Ruthless Bishop: Dark New Adult High School Bully Romance (Sinners and Saints Book 3)

by Veronica Eden

  He smirks. “I don’t get a parting gift for when I’m lonely at night?”

  “Connor!”

  An amused sound huffs out of him as he blocks my swatting hands, catching my wrists in his grasp. “All right, yeah. Fair. Although, little mouse, let me offer you some advice. Never trust anyone who has dirt on you. There’s always an extra copy.”

  “Do you have extra copies?”

  “Of course. Cloud backups.” He taps my nose. “You can smash my phone and I’ll still own you.”

  Biting my lip, I skate my gaze away. “So do I have to meet your parents? Are you going to meet mine?” I gulp the lump forming in my throat. “Look, I’ve—I’ve never had a real—”

  I gasp. Crap. I wasn’t planning on saying it, but then before I was aware, it was half out. Too late now. It’s difficult to continue.

  Closing my eyes, my words burst out of me all at once. “I’ve never had a relationship before, okay? I don’t know what I’m doing here. If I’m going to do it with you, we need to outline every expectation, or I’ll suck at this.”

  Silence follows my awkward admission. I crack my eyes open, wary of peeking.

  Connor has his lips pulled to one side as he considers me. He reaches out, tangling his fingers with mine, playing with my hand. My breath turns shallow as he drags his finger over my knuckles. It feels nice.

  “Not yet,” he says, watching my reactions while he touches me. The soft caresses get my heart beating erratically. Whatever he sees makes him nod. “We’ll take it slow. With the way you were texting me, I thought…never mind.” His expression turns curious and calculating. “Have you ever been kissed?”

  I shake my head, breath hitching.

  He hums and cradles my face with both hands. “Do you want to be kissed?”

  The timbre of his voice curls around me. I can’t believe I ever brushed it off because I thought I was talking to Wyatt. The answer was right in front of me all along. Connor didn’t modify his voice to hide it.

  That deep voice does things I don’t understand to my insides. It’s the same tone he always used on the phone. The dark, sensual voice of my dreams.

  Do I? My throat constricts. It will be my first. Connor will rob me of all my real firsts with this fake relationship.

  My lashes flutter as his thumbs glide over my cheeks. He doesn’t stop. The rich sandalwood and spicy scent wraps around me as he steps closer, angling his face toward mine.

  This is crazy. I should still be angry with him for yesterday, even with the apology I can’t get over how he made me feel overnight—being the person both behind my soaring heart and the one to send it crash landing into the ground.

  But his touch is so soft and gentle. I picture how his lips might feel on mine and an ache tugs in my chest. I do want it.

  “I—yes. But I don’t want it to be fake.”

  Those gray eyes trap me for a long beat. I think he’s going to kiss me anyway as his breath fans over my lips. My whole body feels alive, calling out for him.

  Then he eases out of my space, back to business in a cool, collected tone. “No kissing. Okay. What about other PDA? It’ll be hard to convince people we’re suddenly together if I can’t act like your boyfriend. Can I still text you?”

  I’m dizzy from the almost-kiss not happening. “Like holding hands? That’s fine. Um. I don’t know about texting. I didn’t know it was you. Obviously.”

  A rumble sounds in his chest.

  “Wyatt,” he bites out.

  I’m no expert, but he sounds kind of jealous. My brows hike up. That can’t be right.

  “Fine. I’ll leave it up to you. Ball’s in your court.” Connor grants me a cocky smirk. “Just like we started, with that hot little pic of your nightie you sent me.”

  Flustered, I sail right over the fact that text was never meant for his eyes. “What about when and where? Is this just for school?” I can’t see why his reputation hinges on having a girl by his side—me, specifically. “Or outside of school, too?”

  His expression closes off. “It’s whenever I say it is. You’ll do as I say and you’re going to behave. Don’t think you can get away with a long leash.”

  “So I’m just supposed to be at your beck and call when you need me to be your doll?” My eyes narrow. “That’s not fair. I’m not some toy to pick up and toss aside when you feel like playing with me. I have a life.”

