I stared at the text on my cell, texts from my brother in the next room, and clenched my jaw.
âSonofa ,â I growled, then lifted my gaze and cast the cell onto the bed.
The faint sound of their muffled voices drifted through the wall. I clenched my fists as my cell went I wasnât going to read themâ¦wasnât going to look. But I couldnât stop thinking about her, the way that pink fucking mark on her cheek blushed when Iâd cornered her in the kitchen. The way her breath had hitched when Iâd told her what Iâd do to her.
Her mom and the lawyers had been in dadâs office all fucking day. They were there when I came back from the gym, and theyâd stayed there ever since.
Donât lookâ¦
Donât fucking look.
âFuck.â I reached over and grabbed it from the bed.
A special dinner?
Something savage moved through me. My mind raced, searching all the possible threads it could be. Maybe they were moving out? Maybe Nick had been right and this was just a friend helping out a friendâ¦and our life would go back to normal.
Me hating dad.
Nick and Caleb running interference.
That was the only reason they stayed, because they didnât trust I wouldnât kill him after what heâd doneâ¦they were smart to stay. There was a lot of unspoken truths between us. The kind of shit that sticksâ¦the kind of shit I wanted to ram down his fucking throat.
Lazarus Rossiâs last words to me still fucking haunted me.
The words heâd uttered before I threw him to the ground and beat the shit out of him. Heâd had no fucking goons then, no, it had been just him and me.
I winced at the words. Heâd been my fucking friendâ¦the guy Iâd thought of as blood. Now we were fucking enemiesâ¦and it was all dadâs fault.
I jerked my gaze to the cell.
My cock grew hard as I took in a deep breath, my rage and hunger fusing. It was good they were leavingâ¦good they left this place and the fucking rage and stench of death behind.
I didnât know whatâd happen if she didnât. I licked my lips, imagining them in Nickâs room. She thought he was a friend, thought he was the But he wasnât. He was just as fucking excited about having her here as I was. He just needed a littleâ¦
A twitch came in the corner of my cheek as I jerked my gaze to the wall separating our rooms.
He wouldnât fucking dare.
I grabbed my cell and punched out a reply.
and hit send.
She was , mine if her mom didnât move the fuck out.
She lingered in my head as I pushed to stand up. I needed to go for a run, needed to somehow get clear of her. This hunger in me wasnât right. I yanked on my sneakers and pulled on a shirt before heading out the door. I raced down the stairs, listening to my dad as he chuckled. I was halfway down when the study door opened and he stepped out.
Our gazes met and surprise lifted his brows. âTobias.â
âIâm heading out for a run,â I muttered, catching sight of Elle Castlemaine as she smiled and reached out, placing her hand on his arm.
She saw me then, her eyes widened, and her hand slipped from my fatherâs arm as she forced a smile. I didnât wait any longer, just turned my focus to the stairs and left them behind. My damn head was booming as I yanked open the front door and stormed out. By the time I hit the front of my car, I was striding out, making my way to the gate.
He hadnât smiled that way with mom. I punched in the code and slipped around the gate as it opened. Then I was gone, lengthening my strides and pushing into a run. Iâd already been at the gym for three hours this morning, but still it wasnât enough.
I couldnât stop thinking about her, about her tight little tit under my hand and the way her nipple tightened when Iâd pinched it. I pushed harder, forcing myself faster as the fantasy returned. It wasnât my fingers that grazed her flesh.
I wanted my tongue there, too. My teeth, as well.
The scent of vanilla drew deep with every breath. I focused on the road and the houses. I focused on the kids on the swings that I raced past and the sun as it dimmed in the sky. I focused on anything else and by the time I turned into my street once more and slowed at the gates, I was spent.
Hard, sawing breaths consumed me. My shirt was soaked and stuck against my skin. I punched the code into the gate box with trembling fingers and yanked my shirt over my head.
When I opened the front door, I could hear them. Music piped through the speakers in the house, something old andâ¦
âAnother bottle of champagne,â Elle Castlemaine called as I strode toward the stairs.
From the corner of my eye, I caught it as my father chuckled and strode to the kitchen. He didnât see me, not this time. But there was something different about him, something I didnât like. He seemed too happy to be moving Elle Castlemaine and her daughter out.
My mouth twitched with a snarl as I climbed the stairs and headed for the bathroom. The scent of vanilla hit me like a fist to my gut as I stepped in and closed the door.
I closed my eyes and reached out, bracing my hands against the vanity.
My body was trembling, but my mind was still hungry, ravenous with a cruel fucking need. I yanked my clothes off and tossed them into the hamper before stepping into the shower and hitting the taps. Heat ran down my neck and my shoulders. Under the blur of the water falling in my eyes, I saw her things, her damn shampoo and conditioner. I reached and picked up a pink bottle of her bodywash and cracked open the lid.
Fuck, that shit smelled nice, real nice. I squeezed some out, rubbed my hands together, and ran them over my body. I was already fucking hard, too goddamn hard. It didnât matter how many times I jerked off to the smell of her panties and her perfume, I still craved more.
More of her body.
More of her fucking soul.
I washed and rinsed, using my own shampoo before I stepped out and grabbed a towel. A came from the other side of the door before it opened. Nick stepped in, wearing clean jeans and an open-collared white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. âDad wants you downstairs, apparently thereâs an important dinner.â
âGood for him, enjoy that dinner.â
âTobe.â
âFuck off, Nick.â
He scowled, those golden-brown eyes darkening. âWhat the fuck has gotten into you?â
I clenched my jaw and wound the towel around my waist before smacking my shoulder into him on my way out. âI dunno, what do you fucking think?â
He stilled for a second, then strode after me. âYouâre seriously pissed about that?â
I twisted the door handle and stepped into my room. âGet out of my face, brother,â I snarled before closing the door in his face.
I half expected him to come after me. If he did, there was no way Iâd look him in the eyes without laying one on his nose.
The thought rose.
Did he smell her fucking hair and press his cock against her body?
âCome downstairs, weâre all down there,â Nick said from the other side of the door.
I just jerked a glare toward the sound and unwrapped the towel, listening as he walked away.
That room rose in my mind, the room that had had my momâs machines in it. Machines heâd made us haul to the garage and store in the dark. I lifted my gaze to the door and the sound of their voices.
To what, see how fucking happy they were?
To see Ryth in her pretty green dress?
A dress I wanted to tear from her bodyâ¦
With a growl, I strode to the dresser and yanked open the drawer, pulling on boxers, jeans, and a t-shirt. Iâd fucking come to their dinner and see what they had to say. Iâd give my father and Elle an ultimatum, move the fuck out and leave us alone, or else.
They just didnât know it. So itâd better be good fucking news.
Her daughterâs virginity was on the goddamn line.