by Becca Steele
The howl he let out was almost inhumane.
“You might wanna get that arm looked at,” I suggested, swiping his knees from under him so he fell to the ground. His arm dangled uselessly, a weird lump protruding from under the sleeve of his jumper, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Instead, I continued. “You ever come near Raine again and it won’t just be your arm that’s broken. Every. Fucking. Bone. In your body will be broken. Not only that, but do you know who Raine’s closest friend is?” I paused for a moment. “Lena Drummond. I don’t think I need to remind you just how powerful the Drummond family are.”
Kicking at the ground, I saw the needle glinting in the weak glow of the security light. “You tried to tranq me? Why? Why did you fucking target Raine?”
Dylan groaned, his eyes unfocused.
“You fucking—” Before I could stop myself, I brought my Nike-clad foot down, booting him in the ribs. Dimly, I became aware of Kian pulling me backwards. Only after he’d booted Dylan, too.
“Carter. Stop,” he said urgently. “Raine.”
My vision cleared, and I straightened up. Crushing the needle underfoot, I spun on my heel and jogged away from Dylan, towards my truck. Towards Raine.
She was all that mattered, now.
40
Standing with Kian and Xavier at the top of the steps at the entrance to Alstone High on Monday, everything was the same, yet different. I accepted the praise from students as they passed us, congratulating us on our win, but the football game seemed like it had happened so long ago. I’d driven Raine to school this morning, as I would every morning, and I could tell the trauma of the last couple of days was still getting to her. She’d spent the last two nights in my bed, not wanting to be alone while her aunt was working overnight, plagued by nightmares that I did my hardest to soothe away. It was no surprise—Dylan Rossiter had completely blindsided all of us. The one good thing about it all, though? There was a connection between me and Raine that hadn’t been there before. When I realised just how fucking much this girl meant to me, and she’d not only chosen me for comfort, but trusted me to take care of her… I guess it was true when people claimed traumatic experiences were bonding.
The urge to go to her was stronger than I’d expected, but she’d told me that she wanted to carry on as normally as possible. I got it, but I couldn’t deny that it had been beyond difficult to let her go when we’d arrived at school.
Pulling my phone out from my pocket, I sent her a simple text.
Me: You OK?
I didn’t have to wait long for a reply.
Raine: All good.
Raine: Thanks for checking up on me.
I smiled.
Me: See you at lunch. Text if you need anything
She responded with a string of emojis that alternated between a kissing face and a grinning face, and my smile widened as I pocketed my phone.
“You’re looking suspiciously happy there, mate.” Xavier eyed me with a teasing grin on his face. “You too.” He swung his gaze to Kian, who was smiling as Preston jogged up the steps towards us.
Kian shrugged, then gave him a sly look. “Sorted things out with Immy, yet? Huh?”
“Working on it,” Xavier muttered, the smile slipping off his face. The bell rang before I had a chance to get in a dig, and we headed to our classes.
All morning I was on edge, waiting to see Raine. It was a weird feeling—I’d never been that invested in someone else before. But I needed to see for myself if she was doing okay after all the shit that had happened.
Finally. There she was, standing alone in the doorway of the cafeteria. I couldn’t stop the grin from appearing when I took her in. She stood, taking in the table where I sat with my friends, her gaze unsure, like she didn’t know if she should join us.
Fuck that.
Pushing away from the table, I stood. Come here, I mouthed, holding out my hand to her.
A huge smile spread across her beautiful face, and she took a step towards me. Not quick enough, as far as I was concerned. I stalked towards her, and we clashed together in the middle of the crowded cafeteria. I lifted her into my arms, sliding my mouth against hers. Because I could. Because she was mine.
“You’re going to give me a reputation,” she murmured when I released her. Her cheeks were flushed, but she was smiling.
“I know you don’t like the attention. I’m just…fuck, I don’t know. Happy to see you.”
