Page 7 of Eden's Deliverance

Not in this lifetime.

Scarlett just received her golden ticket, and judging by her reaction, I’ll bet it’s her first time. There’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed her at the club, had she been there before.

At the next stoplight, I lower the convertible roof and untie the bun at the back of my head. The wind immediately whips my freed hair around when I accelerate. The cool sensation is a relief—I’ve been suffocating since I laid eyes on her in the driveway, and my skin feels hot and itchy.

I pull up Julian’s contact information on the screen and tap the ‘call’ button. The dial tone rings three times before he answers, “Hey man, what’s up? How’s your mom?”

Julian’s had this fascination with my mother since high school, and he makes sure I know it.Intimately.

“Don’t talk about my mom, fuckface,” I mumble. “I’m on my way home, just wanted to give you the heads up. Also, I’ve got a job for you.”

“I hope you gave her a big, sloppy kiss for me.” A barrage of smooching sounds ring through the surround sound before he continues. “What do you need?”

“Do you know who gave Penelope Whitlock the invite to Eden?” I ask. “I need you to find out when she’s going next. I think Daddy’s darling just got her acceptance letter, and I doubt she would go without Penelope.”

I flinch at the sudden, boisterous laugh echoing in my ears. “No fucking way Red got in. Has she even had sex before? She’ll get eaten alive.”

But that’s exactly what I’m hoping for.

She was fucking delicious tonight. Her crimson hair was as vibrant as I remembered, and it felt so soft wrapped around my fist. I almost lost my shit when she bit me, just watching the way her plump, red, fuckable lips pursed around my finger. Andfuck…her juicy ass and double-wide hips almost gave me a goddamn heart attack when she slid up against my leg in the doorway.

Iwant to eat Scarlett alive.

I want to see her crumble. I want to watch a waterfall of tears pool in her eyes when I force her open on my cock. I want to know if her pussy tastes as sweet as that tear did.

“I’m almost positive she got the email. She had this wild reaction at the same time I got my own,” I explain. “Can you get the intel, or not?” I’m trying not to sound as frustrated as I feel, but this raging hard-on straining against my zipper won’t get on the same page.

“Have you met me, brother? I’m Julian Finch.”Cocky motherfucker.“Getting what I want is like stealing candy from a baby. I’ll have it for you by the time you get home.”

Considering I’m only a few minutes out, I’m cynical, but I’ve never been one to discourage Julian from a challenge. “See you in ten,” I say before hanging up.

“Red Flags” by Stellar picks up where the last song left off, killing all hope I had of getting Scarlett off my mind. As I listen to the lyrics, she’s all I see—shining like a flame with that red glow I crave so much.

It’s crazy to think you can want to kill and fuck someone with equal measure, but that’s exactly how I feel. The question is: would I fuck her first and then kill her? Eh, that might ruin my afterglow. Maybe I could kill her and then fuck her, but that would make me a necrophiliac. Not really into that, either.

This girl makes torture feel like a hobby.

It’s just so easy when everything I do provokes a reaction. The more she fights, the harder I dig in. I have to wonder what it would look like to deliver a healthy amount of pain and punishment while I’m buried inside of her. I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance…

Until now.

There’s no time to dwell on it. I approach our house and park beside Julian’s Mustang, keeping my eyes averted from my bumper when I walk inside. If I even think about what happened tonight while my blood’s pumping like this, I know I’ll end up using that Post-it to go strangle her in her sleep.

Julian’s standing in the living room when I enter, phone to his ear. He points an aggressive finger in my direction as he starts wrapping up the call.

“Of course, darling, you’ve been a huge help. More than you know, really. Hope to see you soon,” he croons, then hangs up before whoever’s on the other line can respond.

“So?”

The corners of his mouth tighten into a wide, menacing smile that shows off his flawless teeth. “Saturday night.”

3

Scarlett

I might die.

Somehow, I’ve made it through almost an entire week without losing my cool, but now it’s Saturday, and I just might die.

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