Page 5 of Blood Ties

My face grows even hotter. I glance at Knox, who’s smirking. The other guys exchange a glance. Nobody speaks up against the idea. Then everyone looks at Riley, who freezes under the attention.

“Could we be any more cliche?” she sputters. But then she sighs and scoots down to sit beside May. “Fine.”

I push to my feet. “I’m gonna go...”

“No.” Riley points at me, her attention arresting. “If I have to play, you have to play.”

“What? Why?”

“Because...” She squints at me. I think she might be a little drunk.

“‘Cause she wants a chance to kiss you, Kai,” Knox drawls.

“No!” Now Riley’s the one blushing. “I just... I mean, everyone should have to play!”

“This is stupid,” I grumble, but I’m already sitting down between May and my brother.

From May, the circle continues with Riley, Felix, Caleb, and back to Knox.

Everyone is laughing, joking, drinking more.

I wonder if I’m the only one that notices the undercurrent of tension, the sideways glances.

Caleb looking at May, who is looking at Felix, who is looking at Riley.

I catch Knox’s eye and he laughs. He notices it too, but unlike me, he lives for this kind of thing.

I guess shit-stirring is better than the other ways he likes to blow off steam.

“I’ll go first,” May declares, and spins the empty bottle. It lands on Riley.

There’s a guilty rush of heat in my stomach when the two girls lean in. May giggles as her lips brush Riley’s; Riley smiles into the kiss, playful. I try not to stare. Knox claps.

Then it’s Riley’s turn. My head is spinning along with the bottle — it lands on Caleb. Neither of them can keep a straight face as they share a very brief kiss.

Next is Felix. It lands on Knox, who wrinkles his nose.

“That means strip,” Caleb says, pointing his joint at the girls.

“Kiss first,” May demands.

Felix leans hesitantly across the circle. Knox reaches out to grab the back of his neck and yanks him in for a quick, rough peck.

Riley and May both cheer. Then, after a glance at each other, they both shed their shirts.

Riley is wearing a plain black bra beneath; May is wearing nothing at all, bearing a pair of perky tits with pierced pink nipples.

She leans back against the couch and points at Caleb, who is staring at her, slack-jawed.

“Go, pervert!” she says.

He stammers something unintelligible and spins the bottle harder than necessary. It makes one full circle, and another, before landing right on May.

She grins, and makes him scoot across the circle to come to her. Then she grabs his face with both hands and kisses him for what feels like minutes. I look up at the ceiling until I hear him settle back into his spot. His lips are swollen, his cheeks flushed, the look in his eyes faintly dazed.

It’s Knox’s turn. He reaches over, gives the bottle a lazy twist. It points at me.

“Oh, awkward,” says May, laughing.

“Obviously you guys don’t have to,” Riley says.

“But do the girls still have to strip?” Caleb asks. “Yes, right?”

“Pervert!” May yells.

While they’re bickering, Knox leans over and grabs a fistful of my hair. He licks a hot stripe up the side of my face.

“Aw, fuck!” I shove him off and scrub at my cheek, grimacing.

He laughs, settling back into place. “Your turn, kiddo.”

I swallow hard. Swallow again, reflexively, as I see the girls shimmying out of their shorts. I try not to look at the lacy black panties that Riley reveals as I flick the bottle with one finger.

The bottle spins and spins. Then it starts to slow. It passes Knox... me... and teeters on May. But then it slowly, slowly, creeps forward, and points at Riley.

I look at her. There’s a lot of skin on display, and my gaze darts all over, unsure where to land.

She is so fucking gorgeous that every inch of her seems sinful, from the hollows above her collarbones to the subtle curve of her breasts to her black-painted toenails.

Finally, heart pounding, I meet her stare.

Riley gazes back, her pale eyes guarded.

I take a breath, and another, but the oxygen doesn’t seem to reach my lungs.

Everything inside of me is wound up too tight.

I haven’t kissed anyone since— well. I haven’t kissed anyone. Aside from my cousin, when we were kids, but that hardly counts.

Riley shifts forward and crawls on her hands and knees through the center of the circle until she’s right in front of me. She looks up at me, wearing only her bra and panties and a coy little smile. “Well? You going to kiss me or what?”

I suck in a breath. My heart is pounding in my ears as I lean in.

I’m unsure where to put my hands, especially with so much of her skin left bare; my fingers brush uncertainly over her jaw before cradling her face.

Her skin is so soft, her lips even softer when I kiss her.

