Corrupt

Damon tore his eyes away from the girl on the floor, breathing out a cloud of smoke as he started watching Rika instead. She laughed, letting that friend of hers rub up on her as they both moved in sync, lost in the music.

I might be jealous if it wasn’t so hot. And he didn’t have a chance with her anyway. Her little glances at me across the breakfast table had more heat in them than the way she smiled at him.

Will leaned his elbows on the table, watching her as well, and I didn’t spare a glance at Kai to see if he was staring. I knew he was.

Who wouldn’t?

The deep beat filled the room, carrying into the rafters, and I watched as she rolled her hips nice and slow, sliding an arm around his neck behind her as her girlfriend came up in front of her, and the three of them started grinding together.

I shifted in my seat, liquid heat rushing to my groin.

“Holy fuck,” Damon breathed out, turning around to face us.

Will’s wide eyes glanced to us, as well, and I could tell he was as turned on as I was.

“There’s no way Trevor can handle her,” Kai stated.

A grin tugged at my jaw, but I didn’t let it loose. No. My brother wouldn’t have the slightest clue what to do with trouble like that. He could never give her what she needed.

I stared at her, seeing her hips sway in small, sexy movements to the music, and then she laughed, pulling out and switching places with the girl. The light rain falling through the roof made her skin glisten, and she closed her eyes, holding her hands up in the air and losing herself to the music once again.

“Michael?” I heard Kai’s voice. “You’re looking at her like she’s not sixteen, man.”

I shot him a look, a little amused, before turning my eyes back to Rika.

It wasn’t a warning, simply a tease. This suburb wasn’t the least bit exciting, and teenagers didn’t have much else to do except fuck every chance they got. We’d all had sex long before we were eighteen.

And we were all looking at her like she wasn’t sixteen.

“Well, you know what I say?” Damon chimed in, blowing out a stream of smoke. “As long as they’re old enough to crawl, they’re in the right position.”

Will scrunched up his face. “Aw, you’re sick!” he said, laughing.

I shook my head, ignoring the stupid remark. Damon was fucked up.

Sure, he was joking.

But there was also always some truth to anything he said. Women were as inanimate as rocks to him. Something to be used.

Will and Damon finished off a few more beers, and people came over to say hi and catch up. Since I’d been away all summer, training and traveling, I hadn’t seen anyone in a long time. Hopefully spirits were higher now with the Devil’s Night festivities to give everyone a small high and remind the team who they used to be.

I set down my drink, listening to Will and Kai talk to a few people standing around the booth, but when I glanced up to check on Rika on the dance floor, I instantly grew uneasy, seeing that she was gone.

Scanning the area, I found her friends still dancing, looking like they were getting pretty hot, and then I turned my head, finally spotting her climbing the stairs to the next level.

Just then, she turned her head, locking eyes with me over her shoulder as she continued to climb. I stood up on the seat and hopped over the back of the booth, landing on the floor.

I kept my eyes on her back as I followed her up the stairs, past loiterers standing about, and turned right, making my way up another set of stairs. The space was now completely empty of people and prying eyes.

The metal grate flooring under me led to a large window near the left corner, and I saw her standing there in the dark, gazing out into the night with the music and noise two stories below and far away from us.

What the hell was I doing?

“I like my house from here,” she said quietly. “You can see the lanterns. It looks almost magical.”

I came up to stand behind her, looking out into the darkness. Sure enough, you could make out our homes in the distance since they sat at a higher elevation. The houses weren’t visible, shrouded in trees as they were, but the estates were well-lit and clear. In reality, it was about a half mile between her house and mine, but from here it looked like only a few inches.

“Thank you for tonight,” she offered. “I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I felt good for the first time in a long time. And excited, scared, happy…” She trailed off and then finished in a quieter tone, “Powerful.”

I looked down at her, shadows of rain dancing across the light hair on top of her head.

Rika was a lot like I was a few years ago. Confused, caged, and corruptible. The most valuable lesson anyone learns in life should be learned as early as possible. That you don’t have to live in the reality someone else had invented. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Ever.

Redefine normal. None of us know the full measure of our power until we start pushing our boundaries and pressing our luck, and the more we do, the less we care what others think. The freedom feels too good.

I breathed in the hint of perfume her body still held, feeling high with need. God, I wanted to touch her. It had been building all night.

“I wonder what it’s like to be you sometimes,” she admitted. “To walk into rooms and have respect. To be so loved by everyone.” And then she turned her head to the side, looking up at me with those big, blue eyes, begging me. “To want something and take it.”

Jesus.

“You were watching me on the dance floor,” she whispered. “You never look at me, but you were watching me tonight.”