by Dawn Doyle
Nate had disappeared, and nobody had seen him since we’d dumped the car. Three days had passed, and the only thing I’d heard was that the owner of the phat ride was offering a reward to whoever had information on who’d stolen their car. I had to lay low for as long as I could because any slight suspicion my way could be picked up. If I got caught, I’d get thrown in jail for sure, and every boost that looked even remotely like mine would get slammed down on me, and even the ones that didn’t.
I never wanted that, fuck no. There was no way I was going to be blamed for some random fuck up that had no idea what they were doing. My work was phenomenal, and I’d rather go cold turkey for a month before I risked that shit tarnishing my undisclosed record.
Five long years I’d been doing this, and one, just one boost had gone wrong, changing all of us.
I sat back on my lounger and remembered that day. There was no way I could forget it because it was the day one of my best friends took my punishment and ended up getting dragged into something he couldn’t get out of.
I should have been the one in the pit that night; I knew that, and at the time, Nate had taken every opportunity to tell me so, and so had Brady.
Brady had every right to. It was his twin brother, Lucian, that risked his life over and over again. But Nate… He was something else. I’d often wondered if he’d had a thing for Lucian, but that was ridiculous. Nate loved pussy as much as the rest of us, he just wasn’t as vocal about it. No, there was something up with him, but he never said, and I doubted he ever would.
“Get off your ass, boy, and help your mother,” my grandpa said. “She’s breaking her back in there cooking your dinner. Go and help.”
“Okay, Grandpa, fuck,” I complained as I stood. “No need to be a douche.”
“Disrespectful little shit,” he said, and I shook my head.
“Whatever, old man.” He was always insulting me, it was all he knew to do. Growing up with him, I’d gotten used to it. He’d never had a kind word to say about most people, especially me, and I’d stopped holding my tongue against his constant lashing.
“Your mother should have thrown you out on your behind years ago. Damn waste of space.”
“Still don’t care,” I replied while he continued to spout out incoherent jibes that I had no hope of focusing on. I’d heard enough that I’d learned to tune him out. What he didn’t know was that if my mom ever kicked me out, and she wouldn’t, it would be the worst thing she could do; she needed me too much. “Need some help?” I asked my mom when I walked through the archway into the kitchen.
She smiled at me, her cheeks lifting and her eyes crinkling up in the corners. “No, silly, it’s just salad.” She chuckled and pointed to the large clear bowl in front of her full of colorful food. “I think I can manage.” Her warm smile slipped, and her brows dipped. “What’s wrong, honey?”
I glanced over my shoulder toward the doorway, then back to my mom. “Grandpa said you were breaking your back in here and you needed help.”
She blew a sharp breath through her nose and her lips pursed. “Not at all.” When my mom looked over my shoulder, I did too. “Look, just stay out of his way, okay? He’s going to be gone in two days, and you might only see him once or twice until the party.” Her small hand ran over my messy blond hair and down to cup my face. My mom could make me feel like a little kid with just that gesture, even though I towered over her small frame.
Why the fuck I agreed to that, I’ll never know. The fucking annual old-people get together, the one where the stench of imminent death gradually increases as the night goes along. I’d never been before, but I knew for a damn fact this would be the last.
I cleared my throat. “No problem, Mom. I’ve got stuff to do, people to see, and hearts to break. I’m sure I’ll find something to keep me occupied.”
“Blaine Summers,” she chastised and gave me serious side-eye. “I hope you treat young ladies with respect, young man.”
I spread my arms wide. “How else would I treat them, Mom? I’m the epitome of sophistication and charm. There’s not a disrespectful bone in my body.” I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face.
There was one particular bone that had no respect at all, and it was long overdue to get some action. I had to take a hiatus from my personal boosting, so I needed to take the edge off by getting between a soft pair of legs and losing myself for a while.
“Make sure it stays that way,” my mom said, dragging me out of my indecent thoughts. “I know how men of your age think and act. I was that age once, too, you know.”
