Split(63)

“Sam, leave him alone.” Shyann’s voice is laced with anger and maybe even fear.

“Stop cockblockin’, Shy.” Cody grabs his sister and pulls her away for what looks like a heated conversation.

Sam pulls my chin back to her and with my gaze firmly set on Shy, my eyes are the last to track so I’m helpless to avoid her lips when they swallow mine.

The sticky smear of gloss and taste of cigarettes threatens to empty my stomach. I rip my mouth from hers. Panic flushes the liquor from my veins, replacing it with adrenaline.

I don’t like this. I don’t want this.

She shoves her hand between us and palms the heavy length between my legs. “Mmm . . .”

Nausea curls in my stomach and black flickers in my peripheral. I push back and try to stand but unsteady I fall back. “Please.”

Her mouth moves to my neck and she grips my dick so hard it hurts.

The veil falls.





TWENTY-TWO



GAGE


This bitch again?

I roll my eyes at her ridiculous attempt to jack me off over my jeans. Hell, my cock deflates with every pump of her desperate little hand. As entertaining as her efforts are to seduce me, I don’t have time for this shit.

“Oh my God, Sam! Get off of him!”

The little slut dry-f*cking my thigh falls backward with a yelp, and I almost fall forward along with her. Luke’s drinking has my head foggy and my equilibrium all over the damn place.

I blink and focus. Aah, what do we have here but our own little Shy Ann. And from the expression on her face I’d say she’s pissed.

Her chest heaves, drawing my gaze to her full cleavage flushed red with anger.

“What the f*ck, Shy!” Slutty Girl pushes herself to her feet.

I sit back, cross my arms over my chest, and settle in for a good chick fight, only wishing I had a vat of Jell-O to throw them in and was sober enough to enjoy it.

They face off and I place my internal bets. My money’s on Shyann. The woman is stronger than her five-and-a-half-foot frame lets on.

Shyann places her tight little body in front of me. Ha! Like I need this bitch’s protection. “He’s drunk.”

Slut balls her fists. “Since when did you become his bodyguard?”

Shyann’s back stiffens, but she holds her protective stance. I’m about to shove her forward into Slut just to speed up the process, get to the good stuff, when that Cody kid stands between the catfighting girls.

“Sam, don’t!” He presses her back gently. “Walk away, all right?”

Party pooper.

“Fuck you, Cody!” She points at me. “We were hooking up and Shy went nuts!”

I hold up my hands in surrender, a gurgle of laughter rumbling in my chest. “In my defense, you were hooking up with me.” Damn, it’s been a long time since I’ve found something genuinely entertaining. I must be drunker than I thought.

“You wanted it.” She holds up the hand she was groping me with. “I felt it!”

“Oh . . .” I stand up, try not to wobble, and advance toward her, but Shyann’s in my way. My front hits her back, stilling my progress. I grasp her waist to steady myself. “You misunderstand, Sam. That hard-on wasn’t for you.” I flex my hips, rubbing my dick against Shyann’s lower back.

No one seems to notice, but she hisses and tugs against my hold.

“You’re an *!” Sam spits through clenched teeth.

I reach over Shyann to take the little bitch’s throat in my palm and crush her f*cking windpipe.

Shyann whirls, pressing both palms against my chest. “Gage . . .” she whispers. “Don’t.”

Slowly, I peer down at her.

She should be afraid of me. Terrified. I tried to kill her last night and now she’s gazing up at me with those f*cking witchy eyes and all the trust in the world.

“You f*ckin’ prick!” Sam rushes.

Cody snags her by the waist. “Get ’im out of here, Shy.”

Shyann grabs my wrist. “Come on.”

I allow her to drag me through the bar, down a hallway, and into some kind of a back room. She pushes me through the door, clicks on a light, then locks the door behind her and leans against it.

A slow grin curls my lips. “I’m your prisoner now, is that it?”

She juts up her chin, but I don’t miss the way she presses deeper back against the door. Aah, little Shy Ann, all alone with no one to hear you scream. “Let’s just wait until Cody calms her down; then I’ll sneak you out the back door.”

I take a step toward her.

“Don’t.” She holds up a hand, her fingers shaking.

“I scare you.”

“You almost drowned me, so yeah, a little.”

“Yet you lock yourself in a room with me.” I tilt my head, studying her, as if it’ll help me understand. “Why?”

She swallows hard but keeps her gaze to mine, refusing to show the fear she’s so desperately trying to conceal. “For Lucas.”

Her resolute answer sends me back a step, my booze-lazy thoughts trying to keep up. “What?”

“I’m protecting Lucas. Last thing he needs is you making trouble for him, Gage.”

My eyes grow tight and the fire of anger flares in my gut. Who does she think she is? “You’re protecting Luke now?”