Hallowed Night: A Halloween Romance Anthology, page 15
“Well, son …” He sits on the leather couch, unbuttoning his black suit jacket. “I’d like a favor from you.”
I lean forward, placing my elbows on my thighs. This is how they’ll get me to talk? Threaten to put me on probation and then ask me for a favor? In return, I ask to no longer be on probation. “And what will I get in return?”
He throws his head back, laughing, making his body shake. Then he looks over at James. “I like this kid.”
“Told you,” James says cryptically.
“The Lords are all about accommodating their brothers who are willing to go above and beyond.” He leans back, getting comfortable. “So, Ryat … the real question is, what is it that you want?”
I sit in my car, tucked back in the parking lot of Blake’s apartment complex. It sits right off campus.
The first thing you are taught when becoming a Lord is that you do your intel. You think of every scenario that gives you an advantage to win.
The light flips on in her bedroom, and I sit up straighter when she walks past her window. Stopping on the corner, she reaches down and lifts her shirt up and over her head. My cock grows hard instantly as I watch the motion causing her hair to fall down over her back.
It doesn’t matter that I can just see her shadow. It’s good enough. For now.
Walking out of sight, I see another light come on in an adjoining room. It must be her bathroom. It’s even harder to see through the stained glass, but still enough to make out the side view of her large breasts. The curve of them and her flat stomach followed by her great ass.
“Fuck.” I unzip my jeans and pull out my dick. Spitting on my hand, I slowly start to stroke it, imagining I’ve got one hand in her hair that’s shoving her mouth on my cock.
She steps in what looks to be a shower, and I see water spraying onto her body. Closing my eyes, I pick up the pace with my hand and see her on her knees inside the shower. Her pretty blue eyes looking up at me while her parted lips just beg to be fucked.
“Whatever my girl wants,” I pant, my hips bucking in the driver’s seat.
I wrap my hands into her wet, dark hair and slide my cock inside her hot, wet mouth and begin to fuck it. “Blakely.” I moan her name, my hand picking up the pace.
My balls tighten, and my breath quickens seconds before I come in my hand. “Fuck!” I hiss, reaching over and grabbing a T-shirt off the passenger seat to clean up my mess.
Looking up at her window, I see the light to her bathroom turn off, then the one to her bedroom.
Taking a deep breath, I lean my head against the headrest, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Soon, Blakely. Soon.” I won’t have to use my hand or imagination.
I’ll have her mouth, pussy, and ass to use.
I will fucking own her.
I exit the room and start walking down the hallway to my bedroom. Shoving the door open, I slam it shut to find Matt sitting on the side of my bed. “Get the fuck out.” I walk past him toward my bathroom.
He jumps to his feet. “What in the fuck did you tell James?”
Spinning around, I shove his chest. “I didn’t say shit!”
He stumbles back and then shakes his head, giving a rough laugh. “You should have my back.”
“And you should have known not to fucking touch her!” I shoot back.
“If you would have let me fuck her …”
“You mean rape her?” I correct him. “Fuck, Matt! What in the hell were you thinking?” Abstinence is part of our oath. Until our senior year when we are granted a chosen. If I had told James that he was going to rape her, he’d for sure be stripped of his Lord title.
Matt runs his hands through his hair, letting out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know, man. Blakely and I have been fighting …”
I snort, interrupting him. “You’ve been fighting with your girlfriend, so you decide to disobey an order with the Lords? They’ll kick you out!”
“I’m fine!” He waves me off. “What did James have to say to you after I left?”
He only mentions James, which means he doesn’t know another man was brought in to speak to me. “I didn’t rat you out,” I say.
“Well, what did you fucking say?” Matt snaps.
“That’s none of your damn business.” I turn my back on him, ending this conversation.
He grabs my shirt and yanks me from the bathroom back into my bedroom. I swing, my body twisting, and my fist connects with his jaw. “Don’t fucking push me, Matt!” I growl, clenching and unclenching my hand, feeling it already starting to swell from the hit.
