Releasing Keanu

by Davis, Siobhan

  It’s much worse when he’s been drinking, so I have some idea of what lies in wait for Rochelle when he arrives at her place.

  But I can’t find it within myself to feel sympathy. Rochelle is the closest I have to an arch-nemesis at Rydeville High, and Trent knows how much we despise one another, which is why he deliberately called her in my presence.

  Keeping up appearances is nonnegotiable if you’re a descendant of one of the founding families. It’s something ingrained in Trent, Drew, Charlie, and me from the time we were little. And my father is the perfect example of how to act like a raging manwhore behind closed doors while presenting as the perfect law-abiding citizen.

  Everyone knows Trent fucks around on me, but provided he’s discreet, it’s permitted.

  Drew is engaged too, but he treats his fiancée with respect, while Charlie doesn’t lower himself to bedding high school girls. However, if they wanted to whore themselves out whenever they felt like it, they’d get pats on the back.

  Jane and I can barely piss without someone breathing down our necks.

  Jane Ford is my best friend—my only friend—and she’s also Drew’s intended.

  My twin and I are both destined for arranged marriages once we graduate a few weeks after our eighteenth birthday, thanks to the “business” deals our father made with the other elite patriarchs.

  Trent rubbing my nose in it is not considered gentlemanly.

  Mostly, I don’t care.

  But Rochelle grates on my nerves. Making sly digs in contravention of the code. Shooting me filthy looks when the guys aren’t watching. Playing juvenile pranks, like stuffing stupid shit in my locker. Thinking she’s someone important because Trent screws her sometimes. But she comes in handy, occasionally.

  Like now.

  If Trent thinks I’ll change my mind because he intends to fuck my enemy, he’s another think coming. “Knock yourself out, stud,” I say, smiling pleasantly at him. “And make sure you wrap it before you tap it. Wouldn’t want you to catch an STD.”

  Trent throws back his head, laughing. “Jealous much?”

  No. Definitely not.

  He grabs hold of my arm, yanking me into his hard body. “I’ll ditch the bitch. Just spread those pretty legs nice and wide, and let me fill you up.” He nips at my lower lip, dragging it between his teeth, drawing blood.

  “I will never voluntarily have sex with you.” I attempt to wrestle out of his arms, but it’s futile because he’s way too strong. He could overpower me easily, and it’s happened too regularly to count. “You repulse me.” I glare at him, watching his nostrils flaring as he grips my upper arms tight. “You’ll have to force yourself on me if you want any because I will never make it easy for you.”

  His fingers dig into my flesh, hurting me, but I refuse to cry out. To show any signs of weakness. “You say that like it turns me off.” He jabs my stomach with his hard-on while one hand slides down to cup my ass. “Like it would stop me.” His finger prods the crack of my ass through my clothes, and I flinch. “Hate sex is the best.” His mouth crashes down on mine, and I press my lips together, denying him access, refusing to kiss him back. His kiss turns vicious, his mouth punishing, as he bites my lips, drawing more blood, but I don’t back down.

  I’m used to his game.

  When he pulls back, his eyes almost black with fury, he grabs my crotch, squeezing hard, and pain slices through my core. “This is mine. And I’ll have you. I’ll rip you apart, tear you to pieces until your resistance is futile.” He shoves me away with such force I lose my balance and tumble to the ground.

  He may well deliver on that threat when he finds out I’m not untouched, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

  “What the fuck, man?” Drew barges into my bedroom, shoving Trent in the chest, his handsome face red with rage. “How many fucking times do I have to tell you?!” he hollers, extending his arm and helping me to my feet. My twin tucks me beside him in a protective stance, scowling at the blood coating my lips. “Quit this shit, or we’re done, Trent. I fucking mean it this time.”

  Trent slants an amused grin in Drew’s direction. “You say that like you’ve any choice in the matter. We’re in this for life. You’re stuck with me, whether you and your bitch of a sister like it.”

  “You can’t speak to Abby like that. And I won’t let you treat her like this.”

  Trent squares up to Drew. “She’s mine to do with as I please. Butt the fuck out. I don’t tell you what to do with Jane.”

  “Because I treat Jane with respect,” Drew retorts, dragging a hand through his dark brown hair.

  Trent snorts. “You’re so fucking pussy-whipped. Why you want to tie yourself to the same pussy for life is beyond me.” Trent slaps him on the back, shaking his head. “You should pound as many chicks as you can before you settle down.”

  “Ugh.” I step in front of the warring boys. “You’re gross. They love each other, that’s why.” I know it’s a foreign concept to him, but I hate how superior he acts around my brother. Like he deserves some life medal for being a player. “Go, Trent.” I push him toward the door. “Go to that skank and fuck her up the ass. See if I care.”

  “You’re going to Rochelle’s?” Drew queries, raising a brow.

