Damaged: A Dark Bully Romance (The Primes Book 2), page 11
She opened her mouth to answer, but Rome and Ally joined us before she could convey her uncertainty.
“Is everything okay?” Ally stepped closer to Izzy, and Rome threw me a questioning look.
I shook my head and tugged Izzy away from the rodent. When I had her to myself, I claimed her mouth for a proper greeting. “Are you okay?” she asked when I finally released her.
“Yeah. Nothing I can’t handle.” She studied me closely, as if needing to see for herself. I held my breath at her careful perusal.
The air trapped in my lungs escaped when she finally smiled in satisfaction.
She wouldn't be smiling at me if she could see inside my shirt, which meant I couldn’t have Izzy until my bruises were healed.
Fuck!
I could kill my parents just for that.
Perhaps if I thought of creative ways to fuck her without removing my clothes, I’d get away with it.
We walked toward her classroom and Izzy smiled at someone.
“Hey, Spencer. I finished the paper . . .” The dead kid stopped and gazed at Izzy with a look of longing. I tugged Izzy back and glowered at the punk. “Why are you talking to my girl?”
His eyes widened in fear, and then he rushed inside the classroom. He was deluded to think he was safe in there. I moved to follow him, but Iz grabbed my back right where Mother’s heel dug into my skin. A hiss escaped me before I could stop myself.
“What . . . ?” The anger on Izzy’s face faded, quickly replaced with confusion. “Christian.” She lifted my shirt, but I stopped her before she could. I pressed my lips on her forehead and ushered her into the room. “I’ll see you after class.” She looked about to argue, so I closed the door behind me. A student waited for me to move so he could go in. “No. You’re not going in there.” Without another word, he left in a hurry.
I held on to the handle, just in case Izzy followed me. When I was certain Izzy wouldn’t, I walked toward my classroom. However, Klause and Rome intercepted me.
“What was that?” Rome jerked his chin toward Izzy’s classroom.
“Nothing. I want to keep my father’s work of art away from Izzy.”
Rome chuckled darkly. “That bad, huh?”
I shrugged. “Nothing new.”
Klause chuckled darkly, making me suspect that I wasn't the only one in a row with my parents last night.
Rome buried his hands in his trouser pockets and looked down the hall. “Yeah, the pricks. My father casually mentioned a fixed marriage the other day.”
“You too, huh?” There was a shadow behind Klause’s eyes, something I was all too familiar with. It was a darkness I often saw staring back at me after a grueling time with my parents. However, I presumed his father’s technique differed from mine.
“The bitch needs to pay,” Rome said. “I already have enough to deal with at home. I don’t need her shit as well.”
“Yeah. It’s time,” I reluctantly agreed. Which meant we needed a place to plan our retaliation against Lauren. “We can’t go to my house.”
“Mine either.” Klause fell into step next to me.
“We can go to mine,” Rome offered, but I glanced at him sideways with my brows raised. “Not the Ricci compound.” Of course. Rome referred to his secret condo close to here. It was a place his father and his people didn’t know about. He kept it well guarded and only shared it with me last year, just in case something happened to him.
His father was just as ruthless as mine. Even though they weren’t prime, Rome’s life did not differ from mine. It was smart of him to have a place to escape to.
The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon digging and plotting. We texted the girls that we couldn’t join them for lunch. Izzy wasn’t happy because I knew she was waiting to confront me, but it would have to wait. The triplets were on guard duty, so I wasn’t concerned about their safety.
It was almost night time when we finally found something we could use against Lauren.
The bitch was going down.
My phone had several missed calls and messages from Izzy. However, I took the cowardly way out and texted her that I had to deal with my parents and would see her tomorrow.
I didn’t enjoy being away from her, and mostly, I hated lying to her. When I walked into the house, I was in a foul mood. If the parents weren’t careful, they’d meet the monster they created.