  In a blink he’s in my face, growling as he corners me against the lab table once more. My throat throbs with my fluttering pulse, a spike of fear lashing me.

  “And I own it now.”

  Twelve

  Connor

  This is all some kind of trick to outwit me.

  I’d bet anything on it.

  What my little mouse doesn’t get yet? I’m not letting her escape the trap I’ve locked her in. She stumbled into my depraved kingdom, and I’m throwing away the key to strand her here.

  I crowd her against the tall worktable, muscles in my arms flexing. She puts on a frightened little expression that I don’t buy. I haven’t really scared her yet, not with the way she’s fought back, a mouse facing off with a lion.

  Thea is fascinating as hell going off on tangents in the face of danger, but I saw it yesterday when she stuck her nose where it didn’t fucking belong. Apples and fucking trees, man. I can’t forget it again. Can’t let the cute little way her nose scrunches distract me from the truth. She keeps knocking me off balance, but if she thinks I’m letting her go or allowing her to call the shots, she’s sorely mistaken.

  She comes off genuine and earnest, but it’s all a lie. Pretty wrapping to fool me into trusting her.

  My little sunshine daisy has hidden thorns and roots to choke her king. Beautiful, but destructive.

  Why do I keep letting her manipulate me when I’m supposed to be holding a guillotine over her head? This girl…

  She’s shredding my rep.

  I have to stop rolling over when she pulls the pretty puppy eyes on me, or throws such sound logic when she should be cowering in terror that I find myself giving in rather than putting her in her place. Like the end date demand—there wasn’t supposed to be one. Mom made a point about legacy and commitment, making it sound more long-term, but I had no way to tell her that without looking weak, not the formidable blackmail king she should fear. I can’t keep her forever, and I let her steamroll me. I guess I’ll figure something else out after graduation.

  “Got it?”

  Thea nods. “Got it.”

  “Great. Enough questions.”

  I shove down the annoying instinct that keeps catching me off guard, the one where I want to protect her. Like when I made her cry and immediately felt like shit for it. This is what lying bitches do, they get in your damn head and twist you up.

  Other than Devlin, Thea is the first person to ever talk back to me and not fear me on sight from the image I’ve cultivated. In the face of domination and demand, she talks back with logic and a bravery I didn’t know a shy chick like her could possess.

  But after dumping everything in her lap yesterday, now I know how far I can push her before she breaks. It’s information for later.

  I put a hand on her waist. Damn, I really want to kiss her, need to claim that mouth. All this verbal sparring with her is getting me horny.

  But she said no.

  “We could be having so much fun with this, sunshine.” I groan under my breath and bump my nose against hers. “You sure you don’t want to keep playing our game? Advance to the next boss level? There are killer perks and achievements. I want to show you what it feels like to come on my tongue for real.”

  She makes a delicious sound, like she took me at face value for agreeing to let her make the first move, but can’t handle the filthy words I’m whispering.

  The inexperience was a shock after the things we’ve done when sexting, but it’s intoxicating to know she’s a blank canvas. I want to paint a masterpiece on it, show her what it’s like to fuck the way we fant
asized about. It’s like I met two different girls, one confident and as devious as I am, and the one in front of me, trembling from a few words and my hand massaging her waist.

  “I…” She shakes her head. “Connor. This is a bad idea.”

  My lips trail over her cheek in the lightest brush. “My favorite kind.”

  She laughs, breathy and soft. It makes my dick harder.

  “They’ll be your favorite, too. Let me show you how to live, sunshine.”

  Fuck yes, I think as she puts her hands on my shoulders, pulling me in.

  The door bangs open, startling both of us. A shadow fills the door, back-lit by the bright hallway lights.

  “Thea? Aren’t you supposed to be in your world history class?”

  Coleman.

  He looms in the door, keeping to the shadows as Thea stiffens beside me.

  “Mr. Coleman,” she says.

  Is that relief in her voice? I swing my glower to her, getting more pissed off by the second at the way she’s focused on him.