  “Your sister won’t spread her legs, as usual, and I’m all fired up.” He winks at me. “Lucky for Rochelle.”

  “We had an agreement,” Drew protests, and it’s the first I’ve heard of it. “And you’re already breaking it.”

  “You decided I should cut Rochelle loose. I didn’t voice an opinion either way.” He saunters toward the door, and a layer of tension lifts from my shoulders. “Convince your precious sister to put out, and I’ll consider it,” he tosses over his shoulder, before leaving, the noise of his shoes echoing in the wide hallway as he walks away.

  Drew slowly turns around, inspecting me quickly. “Did he hurt you anyplace else?” he asks, pulling a handkerchief out of his dress pants and gently dabbing at my lip.

  The guys were at some function in the gentleman’s club downtown with their respective fathers. Hence why Drew is dressed like he’s attending a funeral. And why Trent is wasted. I hate the way women are treated within the elite social circles, but there are times I’m glad we’re excluded from things.

  I harrumph. “You have to ask?” I push the short sleeves of my dress up to my shoulders, skimming a finger over the bruising already blossoming on my upper arms.

  Trent never leaves a mark in a visible place.

  Appearances and all.

  That’s something else he has in common with my father. That and the obvious shared psycho gene. Thankfully, Drew seems to have escaped that trait, although he’s as arrogant and power-obsessed as Daddy Dearest, so he definitely inherited some of his DNA.

  I like to believe there’s more of Mom in me.

  Drew rubs a tense-looking spot between his brows. “He’s on edge because of this upcoming trip.”

  The guys are leaving next weekend for Parkhurst, some bullshit elite training camp they attend a few times a year. Although the guys will go on to college after graduating high school next May, they will each assume some official responsibility within their family business, fulfilling more public obligations, and this month-long camp trip is part of their preparation.

  “Don’t make excuses for him,” I say, turning around and holding my hair up.

  Drew unzips my dress, casting his warm brown eyes to the floor as I slip it off and pull on my silk nightdress. “I’m not. You don’t understand the pressure that’s on our shoulders.”

  I whirl around on him, my eyes blazing. “Don’t talk to me about pressure! At least you get to have a career and a life! What choices do I have?” I flap my hands about.

  “You’ve got college to look forward to, and Christian Montgomery has agreed you can wait until you get your degree before producing an heir.”

  “Am I supposed to be grateful?” I shout even though I’m venting at the wrong pe
rson.

  “You’ll want for nothing, Abby.” He tenderly cups my face. “And you and Trent will make beautiful babies together.”

  I push him away, disgusted at the turn in our conversation. “Go away, Drew. I can’t hear this tonight.”

  His features pull into a tight grimace. “Stop being such a whiny bitch,” he snaps. “You know how important the alliance with the Montgomerys is. We’ve both got parts to play.”

  I pull back the silk covers on my large four-poster bed, crawling inside, needing this day to be over. “I know, Drew. I’ve heard this my entire life. I don’t need you to constantly reinforce it.”

  “Sure, I do,” he says, perching on the side of my bed, losing his fleeting anger. “Because you’ve got too much of Mom in you, and I see how badly you want to rebel.” He tucks me in under the covers, like he used to do after Mom died when I’d have regular nightmares. Except back then, he’d usually crawl into bed alongside me. “But you can’t, Abby. Stop fighting Trent. Give him what he wants, and he’ll change. He just wants you to love him.”

  “He just wants to fuck me,” I retort.

  “Is that such a bad thing?”

  “His dick is rotten to the core, and his touch makes my skin crawl, so that’d be a yes.” Drew sighs. “Maybe if he wasn’t so aggressive with me all the time. Maybe if he respected me as you do with Jane, things would be different, but he doesn’t, and they aren’t.”

  While the Ford family isn’t one of the founding families, they are respected within the upper echelons of elite society, known as the inner circle, and our father was keen to secure a formal alliance.

  Marriage between both families will ensure that.

  Jane’s father insisted on a virginity clause too, but Drew and Jane are hot for one another, and they couldn’t wait. Unlike me, Jane adores her father, and she doesn’t want to disappoint him, so, even though she’s already sleeping with my brother, her father doesn’t know.

  Any time Jane sleeps over, her parents assume she’s staying with me, but she usually sleeps in Drew’s bed. My father actively encourages it, because he loves getting one over on Mr. Ford and he’s a sexual deviant. The private sex room in our basement attests to that.

  When I see my brother and Jane together, all loved up and mooning at one another as if no one else exists on the planet but them, I feel the odd stab of envy. If Trent and I were in love, I’d be happy to let him into my bed. But I fucking loathe Trent with the heat of a thousand suns, and I’d never willingly sleep with him.

  “Just don’t do anything stupid, sis.” Drew presses a kiss to my forehead. “We already lost Mom, and I couldn’t bear to lose you too.”

