by Kent, Rina
I angle my head to the side to see who’s the pitiful fuck who has my cousin’s attention. I only catch a glimpse of a girl’s Instagram before he hits home.
“Are you recruiting someone for a satanic sacrifice?” I ask.
“Maybe.” His poker face’s game is too strong. It’s as if he’s actually entertaining the idea.
Wait. Is he?
“What gives, Lev?”
“About?”
“No fight with Jonathan for the entire weekend. That’s a record.”
“He’s not worth it.”
“And you’re not speedy.” He raises an eyebrow. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
My feet falter for a second as Aiden’s words sink in.
I’m not speedy — not that I like the term.
Fuck.
I was never able to pull a break on it before but now, the wheel is slowing down on its own.
“You coming to the Meet Up?” Aiden asks over his shoulder.
“No, and Ro!”
“Quoi?” Ronan pants barely escaping Xander’s punches.
“Take Daniel with you.” I pause. “From now on, always take him with you.”
I find Astrid in the car park, frowning at her cell phone.
She needs to stop staying in fucking isolated places like these. If someone has half of my power over here, they’ll easily manage to pull some shit like the other time.
“Trouble getting a ride?”
She jerks, wide eyes straying my way before she releases a breath. “You scared me.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t stand in isolated places like a prey begging to be eaten.”
She lifts her chin. “What you did won’t dictate my life.”
I snatch her wrist and pull her into me. “Stop putting yourself in danger.”
“You’re the worst danger that can happen to me.”
“Worst danger, huh?”
“Duh. Have you seen yourself?”
“Why don’t you tell me, princess?”
She purses her lips for a second too long and I’m tempted to eat her mouth all over again.
Kissing Astrid isn’t a pleasure, it’s slowly becoming a need like air and food.
“You’re like the night,” she finally says.
“The night,” I repeat.
“Uh-huh. And not just any night. You’re like those dark, silent nights where no one knows what will happens.”
“Would you like to know what will happen now?”
Her breath hitches. “Now?”
My hand wraps around her throat, and her pulse quickens under my thumb. “When you’re being this bloody stubborn, I’m tempted to do…”
“To do what?” her voice drops, but her gleaming eyes never leave mine.
I run my tongue over the shell of her ear, loving the shiver that takes over her. “Wicked things, princess.”
“You’re…” She trails off, clearing her throat. “Whatever. Not that it matters. How did you know I had trouble getting a ride?”
“You’re standing on your own at eight in the evening.”
“Dan has a meet out with the team.” She narrows her eyes. “Is it normal that the captain doesn’t attend?”
“They can fend for themselves.”
“That’s not very captain-ey of you.”
“That’s not a word.” I smile. “Besides, I don’t feel like being a captain tonight.”
“What do you feel like being?”
“Just me.”
My lips find hers.
Usually, I’d tear past her defences. This time, I don’t. I let her have her little rebellion. I let her fight.
Fight me.
Fight us.
If fighting will give her the illusion that she has a chance at winning, then by all means, let her fight.
She seals her lips shut, but her body leans closer into me. Then, slowly, too slowly, her mouth parts open. It’s only the slightest bit, but it’s more than enough.
She gave up that inch on her own.
But she should know by now that an inch isn’t enough. I take the whole damn pitch.
My tongue finds hers and I devour her until there’s nothing left of her. Until she’s entirely sagging against me.
Astrid’s fate is sealed.
27
Astrid
Is this the dance of the predator or the prey?
* * *
Weeks pass and my life doesn’t feel like mine anymore.
Not that it did since the summer.
Levi wouldn’t leave me alone no matter how much I refuse him. If anything, the harder I push him away, the more he’s prone to kidnapping me into a dark corner and kissing me until there’s no breath in my lungs.
The harder I resist the kiss, the longer he makes it.
It’s a game to him.
A push and pull.
Levi is a conquerer. He spends his time plotting his battles and studying his opponent’s every move so when he strikes, it’s direct and straight to the point.
He’s not interested in half-victories. When Levi wins, he eradicates his conquest.
He barely lets me hide this twisted thing we have from the rest of the school.
And by letting me, I mean I kind of threatened him that I’ll paint the windshield of his car and stuff.
It’s not real, okay? This whole thing with Levi will blow over sometime soon, and I don’t want to be labelled as his majesty’s latest conquest.
Nope. I’m totally not going to be that girl.
Well, I might have been paying the price for forcing Levi’s hand. On behalf of keeping contact at school to a minimum, he came up with his own conditions.
Double emphasis on the plural.
He’s there in the mornings for the stupid morning runs — that started to somehow grow in on me. And I have to kiss him good morning — a kiss that he always deepens and leaves me breathless in the aftermath.
In the evening, he drives me home. It’s a miracle I convince him to drop me around the corner so Dad doesn’t see him.
Dan — the traitor — isn’t even putting up a fight to take back his position as my driver.
You’ll thank me for it later. his words, not mine.
