Page 3 of Duke
Maybe if I try to sit up I’ll feel better. But I can’t. Try as I might, my body seems heavier than lead, my limbs weighted. All attempted movement is sluggish, like I’m underwater.
“Does she know?”
My stomach lurches at the quietly murmured question. Hot breath cascades over my cheek, one gust after another, making me shudder with revulsion. “Nah. She’d have said something.”
A moment later, my head is lifted, upper body propped up, and someone nudges a glass at the seam of my dry lips. “Here, pretty little thing. Have some of this.” Something cool and sweet passes between them. “That’s it. This’ll make you feel better.”That voice— Where have I heard it?
I sputter. Somewhere in the back of my head, I know I shouldn’t swallow whatever they’ve poured into my mouth, but can’t help it, some of it goes down my throat. It’s a familiar burn, a taste I should remember, but can’t. What doesn’t make it into my stomach dribbles from the corners of my mouth and slides down my neck.
A husky groan sounds close to my ear and lips skim down the column of my throat, following the wet trails left behind. A hiccuped cry is wrenched from my chest as hands slide over me.No.My heart rate accelerates as air greets the skin of my stomach. I’m being moved around like a rag doll.
I try to lift my hand, but it never makes it from my side, I try to speak, but all that comes out is the barest whimper.
“Pour some right there.” Trickles of something wet land all over my body.
“Skin’s so smooth.” More droplets hit my throat, my chest, my belly, and down even farther in places I don’t want to think about.No. NO! Lennon wake the fuck up. Stop this!
“You’re not fucking kidding. I want to lick that entire bottle of bourbon out of her sweet belly button.” Another groan sounds at my ear, rumbling and deep. I twitch as a tongue trails along the shell of my ear.
“Love all these gorgeous curves.”
I know they’re touching me, but can’t make them stop, can’t move, can’t speak. Panic seizes me, all logical thought gone. I need to get out of here, but I can’t fight for the life of me. I try in vain to shake my head.No.Splotches of sparkling light encroach on my darkening vision. Juliette’s name is a whisper on the air, causing my heart to clench, just before everything goes black.
THREE
BEAR
I rakea hand through my hair, looking out into the night from the front steps, desperately trying to think of what we should do next. Right after the Hawthorne brothers had fucked off, we’d searched the house from top to bottom, then came outside, splitting up to search around the grounds. I’d taken the front while Duke and Mason covered the back side of the property and into the woods. We’d agreed to reconvene at the front of the house if we didn’t find any sign of her.
My stomach roils viciously the longer Lennon is gone. I’d shouted until my voice went hoarse. None of it had done any good. She’s nowhere to be found. My heart clenches in my chest; stark, painful worry tumbles through me. The last time I saw her, our eyes had connected across the ballroom. I’d given her the signal that she needed to exit as quickly as she could. She’d made it up to her room, that much is clear. But after that, we don’t have a fuckin’ clue what happened outside of the fact that she’s no longer wearing the black dress she’d had on at the event.
The heavy front door opens with a creak, and I pivot on my heel, hope rising within me. In a flash, I envision Mason and Duke standing with an apologetic—but perfectly safe—Lennon between them.
But that isn’t what materializes. Hunter appears on the steps, his signature shit-eating smile strangely absent. He questions roughly, “Where are Mason and Duke? I need a word with the three of you.” Snapping the door shut behind him, he turns his nasty gaze on me.
I frown, annoyed by his agitated tone. The guy is a certifiable douchebag, and he almost always has some smart fucking remark to make, especially if it means jabbing at his brother. But this… this feels different somehow. He’s highly irritated. More than pissed off. “I don’t know why you’d have anything to say about how things went down tonight. We acted like the dickhead bastards of this hall, like our fathers requested.” I sigh, lifting my arms over my head in a stretch that turns out to be a mistake. I wince, worried that the dull ache inside my right shoulder is getting more serious.
Hunter shoots me a sly smirk, having caught the pain etching my features. “We’ll talk about the fuckery that went down once you’re all in front of me.” His tongue darts out to wet his lips, and cocking a brow, he stares at my arm before he inclines his head toward it. “Derek told me to only give you the package he sent if you came through for us tonight. I can tell you right now, this didnotgo to plan. He says you’re out of fucking luck.”
Oh. No. No, no, no.My eyes dart to his as my heart pounds and pounds, and my stomach turns, feeling sour. The bitch of it is there’s no way of discerning whether I’m worked up because of Lennon’s disappearing act or because I haven’t had any goddamn motherfucking oxy since this morning, and this asshat is going to take a great amount of pleasure in keeping it from me.
A corner of his mouth lifts as his eyes narrow. “I don’t claim to know what the package contains, but I can guess.” His eyes drift to my shoulder, and as if he’s telling some cruel joke, he laughs. “How’re you doing lately, Bear? You’re not sweating this, are you? I’m sure you’ll be just fucking fine at the fight tomorrow night without whatever it is you didn’t earn.”
“Fuck. You,” I growl, ten seconds from losing it.
Hunter glances to one side, taking in Mason’s approach as he hurries toward the front of the house, then looks in the opposite direction to see Duke hauling ass as well. He leans closer to me, murmuring low. “Do they know? Should we discuss it in front of them?” His eyes gleam with malicious intent that makes me want to punch his lights out. I would love nothing more than to get inside a ring with him, fucked-up shoulder or not. He needs to be taught a goddamn lesson.
I can’t help myself and don’t think twice before lunging to shove the asshat hard enough that he slams against the door behind him, the back of his head knocking into it with a sharp crack.
“What’s going on?” Mason huffs, eyeing his brother warily as he jogs to the foot of the steps before looking to me for answers.
My teeth clamp down so hard, they may crack from the pressure. I stare at Hunter with enough venom in my eyes to kill, then stomp down the stairs. Grabbing Mason to me by the back of his neck, I lower my head, quietly whispering near his ear, “I don’t know what’s up, but he’s got some fucked-up ideas about how we handled things tonight. He’s been in touch with the OGs. Beware. Keep a cool head.”
Mason pulls back, meeting my gaze with eyes full of discontent. He nods, slowly digesting my words and shoving his hands in his pockets. His head swivels, and he aims a steady glare at his brother. “Out with it. You’ve already threatened me once tonight. What’s with the surly smile?”
Duke arrives a moment later, stopping next to Mason, and breathing hard. He meets our eyes in turn, shaking his head. He didn’t find anything either. Shit. “What’s going on?” I don’t miss the supportive hand Duke lifts and rests on Mason’s back, though I doubt Hunter can see it.
Speaking of the asshole, he pushes away from the door—where I fucking put him—then wets his lips and gives me a nasty wink as he saunters down the steps to join us, obnoxiously drawing this BS out. “Now that you’re all here, I’ll relay the message that Tristan and Derek are disappointed with how things played out tonight. Expect to feel the repercussions of that.”