However, they were nowhere to be found. Ross said they took off this morning and boarded the jet to who knew where.
Although I ached to be with Izzy, I took two more white pills and went to bed. Bruises always looked worse for the first two days. When Izzy demanded to know the truth tomorrow, I hoped my body wouldn’t look too bad.
Chapter 8
Catherine
Sleep evaded me last night because of the nagging feeling that Christian wasn’t okay. I found myself wide awake before dawn and the feeling worsened, so I got ready before sunrise and tiptoed through the house, hoping to escape unnoticed. But before I reached the elevator, a silhouette scared the shit out of me. “Jesus.”
“Where are you going?” Mason asked with his arms crossed.
“Nowhere. I’m fine. Go back to bed.”
“I don’t think so.”
I glared at him. “Fine. I need to see Christian. You don’t need to come. I can drive.”
He looked ready to argue, but I raised my hand. “I promise to go straight there. You can monitor the car, and I’ll text when I’m inside the mansion.”
He still didn’t look convinced, but I didn’t have time for this. I couldn’t shake the gnawing dread in the pit of my stomach. “Mase. Please.”
“Fine. I’m watching. Call as soon as you’re inside.”
“Thank you!” I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.
He chuckled and waved goodbye.
With the roads empty and my feet heavy on the accelerator, I reached the Waldencourt mansion in no time. I texted Mason as I walked through the hall leading to Christian’s bedroom.
I tiptoed past the receiving room, toward his bed, but he didn’t stir when I crept closer. This made me frown because he was a light sleeper. Then I saw the empty wrappers of opiates scattered on his side table.
What did his parents do now? Christian hadn’t touched this shit for months.
I knew without a doubt that this had something to do with Arnoult. Everyone I loved was at risk, and he was only one patriarch. How could we possibly take on all of them?
As Christian slept on, I ruminated about our situation and circled back to the same conclusion. We needed to deal with Arnoult before taking on the other patriarchs. He was hell-bent on making everyone pay, that meant he had to be plotting against the other patriarchs. If we could only uncover his secrets, we could use them against Arnoult and allow the other patriarchs to deal with him. But where did I start?
I caught the alarm before it went off to give Christian more rest. If the dark circles under his eyes were any indication, he could use the day off. However, his arms circled me, tugging me against his chest.
With a contented sigh, he murmured, “If I’m dreaming, I don’t want to wake up.” I could hear the smile in his voice. When I chuckled in response, he said, “What a pleasant surprise.”
His hardening cock poked my back to prove his point. He flipped me over and climbed on top of me with a wide grin. “Now that you’re here . . .”
Seeing his gorgeous eyes looking down at me melted any worry, especially now that Christian’s lips were on my body.
I'd missed him so much.
Lately, all we’d had were stolen moments between putting fires out.
When he had me undressed, and his mouth continued tracing down my body, I was breathless and ready to combust before he reached my center.
He had a way of erasing my anxiety.
When his tongue soothed the ache between my thighs, I quivered a release. A sense of rightness settled in me as he entered me.
This was what we were fighting for. Being with Christian was all that mattered.
I met his thrusts as I showed him how much he meant to me. Emotions filled me, and my nails scraped his back. This caused him to hiss in pain and thrust harder and faster.
“God, Christian.” I moaned, both of us riding the intense need to meld our bodies together.
I needed more. Deeper. The need to feel more of him consumed me. I pushed him on his back and rode him hard.
“Fuck!”
He gripped my hips and guided me to go faster until I screamed out an orgasm. He didn’t let up, forcing me to ride past the intense sensation of his thrusting against my tightened muscles.
"God, Christian!"
“Yes, come with me, Izzy. Come, baby.” He jerked inside of me and joined me in a mind-blowing orgasm.
I collapsed on his chest and didn’t move until I could catch a breath.
“I’d love for you to wake me up like that every day," he said.
