22. Into Him
INTO HIM
Lorelei
I stared at the smartboard as the professor droned on about angel investors and venture capital, but all the words blurred into the background.
I hadn’t been able to focus since that incident with Cordelia the other night.
As hard as I tried to rationalize my insane behavior, there was no logical answer besides the obvious.
I was jealous.
Jealous of Cordelia’s little grubby hands all over Axel.
My fake boyfriend.
Fake, damn it, Lorelei.
Thank God Axel was convinced it was all part of the act. He was ready to hand me an Oscar for my performance, but the terrible truth was, it had only been so convincing because I hadn’t been acting.
My plan was working too well.
Not only was Cordelia crazy envious of my relationship with Axel, but she was also trying to get him back.
What if it worked?
What if Axel reneged on our deal and ran back to Cordi, leaving me in the brutal hands of Brock?
“And that is all for today…” The professor’s dismissal broke through my spiraling thoughts.
I grabbed my notepad, which was completely bare of notes, and shoved it into my backpack before stomping out of the auditorium. Damn it. How could I have let my mind wander for the entire class like that?
Entrepreneurship was the one non-bullshit class I was taking this summer. I needed an A to keep my grade point average at a 4.0 for my major. If everything went to shit with Axel and we lost all our money, I’d need that perfect GPA to secure a scholarship.
Nausea crawled up my throat at the thought of being that girl. The poor scholarship kid. This was clearly karma coming to bite me in the ass for torturing Lexi last semester.
“Hey, Lore!” Tate sauntered over as I reached the quad and flashed me a fake smile.
Dammit, she was the last person I wanted to deal with right now. “Oh, hi there, Tate. What’s up?”
She prattled on about the next Zeta event and how we could make it ten times more fantastic than the last. Too bad I could give two shits about that right now. I had more pressing matters to worry about.
I glanced over her shoulder at the sparkling sea and pristine yachts below as she yammered. Just a few months ago, I’d been dreaming about an idyllic summer on a boat with my wealthy arranged fiancé until I discovered what a monster I’d been promised to.
Damn, how had I fallen from grace so hard and fast?
“So anyway, are the rumors true?” Her inquisitive eyes locked on mine. “You’re really dating Axel Vanderhart? What happened to your oil tycoon fiancé and your life as a trophy wife?”
Rolling my eyes, I gave her a nonchalant shrug. “I told you, Tate, a girl’s gotta keep her options open, right? Brock’s going to be gone all summer, and Axel is a good distraction.” I lowered my voice and leaned closer. “Besides, he’s amazing in bed, so…”
A sharp cackle burst from her Chanel glossed lips.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Lore, you seem to have it all perfectly planned.
” A devious grin lit up her light eyes as an engine roared just behind us, and an elegant Rolls Royce pulled into a reserved parking spot.
“Unless you don’t.” She ticked her head over her shoulder, and her smile grew wider.
“I found him wandering around the Zeta house looking for you. I hope you don’t mind. I told him you’d be here.”
Ice rushed my veins as Brock stepped out of the backseat, and cold blue eyes latched onto mine.
Shit.
Despite the nausea churning in my gut, I plastered on a beaming smile. “Thanks so much for that, Tate. It was so thoughtful.” Forcing my last season’s Valentino sandals forward, I marched toward my ex-almost-fiancé. “What are you doing here?” I gritted out when I reached the silver Rolls.
Brock leaned against the hood, that practiced smile firmly entrenched across his jaw. “I understand you’ve been seen with Axel Vanderhart again. And this time, you weren’t simply dry-fucking him at a charity event. You were trespassing in the home of a prestigious family.”
My stomach bottomed out, plummeting to the soles of my flats. How the hell did he know? Somehow, I managed to keep a straight face.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, feigning innocence.
He jerked his phone from his pants pocket and flashed me the screen. There in black and white was a video of Axel and me in that house he’d stolen the laptop from. Shit.
“What the fuck are you doing spying on me, Brock?”
His hands closed around my upper arms, and he dragged me toward the back door of the enormous car.
“Let go of me,” I screeched.
“I urge you not to make a scene, Lorelei, or the consequences will only be worse for you.” His hot breath hissed across my face, and goosebumps rippled over my arms.
Lowering my voice, I braced myself against the door. “I’m not making a scene, but I’m also not going anywhere with you.”
“Damn it, Lorelei, don’t you see what you’re doing?” He flashed the screen at my face once more. “If this video got out, it could ruin both you and your precious Axel.”
“So why would you want to be associated with someone like me? Just let me go and find a new woman to torture.”
“I already told you I need your father’s vote.” He loomed closer, pinning me against the car. “And to be perfectly honest, no one says no to me. This brazen attitude has done nothing but increase my interest in you. I cannot wait to fuck the disobedience right out of you once you’re my wife.”
“Never,” I hissed. “I’d rather be penniless than ever let you touch me again.”
“Don’t deceive yourself, Lorelei. You wouldn’t survive a week without the comfort that wealth provides.
And you can deny it all you want, but I saw the excitement in your eyes when I forced you on your knees then shoved my cock down your throat.
