Page 67 of Freestyle
Gray’s wicked laugh coats my skin. “Someone likes a little degradation I see.”
I’m thankful for the faint light in here, otherwise they would see the flush covering my cheeks.
I never knew I could enjoy sex after everything that’s happened to me, but something about Gray and Phoenix’s brand of fucking sends me over the edge. Everything they introduce unlocks a new kink in my mind.
Phoenix leans forward and presses a kiss to my neck, his voice deep and raspy in my ear. “Don’t think we’re done with you yet, little juvie. We’ve only just begun.”
I shiver at the promise in his words. He pulls out of me and Gray lifts me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. “Let’s get you dressed. Nix and I have to finish out initiation night.” He swats my ass as I lean over to get my clothes. I yelp, causing him to chuckle. “Oh, and I’ll be taking these.” He holds up my black lace panties before my face. “And this.” He pulls my bra out of his pocket andwinks.
I open my mouth to protest, but he silences me with a kiss. “Don’t even think about arguing with me, sunshine.” He gives me a stern look, daring me to challenge him.
I close my mouth and pout, knowing better than to argue with Gray when he’s like this. He smirks, satisfied that I’m not going to give him a hard time. “Good girl.” Two little words that keep bringing me back for more.
“That mother fucker!” I yell, the words tearing out of my throat like claws. My fist slams into the drywall before I can stop it, bone meeting plaster, white dust clouding the air like smoke after a detonation. My knuckles sting, but it’s nothing. Nothing compared to the way my chest is burning.
Nix doesn’t say a word. He’s pacing like a caged animal, jaw clenched so hard I can hear his teeth grind. He doesn’t look at me, he doesn’t have to. We’re on the same frequency now; rage, guilt and something else we don’t have a name for.
“She was just a kid,” I mutter, voice low and shaky. “And we—” I bite off the rest before it swallows me whole. We made her life harder without ever knowing how hard it already was.
The image won’t leave me. Rowyn, tiny, scared, hands flinching away from someone who should’ve protected her. From anyone. Now I get it. The way she tenses when someone gets too close. The way she never lets her guard down, not even for a second.
Nix stops pacing. His hands are curled into fists at his sides, eyes wild and glassy. “No one touches her like that. Ever again. Unless it’s us.”
It’s not fury. It’s possession, yeah, but not the toxic kind we used to wear like armor. It’s something deeper now, protective, primal, personal.
Rowyn’s not just a girl we bullied anymore. She’s ours, and God help the next person who tries to hurt her, because I swear I won’t stop at drywall.
Thirteen
Grayson
Thealertfromthetracking app flashes across my screen, its bright light cutting through the dimness of my room. I glance at the clock on my wall—3:15 PM. Her class should have ended ten minutes ago, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety. Clicking on the notification, I see Rowyn’s location pop up on the map: back at her dorm.
A wave of relief washes over me. I had expected this, knowing we weren’t there to meet her after class. But still, the unease lingers in the back of my mind. I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.
I pull up the string of texts with Nix and send him a message.
Gray:
Did you ever find any more information regarding Rowyn’s past?
He answers right away, having just gotten out of class.
Nix:
I expect there’s info on my laptop waiting for me when I get home.
Gray:
How did you manage that one?
Nix:
I hacked into the social worker’s server, looking for anything involving Rowyn Caddel. I even went so far as to look up this Alberto character. It’s insanely illegal, but it was the only way to get what we wanted.
Gray:
Damn, always one step ahead. Bring it to my room when you get here.
