Chapter 24: Corrupt: Chapter 24

Present

PLENTY OF OTHER WOMEN HERE. Yeah, that was a fucking bluff if I’d ever heard one. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, and I’d either have to swallow my pride and actually be nice to get into her bed tonight, or…

Or I’d have to pick another fight.

Either way, she’d have my number. She’d know I couldn’t stay away and that she was the only girl I wanted. How the fuck had that happened?

I stood outside on the patio with a few old friends—some locals who worked in town and some high school friends that never made it out of Thunder Bay—but I wasn’t listening to anything they were saying. I stayed rooted, my arms crossed over my chest, as I watched her through the windows talking to Alex at the kitchen island.

I couldn’t believe she’d called me Kai. And then fucking Trevor? She was doing it on purpose, but why would she challenge me?

She wanted me. Why not just give in?

But no, the more I tried to get her to melt for me and forget all the bullshit we’d gone through tonight, the more she opened her smart ass mouth to feed me her disdain. I couldn’t bend her anymore. She was laughing at me.

What if I’d completely corrupted her? What if she’d begun to like playing games too much, and the lust to play—and to win—overpowered her need for me?

What if her heart had hardened so much that she closed herself off in order to survive?

What if I was the one that had to bend?

Unease weighted on my shoulders, and I let out a breath. I need her.

I want her.

At least tonight I was safe. I’d won this round. No guy was going to come near her, so she’d eventually just go to bed in defeat.

She had no cards left to play.

I watched as she and Alex walked around the island, Goodbye Agony playing through the house, but then Rika stopped, looked up, and met my eyes through the glass. Leaving Alex standing in the middle of the kitchen, Rika opened the door and walked up to me, leaning in.

“You said no guys, right?” she asked, sounding mischievous. “Just making sure.”

One corner of her lips curled, and she turned, walking back inside. I watched as Alex shot me a smug, devious smile and took Rika’s hand, leading her out of the kitchen.

What the…?

I inched to the side, following them through the foyer with my eyes and seeing Rika cast one more glance behind her before they disappeared up the stairs.

No guys. Meaning…?

Charging for the door, I swung it open and bolted through the kitchen.

“Hey, where you going?” Kai grabbed my arm, stopping me. “We’ve got to talk about Damon.”

“Tomorrow.” I pulled away, dismissing him, and made my way through the foyer and up the stairs.

I couldn’t think about Damon right now. He was injured, and he wasn’t doing anything tonight.

Walking down the dimly lit hallway, I approached Rika’s bedroom, noticing that the door was open. The entire upstairs was quiet, the echoes of the music downstairs like a faraway hum.

But when I stepped into her doorway, I found the room empty. The lights were off, as they had been the last time I’d been up here, and her bed was still made.

I looked back down the hallway, narrowing my eyes. Where the hell was she?

Throwing open doors, I searched my parents’ room, my brother’s room, the guest bedrooms…But when I got to my room, I noticed a flicker of light coming from underneath the door.

Reaching out a slow hand, I turned the knob and pushed it open.

And my heart skipped a beat.

“Shit,” I barely whispered under my breath.

Alex sat on the side edge of the bed, and Rika stood between her legs, both girls with their hands on each other. Alex held Rika’s hips, staring up her and looking entirely too interested.

And Rika…

My fucking stomach was floating up into my throat, and I inched into the room, closing the door behind me.

Rika put one knee on the bed at Alex’s side, leaning her hips into Alex’s chest and threading her fingers into her hair, caressing Alex’s neck and shoulders.

Alex inched up Rika’s gray tank top, leaving soft kisses across her belly and darting out the tip of her tongue to taste Rika’s skin.

My cock rushed with blood and heat, swelling painfully.

She was going to win this round.

“What are you doing?” I was already sweating. Jesus.

Rika blinked her eyes up at me, gentle and calm. “Game change. New players,” she repeated my words. “You’re not needed. Sorry.”

And then she let out a moan, arching her body into Alex’s mouth and letting her head fall back.

