The emotional pain hits differently this time. I threw myself at him, and he denied me.
“I thought this was what you wanted, Ryder!”
He stops at the doorway and glances at me over his shoulder. “I want you willing. If you need liquid courage to touch me, that’s the opposite of willing. Get some sleep.”
“Where are you going?”
A secret smile tugs at his pierced lips. “I’ll be back later, doll. Behave.”
He turns and leaves without another word.
“ROME” ARANKAI, DAL AV
Sticking to the shadows close to the front of the mansion, I watch Justin and Jerry argue in angry whispers near Justin’s parked car. While I was taking care of a drunk Madison, Justin must have run straight to Jerry and told him what happened.
From what I can hear when their voices rise enough for me to make out what they’re saying, Justin claims he was trying to have a private moment with Madison before I interrupted them in a “fit of rage.”
Justin paints a detailed picture made out of shit, and Jerry falls for it. It’s interesting how quickly my stepfather panders to this man’s whims.
“—had a deal. If she doesn’t come around soon, I’ll take matters into my own hands, Jerry,” Justin snarls, raising his voice loud enough for me to hear.
I cock my head.
A deal?
“I’ll have a talk with her.” Jerry pinches the bridge of his nose and slips his other hand into his pocket.
Over my dead body, he will.
Justin raises his chin and squares his shoulders. “And if you don’t take care of that asshole, then I will.”
A tiny smile breaks across my face. Good. I’m glad I got under his skin. I only hope Jerry doesn’t get suspicious of Madison and me because I defended her. It’s already too late to take it back. Not that I would anyway, but I don’t want my sister to panic.
Jerry drops his hand and pins Justin with a hardened expression. He says something in a lower tone, but I can’t catch the exact words.
My eyebrows pinch together, and I creep closer so I can hear better. I pause when Jerry takes a step away from Justin, his other hand slipping into his pocket.
“You sure you can drive?” he says. “You can still stay here for the night.”
Justin turns his head toward the house, looking directly at me, but not seeing me. He’s silent for a few seconds, and I begin to wonder if he really can see me, but his attention slips back to Jerry.
“I’d rather not,” Justin says. “Not whenhe’sthere.”
Jerry nods once. “Very well. Be safe.”
Justin slips behind the wheel and shuts the door once he’s settled in the seat. Jerry doesn’t hang around to see him off. He turns and strides toward the front door. I sink further into the shadows, my back pressing against the house as Jerry passes by and walks inside. The front door quietly shuts behind him, and I creep toward my motorcycle as Justin pulls out of the driveway.
I slip my hand into my pocket, pull out my skull mask, and lower it over my head, followed by my helmet. I grab my key from my pocket and push it into the ignition, then follow Justin as he drives across town. I leave a good amount of space between us so he doesn’t get spooked and take off—not that I couldn’t keep up, but it would ruin the fun I’d have with him.
Rage burns through my veins as the memory of Justin hurting Madison pops into my head. The look of terror on her face as he dangled her over the patio banister will haunt me for the rest of my life.
By the time Justin pulls into his driveway, I’m seeing red, and ideas about how I’ll make him pay for what he did rush through my mind. Justin climbs from behind the wheel and turns toward me as I race up the driveway and park a foot away from him. He jumps back, his features twisting in fear.
I storm toward him and flip up the visor so nothing gets lost in translation. Justin lunges to the side, and I catch him before he can escape. I turn him around and shove his chest against his car with my arm looped around his neck.
“What . . . the . . . fuck?” Justin growls between gasping breaths as I close his airway.
“We’re not done talking.” I shove my chest against his back to pin him against the car, leaving him no room to wiggle his way out of my grasp.
