Chapter 4
Ryder’s eyes raked over our position, lingering on where Cole still pinned me to the wall.
“Though I have to say, Cole, this seems like a rather unorthodox teaching method,” he said with a dark chuckle. My cheeks flamed instantly, and I pushed Cole off of me, trying to straighten my clothes. I avoided looking at either guy, knowing that they would both be complete dicks.
“We were just discussing her lack of focus,” Cole said, and my eyes snapped up to see a scowl on his face. Bastard. I didn’t know what the fuck had happened. One moment we were arguing, and the next he had me against the wall and almost caving.
“Oh, I’m sure you were,” Ryder smirked, pushing off the doorframe to saunter into the room.
“And how’s that working out for you?” Ryder was watching Cole, and I noticed a look pass between them.
Some sort of communication was going on, and from the way Cole’s expression changed, I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like it.
Then Ryder turned his attention to me, and the way his eyes were watching me was nothing short of predatory, and I knew I had to get the fuck out of there.
“It’s not,” I snapped, gathering my books and praying they didn’t notice how much my hands were trembling. I moved toward the door, trying to avoid Ryder as I went, but he was in front of me, blocking my way before I had the chance to even take a few steps.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” I snapped again.
“I don’t think the class is over just yet, Poison.” Ryder pulled the books from my hands and dropped them to the floor. “What do you say, Cole? Does our sweet Consort need another lesson?” He reached up to caress my cheek, and I stepped back out of his reach and straight into Cole.
“Another lesson?” Cole’s voice was low, almost thoughtful, but I could hear the undercurrent of something darker.
His hands immediately settled on my hips, trapping me between him and Ryder.
I stiffened, my heart hammering in my chest as I realised just how trapped I was.
Fuck. I should’ve seen this coming. I should’ve known they’d gang up on me, eventually.
Something had definitely changed in the last hour.
A flash of fear hit me. Had Ryder found out about Megan helping me?
“Yes,” Ryder said, his voice dripping with malice.
“A lesson in law, perhaps.” His words sent a lead weight into my stomach.
What the fuck was going on, and why did I have a feeling it wasn’t good?
Ryder stepped closer, his body pressing against mine from the front, while Cole’s hands tightened on my hips from behind.
I could feel the heat radiating off both of them; their presence suffocating.
I tried to squirm free, but their grip was bordering on bruising.
“Law?” I snapped, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “What the hell are you talking about?” Ryder smirked, his fingers trailing down my arm in a way that made my skin crawl.
“Oh, Poison, you’ve been playing with fire for weeks now.
Teasing us. Testing us. Seeing how far you could push us before we broke your precious rule.
But here’s the thing.” His hand moved to my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.
“While you and Cole have been studying, Logan and I, well, we’ve been doing our homework too. And guess what? We found a loophole.”
My stomach dropped. A loophole? No. No, no, no.
I’d been so careful. I’d made sure the rule was airtight, that they couldn’t touch me unless I asked for it.
I was told that as long as I kept up appearances; I was safe.
I’d thought I had gained some semblance of control.
But the way Ryder was looking at me, the way Cole’s hands tightened on my hips, told me I was dead wrong.
“What loophole?” I demanded, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes, Ryder,” Cole asked, his breath against my ear, “What loophole?” Ryder’s grin widened, and he leant in closer.
“The rule says we can’t have sex with you unless you ask for it. And it says we can’t have sex with anyone outside our group. But that’s it. It doesn’t say we can’t tease you. It doesn’t say we can’t edge you. It doesn’t say we can’t make you beg.”
I felt like the floor had been ripped out from under me. No, this couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t do this. But the way they were looking at me, the way their hands were on me, told me they could. And they would.
“You’re lying,” I said, my voice shaking. “You’re just trying to scare me.” Ryder chuckled, a dark, menacing sound that sent shivers down my spine.
“Am I? Why don’t we test that theory?” His hand moved to my skirt, his fingers slipping beneath the fabric to trace the edge of my underwear.
