by K. G. Reuss
But since Dom humiliated her, the two of them hadn’t gotten along. In fact, if Ivanov didn’t kill Dom, I was sure Bianca would.
“Are you still giving us the silent treatment?” I asked as I strolled beside her on the way back to her dorm Friday night.
She didn’t answer.
“Come on, B. We all have a part to play. If you fuck up, you’ve gotta pay, you know?”
She still didn’t say anything, a muscle thrumming along her jaw.
“B, seriously. This isn’t going to be fun if you’re not talking to any of us—”
“Shut the hell up, Valentino,” she snapped at me, stopping her march. “We don’t have fun. You guys don’t want me to have fun. What happened in the cafeteria sure as shit wasn’t fun. Do you have any idea what it was like to be forced to eat my lunch on my hands and knees while you assholes dropped scraps of food onto my plate? Huh? At least Hail didn’t humiliate me in front of people like that.”
“No, he just beat you and made you suck his friends’ dicks,” I shot back.
“I hate you assholes. I’m so sick of dealing with everyone.” She stormed away from me.
Sighing, I jogged to catch up to her.
“B, seriously, chill—” I reached out to grab her hand and stop her, but she turned and swung at me, smacking me across my face. Anger coursed through me, and before I could stop myself, I had her in my arms, hauling her against the side of the brick wall of Casian Hall, my forearm at her throat.
“Just because I play nice doesn’t mean I’m fucking nice,” I snarled at her. “I’m genuinely trying to get along here, B. What the fuck you gotta hit me for?
“Go fuck yourself,” she snapped before she spit on me.
I saw red. I grabbed her by her arm and towed her kicking and screaming straight to Dom’s dorm where I barged in to find him coming out of his bathroom in nothing but jeans. I threw her onto the bed and kicked the door shut behind me.
“What’s going on?” Dom demanded, glancing between us.
It was rare I lost my shit on a woman, but she’d hit me and spat on me in the span of three minutes.
“She’s pissed off. I tried talking to her, and she fucking hit me and spit on me,” I said, my chest heaving.
She sat up and glared at me. “Fucking baby. You had to run and tattle to Dominic?”
I stepped toward her, my fists clenched. “I’m not a fucking baby.”
“Easy.” Dom got between us. “What’s vexing you, wasp?”
“You, you fucking asshole. All of you.” She was on her feet and glaring us down. “I’ve spent the last week at your side, not talking, doing whatever you tell me to do, and for what? So I can eat my lunch on the floor at your feet like a fucking dog?”
“You aren’t allowed to speak to other guys without our permission,” Dom said smoothly. “You know that rule.”
“He said hi to me you fucking psycho. He asked me to hang out.” She threw her hands up. “It’s normal to say hi back. It’s normal to make friends and watch movies together. The fact you barbarians beat him sickens me. You disgust me.”
“The way you’re behaving disgusts me,” Dom said. “You asked for our protection and then act like we should be kissing your ass. That’s not how this works, sweetheart. You belong to us, not the other way around.”
“I can’t deal with this. It’s too much.” She shifted to step around Dom, but he stopped her, and in a flash, had her bent over his knee on the bed. She bucked and jerked on his lap, struggling to get away, but his hold was firm.
“Don’t touch me,” she snarled as he lifted her skirt, revealing her blue, lace panties. “Get your fucking hands off me!”
He glanced to me as I licked my lips.
“Are you going to stay and watch?” he asked softly.
I nodded. There was no way in hell I was leaving.
Dom moved his attention back to her. His palm came down hard on her ass, making her cry out and squirm more. He struck her ass cheek twice. Then he worked his fingers beneath her silk panties. Her face was red as she hung her head, her body trembling with her shaky breath. He caressed her for a moment before sliding her panties aside so I could see her glistening lips. He lifted an eyebrow at me, a sinister look in his eyes.
“Good girls get rewarded, wasp. Bad girls get punished,” he murmured, pushing his finger forward.
