Chapter 2 #2
At the core of his being, where he was the most honest, he was forced to acknowledge that whether or not Rue had anything to do with Ryder’s situation was irrelevant.
He wasn’t hurt that Rue may have doomed his brother to a fate worse than death.
He was hurt that Rue had left him. Not his brother. Him.
Ryker was pathetic and he couldn’t be.
Harts weren’t weak.
They weren’t—
Rue sighed in his sleep, a full body exhale that had the muscles in his back shifting a second before he very obviously ground his hips down into the mattress, seeking friction.
The man was still unconscious, had no clue what was happening over him, and yet whatever he was dreaming of, it was making him horny.
Ryker blew his load, aiming low and painting Rue in splatters of opaque white.
He hissed as his hot come squirted between those firm cheeks, dripped down to coat Rue’s balls.
His hand continued to jerk himself until he’d wrung every last drop, ensuring he’d effectively created a wet, sticky mess over Rue’s backside, between his thighs, and over the sheets.
He released himself and removed his multi-slate—the body borne communication device that doubled as a computer—from his wrist, angling the rectangular device upright as he focused Rue’s form in the camera.
The flash was on, momentarily illuminating the scene, causing the drying come to glisten, and the picture was added to the hidden folder where he’d previously stored the rest. His own personal spank bank to get him through the next few weeks before they reconvened here for another forced family weekend together.
This room had always belonged to Rue.
But now it wasn’t just Rue’s room.
It was Ryker’s stepbrother’s room.
Maybe there really wasn’t anything Rue could have done to prevent what happened to Ryder. Maybe there was. But this? Their new titles? Their new familial ties?
“You ruin everything.” Ryker got off the bed, grabbed the comforter and tossed it back over Rue’s come-covered body. Then he tucked himself back into his pants and made his way to the door.
Rue ruined everything.
But he could never know he’d ruined Ryker as well.
* * *
The last weekend of every month, the offspring were summoned home. Appearances, and all that jazz. At first, Ryker had hated it. Despised coming and going at his father’s leisure like a dog. Was disgusted knowing he’d need to share a table with Rue and pretend they were one big happy family.
But as soon as he’d started coming all over him in his sleep, his reluctance had vanished.
Ryker hummed a tune as he waited at the breakfast table, his father at one end, step mother at the other. He flicked through a few news articles on his multi-slate as he sipped at his coffee, barely registering any of the words.
He’d spent two nights dirtying Rue’s body, and was eager to see the fruits of his labor. Even his father’s rigid disposition and Eulalie’s high-pitched giggling couldn’t ruin his good mood.
The second he heard footsteps from down the hall his heart skipped a beat, then started thumping wildly in his chest. It took all of his willpower not to glance expectantly at the doorway, to keep his eyes locked on the small screen of his device, his hand steady around the handle of his cup.
“Master Rue,” Avan, their head butler, bowed to him at the door and then swept an arm toward where Ryker and the rest of them sat.
Without glancing up, Ryker noted the way Rue hesitated the moment his eyes landed on him.
His lips twitched in a barely concealed grin.
Rue must have thought he’d creamed himself when he woke up covered in dried spunk.
Probably started to worry over the constant wet dreams and the timing of them.
He’d never guess that it was Ryker’s doing, that the come didn’t belong to him at all, but he was smart enough to take the obvious pieces and put them together.
He only woke soiled on the weekends Ryker was there.
Did he think his body was betraying him? Getting off to Ryker’s presence despite its owner’s reluctance?
Ryker hoped so.
“You’re late,” Rhys stated the moment Rue’s hand reached the back of the chair directly across the table from Ryk.
Eulalie tried to smooth things over, ever the optimist despite having known her now husband for four decades. “What kept you, dear? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine.” Rue glanced over at Ryker, for barely a second before he lost his nerve and looked away. His cheeks turned pink.
Ryker downed the rest of his hot coffee to prevent himself from laughing.
