Devlin
My grip on the wheel is tight as I whip the Mustang around the bend. Bishop whistles, tapping out a beat on the frame of the open window, night air gusting through his hair.
A muffled groan sounds from the backseat, where we stashed Sean after I knocked him out. He thought we were going for a cruise to pick up chicks. Nope.
I chose the Mustang because it’s Dad’s, so I don’t give a shit if the blood trickling from the corner of Sean’s mouth smears on the leather.
Bishop didn’t ask questions when I called him up for help with this errand. He had a bat in hand and a cutthroat gleam in his eyes when I picked him up.
I want to get this done quick so I can get back to Blair, waiting at home in our bed. It killed me to leave her alone after the incredible fuck, but I couldn’t let this fly. A growl rumbles in my chest, the anger a constant simmer.
Sean and those other puppets fucking thought they could get away with spreading shit about my girl? I’ll end each one of them. He’ll pay the price and meet the brunt of my wrath.
“Up here on the left.” Bishop nods as the abandoned quarry site comes into view. “Perfect spot.”
A hiking trail picks up at the back of the weed-choked gravel lot, the rest of the site cleared and filled in. All that remains is a rusted store building. It’s the perfect spot to teach Sean a lesson.
I pull into the old lot and park the Mustang. Bishop grabs his bat, and we climb out to haul Sean from the backseat.
“God, you’re heavy,” Bishop grumbles, readjusting the distribution of Sean’s weight to flick his lolling head.
Sean mumbles something unintelligible.
We drag him to the back of the storage building and prop him against the rusted metal wall. When Sean doesn’t stir right away, I kick his foot. Hard.
“Wake up.”
Sean jolts at the sound of my command. He spots Bishop first, then me. The relaxed look fades when he realizes my expression is deadly. His hand flies to his head.
That’s right, shit for brains. I’m the one that cold-cocked you.
“Mornin’, sunshine!” Bishop bends to get on Sean’s level, hands dangling over the bat slung across his shoulders. “Heard you like to feed that beautiful beast, the Silver Lake rumor mill. Should we feed it some more?” Bishop’s grin turns manic. “I’ve been holding on to the story of the time you pissed yourself freshman year for a long ass time.”
Sean flinches back, hands up. “W-what’s up guys? What is this?”
Bishop tips his head to me. I growl, advancing on Sean. He yelps like a little bitch, scuttling through the weeds.
“Nowhere to run from me, fucker.”
“I, uh,” Sean blathers, licking his lips, “thought we were going on the prowl for pussy.”
Bishop chuckles sadistically, smacking his bat against the corrugated metal siding of the building. “Bro, do you see any babes around?”
Sean’s throat bobs. “Uh…”
“Think hard, Sean.” The moonlight shifts with the passing clouds, painting his fear in flickers across his face. I master the burning anger, ambling in front of him. “What did you do this week? Who did you talk to?”
“Is this because I was hitting on Davis? Guys, she’s trashy. That’s fair game.”
The whoop Bishop releases pierces the night air as he laughs in disbelief. Bishop jabs the tip of the bat beside Sean’s head. He flinches, glaring at us.
“Oh boy, you’re stupid,” Bishop says. “That’s hilarious.”
Gritting my teeth, I grab Sean by the collar, half-lifting him from his seated position. Sean jerks his head back.
“You’ll kill that rumor, or I’ll kill you for what you said to her,” I growl.
“What is up with you this year? You’ve changed, man.” The end of Sean’s words ratchet up in pitch when I slam him against the wall.
“Really?” There’s a dangerous amusement threading my voice. “I’ve never felt more like myself.”
I drive my fist in Sean’s gut, taking immense satisfaction in the way he groans and curls forward. Bishop snatches him before he can fall, standing him back up for my next hit. I pound Sean with my fists.
“You don’t come near her! She isn’t up for grabs.” I hold Sean by the throat, squeezing until I control his air supply. His eye is swelled shut and blood oozes from the cut on his lip. “Blair is off fucking limits. Clear?”
Sean nods weakly. “S-sorry.”