  “I won’t,” I lie, sitting up and hugging him. “But I won’t be Trent’s punching bag either.”

  “Let him in, Abby,” Drew beseeches. “It’ll make for an easier life.”

  And as my brother pulls the door closed behind him, I wonder if there’s some wisdom in his words and if I should make some alterations to my plan.

  ***End Of Sample***

  The trilogy is now complete and available to download FREE from Kindle Unlimited. Check your local Amazon store.

  Acknowledgments

  Massive thanks to Jennifer Gibson and her colleagues in the Family Health Center Americana/STS for their help and guidance with mental health illness, dealing with PTSD, and for sharing invaluable insights on EMDR therapy. Selena’s background is harrowing, and I wanted to ensure I gave it the appropriate treatment because human trafficking is a serious global issue and one we should all be concerned about.

  I also need to give a shout-out to one of my beta readers, Carolyne Belso, for sharing Veve Bee’s moving article on Facebook. The timing was absolutely perfect as I was in the middle of writing this story, and I knew this was an additional way to empower Selena, to allow her to take back what she initially believed had been stolen from her. If you haven’t read this article about what constitutes virginity, I highly recommend you to check it out. It’s a very powerful piece. This is the link to the article:

  https://www.facebook.com/verena80/posts/10216237220977986:1

  In no particular order, I would like to thank Robin Harper, Kelly Hartigan, Tamara Cribley, Book Candy Studios, Sara Eirew, my beta readers, my ARC and Street teams, my publicist Sarah Ferguson of Social Butterfly PR, Christina Santos, Lola Verroen, Jennifer Gibson for critiquing this book, and all the bloggers, bookstagrammers, and readers who support me and help to spread the word about my books.

  Thank YOU for reading this book, for loving my Kennedy boys, and for everything you do to enable me to continue writing full-time. I appreciate each and every one of you.

  Lastly, thanks to my husband and my two sons for believing in me and supporting me in my career.

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime!

  Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

  Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.

  She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

  You can connect with Siobhan in the following ways:

  Author Website: www.siobhandavis.com

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  Email: siobhan@siobhandavis.com

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  Books By Siobhan Davis

  KENNEDY BOYS SERIES

  Upper Young Adult/New Adult Contemporary Romance

  Finding Kyler

  Losing Kyler

  Keeping Kyler

  The Irish Getaway

  Loving Kalvin

  Saving Brad

  Seducing Kaden

  Forgiving Keven

  Summer in Nantucket

  Releasing Keanu

  Adoring Keaton*

  Reforming Kent*

  STANDALONES

  New Adult Contemporary Romance

  Inseparable

  Incognito

  When Forever Changes

  Only Ever You

  No Feelings Involved

  Second Chances Box Set

  Reverse Harem Contemporary Romance

  Surviving Amber Springs

  RYDEVILLE HIGH ELITE SERIES

  Dark High School Romance

  Cruel Intentions

  Twisted Betrayal

  Sweet Retribution

  Jackson*

  Charlie*

  Sawyer*

  Drew*

  THE SAINTHOOD (BOYS OF LOWELL HIGH)

  Dark HS Reverse Harem Romance

  Resurrection*

  Rebellion*

  Reign*

  ALL OF ME DUET

  Angsty New Adult Romance

  Say I’m The One *

  Let Me Love You*

  ALINTHIA SERIES

  Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance/Reverse Harem

  The Lost Savior

  The Secret Heir

  The Warrior Princess

  The Chosen One

  The Rightful Queen*

  TRUE CALLING SERIES

  Young Adult Science Fiction/Dystopian Romance

  True Calling

  Lovestruck

  Beyond Reach

  Light of a Thousand Stars

  Destiny Rising

  Short Story Collection

  True Calling Series Collection

  SAVEN SERIES

  Young Adult Science Fiction
/Paranormal Romance

  Saven Deception

  Logan

  Saven Disclosure

  Saven Denial

  Saven Defiance

  Axton

  Saven Deliverance

  Saven: The Complete Series

  *Coming 2020

  Visit www.siobhandavis.com for all future release dates. Please note release dates are subject to change based on reader demand and the author’s schedule. Subscribing to the author’s newsletter or following her on Facebook is the best way to stay updated with planned new releases.

  Copyright © Siobhan Davis 2019. Siobhan Davis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Facebook article referenced and quoted in this book copyright © Veve Bee 2019. Publicly published 11 November 2019. https://www.facebook.com/verena80/posts/10216237220977986:1

  Conditions of Sale

  By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, shared, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Author.

  E-Book edition © December 2019

  Editor: Kelly Hartigan (XterraWeb) editing.xterraweb.com

  Cover design by Robin Harper https://wickedbydesigncovers.wixsite.com/wickedbydesign

  Cover Photo by Sara Eirew Photographer.

  Cover Model: Mike Chabot