by E. M. Snow
“You know, there’s a party tonight at one of my buddy’s, and I was going to ask you if you wanted to go with me.” Easton focuses back on me, but he’s speaking loud enough that Phoenix can definitely hear us from where he’s sitting. “I swear I was going to invite you before I knew how much it’d piss that fucker off. That’s just a happy bonus.”
I arch an eyebrow and laugh. “Well, I can’t say I blame you for that.” I peek toward Phoenix, who looks murderous now. Good. Smiling wide, I look back up at Easton and say, “That sounds fun. Count me in.”
“Great,” he replies before moving behind me to slip into the chair at my back. He leans forward and lowers his voice to add, “Really, though, I was going to ask you before. It really wasn’t about him.”
I nod and assure him, “I know. Don’t worry.” Then, more loudly, “You can pick me up at my grandma’s house. I’m going to go there after school.” I quickly scribble the address on a piece of paper and hand it to Easton before turning to face the front of the class. I can feel Phoenix’s eyes boring into my back, but I don’t care. Am I being petty, rubbing my meet-up with Easton in his face, even after he warned me to stay away from the guy? Sure am.
Do I care?
Not at all.
Throw in the added bonus that I’m not going to go back to his house after school and won’t be sticking around to wait for him to drive me anywhere, and I feel like I’ve quite successfully shown Phoenix how little I care about him and his threats. Easton continues whispering to me and making me laugh throughout class, and I very firmly continue to ignore Phoenix’s presence. As soon as the bell rings, I’m up and out of my seat. I shoot Easton a quick goodbye before rushing out of the room. I’m not about to give Phoenix any opportunity to corner me and get a word in edgewise about my hang-out with Easton.
I hurry to gather my things and I’m out the school door and to the bus stop just in time to catch the shuttle to my grandma’s house. It’s as if the bus schedule realized how badly I need to get away from this school and readjusted itself just enough so that I wasn’t left waiting and vulnerable to confrontations.
The ride to my grandma’s house is at once familiar and strange, and I realize how much I’ve grown accustomed to going to the Townsends’ after school now. That thought sinks my mood even further. I don’t ever want to be comfortable around those people. I don’t ever want to get used to them, because they are not normal. This is normal, what I’m experiencing now. This is how normal people live, riding on buses and making their way to their practical homes after school and work. Normal people don’t drive foreign sports cars and live inside of behemoth mansions with more space than they’ll ever need.
I am a normal person. I am not a Townsend. I am not like Kallista or any of her rich friends. A part of me was beginning to forget that I don’t really belong with them, as I was starting to feel a little too comfortable living in that big house with all the perks that come with it.
I can’t forget, though, that I’m not a guest there. Phoenix said it himself. I’m a hostage. That mansion is a gilded cage, and the Townsends are the prison guards that I’ve gotten too friendly with. Laying my head back against the hard plastic bus seat, I let out a dejected sigh. What was I thinking, acting like I somehow belonged there? Belonged with Phoenix? He’s never hidden who and what he really is from me, and so it’s really on me that I’ve let myself be so blinded by lust for him.
He was right … I am the fucked-up one.
When the bus reaches my stop, I hop off and head up the sidewalk to the house. I stop dead in my tracks when I see there’s a sleek black Range Rover parked in the driveway. What the hell? Did Phoenix beat me here? He doesn’t usually drive a Range Rover, but I’d be lying if I said I know the full extent of his family’s car collection.
After all, they have a fucking fleet that would rival Enterprise.
Cautiously, I creep closer to the house, and when the front door comes into view, I see a young woman knocking firmly. She has long dark hair, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her before, though I can’t see the front of her. Deciding a girl is less of a threat than a pissed off Phoenix, I approach her with more confidence.
“Excuse me,” I call out when I’m standing on the walkway behind her. “Can I help you?”
The girl lets out a startled squeak then turns around to look at me. My eyes bulge when I take in her pregnant belly. What’s even more shocking is how young she looks. She can’t be much older than I am. Who the hell is this girl?
