Deviant Sin: A Dark College Romance (Cruel Desires Book 1)

by Lee Piper

  “Like I said, you were always a part of the plan.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Temple

  As Sin and I enter the living room, Saint pulls his cell from his pocket, checking the time. “And with a minute to spare. You work fast, bro.”

  “Screw you.” He kicks Saint’s feet off the coffee table before settling into a nearby chair.

  “Sorry, dude. You’re not my type. I like to go all night, if you know what I mean.” Saint winks at me.

  “Look at her like that again and you’re dead.” Sin glares.

  Throwing his head back, Saint laughs. “Fuck, this is brilliant. You’re so far gone, man. I bet you couldn’t find your balls in a nationwide search.”

  The thought of Sin falling for anyone, let alone me, is… weird. Especially, when he was never meant to like me in the first place.

  Confused, hurt, and wanting to get to the bottom of it all, I perch on the edge of an empty seat. It’s expensive and comfortable, which makes me even more uncomfortable, because I know I won’t let myself get used to staying here.

  Acting on instinct, I take in floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking what I’m guessing is the ocean, though it’s too dark to see the water from here. I look at the glass sliding doors, open-plan living area, and stairs leading to the second and third stories.

  Two exits.

  Both partially blocked by expensive, masculine furniture, and dangerous, handsome men sitting in them.

  Tiredness washes over me. “So, what’s this all about?”

  The three guys share a look. Unspoken meaning passes between them. It only ends when Sin nods, Saint shrugs, and Angel curses under his breath.

  “Fine.” Angel takes the phone that’s resting on the coffee table and throws it to me. “Here, it’s a burner. Read the messages.”

  Curious and trying not to show it, I open the message app. The more I read, the more questions I have. Once finished, I drop my hand into my lap. “None of this makes sense.” Glancing between them, I hold up the cell. “You expect me to believe that this is a conversation between you and my dad?”

  Legs sprawled wide like a king surveying his court, Sin nods. “Yes.”

  I quickly reread the messages. “And he wanted you to torch the garage? He actually asked you to do it?”

  “Yep,” Saint confirms.

  “As a favor,” I finish flatly.

  “That’s right.” Angel rests his chin on his steeped fingers. “Dez asked for our help.”

  I put the phone back on the table, then walk toward the windows, my mind traveling a million miles an hour. “That conversation could have been between you and anyone. There are no names and no places mentioned. There’s a vague reference to what I’m guessing is The Dunes, but that’s it.” I glance at Sin over my shoulder. “You honestly expect me to believe it’s Dez when it could just as easily have been one of you?”

  Sin rubs his index finger across his full lips. “What other choice do you have?”

  My eyes drop to the movement, but I tear them away again. Turning, I stare out the window into the darkness. “Let’s think about this rationally. There are three ways I can interpret this. Option one, I call you guys out as liars and leave. Option two, I call you out as liars and stay. Or, option three, I believe you.”

  “And stay.” Sin’s gaze bores into the side of my face. The heat is so intense I falter at the intensity of it.

  “Y-yeah.”

  “Then, it’s decided. You’re staying.”

  “No, nothing is decided. I’m going through options, not committing to them. Jesus. Are you always this….” My hands flail in the air, doing nothing to clarify what I’m referring to.

  He smirks. “Always.”

  Angel takes the burner, scrolling through the messages. “Would you two hurry up and fuck already? It’s late, and we have shit to do.”

  “Told you you’d lose the bet,” Saint mocks.

  “Screw you,” his cousin mutters. “The sooner they bone, the quicker we can get work done. We’re on a timeline here.”

  “Well?” Sin demands.

  Torn between wanting to run and knowing I’ll stay, I pause, eventually admitting, “Fine, I’ll play along for now. But for the record, I’m pissed at you.”

  He shrugs. “You’ll get over it.”

  “Maybe. But so we’re clear, I won’t get under you again.”