Rubbing his jaw, he steps up to me, chest to chest, and I bow mine, ready to knock his ass out when he speaks. “If I find out you fucked me over, I’ll end you, Ryat.”
I smile at that. “I’d like to see you try.”
With that, he spins and exits my room, slamming the bedroom door on his way out.
3
BLAKELY
It’s a Friday night, and I’m lying in my bed watching a horror movie on Netflix while scrolling through my social media page. Not seeing anything interesting, I close out the app and turn up the TV, thinking over my time here at Barrington University.
I haven’t run into dipshit anymore. But Matt’s been acting weird ever since I stormed into the library demanding answers. That he didn’t give me. He’s always bringing up Ryat. Every day, he asks me if I’ve seen or spoken to him. When I say no, he says okay, but I can see it in his eyes that he doesn’t believe me. And it’s starting to bother me. I’ve never cheated on him before. Never even flirted with another guy. The fact that it’s got him questioning my loyalty is pissing me off.
I’ve been the one begging him for sex, and he’s the one who turns me down. Always telling me that he promised my parents we’d wait for our wedding night. That’s bullshit. Who the hell waits these days? We’ve fooled around, but he always stops it before it goes too far, leaving my body begging for more.
“We’re going,” Sarah states, entering my bedroom and plopping down on the end of my bed.
“But …”
“No buts.” She shakes her head. “We’ve done nothing but stay in, and I didn’t leave Texas just to stay home all the fucking time. Plus, Matt is out of town.” She winks at me.
He went home for the weekend. I wanted to ask why he didn’t invite me, but I also didn’t want to see my parents, so I kept my mouth shut. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You can let loose and have fun without him accusing you of wanting to fuck Ryat.” She’s overheard several of our arguments over the past couple of months. The walls in our apartment are too thin. Or maybe we just fight too loud.
“Please.” She resorts to begging when I remain in bed just staring at her. “Just this one time … It’s Halloween.”
It’s been a while since I’ve had a girls’ night with her. Matt’s not a big fan of Sarah. He says that she’s too flirtatious with everyone. He’s been very vocal about his hatred for her over the years. When we’re all back home in Texas, he’d always show up or make plans for us with his parents, so I’d have to cancel mine with her. She never seemed to get mad at me for that. Funny, how I’m just now noticing that he would do that. “Fine,” I growl, throwing the covers off. I do want to get out and have some fun. “We find out what this chosen shit means,” I add.
“Yes!” She jumps to her feet. “I’ll go get dressed.” Storming out of my room, she yells over her shoulder, “Wear something slutty.”
I laugh, entering my closet.
An hour later, we’re pulling up to an open gate outside the house of Lords. It’s about fifteen minutes from Barrington’s campus. It was a hotel back in the day that was given to them. All members must live in the house during their duration of college. Matt moved in his freshman year. You’re not welcome to be here unless they are throwing a party. Otherwise, the gate is closed, and the property is off-limits.
Two men stand on either side of the gate dressed in black cloaks and white masks. They have what looks to be like black stitches over their lips and crosses for eyes.
A building comes into view at the end of a long and curvy drive. The renovated hotel stands four stories tall with large windows. Its white brick with black shutters makes it look designed for the rich. Six columns are decorated with black garland wrapped around them from top to bottom. A big blowup white ghost is on the porch. A black cat stands on the opposite side. Spotlights are placed strategically on the ground to illuminate the site of the party.
It has a large roundabout with a pond in the middle with a fountain on either side, and a white arched walkway across the center. Men and women stand on it with their drinks, some smoking cigarettes.
“Not very many are dressed up,” Sarah comments, looking around.
Pulling into a parking spot to the left, we get out of the car. “Are you sure we’re invited?” I ask.
“Of course.” She waves me off. “Everyone is. It’s a Halloween party.”
