Riley hates his father. He’s humiliated by his abuse, and I don’t blame him. Telling everyone your father beat your ass so bad you ended up in surgery isn’t exactly something Riley wants circulating the school. Besides, I don’t want to find out what his father would do if he thought Riley had been telling people. Instead, Riley calls me.

  Riley and I beat the shit out of each other all the time. Coming to school with a split lip and stitches across our jaws isn’t news to anyone, so Riley knows to call me. He punches me hard enough to draw blood and the next day, we walk into school together, claiming it was nothing but a spat between friends, and no one even bats an eyelid. Although something tells me the gig is about to be up.

  I’ve come face to face with Cory Sullivan plenty of times. He knows exactly what I think of him, and I’m sure he’s not so fond of me, especially since I’m the one who first convinced Riley he was big enough to fight back. I’m sure the first time Riley knocked him out cold came as a bit of a surprise, but at least the beatings seemed to ease after that. Now, Cory saves it for special occasions like when he’s drunk as fuck. Times like now.

  Riley looks out to the crowd, desperation and panic in his eyes as he searches me out. I’m only a few feet away, so it doesn’t take him long to find me, and despite knowing he can handle this himself, he still seems relieved to have me ready and waiting at his back.

  Cory beats me to Riley, barely able to stand straight on his feet. He’s in a business suit, looking disheveled with his tie pulled loose and his shirt spilling out of his pants. He’s the CEO of some big company and his favorite hobby is taking his shitty mood out on his son.

  “The fuck is this?” Cory demands, haphazardly waving his hand around at all the people crowding his home. “You think you can invite your fucking friends into my house for a rager like you own the damn thing?”

  Riley’s hands go up, panic in his eyes, trying to defuse the situation before shit gets all too real. “Dad, it’s cool. We’ll take it somewhere else. Don’t make a fucking scene.”

  “A scene? Don’t make a fucking scene?” he demands, stepping into Riley and gripping the front of his shirt. “I’ll show you a fucking scene, you good for nothing piece of shit.”

  His fist rears back and I hear the audible gasp coming from innocent bystanders as Riley’s eyes widen, more than capable of handling a sloppy punch from his father, but that fact does nothing to take away the years of fear and power this motherfucker held over him.

  I go to step in, more than ready to put this asshole in the ground, but a bikini-clad blonde shoots in front of me. “Hey asshole,” she calls, loud enough to demand his attention.

  Cory pauses, whipping his head to meet her furious stare as his fist hovers in the air. My heart races with fear. I know he won’t hesitate to hit his son, but I don’t know where he draws the line, and I sure as fuck don’t want to use Bri to figure it out.

  Before he even gets a word in, Bri storms in front of him, shoving him hard enough to make him wobble back, forcing him to release his hold on Riley. “You fuck with Riley, and you fuck with me too, and trust me, you don’t want to do that.”

  Riley’s hand goes to Bri’s waist, ready to throw her out of the way, but she stands her ground, not moving a fucking inch, even when Cory comes back at her. “Mind ya business,” he spits, getting right in her face, but she doesn’t even flinch. Damien, on the other hand, looks like he’s about ready to throw down. One hand on our girl and I’ll happily spend the rest of my life behind bars, and I don’t doubt Damien would be right there beside me. Cory’s whole body seems to vibrate with rage. “This is between me and my son.”

  “Look around you,” Bri says, her gaze as cold as ice as she indicates to the hundred or so pairs of eyes locked on us, phones in hands, more than ready to expose this motherfucker for exactly what he is. “Shit’s getting cozy. It’s between all of us now.” Bri smirks, knowing she’s got him right where she wants him. “Ball’s in your court, so what’s it going to be? You want to beat the shit out of your son in front of all these people?”

  Cory growls, leaning in toward her, but Bri still holds her ground, her unwavering determination to protect Riley standing strong. “I suggest you get the fuck out of my house before it’s you who ends up black and blue.”

  There’s a collective gasp around us and my hands ball into fists, not taking kindly to threats against my girl, but still, she pushes back. “Hmm, I wonder,” she says, glancing around us. “Show of hands how many of your parents are colleagues of Mr. Sullivan’s?”