I grunted, resisting the urge to adjust myself. Goddamn her. What the hell did she think she was doing?

Was she really willing to go this far to challenge me?

“You’re in my bed,” I pointed out, trying to look unaffected.

Rika grinned down at Alex who was still kissing her stomach, both of them practically ignoring me. “Your bed is bigger,” she answered. “You don’t mind, do you?”

I steeled my jaw, seeing her hands trail down Alex’s chest and grasp at her dress, pulling it up and off her body.

But I barely noticed, because I couldn’t take my eyes of Rika. She still wore her thin, pink pajama shorts, looking so sexy and innocent with her glowing skin and hair. I swallowed the dryness in my throat, not sure if she was bluffing, trying to get me to react, or if she really did want this. Both possibilities, though, would have her coming out on top. She’d know she was smarter and stronger.

Alex’s hands ran up and down Rika’s legs, and she started pulling down her shorts, nibbling the skin over Rika’s hip bone.

“Ah,” Rika groaned, her eyes closed. “Michael…”

I lost my breath, shaking my head and my heart in a thousand knots.

She was winning. I was playing her game, and I was fucking losing. God, I wanted her so goddamn much.

But this wasn’t over.

I circled the bed and grabbed Alex by the arm, yanking her up.

“Leave,” I ordered.

“What?” she blurted out, her eyes desperate. “Are you kidding me?”

I guessed she was getting turned on and probably hoped I’d let it continue and enjoy the show.

But I shoved her away, not caring how disappointed she was. Will, Kai, and dozens of other guys—and girls—were out there. Let her take her pick.

Alex snatched up her dress, huffing as she walked out and slamming the door behind her. When I turned back, Rika stood next to the bed, a slight smirk on her face. “Your move.”

I breathed out a laugh, towering over her as I hardened my tone. “Did you like that?” I asked. “How far were you willing to go with her?”

She licked her lips. “Maybe further,” she admitted. “Or maybe I knew I wouldn’t have to go far at all. Maybe I know you better than you think I do.”

Reaching up, I trailed a finger across her jaw. “Do you?”

She held my eyes, her chest rising and falling faster, and I could tell she wanted to lean into my hand. She wanted me to say sweet things and to give into her, and she wanted my heart. That’s why she was pushing me.

But I wanted to play.

“The thing is…” I stated, narrowing my eyes on her. “We have a problem. You weren’t invited into my bed, and you came in here without permission.”

Taking her hand, I pulled her across the room, feeling her stumble behind me as I forced her toward the door.

“Michael!” she cried out, seeing me open it. “What are you doing?”

I dragged her to the opposite side of the empty hallway, two doors down, and hauled her into a bedroom, throwing her forward and closing the door behind me.

“Now that’s a bed you’re more familiar with.” I gestured to my brother’s bed. “Get in it.”

She faced me, fisting her hands at her sides and breathing hard, all composure lost. She shook her head, her eyes glistening with tears.

Why was I doing this? I could’ve told her how much I wanted her, how much I needed her, and how, after nearly a week, I could still taste her. She could be underneath me in my bed right now, and I could be inside of her, listening to her pant and getting lost in the sheets and the feel of her the rest of the night.

“Michael,” she begged, her voice brittle. “Why are you doing this? After today and everything you put me through? Why are trying to hurt me more?”

“Are you tapping out?”

Her face cracked, and she dropped her head, her body shaking with sobs. “You’re sick, Michael. You’re sick.”

I ground my teeth together, approaching her. “When I found out last year that you were dating Trevor, I hated it. I hated you, but I hated that even more. I wanted to come in here and see you in his bed and how you would’ve looked—”

“Why?” she cut in.

I stared into her eyes, knowing that I barely understood the answer to that question myself. Ever since I was little, I remember being angry. Angry that my father tried to mold me into someone I wasn’t. Angry that he took her out of my arms. Angry that she and Trevor were always pushed together. Angry that I had to leave for college and leave her alone with my family.

