9. Do We Have A Deal?
DO WE HAVE A DEAL?
Lorelei
Axel glared down at me, his massive, imposing form blocking everything else out. If I didn’t know the guy was a big teddy bear, I might have been scared. “Get out of my way, Lorelei.” His voice was lethal, sharp enough to cut the glass crystals of the shimmering chandelier overhead.
Damn, I’d never seen him this worked up before.
I pressed my palms against his chest and shoved him back. “I’m just trying to help you, Ax. Whatever the hell you and Cordi are or aren’t, you don’t need to see this.”
I’d heard Cordelia’s over-the-top moans when I’d walked by a few minutes ago on my way to the bathroom. That girl was getting fucked for sure.
“Yes, I do,” he hissed and planted his huge paws around my waist.
He picked me up like I weighed nothing and dropped me down behind his hulking frame. Before I could stop him, he whipped open the door.
I didn’t need to see what was happening inside, I could read it across the sharp angles of Axel’s face, the deep frown that carved into his jaw, and the sudden tension gripping his entire body. A growl ripped from his clenched teeth, and he lunged.
“Ax, no!” I raced after him, but he got to Kyle before I could stop him.
Not like it would’ve mattered even if I’d been fast enough. Axel had lost it. His typically serene blue eyes had gone murderous when they’d landed on Cordelia, naked on the floor on all fours and Kyle on his knees railing into her from behind.
“Get the fuck off her, Hammond!” he roared. His thick arms encircled his frat brother’s bare torso and jerked him off the floor, wrenching his cock free.
Cordelia squealed and wrapped her arms around her bouncing breasts. Her eyes were glazed over, a vacant stare trying to focus on her furious fuck-buddy. “Axel, what the actual hell?”
Axel tossed Hammond across the room, then pinned him to the gleaming wood floor. He pulled his arm back, and the crunch of bone on bone echoed against the mahogany bookshelves lining the walls. Cordelia scrambled for her dress, tossed it over her head and darted toward the guys.
“Ax, get off him,” she shrieked.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away as Axel delivered punch after punch. There was something so satisfying about it. Kyle’s face distorted, and in its place, Brock’s coalesced. The light blond locks, the sharp eyes. A twisted smile curled the corners of my lips.
“Lorelei, do something! Ax is going to kill him!” Cordelia’s strangled cry jerked me from the perverse vision.
I blinked quickly and the scene warped. Kyle’s bloodied, battered face replaced Brock’s. Shit. Spinning to the door, I raced down the hall toward the party room.
“Killian!” I shouted.
Partygoers spilled from the main foyer, making their way to the more private rooms. Weaving between the unfamiliar summer crowd, I pumped my arms faster, ignoring the bite of my stilettos.
My broody ex appeared in the corridor about halfway down, a snarl pulling at his upper lip. “What do you want Lore—”
“Axel,” I panted. “In the gathering room.”
“Fuck.”
He took off down the hall, barreling past the crowd of curious onlookers beginning to form. The moment they saw the new president of the Sigma Delts approaching, the crowd parted. Killian was scary as fuck on a normal day. When he was pissed, he was the devil incarnate.
I spun around in a vain attempt to catch up, but the mass of students thickened as soon as he passed. “Out of my way,” I cried.
By the time I made it back to the gathering room, Killian had Axel in a chokehold and Gage was dipping his hand into a cup of water, splashing it in his friend’s face. Slate was crouched beside Kyle across the room assessing the damage. Where had they all come from so quickly?
“He needs to go to the hospital.” Slate stood and shrugged. “His nose is definitely broken, possible concussion, and he probably has a few cracked ribs.”
“Since when are you a fucking doctor?” Axel snarled.
“Relax, buddy. Have a sip, you need to cool off.” Gage offered the red solo cup clenched in his other hand.
“I’m fine,” he growled.
“You don’t look fine,” Kill snapped. “You were a minute from bashing in Hammond’s skull and scrambling his brain.”
“True story.” Flicking his lip piercing with his tongue, Gage pointed his finger across the room at their motionless frat brother. “The last thing you need is Vaughn on your ass. He’s looking for any reason to fuck with us this year.”
Axel heaved out a breath, the look of pure torture sending an unexpected pang across my cold heart. I knew what it was like to have your heart torn out and stomped on by the person you cared most about.
My gaze flickered to Killian’s, and that pang intensified to a sharp ache. Swinging my head back to Axel, I focused on the look of utter hopelessness.
