The Eastwood Series

by M. E. Clayton

  “She was drugged?” I asked, still not wanting to believe it.

  Duke looked livid. “Yeah, she was. In her quest to drink herself stupid every weekend because you’re a fucking asshole, she was too drunk to notice or to even pinpoint when it could have happened. Someone hands her a drink and she drinks it.”

  I reared back. “What the fuck do you mean she’s drinking because of me?”

  “Raiden, you’re one of my best friends, but you’re a fucking dick,” he lashed out. “Samson told you to stay the fuck away from her if you weren’t serious about her, and what do you do? You start this fucked-up game of hot and cold, and after the girl’s taken by a fucking psycho, you drop her completely.”

  “Duke-”

  “And if that’s not enough,” he continued as if I hadn’t tried to speak, “you go and fuck with Darla Nichols right in front of her.” Duke shook his head. “Right now, I’m on her side, Raiden. So, just do everyone a fucking favor and leave the girl alone.”

  My mind was still reeling from the news that Charlie’d been drugged. I understood Duke’s rage because if I let my mind rest on all the things that could have happened to her, I’d probably burn the school to the ground.

  “I can’t,” I told him truthfully. “And I didn’t fuck with Darla Nichols. She kissed me.”

  Duke shook his head again. “I love you like a brother, Raiden, but you are not good for her. This game you’ve been playing with her has turned her into someone she’s not. You know it, and I know it.”

  “It’s not a game,” I insisted over his ring of truth.

  “Yeah, man, it is. And Charlie’s losing,” he replied. “Leave the fucking girl alone.” With that last parting shot, Duke walked off and left me to sit in more regret.

  My mind quickly ran to graduation and if I’d have to choose between my future and hers, but I shut that shit down.

  It was time to get the girl.

  Chapter 3

  Charlie~

  I had told the girls they didn’t need to stop by after school, but they hadn’t listened. After Duke and I had gone to the counselor’s office to tell her what happened this weekend, she asked me if I’d like to go home for the rest of the day. She had called me out on my body language as I told her what had happened, and she felt like I hadn’t fully processed what had happened to me and that perhaps it’d be best if I took an extra day. When Duke was in favor of the suggestion, I had agreed, he had walked me to my car, and I’ve been home all day.

  I had fired off a text to my parents, letting them know I was sent home because I hadn’t been feeling well, and I knew I’d have to tell them the truth tonight. I just hoped they wouldn’t go ballistic. I could see my dad wanting to lock me up forever, but I wasn’t sure about my mom. I was a Thanksgiving baby and my birthday was in two days when I’ll turn eighteen, but I couldn’t see that mattering to Dad. I could be sixty, and he’d still be protecting me. My parents were awesome like that.

  When Mackenzie and Aunt Julie had needed help this summer, Silas and Erin Harden had opened our home and hearts to them. Mack was my cousin through our fathers, and even though my Uncle Declan was a loser, Dad had never let that stand between our relationship with Aunt Julie and Mack. They had lived with us up until a few weeks ago when they had finally got their own apartment. I was happy for them, but I missed having Mack around all the time.

  Then there was all that mess at the beginning of the year with Mackenzie’s ex-boyfriend, Brayden Mahoney. When I had been abducted, it had taken days to convince my father to give me room to breathe. Like all our parents, Dad and Mom had been livid that such a thing could have happened but taking responsibility for my reckless decisions had gone a long way into convincing them to back off a bit.

  The facts were the facts, and had I not been mad at Raiden for his high-handedness, Brayden taking me never would have happened. I hadn’t taken the situation seriously enough and that was all on me. And now, I’d found myself in another reckless situation that I was going to have to take responsibility for, and I wasn’t sure if my parents would be understanding this time around.

  And all because of a stupid boy.

