Hollow Hearts (The Harkwright Trilogy)

“Anyone called your number yet?”

Lifting my head to look up at Tucker, I slowly shake it in response. “Then I guess today’s my lucky day, come along Thirty-Four,” he clicks his fingers at me and anger surges up, but as usual I squash it before getting to my feet and following after him.

I guess I thought if anyone would call on me it would be Aeron, but I haven’t seen him. I can’t even be sure he returned with the others.

Following Tucker, he leads me to their wing. I swallow hard as he opens a door and walks through it, only it isn’t a bedroom like I was expecting.

The walls are cream and there are various screens with consoles connected. Various sofas, loveseats and even bean bags are placed throughout the room. Vinyl players, stereo systems and speakers in every corner. There’s a pool table, foosball and even an air hockey table, this is a game room for sure.

“Come on Thirty-Four, I want to sit down,” Tucker says as he leads me over to one of the loveseats and pats the space beside him.

I take my seat and he doesn’t try to close the space I’ve put between us, instead his eyes are trained behind the sofa. Staring at the door we came through, and I get the feeling that he’s waiting for something or someone.

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do,” I say in a soft voice as I bite down on my bottom lip and his eyes soften slightly as he takes me in.

“Just sit there and enjoy the comfort… for now,” he replies mysteriously, freeing my bottom lip with his forefinger before going back to study the door and I take the opportunity to take him in myself.

I can just make out the amber of his eyes and my own trail down to the scar circling his left eyebrow, the slight crookedness to his nose and the bow of his lip. He has an indent in his chin and his hair is the color of caramel. My eyes continue their travel to his black T-shirt that stretches across his impressive frame - a little too big for my taste - and I wonder if his muscles are for a purpose or just for show. His arms are big even when they’re not flexed and he doesn’t seem to get any smaller the lower I look. His thighs are wide and even his feet look fucking big. Oh god, I wonder if what they say about big feet is true. I’m so lost in my own musings that I nearly miss the words that pass his lips.

“Show time,” he mutters as someone stumbles through the door and I look up to see Aeron and he’s not alone.

I think she’s Nine, I don’t know and I hate myself for only seeing a number and drawing a blank when it comes to her actual name.

They make their way over and his eyes widen, as much as they can because he’s clearly as high as a kite. He drops down on the other sofa and she wastes no time in sitting beside him and running her hand up his thigh.

“If it isn’t Little Zero, guess someone picked you after all,” he says before almost falling over in laughter and I look to the side as my cheeks flame.

His girl for the evening titters at his remark and he removes her hand from his leg as he rights himself and leans forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs.

“Don’t worry about Tucker, I doubt he even knows how to use it,” his eyes drop to Tucker’s groin before returning to me and I can’t help but stare back. Glutton for punishment, I know. “Feel free to watch, you may learn a thing or two. What am I saying, of course you will. After all, what the fuck does a virgin know?”

“That’s enough Aeron, mean words are beneath you or they should be,” Tucker growls and it only draws out another laugh, only this one is full of bitterness.

“Nine, strip for me and I expect a show,” he orders and she only looks at us for a moment before climbing to her feet and a song starts to fill the room. What’s Your Fantasy by Ludacris, she doesn’t need me watching but it’s hard to stop when she starts to slide the zipper down on her denim zip up dress.

“Come here Thirty-Four,” Tucker growls before he grips my hand and pulls, I can’t stop myself from sprawling over him until he grips my hips and rights me. I swallow hard as my thighs fall either side of his and the length of him - fuck me he’s getting harder - pushes up against my lace panties as my skirt falls around us.

My eyes meet his and there’s a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, and I can’t ignore the fact that I feel him twitch beneath me. His hands stay on my hips as his tongue flicks out to glide across his bottom lip.

“Let me show you how to move,” he says deeply as he uses his hands to make my hips roll, grinding me back and forth across him. My breaths are ragged as I feel my body start to wake up.

I don’t want to enjoy this but my body isn’t listening to me because it’s fucking loving it. My panties are growing damp and I dread to think what impression I’m leaving over his pants right now.

“I don’t know about you Aeron, but I think she’s enjoying it,” his words barely register as

something crashes against the wall and then Aeron is storming past us and out of the door. He doesn’t even wait for the girl he brought with him.

“Job done, thanks Thirty-Four, it’s been fun,” he says as he picks me up and deposits me on the sofa. “You can see yourself out,” and just like Aeron he leaves and I’ve never felt more used in my entire life.

Nothing else really occurs and the day of classes is finally here and I am beyond excited to get started. Business management and culinary classes, the last one alone can make all of this bullshit worth it.

I’m still feeling a little sore over the way Tucker treated me and Aeron has been fucking every girl who isn’t me. Again I have to ask myself why I’m even remotely bothered, I should be happy that I’m still holding on to my virginity, I can’t imagine any of the others can claim the same feat. So why does it feel as though I’m failing?

I need to stop questioning everything and remember why I am here and what my endgame is. I’m not going to fall in love or find Mr. Right. I’m not even planning on getting to a place where I like these bastards or find any redeeming qualities in them. I’m here for the money and to make life better for Poppy… among other things.

Picking up my clothes, I pull on a knee length pencil line skirt with a slit traveling up the side of the leg, a red blouse much tighter than I would have picked and a pair of black stockings. The other problem with the blouse, the buttons deliberately fall short, revealing a glimpse of the red lace bra beneath, because they couldn’t just order me to show them my underwear, oh no they have to make us dress like this as well. I’m beyond nervous as it is, my hand won’t stop shaking and I didn’t even get to eat any breakfast seeing as my hand shook so much the bowl fell and smashed against the floor.

It doesn’t help that my new list of places I can visit arrived this morning with a few extras added and there aren’t a lot of changes between the life of a Thirty-Four and that of a Zero, other than I have fewer restrictions. I’m allowed to sign up for extra-curricular activities - they don’t really interest me - I can go pretty much anywhere other than the north wing unless I’m with one of the guys, and I’m allowed to wander the gardens. Only, not after eight pm, that time seems a little peculiar but who am I to ask questions on how they run this place?