I giggled, but when I burrowed deeper into his chest, I felt his muscles tense underneath his shirt. My head lifted off him, and I placed my hand on his hem.
He held my hand to stop me, but I yanked up and gasped.
He dropped his head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling as I stared in horror at his torso which was peppered with bruises.
The bruises disappeared underneath the fabric, and he tried to stop me, but I stubbornly took it all the way off, exposing more of his injuries.
He looked the same way months ago, when he almost died from fighting in the ring.
“What did they do to you?” I whispered as tears streamed down my face.
“Don’t cry, baby. I’m fine.”
“Stop saying that!” I got out of bed, wanting to break something. “You are not fine!” My hand gestured wildly while I paced like a caged animal.
Why were primes so fucking evil? They needed to be stopped—every single one of them.
“Izzy. Please. Don’t be upset. I’m—”
“Christian. Don’t you fucking say I’m fine or I’m going to scream.” My body shook in anger as my breathing became labored.
I needed to hunt down his parents and make them pay. They just placed number two on the list of patriarchs we were taking down first.
“Okay. I’m sorry.” He gripped my arms, stopping me from taking another step. “Iz. Listen to me.” He shook me gently until I was looking at him. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’ve been worse. This is nothing. I promise. Pain is something I’ve lived with for most of my life.” That statement made tears run faster down my face. “But that’s not okay, Christian. They can’t . . . They can’t do this. This. Is. Not. Okay!” He needed to understand that this wasn’t something he should brush off. A parent doing this to a child was atrocious, and he shouldn’t have to bear it, let alone get used to it.
“I know.” He held me tight as I sobbed against his chest. I tightened my hold on him, wishing I could protect him from his parents.
Christian had his faults—he was a pampered, obnoxious prime—but he had a good heart and didn’t deserve any of this.
“I know, baby. That’s what we’re fighting for. Once we take down the patriarchs, all of these will stop,” he whispered through ragged breaths.
He’d shared how horrible his parents were, but seeing it for myself gave me a deeper understanding of what he’d been through.
I wept harder. Sorrow for his younger self gripped me. I couldn’t even imagine what it was like for him. No wonder he had a severe aversion to touch.
It was then that I completely understood his intensity. If I could soothe the pain inside of him, I’d gladly deal with his possessiveness and need to control.
I pressed a hard kiss on Christian’s forehead and wiped my tears angrily. The tyranny of the patriarchs needed to be abolished, and they all needed to pay for their sins. Starting with Lauren. “I’m starting with Lauren. Today.”
He frowned, surely in disagreement, but I didn’t care.
With steely determination, I marched into the bathroom to fix my makeup, and when I stepped out, Christian was getting dressed. “I’ll wait for you in the car. I’m driving.”
I could feel his eyes on me, but he didn’t argue.
A few minutes later, he slid into the passenger’s side; his gaze stayed with me until I pulled into his parking spot. “Iz. Listen.”
“No, Christian. Lauren is going down. You’re either with me or against me.” He couldn’t talk me out of this. I was done seeing my loved one's hurt. I was done being a victim. I had it in my power to protect them, so it started now.
“I agree.” His words drew me back to the present. “I’m just asking for a chance to deal with this myself.”
I cocked a brow, waiting for him to elaborate. “Just give me today. Please.”
“You get one day.” I held his gaze for another moment, conveying my seriousness, then stepped out of the car.
Anger simmered inside me, waiting to be unleashed. Every time I glanced at Christian, all I could see were his bruises.
I kissed Christian’s cheeks when we reached our lockers and walked straight toward my class, not caring that I was late. Leah flashed me a concerned look as everyone stared.
When everyone’s phones went off right before the bell rang, I dropped my head on the desk hoping that when I opened my eyes, I’d wake up from this nightmare. The bell rang, and everyone kept their heads bowed together, murmuring and laughing as they watched a video on their phones.
“Holy shit,” Leah said.