With a disgusted snarl, I drop him. Sean crumples to the gravel like a sack of potatoes. I flex my hand, examining the redness. Two of my knuckles split, stinging with each movement.
“Enjoy your walk home.” I spit on the ground next to Sean’s foot.
“Oh, and if you think about talking about this…” Bishop flashes me a look, then crouches beside Sean, murmuring in his ear.
I can’t hear what he says, but the curve of Bishop’s mouth is savage. Sean goes pale in the moonlight. It must be one of his juicier pieces of blackmail.
“Cool?” Bishop smirks and pats Sean’s head when he nods. “Cool. Good choice.”
Bishop pops to his feet and twirls the bat up to rest on his shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
I promised Blair I wouldn’t be long. Now that I’ve rained hell on Sean, the anger has bled away. The tether in my chest tugs, calling me home to her.
Thirty-Seven
Devlin
I wait outside her bedroom, dressed and ready to head over to my aunt and uncle’s for Thanksgiving dinner.
My knuckles have healed, but when I last saw Sean before the long weekend break began, his black eye remained purple and puffy. Whenever he sees me, he scurries away like the little rodent he is.
Blair opens the door, a knockout in the new dress I bought her. She tried to refuse it when I left it in her room, claiming it was too much. It looks damn good on her, but it isn’t that the dress is anything special.
It’s Blair—she’s what makes the dress shine, not the other way around.
Her brows lift when she finds me there, flicking her gaze over me. A flare of heat fills her whiskey-colored eyes.
My cock twitches. It’s hard to keep a leash on how much I fucking want her. The need keeps growing, like I’ll never have enough.
“Perfect,” I praise, taking her in.
Blair’s dark lashes flutter, made darker by her light makeup and mascara. She smooths her hands over the deep jade dress that hugs her body and falls to her knees. “It looks okay?”
“Yes. Ready to go?”
“Okay.”
I rest my hand at the small of her back as we descend the steps, but at the bottom she strides ahead of me to reach the garage first. Smothering a sigh, I retrieve the key fob for the Porsche from the hook and climb into the car, where she waits for me.
On the short drive, I keep an eye on her in my periphery. Blair clicks her nails together.
Things have remained tense between us since the wild sex last week. An uncomfortable feeling slithers in my gut like a poison. Blair is pulling away. I can feel it. I’ve been trying to mentally prepare for it if she does, giving into my coping mechanism to protect myself.
Even after reading through three of Mom’s books on the brain science behind these habits, I can’t cut them off just by reading about them.
It’s frustrating to be so weak. To have the one thing that’s made me feel alive, unable to stop myself from closing off to keep the fear at bay. No matter how strong I think I am, I’m still the same little boy inside, defenseless against the raw pain of everyone leaving.
When I pull up to Aunt Lottie and Uncle Ed’s house, Lucas’ car is there.
“They must be here already.” Blair points at the car. “Gemma said they’d be in town for the weekend to visit both families. Maybe we can grab breakfast with them tomorrow.”
We head up the deck and enter through the kitchen where the scent of a home cooked meal hits us as soon as the door opens.
“Smells
great, Aunt Lottie.”
“Devlin!” Uncle Ed hauls himself out of a chair in the living room, followed by their plump pug dog, Lancelot.
Blair lights up, bending down to greet him. “Hi, my favorite knight.”
“Looking sharp.” Uncle Ed shakes my hand and beams at Blair. His usual gray stubble is shaved clean, his cheeks slightly pink from drinking. “We’ve been trying to get Dev to bring you over here for weeks. We’re happy to finally meet his girlfriend.”
A bubble of warmth expands in my chest at hearing Blair described as my girlfriend.
Blair tucks her sleek hair behind her ears, rising to her feet to shake hands. “That’s all on him.” She elbows me. “I love your dog and would’ve been happy to come over. Thanks for having me.”
Uncle Ed laughs and reaches out to ruffle my hair, messing up the way I styled it.
“Ed,” I complain, leaning away.
“What, you think you’re too big for me to do that just because you’re taller than me now? I still do it to Lucas, too. Don’t I, son?”
