Page 138 of The Dollhouse

I shut the door once he was long gone, locking it and returning to Roman and Carter. When I came into the living room, I saw Carter standing in the middle of it, near where I’d done my show. He’d already taken off all of his clothes, standing there with his thick, monstrous cock sticking straight out, ready to be serviced. His bare muscles flexed, his gruff face wearing a low smirk, and when we met eyes, my lower half set aflame.

I couldn’t even laugh at Carter’s impatience, because I felt just as hungry as he did. If lady blue balls were a thing, I totally gave it to myself during that dance, knowing I’d send Wyatt packing. But, lucky for me, Carter was here and more than ready to put his cock to use and make me temporarily forget all about my plans for Sunday—and the fact that he and Roman might not be back in time.

Yeah, let’s just forget my worries for now, hmm? It was dick time.

Chapter Twelve – Zoey

To say it was weird to be in a giant house by yourself was an understatement. It was fucking weird as hell, and I couldn’t get over it. Time passed so slowly after Roman and Carter left, and even though I talked to Lake a little bit, it wasn’t enough to fill the loneliness in me. Back home, it was like I was never alone, even when I was at home in my tiny apartment. I was either sleeping, with one of my boyfriends, or at the Dollhouse, working or running numbers for Roman.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been alone for more than a few hours at a time. Needless to say, I didn’t like it. If I had my way, I’d never be alone. It left me with nothing but my thoughts and all the possibilities, the ways tomorrow’s dinner could go wrong.

It took everything in me to focus on picking an outfit while not worrying about Roman and Carter’s current job. I did think about Wyatt, though, what he’d say when I would tell him that I didn’t have feelings for him. I wouldn’t come right out and admit that I’d used him, but he was a smart guy. He’d figure that part out himself, and then he’d never want to see or talk to me again.

But that was just as well, since after I blew shit up with my family, I never planned on coming back here. Not even years down the road for their funerals. They could rot on the side of the road for all I cared.

That night, when I went to bed to try to get some sleep, it wouldn’t come. I lay there, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Or at my phone, wishing I would hear from one of the guys. I thought about texting them, but I didn’t want to distract them from their job, and as for Lake… he was sleeping already, though I knew he’d answer if I gave him a call. He’d be groggy as fuck, but he’d answer.

So I lay there by myself instead. My mind went to tons of weird places. Besides my usual family drama and what I was doing with Wyatt, I thought of my guys. I thought of Lake and how he wanted me to meet his mother soon. I thought of Roman and Carter and what they were doing—and then, of course, I thought of the reason they were gone, the men they worked for.

Whether they were the mob or the mafia or just some criminal family who seemed to own everything, it didn’t matter. I didn’t care enough to know the ins and outs when it came to the Luciano family. I’d met them once, that one time, after getting shot, and they were just as rough around the edges as Roman and Carter.

And their girl… the girl they shared, Lola. Another killer.

And then I thought about that guy and the doctor who’d come a little after, how it sounded like he was part of another criminal family, the same family Markus came from. He’d been talkative from what I heard, but I didn’t really spend much time with him. Lincoln, I think his name was? Not sure. I spent more time with the doctor dude who’d stitched me up.

Come to think of it, I knew a lot of somewhat crazy, semi-murderous people. A lot more than I realized. All those people… even Markus and Lincoln, my parents would have an absolute fit if they knew I was one of them now, that I’d thrown away the Marbella last name in favor of their riotous selves.

All in all, that night I might’ve gotten three or four hours of sleep. I had makeup to hide any dark spots under my eyes, so I wasn’t worried about how I would look. What did concern me, however, was that my lack of sleep and the fact that Roman and Carter might not be there to hold me back, would mean I would go all out instead of playing it smart.

You couldn’t just destroy things in Hillcrest. You had to salt the fucking earth to make sure the ground wasn’t touched again.

I spent a lot of time practicing the things I’d say in my head. I also realized I wouldn’t have a ride to my parents’ house if Carter and Roman weren’t back, which meant I had to figure something else out.

And the only person I knew in this city who would be amenable to giving me a ride was Wyatt, so I texted him in the morning and told him a little about how Roman and Carter had to go back home for something, and that they might not be here in time for the dinner with my parents tonight. I mentioned that I wouldn’t have a ride, and if he had nothing better to do, maybe he could drive me.

I didn’t mind walking home, but walking there? I didn’t want to sweat through my makeup or get any wrinkles or dirt on my clothes. I had to look on point tonight for my parents and my sister, otherwise they’d automatically ignore anything I said or did. You had to look the part to play the part in Hillcrest.

Wyatt said he’d do it, so at least my ride was figured out.

The hours passed, and with no word from Carter or Roman, I started getting ready. There was no point in waiting around for them; I would’ve liked for them to be at my side for this, but I was a strong girl. I could handle my family on my own, now that I knew they were snakes in the grass. I’d loaded myself up on antivenom and was ready to clear the fucking grass of their slithering selves.

I went for an elegant black dress. Not too skimpy on the fabric, but not something an older woman would wear to a dinner like this. Something in the middle, its skirt long enough to hide my giant tattoo. Willow would see my tattoo in the video, but once I shared the video, I would be at the point where I wouldn’t give a shit. Until then, had to keep it safely tucked away.

My hair was already enough to give my parents an aneurysm, but there was no hiding that. Not that I wanted to. The pink was a part of me, the new Zoey. I wasn’t ashamed of who I turned out to be after I’d left. They might look down on me, but their haughty sneers and snide comments would slide right off me.

I straightened my hair, did my makeup. I spent longer than I should’ve blending my eyeshadow and making sure I looked damn fine, more than worthy to be in Hillcrest. My parents were assholes, but I was a Marbella at heart. I knew the games they played… I’d just been too stupid to think they wouldn’t play games with their own daughter.

Trust me, I’d learned my lesson that day.

Roman and Carter still weren’t back by the time I got a text from Wyatt telling me he was here, waiting in the car outside. I told him to come in, since it wasn’t quite time to leave yet.

Holding my heels in my hand, I went to the front door to let him in. I wasn’t expecting anything, really, but when I opened the door and saw Wyatt standing there in blue jeans and a t-shirt, for a moment, I thought I stood staring at Lake, and my heart skipped a beat or two.

But it wasn’t Lake. It was Wyatt, and so I wrangled my heart under control and let him in, my eyes falling to my bare feet as I said, “Hey. Thanks for this.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Wyatt said, unable to move from where he stood on the stone landing outside. His eyes were on me, taking in my dress, my hair, my face. It was a moment before he whispered, “You look amazing, Zoey.”

I wanted to thank him, but I didn’t, instead gesturing for him to come in, which he finally did, thank God. He shut the door behind him, and I led him into the same room where I’d given him a not-so-private show. The room was back to its normal staging, and I sat beside him on the couch, setting my heels on the table nearby.

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