Bitter Thorns (The Entwined Book 1) Read online

  I let out a bitter laugh. “Right. And you’re doing such a good job of that by keeping secrets,” I mumbled to myself.

  The guys had stepped in front of the vehicle and were talking to Payton and Evan. Through the glass, we couldn’t hear what was said, but Payton appeared to be pleading, directing most of her attention to my brother.

  I shuddered and shrank back behind the seat a bit as Evan’s gray gaze slid past them and settled on me. He was gorgeous, popular, and a completely entitled asshole. I’d only dated him for a few weeks before I’d realized how much of a jerk he was. We were at a party where he slipped something in my drink and tried to screw me. I dumped him the next morning and tried my best to avoid him ever since.

  It bothered me that he was with Payton. I knew she didn’t care for him much, but she still hung around with him because he was a family friend. I’d never understood that. She knew that he’d tried to date rape me. If it hadn’t been for Emma’s intervention, he probably would have succeeded.

  A slow smile spread across his lips that chilled me. While he might look like an angel, there was no doubt in my mind that he was dangerous, just another devil hiding in plain sight. The urge to run battered at me again, especially when his eyes snapped to my brother. His whole face changed, morphing into something malicious. I was up and out of the SUV before Emma even knew I was moving. All I knew was that my twin was in danger and I needed to protect him. Intuition be damned.

  “—sn’t matter where you take her, I’ll find her,” I heard Evan snarl.

  “Stop, Livvy!” Emma shouted behind me, but I ignored her as I rushed between Vian and Evan.

  “Leave,” I shouted in his direction, unable to meet his eyes. If I did, I knew I would run. I’d turn into the coward that I was deep down. Knowing that made me sick to my stomach.

  Vian grabbed me and pulled me back against him.

  “Enough of this bullshit,” Evan snarled. He grabbed Payton’s arm, twisting it before he shoved her behind him. She fell to the asphalt with a whimper of pain. Her gray eyes filled with tears and something snapped inside me. I had to get to her, protect her.

  Vian hoisted me upward and started moving toward the SUV. I immediately started screaming as Payton clutched her arm to her chest. It looked like her wrist was broken and that pissed me off even more. I didn’t feel like running anymore. I wanted to rake my nails down Evan’s smug face.

  “Put me down, Octavian!”

  As I was struggled against Vian, the misty streets suddenly lit up like it was the fourth of July. Sparks flickering in the air around us. I looked to see who had thrown the pack of firecrackers but there were no sounds and it was still only Emma and Liam who stood between Evan and me. My twin carried me to the SUV as I watched Emma and Liam move. It was like they were doing karate, except it wasn’t like any sort of martial arts I’d ever seen. The unease I’d felt ramped up to an excruciating level that had me screaming more than just obscenities.

  The change in my screaming must have alerted Emma that something was different, that something was wrong, because it distracted her. Her focus faltered for just half a second, but it was too late. Evan tossed something to her feet. As soon as it hit the ground, it engulfed her in a blaze of white fire that flickered for just a second. When it died down, there was a swirl of ash in her place.

  After that it was a blur. I went from being almost hysterical to full out hysterics. I vaguely recalled Liam sprinting toward us. Vian hadn’t managed to get me into the back, despite how much he outweighed me. Liam crashed into us, and then the world went sideways, and I passed out.

  Chapter 3

  I jolted awake, heart racing, and covered in a sheen of sweat, as some animal howled in the distance. Wolves? I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t see much, there was the vague outline of bedroom furniture in a medium sized room. If there were windows, I couldn’t see them. The only light streamed in underneath a closed door across the room. An arm flexed around my waist and I froze. Vian, I thought and relaxed back into the soft mattress under me as my eyes adjusted to the dark room.

  He and I would always sweat when we shared a bed. There was that telltale sense of familiarity too. It happened with Emma as well, but the arm slung over my waist was too heavy to be hers. I knew I wasn’t in my own bed, or even in my foster house.

