Hers To Keep (Servite Academy #2)

Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

SCARLETT

H ave you ever had an out-of-body experience where everything around you is happening so fast, but you feel as if you’re moving in slow motion, on the outside looking in? That’s exactly how I feel as I step into Ace’s SUV, heading off toward the cabin he rented for our week off school. It’s the last place I want to be, with the last person I want to be with, but Jade, Stella, Kai, Ruby, and Jax are already there. If I’ve learned anything today, it’s that I must continue to play a part in all of this. As much as it makes me sick to my stomach, I must move on.

Wesley assured me they would get Drake checked out by a doctor and he’d be off to a full recovery back at Astor House. Honestly, his words mean nothing to me. He is the reason Drake is in the condition he’s in. He’s the one that ordered the Horsemen to beat the life out of him. I know it was him. I cringe at the thought of what could have happened to him had I not walked in when I did. If I hadn’t heard his agonizing cry. Would they have killed him like they did Chaz?

Ace and I head to the cabin, with the Horsemen following closely behind us in Bass's car. I’m not sure what we’re going to say happened to Drake when we arrive. I’m sure they’ve been looking for him, and if I’m right, Agent Servite had Drake locked up for two days. I keep my eyes on the road ahead, not wanting to acknowledge Ace beside me. I can feel his stare on me, trying to burn through me and get a glimpse inside my mind. Unfortunately for him, he won’t be able to make out the warped thoughts flowing through it.

"He had it coming," Ace blurts out, breaking our deafening silence. I can’t help letting out a chuckle, not able to keep quiet any longer.

“You sound just like him,” I sneer, keeping my gaze out the window before me. "It's the same pretense he uses to do what he does. He had it coming, he deserved it. It’s all just a cowardly justification for your wrongdoings." I turn and glare at him, noticing the way his fingers grip the steering wheel tightly, his tongue moving angrily in his mouth.

“I'm nothing like him.” He growls, keeping his gaze locked on the dark road ahead of us. I laugh once again at his remark, as I see the blood rushing to his knuckles, his fingers gripping the steering wheel even tighter.

"Like I said once before, you're two men cut from the same flaming cloth. Two sinners who disguise themselves as saints to avoid damnation. At least be man enough to admit it. He is." Ace hits the brakes abruptly, causing me to slam my back against the seat, the seat belt tightening on my chest.

"I am nothing like him. He’s a condescending prick, I?—”

"The devil knows his way with words. He lures fools with his charm and tempts them, convincing them to do his dirty bidding. He tricks them into revealing their deepest, darkest desires, only to eventually use them against them. But I see right through your facade, the mask you wear like a second skin. You may have fooled me before, but I now see you for what you really are. A scared little boy hiding behind this suit of power and self-righteousness and I’m the fool who fell into temptation. I fell for your tricks, but I see you now and I can assure you, it won’t happen again. Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice…” I turn away from him, staring out the window to my right, as the sky above us rumbles, and the ocean beside us turns into tall forest trees concealing the gleam of the moonlight, enveloping us in a coat of near darkness. “Shame on me,” I whisper into the darkness, but I’m convinced he heard.

After about twenty more minutes in utter silence, we pull up to an empty campground with a large cabin in the distance. Ace parks the wagon, turning off the engine and sitting motionless beside me. We’re a day late, but I’m sure no one will care. That I was with my boyfriend, a simple excuse.

Finally, Ace gets out of the car and comes over to open my door, but before he can, I quickly jump out of the car, slamming the door closed behind me. I turn around as he cages me in against the car, his palms landing flat against the door beside my face. His face, a mere inch from mine, as his breath turns ragged, his eyes burning holes into mine. He slips his tongue out to wet his lips, slightly grazing mine. His scent is intoxicating, like his own personal brand of pheromones being released into the air. I should be angry, fuming at the events that occurred over the last forty-eight hours, yet here I am, melting before him, an urge to close the small gap separating our lips, keeping them from the pure ecstasy of a kiss from Ace Servite. He breaks me out of my lust filled daze as he speaks.

"We need to act like nothing has happened. We're a happy couple. Earlier today, last night, the night before, we must act as if it never occurred,” he says, his brows creasing, revealing small lines forming between his forehead. Early signs of wrinkling from a man who’s surely pouted his entire life when he hasn’t gotten what he’s wanted. As if that’s ever occurred. What Ace Servite wants, Ace Servite gets, and he’s made it clear it’s me he craves.

