Striker: A Dark Bully Romance (Redwood Rebels Book 1)

by Rachel Leigh

  “What? No?” I shake my head, “I’m not being an accomplice to this. I already burned his phone.” Zed clenches his fists at his side and the possibility that he could lay those fists on me at any given moment has my stomach turning. My eyes hold tightly to them at his side. “Please, just let me sit this one out.”

  His eyes narrow and in one fell swoop, his hands are gripping the side of my face. “You will do what I tell you to do or my joke earlier about tossing you over this ledge will become a reality.” He pushes my head away as he drops his hands. “Got it?”

  Zed scares me. He really fucking scares me. There is nothing I wouldn’t put past him at this point and he is one of the reasons that I’m still standing here. If it were just Talon, Tommy, and Lars, I’d probably knot all three of their dicks together and run like hell. I’d fight back. But I take Zed’s threats seriously. His heart isn’t just black; it’s non-existent.

  Swallowing hard, I nod. “I hear you, but why am I pushing? Why can’t they help you?” I look at Talon and Tommy. I am not putting my fingerprints on this car. Nope. Not happening.

  “Because you’re part of this now and because I told you to,” he looks to Talon, “She really is a pain in the ass.”

  Talon nods in agreement as he stands there puffing on a cigarette.

  “And do you plan on recording this little stint, too?” I ask, for obvious reasons.

  “We’ve insured your silence after everything else. This one’s just for us. Just a little something extra to stomp on your soul when you need a reminder of your part in this.”

  My part in this. It seems that whether I like or not, I am part of this, and we are all in this together. “I want gloves, too, then. I’m not touching this car.”

  Zed’s eyes shoot to Talon who nods. He then directs his attention to Tommy who’s shaking a can of spray paint. “Tommy, gimme your gloves.”

  “Take his gloves,” he points to Talon, “he’s not doing anything.”

  Zed’s body straightens, his shoulders drawn and his back stiff. He shouts, “Someone give her some fucking gloves!”

  Sticking the cigarette between his teeth, Talon bites down on the butt and reaches into his pockets. He pulls out a pair of the same gloves that Zed is wearing, then tosses them right in front of him, which is at least three feet away from me. I watch as they hit the ground. “Really? This shit again?” I huff as I walk over and pick them up. “You're lucky I have clothes on this time.”

  Zed’s eyes drill into Talon. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Not a damn thing. Do this shit.” Talon is quickly at my side; he grabs the gloves from my hands and begins putting them on me like I’m a child. One finger at a time while he stares me down with unsaid words. He doesn’t want Zed to know that he made me change in front of him. But why? Zed hates my guts. He’d probably encourage Talon to shred my comfort zone to pieces. “Tommy, get your ass over here and help them.”

  “They’ve got it covered,” Tommy says, as he continues to shake a can of paint and begins spraying leaves—weirdo.

  “Now!” Talon demands.

  Once the gloves are on, I walk over to Zed’s side. Lars has one foot in the car and one on the ground, as he stands there waiting to take his foot off the brake. Dozens of questions are shooting through my mind, but I don’t bother asking them—not yet.

  Closing my eyes, I press my hands to the back of the trunk. “Ok, let’s just get this over with,” I say, as my eyes open. Lars shifts the car into neutral and then jogs behind the car where Zed, Tommy, and I are and we all press against the back. My hands, entrapped in black leather, push as my feet dig into the dirt beneath me. To my surprise, the car rolls effortlessly. I can feel the weight of the car drop forward as the front tires go over. I follow the car as it moves right to the edge. Step by step, until it drops.

  Strong arms wrap around me and pull me back. Only it’s not Talon, it’s Zed this time. Standing there, held securely, we all watch as the car disappears. Three seconds later, there’s a swoosh, and I swear I feel it ripple through my body like an earthquake.

  Zed squeezes me tightly. “Yeah, baby.” He laughs. Something I wasn’t sure he was capable of. I can feel my hair part as he draws in a deep breath. One hand smooths over my breast and his thumb begins making circles around my nipple. Apprehension sweeps through me, but before I can react, he releases his hold on me. Scanning my shoes, I realize why Zed said I should have worn different ones. My white Air Force Ones are covered in sandy black dirt.

