by J Bree
Fuck that. “What does Joey like? That’s the quickest way to figure out how to get back at him. We need to stop being reactive and start being proactive.”
Avery’s lips quirk up at me as she starts to empty the plates off of the tray. “Nothing but himself and cocaine. And money, I guess, but we can’t touch that without it affecting Ash and me.”
Cocaine. Unfortunately, I had some experience with the shit and I’d give anything to be able to wipe it from the surface of the Earth.
“Ok, I think I can work with that. Give me some time with it.”
She nods and the guys all arrive and take their seats. Ash is moving a little hesitantly and I share a look with Harley. Avery puts her phone away and rolls her eyes at some stupid joke Blaise is telling her. I don’t listen to any of them while I plan.
I grab my iced coffee from the tray then I pour out a glass of juice for Avery. There's a filmy residue on the glass as I pass it to her. It feels slick on my fingers but not soapy. It's more of an oily texture. I think about wiping my fingers on my skirt but I get that pulling feeling in my gut. I've completely zoned out the conversation around me and I don't even hear Blaise start to tease me about smelling my fingers. It smells minty. It's smells like…
My hand shoots out and knocks the cup out of Avery's hand as she raises it to her lips and directly into Ash’s lap. Avery gasps and lurches backwards and Ash snaps at me, “What the fuck is wrong with you, Mounty?”
“The glass is oily. Smell it. It smells like Harlow does after gym class. She rubs down with Wintergreen oil.” Harley’s eyebrows shoot up but the others look at me with blank faces. “It's a type of natural aspirin and she's put it in your juice. She's fucking poisoned your drink, Ave’s.”
Silence.
Stunned, no one speaks or moves until finally Ash lifts the glass out of his sopping wet lap and smells it. I watch as the storm rolls in over his eyes.
“That. Fucking. Cunt.”
I stand abruptly and look around the dining hall. Blaise gets up to look as well and Harley starts drilling Avery for answers.
“Did you drink any? Are you sure it was her? I need to know I'm fucking killing the right bitch.” Harlow is nowhere to be seen. Ash’s face is starting to crack, the perfect mask he puts on everyday shattering and leaving behind only the ruthless protector. I see the same fire burning there that I’ve seen in Joey dozens of times and it sends a shiver through me. I have to admit to myself that it's not a bad shiver.
“I'll handle this. Avery, go back to our room and get cleaned up. You guys need to walk her up and stay with her until I get back.” I say and then I slip away from the table. I get three steps before Ash’s hand wraps around my elbow and wrenches me around to face him.
“Mounty-” I cut him off, all of the anger and hurt bubbling out of me without a care at who was watching. I’m angry that he’s been hurt again and now Avery’s had another close call. I can’t help but direct it at him.
“How could you ever think I was in on this? How could you think I wanted to hurt her? You've spent the last year watching us together, do you really think I'd try to kill her?”
His eyes flash and then, finally, the soft edge creeps back in. “I don't. I… fuck, you in. You’re family now. I'm coming with you and I'm helping you take Harlow out.”
The girls dorm is a hive of activity and Ash’s presence only makes it worse. I duck into my room to grab my lock picking kit and then I break into Harlow’s room, unconcerned by the whispering audience. She’s had the locks changed and upgraded but nothing could keep me out, not in the fucking rage I’m in now. Ash watches me carefully, his glacial mask dropping so I can see how impressed he is. Once we’re in I find a much cleaner room but there’s still stolen shit everywhere. I scoff and poke around for a second.
“What’s the plan?” says Ash as he grimaces at the clutter. I bet he’s a neat freak like Avery.
“I’ll deal with her. I’m just checking to make sure the psycho bitch isn’t the one stealing my panties.”
Ash grunts in acknowledgement and starts moving piles of clothes around but we both come up empty handed. Dammit. I find one of our assigned textbooks for history, a huge hardback, and grin as I heft it into my arms. Ash eyes it warily.
