Zayne
"No fucking way," Chris Ludwig said, as his eyes fixated themselves at the front entrance of the door. "Well, look we have here."
"Who?" Damian answered, but as he swiveled his head eagerly to the front door, he gave a grin. "Who knew she could clean up so well?"
Andrew was one of the richest fuckers in town, so it didn't surprise me that his estate boasted the ultimate party favors courtesy of his fucking butler. His butler/bodyguard provided everything he needed for a party of this magnitude to function, including a fully stocked makeshift bar in the kitchen, a fully paid DJ and a pool with half-dressed chicks.
The music pounded loudly throughout the house, as people danced, drank, smoked, and fucked everywhere. Andrew had made sure to invite me and the rest of the guys to the party, because what was a party without us? He knew we brought female attention of all kind.
I turned my head and froze at the sight that struck me dumb—along with the others around her, my mood blackening into a rage. There was nothing more alluring than watching Adrienne walk down the hallway or seeing her at lunch, but what was even more startling was the sight that held me still.
Adrienne, decked out to the nines.
Adrienne Vitelli was the hottest piece of ass in school and every guy knew it. What was more alluring was the fact that she seemed almost "untouchable". Her features were stunningly exotic and the most alluring part was the fact that she seemed oblivious to her own looks.
But now?
She seemed to marvel in it.
Dressed in a lingerie-inspired, bustier dress in red, that pushed her tits up, and paired with fucking leather, thigh high boots, Adrienne detonated the place with her presence. Every fucker's attention was fixated on her, as she moved through the crowd to the main floor space. Riley was equally as alluring in a green dress, but my attention was transfixed by the sight of Adrienne's tight little body in her hot-as-hell outfit.
Since when did she own things like that?
Andrew joined us, slightly tipsy, a blonde hanging on his side. His attention fixed towards Adrienne and he whistled. "Well boys, the party just got better."
I was going to kill every fucker here.
My mood blackened, as I made to understand the present development. Since when did Adrienne go out to party?
Her long, black hair cascaded down her back in a sleek waterfall, her features emphasized with alluring makeup, making her blue-gray eyes pop even more. Her skin looked buttery-smooth and touchable. The dress fit every toned part of her body like a second skin and the uniqueness of her dress made every guy want to strip it off and go down on her, sucking on the most delectable part of her between her thighs—
"So..." Damian slapped a hundred on the table in front of us. We were all situated towards one end of the room, in limbo of being part of the action and excluded from it at the same time. "Who wants to incur Zayne's anger? I'm betting a hundred."
Chris shook his head. "You're asking us to risk our lives for a hundred?"
"A thousand then?" Damian inquired.
"Fuck off," Chris answered.
I leaned back against the sectional, taking up a majority of the space. My rise to popularity had been cemented day one when I entered. While everyone around here was looking forward to getting laid and enjoying themselves, I simply wanted to escape.
And I wanted to escape with Adrienne.
The girl was stubborn as all hell. I was determined to have her, but there were things going on in her life that didn't permit her to engage in a regular relationship at the moment and I understood. I would give her time if need be, but the only fucker she was going home with tonight was with me or no one at all.
I knew the guys wouldn't tempt my wrath. They knew that she was completely off-limits. The last guy who had even mentioned of asking Adrienne out, consequently ended up with a broken arm.
I would have broken is leg had Damian not stopped me.
After that everyone else heeded my warning.
I had no idea what it was about Adrienne, but she called to a darker part of my soul. I needed her as much as I needed air because without her, I was afraid I would spiral into the monster that I kept at bay. I wanted the violence and relished in the raw intensity of it, which I was sure was not normal. A psychiatrist would have a field day with me, but my coaches loved that I seemed to be able to expel all that out on the field.
I wondered what would have happened if I didn't have football. I wondered if I would've gone down a darker path. Adrienne's goal to go to college, had me wanting to do the same thing. While I wasn't sure if we would go to the same college, I would try my hardest to see if that would happen.
