Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
RACHELLE
T oday is a weird day. I’ve been walking to classes, thinking about how quickly last Saturday went from flirting with Jared to running away from a car that wanted to run Lili and I over.
I feel too exposed as I sit in class or walk through the hallways, and it makes me want to hide. Unfortunately, I can’t. Emil said he was working on finding who decided it would be fun to play target practice with his stepdaughter, but I’m having trouble concentrating on anything right now.
So now I’m spacing out and anxious instead.
“Hey,” Lili says, getting my attention. “I have to grab something from my locker, but I was thinking that this afternoon after school I can show you the dark room for your photos? Lunch is going to be me yelling at people, which won’t leave much time for it.”
Smirking, I think about how much fun it’ll be to watch my girl put her foot down. She’s had to take over for too many people who are shirking their responsibilities.
“I can’t wait to see how much of a badass you’re going to be,” I tell her.
Grinning, Lili shrugs. “Someone has to whip them into shape. You’re also writing that article, so add it to your to-do list,” she says. “Dale doesn’t deserve the credit.”
Squeezing my hand, Lili walks away to go to her locker. Sighing, I get lost in my thoughts, thinking about the shit show that happened after I got home with Lili on Saturday.
I may have seemed really calm, but my nervous system is delayed when it comes to reacting after a major scare or trauma. My mind blanks in an effort to get through whatever is going on, and it’s not until I’m safe that my body allows me to cry or freak out. While sitting at the dining room table with Lili, Mom, and Emil, my fingers twitched from the stress, my body shook, and tears slowly dried on my cheeks.
“I promise whoever did this will pay for it,” Emil says. “I thought I had already dealt with this, but it seems I was mistaken. My warning wasn’t as loud as I thought it was.”
“Emil,” Mom grunts. “You’re speaking in circles.”
I’m surprised she’s able to be so calm about this, but she’s a whole different person with him than she was with my dad. Mom is forceful when she needs to be, however it’s not in a mean manner. Driving forward your viewpoint is simply making sure you’re heard instead of being a bitch.
“Sorry,” Emil mutters. “I’m having a disagreement with someone I work with and I may have delivered his employee to him in pieces at his doorstep.”
“Gross, but I guess effective?” Mom asks, wrinkling her nose.
At first, I thought that she may not have known that Emil was in the mafia, but the way that she’s reacting means that she’s not in the dark at all.
As we’re talking, Ignacio walks into the house, appearing as if he’s going to bypass us to head upstairs.
“Nacio,” Emil calls out. “Please make a point to be available later today.”
Walking over, Ignacio looks around at us. Lili and I both have grass stains on our clothes, our hair is tangled from running, and we’re both very quiet.
“What happened? Why do Lili and Rachelle look like they’ve been crying?” he asks. Ignacio looks at his father as if asking what he did, who simply sighs.
“Someone decided it would be fun to run your stepsister and Lili over with their car and shoot at them while they were walking across the school’s parking lot,” Emil says. “I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”
Pursing my lips, I wait to see what he has to say. I really don’t believe the Kings would shoot into an open school lot, since there were a lot of events on campus. From what Lili has told me, they are protective over the students, even though it may only be when it suits them.
“I was at the swim meet, but I had to leave early,” he says. “I saw you there, Rachelle.”
Blinking, I nod, since I didn’t see him at all while I was there.
“I told the girls that I would find out who did this, but ? —”
“There’s not a lot to go on, since I didn’t catch a plate number. I also couldn’t see much when they opened the window to shoot at us,” Lili grumbles.
She’s been frustrated, believing that she should have been more vigilant, and nothing will soothe her about it. Emil is trying, but Lili is really pissed at herself.
“You had Rachelle to take care of,” Ignacio says with a shrug. “Your focus was where it needed to be.”
Who the hell is this version of my stepbrother?
“That’s what I keep telling her,” Emil says. “Your father doesn’t get back until tomorrow, Lili, I would feel more comfortable if you spent the night with us.”
“I agree,” Lili says.
Emil gives us his full attention, not ignoring Ignacio, but giving him the opportunity to leave if he wants to.
