10. Chapter 10
10
Malak
I was worried about Kelly. She’d come barreling inside, looking like she was upset, but didn’t want to talk. I wasn’t going to mess with her. I’d already had to bring her down from a panic before, and I was pretty sure if I put my hands on her again so soon, she might clock me. Well, honestly, maybe I was willing to risk that.
Truthfully, I’d opened the door to check on her an hour later and she’d been asleep. So, instead I decided to leave her be. As hard as it was for me.
Something about her drew me to her. Her beautiful body, that look in her brown eyes. The pull felt almost magnetic. I could still feel her skin underneath my fingers. The way it felt while tilting her chin. The way she’d listened to me, that spark of tension between us.
I felt a hunger inside me just thinking about it.
I pulled another drag at the cigarette in my hand. The view from the patio wasn’t the best during the day, but at night, the moon was stunning. It was a full moon that night. I chuckled and shook my head. Right when I was about to take another hit, I felt a presence behind me.
I took the ear buds out of my ears. The sound of Hindi Hip-Hop filled the space of the patio much louder than it likely needed to be.
“Hey,” Taylor said as she stepped beside me.
I reached for my phone on the small table and paused the track.
I took another hit and slowly blew it out. I raised a brow. “What’s up with you?”
Taylor opened her mouth and then blinked and shook her head before looking at the sky.
“Hah, full moon, well, that explains it,” she mumbled.
My brow knit. “What?” I asked and put the butt out on the banister before tossing it in the ashtray.
“I think Grey and Kelly are fucking,” Taylor said slowly.
My heart skipped a beat.
“What?” I asked, hands tensing.
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t care,” Taylor insisted, putting her hands up. “I know pretty much everyone who visits fucks him eventually, but I figured you’d like to know.”
I swallowed hard, jealously flooding my senses, and my hands balled into fists.
“Can I get a smoke?” Taylor asked.
I nodded, “Sure, whatever.” I motioned to the table. I turned away from her. Deep breath.
I looked back up at the sky, and after a moment, chuckled.
“God, he’s ridiculous,” I mumbled.
“Yup,” Taylor agreed. “You should probably go make light of things or something. Who knows what he put into her head to get her in bed?”
I sighed. My stomach was still twisted with jealousy, but it was subsiding. If Grey had touched her without her express consent, I’d kill him, so I knew he hadn’t. Even if it irked me, the idea that she asked him. Kelly, being unscathed, was what mattered the most.
I grabbed my pack of smokes and lighter off the table after Taylor was all set up with a smoke and headed inside, shoving them in my pocket.
As I was headed down the hallway, Kelly’s door opened and Grey came out, shirtless, sweaty, smirking.
We locked eyes. My heart thudded. I eyed him from head to toe. The tattoos that littered his frame, curving along his ribs around to his back and weaving up his shoulders, they sparked a desire in me. I swallowed and continued walking towards him.
“Got her first,” Grey mumbled and turned towards his room.
My ears heated. I hated the way he spoke about her, the smarmy look on his stupid fucking face. Yet, as Kelly came into view, wrapped in a blanket, the first thing that came out of my mouth when I looked at her wasn’t any better.
“Welcome to the club,” I chuckled nervously.
I watched her face contort. “What?” she asked, her brow furrowed, her eyes wide.
I could see it on her face. Whatever Grey had said to her in there wasn’t the truth. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had made it seem like it was a special thing, that he didn’t normally bang any woman with a mouth to say yes.
I watched her face fall. I watched as my words broke through whatever pleasantry Grey had given her.
“Kelly—-” I started, but she rushed backwards and slammed the door in my face
I sighed. “I deserved that.” I looked to the side towards Grey’s room. I didn’t have the time to deal with Grey’s shit, but, as he came out of his room, fully clothed and looking like he was headed somewhere, I suddenly couldn’t stop myself.
“What are you doing?” I asked him. I knew he’d just gotten done with work.
Grey eyed me and brushed past me in the hallway. “What’s it to you?” he asked.
“I’m the guy who decides whether you have a job,” I replied and followed him out into the living room.
Taylor’s brothers were asleep on the couch, but Taylor was still outside on the patio.
“Yeah, right.” Grey rolled his eyes and turned to head out the front door.
I followed him. “What happened with Kelly?” I asked him.
“I didn’t you’d want all the juicy details,” Grey sassed, “If you really want to know I flipped her onto her stomach and—-”
I growled as we got to the bottom of the stairs. “You know that’s not what I mean.”
Grey pushed the door open and turned to face me as I held it open with one hand while he walked backwards.
“What do you mean?” he asked, a smarmy look on his face.
If it was possible to slam the front door of the apartment building, I would’ve. Instead, as I aggressively pushed it away from me and stepped closer to Grey, the door just slowly moved to a close.