  I wracked my brain, trying to remember when we got here, wherever here was. All I could remember was pain and distorted voices. Something had happened, an explosion or something. And brightness. Just thinking about all that light made my stomach roll.

  I gasped for breath as older memories assaulted me. A belt flashed toward my face and I flinched. A meaty fist clenched at my throat, choking me so my sobs couldn’t sound. A woman screamed at me about sin and how only good girls were allowed to cry.

  Another howl, much louder than before sounded, breaking the flashback and I was able to claw my way back to the here and now. It had taken a lot of time and a bunch of bullshit therapy paid for by the state to realize that flashbacks were always going to be a factor in my life. The only thing I had to be grateful for was that I could break out of my memories easier these days. No one had touched me with violence in years. Rationally, I knew that, but a single tear still slipped down my face. I swiped at it angrily and rolled into my brother. I needed him closer.

  It became immediately clear I wasn’t wearing a shirt or bra. I sighed and worked to tuck the sheet in between us before rolling completely into him, drawing in his familiar scent. It was there, but not enough of it. It was overpowered by the scent of cloves and cedar. The arm around me flexed, drawing me closer.

  “You’re awake,” a husky voice said quietly into my hair.

  I had no idea who this man was. My heart stuttered for a second, before I drew up my knees and pushed myself away from him. The motion pushed me straight over the side of the bed, somehow managing to bring the sheet with me. The man tried to catch me, but I fell to the hard floor with a heavy thump and hissed in pain. Ignoring it, I attempted to right myself and get as far away as possible before light bloomed in the room. One hand flew up, blocking out the sudden light as I rolled away from the stranger, clenching the sheet to my chest as I went. I didn’t have time to look closely at him, but what I did see sent my mind spinning. I registered two things; one, he was a large man wearing only his boxers, and two, the light that filled the room came from a small burst of fire he appeared to be wielding in his palm. I shook my head. Obviously, I must have seen wrong, I told myself. Besides, I had bigger issues to focus on—like getting away from him.

  Part of me knew it was a mistake to take my eyes off him, but I needed to see my options. I scrambled into a crouch as I scanned the room quickly, noting three doors. The one in the middle still had light coming in underneath and I hoped it was a hallway. It wouldn’t be enough. I needed to stun him somehow. Keeping him in my peripheral vision I continued to scan the room, looking for anything I might be able to use as a weapon, as I tried to inch my way closer to the doors.

  I’d barely climbed to my feet before he tossed his hand upward and snagged me around the waist and pulled me backward. Letting out a scream, I started clawing at his arm with my nails. He let go immediately and I fell forward, hitting my knees on the ground this time. A cry of pain escaped my lips.

  As I tried to recover, he slammed into me from behind. His weight crushed me to the floor, but before my face smacked into the hardwood floor, his hand shot out and stopped us from falling. He rolled, snaking one arm around my waist as the other snagged both of my wrists. The sheet I’d been clutching fell away as he continued to roll and pinned my arms above my head. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. I tried to heave him off, but his body held the rest of me down. There was just so much of him and very little of me.

  “Fucking hell, woman,” he barked. I thrashed underneath him, before he gave me a rough shake. “Fucking stop!”

  “Fuck you.” My chest heaved against his, while my brain tried to figure out my next move.
I didn’t have the strength to overpower him. An idea, a very stupid one, struck me and I enacted it without a second thought, slamming my head back into the floor. Part of me hoped that if I could knock myself out, he wouldn’t get any sick pleasure out of whatever he had planned for me. Either way, at least I wouldn’t be around for whatever he was going to do.

  He reared back in shock, his deep blue eyes widening. My wrists were released and he sat up still straddling my hips. I crossed my arms over my chest trying to keep at least some semblance of modesty. I was thankful when he kept his eyes firmly on my face and not my naked torso.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “Me?” I said, trying to stall for time, hoping an escape option would appear. “You’re the one attacking me!”

  “No, I was sleeping next to a girl. Then she went ape shit.” He sighed and then rolled his eyes as if I was being dim witted or difficult. “If I let you up, are you going to run or can we have an adult conversation?”

