The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

“Holy crap,” Mya gasped as we stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer of the penthouse. It was all glass and chrome and high-end decor. Completely over the top, and probably unworthy of its thousand-dollar-a-night price tag, but Dad’s brother, Uncle Mich, was all too willing to accommodate me and my friends. They were constantly trying to one up each other. Let the kids borrow the penthouse. Let the kids vacation in the Hamptons. Riley and Vaughn worked it to their advantage more than me though. Probably because their father cared even less than mine.

Well, mine cared… just about the wrong things.

“It’s something else, right?” Flick breezed past us as if she owned the place, Jason trailing after her.

“I can’t... wow.” Mya’s eyes were big, awe glittering in her dark irises. “Your uncle owns this?”

“Yeah. My dad uses it for business sometimes.” I moved up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. “It’s just an apartment.” My breath brushed the shell of her ear.

“It’s really not. It’s... too much. I knew you were rich, Asher, but this is... wow.”

I chuckled but it came out strained because I knew what she was thinking. “You belong here, with me,” I said.

I didn’t want her to doubt us. Not in Rixon, not here, not anywhere. But I tried to put myself in her shoes, to imagine what it must be like to be the girl plucked out of a bad neighborhood and thrust into my life.

Mya’s hand slid atop of my arms, hugging me back. “How many bedrooms are there?”

“Enough.” My voice was husky as I

imagined her laid out before me in nothing but a smile and lust in her eyes. “But if we don’t hurry, Flick and Hailee will claim the best ones.”

She turned in my arms. “They can have them. I’ve got all I need right here.” Mya leaned up, running her tongue along the seam of my mouth. I opened willingly, desperate to taste her again. We’d practically made out the entire journey and it still wasn’t enough.

I still needed more.

“Well, fuck me, it’s true.” My cousin Riley’s voice was like a bucket of cold water. Letting out a heavy sigh, I pressed my head to Mya’s, giving myself a second.

“You must be Mya,” he said, coming closer.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Riley and this moody bitch is my sister, Vaughn.” He flicked his head to the sullen girl standing at his side.

“Hey,” she said coolly, giving Mya the once over before raising a brow at me. “Cousin.”

“Vaughn, it’s good to see you,” I said, letting her slide her slender arms around my shoulder in an awkward hug.

“We brought supplies, they’re in the car,” Riley said. “Where are the guys? Thought the three of you could come give me a hand and let the girls all catch up.”

Vaughn glanced at me again, before she settled her focus back on Mya. I moved closer to my girl, wrapping my arm tighter around her waist, not liking the way my cousin was looking at her.

“Actually,” I said, feeling all kinds of protective. “Why don’t you two get the supplies and I’ll send the guys down in a second?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Riley gave me an easy smile, but I saw the tightness around his eyes. “Come on, sister of mine.” He marched out of the penthouse, Vaughn following behind.

“So they’re your cousins,” Mya said, her eyes still trained on the door. “I can see the family resemblance between you and Riley, and Vaughn seems… nice.”

I bristled at the tightness in her voice. “Don’t worry about Vaughn.”

“Oh, I’m not worried,” Mya stood a little straighter, shooting me a bemused look. “She isn’t the first white girl who’s looked at me like I’m dirt on her shoe, and she won’t be the last.” She shucked out of my hold and took off deeper into the suite.

Cussing under my breath, I ran a hand down my face. This trip was supposed to be a chance to enjoy ourselves, to be a normal couple away from people’s judgment.

But it was already turning into a fucking disaster.

“You good?” Cam asked me as we leaned against the balcony, watching the girls dance on the floor below. The club Riley and Vaughn had brought us to was crammed, bodies packed in like sardines. But upstairs in the VIP section it was more laid back, which was why we were up here while the girls were down there.

“Yeah, I’m good.”