Puppet: Ridgeview Prep Book 1

by Quinn, Londyn

  I plow into her a few more times, her perfect pink pussy wrapped tight like a glove around me, forcing me deeper, pleading for the release only I can give her.

  Her pussy shudders, quivering around me as a hot wet rush blankets my dick in everything that is her.

  “Fuck!” I roar, pulling out of her and giving my cock a few long, hard strokes before losing myself. Cum spurts from the head, shooting over her heaving tits and stomach. I yelp, squeezing my eyes shut as the orgasm tears through me.

  And when I open my eyes, when I see her seductive gaze on mine, when I see her drag a finger down her torso and suck off my cum, I’m already hard as a steel rod and ready for round two.

  I lean over and grab my t-shirt, cleaning her off before I collapse next to her. I cup her ass and pull her onto her side so I can see her gorgeous face and the huge, bright smile I just put on it.

  The smile I want burned into my memory.

  The one I never want to erase.

  But then again, we don’t always get what we want, do we?

  At the end of the day, we’re the same, Char and me.

  Both puppets for our respective masters.

  And even if she can figure out a way to cut those damn strings, I know I can’t.

  There isn’t a tool strong enough to sever those fucking lines.

  They’ll be wrapped tight around my neck until I die.

  “I love you, Char.” The words slip out of my lips before I can even think about them.

  Fuck.

  Charlotte blinks at me for a second while her smile grows wider. “I have been waiting to hear you say those words for years,” she finally mutters. “And I love you, too, Xander.”

  * * *

  A buzzing sound next to my ear startles me from the salacious dream I was having about me and Charlotte. Groping hands, greedy mouths, sweaty, naked bodies writhing against each other…

  I flip onto my side, opening my eyes a crack before grabbing my phone.

  My lips curl upward as her body dips farther into mine, her arm flung over my chest.

  Fuck, yeah.

  It was no dream.

  That was reality.

  And it was better than any fantasy I’d ever conjured up in my lust-filled mind whenever we were together.

  My dick is already rock solid and ready to go. Again.

  I squint at the screen before stabbing the Accept button.

  Phoenix.

  Shit.

  Well, my dick was hard…

  A quick glance at her night table clock confirms I’m late.

  By about five hours.

  I manage to slide myself out from under Charlotte’s arm and off the bed without disturbing her.

  She’s always been a pretty heavy sleeper, but Phoenix on the rampage can wake the dead.

  I swallow a groan when the vibrating stops.

  Voicemail.

  That’s an unforgivable sin in my brother’s eyes.

  And now that the call has gone to voicemail, there’s even more of a reason for me to get out of earshot.

  I creep into her bathroom and close the door behind me before dialing him back.

  He doesn’t even wait for me to say anything before the attack ensues.

  “What the fuck happened to you last night?” he roars. “You left and never came back! Do you realize how many guys I’ve had combing the fucking streets looking for you?”

  “Phoenix, I’m sorry,” I murmur, scrubbing a hand down the front of my face. “I lost track of time. Charlotte called, and—”

  “Goddammit! Not this again!” Then he spews some more colorful expletives than he’s already voiced before lashing out again. “I told you what would happen if you let yourself get distracted again! It was fine when you were sixteen, but it’s not fine anymore! Not now, when we have so many enemies just waiting for you to screw up, Xander! What the hell was so important that you had to go to her? Last night, of all nights?”

  “Listen to me,” I hiss. “I know you’re pissed off, but she was attacked. She went to Green Cactus, that Mexican place on the other side of town, and Rossi attacked her.”

  Phoenix groans. “Fuck me.”

  “Yeah. He roughed her up and she called me. She didn’t know what the hell he was gonna do next — if he was gonna kill her, kidnap her. She called me and I went to her, okay? And if I’m such a liability, then fucking try to kill me!”

  “Stop being a self-centered little asshole. I told you what you need to do…what we need to do. And it doesn’t involve rescue missions! Are you telling me you’d choose her over your family?”

  My heart thumps hard against my chest. I want to say yes. I want it to be the truth. But it can’t. How can I make that choice and survive it?

  “No,” I finally say, a deflated breath making my shoulders sag. I lean forward against the counter, resting my head in my hands. This is a no-win game for me. It always has been, even back when I was young and stupid and thought I could have it all.

  Because I can’t.

  Nobody can.

  It’s just not the way shit works.

  Not in this life.

  “I went myself,” he says in a cold voice. “I went searching for Lorenzo because I realize what’s important.”

  “Phoenix, I know what’s important. I brought her home and stayed with her because she was upset and scared. Then we fell asleep and—”

  “How cute is that? Did you fuck her, too?”

  “No,” I lie.

  “There’s no room for her in your life, Xander. If you don’t cut out this knight in shining armor shit, you won’t have to worry about making the hard decisions. They’ll be made for you.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I growl.

  “It means you’ll never hack it in Chicago. Fuck, it means you’ll never survive long enough to make it out there. You make a choice right now. Are you with her or are you with us? And if you need to even think about it—”

  “I’m with you,” I mutter. “My loyalty is with the family.”

