Cruel Intentions

by Davis, Siobhan

  We take a shower together, intending to clean up, but we end up indulging in round two before falling in a tangle of limbs into bed, engaging in rounds three and four.

  I wake sometime later, my body aching deliciously in places I never knew I could ache. Outside the window, night has fallen, and the crescent moon in the sky reminds me of the night I met Cam. “You hungry?” he asks, his seductive voice sending goose bumps all over my body. I look over at him, sitting in his usual chair, with a smile on my face.

  “Starving,” I admit, looking at him through hooded eyes. “But not for food.” I pull back the covers, patting the empty space beside me. “Come back to bed.”

  He smiles, a wide genuine smile that reaches his eyes, and it’s like being hit by a thousand volts of electricity. “What?” he asks, frowning as he inspects my face while putting his sketchpad aside.

  “You should smile more often,” I softly admit, as he crawls in beside me. “Or maybe not.” I pout, thinking of how many more admirers he’d gain if he smiled around school. “Only with me.” I push him down and straddle his hips. “Promise I get all your smiles, and I’ll let you have your wicked way with me.”

  “What makes you think you have any choice in the matter?” He pulls me down on top of him, kissing me passionately. “You’re mine, Abby.” He runs his hand over the curve of my ass, tracing a path up my spine before clasping my neck. “Mine to do with as I please.” He tightens his hold on my neck, so it’s not quite painful, but it gets his message across. “Mine to kiss.” He presses his hot mouth against my lips. “Mine to tongue.” He slides his tongue into my mouth, licking me all over. “Mine to fuck.” Grabbing my hips, he positions me over his cock and slides me down his hard length.

  I ride him, bouncing up and down on his cock, my tits jiggling with the movement. “But I’ll give you my smiles too,” he adds, running his hands up my body and rolling my nipples between his fingers. “When you’ve earned them.” His wicked grin masks his intent as he flips me over, shoving my head into the pillow and thrusting my ass up in the air. Then he’s slamming into me, over and over, and all logical thought flees my mind.

  It’s only much later I think about the fact he never said he was mine.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Over the course of the next month, Jackson, Sawyer, Charlie, and Drew return to New York every weekend to complete their training while Cam and I fuck our way around every room in the house.

  It’s like a switch has been flicked inside my body, and I’m insatiable for him.

  We’re cohabiting now, in every sense of the word, and nothing has ever felt more natural or more right. Going to sleep and waking up beside a guy is something I never imagined I’d love, because the only guy in the frame was Trent, and I’d rather cut off a tit than share a bed with that douche.

  I’ve settled into a comfortable routine in the house, and I’m enjoying living with the guys. But, as much as I’m growing closer to them, I’m still in the dark over much of their plans, and they still keep me at arm’s length.

  Especially Cam.

  He tells me it’s his way of protecting me, but I call bullshit on that.

  Every time I broach the subject of his childhood, he clams up. All he’s told me is that he met Jackson and Sawyer when he was ten. A fact that isn’t widely known. Or the fact his childhood was difficult. But he won’t elaborate beyond that, and with the little background there is on him online, I’m at a complete loss who Camden Marshall really is.

  Is he the observant stranger who made tender love to me that night on the beach? A guy I still see flashes of. Or is he the cold bully who roughly fucks me with hatred sometimes still evident in his eyes?

  I don’t have the answers to these questions, and it concerns me, because every day that passes, I fall a little bit more.

  Our most heated arguments are regarding his real agenda. He keeps insisting proving his aunt was murdered is what brought them here in the first place, but I’m not buying it, and he knows it.

  My gut tells me there’s more to it than that, and Xavier agrees. It’s a constant source of tension between Cam and me, and it does little to ease the kernel of distrust that exists between us.

  My mood swings alternate like crazy. When he’s sneaking kisses at school, cuddling me on the couch, watching guard over me at ballet class, mess wrestling with Jackson when he calls him pussy-whipped, or burying himself balls deep inside me at night, peering into my eyes as he explores my body with unrivaled passion, I know I’m falling in love with him, and I trust him with my heart. With my life.