“Nope. Not going there,” I said, putting my fingers in my ears. “Lalalaa.” I walked away still making stupid ass noises, drowning out my mom’s laughter when the crinkly old bastard slithered his way into the room. I saw his lips move, but I paid no attention to the man that hated me for no fucking reason at all, other than I existed.
All through dinner, Gramps mumbled under his breath, and no matter how many times my mom asked him to stop, he refused. I wasn’t stupid, I knew he was cussing me out for something else—probably even warranted—but damn sure not for something he knew about. Eventually, my mom glared at him long enough that he shut his fucking mouth. I had two more days to put up with him, then I had a break from the ancient asshole.
“I’m going out for a while, okay?” I said to my mom, then stooped down to kiss her cheek before whispering, “Don’t bolt the doors on me, and recheck them before you go to bed.”
My mom shook her head. “I won’t let him do that to you again, honey.”
“Sure. See you later.”
The second that door was closed behind me, a giant weight was lifted off my chest. I got in my car and headed over to Lucian’s new place, ready to catch up with my buddies.
He and Luca had bought a decently sized crib not far from his parents’ place. Lucian had started to make serious money from his fights now that he was established on the scene and to celebrate buying their house, we were all hanging out like we used to.
*****
“Little pig, little pig!” I called while ringing the doorbell. “Let me in!” I looked through the windows surrounding the massive oak door and didn’t see anything.
I stepped back off the rounded doorstep and tilted my head back to see if any lights were on. It was glowing inside, but nothing coming from the rooms on the second floor. “What the fuck?” I checked my watch, making sure the time and date were what Lucian had said, and they were.
I tried the doorbell again, and when the chime sounded, I heard movement behind the door, but whoever the fucker was, they didn’t open it. “I’m here, open the goddamn door!” I yelled, pounding my fist against the wood.
My shoulders slumped forward, and my brows dipped while a bitter feeling flowed through me, the familiar sensation of teeth gnawing away deep in my gut. Did they know it was me and just refused to let me in? I couldn’t believe that; they were my friends. Yeah, sure, we fucked about a lot, and I was usually the brunt of the jokes, but that was how it had always been. I was the clown, I was the one that was there for entertainment, even if they didn’t like it at first.
I lifted a hand and ran my fingers through my hair before scratching at my scalp. “I guess no party snacks for me today,” I said to myself, then turned and began walking toward my car. The security light flashed on as I moved, lighting up the brand new landscaped garden out front.
“Blaine?”
I slowed down and looked over my shoulder when a soft voice called my name. Luca stood there, the door opened just a fraction while she held her hand above her eyes to shield them from the bright light a couple of feet above the door.
“Hey.” I continued to walk away, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes when she saw my face.
“Where are you going?” she asked, raising her voice. “We’ve been waiting for you to get here.”
I let my head fall back just a little. I didn’t want to snap at her; she was the reason Lucian was still breath
ing, but I didn’t like how I felt right then, and there was no fucking way I was gonna let anybody see that. “I decided I was too awesome to go to your lame party, so I’m gonna get shit faced at a strip club.”
“Yeah, whatever,” she snorted. “Stop fucking around and get your ass inside, Blaine.”
I grinned and spun around, smiling for real when I saw her beaming at me. “If I have to, God, stop with your pushiness, woman.”
Luca shook her head, her blonde waves bobbing about on top of her head where it was in some weirdly twisted mess. “Still the same Blaine,” she sighed, then linked her arm through mine. “Come on, let’s get you a beer before you really leave for a strip club.”
“I’m offended, Luca,” I joked. “Why would I ever do that?”
“It’s about fucking time,” Brady yelled from the other side of the foyer.
Luca closed the door, and I got a good look at the large hallway. It wasn’t a foyer like his parents’ house, but it could easily have passed for a room all on its own.