“And I do it right back. You just have less hair to mess with,” Lucas jokes from the couch, where his arm is around Gemma.
Uncle Ed laughs, touching his sandy brown hair that’s shot through with gray.
“Come on in, you two. Anything to drink?” Uncle Ed waves us into the warm kitchen. It’s cozier than my house. It feels like a family actually lives here. “Anyway, Dev, you don’t have to duck our invitations. You aunt and I have been missing you after you were here so often at the start of the school year. You know you and your friends are always welcome over here. How’s Bishop?”
“He’s fine.”
Aunt Lottie comes in with a couple of bottles of wine. “I brought reinforcements.”
Lucas and Gemma come over from the couch to help her in the kitchen as Uncle Ed hands us appetizers.
Once she’s taken care of the wine, Aunt Lottie turns to me, clasping my shoulders. “All right, let me see you.” She gives me a once over and pulls me into a hug. “I see you make an extra effort for Blair. How come you don’t dress up nice for us when you come over here?”
Lucas snorts as he pours wine, passing the glass to Gemma. She smacks him, and Lottie shoots him a flat look.
Blair laughs quietly, but it’s not as relaxed as usual.
I wrap my arm around her waist, hiding a frown at the tense line of her body. “Aunt Lottie, this is Blair.”
She gives Blair a warm, approving smile. She takes both of her hands. “Blair. It’s wonderful to meet you. We’re glad Devlin’s met someone so lovely.”
“Thanks, it’s great to meet you, too.” Blair directs a look at me from the corner of her eye. “Your home is really nice.”
Gemma comes over and hooks her arm with Blair’s. “Let’s go snack on cheese on the deck. There’s a great sunset this time of year. I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera when they had me over last year.”
Blair relaxes as she pulls away from my side. “Sounds perfect.”
The girls disappear on the deck with a platter of cheese and the dog, faithfully circling at their feet in the hope of morsels dropping. Gemma feeds him a piece of cheddar, smiling fondly at the pug dog.
Lucas slaps me on the back, drawing my attention from the girls. “Let them be for a bit. They never get to hang out without us.”
My aunt and uncle commandeer both of us a minute later to help with dinner, delegating us to different tasks.
“So,” Lottie drags out once the mashed potatoes are done. “Tell us about her!”
“I, uh,” I glanced at Lucas for help. He’s got a wide, cocky smile on his face. “Well, we actually used to go to the same school. She was in my third grade art class.”
I swallow thickly at the surprised look all three of them give me. I tug on my ear and push my hand through my hair.
“Wait, Blair?” Lucas clarifies.
“Yeah.” An affectionate smile curves my mouth. “She gave me her star drawings. Neither of us remembered until we recently…became closer.”
Lucas lifts his brows knowingly. He’s aware of the tenacity of our hatred and witnessed the shift at the lake party.
“How sweet,” Aunt Lottie sighs happily, wrapping her arm around me in a half-hug while she cooks. “It was meant to be, then!”
My heart thumps.
When we sit down for dinner, the tension still rolls off Blair in waves. She’s never talkative unless she’s at ease, but she’s quieter than usual. I shoot her a glance as my family digs into the meal.
Lucas, Gemma, and Uncle Ed get lost in a conversation about college while I’m distracted by Blair. She’s been agitated all night.
“What about you, Blair?” Aunt Lottie asks.
“What?”
“Do you have a university picked out yet? What do you want to study?”
Blair turns into a statue beside me. “Not yet. Applications are due soon, though. I haven’t decided, but I’ll probably end up in nursing or maybe accounting.”
Uncle Ed nods. “Smart fields to study.”
Blair’s gaze falls to her plate, a wrinkle marring her forehead. We haven’t talked about it, but when I picture Blair as a nurse or an accountant it feels wrong. Neither of those are her passion.
Not like the number of art and history books she has in her growing collection.
“Did you finish your application submission, Devlin?” Uncle Ed asks, wiping his mouth on a napkin.
“Yeah.”
Blair’s eyes flick in my direction, and an uncomfortable tightness grips my chest.
