Crown of Thorns by E.M. Snow

29

“Y-you’re not lookingfor drugs, are you?” I ask, finding that to be a more believable reason for this girl’s visit.

Carley frowns, though she doesn’t look offended by my question. She waves at her belly. “Hello. Pregnant. And even if I wasn’t, I don’t do drugs.”

There’s something haunted in her blue eyes when she tells me this, but I shove down the sympathy clawing at my chest.

“Then how do you know Jasper?” I demand. “The only people he knows are druggies, lowlifes, and crooks.” And super rich pricks from which he steals and puts me up as collateral, but I keep my mouth shut about that.

The girl waves her hand dismissively. “We met through rather unconventional means, but that’s neither here nor there.”

Well, if she’s friends with Jasper, that at least explains the ping of familiarity I feel looking at her. I probably have run into her before, during one of the times I was trying to drag Jasper home. Still, she doesn’t look like a drug addict, so I’m inclined to believe her in that. Doesn’t mean she’s not a dealer.

That shiny black Range Rover didn’t exactly pay for itself.

“Who are you, exactly?” I ask, realizing she never answered me when I wanted her name earlier.

She appears thoughtful for a beat, and I briefly think she’s going to blow my question off. If she does, I’ll know not to trust her. To my surprise, though, she sticks out her hand to me and says, “Someone who cares. A lot. Good enough?”

I just stare at her hand until she draws it away and cradles her belly.

“Here’s the deal,” Carley begins. “Jasper asked me to stop by and check on you now and again, but every time I’ve dropped by, you haven’t been here. I was beginning to lose hope that I’d ever actually see you.”

“Um…I’m actually not living here right now,” I tell her, growing more confused by the second. “I’m living on the other side of town.”

“Where?” Her nostrils flare and her jaw tightens just a bit, but her voice doesn’t change as she continues, “Where are you living? With friends? With—”

“Why don’t you ask Jasper?” After all, he’s been communicating with this girl. If they’re still in contact, maybe she could give him a message? “Do you talk to my brother often?” I ask, my heart beating a little harder at the possibility of finally getting through to him.

Her thin shoulders slouch in a shrug. “I wouldn’t say often, but we stay in touch.”

“Can you tell him something for me?”

She appears hesitant for a moment, but then nods. “What is it?”

I gnash my teeth, anger suddenly underlying my voice. “Tell him he’s fucked me over.”

Her head jerks back and confusion clouds her features. “Care to elaborate?”

Not a fucking chance.

To Carley, I simply shake my head. “He’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“If you say so.” She starts digging in the purse hanging from her shoulder and produces a folded square of paper. “Don’t lose this. Give me a call if you need anything, alright?”

I take the paper, though I’m not sure exactly what her endgame in offering it to me is. “Um…thanks,” I murmur. She smiles and nods before turning toward her car. I watch her for a moment before a terrible thought enters my head and I blurt, “That’s not my brother’s baby, is it?”

Carley stops and turns, her eyes wide with shock. After a moment, though, she appears to calm down and shakes her head at me with a wry smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not Ghost’s,” she assures me.

Ghost. Not Jasper, but Ghost. Which only confirms that she’s involved with his shadiest side. Still, I release a breath of relief. The last thing the world needs is little Jaspers running around and causing mayhem.

“I’ll talk to you later, Josslyn,” she calls over her shoulder as she continues moving to her Range Rover.

“Sure,” I reply, though I kind of doubt I’ll be calling her anytime soon. I watch her get into her car with some effort thanks to her belly, but soon enough, she’s backing out of my driveway and onto the street. I watch her drive away, thinking that had to be one of my weirdest encounters to date.

Her car turns a corner down the street, and when she’s fully out of sight, I start to head for the door. At that moment, though, I hear a car engine roar, and I shiver. I know that car. I know it all too well.

Slowly, I turn around, and yep, there’s Phoenix pulling up next to the sidewalk in yet another vehicle that’s way too expensive for this neighborhood.

I watch as he gets out and slams the driver’s side door shut with angry, jerky movements.

“Get in the goddamn car,” he snaps, making his way to the sidewalk and then storming up to stand over me.

I stare up at him, baffled. The nerve of this prick.

Throwing up my middle finger, I hiss, “Hell no.”

Before he can say another word, I turn and march toward the front of the house.

“Don’t fuck with me, Luna,” he snarls behind me. “I’m in no mood.”

“Then fuck off,” I call over my shoulder. “No one’s forcing you to be here.”

As I climb up onto the front porch, I hear him mumbling under his breath and then he releases a stream of curses as he follows after me. This probably isn’t a good idea, but I don’t stop him as I enter the house and he comes in after me, slamming the door behind him.

I begin to move toward the hallway, not bothering with the lights since I figure the electricity is still off, but before I can move an inch, the light fixture above my head flashes on. Startled, I whip around to find Phoenix standing next to the switch.

“How’d you do that?” I demand. “The electricity was turned off.”

“And I had it reconnected,” he explains quickly as he moves closer to me to get in my face. “I don’t have time to talk about the fucking electric bill. What the fuck were you doing with Easton today?”

I narrow my eyes. He’s trying to intimidate me with his size again, but I’m not going to let him push me around. Not anymore. I hold my ground and tilt my chin.

“That’s none of your business,” I reply coldly.

“Like fuck it isn’t.” His hand suddenly lands on my hip, startling me enough that I gasp. His touch his rough as he reaches both hands around me now to cup my ass. I stare up at him, overwhelmed by his touch and the heat that’s already spreading through me. I had told myself I was done with this bullshit, but here I am again, letting him feel me up with absolutely no objections.

What the actual hell is wrong with me?

“Found it,” he suddenly smirked, and before I’m able to stop him, he fishes my phone out of my back pocket.

“Hey!” I cry, but it’s too late. My phone in his hand, Phoenix steps away from me and swipes with his thumb to bring the device to life. Shit, it’s not locked. I charge him, but he gives me his back, effectively blocking me with his wide shoulders as he begins scrolling through things. When I realize he’s typing something out, I cry out, “What are you doing? Who are you texting?”

“I’m just telling that pencil-dick Easton that you’ve changed your mind about tonight and you’re not going with him.”

“What?” I shriek. “You don’t have any right to do that! Give me my phone back.”

He ignores me, because of course he does. When he fires off the message, he turns around to face me, but holds my phone high above my head so I can’t snatch it from him as he continues to look through my personal shit.

He frowns. “You’ve been reaching out to your brother an awful lot.”

“Can you blame me?” I growl, jumping up to try and grab it from him. I miss. “Given everything I’ve been put through because of him, and you, of course I’ve been trying to get him to talk to me.”

“Not a whole lot of replies,” he says, and I stop jumping. Damn it, of course he’d notice that.

There aren’t any replies. Just the one asking for me to be compliant and to go with my captors like a good girl.

“Shouldn’t that make you happy?” I snap. “Jasper and I clearly aren’t working together in anyway. He won’t even respond to my texts. He’s not giving me any help anytime soon, so feel free to give me my damn phone back!”

To my surprise, he actually does. He lowers his arm so I can snatch my phone from his grasp.

“It doesn’t make me happy,” he confesses in a low, angry voice. “In fact, I hate all this. It’s all such bullshit.”

I frown at him. “What are you talking…?”

Before I can finish my question, however, he cups the side of my face and yanks me to him so he can press his lips to mine in a demanding kiss. Just like that, all other thoughts melt right out of my head, and a cloud of lust floats in to overwhelm my reason.