Chapter Twenty-Eight— Trapped

Kim had Dahlia today. She found out about what happened, and she decided to take her out for breakfast and then a movie. I guess the idea of someone trying to steal your kid really made you remember that you loved her.

The school informed everyone in Mars’ class that, due to the trauma of losing such a beloved teacher, we would all be granted a passing grade. So I was all good. I could skip every class for the rest of the year and still graduate.

Mona slept over on Friday night, insisting on being in the bed with us. She made me sleep in the middle, and it was all kinds of awkward. I was the meat in a very awkward sandwich.

She was not invited back.

I was getting ready in Nickolas’ room while he sat on his bed, promising I was going to be All right today. I wasn’t so sure. I hadn’t heard from Nash at all and the silence wasn’t a great sign. Nickolas knew that too, but he was pretending for me. It wasn’t helping.

I was pulling my socks on while standing, because I was stupid. I decided that it would be a good idea if I just kept some clothes here from now on. Nickolas and I were still needing to figure out the whole living together thing. I was underage, so I was owned by the state. I wasn’t sure if I could just leave the Thunes to live with Nickolas. And the amount of time it would take to get emancipated would probably be a longer wait than my eighteenth birthday.

When I fell on the bed, Nickolas took advantage, rolling on top of me. “Hello, Cupcake.”

I smiled. “Hello. I need to get dressed.”

He nodded in false understanding. “I think the opposite is true.” His hand found my thigh. “I think you should undress this very second and spend the day here, where you’re safe.”

“You’ve been telling me for twenty minutes that I would be safe at school.”

Shrug. “You’d still be safer here.”

I gently shoved him off of me and pulled my sock all the way up to my knee. I laced up my Chucks and, sadly, I was ready to go.

We got to the school with a few minutes to spare. When Nickolas parked, I couldn’t get out again. I was petrified of how this fight was going to end. I wanted to believe that Nickolas could win. I wouldn’t be able to function if I lost him. I couldn’t even force myself to think about what it would do to Dahlia. She would grow up with hardly any memories of her brother. That would be my fault. Kim would know that too.

I almost miss the days where I was just worried about gossip from morons who didn’t know what they were talking about. The good news is that the chatter would be all about Mars for a while.

“Do you need me to take you home?” Nickolas asked.

I shook my head. “I should go in. I don’t want this taking over my life like this. I need to be able to finish school.”

He rubbed my shoulder. “Would you like me to try and relax you a little before you go in?”

I smiled at him. “What do you have in mind?”

He unbuckled his belt and moved his seat backwards by half a foot. “You’ll have to come over here to find out.”

I took the invitation and straddled his lap. My lips were on his in a heartbeat and his hand was roving up my skirt. I took in a sharp breath when he touched me, making my hands grip his shoulders.

I pulled back enough to shake my head at him. I needed more than he was offering me.

“No?” he asked quietly.

I reached down to pull the seat bar and make his chair go back. If he was trying to relax me, might as well do it right. I went for his zipper and he finally caught on. He pulled my underwear down my legs and managed to get them off of me. I only needed to move his down a little. Much easier for a guy. Not fair.

He moved me onto his lap where I needed to be. I made a sound before I was kissing him again. His hands stayed on my hips and moved with me.

My breathing was hardly keeping me alive, but I still tried to talk. “You’re sure these windows block people from seeing us?” Something I should maybe have thought of before I started having sex, but whatever.

He laughed as my hands were going under his shirt. “Positive, Cupcake.”

His hands gripped me harder when I increased the momentum. The car might be impossible to see through, but I had to be being loud. There was music playing but it would only do so much.

I was panting as I lay on his chest after it was over. His hands were on my back, holding me against him. I felt his heart against my cheek as our chests rose and fell quickly.

“So,” he tried to laugh again. “I guess you can cross car sex off your bucket list.”

I laughed with him. “Such a nice car too. You spoil me.”

“Oh, I will. The second I get ring two on your finger. You will not be stopping me. I’ll have Pup One and Pup Two there to guilt you into keeping my presents.”

