Make her bleed, p.17
Make Her Bleed, page 17
"Aw, shucks. Do you prefer us over the others?" Nico jokes.
"And we haven't even screwed her on our own."
I wouldn't object to that.
"Yet," I add.
Both of them grin at me.
"You guys are nice. Everyone else is an asshole." I frown before taking another cookie.
"Even Knox?" Dax asks.
"Wait. I'm confused. What did Rowe do?" Nico inquires.
"Rowe is a big jerk, just like his father."
Nico's face pales as he stares at me. "You met Rowe's dad? When? He's been in jail forever."
"Not his dad. His father. His biological sperm donor. None other than Malakai Harris himself."
Dax gapes at me as he sits up. "Where did you hear this?"
"Straight from Kai. He told me when I was in the hospital. He told me all about getting Rowe's mom pregnant, paying her a bunch of child support to take care of her and Rowe, and all about Rowe's dad. He had a lot to say." I frown. I can't help thinking about how shitty a hand Rowe was given. His father is a psycho, his mother an addict, and the man who raised him was abusive. Nothing went right at all.
"He could've been trying to start shit, but have you told Rowe about this?" Dax asks while rubbing my back.
"I tried, but then Kai broke into my room and beat the shit out of Rowe. It came out of nowhere but he said he deserved it and Rowe got mad at me like he thought I had something to do with it." I roll my eyes at the ridiculousness.
"That was probably because Rowe kicked Kai's ass when you were in the hospital. Kai mouthed off about what he did to you and … let's just say he got a taste of his own medicine. He told Kai if he ever put you in the hospital again, he'd kill him. He meant it, too. Your dad thought Rowe would kill him then. He might've if your dad didn't pull him off. I've never heard of Rowe losing his cool like that," Nico explains.
My heart squeezes at how Rowe defended me. He could be so sweet and yet rip my heart out like trash and toss it to the floor.
"You guys need to be careful about threatening him. He's not above killing people. He's done it before. He killed his high school girlfriend," I warn as I squeeze both their hands, flashing them my concerned eyes.
"What? Did he tell you that?" Nico presses, disbelief across his face.
"Yeah. Her name was Teigan and it was here, in this house," I add.
Nico quickly looks at Dax who is uncharacteristically silent, like a mouse.
"What?" I look at Dax and see the panic across his face.
"As in Teigan Harper?"
How do they know her name?
"The famous double homicide of Teigan Harper and Stephanie James? It was huge news in this town. Nothing bad ever happened around here before that," Dax explains before looking at me.
"Yeah, Kai's mother was killed by Teigan's father. Her last name was … James?" The wheels turn in my head as I feel myself panic. "My last name is James. My mom's name is Lillian James. That can't be a coincidence, can it?"
Sure, James is a well-known last name, but it's not common in Royal City. Is there something I'm missing here?
"Who knows? The only one around that would have those kinds of answers is Kai and I doubt he's ready to open that can of worms," Dax offers.
"Yeah, but Teigan Harper was killed by Kai. He told me the whole sordid tale of how and why," I get back to my original point.
Nico gulps before sitting the plate off to the side.
"Um, Teigan Harper only had three living relatives. Her mom, her dad, and her little sister, Delaney Harper … who later became Delaney Kade, Rowe's mom."
My heart drops and the blood drains from my face.
Kai killed Teigan and then impregnated her little sister. Only someone truly demented would be capable of something so heartless.
If she were to ever find out about this, it would probably have the power to destroy her. I feel so bad for both sisters. They were both victimized by Kai. It's time some of his secrets come to light.
"Nico, can you go ask Kai for my shorts back?" I turn my attention to Dax before saying, "It's getting close to time."
"Oh, right." Dax grins at me.
"Sure," Nico says, giving me a suspicious look before leaving.
I turn to Dax, but he doesn't say anything, just looks at me with affection, his fingers playing with my curls. "What?" I ask.
