“I’m not going to forget this, Deacon,” I yelled.
He stood at the top of the stairs, smirking at me. “Have some class, Helen. No need to make a scene just because I won’t let you suck my dick anymore, baby.”
The man holding me put his mouth next to my ear. “Little Tiger, you’re going to tear this house down.” He shushed me like a baby. “Don’t give him a reaction. It’s what he wants.”
The low, smooth timbre of his voice broke through my cloud of rage. I still struggled in his grasp, but I stopped yelling. It was pointless anyway. We were approaching the front door, and Deacon was probably back in his bed, doing unspeakable things to himself at the thought of screwing me over.
I was carried down the porch steps, which garnered most assholery from the loungers stationed there. I wasn’t put down. He kept going, taking me around the side of the frat house. There, he finally set me on my feet.
Whipping around, I found Zadie first. She had my skateboard tucked under her arm, her cheeks tomato red. She moved to my side, and I took her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Are you okay?” Deep velvet. Soft and rich. The owner of the most soothing, lovely voice was watching me. His voice matched his looks, including his twinkling blue eyes. Although, he wasn’t smiling like he had been a year ago when he’d accompanied Deacon and Daniel to Savage Wheelz.
I rubbed my side. “I think I have a broken rib.”
His brow dropped. “Shit. Did I hurt you?”
My eyes rolled. “As if you care.”
His jaw hardened, carefully enunciating each word. “Did I hurt you?”
I leveled him with an unwavering gaze. “No, you did not. I don’t love being dragged out of buildings by strangers, but I’m fine. It takes a lot more than some dude’s spindly arms to hurt me.”
“Stranger? Hmmm.” His arms—which were taut with muscles, golden, and nowhere near spindly—folded across his chest. He looked me over, then he checked out Zadie. “You’re both okay, Zadie?”
Zadie nodded. “Yeah, Theo.”
I glared at him.
“Your friend is the hugest asshole I’ve ever met. I’m not anywhere near done with him. And just so you know, he deserves whatever I dish out.”
“What’d Deacon do?” Blue Eyes asked.
“None of your business, Theodore.”
His plush mouth broke into a wide, amused grin. “You do remember me.”
“I remember the company you keep.”
“It’s just Theo, by the way.”
I shrugged. “Well, this reunion has been real, but I have to go to work in, oh…” I tapped my imaginary watch on my wrist, “eighteen hours, so I have to dash. See you around, Theodore.”
Spinning on my toes, I started walking back toward the dorms, pulling Zadie along with me. I didn’t miss Theo’s annoying, lovely laugh, unfortunately.
“How do you know that guy?” I asked.
“Theo? Oh, his girlfriend, Abby, was one of my roommates last year. I…um, saw him a lot. He was always nice to me, but she—”
“Was a bitch.” I squeezed Zadie’s wrist. “It figures he’d have a girlfriend like that.”
When we were well away from the frat house, I dropped down on the grass, sprawling flat on my back, and groaned at the blue, blue sky. Zadie dropped down beside me, sitting near my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“No. I’m sorry I took you there, though. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Her lips twitched into a small smile. “Honestly, I should be freaked out, but it was kind of fun. Especially when you bashed him with your skateboard. I wish you’d gotten him in the dick.”
I groaned again. “Me too, Z. Me too.”
“So,” she plucked a bunch of grass, “you deal drugs or…?”
I rolled to my side, propping myself on my elbow. “Not really, but it’s sort of complicated and a long story. Can we just forget you saw all that happen?”
“Are you in danger?”
Right then and there, I decided Zadie was cool as hell. I’d been leaning that way, but that had sealed it for me. She had just seen some very real shit go down that was clearly outside her comfort zone and asked me if I was okay. She wasn’t judging me or distancing herself from me.
Z was a real one for sure.
“No.” I shook my head hard. “I’m not. I’m pissed off, but I’m not in danger.”
The text message burning up my phone said otherwise, but Zadie didn’t need to know that. This was my new life, my chance to rise above the shitty station I’d been born into. So there were a few bumps, it happened.
I’d figure this out.
I had no choice. I just didn’t know how yet.
What I did know was Deacon Forrester was going to regret screwing me over just as much as I regretted ever laying eyes on him.
Chapter Two
Theo
Deacon’s door hit the wall with a dull thud. He shot upright in his bed, all red and riled. When he saw who was barging into his room, he gave pause.
“What’s up, man?” he grumbled.
“I’m here to ask you the same. I just got through carting a screaming, writhing girl from your room.” I leaned a shoulder on the doorjamb. “An explanation would be nice.”
He swung his legs over the side of his bed, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. “Bitch wanted more of this. I was through with her. She didn’t like it. Went crazy.” He shot me a cocky smirk. “What can I say? I’m irresistible, apparently.”
I jerked, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re telling me you had that girl?”
He cocked his head. “Not much of a boon. Buy her a few drinks, and I’m pretty sure she’s the kind of girl anyone can have.”
I didn’t believe a word Deacon was saying. Not because he couldn’t pull. He absolutely could. He was smarmy as hell, but he came with a family name that meant something to a lot of people. He had connections, and he had ready cash.
Money wasn’t hard to come by for most of the students at Savage U, but Deacon was on a different level. Even girls who had trust funds waiting for them when they graduated looked at Deacon as a ticket to the next echelon. Or they really wanted a ride on his sick-ass yacht—his words, not mine.
The reason I didn’t believe Deacon was because I didn’t want to. I’d be sorely disappointed if that wild little tiger I’d just held in my arms would stoop to Deacon’s level. Surprised too. I didn’t know anything about her, but the two times I’d encountered her gave me every indication she wouldn’t touch Deacon even if her life depended on it.
“Yeah? I didn’t catch that vibe from her.” I shrugged. “I could be wrong.”
Deacon’s nostrils flared. “Yeah. While you were caught up with your little girlfriend all last year, I was getting to know our skater townie friend. I think I know her vibe a lot better than you, man.”
My jaw instantly hardened. “Don’t go there.”
“I’m not going anywhere. You were busy doing your thing last year. Shit happened you don’t know about.”