  When I look over at Talon, he doesn't hold the same enthusiasm. Instead, his jaw is locked and his eyes are zeroed in on me like I did something wrong. I’d swear my heart has stopped beating just to prepare itself for my death, because if his looks could kill, I’d already be dead. My shoulders shoot up and I raise a brow. “Did I do something wrong?” I pull the gloves off and tuck them into my back pockets.

  In two seconds flat, he’s at my side, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me away. I look back at the guys who are just standing there, watching him take me back down the trail we came up. I attempt to jerk my arm away once they fade into the distance. “What the hell?”

  “Yeah. What the hell is right!” He snaps at me like I did something wrong. “You just let him touch you like that.” It comes out as more of a statement than a question.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I give my arm a swift jerk once more, and this time, it frees. Zed was excited. For the first time ever, I did something good in his eyes, and for some unknown reason, even if it was criminal, I felt proud to be acknowledged by him. “Why are you so mad right now?”

  The next thing I know, Talon’s hands wrap around my waist as he pushes me up against a boulder. My head hits the rock and my legs instinctively wrap around him. My mind enters a state of fog from the blow to the back of my head. I’m sure it was unintentional, but Talon is forceful, nonetheless. With my entire body stiff, one of the ridges digs deep into my back as he holds me in place. Something awakens inside of me and I’m not sure if it's a desire to grind myself into him as he’s pressed between my legs or the urge to spit in his face.

  “Quit playing dumb with me. And when someone touches you and you don’t want them to, you make them stop. You got it? You fight back. If Zed lays a finger on you, you tell me or you handle it. Do you understand me?” All I can do is nod. Releasing his grip, he lets go, but raises his voice. “You’re lying to me.”

  My own hands grip the side of my head, feeling the throbbing as I blink my eyes a few times. I choke out, “I’m not lying. I got it. Ok?” Sliding down the rock, it scrapes against my skin through the fabric of my t-shirt. I keep going until my ass hits the ground. It’s apparent now that my hormones are confused because all I want to do at this moment is slam his head into the rock.

  “You’re still lying to me,” he raises his voice, “because if you heard a goddamn word I said then you would have just fought me off. Get your ass up and toughen up, or you’ll never survive this.”

  Just as I get to my feet, the guys round the corner. “What the hell is going on over here?” Zed quips.

  Talon brushes off my shoulder with a smirk. “Just making sure our girl here is on the same page as us.”

  Balling my fists at my side, it’s taking everything inside of me not to punch this fucker square in the face. I’ve fought men over less. “Same page?” I laugh. “We’re not even in the same fucking book.” I walk past him, my shoulder nudging hard against his as I head back down the trail to the parked vehicles.

  My heart rises into my throat when I think about this mess I’ve gotten myself into. Now that I’ve helped them dispose of Josh’s car, I’m more than an accomplice. I’m guilty, too.

  If they fall, I’m falling with them.

  The ride back to the house was quiet. In fact, the entire day was quiet. As soon as we got back, I brought my things inside to the spare bedroom and took a quick shower in the adjoining bathroom. I didn’t bother to unpac
k because I don’t plan on staying long. Unzipping the small pocket of my black backpack, I stick the gloves inside. It’s time to start thinking ahead. If they turn on me and try to take me down, I’m taking those fuckers with me. These gloves might have my prints on them, but they also have Talon’s. The video of me throwing the phone in the trash might have my face on it, but it also came from Zed’s phone. Two down, two to go.

  Shay’s name flashes on the screen of my phone. For a moment, I decide to ignore it. She’ll likely have a dozen questions that I can’t answer. Remembering that I need her to go along with the plan I told Dad, though, I answer her call.

  “Hey, Shay.”

  “Hey, Shay? That’s all you have to say? How about, I’m sorry I’ve ignored all of your texts and blew you off on Halloween?”

