by K. G. Reuss
“You’re lucky I fucking love her,” Ethan whispered, his breathing heavy as he squatted down to put his rage filled face in hers. “Or I’d have killed you already. Enjoy this while you can because once I figure out a solution, you’re going to wish you didn’t know me.”
He released her and got to his feet as she sputtered, her eyes bloodshot from him choking her. He shot us an angry look before storming to the front door and slamming it closed behind him. The squealing of his tires, moments later, let us know he’d left.
“Well, looks like you pissed Ethan off.” Cole laughed, breaking the silence. “Still want to suck some cock or is your throat sore?”
“Fuck you, Cole,” Juliet rasped, her voice hoarse. Ethan’s handprints were still on her throat.
“Nah. Not tonight. You ruined the mood. Get dressed and get the fuck out.” Cole got to his feet and grabbed her shirt before tossing it at her. “We’ll try again another time.”
With her face flaming red, she put her shirt back on and got to her feet.
“Fox?”
“Walk home,” I said evenly.
“I’ll release everything I have—”
“No, you won’t,” I said, stepping over to her and thumbing her bottom lip. “You know why?”
She leaned into my touch. “Why?”
“Because you’re a pathetic bitch, and you need us. You like controlling us. Now get the fuck out like you were told.” I dropped my hand from her face. She let out a throaty whimper that had me rolling my eyes. Her desire of us did nothing for me.
“Fox—”
I pressed my mouth to hers to silence her before shoving her away.
“Shut the fuck up and get the fuck out. Those are the only fucks you get today.” I turned and walked away without looking back at her. A moment later, the front door opened and closed signaling her departure.
“We might have to kill her,” Cole said softly, swirling his whiskey in his glass. “I’d rather fuck her dead body. Satisfaction in knowing she’s gone and all.”
Enzo chuckled. “Someone should call Ethan. I’m sure he has some ideas.”
“I do too,” was all I said before pouring another drink.
One
Rosalie
I clutched the keyring in my palm, the cool metal keys poking through the spaces between my fingers as I crept through the night, one goal in mind: get to Cole’s house. My car was parked a few streets over, and I had on my running shoes in case things went south.
Stopping just outside his house in the shadows, I let out a breath of relief. One of the only issues I’d anticipated was him having parked his pretty, red sports car in the garage. I didn’t want to add breaking and entering to my list of things I shouldn’t be doing. It’d go right beneath trying to fuck four guys at once.
This was nuts. Just weeks ago Cole had held me, his tongue dancing against my aching center, bringing me so much more pleasure than I thought was possible while Fox kissed me, his hands roaming all over my body.
Now, I stood outside Cole’s house with the sole intention of destroying a little bit of his joy like he’d destroyed mine.
Hauling in a deep breath, I slunk through the shadows in my black outfit, my red hair tied back in a long braid, a hood pulled low over my face, a mask around my mouth and nose, and dark sunglasses on. I looked certifiably insane. But I’d have to be to be fucking with anything that belonged to Cole Scott.
I glanced around, making sure my getaway would be clear. I didn’t need to trip over a trash bin or something in my bid for freedom.
If Cole caught me. . . My breath hitched. Cole was the dark one, the one who could cause so much devastation while wearing his beautiful smile, his blond hair perfect, his blue eyes glittering with the joy from the heartbreak. And he caused a lot. I’d know.
I imagined if I was caught, Cole would remind me what I was missing. Something about that sent tingles to my core. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy how rough Cole could be. The only thing I didn’t like about his roughness was when it played with my heart.
Which reminded me of the reason I was there. I owed him one. He had to pay.
I crept to his car and kneeled by the driver’s side tire. I swallowed, drew in a calming breathing, and let the ugly memories take over. Fox and Juliet in bed together. The notebook. The lies. They’d all played with my feelings like a toy while I was falling for them. The pain of that just wouldn’t leave my heart.
Fuck it.
