Page 92 of Lust

“Please just say you will. I want you guys to meet.”

Again, I’m tempted to tell him nothing will fucking happen and that he shouldn’t think like that. But that won’t do any good. Not now.

I press my lips together, stifling words I know won’t help. “Of course I will. And when things turn out all right, maybe you can invite him to come with you to Thanksgiving, to meet my mom.”

Despite how forlorn he looks, a gentle smile tugs at his lips. “I’d like that.”

There’s a light in his eyes—it’s the first time since the vision we shared that I see hope in them. I take his hand, interlocking our fingers, gripping gently. He grips back.

“Thanks for listening to me…boyfriend,” he says, stressing the word in a way that gets my pulse racing with excitement.

“That’s what a boyfriend’s for,” I assure him.

He chuckles, and I lean in to take another kiss.

He closes his eyes as he’s about to receive me, when an unusual sound catches my attention—

I jump into action, readying my bat, before I realize it was just his phone vibrating.

“Fuck,” he mutters.

My heart’s racing, muscles tense, nerves on edge.

I settle back on the fallen tree as Luke checks the message. “Alexei’s asking if I’m coming to the party. I’ll say I’m not so he won’t look for me.” He replies to Alexei, puts his phone on silent, and returns it to the night-vision mode.

As the night wears on, more of the guests head out to the back.

Drinking. Loud laughter. Loud music.

Kids celebrating life, blissfully unaware of the danger awaiting them.

My anxiety’s already high enough, when I notice two guys heading out the gate, which clangs behind them.

“Looks like we have company,” I mutter. I’m hoping they’ll stay along the trail, where we intentionally didn’t set any traps, but they move toward Cody and Seth.

Fuckin’ A.

Luke and I tuck our bats down near the tree, and then I flash on my phone light and start toward them. As I near, I recognize Preston Wade and Finnegan Holmes, both members of Alpha Alpha Mu.

Preston flashes his signature charming-ass smile. “Hey, stud,” he says with a wink. “You’re missing a hell of a party.”

“I kind of got distracted out here,” I say, indicating Luke.

Preston glances between us, and I can tell the moment he understands what I’m suggesting.

“Oh, is this your plaything for the night?”

A low growl escapes my lips. “He’s my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? Oh, really?” Preston says. “Now I’m intrigued. Word’s gotten around that you kept hanging with a guy. Breaking a lot of hearts, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess…”

“Uh…is your boyfriend okay?” Finnegan asks.

I turn to Luke.

He isn’t exactly being discreet as he continues searching around, holding his phone high, like he’s waiting for that monster to jump out and grab us at any moment.

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