When Rivals Fall (Bayshore Rivals 1)

Screaming like someone is about to kill me I stumble into the room, losing my footing as I go. Arms flailing, I prepare myself to land hard on the ground but I’m shocked when a pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind pulling me flush to a firm, warm chest.

Momentarily I’m stunned, like a doe caught in the headlights of a car. My screams cut off, the air stills in my lungs. I can’t do anything. I’m frozen in place. What’s happening?

All I can hear is the swooshing of blood in my ears, my chest heaving up and down with panic. I open my mouth to scream again, but nothing comes out. Suddenly I’m dizzy, the smell of rain fills my nostrils once more and I realize immediately who that scent belongs to.

“Did you miss me? Is that why you’re here, in my bedroom? Eager to see what we have in store for you?” Sullivan’s dark voice fills the room, and a cold shiver runs through me. I notice then that he’s standing a few feet away from me, but his voice affects me as if he is right beside me whispering in my ear. It doesn’t matter that I can’t fully see him. I don’t need to. I know he’s looking at me with disgust.

His room? Blinking slowly, I try to digest what he’s just said? Confused I’m about to ask him what the hell he is talking about when I realize someone is still holding on to my waist. Their warm hands burning into my skin.

Spinning around I shove at the firm chest in front of me, realizing quickly its Banks, the middle Bishop brother. A sinister grin spreads across his face as he licks his lips. “I think she just missed us, why else would she come here, to our house?”

“Your house?” I finally find my voice again. It’s shaky but at least I got the words out.

“Yes, our house.” A third voice drawls, and my gaze travels across the room and collides with Oliver’s chocolate brown eyes. “We bought it recently, figured it would be nicer than living in the dorms.”

Dorms? Why would they be living in the dorms?

Nothing makes sense right now. This has to be a dream, no scratch that, this is a freaking nightmare. I shake my head as if I can wake myself up from it. Then I try and take a step towards the door, but Sullivan slaps a hand over the handle halting my movement.

“Not so fast,” he growls, his muscled form towering over me. He’s bigger than he was the last time I saw him. Taller, scarier, even more disgustingly handsome than I remember. “Let’s talk. We want to tell you how this year is going to go.”

What does he mean? How this year is going to go? He can’t really be saying what I think he is? The Bishop brothers aren’t… they can’t be… My chest starts to heave, even though no air is filling my lungs. Lord, please tell me they aren’t attending college here.

“I don’t think she gets it,” Banks taunts, devilishly.

“It’s not hard to figure out. I mean, we’re laying it out pretty clearly. It’s a shame really. All that money and her daddy couldn’t even get her a proper education.” Oliver sneers.

“I’m not stupid.” I try and make the words sound strong, but they come out like a soft breeze whispering through the trees.

“Right, you’re only a liar,” Oliver responds, his words like a slap to the face.

Gritting my teeth, I let the insult sink in. He’s not wrong, I am a liar. Because of my father I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. I followed him like a lamb to the slaughter, believing him with blind faith. I knew someday karma would catch up with me. That eventually, I would pay for my wrongdoings, I just never expected it to be so soon.

“Let me put it into words even someone like you can understand,” Sullivan leans in so closely, I can feel the heat of his body. I can feel all three of them, their bodies drawn to mine like a magnet.

“Remember when I told you I would make you pay for what you did that night?”

Saliva sticks to the inside of my throat—like honey—making it hard to swallow. Every nightmare I’ve had over the last year would never have amounted to this. All three of their faces have haunted me in my sleep since that night. I regretted doing it as soon as I did it, but there was no taking it back, there was no changing the course we were headed on. It was like a bad accident, that you couldn’t look away from.

As if he can see the worry filling my features his smile widens, perfectly straight white teeth gleam in the moonlight filtering in through the window blinds.