10. The Foreign Aid
The Foreign Aid
Caden
My mom must have glitched. Or she knows something I don’t. Which we already assumed. I click on the video chat link and mute it while hitting record.
She steps into the room and drops onto the chair in front of us. Her gaze flows over Harper. “I should have known. You look so much like her.”
Harper is tense next to me, too tense. She trembles beneath my hand. Is she worried I’ll kick her out? Because that’s never happening. She’s mine, and I’ll take care of her no matter what or who stands in our way.
“Get to the point.” I almost growl but hold back. No need to antagonize my mom.
“I went to school with your mom and dad.” Mom smiles faintly. “I wasn’t with Bruce back then. The girls Bruce dated back then were nothing like me.”
Mom touches the side of her hair. Does she think she’s more like those girls now? Plastic and giving in to every whim my father has?
I wrap my arm around Harper’s shoulder and drag her into my side. My parents have always been distant. Our talks are mostly about my progress or Ava’s. I don’t even know how they met. I assume they like each other since they’re always taking off together.
“I liked Jennifer. She and I got along well.” My mom touches her hair again like something might be out of place.
“I don’t know a lot, but I know that Bruce and his friends have an interest in something Sean Davidson left behind.
I love my husband. There’s a reason we stay away from here as much as possible.
But his friends aren’t the kind of people you want to cross. ”
Mom’s eyes meet mine. “I hope that you guys aren’t mixed up in this, but it makes sense. I owe Jennifer for something she did for me in high school.” She shakes her head and stands, running her hands over her perfectly pressed skirt.
That surprises me, but knowing Jennifer, maybe it shouldn’t.
Mom’s tone changes as she holds my gaze. “Ava seems to be settling in well. We need to go to Paris to review a contract. I trust that you know what you’re doing?”
For a second, it felt like I had my mom back. The one who used to run around with me and Ava when we were little. The one who was present and willing to stand up to our father. For us. The one who cared.
But there are too many years where I was left on my own.
Where I was the one who would protect Ava.
The fact is, if they wanted to be here, they could be.
A lot of what they do could be done with video meetings, but they don’t want to be here.
To be with us. This home has been in our family for generations, so they’ll never abandon it. I nod stiffly.
“We’re fine,” I say.
For a second, a glimpse of sadness and pain flickers in her eyes before it disappears. She heads to the door and pauses with her hand on the knob.
“Your dad isn’t a bad guy, but he was part of something bad. Something I convinced him to leave in the past.” She sighs and opens the door, closing it softly behind her.
“Did you get that?” I turn to my laptop and unmute it. I stop the recording and save it to the cloud where Jack can see it.
Luke, Eli, and Jack look at us from the computer.
“Your mom knows but isn’t involved, it sounds like.” Eli rubs his chin. “Will Ava be safe here without them?”
“I’ll see about her staying with Zoey or having one of the guys stay in the room across from hers.” I rub Harper’s shoulder. She still trembles against me. Fuck.
When I turn to her, she’s pale. I draw her onto my lap and tip her chin up so our eyes meet. There’s fear in hers.
“You aren’t going anywhere, little nympho.” I trace her jaw with my finger. “There are a dozen places we can hide in this house if it came down to it.” I give her a grin. “I’m happy to show them all to you.”
She draws in a ragged breath and settles on my lap, collapsing against me. I wrap my arm around her. One at a time, my gaze meets each of theirs. Luke, Jack and Eli. We’re all worried about her. There’s too much happening at once.
She’s strong, but she can only stand so much before she breaks. Her head rests on my shoulder as she holds me.
“Need us to come over?” Luke asks. His gaze is fixed on Harper.
“They don’t have to,” Harper whispers.
Their eyes narrow on her even though she can’t see, and they all get up. I shake my head and smile.
“Wrong answer, little nympho.” I rub her back. “Are you okay?”
She doesn’t say anything but doesn’t pull away from me either. This won’t be about punishment unless she needs it to center her. But we all want to be here for her.
“Fuck it.” I stand up, holding her against me. We need answers. She squeaks and wraps her legs around me. I grab my phone and text the guys.
Me:
Change of plans. Meet at the place
Eli:
Now?
Me:
Yeah, we need to see if we can find anything
Jack:
I’ll grab some flood lights
I grab Harper’s shoes and slip mine on before grabbing one of my sweatshirts for her. The whole time she clings to me, which just solidifies that if I have to find us another place to live, I will. This girl is mine, and no one is taking her from me.
Harper
It’s dark and chilly outside, but Caden is warm. He ducks into the garage, and his car clicks as he unlocks the doors. Lowering me into the passenger seat, his eyes meet mine, and I shiver at the determination in them.
“Buckle up.” He kisses me before setting a sweatshirt in my lap.
The unique cinnamon scent that’s all Caden wafts over me as I pull it on over my head. The sweatshirt engulfs me like his hugs do. He slides into the driver’s seat and starts the car.
I have no idea where we’re going, but I know the others will meet us there. I don’t know what to think about Emily Ross. My mom helped her at some point, but that doesn’t surprise me. That Mrs. Ross would help me in return kind of does.
“What do you think my mom did for your mom?” I pull my hands inside the sleeves of Caden’s sweatshirt and stare out into the darkened sky.
Caden sighs. “I don’t know. Knowing your mom, it could have been anything, but I don’t know my mom that well. She was close when we were kids, but then she distanced herself. Literally. They were gone. We had a nanny for a while, but never the same one.”
