Page 56 of The Guilty One

“I’m sorry,” he mutters. “I can’t.”

She addresses me then, eyes made of pure lava, words dripping venom. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’m not going anywhere without Matteo, okay? So you’ve got me. Just let me go. We’re not animals.”

I ignore her as I watch Dakota building the fire, then bend down and reach into my bag, digging around. I wasn’t sure what I’d need tonight to pull this off, but if all goes as planned, I won’t have to touch the knife or any of the more dangerous stuff. I pull out the roll of duct tape and toss a lighter to Dakota.

“What is that for?” Matteo asks, eyeing the tape as he finally jerks free of Bradley’s grasp and moves toward me with his hands up.

After snapping out of his apparent stupor, Bradley scurries to catch up with him, pulling him back. “Chill, man,” he says, keeping his voice low. “Just let him calm down.”

“I want to know what he’s going to do,” Matteo says, eyes on me.

“Watch and find out,” I tease, winking at Aubrey as I take her arm and force her to drop her bag onto the ground, kicking it aside. “Now, if you’re a good girl, nothing bad has to happen here tonight, okay? So play nice.”

“Let her go,” Matteo begs, trying to fight his way free. Bradley looks conflicted, but no one challenges me. They all do exactly as I’ve asked.

“Hold him still,” I warn Bradley, pulling Aubrey away from them and nodding for Aaron to help Bradley hold Matteo. Matteo is strong, but with both boys holding onto him, he stands no chance. I lead Aubrey to one of the wooden chairs we’ve placed around the firepit and set her down gently. Her eyes are laced with fear and fury as I place her hands on the chair arms and tear off a piece of duct tape with my teeth.

I secure her arms, taping them in place, then move on to her legs. Every eye is on me, waiting to see what I’ll do next. She keeps looking at them, waiting for them to save her, but they won’t. They’re cowards at the end of the day, and loyal to a fault.

She was wrong when she said we aren’t animals. We are. We always have been. To pretend to be anything but an animal is to wear a mask all day and night, but out here, this is where my mask can finally come off. There are no consequences here. No rules.

Once she’s completely secured and unable to escape, I walk back to my bag and bend down, reaching inside of it with purposeful sluggishness, making them wait to see what I’ll do next. Aubrey struggles against the tape holding her in place, but the attempt is feeble. She isn’t giving it her all. She knows it’s no use.

I pull the bottle of vodka and a few shot glasses out of my bag, holding them up in the air. “Jesus, you all look like I’m going to pull a bomb out of my bag or something. It’s just some spirits to get the festivities going. Calm down, you bunch of lunatics.” I gather the plastic shot glasses and pass them out, pouring a shot for everyone except Aubrey.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” I down mine. “Take a shot, pussies.”

Slowly, they all do, and with the fire started, I feel heat inside and outside, burning for power. My heart beats like a drum of war, letting me know this is right. This is what leaders do. This is how they prove what they’re worth, who they are.

When I approach Aubrey, I run my tongue over my teeth, examining her. “Hmm, I guess you can’t really hold a shot glass like this, can you?” I glance at the bottle, a wicked idea forming in my mind. “Open.”

She stares at me, a hint of defiance in her eyes, and I hold the bottle close to her face.

“Open,” I tell her through gritted teeth.

Slowly, her lips part, eyes locked on me.

I chuckle, making her wait. “I’ve seen this somewhere before.” Lifting the bottle away from her mouth, I pour the shot into my own mouth instead, then lean forward and spit the liquid into hers.

She spits the shot out in surprise, spewing it all over me, herself, and the grass.

I wipe a hand over my doused shirt. “Oh, ho, ho.” I laugh. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

“Leave her the fuck alone, Tate,” Matteo bellows. “It’s me you’re mad at. Punish me. Let her go. Come on, man. Please. Please let her go.”

“I’ll get to you later,” I say without looking his way. “Now, Professor, open up. Again, please.”

Her eyes flick to Matteo.

“Don’t look at him. Look at me.”

Slowly, she does what she’s told, opening her mouth wide. “Good girl,” I purr, filling my mouth with vodka and lowering it to hers. I do it at a snail’s pace this time, letting my lips touch hers gently before I spit the liquid into her mouth. She swallows, and I kiss her, demanding more, tilting her head back as I let my tongue explore. Once I’ve licked the taste from every square inch of her mouth, I pull back, not wanting to, but needing to, and wipe my lips with a satisfied hum. I have to pace myself. Being a leader is about self-control as much as it is controlling the rest of them. “Delicious.” I lift the bottle toward my mouth. “Again.”

She shakes her head, her brows drawing together.

“Again.”

Trembling, her mouth opens again, but less wide this time. She looks scared as I pour the vodka into my mouth, then swish it around. I lean forward, never taking my eyes off of hers. Hovering just above her open mouth, I spit the alcohol out slowly, emptying it inside of her. My heart pounds, cheeks flush. I’ve never experienced anything so hot.

---