24

24

STACEY

Ilove Luciella, but with the number of dress shops she dragged me into before we headed back to the hotel, I contemplated pushing her in front of a speeding car.

Apparently, the club we’re going to is fancy and expensive, so she wants us to mix in with the glamourous girls by wearing the skimpiest goddamn dresses I’ve ever seen.

You’d think she was trying to get me naked with the scraps of material she’s picked out. She’s never been one for flaunting her body, so why tonight?

I said no to every dress she threw at me, settling on the one with the most material.

I’m not in the mood tonight. Spending hours with Base while he listed all the reasons Luciella and him should get married has given me a headache.

And I don’t want to spend any time with Kade. Even seeing his face annoys me.

He had another argument with his dad earlier, and Lu told me he stormed out. It was the first time they’d seen each other in two years. They’ve talked on the phone briefly, but Tobias apparently wasn’t happy when he saw his son.

I lie on the bed reading while Luciella takes hours in the bathroom. I message back and forth with Tylar, tell Kyle that I’m having fun and might need picked up at Glasgow when I land, and delete the usual texts from Chris and his half a dozen numbers.

I received two an hour ago, and I refuse to respond.

Kade: You out your mood yet?

Kade: I take that as a fucking no.

The guy can get fucked. He literally told me to forget what happened between us, and now he’s annoyed I’m ignoring him?

The door clicks open, and I quickly come off the messages as my best friend walks out with a grin. She’s wearing a navy dress that contours every curve on her body, accentuating her chest, her blonde hair curled and pinned back. She looks beautiful. Even though she and Kade are twins, they aren’t identical – she’s taken after her mother, and Kade – obviously – took his looks and personality from Tobias.

Luciella’s smile falls to a frown, her hands now on her hips. “Why aren’t you ready?”

“I need to shower.”

She groans dramatically. “You could have showered in my mum’s or Kade’s room.”

I’ll pass on the latter.

By the time I’m washed and ready, Lu stares at me like she hasn’t seen me dressed up millions of times. “Damn, you look sexy. We need to wingwoman each other tonight.”

“That would’ve been possible if you didn’t agree to us going out with your twin and Base.”

She harrumphs. “It was in the moment.”

The black silk of my dress glides against my smooth legs as I walk to the mirror. There’s a slit right up the leg to the hip, and the dress dips into a deep V at the front so my cleavage is on display. The mesh detail and my breasts pressing together thankfully hide the scar there.

The dragon wrapping around my leg is like word art. From my knee to the apex of my thigh, the tattoo is made up of quotes from my favourite books, movies, lyrics, and stupid phrases Kade and I used to pass back and forth. They’re small enough that you’d think they were just lines and shading – unless you looked closely – so it took five sittings to finish.

Kade designed it for me.

The “From Now On” lyrics from The Greatest Showman are my most cherished. We watched the movie together the first time I came to his room, and it quickly became our favourite – more like a paired obsession.

Kade might have covered up the ones he got for me, but I’ll always keep mine.

She stares at my throat when I ask her to fasten my chain. “What’s with the bruises? They’re everywhere.”

All the blood drains from my face. They aren’t deep purple and blue anymore but faded yellow. I thought they’d be less noticeable by now. “Oh, I…” Think. Think, Stacey. “I fell down the stairs.”

“Hmm. Must’ve been quite the fall,” she says as she types on her phone with rapid thumbs. “The ones at your house?”

I chew the inside of my lip. “Yep.”

She gives me a look. “You can trust me. You know that, right?”

“I fell, Lu.”

“If someone is hurting you—”

“Lu, really, stop. I’m fine. I fell down my stairs when I was late for class the other day, okay?”

A few seconds, and she turns to the mirror to do her lipstick. “As long as you know you can talk to me.”

And thankfully, she drops it.

I think.

Luciella closes the door just as Aria walks down the hallway, linking her arm through Ewan’s. “Oh, you girls look lovely,” she says, giving us a warm smile. “Remember what I said, sweetie. Call me if you’re lost or if you drink too much.”

She sighs. “I’m twenty-one, Mum, not twelve.”

“Then stop being a brat.” Kade’s deep voice comes from behind us, and although my blood hums at his nearness, I paint on a blank expression as I turn to find him leaning against his doorframe with his ankles crossed.

I avert my gaze when he glances at me. I plan to give him the cold shoulder like he’s done to me for ages – but I reckon I’ll struggle tonight.

My eyes trail back to him, and his gaze flicks to his mother.

I’ve always found Kade hot, from the moment I met him down at the pool house and he was rude to me. Fifteen-year-old Stacey felt flutters in her chest every time she saw him.

But this… this is my favourite version of him. He’s wearing black suit trousers, without the jacket or tie, and a crisp white shirt rolled to the elbows to show off his expensive watch. His dark hair is as messy as ever, just the way he likes it.

