by T. L Smith
“That’s great. Are they pricey?”
“Noah set the price, and they paid.” I pause. “Three thousand per desk,” I tell her.
“I’m sure they’re worth that and more if those chairs and small table outside are anything to go by.”
I didn’t expect that reaction. I expected maybe I’m not worth that much. But after the first desk, they kept ordering more, and then, well, the doubt started to slowly ebb away, until delivery, that is. It’s then the monster rears its ugly head until the client is happy. And so far, every client has been more than happy, which surprises me more than anything.
“They’ve passed my name on to more businesses. I have a contract with a few of them.” I haven’t told anyone but Noah, trying to keep things more internalized than I probably should. Trouble is, after being inside for so long, everything becomes a struggle, and internalizing is what you do best to keep sane.
“We need to set you up as a business.” Rising from her chair, she heads outside.
Is she leaving?
Then I hear her car door shut, and she comes back, computer in hand, taking up a position on the couch. I sit next to her as she begins inputting information, asking me questions here and there. I watch her work, fascinated with the speed and complexity with which she works. Her lashes are long, which fits perfectly with her devil eyes. Her hands move fast, long delicate fingers I could have wrapped around my…
“You’re staring again.”
“You’re beautiful to stare at.”
Her head lifts at the compliment, and she turns to face me. “Thank you.” She spins back to the laptop. “For that, I won’t charge you, even though now I know you can afford to pay me.” She’s not wrong. The advance I received from the contracts is amazing. I didn’t think it was possible to do something I love and make so much money out of it.
But here I am.
She continues to work away on her computer, makes a few phone calls, and all the while I watch her intently.
“Look how far you’ve come,” she says, shutting the computer after having set me up in business, it seems. “You should be proud of yourself, August Trouble. Because I am.”
I have no response to those words.
Not once has anyone ever said they were proud of me. That’s something someone like me never hears uttered.
“August.” She touches my arm.
Maybe it’s her words, maybe it is just her.
But what I do next, I told myself I would never do again.
But for some reason, I can’t help myself.
I’m a starving man, and she has served up my three-course meal.
Chapter 19
Rylee
I should be pushing him away. I know this. But when August’s lips touch mine, and he pushes me backward on the couch, I’m a helpless woman. Besides, it wasn’t my idea to keep things platonic between us. That was all him.
So when his hand slides up my skirt I know, I just know, we’re more than friends.
Maybe friends with benefits?
August’s lips capture mine.
And in that moment, nothing is more important than keeping that kiss going, even when his fingers slide past my panties and straight to where I want them. I pause only for a second, my lips frozen in pleasure before I bite down on his bottom lip. His fingers start pumping inside of me while he makes these amazing noises with his mouth.
Just as I go to reach between us to touch him, something bangs on the door, loudly. It’s as if it’s being kicked. August stops abruptly, then is off me in the next second before he moves to the door with a bat in his hand, freezing mid-step as the door is kicked in. Two men stand there, facing me, both wearing black balaclavas. I can’t see their eyes, but I feel them all over my skin as I remain immobile on the couch, for some reason just blinking.
“Look what we got,” one of them says, as the other attempts to move forward in my direction. August swings the bat, knocking the one closest to him in the backs of his knees, forcing him to the floor with a loud scream.
I shiver, covering my ears at the crack the bat made when it connected with his bones.
“What the…” Before the other can do anything, I open my eyes to see August do the same thing with him, but the crack isn’t as loud as the guy jumps, getting whacked in only one leg instead of both.
“August.” I say his name, but he doesn’t hear me as he rushes over to the closest one, tears the mask off, and bends down, his hand gripping the intruder’s shirt, and he pulls him up, making him whine out in pain.
“You are either brave or stupid to try to enter my house. Which is it?” August growls.
I stand on shaky legs and stare at August. I’ve never seen this side of him.
He’s so… dark.
His fists move fast as he punches the dude’s face. I hear the crack of bone and flinch at the sound.
“August.” I say his name again, but he doesn’t seem to hear me.
“You stepped into the wrong house, fucker.” He hits again, knocking the guy unconscious. The one whose leg he hit pulls something from his pocket. I freeze, and a scream rips out of my mouth when I realize it’s a gun.
August pauses but only for a split second, which is enough time for the guy to shoot, but because he’s on the floor and August is fast, it only hits August’s shoulder. August barely registers the bullet, not even recoiling when it strikes him. He keeps moving and knocks the gun from the guy’s hand. Then, in one fast movement that I’ve only seen in the movies, he knocks that guy unconscious as well.
August stands, touches his shoulder, then looks over at me. “You should leave.”
I shake my head, knowing I’m not going to leave him.
“Leave, Rylee.” I can’t even get caught on the fact that he’s used my name because the blood that’s flowing out of his wound has me moving toward him not away from him. Reaching out, I want to touch him to make sure he’s okay. I step over the bodies that lie on the floor and gently touch his shoulder.
