6. 6 Thorne

Chapter six

6: Thorne

S eeing his lips trail against her soft skin sends a boiling fury through me. We know how Ryder is. We've known for years. He likes to play with his food, but he's already on thin ice with his stupidity.

He hurt her. Physically hurt her when we were saving her from her date.

Every time I think about it, I lose my appetite. Seeing him make himself at home with her right now is twisting my stomach so bad I want to murder him. I made the mistake long ago of giving in, of letting her in, and then being in her. Now even the slightest touch from her has me reeling, unable to process the way she still makes me feel.

She was everything I imagined she would be, and more… and I had to let her go.

She'd be the reason we fight, the reason we stop being friends. We almost did when I told them what I had done, what she and I had done together. Sleeping with Vic almost cost me my two best friends, the only family I know… the only family I have. My real family. I couldn't betray them, couldn't make her mine. Instead, I made her hate me .

I had to become her biggest enemy, so I did. After that night, I was a demon lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting, tormenting. I can't stand to see her eyes look at me the way they do, with longing and fear.

I scare her.

It's what I deserve.

“Let her go, Ryder.” My voice comes out harsher than I mean it to, almost too possessive. This has been boiling inside me for a week. They both catch it, but they don't react. Ryder listens, noticing the way Blaze and I are staring at him. He releases her, taking a step back and shoving his hands in his pockets the way he does when he knows he did something wrong. “Vic, down the hall and to the right is my office. You'll see my assistant, the woman with light pink hair, sitting by my door. Tell her you're there for your phone. Take it into my office and don't leave from there until I come get you.”

It's not the voice I want to use, not the tone I want to take with her, but it's the one she listens to. She doesn't move at first, still getting over Ryder's touch. It pains me to say it, but I see the way it not only scares her but excites her. She likes the way his skin feels against her. I know that look. She gave it to me the first time I kissed her.

“Vic,” I say her name once more, snapping her from her thoughts. She inhales deeply before turning and storming out of the office. She still needs to eat. Shit.

I wipe my hands over my hair, sleeking it back for a moment as I try to clear my thoughts. This whole thing has turned into a shit show. We have no idea what we're doing with her right now, but we all know we can't let her go. We tried. Three years was too long.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Blaze is surprisingly the one to start, probably feeling he has the most right to say something, being the only one who hasn't touched Vic in any real way. “Do you know what I've had to do every morning, Ryder? ”

His fingers are digging deep into his skin as he holds his knees, doing his best not to fist his hands at our friend.

“Cook us all breakfast, cause KitKat over there never learned how?” He shrugs, falling into the chair in front of Blaze's desk. He's still in his street clothes, not having bothered to change before coming in. He does that a lot, which is why Blaze has learned to keep a closet full of suits in the office for him.

“That's not what I'm referring to. No, I'm talking about the fact that I had to rub bruise cream to try and help heal the skin you beat. The mark is still there! You punched her too hard, Ryder! Did you even try to hold back?”

The thought of a dark purple spot marring Vic's skin sends me into a frenzy as I try to restrain myself from punching Ryder in the face. I have to remember that he's my friend, that he gave me a place to crash any time my dad was on a bad bender. He never held it over me, never said I owed him, never even brought it up. I take a few deep breaths as I rub my palms against my thighs, trying to keep my hands preoccupied.

“You're joking, right?” Ryder looks at Blaze as if he can't believe a single word he's saying. He shoots back up out of the chair, his emotions at an all-time high. “Of course I held back! How can you even ask me that? You think I wanted to hurt her?!” His hands stretch out as he continues, always moving when he's talking. When they're not shoved in his pockets.

“It sure doesn't look like you did.” The bite in Blaze's voice has died down, realizing how much he offended Ryder by asking such a thing.

“Do you want to know why?” He takes a step toward us, his eyes hot with anger. “Because I wanted to kill that bastard. My punches were harder than usual. So, yeah, when she stepped in, I pulled back as much as I could, but it was still too strong. You don't think I feel sick over it? Imagine it was you who did it! ”

He looks ready to snap, his anger and his guilt swirling inside him, overwhelming him with too many emotions. Ryder doesn't do unpleasant emotions. He locks them down and pretends they don't exist, always focusing on only feeling good, unable to deal with the emotional baggage his parents left him with.

