“Yeah. For a minute there I thought you were gonna start fucking and give me a real show,” he joked.
“Pfft. I think she’d sooner castrate me right now. She certainly gave it a good shot.” We turned away from the remains of the party and started off downhill towards home without even having to discuss it.
“You gonna sleep in with her tonight?” he asked.
“No,” I muttered.
“And there was me thinking a night of drinking and brawling would bring you two together again,” he said, shaking his head in disappointment.
“Well, no one could ever claim a date with me wasn’t interesting,” I said bitterly.
“There is that,” he agreed with a laugh and I rolled my eyes at him as we kept walking in silence.
Tatum Rivers was the most infuriating, intoxicating girl I’d ever met. I should have been glad to have pushed her away again, but of course I wasn’t. She was fast becoming my addiction. And I had to wonder how much longer I could go without getting my fix.
Kyan Roscoe was the most stubborn asshole I’d ever met. But he wasn’t more stubborn than me. And after my attempt to talk to him last night, I was done feeling bad for hurting his feelings when all he’d done since we’d met was prod and poke me, abuse me alongside his friends, and treat me like an old chew toy he liked to drag out of a box occasionally yet would never, ever cast me aside completely. Fuck that. And fuck him.
I’d set an alarm for five thirty am and I got out of his bed without a single snooze, flinging his comforter across the room before making a beeline for his closet. I threw his shit everywhere before marching out the door, walking straight past him where he slept on the couch like he was trying to spread his body over the entirety of it. His leg was hooked over the back of it while his other one dangled down off of the cushions and his hand was shoved firmly into his boxers. He was covered in bruises and cuts from his fights yesterday and I smiled darkly as I opened the freezer, took out Saint’s chilled bottle of vodka and strode toward him, standing behind the couch so I could avoid his swinging fists when he woke.
“Wakey wakey asshole,” I sang, twisting the cap off and pouring the vodka directly onto the biggest cut on his chest.
Kyan roared in anger as he woke and I splashed more of it on him so his cuts burned before turning and running to put the dining table between us. He leapt over the back of the couch with rage written into his features and I laughed as I placed the bottle down, a dare in my eyes. My pulse beat solidly against my throat as my breathing grew heavier.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” he growled.
“What are you going to do, Kyan?” I asked airily as he strode to the other side of the table, surveying me across it with a deadly scowl. My heart pounded out of rhythm, but I didn’t care anymore. I wasn’t frightened of him. I wanted to see how far I could push him before he snapped. “Leave me out in a thunderstorm in nothing but my uniform? Invade my privacy? Chain and collar me like a dog?”
“The last one sounds about right,” he snarled, then threw himself across the table, his arm outstretched to grab me as he knocked the vodka flying. It smashed into a thousand shards and I shrieked in alarm, just managing to miss being caught by him as I raced for the door.
I shoved my feet into my sneakers, making it outside a second before Kyan came charging after me barefoot.
I fled into the trees, a wild laugh escaping me as I put some distance between us.
I made it to a tall pine with low hanging branches and clambered up onto the nearest one. Kyan’s fingers grazed my ankle as he tried to get hold of me and I kicked out, my foot impacting with soft flesh and making him grunt as I pulled myself higher and higher. I could climb trees like a damn monkey. I’d been doing it since I was a kid and Dad had actively encouraged it.
I glanced down to find Kyan heaving himself up after me, moving at a frightening speed. Dammit, I guess I’m not the only good tree climber around here.
Adrenaline slid through my limbs as I climbed, sensing him gaining on me below.
When I was closing in on the top of the tree and my breathing was growing ragged, I chanced another look down, finding him pulling himself onto the branch I’d just vacated. But they were getting thinner and weaker. He couldn’t chase me forever. He wasn’t light enough to make it into the top of the canopy.
I pulled myself up three more branches before I knew it was getting unsafe to carry on even for me. But I climbed up onto another branch which probably wasn’t strong enough to hold me anyway. That meant it definitely wasn’t strong enough to hold Kyan if he dared to follow.
