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The curses she lets out could make any man blush, but when she hears my familiar smooth chuckle she freezes. “Zaiden,” she practically growls. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Getting answers,” I grunt as she kicks her legs against me, but all it does is make me hold her tighter.
Ignoring her harsh words and empty threats, I continue stalking through campus all the way until I make it back to my house with the guys. We got some pretty funny looks as I carried her off campus, but no one even thought to try and stop me. I don’t want to put Brielle down, but if we are going to get answers then I need to be practical.
But that doesn’t stop me from giving her ass a hard slap as I kick the door open and make our way inside. “Home sweet home,” I purr.
“You fucking bastard,” Brielle spits out at me as I put her back on her feet in our living room.
The commotion has Eli’s door opening and him and Ash both come walking out, their eyes wide at hearing her voice. Eli takes off his glasses and rubs his hand over his face as his eyes land on Brielle in front of me.
“I thought we agreed no kidnapping?” he groans.
I scoff. “That was months ago.” An agreement made before we started having all these wild and crazy theories. I was about to go insane just sitting here and waiting for something to happen. If Ash is even partially right, how could any of us ever forgive ourselves? For not only the entire semester, but for leaving her even after we had suspicions. Sitting back and watching Eli fuck around with his computer was not cutting it anymore, even if he did manage to get Carson off campus all week. No. I needed to get back straight to the source. Find out if she’s really okay. Put this shit to rest once and for all.
I pat my pocket and feel the outline of the book I stole off her desk. Some may consider it crossing the line, but how was I supposed to resist when it was right there? She was so engrossed in it, and it wasn’t the first time I’ve seen her that way. Whatever is in it, I know it’s important. We can’t exactly trust that she won’t run out of here the second I untie her, so I needed to make sure we had something to fall back on.
Hudson walks into the room, taking a loud bite out of an apple as he falls down onto the couch cushions. “He’s not wrong,” he agrees. “Hi, Baby B.”
“Is anyone going to take this ridiculous thing off of my head and tell me why the hell I’m here?”
I debate if I should, she’s roaring mad already, but Ash rolls his eyes and huffs in frustration. He walks up to her and pulls the pillow case off her head. “Did you really have to tie her hands up?” he scolds. Her hair falls messily in her face and she glares at me, panting for breath.
I snort, “Would you trust her not to claw your eyes out?”
He gives me a look and deadpans, “I wouldn’t kidnap her in the first place.”
“And we would still be sitting with our thumbs in our asses wondering what could be going on without any real answers,” I argue back. Another loud crunch fills the air as Hudson tears another bite out of his apple.
“Still not wrong.”
I nod in solidarity. Can always trust Hud to have my back. At least he gets it.
Eli glares at me. “We weren’t doing nothing. We were being careful as to ensure she didn’t get hurt more,” he argues.
Brielle blows her hair out of her face in frustration. “Sheis right here. Andshewas fine until she was dragged out of her dorm room.”
Ash sighs as he unties her. “We’re sorry, Sunshine. Some of us were just a little impatient about finding out answers.” If he thought that was going to get her to calm down and warm up to the idea of talking to us, he was sorely mistaken.
“Of all the asinine plots you lot have had,” she growls, spinning around to each one of us before finally landing on me. “I can't believe you really thought kidnapping me was the answer to anything!”
I cross my arms over my chest. That’s the crux of it, isn’t it? She won’t give us the answers to anything. What else was I supposed to do if not try to take them? “Ash told us about the bruises.”
Her face falls, so quickly I can barely understand what it means, before it’s back in her signature Montgomery mask. I love her mother dearly, but I kind of hate her for instilling this skill into Brielle from the time she could walk.
“Bruises?” she mocks. “You mean these bruises?” She pulls her leggings down to reveal her thighs. My eyes lock on the bright yellow lacey boyshorts and I shift where I’m standing. Fuck. That image is going to be burned into my mind forever. Even if I wish it wouldn’t be. She opens her legs and my pants grow tighter until I remember why she’s stripping in the first place. I clear my throat and pay attention to where she’s pointing.
Ashton was right. There’s a light smattering of bruises on her inner thigh. Mostly yellow and green in color, barely even noticeable anymore. Though I can concede, they would have been darker when he first saw them. And they are in a rather odd spot to be explained away by bumping into something.
Like she had with her shoulder.
“They’re no big deal,” she sputters. “I’m not hiding them. Not ashamed of them. Things got a little rough. I’ll let you use your imagination on how.” My hands ball into fists at her words as she pulls her leggings back up. She lifts the sleeves on her sweater and takes her time showing off her unblemished arms to each one of us. “No other bruises. Everything is fine. I am fine. You all are just finding every little reason to blow this up into something more than it was. Me choosing someone else over you four.”
Hudson’s apple drops to the table as he sits up slowly, his eyes darker than they were only moments before. “And how’s that choice treating you?” he growls.
“Just fucking fine,” she spits back. “Stop this delusional tirade of saving me. I don’t need any knights riding in to save the day.”
“Until you need an orgasm, right?” he taunts.