Her eyelashes flutter against my cheek. She sighs as her tongue slides across mine.

It heats me all the way through, leaving me molten and aching.

But after barely a breath, she’s pulling away.

I watch her go, my stomach flipping as she slides her tongue over her lips.

She smiles at me almost shyly, a hint of pink in her cheeks, as she sits back beside May.

“Damn,” her friend says, looking back and forth between us with a little giggle. “That was hot. My turn!”

The bottle points at Felix. Caleb watches, his expression agonized and May’s red lipstick still staining the corner of his mouth, as she climbs into their friend’s lap and kisses him senseless.

When May finally pulls away, Felix looks right at Riley.

She doesn’t seem to notice, because she’s already reaching for the bottle.

It barely spins at all before landing on my brother.

Knox leans back against our father’s armchair and crooks two fingers at her. “C’mere, darlin’.”

Color blooms on Riley’s pale face. She opens her mouth like she wants to say something, but then she shuts it again, and crawls over to Knox just like she crawled to me.

Knox isn’t hesitant like I was. He grabs her and yanks her into his lap, and then his mouth is against hers, swallowing the startled noise she makes.

He kisses her hard, hand gripping the back of her neck, and she sighs and leans into him.

His free hand grazes her bare back and drifts lower, squeezing her ass.

I look away, jealousy burning like acid at the back of my throat.

“Okay,” Felix says, drawing out the word. “I think that’s enough of that, yeah? Let’s play something else.”

“What, are you suddenly not having fun, Felix?” Caleb asks, glaring daggers at his friend. “Sure seemed to be enjoying yourself a minute ago. What could be the problem?”

Riley slides off of Knox’s lap, wiping her mouth, casting an uncertain look at the boys. Knox looks past her, right at me, and mouths something, his eyebrows lifting in question.

Keeper? No. My veins turn to ice as I realize what he’s asking. Keep her?

“Chill, Caleb,” Felix says, both hands extended in a placating gesture. “It’s a game.”

“Don’t tell me to chill, man!” Caleb throws his own hands up and knocks a beer onto the floor. As I watch it seep into the carpet, my stomach clenches.

“Watch it,” I snap, jumping to my feet. Everyone’s heads whip toward me, eyes wide — except Knox, whose gaze narrows instead.

“Sorry,” Caleb says, hands frozen mid-air.

“It’s fine,” Knox says, still glowering at me. “Relax, Kai.”

“Well somebody needs to fucking clean it up.” I storm out of the room and into the kitchen, search for cleaning supplies while my heartbeat rises in my ears. It better not stain. If it does... if Dad notices, then—

A hand clamps on my shoulder, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Hey,” Knox says, shaking me. “The fuck is wrong with you?”

“With me ?” I brush his hand off and whirl to face him. “They shouldn’t be here.”

“Keep your voice down,” he mutters, a warning in his eyes as he steps even closer.

My instinct is to shrink away, but with alcohol in my veins I’m feeling brave, for once. I jut my chin out, though I do lower my voice. “If Dad finds out—”

Knox grabs me by the jaw, and all of my newfound bravery dissipates. “He won’t,” my brother says through gritted teeth. “Because you’re sure as hell not going to tell him. Isn’t that right?”

His fingers dig into my skin. “Of course I won’t.”

“Then he’s not gonna find out.” Knox’s eyes bore into mine. “Because I’m gonna clean up my tracks. I’m not a fucking idiot. Do you think I’m a fucking idiot, Kai?”

I try to shake my head, but he’s gripping me too tight. “No,” I say. “But-”

“But what ?” he snarls, his face inches from mine.

“Is everything alright in here?”

We both freeze. Then Knox releases me and steps away, a smile already sliding into place as he turns to face the doorway. Riley is clothed again, only her puffy lips and tousled hair showing evidence of the game we played.

“We’re all good,” Knox says. “Just trying to get this little shithead to relax. You need something?”

Riley is quiet for a moment. Her eyes are so blue, so constantly watchful. It makes me worry. Not about her, but for her. “No,” she says, after a second. “Just seeing if you guys want to join us for another round of shots.”

“Sure,” Knox says. Riley nods, turns and leaves, and his smile drops as he turns back to me. “It’s gonna be fine,” he says in a low voice. “You’ll see.” He follows her back into the living room.

I stay where I am, rubbing my jaw and leaning back against the counter. I really hope he’s right.

Because if Dad knew these people were in our house right now, he’d kill every last one of them.

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