And then I was angry that she’d betrayed me. Or so I thought.

But for some reason, the anger didn’t break me. It made me my own person, someone who was defiant and knew their own mind. I stood up to my father, I made my own decisions, and I was invincible. And I became very good at finding my amusement in other ways.

Growing up, every time she walked into a room and looked at me, wanting me to look back so badly, I felt powerful when I refused to indulge her. When I left the room as if she hadn’t been there at all.

I loved that I dominated her pretty little head more than my brother ever could.

And indulging in a little self-torture, like picturing her in here with him, kept me hot and on edge. I liked that, because I liked who I was. It made me strong. Would giving in to her change me?

“I like to hurt myself,” I told her. “I need this. Now take off your clothes and get in his bed.”

“Michael,” she breathed out, trying to argue.

But I just stood there like a wall, unbending.

Her chest rose and fell hard, but she calmed her features and squared her shoulders, looking back up at me.

Her mouth twisted in anger, but her eyes turned bold as she tore off her clothes and pulled down her panties, stepping out of them and walking to the bed.

My heart started to beat faster, and I folded my arms over my chest, trying to stay hard.

She pulled back the covers, her long, blonde hair flowing down her back, and climbed in. She laid down, pulling the forest green sheet up to her waist and leaving her breasts uncovered.

Resting a hand behind her head, she looked at me, her big eyes taunting me as her other hand rested on her bare stomach. She looked so fucking soft and warm and perfect.

He’d seen her like this. He’d laid next to her like this, and regret wracked though me, not because of the picture before me, but because it should never have been him. I could’ve had her—her first time, everything—and I let her go three years ago.

If it weren’t for me, she would never have turned to him.

What the hell was the matter with me? Was all the power I felt pretending like she didn’t exist greater than how fucking good she felt when I had her in my arms?

No. Not even close.

She cocked her head, her eyes pooling with tears. “I’m in his bed,” she pointed out. “You’re not going to do anything about it this time? I can moan his name or….maybe tell you about the four times in our months together that I let him have me, and how I tried so hard not to picture it being you.”

The blue of her eyes glistened and shook as tears started to spill down her temples into her hair.

“Maybe you’d like more of a visual instead?” she asked.

She sat up, pulling the pillow down, and swinging her leg over it, straddling it.

Rolling her hips, she began to ride the pillow like it was Trevor underneath her, tilting her head back and moaning.

Her beautiful, round ass grinded into the fabric, her back arching as she picked up pace, while her hair swayed against her back.

Pain shot through my chest, and my fists clenched.

“Rika,” I murmured, feeling like I’d lost her.

But then she groaned and whispered, “Michael.”

And I narrowed my eyes, inching up the bed to see her face.

Her eyes were closed, and she let out a hard breath, a small smile crossing her face as she rode the pillow. “Michael.”

She picked up the pace, grinding harder and faster, her tight stomach waving in and out, and her full breasts swaying with her movements.

She grunted as her dry-fucking grew more rigorous, and her face tightened in pain as she rode harder and harder. “Oh, God. Oh, fuck.”

And Trevor was gone. He wasn’t in the room anymore.

She was mine.

I unfastened my belt and dropped my jeans to the floor, kneeling behind her on the bed.

I lost track of what the score was, whose move it was, or what game we were even

playing anymore.

We want what we want.

I wrapped a hand around the front of her neck and pulled her against me. Her head fell back on my shoulder, and my cock stood straight up, brushing against her ass.

“What are you doing to me?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.

She was tearing me up, and I wasn’t sure I cared. I just wanted to burn.

Dipping a hand down to her pussy, I slid two fingers inside her and pumped them in and out, bringing out her wetness and rubbing it over her clit.

She moaned, turning her head toward me as she reached around with her hand and held the back of my neck.

“I’m not tough, Michael,” she whispered. “Not really. I can play, and I can let you fuck me in your brother’s bed or on your father’s desk and use me as an object to get back at them, but in the end—” She paused and then continued, “In the end I’m still here, Michael. I’m still here. It’s still just you and me.”

