Devil Incarnate (Boys of Preston Prep #4) - Angel Lawson Page 0,82

a normal rhythm.

I dart inside once he has the door open, only feeling better once he’s shut it behind us. I watch as he drops the bag of food on the coffee table and turns on a lamp. The room brightens, revealing a very basic set up; old, floral-printed sofa, sturdy-looking end tables, a hoodie tossed over a chair. I’ve actually been in Heston’s room before, and it’s obvious he hasn’t bothered to make his mark on this one. In fact, aside from the hoodie, it doesn’t even seem like he unpacked at all.

He shrugs out of his jacket and dumps the contents of the brown bag on the table. A stack of foil-wrapped tacos lands in a pile. “So, who were you running from out there?”

Swallowing, I tuck my limbs in close, oddly anxious about being here. “Just some stupid Freshman on the playground.”

“The ones that told you about this bet.” I nod and his eyes dart to the tear on my sleeve. “Things get rough on the slide?”

I bite back the explanation that’s on the tip of my tongue. I’m not telling him what happened to me out there. Not when he’s the cause of it. “It’s nothing.”

He raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Nothing? You were scared, Little Red.” He shoves a taco my way. When I reach for it, it’s obvious my hands are shaking. His eyes zero in on it. “Strangely enough, you still are.”

“It comes with the reputation,” I say, teeth grinding. “Guys think just because I like sex, it means they’re entitled to it.”

He tilts his head and takes a big, aggressive bite, chewing. Once he’s swallowed, he asks, “Why would they think that?”

Throwing my hands in the air, I burst, “Gee, I don’t know! Something about a video going around of you getting brutally fucked makes the guys around here think you’re ready and willing for that kind of thing!”

His eyes catch something, mouth going suddenly still. It takes me until he darts out, grabbing my hand, to realize he’s seeing my swollen wrist. His eyes go dark as he inspects it, turning it over to see the purpling skin against my bone. “Who did this?” he asks, voice low and dangerous.

I snatch my wrist away, scoffing at the flash of fury I’d just seen in his eyes. “Oh, this is rich. What’s the problem, Heston? No one can hurt me but you?”

He doesn’t let me get far, reaching out to take my hand back. “You like it when I hurt you. This?” Jaw clenched, he holds my hand up, showing me my wrist. “This is someone hurting you because you didn’t want it. Maybe you’re right—maybe I’m a psycho. But I’m not that kind of psycho.” His eyes blaze into mine, full of something ominous. “Don’t you ever fucking forget that.”

It’d be stupid to call it possessiveness.

But that’s what it feels like.

More gently than before, I pry my hand away. “Consider yourself understood.”

Heston is no saint, but he’s right. Out of all the heinous, unforgivable things he’s done, none of them have ever been that.

Heston backs off a bit, even if he still looks angry. At Jase? At me? Who even knows? “You going to Dewey, or Collins, or what?”

“None of the above.” My voice is quieter than I’d like. I don’t want this man to think I’m weak. That he’s broken me in some way. “I can take care of myself. That kid will have to ice his balls for a week.”

He stares at me, realizing, “You’re not going to turn him in.” When I shake my head, he grins at me. It’s not a kind grin. It’s full of dark, incredulous hostility. “Wow, you are un-fucking-believable, you know that?”

“What?”

He tosses his burrito aside, not breaking my gaze. “You turn me in, but not this asshole? Seriously?”

Hotly, I insist, “It’s completely different!”

“Yeah, it really fucking is!” he snaps, making me flinch. “Because you actually wanted to have sex with me, and here I am,” he extends his arms, gesturing to the squat little living room, “living a like a goddamn felon while this kid gets to run around unchecked. Tell me what the fuck is fair about that?”

“You know what?” The adrenaline returns to me like a punch, making my voice shake. “I’m sick and tired of you all acting all innocent. It wasn’t about the sex, Heston! How many times do I have to say it before it penetrates your thick skull?”

Red-faced, he explodes, “So I recorded it! Big fucking deal!”

“That’s