Rue’s father hadn’t been from Usurn originally.
Thanks to his species, he’d passed on part of his traits to Rue, including what the universe had termed mood eyes.
Because of his mixed blood, they weren’t as bold or intense as his father’s had been, and didn’t carry the same range of colors.
Typically, they appeared hazel; a person needed to be close and paying attention to catch any changes.
Ryker had always paid attention.
Too much, even.
He knew like the back of his hand what the shifts in color meant. How, when blue bled into the brown, Rue was sad or worried. Or what it meant when they turned greener.
Right now, his irises were a full spectrum of color, giving away just how uncomfortable he was.
Which was exactly how Ryker wanted him.
“The annual company trip is next weekend,” Rhys stated then, booming voice demanding all of their attention.
Every year, the board of directors of Hart Holding took a vacation and called it team building.
Ryker wasn’t sure who they were trying to kid, considering none of the actual workers or rest of the staff were ever invited, or given a workshop of their own.
It was only ever the members of the board and their families, off to some tropical destination or spa retreat.
“Have fun.” Ryker was looking forward to having distance between them, if nothing else.
“You’ll be attending this year,” Rhys announced. “Both of you.”
His hand froze with the refilled coffee cup halfway to his lips.
Rue, who seemed just as surprised, recovered sooner. “Um, what exactly will we be doing?”
“You’ll love it,” Eulalie jumped in, smiling broadly at her son. “Your father has chosen the most beautiful location. A secluded mountain resort in Poda, only a few hours from here. The pictures are lovely. I’ll send you their website later.”
“You want to take us to the middle of nowhere?” Ryker set his cup into its saucer with a loud click.
“You’re both graduating this year,” Rhys replied. “This is the best way to get you familiar with the board members before you officially join the company next year.”
He scowled. “He’s a music major, dad.”
“Your mother and I have already discussed this,” Rhys waved Ryker’s concerns off. “Your brother will fit in with the marketing team. Surely his skills will be put to good use there.”
“Providing jingles for robot vacuums and the latest self-cleaning toothbrush?”
Rhys looked at him and held his gaze. “I don’t like your tone, son.”
“I’m not going.”
“You are.”
“Four hours is too far. What if Ryder—”
Rhys slammed a fist against the top of the table, hard enough to send silverware and plates clattering. A hush fell over the room, the servants by the walls tensing, both Eulalie and Rue dropping their gazes to their laps like the pathetic little cock suckers they both were.
In contrast, Ryker seethed, eyes flashing with the violence he’d so clearly inherited from his father. One hand curled around the steak knife he’d been using to cut his sausage, and Rhys noticed.
His father cleared his throat and smoothed his palm across the polished wooden surface, but he didn’t back down. “Invite friends along. Both of you. I don’t care how many, I’ve already rented the entire resort. Be packed and ready by five am sharp on Saturday, and plan to be gone for a week.”
“You want us to skip classes for an entire week?” Ryker hated him. “I have a match—”
“Oh please. We all know you only play that sport as an excuse to get physical. There will be game hunting at the lodge. You can purge yourself of those violent desires there.”
He almost rolled his eyes. “Is it a resort or a lodge?”
“Avan,” Rhys called to the butler, who quickly made his way over. “Ryker is finished with breakfast. See him to his car or he’ll be late for class.”
Avan gave Ryker an apologetic look while the staff behind him moved forward to collect his mostly untouched plate.
Ryker stood, practically knocking into them in the process. “That’s rich coming from the guy who just told me to skip an entire week so I can go rough it in the mountains with his egotistical work buddies.”
“That is enough!”
He did roll his eyes this time, knowing his father would find a way to make him pay for the slight later. Grabbing his leather backpack, he stormed out, painfully aware of the fact that nobody followed.
Rue had a morning class as well, but did he need to rush to campus?
No.
He hated the lot of them.
Let this whole house burn for all he cared.