In Pieces

by K. G. Reuss

  “It’s not.” That wasn’t a lie. For once in my life, the fucker wasn’t standing at attention.

  “Let me fix it,” she moaned, rubbing her pussy faster. “I want you, Fox. Fuck me, please.”

  “No, Juliet,” I whispered, finally looking at her. “This isn’t how love works.”

  “You can learn to love me,” she choked out, her chest heaving as she continued to play with her snatch.

  “Sweetheart.” I cradled her face in my hands.

  She let out a low moan.

  “No one will ever love you.”

  She slowed her rubbing, her eyes glimmering with tears.

  “You know why?” I growled.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  “Because you’re the fucking devil.”

  I shoved her hard, and she tumbled off my lap, landing on her ass on the floor. I jumped to my feet and went to her, fisting her hair. She let out a whimper as I gripped her hair so tightly I was surprised I didn’t rip some of it out. I had the intense vision of smashing her face into the floorboards until all signs of life stopped.

  Maybe Cole and Enzo were onto something.

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Enzo called out as he leaned against the doorway to the living room. He looked like the fucking mob prince he was with his leather gloves and jacket, his black hair perfectly styled.

  Cole came into the room and looked at me fisting a naked Juliet’s hair and then turned to Enzo.

  “Looks like the party is just getting started.” Cole stepped forward and sat on the couch and slipped his phone out of his jacket pocket.

  I released Juliet, and she crumpled to the floor, her hair a mess. Enzo moved deeper into the room and took a seat next to Cole. Knowing these two were about to unleash some sort of hell, I sighed and sank onto the love seat, the three of us surrounding a naked Juliet.

  “You know what would be fun?” Enzo asked, his dark-eyed gaze leveled on Juliet.

  She leaned forward, eager. “What?”

  “If you played with your pussy for us. Maybe we could have one last go of it before Rosalie comes home.”

  Juliet’s eyes lit up. I shot a glare at Enzo who winked at me.

  What the fuck was he up to?

  “What do you want me to do?” Juliet sat up tall, all signs of her earlier tears gone, eager as fucking ever to do our bidding.

  “Lie back for me. Spread your legs. Let’s see that pussy.” Enzo sank back against the couch cushion and gave Cole a nudge.

  Cole started recording on his phone.

  “What are you going to do with the video?” she asked nervously.

  “Use your imagination. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Cole edged forward and trained the phone on her.

  She grinned and dropped to her back, resting her weight on her elbows. I watched as her legs fell apart, her pussy on display.

  “Touch yourself,” Enzo commanded.

  Her fingers trailed down to her pussy. She rubbed it slowly until her breathing became labored, and then she sped up, the sounds of her wet pussy around us.

  I watched, disgusted, as she finger-fucked herself, her back arching off the floor with every thrust.

  Enzo caught my eye and smirked at me. I had no idea what game he was playing, but Juliet was into it. He’d always been commanding with her. Hell, Enzo was commanding with everyone. It had only gotten worse lately.

  Juliet tugged on a hardened nipple, her breathing rapid, her fingers moving in and out of her wet pussy, then circling her clit.

  She let out a moan as she came hard, her legs falling limply to the sides. Enzo gave a slow clap as Cole stopped the recording.

  “Did you like it?” she breathed out as Enzo got to his feet and towered over her.

  “Not really,” he answered softly.

  “What?”

  “You disgust me. But it was worth it.”

  She sat up and stared up at him.

  He kneeled in front of her and brushed her hair from her face. “I have you on camera, fucking yourself. Now I have a little power. And I kinda like that.”

  Juliet swallowed and glanced at me, fear dancing in her eyes for the first time.

  “What?” she repeated in a hoarse voice.

  “If you try to fuck with Ethan or Rosalie—especially Rosalie—I will find you.” He pulled a blade from his jacket pocket and ran it along her cheek. “I will cut your pretty, little face off, and then I will fuck your skull.”

  He flicked the knife across her skin. A bead of blood appeared on her cheek as she let out a gasp, her body trembling.

  “Do you understand?”

  “You won’t beat me,” she whispered. “I still have the videos.”

  “You mean the ones on your laptop? The ones you have on that flash drive?” Enzo pulled out a flash drive and showed it to her. “Yeah. I’m not scared of you, Juliet. But you? You should be terrified of me.”

  The bead of her blood dripped onto her thigh as she stared at Enzo, her bottom lip quivering.

  “I’m going to take down Rosalie. Ian didn’t finish her off, but I will. Her and that fucking abomination growing in her belly.”

  Cole was on his feet in a flash, his hand shooting out to smack Juliet across the face. She toppled to the floor in a heap. I jumped up in an instant, holding him back as his body shook. He jerked out of my hold and wrapped his fingers around Juliet’s neck, pulling her close as she clawed at his hands, her face red.

  “Fucking try me, bitch. Touch her, and your stank ass pussy on the internet will be the least of your troubles. Touch what’s mine, and I will fucking end you myself.”

  Juliet sobbed softly on the floor as Cole released her and backed away. He sat back on the couch, his glare dark and filled with fury.

