Chapter 15: : Chapter 15

COME DOWN, GUYS!” mom called, oblivious to what had just happened. “We need help with this.”

I glanced at the other two, then raced for the stairs.

Tobias’ words bounced around in my head.

. Heavy steps came from the others behind me as I hit the last step and made for the kitchen.

Cakes were displayed on the large island in the kitchen. I stared at the small mini versions and fought the need to throw up.

“The chocolate mud isn’t my favorite.” Mom scowled at the tasters, then lifted her gaze. “So I need your opinion, Ry.” Then she glanced at Nick and Caleb behind me. “And both of you, as well.”

“Seeing as how you’ll probably be eating most of the damn thing,” Creed muttered, pouring himself a Scotch.

They didn’t notice a damn thing, just lived in their own private world, a world made up of wedding plans and secret, consuming love. Love that showed through when mom turned to Creed with a beaming smile and swatted him. They played, they laughed until Creed pulled her into his arms for a long, consuming kiss.

And I just stood there with the feel of Tobias’ grip on my throat as a cell went Nick grabbed his phone and scowled at the message.

His cheek was red and swelling and the small cut on his lip was beading with blood.

“So,” mom urged, stepping out of Creed’s arms to grab a fork from the counter and pushed it toward me. “Taste them and tell me which one you prefer.”

I forced myself toward her, taking the utensil from her hand. But as I stabbed the first cake and tore a chunk from the side, I caught Nick lifting his gaze to me.

“I don’t think the kids really care, hon,” Creed murmured, pulling mom into his arms once more.

Revulsion swam in my belly as I placed the cake into my mouth and chewed. They didn’t notice, not when Nick lifted his phone to Caleb and showed him the message. Goosebumps raced along my arms as they both looked at me.

My pulse quickened and the cake in my mouth turned into a hard wad that I swallowed. Nick turned back to his phone, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he replied. But it was Caleb who watched me now, Caleb’s dark, unfathomable stare that made me shift my weight and stab the next cake.

I tried all four cakes, pointed to the plain vanilla one, and murmured, “That one.”

Mom grinned, then shifted her attention to the two guys. “What do you think?”

Nick strode toward me, his lips tugging at the corners. The moment I met his gaze, I was back there in his car, with my hand stroking my core and his gaze riveted to the movement.

“I can get you a clean fork,” Mom started as he took mine from my hand.

“This is fine. I don’t mind swapping germs with my little sister,” he winked at her and turned his attention to the display in front of him, lifted the fork in with one hand, and dropped the other to the front of his jeans, out of view from the other side of the counter.

I knew what he was thinking.

Knew what he was remembering as he clenched his fist around the bulge.

He took extra care and time, savoring each mouthful, and mom seemed to lap it up, her eyes sparkling as he moaned and took a bite of the next cake. “Yeah, the vanilla. I love it. C?” He held up the fork to the eldest of the three. “Want to share?”

There was something about Nick’s words and the intensity in his voice.

Something about Caleb’s stare, too, as he stepped closer and took the fork from his brother without saying a word. My pulse stuttered and my breath caught as Caleb casually sauntered over and stabbed one cake, then lifted some into his mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed.

“That one,” he said, placing the fork down on the island before turning and striding from the kitchen.

He didn’t look at me once as he left. But those heavy steps on the stairs hit a little harder.

“Excellent,” Mom grinned and turned. “Did Tobias want to try?”

“No,” Nick answered for him. “He’s all in anyway, just now messaged me about it.”

Mom fucking beamed and turned to Creed. “I told you. I told you they’d be into this. We just needed to give them a chance.”

Creed glanced my way with a careful look on his face. He wasn’t as convinced as mom hugged him, giggling like a damn schoolgirl. “You did.” He wrapped his arms around her, his gaze still on me as Nick turned and strode from the kitchen.

I woke early the next morning, too damn early. The moment I surfaced, I thought of them.

Their fixated attention. Their dark, hungry stares. I shoved the sheets away and climbed from my bed. It was still dark when I cracked open the door and listened to the silence before hurrying to the bathroom. This place had become a battleground. One I needed to learn how to navigate…if I was going to survive.

Cold tiles kissed my feet as I stepped in and closed the door quietly before using the toilet, then winced, holding my breath as I flushed. By the time I was racing back to my room, my pulse was out of control. I closed my door behind me and switched on the light, grabbed my laptop from the end of my bed, and set to work at my desk.

Stepbrothers or not, I had an assignment due by Monday, one I wasn’t prepared for. I logged into the school portal and brought up the details before opening up a new document and started outlining my proposal.

By the time I lifted my head and noticed the sky was growing light outside, I was deep into the complexities of the nineteen twenties. I glanced at the scribbles on the paper in front of me and all the ideas I’d started then crossed out, and closed my eyes. The way I was going, I’d never find something substantial to write on.

I reached up, touching the birthmark on my cheek, and shoved upward. My back howled and my ass felt flat and sore. I massaged it, grabbed my school clothes, and hurried for the shower.

It was bliss being up this early in the morning. I showered, knowing those three assholes were still sound asleep, and for the first time in ages, I took my time. I shaved, scrubbed, and stepped out, glowing and red and feeling more alive than I had in weeks. My tortured thoughts returned to them, to their broody stares that seemed to gravitate toward me.

I wanted to know what that message Nick got last night had said. I wanted to know what was so interesting that he had to show Caleb…and that seemed to mention me. Why else would they look at me the way they had…

He’d gotten hard. I froze, my grip clenched around the comb embedded in my hair. Through the misted mirror, I found that ugly red mark on my cheek. He’d gotten hard…and he’d looked at me. I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t me.”

