Chapter 65
The Defiance
Caden
“She probably didn’t want you to worry.” Jack tries to convince me Harper didn’t do anything wrong. “The project just started. She might have told us if it got to be too much.”
But she knows the story. She knows how much I hate Tanner and why.
She’s not safe where he’s involved. He waited for her outside her house. He made her believe he was her friend and he could help her with us. He would have used her to get back at me.
“If he touches her, I’ll break every bone in that hand.” The words are a promise.
“She doesn’t want you to go to prison.” Jack pulls in beside Nico’s car.
Nico stands beside his car, his arms on the roof, staring into the darkness around my house.
I get out, but she isn’t here. Luke told me to let her go with Nico, but right now I need her in my arms. I need to know she’s safe. But I’m also mad as hell at her.
“Where is she?” I growl out.
Nico releases a breath and gestures toward the house.
Luke pulls up with Eli, while I walk around to the back of the house to find my little nympho. There’s patio furniture beside the door, and I find her huddled on an Adirondack chair.
Swiping at the tears on her cheeks, she doesn’t acknowledge me. I’m not playing that game again. Fuck this shit.
I lift her and throw her over my shoulder.
“Hey!”
My hand clamps down on her ass to hold her there. Jack catches up to us and opens the door.
“Put me down, Caden.” She struggles against me, but I hold her firm.
When the others file in, Luke gives me a nod. I can run this show, or he can. It’s up to me.
Eli turns the lights on low in the rec room. Jack goes to the door to the rest of the house and makes sure it’s locked, in case any staff is still here. I’m sure my parents already know I haven’t slept at home for a while. They may be absent, but they keep tabs on my activities.
Nico and Luke sit on the couch as I lower Harper to her feet.
She immediately backs away, and her eyes dart around like she’s expecting to be attacked. She’s not wrong. I want to impress on her the seriousness of this situation.
“He can’t be trusted,” I bite out as I stalk around her.
She tips her chin up. “The teacher is there the whole time. I’m at school. He can’t do anything to me while I’m there.”
“He’s a fucking blight, Harper.” I stop in front of her and close the distance, so I’m practically surrounding her. “He’ll use any opportunity to get under your skin. To turn you against us.”
A bitter laugh erupts out of her. When I glare into her dark eyes, they sparkle with anger.
“Like you all fucking care.” She straightens to her full height and stares me in the eyes like she’s not afraid of me.
“As long as he doesn’t touch me, I don’t see what the problem is.
I have an assignment to do for my class.
If I thought my teacher would let me change partners, I would. But she’s being strict about it.”
“He wants revenge on us, and he’s going to use you to get it.” I need to get this into her head.
“By what? Telling me his fucking sob story that isn’t true? Do you think I’m naive enough to fall for a fucker like that? That I’ll believe his word over yours? He’s a fucking sociopath at the least, and a psychopath at the worst.”
“I don’t want you near him.”
“I’m not dropping the class.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “That’s the only thing that would solve this. Ms. Sullivan won’t change partners unless I have a damn good reason. While he creeps me out and makes the guys who own me angry are good excuses for us, they won’t be for her.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” I grit out. She should have come to me right away. She should have fucking trusted me with this. I’ve given her no reason not to trust me. I’ve proven myself time and time again, and I’m getting sick of always caving.
Her lips press together in a stubborn expression.
“You’re a smart girl, little nympho. You knew we’d find out eventually, so why not tell us?” I use my size to intimidate people, but Harper is too damn comfortable with me.
“What would be the point? You couldn’t do anything.” She shoves my chest to push me away, but I don’t budge. “What would you have done? Gone over to his house and beat him up? Gotten arrested?”
A flash of fear rushes through her eyes. Is she worried about me? That stops me for a second. She’s not wrong. I hate the guy. Him having access to Harper will drive me mad.
How do we fix this? How do we get him away from Harper?
“We need to punish her,” Luke says.
Her dark eyes narrow, and her lips press together. This is my shit to deal with. She’s mine to punish.
“Do you understand why you’re being punished, little nympho?” When I reach out, she flinches, but I just push her hair behind her ear.
“Because you guys are assholes.” She knocks my hand away. Fuck, she’s feisty tonight. Normally I’d slowly ease her out of her mood, but rage brews deep inside me. I want her to fight back. I want her to argue with me.
Tanner having access to Harper makes my blood boil. That she thinks she can decide how to handle him adds to the heat pouring through me. She’s mine to protect.
