NEFARIOUS: B723 SERIES BOOK THREE, page 48
“Going against your word.” She gapes at me and takes a staggering step back. I watch her pale before my eyes as emotions flood her from every direction. “How do you think you’ll feel if they’re dead without your say? Do you believe you’d mourn them or be relieved?”
“Don’t talk like that,” she snaps, slicing a hand through the air as if to block that thought from coming near her. “Nothing is going to happen to them.”
I scoff. “Says who?”
Amirah glares at me, turning towards that feeling of anger to get her through this. That’s precisely what I’m doing too because feeling too vulnerable is more painful than this.
“You wouldn’t,” she mutters. “You promised.”
“I promised to think about it.”
“I don’t want you to.”
“Not your full decision now, is it?”
Amirah blinks a few times, repeating what I said more than liking and remembering that I, in fact, never promised that I wouldn’t end half her family.
She could hate me after this, never want to see me again, but at least I’d know she was safe from harm from her own blood.
“Mills, please don’t—“
“You’d be protected,” I argue, aware that I’m pushing her to a breaking point. “No more having to worry about anything. No more random men coming to your apartment. No more threatening phone calls.”
“You’re asking me to put a hit on my sisters,” she lashes out, her face reddening.
“And you’re mother.”
Amirah gapes at me. “You can’t be—but my father!”
“Will live. Thanks to me.”
Her chest heaves unsteady breaths, and she looks absolutely breathtaking in this moment, no matter how pissed off she is.
Another thing too, she’s fucking mine.
“Take your skirt off,” I order, erasing some space between us. “You like following orders so well. And keep your heels on.”
“Fuck you,” she storms, then points to the door. “Get out!”
“Make me.” Her face twists in something I can’t read, a mix of shit, I’m sure. “Your sisters had cameras put in here. They’ve watched us fuck on almost every surface of this place.”
Amirah’s eyes flick around the place, turning around to look at all four corners of the room. Pushing my chest flush against her spine, I wrap my arm around her middle and pull her closer. Her ass hits in the right place with her heels, leveled with my already hard cock.
She gasps in surprise as my index finger swipes underneath the fabric of her silky skirt.
“What did I say, baby?” I mutter in her ear. “Makeup sex is the best—“
“We’re breaking up.” Yet she makes no move to shove my hand away that can yank the material cockblocking my efforts.
“Alright.” I reach down to the hem of the article of clothing I want her to remove and slide the pads of my fingers under her prickled flesh. I find the elastic waistband and brush along the lace. “I’ll go. But your mother is making a move to trade my blood out for someone else’s. She’s planning on murdering your father, baby.”
Amirah whips around and out of my grasps, staring me down like I’m insane. “That’s not true.”
“Why would I make it up?”
“Because you want me to…she loves my dad.” She couldn’t sound more unconvincing if she tried. I’ve only known about Juliette for weeks but it didn’t take a Harvard graduate to analyze that it wasn’t him she wanted.
“But she loves her money more, doesn’t she?” I challenge back.
“You’re lying,” she spats out, and I kinda wish she would’ve slapped me because it wouldn’t have hurt as bad as her not trusting me at all.
I know she’s upset. That she’d never want to imagine her own family betraying each other, but I’ve done nothing but make sure she’s settled back into her life the best way she can be.
“I’ll give you some time to think,” I ground out, rounding her body and the oversized couch. I’m not going to force her to reconsider me and what we were building. I can’t compel her to do shit.
I wouldn’t want to.
Slamming the door behind me, I pull out my phone and text Marty to come up and watch the penthouse. He’s in town for a few more nights, and I’m sure he’d love the opportunity to kill something if Odette or Solange comes around.
Or some of their boys.
All I know is that I can’t be around here tonight because I’ll go back up there.
I’ll kiss her until she can’t think of anything else but wanting to be with me. And even then, I don’t need that.
MARTY: I’ll be there.
MILLS: Thanks, man.
Then I dial up Kyson.
“Hey, man.”
“What’s good, brother?”
I rake my hand through my thick hair and blow out a breath. “I told her.”
“And I’m taking it that because you’re calling me, it didn’t go well.”
“Wanna meet up for a drink?”
“See you in twenty.”
With a glass full of tequila in my hand, I lightly sip because I’ve already downed two. Without eating much tonight, I’m already feeling a little too emotional and word vomity at the moment, and continuing on will get me deeper into my own whirlwind of what is called Amirah.
“She’ll come through, man,” Kyson tells me confidently. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“I’ve never lied to her,” I retort. “She knows what they’re capable of, I mean—shit, dude, Solange tried having her raped.”
“I think she’s living in a small state of denial.” I scoff through my nose and take a bigger swallow of the liquid, feeling it go straight to my empty gut. “I know I said earlier to just say the word…I’m just worried you’re not going to say it.”
“I don’t—“
“You wanna be with this girl?” I spin my glass around the bartop, already feeling that I’ve exposed way too much. Even to a guy I’ve known for fucking years and has always had my back. “Don’t get all Bishop on me.”