  But when he’s cagey with his answers, sneaking off to make calls in the middle of the night and refusing to divulge details of his past and the real reason he came to Rydeville, I feel like a lovesick fool, and I don’t trust him with anything. Especially my heart.

  Being cooped up during my free time doesn’t help either even if I agree it’s for the best. I miss Jane terribly, but apart from the odd visit, I haven’t seen her. Both Drew and Jane are circumspect with their visits in case Father has someone following them.

  Xavier is my saving grace. He drops by whenever he has free time, and he’s even visited Mary at the library, picking up on my painstaking research. So far, with no results to show, but at least I feel like something is getting done.

  Trent is regularly sending me abusive texts, and he parades around school with a different girl attached to his mouth, daily, as if it will upset me, but I couldn’t care less. However, he’s made no retaliatory move, and that worries me.

  My father’s lack of action troubles me too.

  Drew says things are coming to a head between him and Christian and that it’s only a matter of time before the deal is officially off the table, so I don’t understand why he hasn’t come for me.

  Charlie’s parents continue to lie on my behalf, and I’m grateful, but even that makes me suspicious. No one does anything out of the goodness of their heart. Not unless there is something in it for them.

  “Lauder will stay with you,” Cam says, strapping a gun to the belt around his waist. “But no pornos this time.”

  Drew cocks an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know?” I’m continuing to keep him in the dark about my relationship with Cam; although I’m sure he has his suspicions.

  We’re like dogs in heat, and although we try our best to disguise it, I’m certain he’s picked up some clues.

  “Probably not.” Sawyer clips and unclips his gun before ensuring the safety is on and slipping it into his gun belt.

  “I hate being left out of the action.” I’m aware I’m pouting, but I don’t care. I’m sick of being sidelined like some precious cargo in need of protection.

  I’d sneak out and follow them only it’d get Jackson in trouble, and I’m afraid it’d distract the others, and they might make a fatal mistake. There’s a lot on the line tonight, and at least they allowed me to participate in the planning.

  It was my suggestion to bring my bodyguard Oscar on our side. He’s been with his family for a couple weeks as someone knocked his youngest daughter off her bike and she was in the hospital for a while, but he’s back to work now, and he’s been peppering Drew with questions about me. I sent him one text message from my burner cell, confirming I was fine and that I was staying at Charlie’s. He didn’t buy it, and he told Drew as much. Drew used the opportunity to ask for his help in creating a distraction tonight. Oscar purposely asked not to be informed of the plans, agreeing to help purely for me.

  Drew sweet-talked Trent into arranging one last-ditch attempt at a resolution. They are having dinner with both fathers at the gentleman’s club downtown, and Charlie is on surveillance duty outside, to ensure they don’t leave, while Cam, Sawyer, and Xavier break into my father’s safe.

  Because things are tense with the Montgomerys, Father is bringing most of his security detail, leaving only Oscar, Louis, and two other guards at the house. Louis will be busy entertaining his latest lady friend, so Oscar only needs
to preoccupy the other two.

  He’s given us one hour tops, which is tight but doable.

  “No one would properly concentrate if you were there. They’d be too busy worrying about you.” Drew’s attempt to appease me is feeble.

  “I could help. One hour is tight. I know how to fix the camera feed. I could implant the fake footage and then reinstate the live system when we’re ready to go. I can add value.”

  “Xavier has it covered.” Drew places a patronizing kiss on my cheek, and I shove him away. He’s still on my shit list, and he knows it.

  “You may need Xavier to crack the safe,” I say, continuing to push my point. “You’ve all said yourselves it’s a skilled art and you’ve only had a crash course. If Sawyer can’t crack the code, Xavier will have to step in. Who’ll take care of the camera stuff then?”

  “I’ll implant the fake feed in seconds, and if I don’t get back to reactivate the system, I’ll hack in remotely and do it.” Xavier cups my face, shooting me an apologetic look. “I know you hate this. And we all know how capable you are. But your father is a madman who has already expressed murderous intent toward you. You can’t be anywhere near that house. Near this. If he finds out we hacked his safe, it’s better he can’t connect you to it.”