  Dropping back on the bed, I stare at the ceiling and sigh. “I’m sorry I’ve ignored all of your texts and blew you off on Halloween.”

  “That’s better. Now tell me what the hell is going on and why you haven’t been at your house?”

  My entire body shoots up. “Wait. You went to my house?”

  Shit.

  “Yeah, and Ruby said that you left with the devil and haven’t been home since. Spill. Now.”

  There is so much truth to that statement that I don’t even know where to begin. “She’s right.”

  “And does this mysterious horned man have anything to do with why you left Talon Porter’s party Saturday night without saying goodbye?”

  After my altercation with the guys that night, I booked it to my car and didn’t even tell Shay or Wyatt that I was leaving. In my defense, I had no intention of sticking around. At first, I was just planning to drop them off because they were catching a ride home with some guys. Then, she practically dragged me inside.

  “You could say that.” I pause before continuing, “Listen, it’s a long story but the bottom line is, I need you to say that I’m staying with you for a bit if my dad or Axel ask.”

  “Ok…” she drags out the word, “Where are you actually staying?”

  “Would you believe me if I told you that I’m staying with Talon Porter?”

  “What?!” she huffs. “Tell me you’re joking. Why would you ever stay in that house?”

  “Like I said, it’s a long story. But they’re not so bad.” I lie.

  The sarcasm in her voice is apparent. “No, no, they’re not bad at all. They’re just four of the sexiest and most mysterious men in the school who are also dangerous and probably deadly. Do you remember what they did to Willa Mack?”

  I do remember that. Very clearly. Willa is the pastor’s step-daughter and the quietest girl in the senior class. She’s cute and all, but she has zero personality. At least she doesn’t show it if she does have one. At the end of the summer, Lars asked her on a date to Tommy’s birthday party and to say she was elated is an understatement. Needless to say, Lars had his way with her. Though, he claims she consented, and she’s never claimed otherwise. The real kicker, he recorded the entire thing and blasted everyone’s emails the following day with the video footage of her losing her v-card to him.

  “That was shitty. I’m not claiming that they are saints. I’m just saying that they aren’t as bad as everyone thinks.” Another lie.

  A knock at the door startles me. “Hey, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later, I promise.” Ending the call, I set my phone down and straighten myself up on the bed with my feet pressed to the floor.

  I don’t respond because whoever it is will likely just come in whether they are invited or not. They said it themselves; I belong to them now.

  The door opens, and Talon steps inside, shutting it behind him. “Are you hungry?”

  I shake my head no, but it’s a lie. I’m starving. I’m just not sure that I’m hungry enough to risk eating whatever he plans to serve me. Soup with a side of a date rape drug—no thanks.

  “You haven’t eaten all day. The chef is gone for the night, but I ordered pizza. Come eat.” His hair shimmers on the ends, and it’s obvious he just stepped out of the shower.

  Curling my legs up and tucking them to my chest, I rest my chin on my knee. “I said I’m not hungry.”

  “And once again, you’re lying.” His footsteps come closer, and my body tenses up, hugging my legs tighter. Kneeling in front of me, his index finger slides between my knee and my chin and he pushes up so that my eyes are level with his. “You need to eat.”

  Closing my eyes, I fight the tears that I feel coming. I’m emotionally and physically drained and it’s only day one. I open them, hoping that he will be gone, but he’s still there. Still touching my face.

  A single tear slides down and his finger trails along my cheek, sweeping it up. “Don’t cry.”

  Twisting my body away from him, I turn to face the wall. “What do you care if I cry? That’s what you want, isn’t it? To break me?”

  “Not at all. My plan isn’t to break you, but to build you up. You’re one of us now, Marni. We’re all in this together.”

  For a single moment, looking back at him, I believe his words. But that moment passes quickly when I remember everything him and his merry band of psychos have done in the past twenty-four hours: framed me for murder, forced me to push Josh’s car off a cliff, threatened me, assaulted me. “Now who’s lying?”

