Page 91 of Grotesque Love

“I’m not a virgin, Carver,” I whisper before I can rationalise myself out of provoking him.

He looks up from where he’s kneeling on the floor ringing out a crimson-soaked rag. Pinkish water trickles down his hands as he squeezes the cloth and swallows.

Silence.

“What?” He blinks. “What did you just say?”

I inhale shakily.

“I’ve had sex. Lots of it.” Clearing my throat, I lift my chin. Have I lost my mind again? Is this what madnessreallyfeels like? “In fact, I’m pretty sure that if you spread my legs, I still might be dripping Mal’s cum. He fucked me good. Hard. Deep. Made me scream when I came.”

Carver falls back onto his heels, his face twisted in confusion, the sharp lines emphasised in the flickering candlelight.

My distraught step-father.

My cruel monster.

I push on, still trying to work my hands free behind my back. “Or maybe my breath still smells like Jasper? He was delicious.”

The sodden rag falls from Carver’s hands with a heavy plop as he gets to his feet, his face half hidden by shadows.

There’s a strange stillness between us, and I can hear my heartbeat, the blood rushing around my head as every nerve in my body tenses, waiting for whatever comes next.

“My jaw is still sore from sucking his cock. He’s not quite as big as the others but—” My words are cut off as he backhands me, and I taste the tang of copper in my mouth.

“LIES!” He screeches, face turning red with rage as his hands tighten into firsts. He shakily blows out a breath, relaxing his hands before turning them into fists again. “Lies. You…you are trying to anger me.”

Yes, I am. And it’s working. His pulse throbs in his neck and his jaw ticks. He’s furious. A pot about to boil over with a little heat.

Carver forces his shoulders to relax as he narrows his eyes at me. “I don’t know why you want to hurt me, but I do not believe you.”

Because I cannot let you win.

Because I am not yours.

Because you killed her.

Because I know they’re coming for me.

Forcing myself to smirk, I taunt him further. “I even let them fuck my arse.”

I mean, technically Mal used his tail. But Carver doesn’t need to know that.

Tears start to form as I think about the tender care they gave me, while pushing my body to its limits. They love me. I felt it in every touch, every whispered nickname. I’m not ready to lose that.

Blinking away the burning sensation, I refuse to cry. Carver doesn’t deserve my tears. Instead, I lick my lips, determined to ruin his fantasy of me.

“Every hole. Stretched. Used. Abused.” His eye twitches, so I keep going. “I’m not your innocent little prize. You can’t take myvirginity, because I already gave it away. You willneverbe my first.”

Something snaps, I can see it in his eyes and in the next second, he lunges at me.

“I will be your last!” Spittle hits my face as his hands wrap around my neck, squeezing tighter and tighter. My vision starts to go fuzzy around the edges. His breath is hot on my skin, as his teeth sink into my cheek.

“It’s always going to be me, my princess. Always.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

JAS

---