by Lily White
Fuck.
More?
Less?
I’m not even sure. But I can’t think about her without remembering the look in her eyes every time she saw us bruised. I can’t forget her unshed tears and the way she’d hug me, her body trembling with the same anger I felt.
Why did she have to care so much?
We never told her what was happening to us.
Nobody knows.
And if this game our group is playing wouldn’t destroy my father as much as it will theirs, I’d walk away from it and handle my dickhead for a dad myself.
Be a man...
His voice filters through my thoughts, the rage lining it from where he stood watching what happened to us.
Is that all you have?
Nightmares upon nightmares.
Never ending.
Always screaming when I see red.
I taught you better than that...
Damon had it worse than me, his rage seared into every muscle and etched on every bone.
I have to shake myself from the memory before I forget where I am and tear this fucking room apart.
“Why do you even care?” I ask instead of trashing Mason’s face for his dig at Emily.
“I don’t. I just want to get this shit over with so I can leave.”
The son of a bitch has a bone to pick when it comes to her. Hell if I know why.
“You sure? Because you always have something to say about it.”
He gives me the finger and goes back to downing the bottle of whiskey.
Clenching my eyes shut, I rub at the skin between them. Shane is staring at me when I open them again, his brow cocked in question.
Among all the Inferno, Shane knows Damon and me best. He tends to be the third side to our triangle, a bastard that loves to cause trouble.
Shane must have been born for chaos. It’s the only place where he feels comfortable.
“Calm down, children. Another couple of hours and we can all get back to our lives.”
Gabe takes a seat and lets his head fall back, his fingers moving to slowly turn the glass he’s holding in circles over the armrest of his chair.
The room goes silent, all of us frustrated and annoyed. My thoughts race back to Emily, to how good she looked in that damn black dress.
It’ll be my funeral...my mother can fuck off if she thinks I’ll wear anything else.
Smiling at the memory, my jaw clenches, and my teeth grind to remember what happened a week after that night.
Sometimes I wonder if Damon can peek into my thoughts. His elbow nudges my side, his head rolling over the backrest so our eyes lock.
“I saw Paul Rollings downstairs.”
My shoulders tense at the mention of that asshole’s name.
“Avoid him. This isn’t the place to remind him we still have a score to settle.”
Not with Emily here.
Not where she could see it.
Not again.
Damon chuckles.
“Fucker tucked tail real fast after seeing me standing there. I’m surprised he came. He had to know we’d be here.”
Thankfully, Shane already told me he’d be all over it if Paul showed up. It’s just one more game among the many.
At this point, I’m finding it extremely hard to stay still.
I’m pissed at Mason.
At Paul.
At Tanner for taking so fucking long.
And at myself for a mistake I made ten years ago.
Damn it. Emily’s even more beautiful now. Still wild. Still trying to hide it.
Leaving her in that service hall was damn near impossible.
Finally, fucking finally, the door opens and Tanner steps through with Luca. Her eyes slowly take us all in, distrust and fear rolling behind them.
Seeing her now reminds me of the last time I saw her at Yale. Her eyes were frightened then, too. But for a far different reason. All I remember is her offering me water just before Tanner had to drag my ass upstairs.
Gabriel stands up as soon as he sees her, his voice a slick purr when he asks, “Luca Bailey, how have you been?”
He’s in character immediately, which means the rest of us need to follow suit.
No matter the circumstances.
No matter who gets hurt.
We have a job to do if we’ll ever bring down our families.
It’s game on just like always.
And it’s Emily we’ll be cornering next.
Emily
The night was dragging on like usual until Tanner arrived with his date in tow. It was habit to point him out to Ivy, a throwback to high school when we always warned each other that the wolves were stalking about.
The last thing I expected him to do was walk over and pull her away from our group.
Now my eyes are locked on them, suspicion dripping along my spine to see him lean down to whisper against her ear.
“Pretty night, isn’t it?”
My head snaps left to see Paul Rollings has stepped up to me.
All night, he’s lingered among the group, but this is the first time he’s spoken to me directly.
“Yeah,” I answer, my voice distracted because I’d rather be watching over Ivy and Tanner. I flash him a polite smile. “It’s great.”
When I turn back to look at Ivy, Paul touches my arm and a wave of nausea rolls through me. My eyes return to him, and I choke down the urge to scream for him to fuck off.
I can’t stand him, not after what happened in high school.
“Are you excited about your engagement? I know you and Mason have been waiting a long time for this.”
Bile shoots up the back of my throat. But I remember to smile, just like my mother demands.
I’m pretty sure she’s around here somewhere watching me and keeping a scorecard of all my mistakes.
“I’m excited. Thanks for asking.”
He steps closer, his body heat caressing my side. It only makes my skin crawl.
“I’m actually just recently engaged myself. I’m not sure if you heard. We’ve kept it somewhat quiet.”
Okay.
Good for him.