  Phoenix pauses. “Good. Then get the hell back here as soon as possible so we can figure out how to find Rossi since that scumbag Lorenzo has gone off the grid.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better to keep an eye on Charlotte? If he really is on her tail, we should keep a watch on her.”

  “That statement alone tells me you’re in too deep. It’s not up to you to keep an eye on her. I’ll get one of the other guys to watch her. Just get the hell out of there. Cut the goddamn tie now before it’s too late. For all of us.”

  Click.

  I end the call, a shuddering sigh rumbling through me.

  He’s right. I am in too deep.

  So deep, I don’t know how the hell I’m gonna pull myself out.

  What the hell happens at school today when she comes looking for me, thinking we’re something that we’re not? All because I opened up and told her things I should have kept buried? I said too much because I felt too much. I gained her trust and now I need to shove it back in her face, all because I made a choice.

  But deep down, I knew this would happen. My life has no place for something as perfect as Charlotte Hawthorne. It only has room for pain, remorse, and regret.

  Something I allowed myself to forget for a couple of blissful hours last night.

  And it’s something I can’t let myself forget again.

  I creep back into her bedroom and dress quietly. Three o’clock in the morning. She’ll be getting up for school in a few hours, and I won’t be here.

  Because I have obligations, ones that have to be fulfilled.

  She’ll be alone once again, with no lifeline.

  I know exactly how that feels.

  I hover over her peaceful body, covering her with a blanket before sliding my feet into my sneakers. Her face looks angelic, the moonlight casting a glow over her features. Her lips are curled into a tiny smile, her cheeks flushed pink, blonde hair splayed over the pillow next to her.

  My
pillow.

  “I love you,” I whisper, my throat tight. “And I’m sorry.”

  I back out of her room, tiptoeing toward the front door. She never set the house alarm when we came in, so I open the door a crack and let myself out. I punch in the code, thankful that it’s the same one from years ago, to set it once I’m outside and twist around, ready to bolt toward my car.

  A large hand slams down on my shoulder, shoving me backward against one of the large white columns on either side of the front entry doors.

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Iazetti?” Charles Hawthorne, my nemesis, seethes. I can smell the stench of stale whiskey on his breath and his eyes look a bit glassy.

  I shrug off his hand, sidestepping him. He turns, almost losing his balance, and I scoff.

  “Shoulda done the world a favor and run your fucking prized car into a tree,” I sneer and his eyes narrow.

  “You didn’t answer my question. What were you doing here? And where’s my daughter?”

  “Fuck your questions!” I whisper-shout. “Since when do you even give a damn about her, other than when it’s convenient for you to parade her around like the dutiful daughter?”

  “Don’t you dare comment on my family dealings, you little punk!”

  “Family dealings,” I scoff. “She’s not a business associate. She’s your daughter. The only kid you have left, remember? Because she sure as hell does. You make her feel worthless, like she should’ve been killed instead of Andrew.”

  I see a flash of pain on his face, but I don’t stop. I want him to hurt, the same way he’s hurt her for way too long. “You don’t deserve her. You don’t know anything about how amazing she is, and what’s worse is that you don’t care. How could you? You shipped her off. You made her leave a life she loved and sent her into the goddamn unknown to another country. Alone! At sixteen! What kind of a callous, self-absorbed fuck are you?”

  Charles lumbers toward me, poking me in the chest with his finger. “I did it to keep her away from you because you’re fucking scum! I was trying to protect her!”

  “At least I loved her, which is more than I can say for you or your fucking drug-induced wife.”

  He takes a swing at me, but because his reflexes are a little slow from the booze, I duck out of the way and his fist crashes against the column instead.

  He grits his teeth, clutching his injured hand and I smile, knowing he probably fractured it because fist against stone will never win.

  I have firsthand experience in that department.

  “Don’t attack me for speaking the truth, Charles,” I whisper, leaning closer so he hears every last word. “You think your money and success defines you, but you’re wrong. You’re a pathetic piece of shit, and no amount of money can ever change that. You can’t hide behind your bullshit façade much longer. Sooner or later, the truth will come out and the world will see the bastard you really are.”

  “Stupid cocksucker,” Charles spits. “You really think you know me, huh? Well, let me assure you that you being here tonight won’t bode well for Charlotte. You think you helped her?” he snarls. “Think again because she’s going to pay for your little outburst. And rest assured, there will be no call for help next time around.”

  Chapter 19

  Charlotte

  Banging in my head floods in as my eyes sliver open. Light hurts. Air hurts. Breathing, blinking, being alive — it all hurts.

  Xander.

  Our night together rushes in as I pull myself up to look at his side of my king-sized bed. I expect to see him snoring softly with his hair a mess on the silk pillowcase. But, that side is already ice cold. I rip the blankets away. My eyes dart around my room. The light in the bathroom is off and the door is slightly ajar.

  What the fuck?

  I grab my phone. Instinct takes over and I dial his number from memory.

  Nothing.

  Of course he doesn’t answer.

  I want to leave a message, but I hang up right when the beep chimes through the line.

