Ruthless Love (Ash and Innocence 1)

He was lounging with a group of people on the front porch of the towering mansion. There were a couple girls with the group of guys that I didn’t recognize, but the guys were the ones from the other day. The four hot asshole football players. It wasn’t the catchiest name for their group, so I made a mental note to work on that later.

Tristan stood up from the porch when he saw me. I slowed, feeling the weight of everyone’s collective eyes as I came closer. I didn’t belong in their world, and they all knew it. Tristan knew it better than all of them, and I was starting to think he took sick pleasure in dragging me into moments like this.

“Can I just have them and go?” I asked.

“If you agree to come with us, sure,” Tristan said. He carelessly tossed the bottle up and then caught it without looking. “Cause I think the medicine you really need is a good time. We’re all going to the jailhouse tonight. You should come.”

“C’mon, man.” Logan stood, trying to get Tristan’s attention.

Tristan ignored him, keeping his gaze locked on me. All of them were watching. Somewhere, beneath the nervous, panicked heartbeat pounding in my ears, there was a smart way out of this. Whatever it was, I couldn’t find it. All I could feel was the stupid, embarrassing voice whispering to me—that maybe if I could just prove I wasn’t a complete wuss, he’d see me as less of a victim and stop tormenting me. Maybe all I needed to do was go along with this and prove myself. Somehow.

I swallowed hard. “Sure, fine. I’ve got nothing going on.”

Tristan laughed. “She has nothing going on,” he said quietly. “Good. We’ll pick you up once your mom leaves. I assume mommy wouldn’t approve of our field trip, right?”

I blushed. “That’s fine.”

“Gage, you in?” Tristan asked.

“Count me out. I’ve got shit to handle tonight,” Gage stood, setting down a beer bottle on the steps of the porch. He nodded his head to the girl he was with, but she took a look at Tristan and shook her head. Gage didn’t appear to care, and he walked towards one of the expensive looking cars parked out front.

“Pussy,” Cassian spat. “More like he doesn’t want to risk making his daddy mad if anyone finds out where we’re going.”

Logan put his hand on Tristan’s shoulder and started saying something to him in a low voice. Tristan’s expression darkened, and he finally gave Logan a shove.

“Why don’t you go with Gage, then?” Tristan asked.

Logan stared him down. Finally, he looked to me, then shook his head and sat back down.

The look on Logan’s face made my stomach go cold. What had I just agreed to?* * *There was a knock on my door just a few minutes after my mom left. I was already in my chair, waiting in the living room. I could still back out. All I had to do was say “no.” Sure, Tristan wasn’t the type of guy who was used to hearing the word, but I also didn’t think he would take things to the level of kidnapping, either. At least, I hoped he wouldn’t…

“Open the door, Wheels,” he shouted through the door. “I know you’re in there.”

I squeezed the wheels of my chair, closing my eyes. I’d wanted to be normal for so long. Maybe the best and only shot I’d ever get was this. I wasn’t stupid enough to think Tristan planned to show me a great time tonight and make me one of his pals. No, but there was at least a chance he’d get carried away having fun and forget about me long enough for me to enjoy myself. Right?

I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Tristan was waiting there with his forearm on the frame and an amused look on his face. “Did you doll yourself up for me, Wheels?”

I clenched my teeth. “I’m a girl. You said we were going somewhere. I tried to look nice because that’s what people do when they go somewhere.”

Tristan moved behind my chair and started pushing me.

“Don’t. I can do it myself.”

“Yeah, and you also can’t stop me from doing it for you.” He leaned down so his breath was hot against my ear. “Maybe I’ve got a thing for control. And what’s easier to control than the girl who is stuck in a chair?”

I stared straight ahead, then squeezed my hands as hard as I could against both wheels, bringing my chair to a lurching stop that made Tristan stumble and nearly tip us both over. He cursed under his breath. “Whatever, push yourself if it makes you happy.”

He stalked ahead of me toward Logan’s truck. Cassian was sitting in the back, watching me like a vulture might watch a field mouse. The girls from earlier were up front with Logan.