  “C’mon, babe.” Jackson links his arm through mine. “Let them risk their lives. We’ll stay here and eat ice cream.” His eyes glimmer mischievously. “Naked.” He waggles his brows.

  “He’s joking,” I say, elbowing him in the ribs before Cam smashes his fist in his face and gives our relationship away. “Well, about the naked part. Not about the ice cream. I’m going to eat my bodyweight in chocolate fudge brownie because that’s what I do when I’m pissed off, and I’m majorly pissed off now.”

  “We’d never have guessed,” Cam deadpans, and I flip him the bird.

  “Withhold sex tonight,” Jackson whispers in my ear. “And maybe next time, he’ll fight for you to go.”

  I harrumph as Drew approaches. “This will all be over soon, and then you can come back home,” he says, like returning home is something I desire.

  Living here has been a breath of fresh air, and I’m in no hurry to leave.

  “I don’t want you to go back home,” Cam murmurs, pulling me in close to his side after Drew’s left.

  “Then you should be on my side more.”

  He lets me go, sighing. “Is it too much to ask for a little maturity?”

  I instantly see red. “Fuck you. I’m plenty mature. I’d like to see you cope with being sidelined.”

  He scrubs a hand over his prickly jaw. “It’s dangerous, babe. We’re not bringing guns for the hell of it. If the bodyguards return and find us, they won’t hesitate to open fire.”

  “I know my way around a gun.” I poke him in the chest. “And that’s another way I could help, but, no, we’ve got to lock the princess in her ivory tower until she dies of boredom.”

  Jackson chuckles. “Of course, you know your way around a gun.”

  “My father had me at the shooting range as soon as it was permitted.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Cam sends me a cocky smile. “Care to make a little wager?”

  That pricks my interest, even if I know he’s doing this to distract me. “What did you have in mind, caveman?”

  “A shooting contest out back. You and me. Best of five. Whoever gets closest to the target wins.”

  I can’t stop the massive grin spreading across my face. “You’re on.” I stretch up and kiss him. “And you’re going down.”

  “If I wasn’t leaving, I’d demand a rematch,” Cam pouts, and this time, he’s not pretending. He’s competitive as fuck, and he hates losing. Especially to a girl.

  “And I’ll still beat you next time.”

  “Damn, girl. That was hot. Ditch the caveman, and come share my bed,” Jackson jokes, running his fingers through my hair.

  “Unlucky for you, I’m addicted to the asshole. I couldn’t ditch him even if I wanted to.”

  “Aw, you say the sweetest things.” Cam’s sarcastic drawl matches his dark mood as he shoves Jackson away, reeling me into his arms. “Behave while I’m gone.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  He squeezes his eyes shut. “My patience reserve is in low supply tonight, and I really don’t want to fight with you before I leave.”

  “I’m not fighting.” I smile sweetly at him, pecking his lips. “I’m in winning form.” I stick the knife in because, yeah, maybe I am a little immature at times.

  “I’d love to know how you hit every mark dead center,” Cam says, shaking his head in disbelief as he backs away.

  “It was easy,” I call after him. “I just imagined it was your face, and I hit the bull’s-eye every time.”

  I spend an anxious couple of hours pacing the floor in Cam’s bedroom, chewing my fingernails to the bone, as I glance at the clock every few minutes. When I hear the front door opening, I race out of the room and down the stairs like I’m on skates, almost slumping in relief when all four of them walk in unscathed. “Well?” I ask, propelling myself into Cam’s arms.

  “We did it.”

  “Fucking A, dudes.” Jackson high-fives them.

  “And did you find the evidence?”

  Cam’s face drops. “It doesn’t appear to have been there.”

  “Damn.” Air whooshes out of my mouth in disappointment.

  “But Cam made a copy of all the paperwork in the safe, and there could be something in there once we go through it,” Sawyer adds. Because Cam hadn’t taken part in the safecracking training, he was on copy duty.

