by James Tate
Eddy let out a huff. “I should have been there. No more going to the bathroom alone, okay?”
Dylan let out a huff of his own, arms crossed over his chest. He’d barely said a word since busting into the bathroom, and I knew he was mad at himself for letting me get ambushed.
“It’s not your fault,” I said, reaching out to wrap my hand around his arm. “I went on my own, and told you not to worry. In hindsight, it was fucking stupid. I should have left you outside, so I could have at least screamed.”
Not that I’d have given her the satisfaction. I’d rather take the beat down, but if there had been a group of guys waiting for me, then at least I would have had a chance with Dylan. After my almost gang rape, I really had to be smarter about my own safety.
“How much longer can this go on?” I asked softly, my head spinning at everything that had happened recently.
Beck appeared then, moving with deadly grace through the crowds. I recognized that look on his face. “You told, Beck?” I said, narrowing my eyes on Dylan.
He shot me a pair of raised eyebrows and a smirk. “Of course I fucking did. If he found out later and we didn’t mention anything, he would lose it badly. I like my face too much to continue letting him pound on it.”
I must have looked disbelieving because he shook his head. “I’m not sure you realize just how much you mean to him, Riles. He would kill or die for you in a heartbeat. There are not many people in the world on Beck’s list, but you’re one of them.”
My heart was practically bursting from my chest at this point, and I found myself running toward Beck. At that action from me, some of that feral anger in Beck’s eyes faded, and there was a moment of shock. I hadn’t run to him like this in so long, and there was no doubt some sort of symbolic bullshit going on right now. Like … we were moving forward with forgiveness and trust and blah blah.
It all boiled down to one thing: I needed Sebastian Beckett.
His arms closed around me, and some of the darkness inside faded. It was kind of ironic that the darkest guy I knew, was the source of my light. But there you had it.
“Are you okay, baby?”
I nodded against his chest, just taking a second to breathe him in. “Yeah, she just said some asshole things, tried to intimidate me, and then smacked me in the head.”
He stilled. “She hit you?”
Oh shit. That tone was his scary one. “Yeah, but I hit her back, so we’re even.”
“Not even fucking close,” he murmured before he dropped my feet so I landed back on the ground. “Come on, Riles, we’re out of here.”
“School isn’t finished,” I said, letting him lead me along the hall.
“It is for you,” he said shortly, and I turned to see Dylan and Eddy hurrying along behind us.
We took separate cars back home, and Beck drove directly into the underground parking lot.
When he pulled to a stop, he turned in his seat to face me. “I’m sorry I had to leave you today,” he said softly. “On your birthday.”
My lips twitched. “It’s not a big deal. Like I said, my parents never even made it a big deal.” I shrugged, “Besides, you said it was Delta business, right? Not like it was something you could refuse.”
He nodded. “Delta, and … something else.”
That reminded me briefly of what Katelyn had said in the bathroom, but I decided not to push. I would just trust and accept that if he needed me to know, he would tell me.
“Happy birthday, baby,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. I sank into him, only slightly awkward trying to lean across the car. “Never again will you have a birthday that is not a big deal. You deserve so much fucking better than that, Riles.”
Before I could reply, he tightened his hold and somehow yanked me out of my seat and onto his lap without completely smashing my head on the roof. I groaned, immediately pressing my aching body against his.
“Now this is the sort of special surprise I like on my birthday,” I murmured, breathless.
Beck was too tall for us to easily, or comfortably, fuck in his car, but I could tell by the look on his face, that something as insignificant as “no room to move” was not going to deter him. My panties were pushed aside, and his fingers moved inside me in the same instant. I rode them until my body burned and Beck’s lap was wet from me.
Under his pants, there was no underwear barrier, and I wiggled up so I could let his cock free, my eyes greedily devouring the thick length. Sliding down on it, we both groaned, and my head fell back as his fingers bit into my hips, moving me. I started out somewhat graceful, but by the end I was just smashing myself against him, needing more. Needing it to be harder than ever. There was probably going to be a Riley sized dent in the roof from my head, but we were both too far gone to care about that.
“Beck, fuck,” I groaned. “Fuck me harder.”
The look on his face, it was almost my undoing, as an orgasm screamed toward me. He shifted down farther in the seat, which moved our positions and allowed him to hold me up slightly, so that he was now the one slamming up into me. I was immobile, unable to do anything but hold on to him with one hand and the roof with the other.
I all but screamed out as my orgasm hit hard, and Beck pulled my lips to his, taking every cry into his mouth. He groaned as his body jerked inside of me, over and over, both of us riding that orgasm out for many long minutes.
“Happy fucking birthday to me,” I gasped, trying to get my heart rate and pulse back under control. If Beck kept fucking me like that, he was definitely going to give me a heart attack one day.
Beck laughed softly, his hands gently tracing across my back as I collapsed against him. “This isn’t your present, Riley Jameson. This is just the prelude.”
I snorted. “Give me five minutes before the main act, because I’m not sure I’ll survive it.”
That had him laughing again, and I felt stupidly proud that I could make Beck laugh.
