“It’s okay, he’s not in the room,” I say with a laugh, although I can’t deny that my heart isn’t beating hard enough to crack a rib.
“Did you forget your meeting with Bea?” he calls when he gets no response.
“Fuck. FUCK,” I bark. “My fucking social worker is here.”
Harley bursts out laughing. “Serves you right for trying to corrupt me,” she mutters.
“Oh Kitten, I corrupted your ass on the weekend, and there’s only more to come. I’ll call you later, I need to deal with my boner before this bitch sees it.”
She stifles a laugh before I reluctantly hang up.
“I’m coming.”
I suck in a breath, willing my cock to stand down as I drag on some clothes—jeans, not sweats—and head out to meet Bea.
“Kyle, it’s good to see you,” she says sweetly from her position at the dining table.
“Uh, yeah, you too,” I lie.
Kane studies me as I make my way over.
“You okay? Got a girl in there or something?”
“No,” I snap, hating how fucking perceptive he is.
His eyes don’t leave me as I pull a soda from the refrigerator and take a seat opposite Bea.
“I’ve heard good things from Principal Hartmann about you,” she starts. “I knew that place would be a good fit for you.”
“Do you need me?” Kane asks when she pauses.
“Nope, this is just an informal catch-up. You’re eighteen in a few days and I can let you be free. You might be my shortest case ever.”
“And easiest I hope,” I mutter.
“Well, if you mean once you got here. The behind the scenes while you were in juvie wasn’t quite so straight forward.”
“Okay, well… I’m gonna…” Kane points over his shoulder before disappearing to his room.
“You’re really lucky, you know,” Bea says the second Kane’s bedroom door shuts and he’s out of earshot.
“I know.”
“He’d have raised hell to get you here. He almost did.”
I smile at her knowing the lengths Kane will go to to get what he wants.
“I’m not surprised. He’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“I know you don’t need it, but he’ll take good care of you.”
“We look after each other. It’s how it’s always been.”
“You’re lucky to have each other,” she says again. “Anyway, I just wanted to pop by, make sure everything was okay and to say happy birthday really.”
“I really appreciate everything you’ve all done for me. I know granting Kane guardianship, even for a few days, couldn’t have been the easiest thing to do. He’s not exactly—”
“A model citizen?” she offers.
“Yeah, something like that.” I think of some of the shit he was involved in back in Harrow Creek and I can’t help but wonder if he’s still got a hand in all that. He’s certainly up to something with all the hours he’s out of the house.
Bea stays for a good twenty minutes chatting away. She talks about my future, about college options. I listen, but I don’t really dwell on it. I’m not ready to be making those kinds of decisions yet. I’m barely used to being back in the real world, the future seems like a long way off right now. I’ve got more pressing things to worry about, like when Gray is going to reappear and where Kane goes almost every hour of the day.
“I know our time is almost up,” Bea says as she stands in the doorway ready to leave. “But if you need anything, either of you, you’ve got my number.”
“Thank you, but I think we’ve got this.”
“I expect big things from you, Kyle.”
“We’ll see what the future holds.”
I close the door behind her and head for my room. I fall down onto my bed, the entire thing creaking with my weight.
I close my eyes for a few seconds as I process all the things Bea said about the future and the next thing I know it’s dark and there are voices coming from the kitchen.
“Fuck,” I mutter, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
Standing from my bed, I pull my bedroom door open to see who’s here, but I instantly regret it.
“Fucking hell, bro. You don’t live here alone,” I bark, finding him with a girl pressed up against the wall a few feet down from my door. He’s got her skirt up around her waist, her ass on full display.
“Hey, sweetie.” She winks at me after pulling her face from Kane’s neck. “Who’s this K, baby?”
Her voice is so sickly sweet it actually turns my stomach.
Kane reaches out and grips her chin in his hands.
“My kid brother. Eyes off.”
“Aww, I’m sure we could have some fun.”
“As tempting as that is, I’m gonna have to pass this time, thanks,” I mutter, not able to think of anything worse than going anywhere fucking near her.
Kane’s got weird fucking taste when it comes to women. I’m all for enjoying them but that fucker has zero standards.
Thankfully, before I close the bathroom door on them, he’s pulled her from the wall and carries her down to his room.
Fucking dog.
I make myself some dinner to the sounds of my brother fucking his slut into next week before returning to my bedroom. But despite there being a bathroom between us and music playing, I can hear every single one of her moans and cries for God.
I stare at the ceiling trying to convince myself to stay put and when my phone buzzes beside me, I hope it’s Harley to distract me but as I bring the screen in front of me, my blood runs cold.
Unknown: It’s time to pay your debts.
Below the message is a photo and it’s that image that terrifies me more than his words because it’s a photo of Harley… in her house.
“Fuck.” I sit up so fast my head spins. My heart races as I find her number and hit call.
It rings and rings but never connects.
“Fuck.”
22
Harley
The second he hangs up, reality crashes over me like a bucket of ice-cold water.
