Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

“Jax.” He mouthed my neck and the harsh heat stalled my breath, my entire body swimming in fear. I felt my heart race in my neck, my tummy quivering. He smiled his crazed smile. “I think stepmommy dearest and Rick need to know exactly what you are. A lying whore who goes around trying to trap guys.”

“I didn’t.” I pleaded. “Why would I have gotten the pill in the first place? You see I already took it.”

The packaging was all there, right there in front of him.

A deep chuckle and I realized he was playing with me, just more of this madness. More getting off on this.

“Even still, I think I’ll tell them,” he stated, dragging his finger down my neck. “They need to know what we did. Who you are?”

Tears pricked my eyes, my hand on his bicep. “Jax, please don’t.”

His hand found my mouth, forcing my lips apart. His eyes twitched crazy again, his smile a dark one. “You don’t get any rights here. Not with me.”

“Why are you doing this?” I pleaded, shaking. “Why are you treating me like this? What did I do?”

“What did you do?” Another smile. He let me go, and I fell to my knees, my shins completely covered in dirt.

I dragged my head up.

“Try existing, Girl Scout,” he said, tossing the box at me. It hit my shoulder and he smirked. “The fact that you’re a whore just like your mother makes it more fun for me.”

My chest heaved, my insides threatening to explode outside my body again. Heavy steps and he sauntered back over to the rake that had tossed me over my bicycle handles. He’d obviously pushed it into my spokes.

His hand rested on the top. “Probably should get yourself inside. Clean yourself up?” A wide grin. “You look like you’re about to cry.”

I wouldn’t and definitely not in front of him.

Getting to my feet, I brushed myself off, grabbing my things.

I heard nothing but his dark chuckles as I headed inside.

I’d hear them in my nightmares.

Chapter Five

Cleo

Jaxen obviously had a bone to pick with my mom and me. He didn’t even know us, yet hated us, but I refused to try and figure out his crazy. Outside had been the musings of an obvious psychopath, but something I could do about it was alert my dad. This news would most certainly crush him. He’d really wanted Jax to come down here and get to know us, to know me. He’d been so thrilled he was coming he even got Jaxen into my university. Something kind of hard to do considering Jaxen was a senior like me and entrance into Bay Cove was very competitive. He’d wanted someone there for Jax to connect with, me there.

He’d wanted us to be a family.

He’d shared this more than once, constant talks over the dinner table and how thrilled he was that his son had not only agreed to come down, but go to school here. Jaxen did come, but clearly with some kind of delusional chip on his shoulder. Maybe he hated me because his dad hadn’t been around. Maybe he was angry and that made him ruthless.

Either way, I didn’t care.

I just knew my dad would want to know about this. He wanted us to be a family, but he never would have wanted this. Jaxen had been peaches and cream in front of my parents, but it had to be a front. Didn’t it?

Maybe he just hates you.

Again, I couldn’t care, the guy totally dangerous. He’d gone from so kind last night, gentle. I’d met him and hadn’t even wanted to leave him, his hands so big and strong and his personality completely inviting. He’d been, in a word, perfect.

And nothing but a lie.

He didn’t care about me. He just wanted to crush me, and Dad needed to know. I found him in his office, tapping on the door frame. He was surrounded by papers and, as per usual, working when he’d come home to relax and be with family. I was well aware he and Mom would be off and back to business first thing tomorrow after Jaxen and I were supposed to go to school.

His eyes flickered up. “Oh, come in, sweetheart. Come in. I’m almost done here.”

By done, he must have been referring to a break. My adoptive father never stopped being busy. His work in politics kept him always preoccupied.