“I’ll uh … I’ll go check on Shane and Scar,” Ricky offers, but something in his tone is off.
Way off.
Unlike most guys in West’s presence, Ricky shows no sign of being shaken, which means he’s only backing off for my sake. Thanks to Pandora’s misguided posts, the world—those living outside of West’s circle, anyway—seem to think I’m his property.
Which I definitely am not.
There’s a loaded stare that passes between the two guys, but then Ricky turns to walk toward my front lawn, never looking back. My gaze flashes to West again, and I hope he can feel the hatred burning within it.
“Why are you here?” I practically growl.
“That your new boy-toy?” He tips his chin toward Ricky, asking the question through gritted teeth. That’s when I notice I don’t have his full attention.
Ricky does.
“You don’t belong here,” I snap.
A furious glare falls on me. “What’s the matter, Southside? Not a great feeling when someone weasels their way into your world, is it?”
I hate him. I mean absolutely, positively hate him. From the bottom of my heart.
Both fists tighten at my sides and, for the second time tonight, I want to punch someone.
Something dawns on me then. Unlike when we’re at school—West’s kingdom—I don’t have to put up with his shit. I can walk away, so that’s what I do.
He doesn’t seem to get the hint when I start putting distance between us, because he’s right on my heels. I step up onto the sidewalk and the second Scar spots who’s hawking me, her entire face lights up.
Jules notices him and stops mid-chew to stare at West, leaving a hunk of cookie dangling from her lip. I’m reminded of something she said the night at the bonfire. Something about being willing to trample her own grandmother for the chance to lick him?
Apparently, I’m the only one who isn’t a fan.
“This your place?” West’s voice is deep and quiet when he leans closer to ask, letting his chest bump my shoulder.
Frustrated, I bump him back, which only makes him laugh. But then, my eyes slam shut, because I realize what I’ve just done in my desperation to get away from him.
“Nope,” I lie. “Just a neighbor’s place.”
He doesn’t say more, and I don’t offer any details other than that. Hopefully, he bought it.
“Brownie?” Scar’s voice is bright and chipper as she grins at the devil.
He, of course, soaks it all in. “Sure. How much?”
Scar waves him off, like I knew she would. “For you, it’s free.”
Shane and I both shoot her a look.
“What she meant to say is it’s five bucks,” I interject, casting a bitchy smile toward West. He can afford the upcharge.
Being the freak he is, he smiles back and it grates my nerves. Without protest, he digs out his wallet, and drops a hundred-dollar bill into the fishbowl where Scar’s been stashing her earnings.
“That cover it?” West asks.
Scar’s eyes widen and I hate the idea of her idolizing him. And also the idea of him winning over yet another of my family members.
“Oh my gosh! You’re awesome!”
Before I can stop her, she’s bounding around the table, squeezing West around his waist. Surprised by the attack, he lightly hugs her back.
“I’m Scarlett by the way,” she freely shares. And just like that, the thin lie I told is blown to hell. No way he’ll buy that I don’t live here now.
“Scarlett,” West repeats, looking directly at me. “Your sister, right?”
He remembers, from when I stupidly told him too much about my life after orientation. Before I knew he was the devil himself.
I don’t answer. A searing hot glare is my only response.
“Yep! The one and only,” Scar happily confirms, pushing pink strands behind her ears as she returns to her post.
She tries to play it cool, but I know my sister. She’s getting ready to put her foot in her mouth and I see it coming from a mile away.
“So … are you two, like, dating?” There’s so much hope in her eyes, all at the mere idea of me dating someone she equates to a celebrity. “I only ask because that’s what Pandora seems to think.”
Of course, she does …
In my peripheral, I’m aware of the moment West casts a slick grin down on me. Right before he answers my sister’s probing question.
“Yeah,” he lies. “You could say that.”
My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach and my focus instantly shifts to Ricky, who’s overheard everything. I’d made it a point to squash Pandora’s rumor when he first asked, and again a moment ago when we were dancing. Only, now, with West opening his big mouth, I’m sure Ricky thinks I’m a liar.
Awesome.
Ricky turns to face the street instead of looking at me. He’s pissed and I see it all over his face.
My skin comes alive at the feel of hot fingers slinking across the small of my back. In the sliver of space where my high-waisted shorts and the t-shirt I’ve knotted at my ribs meet. West draws me close in a smooth motion that smashes me against his rock-hard body.
For a second, I forget that I hate him, but those feelings come rushing right back when he peers down at me.
“You said something about showing me your room, didn’t you?” He slipped the question in so smoothly I have to do a double-take.
“What? I—”
Before I can even form an answer—which would have been a resounding, ‘Hell no!’—his hand eases into my back pocket and I’m ushered toward my front door.
Don’t make a scene Blue. You can light into him as soon as you cross the threshold, but don’t … make … a scene.
I still hadn’t forgotten West’s threat from the night before. Challenging him in front of his brothers had been enough