However, the defiant rebel in me emerges yet again, refusing to be silenced.

"You're insane. I'm not acting like we’re two love birds floating around in ecstasy." He slams his hands against the car, bringing one to my wrist. His eyes display not anger, but a sign of frustration.

"You will and you'll enjoy every damn minute of it,” he says, as his grip tightens on my wrist. “You will hold my hand like a good little girl. You will kiss me like your life depends on it, and you will fuck me by your own free will. Your body betrays you, Red," he looks down at my chest to where my hardened nipples give me away through my thin hoodie. Damn. Little. Traitors. "If I were to shove my hand in your leggings right now, I'd find you soaking wet for me." He lowers a hand and cups me through my leggings. I instantly buckle toward him, biting down on my tongue to silence a moan. His smirk widens at my reaction, but I give nothing more away.

"It's a normal reaction to your physical attractiveness, but don’t be fooled, I know inside you’re rotten to the core."

His smile goes wicked. "Aren't we all, baby?"

We’re interrupted by Bass whistling loudly, clearly trying to get our attention. Ace growls angrily, but I happily use the distraction to sneak out of his embrace. I walk toward where Bass stands, Alek and Beck getting some bags and kegs out of the trunk of his car, leaving Ace behind to get our bags. I already had my bag packed with clothes ready for the trip, so we stopped back at the campus to pick it up before heading over.

As I approach him, Bass eyes me warily, his eyes giving away to something that’s been eating at him all night. Strange to say that Sebastian Silver, the cold-hearted, cruel beast who towers over us mere humans, was the first to show a semblance of remorse. I clearly remember his grip on me as Alek injected me with what I can only assume was a dose of The Devil’s Kiss. The words he whispered to me before my eyes, mind, and body betrayed me, giving out before I had the chance to fight back. It will all be over soon, sweet angel. Your eyes, too pure to see the evil that lies before us.

“You’re looking better than earlier today, Red,” he says, referring to the tattered red dress I wore just hours ago. I showered back at the Dahlia House before we left, washing away Drake’s blood from my skin, trying to scrub away the sins I witnessed, the ones I committed. I changed into a pair of black leggings and a gray cropped hoodie, this one free of bloodstains.

“I’ve asked you before not to call me that. I have a name, and if you're determined to speak to me, you might as well use it,” I sneer, glaring at him. There might have been a glimpse of remorse in his steel-gray eyes, but he stood before Drake’s bruised body. He stood silent as Wesley Servite spewed out his threats at me. Out of fear, out of loyalty? He stood there at his side, and that made him the enemy.

“I’ll call you what I feel like calling you, Red. Did Servite not make it clear? You are nothing but a pawn in all of this. A chess piece he needs guarded until he’s ready to make his move, whatever it may be.”

“And like a loyal dog, you obey.” His eyes harden at my dig. Bastard.

“Like a soldier, I follow. We have a purpose here, Red. One your simple mind wouldn’t understand. To filter out the filth that floods this town. We have a job, one we don’t take lightly, and your little pet got in the way. Servite’s threats just serve as a warning. We won’t go easy on him, again,” he says, his lips curving up into a small smirk.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Bass,” I say, as Ace’s arm wraps around my waist.

“We got a problem here, Bass?” he asks. I move out of his grasp, pushing his arm away .

“Not at all, babe,” I keep my eyes focused on Bass’s. “Just Sebastian and I making conversation. Said he’s eager to get inside to see my sister.” His smirk falls, a pissed off scowl now in its place. “Too bad for him, Jade likes her men to take charge, not pussies who cower at another man’s command.” Bass glares at me, his lip twitching slightly at the mention of Jade, as I push through him heading toward the cabin, all the while Ace chuckles following behind me.

The cabin is massive, opulent, and of course, every bit as pretentious as the beach house, but I expected no less from these entitled fuckers. It’s not a rustic cabin you see in movies or those ski lodge commercials on TV. No, this cabin is a mini mansion, complete with two stories, a large wrap-around porch and deck I assume leads to the back of the property, and 360-degree views of the surrounding woods. The front of the cabin has a large swing held up by two tall redwood trees, the grass before it almost completely dry, as it should start snowing here next month. It’s the only cabin on the large stretch of land near us, with only a lake visible to the far left of the dirt road.

