Chapter 37
“God, I can’t believe he kept you handcuffed to his bed for an entire week,” Meela says, pulling her purse strap over her shoulder. “Someone should cut off his balls and stick them up his ass.”
Leah sighs and nudges her glasses higher on her nose. “Why must you say the most vulgar things?”
My eyes land on the tape holding the plastic frames together. Leah says everything’s cool, but I still feel guilty about her glasses—and about what Snake did to her. She ordered a new pair, but delivery takes two to three weeks.
“Someone should cut off his testicles and lodge them up his rectum.” Meela crosses her arms under her ample breasts and cocks a sardonic eyebrow. “Better?”
Leah’s eyes roll heavenward. “I’m sick of you,” she grumbles.
“Aw, darling, don’t be like that,” Meela croons, pinching Leah on the cheek. “You know you love me.”
Leah slaps her hand away. “With much difficulty.”
I laugh. “I’ve missed you two.”
“Duh, what’s not to miss?” Meela hooks her arm around mine and pulls me toward the exit. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
A smile curves my lips as we shuffle down the hallway. Honestly, I’m surprised Sandman didn’t change his mind about letting me come back to school. Of course, Snake watched me like a hawk all day. I even caught him standing outside some of my classes.
“I never thought I’d be so happy to be back at school.”
“Oh God, she’s delusional,” Meela gasps in mock horror and speeds up her steps. “Hurry, we have to get her to the mall ASAP.”
“Don’t forget, Leah is taking me to see my grandmother first,” I remind her. “Wanna come with? We’ll just be a half hour, tops.”
I miss my grandmother so much. I can’t wait to feel her wiry arms around me.
Meela scoffs. “Absolutely the fuck not. I can’t be in the same house as your bitchy cousin.”
“You and me both.” Deja hasn’t seen me in a week. For all she knew, I could’ve been dead in a ditch. And all I got was the stink face and a snarky “The whore is back” when we passed in the hall this morning.
“I’ll hang out with the ice queen for a bit.” She draws in an annoyed breath. “Just pick me up after. Ugh, I can’t believe she revoked my car privileges again.”
“Is it necessary to call your sister that?” Leah asks, always the voice of reason. “Anyway, what did you expect? You kept staying out past curfew.”
“Okay, Little Miss Ice Queen Number Two. I have a man to win, so fuck Tulip’s curfew.”
Leah clucks her tongue disapprovingly. “He’s so inappropriate for you.”
“What can I say? I’m a naughty girl.”
Leah shakes her head but says nothing.
“What happened to Levi and Theo?” I was afraid to ask Sandman.
He tasked the prospects with watching over me the day I slipped away to have the abortion. Sure, they aren’t pillars of society, but I don’t want anyone else’s blood on my hands.
“Heard they were taken to God’s Glory and got the shit beat out of them,” Meela answers me. “I haven’t seen them since, though.”
“Do you think… do you think they’re dead?” Please don’t be dead.
“Nah, they were probably told to leave Kent and never show their faces again,” she assures me. “Now, had you gotten the abortion, they’d definitely be…” Meela drags a long stiletto-shaped fingernail across her throat.
Redmond’s decapitated head flashes in my mind’s eye, sending a chill down my back. I know what that chill is. It’s death.
The stench of it surrounds me; it flows through my veins and fills my lungs, leaving its decadent flavor on my tongue. It’s death that fucks me senseless every single day, ruthlessly, with a potent fervency so violent it vibrates through my soul.
Then, when I’m drained of all energy—sweat-slicked, muscles limp, and body weak—it fucks me again, more ruthless and harder than before.
Even now, I feel death’s phantom fingers between my thighs, stroking my most sensitive area. I never imagined death would be a man with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen and hair the color of the sun. Death is a siren’s song, and I’m firmly trapped in its grasp.
“Zilphia, are you okay?” Leah asks, dispelling my carnal thoughts.
“Yeah.” I blink several times, attempting to dispel my troubled thoughts. “Why?”
“You zoned out on us, girl,” Meela says as her probing eyes roam over my face. “You do that a lot. What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” I mumble, looking down at my shoes. “It’s just that I have a lot of schoolwork to catch up on.”
I don’t want to talk about Sandman. I just want to have a good time with my friends.
“Ugh!” Meela exclaims. “What the hell does he want?”
I jerk my head up and follow her gaze, spotting Snake propped beside the double glass doors, his arms folded across his chest. Leah’s breaths quicken as his dark gaze slowly sweeps over her lithe figure.
