Page 22

CHAPTER 21

“I’ll be right back,” Callan says, as if he could offer me any real protection against Aidric.

He said ‘our girl’ and that makes my hackles rise. I might have made a stupid deal with Sebastian, but I’m not really theirs. I guess Aidric just hasn’t realized that. But he will soon.

I really wanted to ask Callan why he shared my secret with the guys. The way they know things they shouldn’t has really been eating at me. But of course, I was rudely interrupted by none other than the head dick Lord himself.

I glance down, scoffing at Aidric’s fingers pinching my waist. It’s not rough, but it’s not gentle either. It walks that line of too casual to call out and too deliberate to ignore.

Regardless of what it is, his hand shouldn’t be there. And it sure as hell shouldn’t drag my mind back to the way those same fingers made me come. But it does, and I fucking hate that my body remembers what my mind is trying so hard to forget.

I look up and fall right into his deep, sea blue eyes. For a second, I forget to breathe. Aidric might have the personality of a brick wall, but even I can’t deny he’s gorgeous. He’s really got that brooding, mysterious thing down pat. Girls probably die for those eyes and that mess of dark, disheveled hair. And don’t even get me started on his body. But once you get to know him, you realize he’s nothing more than a pretty face with a hollow center.

Aidric reaches behind me, opens the fridge, and grabs another one of my drinks like he knew exactly where they were. Like he’s had his eyes on Callan and me the entire time.

He flips the bottle impressively, then catches it with a smirk before handing it to me. “Ready for some fun, Little Devil?” he hums against my neck, his arm already snaking back around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

I growl under my breath, but it’s too quiet to matter.

Satisfied with my lack of response, he guides me out of the kitchen, through the haze of the living room, past the entryway, and up the staircase, which is crowded with bodies moving in every direction.

I scan the faces, but aside from Aidric, Callan, and Sebastian, they’re all strangers.

Shit. Benson. I completely forgot about him.

The day Sebastian ambushed me while I was visiting my mom, I called Benson. I didn’t have much to say, but I needed to talk to someone on the outside to keep me grounded.

I told him I owed the hockey guys a few favors, played it down by saying they were letting me use their archery field, which he got insanely jealous over.

When I mentioned the party, he offered to come with me and be my backup. I warned him the guys wouldn’t like that, but he wasn’t fazed in the least. But now I’ve gone and left him alone.

The second we reach the top of the stairs, I stop short, placing a hand on Aidric’s chest.

“I need to find my friend I came with,” I say, hoping he’ll let me go.

Aidric smirks, head tilted slightly while his bright eyes drink up my soul. “No worries, Little Devil,” he purrs. “I know exactly where he is.”

I swallow hard, hesitating, but my feet move anyway. One drink in and my dumb ass is already being more trusting than I should be.

The dim, never-ending hallway stretches ahead, pulsing with the bass from downstairs. Aidric leads us forward without looking back, and I follow because I’m a glutton for punishment.

We pass Callan’s room and I notice the door is cracked slightly, and the light is off. The scent of him wafts out and without meaning to, I breathe in deeper.

God, I hate that I know him by smell alone.

After what feels like a quarter-mile trek, we reach the end of the hall, and Aidric pushes open a door that reveals another staircase leading up to another level.

This house is fucking ginormous. Like, secret passages and body hiding space ginormous.

Aidric doesn’t say a word. He just starts climbing the steps, guiding me at his side. Like an idiot, I follow. Hell, if curiosity doesn’t kill me, Aidric will still get his shot.

The closer we get to the top, the thicker the air gets, and the unmistakable scent of booze and sex floods my senses. A trifecta of poor decisions and morning regrets.

My pulse kicks up, and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m excited or terrified for what’s to come. Maybe a little of both. It’s clear this isn’t like that dungeon of a room in the basement.

As soon as the door at the top opens, someone barrels through, heading down the stairs and bumping hard into my side.

Aidric grabs me in an instant, placing me behind him as he lunges for the person who almost sent me flying.

Seething, he fists the guy’s shirt in one hand. “Watch where you’re fucking going, or I’ll throw your ass down these damn steps. Got it?”

I freeze, eyes wide. My breath catches somewhere between my chest and my throat. I knew Aidric was dangerous, but right now I can feel his dark side practically bleeding into the air.

The guy nods quickly, turning sideways to squeeze past us without another word. The second he’s clear, he bolts down the stairs.

I scoff. “Little over the top, don’t ya think?”

He may be terrifying, but I apparently have no idea when to keep my mouth shut.

Aidric pauses at the top step, while I stand just one below him. “He almost knocked you down twenty-three stairs, Avery,” he deadpans. “I think a thank-you for saving your life is in order.”

