Page 100 of Speak

“Let’s just go home. I’ll know more after the funeral and the meeting tomorrow. If there’s any real proof Tyler was murdered-"

“What, Thadd? What will we do?”

Thadd looks around and shrugs. “We’ll leave the country until it all dies down.”

Oh I want to laugh and dance to this beautiful fucking melody in my head. I want to write it out and compose it and have every ballet and symphony Orchestra play it across the globe.

“Hear anything interesting, baby?”

I jolt upwards and almost pee myself. I tear off the balaclava and shove Jonas who chuckles and fixes my hair.

“You should wear that later. You look like a sexy little burglar.” Then he makes a face, “On second thought, I like watching you come. MaybeI’llwear it.”

My eyes widen and my pussy tingles. He pushes me against the wall roughly, one hand braced on the wall, the other yanking me to him so I can’t escape.

“Fuck baby, you like that?”

I almost mew.

“God you’re such asick…” Oh my “Little…” God. “Slut.” He licks my bottom lip with his entire tongue. “If you weren’t wearingthis cockblock of a romper I’d be on my knees eating your sweet little pussy like a fucking madman ‘til you come all over my face.” He rasps.

Holy fuck.

“Jonas?” We look over and Ashleigh and Thadd are staring at us.

Jonas flashes that devilish grin, lowers his hand from the wall but not my waist, holding me even closer as we face them and unashamedly readjusts himself. Ashleigh blushes at the sight. “Excuse us, we were just leaving.”

“Kind of weird for you to get hard when there’s a dead body in the other room.” Thadd comments with a smirk. “Do tongueless living dead girls do it for you, Anderson?”

Jonas tilts his head side-to-side as if contemplating his words. “Wasn’t it you that said Ashleigh’s a corpse in bed last year at Inferno? I mean, it looks like you’re in the right place for a hard-on. Me? I’m just celebrating life the way Tyler would have – by going home and getting my dick sucked and then having my girl bounce that sweet, delicious ass of hers on me while she rides me backwards. Might go for anal, too. You know, in memoriam for Ty.” He winks.

I blush past all the shades of pink and go straight to crimson.

Thadd’s eyes go to me, brows hiking up to his hairline. “You motherfucker.” Thadd replies, fist clenched.

“Anyway, good seeing you again, Whitmore’s. But… Ireallyneed to take care of my girl. Have a good night with your corpse… oops,” he chuckles darkly “I mean,wife. That’s my bad.” Jonas yanks me out of the hallway and back into the room with everyone, pushing past the crowds to find Axel, who’s with Sofia and John. “I’m calling a car, we’re leaving.”

“What happened?”

“Oh, let them go, Corazón.” Sofia says. “This was no place for her.”

Jonas brow arches so as not to draw attention, he keeps his voice lowered at a decibel only the four of us can hear. “With all due respect Mrs. Monroe, I wassoexcited to meet you again. I really was. This time as youronly daughter’sboyfriend. I was even a teensy bit nervous to finally meet thegreatJohn Weston Monroe. But after theway you spoke to youronly daughterand then the way ignored youronly daughterthe entire time, I have to say, fuck you entirely,” he says with a fake grin on his chiseled face.

“Son, bite your tongue.” John says.

“First of all, I’m not your son. I may be adopted but I am so glad you aren’t my father because how can you let your wife treather only daughterlike this? I’m adopted and my parents treat me with more love and respect. I can’t believe I was wanting to make a good impression. My parentslovedher, by the way. They can’t wait to have us over for dinner so they can get to know her better. Mom even wants to take her shopping in Paris. Christ, it’s mind-blowing with the way you all treat her she didn’t kill herself.

“The only reason she even came and faced her anxieties is because her brother asked her to. She wanted to be here for him because she isloyalto heronlybrother.”

Axel looks straight at me, eyes shining bright with unshed tears as Jonas continues.

“Raven tookhoursto get ready, picked things out and changed a hundred times and then did her hair and make-up perfectly and what did you say to her? What did theold, washed-out supermodel say to heronly daughter?Oh, that’s right, I think it went along the lines of,‘I’m glad you covered those thighs of yours’not one hello to her.”

Jonas scoffs. “Just to let you know, you don’t have to worry about her anymore. I got her. She’s mine. Don’t call. Don’t text. Oh wait, you already don’t. You just leftyour only daughterbehind and forgot about her. She’s still alive, you know? She is alive and she is breathing and she smiles and she’s so fucking funny and smart and she ishere. After she faced something so fucking horrendous and if she had just been shown grace… just a little morsel of kindness… Fuck it. I’m not going there. You know she signs now? To me. Only me. Oh, and my mom now, apparently. So, fuck you and your pathetic excuse for a family. She’smine.”

Sofia looks at me but I drop my gaze to the ground. I’m just as surprised as them. “Is that true? You’re signing?”

“Don’t answer her, baby. She doesn’t deserve your time, your voice, nor your words. She’s not a mother. We can share mine. Axel, are you coming or staying?”

---