It promises ecstasy, pain, and the filthiest sex acts that can be performed on the human body.
I know because it’s the same way Sandman looks at me.
Leah lowers her gaze and protectively wraps her arms around her torso.
Snake smirks and steps into her path, whispering something in her ear.
Whatever he said had the desired effect, which no doubt was fear.
Tears roll down her cheek as he pushes a hand under her shirt and draws slow circles on her belly.
“Leave her alone, Lucien,” Meela snarls.
She knows full well that using his given name in public is a sign of disrespect—something I learned from her. The girl loves playing with fire, and if she’s not careful, one day that fire is going to burn out of control.
“Watch yourself,” Snake snarls. “Jig won’t be your protector forever. And man, am I looking forward to knocking you down a peg or two.”
Meela bats her eyelashes. “Little ole me? But I’m sweet as a five-pound bag of sugar, sugar.”
“On second thought, I hope Jig gives you exactly what you want.” Snake moves closer to her, bending his head until his hard gaze is eye level with hers. “There’s a side of him you’ve never seen. He’s going to fuck up your entire world.”
“Good, because I want him to fuck up my world in all types of ways.”
Snake’s signature smirk curves his lips again. “Not like this, baby girl. Not like this,” he warns before pivoting on his heel and pushing through the doors.
“What a butthole,” Meela says, glowering at his back. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing important.” Leah angrily swipes at the wet trails on her cheek. “I can’t wait to graduate and move far away from here.”
We walk out into the cool autumn day, and I stop in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat.
There he is.
The bane of my existence.
The blond devil.
He casually lounges against the side of his motorcycle. I drink him in, my gaze sweeping over his jean-clad legs. I know just how powerful those legs are. An unwelcome image of him on his knees as he pounds into my body filters through my mind, making my pussy clench.
I shake my head and continue my perusal, admiring the thick veins covering his muscular arms, identical to the thick veins on his dick. Our gazes clash, and the intensity reflected in his blue orbs nearly bowls me over. It’s the same look he gives me right before he fucks me senseless.
A slight breeze ruffles his loose golden mane, and several strands flit across his blindingly beautiful face. Fuck him to hell and back. No man should look that good, especially him.
“Jesus Christ,” Meela grumbles. “Zeus’s offspring are annoying as fuck.”
I hurry down the stairs and march straight up to him. “What are you doing here?” I whisper-yell at him. “You said I could see my grandmother and go to the mall after school.”
He tosses me a helmet. “I’m taking you.”
“But why?”
“Because I don’t trust you.” He straddles his motorcycle and motions for me to get on behind him. “Get on.”
“I said I wouldn’t—”
“Get on the fucking bike, Zilphia, or the only place you’ll be going is up and down on my dick,” he bellows. My cheeks heat in embarrassment. God, I fucking hate him!
I look back at Meela and Leah, blinking back the tears threatening to spill free. “I’ll meet y’all at the mall.” I hold out my backpack to Leah. “Can you take this for me?”
She gives me a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, sure.”
“She’s sorry for what she did, okay?” Meela fumes, her hands forming tight fists at her side. “Are you going to shit on her for the rest of your miserable life?”
“Not just shit, I’m going to piss on her too,” he counters, gracing her with the same sardonic smirk perfected by his brother, and obviously inherited from their father. “Wait, I already did that.”
Meela frowns, blinking in confusion. I haven’t told them about my visit to God’s Glory and most likely never will.
“Get on the bike, Zilphia,” he orders again. “Or should I give your classmates something to really talk about?”
I avoid the faces around me, slipping the helmet on before climbing onto the bike behind him.
Once we’re away from prying eyes, I allow my tears to fall.
I can’t be at his beck and call for the rest of my life.
I just can’t, and bringing a baby into this toxic shit is crazy.
I don’t know what to do. Killing him isn’t an option.
The Gods would never stop searching for me.
Anyway, I can’t stomach the thought of killing him, though I’d be doing myself and the world a favor.
He makes a sharp turn down an alley, and I instinctively tighten my arms around his waist. One of these days, he’s going to send us both to an early grave.
I frown, noticing there’s no outlet at the other end.
He kills the engine, but before I can ask any questions, he’s off the bike and yanking me in front of him.
“Why—” I gasp, the words dying on my tongue as he snatches my helmet off, dropping it beside his on the ground.