  Stabbing pain erupts in my heart as it breaks into a million tiny pieces all over again. The glue that started to form last night, the same binding that was holding the fragile pieces together, washes away instantly.

  My room still smells like him. My bed is still soaked in his musk, bringing me back to our words and deeds. It was so perfect. Raw, real, us.

  I love you, Charlotte.

  I had been waiting for years for those words to escape his perfect lips. I finally had them, but not the guy to go with them.

  Was this a cruel joke?

  Was this really how things were going to go?

  Again?

  Did last night mean nothing to him? He said all of those things. We said everything. We ripped down walls, tore apart all of the doubt, closed the gaps. And he left again like it was nothing. Like I meant nothing. All over again.

  I grab my uniform from its hanger. If I leave right now, I won’t be late for school.

  I do a painful once-over in the mirror of my bathroom. My eye has the start of a shiner, my jaw is puffy and bruising, the sclera around my blue irises is bloodshot. Fuck it. I can’t give my father one more reason to be pissed at me. I have to make it to my first class.

  Not willing to risk seeing my father, I sneak out through the balcony like usual. I can’t handle him being a douche this morning. Not after everything from yesterday.

  Why can’t I be a normal high schooler with a normal life?

  Why does this shit keep happening?

  I want simple, easy, safe. Is that too much to ask for?

  Being a Hawthorne comes with all the extra bullshit. I don’t want it. I don’t want any of this. I can’t even go to a restaurant without having to look over my shoulder. That isn’t normal. It’s not how life is supposed to go.

  Rolland is waiting for me in the driveway.

  “Miss?” he starts to question me as I slide into the backseat but stops himself.

  “Good morning, Rolland. Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?” I toss him a simple smile, ignoring the concern on his face.

  “It is, miss.” He doesn’t say anything else before shutting the door behind me. He knows better. He isn’t dumb, but he knows that I would lie, and there was no point in carrying on with a third degree.

  Holding my breath, I walk to my first class. Scanning the sea of students, I look for him. of course he hasn’t made it to school yet. I was being naïve and hopeful. What’s the damn point? He obviously left me again.

  Xander doesn’t really love me. How could he? His actions spoke so loud. How could I be so dumb as to think that magically everything could get better in one night?

  The sinking feeling in my chest hurts more than my face. A thousand times more.

  “Oh, fuck! Charlotte!” Ellie grabs my wrist before I can walk into the small classroom.

  “It looks worse than it is,” I mutter, diverting my eyes to the floor.

  “What happened?” She pulls me more to the side, keeping her voice low as her eyes are glued on mine.

  I blink rapidly. “It’s nothing, really. Just drop it.” I know my tone is too harsh. I know that she is just trying to make sure I am all right. But I don’t have the words to explain how not all right I truly am. I don’t want to say any of it out loud. If I do, it’ll all be real. I can’t handle that.

  “We’ll talk later,” she mumbles, releasing my arm.

  “Later is better.” I force a smile. I don’t know what else to do.

  Her eyes soften. “What did you think about that homework last night? It was a bitch, wasn’t it?”

  Fuck. Homework. That damn Shakespeare assignment. Of course I didn’t have time for the report. I completely forgot.

  “Yeah,” I lie. “It was a bear.”

  My first couple of classes drone on. It’s not like it really matters anyway. Nothing matters. All I need is to find Xander and get to the bottom of all of this shit.

  Questions sting as they fire off one
by one in rapid succession.

  Why did he leave?

  Why did he sleep with me?

  Why did he say all of those things if he wasn’t going to stick around this time?

  Why did he tell me he loves me?

  Because he doesn’t.

  How could he?

  I stop dead in my tracks as I walk down the hall to my locker before lunch.

  Xander has that bitch pinned to the wall, her face buried in his neck.

  He doesn’t see me at first, doesn’t look up from her giant rack right under his chin.

  “What in the fuck?” I yell, dropping my books to the floor at my feet.

  His gaze snaps up to me. Cold, dead eyes lock on mine. It’s fleeting, surreal.

  Tears sting my eyes. My face instantly ignites as I grab my cheeks.

  This can’t be happening.

  Why is he with her?

  I scramble to collect my things, running out of the hallway into the courtyard.

  I can barely breathe.

  I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.

  This is all too much.

  I have to get out of here.

  I start to dial Rolland’s number. I’ll say that I have a stomach ache and have to leave. Maybe I should go to the nurse. She’ll believe anything I say. Right? Fuck this place.

  “Charlotte?” I whip around and see Blaine standing a few feet from me. “Are you okay?”

  I frantically shake my head. I choke on every word. Nothing comes out as he wraps an arm around me shoulder.

  “Can I do anything?” he whispers, pulling me in tighter.

  “I-I don’t know.”

  “Let’s get you out of here. I’ll take you home.”

  The smallest amount of relief washes over me as he starts to escort me to his car.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I admit as I get into the passenger side of Blaine’s BMW.

  “Don’t say anything, then. I know things haven’t been the easiest for you since you’ve been back. How could they, with everything you have going on?” The way the words hit the air is a little off putting, but everything feels off putting right now.