The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (38)

Oh, God, he’d seen everything. I felt like I had been caught red-handed considering he’d been the one I’d—

Fuck my life.

“You told my father I went to the store for deodorant.”

“And?” I sounded as exasperated as I felt.

“He didn’t buy your story.”

I could imagine considering he was sitting in my room fully dressed at three in the morning. It didn’t take seven hours to buy deodorant.

“Not. My. Problem.”

“But it is. We made this deal together, and we’ll honor it…together.”

I sighed. “So, what did he do to your highness? Take a spoon?” I mocked.

“Grounded,” he grunted.

“Poor you.”

I didn’t expect his smile. It was soft. Indulging. My overly large T-shirt had slipped from my shoulder, so he trailed his finger over my skin. “I’ll have to punish you, Four.”

“Punish me?” That was laughable. “I’m not your child.”

“No, swamp girl. You’re a puppet. My puppet.” He stood from my bed and headed for the door. “If I’m grounded, so are you.”

I told myself I was still dreaming and that he wasn’t actually saying these words. “What does that even mean?”

“It means I’ll have fun anyway.”

Too exhausted to argue, I sighed and met his gaze. “Get out of my room, McNamara.” I thought there was nothing else he could say or do until his parting words.

“You sound lovely when you come, Archer.”




I knew the moment he had entered the kitchen the next morning. He didn’t speak and hardly made a sound. I simply felt him. I ate breakfast at the island and was already dressed in my uniform when he sauntered in shirtless with long gray pajama bottoms hanging loosely around his hips. He didn’t acknowledge me as he filled his plate with the food Mr. Hunt, the cook, had made. After last night, I expected more.

I’d lain awake for at least an hour after he left my room, thinking about what would happen come morning. And when I finally slept, he’d invaded my dreams once again, but this time, the hands that roamed my flesh had been covered in blood. It was obvious Ever had been out doing Exiled’s bidding, and it was surprising just how much it bothered me. What evil deed had they demanded from him, and more importantly, what price would he eventually pay for those deeds? The boy who invaded my dreams had brought warmth, and light, and love, but the boy who caused my nightmares… I shuddered.

After filling his plate high, instead of keeping the table between us, he sat next to me, giving me a whiff of his shampoo.

Or maybe it was his body wash.

Whatever it was, the intoxicating scent had me forgetting all about the ruthless gangbanger. No way could anyone other than Ever McNamara make me blush. I could feel him everywhere without even touching him. It was distracting.

“Why are you sitting so close to me?”

“Because I make you nervous.”

I could feel my lip curl. “Gets your rocks off, does it?”

He licked his lips and grinned. I felt kicked in the stomach.

“No, but I like how my nearness takes your breath away.”

“It does not.” It so does.

He put his arm on the back of my chair and leaned in to whisper, “I can even hear the need behind your lies.”

“Stop it.” He was driving me crazy, and he didn’t even need to touch me to do it.

“I don’t think I can.” His lips skimmed my ear, and I barely bit back a moan.

“Ever, please.” Common sense told me that he was only getting back at me for getting him grounded, but my body didn’t care as it responded to his touch. I clearly needed to take notes on vengeance. What method was more clever than making your victim beg for it? “We’re enemies,” I said more firmly.

“Says who?” When I felt him nip my ear, then lick the abused flesh, I wanted to give in to whatever this was, but then I remembered a year of isolation that had been all his doing.

“You did,” I answered through gritted teeth. “When you told your father to send me away.” Before he could get inside my head and succeed in making a fool out of me, I hopped from the stool and almost knocked Jamie over when I tried to flee.

“Whoa,” he cautioned. His hands on my arms halted my escape. “Where ya headed, Speedy?”

“Let me go.”

“What’s the password?” he teased. Either he was completely oblivious to the tension in the room or he just didn’t care. Perhaps he was using me again to get under Ever’s skin. Whatever his reason, I was ready to knee him when Ever’s growl froze us both.

“Take your hands off her.”

I looked over my shoulder and saw that he’d abandoned his breakfast and now stood with his fists clenched.

“Why would I do that, cousin? You seem to enjoy having your hands all over what’s mine.”

“I’m not going to ask again,” Ever shot back. I didn’t miss that he’d completely ignored his cousin’s accusation, and apparently, neither had Jamie.

Without warning, Jamie gently pushed me behind him and was ready to charge his cousin when Thomas suddenly appeared between his son and nephew. I never even noticed him enter the kitchen. A minute more and Ever and I would have been caught.