“How the fuck did Kelly go from not wanting to be in the same room as you to fucking you?” I asked him.
Grey shrugged. “Maybe I’m just that good.”
I folded my arms as he stopped walking, reaching the edge of the sidewalk.
“I doubt it,” I told him. I watched the wind ruffle his hair. My gaze shifted to the strip of skin between his unbuttoned Henley neckline.
“What did you say to her?” I asked.
Grey tilted his head to the side. “Why do I have to have said something to her?” he asked. His skin still shone with a light sheen of sweat, even in the cool evening air.
“You’re a dick,” I told him. “I know you, I’ve known you for five years now, dipshit.”
Grey scoffed.
“Believe it or not, I care about you,” I told him.
“Yeah, you show it real good, oh baby,” Grey teased and wiggled his shoulders.
I stepped closer to him, my shoulders tense.said. “I don’t want you fucking things up for yourself or anyone else.”
Grey’s eyes narrowed. “You mean Kelly,” he said, “This isn’t about me.”
My jaw tightened, but I didn’t say anything. I knew the feeling of jealousy and frustration that bubbled up in my chest when I thought about the two of them together was there. I wasn’t stupid, but Grey didn’t need to know.
“You want Kelly too,” Grey told me, and there was a glitter of something I was feeling too in his eyes. Possessiveness.
“Maybe I do,” I replied, “and maybe I want to make sure you’re not making even more of a dick out of yourself than you already do.”
Grey stepped closer. “I’ll do what I want to do,” he told me, “…Kelly fucked me, not you, get over it.”
I could smell sex on him. Hot, sweaty. The mingling scent of both his own and Kelly’s skin. A fire burned in my stomach. I shifted in my jeans.
“You know, if you weren’t so hot, I might not deal with your bullshit,” I said to him, voice low, dark.
I watched his body tense, his pupils dilate. Face dark in the dim light of the parking lot.
“Yet, you do,” Grey said quietly.
I sighed and stepped back after a moment. “You hurt her. We’ll have a problem, understand?” I told him.
Grey swallowed. “Whatever,” he replied, but I saw the look of anxiety in his eyes, “and for the record, she asked me to fuck her. Begged, actually. So you don’t need to worry about her.”
The knot in my stomach grew bigger. I didn’t want to believe him, but I knew he wouldn’t lie about that.
I took a slow breath in through my nose.
“Why?” I asked.
Grey blinked. “Why what?”
“Why the sudden change with Kelly? What happened exactly?” I asked again. My arms unfolded, and I shoved my hands into my pockets.
Grey sighed. “I don’t know. She was upset, something about her sister's marriage, and wanted some comfort I guess,” he chuckled, “in the form of sex.”
“Right, your specialty,” I mumbled and shook my head. “And you just left her in there? Where do you plan on going?” I asked.
Grey shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve got some potentials I need to meet, then I might head back to the club.”
I eyed him. “Right,” I told him, “Leaving me here to tend after her.”
Grey put his hands out. “You do what you want,” he said, “but do you really think Kelly will want you if she knows about the club?”
My back tensed. I remembered what I’d overheard in the kitchen. Grey very tactlessly asking Kelly if she was still into ‘being told what to do’ and ‘being tossed around’. I could guess very easily what that meant, and Kelly’s reply. She wasn’t into BDSM anymore.
“She’s not into it anymore. Doesn’t mean she’ll care,” I replied, trying not to let him get to me.
Grey nodded, “No, but I do know the reason I never got to her in High School was because of my family. I doubt she’s willing to take on two criminals.”
My eyes darkened.
“Illegal club, or have you forgotten?” he asked. “You’re not better than me, Malak.”
“No,” I replied, “but have you forgotten what I said about her asking you?”
Grey blinked.
“She asks, I’d blow you,” I told him, watching him squirm, knowing it would get under his skin.
“Or are you a one and done kinda kutiya ?” I asked him and reached a hand out. I gripped his jawline and pulled him closer.
“Don’t fuck with me,” I told him. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”
My hand slid down to his neck, and I gripped his throat, pulling him onto his tiptoes.
He gasped softly for air.
“Like you said, two criminals,” I hissed through my teeth, “but unlike you, I’m all alone. I don’t have my family to back up my threats. I do that all on my own.”
Grey’s face flushed. His hands pushed at my chest, but he failed miserably.
“Go do whatever you gotta do. I’ll be here when you get over yourself.”
My heart was pounding in my ears. I let him go, watching him almost fall back to the concrete, panting softly. My eyes scanned his body, noticing the bulge in his pants.
“Fuck you,” Grey hissed.
“Any time.”