“Funny.”

Nickolas, was quiet for just a second. “I love you so much, Posey. God, I hope you know how much.”

I kissed him slowly. “I know. And I love you too.”

I fixed his pants before I got myself situated. He told me that I was teasing him and I very kindly reminded him we’d just had sex, so I was not a tease. At least in my opinion.

I was still on his lap as I pouted about having to go to school. “I really should be more careful about where I decide to force you to have sex with me.” He laughed sharply. “Because I missed gym and I can’t shower before I go to the rest of my classes.” I was just a little sweaty. And my hair was a mess. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what I’d been up to.

“You can always come home.”

I huffed. “No I can’t. I have finals to study for.”

“You can do that in my room.”

“If I tried, we’d just do this.” I gestured to our position. “All day long.”

He smiled crookedly.

“I am very late for class. I have ten minutes to get to my second hour.”

“You’re just gonna use me up and then ditch me like that? It’s cruel to let me have a taste of you and then leave me without.”

“Again,” I tossed my hands up. “It’s not a taste if I actually put out.”

“I’d agree if we’d done it more than once.”

I kissed him and then held his face. “From now on, I promise to have sex with you more than once at a time. Deal?”

He nodded, pleased. “Five.”

“Two.”

“Four.”

“Two,” I said with more sternness.

“Three?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Two.”

“Two,” he pouted.

“Good boy. I’ll see you later.”

I left the car, deciding that I looked as put together as I possibly could for what I just did. I heard Nickolas drive away and I was instantly sadder than I was before. I didn’t realize how dependent I was on him until the second we’re not together anymore. I missed my best friend.

The campus felt quieter than normal as I walked down the hill and started moving across the field. The murder of our teacher was affecting everyone here. Not because they missed him, I think. But because it was such an ugly dose of life just thrown into the faces of kids who’ve never had a real problem in their lives. They all just found out how scary the world really was.

It was officially written off as an animal attack. People were ignoring the part where he was shoved into a storage space. They thought that he was just hiding in there from what attacked him. They didn’t care that there was no blood in the classroom itself, or that a man with his throat ripped out wouldn’t have been able to hide. Or that there were no scratches in the room. The picking and choosing of the investigators was terrifying.

I was about to round a corner to building B when I was grabbed. Something caught my arm and then I was against a wall.

“Hello, Posey,” Nash smiled at me. “You have no idea how hard you are you fi—” He paused and his eyes widened before they narrowed. He looked me up and down before he took a step back. “You smell like him.” Realization took over his expression. “What did you let him do to you?”

My heart was beating a mile a minute as I tried to figure out what to do. Nickolas thought he wouldn’t hurt me, but I didn’t see an ounce of kindness in his eyes. He knew what Nickolas and I just did. It violated what Nash thought he had with me. That I betrayed him. He wouldn’t understand logic if I tried to tell him that I loved Nickolas. I was his in Nash’s eyes. What would he do with me now?

“Nash…” I swallowed air. “I...”

He shook his head and I stopped. “Maybe I wasn’t clear before. You belong to me. This isn’t your fault. Nick tricked you and I forgive you for that. He’ll need to die, but you did nothing wrong.”

I held my anger at bay. I decided then that Nash deserved what was coming for him. It would be a petrifying fight, but I knew who would win.

For now, I needed to be careful. “You don’t know me at all. I can’t be your mate.” One kiss and that was it? It couldn’t be right. Nickolas knew before we ever kissed. And at least he knew me before that. Nash doesn’t know a thing about me, even now.

“You are,” he said calmly. “Now,” he frowned. “You have to come with me. You stink of Nick and that needs to be fixed.”

No. I couldn’t go with him. He might take me away. Then how will Nickolas find me?

“I have school, Nash,” I said, trying to sound less desperate than I was.

“I took care of one class for you. I can easily do the rest. I can go now if you need. But you have to come with me.”

