“Your father?”
He chuckled. “No. Me. Back then. I was going through some things. I had a lot of anger issues. Got into a lot of fights. Did some shit that I wasn’t proud of.”
“We all did.”
His eyes twinkled. “You like to make up excuses for people. You need to stop doing that.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “You think so?”
“Definitely. You’re far too nice.”
“I’ll work on it.”
He smirked. “You have any ink?”
“Tattoos? Me?” I laughed. “No. Not that I don’t want one. Maybe, some day.”
“You could start out with something small. Like a heart. Then build from there.”
“I was thinking a skull would be kind of cool. A skull with a rose.”
He grinned. “You like skulls?”
“I like flowers. I just thought the skull would make it look not so… girly.”
“Nothing wrong with being girly,” he said. “But, having a dark side can also be damn sexy. You have one of those?”
“A dark side?”
He gave me a slow grin. “Yeah.”
My cheeks turned pink. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“I don’t think you do,” he replied. “But, to tell you the truth, it doesn’t make you any less sexy.”
I could feel my blush deepen.
He suddenly looked like he’d gotten his hand stuck in the cookie jar. “Sorry. I’d better let you get into the shower, so you can get some rest.”
“Thanks. Where is the guest room?”
“It’s right next to my bedroom,” he said. “Down the hall and to the left. There should be clean sheets on it and the mattress is decent. It’s not as nice as mine, though. So, if you want, I can take the guest bed and you can have my room.”
“No. I’m sure the bed is just fine. Thanks, though.”
Nodding, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “If you change your mind and have a hard time sleeping, you can always sneak into my bed. It’s a king and I pretty much sleep like the dead. I doubt that I’d even know you were there.”
I laughed. “Right. I bet you say that to all your female guests.”
He looked serious. “I know what you’ve been through tonight. There’s no way I’d take advantage of you, Adriana. I’m serious.”
I smiled. “I appreciate it. I’ll be fine though. In the guest room.”
He nodded. “Okay. Well, I’m going to make a phone call, so when you’re done with your shower, feel free to crash. Unless, you’re hungry, that is. Would you like something to eat? I was about to make a pizza before I left, to pick you up.”
My stomach was empty but food just didn’t sound that appetizing. “No, thanks. I’m just going to go to bed.”
“Okay. Holler if you need anything,” he said, leaving me alone in the bathroom.
“Thanks,” I replied, shutting the door.
I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror. Sure enough, there was dried puke in my hair. Not a lot, but enough to be offensive.
He had to have seen it.
I was too tired to even care. Sighing, I turned on the water, got undressed, and slipped into the shower.
Chapter Eleven
Raptor
After leaving Adriana, I walked into my bedroom, changed into a pair of sweats, and called Tank back.
“She okay?” he mumbled, answering the phone.
“Yeah. Sorry, Brother. Did I wake you?”
“It’s okay. What happened?”
I told him what I knew.
“Fucker must have slipped something into her drink.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” I said. “What about Krystal? You think anything made it into hers?”
“No. She was definitely drunk, but coherent. Rode me like I was a goddamn bull. I swear, my balls are sore from all that bouncing around.”
I chuckled.
“I’m serious. The woman was insatiable tonight.”
“Okay, enough about your horny woman and your hairy balls. You’re making me sick.”
He laughed. “So, what do you want to do about this guy?”
“Teach him a fucking lesson.”
“That’s what I thought. We’ll start looking tonight. Obviously, he didn’t get laid. He’ll be sure as shit looking for someone else to molest on a Saturday night.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“What the fuck is it about this date-rape shit? Why can’t they just be fucking men and earn the pussy? It’s more fun that way, anyway.”
I stretched out on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. “It’s not about the sex. I heard it’s about controlling the victim.”
“Okay, Dr. Phil.”
“Fuck off. It’s what I heard.”
He chuckled. “I’m just giving you shit. I actually heard that, too. On Oprah.”
I laughed. “You still watch that show, huh?”
“How do you think Dr. Phil got started? Oprah’s a fucking genius. Everything she touches turns to gold.”
“If your old man knew you were watching Oprah,” I said, chuckling. “He’d kick your ass.”
“Fucking tell him and I’ll kick yours.”
“Doesn’t Oprah condemn violence?”
“For you, I’m sure she’d make an exception. Anyway, back to this fucking dirt-bag. You know, he probably won’t hit the same club.”
“Probably not. We’ll get a description and spread out. I’m sure Hopper, Derby, and Jackal wouldn’t mind helping out. We can do it before the card game, tomorrow,” I said.
“Agreed. Hell, I think we should round up our entire posse and catch ourselves a rabbit. Feed him to the Raptor. Unless you want to just shoot the guy?”
The thought had entered my mind. “That’s letting him down too easy.”
“True.”
“So, what’s going on with Breaker?” I asked, changing the subject. “Is there going to be any kind of retribution, for what happened to Jessica?”
“The Rangers are still standing behind that lying sack of shit.”
“Fuck.”
“You can say that again. The old man is spitting bullets. I’m thinking he’s just going to say ‘fuck it’ and take him out anyway.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t say anything, but I guess she was a virgin to boot.”
I groaned.
“What a way to have your cherry popped, huh?”
“No shit,” I said. “He beat the fuck out of her, too, didn’t he?”
“From what I hear, he knocked her around, pretty good. The Old Man is so fucking pissed. He’s not going to let this slide.”