I step away to put space between us, but he moves to close it just as quick.
Fighting not to roll my eyes, I flash another quick smile.
“I’m sure whoever you’re marrying is lovely.”
“It’s Hillary, actually. You remember her from high school, right?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Although, I have to admit they’re perfect for each other. Both are conniving snakes in the grass.
I haven’t seen her around tonight, so I thank the heavens she didn’t make it.
“Of course, I remember her. It’s a shame she couldn’t be here tonight.”
He grins. “Actually, she’s just running late. She should be here any minute now.”
Perfect. As if this night couldn’t get any worse.
Sadly, the only thing I can look forward to is also the worst thing for me.
Several times now, I’ve stared at the house regretting the agreement I made with Ezra to meet him upstairs.
I’d almost made up my mind to stay outside instead of following through with it. But now that I know Hillary will be here, I have more of a need to take him up on his offer than ever.
The good Emily knows that staying outside is the respectable choice. The intelligent choice. But the bad Emily is already practically skipping up those stairs, her body primed and ready for whatever present the twins have for her.
“Listen,” Paul says, dragging my attention back to him. “I wanted to apologize for-“
His voice trails off when Ivy returns.
Thanking God for her perfect timing, I wrap my arm through hers and can’t help but worry.
She’s shaking which is so unlike her. Nothing scares Ivy, not like this.
I take the opportunity to excuse myself and walk a few steps away from Paul.
“What did he want?” I ask her, m
y voice intentionally soft.
Pasting on her fake smile so that nobody can see the fear I know is there, Ivy shakes her head.
“Nothing.”
If we were anywhere else, I would demand an answer. I glance over my shoulder to see everybody staring our direction, so I keep my questions to myself.
What are best friends for, right?
She needs to stay in character, so I slip into mine as well.
We spend the next twenty minutes smiling and nodding at the boring ass conversation around us, and I keep stealing peeks at the back doors of the Governor’s mansion.
They’re held open like a tease, just begging me to walk through and bite the poisoned apple.
I know better.
I know how much of an addict I can be.
But I also know one small taste of the past will be enough to help me through this night.
One release so powerful that I can cling to it when the time comes for our engagement to be announced.
Just for fun, I remind myself.
Just this once...
Fuck it.
What’s a girl to do when something so utterly tempting is just waiting there, begging for her to reach out and take it?
“I have to go.”
Ivy’s eyes snap to mine. “Now? But...”
She nudges her chin toward the house, and I glance over to see Gabriel Dane walking our direction.
Whatever. She acts like she doesn’t want to see him, but I know better. Ivy can’t help herself when it comes to Gabe.
Knowing she can take care of herself when it comes to him, I step away.
“Just ignore him. You’ll be fine. And I have a date upstairs.”
She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind, but then grins as I back away.
“Which one is it tonight?”
Laughter floats over my lips. “Why choose?”
“Both?” Her eyes widen with surprise. “At the same time?”
It won’t be the first time.
But it has to be the last.
“I only have so much freedom left. Might as well have fun.”
I turn to run along before she can say anything else, Gabriel’s eyes following me as I speed past him toward the house.
As soon as I walk inside, the air conditioning brushes over my heated skin, my eyes lifting to look up the grand staircase that is beckoning me toward disaster.
Not seeing Ezra, my brows tug together until my attention is caught by a beautiful brunette in an ombré gown descending quickly down the steps toward me.
Tanner is following after her, and I laugh to think his date finally figured out he’s an asshole and made the smart decision to run.
I take the first step as she moves past me, Tanner not even sparing me a glance as he chases her down.
Turning my head to watch them both approach the bar, I turn back and look up to see a man who stops me in my tracks.
There, just at the top of the stairs, stands Ezra.
I no longer have to be close enough to the twins to see the mark that distinguishes them from each other.
My heart somehow knows how to tell them apart.
I care about both of them, but Ezra...
Oh, God.
Ezra.
How many times in the past ten years has my heart been torn apart when I’ve allowed myself to think of him?
There’s just something about him that makes my pulse pound a little faster. That makes my knees that much weaker. That drags me into his powerful orbit until my shadow caresses him like the planets around the sun.
In many ways, he’s the spark that lit my fire, the first touch of warmth. The oxygen that ignites the blaze inside me until I burn as brightly as him.
Although, you wouldn’t know the fire that exists inside him now.
Not by looking at him, at least.
Among the glittering chandeliers and polished marble floors, among the sequined gowns and silver services trays, and among the glamour and elegance that surrounds us now, he stands like an inkblot stain.
Temperamental.
Fierce.
Predatory.
Feral.
The dark color of his suit matches the dark color of his hair, the absolute lack of light apparent where he stands staring down at me with his hands clasped behind his back.
He’s so still in place, but I know it means nothing.
That’s the thing with Ezra:
Even when you think he’s lazy and subdued, this man is always riding a violent edge.
