Page 34 of Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn #1)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

RORY

M y face felt even more bruised from the training at the Shed yesterday. The girls had definitely put me through my paces, and I’d slept like shit thanks to Skeeter fucking around with the guns for hours while grilling me about my father.

I kept worrying he’d break into my room, but he went to bed when I did, no sound leaving his room once I was locked safely away from him.

I rolled over to turn on my phone, waiting for it to power up and allow the ridiculous amount of missed calls and messages to come through. I had one text from Caden about his tires, telling me I was dead when he got his hands around my throat, but that was unopened from Tuesday morning.

I’d missed a call from him after midnight last night, but that was probably just to threaten me some more.

I had two missed calls from Tyler, so I assumed he was drunk again like he was on Tuesday night when he’d been texting me gibberish and calling like a psycho. Drunk apologies didn’t mean shit, not that I’d forgive him anyway.

Lukas had only tried to contact me once since the showdown at school, but he also knew it would’ve been pointless to keep reaching out.

It shouldn’t have, but it hurt that he’d already stopped trying.

Jensen had tried calling sixteen times last night and texted me three times, asking me to reply. That was an improvement from Tuesday night for sure.

I climbed out of bed and crept across the room, peeking out the door before locking myself in the bathroom to pee and shower, then I headed into the kitchen.

Skeeter was already sitting at the kitchen table with his guns again, a coffee in front of him as he worked.

“Coffee’s hot,” he murmured without looking up at me, filing away at the serial number. I’d offered to help last night but he’d laughed, asking why I thought he’d let me touch his guns.

He had a point, he didn’t know me, and I didn’t particularly want my fingerprints all over them anyway.

“Thanks.” I poured a cup before moving to the table, watching him as he worked.

His cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, his eyes squinting slightly to keep the smoke out, and my stupid pussy throbbed.

I’d always been attracted to guys with tats, but I kept circling back to the same problem.

Skeeter was dangerous, and I was terrified of being that vulnerable with someone, especially considering I didn’t trust him. I’d thought Caden had been a good person to trust, so obviously my judgment was shit.

“What are you staring at?” Skeeter grunted, finally lifting his green eyes to mine and taking his cigarette between his fingers. “Do I have something on my fucking face?”

“No, it’s clean,” I said lamely, a devilish smirk taking over his face.

“Feel free to sit on it and mess it up then.”

“Just because you’re hot, doesn’t mean you’re good in bed, FYI,” I scoffed, and he raised an eyebrow, drawing back on his cigarette before replying.

“I bet you anything in the world that you’re satisfied by the time I’m finished with you.”

“I can’t just sleep with you, okay? That shit makes me highly uncomfortable,” I chuckled nervously, squeezing my thighs together in an attempt to stop the ache that was growing between them.

He shrugged and turned his attention back to the gun, not looking back up until I spoke again. “Do you keep powder here?”

His elbow rested on the table as he watched me.

“You want to get high for breakfast? You sure you’re not a real rich bitch?

Blow is kind of part of their daily diet.

” I just needed something to take the edge off, but I didn’t want to get completely wasted on whiskey in case I needed to make an escape.

My legs had to work, at least. “Do you have money to pay for it?”

“I have the money from the fights the other night,” I nodded, his fingers tapping on the table in thought before he stood and left the room, coming back a moment later with a small baggie. He held it out to me between two fingers, pulling it back as I reached for it.

“Money.”

He waited for me to find my wallet, giving me a look of disbelief when I tossed all the bills on the table. “Is that enough?”

“An asshole would say yes.” He took a few bills and handed the rest back. “But that’s way too much. I guess you really aren’t a pro after all. If you’ve been paying that much, you’ve been getting ripped the fuck off.”

I put the bills away, taking the baggie from his fingers as he offered it again. “I assume yours is better quality than Heights powder, that’s all.”

“It’s pure. We have a good business because we’re not greedy pricks who cut it for more profit. It’s why you turn into a horny polecat.”

“I do not.”

“Okay then, rich boy sandwich ,” he mocked, shaking his head. “If you hump me like a dog, I’m not the kind of guy to turn you down with my morals. If you shove that up your nose and take your pants off, I’ll fuck you until your head spins.”

“Promise?” I joked, the grin he gave me telling me I should stop taunting him, but I couldn’t help it. The rush of danger felt good.