“I can take Kyle to the ER.” The words popped out before I could stop them.
Axel’s bloodshot eyes lifted to mine. “You don’t have to do that, Battenberg. This is my mess.”
“Our mess,” said Killian. “We’ve got your back, brother.”
“You’ve all been drinking.” I pointed at the lot of them, each with a solo cup in hand, except for Slate. A silver flask poked out from his pocket. “I’ll take Kyle, I’m pretty much done with this party anyway.”
“You sure?” Axel’s weary gaze remained fixed to mine.
“Yeah, it’s cool. Just consider it payback for the boxes.”
“But you already took me for din—” He snapped his jaw closed before his lips formed the last word.
I didn’t blame him. I doubted Kill would love the idea of his best friend and me hanging out, no matter the reason.
“I got him, Axel. Just accept my offer before I take it back.” I shot him a smirk.
“Fine, thanks. I guess I owe you one.”
Exactly…
Two hours later, Kyle Hammond sat hunched over in the passenger’s side of my Mercedes with an ice pack pressed to his temple.
He didn’t speak or even seemed to breathe in my direction.
Before I’d taken him to the hospital, the guys must have threatened him with God knew what because when the police officer came to take his statement at the ER, he told the man he didn’t recognize the guy who’d beat him up. Kyle claimed it was some party crasher.
I always knew Killian and his frat brothers had powerful connections, but I knew better than to ask any specifics. That was how the world worked for the social elite and the so-called Lords of Stonewall University.
When I pulled up to the Sigma Delta house, the gleaming streetlight highlighted a piercing blue stare. Axel’s gaze lifted to mine from the front steps of the ancient, gothic manor. Kyle leapt out of the car before I shifted to park and darted around the back of the house, avoiding Axel altogether.
I killed the engine and walked around my car as the big guy ambled toward me, deep lines entrenched across his forehead and dark shadows lining the soft skin around his eyes. He ran his hand through the tumbles of dirty blond hair darkening his brow and heaved out a breath.
“Thanks for that.” He hitched his thumb over his shoulder at his fleeing frat brother.
Leaning against the side of my car, I waved a dismissive hand. “No problem. And anyway, what are you doing up so late? I thought you had an early practice tomorrow?”
He quirked a light brow. “How did you know that?”
“I may have overheard you and Cordi talking earlier.”
“Are you spying on me, Battenberg?” The ghost of a smile brightened the remnants of his scowl.
“Of course not. I was just waiting to catch you alone for a minute so we could talk.”
His eyebrows knit as he regarded me. “About what?”
“An arrangement that could get both of us exactly what we want.”
He folded his big arms across his chest and leaned against my car, broad shoulder brushing mine. “Oh, yeah? And what is it you desire, Lorelei Battenberg? I’m not sure I want to know what goes on in that twisted little head of yours.”
“Isn’t it obvious what we both want, Ax? You want Cordelia and I want out of this bullshit arranged marriage with Brock Haversham.”
“That prick hurt you, didn’t he?” His gaze turned absolutely murderous once again.
“No,” I muttered. “I just don’t want to marry him, okay? You’re right, he’s too old.”
His lips parted into a rueful smile. “So what’s this arrangement?”
“It’s simple. You didn’t see how Cordi acted the other day when I told her you and I were going out for dinner. She was totally jealous. Girls are stupid. They don’t know what they want until they can’t have it anymore.”
“So you want me to pretend to be into you?”
“Exactly.”
“And how will that help you with Brock?”
I drew in a steadying breath, dreading this part.
I hated the idea of revealing the true state of our financial affairs to Axel, but I had to let him in on some of it.
“My father insists I find someone worthy, and he gave me until the end of the summer to land a successful fiancé, otherwise I’m stuck with Brock.
If we pretend to be together, I’m hoping Brock will back out of the arrangement when he sees us, and Daddy will be appeased for a few months. ”
“Just till the end of the summer?”
I nodded.
The crease between his brows deepened, and he remained silent for an endless moment. “Cordi was really jealous?”
“Sure as shit.” I smirked and dragged my hand down my curve-hugging dress. “Who wouldn’t be envious of all this?”
A warm chuckle dribbled from Axel’s lips, lifting his broad shoulders. “You’re not wrong there, Battenberg.”
I held out my hand, hope fluttering in my chest for the first time in a while. “So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”