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Me: You don’t acquire new companies often enough to keep me busy. Damon: You’d be surprised what I would do to keep you with me.
Welp
It’s like I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone or, better yet, some kind of yuppie cult. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were treating Damon like a leader instead of a peer.
Well-
“You, my dear, are different though. You are part of our family, aren’t you?” Of course he knows—that was the entire point—but something in the way he asks the question has me wanting to apologize for God knows what. I lower my voice to barely above a whisper. “Yes, of course.” He looks at Damon, who’s now staring at us. The old man returns his attention to me and raises one brow in an identical look to his grandson. “So tell me, why the secrecy?”
Not him clocking us💀
“Okay, but sleeping in the same bed rule. Is that really a necessary part of your tradition?” I ask. His mouth twitches up in the corner. “I can’t say much about that rule, to be honest.”
Bruh 💀
They just needed a little push in the right direction.” “And I’m the right direction?” “Of course. You’ve obviously enraptured my grandson.” “Oh…no. It’s not like that… You told him to get married, and I was…convenient.” I snap my mouth closed because it’s not like I can tell him I was coerced because I need a visa. His eyes glitter in the dim light, and he chuckles softly. “That’s interesting.” “What is?” He glances up at someone before looking back at me. “That you haven’t realized that everything Damon does is intentional. I assure you, Mrs. Everette, it is not because it was convenient.”
By the time I glance back toward his mother, she’s appraising me, and I’m clearly failing. “What do you think, Miss Hart? Do they not look good together?” Her voice is smooth, but there’s an edge that’s sharp as a knife. “Yes…they do.” I look them over, and acid burns in my throat at being forced to say anything. “You know you don’t belong here.” My attention snaps back to her. “I’m working.” “So I’ve been told, but it appears you have somehow deluded yourself regarding Damon’s affection.” “What?” Cold ice crystallizes my veins and freezes me in place. I’m suddenly sixteen again,
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See here she go
My chest burns to take a breath, but I’m afraid it’ll come out in a sob. I stumble back, needing to create space between us. The sweet scent of smoke and cologne fills my nose milliseconds before Damon’s arm wraps possessively around my waist. His voice is a dark warning when he says, “Watch how you speak to my wife.”
Period
Rage burns like flames inside of me, and it’s only Misty’s cool grasp on my wrist that’s keeping me sane. “Apologize.” Mother’s staring at Misty, mouth agape, eyes wide in shock, before her expression twists into disgust. “I hope it’s temporary.” “You would hope that,” I say tightly, every muscle tensing to keep myself in place. She may be my mother, but she’s walking a razor-thin line. I tuck Misty into my side, moving between her and my mother, and lean forward to loom over her. My voice is cold as death when I command, “You will treat her with respect.”
Dats a man right there
“You will regret that.” Slim, cool fingers wrap around my wrist and tug me back. Misty’s shaking her head at me. She tries to smile, but it wobbles at the corner. “Let it go, Damon. You know she’s right.” “Fuck that.” I switch our grip so that my fingers are entwined in hers and pull her toward the stage. She fights my grip, whisper yelling the entire way there. “What do you think you’re doing? That’s enough. Let me go.” I don’t bother answering. It was a mistake to follow her little rule, and I’m going to fix it, whether she likes it or not. The stage stairs are steep, and I switch my grip
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Uh oh
“No, you don’t have to worry about that. Hell, I’m going to have to move to Europe to get away from the fallout.” A muscle twitches in my jaw with the effort to stop myself from explaining that this will never be over. That there is no after. There’s not a timeline in this universe where she gets away from me.
I crash my mouth into hers and lick at the seams until she opens for me with a moan. A dam breaks inside her, and her anger burns her from the inside as she scratches her nails along my back. She pours her frustration into me, and I drink in every last drop. “Fuck,” I groan, pushing my hips into her, staggering my feet on the stairs for balance, and kiss her jaw when her head falls back to rest on the wall. “You are so fucking sexy right now,” I murmur into her neck, then bite the delicate skin.
…can I say smth
Five minutes after the lights turn off in her room, I set my glass down and make my way to her. A butter knife makes quick work of the hinges, and it’s seconds before I have the door off and set against the wall.
