Page 87 of Merciless

This won’t be the last time I fuck her tonight. I need her more than once. Who knows when I’ll be able to do this again.

“You want to get her pregnant?” Elijah says. “This can solve the inheritance issue.”

I glance at him with a frown.

He gestures toward Eden. “Our father didn’t specify who has to marry me and carry my child.”

Elijah strides toward the door and doesn’t look back as he leaves. It shuts behind him with a soft click.

Silence fills the room like a weighted blanket, and it’s enough to suffocate me; I miss the sounds of flesh slapping flesh.

I look at Eden and the sight of her naked body splayed before me. One time isn’t enough. It never will be.

I lower myself over her and bury my face in the crook of her neck. My cock slips inside her, and I pump into her, each stroke harder than the last.

“I know you’re awake. You can’t fool me, little ghost,” I whisper into her ear. “I’m putting a baby inside you tonight so you can’t ever get away from me. You’re mine.”

CHAPTER 31

EDEN

DAY 5 OF THE BET

I can’t believe my mother would invite Ashleigh Shepherd—the golden girl and Queen B—to celebrate Ruby’s birthday at the clubhouse restaurant. She runs in Elijah’s crowd, and I’m pretty sure they’ve hooked up. She makes it her mission to belittle and bully me.

I knew Mom and Joe would do something that centered adults over the kids. It doesn’t stop me from feeling bad.

In the back room, I’m seated with my mother, Albert and Barbara Edwards, and a few older people I don’t recognize. It’s messed up that my mother would do this to me. I’d rather scratch my eyes out than be here.

I’m exhausted after last night, and I’d kill to crawl back into bed to catch a few more hours of sleep.

My face flushes with a blush.

Last night was . . .

I have no words. Just feelings.

Asher and Elijah snuck into my room, the latter talking Asher through it while he fucked me.

What I can’t get over is that both teamed up, even though it was Asher who did everything. I never thought they’d do something like that.

Even after Elijah left and Asher stayed behind, I didn’t open my eyes. Asher called my bluff, but I couldn’t bring myself to face reality. I pretended to be asleep while Asher fucked me until early in the morning. Then he snuck out.

I’m such a coward for not facing him. I’ve refused to be around them today, embarrassed by what I allowed them to do last night.

I mentally shake away the thoughts. It’s better to pretend it never happened. It was a onetime event.

Glancing around the room, I check if the guys are here. I haven’t seen them all morning, maybe because I avoided them. Or they’re avoiding me.

Why the hell did I agree to come here when I could be in my dorm, playing with Lavender, studying, or doing anything but this?

Ashleigh laughs at whatever Mom said, delicately touching her chest. It has to be the fakest laugh I’ve heard—and that’s saying something, since I’ve seen it all. Mom grins and touches Ashleigh’s shoulder as she says something again, a smile curving her lips. She hasn’t looked at me like that in a very long time.

I grab my champagne flute and toss it back.

“Easy there,” Albert says. He knocks the back of his hand against my arm. “You don’t want to get drunk, do you?”

I narrow my eyes at him and lean out of his reach.