She cried out when he slid a digit deep into her pussy. I watched, my cock hard as stone in my pants, as he stroked his finger in and out, the sound making me dizzy with want.
He added a second finger causing her to let out a whimper. His thumb worked her clit. He moved faster, earning a soft moan from her.
“You want to come, wasp?” he asked as he continued to finger her.
“Dominic—”
“Yes or no?” he demanded.
“Y-Yes.”
He stopped immediately, making her wail in protest, and sat her up. Her face was beet red as she glanced over at me then to Dominic.
“Good girls get to come. Bad girls get to know they could have. You are to sit here and think about which kind of girl you want to be. Then maybe if you make us happy, one of us will make you happy. Understand?”
“Son of bitch,” she swore, glaring at him.
“I am.” He nodded. “But you need to learn your place. You’re not above us. You were literal trash we picked up, hoping to find a use for it. That’s all. Don’t think because I fucked you one time you have some sort of say in anything that happens. Now fucking behave or spend the rest of the week on your hands and knees eating like a bitch on the floor.”
He lifted her off his lap and placed her on the bed before going to his dresser and pulling out a t-shirt. She glared at him the whole time, a look which sent shivers down my spine.
“Is Levin setting up for the party?” Dom asked, completely ignoring Bianca who continued to scowl at his back.
“Yeah, I told him I’d meet him over there after I walked B back to her place.”
Dom turned back to her. “Vincent is going to walk you back to your dorm. You are to change clothes and get ready for the party. I want you in a red dress.”
“I don’t have a red dress,” she muttered.
He stalked to his closet and yanked out a box. He plopped it beside her on the bed. “Now you do.”
“What, you keep dresses in your closet?” she asked bitterly.
“Just for you, wasp.” He focused back on me. “Take her back. I’ll meet you at the party. Don’t worry about helping Levin. Keep an eye on Bianca. Fuck up Ivanov or his guys if they get too close. You know the drill. And don’t give her relief.” He gave me a pointed look.
Bianca scoffed behind us.
“You have something to say?” Dom asked, pivoting back to her.
“Only that I’d rather die than have any of you pricks touch me.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Dom said with a soft laugh. “That wet pussy of yours tells a different story.”
I thought she was going to launch off the bed and end him right there. Instead, she calmly got to her feet, her body trembling with rage, and marched to the door.
“Forgetting something?” Dom called out.
“No.” And with that, she stormed out of the room, leaving me with Dom.
“That girl. . .” Dom muttered, running his fingers through his hair. But there was the tiniest of smiles on his face.
I grinned at him. “I better go catch our busy little B before she kicks someone’s ass.”
“Take care of her, Vincent. She’s important.” For the first time ever, apprehension washed over his features.
“I will.”
And with that promise, I swept out to do just that.
Twenty-Five
Bianca
I refused to talk to Vincent, so we sat in my dorm watching TV while I painted my nails black.
“B, come on. Don’t be like this.”
I answered by turning the TV up louder so Damon Salvatore was all I co
uld hear.
“Damnit,” Vincent sighed, grabbing the remote from me and turning the TV off. “I hate you like this. I thought we were getting along.”
I placed the nail polish beside the red rose Dominic had given me the night he’d come over. That night was a rarity, so it seemed. He’d definitely done his best to humiliate me since then. I was a laughingstock at school. Even Hail looked as happy as a pig in shit as I ate my lunch on all fours like a fucking animal.
“B, baby,” he said, tugging me back onto the bed when I made to get up.
The term of endearment made my heart flutter, but then I remembered what a bunch of assholes I was dealing with, and I quickly tamed the wild butterflies.
“Stop.” He wrapped his arms around me and brought me closer as I lay on my back looking up at him. “Dom can be a dick. We all can. You need to understand that if Ivanov thinks you have it better with us, he’ll come for you. Right now, he’s enjoying watching you suffer.”
“I’m not an animal,” I said softly.