My brotha😭
“I don’t give a single fuck what anyone else thinks. What do you think?” She looks between my eyes, scanning back and forth between them before the seam between her brows loosens. “I want to be here.” “Good girl.”
“I can’t take this.” “It’s cute that you think you have a choice.” My jaw clenches at her rejection. I lift her hand with one of mine and slide the jewelry over her finger. It fits perfectly, as expected since I measured it in her sleep.
He’s so mf funny to me 💀
I learned the lesson not to play with men in positions of power over me the hard way, and I have the scars to prove it. So why do I feel so comfortable pushing boundaries with Damon? There’s a thrill that goes through me every time I defy him. Like I’m some kind of adrenaline junkie seeing how high I can climb before I crash to the ground. That’s not right, because he’d catch me, and something tells me I’d like every second of the way he’d punish me.
His eyes narrow on the ring he gave me, hanging an inch below my palm. “Do you enjoy disobeying me?” He raises a perfectly arched brow. I bite my lip to hide my smile, because yeah…I do. “I’m technically wearing it.” He cups the back of my neck before rubbing his thumb over the tight tendon there. “Tell me, wife. Since you’re obviously not bothered by me”—his grip tightens, and his voice turns dark, edged with a warning I don’t think is for me—“what made you look so scared?”
He’s so fine wtf
“You are a tempting goddess whose sole purpose in life is to test me.” I swallow hard, and his gaze tracks my tongue, wetting my lips. He hasn’t touched me since the night I’d pulled away from him, and my body is starting to rebel. I lift so our mouths connect, and a low groan rumbles in his chest before he pulls away. “This card will buy you whatever you need to be ready for the gala.” “Anything? What if I decide I need a car.” He pulls out his phone and hits a few buttons until mine beeps. “That’s the number to our preferred dealer. We’ve vetted their quality, but you can go wherever you
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Why am I in love w them
“Fuck, Damon, you’re stressing me out. I never thought I’d see the day my big brother would be obsessed.” Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover it. Every second I’ve spent with her is one that ingrains her deeper into my soul. I pull up the feed again and scowl at the black screen. I’m going to fucking kill Matthias.
“You know, I’m really looking forward to her kicking your ass. She’s got you by the balls, and somehow, you’re still delusional enough to think you make the decisions.” He’s wrong, of course. I know exactly how much power she holds over me.
“Much better.” My mother’s voice grates on me. “I’ll still need at least another hour to put color back in. This is only the first step,” a woman I don’t recognize says. They must be the stylist. My strides eat the distance between me and the open bathroom door when I realize exactly what they mean. My mother and an unknown woman stand next to each other in the cramped space. But it’s Misty that has my attention. She’s sitting on the edge of the tub, her eyes like voids as she stares at the wall, muted pale blond hair brushing her shoulders.
WTAF??? OH HELL NAH AIN’T NO WAY
The front door slams shut, the intruders gone seconds before I kneel in front of my life. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she flinches. “I told…I told you I didn’t belong.” Her voice cracks, and it takes my heart with it. “I’ve never wanted you to be anyone other than who you are. I can assure you my mother will pay for this.” My teeth grind together as I suck a breath through my nose. Rage beats at my chest, burning to escape and rampage at anyone who hurts my girl like this.
That’s so mf tragic bruh
“You wanted to be blonde?” “Ha! No. I wanted to go soft lavender, but if there’s any yellow in your hair, it turns like a gross, mucky brown.” “Do you have any left?” Her head tilts. “What?” I take the strand from her and let it slip through my fingers. “Of the lavender dye. Do you have any left?” “Yeah, but…” She looks behind me. “You kinda evicted the stylist.” I stand. “I’ll do it. Where’s the bottle.”
If I wasn’t in love before this would be the moment I’d be done for
“Have you calmed down now that you’ve seen your wife?” “Tell security that Mother is barred from future events.”
PERIOD
Damon’s brows are drawn together as he works his way through each piece, taking care to coat it evenly before moving on to the next. Warmth curls in my stomach as I watch him. There’s something adorable about how hard he’s concentrating.
