Page 36 of The Villain's Beast

“How did he find out?”

“There’s no secrets in this life, Daren,” he reminded me.

“Youare my secret,” I hissed, glancing back over my shoulder to see if Fletcher was on his way after us. “This exchange…”

“Also a secret,” he finished for me. Clearing his throat, Luca was next to look behind us. “Is he going to fuck me, do you think?”

I sucked my tongue across the front of my teeth, unbridled jealousy rearing up as I thought about Fletcher even daring to lay a hand on Luca, let alone fuck him.

“Please don’t ask me that,” I whispered to him just as the sounds of crunching leaves grew louder in my ears.

“If he does…”

“You have to,” I said.

The footsteps behind us grew louder and the dominating presence of Fletcher Sinclair pushed its way between us. I’d expected him to stop, but he didn’t. He stormed through us, past us, without a word. I looked at Luca, my brows knit with worry, then picked up my pace to walk faster after Fletcher.

He hadn’t spoken to me the whole way to the meeting place so I had no idea how the chase or the claiming had turned out. All I knew was he and Bellamy emerged from the woods with Fletcher covered in dirt and Bellamy with torn clothes and tear-stained cheeks. It was impossible to look at him like that, battered and beaten down, and not remember how willingly he’d spread himself open on my bed just days before.

Fucking Bellamy had felt better than it should have, the tight heat of his body like a glove around my cock every time I sank inside of him. I’d teased Fletcher later about missing out on it, but that was before I knew he’d be forced to find out for himself anyway. Bellamy had been so nervous with me, but steadfast and focused in his goals. After seeing him emerge from the woods on Fletcher’s heels, I realized he’d used me just as much as I’d used him.

When Fletcher was out of earshot again, I let out a breath and spoke softly to Luca, who’d kept pace beside me when I slowed down again to give us more time to talk. “I haven’t slept with Fletcher.”

“I haven’t slept with Gideon.”

“Though not for lack of trying?”

He huffed out a tired laugh into the small space between us. “I’ve missed you,” he said.

“It’s been agony. I try to…try to distract myself so I don’t have time to miss you.”

Luca groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Please don’t tell me that.”

“It’s the truth.”

The house was less than one hundred yards away.

“I have one night. These…they’re just stolen fucking moments. I can’t even stay with you. I have to go to him, and then…” Luca swiped angry hands across his face, lifting his glasses to press shaking fingers against his closed eyelids.

“I’m told he’s rough,” I said to him, swallowing down as much of the jealousy as I could manage. It didn’t matter we’d agreed to fuck whoever we wanted during our forced separation, the thought of him and Fletcher together while I was one floor below felt like the grossest test of my loyalty yet.

“You know I like that.”

“Maybe pretend it’s me,” I suggested.

Fletcher stomped up onto the back porch, slamming the door open and skulking inside. He didn’t bother looking back to see if we were behind him. He knew we would be.

“No one is you,” Luca said softly before sealing his lips and squaring his shoulders.

We’d reached the house, and I gave Luca one last look that I hoped told him how sorry I was, how much I hated this, how much our patience would reward us when all was said and done. We could have our secrets again—him and me.

“Both of you,” Fletcher shouted from the stairs. “Up here, now.”

“Look at me,” Luca begged, hand coming out to stop me as I was quick to obey Fletcher’s call. He stopped before he touched me, just like I had stopped in the clearing, but I couldn’t give him what he asked.

“I can’t. If I do, I’ll…”

“It’s okay, baby,” he said, almost as much to himself as it was to me.