“Yeah. I know.” Understanding crossed her features, and she took my hand in hers. “I’m okay. I promise I’ll tell you if I’m not.”
“Good.” Keeping a hold of her hand, I led her to our table, but I paused before we got there. “Are you okay sitting here, or would you prefer us to sit alone?”
She stared up at me, an unreadable expression on her face, before she shook her head with a small laugh. “I’m not used to this sweet and considerate side of you, yet. But I have to say, I really like it.”
Laughing, I tugged her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her. I watched a shy smile curve over her lips as our friends greeted her. It was surprising how easily she’d been accepted into our group, but then, all our closest friends were aware of what had happened to her, and I doubted there was anyone that didn’t feel horror and even guilt for the part we’d all played in driving Raine away.
It went without saying that Tina was no longer a part of our group, after the news that she’d been the one behind defacing Raine’s locker.
“I guess I’ll sit here.” Lena threw herself into the seat next to Raine. Everyone stared at her, and finally she let out the world’s most long-suffering sigh. “Raine’s my friend. I’m eating with her.” She turned her attention to her food, and that was the end of the discussion.
“Is this real?” Raine’s voice was soft and only for me.
Shifting in my seat, I turned to face her. “It’s real. I can’t promise I’ll get it right all the time—in fact, it’s guaranteed I’ll fuck up more than once—but you’re worth it. I’m…changing for you. You know, working on being the man you deserve. For you.”
She smiled. “Okay.” Her voice lowered, and she slid her hand into mine. “I don’t want you to change, though. I mean, yeah, I guess there are one or two parts of you I’m not totally in love with…” She shot me a teasing grin, before continuing. “But everyone has their flaws. I do, I know. We’re all works in progress.”
“Wait, so there are parts of me you’re in love with?” I smirked at her, and she groaned, dropping her head to my shoulder.
“Why did you focus on that bit?” she mumbled against my blazer.
I laughed and kissed the top of her head. “You want to come over for dinner later? Mum’s making shepherd’s pie. You know how she always makes way too much.”
My distraction technique worked, because she lifted her head to mine, her hazel eyes sparkling, and nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Can we drive around a bit before we go home? I…we need to talk.”
Raine’s words sent a spike of unease through me, and I swallowed hard before answering. “Yeah, whatever you need.”
She gave me a tiny smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and my stomach dropped.
After I’d been driving around aimlessly for twenty minutes, getting more and more worked up, Raine finally spoke, her voice quiet. “Dylan’s officially left the school.”
Taking my eyes away from the road briefly, I glanced over to her to see the combination of relief and distress written all over her face. “How do you know?” Shifting the car into fourth gear, I eased the wheel to the right as we headed along the clifftop road, the ruins of Alstone Castle up ahead, silhouetted against the sky.
“Joey told me. He’s in the drama club with me. He’s, uh…a friend of Dylan’s.” A sigh escaped her lips. “He knows what happened, and he seemed pretty shaken by the whole thing.”
This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have when I was driving. Indicating, I pulled off the road onto the grass
verge and turned the engine off. “Climb in the back with me.” There was more room, and I needed to hold her. She nodded, and after we’d moved into the back seat, I tugged her into my lap, putting my arms around her. Curling into me, she was silent for a moment before she continued. “Long story short. From the sound of it, Dylan called Joey when you…you know. Broke his arm.”
“That was the least he deserved,” I muttered, and I felt her nod against me.
“I know. Surprisingly, Joey agreed. From the sound of it, the whole story came out when he took Dylan to the hospital to get his arm sorted out. To say he was disturbed is probably putting it mildly. He seemed to get the impression that Dylan had kind of obsessive tendencies.” She took a shaky breath. “Ones relating to me. He hated the popular kids, and for whatever reasons he justified in his head, your interest in me triggered him.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Joey said he told him that he had a folder of photos of me on his computer.” I felt her body begin to tremble, and I tightened my arms around her, kissing her head. “The fact he’d decorated his bedroom to look like mine creeped me out enough, but to know that he had a whole folder of photos of me which must’ve been taken without my knowledge…I mean, who does that?”