“Yeah,” I blurt out to appease his mental health. “I really like her.”
“And she likes you. You had your first fight, but there’s more coming. It comes with the territory.”
“Fun.” I tip back the rest of my drink and wave the bartender down for another. Fuck this, I’d rather have a break from pondering all this shit. “I should’ve just looked at Ems and Bish and saved myself the trouble.”
“Shit hits you upside the head,” Ky claims. “You don’t expect it.”
“Maybe we should just do this, and I’ll let her go. At least I’ll know…she’s good.”
“Then never see her again?” I glance over at my buddy, who is wearing a get a grip expression on his face. “Don’t think you’ll get off that quick.”
“Oh, I know I won’t.”
“All you have to do is—“
“Say the word,” I finish for him off a sigh. “Yeah…easier said than done.”
“Where’s that confidence you’re always wearing? Are you telling me that you can’t win her ass back?”
I perk a brow. “Have you ever killed a girl’s family that you liked?”
He pushes out his right cheek with his tongue. “Not particularly.”
“Point made.” The female bartender slides me over another drink and leaves me in peace. My sour expression must explain that I don’t want to be spoken to right now, and I’m drowning my sorrows on gold tequila.
“Blue’s coming by,” Kyson quips. “She’s worried.”
“Worried?” I shake my head over the rim of my glass. “Don’t go making this dramatic and shit.”
My cell buzzes along the wooden countertop with Marty’s name across it.
MARTY: She ordered tacos with no tomatoes. Your girl’s a nut.
MILLS: Maybe you’ll become best friends.
MARTY: Not with food habits like that.
Warm arms wrap around my neck, followed by the smell of watermelon bubblegum.
Blue.
I glance over at Kyson. “I thought you just said she’s coming by.”
“Never said when.” He shrugs me off as Blue presses a kiss to my temple, sliding one of her hands across the back of my shoulder blades and takes the seat next to me.
“What number are we on, champ?” she asks, pointing to my full glass.
“Number I don’t give a fuck.”
“Ow—“ She looks over at Kyson with raised brows. “—he’s in those kinds of feelings.”
Oh my fucking God.
“Thanks, Ky,” I censure through a glare, not in the mood to do what I always do to them and be harassed. “You fucking dick.”
He chuckles as he takes a drink of his own shit, which wins me the reward of speaking with Blue.
“Mir Mir didn’t want to believe you, huh?”
“Nope,” I deadpan, spinning my glass to see if I can keep all the liquid in.
“She’ll get over it. Us girls do…sometimes.”
“Reassuring as fuck.”
“She’s not an idiot, Mills, but she’s not going to make that decision. Her conscience can’t hold it. But yours can.”
Then I lose her, forever.
Kyson and Blue are giving me way too much credit over here if they think I can pull the trigger now that I’ve had her.
“If you fucked her good enough, she’ll come back.”
I glimpse over my shoulder to find her smiling at me. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“I do…but you won’t.” I laugh at her dumb innuendo because her and I have never clicked like that. She’s gorgeous and dangerous and everything that a man would want to want, but Blue doesn’t get my dick hard, and I’m sure as hell too pretty for her to get her pussy wet.
“Where are you staying tonight?”
I shrug. “I’ll get a hotel or something like I did before. Get a few hours in before I relieve Marty.”
“Still gonna watch over the little rich girl, huh?” I don’t answer because the response is pathetic. “I’d say you got it bad.”
“He’s not going to deny it,” Kyson adds with a chuckle.
“Good.” Blue plucks my drink out of my grasps. “Because she needs you as much as I think you’ve been searching for her.”
“Since when do you get sappy?” I ask through knitted brows.
Blue polishes off half my tequila before sliding it back over. “You don’t know me.”
“I do a little,” I defend because, really, I couldn’t tell you shit about her favorite food but that it’s my tequila and peril.
“Name my favorite color,” she tests.
I tsk. “Name mine.”
“Blue.”
Fuck.
Her lips curl into a smile. “Which is super sweet and everything, thank you.”
“Yours is black like your soul,” I jeer.
She smiles. “I sold it to the devil years ago.”
I haven’t spoken or seen Mills in three full days.
And my heart is cracking with each passing second, minute, along with every inhale and exhale.
However, I broke up with him. I should feel some sort of power, if you will, to make the grown-up decision that we just can’t do this anymore.
I did it for him.
I didn’t do it for me.
Which opens up another can of worms that I don’t want to delve into.
When he left, I paced the front room of Trip’s penthouse. I attempted to work on another design but failed within thirty minutes because I kept picking up my phone to call him just to put it back down.
The following evening after school and my internship at Mina Blythe’s, I expected to see something from him.
I assumed too high, and apparently, he’s respecting my wishes.
At times I wish he wouldn’t.
Then I’m glad that he is.
I called Laurent and told him everything that Mills told me about the blood swapping and the cameras. I had lunch with Dad but couldn’t bring myself to tell him a thing.
