Battling the Enemy

by M. E. Clayton

  “Delaney-”

  Her eyes were blazing, and she was nothing but a ball of unchartered emotions. “I don’t even like you, Deke,” she claimed.

  Now I was getting pissed. I was willing to grant her some confusion and embarrassment because Delaney Martin was not the kind of girl who let guys finger fuck her in public, but I knew she liked me. She just didn’t want to like me. “Your scent on my fingers contradicts that statement, Lamb,” I bit out. “Or do you let all the guys you don’t like finger your pussy like a-”

  “Fuck you, Deke Marlow!” she yelled in my face. “I’m not…I don’t…”

  I grabbed her by her shoulders and held her firm against the wall. “I know you’re pissed that you caved when you don’t want to like me, Delaney,” I allowed. “But you are not going to act like what just happened wasn’t always going to happen. You missed me these past two days. Own it and quit being a little bitch about it.”

  Her spine straightened, and I knew I was pulling out the Delaney no one ever saw; the Delaney Martin no one knew. “I’ll show you a bitch, Deke Marlow,” she threatened, her voice still and absolute.

  I cupped her face in my hands and welcomed her threat. “I hope you do, Lamb,” I said. “I hope to fuck you do. Because the second you start showing me what you’re capable of, I can start showing you what I’m capable of.” Her breathing hitched, and my dick reminded me that he was still hard from the finger fucking. “You think you’ve seen me at my worst because Reynolds has a broken nose and fucked-up face? Baby, that’s nothing compared to what my conscience allows me to do and still sleep at night.” I leaned in and whispered against her ear, “Show me how much of a bitch you can be, Delaney. Show me, so I can ruin you. Show me, so I can’t fuck you up so badly, your mind cracks along with your heart and soul, baby.”

  I pulled back, so she could look into my face. So she could look into my eyes and see just how serious I was. I wanted to ruin Delaney. I wanted to break her into a million fucking pieces until I was the only one who could put her back together. Delaney called to the darkest parts of me and I knew I’d never let her go.

  “I’m not weak,” she whispered.

  I let go of her face and took a step back. “Maybe not,” I allowed. “But if you’re going to fight this-us, well, you should know what you’re going up against, Delaney.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I’m Deke Marlow,” I stated simply. “You go up against me, you go up against Ramsey, Liam, Emerson, and Roselyn, baby. So, tell me how strong your inner bitch is now?”

  Chapter 14

  Delaney~

  Deke was right.

  He was right, and I knew it. I’d always known it.

  Deke was a package deal. Even if they all went to separate colleges, nothing would break the bond Deke had with Ramsey, Liam, and the girls. It was obvious in how they had hung around in the shadows these past couple of days, watching out for me, while he’d been gone. It was obvious in how Emerson and Roselyn had made the effort to make Ava feel comfortable around them all. They would back Deke’s play no matter how this ended up.

  They’d bury my body if Deke needed that from them.

  And now, we were sitting in Deke’s car, missing first period, because he lured me to his car with the promise of a safety pin for my uniform pants. But if I was being completely honest with myself, I needed these few precious moments. Letting him do what he did still had me a little flustered.

  Even with my admission to Ava last night about being attracted to Deke, I hadn’t been expecting to feel such a substantial amount of weight to be lifted from my chest when I had seen that he was back. Deke shouldn’t have been able to affect me so strongly after one confrontation on Friday, and one day of bullshit on Monday.

  I had told Ava I was attracted to him, but I was starting to fear it was more than mere attraction. I let Deke bring me to orgasm without a care to my reputation or my arrangement with Winston, which, let’s face it, was coming to an end. And while I have never judged Ava for being wild, having experienced my first orgasm at the hands of a hot guy, well…let’s just say, I understood a lot better now how a girl could get carried away. I also wouldn’t judge Roselyn if the rumors about her were true. Deke had me seeing Jesus, and I couldn’t imagine an experience where Liam McCellan had joined in.

  Holy shit.

  Deke was turned in his seat looking at me, holding the safety pin hostage, as he demanded, “Now, tell me about Reynolds.”