“You were feeling the same anger I was.” Ryder looks at the two of us, resurfacing the hatred we have for Bren. “For fuck’s sake! He was going to sell her!”

For three years we kept tabs on Vic. Watched over her, made sure she didn't go far, that she didn't get herself into trouble. She was headed for Brown University before Ryder unintentionally ruined that. How the hell he forgot he had drugs in the inside pocket of his jacket is beyond me. Then again, he wasn't thinking that clearly in high school.

I knew where she worked and was furious when Sadie chose that coffee shop to go to. I couldn't very well say, “No, not that one. The woman I obsess over works there .”

Every guy Tori has been with— which have been too many —we've checked into. We ran background checks, dug dirt, even tailed them around a bit. They were all idiots, but they were harmless. We let her have her fun because we ruined her future for her. But that night, the night of her date, she got herself into trouble and was none the wiser.

The guy her friend set her up with owes the Niners gang fifty-grand from his underground gambling. He's been finding girls with no family and selling them to the gang.

Vic is a foster kid—no parents, no family. For Bren, it's easier to pick girls that won't be missed. And the only person Tori has is her roommate. The only friend of hers from high school we thought decent enough to be allowed to stay her friend .

Needless to say, we would have ended up with a dead body on our hands if Vic hadn't stopped us. She's our salvation and our ruin, all wrapped into one beautiful soul.

“We know,” I sigh, grabbing the box of food that's meant for Vic before standing. “Deal with him. I'm going to make sure she actually eats.” I look at Blaze, knowing he's best suited to handle Ryder when he's like this. Those two have been friends since they were five. It wasn't until seventh grade that I joined the group.

Blaze nods at me as I head out, placing the metaphorical mask I wear at work back on. I walk, probably too quickly, to my office, finding Brandy typing away at her keyboard.

“She's in your office,” she informs me as she notices me zooming by. Brandy is the only assistant I've had that couldn't care less about me, and I love it. I don't need anyone that's only going to flirt with me, or cause unnecessary drama.

“Thanks.” I shuffle past her, opening my door to find Tori closing my desk drawer quickly. Her eyes are wide as she drops her hand to her side, hoping I didn't catch her. I did, but considering everything I've put her through— am putting her through—I can let this one slide. There's nothing of importance there anyway.

“Hand me the phone,” I command, holding my palm out for her to place it into. She swallows, still nervous about being caught, or in her mind, almost caught. The adrenaline must be high because she stays silent, no witty remarks or sparky comments as she places the phone in my hand. Her fingertips tickle my palm, lingering for just a second. It's enough to yearn for her once more.

Damn, she's intoxicating. I haven't been able to feel pleasure like her since that night .

I activate the phone and program my number, Blaze's, and even Ryder's, favoriting us, and sending a text to each of us with her name so we have her number, as well.

“Here. Now eat.” I hand her both her phone and the box of food, making sure she doesn't touch me again.

All the offices here are laid out about the same. The only real difference is that Blaze keeps his more organized and spotless than either me or Ryder. He's always been very meticulous with everything, a perfectionist at his finest, thanks to his father.

We all have our baggage, thanks to our parents.

She takes her things and finds a spot at my table, opening the food to see some of her favorite fruits and a turkey and cheese sandwich. Considering Blaze placed her order, I'm surprised he let her have normal bread, but maybe he's feeling just as twisted about this whole thing as I am.

We can't keep her, can we?

“Why am I here?” she asks me, and I know she doesn't just mean my office.

“Because you can't seem to keep yourself safe.” I take a seat behind my desk, unable to look her way knowing looking at her face would bring me pain.

All I want to do is take her in my arms, place her on my lap and bury my face in her neck again; to smell her sweet perfume and feel her delicate skin. The thought alone drives me mad, digging my fingers into my thighs as I contain myself under my desk, staring down at paperwork I can't seem to focus on.

She's so distracting.

