David l robbins endwor.., p.4
Vicious Society: A Dark Romance (The Obsidian Order Book 2), page 4
“What?”
“You’ll see.” He places a final kiss on my inner wrist and releases me. “Don’t make me late. I have to get to class. Well, your class.”
I keep my gaze on him as he slides from the bed and walks across the room to retrieve fresh clothes. “Do you even know my schedule?” I ask.
He slips on a black T-shirt. “Dr. Yamamoto for English Composition. Dr. Garrison for College Algebra, and Dr. Meyer for Human Growth and Development. And of course, Dr. Ames for General Chemistry.”
I school my features to keep my shock hidden. Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised Xavier knows the details of my schedule. The man has invaded every facet of my life, so where’s the challenge in obtaining the information for my college courses?
“Of course?” I repeat. “Why is that a given with Dr. Ames?”
Xavier shoves one foot into a black combat boot. “He’s the poisons master for the Order.”
My mouth falls open. So much for keeping my expression hidden. “A what?”
“He teaches the recruits how to poison people. There are all types. Slow-acting and fast-acting ones. Poisons that can appear like natural causes of death. There are some that have violent reactions. All sorts, really.”
“And you just . . .” I wave a hand. “You know all that stuff?”
“Yes. I’ve attended his lectures for years.”
“Holy shit.”
Xavier grins. “What else did you expect from a group of assassins?”
“I don’t know. I guess I only thought about the killing, not the technique.”
“Methodology is important. Is your phone charged?”
I flick my gaze to my cell phone. “Yeah, why?”
“Be ready to answer my call here shortly.”
“Okay,” I reply, elongating the word. “Seriously, what are you going to do?”
“I already told you. I’m going to your classes.”
He grabs a notebook and pen from the table and sets the items on the bed next to me. I tilt my head back to meet his stare. “Xavier, I really appreciate this, but I can’t learn from reading someone else’s notes. Hearing the lecture and interpreting the information myself is key in how I retain it.”
“I’ve got it covered.”
I scrunch my face in confusion. “You do?”
“You’re going to have to trust me at some point.”
“I have a stab wound that says otherwise.”
He exhales and briefly closes his eyes. “If there’d been any other option, I would’ve taken it. I swear to you.”
I take in his earnest expression, the way his gaze bores into mine, seeking understanding. Perhaps even forgiveness. Although he said he’d never apologize for keeping me safe, there’s a part of him that bleeds with regret. Even so, I can’t let this go.
When I don’t respond, he says, “Keep your phone close.”
“I will.”
“Don’t go anywhere.” He leans down, bringing his lips so close to mine that his breath skims my mouth. “And don’t open the door for anyone. Not even McKenzie.”
My heart thuds so loudly in my chest I worry Xavier can hear it. Did he pick up on my desire to kiss him, or is this an intimidation tactic? Whatever his goal, it’s making my body heat and my skin prickle with awareness.
All he has to do is close the gap between us . . .
“I’m serious, Delilah. You’d better not leave this room.”
I nod in agreement, my lips tingling with anticipation. Instead, he places a kiss on my temple. It’s unexpected and sweet.
I swallow, but the action does nothing to dampen the thirst coursing through me. I still want Xavier. I’m going to blame my painkillers for that.
He straightens, taking his warmth and scent with him. “I’ll call you soon.”
“Okay.”
I keep my gaze on him as he walks across the room and out the door.
The second the lock slides into place, I sag on the bed. His need to protect me is sincere, but I can’t undo the knot of tension in my gut whenever I think about him throwing that knife at me. Trust isn’t something I can switch on like a light, obliterating the dark shadows surrounding Xavier. Still, the tenderness in his voice and the steadfast assurance he has when it comes to me is hard to ignore.
My body screams for pain relief, so I take some medication and wait for it to start working. After glancing at my cell phone and noting the time, I prop myself up in the bed on a mound of pillows. By the time I’m done, I’m sweating and cursing up a storm.
“Fuck Xavier and his big dick,” I say, my breathing haggard. “Fuck his hotness, too. It makes everything worse because I can barely stand to look at him without thinking about sex. Fuck that guy, and fuck me for being a slut for him.”
My cell phone chimes, indicating a call, and I scramble to answer it. Xavier’s face appears on my screen. I squint at him, taking in the familiar lecture hall of Dr. Yamamoto’s class.
“Hello again, little raptor. Would you care to repeat the insults you just said about me to my face?”
Chapter 8
Xavier
I grin as the color drains from Delilah’s face.
“What are you talking about?” she asks, her voice warbling. “I didn’t say anything.”
“The cameras and microphones in my room say otherwise.”
She gapes at me. “There’s surveillance equipment in here?”
“Yes. Don’t act so shocked.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She rolls her eyes. “Never mind. Knowing you, I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Let’s get back to what you said about me. Specifically, my dick.”
The student next to me giggles, and Delilah narrows her gaze at the feminine sound. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snaps.
Is she jealous? Fuck, I hope so.
“Come on, little raptor. Say it to my face.”
