"Not boring." His gaze skewered me to the spot, and my mouth dried from the intensity of it. "Nothing about you could ever be boring."
Cheyenne showed up with our food just as I was about to douse myself with my glass of water. Jack was an engineer when it came to designing looks that made my heart race and my spine tingle. Was he even aware of what he was doing to me? Here I was, spilling my life to a stranger more intimately than I ever had before, yet somehow getting hot and bothered in the process.
We dug into our food, silent at first. Jack was obviously starving and started devouring his burger and fries without inhibition. I wondered if food was the only thing he devoured with such enthusiasm.
"You asked me earlier why I'm with Donnie," I said, absently swirling a fry in some ketchup.
Jack's gaze shot to mine and he swallowed his mouthful of food. "It's none of my business."
"I think it is, after everything that happened today," I said with a light laugh. "After all, I did leave you to die in a parking lot."
"That wasn't your fault."
"Look, do you want to know or not?"
Jack cocked a brow and smiled. "Go on, then."
I swallowed and licked my lips. I'd only just started realizing all of this myself, so putting it into words wasn't the easiest thing for me to do. I was ready to get it all out though, ready to not let it hang over my head anymore.
"I guess I just always felt like someone the world forgot. I think lots of foster kids feel like that. You're shuffled around like a deck of cards, and at the end of the day you're just one face among thousands. It's so incredibly clichéd and sad, but Donnie made me feel special. The first time he saw me, he zeroed in on me like I was the most important person he'd ever met, and in a stupid small town way I felt honored to earn the attention of one of Cannon's famous Beringers. That faded after a while, but since then I think I've been afraid that I don't know how to stand on my own anymore and that I would only end up proving to Donnie and everyone else that I'm just the nobody girl I was from the start. I don't want to fade away like that." I let some of my hair fall in my face and screwed up my features. "That sounds so stupid. I'm sorry."
Jack's hand covered mine and he squeezed. "Never apologize for what you think. And it's not stupid. I get it."
"You do?"
His smile was gentle, but I couldn't help feeling something a little more sexual from the weight of his warm, dry hand on mine.
"It's kind of the same with me and fighting." He drew his hand back and picked up his mug, running his fingers down the length of it thoughtfully. "It was something I started doing when I found out about my mom's cancer. For money, anyway. I was always the kind of hot headed kid that got into fights, but when I started being able to make money from it, that was a real game changer. I dropped out of high school and didn't have any prospects, so suddenly being able to make good money and support my mom and sister was huge for me. I stopped for a little bit right before my mom died because she always hated it, but I had trouble surviving in the real world. It didn't feel like a place I could fit into without my identity as a fighter, and I needed money too much to stay away for long. Now it's just the way my life is."
"It doesn't have to be," I told him. "You could quit fighting."
"And you could quit Donnie."
"I'm going to.”
As soon as I said it, I realized it was true. Hell, I must've known that when I crept out of his house earlier, but I just hadn't let the full weight of it sink in yet.
"I guess I just...I guess I just don't know how. It's going to be rough."
Jack’s expression softened. "Do you want me to come with you? I can protect you if he tries anything."
"No." I shook my head, wishing it were that easy. "I need to do this on my own."
We lapsed into silence. Hot claws of panic dug in at the base of my throat as I thought about what I had to do, but I knew there was no way of getting around it. This was happening. I was going to leave Donnie. I should have done it years ago, but better late than never I supposed.
"Will you stay in town?" I asked. "Just in case?"
"In case of what?"
"I don't know. In case I need you, I guess."
Something passed over Jack's face, whether hesitation or discomfort I didn't know, but he finally nodded. "Yeah. I'll stay."
I dropped him off a couple hours later at a motel not far from the Alibi. Doing so was the easiest thing I had to do that morning, but losing his comforting presence was still difficult.
"Jack?" I asked as he was about to leave the car. I’d driven him to the other side of the building to say goodbye after he picked up a room key, and now I idled just outside his door. "What did you mean when you told Donnie you'd fight for me as the prize?"
He stopped midway out of the car and blinked. "Exactly that."
I dipped my head, bashful for the first time in a long time. "But what would being your prize entail?"
Jack's grin was dark and wicked. A tendril of fire stroked my belly and my hands gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.
"Let's put it this way, sweetheart." He smirked. "Prizes are meant to be enjoyed."
Jack left without another word, closing the door behind him and sauntering up to the door of room 103 like the parking lot was his living room. I took a deep breath. Today was going to be a long one.
Chapter 13
Melissa
The sun was just thinking about rising for the day when I got back to Donnie's place. The front door was still unlocked from my flight earlier, and nothing was out of place when I stepped through it. Donnie clearly hadn't woken to find me gone nor had he heard me leave. He had no idea what was coming his way.
I went to the bedroom to find him sprawled out, face down on the mattress. He was snoring lightly, peaceful as a babe. When he was like this, he almost looked innocent, and it was enough that I could nearly forget everything he'd done to me, all the times he'd made me feel so small. Part of me ached to crawl back into bed with him and forget this ever happened. I could, too. I doubted Jack would come looking for me to see if I'd really done it, and since he was the only one besides Cheyenne at Ma's Diner who knew about my late night escapade, pretending that nothing had happened would be as easy as just not seeking him out again.