  I never wanted to be attracted to Raiden Cruz, but I couldn’t help that I was. When he had first started playing with me, I’d had every faith that I was strong enough to fight it; after all, I wasn’t a football groupie. Nor was I the type of girl who stumbled over a pretty face. Sure, Raiden Cruz was sexy as hell, but then, so were Samson, Ford, and Duke. Hell, even Alistair was hot as hell, but I’d only ever looked at him as one of my closest friends. The boys I’ve dated before were all cute, but they’d had awesome personalities to go along with their good looks. Samson, Ford, Duke, and Raiden had all had reputations from hell, and I hadn’t found that appealing at all.

  But it turned out I hadn’t been as strong as I had given myself credit for. I had fallen for Raiden when he had nearly killed Brayden because of me. But then he had shut down. With the exception of a couple of displays of idiocy, Raiden’s pretty much left me alone. I guess I wasn’t worth the chase after all.

  But then, Raiden Cruz didn’t need to chase girls.

  “I still can’t believe someone drugged you,” Mackenzie said. We were in my bedroom, and she was on my bed up against the headboard, while Amelia was laying across it. I was sitting in the corner at my desk.

  “It’s a scary thought,” Amelia added. “And to think it could have been anyone.”

  “Henry’s older brother and some of his friends had been there,” I told them. “It could have easily been one of them. I honestly don’t know.”

  “The guys were pretty upset when Duke told them what happened,” Amelia grimaced. “And, might I add, Duke Maddox is something else when he’s riled up.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “You’re telling me.”

  Amelia smiled. “You expect it out of the others, but Duke not so much.”

  Mackenzie snorted. “Please,” she drawled out. “You didn’t see that boy take on two Ridgeview football players the day we went for Charlie. I’m not sure if Samson taught him to fight like that or the experience is from all the baseball brawls with Ridgeview over the years, but Duke Maddox can fight.”

  Amelia cleared her throat. “Uh, speaking of fighting…”

  I shot her a look. “Don’t Amelia,” I said. “I don’t want to talk about Raiden. Right now, I don’t even want to know he exists, much less talk about him.”

  “Charlie, what is going on with you two?” Mackenzie asked, sounding worried and torn. “I’ve been doing my best to mind my own business and stay out of it, but…it’s getting harder and harder to ignore these days. Especially if it’s led up to what happened Friday.”

  “Yeah, Charlie,” Amelia agreed. “Not pointing fingers, but that’s twice you’ve put yourself in harm’s way because of Raiden. Something’s gotta give, chick.”

  I decided to be honest with them. Mackenzie had put herself out there when she had confessed the painful relationship she had with Brayden. My honesty was no less than what she deserved. “When I look at him, I feel like the biggest fool on the planet,” I confessed, the weight on my shoulders lifting with each word.

  Amelia’s brow rose, causing her perfect corkscrew curls to bounce. “Why?”

  “Because I fell for it, Amelia,” I breathed out. “I fell for his…bullshit.”

  “Charlie, I don’t think it’s bullshit,” Mackenzie chimed in.

  I turned to my cousin and her pretty purple eyes told me she believed what she was saying. “Mack, he came after me with all the finesse of a military tank, then the Monday after all that shit went down, he goes back to ignoring me. But then, he flips out the night of the game when he saw me dancing with J.C. like he had the right. Oh, after Sandy Maciel threw herself in his arms and he did nothing to dislodge her. And then, there’s Halloween night and how he hooked up with Darla Nichols.” I let out a sad, pathetic laugh. “It was nothing but a game to him, and the second shit got serious, he bow
ed out and went back to what he does best; fucking his way through Eastwood’s female population.” Both girls looked upset, but they knew I was speaking the truth.

  “Charlie, he almost beat Brayden Mahoney to death for what he did to you,” Amelia pointed out. “That doesn’t sound like a game to me.”

  “She’s right,” Mackenzie added.

  “Maybe,” I conceded. “But something happened between that day and the following Monday at school. His attentions just stopped. I still don’t know why he flipped out over J.C. but I’m tired of his shit and his games.” I looked between them both. “I’m tired of feeling torn up over him, and how sad is that? We weren’t even a couple and I feel like my fucking heart’s been broken.”

