I bristle against it, but the soft command of his deep voice has me dropping my hands from my face and meeting his gaze from under my lashes. He reaches out a hand to cup my face, his thumb stroking over my cheekbone.
This guy who I trusted and shared very personal information with minutes ago is sitting so close to where my friend’s phone is stashed. Does he know who I am?
My chest is so tight I can hardly breathe, each inhalation so shallow and fast, I worry I’m going to have a complete breakdown. I don’t know if I can hold back my utter dismay at the mess I’ve gotten myself into.
Have he and his friends been playing with my head this entire time? Putting on an elaborate act? Is this all some fucked-up game? If it is, and they’re under the impression I’ll leave easily, they can fucking think again.
Paranoia is a wicked, twisted emotion.
Before I register what he’s about to do, Kingston pulls me, top sheet and all, into his arms and onto his lap. I shudder hard. My nakedness makes me feel so vulnerable, like he can somehow sense the truth I don’t want him to see. “You’re shaking,” he whispers softly into my hair as his hand skates up and down my spine. “Why?”
I’m freakingthe fuckout, that’s why, but if I open my mouth, things might spill out that I should definitely not say, and I’ll never get what I came for. So, instead of answering him, I shake my head, letting a small whimper slide from between my lips. This is too much, being here in his strong arms, feeling the warmth of his body seeping into mine, and wanting to believe there’s truth in his lies.
And now, my fears about these brothers I’ve become involved with are mounting brick by brick, creating a wall a mile high to barricade my heart.
His lips linger at my jaw before his head dips, and he groans, nibbling at the side of my neck. “I will find and hurt every motherfucker who’s been screwing with you,” he insists roughly.
My breath shudders out over my quivering lip, and I nod, resting my hand on his bare chest. His heart thrums steadily under my fingertips. But who will protect me fromhim?“I’m going to head back to my room and try to sleep.”
The boyish smirk he levels me with almost knocks me right off his lap. “You don’t think I’d let you sleep if you stayed?”
I catch the corner of my lip with my teeth, holding it captive while I peer steadily into his eyes. Oh, he’s so damn good if he’s acting. I see absolutely zero hint that he’s keeping anything from me… in fact, his eyes shine with warmth. Then again, he has no idea that I found his little secret in the drawer there, so maybe it’s not so hard for him. But me, I’ll have to step up my game to fool him. Slowly, I shake my head, feigning a wince. “No. No, I don’t.”
“Oh, shit. Was I too rough?” he rasps, concern slipping over his features.
I draw in a breath. “No, that’s not it. I told you I needed you…it.I wanted it.”Oh god, that’s embarrassing.A flash of heat hits my cheeks, and there’s no way he isn’t seeing them stained red. “I’m okay. Just tired.”
He presses a gentle kiss to my cheek before shifting me back to the mattress beside him, then fetches my discarded T-shirt and underwear. Like he’s no stranger to taking care of someone, he gently and patiently helps tug the cotton shirt over my head. Glancing over his shoulder toward the door, he grits out, “Wouldn’t want anyone else to get a glimpse of this hot little body of yours or you wouldn’t get any rest at all.” He kneels before me, helping me get my feet through the leg holes of my underwear, then slides them almostreverentlyup my legs. It’s hard to believe thatthisperson could have also been in possession of Will’s phone all this time. I let out a disturbed sigh while he helps me to my feet that I hope Kingston just takes as me being tired. He eases them over my hips and ass, leaving his palms to cup my hips as he stares down at me.
The wild thing is that he found me sandwiched between Archer and Cannon in my bed this morning. We never discussed it, but I saw the way he looked at us, with the tiniest hint of jealousy. I sway a bit on my feet—totally dizzy, not at all faking it—and I clutch at his forearms for support.
“Whoa, there.” Kingston exhales heavily as he steadies me. My eyes flick to his and just as quickly dart away. I can’t bear this, but I let him scoop me up into a cradle hold and take me next door to my bedroom. As he lays me down, almost as if he’s speaking to himself, he murmurs, “Maybe itisbest that we let you rest.” His brow is pinched as he reaches out, letting his fingertips glide over the side of my face from my hairline, over my cheek, and down to my jaw. It’s gentle. Comforting.
I’m so disappointed I can’t trust him. He lets out a sigh as he continues to calmly stroke my face. “One of us will bring you something to eat later. Don’t try to come downstairs.” He leans in and brushes his lips over mine in a soft way I’m not used to Kingston treating me.
I close my eyes, effectively ending the one-sided conversation. I need the exhaustion to overtake me and let me sleep. My recovery is imperative; I need to be capable of dealing with whatever is to come.
The concussion is definitely taking its toll, but even with my mind wanting to run a mile a minute to sort through things, I begin to drift off. And as I slip into sleep, it doesn’t stop worry from cascading over me as I slumber. I’ve hardly seen a trace of my friend—my cousin, actually—anywhere since I infiltrated the brotherhood. He’s in the group photo from last year that’s in a frame downstairs in the basement. But no one talks about him at all. It’s like he’s been erased from everyone’s memory.
And that fact worries me far more than if everyone were talking about him and the events surrounding his disappearance.
TWO
CANNON
Kingston and Archerare in quiet discussion when I come into the kitchen fresh from my workout on campus. I hadn’t wanted to leave Elliot’s side this morning, but as Archer said, it wasn’t very practical to have all of us stay home the entire week to watch over her.
I disagreed becausehell yes,I wanted to be with her, but Kingston had put his foot down… and sincehewas going to be home anyway, he was the logical choice to stay behind, at least for today.
So, I’d gone to class but had hardly heard anything my professors said. I thought maybe hitting the gym like I do most days after I finish with classes would help. But when I got to my chest presses, I sat on the bench for way longer than necessary, staring off into space and thinking about this girl who’s come into our lives. That’s when I decidedfuck it. It was better to go home and put eyes on her since I obviously have a one-track mind, and she’s my sole focus.
My brain has been buzzing nonstop the last twenty-four hours. Every single moment runs through my mind on a continuous loop, disrupting my sleep. The look on Elliot’s face when she realized she would be required to stay in that house of horrors. The fear that washed over her features when we blindfolded her.Fuck.The sight of her lying on the floor of that grungy house. The trip to the hospital. And then everything that fucking happened with her, Archer, and me once we got her home—from our fun in the shower to sandwiching her in bed between us.
When I slept, it’d been in fits and starts, waking with my heart pounding, only to reach out to make sure Elliot was beside me and breathing. Then the cycle would start over again. I know that’s not good for me. But what am I supposed to do? I’d take something to knock my ass out, but I’d have to double check with my doctor first.
I let out a ragged sigh. Kingston’s taken good care of her today, I trust in that, but there’s something strange developing between the two of them. The way they act toward each other gives me whiplash. They burn so fucking hot, it’s kinda riveting to watch the sparks fly. And when they ignite, they’re like an out-of-control wildfire, consuming everything in its path.
Hopefully, Kingston fared okay with someone else to focus on today, instead of being overwhelmed by his memories of Juliette like he usually is. This day is so fucking hard for him. I will never forget as freshmen when Archer and I found him on the floor of his shower. He was mortified that we saw him fully breaking down, but once we witnessed the level of grief he was dealing with, there was no way we could have left him. That was some rough shit. We’d been just getting to know each other, but we helped him through, and that was the beginning of an unbreakable bond.