“Josslyn Luna?” she asks, her tone friendly but formal.
I slowly nod. “Yes, that’s me. Who are you? What are you doing here?”
The girl carefully makes her way down the single step and off the porch and comes closer to me. When she stops again, she meets my gaze and offers what can only be described as a sympathetic smile.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she says, and for the first time, I notice her thick Southern accent. “Your brother sent me.”
I swallow my gasp. What the hell does she mean, Jasper sent her? “Who are you?” I demand, and the blue-eyed girl forces a smile.
“I’m Mal—Carley.” The fucking liar. “Your brother asked me to check on you.”
“Ghost or Jasper?" He has so many names, so many terrible parts of himself, I can barely keep up anymore. "And where is he?”
Her smile flips, turns genuine. “Jasper, huh? I never would have expected that.” She tilts her head and sizes me up. When she starts speaking again, she gives me an answer I would have never anticipated. “He asked me to check in on you. He wants to know that you’re safe.”
Jasper? Caring about my wellbeing?
What the hell kind of Twilight Zone have I stumbled into?
29
“Y-you’re not looking for drugs, are you?” I ask, finding that to be a more believable reason for this girl’s visit.
Carley frowns, though she doesn’t look offended by my question. She waves at her belly. “Hello. Pregnant. And even if I wasn’t, I don’t do drugs.”
There’s something haunted in her blue eyes when she tells me this, but I shove down the sympathy clawing at my chest.
“Then how do you know Jasper?” I demand. “The only people he knows are druggies, lowlifes, and crooks.” And super rich pricks from which he steals and puts me up as collateral, but I keep my mouth shut about that.
The girl waves her hand dismissively. “We met through rather unconventional means, but that’s neither here nor there.”
Well, if she’s friends with Jasper, that at least explains the ping of familiarity I feel looking at her. I probably have run into her before, during one of the times I was trying to drag Jasper home. Still, she doesn’t look like a drug addict, so I’m inclined to believe her in that. Doesn’t mean she’s not a dealer.
That shiny black Range Rover didn’t exactly pay for itself.
“Who are you, exactly?” I ask, realizing she never answered me when I wanted her name earlier.
She appears thoughtful for a beat, and I briefly think she’s going to blow my question off. If she does, I’ll know not to trust her. To my surprise, though, she sticks out her hand to me and says, “Someone who cares. A lot. Good enough?”
I just stare at her hand until she draws it away and cradles her belly.
“Here’s the deal,” Carley begins. “Jasper asked me to stop by and check on you now and again, but every time I’ve dropped by, you haven’t been here. I was beginning to lose hope that I’d ever actually see you.”
“Um…I’m actually not living here right now,” I tell her, growing more confused by the second. “I’m living on the other side of town.”
“Where?” Her nostrils flare and her jaw tightens just a bit, but her voice doesn’t change as she continues, “Where are you living? With friends? With—”
“Why don’t you ask Jasper?” After all, he’s been communicating with this girl. If they’re still in contact, maybe she could give him a message? “Do yo
u talk to my brother often?” I ask, my heart beating a little harder at the possibility of finally getting through to him.
Her thin shoulders slouch in a shrug. “I wouldn’t say often, but we stay in touch.”
“Can you tell him something for me?”
She appears hesitant for a moment, but then nods. “What is it?”
I gnash my teeth, anger suddenly underlying my voice. “Tell him he’s fucked me over.”
Her head jerks back and confusion clouds her features. “Care to elaborate?”
Not a fucking chance.
To Carley, I simply shake my head. “He’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“If you say so.” She starts digging in the purse hanging from her shoulder and produces a folded square of paper. “Don’t lose this. Give me a call if you need anything, alright?”
I take the paper, though I’m not sure exactly what her endgame in offering it to me is. “Um…thanks,” I murmur. She smiles and nods before turning toward her car. I watch her for a moment before a terrible thought enters my head and I blurt, “That’s not my brother’s baby, is it?”
