Page 26 of Let Me
Not a girl that got fucked over by Caden’s fuck of a father.
His grip is tight on my arms, and then he slips his hands around my back, and he’s actually holding me against him, but I shake my head, confused.
“What if I had been?” he asks again. “What if I had beenhunted down?” He uses my words.
I swallow, trying to think, trying not to see the flecks of silver in his beautiful blue eyes. They’re so light they’re like chips of ice. He was always colder than Jack in his own way. Always more serious. Always more intense. If Jack was a demon, he was the devil.
I liked him all the more for it.
“I-I don’t know,” I manage to say, “I guess that’s…”
“That’s what, Riley?” His fingers dig into my back. I feelhimagainst me, and I want to collapse into his arms. I want to press my lips against his. But he hates me. Even if right now, he’s forgotten it, just a little. Even if he wants me in this moment, when he’s a little drunk, a heady mix of anger and jealousy, he still hates me.
“Would you have minded?” he asks, before I can find the words to speak. “Would you have minded if any girl wanted me inside of her? Because they did, Riley. They fucking did.”
I feel anger, white and hot, rush into my veins, but I still can’t speak. I can’t tell him that thought makes me sick.
“Caden!” Benji’s voice breaks my chance. But the words weren’t coming anyway.
Caden’s spell is broken too, it would seem.
He lets me go, nearly shoves me off of him, and we both turn to see Benji stalking toward us, his hands in his pockets, looking as indifferent and cold as always.
“What are you guys doing down here?” His eyes roam over the alley, as if suggesting that whatever we’re doing, we shouldn’t be doing ithere.
Caden takes another step away from me. “Let’s go,” he says, and he brushes past Benji, jostling him a little. I see Benji’s eyes darken. They’re nearly black in the flicker of light that spills into this alleyway, black with little chips of emeralds.
“Why so soon?” he asks quietly, and I see Caden tense.
I wrap my arms around myself and shake my head. “I’m leaving.”
I walk past Benji, but he grabs my wrist, unraveling my arms from across my body, his grip strong. He yanks me around and I face him, frowning.
He’s wearing all black, as he usually is, and he smells like he’s been drinking rum. I can’t really judge him, because I’ve been doing the same. But he’s clearly drunk. Or close to. He’s not stumbling but his eyes are unfocused, and I know he wouldn’t have touched me unless he was drunk. He hates me as much as Caden. Probably more.
“Let go of me,” I say, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. Behind Benji, I see Caden, watching his friend with an unreadable expression on his face. Something about this makes me nervous. But they aren’t Rolland. They aren’t my mother’s boyfriends.
I keep telling myself that as I face Benji.
“Why?” Benji asks, cocking his head to the side. “Why would I do that?”
“Benji,” Caden warns, his voice low.
But Benji ignores him. “You sure looked like you wanted some dick tonight,” he says, tugging me closer. “Why’re you leaving Caden so soon? I thought you might want to thank him, for last night.”
My eyes go wide.“Thank him?”I hiss. “Fuck you, Benji.” I make to pull my wrist from him, but he only grips me tighter and his smile widens.
“I really like that attitude you’ve got, Riley. I’ve always liked it.” He glances over at Caden, who takes a step closer to his friend. “Always envied Caden a little for that. Jack, too.”
That name is like a blow to the heart. I can barely breathe.
“Let her go, Benji.” Caden’s fists are clenched.
“Aw, come on. Don’t you guys want to have some fun?” Benji raises a dark brow, looking between me and Caden.
“No.” My answer is short, to the point, my chest heaving. “I don’t. Let me go and carry on with your night.”
“Don’t you want to know how we knew you were still in the city, Riley?” Benji purrs. “You see, the job I do, it requires I keep tabs on a lot of people. I know about you, Riley. I even know Adam went to your condo. Had to be hauled off by security. You always did know how to fuck the boys up.” He leans closer to me, and whispers in my ear, “But I’m not a boy. And I know why you’re here. Why you have to be here.”