Her gaze met mine, her expression so anguished that it almost hurt to look at her. “I just kept thinking, why didn’t I see it? He’s never been anything more than friendly to me. I’ve been going through everything in my head, and I just…I don’t understand it, Carter.”
“That kid is seriously fucked up, Rai. Listen to me. There’s nothing that you could have done any differently. His actions aren’t normal. Why would your mind even go there? As far as you knew, he was your friend and you’d have no reason to think otherwise.”
“Maybe.” She sighed. “I don’t know. Anyway, Joey basically told him that if he dared to show his face in Alstone again, he was going to press charges. Or that I was. Whatever. Joey wanted to press charges now, anyway, but he was worried that you’d be in trouble too, for breaking his arm.”
“Fuck. Even with the pictures?”
She nodded, and I smiled grimly. “In that case, I need to make a couple of calls. I don’t think he’d risk going up against the Drummond family, but I’m not leaving anything to chance. Kian and I…we know a guy, Mack, who has friends that could be useful in these situations. Or so I’ve heard. Let me investigate.” At her dubious look, I lowered my head to kiss her softly. “Trust me. He’s never going to hurt you again.”
“I trust you.” A real smile finally appeared on her lips, and I kissed her again.
“I’d do anything to keep you safe.”
41
A few weeks on, and things were finally getting back to normal, or a new version of normal, now Raine was mine. I couldn’t get enough of her, and I’d never had that with a girl before. And on a night like tonight, when she was dressed up for Anastasia’s party and looking really fucking hot in a tight black top and tiny shorts, I couldn’t stop touching her every chance I could. I drove with one hand on the wheel, the other on her thigh. At every red light, my lips were on hers. “I can’t get enough of you,” I told her while throwing up my middle finger at the driver behind us. He actually had the audacity to beep his horn at me, just because I was too busy kissing my girlfriend to notice the lights had changed from red to green.
“Watch the road.” Her words came out on a breathless laugh. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her bite down on her lip, and then she spoke quietly. “Maybe after the party we could go to Parton Park and re-enact Fright Night? I mean…you could chase me?”
I nearly swerved the car off the road, and she shrieked in fright. My grip on her thigh tightened, and I swallowed thickly. “Fucking hell, Rai. Why are we going to this party?” My cock hardened at the thought of catching her in the dark, wrapping my hand around her pretty little throat, and fucking her senseless. “I’m serious. Let’s skip the party.”
She laughed again. “No. You need to be there. You’re the football captain and the king of the school.” She accompanied her words with an eye-roll, but she gave me a grin to let me know she was just winding me up. “Besides, it’ll make it even better. The wait, knowing that later you’ll be getting to do all the dirty, depraved things to me that you want to do.”
“How will that make it better? It’s torture.”
“Delayed gratification.” She shrugged.
“And you say I’m the sadistic one in this relationship.” I squeezed her thigh one last time before releasing it so I could change gear.
“I never said that.” Glancing over at her, I saw her batting her lashes innocently, and I raised a brow.
“Bet you were thinking it, though.”
“Maybe. You know I like your sadistic tendencies.”
This girl. I was gone for her. Why had I ignored how perfect she was for me? Yeah, she did like my sadistic side. I knew how me restraining her when we fucked turned her on, and just how hard she came when I was gripping her throat. After everything that had happened with Dylan, I’d been hesitant to do anything that might trigger her, but she…I wasn’t really sure I understood, but she said that she felt safe with me and trusted me. And I’d never do anything to break that trust.
We pulled up outside Anastasia’s mansion, joining the crowd of cars that lined the gravel driveway, and I unclipped my seat belt. Glancing over at Raine, I saw her hesitant expression. “What’s wrong?” I clasped her jaw, gently turning her face to mine.