Lately, Adrienne and I had been growing distant, but we still made time for each other. The sudden changes in her life had effectively isolated her from her normal peers, not to mention that she was younger than most of her friends. It was fortunate that Riley stuck by her. I feared that Adrienne would be alone.
Not that she seemed to mind that all that much. There was always something lurking behind those eyes of hers. She had a whole world in her head, but a familiar look seemed to press on these days, because it was a reminder of how I looked, so haunted by memories and sadness.
I wanted to break with her.
I watched her, as she moved through the crowd, drawing the attention of those around her. Riley stuck by her and guided her to the bar, where she was no doubt going to partake in a drink. I felt the rise of the beast within me, urging me to claim her. She had no business, being dressed like that, unless it was for me.
The primal need to have her beat at my head, until it was a relentless pounding. I watched in the dark like a predator, as she moved once more to the dance floor. Adrienne threw her head back and laughed, exposing the elegant line of her throat. Her dress showed off her tight little, toned body, shaped to perfection from basketball. There was an alluring sadness to her, but in this moment, she wanted to feel free.
Adrienne was determined to strike out on her own, but I wanted nothing more than to pull her back into me, until her very world was surrounded by me. Down to the core, I knew it was wrong, but the selfish part of me won out. The only person she should run to was me.
Things had grown somewhat tense between us, but I was certain that was only because of her bitch of a family. She sometimes confided in me about them, but I knew from the way Elaina was talking shit, things weren't pleasant at home. She kept her secrets close to herself, but someday I'd get them out of her. Riley proved useful when it came to Adrienne. Damian and Riley had some kind of beef, or weird fucked up relationship, because for whatever reason Damian was able to peddle out more insight than what I was getting and whenever it came to Adrienne, I ate it up.
I watched her with interest, as she continued to dance with Riley. It didn't bother me if she wanted to have a little fun, so long as those around her kept distance. If she wanted a little freedom, I would give her some. After all, this was my Kingdom.
I had learned early on to recognize that the only way to gain control of my weakness was to ensure that those around me operated under my control. Even now I could feel those around me defer to me in all ways and for the first time, I felt a sense of control. Daddy dearest, no longer had the brilliant idea to show me his brand of discipline any longer, knowing I could knock him out hard.
Adrienne was the only person who knew about my less-than-ideal relationship with my dad. Everyone else assumed I had a normal life, but no one would suspect the dark thoughts that circled in my head.
Liam leaned back, as some chick straddled his lap and began to grind on his cock. I had to give it to the guy for having no shame at all. I couldn't remember the chick's name, but I guess, everyone was looking to fuck.
Liam leaned his head back and puffed a cloud of smoke from the joint he was smoking. He was a good player, but half the time he looked stoned. I envied the guy. He somehow found a way to escape the reality that was life.
Music pounded in the house, but I remained fixated on Adrienne. I nodded to two of the freshman guys, Mike and Jason to keep an eye on Adrienne. She wasn't too happy once she found out that I had her secretly followed to the bleachers the day we had our fight about coming to Andrew's party, but tough shit. Adrienne can only stay mad at me for so long.
A few minutes later, I watched as Elaina and Justine approached our group. They were both freshman, but they already had guys in our year salivating after them. Justine was with another girl, whose name I couldn't remember, but it was made abundantly clear, as their gazes roamed along us, that they were interested.
I had met Elaina on more than one occasion, considering she was Adrienne's stepsister. Her sister hadn't entered high school yet. Everything about her made her look like the carbon-copy of her mother—malicious, cruel and an all-around bitch.
Everything about her annoyed the hell out of me, from her sycophantic personality to the nose job that she had. She was an empty vessel that seemed to hate every person who didn't worship at her feet. I was sure she was right on her way of being the biggest bitch in school.