You enjoy the degradation. You’re as depraved as I am. ”
Tears sprang to my eyes, his words striking a chord, but I blinked them back refusing to let him see the power he held over me. “I’m nothing like you,” I spat.
“We’ll see about that.” He jerked the door open and ticked his chin at the sprawling back seat. “Just get in the car.”
“No!” I squirmed and kicked, but his hold was relentless. My heart punched at my ribs, desperate to break free.
“Hey, what are you doing to her?” A familiar voice rang out, and of all people, I never thought I’d be so happy to see her. Or her.
Cordelia and Lexi.
“She said no.” Lexi stepped closer, her gaze fixed on the asshole in a suit trying to force me into his fancy car.
Cordelia moved in next, her gaze murderous. “Were you trying to force yourself on her?”
Brock slipped on the smooth mask. “I’m sorry, ladies, there has been a mistake here. I was only helping Lorelei into the backseat.”
“That’s not what it looked like,” Lexi snapped. She clutched her phone in her hand, her finger an inch away from the glaring red SOS button.
“Are you okay, Lorelei?” Cordi glanced from me to Brock and back.
Guilt rushed through me, lancing across my heart. God, I’d been a total bitch to this girl only two days ago and here she was coming to my rescue, not to mention all the horrible things I’d done to Lexi last year.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I finally mumbled. “Like Brock said, it was a misunderstanding.”
Both girls glared at me and that piercing guilt only grew more potent.
Brock’s furious gaze flicked to mine, the icy chill reaching bone deep. “I hope you’ll consider what we spoke about. I will be gone for the next few weeks in the Middle East on business. When I return, I expect you’ll be ready to go ahead with the official announcement.”
“Doubtful,” I muttered through clenched teeth.
“Just remember what’s at stake, Lorelei.”
My thoughts whirled to Brock’s threat. Axel was a Lord. If Brock did decide to release that video, his fraternity—more like that secret, cult-like organization within it—would find a way to cover it up somehow. I was sure of it.
I flashed him a sneer as he stepped into the car. “Have a great trip, no need to hurry back, sweetie.” Slamming the door behind him, I released a breath the moment his driver backed out of the parking spot.
Lexi spun at me. “What the hell was that about?”
I blew out a breath, shaking my head. “Nothing important.”
“Are you sure, Lorelei? Because it looked like he was a hot second away from kidnapping you. Do you want us to call the police or–”
I waved a dismissive hand. “No, don’t. It’s a long fucked up story… I can’t get into it right now.”
“And what official announcement was he talking about?” Cordi asked.
“Also, not important because it’s not happening.”
Both girls continued to stare at me. Obviously, they didn’t believe my bullshit, but at least neither of them called me out on it.
Cordelia turned to her best friend and threw her a smile. “Hey, I’ll catch up with you later, okay? There’s something I need to talk to Lorelei about.”
“Okay, sure. See you back at the dorm.” With a wave, Lexi whirled toward Davenport Hall, and I couldn’t help my gaze from trailing her. A mixture of guilt and jealousy battled it out in my core. She was poor, and Killian had still chosen her over me.
“So…” Cordi crossed her arms over her chest as wisps of lavender hair sailed on the sultry breeze coming over the bluff.
“I’m sorry about the other night,” I blurted.
Her eyes were so wide, her brows hit her hairline. “Well, that’s a first. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you apologize.”
“I’m working on Lorelei version 2.0.” I shrugged, then added, “Axel’s been a big help.”
Her lips twisted. “Yeah, about Ax… So you guys are really serious?”
I nodded quickly. “It’s all happening so fast, but yeah, I guess we are.”
“Are you in love with him?”
All the air squeezed from my lungs at the unexpected question and the turmoil it wrecked in my gut. “Were you?”
She didn’t speak for a long moment, just twirled around a short strand of hair, and I was certain that would be the end of the conversation. Then she sucked in a breath.
“I didn’t want to be,” she whispered. “Axel’s a great guy. He’s not the type of man you just fuck around with, he’s the guy you marry.”
My chin dipped. Only a few weeks in a fake relationship with him, and I’d realized the same.
“So yeah, I’m just not ready for that yet.”
“I get it. Not all of us are ready to be engaged at twenty-one.” Especially not to a rich asshole like Brock. “At least you seemed to be having a lot of fun the other night with the ATOs.”
Cordi waved a dismissive hand. “I was wasted and just looking for a good time. I didn’t even sleep with any of them.”
“You didn’t?”
She shook her head. “I guess I didn’t think I’d miss Axel so badly. I’m trying to do anything to keep myself distracted.”
That damned guilt seeped in, threatening to swallow me whole. I had to tell Axel. He’d be so relieved. But then what? He’d abandon me and race back to her…
“So basically, don’t be a bitch and break his heart,” she said sweetly, “or I’ll come for you.”
An unexpected cackle burst out. “Of course not,” I finally mumbled once the laughter died down. “But I really am into him…”
“Right. Who wouldn’t be?” A rueful smile curled her lips before she spun around and disappeared into the crowd of students just a few yards away on the quad.