Carnal House

Where did I screw up?-Ash

I let her go, wracking my brain to try and figure out where the hell I gave her the idea that last night meant nothing. I made quick work of getting dressed to follow her, remembering the group text from last night and knowing full well she is about to be very pissed.

“Ryker, wait!” I take the stairs three at a time to try and catch up to her, but I’m too late.

“Why the hell is all of my stuff here?” Her question is quiet as she watches three underclassmen file into the study with boxes and her suitcase before coming back out to stand in front of her.

“I apologize for how terribly you were treated last night, Miss Ryker, please forgive us.” The first one said, before turning to me.

“Mr. Ash.” He bowed his head and left through the front door. This is just f*****g lovely.

“I apologize for how terribly you were treated last night, Miss Ryker, please forgive us.” A bow to her and then me. “Mr. Ash.”

“I apologize for how terribly you were treated last night, Miss Ryker, please forgive us. I like your nerd streak.” This one added going against his orders.

“Pledge!” I barked, making Ryker jump and while I regret startling her, he needed to be put in his place. His eyes are wide as he lowers his gaze to the floor.

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Miss Ryker. Mr. Ash.” I jerked my head to the door, and he scurried out, he will have to be disciplined.

“This is a nightmare.” She breathed incredulously hauling ass into the study. I kept on her heels as she barreled through the half open door. Fox had looked better, the match must have been a long one, he had stitches this time. She didn’t miss a beat as he leveled his stare to hers.

“Did you win?” She asked, her words dripping with annoyance. He simply raised his uninjured brow. “Congratulations, now tell me why three unfrosted f*****g pop tarts walked in with everything from my dorm.”

I bite back my laugh, she isn’t wrong, as far as pledges went, he chose the ones that needed the most work.

“Have you eaten?” He asked casually.

“I’m not f*****g hungry; can you just answer me?” Fox just looked at me for an answer to his question, I shook my head. No, she hadn’t eaten.

“John is cooking today; do you want anything in particular?” He asked her, moving the files from the desk to the locking cabinet, setting up what had to be her laptop and schoolwork on the desk.

“Depends, can he cook an explanation?” She asked, her words dripping poison honey. He merely frowns at her and ushers her out of the study towards the kitchen. She swiped away his arm.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Sit.” He demands.

“Being that this feels an awful lot like a den of wolves I think I will keep my feet thank you.” She said, crossing her arms as she watched him walk around the island bar to the fridge.

“Ash.” He said, I pull out my phone and type out a single word in the group chat.

Kitchen

I try not to crowd her but I don’t want her to feel alone, we are all on her side but she needs to feel that way.

John and Connor come in arguing in Gaelic, their argument cooling as they see Ryker. Connor walks up to her to kiss her on the cheek.

“Good noon, love, did you sleep well?” his gaze catches mine for the barest second and I give a slight shake of my head. He grimaced, “right then.”

He takes the glass Fox holds out to him, placing it carefully in Ryker’s hand, his own knuckles bruised and split open.

“Drink up.” He said, lifting it to her lips.

“No. Thank you.” She said with finality moving the glass away from her face. If Fox thinks that manipulating her will work, we are in trouble. I take the glass and set it on the island. John shoves his brother aside to get her attention.

“Ryker it is so lovely to finally meet you. I am excited to cook for you is there anything in particular you would like?” His Scottish brogue adding an air of mystery to his words. She gives him a venomous smile.

“No, thank you,” she levels a withering glare at Fox over the bar. “I’m not hungry, I’m not thirsty. I want an explanation.”

“Steak, mash and asparagus, John. Make sure it’s rare.” Fox said, his stare never leaving hers. It’s not surprising now after seeing them together why she thinks he hates her, and it pisses me off.

John and Connor don’t waste any time in getting everything together to cook for all of us. To my surprise Fox drops his stare first, conceding to her a small win. He pulls out a bag of potatoes and starts peeling them as John seasons the steaks, and Connor washes the asparagus.

“You are living here if you want to go to Brentwood.” He said simply.

“The f**k you say.”

“Dad and Lauren are already aware of the situation and fully agree with me. Live here or transfer to the campus at home.” Her skin pales.

“You told them what happened? What the f**k is wrong with you? Did you think for a second that maybe I didn’t want them to know?”

“Which is exactly why I did. They needed to know.”

“No, you needed to be the hero.” She accuses.

“What were you even thinking. Putting yourself in that position?” He asked, his anger getting the better of him.

“Come on man.” I said to him; they both ignored me. It was a low blow; she had no idea that Caleb was going to put her in that kind of position.

“I was thinking maybe for the first time in my life I could be normal! Go on a date, have s*x, have fun.”

“You were going to have s*x with Caleb?” He roared at her; I take a small step closer to her.

“No!” She shouted back. “But I would have liked to have that choice! Something that you are forever taking away from me!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Did you ever ask yourself why I only have one friend, why I never dated in high school, why I didn’t go to prom, homecoming, Sadie Hawkins? Charlie Lockhart.” She said, he looks confused for a second before realization dawns.

“He hit you!” He roared back at her, every pair of eyes was on her, John’s brows had disappeared beneath his messy hair and Connor had the look of what the f**k on his face.

“It was an accident in gym class! He was devastated and apologized for an hour straight, boys like to swing things around like swords, Fox, badminton rackets, wrapping paper tubes, their dicks.” She powers on.

“He gave you a black eye!”

“And a bruised ego, both of which I would have survived had you not gone off halfcocked and ruined any chance of me having a social life! Girls wanted to be my friend to get to you, and guys were too scared of you to give me the time of day! Even the gay ones!” He gave her a look like she was being ridiculous.