Elaina didn't like Adrienne and there was no shortage of lies she was willing to spread about Adrienne. Some stuck and others were too unbelievable. The only reason why girls like Justine and even some of the older ones invited her in to their inner circle, was because Elaina liked to show off that she had money and those same girls disliked Adrienne for their own reasons and were willing to latch onto any reason to dig at her, including her relationship with me.
I also knew that Elaina was forcing Adrienne to do some of her homework and that right there already put her on my shit-list. The only reason why I hadn't done anything about it was because Adrienne was strongly against any retaliation on my end. She feared that Elaina would only escalate things with Robin, which would in turn bite her in the ass later. She had reassured me that she had it under control.
I didn't believe her.
Adrienne was afraid of something.
Of course, I couldn't pry it out of her. The girl had her own secrets and if she didn't want to say shit, she didn't have to. She was fiercely independent, a consequence of having grown up with her mom's illness and her absent-as-fuck dad, so getting anything out of her was a monumental feat.
Riley had told me that Adrienne was constantly doing chores and getting grounded. On more than a few occasions, Adrienne had ended up too busy to hang out because Robin requested that she clean the house. I frowned, wondering why Elaina never seemed to be doing any chores.
Adrienne's secrets were starting to annoy the hell out of me. We were thick as thieves when were younger and I wasn't about to let her off the hook. I knew that something was going on with Adrienne and her new stepfamily, feeling the tension whenever I swung by, but Adrienne refused to divulge details about her circumstance. I just didn't know why.
Elaina stood with Justine, who was peering at the other end of the coach towards Damian. She fluttered her lashes and smiled. "Hey Zayne. Mind if we join you?"
Before I could say anything, Elaina made her way towards me, just as a few of the younger guys were staring at her ass, clad in a baby blue, strapless, short bodycon dress. Her blonde hair was done in waves and her makeup painted on like usual.
Elaina tripped on something and I immediately reached out to balance her so she wouldn't topple, but for some reason her movements appeared contrived and exaggerated, as she fell right into my lap. I was forced to adjust my hold, wrapping around her tiny waist. Her one arm pressed against my chest, while the other balanced herself on my shoulder.
Elaina glanced up, her perfume surrounding me with its overwhelming scent. Her eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry. I must have tripped."
Sure.
I could feel her bony butt on my thigh, her gaze lingering on my face with desire. I recognized the look and suddenly I wanted to vomit.
It was not the first time Elaina tried to come onto me. She had made herself abundantly clear about her interest in me, from cornering me in the hallway to even at her house. I rebuffed her, wanting nothing to do with her, because why would I when I had my pick of any woman?
I growled, as I gazed at her with a look that hoped to communicate that I wasn't interested. "You can show you're sorry by getting off me."
A couple of the guys that overheard laughed. Elaina turned red, her face heating up with mortification, as she moved to stand up. I got up immediately and went into the kitchen to grab myself a drink. I didn't have to, but I took the excuse to get away from her.
My strides carried me quickly to the massive kitchen island, as I grabbed a bottle of beer. I wasn't much of a drinker, considering the state my dad was always in, but once in a while I had learned it wasn't so bad. I could see how my dad turned to this vice to escape. Hell, I was tempted to on more than one occasion, but I refrained since my only ticket out of here was football.
Was I planning on doing football all my life? No. The career trajectory for NFL players is short. I could make quick millions, sure, but after that I would have nothing. I needed football to earn a scholarship to go to college and maybe even play through college to maintain my status but really what I wanted to was to amass my own wealth. I was going to make sure that no one fucked me over ever again.
I lingered by the fridge, taking a sip, as my eyes lingered on Adrienne's form. Mike and Jason were doing a decent job of fielding off anyone attempting to close in on Riley and Adrienne. Riley spotted me and gave me a glare. She knew that it wasn't just a coincidence that the two were left to their own peace without making it look obvious. I simply shrugged, giving her a grin.
"I'm sorry about before," a female voice called to my attention.
