Chapter 77

Neil walks around me to approach Tide. He doesn’t ask, doesn’t say a word. He simply rips the envelope from Tide’s hands and gives it back to me.

Tide whimpers in response. That pathetic little noise seems to be what finally triggers Neil’s voice.

“You are the lowest kind of low. Here you are tempting kind-hearted individuals out of their hard-earned money, when you should be out trying to make money for yourself. Instead of searching for handouts, have you considered working? Or are you too lazy?”

Tide’s bottom lip trembles. “But I’ve never worked a day in my life.”

Neil’s brow lowers. He looks like a fierce, pissed off warrior about to cut into a wounded enemy. “You act like that’s a good thing. Dirty your own hands but do not drag one of the Hayes Court down with you. Do I make myself clear?”

Tide nods up and down like a bobble head. “Yes, sir. Sorry… I’m sorry… Please don’t hurt me!” He covers his head with his arms.

Neil grunts in disgust. He turns without saying more, grips me by the arm, and drags me away.

When we’re far enough away for Tide not to hear us anymore, I try to yank my arm away from Neil’s hold, but he only grips me tighter.

“You just keep disrespecting us,” Neil says, voice low and growly. It sends a shiver up my spine. Neil’s usually calm and collected. Any time his voice gets rough feels like a special occasion. I know he’s mad at me, I’m mad at him too frankly, for the things he said to Archer in the kitchen.

But I’m also only human. And his angry, grumbly voice is hot as fuck.

And infuriating.

“It’s my money,” I say. “I can spend it however I want. If that means giving it to Tide, then so be it.”

“You are a member of the Hayes Court, and as such you have an obligation not to make us look bad. You’ve already dragged us through the mud by making clothes with our insignia available for any asshole to buy. Now you want to waste your money on something like this?”

“Someone,” I correct. “That money was supposed to help save Tide’s life.”

“He’s lying.”

“He isn’t. I saw the guys who were trying to kill him.” Subconsciously, I reach up and touch my bruise. It’s mostly healed by now, but I can still feel it’s gentle sting if I press it.

Neil notices. His brow furrows and his mouth is a hard set line. I half suspect he wants to return to Tide and put him into the wall. He doesn’t act on it though. He just continues to drag me back toward the Pyramid.

“As a member of the Hayes Court, you have an obligation to keep us in the best light. Since you apparently have lax judgement about these things, please confer with me or one of my brothers… No, confer with me before you conceive any more actions like this.”

“I won’t let someone die.”

“People are responsible for their own actions. Tide has had plenty of chances to solve his own situation and he has squandered them.” He glances at me again, and finally, his eyes soften. “You have a kind heart. But it is not your responsibility to save anyone from themselves.”

“But –”

“Your responsibility is to yourself, to me and my brothers, and to Mia. No one else.”

“My family,” I say.

He nods. “To an extent, perhaps. But even then, I’d be cautious.”

I know Neil and his brothers don’t think much about my mom. I don’t like it but I don’t call him on it for now. While he might be referring to my mom, in my mind, I hear advice to be cautious of my step-brother Wyatt.

So I don’t argue that point.

“I understand now why you thought to sell your clothes, but you need to learn not to trust people so readily. I’ll help you. You can come to me and I’ll tell you who can be trusted.”

“I can trust my own instincts.”

“Can you? Because you nearly trusted Tide.”

I humph, mainly to hide my own shame, because he’s kind of right.

Truth is, I probably shouldn’t have trusted Tide, especially after Debbie’s warning. But he seemed so desperate. I wanted to save his life.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to check with Neil first, next time. Though I imagine he wouldn’t agree to me helping anyone.

Neil checks his watch. “We’re still behind schedule.” He starts walking a little faster. I struggle to keep up.

“Neil.”

“It’s probably better if you stay quiet for now,” Neil says, voice tight. “I don’t want to lose my temper.”

My voice dies in my throat, without me even meaning to. Neil didn’t even use his Alpha voice, and I still instinctively went to obey him.

I really need to get out of the Pyramid and away from these brothers. Being around them too much is making my head spin and giving me all kinds of weird complexes.

I shouldn’t want to obey Archer and Neil’s orders, yet I imagine, like I had with Archer, if Neil starts bossing me around, I would want to obey.

I groan despite myself. What I really need is a nice boyfriend who would treat me good and be gentle and caring and… boring…

The thought of Archer, naked, thrusting into a woman while I watch, flies into my mind. In the next thought, Neil replaces Archer, and he’s standing over me.

“Touch yourself,” he says in my mind.

I make a strangled, cut-off noise.

Real-life Neil looks at me strangely, and I blush. He doesn’t ask questions, thank the Gods. I have no idea how I would answer in a way that would not implicate myself.

By the time we reach the Pyramid, I’m ready to barricade myself in my room to keep these unwelcome horny thoughts out of my mind.

Unfortunately, Archer is standing directly in the front door while we approach. He leans against the doorframe. His sharp gaze immediately zeros in to where Neil is holding my arm.

“Underlings use the back entrance,” Archer says, voice ice cold. “You haven’t forgotten what Chloe is, have you, Neil? A subordinate. Someone beneath us.”

“Well, hello to you too,” I say. Asshole.

Archer’s sharp gaze slides to my face. He’s peering straight down inside of me, like he can see my most embarrassing depths, like he knows I’ve been fantasizing about him not ten minutes ago.

I slowly close my mouth.

“She can use the front door when she’s with one of us,” Neil says.

“Changing the rules now, Neil? That’s not what you said this morning.”

Neil’s hand tightens on my arm for a split second. It’s too hard and I wince. That seems to wake him up because he immediately looks at me and loosens his hold. He doesn’t fully let me go, however.

“I think you need to make up your mind. Seems like you can’t even keep your own head straight on the subject,” Archer continues to taunt.

I’m not sure even what they are talking about anymore. These all sound like references to their conversation from this morning, but if I let myself believe that, then I would have to consider they were talking about me in a deeper sense.

This morning they were talking about fucking me.

What are they talking about now?

“This isn’t the same and you know it,” Neil says.

“No?” Archer kicks off the doorframe. “I wonder what Angela would think. Remember her?”