The Initiation (Darkness Within Duet 1)
She slammed it against the side of the table, and it shattered. She stepped back from the chaos she’d created, and his dick was so hard just watching her. She was a sight of beauty and power as she ran her fingers through her hair.
“I can’t believe I did that.” She took a step back, escaping the room.
None of them made a move to join her. Draven heard her feet on the stairs as she ran to her bedroom.
“Wow, that was intense,” Buck said.
Jett picked up his knife. “Anyone know why the mother offed herself when she did?”
“She saw Ian and Hannah at the park,” Draven said. “Not the abandoned park. The one near the supermarket across town.”
“She had seen them a lot though. They were always around town,” Axel said.
“They had a kid with them,” Draven said. “The perfect happy family.”
“How do you know this?” Buck asked.
“I heard him telling my dad about it. It was the last time he saw her. Later that night he got the call. Harper was at the hospital.”
“Why a trip to the park though?” Buck looked at all of them. “Unless she was, like, seriously depressed how the fuck could that have sent her off?”
“He never went to the park with Harper,” Axel said, speaking up. “Remember as kids, Harper and her mother were always there together.”
“You remembered quite far back,” Draven said.
“Come on, out of all of the moms there, Harper’s was always the prettiest.”
He couldn’t deny it there, but he’d rarely looked at her mother. Finishing off his beer, he told Axel to turn the music up. He got to his feet and headed upstairs to see how Harper was doing.
Entering her bedroom, he saw her clothes were on the floor. Sitting on her bed, he turned toward the bathroom and waited.
Seconds later, she stepped out and let out a gasp, her hand holding the towel in place, covering herself.
“What are you doing in my room?” she asked.
“I rather like it.” He lifted his feet up and leaned back. “Ah, the peace.”
“I need to get dressed.”
He sat up again. “I’m not stopping you.”
She didn’t move. Those eyes of her gave him a glare that told him in no uncertain terms, to piss the fuck off.
He didn’t.
She may think she wanted privacy from him, but it was the last thing she was going to get.
“Please, Draven. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m not interested.”
He stood up. She didn’t back down or even look scared. He took a step toward her.
This time, she took a step back. They kept doing this dance until he had her pressed up against the wall in the bathroom. Putting one hand above her head, he smiled at her.
“You’re embarrassed,” he said.
“I don’t know what it is you think I’m capable of, but you’re wrong.”
“I don’t think you’re capable of anything, but if you keep denying your anger, if you keep locking it up tight, you’re going to lash out and hurt someone.”
“So I should just be like you and like them? Just give in to what makes me angry?”
“You held your mother’s dead body. Even when she was dead, you still held her. I don’t care who you are, that will fuck with a person’s head.”
“You think I’m crazy.”
“No. I think you’re angry and scared.”
“And you’ve decided to be the one to help me?” She tilted her head to the side.
The scent of lemon was heavy in the air.
“Do you know what makes us strong? Me and the guys.”
“You’re fearless?”
He laughed. “No. Not even close. We have each other’s backs. That’s our secret. That’s what we don’t tell anyone else. We have each other’s backs, and it is a beautiful thing. We know that no matter what fight we get into, we’ll always have each other.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“We’re offering you the chance to have us at your back.”
She stared at him, and he saw he’d surprised her.
“You want me to be part of your group?” she asked, frowning.
“That’s what we’re offering.” He reached out, stroking a finger down her knuckles. “It’s not easy being part of us. You’re going to have to learn to fight. To not back down, and above all else, to ignore that need to be the good girl.”
“My mom told me to be that.”
“And you’re going to have to ignore it if you want to survive. Once you become one of us, there’s no backing down. There’s no out. There’s only us.”
“Do I get a say in all of this?”
“Yes. It’s your choice if you’re in or not.” He teased the fabric of her towel. She didn’t push him away even as he touched flesh.
“What is all this then? The cafeteria, taking me to school, being at home with me.”
“We’re giving you a taste of what could happen. Of what it would mean to have us on your side.” He placed a finger inside her towel and gave it a tug. She caught it before it fell from her body.