  His eyes flare.

  Saint laughs, and Angel ignores everyone, too busy rereading messages.

  “Okay,” I begin, needing to wrap my head around everything. “Let’s assume Dad contacted you, asking you to burn the garage to the ground.”

  “I’m detecting sarcasm,” Saint muses.

  “You think?” I mock. “I mean, come on. Why would he want you to do that? Sure, The Collector forced him to use the place as a drug stop, but what good would come from getting rid of the place? That garage was his life.”

  “Emphasis on was,” Angle mutters.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Angel looks at Sin.

  Irritated, I cross my arms. “Well?”

  “Dad wanted to expand the drug stop,” Sin mutters. “He told Dez to start accepting drop-offs of illegal firearms. Knowing Dad, he wouldn’t stop there. He’d keep adding to the fucking list until your garage was a one-stop shop for every shady fucker on the west coast.”

  I glance from one guy to the next, trying to see the truth in their expressions. Only, they’re unanimously blank, giving nothing away.

  Throat dry, I rasp, “Are you joking?”

  “No.” Sin’s gaze doesn’t waver. “If your old man didn’t do what he was told, there’d be a hit put on him and his family.”

  My heart leaps to my throat.

  “On… me?”

  Sin doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. For once, I know exactly what his silence is telling me.

  “So, Dad’s arrest was deliberate? He wanted to be put away?” It’s hard to wrap my head around my father wanting to be put in prison. Yet, somehow it makes sense. He always ran from his problems, it was his MO. As soon as life got too hard, he sought an escape.

  For once, Saint is serious. “Fucker wanted to try his luck on the inside. Thought it was safer than a life in The Dunes under the thumb of our father.”

  “He’d get the insurance and use it as protection money,” Angel adds.

  “Wow.” Looking away, I consider what I’ve been told and what it means. “He really doesn’t give a shit about me. I mean, I knew it before, but….” My eyes threaten to blur. Pushing the betrayal back, I meet Sin’s stare. “He left me to deal with all of this alone. He didn’t even have the decency to warn me.”

  “We knew.” Sin’s voice is low. “You’ve been on Dad’s radar from the beginning. He was keeping tabs on you, and when Dez was put behind bars, he took an extra fucking interest.”

  “Knowing all this, you still went ahead with burning the garage.” My accusation belies the fragmentation of everything I thought I knew.

  “We’re going to make it right,” he vows, like his words mean anything to me.

  “You’re going to make it right,” I repeat, disdain dripping from each syllable. “And you expect me to take you at your word?” Hell, no. “Not good enough. You need to do better than that if you expect me to stick around.”

  Reaching into his pocket, Sin takes out the white key card Tobias gave him. “We’re going to use this to fuck with Dad’s plans.”

  His eyes are so clear and his expression is so honest, I almost believe him.

  “How?” I hate how, even now, I grasp onto his half-truth. “The Collector isn’t above messing people up for the sheer fun of it. I’ve heard the stories. I’ve seen what he’s done to folks. How are you going to stop him with a damn key card?”

  Sin’s stare darkens. “Trust me. We’re going to make him pay.”

  Trust.

  What a stupid concept.

  How can I trust anyone who bet
rays me?

  Despite knowing he’s played me from the beginning, there’s a truth in his expression that can’t be fabricated. “Why should I?”

  “Because you’ve got no other option.” I swear, his eyes heat at that.

  Thinking long and hard, I consider my choices. Either I try to escape The Collector on my own, accept that the garage will be a drop-off for God-knows-what, or take a chance on Sin and hope he doesn’t screw me over. Again.

  Christ.

  Knowing there’s every chance my choice will end in heartbreak, I level Sin with a stare. “You’ve got one chance, big guy. Screw it up and I’m gone.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  SIN

  Thank fuck.

  Didn’t know how much she had me by the balls until she agreed to stay.