“What do you want me to do? I don't hit girls but I will help with anything else.” He doesn't look at me as he talks but the sincerity is clear in his tone.
“Go sweet talk Chastity next door and get her to turn her music up loud enough that no one will hear what happens.”
Ash nods and then hesitates. “Don't accidentally kill her…and don't get caught.”
If I kill her it won’t be an accident but I nod and he leaves, shutting the door quietly behind him.
He's much faster than I expected. Less than a minute later the throbbing bass line of the shitty electronica Chastity insists on listening to starts vibrating the walls. I grimace but it'll do the job.
I stand behind the door facing the mirror. There's a chance she’ll see me in it before she steps through properly but that'll make her Ash’s problem. I'm betting on her being complacent. No one has been attacking her in her rooms, everything we've done so far has been about exposing her malicious actions. I'm done with that. I raise the textbook in my arms and focus.
I don't have to wait long.
Harlow eyes connect with mine as the door swings shut behind her. I see the flash of fear in them just as the textbook slams into her nose and breaks it for the second time. She collapses to the ground and I grab a fist full of her hair.
I can't hear the screaming, thank god, and this time instead of holding her still I drag her over to her bed and lay her out. She's sobbing, great heaving breaths bursting out of her chest, and her hands are covering the mess that is her nose. I pull my knife out and show her the blade.
She freezes.
I lean down to speak into her ear so she can hear me over the music. “I thought about slitting your throat for what you did. I thought about gutting you, nice and slow, just like you deserve. I could bleed you out and then call in an old friend to make you disappear, and you would disappear Harlow. No one would ever find you. But instead, I'm going to remind you that you're not invincible just because you bow to Joey Beaumont. You're pathetic and someday soon he’ll run out of uses for you. You'll be his next victim and no amount of loyalty you show him will stop that.”
I hack away at her hair until half her scalp in bared. I need her afraid. I need her so fucking terrified that she will never think about hurting Avery again because if she does I'm going to have to take her out.
“Now, I know you're going to want to run off to the principal or Joey to tattle on me but remember this: Avery Beaumont runs the cleanups at Hannaford. Joey’s too fucking high to manage anything and Trevelen is bought and paid for. He belongs to us. You'll wear this warning and you'll swallow your pride because if you don’t, next time I’ll take your head instead of just your hair.”
I throw the fistful of locks on her chest and I walk out without looking back. Ash takes one look at me and follows me out.
I pull my phone out and text Avery the details.
My arms are shaking.
The dark part of my heart, the inky black stain that lets me become the Wolf, grows and becomes something wild. I’ve never used it to keep someone else safe like this before. It’s the first time I haven’t felt dirty for using it. Avery Beaumont will wake up tomorrow because I’m suspicious and have the gut instinct of a seasoned FBI agent. I’ve never been so relieved to be so damaged.
I stumble and Ash grabs my arm to steady me. He looks down at me with unreadable eyes and I just stare back at him, open and honest about what I’ve done. I mean, I’m covered in blood. There’s no hiding that.
“Come to my room. You can clean up there before you see Avery.” He says, his voice low and raspy. I nod and let him lead me to the boys dorms. There’s a lot of eyes on me as I walk one step behind Ash. At first I think it’s the blood, t
hat would make any normal person curious, but then as we make it into the dorms I spot Lance and I see him frown. My chest tightens like a vise. Of course none of these rich assholes care about some blood. They’re all pissy because they think I’m about to fuck Ash and let him win the goddamn sweep.
I should have gone back to my own room.
“Take a photo of her right now, Smithson, and you’ll never walk again. Do you think your father will still love you if you’re not on the State Track team?” sneers Ash and suddenly the room is moving and no one is looking my way. I can breathe again.
We stop outside a door at the end of the hall while Ash unlocks it. I take note that he has the same lock system as Avery and I do and I know she must’ve organized it. Then he steps aside to beckon me into the room.
