His eyes bore into mine and it’s terrifying. It’s not possible, but it feels as if he's a mind reader and has opened up my entire past and knows all.
“That’s for me to decide, love,” he says, smiling and patting me on the leg.
He opens his night stand drawer and pulls out a pair of handcuffs, then cuffs me to his bed where I just had probably the best orgasm of my life.
I’m still soaked as I sit on his bed with no pants on.
His eyes trace my body and he clenches his jaw before stalking to the door and opening it. Just as he’s about to close it, he turns back to me.
“When I come back it’ll be my turn.”
8
Ava
I wake up to Killian unlocking the cuffs that shackle me to his bed. He doesn’t say a word, but I can tell by the way he avoids looking me in the eye that something is bothering him. I resist the urge to ask him what has him scowling because that’s not my place anymore.
“Shower and then meet me downstairs.” His voice is hard, clipped, and I don’t know what I could have possibly done to irritate him while I was sleeping. His fingers wrap around my wrist and he drags me behind him as he stomps toward the bathroom connected to his bedroom. “Don’t try anything fucking stupid. You won’t get far if you try to run.” He nudges me inside the bathroom, but stands in the doorway looking at me expectantly.
“You don’t know me at all if you think I’d try to outrun you and Kai.” I lift my shirt over my head, leaving me in just my panties. His eyes flash to my bare breasts and a small part of me is elated that he doesn’t have the willpower to keep his eyes on mine even when he hates me with almost every bone in his body.
“I never really knew you,” he says as his eyes reach mine. Abruptly, he pulls the door shut and I’m left to shower and figure out what I’m going to do. My only means of escape is school when he can’t watch me every second of the day. Where will I go? Do I even want to leave? I’m more conflicted the more time I spend with him. The more he shows me snippets of the boy I used to know, the harder it is to do what I know I should.
I shower quickly because I don’t want to be late for school or make Killian more irritated than he already is. I’m surprised when I step out of the shower to see that he’s left clothes on the bathroom counter. Black lacy panties and a matching bra in my size with the tags still attached. I rub my fingers over the pink dress with butterfly sleeves and wonder if he picked it out. It’s my favorite color and he knows that. I shake my head. He probably told River to get me something, and even if he did go out of his way to find something in my style and my favorite color, it doesn’t change anything.
I quickly dress and check my reflection. Perfect fit. I decide to plait my hair in two French braids so that when I take it out, it’ll be wavy. I don’t have any of my make-up, so this is about as good as it’s going to get.
When I get downstairs, I don’t see anyone except for River. She’s heading to the basement door with stacks of cash in her hands.
“Killian said to meet him downstairs. Do you know where he is?” I try to keep my voice even. I need to come across as less of a captive and more as a guest.
“Probably in the basement. Some of the guys are still up playing cards.” I don’t know what time it is, but I assume they don’t keep regular hours if they’re out stealing cars and dealing during the night. I realize that she must be getting ready to count whatever the Vipers made last night.
When we get in the basement I see a couple of guys playing cards at a table, smoking cigars. I look around for any sign of Killian or Desiree, but find neither of them.
River starts counting large stacks of money that I know probably came from drug deals, stolen cars, street races, or underground fighting. It shouldn’t be thrilling, but it is. I miss the adrenaline of going with Killian when he would race. I miss driving him to lift a car and having to haul ass, staying as close behind his car as possible as we outrun the police.
I miss him.
“He was right,” River says, not looking up from the shuffling money passing from one hand to the other.
“Who was?” I ask, leaning an elbow on the table, something the boys’ grandma tried to break me of, but never could. She used to whack my elbows with a ruler, and I still couldn’t break the habit.
“Killian, of course.” She snorts derisively like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Pink is definitely your color. I’m glad to see it fit.” I feel my face warm with embarrassment. I shouldn’t feel so pleased that he picked the dress out, but I am.
“Killian always knew me better than anyone, I suppose,” I say, because I don’t know how to have this conversation. Everything is so awkward and complicated.
“What’s up with you two anyway?” She finally looks up from the stack of money. She studies me as she packs the band of bills into a plastic bag with an expert ease I used to have. “Are you and Killian back together?”
“No,” I answer quickly. “He’s made it very clear that he hates me.”
“I never believed that you actually did that to him.” Her top lip curls up in disgust.
“Did what to him? I had to leave, no one
