The Burning Roses (Thornes & Roses 0.5)

The thrill of the chase has always been exhilarating to me.

And there is no doubt in my mind this will become a Thorne Haven ritual. The excitement of what’s to come warms my blood as I consider fucking Mali. She’s gorgeous. Her perfect curves, long dark hair, and those almond-shaped eyes have intrigued me for a while.

She’s one of the few girls in Thorne Haven I haven’t fucked.

But tonight, all that changes.

I shrug on my black hoodie. The dark jeans I’m wearing will offer camouflage amongst the tree trunks this evening. There are still a couple of hours to go, but I’m on edge. My mind keeps replaying various scenarios of the game for tonight. It’s the unknown that has me anxious, but also excited. I want to get a few drinks down before it’s time to race through the shadows.

It’s where I’ve always felt most comfortable.

When I first broached the idea to Damien, I didn’t think he would go for it. Now that he’s at school, I figured he’d become strait-laced, but my best friend is still in there.

I chose to study online, to do my degree from home, whereas Damien couldn’t wait to get out of Thorne Haven. The difference between us is that he has responsibilities to come back to, whereas I have freedom.

Perhaps that’s why we’re so different.

I do as I please. Damien is responsible, where I’m careless. I like to think of myself as a rogue, while my best friend is the good guy. But tonight, we’ll both venture into the darkness, and I can’t wait.

I grab my phone and wallet before making my way down to the living room, where Brody is sitting in front of the television, a PlayStation controller in hand while he curses at the screen.

“I’m heading out,” I tell him.

He doesn’t look away from the loud shooting on the screen. “It’s still early. Fuck you!” The sound of gunshots bounces from the speakers as he makes his kill. “Bastard.” He flops back against the sofa before pausing the noise.

“Yeah, I wanted to get a few beers in my stomach before we get the real party started.” I can’t stop the smirk that graces my expression when I once again think about what’s going to take place.

When I left the rose on Mali’s doorstep along with a card explaining what she must do, I was hard as fuck. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten that rush.

“I’ll see you later. I’m going to finish this and get ready,” Brody informs me. “I think I’ve got a girl in mind for our next time.”

“We haven’t smoothed this out yet. Let’s see what happens tonight, don’t get ahead of yourself,” I tell Brody because it’s true. It’s our first time doing this, and any number of things could go wrong.

“Iron out the details tonight,” he agrees with a nod. “But I know exactly who I want taking my dick when it’s my turn.” He winks before picking up the controller, and before I have time to respond, I’ve lost his attention to the tv.

“See you later.” I leave him to throw obscenities at the characters on-screen and head out to my Maserati. Slipping into the driver’s seat, I flick on the stereo and allow the sounds of Breaking Benjamin to serenade me all the way to Thorne manor.

When I pull up to the manor and the gates slide open, I head up the drive and come to a stop outside the house. Pushing open the door, I exit the vehicle, my shoes crunching on the ground as I hand my keys to the valet.

“Take care of her,” I inform him as I round the front and make my way to the door, which is slightly ajar with music already pumping through the house. The interior is decorated with black and red string lights along the staircase railing, all the way to the first and second floors.

“You’re early,” Damien says when he finds me in the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge. Growing up, side by side, our homes are like welcome sanctuaries when we needed escape from our own families.

“I wanted to get a few drinks in and check out the setup,” I inform him while popping the cap. I swallow a mouthful before looking at my best friend. “Are you sure you’re into this?” All our lives, I’ve always come up with the shit we’ve done. Every time we came home from our adventures, I was always the one to instigate something else, whereas Damien would pull me down off the ledge.

“Yeah, I’m by your side, you know this,” he tells me, but when his brows furrow, I realize he’s reading into my demeanor. Knowing me for such a long time, Damien can see right through my bullshit and call me out on whatever’s eating at me.