“I know you paused your appointments for the weekend, but I’m sure Barrett wouldn’t mind coming by if you wanted him to,” Emil says, his eyes moving over my fingers as they twitch.
“Who the fuck is Barrett?” Nacio snarls, making Lili snort.
Mom purses her lips, but doesn’t respond, because we’re keeping my stepbrother in the dark about the fact that I’m seeing a therapist. Limiting his ability to track what I do is the best way to keep him from hurting me as much.
“What do you think, Rachelle?” Emil asks.
“I’d like that,” I say softly. “I’m cold, so I’m going to go take a shower.”
The chef decides to peek his head in at this time, his gaze taking everything in critically. I have a feeling no one is in the dark about anything that happens.
“Can I send some hot chocolate up to your room in a half hour, Miss Rachelle?” he asks .
Dammit, I’m going to cry again. Sometimes, when I’m on the edge after crying, it doesn’t take much to get me going again. I want to tell him not to be nice to me, but that’s silly. He wouldn’t understand either.
“That would be really nice, thank you,” I rasp, standing. I need to get out of here…
“Rachelle,” a voice says, grabbing my elbow as I walk and pulling me hard out of the middle of the hallway.
Glancing up in surprise, I see it’s Ignacio, and a few of the football players are moving through quickly. They expect people to pay attention, even those who live inside of their heads. I almost got trampled. Ugh.
“What’s going on with you?” Ignacio asks.
“Spacey today, I guess,” I sigh.
One of the football players walks over to us, looking me over.
“You looked like you were in your own little world there,” he says. “You’re the girl who was almost killed over the weekend, right?”
“A little dramatic, Colby,” Ignacio murmurs. “Yes, that’s Rachelle. She was doing stuff for the newspaper.”
“That’s another reason why I came over,” he says, ignoring my stepbrother. “Someone should walk you out during the night and weekend events. I don’t like that this shit is happening on our campus.”
“I don’t either,” Ignacio says. “I’m working with my dad on making sure it doesn't happen again.”
“So Rachelle is being targeted because she’s your stepsister,” Colby says, pursing his lips. “It makes sense. Even if it’s an isolated event, can you get me a list of any other games you’re covering, please? I’ll get someone to walk you out. We can’t protect you against being shot, but they may be less likely to pull in other students.”
“That’s smart,” Ignacio says with a nod. “I’m the only one allowed to fuck with you, Rachelle. A bullet isn’t a good excuse to get out of the bet the Kings have going.”
“I’m not getting in the middle of that,” Colby says, hands raised. “This is my school too, and this is outside of whatever bullshit the Kings have with Rachelle.”
“Agreed,” Ignacio grunts, watching as Colby glances at me.
“Thank you,” I tell him. “It would be nice to not have to be worried about being kidnapped or something while leaving a school event.”
“I’ll swing by at lunch to get that list from you or the editor. I know you’re having a meeting at the newspaper room,” he says with a tight nod, moving away to catch up with his friends.
It’s only eleven-thirty in the morning, and it’s already been a day. Blowing out a breath, I shake my head, trying to move around Ignacio to go to class.
“Wait,” he says. “Who is this Barrett guy who came to the house? I saw him another time too. He’s a little old for you, don’t you think?”
Dr. Barrett Carson is in his late thirties, and I’m very much not interested in him outside of his ability to help me feel less insane.
“Either way, I don’t think it’s any of your business,” I tell him.
“Why is that?” he asks.
“No one trusts you in the house to know,” I huff. “Every single thing you do is meant to hurt me. Why would I give you more access to do that? It would be really nice if you’d just leave me alone.”
Pushing him away, I roll my eyes as he barely moves. The guy is all muscles and made of stone. In fact, being hot seems to be an earmarker to becoming a King. Moving around him, I begin walking to class.
“It’s my house, I should know what’s happening inside of it,” he insists, following me.
“If you showed that you cared about what happened inside of it, then you’d be clued in,” I say. “There’s no paper trail of why he’s there either, so Theo can also go to hell.”
“Dad told you about how systems whisper to Theo so he can get in and out of them without a trace, huh?” he asks, smirking. “I guess I’ll just have to find some other way to find out.”
“Good luck,” I mutter, turning to walk down another hallway.
