by Adele Huxley
“Good, good. Mind letting me through?” he said trying to push me to the side with one hand. I forced myself further in front, hating that I had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. Noah stood to the side with the smarmiest smile on his face, looking back and forth like it was a tennis match.
“Ah, see, I don’t think Liz wants you in there, so…” I tried to sound non-plussed, keep the confrontation low key.
“I don’t think you’re in any position to tell me what Beth wants.” His eyes darkened and he ran his tongue along the edge of his front teeth.
“Well, given that this is Liz’s house and you’re not really a welcome guest here—”
“Actually,” Noah interrupted, “I own this house and as far as I’m concerned, if these two are uncomfortable with you being here, I’ll put you up in a room myself.” He clapped Rick on the back. “Plus, you brought the sickest shit to the party, so you are in my good book anyway. Fuck, man, I’m so happy I called you! You’re definitely hired.” Rick shot him a squinted look.
He’d backed me against the door, so when Liz whipped it open, I nearly tumbled into the bedroom. She pulled her jacket shut with one hand, latching onto my arm with the other. She stared Rick down before turning to me. I could see the fake confidence pinned to her face.
“Can you help me with her? I think I need to get out here for a bit.” I glanced inside and saw Kayla splayed out on the bed, looking totally out of it.
“Anything you want,” I nodded to her. “Can you get her up?”
“Yeah, probably. She weighs nothing.”
I stood with my back to the room, blocking the doorway. Rick and Noah were laughing to each other. “It’s funny, must be the thin mountain air or something. She could take a lot more back home,” Rick said with a chuckle.
“Oh, she can still take plenty,” Noah replied grabbing his crotch. Rick glanced at him, not entirely approving of the comment. Noah wilted a little under his gaze. They had a definite bad guy, sidekick thing going on.
I heard the girls having a small argument behind me and I mentally urged them on. Both these guys seemed a bit unstable and I didn’t trust my temper around them. Noah wasn’t going to be an issue but Rick looked like he could handle himself. Liz tapped me on the shoulder and gestured for me to take Kayla’s other side. She felt like a rag doll and was babbling quietly to herself.
For a moment, it seemed like he wasn’t going to let us pass. He got in my face, doing his best to intimidate me, but at this point I was ready to stand up to anyone to keep these girls safe. He was so close I could smell the beer on his breath, but he let us through.
My heart thumped like crazy as we weaved back out the front door and down the slippery steps. Liz started to panic when she realized how many cars were parked behind their Jeep. The stress of the situation was obviously becoming too much for her.
“Shitty shit, I can’t believe any of this. Why are there so many people?”
I kept my voice low and calm. “I got here late and parked down way below. I doubt anyone is behind me, if you want me to go grab it and come back up?”
She grabbed the arm that I had wrapped around Kayla, panic filling her eyes. “No, it’s fine. We’ll come with you.” She glanced over her shoulder when we reached the bottom step and sure as shit, there was Rick watching us leave. It was like having a sniper’s sight on the back of my head. I was thankful I’d parked far enough away he wouldn’t be able to see the make or color.
We trudged down the hill, slipping a little on the ice and reached my truck. I helped lift Kayla inside the cab, putting her between us. Her head rolled onto her shoulder, a soft snore escaping her lips. As I let the engine warm up, I glanced over at Liz. She had her hands pressed together at her mouth and was breathing into them, not for heat, but as if she were staving off a panic attack. All she needed was the brown paper bag.
I leaned forward and put a hand on her knee, making her jump. She looked at me, eyes wide in the glowing green interior lights. As much as I wanted an explanation for everything, I knew now wasn’t the time. “Do you want to just drive around for a bit or maybe grab something to eat? It isn’t too late, the diner might—”
“Can we go to your place?”
My stomach flipped at the thought of bringing a girl home, even if she had a passed out friend attached and was running from No Neck back there. “Yeah, absolutely.” I yanked the car into gear and headed back into town. My mind was a jumble. Adrenaline still pumping from the confrontation, my arousal piqued from Liz sitting in my lap, I chuckled to myself. It earned a sideways glance from Liz, who seemed to be calming down the further we drove from the cabin.