“Shut up.”
A laugh slips from me at the murderous expression on her beautiful face. “You’re a liar.”
“Whatever.”
“Ready for class? Assuming you can concentrate on something besides my big dick.”
“I’ve never been happier to discuss English composition than at this moment.”
“That’s not the response I was hoping for,” I say with a smirk. “I’m going to stay on the phone with you for the entire lecture. I know you need to hear the material explained in person, so that’s why I’m here. Be sure to take notes and let me know if you can’t hear the professor.”
“That’s . . . thank you,” she grumbles.
“You’re mine, and I’ll always take care of you. End of discussion.”
“Xavier—”
“Hush and pay attention, bride.”
Dr. Yamamoto walks in, and her gaze lands on my raised phone. One look from me, and the woman’s attention shifts to the students in the front of the room. I sit in silence, the only sounds coming from the lecture.
While keeping the camera aimed at the professor, I focus on the screen, my chest expanding with pride and other emotions that weaken me in ways I don’t want to think about right now. Delilah is stubborn and willful, but I fucking love that about her. If she ever holds back, I’ll provoke that spirit in her, reignite her spark.
Delilah scribbles notes the entire time, her forehead creased in concentration as though she’s learning how to defuse a bomb. Her intense expression turns me on. My dick immediately gets hard, but I ignore it, keeping my focus on her.
When the class is over, I head outside and find a secluded spot to talk to her. I don’t like the idea of anyone seeing Delilah in her current state: wearing my T-shirt with her hair loose around her shoulders and her eyes bright with happiness. That’s for me alone.
“Did you get everything?”
“Yeah,” she says. “Thanks.”
“Good. I’m off to your next class.” When she bites her bottom lip, I stifle a groan. “Stop doing that thing with your lip, unless you want me to show up with a raging hard-on.”
“I don’t think Professor Ames is going to let you call me during his lecture. He’s very strict about cell phones in his class.”
My mouth thins. “I’ll handle Ames.”
“Xavier, be careful.”
“Are you worried about me, little raptor?”
When she shakes her head, a pang of disappointment shoots through me.
“Professor Ames is the one who’s overseeing my . . . bride contract,” she says, lowering her voice. “I can’t afford to piss him off. He literally holds my future in his hands.”
The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut, making my stomach clench. Although I knew someone in the Order manipulated Delilah’s situation for her to become a bride, I didn’t know who or why. I should’ve asked before now, but I’ve been too distracted by having the woman of my dreams in my bed. And keeping her alive.
I search Delilah’s gaze for answers. She drops her head, hiding her truth from me. I scowl.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shifts on the mattress, tugging at the sheets. “I didn’t think it was important. Was I wrong?”
“Every detail of your life is important to me.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think it mattered who was managing my contract once I became yours.”
“Once you became mine,” I repeat slowly, letting every syllable coat my tongue. Pride and possessiveness rise in me at her words. I take a deep breath to keep myself in check. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.”
Delilah finally looks at me. She gives me a shy smile, and the expression has my pulse racing. And my dick getting harder.
“Really?” she asks.
I nod. “What else?”
She studies me, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity. And something else. Longing. What does my little raptor yearn for?
I would deny her nothing.
And give her everything.
“There are so many things I want from you,” I say. “But that’ll have to wait.”
“What about Professor Ames?”
“Like I said, I’ll deal with him.”
Delilah stares at me, her gaze searching for something. I keep my expression open. If she can’t see that I’m willing to fight for her, then she needs to.
My girl gives a reluctant nod. “Thanks.”
“I’ll call you shortly.”
After I hang up, I make my way toward Ames’s class. When I reach the lecture hall, he’s already there, rifling through the contents in his briefcase. He freezes at my appearance and jerks up his head, our gazes colliding.
“Donovan, what are you doing here?”
“Attending class.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “You’re not registered for my class. This is on your bride’s schedule.”
“She’s my responsibility.” I shove my hands in my pockets, feigning nonchalance. “Are we going to have a problem?”
He straightens to his full height, his eyes piercing. “This is only a problem if you make it one.”
“Let me be clear,” I say. “My bride attends your class, therefore, so do I.”
He tilts his head, examining me like I’m a hazardous chemical. “That attitude is going to get you in trouble, recruit. The other leaders may be willing to look past your insubordination, but I am not.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I possess to keep my features blank. My fingers curl into fists as the need for violence spreads through my body. “What do you mean?”
“Your father’s position on the council doesn’t exclude you from our chain of command. You will fall in line, or you’ll be destroyed.”
“I’ve never gone against the Order’s wishes.”
He eyes me, sizing me up as though we’re about to engage in combat. “Be mindful of your words when speaking about your bride, Donovan. She hasn’t been good for you.”
“That girl isn’t your problem.”
“That girl was poking her nose in the Order’s business,” Ames says, his tone sharp. “She asked me about my signet ring and its origins on her first day of class. Awfully curious for someone with no affiliation to the founding families. Making her part of the Bride Hunt was the easiest way to gain her silence and stop her inquiries. I assume you’ve handled her appropriately, so I don’t have to?”
