Page 159 of Their Cruel Play
“What’s that, Pestilence?”
He smirks and leans in to my ear, speaking quietly enough for only me to hear. “Blood doesn’t scare us. This time we’ll give you a pass, but next time, blood or no blood, we’ll play with you how we want.”
Heat spirals down between my legs. Fuck. That shouldn’t key me up. None of what these guys do to me should affect me like this. But they light me on fire and enjoy the burn.
Eli shifts me on his lap to face the table again. He hands me an apple. The tightness inside me eases a little. This is familiar. This is typical. Now.
What happens when they pull this all out from underneath me?
Why am I letting those girls get to me? If it had been about any other girl they fucked, would I have worried? I’ve seen the way they interact with Rebecca, like she isn’t even there.
I don’t even know which one of them did the deed. She hates Eli. That’s the only thing I know. That girl implied she fucked Eli in front of Rebecca. Is that a thing they would do? Would that have been at a party?
There are too many unknowns for me with the horsemen. I didn’t have a front row seat. I hid in the back and hoped they wouldn’t find me. And now, I don’t know their history. Not the way those girls do.
Wouldn’t Kenz have said something? Maybe Penny and her group would know. Maybe I can text them later and ask. But what do I ask? If they knew about Rebecca Forester and what happened to her? I could go to the diner and ask Rebecca myself.
I’m not sure she’d talk to me though. She’d have no reason to tell me about her humiliation. But the worst she can say isno. But how could I trust anything she says?
My brain keeps spinning through lunch. The guys talk around me like they always do. I zone out like I usually do.
What she had with them had to be different than what’s happening with us.
Luke’s never shared before. Nico’s new to this all. They’ve let me in. Or at least they seem to have let me in.
Maybe it’s just my period making me off. Maybe I’m just paranoid.
“Come here, little nympho.”
I lift my gaze to Caden’s steady gaze. How do I know if any of this is real?
Eli helps me to my feet and I go around the table to Caden. He draws me down on his lap.
“Where are you?” he asks softly.
I blow out a breath and lean my head against his chest. His heartbeat is steady in my ear.
“Just thinking.”
He threads his fingers with mine. “You’re not mad at me about art class, are you?”
“No. Surprised, but not mad.” I look at our hands. This is real. What I feel for him, it’s real. “Relieved, actually. I was considering working alone on the project and taking the hit to my grade. He wanted to pick a fight. He wanted me to keep getting him kicked out so he could tell his sob story to the counselor and we’d be behind and have to work after school.”
“I would have never let that happen.” His arm tightens around my center.
“I know. You protect me.” I tip my face up to his. “Always, right?”
His green eyes are sincere as they meet mine. “Always.”
CHAPTER 44
Post Apocalypse
Nico
Even though I’ve dreamed of coming back here and sweeping Harper off her feet, somehow, I never actually planned a fucking date. And I know it has to be epic because it’s her first date, and I’ve fucked up.
I can’t bring her to my house because I don’t want to introduce her to my dad and deal with that shit. Luke and I talked some more about our fathers during school, but none of it makes sense.