And you guessed it, I have to kiss the manipulator Levi good night, too. That’s the most troublesome one because it usually leaves me hot and bothered all night — that’s if he doesn’t yank my legs apart and goes down on me in his damn car.
Despite all the time I spend with Levi, I’m still clueless as shit about him.
Some days, he’s the devil, all complete with that black look in his eyes. Other days, he’s laughing and teasing and making my life hell.
While the first version scares me, a part of me wants to exploit it and figure out why he acts the way he does.
And more importantly, I need to know for how long he plans to keep me on a leash.
Even with all the burst of excitement and pleasure he brings to my life, I’m not stupid to trust him. Not after he made it blatantly clear that he’ll destroy my life if I don’t bow to his authority.
Unlike what Levi ordered, my case is still very much alive with the police. True, he didn’t bring it up lately, but that’s the reason why he approached me in the first place.
Back then, it was so simple. I hated Levi and everything he stood for. But now, I see different sides to him every day.
I see how he holds my hand when we run to pull me along.
I see his nostalgic smile when it rains before he pulls me out into it with him.
I see him at practice, with his teammates, and in class, and it’s like he’s not the same Levi. While all the other teenagers are high on spontaneity and living the moment, Levi is the responsible one.
He’s usually in deep thought with him and himself — even when he's surrounded by his closest friends. It’s like he has his own world all complete with forts and bridges where no one else is allowed.
A part of me wants to barge into his sec
ret world, but the other part is scared of what I’ll find in there.
What if his world is a one-way ticket and I’ll be trapped?
I take my coffee and thank Sarah on my way out of the kitchen. Phone in hand, I text Dan that I’m going out. It’s Friday afternoon and we agreed to meet at Ally’s. Usually, we meet on Saturdays, but since Dan became a permanent starter, that plan is out.
I make a beeline towards the back entrance through the pool house. Dad and Victoria are at some charity dinner, but old habits die hard. It’s become natural to sneak my way out of the house.
Near the pool house’s door, strange sounds make me halt in my tracks. I inch closer, expecting to find an animal or something.
The sounds raise in volume. There’s a moan then a growl and the unmistakable slap of flesh against flesh.
I should’ve continued on my way, but hearing such sounds at home is as rare as England’s sun. Even Dad never touches Victoria, except for the platonic hand grab here or there. Thank God for that. I totally don’t need the image.
Making sure to keep my body out of view, I peek inside and freeze. The first thing that greets me is a man’s naked arse. He pounds into my step-sister like a crazed animal.
Nicole’s face twists, whether in pleasure or pain, I don’t know. Her eyes meet mine, and I jerk back, but not before recognising the guy she’s with.
I run out of the house, my head a complete chaos.
Christopher Vans.
Levi’s closest friend.
“Earth to bugger!”
I snap my head up from my chocolate smoothie.
“Did you come here for a one-on-one meeting with your straw?” Dan asks with a dramatic tone. “Do you want me to step outside so you can have a moment?”
“I’m just trying to purge a very disturbing image I’ve just seen on my way here.”
“Disturbing?” He slides closer, pushing his iced coffee aside and waggling his eyebrows. “Do tell.”
“I just saw Nicole having sex with Christopher Vans in our pool house.”
His grin disappears. It’s only for a split second, but I notice it. I also notice how his face scrunches and his shoulders tense.
He goes back to grinning just as fast. Only, it seems a bit forced now. “Eww. No more Netflix and chill in your pool house.”
I roll my eyes. “I just told you I’ve seen Nicole have sex and that’s your first thought?”
“Does Nicole’s sex life need commentating?” He has his rare poker face as he speaks. “She’s not even a good fuck.”
“How would you know that?”
He takes a long slurp of his drink and shrugs. “Looks like it.”
“Don’t you think this has King’s hands all over it?”
“Captain’s?”
“I mean, Christopher is his closest friend.”
“Was. Since Chris was benched, Captain doesn’t look in his direction twice. He punched him at the beginning of the year for being useless.”
“That’s harsh. Is a person’s worth calculated by how well he plays?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Captain is all about winning and he doesn’t sugar-coat anything when it comes to slackers. He even had a few choice words for his cousin the other day.”
I fumble with my straw, humming. Something in my gut tells me Christopher sleeping with my step-sister isn’t a coincidence. Maybe he’s pretending to be on non-speaking terms with Levi in public, but they’re plotting something in secret.
“Here I thought you were too dreamy-eyed about your crush.” A mischievous look takes over Dan’s features.
“He’s not my crush.”
“I’ve known you for three years, and I haven’t seen you so caught up with someone as you are with Captain.”
“He threatened me, remember? I’m doing whatever it takes to protect myself.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Bug!”
“Admit it. You like him.”
“I hate him.”
“I bet he hates you, too.” He waggles an eyebrow. “Is this some sort of foreplay? Roleplay? Some other kind of kinky stuff?”
I hit his arm. “You’re a pig. Does everything have to be about sex with you?”