  “Come here.” When Temple’s close enough I loop my finger through her belt hook and pull her down next to me. She doesn’t protest, which is a fucking win. Her body fits against mine like she was made to fucking be there.

  But she doesn’t give me her mouth like I want her to. Like fucking always, she’ll make me earn it. And like a pussy, I’ll do whatever I have to, to get it.

  Saint smirks, the smug prick knowing what’s going on. The ESP bullshit we have is a pain in the fucking ass. Can’t keep a damn secret even if I wanted to.

  Angel glances between Temple and me. Miserable bastard grits his teeth before looking away again. He’ll deal.

  Temple and I are happening, and nothing will change that. She might have started out as a means to an end, but now she’s more than that. She’s mine.

  It’s time we bring her into the fold. That said, there’s no fucking way I’m telling her more than she needs to know. I’ll protect her even if she hates me for it. Hell, I’m counting on it. But it’s for her own safety.

  She’ll get over it, eventually.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Temple

  “So, what’s the plan?” Seated on the edge of Sin’s chair, I let him wrap his arm around my waist. He might think we’re fine, but I’m not going to let him steamroller me with his intoxicating scent or sexy stare.

  I want answers.

  Sin rubs his finger across his lips, thinking. “We wait.”

  I pause, hoping to God he’s joking.

  He’s not.

  Searching his expression, I try to find a reason for this mistake.

  He gives nothing away.

  “That’s it?” I ask, incredulous. “That’s your plan? To wait?”

  His closed expression proves there’s nothing more to add.

  “Jesus.” Disentangling myself, I move away. “You’re seriously going to sit on your ass at a time like this?”

  “Sure we are,” Saint adds unhelpfully.

  I give him a flat stare.

  He winks. “You love me.”

  Sin nods to Angel. “Show her.”

  Angel gestures for me to sit next to him. He retrieves his laptop from the coffee table, opening it.

  Cautiously, I lower myself beside him. Out of the three of them, Angel’s the one I find hardest to read. It puts me on edge being this close to someone I’m unsure about. But if Sin thinks it’s okay….

  Fuck. I’m a lost cause. The guy can’t plan his way out of an unlocked room, and I still want him.

  Angel turns his laptop to face me. “Check it out.” He points to the eight square boxes on the screen, each showing a different vantage point of The Collector’s office.

  My eyes widen. “You planted security cameras?”

  “Saint did,” he confirms.

  Thinking hard, I try to picture it but come up blank. “But Sin and Saint were searching for something, not setting up surveillance.”

  “We hedged our bets in case we couldn’t find what we wanted.” Angel types in a code I don’t understand, and one of the cameras zooms in to the desk. There’s blood on it, Jack’s, probably.

  Angel points to the screen. “We thought we’d find it here.”

  “Please tell me you’ve got audio. Video surveillance is great and all, but it only tells half the story.”

  Angel considers me for a moment. “We do. I updated the software an hour ago.”

  Figuring this is as close to an opening as I’m going to get, I ask, “What were you looking for?”

  Angel looks from me, to Sin, and back again. His eyes bore into mine as though trying to find an ulterior motive. Since I haven’t fully figured out their reason for doing all of this, I don’t have one to hide.

  Finally, he answers. “We’re after a phone.”

  When he doesn’t continue, I prod. “And?”

  “It’s either in his office, in which case, he’ll lead us to it. Or it’s in his second office.”

  Oh God. “The guy has more than one office?”

  He nods.

  “Have you scouted it yet?”

  “No.”

  “For the love of—” Needing space, I stalk to the other side of the room. “Why aren’t you stressing? Why aren’t you looking for ways to get us out of this situation?”

  Like he doesn’t have a care in the world, Saint rests his feet on the coffee table and stretches.

  Beside him, Sin is still.

  Unbelievable. “Let me see if I understand this correctly. You’re after a cell phone, right?”

  Angel nods.

  “And it’s in one of two places.”

