by L. J. Woods
Her brows furrow. “The fuck? No, I only have my bra and—”
“Take. It. Off.”
She opens her mouth to say something but she closes it again like a caught fish.
Now I’m smirking. “I’d take it off for you but you’re so slutty you might like it.” Her eyes narrow. “And if Rayne hasn’t told you, we don’t take kindly to thieves.”
She looks around, trying to back away but I tug her closer again. “I-I can’t do that.”
“I swear to God, Lexi if you don’t, I’ll tell everyone you fucked—”
“Okay!” She shrugs off the blazer and it floofs to the floor. “Happy?”
The hall goes silent.
Lexi stands in coral underwear, her pushup bra making her rack look delicious. And while my cock twitches, I’m not done. “On your knees.”
“Wh—”
“On. Your. Knees.” Her brows furrow and she sways to the floor, kneeling in front of me. She looks up, her hair falling to one side. “Now beg.”
“For what?”
“Beg your King to spare you. To not spill your secrets all over this school floor. To not fucking kill you.” When she hesitates, my voice hardens, ringing through the halls so loud it startles me. “Beg!”
“P-please, Isaac—”
“King Isaac.”
“King Isaac.” Her mouth tightens before she continues, fists by her side and I know I’m getting to her. Getting my payback. I’m putting her in her place. On the fucking floor. “Please, don’t—”
“Crawl to me.” Crooking my finger, I beckon her.
She does, her ass poked out and I forget there’s even a crowd, my staff stiff in my pants. “Please spare me.”
“Louder.”
She looks around, a tear streaming down her face. “P-please—”
“Louder!”
Her voice weakens, a whisper coming out instead. “Isaac …”
“Woah!” Perez's voice breaks through the crowd. “Shows over folks. Nothing to see here.” He approaches Lexi, picking her off the ground like a sad crying ragdoll. My mannequin. “Right?” Perez's eyes lock onto mine before he leans into me. “You should let up a little bit, huh? The whole school’s watching you two.”
My eyes narrow. “What the fuck is it to you?”
“As much as I’m on your side, I don’t want my buddy behind bars.” He looks at Lexi who glares at me. “This doesn’t look good, so I’m ending this.” Turning to the crowd blocking the door, he yells, “I said, the show’s over!” He pushes through, Lexi hiding her face in his shoulder as the crowd scatters.
They’re almost out of the foyer when Lexi raises her head, then a grin forms across her face.
Fucker.
“Can’t fight your own battles, Lyon?” I call behind her, not caring that it might make me look more pathetic. “Independent my ass.”
And when her smile fades, I smirk. And my cock hardens.
Lexi
A knock on my bedroom door hardly moves me, my eyes on the cloud in my ceiling.
“Go away.”
After the day I’ve had, I can’t handle any more drama.
Sure, I’ve sobered up. But the events stick with me. On my knees in the middle of the hall begging Isaac for mercy.
It shouldn’t have made me come home and use the same vibrator he used on me. But it fucking did. And that, I’m blaming on the alcohol.
“Lex?” Dominic’s voice comes into the room. “You alright?”
My shoulders drop when I realize it’s my little brother. When I see his face, I let my head drop back on the fluffy pink pillow before I tap the spot next to me. Then that gives me an idea.
One that will actually cheer me up more than watching Isaac’s beady eyes narrow when he sees me with any of his friends.
“Hey, you wanna stay in with me tonight and watch some Sailor Moon?” Where they always vanquish darkness. Where the good girls come out on top.
“Um.” Dom fiddles with the strings on his hoodie before he winces. “Actually, I was thinking of going to Perez’s.”
“Christian’s?” My head pops up again, turning towards him. “Are you still practicing? Don’t let those guys work you to the bone. You don’t even like hockey.”
“It’s a party.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Isaac’s party.”
My brows lower. “You’re going to Isaac’s party?”