He asked about Mills; I lied. I’m not able to vocalize that I left him because Odette threatened to do her worse.
Then the mother of all things came in when Mom texted me.
Mom: Why haven’t you been home?
AMIRAH: School.
MOM: My birthday is coming. I’d love for you to make some time for me.
AMIRAH: I’m busy.
MOM: I’ll see you then and send you the details.
I don’t respond, but I get a response from Odette, which leads me to believe they’re around each other. My luck can’t be that bad.
ODETTE: You did good, little sis.
Then it got worse.
SOLANGE: You did really well, little sis.
ODETTE: How about we hit up Sax, and I’ll buy you a pair of shoes as a new beginning.
SOLANGE: And I’ll buy you a bag for all your fashion stuff.
ODETTE: What works best for you?
I want to tell them to go fuck themselves, but I refrain. I’m a wreck as it is and continue to become more of one when another week goes by. Also, how they know Mills and I broke up, sends an unfathomable amount of warning signs blinking through my head.
“You alright?” Laurent asks me when we’re couch shopping for his new condo.
I nod and avert my gaze from his prying eyes because I can’t hold back the tears that threaten to fall. “Yeah, I’m just…this furniture is hideous, Laur. Expensive and ugly.”
He chuckles at my side. “Making your eyes hurt?”
You have no idea much my eyes want to fall out of my head from all the crying.
“Let’s go to IKEA.”
“I’ve never been to—“ I bring my hand to my face, covering the red in my irises and making it look like my brother is insane.
“Oh my God,” I whine. “You’re missing out on everything.” I round his body and tug his arm on the way. “Let’s go.”
By the weekend, I’m exhausted. Sleep evades me. Hunger has betrayed me, and I’m running on fumes. I’ve left my phone in the kitchen, so I’d stop staring and obsessing over the fact that I’ve heard nothing from him.
Cutting floral fabric in the spare bedroom, I hear the door to the penthouse unlock and open. My heart slams into my chest as I rise from the floor and peer around the door frame to find Mills striding inside, looking around for me.
I’m in the hallway within a second, sprinting towards him in the next frame of my memory. He’s wearing dark blue jeans and a white tee that outlines his muscular arms. A black hat that covers his face when I get closer, so I can’t see much of his expression, but when I jump into his arms, he instantly catches me.
I immediately wrap my legs around him and knock off his hat to see his stunning grayish blues. He stares up at me with sadness clouded in them, and I don’t waste another second.
I kiss him.
I claim him with every ounce of remorse that’s still floating around in my body. I doubted him because I didn’t want to believe that the women in my life were vipers—ruthless and heartless. I’m in denial when I wish for hope that one day my family, the half that likes to torture strangers will one day flip a switch and become decent people.
But they won’t, it’s the reality of the situation.
However, in this moment, I crave nothing more than to be Mills’s. Especially when his tongue sinks into my mouth as we devour each other with our feelings. His hands possessively squeeze my ass, and I need nothing more than to be filled up by him in every way.
“I fucking missed you, Rus,” he mutters against me, nestling my nose for me to open up wider.
“I missed you more.” He kisses me deep and slow, relishing us being together again. “I’m sorry, Mills. I messed up.”
Mills moves forward, marching deeper into the penthouse and into my bedroom. He slides me down his body and reluctantly breaks our kiss.
“We still broken up?” A shattered chill runs up my spine, and I don’t know if it’s in warning or because Mills is back in my midst, but I shove my next words from my throat.
“I’m scared.”
His brows furrow deep on his face. “Of what?”
“Of you getting hurt.” His lips curl into a sinister smile that has me blushing from the confidence it swelters.
“Oh, baby—“ He reaches out for me and pulls me into his chest. “—I’m fully capable of taking care of myself…and you. And you have a lot of making up to do.”
“But—“
He shakes his head. “There are no but’s. I will protect you through thick and thin against anyone. I will always make sure you are okay. And you can thank me—” He meshes our lips together for a tender kiss. “—by sucking my dick or letting me eat your pussy.”
Mother of all God.
“It’s too much,” I shove from my mouth, trying to stay on the topic we need to stay on.
He perks a brow. “Which one?”
“Neither.” I shake my head. “It’s just handling my crap with yours. It’s not fair to you after I treated you so badly and—”
“I’ll decide what I can handle.” His hand splays along my spine, and his eyes flick down to my breast. “And I want to handle you.”
“I can’t have you…” He opens his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it before I completely chicken out. “I can’t have you kill them.” He presses his lips together, clearly unhappy with my decision yet again.
Which means so many other things.
Like how I couldn’t stay with him if he did do something. How it’d always be something looming between us forever.
“Final answer, huh?” I bob my head. My heart flaying around in my chest that’s going to walk away from me and never come back.
I can’t do this twice.
We’ve come so far and different from any relationship that I think even exists in this world. I want to share my life with him and be involved with his. I love his family—both of them. Even though his makeshift brothers are still opening up to me and I’m sure are reserved with my intentions.