I grab the string on his sweatshirt and tug a little, trying to imagine what that would be like. To be left alone with a stranger to take care of me. Mom always had Bob and Fran to watch over me if she needed someone.
I never really questioned why she trusted them. They’re our neighbors and older. But I don’t know what other connection she might have to them. Or maybe my dad had a connection to them.
“My mom is taking my dad off the playing board. At least for a while. We should be able to do a sweep of my room and lock the staff out. It should be a safe place for us.” Caden glances at me in the dark.
I can feel his eyes on me, but I don’t turn to meet them. Nowhere is safe. My mom is my safety net. The guys too, but there are too many monsters closing in.
Caden’s warm hand closes over mine, and I turn to look at him. His eyes are on the road, and his other hand is on the steering wheel. “I wouldn’t have let you go, Harper. Not alone. We would have found somewhere else safe to stay. You and me.”
“Is anywhere in this town safe?” My voice sounds small, but that’s how I feel. I’m having to rely on these boys that I love to keep me safe. But if we can’t take down Zach before Saturday night and he manages to do whatever he has planned, I might be on my own, facing him down.
I need to find my own strength to deal with everyone coming at us.
“Everyone thinks I’m the weak link.” I inhale. “I need to show them I’m not.”
Caden turns down a gravel road and glances at me. “You make us stronger. You’re not weak.”
“But that’s why they’re coming at me. I was nothing before you claimed me. They still think I’m nothing.” I glance into the darkness. We’re outside of the city lights, but the waxing moon floods the landscape with light.
All around us is stone as Caden parks and shuts off the car and the headlights, leaving us in the dimness of the night. He runs his hand through his hair.
“You hid because you wanted to, not because you’re weak.” Caden turns and, though I can’t see the color of his eyes, his conviction hits me.
“They don’t know that.” I blow out a breath and release my seatbelt. “What they see is this girl who spent years hiding and got claimed by the horsemen. Who got spanked in front of the entire cafeteria. Who has been the victim time and time again.”
Caden’s jaw ticks, and I reach over to smooth it out.
“Then let’s prove to them you aren’t weak,” he says.
“How do we do that?”
He slides his seat back and taps his lap. I roll my eyes but climb over the console to straddle his lap. He drags me in against him, so I can feel his hard cock between my legs. I thread my hands in his hair and press my forehead against his.
“You show them your confidence. You walk with your head high and your tits out.”
I growl low, but Caden smirks and palms my breasts through my shirt. My nipples tighten and sparks fire off inside me.
“They’re lovely tits, little nympho. My point is, if you appear super confident, they’ll believe it. They’ve seen you slink through the halls. They’ve watched us manhandle you. If you want to be known as a badass, claim us. Because the times you have are sexy as fuck.”
He nudges my face until our lips brush against each other. Shivers course through me. He doesn’t claim me though. He doesn’t push it to the next level.
I meet his eyes, and part of me knows what he wants. He wants me to take control. He’s letting me. Remembering that time with Luke and Eli where they let me take them and the heady rush I got, I don’t hesitate any longer.
My mouth crashes against his, and I tug on his hair.
Sliding my tongue against the seam of his lips, he opens for me.
A rush flows through me as his hands slide down to my hips.
As I explore him, conquer him, I roll my hips against his.
His cock presses against the seam in my jeans, making everything inside me come to life.
I ease my hand down between us as I kiss along his jaw. My hand slips inside his athletic pants to find his hard cock hot and waiting for my touch. That rush of power flows through me as my thumb rubs his tip, and his cock jerks eagerly.
His breath comes out raw against my ear. “Fuck. Why are you wearing jeans?”
I chuckle at his frustration and stroke his cock while kissing his neck.
His fingers grip my hips as I roll them against him. “Fuck it.”
He undoes my buttons, and he opens my jeans quickly. “I’d love to let you have your fun with me later tonight, but I don’t know how long we have until some asshole comes along and wants to play with you.”
He pushes his hand inside my jeans and panties, sliding over my clit, before his fingers thrust deep inside me. I gasp at the intrusion.
“So fucking wet. I’m going to fuck you all night tonight. You think you can handle that, little nympho?” He kisses my ear before sucking on my neck.
“Yes, War.” I tip my head back and ride his thrusting finger. My hand strokes his cock, wishing he was deep inside me. “Later, I’m going to ride your cock until you explode.”
His chuckle sends shivers up my spine. “I look forward to it.”
He curls his fingers, touching that spot that lights me up.
He presses against it with every thrust of his fingers inside me.
Crying out, I fall over the edge, blinding me to anything but the sensation of his fingers inside my pulsing pussy.
He draws his fingers out and sucks them into his mouth. An aftershock ripples through me.
“Help me out, little nympho,” he whispers. He pushes the steering wheel up, and I slide to the floorboard.
I pull down his pants and open my mouth to take his cock deep. His growl sends another aftershock through me before he thrusts up into my throat. I relax and suck on him as he fucks my mouth before he comes into my throat.
“Fuck, I love you.” He strokes my hair.
I lift off him and swallow.
A knock sounds on the window, and a light blinds both of us.
“Stop fucking and come on,” Jack says with laughter in his voice.
Caden draws me up on his lap and kisses me while fastening my jeans. “To be continued later.”