“But Matt has never let me come here.” Not even during the parties. He said even though I was off-limits, he didn’t even want me around the members. I never knew what he meant, and when I asked, he would get mad, blow up at me, then avoid me for a few days.
You can hear “Make Hate To Me” by Citizen Soldier blaring from the inside of the house.
Both glass doors are wide open, and we step inside. The marble floors, expensive décor, and artifacts make my mouth fall open. Now, I’ve grown up around money. My father owns a multibillion-dollar business. My mother isn’t nearly as wealthy as my father, but she’s known around the world for her swimsuit spreads. That’s how they met. He saw her picture once and flew halfway across the world just to buy her coffee. They were married three weeks later. I was conceived on their honeymoon. Either my mother wanted to tie him to her, or my father did. Either way, after they had me, they were done. I always begged for a sibling. Not like it would have taken time out of their days. I was raised by nannies and tutors. But this is on another level.
Everything is white as snow and polished to perfection. The walls are painted white with black and white pictures. The one on the wall to my left is a large picture of the Eiffel Tower. I’ve been there several times, and I’ve never seen it prettier than in this photo. Straight ahead is a grand staircase covered in black carpet with a matching banister. At the second floor, the platform opens up, giving the option to go left or right. The upper level is also open in the middle, allowing you to look up at the high ceiling where chandeliers hang down to the first floor. I see multiple doors, which must lead to some of the rooms. An elevator in the left-hand corner must take you to the third and fourth floors.
Halloween decorations litter the house like the porch.
“This place is amazing,” she whispers in awe.
“Phones, keys, and ID.”
We both turn to the right to see a man standing behind a concierge desk. He wears a black mask with X’s over his eyes and stitches for lips along with a black cloak. Similar to what the two guys at the gate were wearing.
“Phone, keys, and ID,” he repeats loudly, holding out two baggies for us.
Walking over to him, I take them. “Why?” Sarah asks.
“Because those are the rules. Either drop your shit in the bag or get the fuck out,” he barks, handing the kid next to us a bag. He doesn’t think twice about digging his belongings out of his pockets and placing them in the bag. He zips it up and gives it back.
The guy in the mask writes on it and then places it in a cubby behind him on the wall.
“Come on.” She bats her eyes at me. “What could it hurt? It’ll be fun.” Then she starts placing her things inside of hers.
“Right?!” What could it hurt? This is what I wanted to do. Get out and get some answers.
Handing him back the bag, he hands us two pieces of paper. “Write your name on the tag and place it on your shirt.” Then he clicks the pen and hands it to me.
Bending over, I write my name and then give it to her to do the same with her name tag.
“This is wild. I’ve never been to a party like this.” She grabs my arm and starts bouncing up and down excitedly. “Is this for a prize?” she asks him.
He throws his head back, laughing. We can’t see his face, but the angle gives us a clear view of his Adam’s apple moving from his laughter. “This is the start of The Ritual,” he states once calming himself.
“What is that exactly?” I ask because I still haven’t gotten a direct answer.
“Don’t get too concerned. I doubt you two have anything to worry about,” he answers cryptically and then dismisses us, moving on to the next set of girls who just walked in.
“Let’s go find some alcohol.” She drags me through a hallway and into a kitchen. The room is large with industrial-size stainless steel appliances. To the right, it has a bar area where people currently occupy.
It looks like any other Halloween party. Some dressed up, but most aren’t. The only difference is some are dressed as the guy up front—masks and cloaks. “Who are these people?” I whisper-shout in her ear over “Needles” by Seether.
She shrugs. “If I had my phone, I’d google it.”
Something tells me Google isn’t going to know shit about the situation we’ve found ourselves in. Ritual? Sounds churchy to me that involves blood and a sacrifice. I wonder if it’s the Lords that are dressed differently. It’s no secret at Barrington who the members are as far as I know. You don’t hear much talk about them, but all I know is what Matt has told me, which isn’t much. I just always assumed they were like a fraternity.
