Vesper’s helpless whimpers from the bed reach my ears, reeling me back to reality. I twist my neck around to get eyes on her. Struggling to free herself from the handcuffs, she writhes and pulls, her chest heaving like a wild animal. The cuffs dig into her milky skin, and my cock stirs at her marked wrists.
I crane my neck back around to Jax. He swallows thickly. His Adam’s apple bobs. “I’ll find a different fuck. Keep her. She cries too much,” he sputters, spitting blood onto the carpet, hoping like hell to backpedal out of this.
Not happening.
Her sobs cut through the silence.
Fuck, I love when they cry. Any sensible man wouldn’t get off on the cries of his woman, guess it’s a good thing I’m not sane. Though, I never pegged Jax as the rape type; that isn’t sane either. I scoff silently tomyself—so Jax would rape her without a second thought but loses his hard-on from tears. Guess we’re both fucked.
I run the blade over his neck, cutting just above the jugular. Enough where he will feel it but won’t die. It’s a damn shame. If she wasn’t here, I’d end him without a thought.
She’s not ready for that level of crazy yet, but she will be in time.
He whimpers and sucks in heavy breaths through his teeth. I inch closer, cocking my head and whispering in his ear. “Fuck off. If I see you even so much aslookingat Vesper, I will drain you slowly and watch your face pale as your blood pools at my feet,” I say darkly but low enough that only he hears.
He nods quickly.
I thrust his sorry ass at Kieran, who drags him from the room. Don’t give a fuck what he does with him.
I crouch down next to the bed. She’s in such a compromising position, it stirs something within me, buried deep under all the fucked-up depravity and darkness. But I refuse to let it surface. The urge to bury my cock inside her and take that virgin pussy while she screams my name crosses my mind.
Stick to the plan, Zain.
This is a strategic game. Like chess. Patience is required; necessary.
“Now, songbird, how did you find yourself caged with a predator like that?” I say thickly, cocking my head and licking my lips.
She tugs harder at her restraints. I should free her, but instead I find myself fixated on her movements—the way her breasts poke against the white lace fabric of her bra. My eyes skim over her bitten flesh and I scowl. Her skin should be marked byme. I run my calloused hands over the red, angry marks leading down her stomach. Her eyes snap to mine.She’s assessing if I’m dangerous. If I’m here to save her or ruin her. Of course it’s both. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Her chest undulates in fear, her body racked with nerves. “Zain?” Her green eyes plead with me, cherry lips trembling. Her innocence is refreshing, welcome even. I could linger and drown in the intoxication of her fear, but I think better of it. Need to keep the crazy at bay to make her trust me. It’s the key to breaking her. Like a wounded animal, she flinches as my hand brushes over her nipple to her cuffed wrist. My cock jumps at the sensation, I relish in it.
I lean in so my lips brush the shell of her ear. “Not today, songbird. When you want it, you’ll beg me for it,” I pull away and her eyes go wide like a deer in headlights. The tears seize.
So pure and fuckin’ godly. Corrupting her gets me off more than any fuck I’ve ever had. It’s such a cathartic release.
I unclasp her cuffs, and her arms sag over the pillow. A sigh of relief washes over her when I get to my feet. She really is such a little thing. When I fuck her I’ll be surprised if my cock doesn’t break her in two. She gets to her knees and tugs her shirt down, covering her glorious pink nipples from my view. At least I can fist my cock to her when I watch her changing in her room. I have a feeling when she gets back to her dorm she’ll scrub every last inch of her skin to cleanse his touch from her body, and when she does, I’ll be there, watching with my cock in my palm. I’ve explored the layout of her floor’s showers. I can easily lurk in the shadows undetected if I choose. Easy as hell.
She gets to her feet, crusted tears and matted hair clinging to her cheek. She looks sinful as fuck. I just know she’s been sent to tempt me by the devil himself.
“Let’s get you home,” I rasp, fighting the urge to fuck here and now.
Endless calls and texts from Clara flood my phone. Notification after notification pings through. She left the house thinking Zain and I were talking things out about what happened—she assumed I was in safe hands. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Stupidly, I’d thought going upstairs in a strange house that belongs to a psycho-looking guy was a fine idea. Instead, I found myself in the clutches of arealmonster.
My hands shake at my sides. I run my chipped nails along the ridges of my jeans to calm my racing mind. I’ve never experienced something so traumatizing. If this isn’t a wake-up call to keep my ass in the dorm, I don’t know what is.
Zain did save me—does that make him less of a threat? He’s unraveling something deep within me, something forbidden. Something I’m desperate to see where it leads despite all the warning signs.
As he guides me along the quiet, dark streets of campus, we’re utterly alone. Ordinarily, the thought of Zain walking me home would make me uneasy, instead it brings relief. A strange sense of safety. His shadowy presence settles my raging nerves.
“Should be more careful, little songbird,” his voice drops an octave. He falls in step beside me, the streetlights casting a glow over his face, hiding everything but his darkened features.
We come to a stop right outside the Scion building, as if he knows exactly where I live. It’s unsettling. Is this feeling of safety an illusion? I suppose he probably connected the dots…most of the music majors stay here. Scion is right next to the Cadence building. I opted to not stay in Sovereign Hall, which is where most of the Elites reside.Mostbut not all. We have our choice of any dorm or housing. I wrap my arms around my chest. He’s right; Ishouldbe more careful. My parents always warned me to be smart, not reckless.
“He could have popped that pretty cherry.” His lip curls when I don’t say anything right away, and he shoves his hands into his hoodie.
I do my best to steel my face. My mind is reeling, and I’m unsure what to even think. Is he my savior or my demise? “What makes you think I’m a virgin?” I have no idea what prompts me to say it. I have a feeling playing into a guy like this is not the best move.
His expression drops into a straight-faced scowl. He clicks his tongue after a beat. His hooded frame steps closer. The smell of cigarettes and vanilla surround me like a shroud. He leans down, his voice dropping to a low trill, and whispers along the shell of my ear, “I can smell it.”