I couldn’t let more people die because of me. He didn’t seem like he was angry with me, so there was a chance I was safe. As well as an equal chance that this was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It would save lives, so I was left without a choice.

“Wait,” I said as he turned. “I’ll go with you now. I can figure out my grades later.” I smiled to sell it.

And he bought it with ease. He just wanted to believe this bad enough. “We can go to my hotel. We need to get you out of those clothes.” He took my hand and started leading me away.

More panic flooded me as I tried to figure out just what he meant by that. Did he want Nickolas to not have been the last man I was with? Of course. But what would he do to fix that?

We got to his car and he gently placed me in the front seat. He got in and turned his music on, smiling the whole time, so pleased with his victory. He drove leisurely down the road as if he didn’t practically kidnap me.

I didn’t have a chance at getting to the phone in my backpack. One text and I would have Nickolas come for me. This fight would begin. I might lose my husband before we even make it official. Then I would be alone to try and kill Nash. Because if he killed my mate, that would only earn a more painful death for him.

We were driving for a while. Maybe a half hour. We were in a town I didn’t know when we pulled into the hotel lot. He was still grinning as he took my hand again, leading me to the elevator inside of the place. The whole silent ride up was miserable. I kept fearing what he would do to me once we were in a locked room. I still had my backpack over my shoulder, so all I needed was thirty seconds alone and I could text Nickolas.

“This one,” Nash said as we got to his room. He slid his key in and opened the door to his suite. It was huge. More than one person needed. And there was a bottle of champagne on ice near the bed. The rose petal covered bed…

Please, no. Whoever was listening, no.

I was eyeing the bed when Nash stood behind me. His hands went to my hips and his lips to my neck. With a sigh, he said, “We need to get that smell off of you.”

I didn’t say anything.

He left me to go to his bag in the corner. He pulled out a pair of his boxer-briefs and a button up. He walked back to me and held them out. “Posey, put these on after you shower.”

I didn’t take them. “Shower?”

“Yes. You should smell like your mate.”

“I agree.” I smiled and took the clothes. I did smell like my mate. But I needed to remember to play this carefully. I started walking to the bathroom with the clothes.

“Wait,” he stopped me. Then he slipped the backpack off of my shoulder. “I’ll put this up for you.”

“Thanks…”

I stepped into the bathroom and turned the water on. I didn’t think I would get out of this one. I decided to just get into the shower. I was undressing when I heard a knock on the door.

“Posey, would you like me to join you?”

I gagged. “Um, not this time, Nash,” I said through the door.

“You’re right. Our first time should be in a soft, warm bed. I’ll be waiting for you.”

I took my time in the shower because I was petrified of what was waiting for me. I prayed to anything listening that I would leave this hotel room in the same condition that I entered in. I didn’t cry, but I wanted to. More than anything, I wanted to cry my eyes out. My body shook as I sank to the bottom of the shower. The water hit my head and I focused on trying to breathe evenly. Nash could hear me right now.

After I gathered myself, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped up in a towel. I took the time to dry my hair out. Then I put my underwear back on, because Nash wasn’t going to stop me from that. Then I had to slip into his clothes.

He was sitting on the bed when I got out. Sipping on a glass of champagne and flipping through the channels. He smiled when he saw me. “Join me,” he patted on the bed. I swallowed my fear and did as he said. He kissed my neck. “Much better.”

“Yeah.”

He handed me his glass. “Would you like some?”

I shook my head. “I don’t drink. I like a clear head.”

“Ah, reasonable. My menagerie leader will like you.”

Goodie…

His arm snaked around my waist. “I’m so sorry that Nick tricked you into letting him deflower you. I wish I could undo that.”

Ha. Well, might as well make this hurt. “Oh, he wasn’t my first.”

Nash looked angry at the statement itself. “What?”

“Yeah. I had a few boyfriends before I moved here. Does that bother you?”

He paused. I literally watched him calm himself down internally. “No, of course not,” he lied. “You didn’t know me yet. You cannot be to blame for your mistakes.”