She breathed hard against my skin, and I dropped my head, caving. I wrapped both of my arms around her and held her warm body tight as I buried my face in her neck. I couldn’t ever let her go.

“Just you and me,” she repeated.

“Promise me,” I demanded against the silky skin of neck.

But promise me what? What did I want from her?

Promise you’ll never leave me? Promise you belong to me? Promise you’re mine?

I raised my head, turning her lips toward me and kissing her deep and fast, her taste sending a rush of pleasure to my cock.

I pulled away, breathing against her lips. “Promise you’ll never say no to me. Promise you’ll never keep yourself from me.”

She grabbed my bottom lip between her teeth, sucking and kissing. “I’ll never say no,” she answered but then added with a smile in her voice, “as long as you keep me screaming yes.”

I groaned, pushing her down on her hands and knees and grabbing her hips, yanking them back as her legs willingly spread for me.

“Only as long as you need me then, huh?” I said playfully, taking my cock in my hand and gliding the tip up and down her warm pussy. “Only as long as you need this?”

Finding her wet heat, I pushed the head inside, forcing it into her tight body, and then pulled it back out, seeing her shake.

“Michael,” she moaned, looking over her shoulder.

And I slid the head back in, her pussy wrapping around me so hot that I just wanted to plunge inside of her. “You’ll never say no to me. You know it.”

And then I pulled back out, hearing her whine in frustration.

“Michael!” She slammed a fist into the comforter and then shot up, spinning around and pushing me back on to the bed.

My spine hit the footboard, keeping me halfway upright, and my heart throbbed in my chest, seeing her crawl on top of me like a little an animal, completely out of control.

She straddled my waist, and I grabbed her hips, smiling and gloating as she dug her nails into my shoulder with one hand and positioned my cock underneath her with the other.

She sunk her body down on me, and I slid inside of her, squeezing her ass in my hands as I pulled her forward to catch her nipple in my mouth. I darted out my tongue, flicking the pebbled flesh and wanting to take a bite out of her. She tasted so fucking good.

She rolled her hips, clutching the footboard behind me in one hand and my shoulder in the other as she let her head fall back, moaning and grinding and fucking.

“That’s it.” I gripped her ass, pulling her into me again and again. “That’s it, baby. This is what you were built for. Me.”

I grunted, my cock so fucking hard for her. Taking one of her tits in my hand, I held it to my mouth, playing with her nipple again, licking and biting as she ground faster and faster, fucking me so good.

“Ah, ah,” she cried out.

And then she dived down, plastering her chest to my body and kissing me, the feel of her breath against my mouth covering my skin with heat.

God, I was addicted.

“Don’t look to anyone else to give you this,” I growled in a whisper, kissing her again.

“Michael,” she panted softly. “I never wanted anyone else. Don’t you see that?”

She pulled back, sitting upright, and I watched her close her eyes and her glowing skin move in front of me as her breasts bounced with her movements. Her hair fell over her shoulders and down her back, revealing her scar, and I reached up, running my thumb down its length.

“So beautiful,” I whispered.

She gasped, moving faster and faster. “Oh, God,” she whimpered.

And I felt my cock rush with heat, and I tensed up, squeezing my eyes shut. “Christ,” I groaned. “Baby, you better slow down or be ready to come.”

“I’m coming,” she breathed out. “I’m coming.”

And then she pumped harder and faster, a light layer of sweat on her neck, and then she locked up, stilling as she dug her nails into my shoulders.

“Oh, God!” she cried out, jerking into me again and again.

And I grunted, pumping my hips up into her and spilling inside of her as my abs tightened and every muscle in my body strained and burned.

She collapsed on top of me, burying her lips in my neck, and for several seconds it was just us breathing. The rise and fall of my chest with hers, and I never wanted to move from this spot.

Rika. Little Monster.

