Page 38 of The Price of Mercy
The desire to kill her and end my suffering wars with the trembling of my heart as she brushes her knuckles over the bruise forming around my eye, courtesy of her guard dog baring his fangs. He thinks that I’m encroaching on his territory—or he knows about the video I sent to his fraternity president—or both. Either way, I don’t blame him for punching me. I’d do the same—or worse—if he pulled the same stunt on Kane.
Revenge is always sweeter than the initial attack.
Even with my eyes closed, I can sense the knife in Mercy’s left hand. She’s barely holding onto it, like she’s afraid of its power. But if she were smart, she’d hold it to my throat and take revenge for every wicked thing I’ve done to her. Slice right through my carotid and bathe in my blood. I don’t think that’s Mercy’s style, though.
A pity.
If I’d had a knife last night, I could have ended things. Sadly, hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I wasn’t exactly sober enough to come up with a plan. I acted on instinct, and look where it’s gotten me.
Between her thighsagain.
Mercy wiggles her hips, applying pressure to my groin. Heat builds between us, and thoughts of death quickly fly out the window. I choke on my next breath. “Stop. It,” I grind out, clenching my teeth. I don’t want to feel this way, like every cell inmy body is boiling. I swallow through the discomfort and finally open my eyes to glare at her for being such a?—
My breath hitches as I tumble into endless amber fields, suddenly lost in the fathomless depths of her eyes.What—A choked sound catches in my throat.What is she doing?
So close.
She’s so goddamn close to me.
Her voice echoes in my head, repeating what she said last night.
Stay the fuck away from me.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
Look who can’t stay away now.
Gently cupping my cheek, Mercy removes what little distance remains between us. “Why did you do it?” she whispers, brushing the tip of her nose against mine. Her breath is soft and sweet as I breathe in, needing oxygen but tasting her instead.
Speaking pulls at my vocal cords, but I manage to rasp a response. “You’ll have to be more specific, Kitten.”
She hesitates for only a moment as she weaves her fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck. “Why did you try to rape me?”
Dread coils in my gut like a serpent. “I didn’t.”
“You did.” She yanks my head back until my throat burns. “Even if it wasn’t you with your dick out, you’re the mastermind. You—” Her nails scrape my scalp. “Fucking—” Saliva flecks onto my face. “Coward.”
I stare into Mercy’s eyes, unable to look away as her anger crackles like golden lightning. This is what I was afraid of. Her magnetism. It latches on and pulls me in deeper despite the risk. Despite the pain. Kane’s already addicted to her poison, and if I’m not careful, I’ll bleed to death alongside him.
“Tell me why you did it.”
I grind my teeth and wait for this nightmare to end. This is worse than what happened last night. At least then, I had the excuse of alcohol. Now, there is no barrier between my brain and my body, and it’s reacting to her touch in ways that it shouldn’t.
She frowns and digs her hips in. “Zane.”
Warmth pools in my groin. I wish she would stop saying my name.
“Zane.Tell me.”
Her body molds to mine on a sharp exhale that might as well be a moan for the shock it sends through my system. Electrified, I tremble beneath her as she purrs in my ear and pretends that this is what she wants.Me.I’m the last person on earth that she should be getting close to. Sitting in my lap must be some kind of game to her. A twisted tactic to make me reveal my secrets. I’m sure that on the inside, she must be revolted by me. As sick to her stomach as I am. My gaze latches onto a dark bruise on the side of her neck; a hickey, I think, and bile rises to the back of my throat.
Did Kane put it there, or was it Sam? Does it even matter which one’s at fault anymore?
A voice screams inside my head.Why do I care?
I don’t know. I don’t know! Tearing my gaze away from her, I stare blankly over her shoulder as she makes herself comfortable, pressing her tits into my chest and damn near melting in my lap. On the inside, I’m burning alive.
“Go away, Mercy,” I whisper. My body quivers like it recognizes that this is it: the end. She’s barely touched me, and I feel like I’m dying—tearing apart at the seams so that she can take a peek at what’s inside. If any one of us should be dubbed cruel, it’s her. She toys with all three of us like we’re nothing but playthings for her entertainment.
