Page 14 of Kings of Decay
I snickered. “Typical California girl.” There was still a hint of a tan line around her bra strap. She wouldn’t be getting any beach time here.
The heaters came on with a roar and a rush of air. I fished her UCLA hoodie out of the pile of torn clothes and threw it over her, and then our scratchy emergency blanket.
“California, huh? That makes sense.”
“Why?”
Ainsley was messing around with her phone, holding her ID in one hand. “She and her old man just moved here from the West Coast.” He pocketed her card and his phone. “I’ll have to do some research on her. That way, it’ll be more interesting when we play with her.”
“You’re a sick fuck, Ainsley,” I said as I slid into the passenger seat.
“You’re the one who was groping her frozen tits,” my brother shot back.
I shrugged. “Did you at least find out where she lives?”
Ainsley pointed ahead. “Just up the road.”
I glanced back at her unconscious form. Poor little mouse, she almost made it back on foot.
Chapter ten
Ainsley
As fragile as she was, I was impressed.
We pulled up to the small cabin. The windows were dark, and there wasn’t a hint of smoke coming from the chimney. I recognized this place.
“They live here?” Pearce asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “I thought Dad said he wasn’t renting it anymore.”
I shrugged. “Whatever.”
My brother was right, but we didn’t have time to dwell on it. “Come on, let’s get her inside.”
We didn’t need to break in. We used her key to walk right in and move her to her bedroom. The house is as dark, cold, and empty as it looked from the outside.
Pearce set her down on the bed with uncharacteristic gentleness. He put her quilts on top of her and turned on the electric space heater.
Willow let out a soft sigh followed by a shuddering inhale.
“Well, she’s alive. Let’s go.”
“Yeah,” Pearce lingered a moment longer.
“Pearce,” I repeat.
“Yeah,” he shrugged off whatever emotion he was feeling and let his cold indifference slide back into place. “One more thing.” He tugged off her panties and shoved them into his pocket. “Ok, now I’m ready.”
I barked out a laugh and threw my arm around his shoulders. I echo his words back to him. “You’re one sick fuck, you know that?”
Chapter eleven
Willow
Icouldn’t remember how I got home, but I did not doubt that the Winston Brothers were responsible.I woke up with a pounding headache and panty-less, wrapped up in my quilt in my own bed. The space heater was on full blast.
My memories were fuzzy. They’d stripped me down and forced me to walk for miles before I passed out. They must have driven me home.
I didn’t know whether to be grateful or terrified.