“If I were lying, would I be allowed to do this?” I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
“You see, Poison, the way I see it, you’ve been teasing us for weeks. And now it’s our turn to tease you.”
My mind was racing, trying to find a way out of this.
I needed to get to the contract and look at the wording before I could work out how fucked I was.
Cole’s hands were on my hips, keeping me in place, while Ryder’s fingers were pushing against the edge of the fabric of my panties.
I could feel my body playing to his touch, a traitorous heat building low in my belly despite the fear and anger coursing through me.
“Stop,” I said, my voice trembling. “You can’t do this.”
“Oh, we can,” Ryder said, his fingers brushing against me in a way that made me gasp after so long without anything. “And we will. You’ve been playing games with us, Poison. And now, we’re going to play one of our own.”
Before I could respond, the door to the office swung open, and Logan stepped inside. His expression was calm, almost bored, but there was a smugness in his eyes that made my stomach churn. He took one look at the scene, me trapped between Ryder and Cole, Ryder’s hand under my skirt, and smirked.
“I see you have shared the happy news,” he said, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. “Good. Let’s make sure she understands the full extent of the rules.”
“We were just explaining the loophole,” Ryder said, his fingers still brushing against me in a way that made my breath hitch. “She doesn’t seem to believe us.” Logan’s smirk widened as he stepped closer, his gaze locked on mine.
“Is that so? Well, let me clarify.” He pulled a folder out of his bag. I could tell as he opened the folder that inside was a copy of the contract, and then he began to read.
“New amendment. Section 4, subsection B: All parties may only seek sexual release from one of the above named Regents at their explicit request. Section 4, subsection C: The Regents may not engage in penetrative sexual activity with the Consort unless explicitly requested by the Consort. However,” He paused, his eyes flicking up to meet mine.
“There is no stipulation regarding the act of edging, teasing, or other forms of non-penetrative stimulation.”
I felt like I was going to be sick. No, how could I have missed that?
This couldn’t be happening. I’d thought I was safe.
I’d thought I’d found a way to keep some control over this nightmare.
But they’d found a way around it. They had twisted it back on me, and they’d found a way to make it worse. But Logan wasn’t finished.
“The completion of consent from one of the parties named above will render the requirements of this subsection satisfied.” Logan looked at me again, that infuriating smirk on his face.
“Meaning, princess, that once you beg one of us, then your precious rule no longer applies to him.” Ryder began kissing down my neck as Logan looked back down at the contract.
“The penalties for being in breach of Section 4 are as follows. Should any of the above named parties be in breach, then the contract is rendered null and void with all consequences falling upon the responsible party,” he said before putting the contract back into the folder.
“You see, Princess,” Logan said, his voice calm and measured, “what this means is that if one of us breaks the rules, then we pay the fines and you go free.” He stepped closer to me and grabbed my chin.
“But if you break the rules, then you void the contract and have to explain to your family why they are drowning in debt.”
“You’re sick,” I spat, my voice trembling with anger and fear. “All of you. You’re fucking sick.” Logan’s expression didn’t change.
“Perhaps. But you’re the one who signed the contract. You’re the one who agreed to the rules. And now, you’re going to live with the consequences.”
I tried to pull away, but Cole’s grip on my hips tightened, keeping me in place.
Ryder’s fingers were still brushing against me, and I could feel my body responding despite the fear and anger coursing through me.
I hated them. I hated what they were doing to me.
But more than anything, I hated the part of me that was starting to want it.
“You’re not going to win,” I said, my voice shaking. “I’m not going to beg.” Logan smirked, his eyes glinting with something dangerous.
“Really? Do you think that you can resist us all?” He moved over to the desk and took a seat where Cole had been a few moments before.
“All it takes is for one of us to make you come once for you to be in breach of the contract. That is, unless you give us your consent.” I was frozen; I couldn’t think.
The heat rising between my legs, and the teasing touches from both Ryder and Cole were causing my mind to fuzz.
I needed to get to look at the contract.