  I rolled my eyes but told him, anyway. “When we were ten, our parents had sat us down and told us we were going to marry each other.” I shrugged a shoulder. “At that age, I hadn’t really understood the implications of what they were saying, but Winston was my friend. It hadn’t seemed like a bad idea to marry my friend. Over the years, we were kind of brainwashed into accepting that our getting married made sense. Lots of families with money or dynasties get married to secure business relationships or acquire more wealth. Winston and I bought into it and, quite frankly, it saved me from having to…I don’t know. Knowing my future was with Winston, I didn’t have to meet boys or go on dates. The arrangement worked for me because…well, in case you haven’t noticed it all these years, I’m a pretty private person.”

  “And all of Reynolds’ fucking around?” he asked.

  “I didn’t care,” I answered truthfully.

  “How could you not care if your future husband was sleeping with the entire town of Sands Cove?” Deke’s face was impassive as he asked his questions, but like I said, Deke had a hell of a poker face.

  I let out a sigh, already tired of this conversation. “Because I don’t care about him like that.”

  “You don’t care about him like that?” he repeated.

  “No.” A part of me wanted, so badly, to tell Deke this was none of his business, but I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. I just let this guy do something to me that I’ve never let anyone else do. That was proof enough that Deke’s hold on me was stronger than I wanted it to be. “We tried being…uh, romantic back when we were like fourteen, and, well, I don’t know about him, but I felt nothing.”

  Deke’s hand latched around my upper arm in a painful grip. “What do you mean, romantic?”

  “We kissed,” I yelped. “We just kissed, you goddamn lunatic!” He immediately let go of my arm and gestured for me to continue. Jesus. “We kissed, and I didn’t feel anything. When it was clear that we’d never have a passionate marriage, Winston started looking to other girls for his kicks, and I just went about my business.”

  Deke’s eyes were like liquid emeralds when he asked, “And just now? When I had my fingers in your pussy? Did you feel something then?”

  I tried not to squirm in my seat, but I couldn’t help it. His words reminded me of just how sensitive I was down there. “You know I did,” I hissed. I knew I needed to come to terms with my surrender, but Deke’s arrogance and high-handed ways made that hard. I was attracted to him, but he made it hard to like him when he was being a dick.

  He didn’t say anything for a few torturous seconds before he reached across the console of his car, and fastened the safety pin to my pants. “This should hold you until you get a new pair of pants from the office,” he said casually as if this morning hasn’t been full of ‘what the fucks’.

  “Deke-”

  His green eyes snapped to mine, and I could feel my willpower dwindling down more than it already had. My leg was bleeding, and I was diving into the ocean, exactly where the sharks lurked. “I’m going to give you today to…come to terms with this thing between us, Delaney,” he said. “I will give you the rest of the day to…get your mind together. But after tonight, you’re mine. Understand?” I nodded because I didn’t know what else to do. “I’m coming for you tomorrow, Lamb.” I could feel my breath leave me as he got out of his car, walked around, and opened my door to help me out.

  And I let him.

  I let him, because I wasn’t sure what came next.

  Deke
grabbed my hand, and started pulling me behind him, when I yanked my arm back, bringing him to a halt. He turned and looked down at me, his looks and commanding presence screwing with my head and heart. “What does that mean, exactly?”

  Instead of answering me, Deke’s hands slid up my face until they were tangled in my hair and he had my back up against his car. His lips came crashing down on mine and all I could do was grab his arms and hold on for dear life.

  This kiss was powerful and consuming. His tongue was doing more than just invading my mouth; it was invading my soul. Deke was kissing me as if he’d just been told he’d never be able to kiss a girl ever again. His hold in my hair was absolute, and so tight, my scalp started to hurt. He had his body pressed so closely to mine, that I could feel his erection digging into my stomach.

  I never knew you could put so much feeling into a single kiss. I never knew you could lose your mind with just a kiss. I never viewed kissing as foreplay. What Deke had done to me earlier, that’s what I always considered foreplay.

  But a kiss? A simple kiss?