The keys against the shiny, red paint of Cole’s car gave me a wicked sense of satisfaction as they tore through the striking color in ugly, deep, jagged cuts. I moved faster, letting the keys dig into the paint job in unpredictable lines and uneven strokes. I ran them front to back and up and down, mesmerized as tiny bits of paint chipped off like week-old nail polish. I went all the way around the car, marking it up until it looked like it had fought a cougar and lost to its claws.
Satisfied, I smiled. I knew it was petty, but when it came to revenge, I was a bit of a novice. I figured I’d learn as I went. Everything I’d planned so far was petty and low but screw it. I’d hit each of them where it hurt before other ideas might come to me.
The back door of Cole’s house banged open, making me swallow a squeak. I rushed through the darkness and hid behind one of the massive hedges on his property. I tried to flatten myself to the ground as much as possible, hoping to remain undetected if he decided to search for the culprit.
From my hiding spot, I watched as he walked to his car, his phone pressed to his ear. My heart stumbled in my chest. Cole looked good. So fucking good. His blond hair was a mess, like he’d been running his fingers through it. His designer jeans hung low, and his black t-shirt hugged his muscular torso. I swallowed hard as his car caught his attention. His mouth opened in an O of surprise as he slowly lowered the phone from his ear.
“What the fuck!” he shouted. His face turned red as he took in his torn-up beauty. I watched as he rushed to it, his hands running along the ugly grooves.
“Someone keyed my car… No, I don’t see anyone.” He looked around, the phone back against his ear. He nodded as he listened to whoever was on the other end of his phone call. A moment later, he pulled the phone away from his ear, snapped a few photos, and thumbed out a message.
I glanced behind me at the forest, wondering if I could make it there before he saw me. I hadn’t planned on Cole coming out. I figured I’d be done and gone before he found out what happened.
This was a definite kink in my plan. Damn his ass for being a night owl. Guess I hadn’t accounted for that.
“Well, look out your fucking window, Fox!” Cole snapped. “Is her fucking car home?”
Shit.
OK, so I wasn’t a mastermind at this stuff. Another amateur mistake.
Cole stalked around the edge of his driveway, peering into the night, his brows crinkled.
“It’s her. I know it is. Who the fuck else would be brave enough or has such a vendetta?”
I peered around again, realizing Cole would need to go back inside for me to make my escape. It was open space between the bushes and the woods, and I wouldn’t be fast enough to just make a break for it.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“I swear to fuck if it’s her, and I get my hands on her, she won’t walk for a week. I know she’s mad, but…” he sighed, his words trailing off.
I watched as he listened, his handsome face twisted into a mask of sadness. My heart clenched. In that moment, all I wanted to do was rush to him, tell him I hated him for what he’d done, and then hold him.
But this was war. And war had casualties, cars and hearts be damned.
I lay on the ground in silence for what felt like forever, all sorts of escape plots in my mind, but the truth was, there really wasn’t one. I’d screwed up. Bad.
Tearing my gaze away from Cole, I sucked in a sharp breath as Fox’s Jeep pulled into the driveway. I hadn’t seen the guys since everything went down. Fox had pounded o
n my door a few times in the first few days, but after I threatened to call the cops, he’d stopped.
I’d been so sick over everything, I hadn’t been to school since it happened. My parents thought I had the flu because of all the vomiting I’d done. That I was stressed. That I just needed a break. Dad tried to get me to go to classes last Wednesday, but I pulled the I’m eighteen card on him and asked him to leave my room. It hadn’t gone well, but I didn’t have it in me to look at the guys. My dad threatened to kick me out if I didn’t return on Monday.
“I didn’t see her car anywhere nearby. Her car wasn’t home when I left,” Fox’s deep voice called out as he stepped from his Jeep. “But maybe it’s not her. The garage doors were closed. Her car may have just been inside.”
Cole shook his head. “Fuck it. Call Juliet. Tell her we aren’t coming.”
“We have to go.”
“I don’t have to do shit, Fox,” Cole snarled. “She can be your fucking problem tonight, not mine.”
“She’s ours, Cole,” Fox snapped back.
I winced at his mention of her being theirs. I had been theirs.