Is this the way to my class? Nope. I just need space from my stepbrother, and to quiet my thundering heartbeat. I really don’t want him to find out who Barrett is. I’ve told my therapist things that I don’t ever want anyone else to know.
I deserve a chance to be the person I should be, without all of the curveballs life insists on throwing me. Barrett was right. Happiness is fleeting, finding a way to cope when the bubble bursts is important. I hope the hours pass swiftly, because I have a feeling the dark room is going to become my new favorite way to get lost.
* * *
One week later
ELIJAH
“Happy birthday, man,” Jared says with a grin, coming inside with Nacio and Theo. “It’s gonna be a good night.”
Grinning back, I nod, hopeful that it will be. People follow them in, and someone begins to set up music in a corner of the living room. It’s amazing how a party comes together with very little effort if you promise alcohol. You even get a pretty solid DJ out of it too.
My parents dropped ten grand in my bank account before leaving for the weekend, and told me to have fun. That was their idea of being the wonderful humans who created me. It’s my seventeenth birthday, yet may as well be just another day if it wasn’t for my friends. They’re my real family.
It’s why I’m so hyped to see which of us gets to break the little mouse. It’s our team building activity, if you will. The Kings have been doing this for generations, playing with people’s lives just because they can.
Why should we be any different? Personally, I don’t think she has what it takes to survive us. Only time will tell.
“Thanks,” I say with a grin. It’s about nine at night, the perfect time to get started. We’ll be partying for hours, or until we get tired and decide to kick everyone out in favor of spending time together.
The last few weeks have been insane, and I can hardly believe we’re going to see the end of April soon. Midterms have come and gone, soon we’ll all be losing our minds to ensure we’re at the top of the class.
I’ve been hearing hints that the little mouse is pulling through the ranks, and I refuse to be beaten by a girl who’s not from our world. It’s absolutely unthinkable, not to mention, the results are sent to our parents as well, so they’ll find all kinds of ways to make our lives miserable.
Grabbing drinks from the kitchen, I hand out beers to the guys, watching as the house quickly fills with people excited to party. As they see me, they grin and wish me happy birthday, and they actually sound as if they mean it. I love being a King, but the amount of sycophants that suck up to us is disgusting.
It’s already getting old, unfortunately. I think that’s one of the reasons that fucking with the little mouse is so much fun for us. When you have almost everything, you look for ways to destroy others. Sure, I would love to have supportive parents or not to have the rest of my life already planned out for me, but wishes don’t come true.
There’s a power that’s addictive, though, in systematically dismantling someone’s life.
Liliana and Rachelle walk through the door at ten-thirty, while I’m taking a shot outside with the guys. The backyard is a huge garden with a maze as well, and I have no doubts that people will be going back there to fuck since the upstairs area is roped off. The large picture window I’m standing in front of allows me to watch them as Lili says hello to people. She’s well liked and popular, it’s her girlfriend people aren’t sure about because of the target we have on her back.
I’m not sure how I feel about the mafia shooting outside of our school, but I do know I’m not ready for the little mouse to die yet. We have too much fun planned for her.
“Here they are,” I murmur.
Lili pulls Rachelle close to her to dance, and I have to admit they look good together. Rachelle’s hips roll and sway as Lili wraps her arm around her. It’s when they kiss in the sea of other people dancing that my dick twitches. I shouldn’t enjoy watching them, she’s not allowed to have any happiness.
“They’ve been getting hot and heavy now,” Nacio mutters. “Lili spent the night at least twice this week, and she’s always careful to lock the door when they go to bed.”
“You can pick a lock just fine,” I mutter, amused.
One of the first things he taught us when we were ten was how to do this, because one of his father’s men had shown him. It’s quite helpful for getting into places we’re not supposed to be.
“I think she knows that, and I’m not someone who enjoys taking something by force,” he murmurs. “I’ll shame the fuck out of someone to get what I want though.”
“I really hoped the little mouse would come into the shower with me while she was asking me her cute little questions,” Jared says. “I blew my load alone. It was a little pathetic.”
Snickering, I shrug. “We can’t win them all, but we can try again.”
