Page 20

twenty

W hen he yanks upward on the chain, I yelp and go up on my toes. It’s uncomfortable, especially since he’s tall enough to really make me feel it. He wraps the chain around his hand, stealing the slack, until the cheap metal bites into my throat hard enough to almost be painful.

“Beg,” he sneers, inches from my face.

“For what?”

“ Me .”

Something in me goes weak at that, and I stare up at him with wide, surprised eyes. “You?” I repeat, a little surprised. “You left me. Why should I beg, when you’re the one—” He twists his hand again, stealing a little more of the chain and causing it to dig into my skin. But that only lasts for a second before he gives the length back, and I’m merely in discomfort rather than in pain.

Huxley doesn’t speak. He just tilts his head expectantly and his brows lift as he watches me.

“You’re a jerk,” I say instead, and I wince, expecting him to tighten the chain like a choke collar.

But he doesn’t. His other hand comes up, and I hear him scoff under his breath as he pushes me back against the wall with a hand on my stomach. “Part of me is frustrated that you’re so damn difficult,” he informs me, leaning in until his lips are almost brushing mine. It’s immediately so different from Eric. He doesn’t taste like beer, for one.

For another, he’s Huxley .

My hands move without my brain’s permission until I’m digging them into his shirt, and my murderer doesn’t seem to mind.

“But the other part of me knows you’d be fucking boring if you weren’t. I think it’s what I like about you. And I think it’s what got us here, if I’m being honest.”

“What got us here was Mads forgetting to use the app she put on my phone before she called you,” I can’t help but argue stubbornly. The alcohol in my veins is lending me confidence I wouldn’t have otherwise, without taking me completely out of my head.

“You’re lucky I like you.”

“You don’t act like it.”

Immediately, he’s against me, pressing me into the wall with his entire body until his warmth is seeping into my skin. I shudder and suddenly realize how chilly I was until this exact moment. “You said this was over,” I remind him, and I hate the way it almost sounds like I’m whining.

“Because you don’t want me,” he retorts, letting go of my choker and making sure to loosen it so it’s no longer cutting into my skin. “You know what I am, Kai. You wanted me gone.”

“Actually, you never gave me a chance to say if that’s true or not.”

Surprise flickers in his gaze, but he hides it quickly, his eyes darkening as a low, hungry sound leaves him. “Fine,” he purrs, hand moving to tangle in my hair. “Then I’ll make it true.” I barely get to register the words before he’s attacking my mouth with his, kissing me like he’s trying to devour me whole.

Like he’ll really do it by taking one bite at a time with his almost too-sharp teeth that worry my lip until I’m yelping in protest. But he doesn’t stop. Huxley gives me no room, no moment to breathe. He nips at my mouth whenever I gasp for air, and when my lips sting enough to make me writhe, his tongue darts between them once more so I can taste the blood from my lips in his mouth.

But I don’t want him to stop.

Not when he bites down hard enough to make me cry out. Not even when his hands grip my hips so hard I know he’ll leave bruises.

How can I want him to stop when this is everything I’ve pined for since he left?

“If you’re going to make it true…” I pant when he finally pulls away. My lips are sore and swollen, and when I lick them, I can still taste the blood welling on my skin. “You’re going to have to try so much harder than that.”

“Careful, pretty girl,” Hux is quick to chide. He’s panting as well, with a hunger in his gaze that should feel dangerous.

Well, more dangerous. I can never forget what he does. What he is at the core of his being. He’s not a normal person, and I worry that if I push him too far, I really will regret it.

But I’m not nearly there yet.

“Why?” I taunt, the alcohol getting the best of me. “Will you kiss me again if I keep going? Will you?—”

He cuts me off by quickly looping his finger in the chain and yanking hard enough that it cuts off my air and my words as a sharp jolt of pain goes through me.

“I’d really rather bruise that lovely throat with my fingers and my teeth, but you’ve given me such a convenient toy tonight,” Huxley remarks. “And if you think I don’t know how to use it, then you’re very mistaken. Get on your knees, little bunny.”

I don’t. Not at first. Not until he gives the chain another jerk and steps back just enough for me to fall to my knees on the sidewalk, probably ruining my tights in the process. When his hand slips under my chin to cradle my face, I gaze up at him from through my lashes and realize I’m swaying a little bit.

Yeah, I’m a little further than tipsy, I have to admit to myself. I’m not drunk. Not quite. But I’m buzzed enough that the warning bells going off in my gut are muted and ignorable.