  I grabbed her by the hair again as Enzo stood and idly watched.

  “Get up and get out. We’re done here.”

  She got to her feet and started to grab her clothes, but I shoved her away. She stumbled, her cheek smeared with her blood, and bounced off Enzo who did nothing to try to help her.

  “No clothes for you. You can have this though.” I tossed her an ugly ass crocheted blanket that could barely cover a couch cushion. My Aunt Barb had made it. It was small and wouldn’t cover half Juliet’s body, but it was more than the bitch deserved.

  “What if something happens to me?” she asked, taking the flimsy mess of knotted yarn and tried to cover herself with it.

  “Sounds like your problem. Not mine. Now get the fuck out.” I glowered at her.

  She glared at the three of us. “You think I’m kidding? You’ll pay for this.”

  “Looking forward to it.” Enzo gave her his signature smile. “Tell your daddy, Anthony De Luca sends his greetings. Show him your face. He’ll know what it means.”

  Juliet hesitated for a moment before booking it out of there. I didn’t know what she was worried about. It wasn’t like she’d walked here. She’d have a naked drive home. I should’ve taken her keys too.

  Enzo glanced at me. “Nice touch getting her naked.”

  “Fuck you. She did that shit on her own.”

  Enzo laughed.

  “She’s not done, you know,” Cole said.

  I nodded. I knew he was right. The bitch was digging her own grave and didn’t even realize it.

  “I certainly hope she fights.” Enzo sank down onto the couch and grabbed the remote, flipping on the TV like nothing had happened.

  “I do so love the torment.” Cole settled back, a small, dark smile on his face that made even me shiver.

  But I was in. I was still so. Fucking. In.

  Twenty-One

  Ethan

  I groaned as my feet touched the cold hospital room floor.

  “Ethan, you need to put these socks on,” Nurse Annoying called out to me.

  “Fuck the socks. I can’t even wipe my own ass,” I shot back at her. “How the hell am I going to put on socks?”

  She let out a huff and kneel
ed in front of me. I let her put the ugly, yellow, gripper socks on me.

  “I’m going home,” I said. “Not dancing at the fucking nursing home. My feet aren’t going to fit into my shoes with these thick ass things on.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment to summon more patience. I knew I was giving her shit. But fuck, the woman annoyed me. I was pretty sure she took great pleasure pulling the catheter out of my cock once the doc gave her permission.

  “I’ll take it from here,” Enzo said, coming into the room.

  Nurse Annoying got to her feet and left the room after shaking her head at me.

  “You giving the staff shit?” Enzo asked as I stood up with a wince. He bent in front of me and held my gray sweats out so I could step into them.

  “I don’t mean to. Coming down from the narcotics has me a bit fucked right now. Can you believe I’m only being sent home with some non-narcotic shit? How the hell am I going to last on ibuprofen?”

  “You’ll be fine. I’ve got some choice weed.” Enzo pulled my pants up for me and moved behind me to undo my hospital gown.

  “Better than nothing,” I grunted.

  I hated I was an addict. Like, I fucking loathed it. But getting your ass pounded as a kid, losing your virginity before you could read, and then murdering your old man tended to leave deeper than flesh scars. I was living proof of that. I’d spent the better part of my life self-medicating. And when I wasn’t, my worthless parents were shooting me up. Even as a kid, I was wasted. It made it easier for their friends to fuck me.

  Who was I kidding though? I was born an addict. The system failed me from the start. They knew my mother was a worthless junkie and left me with her. My problems started before I’d drawn in my first fucking breath.

  My mind went to a dark place as memories of being hurt as a kid flooded my thoughts.

  “Look at him fight,” one of the men in the room laughed.

  “Boy sure does have a lot of fight in him. Let’s tie him up. See how he fights then. . .”

  Obviously, there were times when they liked the struggle. It didn’t matter. I always fought like hell too. Nightmares. It was the shit nightmares were made of. Needless to say, I had issues. A lot of fucking issues. But when I met Rosalie, it changed. She soothed my broken soul. She mended the pieces, putting me back together.

  Almost losing her had broken me all over again. I was hoping the fix this time would be permanent. I just needed to get over this awful fucking roadblock. The addiction.

  For her, I’d do it. I’d get help sooner rather than later, so I could hold her at night. She was going to need me, and I couldn’t fail her. Not again. God, not again.

  “Here.” Enzo dragged my black t-shirt over my head.

  I sat down and let him put my shoes on my feet.

  “You almost look good, Masters.”

  I chuckled. “Where are Fox and Cole?”

  “Waiting for Rosalie’s parents to leave her room. They’re in the lounge. I told them I’d come get you.”

  I nodded. I’d agreed to go to Enzo’s. My parents were moving my belongings there at that very moment.

  “Are you the one who paid my hospital bill?” I asked, studying Enzo.

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Man, did you? I owe you a shit ton—”

  “Listen. You paid your debt in blood and tears. We’re family. You saved our girl. You owe me nothing, Ethan. Ever. You got it?”

  I nodded, my throat tight.

  “Don’t you fucking cry on me.”

  I reached out for him, and he came at me, arms open.

