The Prey: A Dark Enemies to Lovers Romance (Oakmount Elite Book 3)

I freeze. Shit. Bel isn’t privy to why I’m here although we’ve gone out for coffee, studied together, and even gone to the movies a couple of times. She always talks to me and tries to include me in things, but I’m pretty sure she still considers me to be the maid. The maid her doting brother hired out of the goodness of his heart. Which is basically a load of shit. I doubt Sebastian has said a damn thing to her about that night.

Thankfully, Sebastian saves me from having to explain. “Ms. Silver has agreed to do me a favor. You know I hate going to those business events alone, and since you and Drew are properly attached now, I find the attention I get at these things tiresome.”

Bel chuckles. “You want to take Elyse to a business event to save you from being hunted by other women?”

He clears his throat, and all I can do is stare, still frozen. I notice the pink of embarrassment creep up his cheeks instantly. It reminds me how guarded and different he is with Bel and with his friends.. The person he is with his sister is warm, kind, and gentle—possibly the real him. A man few others get to see.

His gaze ping-pongs between us before he settles it back onto Bel. “When you put it like that, it makes me sound like a pussy. But yes, I need someone there to keep them away from me. I can’t be bothered with distractions. I need to conduct actual business.”

She leans against the doorframe now, smiling at her brother. “And where are you going?”

He shakes his head and shoves past me and then Bel as he moves into the bedroom. Bel follows, and I emerge a moment later, my arms still laden with the stack of clothing. The fabric is so soft and lovely.

She gives me a smile. “If you find anything you like in that closet, Elyse, feel free to keep it. I’ve barely worn any of the clothes hanging in there. It’s probably nothing that I care for if it’s still hanging in there since most of my belongings and clothes are at Drew’s place now.”

Sebastian grumbles, “Don’t remind me. I don’t like the thought of you living there most of the time. But at least it’s not The Mill.”

Bel scoffs. “Well, for your information, we are currently alternating between The Mill and Drew’s house. So we can give his mom some privacy and have our own from time to time.”

“I’ll continue this conversation with you later. We’re already running late.” There’s an edge of annoyance to his tone, and I know it’s only because of me. Sebastian could never be annoyed with Bel. Not even when she’s disobeying every one of his rules.

“Of course. I don’t want to keep you.” Bel smiles, and Sebastian turns to head for the door. I take a step forward, intending to follow but am stopped when Bel places a hand against my shoulder. I look down at her hand and then back up to her face. She’s smiling softly, but her eyes look…concerned…worried maybe?

“I know he’s my brother, but that doesn’t mean anything. Don’t let him push you around, E. Us women gotta stick together. Stand your ground, and if he hurts you, come to me. I’ve got your back.”

Bel is what I consider to be my one and only friend in this whirlwind of a life, and while I appreciate her so much and accept her desire to care for me, I won’t ever pit her and Sebastian against each other by dragging her into the mess I’ve gotten myself into with him.

“I know you do,” I whisper and give her a smile in return.

“Sebastian has a lot of bark but no bite. At least, not to those he cares about. Don’t let him scare you into submission.” She gives me a wink and then releases me, her hand falling back to her side.

I’m not sure what that means, but I don’t have the time to read into it. Not when Sebastian starts yelling my name.

“Coming!” I reply and scurry from the room like there is a fire behind me. I find him standing in the hall, wearing the same look of impatience from earlier.

“The time to socialize isn’t now. What part of we’re already running late did you not understand?” he asks, then starts walking again, forcing me to follow. I’m hot on his heels up until the moment he turns into his bedroom. It’s there I find myself pausing just outside the door. Why does this feel so personal and intimate? I’m sure I’m overthinking it, but I’ve never been inside his bedroom, at least not with him inside, and even then, it was only to clean the space. He’s not asking me to clean right now, and while I understand the interpretation, I’m not sure I like being invited into his room to do anything other than that.

Turning on his heels, he spots me stalled in the doorway. A look of pure impatience etches into his features. “For fuck’s sake, Ely. Get in the room. We don’t have time for your uncertainty.”

Uncertainty? Am I so easily read? Actually, never mind. While it doesn’t feel right, and I can’t pinpoint in what way, he takes my hesitation and doubt and shoves them back at me, reminding me once more that he holds all the power.

“I highly suggest you get your ass into this room, or there will be consequences, and I can promise, you don’t want to see how creative I can be.”

The hard edge of his voice makes me shiver, and I don’t dare ignore the warning coating his words. Even though my body urges me to turn and run away, I force myself to do as he says and walk into the room. His usual woodsy sea-salt scent tickles my nostrils as it lingers in the air. Someone so bitter and hate-filled should not smell so delectable, never mind look as handsome as he does. It’s like false advertising.

Walking up to his king-sized bed, I drop the stack of clothes. What does he expect me to do now? I look down at the clothes and try to figure out where the hell he’s taking me based on the clothing. He can barely stand to be in the same room as me most days, so what’s brought on the sudden desire to take me somewhere? My instincts scream at me, telling me to think this through properly before agreeing. Unfortunately, my instincts don’t understand that I have no choice in the matter. There is no “agreement.”

The feel of his eyes on me drags my attention back to him.