Reaching out, I grab my hoodie and cover myself up.
What the hell was I thinking letting him talk me into that?
Although, he didn’t really have to talk me into anything, did he? I went down that road quite willingly.
“Fuck, fuck.” You’re an idiot, Harley Hunter.
I slam my math book closed, irritated with myself at how crazy he makes me.
I wanted to kill him at school earlier when he continually acted like a total prick, but then on the phone, he was so sweet. He’s the boy I remember and, gah, I can’t help latching onto that and forgetting all the other bullshit surrounding us.
“Harley, dinner is in thirty,” Mom calls up the stairs.
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
Mom and I still haven’t talked properly but as each day passes the tension lessens. I know we need to sit down though. It’s time I talked about that night, got it all out in the open and tried to move on. It’s held me back for long enough. It’s literally held Kyle back and it’s time to put it behind us where it belongs.
He’s got too bright a future for the anger he’s harboring inside. If he wants revenge, I’ll let him take what he needs so that we can both move on.
It’s time.
I grab a change of clothes and head for the bathroom to shower before going down to find Mom. I have no idea if the others are here, but if they are, then we can talk after. Hell, I should probably just say what I need to say in front of them, they deserve the truth too, Zayn especially.
When I get down to the kitchen a little over thirty minutes later, I find Mom alone and three plates of lasagne at the counter.
“Hey sweetie, it’s just me, you, and Poppy tonight,” Mom says as I take a seat.
“Where’s Zayn?”
“Out with the team, I think.”
Poppy joins us a few minutes later and the three of us sit in an uncomfortable silence
for a few minutes.
“Mom, can we talk?” I ask, the words eating at me from the inside out.
“Sure.”
“Do you want me to leave?” Poppy offers.
“No.” I look over and meet her eyes. “We’re sisters now.” I smile at her.
“Mom, I’m… I’m disappointed that you didn’t tell me about Kyle—” She opens her mouth to argue, but I beat her to it. “But I understand. I know how seriously you take your job and I know how badly you want to help those who need it. I trust that you thought you had my best interests at heart. I also know that I never quite told the whole truth about that night.”
Mom’s eyes narrow at me. “Go on.”
“Kyle did more that night than I let on at the time.”
Her brows rise for me to continue.
“It was Gray who drugged me, of that I’m positive, but I don’t think Kyle was aware for quite a while. Things went farther than I admitted.”
“I know,” she says softly.
“What do you mean you know?”
“I know what happened that night, sweetie.”
“But… why didn’t you say anything?”
“It’s your story, Harley. I trusted that you would tell me when you were ready.”
“Does Zayn know?” I ask, although I think the fact he’s not broken Kyle’s nose yet that the answer is no.
“It’s your story,” Mom repeats.
Silence settles over us once again, as my mind goes back to that night.
I really want to wish that Letty didn’t make me go but the more I think about it, about the time I spent with Kyle before the drug I’d been slipped started to kick into action, the more I wonder if it was worth it. For me, anyway. None of that night was worth Kyle being sent to juvie though.
I blow out a slow breath.
“Everything will be okay, sweetie. Have you two talked about that night yet?”
Poppy helpfully scoffs beside me but tries to cover it up as a cough.
“No, we haven’t done much talking.” Mom raises an eyebrow in suspicion.
“Right, well… can I suggest that maybe you find some time to do that. And also, talk to your brother. If what happened that night is something, then he’ll want to hear about it from you.”
“Like he did with me when he decided to scr—get with my best friend.”
“The past is in the past, Harley. We can’t change it, all we can do is try to do better in the future and only you have the power to make the right decisions.”
I nod at her, her words circling around in my head.
“If you need me, you know I’m always here for you. If you want to talk about that night, I’m all ears but I trust you, Harley, to make the right decision. I trust all of you to know the best things for you and your futures.”
She places her empty plate in the sink and heads for the door.
“Have you heard from Letty recently?” she asks before disappearing.
“Um…” I think back to the last time I spoke to my sister. It’s been weeks, at least. “No. Is everything okay?”
“I’m sure she’s just busy with classes. If you hear from her, let her know I’m still alive, yeah?”
I chuckle. “Will do.” She’s almost gone when I call her back. “Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetie.”
“Thank you.”
“Always.” She smiles at me before disappearing around the corner.
“So…” Poppy starts once we’re alone. “What really did happen that night?”
A couple of hours later, I’m curled up in bed in the dark with the speaker beside me playing softly. There’s a storm brewing outside and the rain is lashing against my window, the wind beginning to howl around the side of the house.
I love watching the rain and if I weren’t so comfortable, I’d head down to the porch and curl up on the swing seat.
It’s late, I should be asleep, but I can’t switch off. My head is still stuck in that video call with Kyle. If he weren’t called away, how far would that have gone?
I want to say that I’d have put a stop to it before it went too far, but it had already gone past that point.
I was topless on a video call with my hand in my…
Jesus, what was I thinking?
I roll onto my back, wondering if I should have messaged again after he hung up.