He growled as he dragged himself onto the branch beneath me, gazing up at me like I was a bird in a net he wanted to eat for breakfast.
“I can stay up here all day,” I taunted.
“That so, baby?” He smirked then dropped down to sit on the branch, resting his back to the tree trunk. “Well I can stay up here for a whole week.”
A cracking noise sounded and I glanced down at the branch supporting my weight with my throat thickening. Oh shit.
I looked around for another one to move onto, but the only way was down.
Kyan frowned up at me. “Come down here.”
“No,” I snapped, another crack sounding. Shit shit shit.
I gritted my teeth, looking to the next tree over. It wasn’t that far. I could make the jump, then I could race down the branches and reach the ground before Kyan did.
“Don’t you dare,” he warned and I glanced down as he shifted back upright like he was about to try and grab me.
I tiptoed to the edge of the branch as another splintering crack ripped through the air.
I can totally make it.
“Tatum!” he roared, a note of actual concern in his voice as I leapt forward, throwing caution to the wind as I aimed for a wide branch a few feet down on the neighbouring pine.
I fell through the air, my heart soaring into my throat, my veins humming with life. A laugh exploded from my chest as I landed on the thick branch, stumbling only once before turning back to look up at Kyan, bracing myself on a branch above my head. His eyes were wide and his muscles tense. He’d moved right to the edge of the branch as if he’d been about to jump after me.
“Oh dear, baby. Were you scared for wittle old me?” I taunted, then I ducked down, dropping at speed onto a lower branch.
“If falling doesn’t kill you, I will!” he shouted and I laughed again, my heart beating madly as I dropped down, down, down. But he was already following, crashing through the tree to my left, sounding like a damn animal ripping through the foliage as he tried to make it down before me. He might have had the muscle to follow me up there fast, but I was smaller and quicker. I could make it to the bottom first. I had to.
A smile seared into my cheeks as I did what I loved best and became one with the wild spirit living in me. I knew if Kyan caught me I was screwed, but I didn’t care right now. This was the most fun I’d had in ages.
When I was five feet from the ground, I jumped, my sneakers hitting the soft layer of pine needles below. I looked up into the other tree, finding Kyan fifteen feet above me, his upper lip peeled back like a beast, his arms nicked with cuts from his violent descent.
“You’d better run,” he growled, then leapt from the branch, landing with a thud only ten feet away.
I screamed as I raced back towards The Temple, powering across the path and throwing the door open. Debussy poured over me and I gasped, trying to skid to a halt before I slammed into Saint in his workout gear, but I couldn’t stop. I crashed into him full speed and he stumbled back, gripping my arms hard to brace me. His eyes were wide in alarm and I giggled as I ran around him, gripping his shirt and using him as a shield as Kyan stalked after me. I peered over Saint’s shoulder, figuring hiding behind the devil might not be the best plan. I was probably about to have another enemy in this game, but in that second, it seemed like the right thing to do.
“Stop!” Saint bellowed, holding up a
hand to slow Kyan down as he came for me. “What the fuck is going on?”
Kyan peered over Saint’s shoulder with narrowed eyes. “She’s in trouble. Hand her over.”
“Kyan just can’t take a joke,” I shot back, surprised that Saint hadn’t peeled me off of him yet and handed me to the wolf hunting me.
“I can take a joke, baby, just come here and let me play one on you too,” Kyan said through his teeth, his shoulders heaving.
“Who broke the four hundred dollar bottle of Belvedere vodka?” Saint asked icily.
Kyan pointed at me and I pointed at him.
“He knocked it over!” I exclaimed.
“She poured it on me first,” Kyan snarled, stepping forward again with intent but Saint backed up, allowing me to use him as a shield.
“But you did the breaking?” Saint asked him and Kyan looked like he was grinding his teeth to dust.
“Yeah, so what? You practically piss gold, just get a new one,” Kyan said.