“I know you’re not.”
“Dominic treated me like shit. He went too far, and you didn’t do anything to stop it. You fed me from your hand. Fucking Levin poured water onto my tray and made me lap it up.” I swallowed, trying to push the laughter of the other students out of my head. “I came here to escape David. I came here hoping to find information about my father. All I’ve done though is try to stay alive. I don’t deserve this shit.” My voice finally cracked. “And then Dominic spanked me and fingered me in front of you. I’ve never felt like such trash before. I know I don’t come from money or anything, but I’m a human too. I’m not worthless like you all think I am.”
I wiped quickly at my eyes as Vincent frowned down at me. “I’m not. I just want my dad back and for my mom to be normal again. I want my life back. I’m treated like a piece of shit because you guys hate David, but I’m not a D’Angelou. I hate him. I fucking hate him.”
Vincent was quiet as I poured everything out for him.
“I feel like I’m in this hellish nightmare I can’t escape from. If I’m not saddled to one psycho, I’m stuck with another. I’m screaming for help, but no one hears me.” I braved a glance at him.
The frown was still on his face. His brows crinkled as he studied me. I wanted to tear these fuckers up. I had to be clever about it though because God knew they were.
“I’m not a bad girl, Vinny. I’m really not.” I used a nickname I made up on a whim to sweeten the deal.
“I know you’re not, baby,” he murmured, his hand moving to rest over my abdomen, his fingers skimming along the slit of skin peeking out from beneath my white button-down. “What can I do?”
“Help me. Really help me. I want my dad back. I need information that can help me find him. His name is Nathan Walker. He owned a small accounting business. It wasn’t much, but it paid our bills. Please, Vinny. Help me.”
“OK. I’ll see what I can do,” he said, dragging his fingers gently along the top of my skirt. “I have a lot of contacts. I’ll put some feelers out to see what I can find out. What else do you want?”
“I don’t know.” I reached for his hand and locked eyes with him. “Maybe you could give me what Dominic wouldn’t.”
He let out a soft sigh, allowing me to shift his hand between my legs.
“Please?”
“Fuck,” he growled. “Baby B, you know I can’t. You’re being punished—”
“I swear I won’t tell,” I said, reaching out and cradling his face.
He closed his eyes and breathed out.
“It’ll be our dirty little secret.”
“And if you tell on me?” he asked, searching my face for signs of my deception. “Dom would kill me for giving in to you.”
“I won’t,” I swore, knowing damn well I would when the time came.
War was a messy business, and I had to fight in the dirtiest ways I could. They were all going to pay.
I wasn’t this girl, or at least I hadn’t been before this shit show, but now it was a game of survival. If I didn’t make a damn move, they’d bury me in a shallow grave and forget my name. I wasn’t going down without taking them with me. I could be a petty bitch too.
“I want to come, Vinny,” I pleaded softly. “Please. I want it so much I can’t think straight. I swear I’ll be a good girl all night.”
“Just a night?” He chuckled softly.
I nodded, biting my bottom lip again. I was laying it on thick.
“What if I don’t want a good girl? What if I want a really bad girl?”
“Then let me come.” I reached out and forced all my bravery to the surface and pressed my lips to his.
He froze for a split second before he pushed me away without kissing me back.
“I can’t fucking believe I’m going to say this, but no. We can’t do that. Believe me, I want to. But you’re in trouble. Maybe when you’re not, we can.”
“You let Dominic run everything, don’t you?”
“He’s the boss most of the time, but we make a lot of decisions together because we’re a team.”
“But he’s in charge.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I guess he is.”
Damn. I thought he’d continue to deny it so I could tear at the seam of the group hierarchy. How the hell was I supposed to get through to tear them apart?
“But just so you know,” he said softly, reaching out to tilt my chin up. “I can fuck you whenever I want, just not when you’re in trouble. So be a good girl, and I’ll give you what you want next time.” His dark eyes flared with need, making my breath catch, as he leaned in, his lips a fraction of space from my own.