“I don’t forgive you for what you’ve done to me,” she whispered, her voice still shaking from the orgasm. “But you’re right. I don’t think I can say no to you.”

I closed my eyes, threading a hand through her hair and holding her close.

I don’t think I can say no to you, either.

I RUB MY HANDS UP AND DOWN my face, groaning with the weight on my eyes and the ache in my head.

“Shit,” I grumble, turning my head slowly and seeing that I’m in the media room.

“Did we finish that whole bottle?” I hear Kai ask.

I tilt my head back, spotting him on the other couch with his face buried in his hands. I glance at the table in front of him, seeing an empty bottle of Johnnie Walker.

Peeling myself off the sofa, I sit up, my stomach rolling and a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Goddamn,” he says, pulling out his phone. “She must be pretty damn sweet to get you to drink like that.”

“Fuck you,” I growl under my breath.

I hear him give a weak laugh as I try to steady myself. The room is spinning, and I blow out a breath, feeling bile rise in my throat as last night comes flooding back.

The warehouse. Rika.

I had her in my arms. Finally. Why did I fuck it up?

But then I hear Kai’s ragged breath, and I look up to see him staring wide-eyed at his phone.

“Michael,” he says, looking scared. “Get your fuckin’ phone out, man.”

I reach over to my hoodie that I tore off last night and dig into the pocket, pulling out my cell. Swiping the screen, I see a list of notifications, messages, and tweets a mile long.

What the hell? My heart starts pounding, and I start clicking, catching words like ‘cop’, ‘statutory rape’, and ‘Horsemen’.

What?

My mouth goes dry as I see images of Kai, Will, and Damon, and I don’t know what the fuck is happening. Why are these pictures online?

“The phone,” Kai breathes out, looking up at me like the wind had been knocked out of him.

I click on the videos, my stomach dropping when I see Kai and Will with the cop, him hanging on by a thread as they hit him again and again. When I get to Damon’s video, the girl’s face is as clear as day, and I scan the comments, seeing words like ‘rapist’ and ‘jail’, as well as other girls claiming he’d done the same thing to them.

It’s everywhere. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter…there’s even a news article going on about us as if we’re a gang. A fucking gang?

“What the fuck happened?” I yell. “How did this shit get online?”

“I don’t know!” Kai bursts out, breathing a mile a minute. “Will…”

We both think the same thing. He has the phone, but he wouldn’t do this! To us or himself.

Ignoring my notifications, I dial him to see where the phone is. He doesn’t answer, but when I glance back at my screen, I see missed texts from Damon.

We’re so fucked! The first one says.

And then another one a few minutes later. Rika has the phone! She had Will’s sweatshirt last night!

I shake my head, meeting Kai’s eyes, knowing he got the same texts. No. She wouldn’t do that. She would never hurt me.

Throwing down my phone, I charge out of the room, hearing loud knocks on the front door as I rush through the house.

Excited voices fill the downstairs, and I feel like the walls are getting closer and closer, and I can’t turn anywhere.

Coming up outside the kitchen, I stop, hearing Trevor’s voice.

“So those are the guys you want to be around?” he snarls. “Rapists and criminals?”

I know he’s talking to Rika, but I don’t hear her say anything. The vein in my neck throbs, and I hear feet storming though the house. I don’t have to look to know it’s the cops. They might be looking for me, but they are definitely looking for Kai.

“Michael’s nothing, and if you want to be around him so much, you’ll end up just like his friends,” Trevor goes on.

“I have no interest in being around him,” Rika replies, a bite to her voice. “And his friends got what they deserved.”

My lungs empty, and I step into the doorway, glaring at her back. Trevor looks up at me, and Rika spins around, hurt and sorrow in her blood-shot eyes. She can barely look at me.

And then my gaze drops to her hand, spotting Will’s black hoodie with the tear in the sleeve from the fight with Miles last night.

Clenching my teeth so hard my jaw aches, I back away, holding her eyes. Kai is shouting down the hall, the cops having found him, no doubt, and I stare at her, rage wrapping around every inch of my body like steel armor.