I didn’t want to see if it was Ally, but I had to know what I was dealing with. I played the video and was surprised to see Lauren making out with Klause’s fiancée in a basement garage. I stopped before the video got more graphic. Loud moans echoed through the halls as the other students continued to watch.
This had to be Christian.
Leah giggled, and her eyes danced with malice as we walked back to my locker, our unofficial meeting place.
I found Christian, and we exchanged a grin. It felt good to be on the other end of things for once. My eyes darted down the hall and I watched Lauren march toward Rome, Klause, and Christian.
Her voice shook with anger as she pointed at them. “You don’t know what you’ve done. I warned you three. I was going easy on everyone before, but the gloves are off.”
Klause widened his grin, clearly enjoying Lauren’s outburst. “I think not. This video solves two of my problems. It gets rid of you and my treacherous, lying fiancée.”
Lauren threw her head back in mocking laughter. “Trust me. That’s the least of your worries.” She spun, and her eyes landed on Ally, Leah, and me.
“Great, you’re here. I’ve been keeping this secret for a while, out of respect for your men, but now . . .” She paused for dramatic effect.
“Lauren,” Christian warned, but she spared him a malicious smirk. “Don't you think it's odd that no one has heard from Heather? She disappeared from socials and hasn't called her friends. Why don’t you ladies ask these gentlemen here what they did to her.”
There was a collective gasp from the students, and a loud murmur. However, my eyes were locked on Christian. A look of guilt passed over his face, which meant Lauren wasn’t lying.
Lauren flashed a challenging grin toward the guys. “Game on, boys.”
We watched her saunter down the hall with her head held high. The joy I felt left with her.
“What does she mean, Klause?” Leah demanded, with her hands on her hips.
“Not here,” Christian warned, then he turned to the students. “Show is over. Leave.” The buzzing noise in the hall muted, but they didn’t move.
“Didn’t you hear him? Fucking leave!” Klause bellowed, which caused everyone to push against each other in a rush to clear the hall.
Why couldn’t we ever win? Even when we fought back, our enemies still came out on top. With the way the three idiots were acting, I knew I wouldn’t like what they had to say.
I marched down the hall and led us toward the quad, far enough from the building that we wouldn’t be overheard. “You three better explain.”
“What did you do with Heather?” Leah asked.
“Rome?” Ally asked uncertainly, as if she hoped Rome wasn’t involved.
My eyes stayed on Christian’s face. He stared back, then shrugged. “I would do anything to protect you. And I won’t apologize for it.”
“What does that mean?” Leah’s voice rose. “What did you do to Heather?” Her panicked look made me suspect she knew something about Klause that none of us knew.
No one spoke and she pushed on. “Klause, please tell me she’s still alive?”
“What?” Sweet Ally would never suspect otherwise because she didn’t live in darkness. She was too pure for this.
Not for the first time, I considered cutting her out for her benefit.
“For now,” Klause said stubbornly.
Ally’s hand flew to her mouth as she stared at Rome. Her eyes pleaded for him to deny this. In response, he dropped his head in shame.
The two stubborn heirs held no remorse. This wasn’t surprising, but I didn’t understand why they kept it from us. “What did you do, and why didn’t you tell me?”
Christian crossed his arms. “When you two were taken, Heather was our only lead, so we took her.” That was a code word for: they did something to her to make her talk. That didn’t sound bad. I probably would have done the same thing if the situation had been reversed. “Where is she now?” I was surprised she didn't retaliate unless they did something permanent to her.
“In a secure location,” Klause said.
“What? You’re keeping her captive?” Leah fumed. “This entire time?”
“Why are we just now finding out about this?” If Heather had anything to do with the incident with Arnoult Senior, she deserved it. However, I still didn’t understand the lies.
Klause snorted. “It's for your protection. Our people have been working together—”
My brows knotted. “Hang on one second. You mean the triplets and Tilly were in on this?” And just like that, my chest heated in betrayal.
