Chapter 4

Four

Evelyn

This is a big mistake.

Why am I doing this? In fact, I shouldn’t be doing this. But something as pesky as shouldn’t won’t stop me from doing it anyway.

One night. That’s all I want. Just one night to shed this image that everyone sees of me and let loose.

Be the bad girl for once. No more miss good girl. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

I’ve spent my life being the perfect daughter for my mom, being the person my dad wanted me to be. But what about me? What do I want? Like really want? Fun. Mystery. Everything in between.

I want tonight.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up the image they created for me, when all I want to do is rebel. Go out. Kiss the boy. Have sex. Real sex. Not get myself off in the cover of night as I think about the three infuriating men that infiltrate my nightmares.

So yeah, this is a big mistake. Huge. Colossal. And I shouldn’t be doing this. But when else will I have the chance to break free? To show the world the real me hiding beneath the perfect mask I’ve always portrayed.

As I sat outside the dining room and listened to their conversation of Mischief Night—a night of pleasure and debauchery—I couldn’t help but feel it was the night to let all my walls down. Something in my chest pulled me toward the conversation. Like I was meant to be there, listening to them speak. My mind said run, but my body said go toward them. And go figure. It’s the night before Halloween. The night where all the crazies take off their masks and let their freak flags fly.

And tonight… I vow to be one of them.

The freak with her mask off, exploring new… Well, I’m sure. They weren’t exactly detail oriented about where they were going or what they were doing. Shit. A thrill runs through me, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I can do this.

I just need to make it into their SUV without getting busted and lie in wait until they get to wherever they’re going, then sneak back out.

Easy peasy. Right?

My nerves eat me alive when I sit on the edge of my bed, nearly falling into it. I could turn back now. Climb into bed and pretend I never had this rebellious thought again. But then who would I be? Safe little Evie. Always following the rules and never taking chances or risks. I swallow hard, staring at the ground.

It’s now or never.

I nearly jump out of my skin when my phone blares a warning, letting me know it’s time to go. Quickly, I silence it, praying they didn’t hear it echoing through the halls. Static fills my ears. They couldn’t have, right? There’s no way from their space they could have heard anything. Right?

God.

My palms slicken when I read the time again. Eleven Fifty. Ten minutes before their agreed upon time. They said Midnight was go-time. And if I know them as well as I do, they won’t be late getting out of the house. So, I have to be earlier than them.

After checking the little black dress I procured from Mom’s closet this afternoon—a sexy little number that barely covers my ass and leaves way more cleavage on display than I’ve ever shown—I throw on a black hoodie, pulling the hood up, and head out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind me.

For a beat, I stand there staring at the door. Am I really doing this? Am I really going to hide in their SUV for Mischief Night? Rebel? Be free? Be the girl I’ve always dreamed of being?

The only sound I can make out is the beating of my heart whooshing in my ears. Indecision plays in my mind. I’m in and I’m out. Flip flopping between going and staying. My brain calls me stupid. But my heart? It leaps at the fucking chance to have fun and to be with them. The three men who infiltrate my dreams and bring me pleasure.

Take the opportunity —I can practically hear Kade in my mind whispering to me to do it. To go. Claim your freedom.

I nibble my bottom lip and suck in a soft breath, remaining as quiet as possible. My heels dangle from my fingers as I tiptoe barefoot quietly down the hall to the stairs, taking each step lightly. I check over my shoulder the moment I hit the last step, taking in the shadows dancing in the darkness. My eyes wander over the empty space with a sigh of relief.

I’ve made it undetected.

Well, so far.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I finally face forward. I take a deep breath, centering myself. Like so many times before, eyes burning right through my soul seem to be following me everywhere I go as I sneak across the foyer.

When Kade told me Mom and Tobias left on a trip, I was bummed. More than bummed. My mom and I have differences, but I still love her. Even when she’s controlling. It was going to be the first time I managed to sneak into their epic Halloween party. But whatever. It worked out nicely for me. Tobias is a nightowl, anyway. He’d have caught me in a second trying to follow the guys and then again sneaking into his party.

But we can’t have that, now can we?

Because tonight is the night. I’m going to lose my virginity. Come hell or high water, I’ll be a real woman by the time the sun rises.

Everything is silent—almost too silent, like the house is holding its breath in anticipation of what’s to come. Or maybe that's just me overthinking it. After all, I’m normally passed out asleep by this time. Because that’s what good girls like me always do. Follow the rules, even if they’re asinine and I’m an adult. But does anyone else in the house see that? Of course not. I’m just the meek little christian man’s daughter who has never once really lived .

The tile floor in the kitchen is cold on my bare feet as I pass from the living room into the place that started my little act of rebellion. ‘Cause let’s be real. If it wasn’t for them even mentioning Mischief Night and what it stands for, I never would be doing what I am right now.

