Ryan and Carmen Cinder, the queen bees of Darlington Academy.
Short skirts, loosely buttoned blouses, and lips painted a shade of fuck-me red. They were the definition of trying too hard. Very unlike their gorgeous stepsister, who didn’t need a smear of makeup to enh
ance her naturally beautiful features.
I hit the button to unlock my car, opened the passenger door, and tossed my bag inside. Ryan and Carmen remained against the driver’s side, their matching brown eyes glimmering as I approached.
“Ladies,” I greeted, forcing a smile. “Are you looking for a ride?” I’d prefer to drive them straight to hell, where they belonged, but that wasn’t part of the game. If Isabella chose to send these bitches to a cruel fate, then so be it. For now, however, I had to play my part.
“We hear you’re interested in our stepsister,” Carmen said, her finger twirling a platinum blonde strand.
“Yeah?” I propped my hip against my car and slowly checked her out.
Plump breasts, tiny waist, long legs.
I could see the appeal to the human male population, but beneath her porcelain skin lived a witch with evil claws.
“Who’s your stepsister?” I asked, pretending I didn’t know anything about the infamous Cinder sisters. “Does she look anything like you?” That would be a straight no. Isabella’s hair was a natural blonde shade, her body slender and lean but curved in all the right places, and she had a face I could study forever without growing bored.
It was why Dash and Charlie were obsessed with her. Oh, they used her sisters’ penchant for bullying Isabella as an excuse for their actions, but both men wanted to fuck her. I could see it in their eyes today when she stepped onto the deck in that formfitting swimsuit. They bullied her because it gave them a reason to touch her.
Hence, my interference.
Which hadn’t won me many points, but hell if I was going to sit there and watch them torment her.
Carmen giggled while Ryan laughed, drawing me back to this stupid exercise.
“Me? Look like Isabella?” Carmen sounded offended, which caused my lips to twitch. Because yeah, there was definitely no resemblance between the two. And Ryan wasn’t any better with her fake nose and bleached white teeth.
Both these chicks were like an advertisement for airbrushing gone wrong.
“Trust me, only rodents resemble our wretched stepsister,” Ryan put in, stepping toward me and running a blood-red nail down my chest. “But we’re curious why you’re interested in her.”
“Yes, rumor has it you had some fun with her in the pool,” Carmen added, also invading my personal space to grasp my arm.
Very forward.
Confident.
And clearly in the mood for control.
But these two had no idea whom they were propositioning.
I grabbed Ryan’s hip and yanked her closer, loving the way she gasped at my abruptness. Try to manipulate me, I thought. I dare you.
“My interest is my business,” I told her instead, catching her gaze and holding it. “But you’ve piqued mine, sweetheart. Shall I have some fun with you instead?”
Because lighting you on fire would be incredibly entertaining, I added, amused with the image that stirred in my head.
Her palm flattened against my chest, her body pressing into mine in a practiced way that bespoke of sexual experience.
Yet it did nothing for me. If anything, it took physical effort not to outwardly cringe.
“Mmm, I think I would enjoy that,” she murmured, her lips falling to my ear. “However, I’ll need proof that you’re up to the task.”
Carmen leaned into my opposite side, her fingers running through my hair. “Oh, I think he is, Ry,” she said conversationally. “In fact, I think this could be a lot of fun.”
“Are you suggesting a test, sis?” Ryan cooed.