“There you go. There’s my sweet, pliant girl.” His voice is a condescending murmur, like he’s both complimenting me and insulting me at the same time. But somehow, that really does it for me, and I’m shuddering with my hands braced against his thighs. His fingers card through my hair, tipping my head back until I’m forced to meet his dark gaze.

“I like you both ways, you know,” he adds casually, his other hand coming down to cradle my jaw. “I love it when you’re such a fighter. You’re just so fucking stubborn and it’s perfect. But I love this, too. This sweet side of you that just wants to be my good girl.”

My stomach twists pleasurably at those two words, but I fight not to let it show on my face. Still, I must fail, because his grin widens and Huxley lets out a soft, scoffing chuckle. “That’s what you want? To be my good, precious girl?”

But I don’t answer him, because I’m sure whatever words might come out of my mouth would be embarrassing at best. And I’m not prepared for that scenario, or for something worse. Still, my throat closes around the air in my throat before I can take a breath as Hux drags me forward by my hair, until my mouth is pressed to the front of his jeans.

“Right there,” he coos. “That’s where you belong. I miss your mouth, pretty girl. Come on. You can’t tell me you don’t miss my cock.”

I can’t, and that’s the problem. With his urging, I drag my nose up the inside of his thigh, eyes closing for a few moments as the rough denim scratches at my face. My nose finds his zipper, and I’m definitely a little too far gone to remember why this isn’t a bad idea. More importantly, I can’t think of why I shouldn’t just take that zipper between my teeth and pull it down.

I’ve missed all of him, but I won’t deny that I love this particular part of Huxley. His fingers massage my scalp approvingly, and I hear his murmurs of praise above me as I breathe open mouthed against the front of his jeans. I’m not quite sure if I’m teasing him, taking my time, or a little nervous.

Maybe it’s all three, actually.

But when the door suddenly opens a few feet to our left, Huxley is quicker than I could ever be. He pulls me smoothly and easily to my feet, letting me rest my back against the wall even as he slips an arm around my waist. Both of us look toward the door, though my confusion is a stark contrast to his irritation at the interruption.

I don’t expect it to be Eric. So when he stumbles out, the wave of shock that goes through me is enough to sober me up just a little, and I find myself gripping at Huxley’s t-shirt, my fingers tight in the stretchy material. Not that he has eyes for anything except the blond.

And God, I really don’t like how he’s looking at the clearly drunk idiot.

“Listen, man.” I can tell immediately that Eric has used these few minutes back inside Revival Room to find more alcohol. It’s given him courage that he shouldn’t have, and he can barely meet Hux’s eyes as he sways on the spot while the door creaks closed beside him. “This is weird, okay? And I’m really not sure she’s into you. Are you like an abusive ex or something?”

There’s a few moments of absolute silence, broken only by a particularly loud car on a street nearby. But after the stupor wears off, Hux is the first one to bark a sharp, unfriendly laugh that sends shivers down my spine. The sound really should send Eric back into the bar with his tail between his legs, but clearly the alcohol in his veins is enough for him to ignore the very clear, very loud warning bells.

“You think she’s not into me? You think I’m an abusive ex ?” Hux repeats with disdain clear in the words. “God, you’re stupid, you know that? You should go back inside, little boy.” He pulls me away from the wall and cradles me against him with my back flush to his chest. “You’re too drunk for this.”

With my eyes on Eric, I lean back against Hux; his arms and the knee he slides between my thighs are really the only things keeping me on my feet. My legs feel like they’re made of jelly, and my head spins just enough that I’m not as worried as I should be about the situation.

But I still know Eric is somewhere he shouldn’t be, and I know Hux will have no problem making him regret it. My stomach twists at the thought of Eric dying over a game I took too far because he’s too stupid to back off.

“He’s not my ex,” I breathe, rolling my eyes. “And he’s not abusive. I’m into him, Eric. I just didn’t know he was here.” That part is a lie, mostly, but I try to tell him with my eyes to fuck right off and go find someone else.

But naturally, he doesn’t. Because why would anything in my life go smoothly enough not to be a problem, I think ruefully to myself.

Instead, he takes a step closer, as if he’s trying to be menacing, and I can hear the soft scoff of disdain from Hux behind me, even as he shifts to stand more balanced, even with me in his arms.

“I don’t believe you,” Eric announces like the white knight dumbass he is. “He’s weird and I don’t think you’re in a position to make this decision, Kaira.”

