twice a week, and shooting practice on the weekends. I may not have killed anyone yet, but I won’t hesitate. I feel emotions deeply, but death is merely business, unless it’s for revenge.
It’s inevitable in my life, even if my dad isn’t sure about if I’ll be his heir yet. That’s more because he wants me to have the freedom to choose my future rather than have it laid out for me. I’m very fortunate.
“This is all I have,” Ignacio says, his arm wrapping around my waist to hold my weight off his hair and scalp. Probably for the best if he doesn’t want to end up bald. “Rachelle doesn’t belong in our world. It’s cruel to let her believe that she does.”
“I think you’re underestimating her,” I grunt. “She’ll show you what she’s made of.”
“Then she better do it soon,” he says as I release his hair.
Dropping me onto my feet, he nearly manages to slice himself open with my knife because he does it so abruptly. Gasping, my hand twists so it’s no longer facing him as I glare at him.
“Good night, Lili,” he says, turning away to disappear into his room, leaving me shaking from the adrenaline as it cycles through my system.
Fucking asshole.