This is my love language btw
“Here.” Damon holds out a sandwich. “You made me a sandwich?” “I could barely think over your stomach rumbling.” I can feel my cheeks heat, but I take a bite anyway. It’s nothing special, peanut butter and jelly, but I moan when the sweet taste of jam bursts into my mouth. Damon drags his thumb along my bottom lip, catching some of the jelly, then sucks it off. “I’ve been dying to see that up close.” “Up close?” I let my thoughts drag over his words.
😭😭
“I don’t belong here.” He pulls back and cups the side of my neck, using his thumb to tilt my head up. “You belong with me.” There’s a twist, snap, pop of emotion flooding my chest. The little voice that normally screams that all of this is just temporary is quiet for once. For now, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
An overwhelming feeling of being wanted, accepted, fills my chest. One that I’d never expect to feel in a place like this. But Damon’s touch, his breath against my neck, his firm arm banded around my back, allows me to finally exhale. I’m safe in this world, as long as I’m with him.
“Don’t be jealous.” The side of Damon’s mouth quirks up. “You like me jealous.”
STFU
“I’m sorry about your grandfather.” His head tilts to the side, still moving in time with the beat. “Why?” My brows pinch in confusion. “Because he’s going to make you get married.” Xander’s eyes twinkle with some unshared secret. “Ah, yes. The Everette tradition. How could I forget about that?” Really, how could he? If it was me, I’d be doing everything I could to find someone before I had to marry.
This is so funny bruh
Dread sinks deep into my gut, twisting it into nausea at Thomas’s familiar face.
WHYYYY
“Where do you think you’re going? Don’t want to be seen with me? Are you afraid that your new husband will find out what you really are? That you’re just some used-up, dirty whore. That not even your parents care about you.” His grip tightens painfully. “You couldn’t even stay pregnant right.” Pain lances like a knife, slicing through my gut. My lungs scream for me to breathe, but it hurts too much to inhale. With everything he did to me. Erasing who I am, raping me. It’s the miscarriage that haunts me. It’s the doctors apologizing that I’ll likely never get pregnant.
HELLO??
The second we approach, Damon’s attention is on me, a soft smile on his lips before it slips away and concern replaces it. He separates himself from the men around him and pushes a strand of hair behind my hair. “Do you want to go?” How does he know what I need? How does he always know? The men behind him are still deep in conversation, neither paying attention to us. “I’m just a little light-headed from the champagne and dancing. You stay. I’ll go with Nicholas.” “No. We go together.”
“Stop,” I scream, slamming my fists into his chest. “You are a fucking tease, Misty. Do you think that I don’t know what your parents want? That you’ve been using me? “I don’t want anything.” Bile climbs my throat, and tears burn my eyes. He tears the seam of my underwear, and they fall to the floor. “Well, I want something from you.”
Ong I’m finna throw up
A sharp point nicks my neck, and I freeze at the pain. “Do you know what this is?” He strokes it over my nape before slicing easily through the back of my shirt, leaving me instantly bare from my waist up. No. No. No. Fuck. I’d bought him a butterfly knife for Christmas. It’s the only thing he wanted that I could afford. I even had his name engraved into the handle. Now, the blade I picked out is digging into my spine.
Omfg
“Misty. Tell me what’s wrong.” My voice is a plea as my hands run over her, looking for any signs of injury. Her dress clings around her thighs. Her breath catches with each inhale—she’s fucking crying. She’s not fucking fine. “I can’t breathe.” Her words are so low I barely hear them, but it’s her hands tearing at the bodice of her dress that gives away what she means. Within seconds, I have her freed from the soaking fabric, the top now hanging down to her waist. She’s taking hungry lungfuls of air like she hasn’t had one in hours.
☹️
There will be time to track the fucker down later. Right now, all that matters is my girl. I cup her jaw and guide her face up, dropping my forehead to hers. “I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.”
“He was there tonight.” Fuck! My teeth grind hard enough to break, but I don’t tighten around her. The last thing I want to become is another person to fear. “Who was there?” “Thomas.” I wait, wait for her to be ready or not. The name Thomas isn’t much of a lead, but combining it with him being at the party narrows the potential dead men extensively. “He…he raped me.”