When we were both recovered, I lifted myself off him, and managed to open the door and scramble out. Getting out of the car like that was almost more awkward than fucking in the car. As I fixed my panties and skirt, I lifted my head, and across in my parking space, a familiar shiny door panel caught my eye.
My gasp was long and loud. “What?” I took a step closer, unsure if I was seeing things correctly.
Beck’s heat pressed into my back. “That’s the second reason I had to bail early this morning. Happy birthday, Butterfly,” he said.
I pressed my hand to my mouth, mostly to stop a sob from escaping. Crying over a car was probably the stupidest thing ever, but … he’d brought my butterfly back.
Stumbling closer, I ran my hands along every perfect, undented panel. My sticker still in the back window, and the blue paint gleamed like it had when she was brand new.
“You kept her,” I said, turning watery eyes on Beck. “Why did you do that? You hated me then?”
His hand crept into the back of my hair, tangling in the strands as he pulled me into his side. An engine broke through the silence, and he briefly checked it was only Dylan—they must have taken their time because Beck had this surprise planned—before turning his full attention back to me.
“I never hated you, Riley. I feared what another female Delta heir meant. I feared what I felt. I knew you were going to have the power to fucking destroy me, and I did everything to stop you before you started.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I’m like a wrecking ball. You ain’t gonna get rid of me until I destroy everything first.”
Beck shook his head as Dylan and Eddy got out of the car. “Turns out you’re the opposite of destructive; you’re the light in the fucking darkness.”
I jerked my head toward him, surprised he’d used a similar analogy to me. I’d thought the same thing about Beck only an hour earlier.
He kissed me again, softly this time, and I whimpered as I pressed up to him. The result of our last fuck was still running down my thighs, and I couldn’t help but wa
nt him again. I was addicted and not ashamed to admit it.
28
At Eddy’s shriek, I pulled away from Beck. “Your car,” she yelled, dashing forward, an expert at running in heels. She smirked at Beck. “Look at you being all sentimental. Definitely not like you, Sebastian Beckett.”
I pressed my hand into his firm chest, knowing that there was a ton more going on under his hard-ass outer persona. Eddy had clearly never been in the inner circle before, so she didn’t know. But I did.
Eddy admired the butterfly for a moment before spinning around to hug me. “Happy birthday, bestie. My present is upstairs. I didn’t want to drag it to school today.”
I sniffed. “I’ve never had this much attention on a birthday before. Even Dante forgets it most years.”
“Dante is a fucking idiot,” Beck growled. “He’s got more than one thing to atone for.”
I blinked at him. “What does that mean? You keep hinting at these things with Dante, but you never come right out and say anything.”
Beck shook his head, but I didn’t let him get away with it this time. “Tell me, Sebastian. What do you know?”
He cupped my face. “I won’t lie to you, Riles. But I also don’t have the evidence yet to prove my suspicions.”
I shook my head. “Dante can’t be involved in Delta business, right? I mean … how?”
Beck’s lips were close to mine as he leaned down. “You’re blind to his faults. You love him unconditionally. I’m just not sure he deserves it.”
Eddy popped her head up near ours. “Dante is a decent guy,” she said seriously. “I have a pretty good eye for assholes, after spending my years around you all.”
Dylan appeared to be on Beck’s side with this though. “I would keep an eye on him. There’s something there. I noticed it the first time we met him, and it was even worse when he was taken to ensure Riley’s cooperation. He … wasn’t surprised by that. Like he knew it was coming and was way too accepting of his part in it all. I’ve never seen someone react that way.”
Beck nodded. “He wasn’t surprised at all, and he took my beatings like a man with sins to atone for.”
“Who suggested Dante be the one?” I asked, having assumed all this time it was Beck. He’d known better than anyone how much Dante meant to me.
“Catherine,” Beck said. “She insisted that only Dante would convince you. I argued against it, because he was all you had in the world. I told Catherine that you’d save anyone innocent and that it wasn’t worth using Dante and pissing off his gang, but she wouldn’t budge.”
Catherine. I should have shot her that day. Something I’d regretted many times over the past few weeks.
Eddy looked between the three of us with confusion, and I realized we’d just openly talked about Delta business in front of her, but she was smart enough not to ask questions. Eddy definitely knew more than she let on … more than she should.
The four of us remained there, silent and somber.
“We should head upstairs,” Eddy finally said, and no one disagreed.
I followed along, Beck at my side, and as I turned back for one last look at my butterfly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, there was a text.
Dante: Will be there tonight, Riles. Wouldn’t miss your birthday.
Normally that would have made me happy as fuck. He was visiting. I’d have my best friend by my side on my birthday. But now I was filled with doubt and worry. Could Dante know more than he was saying? Had he known about this Delta bullshit before my parents died? I mean, he’d never kept it a secret that he was interested in Militant Delta and their rise to riches, but I’d thought that was more along the lines of “I watched a Netflix documentary and now think I’m an expert,” not an actual real life connection.
I was so lost in thought that when I walked into my apartment, I missed the initial “surprise!” shouted at me, and it wasn’t until Jasper lifted me off my feet and twirled me around in a hug that I noticed the room.