“Let’s play this by ear,” Theo says. “Hit on Lili, get her drunk, make her sing, I don’t fucking care. The end game is to get Rachelle alone, whether it’s to fuck her or humiliate her for thinking one of us would want her.”
Liliana has a killer singing voice, even though few people have heard it. Getting her drunk may be a good way to hear it again.
“We have till senior year to fuck her or murder her,” I murmur. “Either is on the table, right?”
“Yep,” Nacio grunts. “We all know I can get rid of a body.”
Jared snorts, cracking his knuckles before taking another shot.
“Good luck, boys,” he murmurs. “I’m going to set up some shots and politely ask one of the freshmen to walk them around.”
Theo hides his smile, shrugging. “Is that your attempt to appear to be captain material? None of those kids are old enough to be here,” he says.
“We aren’t either,” Jared reminds him. “Elijah is the last one of us to turn seventeen. I’m the oldest. Age is just a number.”
Squeezing my shoulder, he kisses my lips hard.
“Maybe we’ll get you laid tonight, birthday boy,” he says.
“Fuck yeah, may as well,” I agree, looking around. “Who wants to give the birthday boy a blow job!”
Four hands go up, including an adorable junior who is very gay, and I nod. Solid options.
“Go get ‘em,” Nacio says with a chuckle. “Get your dick sucked, and then come help us torture my pretty little stepsister.”
Grinning, I walk toward the Reynolds twins who offered themselves up in tribute. Happy fucking birthday to me.
* * *
RACHELLE
Lili turns me from where I’m grinding my ass against her, and I giggle as I wrap my arms around her waist. Her fingers tangle in my hair before she’s kissing me, her tongue begging for entrance.
There’s so many people here, some dancing with their girlfriend or boyfriend, others looking for a hookup. This school doesn’t seem to care about what your sexual preference or flavor is, and I think the only reason the Kings mess with me about Lili is because it fits their narrative that I’m a whore.
My mouth opens for Lili, and I moan as her hand pulls my leg up around her waist so she can get as close as possible to me. There’s no one to catcall here, and I have no idea where the Kings are despite being in Elijah’s house.
Right now, I don’t care either.
The music is perfect for kissing, grinding on someone, and losing yourself completely. I’ve also taken a few shots of tequila with Liliana, so I’m feeling really fuzzy in the best of ways. I’ve never been one for parties, actually refused to go to one until tonight.
Lili and I are experimenting to see if I can flirt enough with the guys to twist them away from this ridiculous bet. There are times where I think one of them second guesses themselves, and then others where I wonder if it’s all a ruse to get me to let my guard down.
I’m wearing a low cut out tank top with a black mini skirt and knee high combat boots. My hair is curled down my back, makeup done by Lili, and I feel completely different from what my normal style is. We’re spending the night at her house, and made sure to change in the car.
Since she can’t keep her hands off me, I have to believe that the look is working for me.
Leaning back, Lili grins as she drops my leg, turning me so she can hug me as we dance. Her long hair is up in a braid, her body encased in a black body con dress that has only one shoulder strap. I can feel eyes on both of us as I close mine and dance, knowing our swaying bodies look good together.
A kiss on my neck brings me back from the freedom of dancing, and I turn to face her with a smile.
“I need a little air and some water,” she says. “Do you want to come with me or keep dancing?”
“I’ll keep dancing,” I tell her with a small smile. If there is any chance of the guys approaching me, it’ll be while she’s not with me.
“Maybe I’ll get lucky and Nacio will try to hit on me,” she breathes in my ear.
“Your new knives do need a little blood on them,” I tease her, ghosting my fingertips over her skin to feel the outline of her knives on her upper thighs. Lili is so damn sexy.
A part of me doesn’t want to let her leave, but it’s the only way to see if the guys will be willing to shoot their shot.
“God, do you think I have a blood kink?” Lili asks. “Can we read a book with that next?”
My cheeks heat at her question. My reading has gotten a lot more interesting lately. I actually managed to read a scene or two with her without dying of embarrassment, but I actually like when Lili reads to me instead.
“God, I just love you,” I giggle, my eyes widening when I realize what I said.
Lili grins at me, kissing my cheek. “Ditto. Whether you mean it yet or not, I adore you, Rachelle. I’ll be right by the door,” she says, turning to disappear into the crowd.
