Chapter 22
Ididn’t hear Rome or any of the others arrive home through the night. I roll over and grab my phone to text Saskia when I see I have a text from her.
Saskia: Fucking FINALLY!
A wide grin spreads over my face as memories of the most perfect night play back in my head.
Me: Shhh! Don’t tell anyone.
Saskia: Can’t believe you left me there. You bitch, but you’re forgiven for finally getting thoroughly fucked. And by Rome!
Me: Saskia
Saskia: Was it good? The boy looks like he’d know exactly what to do.
Me: He does.
Saskia: So, does this mean you two are an item?
Me: I don’t think so. Sin would murder him and make me watch.
Saskia: Oooh! Sneaking around is hot!
Me: If he wants to come near me again, I don’t mind sneaking around.
Saskia: If he has any brain cells, he will.
Me: how was your night?
Saskia: Girl!!
Saskia: Let’s just say me and my king and jack put the goody bag to good use in one of those rooms upstairs. It was all black leather, handcuffs, chains and a viewing platform for others to watch.
Me: I don’t think I want to know.
Saskia: are you at your formal dinner tonight?
Me: formal dinner?
Saskia: every week, babe.
Me: ugh. I forgot. I guess I am.
Saskia: text me later.
Me: Will do
Saskia: lover you
Me: lover you back
My phone buzzes just as I’m about to put it down and get up.
Rome: morning beautiful
I can’t stop the goofy grin making my cheeks swell and my eyes crinkle. I kick my legs under my blanket as my excitement overtakes me.
Me: Morning
Rome: I didn’t want you to think I bailed this morning and didn’t want to see you. Chaser, Sin and I have had to go and do some work for Raphael. I’ll see you at school if we finish up early. Alistair will give you a ride to campus.
Me: Already avoiding me haha
Rome: Never, baby!
Me: I’ll see you later
Rome: I’m still thinking about being deep inside you.
I squeal into my pillow in delight. Is this what it feels like to be truly happy?
Me: You’re getting me all hot and bothered
Rome: Good. I’ll love edging you all day until I see you
Me: you tease
Rome: only for you, baby.
Rome: Gotta go.
I’m all hot and flustered and fucking happy for once. Maybe moving here isn’t going to be so bad after all. Climbing out of bed, I throw on a t-shirt and some sweats and head downstairs to make a coffee. The kitchen is overcrowded with all the guys. “Morning,” I say extra loud so they all can hear me.
“Here she is. How’s the head feeling?” Connor winks at me and raises his eyebrows so only I can see his expression.
I catch on quickly. “Still sore. Anyone have some coffee?”
“Here you go, I think we’re all going to have to help you learn to hold your drinks better.” Baron chuckles as he pours me a fresh cup of coffee and hands it to me.
“Thanks.” I take it graciously and lean my elbows on the counter.
“Jolly good idea there, Roger.” Quinn taps Baron on the shoulder and grins at me. “Drinks this afternoon before the formal dinner.” He nods at me.
“I shouldn’t.”
Henry and Dalton come stand beside me and drape their arms around my shoulders, caging me in.
“We can’t have a Spades member be such a lightweight in the drinking department.” Alistair joins in.
“I’m feeling ambushed here.” I laugh as I look around at each of them and see the pure determination on their faces .
“Ten against one, you aren’t winning this fight, my Lady.” Quinn clinks his coffee mug to mine.
“What fight?” Charlotte enters the kitchen and the playfulness in the air suddenly changes to something cold and dismissive.
“The guys were just playing.” I smile at her, hoping her hostility toward me has eased since we’ve been living in the same house for a while.
She ignores me and pushes past me to make herself a coffee. Her perfect hair and clothes make me feel like such a slob. I grab my coffee and retreat up to my room to get ready for class. I don’t need to be around her if she’s going to continue to be a bitch.
My classes have finished for the day and the setting sun blisters the horizon as it sets and casts an orange glow over the college grounds. I haven’t seen Rome or Chaser all day, they must have been held up with Papa V. doing who knows what. I’m anxious to see Sin and find out if he knows about Rome and me and if he had words with Rome about it.
