Page 32 of Smoke the Enemy

I groan from the way his words affect me, not even bothering to try and stop him while his fingers work the button and zipper on my jeans. Soon my clothes are in a pile on the floor around us. “You have too many clothes on,” I warn before pulling his head back up to mine and attacking his lips once again. My hands turn greedy, and soon I’m shoving his shirt open and off.

“Are you sure?” he asks me, pulling back slightly. I see what he’s doing. Getting me all worked up so that he can say I wanted it too. Only I really, really do. Instead of answering, I grab his pants and shove them down.

There are no other barriers between my hand and the smooth skin of his cock. I raise my brow and bite my lip. It’s hot finding him this way. Hard with pre-cum on the tip, he’s already ready for me. My stomach clenches, and I’m left breathless when his hands grab the backs of my legs and lifts me up. My knees wrap easily around his narrow waist.

“Last time I’m asking…” Steffan catches my gaze. A million things pass between us in those few moments. I know in my heart I won’t walk away. No matter where we go from here, I want him, so I give a silent nod.

His lips crash into mine again, tasting and needy. My arms wrap around his neck, holding on for life, while he removes the last few barriers between our bodies. I hear a foil package rip before his cock is there, lining up at my entrance. I’m soaked for him, and something about watching as he pushes in makes my skin heat up all over.

“How do you feel this good?” he groans against my lips, and I use my heels to push him in farther, until my hips rest against his and my clit slides against his six-pack. Steffan pulls out and pushes back in until I’m practically crawling up his body, trying to get closer, to pull him in deeper. Steffan walks us over to one of the chairs and sits down, keeping my body on top of his. His hands find my waist and he begins lifting and lowering my body. My body stretches to find the perfect rhythm, and soon I’m moving with him. My hands find his shoulders and I use them as leverage. I feel so full of him, completely engulfed. His arms band around my waist, the smell of our lovemaking fills the room, his hair brushes against the sensitive skin under my chin, while his lips are taking turns feasting on my nipples. He’s everywhere. I don’t know where I begin or where he ends. All I know is that if he stops, I might die. I don’t think about the lies or the danger that surrounds us. There isn’t an ounce of fear inside me if we get caught because I’m pretty sure I’m so far gone for him already that I would chance anything to be his. To be theirs.

Eventually the spiraling heat sends me over the edge, and I cry out in the quiet space of the library. Steffan’s name pours from my lips, and his body bucks up into mine before he’s groaning with his own release. His arms tighten around me. A silent answer. He’s not letting me go either.

Which is the acknowledgement that I needed because I realize I can’t let either one of them go.

Blue Rose, Alabama

Soren

Steffan has the nerve to greet me with a smile when he enters the Delta Pi Theta house. But that’s fine, I simply exchange my own frown for his smile by punching him in the fucking face. Except he still smiles. At least now it’s a bloody one, so I did gain some satisfaction.

“Were you lurking in the shadows?” He asks me.

“Iwasn’t, but you obviously were.” My smile spreads wider as Steffan’s finally falls. “Not grinning now, huh? Fucker.”

I lunge at Steffan. How dare he tell me we need to respect the code, and he went and slept with Taylorin public!Lee and Jose come into the room and pull us apart. It’s a struggle, but they manage to separate us with only a few hits shared between us. Both of them are angry, as well. Once we’re separated and we all take a step back to look at one another. Lee and Jose both stand with their legs spread and their arms are crossed over their chests.

Lee shakes his head. “This doesn’t just affect you, ya selfish prick.”

Steffan’s eyes widen in shock. It’s almost comical. Did he think his loyal lap dog wouldn’t turn on him? My brother can be so naïve. If I wasn’t concerned it’d get his ass killed, I’d find humor in this moment. Steffan voices his disbelief. “You’re onhisside now?”

Lee’s eyes burn with rage. “I’m on theBrotherhood’s side.Something you seem to have forgotten.”