“Sorry, it’s really nothing,” I said, meeting her eyes briefly before returning to the road. “It occurred to me that I came here to get a little peace and quiet. I didn’t expect anything like this to happen in boring old Tellure Hollow.”
“No shit.” Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. I felt instantly guilty that I’d even laughed, especially before I knew the real story behind this guy. The rest of the short trip was silent.
It was almost embarrassing pulling up in front of my tiny little ranch house after coming from the massive cabin. If she thought anything, she didn’t show it. We helped Kayla inside and put her on the sofa, covering her with a blanket.
“How long is she gonna be out like that?” I asked.
Liz was rifling through the cupboards in my kitchen, throwing a look over her shoulder. “Depends on how much she took, but she should be out for the rest of the night. She’s probably gonna wake up with a hell of a headache though.” She slammed the cupboard shut and muttered, “Serves her right.”
“Can I help you find something?” I offered with a smile, stepping into the kitchen.
She spun and glowered at me before checking herself. Taking a deep breath, I watched her slowly exhale before she spoke again. “I’m looking for something that’ll make my heart stop running a thousand beats a minute. Whiskey or vodka, preferably.”
I crossed the living room in a few steps, reached into the freezer, and pulled out a bottle of vodka. Liz audibly sighed with relief, grabbing two tumblers from the cupboard and setting them down on the island. I poured her two shots worth but she gestured for me to keep going. I finally stopped at the half-way mark with a laugh.
“How about we start with this and see how you feel?” I said handing her the glass. She closed her eyes and took a big sip. I watched her swallow the harsh liquid, my eyes following her slender neck down. I shook my head, setting the bottle on the counter. The girl had enough on her mind without me perving on her.
“You’re not drinking?” she said eying me over the rim of the glass.
“Not with the pain meds,” I smirked. “Learned that lesson once.” I stood at the end of the island and leaned on my elbows, facing her. I didn’t want to pry, but I was dying to know what the hell was going on.
Liz took another sip of the vodka and let out a shuddering breath. Her shoulders relaxed and I watched some of the tension drain from her body. “I need to figure out how the fuck he found me. If she told him…” She shook her head again, taking another sip. “She seemed pretty happy to see him, didn’t she?” She posed the question without pulling her eyes from Kayla’s sleeping form.
“She seemed happy to see everything, to be honest. I suppose that’s what molly’s for.”
“Well, he got out and found me somehow…” She stared at the glass in her hand and after a moment, her expression dropped. She hadn’t been specific but I was pretty sure Rick hadn’t just left a day camp to come find her. The guy had convict written all over him.
She gave me a sideways glance, her eyes the darkest blue I’d ever seen. “I should probably clue you in, huh? I’m starting to hear how I sound and I’m definitely coming off as crazy.”
“Totally up to you,” I shrugged. “Crazy isn’t such a bad thing, but this is probably the weirdest first date I’ve ever been on.” I waited for a moment,
debating whether or not I should say what I was thinking. “Even so, I’m having a great time with you.” Her face softened and I was relieved when I got the reaction I was hoping for. I was afraid charm might not break through whatever shit she was dealing with. I uncorked the bottle and topped up her glass. “Just so you know, you aren’t coming off as crazy. I have no idea what that was, but you handled yourself really well.”
I set the bottle down and shifted closer. She pushed herself up on the counter, tucking her hands under her knees. I stood within reach, trying to convey comfort with my body language but I’m sure I just came off as awkward. She didn’t seem to know where to start so I finally prodded a little.
“He’s an ex?”
She snorted. “You could say that.” Liz glanced at me, as if debating how to continue. “Boss would probably be more accurate.” She slammed the flat of her palm on the counter with a smack. “I should’ve known when she told me they were dealing again.”