“That’s hardly the point.” Saint turned, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Work out with me today. I have precisely three minutes before I need to be in the gym so we’d better hurry up and get you dressed.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Sure,” I said with a smile, letting him guide me back upstairs to pick out some clothes. I glanced over my shoulder at Kyan and poked my tongue out at him. His eyebrows arched in surprise, his anger lifting from his expression for a moment to be replaced by a hunger so fierce, I was sure I’d be consumed if I looked at him a second longer.
“Saint can’t protect you forever,” he warned, fighting a smirk.
“He won’t have to, I’ll just kick you in the balls again if you come at me.” I grinned and he marched away, rubbing the back of his neck like he was confused as fuck.
One point to me, zero to Kyan treedouche Roscoe.
***
I changed in the locker rooms in the Acacia Sports Hall beside Mila, figuring this class was going to be hella awkward considering the last time I’d seen Monroe was in Saint’s shower…touching him…grinding on him…kissing him. He hadn’t replied to my texts and I was getting the awful feeling this was going to seriously affect our plans to destroy the Night Keepers if we didn’t resolve it soon. Not to mention the fact that losing him would break me. He was my rock. But surely he wouldn’t bail because of a stupid kiss? Albeit a mind-blowing, hurricane of a kiss. That still wouldn’t make him take his eye off the prize. He wanted to get to Saint’s father and he needed my help to do that. So he couldn’t ignore me forever.
“Are you okay? You’re looking a little pale,” Mila asked, bumping her hip against mine. She pulled her long, dark hair up into a ponytail, her head tilted to one side.
“I’m good,” I said, smiling vaguely. “Just you know…the Night Keepers.”
It wasn’t a lie technically, but I was afraid of telling Mila the exact truth about me and Monroe. If there even was a me and Monroe. I guessed I could tell her we were working together, but then that would lead to questions and questions would lead to answers and I wasn’t even sure what those answers were. Were me and a him a thing? I mean, I sure as hell had enjoyed that kiss. It had felt so good, I wanted to do it again a thousand times, half of them while I was on top of him making him groan my name. Sadly, that didn’t seem to be in my future.
I could be a good girl for him if that was what he really wanted. But that kiss said he didn’t. And I certainly didn’t want that. I wanted to be as bad as a sinner in a church with him.
“What’s the matter, Plague?” Pearl called and I glanced over my shoulder, finding her openly eavesdropping, standing there in her purple bra and panties, shimmying her shorts up her legs. “I guess they’re getting bored of you at last.” She turned to her friend Georgie who sniggered. “Do you need some chapstick for your lips, sweetie? They’re clearly getting real chapped from being an on tap cock hole.”
Rage licked up my spine and I stepped toward her with my P.E. shirt clasped in my hand. “Thanks, sweetie. But I’ve got your kooch on speed dial for if I ever need advice about over-used, dried out cock holes.”
An oooh filled the room as the rest of the girls in our class turned to watch us.
Pearl lifted her chin, flicking her raven hair as she bought time to come up with a response. “Well, at least my mouth isn’t plagued, Plague.”
“I guess it is now since you stole my lipstick like a total creeper,” I shot back, calling her out.
She frowned, snorting a laugh. “What?”
“Ladies! That’s quite enough time! Put your tits and asses away and get out to class!” Monroe roared beyond the door and I turned my back on Pearl, pulling on my shirt and heading out of the locker room with Mila.
Monroe was waiting for us in the sports hall, his face stern as we all poured into the room and the male half of the class glanced over at us with interest. I tried to catch Monroe’s eye but he acted like I was invisible, his gaze skimming over me like I was just another number in the masses.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. This was ridiculous. And it made me worry like hell. Losing him was unthinkable. But he’d kissed me. What was I supposed to do at the time, knee him in the balls and scream for help? Yah, no thanks. Not when I’d been craving that kiss for weeks. It had been torture being so close to him, sleeping in his house every few days, sparring with him, laughing and plotting with him and not being allowed to want him. And he’d finally shown me he wanted me too only to act like I no longer existed afterwards. Why? What was the point in it? I wasn’t going to tell anyone about us. I didn’t want him getting in trouble, but he didn’t have to shut me out completely.