Aunt Lottie tilts her head, pursing her lips. When she does that, she looks so much like Mom. “Any school will be lucky to have you, no matter what path you decide to pursue.”
A hollow laugh leaves me. Her hidden meaning is clear: you can do whatever you want, don’t listen to your parents. They’ve never approved of the way my parents push me to have a career in medicine. When Lucas came to them last year about his college dream, they were supportive. If I try to tell Mom and Dad I don’t want to study medicine, I get shut down.
“Yeah, as long as it’s part of the plan.” I put an emphasis on plan with a capital P.
Blair frowns, playing with the corner of the napkin in her lap, pinching the corner.
“Not everything goes according to plan,” Gemma says sincerely. “Do whatever you want to do, Dev.” Her gaze slides to Blair. “That goes for both of you.”
“Thanks.” I sigh. It’s easy for Gemma to say. Her parents are another perfect example of a loving, well-adjusted family. She wouldn’t understand the years of investment my parents have put into my college plans. “How’s Alec doing at University of Colorado in Denver?”
Gemma launches into a story about her twin brother. By the time she’s done, she yelps at the time on her phone. “Oh man, I’m sorry, guys. I promised my parents we’d split so we could stop by their house for dessert.”
“Oh! Here, take some extra sweet potato casserole for your dad. He’s been asking for the recipe.”
Aunt Lottie and Gemma get up to sort out their share of leftovers while Lucas shakes his dad’s hand.
“Um, I’m going to head out, too,” Blair says.
“What?” I lean my arm across the back of her chair. “I drove here.”
“Gemma offered to drop me off when they left.” She bounces her gaze between my eyes and sighs. “I want to go see my mom. We’ve never been apart for a holiday before. It feels wrong not to see her.”
The irrational, possessive jealousy rears up and then blinks out as fast as it came on. I drop my arm to her shoulder and pull her closer, kissing her cheek.
“Do you want me to take you?” It’s stupid, but I’m reluctant to let her leave my sight for long.
I’ve become so greedy the more time I’ve spent with Blair. Have I kept her from her mom by monopolizing her time? I’m a bastard. Her mom is important to her, I shouldn’t do anything to mess with that connection.
> Macy’s health has turned rocky with the cooler weather.
Blair puts her hand on my leg. “No, it’s okay. I’ll—” Her gaze flicks to my aunt and uncle. I sense she doesn’t want to admit to them she lives with me as she falters. “I’ll call you later.”
“Blair, it was a pleasure. Please come back soon, okay?” Uncle Ed gets up to hug her. She sends me a wide-eyed look. I hold back a smile. Uncle Ed is affectionate. “You’re welcome anytime. You and Devlin should come over next week.”
Aunt Lottie echoes his sentiments from the counter.
A few minutes later, I’m sitting alone at the table with my aunt and uncle after Lucas, Gemma, and Blair leave.
Uncle Ed and Aunt Lottie share a speaking glance. She smiles and reaches across the table to squeeze my hand.
“We really like her.”
“Yeah,” I agree, throat dry and scratchy.
I haven’t put a name to any of these feelings that spread through me, twisted with my insides like a living organism. Like doesn’t come close to what I feel when I’m around her. There’s no way to stop it from flourishing, no way to cut it out without killing my heart. I have to live with it, every bittersweet second as she pulls further away from me.
* * *
Sitting with them is easy and comfortable until it isn’t. The shift happens in a fraction of a second.
We’ve made our way through two different pies, laughing at a story about Lucas getting lost on the Oak Ridge College campus the first week of school.
All at once it’s too much to sit with Uncle Ed and Aunt Lottie. Even though they’re family, closer than my own parents, I’m still not their son.
Mom and Dad haven’t spent Thanksgiving or any other holiday with me in years, not since I was nine.
It’s times like these that their absence burns the most.
“I should go.” They give me matching looks tinged in sympathy. I don’t want to see it. Rubbing at the phantom pain in my chest, I come up with an excuse. “I want to be there when Blair gets back. So I don’t miss her call to know she made it home safely.”
Tempting Devil: Sinners and Saints Book 2 Page 25