It’s fucking surreal.
The room is the exact same layout as the one Avery and I share but with an extra Cal King. There isn't a doubt in my mind over who sleeps where. Ash’s bed is immaculately made, dark bedding, his nightstand only holding a phone charger and a pair of glasses.
Harley's bed is also perfectly made but he has a patchwork blanket on the end and books overflowing from the nightstand. At the foot of his bed there's a bookshelf with even more books.
And then there's the messy nest that Blaise sleeps in. Every looks clean enough but I can still see the exact position he must've woken up in etched into the pillows and blankets. There's a guitar hanging over his bed and picks everywhere. Tantalizing, there's an open notebook on the pillow and I can see his writing and little pictures all over the pages. His lyric book. Fuck me. He’s been sharing little snippets with me for months but it’s still tempting as fuck to look.
I do a double take when I see the photo I gave Avery for Christmas on the wall in their kitchen, framed and placed where they’d all see it everyday. My heart does a weird little flip in my chest and I have to look away.
“I'll grab you something to change into, the towels are under the sink. Use whatever you need.” Ash says as he moves around the room. He doesn't look at me and I'm worried he's regretting bringing me here.
“I can go. Ave’s seen me worse than this, she's fine.”
He snorts and flicks the coffee machine on. My stomach rumbles. I missed out on dinner and caffeine sounds perfect.
“Just take a shower, Mounty.”
So I do.
The bathroom looks more like I'd expect from three guys living here. Piles of dirty laundry and towels are in the overflowing basket and there's shaving cream still in the sink. I strip off and, with little options, I throw my clothes into their washing pile. Avery can get them back for me and I make a note to ask her. The water is cranked and blisteringly hot. I’m weak so I use a little bit of each of their soaps and shampoos. I like them all but I love the smell of all three mixed together more.
Once I'm out and wrapped in a towel Ash knocks and hands me a pile off clothes without looking at me which actually is exactly what I need because I'm a bumbling, blushing idiot only covered by the towel. Then I slip my underwear back on and the yoga pants he's handed me. They're Avery's, I've seen her in them before, so it's a decent fit and I don’t have to think about which girl left them behind in his room. The shirt is one of his, a black v-neck that's softer than cashmere and hangs off of my small frame.
I dry my hair and once it's tied up I take a deep, calming breath to walk out.
There's a cup of coffee on the bench, and Ash has one of his own, so I grab it and take a big gulp, praying the heat soaks into me and the caffeine gives me the energy to get through whatever bullshit Ash is going to throw at me.
“Why did Joey call the juniors off last year? The real reason.” He still doesn't look at me from where he sits on his bed, his long legs braced against the floor and his big hands cradling the coffee cup.
“Someone from Mounts Bay found out about the bet. He's Joey’s dealer. Actually, he's the top of the drug dealing food chain. This guy didn't like the idea of me being a bet so he warned Joey off.”
Ash hums and takes another sip of his coffee before putting it down. “Why didn't Joey just find a new supplier?”
“The guy owns all of the dealers. Everyone in the state leads back to him so he told Joey that he'd never touch an ounce of anything again if he didn't back off.”
Ash nods again and I tip back the last of my drink. I want to fidget but I force myself to stay still. When Ash doesn't say anything else I start to move towards the door, giving him space seems like the right thing to do right now.
His fingers curl around my wrist to stop me. His eyes stay trained on the floor, unblinking, and I take a step towards him. My heart is thumping, I don’t know why but I feel like something has shifted in him and finally the gaping chasm between us is going to disappear. He tugs me into him and moves his free hand to the back of my neck, gently cradling the nape of my neck and rubbing the silky curls there.
With his height and the height of the bed, I still have to tilt my head up to look at him. Standing between his legs, looking up into his icy blue eyes, he’s surrounding me until all I can see, all I can feel, is him. I take a shuddering breath and the sound of it breaks the dam of his control and he pulls me into his kiss.
