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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

TATUM

Highland University

Twelve Years Ago

When Professor Vance walks out of the treeline so we can see her, everyone stiffens. They’re wondering how much she heard of what we just said, but they have bigger problems.

“Gentlemen, our guest of honor has arrived,” I say, holding out a hand toward her.

She’s confused, understandably, and her gaze falls to Matteo. “I thought I was coming to meet you. He texted me and said he wanted to help fix this, that he wanted us to talk.” Her eyes are red and bloodshot, as are his. “What is this?”

Matteo’s jaw locks. “Ask him.”

She spins around to me. “What can you possibly want from me? Haven’t you done enough?”

I cock my head to the side. “Actually, I think it was you who did most of the work, don’t you? I can’t possibly take all the credit.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Matteo’s hands ball into fists.

Aubrey’s shoulders crumple inward, and her eyes fill with tears. “You ruined everything.”

Matteo walks forward, gathering her in his arms, and it would be the perfect little Hallmark moment if it wasn’t pathetic. I walk forward, jerking them apart. “Moment’s over.”

“Leave her alone, Tatum,” Matteo growls. “Let her go. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me. Take whatever this is out on me, but let her go. She’s not part of this.”

I grin because he couldn’t be more wrong. “Oh, actually, she’s the entire part of this. The most important part.”

“Let her go, man,” he begs. This time he actually begs , but I’m not listening.

“Come on.” I wave them forward, closer to the ashy pit where we have our bonfires. When I turn back and find I’m not being followed, I tap my phone. “Unless I need to send a few emails.”

Bradley and Aaron step forward first, then Dakota, but Matteo and Aubrey stay in place.

“Make sure they come with us,” I order. “If not willingly, drag them.” They exchange looks, but eventually the guys grab Matteo first, then Aubrey, and push them forward. They don’t look happy about it, but I don’t need them to be happy. I need them to follow orders.

Matteo digs his feet into the ground, trying to stop them, but he’s silent. Angry. He’s also no match on strength against Dakota and Bradley.

I lead them to the firepit. “Get a fire going,” I tell Dakota, then look at Bradley and Aaron. “You two, keep them still.”

Everyone is growing restless. If I don’t act quickly, I’m going to lose them, but tonight will show them why they’ve always been afraid to mess with me. After tonight, there will be no doubt who is in charge here.

“Let us go,” Aubrey argues, jerking her arm and trying to get free of Aaron’s grasp.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters. “I can’t.”

She addresses me then, eyes made of pure lava, words dripping venom. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’m not going anywhere without Matteo, okay? So you’ve got me. Just let me go. We’re not animals.”

I ignore her as I watch Dakota building the fire, then bend down and reach into my bag, digging around. I wasn’t sure what I’d need tonight to pull this off, but if all goes as planned, I won’t have to touch the knife or any of the more dangerous stuff. I pull out the roll of duct tape and toss a lighter to Dakota.

“What is that for?” Matteo asks, eyeing the tape as he finally jerks free of Bradley’s grasp and moves toward me with his hands up.

After snapping out of his apparent stupor, Bradley scurries to catch up with him, pulling him back. “Chill, man,” he says, keeping his voice low. “Just let him calm down.”

“I want to know what he’s going to do,” Matteo says, eyes on me.

“Watch and find out,” I tease, winking at Aubrey as I take her arm and force her to drop her bag onto the ground, kicking it aside. “Now, if you’re a good girl, nothing bad has to happen here tonight, okay? So play nice.”

“Let her go,” Matteo begs, trying to fight his way free. Bradley looks conflicted, but no one challenges me. They all do exactly as I’ve asked.

“Hold him still,” I warn Bradley, pulling Aubrey away from them and nodding for Aaron to help Bradley hold Matteo. Matteo is strong, but with both boys holding onto him, he stands no chance. I lead Aubrey to one of the wooden chairs we’ve placed around the firepit and set her down gently. Her eyes are laced with fear and fury as I place her hands on the chair arms and tear off a piece of duct tape with my teeth.

I secure her arms, taping them in place, then move on to her legs. Every eye is on me, waiting to see what I’ll do next. She keeps looking at them, waiting for them to save her, but they won’t. They’re cowards at the end of the day, and loyal to a fault.

She was wrong when she said we aren’t animals. We are. We always have been. To pretend to be anything but an animal is to wear a mask all day and night, but out here, this is where my mask can finally come off. There are no consequences here. No rules.

Once she’s completely secured and unable to escape, I walk back to my bag and bend down, reaching inside of it with purposeful sluggishness, making them wait to see what I’ll do next. Aubrey struggles against the tape holding her in place, but the attempt is feeble. She isn’t giving it her all. She knows it’s no use.

I pull the bottle of vodka and a few shot glasses out of my bag, holding them up in the air. “Jesus, you all look like I’m going to pull a bomb out of my bag or something. It’s just some spirits to get the festivities going. Calm down, you bunch of lunatics.” I gather the plastic shot glasses and pass them out, pouring a shot for everyone except Aubrey.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” I down mine. “Take a shot, pussies.”