A lightbulb went off in my mind. “Ah, drugs?”
She rolled her eyes, taking another sip of the cold vodka. “She and Noah have been cornering the market here, apparently. And you know, I had a thought that Rick might have something to do with it, but I brushed it aside.” She seemed to be mostly talking to herself at this point. “I just ignored it. He’s in prison, how could he possibly be connected with all this? I figured Kayla probably still had a connection with someone from Ashville…”
“And that’s where you met Rick?” I guided. I needed to know who and what I was dealing with.
Her jaw clenched as I said his name. “The fucker hunted me like prey. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one he was after. I was just the first one dumb enough to fall for his shit.” She knocked back the rest of her vodka in one go. “I’ll spare you the gritty details, but let’s just say a lot of his business isn’t exactly above the table.”
“Yeah, I got that feeling looking at him.”
Liz’s laugh startled me. “Yeah? The guy runs underground MMA fights. Got the money to start a whole league from his winnings. Broken nose, cauliflower ears, and twenty knockouts to his name.” She laughed, “He’s gotten a bit pudgy in prison.” The humor dropped from her face and she squeezed my hand. “But seriously, don’t mess around with him. He’d kill without a thought.”
The last sentence hung in the air like a dark cloud of smoke. When she spoke, her voice was low, almost like she didn’t care if I heard it all. “He offered me a job waitressing in one of his strip clubs. Clothes on, nothing inappropriate. The money was good and he was actually really sweet, to start. I started to think of him as my boyfriend…” The bitterness in her voice was heartbreaking. “I didn’t want to strip, but I knew he had other things going on. When I asked, he made it seem like he was doing me a favor.”
She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder to Kayla. “She was actually the one who introduced me to Rick. Soon, he had me waitressing and had her dealing on campus. One day, when I came home early from class, I caught her counting out her money on the desk. Jealous would’ve been an understatement. It made me hungry. I was making good cash, but holy shit, ya know? She had so many bills, she probably needed one of those cash counters banks use.”
The idea of that prick manipulating these girls, and who knows how many others, made me sick to my stomach. It was almost as if Liz could see it on my face.
“Don’t get me wrong, he used us. I didn’t care because I was making more money than I’d ever had before. But, even at the rate I was going, I was never going to be able to—” Liz glanced up at me, catching herself from saying something she’d probably regret. “Well, it just wasn’t enough.”
I rested my hand on her lower thigh. “You aren’t working with Kayla and Noah. You got out of it all, right?”
She snorted. “Barely. Rick got picked up trying to sell to a middle school kid, the idiot. I was in the car with him, so I got nabbed for accessory. I didn’t have any priors and I kind of threw him under the bus, so I was let off with probation. Rick wasn’t so lucky.” She ran her fingers through her hair with a tug. “He got over five years in jail and I saw it as my chance to break away. It was just too close a call to risk the rest of my life for, you know? You can always earn money but you can’t buy your freedom. Well, unless you’re Rick, apparently.”
“What did your dad do?”
She shook her head and chewed her lip. “He never found out -- well, not yet. Thanks to the lovely court system, I ended up with the same parole officer as Rick. When this one invited me out here,” she said thumbing over her shoulder to Kayla, “I had to report with him and let him know where I was heading. I’m pretty sure that’s how he found me, assuming she wasn’t stupid enough to tell Rick that is.”
I stepped closer, resting both my hands on her knees.
“What do you think he wants? Do we need to call the cops to let them know he’s here?”
Her eyes fluttered a bit, as if she were seeing me standing in front of her for the first time. “I’m gonna call Kyle, the probation officer, in the morning and find out what’s going on. If he’s broken out or something, then he’s who should know first.” She dropped her eyes to where my hands rested. “As for what he wants? Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Would he hurt you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so…” Before I had time to question what her reaction might be, I gathered her into my arms. Despite the brave face she was putting on, she looked so fragile. She tensed in my arms out of surprise, but I felt her ease into my embrace, her hands gripping my back tightly after a moment.
