Tomas’s eyes glitter. “New toys are always so much fun…”
My brows furrow together. That’s right—they’ve claimed me as their shiny new plaything. Fuck, that means the whole school will know soon enough. Just thinking about how close I am to freedom, how my dingy little speedboat is parked a few docks down, makes me sick to my stomach. I could have just taken a late-night ride on my boat instead of crashing this stupid fucking party.
What did I even want by coming here? More torture? Maybe this is what I deserve. Maybe I’ve been asking for it this whole time without realizing it. Daddy’s little girl just doesn’t have protection anymore. I meet Parker’s gaze, studying the fiery intensity flaring in his green eyes. They look like they’re glowing, like they’re on fire. I don’t want to have to leave this party naked.
The zipper gets stuck in the middle of my back, causing me to break my staring match with Parker. I recover the zipper and resume its path along my spine, listening to the way Soren groans behind me. Breaking eye contact is a bad idea. Looking away means Parker has won, that he has the upper hand. I can’t let him have anymore power. He’ll just abuse it.
I cringe internally. Who am I kidding? He’ll take whatever he wants because he’s a fucking Somerville. Shivering, I shrug out of the sleeves of my dress, letting the glittering fabric flutter over my skin as it slides to the ground. The soft whoosh from the motion makes my teeth grind together. They’re getting what they want whether I like it or not.
I cross my arms over my chest defiantly.
“All of it,” Parker demands, his voice reduced to gravel. His eyes drop to my panties, causing me to gush. I hate my reaction. And what I hate even more is the glimmer of delight that glitters in his irises as he meets my gaze again. He smiles. Sweet victory is his. “Not bad so far.”
“Nice legs,” Soren comments, a feather-light touch dusting over my left thigh. “Tiny ass.”
Tomas rounds my body to get a view from behind. He hums like he’s appraising a new car. “Tinier than I’d like.”
Parker doesn’t blink. I can tell by the vein pulsing in his forehead that repeating his command for me to strip is going to make everything so much worse. I quickly thumb the straps of my bra and close my eyes as I slide my undergarments to the ground.
“This is ridiculous,” Tabitha groans. “Her tits aren’t nearly as good as mine. Right, Parker?”
I hear Parker snarl a warning that zips quickly past me toward Tabitha and her big fucking mouth. Keeping her lips shut would have been easy, but no, she just had to provide commentary on the whole fucking situation.
“This should have been me,” Tabitha argues. I slit my right eye open in time to see Parker shove her out of the room. “It was my honor!”
The door slams shut in her face, her repeated pleas to be allowed inside muted by the wood. Parker turns around and stalks toward me, muscles flexing power and strength. Fear rips through my gut as he unzips his jeans, holding my gaze steady.
“Uh, what are you doing, buddy?” Soren rounds my body and steps between Parker and me. “I thought we agreed that I would go first.”
Parker snorts. “She’s my bride-to-be. I get first dibs.”
“I think I should try her for you,” Tomas interjects. “Break her in.”
“I hate that idea,” Parker spits.
The three of them launch into a miniature debate over who gets to claim my snatch first. I take a step back, testing whether or not they’re paying attention. When they don’t lunge in my direction, I scoop my clothes from the ground and slip into the en suite bathroom, yanking my clothes on as quickly as my shaking hands will allow.
My reflection catches my attention. Hollow eyes stare back at me with a tightly sealed mouth formed into a defensive frown. This is my life now. I should just get used to this, right?
The argument continues while I search for a way out. A door opposite the shower catches my attention and I slip off my heels, being sure to quietly tiptoe over the tile. When I open the door, I notice a dimly lit corridor leading deeper into the yacht.
Fucking jackpot.
I shoot one last glance over my shoulder. Lev is watching me. My heart seizes in my chest, waiting for him to sound the alarm. The way his jaw flexes tells me he’s grinding his teeth—he always had a bad habit of doing that when he was thinking too hard. While his body remains rigid and unreadable, his eyes are loud and clear: go.
Without hesitation, I slip through the doorway and sprint down the corridor. Those idiots are too busy arguing over who gets to fuck me to notice I’m gone. But when they do notice I’m gone? I can’t even imagine the consequences.
But maybe this will work in my favor.
I can’t avoid the shit that’s coming my way, but maybe I can control something else, something far more powerful than their physical prowess. If that argument is any indication of their unspoken animosity toward each other, then I can use it to my advantage.
I just hope it helps me protect myself.
***
Fear follows me into the next day as I prepare to head to the pier. Nobody will be there this afternoon with too many of them nursing their hangovers. I’ll have the water to myself for a little while. I hardly seem to have anything to myself lately.
I race down the stairs, heart hammering with excitement so much that it pushes the anxiety from last night out of my system. The living room to the right of the foyer hosts my keys. I dart into the room, hair swinging behind me as I round the couch and head for the table near the window.