  Granted, there was nothing simple about Deke Marlow, but all I knew was that I wanted this kiss to go on forever. I wanted this passion to go on forever. I always wondered how Emerson and Roselyn didn’t suffocate under the constant dominant personalities of Ramsey and Liam, but if their obsessions made those girls feel even a fraction of what Deke was making me feel right now…well, I understood a little better now. Ava had been right when she said having a guy fight for you, and make you matter, was dangerous for girls like us; girls who were neglected and unloved.

  Deke finally broke away from me, but his breathing was labored every bit as mine was. His green eyes held me captive as he said, “That’s what it means, Delaney.” It took me a second to remember the question I had even asked him. “It means, tomorrow night, I’m coming for you and we’re going to spend the entire weekend together.”

  I knew the answer even before I asked it, but I needed to hear him say the words. I wanted there to be no confusion. “Doing what?”

  His thumb brushed my lower lip. “What do you think?” he replied. “I’m going to spend all weekend taking everything you have, Lamb. I’m going to spend all weekend fucking you so raw and relentlessly, you’re going to hate me by the time I’m done with you.” My entire body broke out in shivers. His words were not the romantic words every girl dreamed of. They were promises of future nightmares.

  “How you do you know I don’t already hate you?”

  “Because if you did, I wouldn’t have your scent on my fingers or your flavor on my tongue,” he snarled, reminding me of how he licked his fingers off after bringing me to orgasm. “You’re a good girl, Delaney. You’ve always been a good girl. You’re a quiet, smart, beautiful little wallflower,” he whispered. “If you hated me, you would never have let me finger your pussy in public just now. You’re not that way.”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t hate you,” I replied. “Lots of people have hate-sex.”

  Then Deke did something I hadn’t anticipated. His hands fisted tighter in my hair and he had my head pulled back so far, my back bowed. He leaned down, and before I knew what he was about, Deke latched onto my neck and the bite was swift, brutal, and bloody. He broke my flesh open, and I cried out in pain. He sucked and tore at my flesh and the pain was horrible. “Deke!”

  His head shot up and I could see my blood on his lips. My knees threatened to buckle because the sight was overwhelming and obscene. I watched as he licked his lips and said, “I hope you do hate me, Delaney. That way my conscience won’t be bothered by all the things I’m going to do to you.”

  He had a conscience?

  Chapter 15

  Deke~

  We were all gathered in Ramsey’s father’s study, but I suppose it was more Ramsey’s study than his father’s. I mean, a person had to actually live in the house to utilize any of the rooms. I was sitting on a barstool, while Liam and Roselyn took up the left side of the couch, and Ramsey was leaning his ass up against the desk with Emerson sitting on the desk next to him.

  “We only have three more months before school out,” Liam pointed out. “We gotta figure this shit out, and soon. My dad’s calling me more and more these days, and I don’t want to tell him to go get fucked without a plan in place.”

  “Well, we’re all expected to go to college,” Ramsey reminded us. “The only problem is the girls.” Emerson let out a soft snort, and I had to smile. She loved Ramsey, but she didn’t seem to suffer from the same insanity he did when it came to their relationship. I believed in my heart that Emerson could walk away from Ramsey and still be capable of functioning in life. Ramsey couldn’t.

  “You guys are supposed to go to Blaineview, right?” Roselyn asked. “You all three have been pre-selected and registered, right?” She shrugged a shoulder. “You guys can still go to Blaineview, while Emer and I go to Columbia.”

  As sexist as it sounded, all the guys and very few girls were expected to all go to Blaineview University. It was partnered with Windsor Academy and knew what it took to continue to groom us into being little robotic heirs. Most of the girls at Windsor were allowed to apply and go to whatever college they wanted because, generally, the sons of Sands Cove were the ones who took over the family empires. There are a few rare incidences where the girls took over, but it really depended on the family’s business. Oh, we were allowed to apply at whatever other colleges we wanted to also, but we were expected to go to Blaineview.

  Ramsey side-eyed Linnie. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’ll be at Blaineview while Emerson is at Columbia, Roselyn.”

  I glanced over at Emerson and hid a smile as she rolled her eyes at Ramsey’s statement. Once upon a time, Ramsey’s comment would have kicked off a full-blown war between the two, but these days, Emerson had Ramsey by the balls, and we all knew it. He knew it.

