Page 14 of River of Deceit

Blaze reaches out for me. I take a step back, but Asch grabs my upper arms and holds me tight while Blaze wraps his hand around the back of my neck.

I swallow hard, forcing my breath steady.

Unfortunately, even this small hint of violence is doing it for me already.

“You think you can take us?” Blaze growls. “You’re severely overestimating yourself.”

It would take nothing at all to knee him in the groin, his hand around my neck be damned. While he writhes in pain, I’d get my knife out and stab Asch.

I could kiss them while I watch them bleed out.

Focus, Pandora!

I reluctantly release the knife and go slack.

“You’re the one overestimating yourself,” I whisper back with a grin. Maybe not the most docile thing to say, but there’s only so much I’m willing to pretend.

Besides, they both already know I’m not completely meek and helpless.

“Maybe. But neither of us is underestimating you,” Asch says, and his voice is grim. “Where’s the knife, Pandora?”

“I left it in my dorm room,” I lie. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you two today.”

He shakes me hard. “You weren’t planning on running into us the night of the party, either. Blaze, check her pockets,” he says. He lets out a dark laugh. “Unless you want a surprise castration.”

Before he can disarm me—and steal my knife—I awkwardly toss it down the hall, into the darkness. Blaze stares after it, then sighs. “Really?”

“You can go get it,” I suggest sweetly. “Give me some quality time alone with Asch.”

Asch chuckles again. “Pass. Blaze, help me get her on herknees. You can have her first.”

I pretend to struggle, but I’m not about to bruise my knees for them so in the end, I get down in front of them.

Blaze buries his fingers in my hair and pulls. “So, Pandora. Let’s talk about some rules.”

My eyes widen. “Rules?”

“Rules.” Blaze gives me a dark smile. “You do not say a word about this to anyone. You don’t run to the pigs or the school administration.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” I ask breathlessly, and I twist my head to feel him pull harder, giving more of those lovely twinges of pain.

Blaze crouches down in front of me, his voice dropping in volume. “Because all of them answer to me.” He licks a stripe up my cheek. “They wouldneverruin the reputation of a Bouchard. We own this place.”

As if it’s hard to forget, with the Bouchard School of Business building, or his father’s name listed as a major donor on the school’s website.

Most people would be shaking in fear already.

Most women would give up here.

I’m not other women.

My mouth goes dry, and I resist the urge to lick my lips.

Blaze glances at Asch. “If Asch or I want your mouth or cunt, you open up and spread wide for us. Got it?”

My mouth drops open, and I cough to cover a delighted sound. “Excuse me? All I need to do is talk to the press?—”

Blaze laughs darkly. “Sure, go run to the press. Tell everyone that werapedyou. Then get ready to have them laugh you out of the room. Nobody will ever believe you. I will destroy you and everyone you care about if you utter a single word.”