“Yeah, I was being fashionably late,” I lied, gaining an eye roll from him. “Now the party can begin because fuck knows it is boring as shit without me.”
“Keep dreaming, blondie,” Brady replied, flipping me the bird. “You’re just here so we know what you’re up to.”
“You keep telling yourself that, dick,” I fired back, then laughed. There was some truth to what he was saying. I could be reckless, but I’d put that to bed a long time ago.
I’d learned my lesson the day I’d stolen Luca’s car. It was a sweet thing, and it was unlocked. Not my brightest moment and Lucian had wanted to kick my ass, but she’d forgiven me.
“Leave him alone, Brady, and make yourself useful,” Luca said, pointing toward the open doorway. “There’s a whole crate of beer in the garage that needs bringing through.”
Brady saluted her and then left.
“Hang on, I thought it was Lucian who you had whipped,” I said with mock confusion.
“Did I hear my name?”
Luca’s face lit up like Christmas had magically appeared, the way it always did whenever Lucian was there. “Look who decided to join us,” she said, slipping away from my side and into Lucian’s arms.
He dipped his head to kiss her, lasting a little too long in company. “Cool,” he said finally. “Let’s go through.”
I followed the couple down the white hall and into a white kitchen with brand new shiny appliances. I stroked my fingers over the cold, gray marble countertops and whistled low. “Nice,” I said, nodding and taking in the rectangular room, pausing at the huge French doors leading outside. “You have a great place.” I meant it, too. I just had to get my head out of my ass to even have a single hope of affording something half as good as their house. I had bills to pay, though some of them I could easily do without. It was only for my own sanity that I parted with my cash. “Congrats.”
I’d been told I wouldn’t amount to anything, and that was true. I didn’t have ambition like Lucian and Brady. I never had the skills like Charlie, and I never had the ability to be the brooding psycho like Nate. I was a loud mouth, a prankster, and a juvenile. Those things had been driven into me since I was a kid. That was the time when I needed my family to be there for me, but instead, I was pushed to the side and used as a verbal punching bag whenever possible. I never understood the words when I was younger, but I knew they weren’t declarations of love and admiration.
And I didn’t give a fuck. I could do what the hell I wanted without conforming to anyone’s standards. The only ones I had to set were mine, and I wasn’t budging to please anyone but me.
“Thanks, man,” Lucian said, moving to stand next to me, then paused while Luca left the room, watching her the entire time. “If it hadn’t been for her, none of this would’ve been possible.”
The corner of my mouth lifted up. “Yeah, and to think if it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t be here.”
Lucian’s dark brows dipped, and his own smile dropped. “Yeah. It’s been two years since then, and I still think about that day at the beach.”
I patted him on his back, then gripped the base of his neck. “Come on, dimples, don’t go getting soppy on me.” His eyes snapped to mine, then narrowed as his jaw clenched. “Not the face!” I yelled as I took off, running around the center island and back out into the hall.
“Blaine, I’m going to put you in the chokehold!” Lucian bellowed.
“Cut it out!” Luca yelled. “Blaine, I swear, you better stop that.” She winked at me, then continued. “Lucian, baby, don’t rise to the bait.”
“Oh, I’ll be rising to something,” he said, then gripped her waist, lifting her up as though she weighed nothing at all, then flung her over his shoulder. He lightly slapped her denim covered ass and bounded up the stairs, her hair falling out of whatever was holding it together while she screamed with laughter.
“Glad to be of service!” I called out, knowing how that scenario was going to play out. Luca had called him dimples right in front of me, and I’d used every opportunity I could to throw it at him and his cuteness. It wasn’t for my benefit, but it was sure amusing when Lucian got pissed at me.
“Beer?” Charlie walked into the hallway carrying two beers. He handed me the cold green bottle then tucked his hair behind his ear. “What’s up? What took you so long to get here?” He jerked his chin for me to follow through the plainly painted rooms, the white evident of a new home. “Please tell me you weren’t on a hit.”