  What the fuck.

  It takes a second for my brain to kick into gear, but once it does, Thea has danced out of my arms, drawn to Coleman. He falls back a step, the light in the hallway showing his smarmy face. The satisfied curve of his mouth ignites a rage in me.

  What. The. Fuck.

  Sure, he’s a teacher, but this guy is always around Thea, especially when I’m alone with her. It’s improbable he would just happen to be walking by her all the time. I followed him yesterday when he tracked Thea to the baking classroom. This is all wrong, blaring a dissonant clang in every bone in my body.

  “Get to class, Mr. Bishop,” he says in a clipped command.

  I grin without a trace of pleasure. “Sure thing.”

  “Come on. I’ll escort you to your class.” He steers Thea down the hall with a hand resting lightly on her back. “You’re really surprising me lately with this behavior. It’s not what I expect from you.”

  Coleman walks off with Thea. She doesn’t look back at me once. Nothing about this feels right.

  Halfway down the hall, I catch her simpering. “I can explain, sir.”

  My stomach ices over. Goddamn it. I got swept up in her again.

  Still suspicious and questioning why Coleman is always around Thea, I rub my jaw as I head for my car to smoke a joint. I have practice later, but fuck being here right now.

  Thirteen

  Connor

  Practice is gruesome. Two guys have knelt in the grass at the sidelines to puke. A few more are sprawled and groaning across the field. Devlin’s got a wicked gleam in his eye from the torture I’m taking out on the guys.

  I stand on the center line with my hands on my hips, spitting on the ground. My throat is raw from shouting directions at them for the last forty-five minutes. “Shape the fuck up. This is not the team I know we are.”

  Which is true, because I’m taking all my annoyance out on them. For once, I don’t want to be here, but I can’t skip soccer.

  All I want to do is get out of here so I can do more digging on Thea. I might be blackmailing her, but I still want to claim those pink lips. We were about to kiss, having a real taste of her was in my grasp. Then Coleman showed the fuck up and ruined it. She flipped a switch so fast, it’s got alarm bells going off in my head.

  I’ll hunt down every secret she’s ever hidden so I don’t have any more surprises with her. Then I’ll fucking devour her.

  Devlin is in full Devil Boy mode with his own demons, enjoying the show. Damn sadist. He dribbles a soccer ball, flicking it from his toe to bounce off his knees.

  “The hell did we even do?” Sean mutters to Trent as he helps him to the bench for their water bottles.

  “Beats me,” Trent answers, glaring at me as they pass.

  I shake my head, not in the mood for my favorite pastime or my so-called friends. “Can’t keep up? Quit popping your dad’s oxy pills, then maybe you’ll have some stamina. The pros go harder than this.”

  Trent lunges at me with a growl. Sean holds him back with a worried look, like he’s afraid of what I’ll spill about him. I grant them both a vicious grin. They back off, exchanging wary glances.

  “Fucking psycho,” Sean says in an undertone.

  He better watch it, or I will spill his dirty deeds. Porn addiction, that one. Nasty shit, too.

  “Another lap, captain?” Devlin asks as he cycles the ball from his toe, to knee, to chest, and over again with perfect control. Showoff. “If these guys can gossip on the field, they haven’t had enough.”

  “Nah. Get the fuck out of my face, all of you.” Flapping my hand in dismissal, I head for the showers. I don’t care. “Game against Ridgeview East Valley coming up. Coach can deal with you.”

  Devlin follows, lacing his fingers and putting his hands behind his head. “You good?”

  “Yeah. Just an intense day.”

  He pops my shoulder with the back of his hand. “You need anything?”

  “I’m good. I just need to cool off. Unwind.” I’m going to shower, go home, and pack a bowl. That’ll do the trick to kill the edge close to choking me. “It’s chill, bro.”

  “All right, cool. I’ll catch you later.” Peeling off from the path to the locker room, Devlin heads for the parking lot without showering.

  I head into the locker room and rush through a shower. There’s something else on my agenda when I get home.