Biting my lip, I shake my head, unable to believe I said that. It’s too soon to say it, but I’ve never said it to anyone other than my parents. Everything I feel for Lili is so big, I’m glad she didn’t freak out about it.
The next song is from the Darkest Nights , and the room of dancers loses it. It’s less lonely to dance when everyone else is, so I’m just going to continue to have fun. Closing my eyes, I raise my arms up as I move to the music. No one is paying attention to me, it’s just a sea of singing, dancing, and people having fun.
A hand squeezes my hip hard, pulling me against his chest and groin. I can’t tell who this is, so I continue to dance, my eyes opening to glance outside toward Lili. She shakes her head at me, signaling this isn’t one of the guys. He won’t let go as I attempt to wiggle out of his grasp, his fingers digging harder into my hip.
“Ow,” I mutter, stomping on his foot. “Back off.”
I’m getting better about using my words, something I’ve been working on with Barrett. Slowly, I’m starting to figure out how I want to move in the world, and how to make people hear me. Sometimes, words aren’t the only way to get people to hear you.
“She said to get off of her,” Theo grunts, stepping in front of me. “Come on, Bryce.”
Lips parted in surprise, I manage to turn to find that it’s the swim team captain behind me. I guess Jared was right about the fact that he’s not as nice of a guy as he pretends to be. Everyone seems to be hiding who they are at this school.
“I figured I’d take her for a ride,” Bryce says, drinking his beer. “I’m bored, and you all call her a whore.”
“She’s not your whore,” Theo snarls. “I think it’s time for you to go home.”
Jared plucks Bryce’s keys from his pocket with a sugary fake smile from behind him. It feels as if they came out of thin air, but I was simply lost to the music when they began watching me.
“Night, Captain. Enjoy that walk home,” he says.
While it’s not frigid outside anymore, it’s still dark and cool. Bryce glares at Jared before walking out of the house, angry that he can’t play whatever games he was planning with me. My hip still throbs from where he grabbed me, and I finally no longer have boot marks on my shoulder from Jared’s welcome on my first day of school. Elijah appears suddenly, dogging his footsteps, I guess to make sure that he actually leaves. This isn’t exactly how I’d want to spend my birthday, but it’s not my party or day.
“Come dance with me, Little Mouse,” Theo says darkly, grabbing my hand to haul me against him.
“This whole forcing me to do things situation is getting old,” I sass him, my hips already beginning to move to the music. I tend to dance alone in my room, so I’m actually having fun, despite what just happened. “I’m also not a whore.”
“Too bad, we’ll have to see about that,” Jared says, his hands ghosting down my sides until he fists the bottom of my skirt. “I’m still enjoying our little game, aren’t you, Theo?”
“I am,” he murmurs. “Fuck, what the hell are you wearing, Little Mouse? I would never think all of this exists underneath the boring school uniforms.”
“Fucking gorgeous,” Jared grunts, almost so low I can’t hear him. His erection grinds against my ass, and I have to hold back a gasp as his movements force me to move with him. “Yeah, just like that. I’ve been watching you dance, and couldn’t stop.”
“You’ll give her a big head if you’re not careful,” Theo teases him, his hand moving to my hair to fist it. “Your cheeks look so pink, Rachelle. Is it just the dancing, or is your girlfriend saying dirty things to you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I breathe, surprising myself. I’m going to blame the tequila for this, because my skin is extra sensitive, and things are tightening in places they typically only do for Lili.
I refuse to like these boys.
Theo’s lips twist cruelly, dropping his head as he buries his face in my neck, sucking hard. This time, I can’t hide the gasp as Jared chuckles, his lips touching the shell of my ear.
“You’re playing with fire, little girl,” he whispers. “Keep dancing. You owe me for making me come alone.”
“I don’t owe you shit,” I moan, feeling as Theo marks my skin with a hickey. God, he’s such a jerk. The memory of the way Jared stroked his cock makes me bite my lip as I squirm between them.
Jared’s hand spanking me was not on the list of possible things that could happen tonight. As I gasp in a breath to yelp, it’s swallowed by Theo instead as he yanks my head back to kiss me. My fingers dig into his sinewy biceps as I’m surprised into kissing him back.