It weakens me now as my fingers grip the skirt of my gown to lift it up so I won’t trip up the stairs. My legs are shaky, and I’m slightly off balance, but I slowly ascend regardless, my eyes locked to the way his eyes hold me captive and the corner of his mouth tugs up.
As usual, thoughts whisper inside my head, warnings about what he does to me and reminders of the problems that plagued our past.
I worry about the people who are standing around, know they’ll see me and wonder why the future Mrs. Mason Strom is walking off with one of the twins.
It’s enough to make me pause when I’m only halfway up the stairs, Ezra’s brow arching in question, his mouth curling more.
He knows what I’m thinking.
That I’ll run.
That I’ll talk myself out of having anything to do with him.
And he’s not wrong.
This is stupid.
So freaking wrong that I change my mind before reaching him and turn to run back down.
That’s when my gaze collides with Damon’s where he stands at the foot of the stairs.
My boys have caged me in, it seems.
Just like they used to do in high school.
Damon’s eyes glimmer with humor when I scowl. He knows I don’t want to run away. I’m just doing it out of obligation.
Such jerks, these two.
So tempting on their own.
But insanely intoxicating when together.
When I turn to look up at Ezra, I can see his shoulders shake with soft laughter. The son of a bitch is enjoying this.
Is it wrong that my heart flutters to be trapped? That instead of hating them for what they’re doing, I want to thank them instead?
Exhaling loudly, I continue my path up the stairs, knowing Damon is walking up behind me.
Ezra doesn’t move as I approach to stand in front of him, those amber eyes catching mine with amusement rolling behind them.
We stare at each other for several silent seconds, a cascade of memories crashing between us.
He dips his head to fill my vision, his voice a soft tease.
“You were going the wrong way.”
Ezra used to say that to me every time I attempted to escape him in school. I blink slowly against the clench of my heart to hear the words again.
Swallowing down the knot of concern in my throat, I answer, “I don’t think away from you is the wrong way.”
He grins, pure arrogance against a mature, masculine face.
“Come play with us, killer.”
I want nothing more than to do just that, but I also remember how attached these boys once were. The heartbreak we all suffered to say goodbye.
“Just this once, right? It’s this time and never again?”
Nodding, his eyes capture mine, hold me in place, refuse to let go.
My voice is low when I ask, “What if somebody sees us?”
His gaze drops to my lips and climbs back up, the subtle movement of his eyes driving my pulse even faster.
He opens his mouth to answer, but says nothing when another loud voice fills the room instead.
“Oh, my God! Yes, Tanner! Give it to me harder!”
All our heads turn toward the sound, but before I can process what the hell I just heard, Ezra grabs my arm and tugs me closer.
“They won’t see us now.”
No. I guess they won’t.
Everybody is too busy staring at Tanner and his date, giving us just a few m
inutes to escape unnoticed.
Laughing as Ezra rushes me down the hall with Damon trailing at our back, I ask, “Did you set them up to do that?”
His lips quirk, but he doesn’t answer me, our feet moving quickly as we sneak past several sitting rooms where people mingle and turn left down another long hall.
“Where the hell are we going?”
I can’t help my laughter. This feels like when we were kids sneaking around school.
Ezra looks around, mumbles, “I have no idea,” but then directs me toward a set of double doors that are entirely off limits.
“Wait, no, we can’t go in here.”
Too late. He opens the door and tugs me inside before I can tell him what room this is.
Damon shuts the door behind us as Ezra wraps his hand around the back of my neck and tugs me forward into a kiss that rips my soul from my body, shredding it and mending it back together all at the same time.
How long has it been?
I’m lost the instant our mouths open and his tongue rushes in, my breath stolen and legs giving out. He catches me around the waist to hold me up just as Damon comes up behind me to sweep my hair aside and run his mouth down the back of my neck.
The instant his teeth bite down on that soft spot of my shoulder, I’m defeated.
Fucking conquered.
My thoughts fly off like trapped birds freed from their cage, and the secret girl inside me takes over.
The wanton girl.
A shadow self that couldn’t care less about manners or decorum, obligations or engagements, one who gives the world the finger instead of always remembering to smile.
The twins are masters of dragging her out of me, maestros that know just how to play my body, They’re sly, seductive bastards who know not to give me time to change my mind or think better of what I’m doing.
Just once.
Just now.
Just this.
Damon’s deft fingers slide the zipper down the back of my dress, this dance for two perfectly choreographed to include a third.
He presses soft kisses down the line of my spine as he lets the material fall down my body, dropping to his knees behind me to lift one of my feet and then the other to free me of the dress entirely.
While Damon bites and kisses a slow trail up the back of my legs, his hands sneaking up the front of my thighs to tease the place where I need them, Ezra’s kiss deepens, his tongue dancing with mine, his mouth so exquisitely demanding that I give in to both of them without complaint.