Page 50 of The Villain's Beast

“Does that bother you?” I asked, bothered myself with the knowledge Fletcher had another man with him, and bothered that Bellamy stood between Daren and me, swaying toward Daren and back to me then to Daren again, wanting us both, even after how I’d treated him.

The boy had no sense of self-preservation.

“I love it.” Daren lifted Bellamy’s hand to his mouth and dusted a kiss across his knuckles. “I’ll go let him know you’re here.”

Daren climbed the stairs and disappeared down a long, dark hallway, leaving Bellamy and me unattended in the living room. Decorated with rich, overstuffed black leather couches and darkwood furniture, the house reeked of money and power. There was no escape unless we were willing to make one.

“I owe you an apology,” I said, taking Bellamy’s hand and raising it to my mouth. I pressed a kiss against the place Daren had just done the same. Bellamy’s knuckles were warm, and after I kissed him, I held his fingers against my cheek.

“For what?”

He looked so helpless in the middle of that massive room, wearing a hoodie that was easily four sizes too big for him. But he also looked like he could be at home—if he wanted to be.

“Leaving you last night.”

“I don’t think spending the whole night together was ever meant to be part of the plan,” he said simply.

“I think I’m done with the plan.”

“Why now?” Bellamy asked, blinking up at me.

“I—”

The thought was interrupted by three sets of footsteps coming down the hallway, down the stairs. Daren in front with Luca close behind, Fletcher a few paces back. Luca looked like he’d just been fucked, skin glistening with sweat and fresh hickeys peppering his neck. His glasses sat lopsided on his face, but he fixed them before reaching the bottom of the stairs. Fletcher was in the same clothes as the night before, except he was barefoot now and his belt hung undone and loose, the button of his pants open.

The urge to grab Luca by the throat and put him through a wall for whatever he’d just done wrapped around me like a weight, and suddenly I was back at the bottom of my father’s pool, lungs burning with the need to breathe. But I was stuck, trapped and unable to get back to the surface, to get the one thing I needed the most. Violent tears welled in my eyes as my chest fought to find a breath, and then Bellamy slipped his hand into mine, giving my fingers a gentle squeeze. His touch cut theropes, and I kicked to the surface, sucking in the most beautiful breath I’d ever had.

Fletcher’s stare darted quickly down to our joined hands, and the only sign he gave over having any feelings about it at all was the way his jaw ticked just below his ear.

“Last I checked, it’s not anywhere near noon,” he drawled.

“I think I’m done with doing what I’m told,” I said, tightening my grip on Bellamy’s hand. I didn’t know why he’d reached for me, why he’d chosen to stand beside me. I’d been nothing but rude to him.

Fletcher licked his lips, his bright and thoughtful eyes taking a quick appraisal of everyone and everything in the room. Then, he sighed.

“Daren, take Luca and Bellamy upstairs to your room. Stay there until I come and get you. Do you understand?” Fletcher cocked his head back and to the side, staring down the sharp line of his nose at me, even though I was taller than him by inches. Another tick in his jaw, a twitch of his fingers.

Daren extended his hand and I didn’t realize how hard I’d been holding onto Bellamy until he fought his way out of my death grip. It wasn’t choosing sides, but it felt that way. Luca would be loyal to me, but his heart was with Daren, and Daren stood with the Thorns. Bellamy had no investment either way, and I searched his face for some hint of feeling before he went. He lifted my hand and kissed my palm, the heel of my hand, then he let Daren and Luca take him upstairs.

And once again, I was alone with Fletcher Sinclair.

Chapter 35

Daren

Luca and Bellamy followed behind me like obedient little cats, wandering up the stairs like we had nothing better to do and no place better to be. I brought them both back into my room and closed the door behind me, my fingers hesitating on the lock before deciding to leave it undone. There was a very real chance whatever was going on between Gideon and Fletcher would end in bloodshed, and that second to flip the lock could be the difference between life and death.

“It smells like sex in here,” Bellamy said to no one in particular.

“Probably because there’s been a lot of it since we got home,” Luca said, face contorting in a grimace. “Since we gotback.”

I hummed, plucking mindlessly at Luca’s t-shirt. “Our time is running out. Take this off.”

He took his shirt off, then his pants, without being told. Crooking my finger, I beckoned him closer, and as soon as he was close enough to touch, I snaked my arm around his waist and brought us chest to chest, slanting our mouths together. He moaned and parted his lips for me readily, giving me the space to sink into him entirely. To lose myself.

“You were so hot last night,” I whispered, tearing myself away long enough to breathe. “So hot this morning.”

Behind me, Bellamy let out a slow breath.