To the End: Year Four (Hannaford Prep Book 4) Read online

  Harley arrives back from his swim practice, his hair still wet and the smell of chlorine clinging to him. He grabs a slice of pizza from my plate and kisses my head before eating half of it in a single bite. “What’s the problem now? You guys don’t have to come tonight if you’re busy. Ash will watch my back.”

  Like fuck am I missing out on this. I don’t have to say a word, Harley reads it on my face. “Just saying, babe. I know how badly you’re freaking out about not being finished with your assignments yet… you fucking freak.”

  I smirk at him. “Jealous, much? There’s no way you’re talking your way out of it; I’m watching you and I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it.”

  Avery pulls a face. “Stop flirting. I don’t need to hear about your weird kinks, Mounty. I can’t think of anything worse than watching Harley pummel some guy, ugh. Have we decided what the dress code is yet? Are we going there as a gang, matching leather jackets? We should get patches or something. I feel like we all look great in black.”

  We’d have to wear white, and it’s not exactly a subtle color, but I keep that to myself, rolling my eyes instead. “Just throw something on! It’s not a charity gala, Aves.”

  She gives me a look. “Mounty, I don’t throw things on. We can’t all look stunning in ripped jeans and band shirts.”

  Liar, she’s freaking devastating in everything, even dressed up like a Mounty, but I give her a look until she grabs one of her perfectly tailored coats and slides it on. “Where the hell is Ash? We’re going to be late!”

  Harley huffs at her and grabs another slice. “There’s no such thing as late to fight club, Floss. You show up when you’re ready and then wipe the floor with the posing dickheads.”

  She rolls her eyes in return, smiling when he kisses her cheek sweetly. “I’d rather we get this over and done with. Now, stop avoiding my question; where’s Ash?”

  Harley grimaces. “He’s already down there, he went straight from track.”

  I jump up from my chair, Avery cackling at the look on my face. If I’ve missed out on Ash fighting, I’m gonna be pissed. “Morrison, throw some pants on; we gotta go.”

  He huffs at me, like it’s such an inconvenience, but he pulls on a pair of ripped jeans and throws his leather jacket over his tank. I shove my feet into my cherry Docs and we’re out the door. I tuck myself under Harley’s arm and Blaise grabs my hand, laughing and messing around with Harley as we make our way down to the chapel. Avery trails behind us, her phone out and her lip between her teeth. Fuck. I need to figure out how to clear the board for her, take out just enough of her problems that I get my ice queen bestie back.

  Blaise drops my hand to answer a text right as we get to the chapel, and the guy at the door startles when he sees us all walking up together, his eyes wide and panicked. “Arbour! I wasn’t expecting you to show. This isn’t really your scene anymore, is it?”

  Harley’s arm drops away from my shoulder to grab my hand, his fingers threading through mine. “Shut your mouth, Smith, before it gets you in shit.”

  The guy’s eyes flick down to me. “Uh, girls aren’t supposed to come in man, you know that.”

  I smirk at him, dark and deadly. “You gonna keep me out, Smith?”

  Maybe he has some survival instincts after all because he gulps and steps away from the door, ushering us in with his eyes fixed firmly to the ground.

  There has to be at least fifty guys bare chested and grunting, and another hundred standing around taking bets.

  The room stinks of sweaty boys, blood, and desperation. Not something that’s the norm for my time at Hannaford but Mounts Bay has made me immune. Avery scrunches her nose up and I laugh at her.

  “Gross, right? I thought rich people would sweat some ritzy cologne or some shit.” I murmur, and she snorts at me as she tucks her arm into mine.

  “I wish. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by those idiot boys and they’ve never smelt that good.”

  That’s a freaking lie, my three smell amazing. I have no clue what she’s talking about but that’s beside the point. Harley leads us over to take a seat in the same place I sat last time, when he’d beaten Hillsong for smacking me around back when I had no clue he liked me. He winks at me, thinking the same thing, and I blush like a swooning fucking virgin.

  Lord help me.

  Then he strips down to his shorts, the tiny ones he wears to boxing, and cups my jaw, kissing me dirty and raw.