My breath whooshes out of me as the door leading into the garage comes into view. I’ve made this far without alerting my stepbrother and his friends that I’m dipping out, so that means things are going to plan so far.

A shiver overtakes my being as shadows coalesce in front of me, blocking my sight of the freedom I so desperately crave. The overwhelming feeling of dread hits me square in the chest. But as quickly as it comes, it disappears—along with the shadows—leaving me more confident about tonight.

Not giving another second to think about it, I slip on my heels and hightail it out the door, knowing that any minute now, they’ll be right behind me, ready to go. And I can’t get caught. They’ll never let me leave. Especially not dressed how I am. I’ve never seen more protective assholes than those three. But there’s no doubt they’re only doing it because Tobias is married to my mother.

Their solid black SUV with deep tinted windows shines in the moonlight filtering through the windows of the garage, lighting up like a beacon drawing me to the sins I plan to commit tonight. Numerous times, Merrick has called it the sin wagon, and between him, Ryker, and Kade, I can see why they call it that. There’s no doubt in my mind that they’ve christened this vehicle and left a trail of broken hearts in their wake with it.

Not that I’ve seen it. Nope. I’ve never even been inside of it. Another one of Mom’s strict rules.

No going anywhere with your stepbrother and his friends. They are all off-limits, Evelyn. Hands off. I see the way you look at them. Don’t ruin this for me.

I swear she’s said the same five words more times than I can count. And I’ve gotten the message. Over and over. Don’t ruin it for her. Like two concenting adults fucking under the same roof as her would ruin anything for her? As if.

But not tonight. I take her words and mentally burn them in a pit of no return. She can’t haunt me here. I’m going to do what I want to do.

Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?

Peeking in the front driver’s side window, I look for the telltale flashing red light that means the car is armed, but once again, luck is on my side for the night and the interior stays blissfully dark. I curl my fingers around the door handle, sucking a breath. This is it. I’ve plotted for hours since eavesdropping. Now, my plan is in full swing.

My bones nearly leap from my body at the sound of a booming chuckle from somewhere inside the house, echoing into the garage. It gets me moving faster, knowing that my time to slip inside is running out before they get out here. I swallow down all the excitement mixing with nervousness and slip through the passenger’s side door, softly closing it behind me without detection. For just a second, I take in the scent of the vehicle, noting it smells exactly like them. It soothes all the worry I feel. Well, momentarily. Hurrying, I maneuver myself over the seats until I’m in the back end space of the vehicle. Slinking down, I steady my breaths and try to slow my heart rate.

This is it. It’s happening.

Again, the thought that I’m making a big mistake hits me—my thoughts sounding suspiciously like my father—but I bat it away. I want this. Probably more than I’ve ever wanted anything else. And my father isn’t here anymore to stop me from doing something stupid or staying in line.

I squeeze my eyes shut, moving further down until I’m lying on my back and hidden from sight. And not a second too soon as the garage floods with light and the machine cranks as it opens to let the vehicle out.

Excitement and a tiny tinge of fear percolates through my veins as I hear rather than see them surround the vehicle before climbing in. Immediately I’m suffocated with their delicious scents. The same scents that coat every surface of this vehicle. They were there when I got in, but I swear those three bathed in cologne as they were getting ready.

The SUV rumbles to life and loud music filters through the speakers, causing me to shrink down further, not wanting to be seen. I can do this, playing on repeat in my head as the car glides into motion, the guys none the wiser of their little stowaway.

“I called it,” Merrick mutters loud enough over the music that I can hear him from all the way back here. “You can smell it, right?”

Smell what? I don’t smell a damn thing but those three invading my senses.

“Fuck yeah, I can,” Ryker whoops, his excitement infectious.

Seriously, though. Smell what? Them? Their scents? They have to smell their own damn cologne. I made sure to remain scentless as I got ready. The last thing I wanted was my scent giving me away.

“Chill,” Kade murmurs smoothly, followed by a sexy ass groan that makes my thighs clench and wetness pool in my panties.“Ignore it.”

“Easier said than done. My dicks are begging to be set free.”

I squeak, quickly slapping my hand to my face at his words. Dicks?! As in.. plural? No. That’s just my imagination. It has to be. No man has two dicks. Right? But holy mother of God, that would be sexy. Just imagine what he could do if he had two. I shiver when my pussy convulses on its own, squeezing over air, begging for someone to fill her. I swear, it’s never been this bad before.

Only around them.

I’m usually able to run away and hide my shame. But not tonight.

“Keep them caged, Ry,” Kade grunts. “Now, glamors off. It’s our night to wreak havoc on unsuspecting pussy.”