His voice becomes softer when my hand caresses him. “Leave,” he almost whispers.
“No,” I tell him. I know it won’t be long before the police arrive. After all, a gunshot would have been heard by the neighbors.
Not knowing how long we’ve been standing there, time seems to be going in slow motion right now. My heart is hammering in my chest, and my mind seems to be struggling between wanting to run and wanting to stay. The battle is constant, but somehow, I manage to keep grounded. Somehow keeping myself as centered as I can.
Sirens, I hear them, and they are coming this way.
Shock.
Alarm.
Panicked.
All feelings, all genuine, but all dismissed as quickly as they arrive when two police officers appear through the broken door. The two unconscious men are immediately spotted, so they both pull their weapons from their holsters.
“On the floor, both of you. Very slowly.” I quickly glance at August, who simply nods, doing what they say. One of them speaks into the radio on his shoulder before another police car arrives. When I check outside through the floor-to-ceiling window, I see the neighbors coming out on their front yards, and they’re all looking this way.
“August.” Paige’s father is standing there, hand on his gun but not raised like the other two. “What’s going on here?”
“He’s hurt. They shot August,” I tell Glenn.
His eyes fall to August, who appears to be having trouble keeping his eyes open.
“An ambulance is on its way. Can you tell me what happened?” Glenn asks.
My eyes fall to the men lying beside me.
One of them starts to move, and I jump up, not wanting to be anywhere near them.
“They broke into the house through the door. See, it’s broken. August…” I look and find his eyes are opening and closing, but he’s trying to keep an eye on the man whose eyes are still shut. “They didn’t get far, but one had a gun.” I point at the gun one of the officer
s is standing in front of. “He shot August. August did nothing wrong. We were having dinner when they—”
“Thank you, Rylee. I’ll need you to come to the station to make a statement, but other than that, you’re free to go.” I step back and look at August, who’s still on the floor and bleeding badly.
“What about August?” I ask.
“He’ll have to come with us after he goes to the hospital.”
“But, he did nothing wrong,” I tell Glenn.
He doesn’t answer.
So I reach for my phone and call my sister, who picks up straight away.
“Is Noah with you?”
“Umm… yes,” she says, her voice confused.
“Can you put him on, please?”
She doesn’t ask any questions, which I’m thankful for.
“Rylee, everything okay?” Noah’s voice echoes through the phone.
“No. Two people just tried to break into August’s house, and he got shot. The police are taking him in for some reason after he’s been to the hospital. Can you help?”
“Where are you?”
“Still at his house.”
“Don’t move. Collect your things. I’ll be there soon.”
As I hang up, the ambulance arrives, and an officer puts cuffs on August, making him groan as they jostle around his wounded shoulder. He doesn’t say a word, just goes with it as they carry him off to the ambulance.
“I want to go with him,” I say to a different officer, who adamantly shakes his head.
“No can do, miss.” He blocks my path as the ambulance drives away. I watch as the ambulance turns the corner then Noah’s car pulls up. My sister rushes through the house to get to me. Her way is clear now that the other two men have been moved, cuffed, and taken away in another ambulance.
“Ry… oh my God, what’s happening?” She checks the blood on the floor then wraps her arms around me.
“Got your things?” Noah asks while scanning the house.
I nod, and Rhianna pulls me out and to the car.
Noah gets in and drives while I tell them everything that happened. Noah nods but doesn’t say a single word as he comes to a stop out the front of our apartment.
“I want to go with you.”
“No. I’ll bring him back here, though. You need to go inside and wash up.” I glance down at myself and see my white blouse has blood splatters all over it.
“I can change real quick.”
“It will be easier if you aren’t there. Let me handle it.”
Rhianna gets out of the car, then comes around and opens my door. “Come on, Noah will handle it.”
I nod even though I don’t want to and get out, looking back down at Noah. “Make sure he’s okay.”
Noah nods as I shut the car door, then he drives away.
“Ry, are you okay?” Concern laces her voice, and a shiver racks my body.
“I think so. Holy shit, Rhi. Holy shit,” I say while shaking my head.
She pulls me to her for a hug, not caring at all that I have blood all over me while I cry on her shoulder.
“It’ll be okay. You’re okay.”
I nod on her shoulder, then pull back. “I need to shower. Then we need to call Noah to see what’s happening.”
She doesn’t argue with me.
She knows me.
Better than anyone on his planet.
When I get to the shower and strip the clothes from my body, Rhianna picks up the shirt and carries it out before she comes back in and sits on the toilet while I shower.
“Ry, do you like him?”
I pause while washing my face, not even caring that some of the wetness now on my face is my own tears.
“Yes,” I answer quite simply because I know what she’s asking. Not if I like him as a friend, but do I want more.
“Does he like you?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that.”
She pulls back the shower door. “It’s a yes or no. Does he like you?”
“I think so.” I shrug. “I mean… as far as I am aware, apart from Paige, I’m his only friend.”
“But it’s not friends you want to be, right? You want more?”
