Beautiful Fiend (North Shore, #1)

by Lola King

He turns around, and his white teeth almost appear sharp in the dead of night. “Oh, no. Don’t worry, baby. I’m far from being done with you. Now that I’ve had a taste of the best pussy in the world, how am I supposed to leave you alone?”

“But you knew they were going to do something,” he says. He sounds so disappointed in me, so betrayed. “And you chose not to tell me. See, after Jade jumped you, I told everyone they’d have to deal with me if they touched you. You? You just let them come at me without as much as a warning. That’s the difference between you and me.”

“You look beautiful when you’re broken,” he says softly. He turns to the window again and, like a nightmare disappears when you open your eyes, he escapes into the night. Right where he belongs.

Caden’s not a psychopath. He is a man made of an intricate tapestry of feelings. He simply taps on the damaging ones more often than the sympathetic ones. And by more often, I mean most of the time.

“Let me see,” he growls low. He grips my jaw brutally and turns my head to the side. Xi is so much taller than me, and he doesn’t even realize I’m balancing on my toes as he pulls me up to see the bruises up close. “Was it Caden? Did he hurt you?” “Xi, you’re hurting me,” I try to say past the pout he’s forcing my mouth into.

I’ve only ever shared sexual tension with my stepbrother, and now that I have found something deeper with Caden, I don’t want Xi to touch me. Not even out of protection.

But when Lik enters the kitchen with a girl I know too well, and he asks what’s going, I lose my patience. She’s tall, pretty much Lik’s height, and he’s just below six-foot. My eyes narrow on the girl the entire fucking planet falls in love with every time she crosses their path. Rose White disappeared for almost two years, but she hasn’t lost that beauty everyone falls at her feet for. And she hasn’t lost the danger in her eyes that tells everyone to not fuck with her.

“What the fuck...” I start. “....is that?!” Lik cuts me off.

“Your guilty King is Caden,” Lik says loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. “And he didn’t hit her. These are love bites. He leaves them on every girl he fucks.”

There is only Xi and me left. He’s looking at me like I just killed a puppy in front of him. Slowly he approaches me and shakes his head, clearly not understanding my feelings. “I could have given you everything you wanted,” he says low.

Him and the way he doesn’t care when he forces me. Him and his dirty mouth and brutal tendencies. Him and his beautiful face and body. Him and the way he softens for me, turning away from the violence to open up to me. My savage enemy. My beautiful fiend.

Caden: I think my cock down your throat could really help with the grief.

When did I turn into a fucking stalker? I used to barely remember a girl’s name. I’d fuck her, mark her, and bump into her a couple of days later, only knowing I did so because she was baring my bruises on her jaw.

Billie Scott gets wet from being tied up and assaulted. Billie Scott fits perfectly with my violent tendencies, and now I’m fucked.

Because what’s the point in looking for anything else in life when the woman of my dreams is at the tip of my fingers? I could hurt her, make her scream from pleasure all night long, and make her breakfast in the morning while we talk about what our lives could be far from the North Shore.

I could make her come over and over again before planning our future together. Her, me, and even...

I always feel sick being around those girls. Not because I judge them but because I do the exact same thing. Sex for money. I’m a fucking boy toy, but I do it with wealthier people than they do.

From the corner of my eyes, I can see Billie lying unconscious and naked on the bed. My heart is telling me to go to her right now. But the bastard in front of me is clearly some NSC cunt who thought he could touch what’s mine. The second my focus goes to her, he’s going to attack me.

“Right, let’s get this done,” I smile. “You die, then I need to get her to safety.” “You’re Caden King,” he says, trying to mask the fear in his voice. “Ding, ding! Ten points for the dead man walking.”

He shrugs. “Bro, don’t worry about her. She won’t remember a thing.” I run my tongue against my teeth, trying my best not to turn this into the biggest blood bath in history. “Bro,” I repeat. “What did you give her?”

“You gave my girl date rape drugs? And admitting it?” I let out a bitter laugh. “She’s not gonna die. But you sure as fuck are.”

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

“Why is everyone always sorry once they face me? Couldn’t you be sorry enough to not drug a girl and get her naked in a motel room? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Everyone. Who. Touches. Her. Dies,” I seethe. There’s still some life left in him, so I stab the piece of glass further into his throat. “Now fucking die.”

She opens her mouth, yet only a pained whimper comes out. “Where are you hurting?” I ask. Dread is wrapping around me. My entire being was calm while murdering a man, but I now feel my heart kicking against my chest.

The problem is, Billie wasn’t saved by a hero tonight. She was saved by me—the possessive devil who can’t stand someone other than me touching or hurting her. And I don’t do gentle. I don’t do hero-saves-the-girl caring and hugging.

“M….ight,” she mumbles in such a weak voice I have to bring my ear to her lips. “Say that again, baby,” I tell her. “My…fight,” she finally manages to say. Her fight. She’s been drugged and assaulted, but that’s the only thing she thinks about? Her fucking fight?