Monroe split us into teams for doing a relay around the hall and I drifted towards him, trying to catch his eye while everyone stretched to warm up.
“Sir?” I asked sweetly and he finally had to acknowledge me.
“Problem, Rivers?” he asked sharply and my lips popped open at his tone.
“You just seem to be in a bad mood today, is something wrong?” I batted my lashes and his eyes narrowed.
“There will be something wrong if you don’t get your ass back into your group,” he growled, making my heart trip over itself.
I stepped closer still, not backing down, figuring there was only one way I was going to make him talk to me. “Nope, I’m good here.” I dropped down and sat on the floor at his feet and he looked at me, barely veiling his surprise. Go on, make me stay behind after class.
“Get up,” he snapped and I noticed people looking our way. The other Night Keepers were frowning at me like they couldn’t figure out why I was goading Monroe.
“Or what?” I asked, falling down onto my back and pretending to make a snow angel.
“Rivers!” he barked. “Stand up this second.”
I tapped my lips in mock thought then shook my head. “No, I’m good here, thanks. Are you going to punish me, sir?”
People started laughing and Mila snorted as she looked my way. Kyan, Blake and Saint were drifting closer, ready to step in, so I knew I needed to up my game or they were going to haul me away from Monroe before he could demand I stay after class. Or at least give me a detention where I’d have a chance at talking to him later.
“Rivers, I’m going to count to three,” Monroe warned and I smirked up at him. “One.”
I rolled onto my front.
“Two.”
I thrust my ass into the air.
“Three!”
I mentally said fuck it and tugged my shorts down to expose my bare butt right beneath him.
“That’s it!” he roared as the whole class burst out laughing. “See me after class.”
I was about to tug up my shorts when hands seized me and I was dragged upright by Blake from behind while Kyan yanked up my shorts, standing in front of me with a sneer on his face.
“Do that again and you’ll regret it,” he snapped.
“Do what again?” I asked innocently as I pulled my arms free o
f Blake’s grip. Saint stood to one side, surveying us all closely as Monroe strode away to start barking orders at the teams.
“Take your clothes off in front of an audience,” Kyan snarled.
“Unless the audience is you lot, right?” I strode away, tossing my hair over my shoulder and glancing back at them. Their eyes burned into me and I laughed as I joined Mila, not giving them any more of my attention.
“What the fuck are you on, girl?” Mila laughed. “Because I wanna buy some.”
I fell into giggles with her before we carried on with the lesson.
By the time everyone was marching out of the hall after class, I was actually growing a little nervous about talking to Monroe. My stomach was swirling and just thinking about bringing up our kiss made me want to hurl. But we couldn’t go on like this.
Mila whispered good luck before she headed out of the hall and the door finally closed behind the last students. Monroe folded his arms, glaring at me across the room.
“What’s your problem?” he demanded.
“My problem?” I gasped in offence. “What’s your problem?”
He glanced nervously at the door, his jaw pulsing. “I’m not discussing this here.”
“Then where? Because you won’t answer my texts or calls. Is that it now? You’re done helping me because you couldn’t keep your hands off-”
“Quiet!” he boomed and I swear my hair swept back with the fierceness of his voice. “I will not discuss this here,” he repeated in a hiss.
“Well, I’m not giving you the option.” I strode toward him, lowering my voice to match his. “Drop the shit, sir.”
“Things will continue as normal,” he said in a low growl. “That’s all I have to say.”
“Oh is it?” I folded my arms to mirror him. “Well that’s not all I have to say. Do you think it’s okay to be all over me one second then drop me like a sack of shit the next? Maybe that mark on the back of your neck is starting to have some influence over you after all. Do you like being a Night Keeper, Nash, is that it?”
“Don’t you take that tone with me,” he snapped and I stepped forward into his personal space, leaning closer until all I could smell was pine and muscle.
Kings of Lockdown: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Book 2) Page 33