“Um, I’m just looking for Piper,” she said. “She was in here a minute ago . . .”
A wave of savage satisfaction tore through me. Piper Givens I could control—she didn’t have any money and I already had plenty of leverage on her. I’d avoided her until now, for any number of reasons. Not least of them was the fact that I spent far too much time imagining what she’d look like sucking my cock.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t exactly help my cause.
“Are you and Piper close?” Rourke asked, coming up behind her so quietly she jumped when he spoke. He pushed himself into her space, raising an arm to wrap it around her shoulders and neck. Almost like a hug, but this wasn’t a hug.
If he pressed on her carotid artery she’d be unconscious in less than thirty seconds.
“We’re friends,” she replied, her eyes growing frantic. Rourke leaned in, whispering something in her ear. She gave a terrified squeak, then shook her head. He wrapped his other arm around her, spreading his hand over her bare stomach and pressing her back into his body.
He shot me a feral grin.
Guess my friend had found a new toy. Interesting, but maybe not so surprising. I’d never seen Lola in anything but shapeless sweats and giant T-shirts. For the first time I could actually see her figure—not bad. Not bad at all. Rourke enjoyed variety in his bed, something that wasn’t easy to come by here at the academy.
Lola was in for a big surprise.
“Piper, you need to come out now,” I called, my voice taunting. “I’d hate for anything unfortunate to happen to Lola. If you heard us talking, you’ll know I’m not fucking around. It’s not like you can get away, but you still have the chance to protect her. Otherwise I’ll give her to Rourke.”
My friend grinned, because we both knew I’d give her to him anyway.
I turned to watch as Piper rose slowly to her feet behind the exercise equipment. She wore a bright red bikini, and while it wasn’t the most revealing I’d seen, it didn’t do anything to hide her curves, either.
Fuck. I guess it was better than having one of the more connected students listening in, but she tempted me so much it was dangerous.
“Get out here.”
She stepped around the bins, walking toward me slowly. She was one of the older students here—twenty, just like me—and I could see that she fully understood the implications of what she’d heard. Dread rolled off her, because she’d heard the stories about me and Rourke.
“I wasn’t trying to spy on you,” she whispered, coming to stand in front of me. It was the truth. That much was obvious. She wasn’t a player, not like so many of the rest of us. “I’ll never tell anyone, I promise. Just let me and Lola go. She wasn’t even here.”
I smiled at her, then glanced back at Rourke. He still held his prisoner, whispering quietly into her ear as his fingers smoothed across her stomach. I had no idea what he was saying, but Lola’s eyes were wide and almost panicked.
Perfect.
Turning back to Piper, I shrugged. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re not part of this and there’s no reason you should have to suffer. At the same time, I can’t just let you walk away . . .”
Behind me Lola gave a sudden, sharp scream and my friend laughed. Piper’s gaze darted between us, and I sensed the exact instant she panicked. In total silence she started running for the door.
Rourke dropped Lola, beating Piper easily. I started toward them, refusing to move faster than a slow, stalking pace that would scare her even more. Maybe it sounds sadistic, but it really was for her own benefit. If I couldn’t control Piper’s mouth, I’d have to kill her.
That’s when Lola startled the hell out of me—instead of crumbling into a ball of whimpering nothingness, she attacked Rourke. Not a flailing, pathetic little girl slap attack, either. She went straight for his balls and he might’ve been in trouble if his dad wasn’t one of the most deadly contract killers in Callaghan history.
Rourke seemed utterly enchanted as he caught her by the foot, easily flipping her toward the floor. If she’d hit, it might’ve been fatal. Lucky girl, he’d decided to play with her instead. Seconds before she hit, he caught her head, cushioning it.
She’d still be bruised as fuck but no concussion.
Winking, Rourke turned to face Piper, who’d come to a full halt.
“Come back here,” I told her, allowing a hint of impatience into my voice. “You can’t get away from me. I’m still willing to talk to you, but you’re running out of time.”
“Go!” Lola hissed. Rourke clamped a hand over her mouth. She surprised me again, biting him. This time he laughed, the sound pure delight.
“Lola, you’re making a big mistake,” I said lightly. “If you play dead, he’ll leave you alone.”
“You’re both fucking psychopaths!” Piper hissed, looking between us. I held her gaze for three long seconds. Then she bolted, and this time I couldn’t resist. Piper was fast, but I was a foot taller and in far better shape. Still, she managed to stay ahead of me for close to a minute, tearing around the pool deck like a secretary running from her boss around a desk.
My dick was hard as a rock by now.
Rourke laughed the whole time, taunting me as Lola struggled in his arms. Then I caught Piper in the corner and she spun to face me, panting. A thin sheen of sweat covered her face, every breath she took bouncing her breasts.
Her waist was narrow and her hips were wide. Not fat, but perfectly designed to cradle a man.