“No lead up? Just straight to the action?” With a harder hand than necessary, I push him down onto the table. “I think you need a lesson in anticipation. Let us dance for you a little.”
Leaning back against his arms, he gives us a superior nod of his chin. “Fine. But I want to see your hands on each other and lots of skin.”
Valerie gathers herself and steps forward. “How about we give you a massage? You ever have one of those?”
“A massage? Sure, I get them at my dad’s club all the time.”
“But from two girls with a happy ending?” She wiggles her fingers. “Like Ella said, let’s not rush things. We can give you a massage and then you can watch us do our thing. After all, you should get off first.”
Daniel ponders this offer for a moment and then agrees. “Yeah, that sounds right. You bitches can wait your turn.” He winks at the end to signal we’re supposed to take his bitches comment as a joke. Neither of us laugh and it takes superhuman effort not to punch his smug face.
“Let’s help you out of your clothes,” I say sweetly.
Fortunately, Daniel doesn’t suspect a thing. He’d be mistrustful of Reed or Gideon, but not two trashy girls who, if not for their rich relatives, would probably be selling their bodies on the streets anyway. That’s how his mind operates, which is why our little charade is possible. Because he’s Daniel Delacorte, son of a judge, lacrosse player, a guy with a sterling reputation who nobody would ever suspect of being such a douche. I don’t doubt for a second that Savannah’s cousin is probably from a less successful branch of the family.
Valerie and I steel ourselves to put our hands on his body, but to our relief he doesn’t need help. He drops his shorts, pulls down his boxers and has his T-shirt over his head before we can take our next breath.
“Someone’s eager,” Valerie mutters under her breath.
Daniel licks his lips. “Where do you want me?”
She places her hands on her hips and pretends to consider the question. “How about there?” She points to a nest of pillows situated right in front of the windows.
Daniel strides over and kneels down on the soft cushions. “Don’t forget to keep your teeth to yourself. Maybe cover them with your lips.”
That’s the last instruction he’s ever going to give me, I think, and then I nonchalantly swipe a fruit bowl off the table and hit him over the head with it.
He rears up with a shout. “What the hell!” Stunned, he clamps one hand to the back of his head.
“I told you the bowl was too weak,” Savannah says, bursting out of the bathroom. Before Daniel can leap away, she whips up a bottle of hairspray and sends a stream of stinging solvents straight into his face.
“Motherfucker! You three are dead meat!” Daniel roars. He stumbles to his left and bangs into the windows.
The three of us laugh.
“I don’t want to kill him, just maim him,” I remind Savannah. “How about the candlestick?” I swing the heavy silver weapon and strike Daniel in the shoulder. Savannah brings the matching one down on the top of his head, and Daniel slumps over.
Valerie picks up one sash and tosses me the other one. “You’re right, Ella. This guy is a creep.”
As quickly as possible, we truss him up like a turkey. With Daniel momentarily dazed, it’s easy for us to secure his hands behind his back, tie his ankles together and then loop a length of sash between the two sets of bindings.
“Too bad we don’t have tape.” I pick up a banana from the floor and toss it in the air. “We could tape this to his ass.”
“That’d be awesome,” Valerie crows.
Savannah scowls. “I have something to stick up his ass.” She stomps over, draws back her leg and delivers the harshest kick I’ve seen outside a movie. Apparently smashing a five-pound candlestick into his skull didn’t quite lessen her anger toward him.
The impact of her delicate foot to his butt is surprisingly hard. It jolts Daniel from his stupor, and he releases a yowl of pain. An ugly smile stretches across Savannah’s face. Valerie and I watch as she bends close to whisper something to him, something that makes him shudder.
Then she straightens up and runs a hand over her hair, smoothing all the strands to lie flat against her pretty head. “I’m ready. I don’t want to spend another minute with this piece of garbage.”
“Hold up,” Valerie says. We turn to see her throwing an apple up in the air.
A grin slowly spreads across my face. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask. The plan is so evil. I love it.
Savannah starts laughing and is almost laughing too hard to help us pull open Daniel’s mouth and shove the apple inside, but one dazed, naked boy is no match for the three of us.
“Let’s go.” I run to the door and find Sawyer there. “We’re ready.”
“So are we,” he answers with a grin. “Did you kill him? Because that yelp back there sounded bad.”
“I think Savannah wanted to but we held her back.”