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

It feels strange to make a bed just for the sake of making a bed. When you spend months cleaning up after others as a maid, it’s hard to do nothing. Usually after I make the bed, I clean the bathroom, dust, and do the floors. I’m almost more anxious doing nothing because I feel like I’m going to be scolded for sitting here. Which is whatever since I know the real reason my anxiety is up has nothing to do with cleaning at all.

Every second of this morning has been like walking on eggshells, waiting for Sebastian to come bursting through the door, throw me over his shoulder, and drag me back to his mansion. I’m like a bug caught in a spider’s web, waiting for it to come out and eat me.

I perch on the edge of the freshly made bed and stare out the window across the room. It’s a lovely room, and I’d gladly stay here if I had no other option, but there’s a certain security I feel with Sebastian, and I need to figure out what I’m going to do about everything.

He scared me. No. That’s not right. He’s scary, sure, but some part of me knows, even with the brutality, the knives, and his sharp words, that he’d never hurt me. Not like others have. I wasn’t necessarily scared of him, but more of him finding out I stole the test from Tanya and having to admit it.

What if that’s the tipping point in all of this? What if he kicks me out of his house? What if I have nowhere else to go? No one to protect me from Yanov?

It seems stupid since I’m working to pay off a debt, but everyone has a point where whatever they’re trying to achieve no longer seems worth it. I don’t want Sebastian to think I’m no longer worthy of being kept around.

My thoughts shift from the pregnancy test, as the memory of what we did pops back into my mind. It took a long time for my body to come down from the high he instilled last night. How he touched me in ways I didn’t even know I’d enjoy.

How could I when my life had been one step away from rape most of my teenage life. I never wanted to do anything that might draw Yanov’s attention. Not even when I was alone for fear he’d catch me and see it as some kind of invitation.

As a result, I barely know anything about sex and what I might enjoy in that area, but it’s something I still want to explore. The connection I have with Sebastian is one I’ve never had with anyone else, and especially not a man. Even while I’m afraid of it, I’m more afraid of losing it, so I need to pull myself together and tell him the truth.

I’m about to gather the toothbrush Bel gave me and the clothes she thrust into my arms and told me to keep and head home when a knock against the heavy wood door jolts me out of my thoughts, sending my heartbeat pounding through my body on a wave of adrenaline.

“Come in,” I call, having to clear my throat at the end to hide the squeak.

What the hell do I say if Sebastian walks in? I know I said I needed to get my shit together, but I thought I’d have more than ten minutes to do it. I don’t get to think about it for long since, to my relief, Drew walks in.

I notice almost immediately that he’s dressed very differently compared to his normal attire, wearing a black hoodie, jeans, and high-top sneakers. Dang, he’s pretty, but there is an untamed quality to him that terrifies me and seems so at odds with Bel’s pure sunshine personality.

I stand and face him, smoothing the short gray dress over the black tights Bel gave me. “Thank you again for letting me stay here. I was just about to grab my things and head back to Sebastian’s. I can’t even put into words how much it helped to have some time to think things through.”

He studies me, his dark eyes clawing into the depths of my soul. Drew has a habit of looking at people in a way that makes them want to spill all their secrets. Stalking forward, he comes to stand beside me, his frame resting casually against the banister of the bed.

“There’s no need to thank me. If you need a bed to sleep in, we have one. Actually we have a lot more than one, but you get the point.”

I smile. “Of course. Well, I’m thankful, nonetheless.”

He shrugs. “If it would help, you can move in.”

I know without a doubt he’s not offering because he wants to. This is not his idea.

I shake my head, sending my loose hair around my waist. “No, but thank you, really. I hate inconveniencing people. I need to figure this thing out with Sebastian, and I can’t do that while living here. I also don’t think he would be very happy if I did that.”

I don’t bother sharing with him that the only place I truly feel safe is with Sebastian. It’s bad enough I’ve shared tiny bits and pieces with Bel.

He nods, his hands stuffed into his front pockets. “I mean, whatever you need help with, Bel and I are here for you. I hope you know that.”

“Your kindness is appreciated, but you don’t have to lie to me. I know I’m nothing more than an unnecessary nuisance that you tolerate because you love Bel.”

He smirks, and when he smiles his eyes look a little less like he’s going to eat me alive. “While that may be partially true, you’re also someone my best friend cares about, regardless of what he says, or how stupid he is, so your safety and security are important to me by extension. Which leads me to my next question. What if I told you I could help fix things?”