“Nothing, really. I’m just nervous. Silly, right?” She laughed humourlessly. “I’ve just never fitted in at these places. Not that I’ve been to any of these parties as an invited guest, but you know what I mean.”
Guilt, hot and suffocating, rushed through me. That was my fault. I’d beaten her down, made her feel like she didn’t belong. “Raine. I’m—”
She lifted her hand, placing it to my lips. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t blame yourself, Carter. I’ve forgiven you for your part. I wouldn’t be here with you if I hadn’t. A lot of this is in my own head, anyway. I just have to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and I’ll get there. Eventually.”
“I won’t leave you,” I promised her. We exited my truck, and I pulled her close to me, tucking her under my arm. We’d left our coats in the truck, and I had a great view down her top to her full breasts. “Did you wear that purposely to tempt me?” I skimmed my hand up over her ribs, stopping just below her tits.
“I might’ve had you in mind when I chose the outfit.” She gave me a coy smile from under her lashes.
“If you were trying to drive me crazy, you succeeded. All I can think about is uncovering your gorgeous body and filling you with my dick.”
“Carter!” She gave a shocked laugh, before it turned into a smirk. “You want to see what’s underneath?” As we entered the open door of the mansion, she ducked out from under my arm, peeling her top off and turning to face me.
I stopped dead, staring at her. I was actually speechless for the first time in my life. She’d worn the Poison Ivy costume she’d worn on Fright Night, or a modified version, at least. The skintight outfit clung to her breasts, and I could clearly see the outline of her nipples. I pushed her against the wall, grinding my hard dick against her, lowering my head to her ear.
“Are you trying to kill me here?” I asked her hoarsely. “How can I walk around here with you dressed like that? I’m about two seconds away from ripping your shorts off and fucking you right now.”
“You’ll have to wait.” She pushed me away, then strolled past me without a care in the world. “Come on.”
“Rai…” There was an actual whine in my voice.
“I’m putting the top back on, don’t worry.” She pulled it back over her head and turned back to me.
“Not doing anything to help.”
She took a few steps back in front of me and smiled as she reached her hand out to grip my dick through my jeans. I groaned at her touch.
“I can�
�t help it. Now I’m allowed to, I just want to torture you like you tortured me for months.” She released her grip, and I tugged her into my arms, palming her ass.
“I’ve created a monster.”
“Yeah, you have.”
Not that I was complaining.
The party was…good. I was used to the constant attention, and yeah, I loved it, but having Raine there as my girlfriend made everything so much sweeter. Raine seemed comfortable now, taking it in her stride, other than the times people mentioned my PDAs with her. Something which caused Raine to blush, without fail. Every single time.
I fucking loved it. Loved having her there with me.
“You want to get out of here?” Raine was sitting in my lap on an ornate seventeenth-century sofa, sipping from her drink. At my words, she shuffled around so she was sitting sideways and could look at me. I kept one arm around her as I lifted my other hand to brush the hair away from her face.
“Have you had enough?” She leaned over and kissed my jaw, before drawing back with a hesitant expression. “Am I being too pushy? We can stay as long as you like.”
“Hmmm.” I pretended to think it over. “Stay here, watching everyone getting drunker and louder, or go somewhere I can have you all to myself. What do you think?” I smiled at her, stroking my thumb across her soft cheek.
Instead of replying, she slid her hand up my chest, over my shoulder, and around the back of my neck, and then her lips were on mine.
“Get a room!”
We broke apart, and I saw Xavier grinning at me. “Is this what we have to look forward to with you two at all our future parties now? All this PDA shit?”
“Fuck off,” I muttered.
“You—hold that thought.” He held his hand up, his attention turning to the left of the room. “I’ll be back.” He stalked off, and I followed his line of sight to see Imogen leaning casually against the wall, drink in hand, her gaze fixed on his. He reached her, snatching the drink from her grip and practically throwing it down on a table. Then he was crowding her against the wall, and they were kissing.