Carley stops and turns, her eyes wide with shock. After a moment, though, she appears to calm down and shakes her head at me with a wry smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not Ghost’s,” she assures me.
Ghost. Not Jasper, but Ghost. Which only confirms that she’s involved with his shadiest side. Still, I release a breath of relief. The last thing the world needs is little Jaspers running around and causing mayhem.
“I’ll talk to you later, Josslyn,” she calls over her shoulder as she continues moving to her Range Rover.
“Sure,” I reply, though I kind of doubt I’ll be calling her anytime soon. I watch her get into her car with some effort thanks to her belly, but soon enough, she’s backing out of my driveway and onto the street. I watch her drive away, thinking that had to be one of my weirdest encounters to date.
Her car turns a corner down the street, and when she’s fully out of sight, I start to head for the door. At that moment, though, I hear a car engine roar, and I shiver. I know that car. I know it all too well.
Slowly, I turn around, and yep, there’s Phoenix pulling up next to the sidewalk in yet another vehicle that’s way too expensive for this neighborhood.
I watch as he gets out and slams the driver’s side door shut with angry, jerky movements.
“Get in the goddamn car,” he snaps, making his way to the sidewalk and then storming up to stand over me.
I stare up at him, baffled. The nerve of this prick.
Throwing up my middle finger, I hiss, “Hell no.”
Before he can say another word, I turn and march toward the front of the house.
“Don’t fuck with me, Luna,” he snarls behind me. “I’m in no mood.”
“Then fuck off,” I call over my shoulder. “No one’s forcing you to be here.”
As I climb up onto the front porch, I hear him mumbling under his breath and then he releases a stream of curses as he follows after me. This probably isn’t a good idea, but I don’t stop him as I enter the house and he comes in after me, slamming the door behind him.
I begin to move toward the hallway, not bothering with the lights since I figure the electricity is still off, but before I can move an inch, the light fixture above my head flashes on. Startled, I whip around to find Phoenix standing next to the switch.
“How’d you do that?” I demand. “The electricity was turned off.”
“And I had it reconnected,” he explains quickly as he moves closer to me to get in my face. “I don’t have time to talk about the fucking electric bill. What the fuck were you doing with Easton today?”
I narrow my eyes. He’s trying to intimidate me with his size again, but I’m not going to let him push me around. Not anymore. I hold my ground and tilt my chin.
“That’s none of your business,” I reply coldly.
“Like fuck it isn’t.” His hand suddenly lands on my hip, startling me enough that I gasp. His touch his rough as he reaches both hands around me now to cup my ass. I stare up at him, overwhelmed by his touch and the heat that’s already spreading through me. I had told myself I was done with this bullshit, but here I am again, letting him feel me up with absolutely no objections.
What the actual hell is wrong with me?
“Found it,” he suddenly smirked, and before I’m able to stop him, he fishes my phone out of my back pocket.
“Hey!” I cry, but it’s too late. My phone in his hand, Phoenix steps away from me and swipes with his thumb to bring the device to life. Shit, it’s not locked. I charge him, but he gives me his back, effectively blocking me with his wide shoulders as he begins scrolling through things. When I realize he’s typing something out, I cry out, “What are you doing? Who are you texting?”
“I’m just telling that pencil-dick Easton that you’ve changed your mind about tonight and you’re not going with him.”
“What?” I shriek. “You don’t have any right to do that! Give me my phone back.”
He ignores me, because of course he does. When he fires off the message, he turns around to face me, but holds my phone high above my head so I can’t snatch it from him as he continues to look through my personal shit.
He frowns. “You’ve been reaching out to your brother an awful lot.”
“Can you blame me?” I growl, jumping up to try and grab it from him. I miss. “Given everything I’ve been put through because of him, and you, of course I’ve been trying to get him to talk to me.”