When she finally falls asleep, it’s six a.m. Her head is on my chest, and one of her legs is around mine. Her arms are wrapped so tightly around my stomach I can barely breathe. I’m still covered in the fucker’s blood, but I don’t move because I can finally hear her breathing settle, and the cutest snore I’ve ever heard

I do something I realize I’ve come to love. I slip a hand in her hair and close my own eyes. Caressing the soft strands over and over again soothes me slightly. I can’t sleep, though. All I can think about are his hands on her body and that I want to bring him back to life again just to kill him a second time. And that I can’t.

He looks down at himself and back up. “He won’t touch you ever again.”

“Am I okay?” I whisper in a complete panic. He squats in front of me and puts strands of my messy hair behind my ears. He wipes my sweaty forehead with his hand and kisses it. “You will be,” he answers with his lips against my skin.

“That’s not why I want you to go to the hospital. Nolan already received justice.” My eyes dart down to his bloody clothes as he says the words. “I want them to check that you’re okay and if he dared violate you.”

“What happened to your hands?” “I used Nolan’s head to break a mirror then grabbed the pieces to stab him,” he says with a steady voice, as if describing his morning routine.

“Turn around,” he adds softly. I do, and he lathers my scalp with shampoo. His fingers are light, relaxing me instantly. He spends a long time running his hands through my hair, ensuring it’s clean. I think this is to calm himself too. I noticed his slight obsession with my hair though I never mentioned it.

“Just let me do what I need to,” I tell him. Using his fingers, I rub myself slowly for a minute before accelerating and bucking my hips against his hand.

“Tell me he suffered,” I say against him. “He suffered,” he replies firmly as his arms encircle my waist. “How?” “I pushed a sheet down his throat. Then, I stabbed his throat with a piece of broken mirror, and he choked on his own blood. He wasn’t fully dead when we left because I didn’t stab him in an artery. He must have suffered for a long hour or so before dying.” He is utterly void of emotion when discussing murdering a man for me. There isn’t an ounce of regret in his voice. Not even pride. He did what he did, and that’s it. I can take it or leave it. Taking it all in brings me whatever satisfaction I can take from it. That is to say, not much, though still enough to keep me going.

He grabs my arm and tugs me back, dropping the bottle and wrapping a mighty hand around my jaw. “I’m no fucking hero, Billie,” he grits out with fury. “Don’t you know that yet? I’m your worst nightmare. I’m the villain who will save you only to use and abuse you for his own pleasure.”

“Did you?” I force past my pouted lips. “Did you assault me last night?” He chuckles and shakes his head, his smile freezing every single atom around us. “Of course not, baby. I plan on doing much worse to you. And when I do, I want to feel you fight and hear you scream.”

“Caden,” I whisper in disbelief. “These gloves are almost a hundred dollars. That’s too much. I can’t accept them.” He smiles softly. “Don’t make me force you to accept a present.”

This fight won’t wait for me, and I know what I’m capable of. I’m Billie Unbeatable Scott. And this bitch doesn’t stand a chance.

She’s fighting as a hobby. I’m fighting for my life.

“I got this,” a deep voice says. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of before she goes home.” Caden.

I feel Caden crouch in front of me, and the next second he puts two fingers under my chin, forcing my head up. His piercing green eyes send my entire body into overdrive. It was humiliating enough to lose. It’s utterly destructive that it happened in front of Caden.

Without saying anything, he helps me up and gets me in the shower for the second time today. This time he’s even the one who brushes my teeth.

“Needed to check you were still alive,” he says casually. “I’m not.” The thing with Caden is that he has his own manner of caring for someone and taking care of them. He is not the kind of prince charming that comes with sweet words and gestures when his princess is in distress.

He’s the man who took a piece of my soul and crushed it under his stupid boot. The man who took a chunk of me for himself and never intends on giving it back. And when I tried my best to protect myself from him, he shattered my safe space and forced himself into my life. The worst part is that I’ve been stupid enough to enjoy it.

“Do you need a magic kiss?” Caden asks me in that mocking tone he uses. Like my entire life falling apart is a little funny thing.

“Are you sure you want to push me away when I’m trying to help? Because there’s no option in your life where I’m not part of it. Accept that I’m trying to care for you or be forced into accepting it. No promises that I’ll be gentle for the second option.”

“Tsk, tsk,” he tuts me mockingly. “Sarcasm surely doesn’t suit my girl.” “I’m not your fucking girl.”

“Look me in the eyes when you talk to me, Billie. I need to see the lies in them when you say you don’t want me.”

“You fucking ruined my entire life, Caden.” I twist, but he doesn’t let up. “The illegal shit when I should be focusing on my career. The bullying like we’re in fucking high school. Demanding every single one of my waking minutes. Demanding my mind and my body. You play me like a game, use me like a toy, and now look at me. I’ve got nothing.”