Since I’m so short, the guys are bending their knees and wrapped around me, so their cologne surrounds me completely. They smell like danger and chaos in the best of ways, and I can’t stop kissing Theo. His lips are soft and firm, but he’s very demanding.
It’s almost like a battle of wills, so different from the way Liliana kisses.
Jared’s hands roam as we continue to dance, cupping and squeezing my breasts. This shirt has a built-in bra, so I’m not wearing one tonight, something he realized quickly as he curses under his breath.
“Jesus, Little Mouse, I meant it when I said that every one at school would either be jealous of how gorgeous you are or would want to fuck you,” he mutters. “I just thought I’d be better than everyone else.”
“Are you admitting that you want to split her in two with your cock?” Theo asks, lifting his head with a dark chuckle. “I want to see how well you ride my thigh, it’ll give me some spank bank material for later, Rachelle.”
The way the guys interchangeably use my name and nickname gives me whiplash, causing me to blink up at him in confusion. I’m unsure about what he means.
“Like this,” he grunts, his large hands slightly lifting me as he shoves his leg between my thighs. “All you have to do is follow the music and rock, baby. Fuck yourself on my thigh.”
“More innocent than we first thought,” Jared murmurs, his hand on my throat as he pulls my head back to kiss my lips. “Theo is going to take good care of you, just concentrate on feeling everything he has to give you.”
Straddling Theo’s thigh, I follow his movement as he grinds me down on it. My clit is getting stimulation in a way I didn’t think would feel good, making me want more. Their large bodies sheltering me from the world, I continue to swirl my hips in a circle, whimpering into Jared’s mouth because it feels so good.
Everything slowly pinpoints around me until all I’m aware of is Jared, Theo, the pounding music, and the way it’s making me a molten mess as their hands move over my body.
“So responsive, I can’t wait to see you cream all over my thigh,” Theo whispers in my ear, his hand squeezing my hip as he encourages me to continue rocking and gyrating on his thigh.
The feel of his muscles clenching and releasing as he continues to work me over, as he practically fucks me with his thigh, is impressive and addicting. Jared distracts me with his lips and tongue as his pelvis pushes me back over Theo’s thigh, making it so there’s nowhere to go, even if I wanted to.
Jared’s kisses are so different from Theo’s too. Instead of intense and on the edge of cruel, they’re searching and slow, as if he’s attempting to pull every possible secret from me. I have no doubt that if he could, it’s exactly what he’d do.
My toes are curling in my boots, my noises stifled by Jared as he groans into my mouth. I can feel how close I am to coming just from using Theo as my personal riding post, and my body has to be flushed all over.
“All I want to do is push your shirt up and suck on your tits,” Theo growls in my ear. “I want to see how far the pretty pink flush goes, too. The only thing keeping me from doing it is the fact that I don’t want anyone else to see what’s mine.”
“Ours,” Jared grunts, lifting his lips only to correct him before kissing me again.
“Fine,” Theo says, his hand that’s not on my waist and ass covering my breast, fingers pinching my nipple hard.
I didn’t know pain was something I liked until very recently, and I whimper against Jared’s lips as I shudder. It’s too late to stop the floodgates as I bite down on Jared’s lip, coming hard. I can vaguely taste blood before I release him, and all Jared does is grin before returning for more.
“Such a good girl,” Theo whispers. “God, I wish you were coming apart on my pierced cock instead. I want to feel your wet, tight cunt.”
I’m so far gone, I can’t think too hard about that, the thought of having sex with a guy is not something I allow myself to dwell on very often. The only other time I have is when I asked Barrett if a person can be so broken that it's never possible to be intimate with a guy again without being triggered, and he said only time will tell.
All of that floats away as Theo praises me in a deep, guttural voice, stealing me away from Jared to kiss me as well. Being between the two of them as they pass me back and forth is a heady experience, and almost too much as I find myself slowly coming back to myself after my orgasm.
Theo eases me onto my feet while Jared fixes my skirt, and I have to remind myself that whatever this is isn’t real. Their world is a stage, I just don’t understand what the purpose of this was, unless they just wanted a taste.