Slowly, they all do, and with the fire started, I feel heat inside and outside, burning for power. My heart beats like a drum of war, letting me know this is right. This is what leaders do. This is how they prove what they’re worth, who they are.

When I approach Aubrey, I run my tongue over my teeth, examining her. “Hmm, I guess you can’t really hold a shot glass like this, can you?” I glance at the bottle, a wicked idea forming in my mind. “Open.”

She stares at me, a hint of defiance in her eyes, and I hold the bottle close to her face.

“Open,” I tell her through gritted teeth.

Slowly, her lips part, eyes locked on me.

I chuckle, making her wait. “I’ve seen this somewhere before.” Lifting the bottle away from her mouth, I pour the shot into my own mouth instead, then lean forward and spit the liquid into hers.

She spits the shot out in surprise, spewing it all over me, herself, and the grass.

I wipe a hand over my doused shirt. “Oh, ho, ho.” I laugh. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

“Leave her the fuck alone, Tate,” Matteo bellows. “It’s me you’re mad at. Punish me. Let her go. Come on, man. Please. Please let her go.”

“I’ll get to you later,” I say without looking his way. “Now, Professor, open up. Again, please.”

Her eyes flick to Matteo.

“Don’t look at him. Look at me.”

Slowly, she does what she’s told, opening her mouth wide. “Good girl,” I purr, filling my mouth with vodka and lowering it to hers. I do it at a snail’s pace this time, letting my lips touch hers gently before I spit the liquid into her mouth. She swallows, and I kiss her, demanding more, tilting her head back as I let my tongue explore. Once I’ve licked the taste from every square inch of her mouth, I pull back, not wanting to, but needing to, and wipe my lips with a satisfied hum. I have to pace myself. Being a leader is about self-control as much as it is controlling the rest of them. “Delicious.” I lift the bottle toward my mouth. “Again.”

She shakes her head, her brows drawing together.

“ Again. ”

Trembling, her mouth opens again, but less wide this time. She looks scared as I pour the vodka into my mouth, then swish it around. I lean forward, never taking my eyes off of hers. Hovering just above her open mouth, I spit the alcohol out slowly, emptying it inside of her. My heart pounds, cheeks flush. I’ve never experienced anything so hot.

A bit of vodka spills out onto her chin and down her neck when she swallows, and I lower my mouth to her collarbone, running my tongue across her skin, lapping the liquor up. Her throat pulses as she swallows again, and I trace her jawbone with my teeth. “What a good girl you are, Professor. My good girl, aren’t you?”

“Come on, man,” Matteo says, and I’m nearly sure he’s crying over there. “Please, stop this.”

“Do you want me to stop?” I demand, holding my hands up.

He nods.

“Really? You want me to stop? Because I thought you’d want a few drinks in all of our systems before what comes next, but if you’re already ready to move on, then I’m happy to oblige.”

Even in the light of the fire, I see his face pale. “Please don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt her.”

I grin, grabbing hold of her hair and tilting her head back, pouring the remaining contents of the vodka bottle into her mouth and all over her face as she struggles and screams and tries to get away.

Matteo bellows like an animal, fighting them with all of his might.

“Hold him back!” I warn the guys.

When I run out of vodka, she’s gasping for breath, her hair and clothing drenched in the alcohol. Her chest shines in the firelight, rising and falling with every panicked inhale or exhale. It’s as if she can’t get the oxygen into her lungs fast enough.

I drop the bottle on the ground, and our eyes meet. Nothing exists in this moment except the two of us. She wants me, even if she doesn’t know it yet. More importantly, I want her.

“Now”—I hold up a finger toward Matteo, still looking only at Aubrey—“here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to let your girl suck my cock, and you’re going to watch it. And you’re not going to say a single fucking word , and you’re not going to look away, do you hear me? You’re going to watch her worship me. You’re going to watch this hungry girl drain every last drop like it’s your favorite television show. Because if you…if you so much as blink your goddamn eyes, I’m going to make sure she spends the rest of the night on her back taking every single one of the rest of us in every hole she has. I’m going to make you listen while she shouts every one of your friends’ names, while she begs us for more, do you hear me? You won’t leave this fucking place without that image scarred into your mind, I promise you.”

Her eyes are wide with fear as I start unbuttoning my pants. “Just like last time, baby,” I whisper, grabbing hold of the back of her head and jerking her forward until her lips graze me. “You’ve got it. Show him how good you are for me. Be loud, baby girl, okay? I want him to hear how much you love my dick.”

She closes her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks as her mouth opens and her lips wrap around me. “Eyes open,” I warn her as she slides down my length.

On command, she opens her eyes. I look up at the sky and scream, power coursing through my veins. I’m unstoppable. All powerful. I am a fucking god.

Then: pain.

Pain like I’ve never felt before.

Pain that tears your eyes from their sockets and peels your skin from your body. I rip my head down, looking at where she’s attached to me, her teeth locked onto me, biting down. In her eyes, there is a challenge. If I pull away, she’s going to rip it off.

I shout and scream and punch her in the face, but she doesn’t let up. I’m going to kill her.