I made a falsely remorseful face. “But there were so many, Nash. I don’t even remember how many. How can you ever forgive me for just letting all those boys have what they wanted?”

It was hard not laughing when he bit down on his lip. “In your past, darling. That’s all it is. Your past.”

I nodded. “Thank you for being so kind. Not every man would have the patience that you do.”

“You’re welcome. It comes with age. You’ll know one day.”

“Well, I’m only seventeen. I’m like a baby compared to you.” I knew that wouldn’t bug him, but I wanted to point it out. To be fair, I wouldn’t care if it were Nickolas. Love was love. And I did not love Nash.

Nash sat up. “I figured we’d leave soon.” He smoothly changed the subject. “Maybe a day or two. After I take care of Nick and get Dahlia.”

I panicked at the sound of her name. “You’re not going to hurt her, are you?”

“Of course not. I know you care for her. So you can have her when we get back home. We will raise her as ours.”

Nickolas would rip him to pieces if he knew he planed on raising his sister. I wouldn’t tell him that part later. It would only upset him.

“We’ll live with all your…friends?” I asked, trying not to sound horrified.

“In a separate home of course. We’ll want privacy. We have so much lost time to make up for.”

I inched away from him before he could touch me. I was at the edge of the bed while he was just in the center. His face changed when I flinched away. Still no anger, but more than a little worry.

“I think that it would be a good idea if we...” I paused to think. “Waited. Just until everything is official.” A hell of a Hail Mary, but it was worth it.

He looked surprised. “Is that what you want?”

I nodded. “Since this’ll be the last first time, I think we should do it right.”

If I could make him believe I wanted him, then I had a shot at getting out of her unharmed. Thankfully, he was stupid enough to think that it was possible for me to love him. Thirty second, I just needed thirty seconds away from him. How do I get him to trust me that long?

He smiled. “Then we can do that. So how does this sound, I kill Nick tomorrow. I can get Dahlia for you and we can leave.”

My stomach turned. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

He shrugged. “For what he did to you, I’d prefer to make it slow. Though I’d really just like to move on. I imagine I’ll just find him and end it.”

“Sure. But I think you should have a plan. He’s smart, you should be careful. I’d hate it if the wrong man died.” I smiled at him with everything I had. Yes, I would hate it if the wrong man died. He wouldn’t. Nash wouldn’t be breathing by tonight.

“Do you have an idea, love?”

I cleared my throat. “Well, he thinks that I love him. If I told him to do something, he would. He wouldn’t question me for a second. How about I get him to come with me to the woods by my school after dark. I’ll just tell him I wanna have a romantic dinner or something. You’ll be waiting. Then this can end.”

He thought about it for a few moments before he nodded. “I think that could work. Though I’d prefer you not to be there.”

Not an option. “I can just hide once you come out. I don’t know if he’d go if I wasn’t bringing him.”

Nash sighed and crossed his arms. “You may be right. The good news is that he won’t get the chance to hurt you after he discovers you lied. I’ll take him out in a moment.”

No you won’t. Nickolas have been smaller, but he was going to have an advantage that Nash didn’t. Nash didn’t have me.

I sat up. “If this is going to happen tonight, I should leave now.”

Nash got off of the bed. “I’ll take you.”

I stood and went for my backpack. “No, that’s okay. I should be careful. If Nickolas thinks I’m with you, he might just take off. I’ll call my friend and she’ll get me. I can go home and change before I see Nickolas. He won’t suspect a thing.”

“Smart. Do you need anything from me?”

“Nope. Just wait for me to text you and then meet us at the school. Simple.” I smirked.

He returned to me and kissed my cheek. “So clever, you are.”

“Thank you.” I tried hard to keep my voice from shaking.

I left for the bathroom and threw my uniform back on. I dropped Nash’s clothes on the floor. When I walked out of the bathroom again, I stopped at the door and turned. “I’ll see you soon.” I tried as hard as I could to grin like I was happy as a clam.

“Indeed you will.” He nodded.

And I got the fuck outta Dodge.