His lips are hot and demanding, he swallows my gasp and pushes me for more until all I can do is give in to him. I’m less nervous about kissing now, thank god. I want to give him everything I can and he grunts as my teeth tug on his bottom lip. His hands move to fit over the curve of my waist, his fingers stroking and teasing me. He groans and lifts me up against his chest, my feet dangling and his strong arms banding around me, holding my weight like it’s nothing.
I can’t think. The world around us is spinning and turning until I’m laid out on his perfect bed and he’s hovering over me, our bodies only touching at his searing kiss. I want more. I want him pressing me into the bed, I want him grinding against me, I want him to touch every inch of my skin.
I want him to own me.
And it’s that thought that slams reality back into my mind and I break away from his lips. He’s running on a high from saving his sister. He’s cut Annabelle loose. If I let this continue, he doesn’t even know he’s risking his life for a quick fuck. And, as crushing as it is to even think, that’s exactly what I am to him. Another notch on the post of his ridiculously comfortable and luxurious bed. Seriously, where do rich people get their sheets? I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, just to feel and enjoy having him so close for a little longer, and when I finally open them I see he’s doing the same. He’s probably cursing himself out for being stuck here with the frigid Mounty.
“I can’t.” I croak at him and he nods, his eyes still shut.
Neither of us move. I just stare up at his heartbreakingly handsome face until he finally lets out a shuddering breath and rolls off of me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I decide that all guys are the devil and I need to stay the fuck away from them. I can’t hide from Harley or Blaise but I can stay the hell away from Ash if I’m careful. I figure out pretty quickly that Ash is trying to avoid me as much as I am him. It stings more than it should and I might be hypocritical for feeling that way but when Avery starts getting suspicious of his behaviour I pretend I have no clue of what’s she’s talking about. I don’t think I’ve fooled her at all and, if anything, I think I make her even more suspicious.
I can’t tell her about the kiss.
She was accepting of Harley kissing me and pissed about Blaise. I can’t imagine her reaction to hearing I’ve also had a try of her beloved twin brother. Sweet lord, for a virgin I am managing to get around.
Avery obviously decides she’s done with our shit because she sends out a group text the Friday after the kiss with Ash.
Dinner in our room. Attendance is compulsory, this means you Ash.
I frown down at my phone and Harley smirks at me. “We used to have dinner together once a week. Clearly Avery is sick of her brother’s sulking too.”
You shouldn’t cook, we have too much class work to waste time on that.
Her reply is instant because she knows I’m avoiding them all like the fucking plague.
I’ve ordered in. Blaise is going to grab it on the way up from his boxing session. No excuses, we’re getting back to normal programming.
I groan and slump down in my chair.
I try to hide in the library, switching my phone off so I can pretend it’s died and I got sidetracked. Unfortunately, Avery has fucking superpowers and finds me before I’m even technically late. She sits across the table from me and places a takeaway coffee on my math workbook, forcing me to stop working on the equations.
“Before the cup is empty, you’ll tell me why you keep staring at me like you’ve stabbed my puppy.”
Straight for the throat, there’s the dictator I call my best friend.
I sigh and take some deep, deep gulps of the coffee. She raises an eyebrow at me and I fucking cave like a bitch. “I kissed Ash. Well, I think he kissed me but I didn’t stop him.”
Avery’s face stays completely void of any emotion as she cocks her head for me to continue. “I did eventually tell him I couldn’t continue. I’m so fucking weak and stupid. Why do I keep ending up in these situations? I can’t do anything about it with the Jackal’s eyes on me and I’m not a casual type of person. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and I’m sorry I’ve now made out with all three of your...people.”
Avery nods and drums her fingers on the table. “Do you want a non-casual...relationship with my brother? Or one of the other two?”
I blush and clear my throat. “It’s not an option. I won’t even think about it because it’s not what they’re interested in. Any of them.”