My attention shifted, as I spotted Elaina once more. The girl sauntered her way over to me, as she stood close, leaning towards me seductively, until I could see the cleavage that she was sporting. I wanted to snort at how ridiculous she was being, pretending at seduction when she was only a little girl. She didn't know the gambit of darkness that lurked beneath me or maybe that was what attracted her in the first place. She didn't know that my desires ran dark.
"What do you want Elaina?" I asked her exasperated. I was making no effort in being nice to her because frankly, I could give a shit. She was starting to annoy me and the faster she got it in her head that there was nothing and never will be anything there, the better off I'll be.
Elaina didn't seem offended, as she took a step closer. "I just wanted to say hello. I didn't hear back after I texted you. I was hurt."
Elaina had texted a suggestive, nude picture of herself, which I supposed she was doing in an attempt to lure me in. Once again, I was indifferent to her fake brand of charm. She paled in comparison to the women that were regularly offering sex.
"Elaina, I'm not interested. You should save yourself the embarrassment and back down from whatever you're trying to accomplish."
Elaina looked hurt, but another step closer and she reached out, touching her manicured hands along my chest. "I like you Zayne and I think you're attracted to me too..."
"No I'm not," I answered, my gray gaze turning to steel.
"I know that you watch me whenever you come around. I see the way you watch me. I don't understand why you don't just call for me instead of making up an excuse to see Adrienne," Elaina pouted. Her blue eyes peered at me, looking seductive. "Everyone says we'd make a good pair."
What. In. The. Hell?
She must be fucking delusional. "Elaina, I don't go to your house to see you."
"You don't have to lie to me," Elaina cooed, lowering the tone of her voice. "I know that you're interested and I'm telling you it's alright if you want to...try."
My anger began to soar as Elaina was beginning to piss me off, but more to the point, as I turned my head, I caught something in the edge of my vision that turned my mood even darker.
Adrienne was dancing with a guy.
And it wasn't just any guy. It was Marcus Roman.
Our paths normally didn't cross, except when we were on the same basketball team in middle school. He was a senior, living the high life for now before he went off to college. I knew that he attracted a fair amount of attention from the girls and he's had his eye on Adrienne for a while. But right now, all I felt was a murderous rage as his body grinded up against Adrienne's, who was full-on dancing with him, the sensual beat playing overhead. His hands were on her hips and Adrienne's reached behind her to wrap around his neck to bring his head closer to the space between her shoulder and neck, losing herself in the music.
His hands were fucking on her.
I wanted to fucking kill him.
I had no idea where Mike or Jason was, but I didn't care. The only guy Adrienne should be moving that way for was me. The beast inside me roared to life, as everything fell away and all rationale disappeared.
"Zayne?" Elaina called out, sounding a little afraid. Her eyes turned to follow my line of vision, until she saw what it was that was diverting my attention from her. "Oh. See? Adrienne isn't any good for you, Zayne."
I didn't bother to answer her, as I attempted to turn to make my way over to her. I had no idea what I planned on doing once I made it her way, but I knew that I was going to kill Marcus and whisk Adrienne out of this goddamn party.
Possibly put some sense into her.
Claim her.
However, before I made it even two steps, Elaina moved in front of me. I halted, before I toppled her over and she leaned up to grab my neck and pull me down.
To fucking kiss me.
My lips landed hard against hers and Elaina plastered herself against me, intending to mold herself. I heard a few people gasp, as if shocked by the sight of the two of us kissing. Hell, they could join the party.
I pushed Elaina away, before she stumbled back. I wiped the disgusting taste of her lips off my own and glared at her with a savage expression. "The fuck are you doing?"
But the strange part was the look of innocence on her face. "What does it look like I'm doing? I want you, Zayne. I thought...I mean, you looked at me like..."
"You thought fucking wrong and if you ever touch me again, I'll toss your ass out," I threatened.
However, my attention was snagged once more, as I sensed her before I even knew. Just off to Elaina's left, standing by the bar was Adrienne.
Standing beside Marcus.
