*
Lake stared at the monster in the doorway when the lights were suddenly turned on. Her breathing sped up as she wondered what could have happened in the five minutes she had been in there. Is someone dead?
Adalyn sounded on the verge of tears as he shut the door behind him. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
Vincent revealed what was in his hands, still silent.
Adalyn and Lake let out the breaths they’d seemed to have been holding for an eternity.
Oh, thank God. No one’s dead.
“Jesus Christ, Vincent! You scared the hell out of us!” Adalyn said, trying to catch her breath.
Vincent’s voice was cold as he put the pills in his pocket. “Whose the fuck is it?”
It finally dawned on Lake and Adalyn that finding birth control pills was right under finding the dead body of a family member.
Adalyn held up her hands. “Okay, Vincent. Just try to calm down and listen for a second.” She began to fake laugh. “Trust me, we are all going to have a good laugh about this later.” However, her laughter died at Vincent’s facial expression.
Holy shit, someone is dead, and that is me.
“There are two fucking rules every girl in the family must follow: One, you can’t date until you become an adult and graduate high school. And two, you can only fuck after you’re married with the blessing of the family.” Vincent’s voice became low. “You know you are not allowed on birth control, especially since you’re underage. In one night, all the fucking rules have been broken.”
Lake wished she could run and hide. She knew the rules, and they had been put in place for the safety of the girls as well as the sanity of the family.
Vincent’s voice started to rise as his eyes danced between them. “So, whose are they?”
Adalyn looked down at the floor. “Um…”
Lake looked Vincent straight in the eyes. “They’re mine.”
Vincent’s eyes held Lake’s prisoner. “Adalyn, out.”
Adalyn didn’t move.
“Room. Now!” Vincent growled.
Adalyn solemnly left, closing the door behind her while leaving her friend to fend for herself.
Lake’s chest started to quickly rise and fall as he silently stood, watching her. She tried to move her eyes away, but she was afraid of what he would do if she did.
Vincent waited until Adalyn’s footsteps had disappeared. “You fucking that guy who was your date tonight?”
Huh? What? No! Who the hell does he think he is?
Lake was furious he’d had the audacity to say that.
“I told you earlier we used them to get in. We didn’t even dance with them! You are such an asshole. Did it ever occur to you that I’m on birth control because my periods suck?”
“Excuse me?” Vincent took a step forward.
Lake had absolutely had it up to here with him trying to intimidate her. “That was in my bag, and you had no right to go through it. It is none of your fucking business if I was fucking him!”
Shit, shit, shit! Lake really wanted to take that back. She watched him take another step forward as she moved back.
His baby-blues were dangerous as they traveled down her body. “Sweetheart, I make it my business when you wear a dress like that.”
She had never felt eyes on her like that before in her life, making her certain she should’ve been scared of him right then. Lake truly was scared shitless, although it wasn’t Vincent who was scaring her; it was how her body was reacting to his words. What is he doing to me?
Her legs began to shake as she backed up another step, trying to keep the distance between them. She had no room left when the backs of her legs hit the bed, causing her to fall.
Lake began to see him differently for the second time that night as she watched him finally close the distance between them. Her chest grew heavy as he stood over her, his legs touching her thighs.
Is this…? Is this real?
Vincent looked too perfect. She was certain no one could ever be more perfect than him.
Vincent’s voice was quiet when he said, “Lake, are you still a virgin?”
Lake couldn’t help licking her lips in nervousness. Slowly, she nodded. “Yes.”
He reached out and tilted her chin up with the tip of his finger. “And has a guy ever kissed you or touched you?”
“No,” she whispered her confession.
Vincent glided his finger up to trace her bottom lip. “Good.” He paused. “Now, you go on another date again, I’ll chop his hand off. You fuck someone, and I’ll chop his dick off. And, if I catch you dancing and looking like that again, sweetheart, your days of being a virgin are over. Understand?”
Lake blinked up at him. Did he just say that?
He quickly bent his head close to hers then grabbed the back of her hair to tilt her face higher. “Do you understand?”
Oh, my. She tried to fight the warmth growing in her belly. She had no clue why the hell she was turned on when he was being the opposite of sweet.
Don’t agree. “Yes.”
“Good girl. Now, don’t move.”