I know if I lift his shirt, I’ll see a huge bruise on his side, and I want to feel him shiver beneath my touch again.

It was inappropriate of me to touch him, but the deep purpling of his skin had me far too curious.

Kade’s eyes are fixed on his twin. “We’re late for the reserved booth.”

“I know that,” Lu snaps, turning to her mum. “I left my purse in your suitcase.”

Ewan unhooks his arm from Aria’s. “Come on,” he says, ushering Luciella along the hallway. “I need to go grab my wallet anyway.”

When they vanish, I’m left with Kade and his mum, feeling very, very exposed in what I’m wearing. She smiles in the silence, then says to Kade, “You look smart. I hope you’re feeling better.”

Aria tuts at his silence, and I look at her as she checks her watch. “I’m going to see what’s taking them,” she says. “Maybe you’ll have better luck pulling words from him.”

I lower my head.

Silence fills the corridor.

“Any reason why you’re ignoring me?” Kade asks.

Impulsiveness and idiocy have me turning on my ridiculously high heels to face him. “I’m going to ask Lu to go somewhere else, away from you and Base.”

“I’m sure Base will be heartbroken.” He shoves both hands into his pockets, licking his lips as he watches me. “He was going to make his move on you since my sister isn’t giving him any attention. Not really your scene though, is it? You prefer older men and spare rooms.”

“Fuck you,” I seethe, the broken memory from that night caving my chest. “When I eventually let Base have me, I’ll make sure you’re around to witness it like I had to watch you in the pool house.”

“Immature.” Kade laughs deeply. “I expect nothing less.”

“Expect nothing less of what?” Lu asks, appearing behind me, her head tilted to the side in confusion. “Never mind. We need to leave!” She turns to her brother. “Where’s Base?”

“Here, princess,” he greets as he leaves the hotel room next to us, and I pale at the thought he might have heard us. “Sorry. Had to shave my balls.”

“Lovely,” she responds with a contorted expression. “Let’s go!”

She walks ahead, Base following her until they’re out of sight around the corner.

Kade pushes away from the wall, leaning down to whisper, “If you weren’t such a twisted snake, I’d tell you how hot you looked tonight.”

I roll my eyes even though I feel like my nerves are on fire as we walk towards the elevators. “Your insults are getting weak.”

“A little like yourself.”

I suck my teeth. “Call me weak again – I fucking dare you.”

“We don’t exactly have the best track record with dares. Do we, Freckles?”

I snap my head to him, halting my steps, and he nearly knocks into me. “Don’t call me that. What happened to forgetting?”

“Forgetting what?” he teases, a glint in his eyes. He seems awfully cheery compared to how he was earlier.

He doesn’t reek of alcohol, but his pupils are a little bigger than usual.

I turn away from him. “Stop talking to me. You’re annoying.”

Kade snorts, and we keep making our way down the hallway. “I’m making conversation, not trying to fuck you.”

“Thank God. I’ve faked enough orgasms with you to last a lifetime.”

I gasp as Kade snatches me by the throat and pins me to the wall in a flash, his chest and grip holding me in place as his heavy breaths hit my ear. “I’ll tell Base to take my sister without us and prove just how full of shit that fucking statement is.”

Shivers work their way down my spine, my pulse thrumming against his palm. “I’d rather you didn’t.” I pat his shoulder, hoping to deflate his ego in some way and hide how much he affects me. “But thanks for the offer.”

His jaw clenches, eyes blackening as he steps back and releases my throat. His hands fist at his sides, but the feel of his skin is still on me, shadows wreaking havoc on my hormones.

“I wish you never met Luciella.” And the bucket of ice that hits me then washes away that feeling. “I wish I didn’t kiss you that night.”

Punching him would be bad, but I fucking want to right now. “I wish I never sucked your dick.” I turn my back to him. “But shit happens.” I throw his own words back at him – the same ones he used outside that warehouse of horrors.

“I wish you never rode my face,” he mutters low enough that only I can hear – Base and Lu are waiting for us by the elevator. “But sacrifices need to be made when one is bored.”

“It was the worst face ride of my life.”

“With how loud you screamed my name, I very much doubt it.”

My nails sink into my palms as we reach the bickering pair.

I intentionally step on his foot when we enter the elevator, and I swear I see him trying to hold back a smirk. The dimples I’ve traced with my fingers countless times dent deep, and I need to look away before Lu notices me eye-fucking her brother.

He stands beside me as the doors close. Mirrors line every wall, and I look up to see him staring at me through our reflection.

While Lu checks her phone, and Base watches her, I give him the middle finger like a grown-up should.

He stifles a smile and shakes his head.

Base looks me up and down, then looks at Lu. “Fuck me,” he groans. “Kade, would you kill me if I had a threesome with your sister and her best friend?”

I laugh.

Kade’s scowl turns deadly.

Luciella slaps his head with her purse and tells him to shut up.