“No lights, sweetheart,” he whispers in my ear. “We like to stay hidden for a reason.”
“We’d get in trouble if anyone caught us, wouldn’t we?” I ask, surprised how effortlessly Breaker holds onto my hand as he leads me through a dark hall.
“Just sit here for a second, Palmer. I’ll be right back.” Breaker places me in a booth.
Everything becomes a little clear when my eyes adjust to the moonlight from outside the windows.
Shadows dance over the glossy tables, placing me on high alert. I’ve seen what these boys are capable of. They will push the strongest to their breaking point. My skin begins to crawl, and instinct tells me to bail, to run back to my dorm and lock myself inside. A clatter startles me, and I stand, only to be pushed back down.
“Where you running off to?” Breaker says, placing a plate in front of me. He flicks on a small lamp on the wall, illuminating our immediate space.
Two pretzels sit between us, different dipping sauces accompanying them. I smile, noticing they’re my favorites. I don’t question him, instead choosing to rip off a piece of dough and dunk it into the spicy mustard.
Breaker watches me eat several bites, never dropping his stare. His eyes lock in on my lips. I lick off the remnants of a bite.
“Are you going to make me eat alone?” I push the plate towards him.
“Not exactly what I’m hungry for, Palmer.” He rests his elbows on the table and leans forward, lighting his entire face with the lamp. There’s a wicked gleam in his crystal stare, a desire I’ll never be able to satisfy.
“I’m not a whore, Breaker.” I drop the pretzel to the plate and lean away from him. “What happened last night wasn’t an invite for the rest of you.”
“You’re saying you’ve never thought about it?” He runs the pad of his thumb over his plump bottom lip.
The silver rings on his fingers and the ink spanning his hands lead me to believe he’s nothing like the rest of the boys. There’s an edge to him, a harshness that is somehow wrapped around this softness. I don’t think he’s capable of hurting me. With that knowledge, I relax.
“With you?” I question, laughing at how ridiculous this conversation is.
“Yes, Palmer, with me.” His tone screams annoyance, but his grin tells me he’s amused.
“You’re hot, like the dumb kind of hot that makes girls a little weaker, but no, Breaker, you aren’t my type.” I smile at him, and every trepidation I have about him fizzles away to nothing.
“It’s too bad. I could’ve fucked you straight into loving me, Palmer Weston.” Breaker stands, looms over me, and surprisingly, drops his lips to the crown of my head. “Don’t make it easy for him.”
Breaker disappears into the darkness, leaving me alone in the light of the lantern. During the day, this place pulses with life. At night, the blackness is creepy as hell. Over the back of the booth, a tall, dark figure appears, almost giving me a heart attack until I realize who it is. He stands stoic and unmoved, watching me.
“Don’t you think it’s kind of embarrassing how desperate you are to see me?” I lean back in the booth, acting unaffected by Marek’s efforts. Knowing the trouble he’s gone to warms my body.
“What do you mean?” Marek says as he steps in front of the booth. His dark hair covers his face like a shield. The light flickers, revealing the silver flecks in his irises, creating a fire inside of him he holds hostage. He rests a hand on the back of the booth and one on the table to take up much of my air. “What I see is, a boy used his friend to lure a girl to a dark, empty room, where no one can hear her scream.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” That’s a lie. Everything about Marek is designed to scare me.
He lowers his mouth to my ear. “You and I both know that isn’t true.” As he pulls back, he inspects every line on my face.
“Does that give you a thrill, to know you have me on edge, Marek?” I lift my chin, nearly grazing my lips against his.
“Maybe a little bit.” He teases my lips with his, only to pull away and sit across from me.
“Now that you have me here, why don’t you tell me why you went to all this trouble for a girl