  “Let’s do it now. Where is it?”

  “We stashed it someplace safe,” Sawyer says, and I frown.

  “Why?”

  “If your father figures out his safe was broken into, this could be the first place he comes looking,” Cam coolly replies. “So, we’re keeping it offsite for the time being.”

  Alarm bells ring in my head. “Where?” I ask, planting a “don’t mess with me” look on my face.

  “It’s better you don’t know,” he says, adopting a cold, indifferent mask.

  “Excuse me?” I drill him with a cold look of my own.

  “If your father comes asking questions, at least you won’t be lying when you tell him you don’t know.” He scrubs a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Don’t fight me on this, Abby.” He pushes past me into the kitchen, and I race after him.

  “Did Drew agree to this plan?” I demand, shooting daggers into the back of his head as he opens the refrigerator, grabbing a few beers.

  “Drew wasn’t there, and we felt it best to make some last-minute alterations.”

  “Bullshit. I don’t believe you. This reeks of subterfuge.”

  He shrugs, and it infuriates me. “I told you to trust me, so do it.”

  A red haze coats my eyes, and my fists ball up at my sides.

  “You look tense. Have a beer,” he says, sliding one to me, knowing damn well this will only rile me up more.

  Right now, I have no clue who the guy I’m sleeping with is, and goose bumps sprout up and down my arms. I take the beer, keeping my eyes locked on Cam’s, as I throw it at the wall, watching as it shatters against the tile, the glass breaking into tiny pieces, beer spraying everywhere.

  “Mature.” Cam gives me a tight smile, and I flip him the bird as I stalk out of the room with Xavier hot on my heels.

  “Wait up,” Xavier says.

  “What? Were you in on this plan too?”

  He shakes his head, looking cautiously over his shoulder. “No. We split up. Charlie came to get me, and the two of them went off on their own. I’d no idea they planned that until we met up outside, and they said they’d dropped the documents off. Your brother will lose his shit when he hears. We were supposed to duplicate the records and give him a copy, but they didn’t do that either.”

  “They’re up to something.” I tap a finger off my lip. “But what?”

  “I don’t know,
but I’ll find out.”

  “You’re the only person I trust,” I whisper. “You and Charlie.”

  “I’m with you on that front,” he whispers back.

  I press my mouth to his ear, looking over his shoulder, but the guys aren’t listening; they are too busy arguing among themselves in the kitchen, their voices growing louder as they bicker. “When I’m gone upstairs, go back in there and say I’m in a foul mood and to leave me to cool off. Then drive to the lane at the side of the house and wait for me.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sharing a bed with that liar any longer. I’ll stay at Jane’s for a while.”

  “Is that wise?” His brow furrows with concern.

  “It feels safer than staying here.”

  He thinks about it for a few seconds. “Okay. Go. I’ll wait outside for you.”

  I hurry to Cam’s room and lock the door. Then I race around the room grabbing my clothes and toiletries and shoving them in the bag Drew brought for me from home. Thankfully, I hadn’t unpacked half my shit, so it doesn’t take me long to zip it up. I pull my hair into a ponytail and change into a hoodie, yoga pants, and sneakers. When I’m ready, I take one last lingering look around the room, and a pang of nostalgia slaps me in the face. I’ve had tons of happy times in this room with Cam, but now, I wonder if any of it was real.

  Quietly, I open the French doors and slip out onto the balcony. I tiptoe along the length of the balcony until I’ve reached the side of the house, then I secure my bag over my shoulders, and shimmy down the pipe. When my feet hit the ground, I start running, and I don’t look back.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “He’s left more messages,” Jane says the following day, skimming through my cell phone.

  “I don’t care.” I roll over on my side, wishing that was true. I stayed up half the night filling Jane in on everything that’s gone down with Cam the last few weeks, including how I feel used.

  “Are you sure he was just playing you?” she asks, tossing my cell on the bed. “He seems genuinely worried about where you are, and he wouldn’t have shown up here first thing if he didn’t care.”