Ryder’s voice is low like he’s placating a child, “I am not her babysitter, Sawyer. She asked for it, and I gave it to her. You need to take that up with her.”
My head swirls with anger. Oh, I fucking will. I’ll teach her to never touch booze again. But this on top of it? I can’t handle this.
I turn and march back to the truck, my steps in the gravel and the crickets the only sound. Fuck! I hate the quiet out here. I feel the shaming voices screaming in my mind. I smack them away before getting in the car.
They have no place here. Only I have a place here. And I’m about to fuck shit up.
Chapter 70
Cali
The drive back is silent except for the hum of the engine and full of deadly tension. My buzz is completely gone now. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I know I fucked up. It hurt more than I care to admit seeing Sawyer’s reaction to kissing me. In fact, it felt like a white-hot knife had pressed through my heart.
Am I really that repulsive? I mean, hell, he’s kissed my pussy before; how is my mouth any different?
I know how. I let my guard down. And I could tell he did, too. For a second, that moment on top of the tank felt perfect. It felt like he…saw me.
And then it all came crashing down. As I should have known it fucking would. I kick myself for my stupidity while I also want to cry.
Miles is mad at me too. I can feel the anger radiating off him. In fact, I never thought I’d say this, but Ryder is the only one who isn’t pissed at me right now. He threw me a quick look of sympathy getting into the car. Or at least, I thought it was. Itwas only a flash of change from his usual indifferent look. Maybe that was his victory look. He finally won. They can all kill me and continue on with their happy, killer lives.
I don’t look at any of them. I can’t. I look at the dark landscape passing by, wondering if it’s indeed worth it to just jump out of the car now. I reach out to the armrest, and Miles drops a heavy hand down on my thigh, pinning me to my seat. He squeezes once in warning.
When we get back, Sawyer storms into the house first. Ryder follows, and I just sit in the truck.
“Go.” Miles nudges me.
I stare straight ahead. “And walk into my death?” I give a strained laugh. “I think the hell not.”
“He’s not going to kill you.” Miles reaches across me and opens the door. “But I have no doubt you’ll get punished.”
“For what? Drinking wasn’t one of my rules.” I cry as Miles shoves me out of the car. He follows closely behind me, laying a heavy hand on my shoulder, preventing me from bolting.
“For not listening,” he grits.
“What, am I a toddler now?”
“You’re acting like one.”
I dig my feet in, but it does no good. In fact, it only pisses Miles off more. When we get to the front steps, I see the blood from Ben across the concrete. My primitive brain takes over, and I bolt.
At least, I try. Miles snatches me up faster than I can register, throwing me over his shoulder and hissing, “Take it like a woman, Cali. Stop running.”
“I will never stop running from you.” I struggle to get out of his strong grip.
“Then you’ll spend a lifetime getting punished.” Miles smacks my ass and hauls me inside. He drops me right inside the door.I collect myself, looking down my nose at him and mockingly brushing myself off. He just gives me a blank look.
I sense a large body behind me. Before I can turn around, Sawyer wraps me in his heavy arms and says in a cold voice, “Hello, bunny.”
I stiffen but don’t fight him. So we’re back to ‘bunny’ now. “Hello, Sawyer.”
He chuckles. “Miles, I left something on the counter for our sweet thing here. Grab it for me.”
Sawyer picks me up effortlessly and brings me to the couch, sitting so I’m forced to sit on his lap. As much as I’m pretending to keep it all together, my heart is pounding. I have no doubt he can feel it through my skin.
I jump as Sawyer’s hot tongue traces up the column of my neck. “Are you afraid?”
I grit my teeth. I know he feeds off of fear, and I refuse to give it to him. I’ve done nothing wrong. “No,” I say.