The thought of never seeing Jack again hurt me more than the thought of leaving Donnie. In the end, that’s what compelled me to start packing a bag, tossing in as many clothes and items as I could fit. I didn't bother trying to be quiet and was actually a little irritated that Donnie didn't stir at all. To think I'd been so worried about every creaking floorboard a few hours earlier, when it turned out I probably could have rung a gong next to his head without him noticing. Go figure.
I finished packing and stood at the foot of the bed. My heart hammered against my ribs, punching out a staccato rhythm of fear. It would be easier not to wake Donnie. I could be out of here with no consequences and no drama if I didn't. It didn't feel right, though. I needed closure and he needed to know to stay the hell away from me. Still, it took quite a lot of effort to force myself to walk around the side of the bed and nudge him awake.
He snorted, shuffling over onto his back and opening one bleary eye.
"What?" he groaned.
"I'm leaving," I said, filling my words to the brim with confidence.
Donnie blinked open the other eye and ran a hand over his face. "For work? What time is it?" He craned his neck to look over at the alarm clock, then looked back at me in confusion when he saw it was only six.
"Where are you going?"
He sounded almost innocent in his questioning, like a young boy to his mother. He sounded like he needed me. Or maybe that was just my subconscious still trying to trip me up. Either way, I wasn't giving in.
"Out of this house and away from you." I adjusted the bag on my shoulder, and Donnie's eyes zeroed in on the movement.
He sat up in bed, no longer sleepy.
"Get
back in bed," he said. "I'm not in the mood."
I gritted my teeth and took a deliberate step back. "I'm not joking. I'm leaving you, Donnie."
Donnie swung his legs to the floor and ran a hand over his face, eyebrows knitting together in anger. He was quiet for a moment, and in that silence my heartbeat rang out like a heavy bass drum.
"What's your problem?" he asked. "Is it because of our fight last night? Babe, you know how I get when I'm drunk. You shouldn't pick fights with me when I'm like that."
"And that's exactly why!" I folded my arms over my chest and channeled my anger into staring him down. "I didn't pick a fight with you in the first place, and I shouldn't have to be careful about when to pick fights so I don't get beaten. I certainly shouldn't have to take the blame for you hitting me. You think you own me but you don't, and it's time for me to take back my life."
"You don't know what you're saying." His voice was cold. Direct. I could tell things were about to take a turn. The only question was, was I ready for it?
"I know exactly what I'm saying."
Donnie charged up to his full height, towering above me with a menacing expression. I held his gaze, jutting my chin out.
"If you try to leave me I will make you fucking regret it," he growled. "You like that cushy job of yours? You like having a fucking place to live?" He stepped toward me and I stepped back.
Was he going to hit me? Keeping my arms crossed was the only way I knew to keep him from seeing my shaking hands but it made me feel vulnerable. I lowered my hands to my sides but clenched my fists.
"I don't care what you do. No amount of threatening will be enough this time. I'm through. And you know what, Donnie? This is your fault. It always has been. Every time you've pushed me around and mistreated me, you've been pushing me further and further away. It's too late now."
I turned to leave, finished with this conversation and finished with this life, but Donnie grabbed my shoulder and dragged me back. I stumbled and nearly fell back onto the bed but managed to catch myself in time to stay upright.
"Don't touch me!" I shrieked. "Don't you dare lay a fucking hand on me ever again!"
"Don't fucking walk away from me!" he screamed back.
"You. Don't. Own. Me!"
I bit out each word with all the pent up malice I'd been saving up like tarnished pennies.
"You had your chance and you blew it! You don't make decisions for me anymore. We're over!"
Donnie didn't pull me back when I stormed for the door this time, but he followed me down the hall, stomping and screaming.
"I gave you everything! I made your life so fucking good! You don't just get to walk away from that!"
"I'll run then!" I shot over my shoulder. "I'll skip. I'll fucking dance away if I have to."
Donnie threw his hand out just as I reached the front door. I managed to open it a crack before his bodyweight slammed it closed again, and when I turned around I found him glowering down at me.
"You're making a mistake," he seethed.
"No, this is the first thing I've done in years that hasn't been a mistake. Now are you going to let me leave or am I going to have to call the cops?"
I watched his expression flicker as he weighed his options and horror sent icy tendrils up my spine. I didn't want to know what kind of nasty ideas were crossing his mind, and I worried that his darker instincts would win out. I was in danger every second that I spent with him, but never more than that moment. He could have killed me and I wouldn't have been able to stop him. He was bigger than me, stronger than me, and so much crueler. I anchored my feet to the ground and held my breath.
Donnie's hand pulled back, and he ran his thumb down my cheek. "Baby, please don't go."
I let out a breathy sigh. He seemed to think that meant I had succumbed, but it was really a sigh of relief. He leaned down to kiss me and I stopped him with a hand to his face.
"I've been gone in my mind for a long time," I said. "Not that you ever noticed."
