Enforce(4)

He said if it came to a fight, he’d pick our side.

The problem?

The minute he went against blood he was a dead man anyway.

I didn’t envy his position. Being a part of a family that wouldn’t protect him worth shit — but would kill him if he chose to do the right thing. His father was a piece of work. And was still refusing to meet with me.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Phoenix asked, his tone light but his eyes still dark, like he’d lost all hope.

“Yup.” I gave a firm nod. “I’ll see you later, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved me off and went after the guys.

Once they were out of sight, I ran back toward the girls’ dorms and took the elevator to Mo’s floor. What room was she in again?

I sent Tex a quick message.

“United States, bro. Seriously? How’d you forget that?”

Cursing, I forced my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and walked to the end of the hall where Mo’s room was. No wonder I’d thought to put Trace in that room — it was my twin’s. Damn me to hell.

I knocked twice. Then pounded the door and yelled her name.

A few doors down the hall opened.

And then the giggling and whispering commenced.

There was a reason I hadn’t hooked up with any of the girls at Elite. They were ridiculous, and I didn’t have time for ridiculous.

Rolling my eyes, I tried the handle. It was unlocked. I let myself in and closed the door behind me. I’d wait for her. It’s not like she would be hours. Classes hadn’t started, and she wasn’t allowed off campus unless she asked my permission, and it wasn’t mealtime.

I went over to her bed and sat, enjoying the quiet around me. How long would it be like this, I wondered? How long would I be stuck in a world I didn’t fit into? Eagle Elite wasn’t my home; it wasn’t what I wanted with my life. What I wanted was to run the business away from the watchful eyes of Elite. What I got was the life of a lie, the reputation of a sinner, and the inability to escape.

Girls started laughing from the hall. I heard a few shouts, and then someone tried the door.

It was a trick door, one had to both turn and push at the same time. If the girl on the opposite end didn’t know that — then that meant she must be the new roommate.

Great, another girl I could scare shitless.

I waited.

The door didn’t budge.

I heard huffing on the other end, and then the door went flying open. The girl fell to the ground in a heap directly in front of my feet.

I fought the urge to say “I kind of like you this way.” Especially when those brown eyes slowly grazed up my body and scowled in my face. Hell yeah, it had been too long since I’d been with a girl…

Because for some strange, terrifying reason, I wanted to slam the door behind her and push her against it.

Dip my fingers in her hair, tip my tongue into her mouth, dip my—

A few girls congregated at the door.

I offered my hand to help her up then remembered that I wasn’t being the hero or the gentleman. Before our fingers brushed, I put on a leather glove and smirked. “Germs. You understand.”

Scowling, she slapped my hand away and got to her feet on her own. Impressive. She was brave. Too bad I was going to break her — shatter that courage until there was nothing left.

A few girls started to giggle.

Cursing, I shouted, “Leave us!”

Doors slammed down the hall, blanketing us once again in silence. Damn it. When I’d asked orientation to put Trace on her floor, I hadn’t meant in her room, in my sister’s room.

Shit. They were going to pay for that.

Trace’s lower lip trembled as her eyes closed. She shook as multiple doors slammed down the hall, and with each tremble of her body — I wanted. With each twitch of her lips — I was tempted.

Finally, the slamming stopped. I walked behind Trace and closed the door. She didn’t budge.

I couldn’t take it any longer. I had to be closer. My sanity was at stake. I swallowed and walked up behind her, my lips grazing the velvety softness of her ear. “You don’t like rules, do you, New Girl?”

She shivered in response to my voice.

I almost touched her then.

Almost threw the entire act way.

Almost threw it all away.

But it would have been selfish of me to satisfy my own damn curiosity and needs, when she had no idea what was at stake, what she was risking by being at Elite.

I walked around her and smiled. “There is one final rule.”

“What?” She tilted her chin into the air, earning my approval for faking confidence like a champ.

Licking my lips, I gave her a predatory glare and stalked toward New Girl. I pushed her body up against the door — exactly how I wanted her — trapped against the door, in my arms.