No, you weren’t. You were a fucking joke.
“I’m not going. Tell her I’m fucking someone else tonight.”
“I can’t do that. You know that, man. If she starts shit—”
“Then I’ll fucking finish it. All she needs to do is give me another reason. She’s on my shit list right now,” Cole growled.
“We can go to Rosie’s after.”
I had to strain to hear Fox.
“And do what?”
“I don’t know.” Fox let out a sigh of frustration.
Cole ran his fingers through his hair again. “That shit is over too. We both know it. She’s not even coming to school. Enzo said he cornered that bitch she called a friend tonight.”
I bristled at his words. Jamie.
“Did she tell him anything?”
“No. She was too busy sucking face with that dickhead she’s with. Enzo said Ethan nearly got into it with him. Shit’s bad if Ethan is throwing hands. And you know as well as I do, he has his own issues to deal with right now.”
A pang raced through my heart at the mention of Ethan. My sweet Ethan.
“Doesn’t matter. None of it does,” Cole muttered.
“Christ, Cole. I said to chill. She just needs time—”
“Fuck time!” Cole shoved Fox. My heart caught in my throat as Fox stumbled before shoving him back.
“I thought we were over this shit,” Fox snarled. “What the fuck, man?”
“Over it?” Cole let out a bark of bitter laughter that made chills rush over my skin. “I’ll never get over her. None of us will. If you didn’t since you walked away the first time, what makes you think any of us will? Huh? Huh, Fox? Tell me how the fuck do I carry on without her,” his voice cracked. “Yeah, she was a real fun fucking game to play, but I was playing to win that shit. But we fucking lost, man.”
Tears threatened the edges of my eyes, and I hugged myself, trying to swallow down my sobs.
“She put a big fucking stain on my heart,” he continued. “It doesn’t matter what I do. I-I can’t make it go away. Believe me, I’m trying. I-I just can’t. I just don’t lose. This shit has me going crazy.”
“I’m sorry, man. I am. But let’s just get through this, OK?” Fox reached for him, but Cole shoved his hand away.
“Fuck you, Fox. Go screw Juliet. I’m done.”
“Cole—”
“I’m going to Rosalie’s. I’ll rip her right from her bed. She is mine. I’m not letting her go or getting over shit. She can call the cops. I’ll fucking let them kill me because I won’t go down without a fight,” he vowed.
“You’re being crazy.”
“And you’re being controlled by some dank pussy I can’t even get off on. I fucking hate this. Even Ethan is losing his shit. Do you even know how bad shit has to be for Ethan to fucking lose it? He’s come so far. He’s going to slip further, man. We all know it. Then what?”
“Then we help him.” Fox’s voice was soft. “Just like before.”
I had to strain to hear him. My heart thudded painfully in my chest at the mention of Ethan. What was wrong with him?
I ground my teeth together, pushing away the ache that rushed through me.
I don’t care what’s wrong with him. He hurt me too. Get it together, Rosalie! This is war! They deserve all the hurt. Cole just admitted it was a game. My heart was just a toy to them.
“Let’s just get this night over with, OK? Take some of that anger out where it needs to be taken out.”
Cole snorted. “I’ll end up killing her.”
Fox chuckled darkly and clapped him on the back. “Maybe I’ll help.”
I watched as the guys strode to Fox’s Jeep and got inside. They sat there for a moment before the engine rumbled to life and they pulled out of the driveway. When Fox’s taillights disappeared, I made a run for it into the woods and dashed down a jogging path until I came out the other side. My car was right where I’d left it. I hopped in and drove back to my place. Luckily, wherever the guys were going wasn’t to Fox’s house because his driveway was empty, and the lights were out.
But it still hurt because deep down inside I knew where they were.
With her.
Juliet.
I hastily wiped at the tears threatening my lashes, went inside, and got ready for bed. The hours passed by slowly as I lay beneath my covers, staring up at the shadows on my ceiling. When I heard a car pull into Fox’s driveway, I got up and stood in front of my window in my tank top and pajama bottoms. I’d left the curtain open and one of my lamps on. Maybe I was a glutton for punishment.