He shrugs, but I already know the answer. Dominic wants to fit in as much as I do. In a town like this, it’s easy to be the outcast and I can't blame him. I did my best to get Eden on my side when I first got here. But now, it’s for nothing. All because their King hates me. The King whose party my little brother wants to attend.
“Is … that okay?” he asks.
“Yeah!” My answer shoots out like a bullet, my voice hitting the stars. I clear my throat, lowering it as I flop back on the bed. “Of course.”
“If you don’t want me to go—”
“No, it’s fine. Really.” It’s so not fine, but I’m the independent older sister. I should be checking on him, not the other way around and while I’d like to rant about why he shouldn’t step foot into an Isaac Johnson party, I have to prove that. “I’m fine. Just tired. You go ahead. Have fun.”
He smiles at me, the first one I’ve seen in a while. He's filling out that letterman jacket better every time I see him and I could be wrong. The guys are good to him, way better than they are to me. The team might mean more to him than I know. “Thanks, Lex.”
That pushes me to give him a weak smile but when he closes the bedroom door, I'm emptier than ever.
A text to Ray confirms it. Isaac Johnson is hosting another party. How is he still able to host parties during a time like this?
After what he did to me? What he’s doing to me?
While Ray offered to visit, I wouldn’t want to take her away from her boyfriend.
Groaning, I roll to my side, my eyes on the Peach Ciroc bottle on my shelf. Right next to the one that I—
Nope.
Reaching for my laptop, I open it up before turning on my purple lights. Work is the best distraction. And it’s a step to getting the fuck out of here. So if that’s what I need to do to make that money, to distract me from all this. I’m happy to.
At least my clients love me.
But when I type in my password, it doesn’t work.
It doesn’t work the ten other times I type it in and when I try to reset it, it goes to the wrong email.
“What the fuck …” I mutter.
Did someone hack me?
Squinting at the details of the password-reset email, my chest tightens. It’s not my email address that will unlock it. Somehow, it’s Isaac’s.
“Fuck!” Fighting the urge to throw my laptop through the window, I contact their customer service instead.
And I wait.
Turning music on doesn’t help. Neither does singing along to the oldies I love. They only remind me of my pain, so I turn on some non-lyrical jazz instead. Something to soothe my mind.
In twenty minutes, I have a fresh new email from PleasureChat Support and a fresh new—
Oh no …
Dear Customer,
An agent will respond to your request in forty-eight hours.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
PleasureChat Team
Forty-eight hours!?
Hopping off my bed, I pace the room, nibbling my nails while I mutter to myself. Then my eyes land on that Ciroc bottle again, my brother’s words circling my mind.
Is that his plan? To use my brother against me?
A chuckling Isaac rolling through my brain makes me want to throw the bottle through his head.
Drink it.
Get revenge.
Fuck. Shit. Up.
Fine.
Picking up my phone I scroll through until I see Carter’s number.
Lexi: Want to hang out?
Carter: Heading to a party.
Lexi: I know. Pick me
up in twenty.
If this is what he wants, this is what he’ll get.
Time to go head to head with the fucking devil.
Fourteen
Lexi
Isaac thinks he can control me.
He thinks he has a say in what I do. Or what I wear.
Well, he’s about to get a big reminder about who runs the Lexi show. Me.
Girls whisper as I make my way to the large wooden door of the beige stone building. It’s as grandiose as the rest of the homes in Eden, the wrought iron fence behind me.
“What a fucking slut.”
“She’s worse than I thought.”
“If he was my stepbrother, I’d do the same.”
“You sure you want to be here?” Carter asks. This comes after I fake made-up with him on the drive here. He thinks I’ve forgiven him, but I won't ever will. So why not use him? He used me. “Looking like that?”
Like that means my white crop top, fitted to my body and the short pleated skirt I usually wear on my shows. But tonight is a fitting occasion.
“You know, your name’s been going around campus …” Carter warns.
My mouth twists at his words but I’m not here for him, I just needed him to be my DD.
The Ciroc vodka bottle dangles from my fingers. Half-empty. I take another long drink as heads whip to me as I approach the doors. Carter steps inside first.
