Page 84 of Vulnerate

He looks up, over my shoulder, with violence in his eyes and ignores me to say to whoever is approaching, “Grab her arms.”

My heart is thundering against my rib cage as I kick out and Val’s rough hands hold my arms behind my back. The dumb prick voices his concern but doesn’t stop his brother as he asks, “What are you looking for?”

There’s an edge to his voice and I deflate as soon as Tali uncovers my stomach. Both of them are staring at it, the same question leaving in a rough tone.

“Who fucking hurt you?”

Tali doesn’t touch me, but Val’s hand comes to my waist, and I hate my body for reacting.It’s easier to blame the flesh than admit it’s deeper.

Measuring the bruise as an excuse to touch me, he steps closer warming the length of my body. Because I’m an idiot, and a liar, I lean back hating that his other arm is limp and not wrapped around me. Tali crosses his arms over his chest, refusing to move away from the subject.

“I know you like assholes,” he says, “but if one of them fucks put their hands on you I’ll kill them.”

I don’t focus on his threat because Val’s middle finger is stroking up my thigh.It’s a light touch, barely anything there but his forefinger joins in, making a zig zag path.

“I don’t like assholes,” I argue.

There’s only one who has my attention and he’s standing behind me. Arguing about the wrong thing has Tali delving too deep into my psyche.

“You don’t want someone like you, an artist and nice. You like dickheads who will force you to be mean, so you don’t have to think. They’ll protect you and they have the ability to hurt you, but it will be something you can prepare for.”

Val snickers like a child and I deadpan, “Thanks for the psychoanalysis I didn’t ask for.”

I’m busy forcing away the introspection his words caused that it takes me too long to react when Tali pulls my overalls down. Val’s chest turns to stone and his voice drops.

“Stop undressing her.”

Tali ignores his brother while my skin turns the temperature of the sun as he flippantly says, “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

I’m burning up and Val is ice.The dumbass in front of me doesn’t realize and makes it ten times worse, pointing to my hip. “Those are finger marks, now tell me. I swear to fuck Dani, I’ll lock you in my room and fucking tickle you if you don’t.”

The smug egotistical prick behind me knows they’re his and dares me. “Tell him.”

What the fuck has my life become? The answer is worse than what they’re thinking.

I fucked your brother then his baby mama, who’s also my sister, tried to beat the shit out of me.

Choosing to keep the more confusing parts to myself, so I don’t get lectured about cursed dicks, I say, “Carly wanted money.”

He stares at me, and his anger doesn’t leave until he’s assessed my honesty. He relaxes enough to let me cover myself while issuing his threat. “If I find out you lied to me, I’m going to tie you up and leave you in Val’s nasty ass room.”

Val’s stupid hand doesn’t move and ends up trapped under the denim as he puffs his chest out and tries to make the threat a reality.

“I think she’s lying, you said there were finger marks, right?”

Tali doesn’t react to his brothers bullshit and finally relents as he stalks off with his anger, leaving me with the most potent one as Val moves his hand further down and traces the edge of my bikini.

Nosing my hair away from my neck, he wraps his hand around my thigh, pulling my legs apart. The husky threat is masked by my body coming to life.

“If you ever sleep in his bed again, I’ll wake you up with my dick down your throat.”

I tilt my head to the side, silently asking for more and contradict my body’s needs as I say, “I can sleep where I want, with whoever I want.”

He nips my ear lobe with his teeth, his hand moving lower as he darkly whispers into my ear, “Try it, I hope you can be quiet so no one else wakes up.”

I’m so fucked up and get wetter at the image he’s painting.

His fingers dig into my inner thigh as he keeps my legs apart, pushing his hips forward so I can feel him hard against my ass as he cups between my thighs and squeezes. “When you’re ready to be my wife, I’ll fuck you like my whore.”

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