  But before she could remark on Ramsey’s comments, Liam spoke up. “Yeah, Roz,” he started, “no way are you and Emerson going to be clear across the country. That’s not happening, baby.”

  “So, what?” Emerson asked, finally speaking up. “You guys just hand over your black credit cards until Roselyn and I are drowning in mimosas, diamonds, and charity events?” Damn, the girl had spunk. “No, thank you. I need my education,” she huffed. “How else am I expected to support myself when I finally kill Ramsey and he’s unable to bring home a paycheck any longer?”

  Liam and Roselyn laughed, and I smiled, but the girl wasn’t far off. As much as they loved each other, if I got a call in the middle of the night saying Emerson had killed Ramsey in a fit of rage, I wouldn’t be surprised; vice versa.

  Emerson looked over at me. “And what about Delaney?” she asked. “That girl is smarter than a whip, and you’re crazy if you don’t think she wants to go to college, Deke.”

  My back straightened because I knew she was right. I had no doubt Delaney’s been accepted into a number of colleges because she’s spent her entire life focusing on school, and I knew her grades were damn near perfect. But that didn’t take away from how things were going to turn out for her.

  “I mean, she has a point, Deke,” Linnie chimed in. “Emerson and I might be open to a compromise, but what about Delaney?”

  Ramsey snorted. “Compromise, my fucking ass,” he rumbled. “If we decide to go to Blaineview, instead of just starting a business now, Emerson’s going to go with me. End of fucking story.”

  “I can’t go to Blaineview, Ramsey,” Emerson argued. “I never applied. And even if I had, I don’t have the family legacy to get in.”

  We all watched as Ramsey reached out, grabbed Emerson by her arm, yanking her off the desk, and pulled her to stand in between his spread legs. “The second we clear that goddamn graduation podium in a couple of months, you’re going to be my wife, Emerson,” he hissed. “That’s all the fucking family legacy you need to get into Blaineview.”

  The room was silent, but I didn’t miss the small head nod she gave
Ramsey as she placed a hand on his chest to calm him down. I felt for the guy, though. Roselyn bringing up Delaney had reminded me that what I felt for Delaney probably wasn’t even close to what Ramsey felt for Emerson.

  “Okay,” Liam piped up, breaking the tense moment, “how about we see what we can do to get the girls into Blain-”

  “What if I don’t want to go to Blaineview, Liam?” Roselyn challenged.

  “Sweet Baby Jesus,” he breathed out, before channeling his inner Ramsey. “I don’t really give a fuck, Roz. You were never going to go to Columbia or wherever the fuck else you applied, anyway.”

  Linnie gasped. “What does that mean?” Liam shot a glance at Ramsey, and I folded my arms across my chest, and got comfortable, waiting for the upcoming fireworks.

  “Goddamn it,” Ramsey growled as Emerson stepped back and started looking back and forth between him and Liam.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Ramsey moved his head side-to-side, cracking his neck, before he said, “We were hoping you girls would be so madly in love with us, that you’d follow us anywhere, therefore, letting you guys decide your own futures, but noooooooooooo…you guys had to go and be difficult.”

  Roselyn jumped up off the couch. “Meaning?” she asked, hands planted on her hips.

  Liam stood up also and I laughed as he gave up the fight. “You two she-devils are registered to attend Blaineview with us. Ramsey and I set it up a few weeks ago. We were just hoping you’d want to go willingly.”

  Emerson let out a soft, defeated laugh. “You’re such a manipulating bastard, Ramsey,” she said, shaking her head.

  Ramsey eyed her and simply said, “I know. But you also know I refuse to live even one day without you, Emerson. Deep down, you always knew you would end up wherever I was going to be.”

  Emerson didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and even Roselyn seemed to accept their chosen fate before Emerson turned to me. “Delaney?”

  I looked into Emerson’s rare silver eyes and told her the truth. “I registered Delaney for Blaineview the day I kicked Reynold’s ass in front of the entire school, Em.” Roselyn’s phone rang before anyone could comment on that bombshell.