Ignoring the fact that it’s getting dark, I decide to walk to the place the guys told me to meet them for pre formal dinner drinks. Luckily, I wore a nice dress and packed some heels and my robe for the dinner tonight. The streets outside of campus grounds remind me of the streets around Oxford, they’re old and charming with dark architecture giving off a gloomy feel. The students are scarce this far out and I’m starting to worry I’ve taken a wrong turn.
The wind picks up and it’s bone chilling cold. I regret not bringing a long coat to wear, my skin is covered in goosebumps. The sun has set beyond the buildings and took with it any ray of warmth it provided throughout the day.
Turning down a narrow lane, where only one car can fit at a time, I leave the stores and main road behind. I’m starting to think the guys have led me astray and are plotting my murder. My intrusive thoughts play out different scenarios as I hurry along the cobblestone road leading to nowhere it seems.
The wind howls and swirls around me, it carries with it the sounds of footsteps, causing my heart to kick up a notch. With all these scenarios in my head, I force myself to turn swiftly to see who is behind me, but the darkened narrow road is empty. Only the entry is aglow thanks to the streetlight on the corner of the two roads. I’ll admit, it’s eerie as fuck, and giving off Jekyll and Hyde vibes.
Continuing on my original path, I head deeper into the narrow road, hoping to get out the other end unscathed. Again, the wind swirls and something falls onto the road up ahead, making my heart jump into my throat. As I near it in the middle of the road, I see it’s a sign from one of the buildings. The sign is old and rusted, and I can just make out the faded lettering in the dark. It reads The Book Store est. 1889. Glancing up at the building, with its boarded up windows, it makes me sad that such a store has gone into disarray and closed its doors.
Stepping around the sign, I see a charred paper flower with a note tied to it. Thinking nothing of it, I take a few steps when my brain catches up to me. “Fuck.” I pause and turn back around.
The paper flower lays there in the middle of the road like a dead carcass. Tingles race up my spine as I glance around to see if anyone is nearby. Nothing but the howling wind to keep me company and my heart thudding in my chest reminding me I’m still alive and this isn’t some stalker movie. Sucking in cold air, I pull my big girl panties up, ignore my imagination and pick up the damned flower. It’s made of playing cards and when I look closer and rub some of the soot off, I notice all the cards have the Spades symbol printed on them. My heart drops into my stomach.
With shaking hands, I open the folded paper with torn edges. The writing is messy, like the writer was in a state of panic when scrawling their words.
Did you really think you could get away from me.
I can’t breathe and the feeling of my throat constricting causes me to panic. My skin crawls with the methodical march of fire ants, burning and tingling me from the inside out. I want to scratch at my brain, eradicate this feeling. Dropping the flower, I start running farther into the dark, hyperventilating along the way. Hysteria seizes my lungs and as much as I try to suck in air, I physically can’t. The howling wind is muted from the heavy beat of my heart pounding in my head as I rush toward the end of the road. Turning the corner, I grip the edge of the building, holding on for balance when I see a group of guys mingling outside the bar. Relief washes over me knowing I’m fairly safe now.
I spot Chaser and rush toward him when his gaze catches onto me and a look of concern colors his features. He steps away from the group and strides toward me, holding out his arms.
“Are you okay?” He catches me and holds me against him.
“No. I’m not,” I breathe into his shirt, his muscled arms tightening.
“What the fuck’s going on?” I hear Connor’s voice.
“No idea, man. She just came running around the corner.”
I pull out of Chaser’s firm grip. “I’m okay. I think someone was following me, that’s all.” I swallow the golf ball sized lump lodged tightly in my throat.
Rome scales the barrier that’s placed to mark out the outside seating area of the bar and rushes over to see what’s going on. He must see the sheer panic in my eyes because he indicates for the rest of the frat guys to come over. “What happened?” He presses up into my side and wraps a protective arm around my waist.
“Some fucker was following her,” Chaser says, his tone turning murderous.
“What the hell? Who?” Rome pulls me in tighter.
“Don’t worry about it.” All the guys have gathered around us.
Rome steers me through the group, around the barrier to where Sin sits drinking his whiskey ignoring the rest of us. “Sit here.” Rome pushes me into a chair.
