“Oh God, why did it have to be so good?” she moaned, taking another large bite and sending flakes of pastry tumbling all over her knees. She had a smear of chocolate by her lips and I reached down, wiping it away with my thumb and sucking it off. Everything tasted better dipped in Rogue Easton.
“Where are we going?” she demanded as soon as she’d devoured the whole thing and started eyeing my pack hopefully like there might be another pastry hiding in there. I made a mental note that the girl was as easily bought with food as her Mutt. Though I didn’t think even the best pastry in the world could stop her being angry with me. It seemed to make her slightly more complicit though.
“We’re going on a date,” I announced, looking to her for her reaction. Which was a pout. Great.
“You do realise that normal guys ask girls if they actually want to go on a date with them? Which, if you’d bothered to do, I would have refused.”
“Hence why I didn’t ask,” I said simply and she kicked me in the leg.
“That’s the part where you cut your losses and turn your attention to another more willing girl, Badge. It’s not the green light for kidnap.”
“You gave me the green light a long time ago, baby. I’m just trying to figure out how to make you remember that.”
“You remember things through Fox-tinted glasses. All I remember was a group of boys who followed me around like a bad smell. I would have cut you all loose eventually.” She shrugged and my heart yanked.
“Don’t do that,” I growled, turning the cruise control on as I turned to her and leaning forward, gripping the edge of the boat either side her. “You can hate me now, hate all of us. But don’t pretend the past meant nothing. I was there. It was real. The five of us had something not many people get in life and as fucked as it is now, I still believe some of it is salvageable. At least for four of us.”
“That’s the first time you’ve acknowledged that Maverick was important to you once,” she whispered, a flicker of pain in her eyes as the first glimmer of the sun peeked over the horizon. My heart was pulled down into a pit of despair that I’d buried a long time ago.
“That’s what makes his betrayal worse,” I whispered.
“You betrayed him first. Just like you betrayed me first. Did you ever consider I might be here just to rub salt in your wounds? Make sure they never close. Make sure you never forget the hurt you caused me. Maybe I did die in that grave and I came back to haunt you, Fox Harlequin. I’m just a dead girl here to torment you.”
“If that’s the case then you’re doing a good job of it so far, hummingbird. But if you’re haunting me then that makes me your unfinished business. And I’m open to you taking your pound of flesh from me first, but after you’ve got your revenge, you’ll find all that’s left beneath that venomous need for vengeance is a girl seeking what she lost all those years ago. And I’m it, baby.”
I turned away from her, flipping the cruise control off and steering us across the waves in the direction of the cove. The sun was starting to pour light into the world, orange and gold spilling across the horizon like a giant door opening in the sky.
I turned into the cove, slowing as I drove towards the reef. I killed the engine as we passed under the archway of stone everyone around here called Hell’s Gateway and dropped the anchor into the water. I pulled Rogue to her feet, her brow creasing as I turned her back to me and held her against my chest. A curse died on her lips as she looked towards the horizon and I rested my chin on her shoulder.
“I missed watching the sunrise with you, remember how much you used to love me waking you at dawn whenever we fell asleep under the pier,” I teased and she breathed a laugh.
“I hated that, Badger.”
“Only at first, then you’d start looking like you do now. Like you couldn’t be angry because it was too fucking beautiful and you knew deep down you didn’t really wanna miss it.”
“Guess you always thought you knew what I wanted before I did,” she said, tossing me a stern look. “And maybe you did once, but not anymore, Fox. I’m not sixteen anymore.”
“People don’t change. Bad shit just happens that makes them build walls. We can tear them down whenever we want to.”
“Have you got walls, Foxy?” she purred as the sun rose higher and her flesh was bathed in gold.
“Not against you.” I trailed my fingers across her waist, over her stomach, her tank riding up as I brushed my mouth across her neck, not caring to look at the sky as she watched the night shift into day. She was my sunrise. The one I’d been waiting for for ten years. And I wanted to wake to her every day, watch her light up my morning for as many days as I had left on earth.
Her hand came up to cup the back of my neck as she just gave in for once and her fingers tangled in my hair as my hand slid higher under her top, caressing her silky flesh and making her shiver against me.
“You can’t win me with a sunrise,” she said breathily.
“No, but maybe I can win you with a thousand,” I replied. “Spend the morning with me, Rogue. Pretend we’re kids again. Hate me tomorrow.”
She said nothing and I pulled away, staring out at the sun gilding the water and wishing I could force it back beneath the horizon again and again until we were sixteen, all of us sitting on the edge of forever, vowing to belong together always. I wanted my brother back as he’d been before our bond had been permanently broken. I wanted Rogue before I’d permanently broken her. I wanted the me back who used to laugh and love my friends with abandon. When the whole world didn’t weigh on my shoulders. When we’d convinced ourselves we’d always be together no matter what, and I’d believed it with every scrap of my heart too.
We watched until the sun was full and fat above the water and Rogue turned to me with a sad kind of smile.
I brushed my thumb across her cheek and she leaned into my touch, a possessiveness filling me like a demon.