It was full of balloons, hundreds of them, floating across the ceiling, in a wash of gold, silver and pink. My dining table was set up beautifully— on top of the gold tablecloth there was a huge white cake, covered in blue butterflies. Jasper let me down and I stumbled closer, my chest tight and shit.
Fuck. I had no idea they had been planning this.
“Happy birthday, Riley,” Evan said from close by. I spun to him and wrapped my arms around his broad frame. “Thank you,” I murmured back.
The cake wasn’t the only thing they had. There was expensive champagne, to get the pre-party started, as Eddy put it. “We wanted to celebrate here with you first,” Dylan said, smiling broadly for once. “Before we head out to the party tonight.”
Eddy pushed the guys aside and thrust a brightly wrapped package at me. “Best friends first,” she declared before glaring at Beck and Dylan. “I’m already mad at you two fuckers for beating me to this.”
I snorted before I ripped open the package to find a pair of heels that exactly matched the bag Dylan had given me. “This designer doesn’t normally do heels,” she said, leaning closer. “But I convinced him to make you a pair specially. You can’t have that fucking stunning bag, without the matching shoes.”
The jewels were embedded across the round, enclosed toe, in the same formation as the knuckle duster bag. There were other similarities, and I immediately fell in love with the dark vibe of this brand. Designer. Jesus. How my life had changed since my last birthday.
Jasper was next, and I was slightly nervous to open it, expecting to find something vaguely inappropriate and embarrassing inside. Only he surprised me. It was a framed photo, one I hadn’t even known had been taken, when I was driving his Lambo. The black and white still showcased my face the moment I crossed the finish line first, and there was a unique blend of pride and joy written across my features.
“Jasper,” I breathed, staring down at it. “I … thank you.”
He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “One of my friends snapped this on his phone and sent it to me, and with a little help, I turned it into something for you to keep.”
I brushed my fingertip across the black and white image. “This was the moment I found some of myself again. You know, after losing my parents.” I sniffled. “That first race, I froze up and lost control, because all I could think about was the crash. All I could remember was the screeching sound and the dread in my gut. But when I raced for you…” I lifted my head. “…it was as if some of the old Riley appeared again.”
He’d probably never know how much this image meant to me.
Evan made a low rumbling sound. “I can’t believe I have to go last after all of you fuckers were so sentimental.”
I laughed, shaking my head and turning to him. “I will love whatever you’ve given me,” I said. “Even if it’s just a hug.”
Evan rolled his eyes before turning away to grab a small bag off the table. I took it, marveling at how expensive the bag looked. It was one of those off white, thick embossed bags. It was only small, and when I reached in and pulled out the small white box, I was almost certain that this was jewelry.
I kind of wanted to joke about him proposing, but when I looked up, it was to find his nervous expression on mine, and I shut my mouth. This was no time to joke. He’d tried to find me something special and now he was worried it wouldn’t measure up to everyone else’s.
Slowly, I opened the box and stared down at the piece nestled there in a red velvet. It was a necklace, a thick gold chain, and there was a word that joined the ends together. It said “Bulma.”
I snorted and my eyes watered at the same time. I immediately knew what this necklace meant. Evan was reminding me of two things … one, our moment bonding over Dragon Ball Z, which was something I also cherished, and two, Bulma was married to Vegeta. We’d both eventually agreed that Beck was Vegeta. So this meant even more to me.
“I love it,” I said, shooting him a full smile. “Thank you.” I hugged him
hard. “Will you help me put it on?”
He nodded, and stepping forward, fumbled at the back of my neck for a beat before he got the clasp clicked into place. It was heavy and expensive, that much I knew for sure, and the “Bulma” hung just above my breasts. I noticed that there were diamonds embedded along the L, and I just loved everything about it.
Beck strolled closer, his eyes glued to my chest. “Bulma? What does that mean?”
I snorted, and Evan and I shared a brief amused look before I turned back to Beck. “It means that I’m the coolest Dragon Ball character, and you all better watch out when I get pissed off.”
Dylan and Jasper both laughed out loud. “Looks like you finally found a nerdy friend, Evan,” Jasper said, holding his sides. “I’m happy for you.”
Evan just flipped them all off, and I stepped into Beck, who shot my necklace one last look before wrapping his arms around me.
Eddy popped champagne nearby. “Time for a drink,” she shouted, breaking the mood.
I laughed. Oh yeah, there were parts of this life I could definitely get used to.
* * *
The pre-party with my friends turned out to be a ton better than the main event. I was currently wishing we’d never left our apartment. The main party was being held at some kid called Brian’s house—mansion—and the whole place was packed with drunken, sweaty college kids from the neighboring town. A mid-twenties dude with designer stubble attempted to DJ but really just played tracks from his iPod while wearing headphones and chatting up chicks.
“This party sucks,” Dante observed as we sipped from solo cups and watched a wasted guy egg his friend on to jump in the pool fully clothed.
“Agreed,” Eddy cringed. “Brian’s parties used to be way better than this.”
Not to mention that Beck and the guys had been waylaid the moment we got there, and I’d barely had a chance to see them. Sure, they were close, always keeping an eye on me, but I wanted them even closer. I didn’t like all of the darkness—and assassination attempts—hovering around us; it made me nervous.