  “Maybe you should talk to him,” Mackenzie suggested. “Ask him, pointblank, what his problem is.”

  Amelia sat up on the bed. “You might not like the answer you get, but at least you’ll get an answer and can move on,” she added.

  “And look like a lovesick rejected clinger? No thanks.”

  “Then what do you plan to do?”

  I knew the exact answer to Amelia’s question. “I’m going to go back to what I was doing before Mack started dating Samson.” I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m going to go back to having other friends and hanging out with my soccer team and dating boys.”

  “Oh, Charlie…” Mackenzie whispered.

  “Mack, you don’t need me to babysit you anymore,” I told her. “You’ve got Samson. And, even as close as I am with Amelia and Alistair, they weren’t the only people I hung out with. I have other friends. I just…you’re my cousin and I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to choose between hanging out with me or Samson.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about that,” she admitted.

  “Well, take Alistair for instance,” I said. “He’s Amelia’s best friend, but he’s not attached to the group because of it. He hangs out with Amelia when he has the chance, but he runs around with other people when he’s got better things to do than sit with Amelia and Ford.” I shrugged. “I don’t see why it can’t be the same for me. Even Duke goes and spends time with his baseball friends.”

  “I hate that you have a point,” Amelia grumbled.

  “Why?”

  She jerked her head. “I was kind of hoping you and Raiden would get together.”

  “I need Raiden Cruz in my life like I need a hole in the head,” I replied drolly. “Besides, the more I think of about it, the more I realize I don’t have the self-esteem to deal with the Sandy Maciels and Darla Nichols of the world.”

  “Do you really think Raiden’s going to just let this thing between you go?” Mackenzie asked.

  “He already has,” I informed her. “Only, now, so am I.”

  Mackenzie shook her head. “I don’t see this ending well,” she muttered.

  I looked at my cousin and realized I really didn’t care if it did or not.

  Chapter 4

  Raiden~

  I didn’t think things could get worse, but they had. Yesterday, after Duke filled us all in on the details of Henry Wallace’s party, he’d also told us that the school counselor had suggested Charlie go home, so she could take some time to process her ordeal. With Duke’s encouragement, she’d gone home, so I hadn’t been able to talk to her about what happened. And because everyone refused to give me her number, I was stuck wondering and worrying about her all day. And football practice had been especially brutal because I had taken my frustrations out on everyone. When that ball had landed in my arms, I ran the fuck over everyone and every unfortunate asshole who had been assigned to try to stop me.

  When I had gone home, my parents had even noticed my mood. So much so, that my dad had pulled me aside and asked what was wrong. He claimed my mother was worried about me, but I could tell he was worried, too.

  I was fortunate enough to come from good parents, but then, we all were. Ford’s mom and stepdad were great people, and Ford’s biological dad being a sporadic fixture in his life hadn’t mattered much. Now, Samson and Duke’s parents were a different bunch. They were good people, but they were neglectful. Samson practically raised Duke himself, but he loved Duke fiercely. And the shit thing was you couldn’t really even hate on Samson’s parents for being absent because the reason was too bizarre to wrap your mind around. Samson Sr. just loved his wife so much, she got all his attentions. They were a couple scary in love.

  My parents, Martin and Kathy Cruz, were dedicated parents, but then, I was their only child, so it was easy to shower me with love and attention. That being said, they weren’t smotherers. They gave me space, but my life, my future, and my happiness were important to them. And that meant they paid attention. So, me coming home in a fucked-up mood had not gone unnoticed.

  After I had assured my father that everything was fine, he had basically called me a liar to my face when he told me to fix shit what that ‘sweet girl’ already and quit being a dick. I had to laugh at how he didn’t even know what was going on between me and Charlie, but it was still automatically my fault.

  But he hadn’t been wrong.

  This shitstorm was all my fault because I’ve never liked a girl before and I hadn’t known how to handle it. Then she was hurt, and I hadn’t known how to handle that either. I couldn’t blame Charlie for being confused or pissed because she had every right. I was cocking this whole thing up and I wasn’t sure how to fix it. However, I did know there’d be no fixing it if I didn’t talk to her.