“Not a whole lot of replies,” he says, and I stop jumping. Damn it, of course he’d notice that.
There aren’t any replies. Just the one asking for me to be compliant and to go with my captors like a good girl.
“Shouldn’t that make you happy?” I snap. “Jasper and I clearly aren’t working together in anyway. He won’t even respond to my texts. He’s not giving me any help anytime soon, so feel free to give me my damn phone back!”
To my surprise, he actually does. He lowers his arm so I can snatch my phone from his grasp.
“It doesn’t make me happy,” he confesses in a low, angry voice. “In fact, I hate all this. It’s all such bullshit.”
I frown at him. “What are you talking…?”
Before I can finish my question, however, he cups the side of my face and yanks me to him so he can press his lips to mine in a demanding kiss. Just like that, all other thoughts melt right out of my head, and a cloud of lust floats in to overwhelm my reason.
30
Phoenix’s kiss is not gentle, but then again, it never is. I don’t know that I’d want it any other way, however, which is probably really messed up, but I’m too lost in his devouring of me to even care at this point. I lower my hands and actually drop my phone to the floor, not bothering to check or really giving a damn if I just shattered the screen. I need my hands free so I can touch him.
For some reason, that’s suddenly incredibly important to me.
Touching him.
I need to feel his skin under my hands, so I slip them up and under his shirt to caress the ridges of hard muscle along his stomach.
His fingers are tangled in my hair now and he’s angling me so he can deepen our kiss. I moan as his tongue dominates mine, and when I feel his hardening cock pressing through his clothes against my belly, my pussy grows slick and clenches with need. I want that inside me. The desire is overwhelming, and giving into it is so much easier than continuing to fight it.
Plus, it feels better.
So much better.
“Bedroom,” he growls against my lips.
I hesitate a moment, but only a moment, before answering, “Second door on the right.”
The next thing I know, I’m hoisted up and over Phoenix’s shoulder. I let out a squeak of surprise and he smacks then gropes my ass as he bounds down the hallway with ease. I clutch onto the back of his uniform shirt, freaked out, but undeniably turned on at the same tim
e. When we reach the door to my old bedroom, he twists the nob with his free hand then pushes into the room without setting me down. He kicks the door shut and then strides across the room to dump me onto my back on my bed.
Before I can get a word out, he flips me to my belly and pushes my uniform skirt up so my panty-covered ass is exposed to him. I let out a soft cry when he spanks me again, and then hooks a finger through the back of my underwear. He pulls them up so they wedge between my cheeks like a thong. I have no idea why he’s doing this, but I have no doubt he can see the wet stain growing at the center of the fabric.
“Phoenix,” I gasp, “what the hell?”
He spanks me again, and I yelp. The heat of the sting spreads across my skin, and when his fingers begin massaging the tender flesh, I can’t stop the moan that slips from my lips.
He presses himself up against me from behind. I can feel his cock, still contained by his pants, pressing hungrily against me. He starts to grind into me and bends over to cover my back. His lips skim the back of my neck and along my shoulders, and then he nips me with his teeth as he continues to move against me.
It feels so good, but it’s not nearly enough. I try to snake my hand beneath me to reach for my clit, but he grabs my wrists and pins both my arms above my head.
“You don’t come until I tell you to,” he murmurs in my ear. “I’m going to fuck you, Josslyn. I’m going to take your virginity and ruin you for anyone else. But first … first, I need you nice and wet and hot.”
Holy shit, the guy knows how to talk dirty. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Phoenix Townsend is a tantalizing combination of sex and menace, and I’ve gotten more than my fair share of his menacing side. It’s about time I received the full brunt of his other half. I arch my hips so I can press my ass more tightly against him and I hear him hiss out a breath.
“Yeah, that’s it,” he snarls. “Show me how much you want it. I’ve waited long enough for you. No more fighting me, got it? You’re mine, Luna.” When I only moan in response, he grips my black hair and yanks my head back. “Say it.”