  I sputtered. Seriously? Did he just imply that I wasn’t acting normal? My eyes narrowed before I tried to smooth my expression. Find the calm place. I needed to find it if I was going to make it through this with as little damage as possible.

  “Well? Did you stun yourself into silence or is it my pretty face?” he sneered with a lift to one heavy eyebrow.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Apparently, my sense of self-preservation was out to lunch. I bucked my hips, hoping to catch him off guard. He barely even shifted. “Who the hell are you?”

  He glared down at me. “I’m Flynn. This is my bedroom. And as for what’s wrong with me? Nothing. I’m perfect.” He had the audacity to smirk at me next, as if his comment were the most hilarious thing ever. Nope. Not even a little bit.

  I snorted before I gave him a cursory glance, noting his broad shoulders, defined muscles, and classically handsome face. Sure, he was pretty, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him or any other living being, so I stared in derision instead.

  He gave a feral smile that made me bristle. “Do you make a habit of keeping half naked chicks in your bed?” Why did I let him goad me so easily? Bright side, I wasn’t being punched. Yet.

  “No,” he said, still smiling. “Just the hot, bitchy ones, apparently.” His voice dipped low and his eyes glittered dangerously.

  Well fuck you too. Figuratively. Not literally. Nope. Definitely not the second one. What the hell, was I getting Stockholm syndrome? I needed to get out of here.

  A door crashing open drew our attention. Vian and someone else barged into the room and froze. The other guy was a near replica of the man on top of me. Except his eyes were lighter in color, and he looked supremely pissed off. It took a second for me to realize it wasn’t directed at me but Flynn.

  “Dude,” my brother shouted, already pulling off his shirt.

  Flynn seemed to realize he was still on top of me and climbed off. “It’s not what it looks like. She freaked out and tried to run. I just stopped her.”

  “By sitting on my half-naked sister,” Vian clarified, his green eyes blazing, a promise of violence in them. Yay, go twin. He tossed me his shirt. I snagged it out of the air, pulling it on as I sat up. The scars on my back twinged after our struggle. I stiffened, hoping no one was going to ask about them.

  “It wasn’t like that and you know it,” Flynn said in an overly patient voice, pointedly not looking at me. “And technically, she still has panties on so…”

  I snorted, shaking my head. “Oh, gee you didn’t have time to rip those off too. What a shame,” I quipped, twisting with a wince as I got to my feet. I was going to pay for this evening for several days. My back hurt from irritating the scar tissue. There was a deep ache in my hip, and I was sure that my kneecaps were going to bruise too.

  “You’re hurt,” the other guy said, marching across the room. He immediately invaded my space. I backed away until I bumped into a piece of furniture. It didn’t stop him. He kept coming until his front pressed against me and started pawing at my hips for the hem of my newly acquired shirt. “Where?”

  “What the—” I squealed, slapping his hand away as I slipped to the left.

  “For God’s sake. Can all of you be normal for two seconds and stop pawing at her!” Vian shouted, tearing across the room to push the guy away. “The next person who touches her without permission is going to lose a testicle.”

  “What about those of us without testicles?” a small voice asked from the door. A tall girl stood there with blue-green eyes that were rimmed in red like she had been crying. Blonde hair cascaded around her face and down her back.

  “Depends,” I muttered under my breath. “Are you a rapist too?” I regretted it as soon as it escaped my lips.

  “I didn—"

  My eyes widened, realizing Flynn heard me, and I shook my head at him, pleading for him to shut up. Surprisingly, he did. It wasn’t a pretty thing to say about someone, especially when I knew that wasn’t the guy’s intention. I was sore, but not sore down there, sore. It was one of the reasons I’d stopped fighting him. At least that’s what I was telling myself. The look Flynn had given me when I’d hurt myself… I gave my head a slight shake, I wasn’t ready to look so closely at how that made me feel.

  The girl let out a laugh, like the tinkling of bells. I grinned at her. I didn’t know her, but she had a sense of humor. At least so far. “I’m Brooke. I also live here. Come on. I’ll take you away from the insanity and we can get you a shower.”