“Would you go back with me if I could take you there?” I asked and she hesitated before nodding, letting me see into her soul at last. The part of her I knew was there, but she was determined to hide away from me. But we’d written our lives together, the most important years of her youth had been experienced at my side. And I knew her more deeply than she even knew herself.
“Then let’s pretend,” I growled against her lips then drew away, pulling my shirt off and kicking my shoes off too. I opened the storage box at the back of the boat, taking out snorkels and masks, tossing a set onto the bench for her. I took the knife I kept there in its holster, strapping it to my ankle. I never went anywhere unarmed. My father had drilled that into me and it had saved my life more than once.
“Get changed,” I ordered, nodding to my bag and she looked pissed at my command, but her eyes were feasting on my body too.
I pressed my tongue into my cheek before turning and diving overboard.
I swam deep under the cool water, adjusting to the chill that rippled through my skin. I was made for the water. My dad had taught me and Maverick to swim in the pool at Harlequin House. And we’d been surfing almost as long as we’d been walking. Our competitive natures had pushed us both to be the best at everything we did together. We’d thrived on that. But I guessed he thrived on revenge and blood nowadays. Asshole.
I surfaced, turning back to the boat and my throat thickened as I found Rogue pulling her pyjama top off with her back to me, the little lilac bikini bottoms framing her ass. She tied the top into place and grabbed the snorkel and mask before diving off of the boat.
I put my mask on and swam toward her, catching her hand as she put hers on too. “You wanna see if that octopus still lives at the bottom of the reef over there?” I pointed to where we’d found it once.
“You mean Inky? He’s gotta be dead,” she said. “How long can they live?”
“Let’s find out.” I swam away from her across the water over the reef that lined the rocky wall which arced around the cove.
I took a breath and dove deep, swimming down past
the colourful coral, a swarm of silver fish racing beneath me. I reached the bottom, catching hold of a rocky outcrop from the reef to steady myself and Rogue gripped my arm to hold herself down too. We peered into the dark hole in the reef wall and I squinted to catch sight of our old friend. Bubbles slipped from my mouth as we waited, but nothing appeared.
We soon ran out of breath and swam back to the surface. I let the snorkel fall from my mouth as I sucked in a lungful of air and Rogue did the same, a smile spreading across her face.
“Stick your arm in next time,” she dared and I laughed.
“Fine, but if I get dragged into that hole, you better come after me, hummingbird,” I teased.
“Seems like an easy way to solve all of my problems if an octopus eats your domineering ass,” she reasoned.
“I see how it is.” I splashed her and she gasped then splashed me back. I grabbed her by the waist, yanking her against my hip and tickling her sides.
“No, Fox!” she yelled and she wrapped her legs around my hips.
I brushed my nose against hers then threw her away from me so she splashed back into the water with a scream. I laughed, diving underwater and powering towards the bottom again. I sensed Rogue following, ready to watch me die by octopus, but there wasn’t a creature on earth who’d walk away from Fox Harlequin alive if it tried it.
I made it to the bottom, catching hold of the rocks and pulling myself forward. I reached toward the hole and Rogue gripped my leg, squeezing. I glanced back, finding her shaking her head and I rolled my eyes, stuffing my arm into the hole. Rogue pulled herself along my body until she was holding onto my shoulders, her colourful hair flowing around me as she hugged my back like she was preparing to pull me away from a killer crustacean. Or whatever the fuck octopuses were. All I knew for certain was that they weren’t squids.
My fingers brushed the back of the hole, but instead of just letting her know there was no creatures currently lurking in it, I gripped the rock and jerked myself forward, pretending I was being hauled into the hole. Rogue wrapped her legs around my waist, yanking my shoulders furiously as she tried to pull me back and a stream of bubbles left me as I laughed, releasing the rock and swimming for the surface with a little limpet on my back.
My head breached the water and Rogue gripped me tighter, her thighs locking around my waist and her arms clamping around my shoulders.
“Did it get you?” she gasped and I roared a laugh.
“Psych. It was empty.”
“You motherfucker,” she hissed, but her body vibrated as she laughed.
“I’ve officially proved you care about me,” I said smugly and she took my ear between her teeth, tugging firmly.
“There’s another sea monster here who’ll end you, Badger,” she growled and the cool press of a blade kissed my throat.
A low noise of desire left me and I reached up to grip her hand around the hilt.
“Stealing from me now, are we hummingbird?” I growled.
“Maybe I didn’t want the octopus to have the joy of killing you, Foxy. Maybe I’m planning to slit your throat and leave you here for the reef sharks to devour,” she warned.
I pressed my throat into the blade. “Are you sure they’ll destroy the evidence in time before someone comes looking for me, baby?”
“I’ll be long gone before they find me,” she whispered.
“Is that what you want?” I asked. “Is that what sixteen year old Rogue wanted?”
She paused, her grip on the blade loosening until she let me pull it from her fingers. “She was an idiot.”
“She was perfect,” I growled.
“And now I’m ruined,” she sighed and I twisted around, pulling her against me as my teeth ground in my mouth. I gripped the back of her head, pressing my forehead to hers and looking her directly in the eyes. “Never.”
She melted against me, shaking her head, her mouth grazing mine. “I like pretending we’re them.”
