Page 11 of Provocation
How odd that a couple of months ago, I hated this place almost as much as the Novelle house, but now I consider it a safe place despite the creeper who watches me.
We get out and go inside. The guys we see greet us both. It still surprises me that they’re being so nice to me. Upstairs, Mav and Blake are playing video games in Blake’s room. When they hear us, they both come out into the hallway.
‘Fuck, Daisy. That dress is killer,’ Blake breathes. ‘The things I want to do to you…’
My eyes lower as my cheeks heat.
‘Look at that blush,’ Mav murmurs in a voice that makes something else heat.
‘I’m just going to get something else to wear,’ I murmur, glancing up at them.
I might look amazing, but this outfit doesn’t quite meet my comfort standards. My feet are aching, and my torso wants to be free of the restricting velvet.
‘Food is here,’ Blake says, jerking his head in the direction of his room as his eyes continue to devour me.
‘I’ll be right in,’ I say, going into my room and closing the door.
I lean against it and let out a small sigh. I’m here with them. My body relaxes, my muscles untensing as I reach back and stretch, arching to grab the zipper. I pull it down and shrug out of the arm holes, letting the green velvet pool at my feet and shimmying my body a little now that I’m free of its confines. It really is a beautiful dress. I’ve never worn anything like it. I mean, when would I have? The Heath wasn’t big on parties bar Christmas, and it’s not like I was allowed things like this there.
I hang it up on a hanger almost reverently with my back to my door, but as I do, I hear my name, and it opens.
‘Hey, Tulip, do you want?—’
I freeze, turning to face Mav as quickly as possible, but I already see from his shock that it’s too late.
‘What the fuck?’
He strides in as I skitter backward across the room, but he catches me easily and turns me around, bending me over his thick forearm to get a better look at me in the mirror.
‘Who did this to you? Shade!’
‘No,’ I struggle in his arms. ‘Don’t?—’
But it’s too late. I hear multiple sharp intakes of breath at the door, and I flinch as I look over my shoulder to see Shade and Blake staring at the bruises.
Shade looks furious.
‘I was going to tell you,’ I begin, but he cuts me off.
‘Marcus?’ he snarls.
‘Marcus?’ Blake growls just as angrily. ‘He hasn’t even been here.’
‘He was there tonight with his brother and his father.’
I deflate in Mav’s arms, my shoulders slumping.
‘It wasn’t Marcus,’ I whisper.
Shade’s jaw ticks. ‘Joe?’
I nod.
He approaches, bending me over further so he can get a better look. Fingers touch and I shy away with a hiss of pain.
‘What did he use to do this, Daisy?’ Shade asks, his voice very quiet.
‘A cane,’ I whisper. ‘He used a cane.’