“What?” She furrows her brows, not understanding my answer at all. Why would she? “I can keep myself safe just fine. ”

“Really? Tell me something, Vic. Have you ever heard of ‘The Niners?’” The entire time I'm talking to her, I don't look up, boring my eyes into the papers before me as if they're the most interesting thing on the planet.

“Yeah, of course. Everyone has heard of them, or at least to stay away from them.”

“Apparently not your date. Guess where he was taking you next?” She grows silent, so silent I can't help but meet her gaze as she puts her sandwich down.

“What are you talking about? How would you even know where he was taking me?” The corner of her eyes squint as she tries to decipher what's real and what's not, what's true and what's a lie.

“I know a lot of things. You know that.” I see her throat bob as she swallows down her fear. “Just like I know you've been sleeping with quite a lot of guys. What's the matter, Vic? Can't seem to find a guy skilled enough to replace me?”

I'm taunting her, thinking she'll correct me, but instead, I see a look in her eyes that tells me I've hit it right on the nail. My ego suddenly inflates, and all I want to do is run my tongue across the length of her neck and stick my fingers between her legs to see if she'll be wet for me.

“It has nothing to do with you. Cocky much?” she lies, rolling her eyes as she turns to look away.

“My point is, Vic, you were almost sold to the Niners by that piece of shit, and you had no idea. You trusted blindly, and if it wasn't for us, you'd be…” I can't finish that sentence, unable to imagine the dark future that awaited her if Bren had been able to go through with his plan.

“There's no way,” she denies the truth, because honestly, it would be scary to admit that is the reality of the situation. In her mind, it's impossible for us to be the heroes of the story. I don't blame her. We're fucking assholes.

“Believe what you want, but it's the truth. We may be your captors now, but at least we won't make you fuck strangers.”

I leave it at that, doing my best to still be productive with her around. It feels impossible.

*Six Years Ago*

“Hey, Thorney. Guess what?” Ryder grins real wide as he takes a seat in front of me, tossing his tray of food down onto the table with no regard.

“You learned some manners?” I retort, pushing his food back to his side.

“Never.” He winks at me, pushing his golden-streaked hair to the side nonchalantly. “You're not the only scholarship kid anymore.”

He piques my interest, knowing how much I hate being called one. It's not that I care about being the poor kid in a school full of rich, pompous shits; it's that I hate the way everyone suddenly thinks I'm stupid because of it. As if money and smarts are somehow correlated. I promise you, they're not, seeing as I’ve climbed to the top three percent of the class already.

“And?” I shrug, not really caring to have another person here to possibly prove my point wrong. They better be smart as hell.

“She's fucking hot.” He licks his lips as if he's talking about some sweet dessert, and not a person of the opposite sex.

Blaze twists his seat around, sitting backwards as he leans over it to bite his apple. “Have you seen the new girl? I call di—”

“Dibs!” Ryder tries to beat him to it, cutting him off, but just as they're going to argue, the cafeteria grows quiet. In a sea of murmurs and whispers, a familiar face enters through the double doors.

Beside her is the future prom queen, Sadie, apparently taking it upon herself to take the new girl under her wing. Only she's not new to me. I know that face, have wiped tears from those cheeks, have held her hand when she was scared.

Her hair is dyed a different color than when I last saw her, a deep blue that shines like the night sky under the fluorescents. Her eyes meet mine, recognizing me instantly, but avoiding me the way I figured she would.

I was an asshole the last time I saw her, dealing with my own emotional shit, thanks to my father, knowing I'd be going back home with him. She and I had lived together for a year by then, and I'd grown too attached to her. I was head over fucking heels for her. The group home we lived in wasn't the best, but she made it worthwhile, and being away from my dad made it even better.

Some asshole judge thought it would be better for me to go back to my dad. Somehow the old man had convinced the right people that he changed, but that was the biggest fucking lie. So when he came to claim me, to take me back home, I was pissed. Needless to say, I didn't handle it well, and Victoria got the blunt end of it.

“Hey, dibs, remember?!” Ryder waves his hand in front of my face, snapping my attention away from Victoria and back to them.