“As if you’re any better?” Hux asks mildly, but all he gets is a heated glance from Eric before the blond takes yet another step forward, his arm outstretched. Behind me, I can feel Huxley tense like an attack dog ready to lunge at a threat.

Though for the life of me, I can’t figure out anything about Eric that could ever be that threatening, or what he could be reacting to.

“Maybe you should have some water,” Eric tries again. He reaches forward, fingers outstretched, and I can’t pull my eyes away from his hand as it comes closer and closer until finally, his fingers close around my wrist.

And that’s what does it for Huxley.

He lunges forward, pulling me to the side like somehow Eric’s hand is going to burn me. He snatches the blond’s wrist in his own, and I hear him snarl as he lets go of me to fist his hand in Eric’s jacket.

Hux has the blond up against the wall in seconds, but it’s certainly not sexy or taunting. With the sneer on his lips and the way his dark eyes blaze, Huxley slams him into the bricks hard enough that I’m sure Eric sees stars.

“Don’t—” I begin, but Huxley gives me a quick, very clear look that has me stepping back and away from him as I sway on my feet.

“Don’t you ever touch her again. Do you understand me?” he murmurs, leaning in close until their lips are only an inch apart. Eric’s eyes are wide and full of fear that hopefully sobers him up enough to make the right choice, but he doesn’t respond.

Not until Huxley asks the question again. When he shakes him a little, Eric finally nods, the movement jerky and unsure. “Yes,” he whispers, sounding like the words are being torn from him. “Y-yeah I. I get it, okay?” His eyes dart to me over Hux’s shoulder, but the serial killer moves to block him with a snarled laugh.

“No, you don’t even get to look at her. If you do, I’ll cut out your eyes and feed them to you, little boy.”

The scary part is, I know he’d do it. I make a soft noise of protest in my throat, paralyzed with fear and something else I refuse to name. My hands twist in the fabric of my shirt, and I can’t tear my gaze away from the scene in front of me, no matter how hard I may want to.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it?

I don’t want to.

Only when Eric repeats what Huxley tells him to, his eyes downcast and the words leaving his lips—when he promises not to come back out here and to forget I exist—does Hux step away from the wall to let him stumble to his knees.

I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t be able to stand after that, either. But Huxley doesn’t look ruffled. He just runs his fingers through his dark, tousled hair and reaches down to drag Eric to his feet. It almost seems affectionate. Amiable, helpful even. But we all know the lie in that. Especially when he leans forward, crowding into Eric’s space to make him unsure and quite frankly, nervous as hell.

“Find someone else to disappoint, pretty boy,” he purrs sweetly, his breath fanning against Eric’s lips and causing the blond to shudder. “Or, if you want my advice…” Hux leans even closer and cups his jaw in one hand. To my surprise, Eric doesn’t pull away. But maybe he’s just too terrified. “Find someone who can teach you to be less of a disappointment, hmm?”

He steps back suddenly, and Eric almost hits the ground again. His mouth opens, then closes, and he gives both of us a fleeting, nervous glance before booking it back into the bar, the door closing hard behind him in a very final sort of way. I watch him go, and I’m too late to notice Hux turning and moving closer to me in the smooth, graceful way he has that reminds me of a predator.

I don’t notice until he’s pressed against me, and his fingers tilt my chin up so I’m forced to look at him. “I’m tired of sharing you,” he murmurs, one hand sliding around my waist to hold me tightly against him. “So here’s what you’re going to do for me, pretty girl.”

With a smartass response bubbling to my lips, I open my mouth, just for him to slide his thumb between my teeth and press down against my tongue.

“No, I’m not in the mood for that right now. You’re going to listen, and you’re going to be good for me. Understand?” My shudder must be answer enough, because he strokes over my tongue and purrs a soft approval against my ear. “When I let go of you, you’re going to pull out your phone and text your friends. You’re going to tell them they aren’t your responsibility tonight. That you’re going home with someone. Tell them whatever it takes to make sure they don’t worry. Then you’re going to follow me to my truck, and I’m going to take you home.”

When he finally lets go, I can’t help but nip at his thumb in a way that makes his eyes flash with something both pleased and dangerous.

“And then what?” I can’t stop myself from asking.

Hux’s scarred lips twist into a grin and he leans forward to brush his lips to mine. “And then I make you regret ever being so interesting, little bunny.”