  To my surprise, at least three hands raise high into the sky and Bri arches a brow at Cory, never looking so damn smug in her life, even more so as she lowers her voice and steps even closer. “I wonder how quickly they’ll destroy you.”

  Fucking hell. I don’t know whether to be worried or turned on. All I know is that there’s a reason I stopped calling her Killjoy, and this is why. My girl is a killer through and through.

  Cory’s hand whips out, his fingers snapping around Bri’s arm as he yanks her into him, spittle hitting her face. “Listen here, you little slut,” he growls just as Damien leaps to his feet with determination to end him. But it’s Riley I need to watch out for.

  Time slows as my gaze snaps to his, a familiar look burning in his eyes. A look I’ve seen far too many times. It’s one thing to threaten Riley, but fuck with someone he cares about, and it’s the end of the fucking road for you.

  I don’t waste a fucking second.

  Lunging forward, I throw my arms out, reaching for Bri and yanking her out of the way just as Riley’s closed fist flies through the air with the force of a fucking cargo train. His father doesn’t even see it coming, still focused on bitching out Bri.

  Riley’s fist slams into his face, not a hint of warning. His nose snaps like a twig with the most satisfying crunch I’ve ever heard and blood gushing out like a waterfall, splattering across the pavement as his head whips around with the force. Cory roars in pain, but the momentum has barely hit him yet. He falls back, and just to add insult to injury, Jax’s foot accidentally-on-purpose slips out, tripping the fucker before discreetly pulling it back as though he didn’t do a damn thing.

  Cory falls into a row of vacated chairs, spilling abandoned drinks and making an even bigger fool of himself, and as the crowd of onlookers laugh at his expense, he tries to scramble to his feet.

  Gripping onto his bloody nose, Cory stands and glares at his son. “You’ll fucking regret this, boy,” he says before spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

  Riley steps forward, not a hint of fear in his eyes. “Will I?” he questions. He holds his father’s stare, and seeing his son has the upper hand, he turns and storms back into the house to the crowd’s delight.

  Riley lets out a breath as Bri breaks from my grasp, rushing into him and gripping both of his arms, demanding his attention. She looks up at him with big blue eyes and I can only imagine what he sees in them. “I’m so sorry,” she says. “I had no idea. If—”

  Riley shrugs her off, his stare hardening as he looks over her head to the DJ. “Turn up the fucking music.” The guests all cheer as the music is cranked up, and without another word, Riley steps away from Bri to grab his drink. He lifts the glass to his lips, downs the contents in seconds and throws the glass against the pavement hard enough to shatter it. “Is this a party or what?” Riley calls out to his guests. “Someone get me a fucking drink. I’m getting fucked up tonight.”

  Chapter 19

  BRIELLE

  Our night went from amazing to shit in the span of three seconds. The moment Riley’s dad accepted defeat and took the high road, our night turned into babysitting Riley and making sure he didn’t do anything stupid. Well, anything stupider than normal. Luckily for us, he seemed intent on drinking the hard shit while staring into oblivion until he needed to throw it all up into his father’s wood-fired pizza oven.

  It’s been a long-ass night.

  Damien and Jensen got just as fucked up as they hoped to get, while Ari ended up crying in the bathroom because Jax had the audacity to smile at her. I have no idea what went down between Ilaria and my brother, but I know there was a good hour when they both disappeared. When I saw her next, her cheeks were flushed and she looked like she was about ready to float off into the clouds. Though when I asked her about it, she pretended like she had no idea what the hell I was talking about.

  Liar. She’s just as bad as my brother.

  We got home a few minutes ago and Tanner had to help Jensen and Damien out of his Mustang and into Orlando’s house. I waited out front, refusing to enter that god-forsaken mansion. Tanner was only gone for a minute, but it felt like the longest sixty seconds of my life.

