My lungs are on the verge of collapsing. I have never been a runner, instead choosing something more relaxing and less cardio intense. Now, I’m regretting my choices. He runs like he has a vendetta against me. I start sobbing with each panting breath. He’s going to kill me. He’s going to freaking kill me!
Before I make it to the end of the street, I look back again, and that’s the final mistake. His hard body tackles me to the ground, encasing me under his heaving, bloody torso. I land on my side, cradled in his ribs, as he takes the brunt of the impact. I go to scream for help, but he covers my mouth. His palm silences my desperate cries.
I have a feeling it would be futile anyways. This neighborhood doesn’t exactly scream safe. I use my nails to strike him. My clawing and scratching doesn’t faze him. If anything, he growls like a feral animal getting turned on, which only confirms what a sadistic masochist he is.
He shushes me before he covers my nose with a cloth. “You can’t escape your fate, my little songbird.” His voice trails off into the night while my body loses its fight and my eyes flutter closed.
Iwrestle Jax’s body through the crypts, leaving Vesper alone in my room, shrouded in darkness. I administered her sedative, so I’m not worried she’s gonna wake up. After I drag his lifeless corpse through the tunnels, I race back to find Kieran leaning against the doorway to my bedroom examining her.
“Fucking Christ, Zain,” Kieran scoffs. His eyes skirt over Vesper’s listless, drugged body. Had to get her back here somehow. I miscalculated her curiosity…and I don’t fuck up. Ever.
He rakes his fingers through his curly waves and steps into the room. “You fucking drugged her,” he says flatly. He loses himself in a chuckle. “Goddamn, Zain. You really fucked up.”
“No shit. You gonna help or stand there like a useless asshole?” I ask dryly. She’s due to wake up soon. She can’t leave until I figure shit out first.
He shakes his head and crosses his arms. His eyes drift over her sleeping form sprawled out on my bed. “Always man, but you owe me for interrupting shit at Nyla’s party. I was getting my dick wet, and you fucked that up.”
I close my eyes and dig deep for a semblance of self-control. I’m a hair away from exploding, and I still need answers that only Kieran canprovide. Gotta get this shit handled first though. Didn’t think I’d be spending my evening torturing a dude, hiding a corpse, and drugging my girl, but here we are. It’s taking every ounce of self-control to not lose my shit on Kieran.
“Grab her fuckin’ feet and tie them to the damn bedpost,” I snap. Kieran shakes his head but does what he’s told. The guy never questions me. Never questions my fucked-up motives.
Her body is easy enough to secure. Amongst the shuffling, I find my switchblade tucked underneath her. I pocket it and realize that’s probably why she was here in the first fuckin’ place. She came to return it and shit escalated. Something burns inside me at the thought, but I quickly douse it.
My eyes trace back over her comatose form. Her long black hair frames her heart-shaped face. She looks almost peaceful. It’s a shame this is the last moment of peace she’s gonna get for a while. I’m not oblivious to the fact I can’t keep her prisoner, but she’s gonna hate that I won’t be disappearing from her life. The fact she’s found out that I’ve been letting her consume my thoughts the last few years, she’s gonna wanna know why. Still too soon to carry out the plan, though there’s light at the end of the tunnel.What a fuckin’ night.
He raises a brow as he ties her ankle. “You need therapy man. You’re fucking staring at her like she’s your last meal,” he jeers.
I’m on the edge of reason, ready to explode. Therapy? If anyone needs that shit, it’s him, but now isn’t the time to ruffle his feathers. I need answers. I let my anger resonate through my system, and it gets the best of me. “Comin’ from someone who obsesses over a new pussy every week?” I retort, fire burning in my words. I tie her wrist tighter than I mean to out of frustration.
His face turns tight. Hit a nerve. “At least I can feel,” he says with malice.
Keep it together, Zain.
Kieran quickly changes the subject and throws his hands up. “You good? Or can I get back to getting laid? Unlike other people, I actually have class tomorrow.”
“Since when do you give a fuck about class?” I say, dumbfounded, giving him a crinkled grimace. Dude gives as many fucks about class as I do. Not like he even needs that shit. He’s the dean’s son for Christ’s sake.
He scowls and crosses his arms over his chest. “Since now. Why do you give a fuck?” he says defensively.
I shake my head. “Who the fuck would want Vesper, Kieran?” I prod slowly, keeping my eyes trained on him.
Instantly, he bristles. His body goes rigid. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He buries his hands in his jeans pockets and tips his chin forward.
The prick is hiding something. Despite being my best friend, I won’t hesitate to throttle him if he lies to me. I step forward. “Cut the shit. Who would be after Vesper?” I ask again.
He lets out a deep exhale and rubs his hands over his face. “Fuck man, did something happen?”
So, the fuckerdoesknow something. “Talk. Now.”
He leans against my nightstand. “Man, you’re not ready for this level of shit,” he says cautiously, rubbing the back of his neck. Reluctance fills his tone.
I sit on the edge of the bed and caress Vesper’s soft black strands though my fingertips. “Try me,” I say, my eyes meeting his with pure, hateful, seething flames.
“If she was targeted, you’re fucked,” he starts, shaking his head. “The prestigious fucks in our school run an underground pleasure house. Wild shit. Sometimes consensual. Sometimes not. The girls for the pleasure house are…chosen.”
I assess his words. “Who? What girls? How?”
He blows out a heavy breath. “It’s run by the Elites. Anyone who has money and is affiliated with Grimshaw.” His eyes laser into me. He’s being vague instead of laying it all out. I don’t like shit sugarcoated. I want all the information.