“Try again, little nympho.” My fingers flex, needing to make sure she knows her place.
“Okay, you’re controlling dicks.” She gives me a fuck-you smile.
“Strip.” My voice is calm, but when she meets my eyes, she almost steps back. Almost. Her smile falls. By the end of tonight, she’ll learn to not keep things from me.
She crosses her arms and would look down her nose if I weren’t a foot taller than her. “No.”
“Who do you belong to, Harper?” I may sound calm, but the anger festers inside me like an open wound.
“Myself, War.”
“Wrong answer.”
“Fuck. Off.”
My hand goes to her throat, and I push her back until she’s up against the wall. I don’t tighten my grip, just hold her there. Still no fear in her eyes.
I can feel the guys’ eyes on us. They’re patiently waiting for when I need their assistance. Or if they need to pull me off her.
“You belong to me, little nympho.” My other hand goes to her jeans button.
Her eyes widen, and her hands grab my wrist. “You can’t own me.”
“But I do. You let me in, little nympho. You became mine.” Despite her efforts, I undo her button and slide her zipper down. I lower my head until my lips hover over hers. “Nothing is going to change that.”
Her hot breath bathes my lips as she huffs. “It’s temporary.”
I slide my hand beneath her panties and thrust my finger into her soaking wet pussy. “This pussy belongs to me. Forever.”
She draws in a sharp breath.
“If I want my pussy to come, I’ll make it come. If I want my pussy to not come, I’ll withhold its orgasm.” I don’t move my finger from her slick heat, feeling her cunt clutch at it. “If I want to fuck this pussy, I will. If I want all of us to fuck this pussy, we will.”
Her eyes slip closed, and her hips rock against my hand. “Caden.”
My name is barely a breath against my lips. It makes the anger flicker. She could easily blow out the flames. Fuck, I can’t let it go out. I need to make sure no matter what she’s afraid of in the future, she’ll tell me. She needs to tell me so I can keep her safe.
“Eli, we need bindings.” I curl my finger to stroke the spot inside her that makes her toes curl and rub my thumb in circles over her clit. “I’m going to make you come so much it hurts, little nympho, but I’m not going to stop.”
Her dark eyes are hooded when she opens them to look at me. Her lips part as I wind her closer and closer to the first of many. She’s so close. She’ll learn my way is much better compared to Eli’s. He likes to withhold, but I’m a giver.
She keeps her eyes locked with mine as her breathing grows rapid. Her fingers tighten around my wrist, but she’s no longer trying to pull it away. I’m not sure she even realizes she’s holding on.
“Come for me, baby.”
Her eyes widen as her body arches against me. A small cry escapes her lips as her cunt clenches around my finger. I hold her by her neck and pussy and chase her release, still thrusting into her and circling her clit.
Her face softens as she squirms against me. Her darkened eyes blink up at mine.
“Jack,” I call out.
She sighs against my lips as I slow down my movements.
“Go to my room and get me something to help my little nympho.”
Jack’s chuckle is delightfully wicked. “On it.”
“The ottoman, Luke.”
He’ll know which one I mean. Have I ever used it for this? No, but it’s perfect to keep her right where I want her.
“Are you ready to be a good girl, Harper?” I touch my lips to hers briefly.
When I lift my head, her lips press together in a stubborn line. I grin, loving that she’s willing to defy me and knowing what I plan to do to make her pay for that defiance.
“Nico, come here.” I draw my hand out of her pussy and swipe my slick finger over her lips.
She parts them, and her tongue comes out to taste herself. Fuck, this girl wrecks me. I’m going to fuck her until she submits tonight.
“Yeah.” He glances at me and then at Harper.
She doesn’t look at him, but I feel her tense beneath my touch. Her brown eyes stay locked with mine.
“Take her clothes off.” I step back, still holding her by her throat against the wall.
He puts his hands on her jeans. When she reaches for his hand, I grab hers and hold it against the wall. “Unless you want me to spank you, you’ll let him do what I asked of him.”
Her eyes narrow, and her lips purse, but her other hand drops to her side. Her defiant gaze never leaves mine as Nico slides her jeans down her hips. He stops to remove her shoes and socks before taking the jeans off the rest of the way.
He draws her panties down her legs next, leaving her bare from the waist down. When he stands next to me, he gestures to my hand around her throat.
Smiling at her, I release her hand and cup her pussy, sliding my finger back inside her. She sucks in a breath. I remove my other hand from her throat.
Nico grabs the hem of her t-shirt. “Arms up, sunshine.”