Page 54 of Charming Cruel Boys

“Good job. You’re doing so well. Come on,” Sara says, holding out her hand for me. I take it and she pulls me to my feet. Then she leads me to the closet and guides me inside, closing the doors behind me. “You just stay in there, alright? You can peek through the slats and watch. Don’t move a muscle, or he’ll find you.”

I nod again even though she can’t see me. I lean my back against the wall and settle in. A closet isn’t my first choice for hiding — kind of obvious, if you ask me — but maybe Sara knows something I don’t about this tricky game.

Minutes creep by slowly, and it feels like ants are crawling over my skin, but I stay perfectly still and even hold my breath until I think I almost pass out. I suck in a big gulp of air, screwing up my nose because it tastes bad. Like the bottom of a shoe.Yuck.

I’m about to give up hiding and find something to wash my mouth out with when the door swings open and two hulking figures walk in. Or, actually, one is walking, the other is being sort of carried. His head is lolling and his arms are hanging limply.Oh my god, is he dead?!But then he groans, and I breathe a sigh of relief, clutching my chest to settle my racing heart.Alright, back to the game.

“What did you do to him?” Sara asks the other guy in an icy tone.

“You told me to knock him out. I did,” he answers. His voice is oddly familiar, but I can’t see his face through the slats to make out who it is.

“Alright, fine. Get out.”

The guy hesitates by the door. “He smacks around his girl. I say he’s earned a beating himself. You sure you don’t want me to deliver the punishment?”Oh geez, this guy hits his girlfriend? What a pathetic shrimp-dick asshole. I curl my lip in a snarl, thinking about my father and then instantly shaking my head to rid the thoughts.

“I know what I’m doing, thanks. Now, out,” Sara snaps.

Once the guy leaves, Sara locks the door and turns to the bed where mister comatose is slumped over. I watch silently as I mindlessly rub my fingers over some fabric I found on the floor, a shirt or something, I don’t know. It’s so soft and nice in my hand. I want it forever. Forever and ever and ever and—

“Oh, baby, I’ve waited so long for this,” Sara whispers as she climbs over the guy.

I squint my eyes as I try to peer through the slats in the closet. The guy on the bed is wearing all black with a weird white mask on his face. His blonde hair is just long enough to run my fingers through, and it looks lovely. As soon as I’m done with this cloth in my hands, I’ll go pet his hair.Maybe give it a hard yank for what he does to his girlfriend.

Sara takes off his mask, and recognition slams into me as his bare face turns toward the closet. His eyes flutter heavily as if he’s caught between wake and sleep, and my stomach rolls viciously.

Oh, god. Are we still playing? I think I’d like to be done now.

Sara presses a kiss to Duke’s mouth before moving down his body. She unbuttons his pants and slowly lowers the zipper as he groans, his face pinched in pain. She reaches in and pulls out his soft penis, trying to arouse him. She works her hand in fluid motions and blows air on the tip, whispering to Duke the whole time.

I stand on wobbly legs and try to push the closet door open, but it’s stuck. I push and push, whining and crying, but it won’t budge. Suddenly, nothing seems funny and bright anymore. Everything swirls and churns, turning into dark, evil things, and my breathing falters as I cower back against the wall.

I rip my lips open and scream for help, but the music downstairs is too loud.

Who’s going to save me? Save us?

36

Knight

Walkingthroughthecrowdof dancers, I’ve got one thing on my mind: Remi. I need her more than air, more than the tainted blood in my veins. Over three years of denying myself one taste, now I’m buzzing with the need to claim her as mine in front of every motherfucker in this house.

It doesn’t matter anymore that Remi is too much. Too sweet, too forgiving, too good for me. Too good for a fuck up like me, that’s for damn sure. Remi is sunlight and hope, and I’m shadows and pain. But I’ve decided to let it all go and enjoy my time with her, even if it’s just for tonight. My future isn’t set, and with the dangers that Charles presents, I might not get forever with Remi.Hell, she could tell me to get lost tonight after the way I’ve treated her, but at least I’ll have tried. That’s all I’ve got.

I stalk through the living room in jeans and a hoodie, scanning my eyes over every girl I pass. Fuck, I have no clue what she’s dressed up as tonight. That sure would have made this easier.

My stress ramps up until the sound of my blood rushing in my ears is louder than the music. My fingers tingle with the desire to go outside and have a smoke.Dammit. Raking my hand through my hair, I eye the sliding glass doors and the crowd of people outside in the pool.Alright, just for a minute,I tell myself, changing directions and heading outside.

As I reach the doors, Sawyer stumbles into my path, looking pale and out of his goddamn mind. I throw my hands up, a scowl etched onto my face. “If you puke on me right now, man, I’ll beat your ass.”

Sawyer nods frantically, looking over my shoulder and wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead. “No, I’m good. But I think I fucked up, bro.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you take something? Need me to find you a ride home?” I try to gauge how dilated his pupils are, find out how high he is. I’m no stranger to going too far and feeling way too close to death’s door.Sometimes I even enjoy that feeing. If I’m dying, at least I did it to myself. Nobody else got their hands on me and forced it.

Sawyer drops his face. “It’s Duke,” he mumbles, and every one of my muscles tense until it’s painful to stand still. “Sara got in my head, Knight! I’ve been so fucking angry that Remi picked him, and I-I just—“

“Where is my brother?” I ask in a deathly low tone, squeezing Sawyer’s shoulder a little too hard. My face is neutral, but on the inside, my nerves are rioting. Duke is my twin, my born-in best friend. Every decision I’ve made for the past year has been to keep him out of danger. I’ll be damned if that all goes up in smoke tonight because of fucking Sara.

When Sawyer doesn’t answer fast enough, I grip his football jersey in my hand —yes, the idiot dressed up as a football player for Halloween, so damn original— and shake him. “Where. Is. Duke?” I snarl in his face.

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