The residents of Eden have all the money in the world but the houses all look the same despite their decor. Large foyers to hold their giant egos. Grand staircases to show off how easy it is to spiral in a town like this. And the chandelier above it is the glitter to mask it all.
Taking another swig from the bottle brings me closer to the bottom so I lean into Carter, tipping up on my strappy heels. “Get me another?”
“Lexi, I don’t think you should—”
“You don’t think I should what?” I peer past the swirl of hair in front of his eye. “Because I didn’t think that you should’ve fucked me over, but you did.” His eyebrows raise, glancing around as he backs up. “So please, do me a favour for once and get me a goddamn drink.”
“Whatever, fine.” He scoffs, turning around. And so he doesn’t do anything to it, I make sure to call an apology behind him. But he doesn’t turn around.
Whatever. I’m not here for him.
Looking around the foyer, half-dressed bodies fill the dark room. The smell of sweat, booze, and expensive perfume blend in the air, electro music rattling the walls. If I know Eden, a DJ is somewhere I can't see. Can't see Isaac either. And for some reason that makes my skin heat even more.
How dare he miss me crashing his party?
“Lexi!" One of the guys from the hockey team shouts from the top of the staircase. Glenn. I can tell by his wonky smile and the jersey he's wearing. "Lexi’s here!” When I meet his reddened eyes, a grin widens his face.
That’s not the kind of welcome I expected at all.
“Aww yeah!” He yells. “Now it’s a party.”
My thoughts exactly.
With a smile on my face, I take a wobbly step forward as Glenn beckons his crew over. The girls all glare as they all stalk towards me.
“Hello, boys!” I say this loud enough for the whole room to hear. If Isaac’s around, he’ll get word. And I know he’ll hate this as much as I hate him.
“Isaac said you’d show up,” Glenn says, towering over me as his crew comes closer. He flips the ping pong paddle in his hand, eyeing me up.
My brows lower. “He did?”
“He said you know how to party.” He takes the bottle from my hand, taking a swig of his own, but considering what I know about our sports teams, he can have it. “Don’t you?”
I don’t know much about Glenn besides what the girls from class and the swim team say. He’s your typical jock with only two things on his mind. Hockey and women. He’s cute in a classic way. Blonde. Square jaw. Thick hair pushed to one side. But I’m not interested in being another notch on his belt.
“Where’s—”
“You look like you came to party.” He pulls at my top, taking a peek down my shirt.
“Stop.” When I push back he drops the paddle. But he pulls at me again and when I swing at his arm, he grabs it.
“What, you don’t wanna play?” He keeps that cheesy smile on his face.
“Yeah, Lexi, show us your tits!” A voice comes from my right and it’s only then I realize how many guys stand around me.
I’m in heels but it’s nothing on them, the party disappearing as they build a wall of muscles. They all look drunk or high. Eyes blown. Red. An electro mix of "Freak on a Leash" by Korn comes over the speakers and when I try to back up, I bump right into someone’s chest. Another guy from the team.
I’m cornered.
They all give me creepy smiles, the same one Doctor Donovan gives me. I stumble forward but they close in around me. “Guys, can I—”
“Show us your tits!” One yells.
Another picks up. “Show us your tits!”
And it all seems so fast before they’re all yelling, “Show us your tits! Show us your tits!” They move in despite my arms being in front of me and I can’t tell where Carter is before one reaches for my top again.
“Stop!” I yell, trying to find a way out of this mob but I’m trapped. “Guys!”
Someone grabs at my top from behind and when I slap his way, another pulls at my ass.
Cold air wafts over parts of my body as they claw at my outfit. They’re so much bigger than I am. So much stronger. I keep swatting but it’s no use, the tugs only get stronger. Harsher. A sting on my arms, hands digging into my thigh. They’re too powerful to fight back.
So I stop and let them tear off my outfit bit by bit.
Did he set this up?
Did I walk into this?