"You're just really strong … and pretty. Always pretty."
I blush at his compliment before I lean in and kiss him. His fingers wind in my hair and pull me close, his tongue meeting mine, heat blazing through my body.
Kai is probably going to hospitalize me after I expose him and who knows when the next chance I’ll have like this will be.
Fuck Kai and his stupid rules. I belong to no one and I'm going to prove that.
I guide Dax's hand to my breast, and he growls against my lips.
"Are you sure?" He groans as he leans down and runs his tongue over my nipple, teasing, sucking, biting.
I want all of them. Dax and Nico. Even Rowe and Knox, no matter how much of an asshole they have been. I want all of them at the same time, all over my body. I want to be filled in every hole and have my body worshipped.
"Yes," I moan as I stroke his cock below the dwindling bubbles.
I increase my pace and he groans as I press his cock inside me. At first, my pussy protests, my entrance giving a dull ache, but when I try again, it gives into my desires.
Fuck Kai.
Screw Rowe.
This is what I need right now.
I sink my head to his shoulder as he thrust into me, shifting deeper, but not going harder.
God, he feels so good. The way Dax is hitting every spot without destroying my uterus drives me insane.
"Fuck," he grunts. "Fucking hell. You're so much tighter in the water, Aria. So damn good."
"Don't stop," I cry against his shoulder. "For the love of god, don't stop." I whimper as his fingers dig into my skin, grunting with each thrust.
"Having fun?" I look to the door as Nico walks in, holding a pair of shorts. He doesn't look upset at all that I'm fucking his boyfriend. He looks … excited.
"She feels so good," Dax groans.
I grind down on him as he moves, his pace quickening. I stroke my clit as he thrusts away, taking more and more of me, pushing me closer to my release.
"Oh, my god. Don't stop," I beg.
I watch as Nico walks over and undoes his pants, whipping out his beautiful, brown cock, the tip glistening with his arousal. I half expect him to ask me to take care of him, but instead he grabs Dax by his hair and pushes his cock in Dax's mouth.
A part of me is a bit shocked. I've never seen two guys together sexually but seeing Dax's lips moving up and down Nico's cock as Dax thrusts away at me, his movements getting more erratic, makes me even hotter for them. It feels like both of them are actually fucking me, that it’s both their cocks driving into me.
Dax isn't thrusting harder. It's me. I'm moaning as Nico watches me, takes Dax's cock and plays with my clit. I'm so close.
For once, I'm not at the center of it all. Dax is at the center. They're the couple, and I'm the third wheel which fills me with so much joy. I'm not a part of the love, but I'm watching it.
"Oh, my god!" I cry out for mercy. "I'm going to come so hard." Just as I say that, Dax bucks against me and Nico groans.
"You're not alone."
Not alone. I know he's talking about being close to getting off, but just him using those words makes my heart cry out in bliss.
I'm not alone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ARIA
"Aria!" As soon as I step on the stairs, Kai calls my name from downstairs. I groan as Dax rubs my back.
"Relax," he whispers.
I nod.
I walk downstairs, my eyes instantly finding Rowe who sits across the room from his father, in the recliner. His eyes find me and he scowls.
After everything we've been through, he chooses to believe I would be a part of any of Kai's plans. How can he have such little faith in me?
"Come here, princess," Kai says as he smirks at me, like he thinks I'll do whatever he says, sitting there like a king on his throne.
I roll my eyes. Just play nice for a few more minutes. I walk over to him and scowl at him. "What do you want?"
"Sit," he demands, rubbing his jaw like he has something sinister planned.
His plan is for tomorrow, not tonight.
I step around his legs to take a seat on the couch, but he grabs my wrist, stopping me.
"There." He nods to the floor by his feet.
He's got to be fucking kidding, right? I'm not sitting on the floor like some piece of trash.
"Fuck you," I hiss.
