Make Me Yours (Top Shelf Romance Book 4)

by Devney Perry

  I pad my way back into my room and take a quick shower. I promised the girls a drink tonight, so a drink I will have.

  Gun shots ring out. Bang. Bang. Bang. One after another. They pierce through the air and ricochet into me, leaving fragments of blood spattered all over my sundress…

  Shaking myself out of my flashback, the Texas heat leaves me drowning in sweat and not wanting to put any clothes on at all, so after my shower, I settle on white shorts that cut off around the curve of my ass cheek and a tight tank that rides up and shows my belly. I couldn’t care less. It’s hot, I’m uncomfortable, so if wearing next to nothing is what’s going to make me feel just a smidge better in this heat, then I’m going with it. I try to straighten my hair dead straight and let it flow down to my tailbone, but the humidity has it frizzing back almost instantly. My skin has a natural tan glistening since our time at the lake today and my cheeks are flushed. I usually wear makeup. Not much, but some, but tonight, I kept it lowkey natural. Bronzer, blush, and some mascara. Really, I’m looking forward to spending some time with girls instead of four very intense boys.

  “Hey!” I wave to Rose as I walk up. There are chairs scattered around their small fire pit. I almost want to say it’s way too fucking hot to have that blazing, but I sit down anyway.

  Maya hands me a glass of something and clinks her glass against mine. “Bottoms up, Little Bird.” Her tone is docile and bored, but I’ve learned over the time that I’ve been here that that’s just Maya.

  We clink glasses, just as the crowd thickens. I can feel their presence before I can see them, but I ignore everything going on around me and keep my eyes locked on the flames that flicker through the darkness. Music is blaring loudly, so loudly. it’s a wonder anyone can sleep through it—or maybe no one is, and they’re all here; there’s that many people here.

  “You actually came.” Jack sinks down in the chair beside mine.

  “Hey, yeah, I did. Though I don’t know how long I’ll last. I was rehearsing all day, and my muscles are tired.”

  Jack laughs. “I understand that.” I take a second to watch all of the people who are here. I’m starting to learn that there are more people than I know who are in Midnight Mayhem.

  “So we’re going to play a game!” Killian calls out, shutting off the music and interfering with my people-watching.

  “Oh no,” Jack mutters, kicking back in his chair.

  “Why, oh no?” I ask, leaning into Jack.

  Jack leans back into me. “The last time Killian wanted to play a game, someone died.”

  I gulp, sitting up straight. “You’re joking, right?” I whisper into him.

  “Wish I was.” Jack takes a swig of his drink and then tosses his cup into the fire. I watch as the flames burst higher, lost in my own thoughts. Someone died? These people are crazy. “It’s a shame,” Jack muses out loud, interrupting my thinking.

  “What’s a shame?” I ask, looking straight into his eyes.

  “That you’ve gained King’s attention.”

  I laugh, shaking my head. “No, I haven’t.”

  Jack’s eyes narrow, making me squirm in my seat. It’s a weird twitch for such kind eyes. “I’ve known him a long time, so trust me when I say, you’ve gained his attention.”

  Killian’s voice comes back into the zone, pushing Jack’s ridiculous rambles to the side. I know I have, but it’s not for the reasons that people are implying.

  “You’ll take a bandana and wrap it around your mouth.”

  Kyrin starts going around, handing everyone a bandana. The white patterns burn into my brain, like a reminder of that one night so many years ago.

  My eyes close, and I don’t open them until a rag is being waved against my face.

  Kyrin is watching me closely. He kneels down to eye level, his eyes searching mine. “What’s the matter? Don’t like bandanas?” The corner of his mouth tick into a smirk, but his eyes remain passive.

  I snatch it out of his grip, ignoring him. He stands and continues around the crowd.

  “The game is simple.”

  People scoff and shuffle in the distance.

  Killian chuckles and then continues. “It is simple. Remember when you’d play hide-and-seek as a kid?” Killian wraps his bandana around his mouth and it’s then that I see his has a skull on it. My eyes find King, who is already watching me, his tied around his mouth, and, again, another skull. All four of The Brothers have skulls on theirs, but when I look around at the other guys and girls, theirs are normal. “Well, this is much like that, only you hide and we seek.”