Was it hurt that crossed his face? Did I care if it was? It was hard to be with someone for so long, to live with them and share every part of your life with them, without developing some sort of attachment. But any pity or sympathy I felt for Donnie was buried so deep under all the resentment and agony that I stared at him in cold indifference. Then, straight backed, I turned and opened the door.
Donnie followed me out onto the deck. "What can I do? I'll be better, baby, I promise. Please don't leave me."
Now he just sounded pathetic. I laughed bitterly under my breath and strutted over to my car, yanking open the door and sliding in without even sparing him a parting remark.
"You'll be back!" he cried as I started backing down the drive. "You can't survive without me!"
I flipped him the bird, smiling serenely. Not a fucking chance.
I rolled into the motel's parking lot just as the sun was stretching long rosy fingers over the horizon. The dry heat kissed my bare thighs and arms as I walked to the building, promising a long, hot day ahead.
It felt like there was a little bird trapped in my ribcage, fluttering this way and that, filling me with excitement and trepidation. I'd just done the unthinkable, and now I was free. Completely free. It was just as scary as it was liberating, since I faced a world of unknown obstacles ahead. At least with Donnie I knew he would always be my main opposition. It was exciting to think that I'd have new dragons to slay, even if I did feel like a foal taking my first steps outside of the womb.
One thing I knew for sure was that the man whose door I searched for down the long line of motel rooms was the most exciting, most dangerous unknown of them all. He had eyes like a dust storm and made my core sizzle every time he looked at me. There was an electricity between us that demanded exploration. And there was nothing stopping me.
Room 103. I stopped at the door, hand hovering just below the room number. Then, with a wide smile, I knocked.
Chapter 14
Jack
I was a light sleeper, always had been. Our house growing up wasn't in the nicest neighborhood, and as a kid I used to jump at every sound.
When I got older, the noises still woke me up, but I could get back to sleep without shitting myself worrying that a murderer was coming in to get me. Except by then my sister was at the age where she started worrying about monsters. I don't know how many times I woke up to her saying she'd had a bad dream or heard something scary, and I never minded since it was impossible to be mad at a girl with eyes as big and sad as hers.
When my mom got sick, I would wake up every time I heard her coughing or groaning in pain in the middle of the night and go help her. She always told me to stay in bed, but I kept going to her anyway.
I didn't have to be a light sleeper for the knock on my door to rouse me. I sat up in bed and cursed, both due to the sharp complaint from my ribs and also from the realization that my mystery knocker was probably Donnie. I didn't know how he found me. It didn't really matter. If he'd come to finish what we started yesterday, then I was going to indulge him. As long as he came alone, or at least as long as his idiot friends kept out of it until it was their turn.
I threw on a pair of pants but stayed shirtless. It wasn't even seven yet but it was already goddamn hot in my room. I lumbered over to the door, undoing the latch and opening it wide.
A punch to the gut would have been less breathtaking than the sight of Melissa standing on my doorstep, still wearing the same cute little pajama set she’d worn for our midnight rendezvous. She was smiling confidently, exposing two bright sets of pearly whites, and something seemed different about her. The girl hadn't slept all night but she looked brighter than I'd ever seen her. Happier. I smiled too, unable to help myself. She was contagious.
"What did you mean when you said you'd claim me as your prize?"
I cocked my head to the side, puzzled. Hadn't I already answered this?
She must've sensed my confusion.
"Be specific," she urged.
Oh, th
is was right up my street. I would have much rather show her what I meant, but if she wanted to hear me say it, then I'd give her everything she could take and then some.
"I meant that after I beat up your boyfriend, I was going to take you with me, probably to somewhere just like this." I ran my hand down the door frame, the metal cool against my fingertips. "From there, sweetheart, I would’ve stripped you naked and made you cum on my cock so many times that you’d forget what day it was."
Her eyes widened, pupils dilating and filling her irises with black. She let out a little sigh, and my cock strained against the front of my jeans.
"You won the fight," Melissa said quietly. "Are you going to take your prize?"
I didn’t hesitate even a second.
"Damn fucking straight."
I grabbed her chin and slammed my mouth down on hers, blood burning under my skin. I'd gone from sleepy to horny so quickly that my brain still hadn't caught up, but luckily my cock had. Her pillowy lips parted for me like melted butter and I slipped my tongue inside, massaging her tongue and pulling forth little moans of pleasure that made my cock ache.
We walked back into the room until the door closed, then I pressed her up against it, wrapping one of those slender legs around my hips so I could grind my hardness where it would do the most good.
Melissa needed this, I could tell. She was almost frantic in how she touched me, running her hands everywhere and anywhere, fighting back against my kiss with a frenzy of her own. Hell, I needed this too. I'd been sexually frustrated since the first moment I laid eyes on her, and only now was I letting myself feel that frustration to its full extent. I craved her to my bones, like I'd never wanted another human being in my life. Her skin was hot and soft under my touch and I touched her all over, stroking along her thighs, her feather soft stomach, her slender neck. Her hands wandered over my bare chest and I let out a hiss as she found my cracked rib.
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