  Saint tries interrupt, but I hold up my hand, stopping him.

  “Let me finish. So, it could be in the office we searched or one we haven’t seen yet.”

  Saint opens his mouth again, but I glare.

  “And let’s not forget, The Collector’s going to know something’s up when he sees the state of the place.”

  “And Jack’s leg,” Saint interjects quickly. “Don’t forget about him.”

  “You’re a world of helpful information,” I deadpan.

  He grins. “It’s a gift. Chicks love it.”

  “Sure, they do.” I focus on Angel. “What are you going to do about the security footage from tonight? Something tells me The Collector’s going to want to know who comes and goes in his office.”

  Head down, he types something on the laptop. “I’ve got it covered.” He shows me the screen. “I hacked into their security through a backdoor and set up a camera loop. He won’t even know we were there.”

  I wait, hoping he realizes the obvious flaw in his plan. But when he doesn’t say anything, I slowly enunciate, “He will when he sees the blood on his desk.”

  “We’ve got it covered,” Sin rumbles.

  My eyes meet his, and even though I want to fight it, the pull between us is all-encompassing. “How?”

  “We’ve got people on Dad’s payroll. They’re dealing with it.”

  Needing more than some vague platitude, I push for intel. “What does that mean, exactly?”

  He stands, then saunters toward me. The scent of salt spray invades my senses, threatening to weaken my resolve.

  Sin takes me by the nape, tipping my head back. His gaze is pinned on my mouth. “It means we’re dealing with it.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “I’m not asking you to.”

  Desire sits heavy in my core. I want to press my mouth to his, tease his tongue with mine, and bite his lip until he bleeds my name.

  But I don’t.

  “I’ve got a lot riding on this,” I murmur. “I won’t let him or anyone else jeopardize my future. Don’t expect me to fall back into bed with you.”

  He skims my cheek with his knuckles. “Keep lying to yourself, babe.”

  Tingles spark in the wake of his touch. “Every decision you’ve made since we’ve met proves you only care about yourself. I’ve had enough selfish men to last me a lifetime.”

  “Shit’s different now.”

  It’s the certainty in his words that does it. My heart skips a beat before thundering against my chest. It’s like it wants to escape so
it can rest beside his. “How can you be so sure?”

  “When it comes to you, I fucking know.”

  Damn. “You can’t say stuff like that.”

  He ducks his head, his mouth brushing the shell of my ear. “Watch me.”

  Sin turns to his brother and cousin. “Leave. I need to talk to my woman.”

  I pull back slightly. “Your woman?”

  His stare is absolute. “Mine.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Temple

  Once Saint and Angel saunter from the room, Sin takes a handful of my hair, twists it, and tugs. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to stand. Every time you move, you’ll remember how I owned your sweet cunt.”

  With my neck exposed, I should feel vulnerable. Scared, even. Sin’s a massive guy who’s used to getting his own way. Everything about him should trigger me. His cruel words, domineering hold, the way his hard cock rubs against my lower stomach. Memories from my past should flash before my eyes, threatening me with their toxic potency.

  Only, they don’t.

  Instead of fear, power forms, bringing with it a dawning realization.

  Sin would never hurt me.

  He’s watched over me when I didn’t know it, shielded me when I didn’t want it, and forced me to protect myself because he knew I could. He’s shown me time and again that what we have is real.

  It’s time I admit the truth. “Is that a promise?”

  Sin’s pupils dilate to a searing black. His powerful hands skim my shoulders and trace the gentle curve of my spine before settling on my ass. He grips each cheek in a punishing hold. “You know it.”

  Standing on tiptoe, I bite the cleft of his chin. “Prove it, then.”

  Before I can prepare myself, he yanks open the top button of my jeans, lowers the zipper, and tugs off my pants. In a swift movement, he peels off my hoodie and T-shirt, only pausing when I stand, dazed, in my bra and thong.