  “Thank you. My parents wouldn’t have been able to afford—”

  “I got you, man. Always. We’re even. Don’t ever bring it up again, OK?” He gave me a gentle hug before pulling away.

  I nodded. “I signed my release papers. I’m ready to go.”

  Enzo strolled across the room and grabbed my phone off the bedside table and stuffed it into my pocket. My parents had already taken everything but my jacket and change of clothes.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I breathed out, eager to finally get to see Rosalie.

  “They’re gone,” Fox called out as we sat in the waiting room. “We can go in.”

  Cole was the first one to his feet and out the door.

  “Guess he’s not eager or anything,” Fox grumbled, following him.

  He stopped next to me and helped me stand. I offered him a sheepish smile.

  “Sorry. I’m hoping this helpless shit doesn’t last long.”

  “It could last a decade, man. As long as you’re here with us.” He gave me an earnest look as he helped me walk in front of him. I’d refused the wheelchair.

  My body was still stiff and aching, but I was as eager to see Rosalie as everyone else was. I was just slower getting there.

  Enzo and Fox didn’t push me and kept at my pace. I was surprised to see Cole standing outside her room, a frown on his face.

  “I thought you’d already be in there,” I said as we stopped beside him.

  “I-I can’t.”

  “What?” Fox looked at him then at us before looking back at him. “Why?”

  “Because I’m the supreme fuck up. I thought I was ready for this moment, but what if she tells me to kick rocks? What will I do?”

  “She’s not going to tell you that,” I said. “She loves you. I would know.”

  “How?” He peered over at me, worry on his face.

  “When I was making love to her, she called out your name.” It was a joke I hoped would lighten his mood.

  He cracked a small smile at me as the other guys chuckled.

  “She did not.”

  “Ask her yourself,” I said, nodding to the door.

  He licked his lips for a moment before he hauled in a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped into the room. We followed him in. I wasn’t sure what I expected to see, but Rosalie in a hospital bed, her face bruised and about a million wires coming off her wasn’t it. Her body was so small and still in the metal frame.

  Enzo gripped my elbow as I faltered.

  “Hey, Rosie,” Fox called out as she cracked her pretty, green eyes open.

  Confusion and pain flashed in their jade depths. Then they flickered closed once more.

  And my heart shuttered along with them.

  Everything would change. Everything had changed. I didn’t know what was going to happen, just that whatever it was, I would be there.

  Nothing would stop me.

  At least that’s what I told myself as I stood staring down at the girl who owned my heart, that familiar ache for a chemical escape gnawing at my soul.

  To Be Continued in In Chaos: www.books2read.com/inchaos

  Please consider leaving your review!

  In Chaos

  A Black Falls High Novel

  Some things are better left unsaid. Others demand chaos. Good thing I excel at both.

  Everything fell apart before we were able to pull ourselves together.

  When tragedy demands my silence, I have no choice but to give it because losing a life also means saving so many more.

  I finally have everything I want. Having my best friend back is a dream come true. But everything at Black Falls High comes at a price, and these boys are mine. I’d do anything for them.

  Even in ruins. In silence. I’ll bring the chaos.

  In Chaos is a dark bully romance with four guys and one girl. Due to dark subject matter, reader discretion is advised.

  Pre-order In Chaos here:

  Books2read.com/inchaos

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my readers. Yes! You! You made this possible.

  Thanks to my alpha readers, Crystal P., Mahida, Erika R., and Kalli. You guys keep all my crazy from spilling onto the pages. Without you guys, there would be more pitchforks and fires in my life.

  To my editor, I apologize for being painfully unorganized. You make my words shine though, so
thank you.

  And finally, a thank you to my family. Thank you for tiptoeing past my office without interrupting my brain vomit. To my husband, thanks for your support and cute attempts to help me. I’m not using your weird ideas, but they’re a nice distraction.

  About the Author

  Affectionately dubbed Queen of Cliffy, Suspense, Heartbreak, and Torture by her readers, USA Today bestselling author K.G. Reuss is known mostly for making readers ugly cry with her writing. A cemetery creeper and ghost enthusiast, K.G. spends most of her time toeing the line between imagination and forced adulthood.

  After a stint in college in Iowa, K.G. moved back to her home in Michigan to work in emergency medicine. She's currently raising three small ghouls and is married to a vampire overlord (not really but maybe he could be someday).

  K.G. is the author of The Everlasting Chronicles series, Emissary of the Devil series, The Chronicles of Winterset series, The Middle Road (with co-author CM Lally) Black Falls High series and Seven Minutes in Heaven with a ridiculous amount of other series set to be released.

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  Also by K.G. Reuss

  Emissary of the Devil: Testimony of the Damned

  Emissary of the Devil: Testimony of the Blessed

  Emissary of the Devil: Gospel of the Fallen

  The Everlasting Chronicles: Dead Silence

  The Everlasting Chronicles: Shadow Song

  The Everlasting Chronicles: Grave Secrets

  The Everlasting Chronicles: Soul Bound

  The Chronicles of Winterset: Oracle

  The Chronicles of Winterset: Tempest