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His eyes dance with amusement. “All right, I’ll play along. Belinda what?”
“Belinda, my last name is None-of-Your-Pretty-Boy-Business-So-Please-Turn-Your-Shiny-Shoes-Around-and-Leave-Me-Alone, dude.”
Instead of getting offended, he appears quite the opposite—completely entertained.
“That’s quite the last name,” he muses, rubbing his jawline. “But I think you might be lying to me,Belinda.”
I shrug as we reach the end of the hallway. “Believe whatever you want.” I start to push the door open when he folds his fingers tightly around my injured wrist. “Hey, back the hell off,” I warn, jerking my arm back.
His grip constricts. “Maybe before you start smarting off, I should introduce myself.” His tone is eerily calm and emotionless. “I’m Austin Maeiriellie.”
Austin … Why does that name sound familiar?
My head throbs as I try to figure out the answer. I’m not certain where the pain is coming from, either from the potential concussion I had, lack of sleep, or the ass load of stress raining down on me.
I really need to get some sleep.
“Thanks for introducing yourself.” My voice oozes with sugary sweetness. “Now when I punch you in the face and knock you out, I’ll have a name to give the paramedics when they show up to haul your unconscious ass to the hospital.”
His lips twist into a delighted, wicked grin. “I think you and I are going to have some fun, aren’t we?” He squeezes my wrist until my eyes water. “But I should probably tell you who my father is before you start throwing punches and make a huge mistake.” He drags out a pause as my muscles ravel into tense knots, the dots slowly connecting. “I think you might know of him. Axel Maeiriellie, the man your father double-crossed.”
“Son of a bitch,” I grumble. “That’s why your name sounded familiar.” Blaise had warned me about him earlier today. Said Austin was straight-up crazy, which I can see.
“You’ve heard of me.” An arrogantly pleased smile stretches across his face.
“Yeah, I heard you were a real nutjob.” Fuck, I really need to keep my mouth shut.
With a smirk on his face, he lowers his head and puts his lips beside my ear. “You heard correctly.”
I resist a shiver. And not the good kind of shiver.
“Awesome. I’ll make sure to remember that.”
“Oh, you’ll do more than that.” He slants back, tugging on my arm as he slams his palm against the door and tows me outside. “You’re going to learn how crazy I am during the drive to my father’s place.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I lift my leg to kick him in the shin.
“If you don’t obey, Hadley, then I’m afraid there’s going to be punishments.” As people walking across the grass around us begin to gawk, he shifts closer to me and lowers his voice. “If you don’t put a smile on that pretty face of yours and get in my car, there are two guys staying at the same group home as your sisters who are more than willing to do a favor or two or three, if you get my meaning.”
“Sure fucking do, asshole,” I grit through clenched teeth.Fuck! I hate my dad. Hate him more than I ever have.“Which one’s your car?”
He grins cockily. “It’s the red Porsche.”
“Of course it is,” I mumble, scanning the crowd enclosing us, wishing upon wishes Blaise was amongst them.
Then again, what is he going to do? He can’t stop these guys from hurting my sisters. No, this is something I’m going to have to attempt to handle on my own.
Just like old times.
The crowd parts as Austin hikes across the grass toward the parking lot, hauling me with him.
“So I look like the kind of guy who owns a Porsche, huh?” He flashes me a grin.
“Yep,” I say flatly. “But that’s not a compliment.”
“Of course it is, and deep down, I think you know it,” he playfully teases, borderline flirting.
Blaise’s crazy nutjob reference to Austin makes sense. One minute he’s breathing murderous threats down my neck, and the next he’s trying to smile his way into my pants.