It was clear Adrienne witnessed the kiss. Her eyes lifted to meet with mine and I knew what I looked like, with the stormy expression on my face. Elaina turned and spotted Adrienne, before smirking. Sidling up to me, Elaina stuck closer to my side. Her gaze roamed the length of Adrienne taking her in. "Ugh. Who invited you?"
Adrienne didn't listen to her, as her attention seemed fixated on me. She frowned, right before Marcus whispered something to her, a hand to the small of her waist.
I moved. The small touch was enough to do me in, as I gave in to the anger and rage, along with the pained expression on Adrienne's face. I punched Marcus in the face, putting the full force of my weight into it, as he fell to the ground. I climbed on top of him and began to beat him.
In the back of my mind, I knew that I shouldn't be doing this, but the rage that flowed through my veins was black. It overrode every rationale thought. Somehow Adrienne had moved out of the way and I could hear the commotion of people around me, as several onlookers pointed their phones to record the scene. I continued to punch Marcus as he attempted to defend himself, putting his arms up in self-defense, but I didn't care.
I wanted blood.
"Zayne! Stop!" Adrienne shouted, the low-tone of her voice piercing through the fog of violence in my head.
It took a moment for Adrienne to free herself from whoever it was that was holding her back, (I caught Damian in the fringes of my vision), before she launched herself at me to pull me back by the arm. "What the fuck is the matter with you?" she exclaimed, attempting to grab my attention.
I felt her touch almost immediately, before I shuffled off of him. I stuck my body between her and Marcus, herding her as far away from him as possible, even as Adrienne attempted to come around me to see the damage. Marcus groaned on the floor, clutching his face, but it was clear he was wiped out cold.
Damian looked at me. "What the fuck, man?"
"Is he dead?" someone else asked, as the smoke began to clear of the danger.
Adrienne surveyed the reckless damage that I had inflicted in a merciless frenzy and immediately her eyes widened in panic, glancing at Marcus's unconscious body. She made to rush forward to kneel down beside him, but with a growl, I grabbed her upper arm and hauled her out of the party.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Adrienne cried, trying to free herself from my grip, as she whipped her head back to Marcus. I fractionally tightened it, as I pulled her along. "Get your hands off of me! Marcus might be—"
I turned, hauling her closer as Adrienne leaned back slightly, craning her neck to gaze up at my face. My eyes glittered dangerously with a warning and Adrienne had the good sense to shut her mouth. "You say his name one more time and I'll go back and finish the job," I threatened with a growl. "He's fine. Now, you either walk or I carry your ass out the door and believe me, you don't want that."
"Who the fuck are you?" Adrienne cried, as she violently wrenched her arm out of my grip. "You nearly killed Marcus and you think I'm going to walk out that door with you? Are you out of your mind?"
"You want to do this here?" I challenged darkly. "You aren't going to win that fight, but go ahead. I'm itching for a fight, right now." My careful control was unraveling, as I wanted nothing more than to slam her against the wall and fuck her, own her, mark her in every primitive way possible. The beast was clamoring to be let out, the darkness swirling in my head, growing. Marcus had no right touching her and her quick defense of him was not assuaging the beast within me.
"I don't understand," Adrienne said, as she recalled how it all went wrong. "Why would—"
I took one step forward, crowding her space. I was not accustomed to using physical intimidation, but it suited my purpose when I needed it. I wanted to make sure she got my message loud and clear. She was coming with me and we were leaving. "Make your decision Adrienne, because I'm running out of patience."
Adrienne swallowed a lump in her throat, recognizing the darkness that simmered just at the surface, evaluating the danger that I presented to her. Good. At least she recognized that I was volatile at the moment, the need to shuffle her away from Marcus beating at me, like a relentless drum.
Adrienne tilted her chin up in defiance, no doubt, evaluating her options. Her gaze narrowed, heightened anger and anticipation coursing through her. Without another word, she moved past me towards the door, as I followed right behind her, hot on her back.