I stop before reaching the front steps of the property, nervous to enter and afraid of what, or who, I’ll find. The lot where we parked our car had about four others parked beside us, and I don’t see another cabin in sight.

“What are you waiting for, Red?” Ace asks, his breath hot against my neck. “Afraid of what’s inside? You know what they say about staying in a cabin in the woods…”

“Beware of the monsters lurking in the trees?” I ask sarcastically. My comment gains me a small chuckle from him, and it unwillingly makes my center flood with heat.

“Nah, babe, the monsters are already inside.”

The front door swings open, Jade and Stella appearing on the other side.

The front door swings open, Jade and Stella standing on the other side .

The front door is suddenly swung open, revealing Jade and Stella standing on the other side.

“Finally!” Jade shouts, as she rushes over to me, Stella remains impassive at the door looking behind me. Jade wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a hug. She’s not very tall, only about five foot five, but the top of my head sits right under her nose. “God, I was so worried,” she says. “You know, with your bad luck with being kidnapped by these fuckers.” She scowls behind me toward where Ace stands, as I turn and find Bass, Beck, and Alek standing beside him with equally menacing glares directed at her.

“When are you going to give that up, Little Wolf? We didn’t kidnap you. You were actually in our territory,” Bass answers, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Yeah, you girls were trespassing. Intruders beware,” says Alek, with a condescending glare. God, he’s an asshole. Not sure why but out of all the Horsemen, even Ace, Alek gives me a bad vibe. He’s the most loyal of the four, the one who never questions his master, and I have a feeling his loyalty to Wesley Servite is stronger than his loyalty to Ace or the rest of the guys.

“Well, maybe put up a sign next time, Beware Rabid Dogs,” Jade sneers, causing Alek’s scowl to deepen, his blond shaggy hair falling in long layers around his face, as he huffs out a deep breath. I chuckle to myself, remembering when I first called him one of Ace’s dogs and his scowl from then, almost identical to the one he wears now. I suddenly stop when Jade turns her attention back to me, leaning in closer.

“Everything okay?” she whispers in my ear. I cringe at her question, so many answers running through my mind–not one of them is the one I’ll tell her. I’m screaming internally, yelling no at the top of my lungs. But on the outside, my expression remains blank. My heart drops to my feet, my blood ice cold as it races through my veins up to my head, and bile in my throat threatens to come out. But my mind reminds me of the crime I bore witness to.

Chandler Wolfe is dead.

Killed.

Buried six feet under, thrown into the sea, or burned to a crisp.

He’s gone. Jade’s father is gone and with him, so is the hope of ever finding her brother Roman.

I could never tell her what I know, what I saw. A secret that will destroy her if she ever finds out. Jade’s always been indifferent to others. She’s closed off, doesn’t show, or share her feelings and emotions, and in love, she’s incredulous. Everyone she’s ever cared about has left her, forgotten her. Everyone except me, but if she finds out, when she finds out what I am keeping from her, it’ll be her who leaves me.

“Yeah, sis, just a long couple of days. Ace’s family is intense to say the least,” I reply, shifting nervously beside her, my palms sweating at my sides.

“Ugh, tell me about it, his sister is insufferable-always lurking in the shadows. Carrington and Kinsley haven’t shut up since they arrived, but Wynter, she’s just been pouting around with her permanent resting bitch face,” Jade says, rolling her eyes and throwing her arm over my shoulder. Together we walk up the steps, Horsemen in tow, when suddenly, I stop in my tracks, realizing what she’s said.

“Wait, when they arrived?”

“Yeah, the pretentious, prissy ass queens are here. Didn’t you know? I figured that’s why you took longer to get here.” I turn, instantly glaring toward a very smiley Ace.

“Didn’t I mention this was my family’s cabin, as in my sister's? Couldn’t really deny her an invitation, could I?”

“Thought you were a ruthless king; your word is law and all that bullshit. Guess you’re not so powerful after all.” His smile turns to an irritated scowl, and now it’s me who smirks back at him .

The inside of the cabin is just as luxurious as the exterior. High ceilings, wooden beams, brick accents, and floor to ceiling windows envelop us in a coat of opulence. A large wooden staircase leading to the second floor, sits behind a brick fireplace with a wide screen TV hanging above it, two large brown leather couches in front of it, and a long chaise beside the window overlooking the dark woods. A fully stocked bar sits to the left, beside the kitchen and dining room, which leads out to the backyard.

“This place is…”

“Incredible,” Ace says from beside me.