Still, that nagging feeling remained.

He’d been hard in the car when he’d demanded I touch myself. He’d been hard when he looked at me. I closed my eyes at the thought. No guy had ever looked at me like that before. No one had barely given me a passing glance, let alone the kind of intensity that burned in their gazes.

First it was Tobias…

Then it was Nick.

Now it was Caleb.

I forced my eyes open and hurried, dragging my hair down to cover my face, and left the bathroom behind. My bare feet padded lightly, but a surge of panic still rose as I raced to my bedroom.

the words repeated in my mind. I deserved to be here as much as they did. So why was I the one in fear, trying not to wake them?

Why was I the one scared at all?

I glanced at the mess of scribbles on my writing pad as I pulled on socks and shoved my feet into the ugly goddamn shoes. I didn’t want to hide here anymore. I didn’t want to cower from their anger. I didn’t want to cower at all. The soft of a door echoed somewhere downstairs. I hurried, lunging to grab my laptop, and tore from my room to race for the stairs.

“Creed!” I called out as loudly as I dared.

He stopped with his hand on the door, dressed in navy blue business pants and an open-collared white shirt, and turned toward me. “Ryth, everything okay, honey?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “I was hoping I could get a lift to school with you, if that’s okay?”

“It’s a little early, but sure,” he smiled, and gave a jerk of his head. “Come on, kid.”

The word felt almost alien as I followed him, walking past Nick’s Mustang on the way. I let out a pent-up breath, my gaze drawn to that shiny black beast as I closed the door to Creed’s Mercedes and snapped the seatbelt closed around me.

“I’m kinda glad for these few minutes alone, if I’m honest.” He started the engine and hit the button on the gate sensor before backing out of the driveway.

His shirt pulled taut as he glanced over his shoulder and backed out, gripping the back of my seat. It was easy to see where his sons got their good looks and sex appeal. Creed might be a father, but he was toned and handsome, especially when he was dressed like that.

I tried not to look at him, forcing my gaze to the road as we braked and drove forward.

“Are you enjoying living with us?”

I clenched my jaw at the question, my heart pounding in the back of my throat.

Heat raced as I remembered the way Tobias had touched me under the table, and the way Nick had licked my fingers, slick with my own pleasure. Was I enjoying it? A surge of adrenaline hit me between the thighs as I opened my mouth to speak.

“I’m really hoping you are, because to be honest, Ry, I really like your mom.”

His words were a splash of cold water to that uncontrollable desire.

“Like, really like her.”

I glanced his way, catching the slight scowl, and something stilled inside me. “You do?”

“Yeah.” He looked at me, then turned back to the road. “I do, which is why I’m hoping you’re fitting in. The boys seem to be looking after you well, driving you to school and everything.”

Sure, they were looking after me, if you called fingering me under the table and licking my cum from my fingers. Looking after me, the way they looked at me, the way they touched me. Their cruel hands on my breasts and wrapped around my throat.

I swallowed, trying my best to push the panic down as Creed glanced my way. There was a flare of concern, of something akin to panic. But he loved my mom…he loved my mom, and this was the first time I’d seen her happy in years.

“Yes,” I answered, the word hollow and empty. “They’re looking after me.”

Relief swept through his gaze. ”Oh, good…that’s so good. They can be demanding at times and a goddamn pain in my ass, especially when all three are at home. But Nick and Caleb will be going soon and it’ll be just you and Tobias.”

A shudder ripped through me as the school appeared in the distance.

I didn’t know which I dreaded more, the thought of all three of them after me…or Tobias on his own.

“Well, you’re a little early, but I’m sure the study lab is open.” He pulled the car over to the empty drop-off point. I reached for the door handle, yanked it open, and climbed out. “And Ry…”

He stopped me as I stepped out of the car, making me turn and bend back in. “Yeah?”

“I’m really enjoying having you as my stepdaughter. I just want you to know that, and by no means do I mean to take away from your real father. It’s just, I always wanted a girl. So I’m glad I have you now.”

The universe couldn’t be any crueler, even if it tried.

I gave him a nod and the ghost of a smile before I muttered, “Me, too.”

His smile grew as I closed the door and stepped away. I waited, feeling like the biggest goddamn failure in the world as he turned the car around and drove away. “Me, too?” I muttered. “Your one fucking chance to end this and that’s all you have?

With a sigh, I turned and headed for the study lab, which was surprisingly busy when I entered. The teacher smiled at me, motioning toward a row of empty seats. I’d pulled out my laptop and logged into the school’s wi-fi when my phone .

I grabbed it out and glanced at the message.

Fear ripped through me as I reread the message. But that fear was quickly replaced by something else, something deeper…something that didn’t make me cower. Instead, I smiled as I punched out a reply.

And I hit send. Barely a second later…

My smile grew wider. “Not anymore, asshole,” I whispered.

another student hissed at me.

Even that didn’t dampen the excitement inside me. Nick and the others might’ve thought they had me all figured out. They might’ve thought that somehow, I’d do exactly what they wanted….

They might’ve thought I was meek and pathetic. I tugged my hair across my cheek.

Dad’s words filled me as I slipped my phone back into my pocket. A mouse…isn’t that what Tobias had called me?

A mouse My phone vibrated, but I ignored it.

And when it beeped again…and again, I turned the notifications to silent.

A mouse, huh?

I’d show them just how much of a mouse I really was.