My heart was pumping quickly as I headed back up to the apartment. I didn’t need to go check in on the club that day, or I’d be following after Grey to see what he was up to. Instead, my curiosity was on Kelly. I needed another smoke, but instead of heading for the balcony, I headed for Kelly’s room. My knuckles tapped twice on the door.
Silence.
I waited.
“Kelly,” I said from the other side of the door, my voice lowered, “We need to talk.”
I heard faint shuffling from the other side of the door, then it creaked open slowly.
“What?” Kelly asked, “Here to gloat about Grey being a slut?”
“No,” I replied, “I’m used to that.”
My eyes met Kelly’s as she peaked out from the door, annoyance laced those beautiful brown eyes. They mirrored my face, and I saw my heard that had gotten a bit unkempt the last few days.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Let me in,” I insisted. I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries.
Kelly groaned and opened the door. I felt a wave of disappointment set through me as I noticed she wasn’t wearing just a blanket anymore, instead she was wearing a thick fluffy robe, tied securely in a bow around her waist.
“Alright, you're in,” Kelly said.
I closed the door behind me. I watched her light brown skin grow darker with blush.
“What happened earlier?” I asked her.
Kelly blinked and looked to the side. “Earlier?”
“Don’t play dumb,” I told her. “You came running in upset, then had a comfort fuck with Grey. Yeah, I know that’s what it was.”
Kelly flushed deeper and sunk down onto the corner of her bed.
I stepped over and stood in front of her, arms folded.
“Y-You know, I don’t owe you an explanation,” she insisted, but she couldn’t make eye contact with me. Her shoulders tugged inwards submissively.
“Alright, I’ll go,” I started to turn on my heel, but I felt her hand grab the leg of my pants.
I felt her fingers curl more intently into the denim. “Wait,” she mumbled.
I smirked for a moment and then turned back around. The way she was looking up at me instantly melted me. Her wide eyes gazed up at me from below, tired, sad, struggling. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, hold her close to my chest.
I swallowed, surprised at this feeling. I hadn’t felt it in quite a while.
“I told you living with my sister- and sister-in-law was getting complicated,” she started. “I didn’t explain it, you didn’t ask.”
I shifted on my feet and debated sitting beside her, but my hands were already antsy just looking at her. I unfolded my arms and shoved them in my pockets. “Right,” I replied. I stayed quiet, encouraging her to go on.
“I learned their marriage was, apparently, done out of convenience,” she told me.
I raised my brows. “Oh, really?” I asked.
She nodded and looked towards the floor, her hands fiddling in her lap.
“Yeah,” she looked up at me, her brows furrowed, “You don’t seem surprised.”
I pursed my lips. “Well, in Indian culture arranged marriages are common, even today,” I told her.
“Even in America?” she asked.
“Yup, India, America, anywhere really. It’s agreed upon, not forced, and—” I narrowed my eyes, “I’ll tell you more later, you continue.”
Kelly licked her lips. I could imagine the taste just watching her. I chided myself internally.
“Well,” she exhaled, “My sister knew, our parents, no one told me. Not only that,” she shook her head, “Rose, my sister-in-law, has feelings for me.”
I blinked. Rose. I had years of memories tied to that name. I brushed the name off and focused on Kelly.
“Wow,” I said slowly, “I can’t say that surprises me, but that must be hard for you.”
Kelly nodded and tilted her head to the side. “Why doesn’t it surprise you?”
I looked up for a moment and then crotched down to be more at eye level with her. Ignoring the scent of sex that was wafting out of the room via the open window.
“Most people who get arranged married have feelings for someone else,” I told her. “It’s the name of the game. I’ve seen it ten times over. Not to mention, you’re beautiful,” I looked around, and motioned at the bookcase she had commandeered from the living room to make her own, “You’re smart and driven. I could see that from how quickly you got out of the situation.”
Kelly smiled softly and looked at her lap again.
“I’m sure your sister is beautiful and smart too, but, well, we don’t really control how this shit works out.” I mumbled.
“It’s just not fair,” Kelly sighed. When she looked up, I saw the tears in her eyes. “I feel like Rose broke a bridge down for nothing. She could’ve just…let it go, continued on with my sister.”
I eyed her. I watched her nervous and sad body language, the way her thighs squeezed together.
“Do you have feelings for her?” I asked.
Kelly’s shoulders tensed.
“It doesn’t matter,” she replied. “It’s wrong.”
I chuckled, thinking back to what Grey said about Kelly and my club. He was right. There’s no way she’d be okay with it.
“Does that really matter now?” I asked, curiously, “If the bridge was set on fire.”
Kelly scoffed. “What are you saying? I should throw gas in it?” She looked up at me, brow knit.
I shook my head. “No,” I replied and stood back up.
“I’m saying the fire already happened, and the pieces are already charred. There’s not much more damage that can be done.”