“GIO!” I called his name when the break bell rang, but he kept walking, shuffling with a limping gait that only seemed to get worse as the day went on.
I grabbed his arm as he walked out of the double doors and headed for the trees that shaded the tables and seats.
“Get the fuck off me, Ryth!” He yanked his arm away.
“Wait,” I barked. “Gio, wait!”
He stumbled but kept limping toward a group of others who just watched us with cold, calculated amusement.
“I didn’t know.”
He stopped dead in front of me, his shoulders hunched, then turned, staring at me through the swollen slit of one eye. “You didn’t know…”
I swallowed, fighting the urge to wince at his face. It was even worse this close up. “No. I didn’t know.”
He stared at me, searching my gaze as a thick tear slid from the corner of his eye. I clenched my jaw. I was going to murder Tobias. Stepbrother or not, he was going to feel my goddamn wrath.
“You know, it’s sick what you’re doing with them.”
I flinched as though he’d slapped me. “What?”
“What you’re doing, it’s not right. Your mom is about to marry their dad.”
I shook my head, glancing to the others behind him. “It’s not like that.”
“Then what it is like? It looked pretty fucking obvious at the club.”
Heat burned in my cheeks as it all came flooding back to me. “They were protecting me from the goddamn bouncers. If they hadn’t put their fucking hands on me…”
“You were underage at a bar that’s notorious for sleezy assholes, what the hell did you think would happen?”
“I thought I’d be able to walk in there, underage or not, and not be goddamn assaulted, especially by the employees!”
The fire burned in me now for a whole different reason. “I didn’t see you being manhandled. But then again, I guess it doesn’t matter, not with the company you keep. But hey, if it makes you feel better about having friends who threaten and maim people, especially those who are inside prison, then go right ahead.”
Gio’s lips curled in a sneer. “You have no idea, do you?”
“No,” I crossed my arms over my chest, meeting his glare with my own. “But I’m guessing you’re about to tell me.”
There was a shake of his head. He started to turn away, then thought better of it, turning back to tower over me. “First their mom dies, then your dad is thrown in prison. Now you’re a part of their sick, twisted family. Seems a little convenient, doesn’t it? Tell me, Ryth, are you really that fucking stupid that you’re going to play happy fucking family, or do you not care?” I couldn’t escape his glare. “That’s it, right? You don’t care. Have they fucked you, is that it?”
I flinched, my breath catching in my chest. “That’s none of your goddamn business, and what do you mean it ‘seems convenient’?”
“You’re a smart girl, Ryth. Why don’t you figure it out?”
“Tell me.” I lunged, grabbing his arm, pulling him toward me as that savage side came roaring to the surface. “Tell me what you mean, Gio, or I’ll—”
He saw me then, saw the real me, the dangerous me. The part of me that was a little too much like my father…and it stung.
He looked at my hold on his arm, but he made no move to wrench away. “I felt sorry for you when you came here, that’s why I volunteered to show you around.” He met my gaze. “I felt sorry for you, being in that house with those fucking assholes. I thought you were different. But you’re not different, are you? You’re no better than them.”
He yanked his arm from my hold, took one last look at me, and said, “Stay the fuck away from me, Ryth. Just stay the fuck away.”
“Gio!” I barked as he strode toward his friends. “Gio! Tell me what you mean!”
My chest ached, like a strap cinched tighter with every step he took from me. I charged forward as they slid from their seats and left, not once looking my way.
I stared at Gio’s shuffling gait as he walked away. My head was spinning, trying to capture the meaning of his words. But they were a jumble, scattered and strange.
Seems a little convenient.
…a little convenient.
…a little…
What did he mean? What did he mean?
I closed my eyes, not even caring I stood in the middle of the grassy area in front of everyone. Creed’s driving this morning had shaken me. The way he’d acted…the way he’d looked. Now Gio. A wave of nausea rocked me as I turned, gripped my laptop, and strode away.
By the time the bell rang for class, I’d hit the street. I kept walking, leaving the school behind. I needed to think and I couldn’t, not in there, not now.
Cars flew past as I moved, crossing the street, making my way to I didn’t know where. Right then, I didn’t care.
A little convenient.
The words were stuck in my head and I couldn’t get them out, no matter how much I tried. A little convenient…a little convenient…a little—
“Stop,” I pleaded out loud. “Just stop this.”
My steps were automatic, my thoughts stuck in that loop. I grabbed my cell and my finger slid across the screen until I punched in the code to unlock it. But the moment I moved my finger over Nick’s number, I froze. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t call him…
I couldn’t call any of them.
