Page 139 of Merciless

“Until you don’t run from us,” Elijah says.

I let out a humorless laugh. “Why would I stay here with you guys? I hate it here.”

“We’re taking care of the problem, birdie,” Elijah says.

“The problem?” I scoff. “It’s here in the room with me. Both of you did this. And now you’re acting like it’s someone else’s fault. It was all a lie the whole time. You made me fall for you both while you didn’t feel a thing for me.”

My chin wobbles with a sob, and I hold it back. They don’t deserve to see my tears. They don’t deserve to watch me fall apart.

“It wasn’t a lie,” Elijah growls. “What we feel for you is real.”

“How long have you been doing this?” I say.

Elijah’s eyebrows scrunch together. “Elaborate.”

“Don’t play dumb. You’re the one who’s been texting me. Was it you?” I jerk my gaze to Asher. “Did you break into my room and violate me?”

His eyes widen, then narrow to a scowl.

Elijah snorts a laugh and slips his hands into his pockets. “Direct the blame toward me. It’s been me the whole time, baby.”

My stomach flips, and I sink further into the bed. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re mine.” He moves around the bed and stops beside me. “You’ve always been mine. Just like you’ve always belonged to Asher.”

“This is so fucked up,” I whisper. “You broke into my room. Carved into me. Made me do this to you . . .”

“Yeah, baby. I did. You sucked my cock, and I fucked your tits. I made you my slut, and you loved every fucking second of it, so don’t you dare lie about it.”

My mouth opens, then snaps shut.

I hate him. I hate how right he is.

I was scared when he did it, but deep down, I accepted it. He pulled me from the light of what’s good and right and dragged me into his darkness, allowing me to set myself free.

“Do you think that will win me over? That I’ll forgive you for everything you’ve done?” I say instead. “You made me into your slut. I was nothing to you. I’m still nothing to you.”

“I never said you were nothing to me.” Elijah bends over me, his face hovering over mine, and he places his palm on the pillow beside my head. His lips brush against mine as he speaks. “Baby, I claimed you a long time ago. What’s mine is mine.”

“The bullying,” I say. “The name-calling by others. It was both of your doing?”

They tilt their heads at the same time. It’s eerie how similar they can be. They share a look before turning back to me and nodding.

“Both of you were the puppet masters,” I mumble. “You made everyone else do the dirty work for you.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and suck in a shuddering breath.

All the weird things that happened at school, becoming the target—it all makes sense now. It’s been this way since my mom married their dad. The friends I had disappeared and came back with bruises. They chased everyone away from me, isolating me from the world.

I’ve fallen for their lies and for them. It’s too late to go back now. I’m in too deep.

“Do you even like me?” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Or was that a lie, too?”

Elijah mutters a curse before his lips crash against mine. I turn my head to get him off, but he chases me, shoving his tongue into my mouth. I can’t keep fighting him. Instead, I lie still. He cups my cheek and nips my bottom lip when I don’t kiss him back.

“Open,” he growls.

I suck in a breath and part my lips. Elijah thrusts his tongue into my mouth, tangling it with mine. I can’t stop myself from kissing him back with as much ferocity.