Page 33 of Deadly Sacrifice

Fucking hell, I’m hard as granite by the time she stops by my side. Despite my very best efforts — and plenty of time in bed with Heather — I haven’t been able to get the thought of Prudence on her knees for me out of my goddamn head. It’s a fucking problem.

“Yes?” she asks, awkwardly shuffling closer so I can hear her over the pounding bass of music.

I think I study her face for a beat too long, but alcohol is swirling through my veins and warping time. A slow smile quirks up my lips and I step even closer, wrapping my hands around her waist and delighting in the shape of her beneath her oversized clothes. Perfectly round hips and trim waist. A shame she dresses like she does. “I have a request,” I murmur, lowering my face until our noses are almost touching.

She clenches her jaw, flicking her eyes toward Creed again. An unreasonable jealousy surges up in my stomach. It’s not like I actually want her. I have an order from my father to ruin her, and if I’m drunk and sink my cock into her in the process, then so be it. So why does her wavering attention drive me fucking mad?

“Your eyes are far too complex to waste their gaze on a guy like that,” I whisper, reaching up to stroke her jaw.

Prudence’s attention snaps back to me and she jerks her head back until my hand falls away. “What was the request?” she asks me, her voice rigid, like she’s an emotionless statue. Like she’s guarding herself from my next blow.

I frown, looking over my shoulder at Creed as he paws at that fucking girl, his tongue so far down her throat that I’m surprised either of them can breathe. “Why are you letting him get under your skin so easily, hmm?” I question, tightening my grip on her waist. “All it took was a date to get you to look at him like that? I asked you out several times, but I got turned down.”

Her nostrils flare as she looks around the room again, avoiding my questioning gaze. “You may be a fucking prick, but at least you gave me a choice. Creed’s was a request. One that I’m regretting now.”

“Not like you had a choice in the matter,” I point out. If he ordered her on a date, then he wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.

“I know he’ll hurt me,” she rasps. “With Creed, I’ve known the outcome, even if I let myself forget for a few blissful hours. He’s wild and passionate. He goes after what he wants, damn the consequences and anyone who gets in his way. I was just the next thing he wanted until something else swayed his desires... Apparently, he likes drunk and desperate bottle blondes.” Pausing, Prudence meets my gaze and shakes her head sadly. “But even knowing what I do about Creed, and the end result he’s given me, he’s still not as bad as you.”

“Why is that?” I ask softly, cupping her face and trying to find the resolve I need to break her when all I want is to find answers. Like why she’s so familiar. And why she’s so goddamn enticing. And why The Celestials want her gone so badly, but they’ve still left it up to us to do it.

“You’re the kind of guy who really makes a girl earn it. Who shows little bits of himself over time until she’s in too deep and doesn’t even recall falling. Then you’ll remember that she doesn’t fit into your boring life plan, and you’ll walk away without any consequence because she didn’t actually mean a goddamn thing to you. And that’s not the kind of guy I have time for, Asher. Even if you never showed your true colors, I wouldn’t have been dumb enough to fall for your shit,” she says, voice low and unwavering, and unknowingly gutting me. “I’d gladly give Creed a few hours of myself and know he genuinely wanted me when it happened, instead of hand a single second of my time to you when I know you couldn’t care less about me.” Her eyes sweep down my face, lips curling into a frown as she pushes back from my chest.

I shake my head, pushing my fingers through her hair and holding her close. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ll leave Blackwood and wind up bored and miserable, having the worst sex ever with some prissy trophy wife. Maybe I don’t even have a choice about any of it. But…” Pausing, I grind my teeth as she looks over my shoulder, probably searching for Creed again. “Forget about Creed for one night. Let me show you that I’m not so bad under the right circumstances,” I mutter, gently turning her face back to me.

Prudence scoffs, rolling her eyes dramatically as she leans away. “Not a damn chance in hell.”

I hold her tighter, my fingers probably bruising her waist. I could let her go and give up, because the fight in her eyes is not what I’m looking for tonight, but I’m too scared of my father to allow her to simply walk away before I can find a way to ruin her. She bats at my hands, glaring at me when I refuse to let her go.

“Kiss me,” I whisper as I lean in, closing the distance she’s so desperately trying to put between us.

She blinks owlishly at me as if she’s certain she misheard me. Then she stammers, “Uh, excuse me? What part of no didn’t you understand?”

I lick my lips, smiling at her and this fun little game she’s playing with me. “You want to get Creed’s attention? Make him feel the way you do? Kiss me, Prudence. Show him how easy it is for you to move on.” I wind one hand down her back, stopping at her ass and almost groaning when I give the plump, perfect shape a squeeze of appreciation. It’s seriously a shame that she doesn’t show off all these curves.

Her pale, freckled face is crimson with rage. Prudence smiles sharply, an inferno behind her eyes that’s daring me to dive right in. “Remove your fucking hand from my ass,” she says slowly.

“I’ve got a better idea,” I tell her. “How about we agree that I’ll end up hurting you too, and you can get over whatever mess is clouding your mind about Creed? Be mine for the night, and maybe I’ll find a reason not to absolutely obliterate your life on campus.”

“Wow,” she drawls sarcastically. “What an offer, but I’m afraid it’s still a no for me.” She looks at me with vile hatred pouring off of her. “Final warning, you overgrown pimple. Let. Me. Go.”

“Don’t think so. I want to play with you tonight,” I say, intending on hauling her even closer. Forcing my lips on hers if I have to. Just to see if there’s anything there. If something will spark in my memories. But before my liquor-infused brain can keep up with her quick actions, Prudence jerks back and knees me in the balls. I go down hard, grabbing myself with a tortured, breathless gasp. I’m distantly aware of the cruel slash of a smile she wears as she crouches beside me, dusting off her hands.

“Do not push me, Asher, because I promise you won’t like the end result. And don’t ever touch me again,” she whispers, patting my cheek with a firm couple of slaps before standing and moving into the crowd once more.

I steady my agonized breaths, pushing up from the floor with a locked jaw and hard eyes. I scan the mass of dancing bodies, looking for a flash of bright red hair, but my eyes, unfortunately, land on Heather’s dark stare instead.

Prudence is long gone, and my ego is bruised enough for one night. With a stiff jerk of my head, I motion Heather to follow me for some stress relief as I push past people on my way upstairs. Fuck Prudence. If she doesn’t want the nice — slightly drunk — side of me, she won’t fucking see it again.

19

Griffin

My feet are glued to the carpet while Prudence and Asher stand off. The look on her face while he gropes her and yanks her close makes me sick. I never expected my best friend to turn into this; another drunken, forceful frat boy at a party that mothers warn their daughters about.

Part of me wants to believe the best. Maybe I’m only seeing a snippet of their interaction and thinking the worst?

But as I watch her try to pry herself away from him, I know I’m wrong. My stomach swoops dangerously, and a rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt before bubbles up inside me. I know we have our orders to break her, but fuck, I draw the goddamn line at physically hurting a woman for some unknown endgame.

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