“Oh, you think I’m kidding. How about this,” she looks around at all of us. “New guy in school has homeroom with Leah and I. So, we made a bet on how long after I talk to him that he will ice me out. So, I told him I liked his shirt, in my defense I actually did, and then we waited. Do you want to know how long?” We all just looked at her, waiting.

“35 f*****g minutes, I asked him what his next class was, and he went ghost white. He didn’t even make it to the end of home room. So, imagine me coming here where nobody knows that I’m The Basher’s stepsister and thinking that just for once I can be normal.” She swiped angrily at a tear that slid down her cheek, I put my hand on her waist in an attempt to comfort her, but she moved it away. Connor winced and it didn’t go unnoticed by Ryker.

“Wait. Please tell me you didn’t do something stupid.” She looked between Connor and Fox.

“Merely taking out the trash, love.” He said with a smile, chopping garlic and onions.

“I can’t stay here. There are only four rooms.” My heart leapt at the thought of her staying, getting the chance to spend time with her.

“We will convert the attic; it will be done in a week.”

“And until then?” She asked shoving her hands in her jacket pockets.

“Pick a bed. Ash told you last night women don’t sleep alone in this house, so whoever is home when you go to bed is where you sleep. Fall asleep anywhere else in the house, the one that finds you carries you to their bed. After your room is finished you will choose one of us to spend the night with you.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Any carnal need you have will be taken care of by a man that lives under this roof, nobody else.”

“And be in a lengthy line of women through this house? No f*****g thanks you.” She shifts from foot to foot.

“Think we ought to step in here?” John asked Connor.

“No.” Ryker, Fox and I say at the same time.

“The second you stepped foot into this house, it became yours, you will be the only woman f****d here.” Her cheeks redden with his words.

“What makes you think any of them would want me like that anyway? You’re being unreasonable.” She said looking uncomfortable.

“Am I? Did you not enjoy your time with Ash last night?” My eyes widen, Ryker looks at me as if I had slapped her, I turn to glare at Connor.

“You voyeuristic f**k! Did you stop to think for a second that maybe she didn’t want her brother to know about that?”

“Stepbrother.” Ryker and Fox said.

“In my defense she was making the most delicious sounds-”

“Stop talking!” Ryker and I say at the same time. Connor clamps his mouth shut.

“Did you stop and think that maybe I want something real instead of pity from your friends?”

“Hey!” Connor.

“Whoa, what?” John.

“Is that what you think last night was?” I asked her incredulously, turning her to face me. “If I conveyed that, then I am sorry, but if you think that last night was pity then I should haul you back up to bed to prove to you otherwise. Do you understand me, kitten?” Her cheeks blush that delicious pink.

“Yes.” Her stomach growled loud enough to hear over the sizzle of the frying pan. She groans and shrugs off her jacket, hanging it on the back of the barstool before climbing into it.

“Thank you.” I said sitting down beside her.

“I know you think the very worst of me right now, but this is the best way to keep you safe. I trust these men with my life and yours. It may not seem like it now, but I am giving you options.” Fox said carefully, filling a pot with chilly water to toss the cubed potatoes into.

“No, you’re not, if I leave Brentwood, I don’t go to college. My scholarship isn’t transferrable. All I wanted was to go to college, have a boyfriend, find myself. I didn’t really think that was too much to ask for.” She said, her face in her hands. I slide my hand up her thigh, squeezing lightly.

“You’re going to college, you have four boyfriends, and you will find yourself. I promise.”

“You can’t be serious, all of you are just ok with this?” She asked looking around at us.

“Fox talks about you nonstop; I’ve been dying to meet you.” John said, winking at her as he sautés onions and garlic. Fox slides the pot of potatoes down the bar for John to put it on the burner.

“I have quite the first date planned.” Connor said with a charming smile.

I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, running my thumb along her jaw. “I think you know where I stand.”

“Who is the fourth? I thought it was only you all living here.” She asked looking around at all of us in turn. Fox busies himself with cleaning up the mess on the counter.

“Me.” His tone is clipped.

“As much as I love Corpse, f**k me like you hate me isn’t really my speed.” She said with attitude, and a lie.

“I don’t hate you, bug. Quite the opposite.”

“It’s wrong, you’re my brother.”

“Stepbrother.” The four of us remind her.

“The only people that know that are in this room, I know you’ve thought about it just as I have. I know you saw me watching you after the fireworks on the 4th. You thought everyone was asleep as you touched yourself, moaned my name when you came on your fingers.” Her breath catches as she holds his stare, the air thick with their s****l tension.

“What about our parents, when we go home, we would have to lie.” She said, a husky tone to her voice.

“One or all of us would go home with you.” I said carefully. Her eyes widen.

“How long have you been planning this?” Connor silently drains the potatoes, John silently lays the room temp steaks in the pan, Fox looks as if he wished she would ask anything else.

“Since your acceptance letter came. I tried to give you space, made sure that if I wasn’t here that there was someone you could trust. Made sure they knew the safe word, what would make you comfortable and safe.” She sits back, looking anywhere but at us. It isn’t until John sets her loaded plate before her that she finally says something.

“So, the price of me going to college is to stay here with four men who want to date me all at the same time and take turns f*****g me. Am I the only one that sees this going horribly wrong?” I cut off a piece of her steak and hold the fork out to her. She takes the offered bite and groans as she chews.

“Heavens, what a sound.” Connor said, appreciation etched on his face. “Date, f**k, feed, take care of. Be anything and everything you need, moment to moment. There is no competition between us, love, no jealousy. A fight or disagreement will only happen between you and one of us, never us over you if that is what you are worried about. Our singular focus is you.”

“There is one other option.” I said, slowly. “You go home, go to college there.”

She shakes her head. “My scholarship won’t transfer; I don’t have the money for college without it.”

“But we do.”