  The first guy to step up to the challenge is unconscious in under a minute. Fucking pathetic. I lose interest pretty fucking fast and search around the room until I find the other idiot down here looking for blood. He has his back to us, he probably hasn’t even seen we’re here yet, and he’s straddling some guy as he lays into him. It’s a fucking sight to see.

  Ash finally stops smashing his fist into the guy’s face, sweat dripping down his chest, and sweet baby Jesus, I kinda wanna lick him. He glances up and notices we’ve arrived, smirking like the cocky dick he is.

  “Give me a freaking break.” Avery mumbles under her breath at me, her eyes rolling but the tiniest of smiles on her face. I give her a sheepish smile and she giggles. It’s a fucking magical sound.

  Ash gets up and saunters over to us, wiping his face on his shirt. His knuckles are bloody and raw but the energy around him is buzzing with the kind of exhilaration you can only get from the high of winning a fight. I feel the flutters start in my stomach and I’m kind of tempted to challenge someone to a fight myself.

  Blaise cracks a joke and strips out of his jacket to give to Ash, who takes it and pulls it on, a wide grin on his face. I decide right here and now that when all of the bullshit with the Jackal is over, we’re going to make nights down at the cage fights in the Bay a regular thing. If this is what it takes to get the tension and bloodlust to a manageable level in Ash then we’ll buy fucking stock in the Dive.

  Avery catches my eye and grins with me, totally unconcerned about the fighting happening around us. She’s that happy that her brother has mellowed out. Good. Life is returning to normal, thank fuck.

  Harley finishes off the second guy, barely even panting, and motions for the next one. At this rate we’ll be out of here in under an hour. Not such a bad thing.

  I’m definitely sleeping in the guys’ room tonight.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I’m proud to say we make it back to the guys’ room before I rip Ash’s pants off and swallow him whole. It’s fucking hard, damn near impossible, but I manage to contain myself.

  Blaise complains the entire way back, outvoted and sleeping in my bed alone tonight, but for once Avery is giggling and snarking at him with us.

  “Isn’t there a camera in that room? Just this once, I’ll let you jerk off in the shower, Morrison.” She laughs, unlocking the bedroom door and winking at me. I blush just a little from where I’m sandwiched between Ash and Harley, but I give her a little wave too, barely managing to contain a squeak when Harley palms my ass and squeezes.

  I fumble with the keys on the way in but no one notices, Ash is too busy snarking at Harley about sharing while my golden god kisses his way down my neck in the most distracting way.

  I stumble into the room and out of Harley’s arms, catching my breath for a second and he rips his shirt over his head, pausing when he sees all of the blood covering him in sweaty streaks.

  “I’m going to wash this off first.” He grimaces, stomping off. Well, fuck.

  Ash chuckles at me, my eyes snapping back over to find him standing in his boxers by his bed. Fuck, that was quick. “Come on, Mounty. I’ll keep you entertained while he’s off being a gentleman.”

  Lord knows what gets into me, but I stare him straight in the eye as I strip off slowly, not making a show of it but just slowly revealing myself to him. It doesn’t matter that he’s seen it all before, that he’s fucked me three times this week, he stares at every inch of my skin as it’s revealed like he’s never seen it before, like he can’t get enough of me.
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br />   Like he’s as desperate as I am, always, never-ending, fucking out of his mind for me.

  “Get that ass on this bed now, Mounty, before I come down there and get you.”

  I shiver at his tone and hesitate just a little. I might like the punishment he gives me, I fucking bet I will, but I’m too fucking desperate for him tonight to wait. Maybe next time.

  The second my knee hits the mattress Ash yanks me down and into his arms until we’re tangled together, limbs everywhere in the fucking best way. I love this relaxed side of him, the smug grins and dark chuckles, it’s fucking perfect. His hands are possessive as he strokes over my body, squeezing and pinching, even throwing the odd slap in, and, fuck me, I’m owned by this man. Owned. I could lay here and make out with him all fucking night, but he has different plans for our evening.

  I’m completely distracted by the feel of him on top of me because the next thing I know, there’s lubed up fingers in my ass and he’s caught me the fuck off guard.