My eyes turn to slits as I stare at the fucker who has some balls to speak to my brother in that tone. Since when did a younger member think they could speak to, not only their senior, but the fucking president, like that? Another concerning question I have is, when did aConradthink they could address aCarmichaelwith such disrespect? It’s a laugh that this joker thinks that Steffan, the golden child, could possibly be loyal to anyone, or anything, other than The Illicit. He’s been groomed and trained since he was a toddler to be the next leader.

“We made an oath to The Illicit. We pledged our loyalty,” Lee continues. “Where’s your loyalty?”

Jose’s eyes narrow on my brother. “You went against–”

Steffan steps into Jose’s personal space and hisses, “Mind your manners,PledgeSucco. You’re not an official brother.”

“Yet…” Succo tacks on.

“But you’re notnow.How dare you lectureme?” Steffan lands two hard punches in Jose’s stomach. Then he turns and punches Lee in the mouth. Lee spits out blood, but he doesn’t strike back. I watch with narrowed eyes. I may be pissed at Steffan, as well, but I will back him on this. Those two were out of line. Steffan is stillourleader. Sure, I fuck with him, but he’s my brother. I’m not equal to these dickheads.

Steffan spreads his arms and stares each one of us in the eye, one by one. “So I fell for her. And I took pleasure in my fucked-up lifefor once.” His face turns a violent red as he raises his voice and it echoes off the marble within the house, “For fucking once! I did something for me!”His chest rises and falls. “I’ve sold my soul to the devil. I’ve sacrificed my life, a year of my brother’s life, and possibly even Taylor’s life, to this world. Don’t fucking talk to me aboutloyalty.Thecodesof The Illicit. Thedecreesof the Brotherhood. You’re still a fucking pledge. And all of you — each and every one of you assholes — haven’t gone through half the shit I have. The pressure. Being the middleman between our fathers, the heads of The Illicit, the pledges, and the other contacts for our businesses. Don’t. Just fucking don’t.” My brother shakes his head in disgust. “You’re going to worry about Alex, some dickhead you don’t even know? This piece of shit who didn’t follow any of the codes or decrees when he bestowed his tie and hasn’t shown any of you an ounce of loyalty. I guess we really are a couple of illicit bastards, then.”

A chuckle escapes me. I can barely get my cigarette lit because I can’t help but laugh. Once I finally suck on my cancer stick and inhale the delicious poison, I let everyone know what’s so damn funny. “Never did I think that what would finally get Steffan to crack was some librarian pussy.”

My brother’s blue eyes turn wild with rage. If anyone else spoke that way about Taylor, I would also be wanting to rip their tongue out. Of course, I don’t mean it. I’d never disrespect my little mouse and he knows it. Quite frankly, I have a sudden hunger for knowledge, and have the strongest desire to take a trip to the library myself.

“Temper, temper. You’re supposed to be the levelheaded one, remember? If anyone should be pissed, it’s me. Here I thought you were being selfless and putting honor before everything else. Instead, you were feeding me that bullshit so you could go wet your own cock. I don’t think I’ve ever respected your self-righteous ass more than I do in this moment.” I pull out my knife and take three long steps, putting me nose to nose with my own reflection. “As that may be, lucky for you, I’ve always been good at sharing…brother.”

I give Steffan a tiny nick with the knife, causing a tiny bead of blood. Then I turn back to Lee and Jose. “As for you two fuckers, speak to your leader like that again and I’ll carve the word cunt into your backs in letters so big you can see them from space since that’s how you’re behaving.”

Especially Lee Conrad.For some reason, my brother allows him to get away with more. He’s too soft. I get that they arebesties,but there can be no room for weakness within The Illicit.Christ.I sound like our father. I hate it when I do that. Years of brainwashing has that effect, though. Every day I have to try and find new ways to scrub him from my mind.My little mouse being my favorite form of cleansing.

“Why not just cut out their tongues?” My brother interrupts my thoughts. “Why waste the time to carve a word?” Steffan asks bemused.

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