"That is a dangerous favor to ask of someone, Lily—especially someone you don't know." He leans in close, whispering into my ear. "What makes you think I'm a killer?" He breathes out against my cheek, sending a wave of goosebumps across my skin.
I place a hand on his chest and take a chance. "Let's just say I recognize a kindred spirit." As crazy as it sounds, it's the truth. I'm a balloon tethered to a string, and he’s pulling me toward him. Part of me knows it's reckless, but I need this. His heartbeat thunders beneath my palm. He’s not unaffected by me.
"Get on." He nods to his bike before sweeping his leg over and waiting for me. I climb on behind him, clutching his waist, and pin my thighs to his. Adrenaline spikes through my veins as I glance back at my car. Jameson is going to bitch me out for disappearing, but I'm grown, and I need to do this.
The engine roars to life, vibrating beneath me, drawing a smile to my lips.
I need to face my demons and destroy them.
CHAPTER
FIVE
ZANE/Chaos
Her thighs squeeze against mine, and a rush of hunger claws through my body. I've never put a woman on the back of my bike. I'm one of those assholes who fucks a willing woman at whichever bar I'm visiting that night, never even getting a name.
This is just me giving Lily a ride to Leo’s, but there's something I like about it. The warmth of her body covering mine…
I get the feeling she's hell fire and I'll be begging her to burn my soul.
Pulling into the drive, I park my bike next to the truck and wait for her to climb off.
The heat of her body leaves mine, and she stands there awkwardly, brushing her hair with her fingers.
"How's your ass?" Leo asks, walking past her up the steps to the front door.
"Tender." She smiles tightly and looks at me. "It was worth it. Milk is too handsy—and not just with me."
Climbing from my bike, my eyes drop to her ass encased in a pair of skin-tight jeans. "Sacrifice is necessary sometimes." I gesture to the house. "Come on."
Apprehension pinches her features. "We don't bite." I hold my hand out to her, and she lets out a breath, taking it. Once we reach the top step, she drops my hand and shoves hers into her jacket.
"Is it just you two who live here?" she asks as we enter the house. It's dull inside, the place untouched from when mom decorated it over twenty years ago. Leo throws himself on the old brown couch, the foam from inside showing through slits in the fabric. He rests his foot on the old, beaten-down coffee table covered in scratch marks and cup rings. Flower patterned carpet runs through the entire house, the pile worn down to almost nothing. It's a shit hole.
"This is Leo's place." I fucking hate being in this tomb.
"You don't live here?" She moves deeper into the house, cautious, a shiver racking her body.
"I stay here when he needs me to," I inform her. It's usually after he breaks up with whichever woman has become sick of his shit. My brother is bipolar and takes weeks off his meds, spiraling his moods. Mix that with his childhood trauma, night terrors, and paranoia, and you're left with someone highly dangerous to you and himself.
"I'm ordering pizza. Pepperoni good with you, Lily?" Leo calls out.
"Fine. Thanks." She folds her arms, trying not to touch anything. I should have taken her back to my place.
"Let's go in the other room and talk." I lead her through the kitchen into the dining room. She takes a seat at the table, wincing as she does. The table is the only thing Leo's bought for this house, barring his flat screen tv.
The floorboards above us creak, drawing Lily's attention. "Is there someone else here?"
"No. It's an old house." I shrug. She probably wouldn’t believe me if I told her the place is haunted.
A nervous laugh trickles from her lips like music. "Okay."
"So, tell me about this person you want taken care of and why you haven't dealt with it yourself or had your brother deal with it?"
Her shoulders stiffen, and something dark shadows her eyes.
"There are some things you can't tell your brother. I have a brother-in-law I've thought about talking to. He would do this for me. But things would never be able to stay how they are now if I told him."
"You don't want them to see you differently," I surmise.
"Exactly."
"You'd be surprised what a brother is willing to do for their sibling." I’ve killed for mine.
"I have no doubt Jameson would burn the world down for me if he thought it would keep me safe, but he can never know the ways I suffered every time he sent me home after weekends I'd spend with him. He wouldn't survive it."
A tear leaks to her cheek, and she angrily swats it away with the back of her hand. Someone hurt this girl's soul deep. I know what that feels like.
"I'll help you." Her mouth pops open, forming the perfect O, her thick lips dusted in pale lipstick.
"You haven't even asked who it is or what he did." She places a hand on the table, rubbing a small smudge with the pad of her finger.
"I don't need to."
I reach across the table to place my hand on hers, but she flinches away, twisting her lips, "I don't want pity," she snipes.
"That's not what I'm offering." I draw back, leaning against the back of my chair to give her some space.
"Then what is it you're offering?"
I shrug, giving her words back to her. "A kindred spirit who recognizes your pain and is offering to help in seeking vengeance."
A silent pause hangs between us, just our breathing and the faint buzz of the TV coming from the living room.
"Why do they call you Chaos?" she asks, finally breaking the silence, her big brown eyes steady on mine.
"Because it's what I cause when anyone crosses me." I wink at her and waggle my brows.
A beautiful smile takes over her whole face, and I want to capture a picture of it to look at whenever shit gets heavy.
"So, we have a deal—I'll help you after you help me?" She holds her hand out for me to shake.
Slapping my palm against hers, I grip her hand and jerk it in a shake. "Deal."
CHAPTER
SIX
Lily
This place reminds me of my grandparents’. Darkness clings to the atmosphere, clogging my throat. I need to get out.
“Pizza’s here,” Leo calls out as the front door slams, vibrating the foundation.
Leo appears in the doorway holding two pizza boxes, half a slice stuffed in his mouth. “What’s the verdict?” he asks around the food. Standing, I take the boxes from him and place them on the table.
“I’m going to help bring your woman home.” I flip the lid and take a slice. The aroma clings to my tastebuds, making my mouth water. Since getting free from my grandparents, I never miss the opportunity to eat when it’s presented, and the weight went on quick. My ass, chest, and hips are much fuller than they used to be, but my legs are still twigs.
“You sure about this?” Leo asks Zane, moving around him to take a seat on the opposite side.