Obviously, or why would I do any of this?
The lamp on Fox’s desk turned on as his dark figure emerged. I stared at him, waiting for him to snap his curtains closed on me like he always did. He looked tired. His mouth turned down into a deep frown as he removed his shirt, revealing all his glorious muscles. His black hair was a mess, sticking up in different directions.
My breath hitched in my chest as he looked up and locked eyes with me. His lips parted. My heart beat painfully in my chest as he took a step closer to his window. I couldn’t move. I was frozen in place as he stared out at me, so much pain and devastation on his face it made nausea churn in my guts.
He reached out and rested his hand on the pane of glass, his brows crinkled. Mesmerized, I watched as he blew onto the window, his breath fogging it. He scratched out some letters and then looked back at me.
I’m sorry.
When I didn’t respond, he wiped the letters away and tried again.
I miss you. Please come back to me.
Why I was even entertaining the interaction was beyond me. But it set the stage for the cruelty which had taken up residence in my heart. I took a step forward and blew onto the window and wrote my return message to him.
Never.
I backed away and watched as his face crumbled as he read my words. To twist the knife further, I pulled my shirt off and tossed it aside along with my pajama bottoms. I settled in bed, leaving the curtains open so he could see what he was missing.
When I peered through my lashes at him, he hadn’t moved. Only one thing had changed.
There were now tears running down his cheeks.
Two
“God. Can you imagine being Rosalie Bishop right now?” Mary Santos asked, staring into the mirror in the third-floor girls bathroom at lunch on Monday.
I’d only just returned, and already my morning had been shit. I’d arrived early to avoid seeing the guys. The rumors and whispers followed me everywhere. People snickered as I passed by. One of the guys on the lacrosse team elbowed me so hard I’d gone sailing into a locker. He’d laughed at me and called me a slut.
So the bathroom seemed like the best place for me during lunch.
From my haven within the locked stall, I swallowed thickly and peeked through the crack
in the door, seeing them, Jenna Andrews and Macy Stein. My stomach churned as they continued to talk.
“I can’t even! I saw Fox this morning with Juliet. That’s gotta be a burn.” Jenna popped her lips, surveying her lip gloss. “And all the shit people are saying.” She shook her head.
“Did you guys hear about Juliet cornering Rosalie and writing Freakshow on her forehead in permanent marker right before all this shit went down?” Macy asked with a giggle.
I ground my teeth, trying to keep my breathing calm and even.
“Heard it? I saw it! Word is Rosalie screwed around with Fox after he and Juliet had the short breakup. Can you imagine? Poor Juliet!” Mary shook her head sadly and capped her mascara. I dug my nails so deep into my palm I drew blood.
“Poor Juliet?” Jenna scoffed. “She’s a bitch. You know she is. I’m Team Rosalie on this one. If Fox and the horsemen looked twice at me, I would’ve jumped their bones too.”
“She’s a slut.” Macy snapped her gum. “There are even rumors about her and Ian Hall, and he’s with Jamie. That’s probably where their falling out came from. Rosalie was probably trying to get with him too. Pathetic.”
“Ian is hot. I wouldn’t kick him out of bed, but oh my god Enzo De Luca!” Jenna squealed. “You know they say his dad is the biggest crime boss this side of the country. Like serious mafia ties. That screams bad boy. I bet he’s fire between the sheets. Cammy Woods said he’s hung like a freaking horse. And I heard he’s set to take over the family business. So. Hot!”
The girls let out a peal of giggles at her words.
They weren’t wrong about how hot Enzo was, but that wasn’t what I focused on then. I frowned at the info about his mafia ties. I’d heard the rumors before but hadn’t thought much of them until that moment. People talked. It didn’t always mean shit. But it made sense. I’d seen Enzo get into blacked out vehicles often, a man about my father’s age behind the wheel in a dark suit. Sometimes other men were in the car. If Enzo was set to take over for his dad at some point, that was scary but expected, if it was all true.