I shook my head and shrugged. “No, Lucian told me to get here for eight, and I did.”
Charlie pushed up his red sleeve and checked his watch. “No, we were supposed to get here for seven, and it’s now eight-fifteen. You missed pizza.”
“What?” I frowned, a flare of temper working its way up from my gut, but I swallowed it down again. “No, he said eight.”
Charlie shook his head again, then continued walking. “Then why has everybody else been here since seven?” Instead of turning right back into the kitchen, he took a left, entering a massive living room.
Like everywhere else, the walls were plain white, but some pictures had been hung on the walls, photos of Luca and Lucian together, and others of their families.
“Hi!” Grace greeted me, waving her hand. “Where’ve you been, Blaine? We’ve been here for over an hour.”
“I was told eight,” I repeated. I scanned the plain room and spotted Nate resting back on a trendy rocking chair swinging a bottle between his finger and thumb. “Where’ve you been the past few days?” I walked over and sat on the dark brown couch near him, the brand new cushion a little stiff under my ass.
“I had some stuff to deal with, but it’s all good now.” He glanced to Charlie then back to me. “Where’ve you been?”
That question was beginning to piss me off. Why did everybody keep asking me where I’d been like I was a kid who’d gone past their curfew? “Jesus Christ, I got here for the time I was told. I even rang the doorbell and knocked, but no fucker came to the door!” I grated out. “I heard someone there, but they fucking ignored me.” I placed my bottle on top of a round wooden coaster on top of the glass coffee table and then stood. “I was on my way outta here when Luca opened the fucking door, so excuse fucking me for not being here when you all think I should have!” Nobody spoke, they all just stared at me like I’d grown an extra head, and not the good kind. “You don’t give a shit, do you?” I jabbed my finger toward Nate who just stared at me like my presence was bothering him. “If any of you did, you woulda called me to see where I was, or even just sent a text. But guess what, Nate, I got fuck all.” I blew a sharp breath between my teeth and shook my head at my so-called friend before turning away from him.
“Where are you going?” Charlie asked, gripping my arm as I walked by.
I looked down to where his fingers dug into my camo-hoodie, and then up to his face. “Do you actually care, or are you just wondering what I’ll be doing without supervisi
on?”
“Hey,” he began, but I just yanked my arm out of his grip.
“Blaine, what’s going on?” I heard Lucian ask, but I heard no more except for the slamming of the front door, and then a minute later, my car’s engine as I drove away.
Robyn
The screen in front of me was blank, yet the words and figures flashed before my eyes. The days had rolled together, the calls coming through in quick succession, and the never-ending combinations of coffee walking out the door. Sometimes, I forgot where I was, surprised to find myself sitting down at a desk instead of standing behind a counter with a metal jug in my hand while blasting hot steam into it.
The ringing broke me out of my trance, and I picked up by pressing my earpiece. “Hello, Alpha cabs, can I help you?”
“Hey, a cab for Bridge Street, East of Hale Cove.”
That voice. I recognized it from a few days ago. I couldn’t remember where he was going, but I did remember the smooth sounds of his tone, like chocolate sauce over a sundae, dripping down the glass, making you catch it with your finger and licking the sweetness off the tip.
“Yeah, um, sure,” I said, blinking rapidly in an attempt to pull myself together. Sleep deprivation had seriously done a number on me. “Where again?” My supervisor would chew me out if he heard this recording.
“Bridge Street, East of Hale Cove,” he repeated, and I couldn’t help darting my tongue out the tiniest bit over my lips.
Fuck me, he sounds hot!
I couldn’t get swept up like I had the first time, pretty much flirting when he said he’d needed to get laid. That was one image I had to definitely contain, considering I had absolutely no clue what he looked like. But, before I threw that daydream out the window, I imagined him to be tall, ripped and every bit the guys I’d read about in a couple of Aunt Joan’s steamy novels. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was calling us from that far away.