  “And?” Val answers, wrapping hers around her mouth. Finally, I take mine and tie it around my own.

  “And what?” Killian raises an eyebrow.

  “And what happens when you catch us?” Val places a hand on her slim hip.

  “Guess you’ll have to see.” Killian winks at her.

  Val’s back straightens.

  Kyrin chuckles at her, shaking his head. “As easy as ever, Val.”

  Val’s eyes snap to his. “Really? Because you’re wanting me to have another threesome?”

  Kyrin’s smirk deepens. “No one invited you in. You walked your ass into our room because your clit throbbed for Travis.”

  I’m lost, my head going back and forth between them. I lean into Jack. “Is Kyrin gay? I never would have pegged that.”

  Jack’s head tilts back in laughter. “Naw. Not gay.”

  “Bi?” I ask, studying Kyrin. I know he’s pretty, but his energy is also very dark.

  “Nope again.” Jack chuckles, before correcting me when he sees how confused I am. “He doesn’t have a sexual preference, but he doesn’t identify himself as bi either. He hates labels. His motto is ‘he’ll fuck who he wants.’”

  “Makes sense.” I drag my eyes away from Kyrin and watch as Killian continues to stare at me.

  “You finished talking, Little Bird?”

  I nod.

  “You’ll get a two-minute head start. If you’re caught, it’s your seeker’s decision on what he wants to do with you. Will it be slave for the night? Will it be a dare? It’s up to the seeker.” Kingston stands from his chair, his eyes on me. They’re like laser beams shooting right through me. It makes me queasy and uneasy, but I can’t look away.

  “Three, two, one…” Killian smirks. “Run, run, run…”

  I pause, trapped in King’s trance. People are scrambling around me, running into the forest that backs up to the field, but I’m imprisoned.

  Slowly, I watch as King’s mouth opens, before he mouths, “Run.”

  Just like that, I spin around and zap toward the forest, my heart thundering in my chest. The adrenaline that spikes through my blood gives me a much-needed energy boost because my legs shoot forward through a clearing. I jump and dodge fallen tree branches. I run for a solid minute until I stop, expecting to see or hear someone. Anyone. There were so many people who are here hiding—where have they all gone?

  I step backward, the leaves beneath my shoe crunching. Where the fuck is everyone?

  I walk this time, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. The bright moonlight battles against the dead of the night, paving the way for me through the mass of fallen branches. I must walk for twenty minutes before I figure I should turn around and start heading back, only when I do, the forest caves around me like an endless maze, enveloping me in its natural form.

  I hear rustling from the left. “Jack?”

  “Wrong,” King whispers, just as my back crashes into his chest.

  I screech, spinning around to face him. “That was hardly fair.”

  He steps closer, and I step back, until I’m colliding into a tree trunk.

  His chest brushes up against mine, all six-foot-something of him towering over me. “What’s your name?”

  I hold my breath, afraid that if I catch too much of his scent, his venom will seep into my bones and remain. His hand comes to my chin, tilting my face up to his. King doesn't need to demand an a
nswer from anyone. His presence speaks in volumes that no frequency can calculate.

  “Dove.” I swallow past my nerves.

  He yanks my bandana down and slowly slips his thumb between my lips. I take him, sucking his thumb into my mouth. It’s not until the strong flick of metal hits my sensitive taste buds that I rear back, whacking his hand out of my way. “Ew! What is that?”

  “What’s your name?” he repeats, his knee pressing between my legs, separating them.

  “Dove!” I yell, using the back of my hand to wipe whatever it was—please don’t be blood—off my lips. “What was on your hand, King?”

  He leans down and runs his tongue over my lips. “My revenge.”

  He kisses me, just in time for Killian to run up behind us with Maya in tow. My eyes fall to her wrists, and I see they’re bound together by Killian’s bandana. “Killian!”

  He shrugs, and Maya rolls her eyes, bored.

  Killian searches King. “You ready?”