  Thea is what she seems at first glance. Sweet, kind, and all about a positive outlook. But that’s bullshit.

  Only forest creatures in cartoon movies are that pure-hearted.

  She’s a liar like everyone else, but despite the lies she gets my dick hard. I want her.

  “I’ll find you,” I murmur as I poke through her search history thanks to the backdoor I left on her WiFi network. “Every secret. It’s all mine, little mouse.”

  The clack of the keys are as soothing and relaxing as the bowl I smoked when I got home. I tore through two bags of Doritos and rode the high until the buzz wore off. Now I’m hunting for anything that will give me more insight into who I’m dealing with.

  As I dig through her social media accounts, I find something new. One that wasn’t in the recent browser history when I looked before. It’s a blog site.

  Once it loads, my stomach tightens.

  “The fuck?” I mutter, bombarded by post after post of pictures.

  She’s younger, her face a little rounder. The newest post has a date stamp of almost two years ago. I’m guessing she’s around fifteen or sixteen in these, but the blog archive goes back three years before that.

  “For a girl who goes unnoticed, you sure did want to be seen.”

  By a rough count, there are hundreds of posts. Maybe thousands. When it was active, it looks like she was posting at least three times a week.

  There’s nothing too wild, but my brows jump up when I see a few that are questionable. Even though we’re the same age, I feel skeevy looking at these. Sickos on the internet would have a field day with the gold mine she’s offering up. It’s not even password protected and private. Public fucking everything for all of her accounts.

  My first thought is to lock this, but she could notice if she still accesses the site. It was in her search history, so she looked at it recently.

  I was right. She was hiding more secrets. Everyone lies; haven’t I learned that lesson enough times by now?

  Somehow, victory doesn’t taste great. A bitter tang fills my mouth as I click on a few of the posts, skimming the comments. It’s a small relief that the blog seems inactive, but if she pulled it up recently, she might be thinking about using it again.

  So help me, if she posts any of her pictures to this shit now, I will put her on lockdown and fry her devices so fast.

  Ironic, since I’m using her nudes to blackmail her. A snort shakes my shoulders. Whatever, semantics.

  My eyes narrow as I scroll through. Most of the comments make me scoff, but some of the creepier ones have my sk
in crawling. One username catches my eye.

  Henry_Your_GoodKnight: Beauty beyond measure princess, but what really gets me is the way you smile. Your intelligent eyes say it all, love. You’re longing for the world to show you all it has to offer.

  “Yikes.”

  That one has internet predator written on it in neon blinking lights. I’m about to doxx this fucker for being all over her blog, on every post with multiple comments. The law can suck it. I’d be doing them a favor. Thea better not have given this guy the time of day.

  Why the fuck would she subject herself to this for so long without blocking these basement-dwelling neckbeards?

  I knew her security was lax as hell when I first hacked her computer, but doesn’t she understand how easily this creep or any other on the internet could find her? She didn’t even block her photos from download permissions or hide the metadata, putting her location on blast to any dickhead with half a brain.

  Shaking my head, I close out of the window.

  This girl is going to get me in a mess of trouble, throwing wrenches into my carefully laid plans. I’m supposed to be biding my time until I can break away from this place. All I needed was a fake girlfriend—one of my choosing—to show up when I needed her.

  The plan was never someone seducing me with her curvy body, her addictive scent of fresh baked cookies that clings to her skin and hair, and that bright smile. How has a girl that exudes so much sunshine gone under my radar from so long?

  Because it’s all a lie. A girl like Thea is too good to be true.

  I set an alert to notify me when she pulls this site up so I can keep an eye on her like a corrupt guardian angel.

  Those protective instincts kick back in, rearing up with the urge to bust down her front door and stand between her and the world.

  Fourteen

  Thea

  Sitting in the middle of my bed, armed with my stuffed sea lion, I’m throwing a pity party. I can’t kick the down and dirty feeling. It’s clung to me all day, ever since Mr. Coleman found Connor and I in a compromising position.