Page 134 of Fuckboy Psychos (Scarlett Force 1)
“You can’t watch everyone you love all of the time,” he continues, his eyes taking on that endless, ocean floor black. Not the slick oil shine from earlier, but a depthless, fathomless sea of shadows. “Bastian? Nisha? Jennifer? There are so many good people gathered around you, Scarlett Force.”
“Is there something you want to tell me?” I ask, wishing desperately that the impossible were possible. How can I both like and hate this man in equal measures? How can he make my pussy as dry as the Sahara Desert one minute, and monsoon country the next? “Anything at all?”
“Leave me and my brother alone if you don’t want your family and friends to start dropping like flies. And forget about Ash: he’s leaving and he’s not coming back. Once again, he’s done something unforgivable.” Aspen turns his head to one side, studying another of the hideous paintings. “You have a lot going for you Scarlett Force, but the money and resources to chase a Kelly boy around the world? Not likely or advisable.”
“You and your brother,” I say, my breath heaving in and out with sharp, heavy pants. “You’re the same to me. You’re both monsters.”
“So we are,” Aspen agrees softly, and then I’m storming past him and he’s grabbing onto my arm. His fingers burn where they touch my bare skin and I look up to meet his dark gaze. “Don’t ever trust me again. Even now … stay away from me, Scarlett.”
My little black heart shatters to pieces. I really fuckin’ liked this guy, didn’t I? Despite his hot-cold behavior, despite Lemon, despite every single goddamn red flag telling me to stay away from him. What a huge mistake. I really am a hopeless romantic, aren’t I?
“We could’ve had something, you know,” I offer up with a laugh and a shake of my head. “But you’ve ruined it. I hope you and Lemon are happy together.”
I jerk my arm away from him and shove my way through the door, finding Alexei waiting for me like an honor guard.
He seems surprised at my red face and slightly swollen lips.
“Is something amiss?” he asks, and then, before I can remember that I shouldn’t be doing it, I lift up on my toes and press a chaste peck to his lips.
“I’ve got to go. Thank you for bringing me here, Alexei. Stop by the track sometime and I’ll kick your ass all over again. Oh, and don’t forget to text me next time you go to Portland.” I offer him up another smile, taking in his wide green eyes and shaking form before I turn around and saunter my way out of that fancy party like I own the place.
I could, if I wanted.
One day, I will.
One day, I’ll have all the power these psychos have and more.
I have the valet bring my car around, climbing into the leather-scented darkness of the Pantera, and grabbing my phone from the passenger seat.
I make a conference call to Bastian and Nisha at the same time, and they both answer quickly.
“How did it go?” Basti asks, but I can’t talk about it just now.
It feels like the entire night was just one big disappointment.
“Come over and spend the night,” I say, looking back at the imposing white stone and glass of the art gallery. Alexei emerges, and I make out his taut, sleek silhouette at the top of the stairs. “I could really use some friend cuddles, popcorn, and a shitty movie.”
It won’t be the same without Lemon; we all know that.
“On my way,” Basti says, his voice soft.
“Already in the car, Queen,” Nisha agrees, and I smile.
Do I let the Ash thing go? Or do I escalate this?
Because even if Ash is hopping countries, that doesn’t mean Aspen is.
I could just as easily punish him for Evelyn’s death, now couldn’t I?
Nobody—not even a pretty fuckboy—threatens my family and friends and gets away with it.
Or lies to me. Because whatever it is that I’m missing, I can feel it. Aspen Kelly is lying, and I’m going to figure out, what, exactly, it is that he’s lying about.
Alexei
What a nightmare that was.
Scarlett Force is … she’s something entirely different than I’ve ever encountered before. Not only is she loudmouthed and crude, hyper-sexualized, and laser-focused on causing me maximum discomfort, but she’s also …
Fuck.
I hit the gas, testing the Bugatti’s limits—of which there are few—on the straight stretch after the last curve in the road that leads directly to our estate.
Scarlett.
Scarlett.
Her body is round in all the right places, with a nipped little waist, and large but perky breasts, a rounded ass, long legs. I could barely take my eyes off of her inked hand, the way her fingers curled around the delicate stem of the champagne flute as she struggled to push back her anger toward Aspen Kelly.