  King grabs my hand, stepping out of my vicinity and pulling me behind him. “We’ll meet you back at the RV.” I follow his steps, the silence stretching out, as Maya and Killian disappear into the distance.

  “Are you going to tell me if that was blood?”

  “Does it matter?” He picks up his stride, tucking his bandana into his back jeans pocket.

  “Do you ever wear shirts? And yes, since you shoved your thumb into my mouth.” When he doesn’t answer, I reach out to his hand. It’s like an electric voltage passes between us, and he spins around, pinning me with his glare.

  “What, Dove?”

  Suddenly, the air is thicker, and my chest is heavy. “Why do you keep touching me and then hating me?” Sounds juvenile, but it’s the one thing I want to know. Even more than whose damn blood I just sucked down.

  He reaches forward, hooking his hand behind my neck, and pulls me into him. His lips crash onto mine, and I open, wanting more of him. Needing him to feed me with the fuel I so desperately want. Only, it’s never enough, because every single time our kiss is finished, I’m only left more famished.

  He stops, pulls back, but rests his forehead against mine. “I don’t fucking know.” He shoves me away and disappears behind one of the RVs.

  “Dove!” Rose bounces toward me, a drink in her hand. I’m still left flabbergasted by King’s words that I haven’t even registered that she’s still speaking to me. “Here!” She shoves a drink into my chest. “Did King get you?”

  I swallow the entire contents whole, swiping my mouth. “Yes.”

  “Are you being careful?” she asks, hooking her arm in mine and leading me back to their RV where everyone is drinking.

  “As careful as I can be.” I head straight for the fridge they have outside, taking out an entire bottle of wine and dropping down onto one of the seats. A few people are scattered around, but I notice Val is missing. My eyes land on Maya, who is sitting next to Killian. I pop the bottle and take a long swig, my eyes staying on Kill.

  “What’s with you two?” I ask, gesturing to both of them with my wine bottle.

  Maya stares at me blankly as if I’ve interrupted her space and I should apologize. She’s hard to read, I’ve gathered that, but I’ve also found that she somewhat tolerates me. I hope I don’t test that when I ask my next question. “Are you sleeping together?”

  Killian freezes, his eyes coming to mine. “No, Little Bird. We’re not. Why don’t you just worry about who will be in, or under, your bed tonight.” His eyes darken. A few seconds pass between us. In the corner of my eye, I can see more people coming in, having been found.

  I drink more wine.

  “Listen,” Rose says, leaning into me. “I found this in our RV. I feel like it might have something to do with you, since it’s a dove, but I don’t know if it means anything.” I feel her hand slip beneath my shorts, tucking what feels like a piece of paper into my underwear. “Just don’t look until you’re alone. I don’t think I was supposed to find it, if you know what I mean.”

  I shrug. “I’m confused.”

  “About what?” Rose asks, taking the bottle of wine off me and having many sips herself.

  I look directly at her, the flames from the fire warming the right side of my cheek. “Kingston.”

  She pauses, and then slowly lowers the bottle down onto her lap. “I can understand why you might be confused, what with how he’s been acting around you. Maya said that he’s never been like that around or about any girl—ever.”

  “I don’t know,” I answer, taking back the bottle. I sip on it, even though, deep down, I know that I shouldn’t and that I’ve probably had enough. I inhale deeply and exhale, the sweet tang of wine simmering behind my throat. “I got the feeling there may have been someone else. At the very least, another friend.”

  Rose’s hand rests on my thigh, and my eyes instantly snap to the connection. “Have you fucked him?”

  “What?” I should be shocked by her crass outburst, but instead I find myself laughing and drinking more. “No. That is—no. Well, he made me come, but he hasn’t fucked me.”

  She shrugs. “I mean, I’m just saying, it would be hard not to.”

  I sigh, resting back into my chair. I know what she means, but I’ve seen many good-looking men in my days, so I’ve somehow built a restraint against them. I’m more interested in how someone makes me feel, as opposed to what they look like.

  I’m losing that battle with King, though, since he makes me horny most of the time. Or angry. Or a combination of both.