“If you decide that you want to return the favor, we’ll be around, but I’m jealous as fuck of Theo’s thigh right now,” Jared mutters before they nod at Elijah and walk away.
Elijah’s warm gaze makes me swallow thickly as it travels up my body, and I have to force myself not to make sure I’m having a wardrobe malfunction or something. Forcing myself to turn away first, I see Lili watching just inside the door.
As soon as she sees that my gaze is on hers, she winks at me, jerking her head toward the kitchen. It’s empty when we walk inside, and she grabs a bottle of water for me. Pressing it against my overheated skin along my neck, I wince as I feel the bruise Theo left there.
Fucking Neanderthal.
“You looked so gorgeous between them,” she croons, hugging me. “Did that asshole bite you?”
“Yes,” I mutter. “They’re like dogs marking their territory.”
“While I’m willing to share, I have no trouble reminding you how possessive I can be,” she says with a smirk.
More people come into the kitchen, and I twist open my bottle to drink deeply. I’m seriously thirsty after taking shots of tequila and having my lips kissed off. Thank god I was only wearing lipgloss earlier and it’s long gone by now. Having it smeared everywhere would not be a good look for me.
Leaning against the island, I ask, “Did you run into anyone outside? I was a little preoccupied to look.”
The last words are said with an embarrassed smile, and Lili giggles.
“Nacio pinned me against the wall, the idiot. I think it’s an exercise in seeing how far he can push me,” she says, shrugging. “The only upside is that I didn’t make him bleed this time.”
“I don’t know if that’s an upside,” I tease her. “I think I secretly like when you make Nacio bleed.”
“So many secret kinks,” Elijah drawls, overhearing me. I wasn’t really quiet, so I guess it’s my fault.
“May I remind you that you don’t know me,” I tell him, shrugging. Tossing my water bottle in the trash. “I need to find a bathroom. I drank too much water.”
“There’s several on this floor, but most of the house is blocked off,” Elijah says, crossing his arms over his chest. His henley t-shirt reminds me how snug it is as he does that, his tattoos on full display again since the sleeves are pushed up his arms.
It’s not fair to be that hot and still such an asshole.
“Are you going to offer me another option, or let me pee right here?” I ask, smirking as Lili snorts.
“Sassy when she needs to take a piss, definitely noted,” she says, grinning.
“Alright, fine. The stairs are roped off, but go under it and run up to the bathroom that’s the first door on the left. No one should bother you up there,” he says. “Was that more helpful.”
“Much,” I sigh, nodding. “Thank you.”
My purse is slung across my chest, the only thing in it is my phone to stay in contact with Lili if we get separated tonight.
“I’m following you up if you take too long,” Lili says.
“You two are gross,” Elijah groans. “What could possibly happen in this house?”
“Keep that up, and I’m going to go up and watch her pee,” Lili growls while I walk out of the kitchen, rolling my eyes with a snicker.
She really would follow me too. I plan to be quick, because I don’t want Jared to think I’m taking him up on his oh so sweet offer. I don’t plan to be gagging on cock tonight, thank you very much.
Making my way to the stately curved staircase, I duck underneath the rope to walk up the stairs. There’s a brightly lit chandelier hanging over my head that probably costs a fortune, making me shake my head at this place. I’m sure the only way Elijah’s parents allowed him to have this party is if he promised to put up any breakables.
So far, I haven’t seen anything crazy happen yet, so it’s probably fine.
The door is unlocked when I open the door Elijah said would be the bathroom, and I peek inside to find the light switch. Blowing out a breath, I walk in and lock the door behind me, hurrying to take care of my bladder. I swear, the urge to pee came over me so quickly, I thought I was going to explode walking up all of those stairs.
Cleaning up, I flush the toilet and then wash my hands, taking a moment to dry them too. Now, to get back to Lili.
Opening the door, my jaw drops as I see Jared fucking what looks to be Marci up against the wall across from me.
“That could have been you, Little Mouse, but you took too damn long,” Nacio growls, pulling me against his chest to watch Jared’s dick slam into Marci’s pussy.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use enough soap to wash my eyes out. I don’t even know how I should feel…