“I was going to say flashy, but sure, that too."

“Come with me, Red, and I’ll show you to our room.” I turn and glare at him, raising a brow, silently laughing. He honestly thinks I’m going to share a bed with him after everything that’s happened. He meets my glare with one of his own, smirking deviously and answering my unspoken question.

Yeah, Red, we’re sharing a room, a bed, and everything in between.

I decide to not fight him about our room situation in front of the others who’ve come inside and joined us, so instead I follow him like the good little girlfriend he expects me to be, as he leads me up the stairs. Ignoring the whistling coming from the Horsemen down below, we arrive at a wide, two-sided hallway, leading to about five different rooms.

“This is where the guys and I have our rooms. To the left are Bass, Alek, and Beck. My room is to the right, along with a theater room. Downstairs is where your friends, my sister and her friends are staying. The upstairs is strictly for us and whoever will join us for the night.” He moves closer to me, grabbing my hands and pulling me toward him. “You’re mine for the week,” he whispers across my neck.

I pull my hands out of his grasp, placing them on his chest and shoving him back toward one door on the right. His back slams loudly into it, but he doesn’t even flinch .

Stepping on my tippy toes, I bring my face up to meet him, my mouth an inch away from his, so close I can taste him on my tongue. “You may have convinced me to come here, threatened me to keep your dirty little secret,” he licks his lips, smirking at my fury. “But you are clearly demented if you think I’d ever share anything other than a room with you.”

Without warning, he wraps an arm around my waist turning me and caging me in against the door, his body hovering heavily over me. I bite down on my lip when a rush of pain from the doorknob hitting my lower back rushes through me. He carefully brings a hand to rest on the door beside my face, the other still wrapped around me, as he lowers his head to my neck, licking the heated skin in slow, sensual circles. My body shifts in his hold, a blistering heat rushing to my middle as he bites down on the soft skin of my chin, using his mouth to lift my face to meet his.

“You’re mistaken if you think you can stop me, or fight me, or resist me. You said so yourself, angel...” He licks my bottom lip, sinking his teeth deep into it. “I hold all the power here, and what I want, I get. You’re the only thing I need.” Before I can reply, his mouth comes down on me hard, taking with it any snarky comeback I had planned. His mouth devours me, his lips swallowing mine, his tongue moving viciously inside while strong hands move down to grip my hips, while his fingers savagely dig into the sensitive skin above my leggings. He pushes into me, never once letting go of my lips, his hard cock digging into me, making me gasp desperately in his mouth. I feel his lips curl up at my reaction, a teasing smirk now covering his face. “Your body betrays you, and that filthy little mouth of yours can’t hide what it really wants,” he whispers into the dip between my breasts.

Now it’s my turn to laugh. Ace is cocky and so fucking sure of himself, and that right there is his weakness. As much as I want to, I can’t deny what being so close to him does to me. It’s biology. The pheromones he exudes are too tempting for my overly hormonal, teenage body. It is what it is, but my mind can’t be as easily tricked. I know what type of man he is. The evil he is capable of, what he’s done.

I open my eyes slowly, fluttering my lashes, and giving him my sultriest gaze. His reaction is instant, his body going tense against mine, his eyes dilating as he looks down at my tongue coming out to lick my bottom lip, and I feel his erection harden as it grinds against me.

“You may take what you want on the outside, but you’ll never have what’s inside, and for a man who needs to have everything, that will be your downfall.” I reach up, once again standing on my tippy toes and place a chaste kiss on his lips, letting my mouth linger on his for longer than planned. His intoxicating scent lingering between us almost making me forget what it is I planned to say next. “Don’t be fooled, Ace, no one willingly follows the devil to hell.” Without glancing back at him, I turn and grasp the doorknob, but his heavy hand lands on mine before I can turn it.

“Little do you know, Red, I’ve already laid claim to every single inch of you, inside and out,” he whispers breathlessly in my ear. With his free hand, he runs his fingers up my back under my sweater, the calloused tips leaving goosebumps in their wake. “And after I’ve decided I’ve had my fill of you, you’ll be begging me to drag you back down.”

Ace drops my hand and removes his fingers from my back as I twist the knob, pushing the door open. Instead of following me in he takes off down the stairs leaving the bags he was carrying by the door. I pick up my bag and head further into the room slamming the door shut behind me, leaning against the dark wood.

This is going to be one hell of a week.