Page 53 of Heartless Lord
Red wasmine.
Axel had spread the word to the brothers that Lexi Vega was off limits. While she was here, if one of them had so much as looked at her for too long, they’d ended up with a black eye or a split lip. Some earned both.
“Uh, Killian?” None other than Micah Preston cleared his throat as he approached me, a black bag draped over his shoulder. “I got your tux. Want me to put it in your room?”
My fist hit the bag again. “Where the hell else would it go, pledge?”
He pushed his glasses up with his finger. “I’m pretty excited about this charity ball. It should be fun.”
“Whatever.” Forced into a penguin suit, schmoozing with boring alumni and Ascended sounded like the dullest night possible. I’d rather be stretched out on my bed, watching a certain redhead bending over to clean my baseboards.
“I even have a date.” The stupid grin pulling at his mouth captured my full attention, and I knew I wasn’t going to like the next words out of his mouth. “I’m taking Lexi Vega.”
Apparently, this little prick didn’t get the memo.
Ringing filled my ears as a blood-red haze coated the various exercise machines and dumbbell stations. Images of Micah with his grubby hands all overmyRed filled my brain, and my restraint snapped like a brittle twig. Before my brain could catch up, I grabbed the collar of Micah’s pledge shirt and slammed him into the charcoal wall.
“You touch Lexi, and I’ll cut your fucking hands off.” The voice coming out of my mouth was a dark, twisted version of the one I’d cultivated over the years. Every syllable held a cold, crueledge, and spikes coiled around the words, longing to stab Micah Preston.
The pledge dropped my suit and swallowed hard. “Dude, we’re just going on a date. And y-you don’t own her.”
My laugh would have made most men piss themselves. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
I did own Lexi; for the semester anyway. Of course, staying away from Micah was part of our arrangement, and if I shattered a few of his bones, that would break our deal.
“Whoa, little brother, what are you doing?” Bass jogged toward us in workout sweats, his hair tousled, cheeks flushed, and lipstick smeared on his neck. “Let the pledge go.”
I released Micah, smoothed his shirt, and flashed that fake, polished smile I’d grown accustomed to using. “Everything’s fine. Just a misunderstanding, right, Micah?”
The pledge nodded and retrieved my suit, his face void of color. “I’ll, uh, just take this to your room then.”
After Micah scurried out of the gym, Bass studied me so hard it felt like my skin would melt off. “What’s up with you, Killian? I heard you’ve been a little short-tempered lately, and that it’s all over some chick.”
My nape prickled at the curiosity in his tone, but I played aloof and returned to the punching bag. I’d kept Bass away from Lexi any time she was at the house, and even though she knew I had a stepbrother, she didn’t know he was in Sigma Delta. I didn’t want her connecting more dots and figuring out what happened the night of the masquerade party.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t get bent out of shape over a piece of ass. I just don’t like Micah Preston.” Besides having a thing for Lexi, there was something off about him.
“Whatever you say, bro.” His smirk filled my gut with knots. “But you better start liking him.”
My fists dropped as alarm bells screamed in my ears at the sadistic glee penetrating my stepbrother’s blue eyes. “Why?”
“Brothers above all.” Bass flicked the serpent and dagger tattoo on his forearm. “Micah Preston is getting tapped. He’s going to be one of us.”
CHAPTER 18
SECRET SOCIETY OR WHATEVER
Lexi
“Thank you so much for coming with me tonight.” I stared at Cordi through the mirror as she zipped up my dress. Well, her dress. I could never afford to buy this designer gown for the alumni event at Sigma Delta. I didn’t even want to go. After a week as Killian’s bitch, that house was the last place I wanted to be.
But I couldn’t let Micah down.
So, I’d roped Cordelia into hunting down a date and, of course, she’d scored the exclusive invite.
“Please, Axel Vanderhart should be thanking you for the pleasure of my company.” She smirked, sweeping a lock of purple hair behind her ear. “And can I just say you look amazing in this dress? Red is definitely your color.”
Did I wear the deep crimson hue to fuck with Killian? Hell, yes I did. It was the perfect throw back to our first interaction at Stonewall. Plus, if he insisted on calling me by my childhood nickname, then I’d own it. I ran my hand down the silky materialthat hugged every one of my Latina curves, and a smile curled my lips. The indecent neckline would have Killian drooling. Never in a million years did I imagine my former best friend wanting me like that, but there was no denying it after last week. He was hard as hell between my legs, the feel of him branded in my mind. He might have hated me, but he wanted to fuck me more.