I kind of expected him to want us to pick up where we left off. He certainly looked like he was into it. Part of me is disappointed that he didn’t. The other part knows it was right.
Finally, my body starts to get heavier and I begin to drift off, but that all comes to an abrupt end when the side of my mattress compresses and a warm hand covers my mouth.
I try to scream, my body lashing around, my arms trying to hit whoever the fuck it is but although I make contact, they don’t fucking move.
Although in my panic I can make out the figure, with tears filling my eyes and the darkness surrounding us, I can’t make out any features.
My heart pounds as if it’s about to explode from my ribs as I continue trying to fight, although it’s pointless.
Whoever it is might not have done anything—yet—but they could. Clearly they’re stronger than me.
I try to scream again as the figure looms over me.
“Calm down, Kitten. It’s just me.”
Every inch of my body relaxes for a second as Kyle’s voice washes through me.
Then the anger hits.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I hiss at him.
I blink away the tears and he becomes clearer. He’s right in front of me, his nose almost brushing mine and staring right into my eyes.
His intensity is overwhelming, and my mouth goes dry.
He doesn’t move for long seconds, but when he does, he makes my world spin again.
His fingers grip my chin in a painful, vise-like grip as his lips crash down on mine.
I resist for longer than he’s happy with.
“Kitten,” he growls against my lips. His hand slips under my sheets and he pinches my nipple through my tank. I gasp, exactly as he was intending and plunges his tongue into my mouth.
I buck against his hold, but he fully climbs on the bed and presses his entire body against mine, keeping me still.
“Careful, Kitten. I’ll start thinking you don’t want me here,” he murmurs into our kiss before continuing before I get a chance to respond.
Pinned to the bed with only my arms free and Kyle kissing me like he needs it to live, I do the only thing I can.
I kiss him back.
His tongue licks deep into my mouth, twisting with mine. His grip on my chin loosens as our kiss continues in favor of wrapping his fingers around my neck.
I swallow against his hold, loving how it makes me feel.
Lifting my hands, I knock his hat from his head, allowing it to tumble to the bed before threading my fingers into his hair.
“Fuck, Harley,” he groans, kissing along my jaw until he bites down on my ear, making me squeal in shock and for heat to surge down between my thighs.
“W-what are you doing here, Ky?” I whisper, my back arching as he once again finds my breast beneath the sheets.
“Finishing what we started, Kitten. I’m so fucking hard for you,” he growls in my ear, making every hair on my body stand on end.
“Oh God.”
“Don’t tell me that you weren’t lying here thinking about earlier, about how badly you wished I was in the same room as you. Kissing you, touching you, giving you everything you needed.”
“Kyle.” I wanted it to come out as a warning but when his name leaves my lips it’s nothing but a plea.
Lifting his weight from me, he throws the sheets from my body, leaving me covered in nothing but my tank and sleep shorts.
It might be almost too dark to see him, but I don’t miss the way his gaze sweeps down my body. I feel it, feeling the heat of his stare as it connects with my skin.
He sits up
higher before pulling his hoodie over his head and dropping it to the floor, when he comes back to me, the heat of his naked chest damn near burns me.
“Couldn’t think of anything else,” he admits, seconds before he latches onto the skin of my neck and sucks until it hurts.
My hand finds his shoulder and my nails dig in as he continues.
“Try to hurt me as much as you like, Kitten. It won’t stop me,” he warns, brushing his lips over my collarbone and pulling the fabric of my tank down so he has access to my breast.
“Oh God,” I moan when his teeth sink into the sensitive flesh.
“Shhh,” he warns. “I really don’t want to deal with your brother right now.”
I slam my hand over my mouth as he sucks on my nipple, circling his tongue around the tip before biting down, ensuring a bolt of pleasure shoots straight to my core.
“You like biting me.” It’s not a question I don’t need to ask. That much is obvious.
“I want to hurt you, Kitten. I want to hurt you so fucking bad.” His eyes find mine, the silver catching in the small amount of light in the room and a shiver runs through me.
He means it.
He should. I condemned him to a year of hell.
But I shouldn’t want him to do it so badly.
“You ruined my life,” he continues, moving to the other side. “You need to pay.”
“Oh God.” His touch, his words, they’re like fuel on my already simmering fire.
He lifts up, takes my tank in both of his hands and the next thing I know, the sound of the fabric ripping hits my ears before it falls to my side. I sit up so fast my head spins.
“Oh my God, did you just—”
“You don’t get to hide from me, Kitten. Not now, not ever.”
“Fuck,” I breathe as he begins his descent down my stomach, kissing and biting every bit of skin he can. Each bite sends shockwaves through my body and every kiss is like a salve for the skin.
It’s really fucking addictive.
The second he’s at my hips, his fingers wrap around the waistband of my shorts and he pulls them down my legs, leaving me bare for him.
“Are you wet for me, Harley?” he asks, pushing my thighs wide and blowing a stream of air across my heated skin.
LEGEND: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rosewood High Book 7) Page 21