I stopped walking, my heart in my mouth. First their mom dies, then your dad is thrown in prison…
Dad thrown in prison.
No. The reason he was in prison was because of the Rossis. I looked at my screen, but instead of calling my brother to come get me, I pulled up the search and started typing.
I was on the visitor list for the prison. I knew that. Dad had said if I needed to talk, he was only a call away. I entered the number for the prison, waiting for the guard to answer.
“Mitchelton Prison.”
“My name is Ryth Castlemaine and I was wanting to talk to my dad, Jack Castlemaine.”
“Hold.”
I stared at the cars as they passed, realising for the first time where I was. Our park was not too far ahead. I couldn’t believe I’d walked all the way here…
“He’s not available,” the guard snapped.
“Not available?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Do you know when…when he will be available?”
“No.”
No? “Okay,” I murmured. “I guess I’ll call back later.”
“Sure,” he snarled, then hung up the phone.
Not available. The words sat heavy in my chest. I pocketed my phone and kept walking, only this time every step felt like torture. I stopped at the edge of the park, my gaze moving to the spot where Nick had tackled me to the ground.
An ache tore through my chest and shivers followed, ones that tore a sob from my lips. Anger and pain collided, until they were all I could feel. Tears came, but I didn’t know if they were tears of shame or disgust. I didn’t know what I was doing…
Didn’t know what I was doing with them.
The memory of the heat of their passion died away as my phone gave a beep.
Nick: Why aren’t you at school, Ryth?
I stared at the message, my thoughts frantic. How could he know? I swallowed hard and typed with shaking fingers, I am at school.
Beep. The response was almost instant.
Nick: Lie to me again, Ryth, and it’ll end badly. Where the fuck are you…and who are you with?
“Who am I with?” I whispered. “Who am I with?”
That anger that seethed so close to the surface boiled over. “Who I’m fucking with?” I stabbed the screen, punching out the reply, and hit send. But the moment I did, I froze. “Oh shit…oh shit.” I stared at what I’d sent…as that sinking feeling took hold.
I’m with Gio. We’re fucking right now and he’s brought along his friends, what’s it to you?
I was so fucked.
Literally fucked.
I started typing, Nick, that was a joke and hit send. But there was no reply. Nick. I hit send again.
Still no answer.
Panic gripped me as I pressed his number to call and listened to his phone ring. “Answer the phone, Nick!”
My breaths were a roar in my ears as the call went unanswered. The heat of my anger was slipping away as I pressed the button again, listening to his phone ring, and ring…and ring.
Minutes, that’s all it took. A faint snarl came to my ears, familiar, sinister. Then the squeal of tires, sounding painful. I jerked my gaze up as a dark blur hurtled toward me. I was moving before I knew it, stumbling backwards as the Mustang took the corner sideways and fishtailed before the V8 engine kicked hard and charged toward me.
Terror gripped me as I stumbled, the car hitting the entrance to the park hard, kicking up stones as it came to a screeching stop. Nick was out of the car in an instant, his face full of rage as he scanned the park behind me. “Where the fuck is he, Ryth?”
I stumbled, still moving backwards. “Nick…I…”
He was unhinged, savage, rounding the front of the car to come toward me. Fear punched through me as I stumbled, my feet catching in the thick grass.
“I’ll fucking kill him!” he roared. “I’ll tear the fucking punk apart!”
I’d never seen someone so enraged, so completely unhinged, as Nick charged across the grass toward me. My laptop slipped from my hold and hit the grass, but I didn’t stop to pick it up…I couldn’t. I scurried, like the mouse I was…falling backward as Nick lunged.
He hit me hard, tumbling me to the ground, his crazed torment all I could see. “H-he’s not h-here…” I stuttered. “Nick, he’s not here!”
“I’ll fucking kill him if he so much as lays a hand on you.” My stepbrother glared into my eyes. “Tell me the truth, Ryth…who the fuck were you with?”
Violence.
Death.
His possessiveness was a fist around my throat. All I could feel was his cruel fingers digging into my shoulders and the heat of his breath on my face. In an instant, I was back there, prey for them once more. “Get off me!”
Rage burned in his eyes. “I don’t fucking think so, princess.”
Hard breaths. A look of cold madness. This wasn’t the Nick I knew. This Nick was…dangerous. He searched my eyes for the lies. “Tell me who, Ryth!”
“No one…okay? There isn’t anyone…” Tears came as I sobbed. “Anyone but you…all of you.”
“You sure about that?”
Through the haze, I saw his misery, his depraved longing, as he lowered his head, his deep voice compelling. “It’s too late for you, Ryth…far too late.”
