Rules of the Game (Rule Breaker, #2)

by Jessa Wilder

“Killer?” Lucas’s familiar voice filled my ear, and all the emotions I’d been holding back slammed forward, and a small, pained sound escaped my mouth before I could stop it. Turned out I wasn’t unaffected; I was just really good at compartmentalizing. I blinked back the burning in the back of my eyes, refusing to cry over that man.

weight. This was why I’d called Lucas, despite his overprotectiveness. He seemed to always know what I needed, and right now, I needed to forget this whole thing.

“Come on, before your brother kills us both.”

She was everything I had ever wanted, my seductress in an innocent package. I wondered if she had any idea just how much control she could have over me.

“Why did you call me and not Marcus? You know he’d have come.” Several

“Because I wanted it to be you.”

I let out a laugh and replied, “Says the man who still calls his mom every night when we’re at camps.” “Fuck you. I can’t believe you brought my mom into it.”

I ran to her window and climbed through, not giving a damn if I was caught.

Begging someone to stay wasn’t exactly proof of feelings.

“Not going to happen, Killer.”

Strong fingers reached back between the doors and the front seat and wrapped around my bare calf. Lucas’s fingers kneaded my muscle in slow, purposeful motions, and I matched my breaths to the rhythm. Without words, he was telling me I was safe. That he was here, and God, it was melting me from the inside.

“Don’t their feelings matter to you?” I asked and couldn’t help but notice that Lucas wasn’t participating in the conversation. “Don’t our boundaries?”

she had the ability to distract me from the chaos around us. She rubbed her thumb over the side of my hand and gave me a gentle smile, whispering, “You okay?” I let out my breath and concentrated on the heat of her pressed against me from shoulder to thigh. “I am now.” “Good, because it’s go time.”

She’d made tonight a hundred times easier, and the realization that things had been shifting between us for a long time had slammed into my chest when I nearly kissed her right in my living room.

The world was caving in, and Piper somehow knew it.

She drugged my senses, making everything easier. An overwhelming feeling of rightness settled over me, and my heart slowed in my chest. No matter what happened in the draft, I was going to be just fine because Piper Adams’s hand was laced in mine.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that.” I stiffened and tilted my head to the side. “You mean kiss me?” I looked at the hollow at the base of his neck, unable to meet his gaze. “You never even looked at me.” He laughed and kissed me again before speaking against my mouth. “I’ve never looked away.”

I stiffened and tilted my head to the side. “You mean kiss me?” I looked at the hollow at the base of his neck, unable to meet his gaze. “You never even looked at me.” He laughed and kissed me again before speaking against my mouth. “I’ve never looked away.” My chest whooshed with

“Lucas, this means something to me.” His fingers dug into the back of my hair, his thumb and forefinger massaging my scalp, and his low words reverberated through me. “You’ve always meant more to me. I should’ve told you sooner.”

“I want you. Always you.” I breathed out the words.

The realization that Piper was the one for me soothed a deep fear in my chest. She was mine.

“Fuck…it’s different. I’m different with her.” I stood and interlaced my fingers on top of my head. I needed him to understand. “I love—”

“You trusted me to keep her safe, and I will,”

He headed toward the stairs, and I grabbed his arm, halting him, hoping to God he could read the honesty in my expression. “I know how special she is. I would never do anything to hurt her. You’ve got to believe after all this time that I wouldn’t do that to her. To either of you.” Pain ripped through me like my ribs were being torn apart. “I love her, and I’ll fight for her, Marcus. Even if that means fighting you.”

“I know how special she is. I would never do anything to hurt her. You’ve got to believe after all this time that I wouldn’t do that to her. To either of you.” Pain ripped through me like my ribs were being torn apart. “I love her, and I’ll fight for her, Marcus. Even if that means fighting

I’d been madly in love with him since I crashed my bike, hurdled over the handlebars, and my face skidded across the pavement. I still had the scar on my cheek. Lucas had picked me up and held me against him as I let out giant heaving sobs, murmuring, random stuff, whatever he could think of to cheer me up, and that was it. My seven-year-old heart clung to him and never wanted to let go.

I rubbed my palms over my face and took a deep breath. I couldn’t be the one she leaned on, but I needed to get my shit together. I groaned and grabbed a water bottle from the counter. Fuck it.

I couldn’t answer any of them. Because she’d never forgive me if I did.

“The fuck do you think is happening here? Do you really think I’d let Marcus’s little sister stay on her own after that?”

“You and I both know I never had any intention of playing.”

Always. 07-24-2004 He’d gotten a tattoo of my birthday? I snapped my face to his, expecting him to be asleep, but I was met with his eyes already on mine.

“Because I fucking love her.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing. This shit is going to die with me, and it better die with you too.”

“You don’t even know her. But I do. I know what cereal she likes, that her favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice, her favorite song is the ten-minute version of ‘All Too Well.’ I have spent my entire life loving her, and it’ll be a cold fucking day before some asshole brings her to my game.”

“Either claim her, or let her the fuck go.” “What are you, her keeper?” I hissed. River lowered his voice so only I could hear. “One of us needs to protect her.” He might as well have hit me with how bad that stung. I couldn’t fucking do this. I moved past him and into the night air. I needed to get the fuck out of here.

pinned her arms between us. “I fucking meant it, Piper.” “You. Left. Me.” Her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths, and her lips wobbled. Piper trembled in my hold, and I ran my thumb along her cheekbone, stroking her hair from her face. “Babe, I could never stop loving you.”

us. “I fucking meant it, Piper.” “You. Left. Me.” Her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths, and her lips wobbled. Piper trembled in my hold, and I ran my thumb along her cheekbone, stroking her hair from her face. “Babe, I could never stop loving you.”

shook my head. “I couldn’t tell you. How could I?”

head. “I couldn’t tell you. How could I?”

“I was talking to him on the phone when he crashed. I was explaining that I loved you.” Tears

“He told me I couldn’t be with you.” Piper’s lips tipped up at the corners. “And he would’ve gotten over it. He knew you’d always take care of me.”

“I thought you’d hate me, and I’d never survive it.”

“I could never hate you. I’ve loved you since I was seven.” She gripped my shirt, pulling, and her lip trembled. “You told me you didn’t want me. You made me think I was just a part of some stupid game.”

“I’ve always wanted you. Always.” My gaze pleaded with her. “I’m so sorry, Piper.” She lifted her face, and the despair pierced my ribs. “How can you say that after abandoning me?” “Because there’s never been anyone else.” I guided a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “For either of us.”

“You decided I wouldn’t forgive you. You decided we were over. You decided it was your fault, and you let me go.”

Not every worry was worth holding on to.

“I’m not sure that wasn’t the goal, if I’m being honest. Not gonna lie. I’m not mad about it.”

“I missed you.” “You just saw me.” “You seem to think that matters.”

“I remember everything about you.”

“You drove over an hour each way to get my favorite dinner?” Consider me wooed. I kissed his jaw and whispered in his ear, “Thank you.”

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