Kings of Decay (The Winston Brothers Duet #1)

9. Pearce

Chapter nine

Pearce

T he little mouse finally collapsed a mile and a half outside of town.

My brother and I watched her stagger and fall in front of the Jeep.

Ainsley hit the brakes and came to a sliding stop. Thankfully, we’d barely been moving, or she would have been roadkill.

“She gave up,” Ainsley laughed as he kicked the janky Jeep door.

We found her slumped on her knees and unconscious. I couldn’t help but grin as I grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her face upright. Her skin was icy cold, but her pulse was there.

“Shit, she didn’t die, did she?” Ainsley asked as I let her head fall again.

“Nah. Could be, though, if we don’t get her warm soon.”

“Good, I really don’t feel like feeding her to the wolves. Yet.”

I scooped her up into my arms. “Yeah, I want to eat her up myself first.” I breathed in her scent, the salt from her tears, and the fading perfume in her hair. Her white cotton bra and panties were thin. Her nipple hardened as I passed my thumb over her tit.

Blood surged through me. I could have her now if I wanted. I pushed the monster in my heart away. No. I wanted her warm. I wanted her crying and screaming when I finally made her mine.

“Come on then,” Ainsley said. “Throw her in the back.”

She was so delicate in this state. Half frozen. Cold enough that it would be easy to snap her with my bare hands.

“Fine,” I laid her down on the back seat. My hands moved as if possessed as I dragged them over her cold flesh. Her breathing was shallow. Her lips and fingertips were blue.

“Tch,” Ainsley looked over the seat. “What a weakling. It’s not even below freezing yet.”

I snickered. “Typical California girl.” There was still a hint of a tan line around her bra strap. She wouldn’t be getting any beach time here.

The heaters came on with a roar and a rush of air. I fished her UCLA hoodie out of the pile of torn clothes and threw it over her, and then our scratchy emergency blanket.

“California, huh? That makes sense.”

“Why?”

Ainsley was messing around with her phone, holding her ID in one hand. “She and her old man just moved here from the West Coast.” He pocketed her card and his phone. “I’ll have to do some research on her. That way, it’ll be more interesting when we play with her.”

“You’re a sick fuck, Ainsley,” I said as I slid into the passenger seat.

“You’re the one who was groping her frozen tits,” my brother shot back.

I shrugged. “Did you at least find out where she lives?”

Ainsley pointed ahead. “Just up the road.”

I glanced back at her unconscious form. Poor little mouse, she almost made it back on foot.