Page 339 of Filthy Elites

I shouldn’t have asked like that. That was tactless. What was I thinking?

Actually, what I was thinking is I have an awful lot of violence to ask him about today, and it’s hard to consistently say the right things when my mind is completely blown.

“Did she say I threatened her?” he asks levelly.

I swallow. I can’t tell him what she said, but I guess I should communicate that she didn’t completely tell on him. How do I do that?

“I don’t understand what you have against her. She’s like the sweetest person in the whole world. Maybe your read is off because you’re so used to hanging out with the Wicked Witch of the West, but Hannah is aniceperson who would never wish either of us harm.”

He smirks, but there’s no humor there. “Not you, at least.”

“Not either of us. She’s my friend, Dare. I need you to be nice to her.”

“You need me to be nice to Hannah?” he says, grabbing me and lightly trailing his finger over one side of my jaw while leaning in and kissing the other. “I can be nice to her. How nice do you want me to be?”

Something in his tone makes my stomach rock. It feels vaguely like a threat, but I’m probably reading too much into it based on my prior assumption that he would be attracted to her, and knowing Anae let him sleep with other people. “Just… she’s my friend. You two should get along.”

“If she wants to get along with me, then she should stop putting whatever poison she’s putting in your head to make you mad at me every time I see you after she does.”

“She isn’t poisoning me against you, Dare. She’s just…”

Making sense?

Obviously, I can’t say that. Without giving him more ammunition, I don’t know how to refute the claim that she’s trying to turn me against him.

“She just wants what’s best for me,” I finally say.

“And she doesn’t think that’s me,” he states.

I’m so distracted arguing with him about Hannah, it doesn’t even occur to me he’s kissing me in plain sight until a girl stares as she walks past us in the hallway. I gasp and try to pull back, eyes wide. “Oh my god, what are you doing? People can see.”

Rather than let go, his grip on my jaw tightens. His other hand goes to my waist so he can control me better as he rumbles, “Let them see.”

I can feel a cold sweat about to break out. “Dare, let me go.”

“No.” His grip on my jaw tightens almost painfully. “I will kiss you wherever and whenever the fuck I want to,” he says carefully. “And I don’t care if Hannah or Anae or anyone else fucking likes it. You’re mine, and I will do whatever the fuck I want to do with you. Do you understand?”

I swallow, my heart pounding unsteadily in my chest.

When I don’t answer, he runs his fingers along my jawline. “I don’t like being mean or threatening to you, Aubrey. I don’t like that Hannah brings out this resistant side of you. Every time she’s around, you pull away from me, and I don’t know why. I know if she were a man, I would assume she’s competition and I would treat her accordingly.” He places a gentle kiss against my cheek, at odds with his words. “Should I expand my view a bit, hm? Should I consider her my competition?”

My heart nearly drops out of my body. “No, of course not.”

“Anyone who tries to split us up will have a very bad fucking time if I find out about it,” he informs me.

“She wasn’t trying to split us up.”

“But she told you I threatened her. Did she think you would like that?”

You did threaten her!

I know rationality isn’t what he’s looking for here, though. He’s trying to intimidate me, and he’s not doing a terrible job.

“She didn’t tell me what you said,” I point out. “She could have. If I knew what you threatened to do to her, I assume we would be having a different conversation.”

He smiles, but it’s not a nice smile. “We would. But I don’t think it would be different in the wayyouthink it would be. I told you I won’t lie to you, Aubrey, and I won’t. Yes, what I threatened to do to Hannah was bad. But if I tell you, it will make you want to leave me, and if you leave me, then I’ll do it. So, would you like to know what I threatened Hannah with?”

I feel sick, but I shake my head no.

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