“Take your boots off and set them by the door,” Tempest orders, hands on her hips. “All of you. And why are your helmets tossed about in my hallway? Erik and Silas, help move the rest of Evie’s things to her room. As for the rest of you, I expect the floors to be swept and mopped by the time we return downstairs.”
A low grumble rings through the group as they heed her instructions, but my attention is fixed on Silas. His eyes burn with calculation and hunger, the blacks of his pupils dilating so wide that only traces of emerald green peek out around them. The fine hairs on the back of my neck rise as he holds my gaze.
My mother warned me against men like him—the kind who destroy worlds with sinful smirks and whispered promises.
Everything in my body is screaming for me to run, to hide from the monster before me, but that broken piece of my soul—the one that craves humiliation and pain nearly as much as it longs for love—wants to toy with the beast.
I wonder what it would be like to be kissed by someone like him. My tongue sweeps across my bottom lip, drawing the soft flesh between my teeth.
His jaw ticks, nostrils flaring as he takes a step toward me. The scent of leather and something darker swirls between us as the heat of his body brushes against mine. My heart pounds,unsure if I want him to make good on the punishment in his eyes, or if I’d rather disappear on the spot.
I’m saved from making a decision as Tempest loops her arm through mine and tugs me past him toward the stairs.
“Come on,” she says, her teeth flashing as our footsteps squeak against the wooden floorboards. “We have to get ready.”
I blink, my mind still half focused on the hulking figure following after us with a box clasped in his hands. “Get ready for what?”
Tempest looks me over with an assessing grin as we reach the second floor, raising a perfectly sculpted brow at my disheveled state.
“To celebrate your arrival. I took the liberty of stocking your en suite with a few things, seeing as how school starts tomorrow.”
She leads the way into my bedroom, flipping on the lights.
“That’s so thoughtful,” I say, genuine warmth blooming in my chest. “Thank you.”
“It’s just shampoo, girl.” Tempest laughs, heading toward the door. “Towels are under the sink. Silas and Erik will stack whatever’s left in the hall. Come downstairs when you’re finished, and I’ll introduce you to the gang before we head out.”
Something must shift in my gaze, because Tempest’s smile stretches. “They really aren’t as scary as they look.”
“Of course,” I say, forcing a smile back in place. “Wait—what do you mean by ‘head out’?”
Tempest’s lips tilt at the edges, and for a moment, the resemblance to Silas is nearly overwhelming.
“Have you ever been to a nightclub?”
7
EVIE
Itug down the hem of my dress as sweaty bodies writhe around us. Tempest suggested the long-sleeved dress with the high neckline, which I appreciated, but I hadn’t realized how short it was. The silky black fabric is suffocating as it clings to the curves of my thighs, the pale skin of my legs on full display in the four-inch heels Tempest insisted I wear. Thank god for the three ibuprofen she had me take before leaving the house.
Under the bright light of my bedroom, it hadn’t seemed all that scandalous. I declined heavy makeup and jewelry, thinking it would somehow make me feel more comfortable, but the lack of it only serves to highlight just how out of my element I am.
Tables fill dark alcoves, expensive bottles of alcohol resting on ice at their center. Women dance in cages suspended from the ceilings, black leather belts crisscrossing their bodies, breasts and asses on full display as they move.
The nearest one has her head thrown back, uncaring who watches as she trails her hands over her peaked nipples, pinching them before continuing downward toward the hem of her miniskirt. It’s smaller than the width of my hand, and yetshe basks in the beauty of her body—completely free as she twists and turns, feeling her sensual curves, enjoying the hungry eyes watching.
Jealousy steals through me as her dark eyes connect with mine.
This could be you,she seems to taunt.If you weren’t so fucking scared.
“… having fun?” Tempest tugs loosely on my wrist, spinning me toward her.
“What?” I shout over the music. The bass rumbles against the walls, vibrating the floor and drowning out most of what she says.
“Are you having fun?” she repeats, louder this time.
“Yeah,” I say, nodding a little too much.