I look away and down to the tips of my Converse. My gaze jumps to the battered tips of his boots, and then I look back up to his face again. “Help? How? In what way?”

He shrugs one broad shoulder. “It’s not a guarantee, and most of the time it takes some work on both parts since afterward things can get a little hairy, but it helped Bel and me. I’m only bringing it up since I feel it might make Sebastian see things in a different light.”

“I mean…” I consider what he’s saying. It’s obvious that Sebastian and I have been playing this yo-yo game, going back and forth. It would be nice to know his intentions and feelings. I weigh my options. It seems rude to decline, especially if he has a way to ease the tension between us. It might help lessen the blow of my confession, as well. “Okay, sure. Whatever you can do to help, I’m all ears. I want things to work out.”

The corner of his mouth tips up the tiniest bit, and then he nods. “I’m happy to hear that. Apologies in advance for anything that might happen after this moment. It’s not personal, I promise.”

My brows pinch together as I stare up at him in confusion. “Apologies? What do you mean? Why’re you apologizing?”

Before I can think or react, he’s got me by the bicep, spun around, and a piece of rope jerked tight around my wrists. How the…? What is happening right now? I open my mouth to speak, and he shoves me down onto the bed. I land hard, my chest pressing uncomfortably under the weight.

“What are you doing?” I squeak out.

He lifts me easily by the hips and tosses me higher up the bed. I’m trying not to think the worst here, but it’s impossible when my brain sends mixed signals. There’s never been anything between Drew and I. He is cordial at best for Bel’s sake. And she’s my best friend. I would never touch him or do anything to ruin my friendship with her. I didn’t think he would either, not with how in love and obsessed he is, but I guess I was wrong.

The possibility of losing Bel and Sebastian—it breaks my heart. I blink away the tears threatening to fall as memories loom at the edges of my mind. “Please, don’t do this. I thought you loved Bel. I promise you don’t want me.”

He ties my ankles with the same rough rope, and the weight on the back of my legs lifts when he moves back to stand.

“Of course I love Bel. But this has nothing to do with her.”

“Please… you don’t want me.” I gasp into the mattress.

“Relax, I’m not going to rape you or touch you sexually in any way. I would never cheat on Bel. She’s my entire fucking world.”

I nearly sigh in relief at his confession. “Then… what are you doing?”

“You told me you wanted my help, so I’m giving it to you.”

I turn and rest my cheek against the mattress so I can breathe and try to catch sight of him from the corner of my eyes. He’s looming behind me like a monster who’s going to attack. I squeeze my eyes shut to fight off one of the memories of my past that appear in my mind.

Drew is not Yanov. He’s not going to hurt you.

I repeat that to myself ten times over, but making my body and mind believe that isn’t easy. Especially not when he grabs me and tosses me up and onto his shoulder.

My imaginings of Sebastian doing this very thing to me make me feel foolish now. The air is pressed out of my gut as my weight bounces on his shoulder. “I changed my mind. I don’t want your help anymore.”

He slaps the back of my thigh hard enough to sting, and I jerk. “Stop talking and trust the process.”

I gulp and watch the floor as he carries me down the stairs and outside. Not a soul comes out of the woodwork to help, and I know Bel must be gone for some reason.

Fuck. What is going on?

“Please, Drew,” I pant out, barely able to draw breath with the position he holds me in.” I mean it. I don’t need your help if it involves me being kidnapped.”

I hear a beep, then a soft emittance of laughter from Drew. “Will you just trust me?” I don’t get the chance to answer him because he tosses me into the trunk of his car, slamming it closed and leaving me in the dark.

“Trust you? Are you kidding me?” I growl. “You just tossed me in the trunk of a car!!” I slam my hand against the roof of the trunk in frustration.

My lungs burn, feeling like they can’t draw in enough air even though nothing stops me from doing so.

I catch his voice through the metal. “I’ve never done anything to make you believe that I’d hurt you, so calm down. Now, that might change if you start screaming like a banshee, and I have to pull over. I promise you don’t want that to happen, and I don’t think you want to piss Bel off, do you? Because she’ll be upset if I have to do something because you were stupid.”

Pissed at me? I squeeze my eyes closed a few times to let them adjust to the darkness. Dread slithers up my spine. Bel is my only friend. I can’t lose her, not over some stupid misunderstanding.

Relax. It’s going to be okay.

Opening my eyes, I stare into the darkness that surrounds me and repeat the words out loud, as if the sound of them will make them more convincing.

“It’s going to be okay.”