This is my fault.

I’ll never be able to make this right.

They’ll suffer, because I trusted her.

Opening my eyes, I threw the sheets off, sweat covering my chest and neck.

The memory of that day was like a sickness I couldn’t shake. Seeing Kai in handcuffs, my friends splashed all over the local news, and knowing that none of it would’ve happened if I hadn’t brought her with us the night before.

That Sunday, they would’ve gone back to school and carried on, building their lives and looking forward to the next time we could all wreak a little havoc together. Nothing would’ve ended.

If only I hadn’t brought her with us.

I turned my head, seeing her fast asleep next to me, and my arms hummed with the need to hold her. Her lashes were dark against her alabaster skin, and there was the smallest little space between her lips as she breathed in and out calmly.

Shifting onto my side and propping myself up on my elbow, I ran a light hand down her face, tracing the scar on her neck, and continuing down her body.

I leaned in and kissed her hair, breathing her in.

Nothing was her fault.

She was one of us—she was ours—and not only did I have a mountain of shit to do to make this right, but I almost feared that nothing would be enough. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted from her, but I knew I didn’t want to lose her.

And she’d grown very good at having a mind of her own.

Leaving her to sleep, I showered and dressed in black pants and a white dress shirt, knowing I’d have to take care of some business today.

The house was a disaster and since my parents were out of town, our housekeepers and cook were on vacation as well. I called in a temp crew, and by the time I got everyone left over from the party the hell out of my house, the workers were already there, getting started on the main rooms first, as well as cooking breakfast.

I called the facility where Rika’s mother was and informed them that Christiane Fane’s daughter would be in contact with her mother, and then I called a lawyer—not the family lawyer, someone that wasn’t paid by my father—to discuss Rika’s estate. I knew she didn’t trust me with it—why should she?—but I didn’t want it reverting back to my father, either. We’d have to try to contest the will.

I got all of her money transferred back into her accounts, which was easy enough, since the guys had bluffed last night at Hunter-Bailey. We hadn’t quite gotten the shares doled out yet, so I still had access to everything and was able to put it all back and reactivate her credit cards with no problem.

After a couple of hours, I sat at the dining room table, a breakfast spread sitting out, Kai quiet and Will drifting in hungover. He looked a mess and immediately demanded to know what was next.

He wanted to go after Trevor.

“I can’t clean up one mess and then jump right into another,” I gritted out. My plate was already too full.

“Yeah, that was your fault,” he threw back. “And Damon’s, for giving you bad information. We followed like we always do.” He looked to Kai for backup. “But I’m doing it my way now. I would like you with me. If not, I’ll survive.”

He tossed back some aspirin, chasing it with an entire bottle of water.

Yeah, it was my fault. We’d hurt Rika when it should’ve been Trevor, but I needed a breath first.

I pushed my plate away, sitting back in my seat and looking up to find her standing in the doorway.

I locked eyes with her, my heart skipping a beat. She looked absolutely beautiful. As if she hadn’t been through hell last night.

She’d showered, put on some make-up and straightened her hair, and she was dressed in some tight jeans, a white shirt, and a little red jacket with black shoes.

Was she leaving?

“Rika.” Kai stood up, looking contrite. “Would you like something to eat?”

I narrowed my eyes on him.

But she ignored him and met my eyes again. “My mother,” she demanded.

I nodded, picking up a card off the table and holding it up for her. “Her counselor’s number. You’re on her list of contacts now. Call whenever you like.”

She walked over and took the card, looking down at it.

And I could tell that whatever happened between us in Trevor’s room last night was over for now. She was clear-headed and back to business.

Before she got a chance to say anything else, Will shoved a plate into her hands. “Here.”

He reached over, grabbing a serving spoon full of scrambled eggs and began loading Rika’s plate.

She stared dumb-founded, and I turned my head away, trying not to laugh.

