His car slowly pulls out and stalks the five guys and I wait and watch as they realize what the fuck is happening. They start picking up their speed, regretting their decision to park so far up the drive. Their pathetic run is no match for Nic's car. They’re fucked and they know it.
With them disappearing into the distance, I turn back to the mansion. I should be heading back to the pool house to drop into bed like a good little girl, but the thought of walking back into that godforsaken place has my feet moving without permission toward its looming doors.
Why am I so good at bad decisions?
Once through the mansion doors, I peer into the massive ballroom. I find Harrison hurrying around, trying to close shit down. This isn’t one of those nights where the party will be held into the early hours of the morning. This was a celebration and unfortunately, the reason for celebrating is now gone … literally.
I bypass the end of the party and walk straight through to the kitchen to where I’d seen Colton before I walked out to find the boys. I look down into the open living space and there he is, still sitting in the dark with his head dropped low into his hands.
It’s been well over an hour since I walked through here last and he looks as though he hasn’t moved an inch.
I go to him.
I don’t know what possesses me to do it. Maybe it’s that constant need to always insert myself somewhere I don’t belong. Who knows?
He doesn’t look up as I approach but I know he feels me just the way that I feel him. I walk right up in front of him and he doesn’t move a muscle until my fingers trail over his shoulder. Colton sits up and looks up at me and I see nothing but pain reflected in his eyes. It tears me apart. He’s done nothing but hurt me since the day I got here but the idea of seeing him in pain kills me.
I move into him, pressing my knee down on the couch beside his thigh and doing the same with the other until I’m straddled on his lap. His arms curl around me and I sink into him, resting my head on his shoulder and just holding him, knowing how damn much he needs me here.
Neither of us utters a single word, as when we do, this will all be over. Instead, we sit in silence, wrapped in each other's arms until the night begins to claim me. A yawn rips though me and his arms instantly tighten around me, somehow holding me even closer.
We sit for another ten minutes before my eyes begin to grow heavy and instead of pushing me away and telling me enough is enough, he simply lifts me off the couch, keeping me wrapped around his body until he’s pushing through the door of my bedroom in the pool house.
He puts me down on my bed and presses a soft kiss to my temple before silently walking out and closing the door behind him, unknowingly setting my world on fire to the point where there’s now no chance in hell that I’ll be able to sleep.
Chapter 10
“The fuck?” I demand, staring down at my Kindle as I read over the last page of Hate by Tate James, desperately trying to flip the page for more because that bitch can’t possibly leave me hanging like that. What kind of fucked up ending was that anyway? Where’s my happily ever after? Where’s the four-way with dicks flying at MK’s face?
Damn. Why does she have to play with my emotions like that?
I sit up on the couch, my head still reeling with the epic ending and theories when I realize that it’s well past four in the morning. How the hell did that happen? I settled onto the couch at some point after Milo had disappeared, and somehow I’m still here. Shit, I didn't even spare a few seconds to take my ass out to the pool house.
I let out a heavy sigh. There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep after that.
I pull out my phone and start searching for book two on Amazon and let out a relieved breath as I find it in the recent releases. Thank fuck. I need more of this world and Archer D’Ath.
Realizing that starting another book after four in the