Page 94 of Eternal

“He shouldn’t have fucked with something that’s mine.” I shrug.

“Agreed.” Kole smirks, and it’s the closest thing to a smile he shows anyone but Violet.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his phone and starts flipping through camera feeds in the house.

“Where are they?” I ask, knowing the only thing Kole is ever doing on his phone when Violet’s not around is checking on her.

“Dancing in the main foyer.”

“Does Violet know you’re always stalking her?”

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation or apology.

“And Teal thinks I’m bad.” I chuckle.

Kole glances up at me, hitching an eyebrow in a challenge. “Have you told her what you’re up to yet?”

“No.”

I stare at my reflection.

It’s been a week since I’ve slept more than a few hours at a time, and it’s showing. Dark circles paint shadows around my eye sockets, and my skin is paler than usual. I scratch my cheek, peeling off a fleck of blood I missed.

“And I don’t plan on it until I figure out what I’m missing.” I wipe my hand down my face. “Let’s go. I’m done thinking about it.”

This started as a grudge against the Sigma Sin Council, but it’s turned into so much more. At some point, I stopped doing this for revenge, and it became about her. Now, I need to know the truth more than ever.

I need her to remember what happened that night three years ago. And when she does, they’ll all burn.

Kole leads the way out of the bedroom, and I lock the door behind us. Music fills the hallway, and it’s so loud it’s practically shaking the walls.

“This will take a turn if you keep this up, Dec.” Kole looks over at me.

“Is that a warning?”

“I’m stating facts. I’ll be here no matter how shit goes down. You know that. You were there for me with Liam and Violet, and I’ll return the favor. But you’re going to need more than my support if you don’t want us both to end up six feet under.”

Kole’s a man of few words, so his warning catches me off guard. He’s right. I’m not the only one putting myself on the line right now.

“I’m working on it.” I clap him on the shoulder. “But thanks for looking out.”

The moment we reach the bottom of the stairs, Kole heads straight for Violet. But I pause for a moment, watching Teal through the crowd.

She isn’t dancing, but her body sways to the beat. She’s at the far end of the room with her back to the wall, sipping water. Behind her is one of the large crosses that line the foyer.

At some parties, we chain initiates to the crosses to torture them. But not tonight. It’s just Teal looking borderline holy with her color-splashed hair and a halo of blonde that draws me toward her.

The second she spots Kole, her eyes start to move around the room.

She’s looking for me, and the satisfaction from the shift in her expression when she finds me is unmatched.

Her green eyes brighten, and her cheeks warm. She wets her lips, and I imagine her dropping to her knees and crawling to me. If I asked her to, she would. She’s mine in every way.

This girl is a siren, and tonight, she’s wearing a short skirt with her long-sleeve shirt. Practically begging me to my knees in the middle of this house just so I can get a taste of the paradise that exists between her thighs.

When was the last time I had that thought?

That I let a woman touch me other than just to get me off. When was the last time I trusted someone to touch me? Or the last time I wanted to make anyone feel more pleasure than pain?