  I hate everything about that house and what it represents. I hate that my mother could be trapped and abused, but what I hate more is how she refuses to talk to me. If Tanner is right and she really is doing all of this just to protect me, then she should have come to me. We could have worked it out together and saved that bond we’ve always shared, but I don’t know if we’ll ever get it back now.

  Fuck, I hate how much I miss her.

  Addison had absolutely no desire to wait out in the cold for Tanner to get Damien and Jensen inside. She took off the second the car door closed behind her, leaving me alone with nothing to do but stare up at the house of horrors.

  When Tanner finally stepped out into the night, a wave of relief slammed through my chest and he took me home to put this bullshit day to rest. Only now, walking into his bedroom, I’m not sure I’m ready for any kind of rest.

  Tanner drops down on the end of his bed as I walk across his room, making a point of pulling the curtains closed. After all, the last thing I need is to have my brother peer through the window at the wrong moment and be blinded by the filthy things I’m about to do to Tanner.

  Turning around, I pull my phone out of my pocket and hit play on my Spotify playlist as Tanner holds out his hand to me, wanting to pull me into his lap like he usually does, but I shake my head, my eyelids becoming hooded as I watch him.

  I place my phone down and start swaying my hips to the soft music, loving the way his eyes roam over my subtle curves. “You wanna dance for me, Killer?” he murmurs, his voice so thick and raspy, it’s doing wicked things to me.

  I don’t respond and instead, slowly peel off my tank and drop it to the ground behind me, leaving me in my black bikini top and loving how his greedy gaze eats me up. I’ll never get enough of this, enough of him. The way he looks at me, it’s intoxicating. It’s as though I’m the only girl in the world.

  The music is slow, and I move forward, standing between his knees. Tanner reaches up to touch me, but I shake my head. “Patience,” I warn, moving a little closer so that my knee gently presses against his hardening cock while I pull the string for my bikini top. “Hands off the merchandise.”

  A soft groan rumbles through his chest, but he’s not one to back down from a game. He makes a point of leaning back against his palms, opening himself up for the best lap dance he’s ever received.

  The bikini top falls to the ground between us, and his eyes darken with hunger, sending a wave of shivers over my skin. Turning around, I slip my thumbs into the waistband of my pants and glance over my shoulder, watching him as I slowly push them down over my hips and take my bikini bottoms with them. I bend lower, taking my time, and the further I get, the deeper he groans. It sends a rush through me, and my heart starts to race, the anticipation swelling in my chest the longer I dance for him.

  Straightening up, I step out of my pants, completely bare for him, and as I turn around to face him, I really start to dance, rolling my body and pressing into him until I’m dripping wet. I see the long, thick column of his cock through his pants, straining to be freed, and while it freaking kills me not to have his hands on my body, I’m having too much fun.

  My fingers trail over his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and while seeing the reaction my touch has on his body is one of the most thrilling things I’ve experienced, it’s nothing compared to the unequivocal desire burning in his eyes. Just seeing how badly this beast of a man wants me does wicked things to me, and I fucking love it.

  God, what I would give to be able to keep him forever.

  Tanner’s groan signals his wavering patience as the need to touch and throw me down becomes more than he can bear. But this is my game, and he’ll play by my rules whether he likes it or not. If he can’t, I’ll be sure to make him suffer the consequences. Though that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun. This bitch is thirsty.

  Dropping to my knees in front of Tanner, I look up at him as I spread my legs wide, sending my desperation soaring. Tanner watches me, his chest rising and falling with quick, sharp breaths, and as I reach for the front of his pants, his eyes flutter with anticipation.

  Tanner doesn’t look away, watching me from above and from the angle he’s at, I don’t doubt he can see absolutely everything, right down between my legs to how fucking needy I am.

  I slowly drag his fly down, and with every passing second and gasp of breath, the tension in the air intensifies. My heartbeat rages in my ears, drumming erratically, and I reach inside his pants to graze his velvety skin. Tanner’s eyes flutter as I curl my fingers around his thick shaft to release him from the confines of his pants, and a low groan rumbles through his chest.

  He sucks in a breath, the anticipation putting him right on the edge, but the second my tongue rolls over my lips, he fucking crumbles. “Killer,” he rasps, breathing heavily. “You’re fucking killing me.”