  We sit there for a few minutes, and I watch as I think almost everyone is back, except I haven’t seen Jack come in yet. My mind is swimming from the alcohol, my head buzzing. I feel good. Warm and good. The song switches to “Company” by Tinashe. My head starts swaying from left to right. Maya starts dancing with a joint hanging out of her mouth, gesturing for me to come to her. I obey, dancing toward her, and laughing. The beat is intoxicating, and I already know I have my next song to dance to. Every thud of the beat, I move my body to it. Maya starts singing and swaying when Rose joins us.

  Spinning around, I see King is back in his chair, his legs spread wide and his finger tracing his upper lip. Now I can’t move my eyes from him.

  He leans up from his sitting position and hooks his hand in mine, tugging me back onto his lap before he carries on the conversation he was having with Keaton.

  Being this close to him is both calming and frightening. It’s a concoction that should never be stirred, let alone felt.

  His hand comes to my belly, and his fingers spread out, securing me to his lap. Bored and a little drunk, I turn to the side until I’m facing the other person beside him. I was expecting Killian, but instead, I get Delila.

  “Delila.” I nod my head with a small smile.

  Her face remains passive, her smirk wide. “Little Bird, you look rather comfortable on the King’s lap.”

  I snort, and then I want to kick myself because I freaking snorted, and then I’m mad that I thought of the word “freaking.” I’m a cheap drunk. “I have an idea,” I mumble, watching her. It’s true, I do, but I only got this idea about two seconds before I found myself on King’s lap.

  She waves her hands, bringing her glass to her mouth. “Well, go on.”

  I wriggle. “Okay.”

  A hand tightens around my hip, sending a shockwave through my muscles and over my limbs. Just when I’m about to open my mouth, I feel King’s lips on my earlobe. “Move like that again and I’ll fuck you right here and right now, and Dove, it’s nothing that these people haven’t witnessed or done before, so don’t fucking test me when it comes to your ass on my cock.” Before I can answer him, he’s already leaning back in his chair and continuing his conversation with Keaton.

  My cheeks flush as I look back to Delila, who’s laughing behind her drink.

  “Interesting,” she mutters, her eyes flicking toward King briefly, before going over my shoulder. “Before you tell me what your idea is.” She w
aves her hand ahead of her, and I spin around to see what she’s gesturing to.

  Six men have entered from—I don’t know where—because everything is sort of blurry, but I also notice that there are seven girls with them. They’re all blonde and older. They have to be in their thirties. The men are interesting. One has long hair and a long beard, and one has a shaved scalp and a long beard. If I had to say which one is attractive, I’d go with the long hair and long beard. They’re all intriguing in different ways, not lucidly good-looking like The Brothers.

  “That is The Six and The Seven.” Delila’s voice carries through as they all pull out seats and get comfortable. “They’re one of the acts, but in short, they’re the Six Demons of Hell and the girls are the Seven Angels of God.”

  I pull my eyes away from the new crew and train them on Delila. “How come I haven’t seen them before?”

  Delila chuckles, lighting her smoke and leaning back in her chair. “Because one, you haven’t been here long and two, they don’t make themselves known outside of acts. They’ve been here a long time, and people still travel and pay from all over the place to see their act.”

  “Which is?” I ask, intrigued. I find myself looking back at the better looking one. “Just out of curiosity.”

  Delila flicks the end of her smoke out, and I watch as the ash falls to the ground. “Sex, mainly. What happens when demons meet angels?” Delila’s eyes flick between King and me. “What happens when innocence collides with corruption?”

  I lick my lips. “So they all have sex. In front of everyone?”

  Delila must find me amusing when I’m drunk because she’s laughing again. “Yes, Little Bird. Each act is different. Think of it as live porn, I guess.”

  “Isn’t that what the last scene is?” I ask before I can stop myself.

  Delila’s eyes narrow. “No. That is for The Brothers, and it can be whatever they want. Though I should warn you, everyone here has been with everyone here.” Her eyes flick to Kingston before she chuckles again. “Well, almost everyone.”