“I’m fine. I just got spooked from the wind. It was nothing but my imagination.” I grab his hand and stop him from walking back out to the guys.
Glancing down at me, his eyes dart to Sin and back, and I know what he’s thinking, because I’m thinking the same. All I want to do is kiss him. I can see the need in his gaze as his stare locks with mine. We haven’t seen each other since last night and it’s really fucked that Sin has dumb rules about his best friend seeing me.
“I’m going to check it out. This sick fuck who has been harassing you needs to be taught a lesson.” Anger rolls off him. “Watch over her.” He points to Sin, their unspoken exchange not going unnoticed, before he lets go of my hand and strides off after the guys.
I watch them as they march down the road like vigilantes, turning the corner and heading toward my stalker, wondering if they’ll find him. He’s probably long gone now, happy that he found me again. Flashes of his balaclava blur my vision and the foreign ache between my legs as he drove his cock into me, causing me pain, plays in my mind. Mixed feelings of hatred, disgust and lust tear through me like a tornado that has collected various objects in its path. Feelings I’m so confused about.
“Damsel in distress suits you.” Sin peers over his tumbler, his bored expression oozes asshole.
“Fuck you, Sin. Don’t you have a queen to go entertain?”
“Apparently I’ve been tasked to watch over you, something I take very seriously.” His expression remains blank and unreadable. His attention returns to his glass of whiskey.
“I don’t need you watching over me.” I cross my arms and glance at the road.
“Seems like Rome thinks you do and who am I to go against what my best friend wants?” The double meaning of his words doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Stop talking. I can’t with you right now. I need a drink.” My eye twitches in irritation as I get up and stalk inside to the bar. I order myself a white Russian and a share size platter of fries since I’m starving.
The smell of beer permeates the air which is typical for a place like this with its carpet flooring. The live band is really fucking loud and it hurts my head. I try to zone it out as I wait for my drink but it’s near impossible. Closing my eyes, it eases the overwhelming noise somehow, and rests my brain.
I’m startled and nearly gasp when arms wrap around my waist, but I soon realize it’s Rome. “Hey,” he says into my ear.
“Hey.” I grin and place my hands on his arms.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Don’t be silly. It was nothing.” I crane my neck to look up at him.
“You don’t get a say in this.” He shakes his head at me.
My drink is placed in front of me along with a buzzer for when my food will be ready to collect. Rome grabs both and waits for me to turn around. I look up at him and his lip is drawn up at the corner, a sultry smirk decorating his face. “What?”
Without speaking, he kisses me deeply, his tongue chases mine, his lips desperate for me. Desire pirouettes throughout my entire body, making me hum and buzz from the memory of him inside me last night. He pulls away suddenly, leaving me needing more of him. “That.” His eyes are hooded and needy.
“Can we go back to the frat house?” I breathe out heavily.
“They’ll notice.”
“Who fucking cares?”
He grins at me. “Holy fuck, all I want to do is bend you over a table right now.”
“I won’t say no.”
“Tonight, leave your door unlocked.” He tilts his head for me to follow him back outside to sit with the rest of the guys.
There are two separate seats available and Rome, without thinking, leaves the one beside Sin for me. I hover behind it for a moment contemplating my options, when the thought of that guy watching me gives me the chills. I sit myself down between Oliver and Sin and try to pretend he doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t last long.
“So, Mono, tell me. What did you and the King of Clubs discuss last night?”
I turn to look at him. “How much of a dick you are.”
The guys all start hollering and whistling, while Sin sits sipping his whiskey, unaffected by my teasing. He ignores me for the rest of the night. Even when my platter of fries comes out and is placed in front of me, he doesn’t even manage a smart ass remark. The guys appreciate it though and another one is ordered to share around.
As the night wears on, the guys get too rowdy and we’re asked to leave. On our walk back to campus to attend the formal dinner, Rome, Chaser and I fall back behind the rest. I’m glad whoever is leading us back, has taken a different route than the one where that asshole dropped me my note.
“Do we have to go to this dinner?” I wrap my gown around me, thankful it blocks out some of the cold. Glancing up to the top of the buildings, I wonder if he’s still here, watching and waiting.
“It’s tradition.” Rome wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into him, shielding me from the cold or the eyes of that fucker.