  Ash laughs as I gasp into our kiss, the whole thing turning into a moan. I sound fucking obscene, my cheeks are on fire and I kind of hope Harley doesn’t come out and add to my shame by seeing me writhing on the bed.

  I give the smug dick a half-hearted glare. “Why, exactly, are you so obsessed with my ass? Your dick is never going in my ass. Never. Get rid of that idea now, Beaumont.”

  The slow smirk he gives me has me dripping for him in the worst way. “I thought you were brave, Mounty? Sounds like you’re back to being jumpy to me.”

  Fuck him.

  He’s trying to goad me into saying yes and the worst part is the asshole is succeeding. Ugh. He grins at me like I’ve already agreed to it so I kiss him again, biting his lip and pulling his hair just a bit to get even.

  It only makes him more frantic.

  I swear, I’ve been fucking brainwashed by his dick or something because I’m all in. Fuck it, what’s the worst that could happen? I’m dumb enough to say this to him, and he rolls his freaking eyes at my dramatics.

  “You need to spend less time with Morrison, he’s rubbing off on you.”

  Well, yeah, that’s kind of the point. I look over my shoulder to quirk an eyebrow at him and he slaps my ass. “Have I ever fucked you without you coming over and over again?”

  I gulp. “No.”

  “Well, ass up then, Mounty.”

  He manhandles me around until I’m face down on the bed. When I grunt in protest at him, he bites my shoulder, licking and sucking at the spot until I’m sure the mark will be visible a freaking mile away. He shoves a pillow under my hips and pours even more lube on my ass, stroking a firm hand down my spine as if he’s settling me but also reminding me that I’m his.

  As if he’s worried I’ll tap out, he doesn’t waste any time lining up, pushing in slowly but not stopping until he bottoms out. There’s a burn but it’s not so bad. Then he moves and, fuck yes, that’s what I need.

  The sound I make isn’t quite human.

  He chuckles at me, though he’s breathless and gasping a little. His hips start to move, I’m gushing fucking everywhere, and he drops down to hold himself over me, fisting his hand in my hair to jerk my head back and kiss me like he’s trying to crawl up inside me.

  I could die a happy fucking Mounty right now.

  Ash grabs my arm and rolls us both until I find myself staring at Harley, naked and dripping wet from the shower. His eyes are like a searing brand on my skin as he takes in my flushed cheeks, trembling thighs, and my dripping pussy.

  “How did I know you were going to be the one to talk her into this?” He mumbles, and Ash laughs as he hooks his arm around my leg and spreads me wide open.

  “Don’t make me say it.” He grunts back, biting down on my shoulder and I don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about, words are too fucking hard to process right now. All I know is I want more.

  I don’t even realize I’ve said it out loud until Harley joins us on the bed and catches my face in his hands. “Whatever you want, babe.”

  Then he kisses me, his tongue a slow but demanding stroke against mine, and two of his fingers push inside me until I gasp. His palm grinds down on my clit and I fucking break.

  A strangled sound comes out of me as I see stars, my body clenching down around Ash and Harley’s fingers, and Ash groans as he comes with me, his hips jerking and grinding into my ass.

  Harley gives me just long enough to catch my breath, and for Ash to pull out and head to the bathroom to clean up, before he has me on my back, thighs spread, his forehead pressed against mine as he lines up and pushes in.

  “You have no idea how fucking hot you are when you come, do you?” He grunts, kissing me with more teeth than tongue.

  He doesn’t ease into it, just fucks me hard and desperate until my back is arching off of the bed and I’m screaming again, so loud I’m sure the entire boy’s dorm is getting a show, but I come so hard I don’t give a fuck.

  Ash cleans me up and Harley carries me to his bed, ever the gentleman, because the wet spot is more of a puddle and none of us can be fucked changing the sheets. Once I’m firmly pinned between the two of them Ash hits the lights and I try to focus on sleep, not the delicious soreness that’s taken over my body.

  I’m still shaking, just a little, when Harley and Ash’s phone both buzz. Harley snickers like a dick as he shows me the text from Blaise.

