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After another moment, I open the door, sliding out of the car. My Converse sneakers slap against the cracked pavement, and the sound echoes through the parking lot.
I shove the keys into the back pocket of my jeans, tucking my phone into my hoodie as I make my way to Reign.
“Well, I’m here,” I say once I make it to him, keeping a few healthy feet between us.
He shifts off the post, standing to his full height, so overpowering in his gray hoodie and black joggers. His hat on his head is twisted backward, pulling the hair away from his face. He’s so handsome.
So handsome my knees nearly buckle just from standing in front of him.
As if Reign can read my mind, he runs his tongue along his teeth, watching my expression with a raised brow.
I sigh, shoving my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie, squeezing my fingers together. “What is it that you want, Reign? It’s late, and I’m really not in the mood to fight with you right now.”
He cocks his head to the side. “Who said anything about a fight?”
I clench my teeth, watching him. I don’t have to say anything about a fight. Just being in his presence could cause us to tear into each other.
He puffs out a laugh, stepping closer to me. Before I can react, his hands snap out, tearing my hands from my pocket and yanking me toward him. My body slams against his warm one, and I breathe him in, my eyes falling closed for a moment as I inhale his heady, masculine scent. As if he never left, I can smell the woodsy pine that lingers on his skin.
“I never realized how tightly you have the guys wrapped around your finger. When did it start, Lakyn? Have you always had such a tight grip on them? Did they walk willingly, or without their knowledge?” he rasps. “You’ve always had a way of weaving yourself into people’s souls, haven’t you, baby Lake?”
I frown at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He eyes narrow, fire in his irises. “You do, though. You know what you do to people. One look, and they fall to their knees. One touch, and they become a beggar. You’re a queen without a throne. A princess without diamonds. You rule the world with only a look, Lakyn. Open your palms and anyone will latch on, because that’s what you are. You entice. You seduce. Not because you want to. But because you’re what everyone wants.”
He steps closer to me until his chest brushes mine. His fingers lift, wrapping around the base of my throat. “You think you stand at the level of everyone else, though everyone knows the truth. You stand above us all, and the fact that you don’t see it makes you all the more alluring. And I have to say, Lakyn,” he growls, licking his lips, “watching my best friends become guard dogs of what used to be mine doesn’t sit well with me. They will tear anyone apart if they get too close, and I think that rule is even in effect when it comes to me.”
I step back, but his hand sneaks around my waist, hauling me against him. His head bends down, and his lips brush against my jaw. I take a deep breath, knowing he’s right. They will kill Reign if he tries to get too close, because they know the damage he can cause to me. “They might,” I whisper.
His fingers tighten. “How long have you been fucking them?”
I bring my hand up, grabbing his neck. I squeeze his throat tightly, and he lets out a laugh, tearing my touch from his skin.
“I’m not fucking any of them.”
His smile drops. “But you have.”
My teeth sink into my lower lip. “Why does it matter, Reign?You left me.”
His jaw clenches. “It was for your own good, Lakyn.”
I stare at him. “What do you mean?”
His eyes narrow, and his grip around my hip tightens, until I gasp, and his eyes spear mine. “I mean nothing, Lakyn. It’s none of your business.”
I flinch. He’s not my business.Not anymore.
I never really knew why he left, not the full reason. He was here one day, and he was gone the next. He was cruel to me before he left, and it hurt badly, and I was too broken to dig deeper.
My toes curl inside my shoes, and I narrow my eyes at him, ripping my body away from his. I stand in front of him, my anger growing quickly. Too quickly. “No. I think I have a right to know, Reign. You up and left one day, but you never really told me why. So, tell me now. You wanted me here; we might as well hash out our shit.”
His face turns to stone. “That’s not why I called you here.”
My body stiffens. “I don’t care. It’s why I’m here.”
He takes a step back, like he’s going to evade me. Not this fucking time.
It’s me this time who reaches out, grabbing onto his arm. I step forward until I’m pressed against him. “Tell me, Reign. You owe me that. At least.”