  But that plan had gone to shit this morning when, instead of meeting and greeting us by our cars like we all always did, she had looked over, waved to the group, and just kept right on walking. Mackenzie and Amelia had immediately looked guilty, but they covered it by pretending they needed to hurry up and get to class. Well, now it was lunchtime, so there was no excuse they could use to rush off to.

  “Where’s Charlie?” I asked when it was clear she wasn’t showing up at our table.

  Mackenzie wouldn’t meet my eyes as she answered, “Uh, I saw her talking with Amy Sears earlier. She, uh, might be with her.”

  Amy Sears was on her soccer team, so it wasn’t odd if Charlie was with her, but I still didn’t like it. I’d been about to say something when, glancing around, I saw Charlie walking with Amy Sears and Rebecca Darcy towards one of the lunch tables on the other side of the outdoor eatery. They all sat down together, joining another couple of girls, and I tried to swallow down the bile at watching Charlie sitting down, eating, and talking with two girls I’ve fucked at that table. Rebecca Darcy and Cindy Michaels were on the list of girls who hadn’t mattered before but probably did now because Charlie wouldn’t see it that way. When I caught Ford’s eye, I knew he was thinking the same thing.

  “I’ll catch you guys later,” I said before hopping off the bench and heading over to talk to Charlie. I approached the table, and every girl sitting down wouldn’t have made my radar, whether I’ve slept with them or not, but with Charlie in their midst, I was hyper aware of each one.

  “I need to talk to you,” I clipped out, ignoring everyone but Charlie.

  She looked up at me, incredulousness etched all over her prefect face. “I’m eating lunch,” she bit out, like I was a moron.

  “Do I look like I give a fuck?” But before she could answer, my worst nightmare had come true.

  “Hey, Raiden,” Rebecca cooed. “Looking good.”

  “Yeah, Raiden,” Cindy chimed in. “We haven’t seen you around lately.”

  “Yeah, you’ve been missing in action,” Rebecca added.

  My molars were grinding together, and I had to remind myself that my fucked-up situation with Charlie was none of their fault. They were just being themselves, and I wasn’t going to be a dick when all of this was on me.

  So, I ignored them and focused on Charlie. “We need to talk,” I repeated.

  Charlie shook her head and looked back down at her lunch. “I’m eating, Raiden,” she repeated, and then threw her arm out in the di
rection of the other girls. “Talk to them.”

  I planted my hands on the table, knowing I was in the wrong, but not caring. “We need to talk, Charlie,” I said again. “And if you don’t want me dragging you out of here for everyone to record, I suggest you get the fuck up now and come with me.” The table gasped, but Charlie?

  The fucking girl did not disappoint.

  She jumped up and snarled like a vicious, poisonous viper. “And I suggest you go choke on a dick, Raiden,” she spat. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you don’t get to tell me what to do. Why don’t you just leave me the hell alone?”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. And I don’t plan on ever leaving you alone,” I announced before grabbing her and throwing her over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold. Charlie was only five-foot-three, or so, so she was no match for my six-foot-two. However, that didn’t stop her from pounding her fist into my back the entire way to the back of the Ag building. Her mouth also worked perfectly as she called me everything in the fucking book and then some. When I placed her on her feet, she was fuming.

  And. I. Do. Mean. Fuming.

  “What the fuck is your problem?!” she screamed.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I told you we needed to talk,” I reminded her.

  Her chocolate orbs were alive with fury. “About that?!” she continued to yell. “What could we possibly have to talk about, Raiden?!”

  “For starters, Henry Wallace’s party,” I replied.

  Charlie’s lip curled and she looked evil. “What happened at Henry Wallace’s party that’s any of your business, Raiden? Did Sandy Maciel dance with someone else? Did Darla Nichols kiss someone else? Or, perhaps, Rebecca or Cindy were there riding someone else’s dick?”