“Yes, I want more.” I don’t bother lying because she’ll know I am. Rhianna nods and sits again, leaving the shower door open. It doesn’t bother me. Our bodies are exactly the same, there isn’t much difference between us apart from our personalities.
Her phone starts ringing, and I hold my breath as she answers and puts it on speaker.
“Hey.”
“They fixed him up, but he’s refusing to stay the night, and the officers said he can’t go back to his place.”
“Bring him here.” I hear myself saying before I even have time to think.
“Rhianna?” Noah asks her.
I look at her.
“Yes, bring him back here,” she confirms.
“Okay, we’ll be there soon.” He hangs up, and Rhianna focuses back on me.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No, but he has nowhere else to go,” I say, closing the door and stepping back under the shower spray. I let the warm water wash away every emotion, and then I let it swirl down the drain. They say water has a calming effect, and in some countries, it’s even used to cleanse your soul.
Shaking out of my stupor, I shut off the faucet and step out.
Rhianna is still there waiting, but she’s holding out a towel for me.
“Do you want coffee?” I shake my head as she stands. “Anything?” Again, I shake my head. My words seem to be lost right now. “Okay, get dressed. They won’t be long.” She spins around and strolls out, and I head to my room, shutting the door behind me. I lie on the bed, face-first, still wrapped in my towel.
What just happened?
What just happened?
I’ve never even seen a gun before. Yet, I just saw someone get shot.
I’ve never even been in a fight. Yet, I just saw someone beat someone else until they lost consciousness.
It should make me afraid of August.
I should be scared.
But I know what the devil really looks like, and usually, he’s dressed to impress and ready to kill. It’s those types of men who hurt women.
Not him.
Not August.
Not once have I felt unsafe around him or that he could cause me harm in any way. Not even when he was dealing with the intruders.
I felt safe.
I feel safe.
He protects me, and I know no one would be able to harm me if he was there.
Closing my eyes, I squeeze them tight, hoping to rid myself of the images of August’s actions.
There’s hurt.
Pain.
I’m immobile.
And soon, I just pass out.
Chapter 20
August
“Hey, August,” Rhianna says, opening the door.
Noah nods for me to head inside first, and I pass Rhianna as I step in. My eyes scan the apartment and don’t see Rylee.
“She’s in her room if you want to go in.”
I know which room is hers, so I head there, tapping on the door. When she doesn’t answer, I open it a fraction and see her wrapped in nothing but a towel, asleep on the bed, curled in a ball.
I hear Noah talking to Rhianna, explaining that I have to go back tomorrow with Rylee for another round of questioning.
All I can do is stand there and watch Rylee sleeping. I don’t dare enter the room, unwilling to wake her.
“You can go in,” Rhianna says softly to me.
I move to step back and close the door when Rylee’s eyes open. Those eyes trap me, snare me with their intensity, and without even thinking, I step into the room and shut the door behind me.
“Are you sore?” she asks, sitting up on the bed, the towel almost falling off. She taps the empty spot on the bed next to her. “I’m really tired, August. Really tired,” she says, and I can hear the pain in
her voice.
Did I cause that pain?
I glance at the clock. It’s almost three in the morning. The adrenaline that would’ve been running through her system must be gone by now. I kick my shoes off and climb into bed, so my injured side is to the edge, then I pull her up so her head lies on my shoulder.
“Go to sleep.”
She curls herself around me, and within seconds she’s fast asleep, smelling like strawberries and all things Rylee.
I lie there listening to her soft snores, wondering what the fuck I’m going to do about this situation.
Josh won’t stop.
I know he won’t.
He was the one who sent those thugs. I recognized them as his men as soon as they entered the house.
I attempt to pull my arm out from under her, but she pushes herself closer into my side. So, I stay that way, falling in and out of asleep until I finally close my eyes and pass out listening to her breathing.
She’s awake before me. When I finally open my eyes, I find her sitting on the end of the bed. The towel she had on still covers her body as she sits there quietly with her head down.
“Rich girl.” She spins around to face me, her eyes red and her face bare of any makeup.
She’s simply beautiful.
“Are you in pain?” she asks, her eyes going straight to my shoulder.
“No,” I answer, sitting up.
She stands, heads to her closet, and reaches for a dress, dropping the towel and changing in front of me. “We have to go to the police station.”
“You don’t have to.”
She turns, now dressed, and shakes her head. “I do. Now come… Noah’s waiting for us.”
I catch her wrist as she walks past me on her way to the door, and a tear leaves her eye when she turns back to me. “I told you to stay away from me. I’m nothing but trouble.”
“You aren’t. Stop saying that. Stop doing that. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s those who you used to associate with.” She pulls her arm free, opens the door, and steps out.
I take a minute, putting my shoes on before I join her. When I do, Noah and Rylee’s sister are standing at the kitchen counter talking while Rylee makes a coffee. After she’s done, she hands it to me then goes back to make a cup for herself.