  “And explain what’s happening?” I asked hopefully, thinking about the weird fire that hung above our heads. Yeah, best not to focus on that. I skirted around Flynn and his look alike, who I didn't have a name for.

  “After a shower, a snack, and a nap. You’ve been pretty ill,” she answered as I reached her. She turned, allowing me to go in front of her.

  “I’m actually not that hungry,” I told her, looking away. I didn’t want to go in front of her, but she wasn’t leaving me much choice.

  “Told you!” Vian stage whispered behind me.

  At the door, I paused and looked back to face my brother. “Don’t think I’ve missed the fact that I woke up in someone else's bed with you in the house. We’re gonna need to talk about that.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” he said with a grimace. I could read the apology on his face and decided he probably had a good reason. He wouldn’t knowingly hurt me.

  Chapter 4

  Brooke directed me down a hallway and then into another before opening a door. I noted that it was near a staircase that led down. Life had done a good job of teaching me that it never hurt to have an escape route in mind.

  “This is my room. You can use it whenever you want,” she said as she crossed the lavender carpet to her dresser. It looked exactly like the sort of space a girl like her would own. Light purple walls, with silver accents. There were pink curtains, white furniture with a large canopy bed covered in varying shades of pink and purple fabric.

  Girly.

  Cute.

  In short, nothing I would have ever chosen for myself. “Your room isn’t quite ready yet, but it shouldn’t be more than a few days. Though, I’m sure you’d rather bunk with Octavian.”

  “So... this is my new home?” I asked, uncertainly. I had known we would have roommates, but I’d been under the impression it was one or two people. From what I’d seen so far, this place was huge. I counted at least nine doors on our way from Flynn’s room to this one.

  She smiled sadly and I noted how drawn she looked. Tired. But I didn’t ask. It wasn’t my business.

  “Let’s go take care of your hair,” she said after a moment of me staring at her awkwardly.

  The bathroom was large, and also very girly. There was a small closet that held linens, as well as another door that she quickly locked before opening up a large walk-in shower in one corner. Opposite was a sleek jacuzzi tub, complete with jets and just about every sort of bubble bath a person could dream of. I moved toward a dou
ble sink with a large mirror and gasped in shock. I looked awful. There were deep circles under my eyes, my already pale skin was devoid of any color, making the smattering of freckles I had stand out. I turned my head from side to side with a frown, taking in the clumps of hair that were matted together. How had I ended up with twigs and leaves in my hair? I picked up a chunk and pulled it in front of me. I looked like I’d fought with a bird’s nest and the nest won.

  “Umm.” I was afraid to ask. Did I really want to know?

  “Slipping,” she said before smacking her head. “Yeah, that’s one of those things you won’t understand. Trust me though. It can wait.”

  I numbly nodded before grimacing at my reflection again, hating the dark circles under my eyes. “I was sick?”

  “Yeah. You were out for several days. Four, actually.”

  I whirled to face her. “Four days? And I had twigs in my hair?”

  “I wanted to get you in a shower immediately,” she rushed to say, understanding in her eyes. “But you weren’t well enough to move.” Only a girl would understand how bad this was. If I’d been out four days, this shit was matted in.

  A guy leaned in from Brooke’s room, making me jump as I let out a small shriek. He was vaguely familiar as he threw me an apologetic smile. “Liam’s gonna be happy to see you’re awake. Do you need help? Also, I bring food!”

  Before I could get a good look at him, Brooke stepped in front of me, blocking my half-clothed body from view. I mentally gave her two points and knew she and I could be friends. Eventually. Maybe. “Could you get Octavian for now? If her hair is anything like his, it’s going to be a hassle to clean, and no offense Sugar, but she doesn’t know you yet.”

  “Yeah, no problem,” he replied in a smooth voice. His head popped over Brooke’s shoulder, revealing his honey blonde hair and warm brown eyes. “I’m Lucien. We’ll meet properly later,” he said before winking at me. He handed Brooke something before he turned and left.