Going over to the island, I see what once was a cheese platter but does not consist of any. Instead, it contains pills of various colors and shapes. I recognize some as Xanax, Percocet, and Adderall. Things my mother will pop every now and then when she’s either stressed or has a headache.
“What do you want?” Sarah asks me, looking over the drinks lined up.
“I’ll have a rum and Coke, please.”
She nods her head and starts to pour me a drink. Once done, she makes herself one. We tap them together and cheers. Taking a drink, I cough. “Dear Lord.” I hiss in a breath. “Trying to kill me?”
She laughs. “No. But a good liquor coma sounds good.”
She was in rehab twice while in high school. Her mother came home during our freshman year to find her passed out on the floor in her own vomit. She took some Oxy. She’s not suicidal, but she wanted them to see her. When that didn’t work, she went to a party, got drunk off her ass, and wrapped her father’s one-of-a-kind car around a tree. She didn’t even have her license yet.
Obviously, rehab wasn’t any help. I think her parents were just glad she left for college after senior year. She was someone else’s problem kind of attitude.
“Come on. Let’s go see what this place is all about.” She grabs my arm and pulls me out of the kitchen and through a hallway. We step into an open room. I’m guessing it was once a ballroom with high cathedral ceilings. The walls vary in shade from white and gray. The black granite floor has white vines running through it. It’s gorgeous, just like everything else I’ve seen so far.
The music is louder here. A DJ is set up in a corner at the front of the room, and he too wears a black mask and matching cloak. A long table seats every bit of twenty-four, but only one side is occupied. Twelve people sit side by side, all wearing the same black masks and cloaks overlooking the room.
“What the fuck?” I whisper in her ear over “Like Lovers Do” by Hey Violet.
“I like it.” She nods quickly, taking a drink. “Mysterious.”
It can’t be that bad, right? Not if Matt is involved. He’s a Polo and loafers while playing golf kind of guy. Not a mysterious, I’ll chase you down in an alley and kill you type of vibe. “It’s like a cult,” I mumble to her. “If they try to brand our asses, we run for it.” Fuck the keys, cell phone, and ID. I can get new ones.
She laughs like I’m joking.
4
BLAKELY
Two hours and three drinks later, I’m pretty fucking drunk. Sarah’s damn near gone. We’re laughing and dancing to “Mad Hatter” by Melanie Martinez.
I get this spine-chilling feeling and stop dancing. I quickly look around, but I can’t focus on anything. My hair slaps me in the face, and I shove it back behind my ear the best I can. Only for it to fall back in my way.
“What?” She notices and stops dancing. “You going to get sick?”
“No. I …” My eyes stop on the table at the front of the ballroom. It sits high up on a platform, giving the ones seated there a clear view of the crowd. Two of them are now standing behind it, facing one another. Their hand movements let me know they’re in a deep conversation. One on the very end is typing away on a phone. Makes me wonder why we had to give ours up. The one in the middle. It’s a man. I can tell by the way he’s sitting. He’s laid back in his seat with his right hand up, resting on the side of his mask. It causes the sleeve of his cloak to slide down, and I can see the black and silver watch on his wrist. The flashing lights hit it, almost blinding me.
The one sitting next to him leans in and must say something because the guy’s mask moves up and down as if he’s agreeing.
Those feelings return, making my breathing pick up as I stare at him. Bringing the drink to my lips, I go to take a sip, but I’m hit from behind, knocked forward, making me spill it down my face and shirt. “What the fuck?” I spin around.
“Sorry … Blakely?”
I blink up at another guy dressed in a black cloak and mask. “How do you know …?”
He rips his mask off, and I stare up at a set of wide blue eyes. They instantly narrow on me as I blink. “Blakely?” He growls. “What are you … What are you doing here?”
I can’t speak. Instead, my eyes go to the bleach blond he’s still holding onto. She clings to him like the typical drunk girl who can’t stand on her own.