“We are them,” I growled. “Just with scars.”
“We can’t go back,” she whispered, her breath skating against my mouth.
“Pretend,” I insisted and she nodded, water droplets running down her face from her hair.
“Old me wouldn’t have kissed you,” I told her. “He was chicken shit.”
“New you steals kisses I don’t ask for,” she said sternly and I grinned darkly, drawing her closer, her body wrapping around mine as the water lapped against our shoulders.
“But you do ask for them, just not with your mouth,” I said cockily.
“Is that what you’ll tell the court when I press charges for assault?” she teased and I ran my fingers up her spine, making her quiver.
“Nah, I’ll kiss you in front of them and everyone will agree I knew what I was talking about after you melt into a puddle at my feet.”
She smacked my shoulder, her features twisting in anger, but her eyes were glittering.
“Remember the last time we climbed up there and jumped?” I nodded to the stone archway and Rogue looked over at it. Sea birds were circling around it where they were nesting in the rocks.
“Chase fell and nearly dashed his head in on the reef,” she said with a laugh. There was literally only one place the water was deep enough for jumping into and if you missed, it was game over.
“He climbed up after though and still jumped,” I snorted.
“He’d die before he got left out,” she mused.
“It’s a miracle we’re all still breathing after the crazy shit we used to do.”
She bit her lip, still looking at Hell’s Gateway. “Bet I could still climb up there.”
“It’s dangerous,” I growled immediately, even though I knew how hypocritical that was. But I wasn’t an idiot kid now, and I wasn’t gonna risk her hurting herself.
“I thought we were sixteen today,” she challenged and the mischief in her eyes jabbed the boy in me.
She let go, swimming away from me toward the arch and I cursed as I took chase. She started climbing up the craggy rock before I made it there and I hurried to follow, trying to catch hold of her before she could jump, but the girl was fast.
She made it to the top of the archway and I pushed to my feet as I scaled it too. I was about to demand she get down – for all the good it would do – when she offered her hand to me.
She was dripping wet, her toned body dipped in honey by the sun and the glimmer in her eyes made me feel like I was in front of a goddess who possessed every part of me, right down to my soul. I really was a kid again then, standing in front of the girl he’d loved before he’d even known what love was.
I placed my hand in hers and she smiled at me, giving me this look that felt painfully temporary.
“See you at the bottom,” she said, tugging my hand and I jumped over the edge with her, aiming for the darkest water below. My heart soared as we hit the surface and sank deep under the waves, a rush electrifying my body.
When we came up, we swam back to the boat and I climbed up behind her, running my thumb down her spine as I stepped past her to grab bottles of water from my pack. I checked my phone, finding a message from JJ saying all was quiet from The Damned Men, but the fire at Maverick’s warehouse had been put out overnight. I didn’t think it would be long before he hit back at us, but he’d have the cartel to distract him for a while first. And if we were lucky, they’d kill him for us and end this war for good.
When I turned around to face Rogue again, she was right behind me on her tip-toes and a lump bobbed in my throat.
“This doesn’t mean anything,” she said, then kissed me hard, clutching the back of my neck. I dropped the water bottles and my phone, gripping her waist and tugging her closer.
I kissed her slow and deep and her tongue moved with mine, tasting of sea salt and my future wife. I was half tempted to get down on one knee right now if I knew she wouldn’t kick me in the balls for it. I’d earn that yes from her somehow though. My girl had broken over me once and it was my job
to heal her now. I’d find each of her fractured pieces and mend them one at a time. Until she stopped hurting and hating. Until she forgave me for all the bad shit I’d done. Until she realised she’d always been mine and always would be.
"R ooooogueeee!"
The mewing cries of my new friends called to me from beyond my thin trailer walls and I groaned, cramming a pillow down over my head and trying to pretend they weren't there.
After giving Fox a morning of pretending and letting myself get altogether too caught up in the idea of being sixteen and the whole world not sucking ass, I’d convinced him to let me come back here for a few days. He’d been checking in near constantly because he was expecting Maverick to strike back after the blow we’d struck against him, but so far all was quiet on the western front. Which apparently should have been concerning me, but I wasn’t going to let myself get all worked up about that. If Maverick wanted to come after me for my part in what had happened then I’d deal with that when he did. I’d long since learned not to waste my time worrying about the future. It wasn’t guaranteed anyway.
"‘S’tooearly," I mumbled back semi loudly, hoping they'd get the hint and leave me to my pit.
I was perhaps a little hungover after partying down on the beach with them last night and trying to drown the whispers about the Harlequins out of my stupid brain. I didn’t want to be thinking about them all of the damn time. I’d spent the last ten years doing that as little as humanly possible. And I’d come here with a very clear plan in mind, but so far, that had not come together.
I had upped my key count from one to two now though so maybe I just needed to focus and get my hands on the others. Then I could do what I came here to do and get the fuck out of town. Maverick’s key was currently stashed in the vent above my little shower. I would have preferred to keep it on my necklace with my own, but I couldn’t risk the others seeing it and realising that I had an actual chance of breaking into that crypt and setting their nightmares loose.
Sinners' Playground Page 49