This time it’s a whimper I can’t help but release thinking of the three of them spending Mischief Night with other women. I want them to spend it with me. But fuck. They don’t even know I’m here, so that idea flows out the window one of the guys just put down.

“Fucccckkkk, that feels so much better,” Merrick goans. “Why do glamors always feel so damn constricting all the fucking time?”

“Dude. It’s the same gripe you have every day. We get it. The glamors suck, but by this time in two days, we shouldn’t have to wear another one.”

Why do they keep talking about glamors? The only time I’ve ever heard that word was in the smutty paranormal books I’ve been sneakily reading. And the only thing a glamor is for is to hide who you really are.

But everyone knows that’s just stories. Magic isn’t real.

The smooth vibrations seem to lull everyone into silence, and I use that as my opportunity to peek past the backseat and hopefully get an idea of where we’re going. If I’m not careful, they could be luring me to my death. They are crazy, after all.

I snort at my joke then choke on it as I come face-to-face with living nightmares. The same ones from my actual nightmares. A scream gets lodged in my throat as my heart pounds triple time and my body breaks out in a cold sweat.

Gone are the three men I know like the back of my hand. And in their places are… I don’t even fucking know what they are. Dropping back down, I clutch my chest as my lungs seize. Breathing is nothing but a pipe dream as I try to make sense of what I saw.

Horns. Wings. Skin colors that make no sense. I gulp. Tails.

All the things I’ve ever read about in my paranormal romances. Demons, I think they were in my books. But… I shake my head, still willing precious air to fill my lungs. Demons aren’t real. They can’t be. At least not these types of demons. The ones from Hell. The ones my father warned me about who possessed innocent people and stole from the world.

Finally, I’m able to gulp a deep breath as I realize I must have fallen asleep and this is just another nightmare starring Kade, Ryker, and Merrick. That’s it. I fell asleep waiting for my alarm to go off, and any minute now the sound will wake me up so I can go.

With that thought in mind, I peek back over the backseat and take my fill of the admittedly sexy demon things inhabiting the vehicle, not allowing it to scare me to death like all the others have.

Kade is in the driver’s seat. I know that like I know my own name. His hair is still the same jet black as before, but two black, deep crimson-tipped horns extend from his head, almost scraping the ceiling. His once olive skin now glows red as the streetlights illuminate his form over and over again with every one we pass.

Ryker is definitely the one in the front passenger seat. There’s no hiding the blond curls on his head that always fall into his blue eyes. The same curls my fingers have itched to run through. But there’s another set of curls. Ones I’ve never seen before. These are horns that curl around the sides of his face, like a ram. It’s hard to distinguish his skin color as it doesn’t stand out like Kade’s, but it’s definitely not the pale that it normally is.

My eyes roam over both of them, greedily taking in their appearances. And then…. Merrick.

He’s sitting closest to my hiding spot. The one that could easily find me and ruin the night. That brunette faux-hawk is sticking straight up like it always is. But like a bull, skin-colored horns jut from the sides of his head, a small curve at the tip pointing up. Leathery appendages are wrapped around his shoulders with dark veins visible in our close proximity. A tail with an arrowhead-shaped tip, the same color as his green skin, waves back and forth hypnotically next to him, and I find myself getting lost in the gentle sway.

They’re… shit. They’re gorgeous.

A barely audible moan leaves me as my pussy grows slick, wetter than I think I’ve ever been. It’s like my body is preparing me for them, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find my fingers deep inside me when the time comes to get up.

Three rumbling groans sound almost in answer, making me duck, but not a single person calls me out. But this is just a nightmare. So it’s okay. I’ll just wake up and this will be another forgotten dream like all of the rest.

The sound of fabric rustling makes me cower further, but just as quick as it started, it stops. Telling me I’m still hidden from the other occupants. Thank fuck. The SUV makes a sharp right, pulling a harsh gasp from my throat. Then it squeals to a stop.

Any minute now I’m going to wake up. I just know it. Hell, the demons in my nightmare probably know it too. That’s why they haven’t moved at all since we pulled into wherever the hell we are.

Anticipation hangs heavy in charged air as I await the chime, but instead of that, the doors are thrown open and the vehicle shakes a bit as they exit out into the starry night.

One thing I can say is that I hope my real escapade goes off as smoothly as my dream one has so far. Maybe this is my sign that everything will go alright tonight.

A girl who desperately wants to be a woman can hope.

Time drifts on as I continue to hide. One thing I haven’t heard yet is the sound of them walking away from the car. And I know I would hear it too. It’s too damn quiet outside not too.

Taking a chance, I peep out of the back window and a scream tears from my throat at the sight of the three demons hovering over the back of the SUV.

Wide grins showcasing sharp fangs stretch across their faces as the back hatch opens up, and before I can jump out, three tails wrap around me, pinning me to the floor.

“Gotchya.”