Page 13 of Hysteria Rises
Sure enough, when I reach the source of the continuing ruckus, one of the doors to Nolan’s rooms stands open.
“Don’t touch me! You can’t keep me here. And you sure as fuck don’t have any right to put your hands on me!” The spirited feminine voice is breathy, strangled by intermittent sobs.
With caution, I edge myself close enough that I can peer through the doorway. “Holy shit,” I breathe out. Taking in the scene, I blink hard.
Nolan’s books and assorted bullshit from his desk are strewn everywhere, and a cart full of medical supplies has been upended all over the floor.If I didn’t know better, I would have thought last night’s storm had whipped through here, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. At a shuddering exhale from across the room, my gaze cuts to the blonde crouched in the corner. There’s a resentful, furious look in her eye as she tracks Henry’s every movement, poised to strike out at him. Whether he’s gonna be able to handle whatever she does next, I haven’t a clue, but I’m not so sure provoking her is a wise idea.
“If you think I won’t do it again, you’re wrong!” she screams. That’s when I spot the blood all over the fingertips of her hand. For a split second, her lip trembles, but she locks down whatever emotion she’s feeling and glares. Henry has both hands raised and out in front of him. I assume he’ll be able to stave off an attack from a young woman on his own.
Slowly, carefully I creep closer. The girl hasn’t noticed me yet, she’s so focused on Henry.
And I’m so focused onher, I almost miss the flurry of activity on the other end of the room. Nolan shakes his head, eyeing my father’s cheek where he applies pressure to a large swath of gauze. It’s soaked in blood. Oh, hell. If she knew anything at all about these men, Kiefer is one she should definitely be cautious around. Attacking him? Bad fucking idea.
As if my body is aware it should prepare for battle, it comes alive, ready to take on whatever this girl brings my way. A few measured strides bring me within striking distance, and I draw in a slow breath to steady myself.
Without warning, I pounce. The girl has no time to do anything but gasp before I have a hold of her. Arms pinned to her sides, a disgruntled noise wrenches from her. I can’t help but chuckle. “You’re a spitfire, aren’t you?” I whisper, letting my lips brush her ear with each word. “Well, you won’t be digging those claws intomyskin.”
Her chest expands as she sucks in air before yelling directly into my face. “Let. Me. Go, you psychotic deviant!” The corrosive venom she spews my way means nothing to me. I’ve been on the receiving end of worse. I can practically sense the wrath vibrating through her. She twists, scanning my face—for what, I have no clue—and flames practically shoot from her eyes. She contorts her body into one bizarre angle after another, no doubt trying to wriggle herself free. It won’t work.
“Fuckin’ stop,” I grind out, pressing her back against the wall. “You’re only making things worse for yourself.” In need of my hands, I use our distinct size difference, pushing my full weight against her. Once I have her good and pinned, I take her wrists in my hands, yanking them upward and pressing them into the wall. We strain against each other, and the longer it goes on, heat begins a slow roll through me.
I’ll give her this—she’s a goddamn fighter… and I find that strangely attractive. She’s not making this easy on me either, but there’s no way I’ll be bested by some girl.
“Watch her, Mal,” my father bites out. “She’svicious. Combative. All we did earlier was walk into the sick bay to see how she felt this morning after her mishap yesterday.” He pauses for a moment to clear his throat, but it comes out more like a laugh. Doesn’t surprise me. I bet he finds everything about this girl amusing as hell, and that’s not a good thing. Not for her. She’s attracted his attention. Made herself a target with one swipe of her nails to his face. He continues with a more obvious laugh, “We didn’t even get a chance to introduce ourselves.”
I cock my head to the side. “Is that so?” I ask loudly without diverting my gaze from hers. She stares at me, eyes full of hate. Then I press closer, murmuring barely loudly enough for her to hear me, “You’ve made a big fuckin’ mistake, spitfire.”
“Yep,” Nolan mutters, nothing in his voice giving any hint that he’s heard what I said to her. “I was just going to change out the dressing on the wound on her scalp, and she flew into a rage.”
Henry’s heavy footfall to my right alerts me that he’s come closer. I grit my teeth. I don’t need his help. Quietly, he intones, “Don’t let her fool you, Malakai. Sweet thing was meek as a mouse when we first went into the room. Looked at us with big doe eyes and asked us to help her.” Henry shakes his head in disbelief. “And then,boom. She was on the attack.”
Just then, the girl goes completely limp against me, her eyes shutting. My brows dart together, confusion reigning. But then, I catch the barest twitch of movement at the corner of her mouth.
“Playing possum, are you?” I lean in, catch her lip between my teeth, and bite down.
Those blue eyes fly open, outrage spilling from them, her face screwing up as she insistently shouts, “Let me go!” Then, when I don’t, she bucks and writhes. “Stop!”
Exhaling, I shift against her, reinforcing that there’s no way in fuck she’s getting away from me. Not when I sense the Collective’s eyes on us. She will not mess this up for me. I grasp her wrists together with one hand, and bring the other to the slim column of her neck where I slowly curl my fingers, applying subtle pressure. Awareness crackles beneath my skin, and I tilt my pelvis. Nose to nose, I lick across the seam of her lips. “This act you’re putting on? I like it,” I whisper before nuzzling my cock against her soft belly.
A look of disgust fills her eyes. “You’re a sick fuck,” she heaves out. Squirming. Twisting. Rioting. Moving against me in a way that sure as fuck isn’t doing her any favors at all.
“I hate to tell you this,” I murmur, infusing my voice with a chill, “but all you’re doing is making my dick harder.”
One of the Collective laughs. If I’m not mistaken, this time, it was definitely my own father.
“You all are a bunch of fucking heathens!” she shouts right before rearing back to spit. The wet mess lands on my cheek and dribbles toward the corner of my mouth. I’m not fazed. I can’t be.
Slowly, I turn my head, seeking to connect my gazewith the other men before the corners of my mouth lift. I want to make sure they see every moment of the way I’m handling this.
Pity for her, but the girl’s not even aware of the problems she’s causing for herself. Because from the look on my father’s face, she’s in deep shit. I swivel my head back to her, then poke my tongue out, swiping it over her saliva before bringing it back into my mouth. I cock my head to the side and raise a brow. “Mmm. I like it.”
A perverse pleasure sweeps through me as I pause to decide how to retaliate. Pressing forward, I inhale, nudging my nose along her skin. She flinches almost violently when I give her an experimental lick. Satisfied, I commit, dragging the flat of my tongue from the hinge of her jaw all the way across her cheek.
She instinctively revolts against the wet caress, which I take as an opportunity to put her further in her place. I pause, letting her feel my heavy breaths before swirling my tongue and tracing it along the underside of her eye. Her body involuntarily shudders in my hold. And then… I get what I’m after. She whimpers, a despondent cry ripping from her lips. Having that control, it gives me a sense of dominance I’ve never known before. “Sweet spitfire,” I whisper, “we’re gonna have a whole lot of fun with you.”
EIGHT
HAYZE