“I’m sorry this all happened tonight. I was so excited about our date,” she mumbled into my shoulder. “I thought the worst thing I’d have to worry about would be Noah acting like an asshole.”
I smoothed the hair on the back of her head, pulling back to kiss her on the cheek. My lips lingered on her skin, the scent of her perfume filling my senses. “So, you were excited about the date, huh?”
It was great to see the half-smile spreading across her face. “A little, I mean, I guess.” She groaned, and rubbed her face with one hand. “How did my life get so messed up?”
“Everybody has a past,” I said. “You can’t get this far in life without a little baggage.”
“Yeah, well, mine just got piled up on my front step tonight. Special fucking delivery.” She rubbed my arms and smiled softly. “I’m actually really exhausted. Would you mind if I go to sleep?”
I shook my head and stepped back, letting her jump off the counter. “You can take my bed. No, seriously,” I insisted as she began to protest. “I’m way too wired to go to bed anytime soon. I’ll keep an eye on Kayla.” I offered my hand and led her into the bedroom.
“Why are you so sweet?” she said drowsily.
“It’s nothing, honestly.”
I tossed piles of clothes from the bed onto the chair, unearthing my photo album. My brief hesitation caught her attention. “What’s that?” she asked as she stepped closer.
How to answer that…I patted the cover, tucking it under my arm. “Just some of my own baggage.” I managed a tight smile and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Bathroom is there. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything, okay? I’ll make sure you girls are safe tonight.”
Liz flung her arms around my neck, pressing herself against me tightly. I awkwardly returned the hug with one arm, trying not to focus on the feeling of her breasts smashed against my chest. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I turned all but one light off in the living room, sliding down the far wall opposite the sofa. The only sound was the quiet ticking of the kitchen clock and Kayla’s light snore. Still clutching the photo album in my hands, I tried to make sense of the night.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” I asked for the tenth time. Kayla shooed my concerns away with a flick of her hand, navigating down the slippery drive a lot faster than I would’ve liked.
“You
know as well as I do, anything I did last night can be cured with a strong cup of coffee.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her she certainly looked worse for the wear. “Mountain man’s coffee really set me straight.”
I rolled my eyes and poked her thigh. “The guy saved your ass last night. The least you could do is use his real name. Bryan. Bryan. Say it with me.”
She shrugged, a smirk curling her lips. “Whatever. Bryan. And what exactly did he save me from? You know Rick wouldn’t hurt us.”
Regardless of whether or not Rick had showed up, a part of me was glad we hadn’t stuck around for the rest of the party. Apparently naked hot tubbing, jumping off the deck, and all the other craziness I saw had been just the beginning. judging by the state the cabin was in when Bryan dropped us off, the place looked like a war zone. Broken bottles everywhere, the nice leather sofas were either torn or covered in who knows what. It even looked like someone had tried to set a fire in the kitchen sink and one of the porta-potties he’d rented was tipped over and leaking blue sludge all down the side of the hill.
Thankfully, all my stuff had escaped unscathed and I couldn’t care less about Noah’s cabin. Besides, he’d already called in a cleaning crew to take care of it. Bryan had been such a sweetheart, really, he’d been amazing the whole night. He insisted on walking us inside the house to make sure Rick wasn’t waiting for us. It was sweet that he was genuinely concerned.
“You do, right? You know that?” Kayla’s voice broke through my thoughts. I refocused my eyes from the window back to her.
“Know what?”
“That Rick wouldn’t hurt you,” she repeated slowly. I had to bite my tongue, not only because of her snarky tone, but because she should know better.
“Well, after talking to Kyle, I don’t think Rick is out here to reconnect and get the whole gang back together,” I said tightly. I looked out the window, watching the snowy pines blur past at an alarming speed. The parole officer had actually sounded nervous when I’d called him. He refused to give me details, but simply told me to be careful. Like, what the hell, right? “I’m not really sure what he’s capable of. A lot of stuff came out during the trial and—”