"Do you really want to go through this again, princess? Don't fight me. Sit on your pretty little ass or I'll make it bleed." His eyes shift to Rowe, waiting to see if he'll do or say something about the truth, but he remains silent.
Is it really going to be like that, Rowe?
"Just let her sit on the couch, Kai. Please," Knox speaks up, and I send him an appreciative smile.
"Shut it!" Kai snaps. "She'll either do what I say or live with the consequences."
"I'm done living by your rules, Kai. You were right when you said you were my hero. As a little girl, I looked up to you … until you dragged me into a classroom and destroyed that by holding me down and forcing these guys to rape me … then doing it yourself. Ever since then, you've been doing everything you can think of to torture me, calling it consequences. Consequences come from doing something wrong, and I haven't, but you have. You have done so many horrible things to me and other people and it's time you face the consequences of your actions. The punishment may not fit the crime but everyone here will know what you've done, how truly savage and sadistic you really are. No matter what they've seen, they haven't even scratched the surface, but they will know now." My scowl deepens, hatred filling me.
"Aria, sit the fuck down," he demands, his jaw tense.
I'm done with him. I'm not a tool for him to use.
"Kai is a murderer. He killed his high school girlfriend in this very room," I say, my eyes never leaving his. I will not be controlled by a psycho like him.
"That wasn't where his reign of terror ended for Teigan Harper or her family. A few years later, he screwed her little sister and got her pregnant with her first child, a boy who's in this room. Then, he beat the shit out of Rowe in my room, making it look like I had something to do with it, but I have the proof to show I’m not guilty of that."
I look around and see all eyes are on Rowe who's looking at me as if he still thinks I'm lying.
"What the hell, Kai?" Knox says before standing at my side as if to protect me.
Kai stands and looks murderous, his eyes shooting daggers at me. "Sit down, Aria, or shit is going to get way worse for you."
"I will not sit at your feet, kneel before you, beg, or anything of the sort. You are a coward."
Kai reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a gun, pointing it directly at Knox, between his eyes.
Knox doesn't move, but I can feel the panic coming off of him.
"Get out of the fucking way or I'll put you in the ground," Kai warns, venom practically sliding down his jaw like saliva, a snake wearing human flesh.
I carefully touch Knox's arm. "It's okay, Knox. Step aside."
"Fuck that shit!" Dax shouts and moves in to block me. "We stand by a lot of shit, but we're not going to let you kill her. We all love her and would gladly die for her."
Oh, Dax. My heart aches from his declaration.
The only one not standing to protect me … is Rowe.
"Did I say I was going to fucking kill her? Get out of the way or I will kill you!" Kai's voice booms.
"Stand down," I say. "He's not going to kill me. He can't and he knows it."
That's one thing I know in my heart. Kai tried to make himself kill me before but he couldn't. For whatever reason, he can hurt me, but he can't kill me or let me die.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Nico asks.
"Absolutely."
The guys slowly step back, watching Kai with caution.
"His time is up, anyway." I look up at the clock, smile, and count down the seconds. "And three … two … one." The lights go out but I can see the look of shock on Kai's face from the glow the TV emits.
"What did you do?" he growls.
"I hacked your security system and found some juicy footage, even from the camera you planted in my hospital room."
His gun falls to his side as the TV goes black before the video feed starts to play.
Kai is sitting in the chair next to my hospital bed, holding my hand, looking absolutely miserable.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want you to know that I do good things sometimes. That doesn’t make me a good person, and you need to remember that. I've done a lot of bad things in my life, and I'll continue to do bad things.”
The clip gets fuzzy before changing to earlier in the feed.
"Does his mom not know who his father is?"
"She knows. She's known from day one, and she did the right thing by contacting me to tell me that she was pregnant."
"You're his father?"
"I always made sure Delaney and Rowe were taken care of."
I look at Rowe's face and see the heartbreak he tries to hide.
The video gets fuzzy again before skipping ahead.
"I'm not a dad. I knew he was better off without me. I was never supposed to be a father. It was a mistake."
