Page 27 of Their Cruel Play
I take a breath before looking at all of them.
“She said it was a guy in all black again. She trapped herself in the linen closet, and he tried to coax her out. But when that didn’t work, he was going to do it the hard way.” I pull her tight against me. “He wanted to take her virginity.”
“Anything else?” Luke sits with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped.
“He was about your size.” I glance down at her peaceful face, brushing her hair behind her ear. If I had my way, I’d take her up to my bed and curl up around her. Hide her away from the world.
“She needs to be seen tonight.” Eli glances at all of us. “If this guy is here, she needs to appear unaffected.”
“She needs a toothbrush first.” Harper lifts her head off my chest. “And I agree. This asshole wants me scared.”
Her eyes meet mine. She hasn’t completely forgiven me for the other night, and I’m still unhappy with her keeping shit from me, but right now, we have an uneasy truce.
“Now that the betting pool no longer exists,” Jack says, “if he was after her virginity, we should make it clear that’s no longer an option.”
Harper flinches. “You’re right. But when I asked him why he thought I was still a virgin, he said I’m innocent and wouldn’t give it up that fast.”
My fist clenches, but her hand smooths over it. When I loosen it, she slides her fingers into mine. My heart lodges in my throat as I lower my gaze to meet hers. She gives me a smile I haven’t seen in too long and my pulse jumps.
“A demonstration—” Eli starts.
“What the fuck?” Nico straightens. Harper shifts her gaze to Nico with a curious tilt to her head. “What kind of demonstration are you thinking? You want to fuck our girl in front of the masses? I’m down for a lot of shit, but I’m not degrading Harper for those entitled assholes.”
“Even if it protects her?” Eli points out. He can be a cold bastard, but he doesn’t like this anymore than the rest of us.
“Someone would film that shit.” Nico runs a hand through his hair. “It always gets out.”
“We’re not fucking Harper in front of everyone.” I pull her in closer to me and she rests her head on my shoulder. “I don’t think we have to take it that far.”
“A few well-placed rumors would probably be effective.” Jack meets Harper’s eyes. “How does anyone know we fuck anyone? Someone talks. They always talk.”
“Rumors may not stop this guy.” Luke hangs his head like he’s fucking exhausted. He turns to look at Harper. “Princess, what do you want to do?”
Her mouth drops open. “What?”
Luke straightens, holding her gaze. “You’re ours, but we’ve agreed to be yours. This affects us all, but mostly you rightnow, since you’re their target. I’m more than willing to prove to everyone that you’re mine, but you should have a choice.”
“Oh.” She straightens and her eyes are wide as she meets all of ours. Her fingers tighten in mine. “Jack is right. I don’t like it, but everyone knowing will at least stop them from coming for that. If the rumors come from a legitimate source, they might be enough.”
“Like one of us?” I ask.
Her brown eyes lift to mine. “Like me.”
CHAPTER 8
Preparing for Battle
Harper
This is going to be tricky, and I’m not sure I’m ready. But the four girls are waiting for us, and that’s actually going to work well for me. They’ll be the catalyst. Soon the whole school will know I’m no longer a virgin.
I take a deep breath and meet my eyes in the mirror above the sink. This is insane. If I thought the slut comments were frequent before, they’ll only get worse. The real question is will this stop whoever keeps coming after me? Or will it just make them change tactics?
When I come out of the bathroom, I assume we’ll go to the party, but no one gets up. I look around at the guys. What’s going on? But when my gaze collides with Luke’s, my blood heats. Oh.
“One last matter of business to take care of before we return to the party, princess.” Luke gestures me forward. When I stand before him in his chair, he leans forward and takes my hand. “Are you okay?”
I nod and the softness in his tone makes me want to climb onto his lap and hug him. Hug Death. Fuck, I’m not right in the head.
