Grayson.
“West.”
“Gray.”
A staring match. A swan hissed.
“Some of your water polo frat buddies were looking for you,” Gray said. “Something about running out of roofies? Not sure. It’s hard to hear over all the high-fiving.”
West glared. “I don’t play water polo, and I’m not in a frat.”
Gray frowned. “Huh…I don’t know why I thought you did. Maybe it’s that ‘I just got fucked in the ass by Uncle Sam and loved it’ smile you have.”
Another tense second, then West said, “Let her go. I paid. Are you really going to challenge?”
“I let you walk away with her. Didn’t say I was going to let you keep her.” His grip on my arm tightened. “I’m sorry if you didn’t get the memo, but she’s mine.”
My gut flipped like earlier, but worse. It dripped lower. It stayed. It throbbed. I liked him saying she’s mine. I was trying to rip out the weeds growing inside me, but each time he spoke, it was like they were encased in steel.
He held out his palm, revealing three gold coins. “You’ve held on for so long, du Lac. Gave it up for what?”
Another moment.
West looked over his shoulder, catching my eyes. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Gray grabbed my arm, thrusting me against his back so I slammed against his muscles with a thud. I couldn’t see West anymore, couldn’t see anything but Gray’s black dress shirt.
His grip on me tightened. “She’s fine, Captain America.”
Fabric filled my nose and mouth; his smell invaded my nostrils.
He let me go and I sucked in lungfuls of air.
“Why the fuck did West du Lac want you?” Grayson rounded on me.
“I don’t know,” I lied. “I have no idea why he cares so much.” That part wasn’t really a lie.
He scoffed. “Don’t lie to me. You plotting or something? Telling him your sad little story?”
> “Are you mad at me?” I asked, pointing at my chest, filled with indignation for bursting. “I’d love to hear the twisted Crowne logic that lets you think you can be mad at me.”
I couldn’t be subservient. I couldn’t. I was so sick of rich boys who thought they could use me however they wanted.
Grayson made a face. “Twisted Crowne—”
“You gambled me!” The words came out a yell before I could temper myself. “You made me…in front of everyone…I don’t care what you do to me anymore. I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m done.”
Maybe to someone like Gray what just happened was normal, but I wasn’t used to being fucking gambled.
Gray took less than a second to reach me with great, angry strides, swallowing the dark beach between us.
“It wasn’t a gamble,” he growled. “I was never going to lose, Snitch. I don’t lose. I don’t share. Your body is mine, and when you inevitably fail at this stupid plan, you’ll know that without a doubt.”
Eleven
GRAY
* * *