It switches to Kai and me in his office, me standing there naked as he stands behind me. His hand is around my throat, holding me hostage against him.
"Now, go shower, put your clothes back on, and take my son to your room."
"Take him to my room and …"
"Let him do whatever he wants. Keep him … satisfied. He's earned it."
My eyes move to Rowe and see the deflated look across his face. He knows I told the truth because he saw it with his own eyes. I had no clue that Kai was going to do what he did to Rowe.
Still, I let the final clip roll.
The video changes to after he told me about Teigan, when I confronted him about what he did to Rowe.
"Why the hell did you do that to Rowe?"
"I said it was what he earned. Did you miss that part?"
"I did not sign up for that. You made him think I had some part in it! He's your fucking son, and you attacked him. Have you lost all your goddamn humanity?"
"Decades ago, princess."
"Let's get one thing straight, Kai. I am not a torture device for you to use against other people. You want to beat the hell out of me, rape me, embarrass me? Fine, but you leave Rowe and the others out of it."
"Aw. Are you going soft on him?"
"You would think having feelings for someone is going soft, wouldn't you? It's not though. Love isn't weakness. It's strength and I … I love him. I love Rowe, okay? So stay the fuck away from him."
"Your sass is going to get you in some real trouble, princess."
The video proceeds onto Kai raping me, me fighting him, crying, him nearly pulling my arm out of socket.
Everyone stares at me like they can't believe I'm standing here with what he just put me through.
The video ends and the lights come back on as I stand there with my head high, waiting for Kai to do something.
Is he going to punch me, kick me, take me off to some torture chamber to rip off my fingernails and break my legs? I don't care because I did what I needed to do. I stood up for myself.
He puts his gun back in his pocket and grabs an apple out of the bowl of fruit on the table, taking a big bite out of it.
Why isn't he saying anything?
He steps forward and takes my chin in his hand. Is this when he snaps my neck?
"Good girl," he mutters before kissing my cheek.
What the fuck?
"Excuse me?" I ask as he goes to walk away.
"Did I stutter, princess?" he jokes as if everything is a fucking game to him. "I gave you the ammunition and the opportunity to see if you would snap back and you did. You have more balls than half of the men I've ever met." He laughs, turns, and goes up the stairs toward his room.
It was a test. Is any of what he told me true? Is he responsible for Teigan? Is he really Rowe's father? What the hell am I supposed to do now?
"Aria …" Rowe walks up to me and I turn my back on him, walking to the kitchen. "Aria, wait, please!"
I need something to drink, preferably something stiff … something that will knock me out and make me forget. My head is spinning.
"Aria, what do you need?" Dax pops up behind me as I hyperventilate.
"I need alcohol, maybe drugs. I don't fucking know, okay? All I know is I was not prepared for that. I was prepared for everything else, but …" I pause before I turn to all of the guys standing there, looking at me with concern. "I played into his fucking hand!" I cry as I drop to my knees, burying my face in my hands. "I showed my cards and … he wanted me to!"
I feel warm arms around me, and I fall into them, not caring who it is holding me together.
"Get me some water quick," Knox says as he holds me close, rubbing circles on my back.
Someone hands him a glass of water and Knox hands me a pill with the water. "Take it, baby. It's okay."
I take it before setting the glass of water on the floor, crying my eyes out for all the hurt, all the depravity, all the anger, love, and mistrust all over the place.
I don't know what to think, how to feel, or where to turn. I'm lost.
I’m so fucking lost.
"Aria?" I look up to find Rowe still standing in front of me. Every time I look away, I hope he will evaporate, but he doesn't. He's real, not a fantasy.
After he hurt me, I prayed he'd come back, but now it's too little too late. Somethings can't be fixed and time doesn't move backward.
"Darling, please, look at me," he begs as I hold my legs to my chest.
The others left a while ago, having to leave for various reasons, but not Rowe. He hasn't moved at all.