I imagine Isaac staring at me from the staircase, laughing at my demise. Relishing in my anguish and for some reason the smile I imagine makes this all feel better. Like it’s worth something.
Or I’m way too fucked up.
My skin grows colder and it’s only then I realize they’ve stepped away. They all have bulges in their pants, one of the guys rubbing at his cock. Some of them stare at me and cheer, my body exposed to them whether I wanted it or not. And all I can do is cover my chest and fight back my tears.
I won’t let them see it.
My eyes finally spot Carter, watching from the front door, two cups in his hand. He doesn't even help. He just glares. Like I wanted this. Like this is what I came here for.
Carter’s right. I shouldn’t have worn this outfit.
Glenn takes a step forward and I close my eyes as he reaches for my waist. But it doesn’t land.
“Get the fuck out.”
A growl cuts through the chatter, that familiar voice booming through the crowd.
Whispers and murmurs come from the crowd I can’t see.
“God, what a slut.”
“Bet she’s already fucked them all.”
“Starved for attention.”
But that’s so far from the truth. I didn’t want this.
CRASH!
Something shatters to the ground, the crowd going silent. “I said, get the fuck out. Now.”
The guys around me scatter, leaving Isaac staring at me at the bottom of the stairs in a black silk robe and green velvet slacks. His hardened body is on display and every muscle tenses. Pushing through the rest of the crowd, he parts the sea of bodies as his nostrils flare. Those glossy red eyes stay on me the entire time.
I want nothing more than to get the fuck out of here, but for some reason, I can’t move. “I-I …” I try to speak but I’m either too in shock or too fucking cold to stand my ground.
“Not you.” Spreading his arms wide, he steps in front of me like a shield, turning to the crowd. “Everyone else. Get the fuck out. You too Carter you pussy piece of shit.”
“What? I thought she—”
“Wanted a group of g
uys to rip her clothes off and fuck her in the middle of the foyer?” Isaac scoffs. “You’re more pathetic than I thought. Don’t let me ask again.”
Carter opens his mouth to speak, but Isaac takes a step forward. He glances at me over Isaac's shoulder and I drop my head. He didn’t help me before and I sure as hell am not helping him now.
“Fuck this,” Carter drops his cup to the ground, kicking it as he walks towards the door.
“Why is everyone else still here?” Isaac takes off his robe, tossing it over my shoulders before he turns to the crowd and starts a few loud claps. “Get. The. Fuck. Out." And that makes everyone shuffle like everyone knows exactly what he’s capable of. He stands in front of me again. My shield. “You too, Perez. Or do you have ulterior motives with Lexi like you had with Jo?”
“What?” Ray’s voice comes next, from the second-floor balcony. I don’t want her to see me so vulnerable and I’m relieved when Christian shuffles her away, glaring at Isaac.
The front door clicks closed. Then, it’s just us again, relief resting on my chest.
His scent takes over, bitter and sweet, his body shielding me as I stand in the middle of the Perez foyer in what’s left of my outfit. When he turns around, he meets my eyes, the room much smaller now than moments ago. Gold confetti and black cups litter the floor, the silence a contrast to the bumping party.
And before I can speak, he says the words that bring the heat back to the surface of my skin. “Now you can get the fuck out too.”
He turns to walk away, heading for the stairs.
My fists clench when his hand hits the rail. “This is all your fucking fault, you know that?” I kick a glass towards his suede loafer. “You can’t be a hero when you orchestrate everything! I know you aired the tape. I know it was you behind the screen. You admitted you brought Doctor Donovan back. You humiliated me in front of the entire fucking school. Numerous fucking times. And I know—”
“God, Lexi, shut the fuck up!” His hands flap at his sides like he’s tired. But he’s nowhere as tired as I am. “You’re so fucking ungrateful. And entitled. And stubborn. And fucked up.” He turns to meet me, his jaw so tense I fear he’ll shatter his teeth. “I saved you from a fucking gangbang when you came here looking for trouble and you can’t even utter a fucking thank-you.”