Good for u for telling him bestie 🫶🏾
“I will kill him for you.” “His family is scary well-connected.” A rough laugh rumbles in my throat. “I can promise you that won’t be a problem.” “I can never tell if you’re being serious or not.” “I’m always serious.” I brush our lips together before pulling back. “Is it wrong that I love that?” “Your darkness matches my darkness.”
I love y’all btw
Me: There was a guy named Thomas at the party. Find him. Matthias: Any other information? Me: He hurt Misty. Matthias: Give me twenty. Me: Make it ten.
PERIOD BESTIES
I grab her hair dryer off the vanity, and she gives me a small smile as I approach. “Are you freaking serious?” “You’re cold.” “I’m tired.” I shift her forward so I can sit behind her, my back pressed against the headboard, both legs on either side of her. “It’s a good thing I’m the one doing it, then, isn’t it?” “This is ridiculous—” Her words are cut off by the whoosh of the dryer. I take my time, deliberately being mindful of tangles. It probably takes twice as long than if she’d done it, but by the time I’m done, she’s looking up at me with hooded eyes. Her tongue sneaks out and wets
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Imma give this book 5 stars even if the upcoming conflict will pmo like that’s how good ts is. Fav couple nominees too
My phone lights up on my table, and I’m careful not to wake her when I reach for it. My lips pull at the corner at the message. Matthias: Got him.
WE UP 😈
“Don’t worry, Nymph. He got what he deserved.” My chest expands, a giddiness growing there. I like that entirely too much. I want every single person that hurt him to pay for what they did. I’ve hidden my scars since they’d been cut into me; now that they’re in the open, Damon’s mouth caressing them, I’m not ashamed. I’m angry.
I kiss him back fiercely, my hands digging into his hair, pulling him closer. It’s not enough. I want more, I need more. I want him everywhere. I want to be consumed. He pulls back, breaking the kiss and resting his forehead against mine. His chest heaves, and his heart beats rapidly against my palm. He nips my lips again like he can’t stop himself. His fingers tremble where they hold my arm. “I’m so fucking gone for you.”
Oh we know
“I have a surprise for you, and I’m not sure if you’re going to like it or not.” I snuggle into his chest, breathing in his scent. “Does it involve waffles?” “Fuck, you’re adorable, but I think you should hold off on the waffles until after you see it.” “I dunno, Damon. I’m pretty freaking hungry,” I grumble. “I’ve got Thomas tied up in the basement of Elysium.”
Why was this funny💀
It took Damon over an hour to explain the Order of Saints and the Everette family’s role in it. By the end, it was like someone opened a door to an alternate universe. Now, I’m Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Oh- I would’ve liked to see that convo tbh
“Fucking slut. You never could do what you’re told.” Thomas spits blood out. “Did you tell him how fucking broken you are? How useless you are to him.” Damon tenses behind me, but I’m already closing the distance between Thomas and me, slamming my palm upward into his nose. I wince at the sickening crunch it makes, but I don’t back off.
PERIOD IKTR
Beck leans in, kissing her temple, only for Rush to kiss the other, and suddenly, their relationship is way more interesting than torturing Thomas. “Are you guys together?” I ask. “Yes,” Rae replies, eyes slitted as she waits for my reaction. “Oh my God. You have to meet Mia.” I’m too excited to notice the four matching looks of surprise. Beck leans in and play whispers, “Who’s Mia?” I smile wide with pride. “My friend who has two NHL hockey player boyfriends. I’m sure there’s like tips and tricks you guys can talk about.” “She should try it with a third,” Nico, who’s been silently scowling
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She’s so real bruh (also I’m def reading their book)
Why did I think I could hang with murderers? I can definitely not hang.
Real
“Oh yeah? Not even if I hit on one of your brothers?” Why am I doing this? But I know why—some sick part of me likes pushing him as far as I can. Likes the security in somehow knowing he won’t snap. Not with me. His eyes narrow into black slits. “I’ll miss them.” A laugh bubbles up in my chest. “You are crazy.” He leans in, touching his forehead to mine. “When it comes to you, I’m so much more than crazy.”
“Not a night owl?” he asks, but it’s clear from his tone he already knows the answer. He seems to know way more about me than he should.
Well-