“Now I’m sick of talking,” Will continued, standing up and dishing her fruit and potatoes, as well. “No more plans. No more waiting. No more getting everything in place and all our ducks in a fucking row. Let’s do this.” And then he stopped with tongs in his hand and looked at her. “You like sausage?”

Without waiting for her to answer, he just shrugged and put two links on her plate.

She stared at him like he’d just pissed in the sink.

“We know where he is, and I don’t want to kill him,” Will gritted out, sitting down, “but I’m sure as shit going to change his life forever. Just like he did to us. Are you in or not?”

I let out a breath, hooding my eyes. Rika continued to stand there for a moment, but then she turned and walked down the table, setting her plate down.

“He is my brother, okay?” I argued, facing Will.

I didn’t know what my feelings were about Trevor, but he was my mother’s son—and my father’s, of course—and hurting him would hurt them. I couldn’t decide this today.

But Will kept arguing. “Don’t give me that shit. He can’t stand you, and you hate him just as much. The only reason you’re holding back is because of her.”

And he jerked his head at Rika.

She gripped the back of the chair, still not sitting. “I’m not involved,” she replied calmly. “I’m going back to the city today, and I want nothing to do with any of this.”

“But you are involved,” Will retorted. “You’re the whole reason for all of this. If you hadn’t been with us that night, Trevor would never have shown up. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t blame you. And now that I know you’re one of the good guys I can admit that I actually really like you. But you’re Trevor’s motive, and you’re in Michael’s head. He needs to stay focused, and you’re the reason he’s not right now.”

“I am focused,” I bit out.

“Great!” he said, smiling. “Then when do we leave for Annapolis?”

I ran my hands over my face, ready to punch him in the fucking face.

Rika pulled away from the table, disengaging herself. “I’m going to go call my mother.”

She turned and walked out of the room, and I darted my gaze to Kai, seeing him rise and follow her.

I moved to get up, too, but Will grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Your season starts soon,” he pointed out. “This needs to happen now.”

I sat back down and glared at him. “You listen, and you listen good,” I warned. “Trevor doesn’t even know that we know. He’s not going anywhere. Damon is the threat right now. We have no idea where he is, and he’s pissed off. I’m not stalling. I’m getting organized.”

And I shoved my chair back, storming out of the dining room, through the foyer, and up the stairs.

But before I made my way to Rika’s room, I stopped, seeing Kai at the second floor window, peering down into the driveway.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Walking up to stand next to him, I followed his gaze outside and spotted Rika on the phone, tossing her purse into the back seat of the car. Alex, who I’d forgotten was here, sat in the passenger seat.

“Goddammit.”

Damon was out there somewhere, and I didn’t trust him. She couldn’t just leave.

“Aren’t you going to stop her?” Kai challenged, sounding amused.

“I’m…” I shook my head, leaning on the window frame. “I’m not sure I can.”

I heard him breathe out a laugh. “You finally met your match, huh?”

She stood outside her car, still on the phone, probably with her mother. The smile on her lips reminded me of a younger Rika. A gentler, happier one.

Before I’d gotten a hold of her.

“I don’t know what to do with her,” I said in a low voice.

She was in my body, in my head, and…

I looked down at her, my heart aching at the way she pushed her hair behind her ear.

And she was creeping into other places, too.

“You really think you need to prove anything to her?” Kai asked. “You think she hasn’t been in love with you just the way you are her entire life?”

I continued staring out the window, not wanting this conversation with him.

“That’s what scares you, isn’t it?” Kai prodded.

“It doesn’t scare me.”

“I hope not,” he said, staring down at her. “Because you’ve corrupted her nice and good. She’s a force now, and it won’t be long before she’s brave enough to demand what she wants. If you don’t give it to her, she’ll find someone else who will.”

I turned my head, peering over at him. “I don’t need your warnings. I don’t lose.”

“That wasn’t a warning,” he shot back, not taking his eyes off her. “That was a threat.” And then he looked at me as he turned to leave. “Watch your back, brother.”