  I fucking hate you both.

  * * *

  Avery declares she needs me to herself on Sunday and the guys all disappear to beat each other up or drink themselves to death or something. I didn’t pay enough attention to the details, clearly.

  We spread out college brochures and scholarship applications out on the table in our room and then spend a couple of hours going over our options. I feel kind of bleak about the whole thing, like it could all slip through our fingers at any fucking second because of the war and Senior’s psychosis, but Avery refuses to leave anything up to chance.

  We can’t decide on a school.

  “I just think we need to stick to an Ivy League school, Lips. They got to be where they are through their exemplary standards for education.”

  I groan at her. “Or, they enjoy pretending they offer something more than state schools do so they can triple their prices. I just don’t see it. If I don’t get a scholarship, I’m not going there.”

  Avery huffs out a breath at me. “Mounty, you’re rich enough to pay for it. I will pay for it. God, Ash and Harley will probably duel it out over which one of them is allowed to pay for it for you. Money isn’t something we’re concerned about, you need to adjust your thinking.”

  I take a deep, deep breath. “I’ve been too poor in the past to ever stop worrying about money. I could have a billion in the bank, I’m still not going to want to spend it. I’ve gone hungry too many times to forget that feeling.”

  She rolls her eyes at me again and starts to sort through the papers, making little piles which I’m sure are cataloged perfectly in her head. She seems happier today, less bogged down, and I decide to bite the fucking bullet and just ask. “So, have you heard from Atticus lately? Is he the reason you’re smiling like a freaking siren today?

  She cringes and shoots me a worried look. Fuck.

  I groan and slap a head over my face. “Seriously? What now?”

  Avery fidgets with her pencil and I do my best not to cringe at her. She has such tight control of her body language the majority of the time, I know when she’s fussing it must be fucking hell inside her head. “The attempt on the Jackal’s life was unsuccessful.”

  I blink at her. “Uhm, yeah. I knew it would be. Why is that freaking you out so much? We always knew it would come down to us.”

  She bites her lip. “I might have… called Atticus and gloated a little. In a more… official way. The Coyote and the Tiger both heard it and have assumed there’s tension between you two.”

  I roll my eyes. “And you’re worried because you think I’ll be angry? Aves, the
whole fucking world is going to shit. I’m sure the Boar called and said the same damn thing to him. I don’t give a fuck what you say to him, he already knows where I stand.”

  Her shoulders roll back. “What? Where do you stand?”

  My eyes flick to the door as if Ash will have some sort of psychic premonition that I’m about to talk in Atticus’s favor and storm in here to climb up my ass… in a not fun and sexy way. “I told him he has my vote. If you two sort out your issues, then I vote him into the family. Harley did the same.”

  The coffee cup in her hands slips to splash coffee on the college brochures in front of her but she barely notices. What the fuck is going on in her head today? “Harley did the same? Harley Arbour gave Atticus his vote? My cousin, Harley?”

  I stand to grab a towel and mop it up. She just stares at me blankly until I sigh and answer her. “Uh yeah, the only Harley we both know. Atticus explained himself and we both… like him. Kind of. I mean, I don’t want to kill him anymore so that counts as liking him, right?”

  Avery grabs a handful of ruined brochures and shoves them into the bin, grabbing her cleaning supplies and getting to work on the mess she’s made. I watch her for a minute, moving my books out of her way and saving what I can from her destructive cleaning wrath.

  “I just feel like there’s this… gap between us now. Like, the guy I’ve been waiting around for, hoping he’d notice me, he’s gone. He never even existed. I don’t know what to do with that.” She mumbles, and I nod.

  “I kind of think this one is better though, Aves. The guy you were thinking of, the clean-cut gentleman, our world would have eaten him alive. He spoke to me about you and, honestly, the guy is crazy for you. I’m not saying you forgive him, fuck that, I’m just saying maybe you should stop being so angry at yourself for still wanting him. Or even wanting him more now. Just think about it.”

  She scrubs at the table a little harder but I let it drop. Maybe I’ve gotten through to her, maybe not. I’m sure she’ll work this all out at some point.