“Elli.” He snaps my name, making me jump.
“Yeah.” I shake my head, swallowing nervously. Confused by his tone. “No,” I correct myself. “I won’t. I don’t have any on me.”
He snorts like that’s going to stop me, but he drops it and pulls me across the parking lot and into the back door that Corbin holds open for us.
_______________
TWO HOURS LATER, I’m pretty drunk. Had a couple of shots and am on my third drink. Me and Kira are making our way to the bathroom, leaving the guys sitting at the table. Her hand in mine and she’s practically skipping. “I’m so happy to see you happy.”
She throws me a drunken smile, her eyes practically closed. “I’m in love.”
“That—” I’m cut off by running into a hard object. It knocks us back a few steps.
“Hey, ladies.” The guy smiles at us, but I don’t miss how his eyes drop to my chest before going to hers as well. I know him. His name is Marcus, and he goes to Barrington University. He is the it guy if you want drugs. I’ve even bought from him before. It was a couple of years ago, though, at a Halloween party.
Another guy stands next to him; I know him from the university as well.
“Sorry,” I say and sidestep Marcus, pulling Kira behind me as we try to squeeze between him and the wall.
His hand shoots out, stopping us again. “It looks like you two could use a little help.” He reaches for me, and I take a step back, bumping into Kira.
“We’re good.” I push his hand away. Sin is still not in a good mood. Kira and I don’t give a fuck about the guys, but you can tell they’re not happy about being here with us tonight. And Sin’s been watching me closely. I keep thinking about what he said to me in the parking lot, and I wonder if tonight is a test somehow.
“You could be better,” the other guy says, making Kira gasp. She thinks he means our looks; I know he means drugs.
Marcus reaches up and rubs his chin, looking at me. “Need a party favor tonight?” he asks.
Kira answers before I can. “No.”
I’m sure that’s for Sin and Corbin’s sake. She doesn’t want Corbin or her brother to know that she’s tried them with me before. If Sin knew she did, he’d lose his shit.
The Lords would never. Getting high or taking any kind of substance to inhibit their behavior goes against their oath. They are always on their A game.
“How about you, Elli? Want a little something?”
I bite my bottom lip. The need to be good for Sin battles with the need to rebel just to see what he’ll do if I go against what he said. Reluctantly, I shake my head. “Not tonight.”
“Come find me when you change your mind,” Marcus adds, winking. “If there’s anything I can give you.” And then they continue down the hall.
I roll my eyes, entering the bathroom with Kira. She starts fixing her hair in the mirror. “God, I’m so glad I’m no longer part of the dating scene.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, walking into a stall and pulling up my skirt. “So, you and Corbin. Fill me in. All the details.” I’ve been a shit friend.
“Yep. He’s so great, Elli.” She sighs.
Exiting the stall, I walk over to her and start washing my hands. “I hope he’s good to you.”
“Amazing.” She bats her eyes.
Man, the girl has it bad. I’m happy for her. “Sin didn’t look so happy.”
She snorts. “I don’t care what he thinks. And neither does Corbin.” Unlocking the door, she pulls it open and in walks the last person I want to see tonight. Sin’s chosen.
Amelia’s eyes look over me before pulling her lip back with a snort. I hate that I turn to watch her go to the sink. She opens up her Hermes clutch and reapplies her lipstick. Eyes meeting mine in the mirror. Thoughts of her fucking my boyfriend run through my mind and jealousy courses through me like electricity.
Popping her lips, she turns to face us. Placing her hands on her hips, a smile spreads across her face. “How’s it feel to be two for two, Elli?”
My brows pull together, confused by her question, but it’s Kira who actually asks. “What are you talking about?”
She looks from me to Kira, then back to me. Taking a step closer, the smile just grows. “You mean your best friend doesn’t know about Daddy and his friend?”
I stiffen at her words. The blood rushing in my ears. How would she know? She wouldn’t. She’s digging. Staying silent, she snorts and looks to Kira. “She’s fucked both of her stepdads.” Leaning forward, she whispers in my ear, “What do you think your mother would do if she found out?”
My hands fist down by my sides. My mother knows about James, just not the truth. The story he told her. I’m sure it was that I came onto him. Threw myself at him. But my mother has no clue about Lincoln. Or she would have mentioned him too.
Pulling back, Amelia shrugs. “I mean, if my daughter slept with my husbands, I know what I’d do to the fucking whore.”
“Who told you that?” Kira demands, pushing me to the side. She thinks it’s a lie. A horrible rumor being spread about me. I’ve never told her.
Pushing her hip out, Amelia looks down at her nails. “Your brother.”
“He’s fucking lying,” Kira shouts.
“Was he, though?” She tilts her head to the side. “Let’s ask Ellington. Elli, tell us that James and Lincoln didn’t both fuck you in James’s office.”
I’m trying to catch my breath. Unable to answer even if I wanted to. The betrayal I feel from Sin all too consuming. Why would he tell her? When did he tell her?
“Elli?” A hand touches my shoulder and I jump back from Kira. Her eyes full of pity watching mine fill with tears. I knew it was too good to be true. Sin isn’t the kind of guy you fall in love with and marry. He’s the kind that uses you until he gets bored and moves on.
“You know you’re a pity fuck, right?” Amelia continues at my silence.
“Shut up!” Kira snaps at her.
But she doesn’t. Instead, she steps back into me. “You’re an easy fucking lay that he feels sorry for. He might be fucking us both, but you’re the one he’ll dump once he’s decided you’re no longer worth it.”
Kira begins to laugh, making Amelia’s face tighten. “Seriously? Now we know you’re lying. Because my brother is not fucking you.”
Amelia opens up her clutch and removes her phone. She then holds it up in front of us and a video starts to play. It’s Sin’s room at the house of Lords. There’s no sound but the video is as clear as day. He’s sitting on the bed, fully dressed, his back up against the headboard staring down at his phone in his hands. Sin looks up and then you see Amelia enter his room. He gets to his feet, setting his cell on the nightstand. She walks right up to him, and they waste no time. She removes her sundress. He removes his shirt. She kicks off her heels and then pushes her underwear down her bony legs. She’s not wearing a bra, her fake breasts on full display for him.
He gestures to the bed, and she crawls onto it, rolling onto her back. Standing beside it, he pulls rope out from the headboard and ties both of her wrists above her head.