“Are you deaf? I called dibs first.” Blaze glares at Ryder, a sense of macho ownership overcoming him. It drives me up the wall to hear them talk about Victoria that way, fisting my hands in my lap.

“She's no one’s!” I snap, shutting them both up real fast. I'm not one to snap so easily, to even speak much, so their eyes are on me as if I'd lost my mind. I don't want to ruin the friendship I have with these two, swallowing my anger and calming my voice, I try again. “I mean that you don't need to fight over a girl.”

They both eye me for a moment longer before relaxing once more. “Fine. No one gets the girl.” Blaze nods his head, foreseeing the problems this could cause.

“That includes you, too, Thorne. Don't think I didn't see the way you looked at her.” Ryder arches his brow, knowing my looks a little too well after only two years of knowing each other.

He's just as observant as I am, only a lot more charming. It wouldn't take much for him to slither his way into Victoria's life, using her, and then ditching her like all the other girls.

He's only in the ninth grade, but Ryder has already slept with a handful of girls this semester. There's something deep inside him that seeks to be loved, to be seen, and he'll get that from anyone willing to give it to him. It isn't hard for him to get a girl, being rich, good looking, and having a silver tongue.

“I don't want trash like her,” I spew, hating the words as they leave my mouth.

“Trash, huh?” her voice cuts through, and I immediately wince, knowing she heard me loud and clear. Ryder had set me up, and I wanted to kick the chair he was balancing on and make him fall, but I don't, accepting my fate.

“Did I stutter?” I turn to look at her light brown eyes, bags under them that tell me she's not getting much sleep.

Her lips tighten as she clenches her jaw, flaring her nostrils with anger and hurt. I watch as she grabs her cup and pours it over my head, drenching my hair in the fruit punch she chose. Everyone, including Ryder, laughs, angering me further as I explode, shooting out of my chair. I'm six inches taller than her now, looking down at her as the fruit punch drips along the sides of my face.

“You're going to regret that,” I whisper to her, flipping her tray up so that her food hits her in the chest. I regret it immediately, but as usual, I let my anger get the best of me.

Blaze places his hand on my shoulder, pulling me back as one of the teachers cuts through the crowd, heading right for us. “Let's go get you cleaned up, huh?” He pulls at my shoulder, trying to get me to follow, but my feet are planted, having a staring contest with Victoria. She's fuming, her eyes on fire, bringing something to life inside of her.

Hate me if it makes you feel better.

“Is everything okay here?” Mrs. Holland asks as she manages to prong her way through the thicket of teenage bodies now huddled around for the show.

“No. The new girl here doesn't know how to walk. She tripped and spilled her juice on me,” I lie, knowing they'll believe what I say over her, not that she'd rat herself out by saying she poured the juice over me.

“That's not true!” she snaps, looking around at the crowd for help, for some second-hand witness, but no one speaks up. “I—”

“Come with me, Ms. Reyes. We'll see if we have a spare uniform in the office for you. Honestly, you should just admit when you've made a mistake. Owning up to your actions, even accidents, builds character. I believe Mr. Harrow is owed an apology.”

Her eyes are wide, so shocked at the way things have taken a turn against her. Her hands are gripping her tray so tight, I'm sure it'll snap, but it doesn't. Instead, she shoots daggers my way and grits out, “Sorry.”

“Great. Now follow me.”

She's led away, but the entire time her eyes are on me, threatening this won't be the last I hear of her. I know it. She's stubborn and strong, but these four walls are going to break her if she doesn't start blending in.

“Jesus, Thorne. Initiation by fire much?” Ryder pats my back, as if he's somehow proud of what I'd just done. “She's going to be a different kind of fun, isn't she?”

I see the malicious intent in his eyes, the hunger in his inner demon as he licks his lips, watching Victoria take the final step out of view. I've unintentionally just made her life hell… well, shittier than before.

“Come on.” Blaze leads me away again, his eyes holding a disappointment I wasn't expecting. “I have some spare clothes in my locker you can use.”

“Thanks.”

I follow Blaze out, feeling a pain in my stomach that's more than just the hunger eating away at me. It's pure guilt for what I've just done to her.

I'm sorry, Vic.