“They do,” he says matter-of-factly. “Tell me you don’t think about Captain in a sexual way.”
“I don’t!” I say too fast, too defensively. But even saying the words bring back how much I look at Levi’s lips when he’s not kissing me and how much I don’t want to break apart when he does kiss me.
Damn the bastard for getting me addicted to his lips.
“Yeah, right.” Dan takes a long swig of his drink. “I completely believe you.”
“Dan!”
“What?” He plays nonchalance, grinning like an idiot. “I said I believe you.”
“If you don’t stop right now—”
“Wait.” He cuts me off, sliding his iced coffee in my direction.
“What?”
“Cool off a bit. All the talk about Captain has got you blushing.”
I hit him again, and I finish his iced coffee, too.
We spend the rest of the evening bowling. Zach, Dan’s older brother who’s studying at Imperial College, joins us near the end.
He’s a taller version of Dan with a toned body that he spends a lot of time perfecting at the gym.
Sometimes, when he’s not with his college friends, he joins us. He also helps us sneak out from the parents’ grasps since he knows all the ‘tricks’.
Dan goes to get us something to drink while Zach and I continue competing. He always gets a perfect score.
“That’s so unfair,” I huff, watching his hands. “You have some sort of trick to always knock them over, don’t you?”
He laughs, revealing pearly-white teeth. “Not a trick, just skill, babe. Let me.”
With me holding the ball, Zach comes behind me and snakes his arms on either side of me to help me grip the ball tighter.
“Keep your hands steady. Don’t push the shot and take your time.” He presses a hand on my back. “Bend slowly and let go.”
All the pins fall down in one go.
“Yes!” I jump up, hugging Zach. “I did it!”
“You did it.” His arms wrap around my waist.
A strong hand pulls me back by the arm, and I yelp as I trip and almost fall.
I come head to head with Levi’s destabilising pale eyes.
Only now, they’re completely black.
28
Astrid
You don’t own me, your majesty. No one does.
* * *
That part about being scared of the ‘black’ Levi?
I take it all back.
I’m not scared of him, I’m terrified. There’s this complete disregard for everyone around him when he’s in this mood and it seems impossible to carve a path into him.
He’s wearing simple jeans and a royal blue pullover, but his entire aura is as black as the look in his eyes.
With a deep breath, I attempt to dissipate the tension in the air. “Levi. This is Zachariah, he’s —”
Words die into my throat when Levi slams his lips against mine.
We’ve had wild kisses before — they’re all we’ve had, actually — but this is different. His teeth clash against mine and it’s like he’s sucking the life out of me.
Claiming me.
Punishing me.
The roughness of his mouth turns my head dizzy. I’m like a marionette in his steel-like arms, unable to breathe or forge a path out.
I push at his chest, but it’s like he doesn’t feel my grip.
He doesn’t feel anything.
When he finally lets me go, I’m breathing so heavily, I’m afraid my heart will pop out of its cavity.
Levi pulls me to his side with a steel-hold on my waist despite my protests.
I’m tempted to slap him for kissing me in public like that.
Lots of kids from our school come here. If anyone finds out, my alre
ady sour reputation will only get worse.
He promised to keep it under wraps. He freaking promised.
The clearing of a throat brings my attention back to Zach who had front row seats to the entire show. Aiden stands not far, watching us with an indifferent expression.
My cheeks flame at the thought of Zach watching me being kissed savagely by Levi. That’s definitely not the image I want to give to him.
I bow my head, unable to look at him. “I… umm… Zach, this is…”
“Levi King and she’s mine.” He says the words with a coolness that negates his death grip around my waist. “Keep your fucking hands off her.”
Before Zach or I can say anything, Levi drags me out of the bowling centre as if I’m a rag doll. I’m too stunned to react or say anything. I can barely keep up with his wide strides, let alone form any words.
Once we’re in the car park, I come back to my senses and fight him off, but his hold tightens around my waist until it’s painful.
I wince. “You had no right to do that.”
He yanks me around until my back hits the side of his jaguar. It’s the first time I get a closer look into his eyes since the show he put on inside.
They’re still black with not an ounce of the peaceful blue.
He’s like a storm waiting to erupt.
“No right?” He repeats, pushing into me with his entire body until I’m covered with his scent and the hardness of his chest. “So he had a right to put his hands on you?”
“He?” I’m confused.
“That bastard inside.”
“Are you freaking kidding me? Zach is like my eldest brother.”
“One who wants to fuck you.” His words are deadly calm.
My lips part. “Are you insane?”
As if possible, his eyes darken more, rippling with tension. There’s barely an ounce of the Levi I’ve gotten used to. He’s evaporating into smoke that’s impossible to catch.
The frightening calm on his face puts me on the edge of myself.
I can deal with anger and rage, but how can I pick up a fight with deadly calm?
“Are you blind?” He’s still in that cool phase of his. “Can’t you see the way he looks at you?”