I needed to see how screwed I was. “Do you really think you can hold out?” The smirk on Logan’s lips grew and then he nodded to Ryder.
“Let’s put the theory to the test, shall we? ”
Ryder’s eyes darkened as his fingers moved again, and this time, they didn’t stop at brushing against me. They slipped beneath the fabric of my panties, and I gasped, my entire body stiffening as his fingers brushed against my folds.
“Now, Poison,” he smirked as his fingers stroked me, “pay attention, because there will be homework on this.”
I needed to get away; I needed to fight.
But I couldn’t. My body was betraying me, responding to their touch despite the fear and anger coursing through me.
I could feel the heat building inside me, the traitorous desire that I couldn’t control.
I hated them. I hated myself for not being diligent enough with the contract.
But most of all, I hated the way Ryder was making me feel right now.
“Stop,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Please stop.” Ryder chuckled, his fingers finding my clit. “Oh, Poison, we’re just getting started.”
“Remember, Princess, if you come, you break the rules,” Logan said from his seat. I glanced over to see him watching me with hunger in his eyes. “Unless you give in, unless you ask for it.”
Cole’s hands move from my hips to my waist, his fingers sliding beneath my top to skim across my skin. I shuddered, my breath hitching as his touch sent sparks of electricity through me. I was trapped. I was helpless. And I was starting to lose the battle with myself.
“Just give in, Pet,” Cole whispered, his lips brushing against my ear.
“You’re going to lose, anyway. Just give in and let us show you how amazing we can make you feel.
” He kissed along my neck, each touch sending shivers running through my body.
“Please, Pet, don’t make us break you.” Ryder chuckled, bringing my attention back to him.
“Either way, Poison, we’re going to make you scream.”
Logan’s phone rang, the sound cutting through the tension in the room like a knife. He pulled it out of his pocket, glanced at the screen, and scowled.
“What the fuck does he want?” he muttered to himself, his voice measured but with an undercurrent of tension.
Ryder and Cole both froze, their hands still on me, but they didn’t move.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe while waiting for Logan’s next move.
I didn’t know what was going on, but he clearly wasn’t happy.
“I have to take this. Let her go,” Logan said, his voice calm but commanding.
Ryder and Cole both stepped back, their hands falling away from me.
I stumbled forward, my legs weak and shaky, and I grabbed my books off the floor.
I didn’t look at any of them as I bolted for the door, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Oh, Cadence,” Ryder called as I reached the door. I stopped instinctively, cursing myself for doing so. “Class dismissed, for now.” Bastard. I knew he was baiting me, but I resisted as I fled from the room.
I rushed up the stairs to the top floor and to my room.
I needed to get to my room and check the wording of the contract for myself.
I kicked my door shut and threw my books on the desk before pulling the contract out of my drawer.
I sat down on my bed and found the passage that Logan had read out.
I read it over and over, but legal speak wasn’t my strong suit, and the two Law students and the genius downstairs had me at a significant disadvantage.
I had to speak to someone who could explain this to me.
I reached down to my bag, which I had dumped by my bed earlier, and felt for my phone with the intention of sending Megan a message.
I froze as I felt a scrap of paper among the contents, and instantly knew what it was.
It had been a week since the last hate note from my secret not so admirer.
I pulled out the folded sheet and unfolded it, recognising the scrawl almost immediately.
Time is running out, Bitch! Leave, or I will make you disappear!
A lead weight hit my stomach as I read and reread the note.
They had been getting steadily worse over the last few weeks, and I didn’t know who I could speak to about them.
The guys were out of the question. For all I knew, they were the ones sending the notes, and this was just some sick way of fucking with me.
I didn’t want to bring Luce into all this, and everyone else I knew was a part of this fucked up secret society shit, I didn’t know who to trust.
I got up from my bed and reached for the brown envelope that I had hidden under my mattress and put the note in with the six or seven others that I had received, trying to ignore the sting of tears in my eyes.
I really was beginning to lose it. Between the guys and their new loophole and the unknown person threatening to kill me, I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.