Page 69 of Raise Hell

“You really do like to play with fire, don’t you?” I press closer to her, driving the sharp angle of my hip into her belly in a way I know isn’t comfortable. “A smart girl doesn’t stick her nose where it isn’t wanted. Little snoop.”

The words are relatively mild, but I can feel the frantic beat of her heart where her chest presses against mine.

“Get off me.”

“No.” I force her harder against the wall until the front of my body is pressed completely against her. “At least, not until you tell me what game it is you’re playing. Why do you keep coming back here? What do you want with us?”

“The truth,” she snaps. “I want to know the truth about what happened last year. I want to know what you assholes did to…me.”

Just because I found her in the woods outside of Havoc House doesn’t mean that any of us are responsible for what happened to her. Even if we are, dredging it all up won’t do anyone any good.

Not even her, whether or not she’s smart enough to see that.

“We didn’t do anything,” I hiss, my mouth so close to hers that I’m practically forcing the words down her throat. “That was the story then, and it’s the story now. If you keep running your mouth, things aren’t going to end well. Unlike you, Havoc House has a reputation to protect.”

I see her hand coming out of the corner of my eye, but don’t make a move to stop it as she slaps me full across the face. The pain of it reverberates through my cheek.

I taste the blood that blooms at the corner of my lip where it got cut against my teeth.

Initially, I thought some heavy flirting would be enough to get her attention. It always has been with girls before.

But the way she reacted at the game, combined with what happened after the last Havoc party, has changed my mind.

Olivia won’t respect the lovesick fool who brings her flowers and sappy speeches.

Sure, she wants a guy to chase her. Every girl does.

But when she runs, it better be with a little fear of what he’ll do when he finally catches her.

This girl doesn’t want it sweet.

My tongue touches the corner and licks the tiny pool of blood away. “I dare you to do that again.”

This time I do catch her wrist in my hand. I force it against the wall next to her head. When she tries to swing at me with her other fist, I repeat the movement so I have both her hands trapped.

Her mouth opens, likely so she can say something insulting.

I don’t give her the chance.

My lips crash down on her mouth. The kiss is full of all the anger and lust that has been building in me since the day she strolled back on campus.

She gives me the struggle I’m expecting, bucking her hips and pulling against my hold on her wrists. But it only takes a few seconds for her lips to part on a desperate gasp. I kiss her like I want to hurt her, because at least part of me does, alternating between licking and biting her lips before shoving my tongue practically down her throat.

Olivia kisses me back like she hates me as much as I hate her.

Maybe more.

As soon as she responds, I pull away.

“Do you want to fight me?” I ask, nipping her again hard enough that she makes a squeak of pained surprise. “Maybe that’s why you keep pushing so hard. You want to run so I can chase, make me catch you. You want me to hold you down while you kick and scream, taking what I want while you beg me to stop?”

A shiver runs through her entire body. “Fuck you.”

“Not tonight, but I might pencil you into my schedule if you ask nicely.”

“You’re an asshole.”

My smile is cold. “And you’re a filthy little liar. Emphasis on the filthy. Anyone who bothers to look can see what you want.”

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