  I lean into him and grin, slowly working my hand to the tip of his cock and circling my thumb over his tip. My eyes become hooded as I meet his heated stare. “Is this what you want?” I question before flattening my tongue against the base of his cock and licking all the way to the small bead of moisture at the top, refusing to look anywhere but at his dark, hungry stare.

  Tanner groans as a shiver rocks through his body, his hands balling into tight fists, but he’s being a good boy and following my ‘no touching’ clause. Though, something tells me it won’t last much longer. Tanner may have a lot of patience, but he lacks self-control, and right now, I’m counting on his inability to keep himself grounded.

  My mouth closes over his tip as my hand tightens around his base. I work him with my tongue and try to keep my composure as he adjusts his hips, wanting me to take him deeper, and so I do just that, taking him right in the back of my throat until tears well in my eyes.

  My head bops up and down as my tongue works its magic, but my fucking pussy is getting desperate. I need him to touch me, need his fingers inside of me, need his mouth closing over my clit and sucking. Holy fuck, I need it all. Bend me over the fucking desk and slam into me until I feel the walls shaking and taste color.

  I work him hard, giving the performance of a lifetime, and when his body tenses, he can’t hold out any longer. His hand comes to the back of my head, his fingers weaving into my hair and gripping tight as I continue to fuck him with my mouth. His hips rise higher and in a flash, he stands.

  I come up higher on my knees to reach his new height as his other hand snaps out and braces against the wall, keeping him upright. He watches me with fire in his eyes, spurring me on as the hand in the back of my hair tightens. He pushes against the back of my head and I take him deeper, unable to look away.

  I pick up my pace as my tongue roams over his thick cock. His responding groan is enough to give me life. “Fuck yeah, Killer. Just like that.”

  Pride swells in my chest, and I can’t help but wonder if this is the start of some kind of praise kink I never knew I had. Either way, I like what his approval is doing to me, but I like it even more that despite being on my knees, I hold all the power.

  I pump my hand up and down, while my other locks onto the base of his cock, keeping a firm grip, and as his body tenses, excitement shoots through my veins. His cock hits the back of my throat one more time and as my eyes flash up to meet his, he detonates, spurting hot cum into my mouth.

  I swallow him down, not stopping until I’m certain I’ve claimed every last drop. “Fuck,” he grunts, bracing himself against the wall as he tries to find his composure.

  Pulling back, I let him fall from my lips as I lower myself back down, my ass hovering just slightly above the soft carpet as I rest against my feet. My pussy clenches, desperate to be fucked as my knees remain spread. I make a show of wiping my lips as I look up at him. “I hope you’re not finished because I’m only just getting started.”

  Tanner takes his cock, gently stroking it as he watches me on my knees, his eyes burning all over again. “Mmm, I like you on your knees like this,” he murmurs, his eyes hooded. He steps around me, and I feel his intense gaze roaming over my body.

  “Oh yeah?” I question. “A perfect little whore, willing to suck your cock at your say so?”

  Tanner laughs as he steps in behind me and in a flash of lightning, he’s on his knees, his wide chest pressed up against my back and his rock-hard cock slipping right between my crack, and fuck me, if I push my hips back just as inch, I’ll feel him right against my needy cunt. “No,” he breathes, his lips right at my ear as his strong arm curls around my body, his fingers diving between my legs. “A greedy little slut who’ll bend over and let me fuck her into oblivion.”

  Oooooooh, fuck. I’m screwed in all the right ways.

  Then without even a hint of warning, Tanner’s fingers plunge deep into my core, making me cry out in unbelievable pleasure. My hand slams down on his knee beside my thigh, and I dig my nails into his skin, feeling his hand at my ass as he strokes his delicious cock. “You ready for me, Killer?” he questions, curling his fingers inside me and making my whole body jolt as I desperately try to lower myself further onto them.

  Looking back over my shoulder, I reach up and curl my hand around the back of his neck, gripping his hair and holding him still. “For you? Always.”