His thinly veiled threat shoots acid into my veins. All this time, I wasn’t sure why Delilah got caught in the Order’s crosshairs. Especially after Benjamin and I had gone through such great lengths to keep her hidden. Now I know.
Delilah’s loyalty to Benjamin could’ve gotten her killed, on more than one occasion. First, when she asked Ames about his signet ring. Then with her sneaking onto the fraternity’s property. And finally, chasing me down in the parking lot to ask me about Benjamin’s whereabouts. If I could sever the ties between them, I would.
However, the memory of her on the rooftop, wounded and bleeding because she believed my life was at stake, crawls to the forefront of my mind like a snake, poisonous and cold. I put her in just as much danger as her foster brother has.
I meet Ames’s gaze head-on and nod. “Yes, she’s behaving. I’m here to pacify her. Nothing more.”
“Be careful you don’t overindulge her,” he says. “Women are always a threat. They’re most likely to take advantage of us when we’re blinded by lust.”
Ames’s words grate against me, fueling the fire I’m trying to keep contained. “I haven’t forgotten your lessons,” I say. “She’s my property. Nothing more than that.”
Until I make her my bride in name and deed.
He studies me for a moment, his gaze narrowing as if gauging my sincerity. “Just make sure your property doesn’t compromise your loyalty. The Order will always come first.”
I nod, although every part of me rebels.
Delilah is my first priority in any situation, even if it costs me everything. The Order might be the legacy I was born into, but a life with my little raptor is the legacy I wish to create.
Chapter 9
Delilah
I’m not sure if I want to punch Xavier or kiss him for what he did today. Actually, it’s both.
Every time I think about how he attended my classes so I could hear the lectures firsthand, butterflies take flight in my stomach and swarm my chest. If I wasn’t on pain meds, I’d drink enough alcohol to drown those bitches. Somehow, I keep ignoring the fact that he threw a freaking knife at me.
I briefly close my eyes, wrapped in the cocoon of Xavier’s sheets and surrounded by the scent of him. My skin is warm and damp from the shower I took, and my hair lies on my shoulders in clumps. Bathing myself left me with barely enough energy to stumble into bed. Combing my hair is out of the question.
Fatigue doesn’t stop my mind from racing, though, and all my thoughts are centered on Xavier. They range from excitement to anxiety until my nerves make my fingers shake. I’m looking forward to seeing him. I wish I could blame it on being alone all day, but I know that’s not it.
I miss him.
“Fuck me.”
I shake my head at my idiotic musings. I’m a psych major, so I think it’s safe to say I suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. If it’s not that, then it’s something deeper.
I’d rather be insane than in love.
The vulnerability that comes with such emotion scares the ever-living shit out of me. To give someone that much power over you? Hell no. Fuck no.
Yet . . . whenever I think about how Xavier is willing to die for me, I fall a little more for him.
The door clicks open, the tiny sound echoing in my head. I busy myself with scrolling on my phone like I haven’t been eager for him to return. He stands in the doorway, the light from the hallway framing his face and body. He looks like a guardian angel, all dark edges and violence.
He even has the tattooed wings to complete the image.
“Hey,” he says, his voice a low rumble that travels along my skin, making it warm.
“Hi.”
Xavier walks over to the bed and sits. “Miss me?”
“What? No. What?”
His lips quirk up in a lazy smile. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”
“It’s only because I’ve been alone all day.”
“Didn’t you rest between classes?” He leans over to pluck a strand of hair off my shoulder and rubs it between his fingers. “You showered. I wish you would’ve waited for me.”
The blush I’ve been fighting since he appeared comes rushing to my cheeks. “I had nothing else to do to keep me busy.”
His smile becomes sensual, his eyes gleaming. He tugs on my hair, pulling me a bit closer. “Well, next time, remember that I’m happy to wash every inch of you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I clear my throat. “So, how’d it go with Professor Ames?”
Like I splashed freezing water on him, the playfulness in Xavier’s body language shifts to something cold. “I called you, didn’t I?”
“Yes,” I say slowly, “but I wasn’t sure if that caused any issues. He’s not exactly my biggest fan.”
“I know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Xavier drops my hair. “At first, I thought your association with Ben was the reason you ended up in the Bride Hunt. Turns out Ames is the reason you’re on the Order’s radar.”
“I knew those accusations were bullshit. There’s no way he could prove I willingly helped someone cheat.” I throw up my hands in exasperation and immediately regret it when the movement tugs the skin around my wound. “My academic advisor was in on it. I fucking knew it.”
I pull in a lungful of air and breathe it out slowly, counting backward from five. I never start at ten because by the time I get to one, I’m usually pissed off all over again since it took too long to get to the end.
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Xavier says. “The founding families have always stuck together. Even the ones who aren’t directly part of the Order’s operations.” He pauses. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
“Ignore it.”
He shakes his head. “I can’t. I’ve tried. Even when I close my eyes, you’re there.”