“What?” I blurt out before I can think better of it.

“Do you plan to stand there all day staring at the clothes, or are you going to try them on? I need to see what you look like in them and determine if this is even worth the effort.”

Wow. World-class asshole right here, folks.

I shouldn’t be bothered by his crass response. It’s not the first time he’s spoken to me that way, and it won’t be the last. He’s all about cutting me down, reminding me that I’m a bug beneath his shoe and that if he wants to, he can and will step on me.

“You know, if you were a little nicer…” I grit my teeth, only then realizing that he means right here and now. Yeah, he’s lost his mind if he thinks I’m going to strip down to my bra and panties in front of him.

“Nice gets you stepped on. I’m not nice. We both know that, so let’s skip the pleasantries. Now try on the damn dresses.”

All I can do is shake my head and roll my eyes. This man is beyond bossy. I quickly grab the green dress off the stack and turn toward the bathroom. If he wants to see me in the dresses, then fine. Hopefully, I look terrible, and he will change his mind about taking me with him. A girl can dream, right? I’ve taken only a step when he speaks again, “No, Ely, I need to see it all. Put the dress on in front of me.”

See it all? Everything in me freezes. “Why can’t I just do it in the bathroom?”

“Are you going to be able to get the zipper up on your own?” I open my mouth to respond, but he’s talking over me before I can get a word out. “Never mind, your response isn’t needed. Besides, I want to ensure that if clothing comes off, you’ll at least be adequate enough to be in my company.”

If clothing comes off? Where the hell does he think he’s taking me? I grit my teeth and ignore his words. He’s just trying to break me down, trying to see if he can make me cry. It’s like his favorite thing to do. See how much he can hurt me before I snap. I’m not really sure why he hates me so much, and I try not to think about it. No point in worrying over something I’ll never get an answer to.

Fear furrows low in my belly. I want to tell him no, that I won’t change in front of him, but I can’t make the words come out. A startled yelp escapes my lips when he snaps, his voice booming around me. “Stop acting like you have something to hide. You aren’t the first woman I’ve seen naked, and you won’t be the last.”

Jesus, does he have to be so blunt?

“I don’t understand…” I start, but he cuts me off with a singular icy glare.

“Do I look like I give a fuck if you understand something or not? I’m certain I warned you once already about repeating myself. If you intend to piss me off, you’ve succeeded. I don’t want to hurt you, Ely, but I will if you make me.”

Hurt me? I don’t think he knows what being hurt looks like. Anger boils to the surface, and I clench my hands into tight fists. I really want to punch him in the face for being so condescending, but I’m kinda forced to work with him until my asshole father’s debt is paid off. So while I don’t punch him in the face, I don’t stand there letting him toss stones at me either.

“Fine,” I growl and grip the hem of my polo, ripping it over my head with a jerk. My chest heaves with every breath I take, and I know I need to get a grasp on my anger before I unleash it all on him, but honestly, he deserves whatever comes out of my mouth.

I can feel his eyes on me, and I look up in time to notice his smoldering gaze as it flicks over the threadbare lace of my bra. I’m barely a B-cup, and while I’m slim, I’m also short. Never mind that I’m missing the sensual curves most women my age have. That doesn’t seem to matter to Sebastian, not when I notice the ember of desire glowing deep in the depths of his emerald gaze. A look that wasn’t there just moments ago.

Over the course of the months I’ve been here, I’ve learned things about Sebastian. Although he doesn’t vocalize every emotion, he feels things deeply. And so I know that look, because I’ve put it there more than once or twice before, and as much as I loathe his existence, I find it hard to breathe when he looks at me like that. Hard to exist.

The moment is ruined when a voice carries from the hallway to the room through the still-open door. “Well, well, what do we have here?”

Ugh, no. As if this situation couldn’t get worse. I let my eyes flutter closed and hug the cotton shirt to my chest, trying to shield myself from her gaze. Of course she would stumble upon us when I’m half naked in Sebastian’s room. Innocently, half naked.

“Mrs. Arturo, what can I do for you?”

When I open my eyes again, my gaze automatically shifts to Sebastian. I’m pretty sure it’s obvious to everyone but her how much he dislikes her—either that or she doesn’t really care. Sebastian does his best to hide his irritation and annoyance of her, but sometimes his mask slips, and other times his feelings are so profound they slip through the cracks. I’ve never bothered to ask what the problem is and why he dislikes her so much, kind of like I’ve never bothered to ask why he hates me. It’s better not to know the truth sometimes. Though I’ve never done anything to earn me so much hatred from him. Who knows, maybe Tanya hasn’t, either?

Maybe he just hates people for the hell of it?

It’s impossible to miss the tightening of his jaw and the slight clench of his teeth. He turns to stone instantly, his body becoming rigid, his eyes narrowing, the typical emotionless mask he wears around everyone except me falling over his face.

No, he saves all his anger and hate for me. And enjoys making me see it.

Tanya creeps deeper into the room, sucking all the air out of the space. Just like always, she’s beautifully polished and put together from head to toe. Her ruby-red lips pull up into a predatory smile as soon as her gaze lands on me. I wish the floor would swallow me up and spit me out back in my bedroom, but I don’t get that lucky.

“Am I interrupting something?”