Could I fuck him if I was high? Maybe it would keep me relaxed.

It would be the best fuck you to the guys too.

I’d hopefully get an orgasm out of it, and I could even rub it in Max’s face.

He’d flip out if I let a Bloody Psycho touch me.

“Baby girl,” he started, licking his lips. “You’re playing with fire. Make sure you’re prepared to get burned.” I pulled one of my plastic cards from my wallet, glancing around for something to line up on, making him snort. “Just use the table. Everyone else does.”

“You use?”

“No. You’re not the only person I’ve had the privilege of entertaining before. Slash would never let an addict deal his product unsupervised,” he muttered, turning his attention back to his gun as he finished the task at hand.

I lined up the powder on the table, grabbing one of the bills from my wallet to snort it, the temporary burn in my nose blooming into bliss after a second. The quality was so good, and it definitely gave me a better high than whatever the garbage was that I’d bought in the Heights before.

Skeeter’s phone rang and he sighed, standing to walk into the living room as he answered. “Yeah?”

I zoned him out as I flicked through my own phone, scowling as it rang. It was one of the guys, I just knew it, so I waited for it to ring out.

Sure enough, a message came through a moment later.

Unknown: Babe, please answer.

I did another line, pushing my phone away with a sigh. I needed a new number, they were never going to give up.

Skeeter’s gruff voice caught my attention, my body heating as I imagined his hands on my skin. He was a murdering machine, and I knew he’d kill me if I gave him a reason to, but he didn’t seem like an abusive prick like my father.

He’d also promised me a good time, nothing more. There were no pretty lies or the promise of tomorrow, only what he could do for me right now.

I found myself standing and wandering in the direction of the living room, the carpet feeling soft under my bare feet as I entered. He was sitting on the couch with an annoyed look on his face, but he hadn’t noticed me yet.

“Just handle it, Liam. It’s not fucking hard.

” He raked a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched so tight that I was surprised he didn’t break a tooth.

“Why the fuck are you asking me for help if Brick’s there?

Slash is there too? Are you fucking stupid?

” He finally noticed me, moving the phone away from his mouth to talk to me. “Get back in the kitchen.”

“How long are you going to be doing manly gang stuff?”

“Why?” His eyes narrowed as he leaned back, my feet bringing me closer as I nervously chewed on my lower lip in a teasing way, his eyes zoning in on the movement.

“I was just wondering how well you ate pussy, actually.”

He chuckled, the sound going straight to my core. “As good as I can fuck it. You asking? Because baby girl, I’m fucking offering. I’ll give you so many orgasms that you won’t be able to move for a fucking week. You’d better choke on my cock and repay the favor though.”

I was quiet for a moment in thought, not sure if I’d be able to handle him as I watched his eyes darken. He was probably going to scare the fucking shit out of me, but I wanted to be reckless, to take back some kind of control.

Tristan had broken me, but Caden? He’d shattered the pieces so badly that I was worried I’d never be able to put them back together.

If I had the balls to let someone like Skeeter touch me, I could do anything.

I finally reached for the bottom of my shirt, decision made as I pulled it over my head slowly, watching as his eyes roamed across my skin with hunger.

They lingered on the bruises along my ribs from fighting in the cage over the past couple of days, but when he met my eyes, he gave me a panty-dropping grin that almost knocked me off my damn feet.

“Just so I’m clear, you’re letting me touch you, right?” The moment I nodded, he pressed the phone to his ear, not even pretending like he’d been listening. “Deal with it yourself.”

Then he hung up.

He pulled me down onto the couch beside him, grabbing the top of my pants and panties, and yanking them down my legs aggressively. My muscles stiffened as he manhandled me, and my throat went tight as the familiar panic consumed me.

“If you’re freaking out already, this won’t work.” His fingers curled into the material of my pants that were now in his hand.

“You just took me by surprise,” I said as I forced myself to relax, my skin tingling as his tattooed fingers slid up my chest, caressing my throat lightly.

“I like to break things, Aurora,” he murmured, his eyes on mine as he placed a knee on the couch between my legs, reaching his free hand around behind me to unlatch my bra.

“But with pain comes pleasure, and you’ll learn to embrace it, or let it drown you.

Red might be your favorite color, but it’s mine too. ”