I swallowed hard. A knock sounded on my door. Vincent stilled over me for just a moment before he was on his feet, his serious face back on.
“Fix yourself,” he grunted.
I had no idea what he was talking about. Sure, I was flushed and flustered, but I was fine past that.
Another knock.
I fluffed my hair and looked wide-eyed to Vincent whose hand was on the doorknob. His dark-eyed gaze skirted over me, a tiny smirk on his face, before he spun and opened the door.
“Hey,” Aubrey called. “S-Sorry. I was just checking on Bianca. I haven’t seen her today. I-I didn’t know she had company.”
“B, your little friend is at the door.” Vincent opened the door wider, allowing Aubrey to step in.
She did so, casting him a quick, nervous look over her shoulder.
“Hey,” I said, shifting awkwardly on the bed and running my fingers through my hair.
“I heard you come into your room. I’ve been worried about you,” she said, glancing at Vincent who stood by the now closed door, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Oh. Yeah.” I swallowed and stared at Vincent who lifted his eyebrows at me. “Just been busy.”
Aubrey studied us for a moment before she nodded. “What’s got you so busy? How are you with. . . everything?”
“Not good,” I muttered.
“B,” Vincent warned.
I ground my teeth and forced a smile on my face. “But better now that Hail is a thing of the past.”
“I’m happy you got away from him.” Her eyes widened, and she cast a quick flick of her eyes to Vincent who couldn’t see her movements.
I nodded at her, and she reached out and squeezed my hand.
“I’m just across the hall if you want to talk. I’d like to hang out more at school.”
“Me too,” I said, really meaning it. I liked Aubrey. As far as Bolten students went, she was one of the kinder ones, and I thought of her as my closest friend.
“I was really pissed the other day when they made you eat off the floor. I thought you might be mad at me that I couldn’t stick up for you—”
“That’s enough. Aubrey, I’m sure you’ll be at the party tonight over at the dip?” Vincent took her by the arm and led her back to the door.
“Yeah, I’m going with Lyssa and Emy—
”
“Great. We’ll see you there.” He gave her a nudge out the door and closed it before she could say anything and stalked back to me as I got to my feet.
“Aubrey is the only friend I have here—”
“Shh.” He silenced me by pressing his finger to my lips. “Go get ready. Dom wants you in the red dress.”
“Fuck Dom, and fuck you.” I pushed his finger away and glared at him.
He let out a soft laugh. “I love our love/hate relationship, B, but what did we just talk about? Something about you being a good girl? You blow so hot and cold. I just don’t know what to make of you.”
I gave him the finger and hauled the dress out of the box before stomping to my bathroom and slamming the door behind me.
I showered quickly and busied myself with getting ready. The dress was so soft and light against my body, it felt like I wasn’t wearing anything. Of course, it was so low-cut it left little to the imagination. I had the girls pushed to the ceiling and prayed I didn’t need to bend over because my ass would surely hang out. I had no clue where the dip was Vincent talked about, but in a dress like this, it wasn’t like I could put on a pair of sneakers and rush out of the room.
With my hair curled in soft waves down my back and my makeup on, I stepped out to find Vincent lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling. He looked over at me, and a wide smile graced his handsome face as he stood up and came to me.
“Fuck, you look hot.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“I bought you something.”
I raised my brows at him, my bad mood still in full force.
“I got it that day you spilled your coffee.”
“You spilled my coffee,” I muttered.
He smirked down at me and unearthed a velvet box from inside his uniform jacket and held it out for me.
“Why are you giving me this? I’m your deal. Your captive. Surely, captives don’t get gifts from their captors.”
“You know damn well you’re more than that, B,” he said softly, brushing a curl away from my face. “If we didn’t care about you, we would’ve left you to Ivanov.”
“Right. That’s why Dominic bargained for my virginity, to keep me safe,” I said.