“Oh,” I snap back. “My bad. I didn’t realize that little outburst was on my behalf.”

I do find it odd that he reacted that harshly for me, but part of me wonders if the only reason he stopped me from eating shit down those stairs is because he’d rather it be his hands that take my life.

Without another word, Aidric snares my wrist and yanks me up the last step, his controlling presence back in full swing.

My jaw nearly hits the floor the second I step inside.

The walls are all glossy black, the floors matching them like polished obsidian. A huge glass chandelier hangs in the center, the lights bleeding from it casting a purple haze.

Against the back wall is a huge, fuzzy black couch that looks more like a throne than furniture. To the left, a bar glows under dim backlights, each stool occupied.

At least two dozen people are up here, each moving to their own rhythm. Some are dancing, some chatting, and some just watching.

In the far corner is a butt-ass naked girl. Her body is moving to the hum of the sensual instrumental music coming from the speakers on the walls. Her eyes are closed, one hand holding a glass filled with nothing but melting ice.

What the…

Is that a guy fucking a girl against the wall?

For a second, I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. But there they are. Her legs are wrapped around his waist, his hands gripping her thighs.

Jesus. My sheltered eyes have never seen anything like this. This isn’t just any party. In fact, it’s something else entirely.

Aidric comes up behind me and I flinch when his hand ghosts my side. He’s barely touching me, but it’s enough to send a shiver slipping up and down my spine. “Welcome to The Lords’ Lair, Little Devil,” he murmurs.

I’m in awe. A little out of place, but undeniably intrigued. My eyes dance around the room, drinking in every detail. It’s dark, decadent, and completely unhinged. Yet, something about it pulls me in.

Aidric’s other hand grips my chin, tilting my face to the right. “You see that?” he hums. “Told you I knew where your friend was.”

My gaze shifts, landing on Benson.

He’s sitting on the long black couch, his posture tense like he doesn’t know how he got here. In front of him, a girl in nothing but a baby pink bra and matching thong moves to the music.

“How does that make you feel, Little Devil?” Aidric growls low in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “Seeing the guy you brought here, over there, letting a half-naked girl grind on him like you never existed?” His grip tightens ever so slightly. “Is that really the kind of guy you want to waste your time on?”

I spot Sebastian standing still in the middle of the room, surrounded by girls dancing around him like he’s some untouchable god in their orbit. But he pays them no attention.

He’s holding a glass of clear liquid, fingers curled around it like he doesn’t even realize it’s there. He’s just standing tall, watching me like he’s waiting for an explosion. Like he planned this because he knew I was coming up here.

I glance back at Benson and notice a smile threatening to break free, and when his eyes find mine, it does.

He raises his beer in a lazy toast, shrugs like this is all just a joke, and glances between me and the girl now grabbing his hand and planting it firmly on her ass.

I can’t hold it in any longer, I burst out laughing.

Aidric steps around to face me, hand still clamped on my waist, his eyes flicking to Seb, then back to me. “What’s so damn funny?”

I snort, nearly doubling over. “You guys have no fucking idea, do you?”

For the first time ever, Aidric actually looks confused. Eyebrows drawn, head tilting slightly. “No idea about what?”

I shake my head, laughter still spilling from my lips. “If you dumbasses seriously thought this whole setup was going to hurt me or piss me off, you’re dead wrong.”

I slap a hand over my mouth, trying to stifle my giggles.

Aidric’s brow furrows deeper. “Jesus Christ, Avery. Just spit it out.”

My hand drops from my mouth, but the grin stays firmly in place. “You wanted me to freak out over Benson letting some chick grind on him. And I get it, really good strategy.” I nod toward the couch. “But I’m not fazed in the least, and neither is he.”

Aidric scoffs. “The hell he’s not. Look at him with his hands all over her.”

“I see it.” I laugh again. “Everyone sees it. But hate to break it to you, Aidric…” I lean in just enough to watch his expression fall. “Benson’s gay.”

His shoulders drop, right along with his jaw. “Seriously?” He throws a look at Sebastian, then slowly shakes his head.

I pat him on the back firmly. “Nice try, asshole.”

Then I turn and saunter over to Benson, drop down beside him on the couch, and enjoy the show like the queen I am in this ridiculous little kingdom of theirs.

He tosses an arm over my shoulders just as a man approaches in a G-string that hardly covers anything, and I instantly lose all of my friend’s attention.

But that’s okay because my eyes find Aidric and Sebastian across the room, looking pissed off as ever.

Avery Castle, one. Hockey assholes, zero.