The heavy feel of his hand came on my thigh, driving up my skirt, right here…in the middle of the park, in the full light of day.
“Too late for me to let you go…too late for me to forget about you.”
His hand slid between my legs and his fingers skimmed my sex.
“Nick…stop,” I whispered.
The shake of his head butted against my cheek. “You don’t get it, do you? There is no stopping when it comes to this. Not with you.”
Agile fingers dug into my panties, finding my clit and stealing my terror. I closed my eyes, hating how my body betrayed me. “I was angry,” I moaned. “And scared.”
“You scared now, Ryth?” he growled, his fingers digging under the elastic of my panties and plunging in.
I jerked with the invasion…and moaned.
“You scared now, princess?”
“Yes,” I groaned. “Yes, I’m scared.”
“Good.” He yanked his fingers away, then grabbed me around the waist before hauling me up from the ground.
“Nick…stop…my laptop.”
“Leave it,” he snapped, lifting me over his shoulder. “I’ll buy you a fucking new one.”
The sight of the laptop bounced with each stride, silver glinting in the sun before we dashed into the shadows. Cool air plunged between my thighs as he pulled me from his shoulder and pushed me against a tree.
“You fucking make me crazy, you know that?” he growled, pressing against me, his big hand kneading my breast. “I would’ve fucking killed him if he’d fucked you. I would’ve killed them all.”
He was a beast in that moment, a cold-blooded savage.
I tilted my head back as he kissed my neck, reached under my skirt to grasp my panties, and yanked them down. “I wouldn’t care. I’d go away for the rest of my fucking life.”
The thought of that terrified me. I shook my head as he knelt, tugging my panties off and shoving up my skirt. “Don’t…don’t say that.”
“They fucking touch you, Ryth,” He slid his hand up along the back of my thigh. “They’ll pay with blood.”
He pulled me closer and his mouth found my slit. Warmth rushed in, sliding, sucking, finding the part of me that came alive. I slid my fingers through his hair, bowing my spine, letting him go where he wanted. He made me want to fuck, made me want to disappear, Made me want to be nothing more than…this.
“Fuck me,” I croaked, fisting his hair. “I want you inside me.”
He rose, the taste of my hunger on his lips as he worked the button of his jeans, then shoved his zipper down. The door to the Mustang was still open, the keys probably still in the ignition. My brand new laptop lay on the grass out in the open, but right now, there was nothing more important than him.
He gripped my waist and lifted, driving me against the trunk of the tree. His thighs widened mine. His thrust was urgent, driving into me, and I couldn’t get enough. “Yes,” I moaned, dropping my head forward. “Oh God, yes.”
“You’re mine…you get that, Ryth?” he grunted, driving into me.
Hard friction made me feel raw.
I wanted it…wanted it all. Warmth moved through me and the slick sounds grew more insistent.
“You…belong…to…me.”
I wound my arms around his neck, holding on as he drove his cock inside me. Everything else melted away until there was just him…just us…just this.
The rumble of his growl invaded my hearing.
The scent of his sweat.
The punishing thrust of his cock.
It all brought me undone.
My body quaked, a pent-up moan tore free as stars exploded behind my eyes. “Make me yours,” I cried as I clutched him, pulling him against me. I couldn’t get enough, not of the feel of him inside me.
Nick braced his hand against the tree, driving his cock deeper and harder, until I jolted with the impact. He lifted his head, his glare brooding, and dangerous, and singlemindedly focused on me.
His pale lips curled against his teeth as he thrust deep inside me and let out a guttural moan. Sweat glistened on the top of his lip. He stared into my soul, invading, searching, leaving a tiny piece of himself in there.
“Next time I call…” he forced through hard gasps. “You fucking answer…got me, princess?”
I matched his brutal breaths with my own, my pussy clenching and throbbing as I nodded.
He slid out, leaving me empty and aching before lowering my feet to the ground. His towering presence was threatening as he caught my chin and tilted my gaze to his. “You understand me, Ryth? You make me unhinged like that again and you won’t like the consequences. I’ll chain you to my goddamn bed if I have to. I’ll fuck you until you forget anyone outside our family exists. Because you are my family, princess. No one else touches this pussy, get it? Tobias, Caleb…or me. You want to be fucked, you come to us…”
Desire raged with his words. He wasn’t letting me go…not until I gave in. “If I’m family, then you better understand I’ll hit as hard as I fuck.”
There was a tiny scowl.
I jerked my chin from his grasp, and glared. “Did you know Gio was the one Tobias attacked?”
He rocked back on his heels, understanding now…
But I wasn’t letting him get away so easy, even if I still burned for his touch. “Answer me, Nick…did you know?”
