I lick my lips, being so close to him. “I smell and I’m sweaty,” I say again.
His eyes drop to my neck and he draws his tongue out, licking me across my slick skin. “I don’t care,” he announces, coming up to look me back in the eye.
I clear my throat. “I gather that…”
“Do you know who I am?” he asks, kissing my lips softly. What is with this man and always wanting to touch me. Why do I like it?
I shake my head. “No.”
He grins, kissing my lips. “I’m something you should have found a long time ago.”
I pull back from him slightly. “You’re a Rebel.”
“Yes.” He sits back, lighting a cigarette. “I need to talk with you about something that is of importance.”
“Okay,” I whisper, wiping the sweat from my head. “And then will you drop me back?”
He grins around the stick of his smoke. “Maybe.” He lights up, inhaling. “Or maybe I will want to keep you.” He blows out the cloud.
“I’m not a woman who can be kept…”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
My runner’s high has completely disappeared now, and fatigue is replacing it. “Please tell me what you want.”
“My name’s Benny Vitiosis, Tillie.”
I tilt my head. “And?”
He smirks. “And I’m the one who is going to make sure you get the right options.”
“Okay, I don’t know what that means.”
Benny taps at the driver’s seat, and then brings his eyes back to me. “What are you hoping to do after Hector has been punished for his, maybe, sins?”
I laugh. “I don’t know. Why?”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Because there’s still the case of who is going to run Perdita.”
I shake my head. “Not me. Not right now.”
He leans forward, searching my eyes. “What has to happen for you to stay on that island for a couple of months?”
“Why!” I snap, throwing my arms up. “Why does everyone want to know that?”
Benny smirks, puffing on his smoke. I lean forward and snatch it from between his fingers, shocking him in the process. I wrap my lips around it and inhale.
He looks at me with new light. “Didn’t think fit chicks smoked?”
“This one does,” I say. “Especially when she gets kidnapped and questioned about shit she doesn’t want to address right now.”
“Benny shrugs. “I’ll come back after you’ve chased your revenge, but remember this, Stuprum…”
I wait, blowing out a cloud of smoke as the SUV pulls up to the cabin. I didn’t even notice we had turned back around.
“When it all comes crashing down, and his revenge is seeping from your fingers with nothing but your guilt there to keep you sane…. Call me.”
The door flies open and Nate is standing there, seething. “What the fuck, Benny!”
Benny winks at Nate. “Nathanial. When will you share this fine piece of ass with me?”
Nate’s lip curls. “I’ll rip your fucking face off before I ever let her touch you, Benny.”
I roll my eyes, patting Nate’s chest as I try to get out of the car.
He doesn’t move.
“Nate!” I snap, but his eyes are still heated and on Benny.
He slowly steps backward to let me out but doesn’t move his attention from Benny.
“You know how I like it…” Benny smirks.
Nate launches into the car and knocks me to the side, but Bishop grabs him by the collar, setting him back. “No.”
Brantley slams the door closed and the SUV slowly rolls out of the driveway.
When they’re gone, Nate turns his wrath onto me. “What the fuck were you doing in his car, Tillie!”
“Well,” I say, wiping the dirt from my legs, courtesy of Nate’s tantrum. “I’m so glad you asked. He kidnapped me on my run, an—”
“—he what!” Nate yells, his eyes going back to the retreating truck.
“Nate!” I snap at him. “He brought me back. It doesn’t matter.”
Nate storms off into the house and I’m left with Brantley and Bishop staring at me carefully.
“What?”
No one answers and everything turns silent. Again.
Tillie
“Pull over here…” Nate mutters, pointing to the shoulder of the road.
I obey, slowing onto the shoulder. “What’s going on?”
Nate doesn’t say anything. He flips his hoodie over his head, looking to the side mirror, as if he’s waiting for someone. “I have a house. Did I tell you?”
“You mentioned it in passing, yes…” During the discussion of you living in it.
His fingers tap against his thigh.
“Nate, what are you doing?”
He looks anxious. Nate never looks anxious. My eyes catch an SUV pulling up behind us. I recognize it. The same one Nate’s dad used.
“Turn your car off and follow my lead.”
“What?” I screech. “No!”
“Tillie.” Nate turns to look directly at me. “We are getting our revenge, and the motions that go into play here, are starting now.”
“But Bishop sa—”
“Fuck Bishop when it comes to this.”
“Wait…” My heart thunders in my chest. “You’re going behind his back!?” I whisper-scream, tying my hair into a high ponytail.