  The back of his hand finds my cheek and the way he moves it so gently, so effortlessly, has my body relaxing. Warmth radiates from his touch and I despise that he has this effect on me. “No lies,” he whispers quietly. His eyes skate down to my lips. I lick them instinctively then fold them between my teeth. “Tell me, Marni—what would you do if I kissed you? Would you fight me or would you let me?”

  Internally, my lips are begging to feel his press against them; they’re screaming for his touch. Shifting my whole body back around, I let my legs fall on either side of him, caging him in. I hate him so much, but my body loves him. It craves him, and right now, it’s taking control. Falling back onto my elbows, I give him a nudge with my feet until his hands are pressed on the bed at my sides.

  When I scoot up, he crawls toward me. The magnetic pull between us is too strong when his lips crash into mine. I’m not sure if it’s the emotional trauma I feel or just the need to be noticed in a way that doesn’t involve crude remarks and aggression, but whatever it is, I take it all. His tongue seduces my mouth, slithering in as I taste the vile words he’s said to me. All the lies. The secrets. The hate. All the bottled-up tension pours into my mouth and I reciprocate by giving him every bit of my disgust. Bringing one hand to the back of his head, I fist his hair and force his mouth harder into mine as his cock grinds against my thigh.

  When his fingers snake down my side, leaving a trail of goosebumps, reality hits me smack dab in the face. “Talon, we can’t,” I mutter into his mouth.

  “Sure we can.” He begins pushing my shorts down, then sits up to pull them off. Both legs slide free and when he begins tracing his finger along the line of my underwear, my hand slaps over his. “Don’t fight it. I know you want this.”

  God, I want him so badly, but at what cost? So tomorrow he can push me around some more. Make me destroy more evidence, while incriminating myself further. “No,” I shake my head, “Not until you start treating me with respect. I’m not your little toy.”

  His lips curl at the seams before he presses them hard against mine with a closed mouth. So hard that I can feel his teeth grind against mine through the skin of our lips. Pushing himself up, his black orbs stare back at mine while he takes my hand into his and presses it down between us. Sliding underneath my panties, he curls my fingers inward. “You like to touch yourself, don’t you?” His face nuzzles into the nape of my neck and his hot breath sends chills down my spine. With his fingers shadowing mine, he presses them against my entrance. “Answer me.”

  My entire body floods with humiliation and I know that no matter how I answer this question, he is only going to try and humiliate me further. He’s admitted that
he’s watched me. “It’s not like that.” I force the words out.

  “Then tell me how it is.” His hard cock grinds against my leg as he pushes my index and middle fingers inside of me. “Talon, please.”

  “Please, what? Please stop?”

  Yes. No. I don’t know.

  Will he ridicule me for not stopping him? Choke me for not sticking up for myself? I’m not sure I even want him to stop. My body and mind are at war, and when his fingers press against my knuckles, forcing my fingers to slide in and out, my body wins.

  “You like it, don’t you? You like the attention? That’s why you do it, because you like knowing that all those eyes are on you. Watching while you get yourself off.”

  My heart pounds on the inside of my chest. I want to fucking scream, but I’m silenced by the way he’s making me feel. The way I’m making myself feel.

  Straightening his back, he gets up on his knees. When he lets my hand go, I pull it back and drop it to my side. “What are you doing?” I ask, when he begins sliding my panties off.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to.” He tosses them to the side and then proceeds to lift my shirt over my head. I took my bra off as soon as I came in the room to lie down, and now I’m laying here, in this bed, stark naked with his eyes dancing over every inch of my body. “Show me how you like it.” He takes a step back and slides his pants down along with his boxers. His rock-hard cock sticks straight out and I can’t help but wonder if all of these guys are well-endowed. “I’ll do it, too.” He begins stroking his hand back and forth.

  Trembling, I slide my hand back down but quickly retreat. “No, I can’t.”

  “Don’t be shy, baby. There’s nothing wrong with making yourself feel good.”

  No, there’s not. But not like this.

  Walking back over to the bed, he grabs my hand and pushes my fingers back toward my entrance. My hormones take control when he begins stroking his cock again as he stands over me. Tingles course through me and every pulse point throbs as temptation stares back at me.