Page 86 of Hate So Deep

The music from inside pumps all the way down the street as we make our way up the sidewalk and push inside.

Immediately the combined scents of weed and alcohol assault my nose and with a little thrill, I look around, hoping to find Dirk anywhere in the crowd.

No such luck though and with a frown, I ignore Caro’s pitying gaze as we pour two drinks in the kitchen before heading outside.

This apparently is where the action is but the last thing I expected was to find my half-brother, Colt kicking some fuckers ass. I haven’t been this close to him since the last time I was here and while I’m still curious about him, I know I shouldn’t poke the bear.

Buck is already a powder keg ready to explode and judging by the feral look on Colt’s face while he pounds on the dude, he’s no pussy cat either.

All of which fades to insignificance when I move to the left and find Dirk looking on, his arms wrapped around a pretty blonde with big blue eyes and lush lips.

At the sight, my heart drops and I touch my own mouth. Does she know how soft and warm his lips are?

Feeling foolish, I back away just as he looks up and we lock eyes. Although his brows furrow, he essentially ignores me when he glances down at the blonde before turning back to the brawl.

Biting back the brutal burn painting my tongue, I step around the house and lean against the wall.

I can’t explain the betrayal pressing at my chest because we’re barely acquaintances, but surely the heart is a foolish organ that beats for no good reason but to torture the shit out of us.

Either way, I’m not keen on watching this play out and I shoot Caro a quick text while the sounds of the fight finally die down.

Curiosity pushes me to creep back over there and figure out what’s going on, but common sense keeps me rooted to the spot.

I need to go before Colt sees me because I still don’t know if he knows who I am.

Assuming it’s Caro who approaches, I turn toward the front of the house only to freeze when Dirk says, “What are you doing here, baby girl?”

Bitterness fills my soul for this asshole and the fucked-up situation I’m in and waving toward the darkness, I mutter, “Leaving.”

“So soon?” he rasps, grabbing my arm and spinning me around. “And here I thought you came to play…”

There’s something off about his expression, but I can’t pin it down. Regardless, I’m not about to back down and sneer, “Aren’t you going to send me back to my playpen?”

The corner of his lip quirks as his eyes dip to my chest. When his gaze meets mine once more, I shiver because there’s a darkness there that both sends a tendril of caution through me and lights my veins on fire.

“Is that what you want?” he asks.

The air between us practically vibrates with tension and I can’t deny that when I’m with him, I feel…free. A strange notion since he’s always bossing me the fuck around.

Still, am I ready to do this…whatever it is?

I guess I wait too long to respond because he breaks me from my thoughts when he trails the tip of his finger down my neck before tapping the pulse, raging under his fingers.

“Hm, baby girl?” he says. “You say no and walk now or…”

“Or?” I whisper and his lips pull into a sexy smirk.

“Or I take you upstairs and show you what it’s really like to walk on the dark side.”

This is what I’ve wanted since the first time we kissed but I can’t deny the weird sense of dread that crashes through me when I nod and follow behind him into the house and up the stairs.

At the first door on the right, he pushes it open, and I move past his outstretched arm. I’ve never been in any of the bedrooms before but it’s as I would expect from a typical teenage guy, covered in trophies and plaques of various sports and sizes.

Dirty clothes litter the floor, and a musty scent makes my eyes water as Dirk closes the door behind us, muffling the sounds below the stairs.

What changed his mind? Does it matter?

I want this even if I know I’m going to crash and burn after. Still, like a firefly burning bright in the darkness, I light up at his touch and that’s what leads me toward my doom when Dirk grasps my hips and pulls me in.

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