Page 28 of Beautiful Nightmare
“Look,” I growl, “you two left her at the party, and she almost got gangbanged in one of the frat bedrooms. That prick, Mike, who was dancing with her? He drugged her.” I jab a finger in Star’s direction. “You’re lucky he didn’t go after both of you.”
“Oh, fuck,” Maddox growls.
Kellan grabs the back of his neck, eyeing the two girls. Raven’s eyes are wide. She’s clearly upset. But Star—she’s absolutely stunned. Mortified. Her mouth opens and closes like a damn fish. “B-but we saw him open the drinks. I was paying attention.”
I stand up, planting my hands on my hips, and shake my head. I don’t want to be an asshole about it, but she’s wrong. “Not the second round you didn’t. I was watching when he brought you the open wine coolers.”
Star’s brows draw together sharply, probably at the idea that I’d been observing, but then understanding dawns on her. “Oh my God.” She stares into my eyes for several seconds before covering hers with her hands. “You’re totally right.” She slumps onto the couch at Lux’s feet. “I feel so fucking stupid.”
“Is she going to be okay? What should we do?” Raven hugs her arms around her lithe torso, almost like she’s trying to contain everything she’s worrying about inside of her.
Maddox huffs out a harsh breath, ignoring the fact that I hadn’t answered Raven. Dude has a one-track mind. “Has she been coherent at all?”
“Not really.” My head jerks sharply in the negative, deciding not to bring up the drunken rambling about me being dead, but not. “I want to ask her about going to the hospital, but she hasn’t woken up enough yet. I think she’ll be okay.” I rub my hand over my jaw. “She probably just needs rest and lots of water.”
* * *
Back in our suite,I pull out a chair at our table and sit down, propping my head in my hands.
“Well, that happened.” Kellan sits down with me and automatically begins to trace patterns on the wood with his finger without looking up at me.
Maddox doesn’t sit. He paces. “So, lemme see if I’ve got this right. He drugged her. Took her upstairs. And was going to share an unconscious girl with his buddies?”
“Yep.”
“Fucking sick.” He blows out a breath. “So, what’s the plan? What do you want us to do?”
Kellan swivels his head. “Are we talking about a plan for that Mike asshole or Lux? Because I find it interesting that you seem to be thawing toward her, despite what you shared when she moved in. She still doesn’t know, does she?”
I rake my hands through my hair, torn as to what to do, what to think. “No. And I’m not fucking thawing. Just because I didn’t want someone to take advantage of Lux doesn’t mean she isn’t responsible for everything that’s gone wrong in my life the last two years. I’ll deal with her. Me. Not some perverted fucks from ZSE.” Eyeing each of them, I clear my throat. “I could use help with the guys who were involved tonight. I already warned them—the ones who were still conscious when I took her out of there, anyway—that I’d be back. And you know me… I don’t make empty threats. I told them I knew who they were and would find them. They’re probably shitting their pants, wondering when I’ll come after them.” When I think about what would’ve happened if I’d left the party… or even been five minutes later going after her. It makes me sick. “They deserve to live in fear for a while.”
“More than happy to help, just say the word. Anyone who thinks they can abuse someone like that… nope. Not going to stand for that.” Kellan shakes his head, but then squints his eye at me. “Not even if it’s Lux.”
I chew the corner of my lip, wondering what they’d think about the fact that we’ve kissed twice now. The first time, I’d kissed her in anger, to intimidate her and to shut her up. The second time, she’d kissed me. Andfuck. I liked the feel of her warm lips on mine and her soft body against me. I squeeze my eyes shut. How can it feel like she’s two different people? The girl who ruined my life and the one I’m inexplicably drawn to. I shake my head. The only thing I do know is that she’s making me a fuckin’ lunatic.
Maddox grips the back of his neck, peering carefully at me. “Well, you know me, this is my specialty. I have some thoughts on what we could do to make these guys pay, if you want to talk it through.”
And as fucked as this entire night has been, I smile and nod. “I knew I could count on both of you. Let’s talk tomorrow after we get some sleep.” I hold out a fist that they each bump before we go our separate ways to our bedrooms.
I lie on the bed for a while, my head so full it’s screaming with my confusion. Once I’m sure I’ve waited long enough that everyone’s asleep, I can’t stop myself. It’s like I’m on autopilot, my body going where it wants to and knowing exactly how to get there. I laugh silently. Probably for the best if I don’t get my brain involved. The reasons why I need to be at her side are unfathomable and bewildering. And this late, I don’t want to have to search inside myself for answers that may not be there.
I pick the lock to her room and let myself in, then wait for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. She’s huddled under the covers, the same as any other night I’ve come in here… only tonight it feels different. Someone other than me tried to hurt her tonight, and that awakened an angry beast inside of me, and he won’t be tamed. He’ll take what he wants. And right now, the need to hold her is more than I can comprehend. I’m overwhelmed and furious with myself over it. But I can’t help the sick way my brain works when it comes to her. There’s a definite tug-of-war situation between my heart and my mind.
I’ve been harboring these tortured thoughts about what I’d do to Lux if I ever came into contact with her again for so long. And here she is… But for whatever reason, I find myself drawn to her energy instead of lashing out at her with my pain. I want to cradle her in my arms again. Make sure she’s okay. And that goes against every vindictive, dickheaded thought I’ve had since I realized she was here at Shadow River, right across the hall from me.
What the fuck am I doing?
SIXTEEN
LUX
When my eyes flutter open, it’s because I’m overly warm, and there’s a solid mass to the left of me that is immovable. For several seconds, I attempt to make sense of what I’m experiencing. But… it’s Hawk. Sound asleep in my fucking bed.
I lash out, punching his stupid-hot naked chest. I scoot away from him and pull the sheet to my chest, recognizing I’m in an itty-bitty tank and underwear with zero recollection of how I got from the party to my bed.
But then a bit of memory from last night sneaks through. I remember being curled up against Hawk’s chest as he carried me back to the dorm. But why was he carrying me?
There’s a weird, scratchy noise that sounds in the room, and it only takes a second to realize that it came from my throat. It also wakes Hawk, who rolls in my direction, completely groggy. “Hey.” He frowns, rubbing his hand over his pec, where I hit him. “Did you punch me?” He blinks away the sleep.
