Break Me (Brayshaw High #5)(97)

Micah jumps three steps back as we turn to look at the guy who’s just walked in.

Dressed in black from head to toe, Royce slips farther in with slow motion-like movement.

His jeans, expensive and perfectly fit, lay against his black high-tops and he wears a crisp dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to rest on the curve of his elbow, tattoos gleaming in the low light. The white of his eyes are near nonexistent as he creeps closer with the aura of a snake.

His approach is silent.

“Smile wide at the fucker.” His lips curl in what’s meant to be a grin but is far, far from it. “Get closer, let him see what my cock did to that filthy little mouth of yours.”

My stomach hollows out and I can’t even force myself to look at Micah. Guilt colors my neck red, and it has nothing to do with being here, but everything to do with the little after-dark personal moment of ours.

“What are you doing?”

“Me?” He slides forward with a nasty chuckle, now hovering over me, caging me in—a wild animal and its prey.

The ruler and the stray.

The vein in his jaw tics angrily. “What are you playin’ at, Brielle?”

He glares through dark, tethered lashes, but the longer I look into them, the more I see.

The anger, it’s for everyone else, but the fear, it’s for me.

Or more, because of me... and invisible to all but me.

My eyes quickly flick over his body again, his nice clothes, freshly showered hair.

He was ready to celebrate, and not with just anyone.

With me.

So I ignore his foul words and mucky glower and make my way to him.

He doesn’t fight me, but it’s easy to see his instincts tell him to, so those he does battle on the inside, I’m sure of it. But not for long.

I wrap my arms around his middle and he glares down his nose at me, his body shaking slightly, rage rearing its way out, but he can’t hide the long exhale—I feel it against my chest.

I lift my chin, then slowly tip my head, exposing my neck as if offering it as a meal to a starved vampire.

His eyes fall to the angry mark he darkened up last night and his chest rumbles against mine.

“They see,” I whisper, reminding him of what he asked of me last night.

To show them, them being everyone.

Slowly, his muscles loosen. “They see, but do they know who put it there?”

I shrug, baiting him with my smirk, knowing how much he loves to bite.

And bite he does.

His arms sling greedily around me, lifting me from the floor, and my legs wrap around him.

His eyes bore into mine with a silent demand, one I’ll gladly meet.

I press my lips to his, right there in the middle of the room, and he growls his appreciation, kissing me back just as hard for all to see.

As we pull away, he grins, and then Mac is beside us, offering us both a shot.

Royce chuckles and lowers me to my feet, nodding for me to take it.

So I do.





Chapter 28





Royce



I’m a bastard. I know this.

I acted like a dick, like always, but my girl... she understood where it came from—a fucked-up mind of a guy who is desperate for all she can give me but admittedly—pitifully—fearful of the fallout he knows will follow, not that that’s an excuse.

It’s not. She deserves better, I know this.

But Brielle, she doesn’t hold it against me.

She’s kind when others aren’t, forgiving when she shouldn’t be, because she’s fucking light and she can’t help but shine it over everyone.

She always understands what I want and what I need, when I need it and why. It’s fucked-up to have to deal with my bullshit, but she does it with stride.

Right now, she laughs with Chloe across the room, but when her eyes skate this way, finding mine on her, she breaks from their conversation and heads for where I’m sitting on a couch.

She slips between my legs, eyeing me.

I run my knuckles along her neck and down her breastbone, my eyes flicking to hers when goose bumps follow.

She sighs, and it heats me to the core.

Fuck Bass and the bullshit before this, fuck everything.

All I want is this.

Her.

In the morning and at night, every hour in between.

I told her I’d get addicted, and I was at first taste... if I wasn’t before that.

Pretty fucking sure I was.

Brielle’s lips hover over mine. “You have a nephew. How is he?”

Fuck me, I do.

My family grew last night.

My whole world grew last night...

I push her hair over her shoulder, and she smiles. “He’s perfect, like I knew he would be.”

I pull her forward until her mouth is in line with mine.

“Stay with me again tonight.”

She kisses me, but pulls away too quick, a slow smirk growing. “We’ll see.”

“We’ll see.” I frown. “We’ll see? Tink, swear to God—”

Her lips crush mine and we’re done fuckin’ talking.

It’s not long after that I take my baby home. As we step from my ride, I grip her and she latches on, kissing me while I carry her across the property, through the open pool gate, and walk us straight into the water.