Black Promises (Blackwoods College)

Which was why I couldn’t let them take her away.

I held out for one whole day. I should’ve gone longer—should’ve been stronger—but if you were given a taste of something so incredible, would you be able to keep your distance? I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

I caught her in between classes. I knew her schedule well enough to wait on a bench tucked to the side of a shade-covered path between buildings. It was quiet and not busy, and when she came around the corner with her backpack hiked up and a scowl on her face, I stepped into the path and smiled.

She looked at me and smiled back.

“Sit with me.” I gestured at the bench.

She came over, her smile still there. It broke my heart and made my blood sing all at the same time.

“I thought we weren’t talking for a while.”

“I guess I couldn’t help myself.” I didn’t know how I was supposed to act—she didn’t owe me herself anymore, and yet all I wanted was more. I felt like I’d gotten one single glimpse of something better, of a life where I could be the person I always wanted to be, where my hunger and pain were muted and quiet, and I was afraid it would all slip away.

I moved closer to her. My leg against hers. She didn’t pull back, only stared up into my face.

“Is this smart? Should we be doing this?”

I touched her cheek. Fuck, the answer to both questions was no.

“I don’t care. I couldn’t stay away.”

Her cheeks turned pink. Even after seeing every inch of her and sliding myself so deep into her pussy that she came like a torrential downpour, she still managed to feel embarrassed.

God, it was adorable and sexy and vulnerable and real, and I loved it.

“Robyn says you’ve been in a bad mood lately.”

“I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Have you heard from the detective?”

“Not yet, but she’s sniffing around. Are you holding up okay?”

She glanced away toward where a small group of guys walked past, too engrossed in their own conversation to notice us.

“People are staring at me.”

“Rumors are nothing. It’s all smoke.”

“But I feel like I’m choking on it.”

I leaned down and kissed her gently, just my lips against hers, lingering for a moment longer. Soft and plump and perfect.

“You need to hold on for a little bit longer.”

“How long? I don’t know if I can handle this forever.”

“A few days. I have a plan.”

She gripped my hand and squeezed it hard. “You always have a plan.”

“It’s in motion. Calvin’s helping.”

She frowned and shifted even closer. “Is that safe?”

“We can trust him.”

“But I can’t imagine he’s helping for free.”

I smiled. What a smart girl. There was a reason I couldn’t get enough of him. “Let me worry about that.”

“You’ve done too much already. This was supposed to be my idea and my revenge, but I feel like I dragged you too deep into it, and now you’re saving my ass.”

“It’s a lovely ass. I wouldn’t want it to go to waste.”

“Stop, you know what I mean.”

I kissed her again. I couldn’t help myself. She seemed to like it, despite not owing me a thing anymore.

“Just trust me. When we did what we did, I had a contingency plan.”

“Even back then?”

“From the very start. I knew it might come to this and I’m not going to let them take you from me.”

She went quiet and still. Maybe I said the wrong thing—suggesting that she was mine might’ve gone too far. I didn’t know and I didn’t care, because in my heart, in my body and blood, every inch of her belonged to me.

I claimed her that night in the trailer. I showed her my past, where I was from, a place so dear to me that I’d never shown another human before, not even my cousin. Cora was the first person aside from myself to step in there ever since I took control, and that meant something.

Whether she wanted me or not, I didn’t care. I’d worship her, pine for her, need her for as long as I drew breath. I was connected to her, drawn and bound in iron and lust, and nothing would break me away.

“I hate that you’re doing this alone. Can you let me help at least?”

“There’s nothing to help. It’s set in motion, and now we have to wait.”

She nodded and looked at her shoes. “I never meant for you to save me, you know.”

“I know that.”

“When I thought about what came after, there was only… nothing. I couldn’t picture life anymore.” She looked up and met my eyes. “I can picture it now and I don’t want to go to jail.”

I kissed her deeper this time. She lingered against my mouth, breathing hard and gorgeous, her taste flooding my tongue and lips. She was the river and I was the stones over which she flowed, and I’d stay steady for her as long as she needed me.