CHAPTER 27
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF
Killian
Lexi’s jab about the black hole where my heart should be meant nothing next to the rage tearing through my chest as Bass stood in front of her. His smirk held all the arrogance of someone who thought they were entitled to anything and anyone.
Including her.
I inhaled her sweet fragrance to distract the raging beast within. "Funny, Lexi, I could say the same thing about you."
She swallowed thickly. "I, uh, didn't know you were there."
The edges of my lips twitched. "Somehow, I doubt that would have stopped your insults."
Her eyes narrowed, but before she could speak, my stepbrother cleared his throat.
"Imagine my surprise when I spotted little Alexis Vega at Stonewall." He smoothed back a lock of golden hair that fell into his face. "However,youdon't seem that surprised, Killian. She obviously lied when she claimed you weren't aware of her presence."
Her head snapped in his direction. "I never said that. You assumed that. I just said we weren't close anymore."
Lexi seemed composed and collected for the most part. It was all a lie, though. Fear looped around every syllable she spoke, and fine tremors raced through her body. The way she looked at Bass, like he could be the next infamous serial killer, had my rib cage constricting.
Sheknew.
The moment Lexi encountered Sebastian Davenport, she put the pieces together about what happened the night of the masquerade party. My stepbrother was theBassshe heard, and she probably recognized the charming, urbane voice as the one yelling obscenities at the other girl.
Lexi was in even more danger now. She just didn’t have a clue.
"You all know each other?" Lorelei’s shrill tone distracted me from the terror pumping through my veins. She planted her hands on her hips, tapping her foot as she waited.
Bass's laughter grated on my eardrums. "Little Lexi and Kill grew up together. He worshiped the ground she walked on. That is until?—"
"You're full of shit, Sebastian." Lexi folded her arms and glared at my stepbrother while taking a tiny step away from him. "We were friends. Nothing more."
"And we're nothing now." My mouth curved into a disgusted scowl, one I didn't mean. "I have standards these days, and they don't include slumming with someone who isthatmuch beneath me."
Crimson bled into Lexi's cheeks, and those blue eyes flashed like lightning in the sky during a tumultuous thunderstorm. "I would rather rot than be with you, Killian Davenport."
I couldn’t allow Bass to believe I had any reason to protect Lexi. Hurting her feelings was better than my stepbrotherrealizing she was the girl who stumbled on his little murderous secret.
The fact that I’d cared about her once was enough for her to have a target on her back where my stepbrother was concerned.
"Let's get out of here, Lorelei." I grabbed the blonde’s hand, hating the smug grin she threw at Lexi.
Lorelei glued herself to my side, her fingers possessively curling around my arm. "Where are we going?"
“Don't worry, little brother,” Bass called. “I’ll take good care of Lexi.”
I couldn’t resist glancing over my shoulder, my blood boiling as Bass moved behind Lexi and wrapped his arm around her waist. She looked frozen, too stunned or scared to move.
“Let’s go to my room, Alexis.” The smile stretching over my stepbrother’s mouth would impress the devil himself. “We can play some games and find out how long it takes you to beg for mercy.” One of his hands slid up her ribs, fondling her breast.
Her expression morphed into pure horror.
Why the hell wasn’t she moving? The Lexi I knew would never just stand there, not unless fear had her completely, utterly frozen.
The chains on my inner monster snapped at the thought of her vulnerable and terrified.