“I don’t blame him. That pile of shit needs to be taken the fuck out. Even if he didn’t rape Jessica, he sure as shit is going to assault someone else,” I said, thinking of the way he’d been harassing Adriana, earlier.
“He did it. There’s no doubt in my mind, or Pop’s.”
“So, what now?”
“He mentioned contacting The Judge.”
The Judge was a mercenary who didn’t belong to any club that I knew of. He was a discreet mother-fucker who always got the job done, no matter what it was. For a hefty price, though.
“He know how to get ahold of him?” I asked.
“Apparently. It’s his God-son.”
That was a shock. “I didn’t know that.”
“You’re not supposed to.”
“Then I’ll keep it to myself.”
“I know you will, Brother.”
I ran a hand over my forehead. I was beat and couldn’t wait to sleep myself. “Are we still having church, tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yeah. Three o’clock.”
“Okay.”
“You like her, don’t you.”
“Who?”
Tank laughed. “What do you mean, who? You know who the fuck I mean. The chick. Adriana.”
I hesitated. “She’s okay.”
“You going to tap that?”
“Fuc
k no. She was almost raped. I’d have to be a real asshole to even try.”
“You are a real asshole,” he chided, a smile in his voice.
“Fuck off.”
“I’m just giving you shit. She’s cute. I think she was digging you, earlier.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s… different. I’m leaving her be.”
“Different. Like how?”
“She’s… a gullible suburban girl.”
He tried goading me again. “Your address is in the suburbs.”
“You know what the fuck I mean.”
“I’m seeing Krystal. They’re friends. She lives in the suburbs. I don’t see the problem.”
“Come on, Tank. You know what I’m talking about. These are both the kinds of girls that want commitment, a ring, and a piece of paper. They won’t stand for anything less.”
“I’m going to patch her and who knows… maybe someday we’ll get hitched.”
“Krystal? You really care that much for her?” I asked, surprised.
“Yeah, I do.”
“This is fucking weird,” I said, smirking. “We’re on the phone and talking about relationships. We sound like a couple of fucking chicks. I’d better get off before I start growing tits and talking about shoes.”
Tank laughed. “I hear you, Brother. Okay. Catch you, later.”
“Sounds good.”
I hung up the phone and was plugging it into the charger, on my nightstand, when I heard Adriana open the door and step out of the bathroom. I quickly got out of bed and met her in the hallway. Her hair was wrapped in a towel and her face was slightly pink.
“Feel better?” I asked.
She nodded. “What should I do with the towel?” she asked, touching her head.
“I can take it. What did you do with your clothes?”
“Oh, crap, I forgot. I left them in the bathroom,” she said, moving back inside. She bent down and scooped them up.
“Give them to me and I’ll wash them. That way they’ll be clean when you’re ready to go, later.”
“You don’t have to go through all of that trouble,” she said, stepping back out of the bathroom. “Seriously. You’ve already done enough.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re not going to want to put them back on later, dirty. Although, you do look pretty comfortable in my T-shirt,” I said, my eyes trailing over her chest to her slender legs. I should have given her a white T-shirt, I thought. “So, uh, how do the boxers fit?”
She lifted the shirt, baring her stomach. “They’re pretty baggy,” she said, tugging at the waistband. “But, they’ll do.”
“You just don’t fill them out the way I do.”
She suddenly looked embarrassed. Adriana dropped the T-shirt. “I’m sure.”
I cleared my throat and nodded toward the guest room. “You may as well try and get some sleep. I’m going to throw your things into the wash machine. Did you want me to wake you at a certain time?”
“Just when you want to kick me out.”
“That’s the last thing I want to do,” I replied, thinking out loud.
She laughed nervously. “Okay. Well, I guess by ten?”
“Sure,” I said, holding out my arms. “I’ll take care of the laundry and then I’m going to crash, myself.”
“Thanks again,” she said, handing me the clothes. She then touched my arm. “You’ve been so incredibly sweet to me.”
I grunted. “Just don’t tell anyone. You’ll ruin my reputation for being a soulless asshole.”
“You’re secret is safe with me, Raptor,” she replied before leaning over and kissing me on the cheek.
Resisting the urge to drop everything and kiss her back properly, I turned on my heel and headed toward the laundry room. “Sleep well, Kitten.”
“Thanks. You, too,” she called back.
Chapter Twelve
Adriana
Trevor had been right – the full-sized guest bed wasn’t the most comfortable. In fact, it was as hard as a rock. I was so exhausted, that it didn’t matter, however. I fell asleep within two minutes of hitting the pillow.
When Trevor woke me, a few hours later, my back was stiff and I had a horrible headache.
“You okay?” he asked, staring down at me, holding a cup of coffee. He was dressed in pale blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and his leather cut. His blond hair was down and slightly damp.
I sat up and winced. “Headache.”
“I’ve got something for that. Hold on,” he said, disappearing out of the room.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat there, listening to him rummage around in the bathroom. He returned with two pills and a bottle of water.
“Advil.”
I took them from him. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Are you hungry?”
“Very,” I replied, feeling my stomach growl at the mention of it.
“Good, because I’m making us breakfast.”
I smiled. “That sounds great. Thank you.”
He nodded toward the dark oak dresser, where I noticed that my clothes were sitting. “Your clothes are clean. Get dressed and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
“Okay,” I said, opening up the bottle of water. I shoved the pills into my mouth and washed them down.
He started walking out of the room and then turned back.
“What?” I asked, wondering why he was staring at me with such a funny smile.
“I was just thinking, I’ve had a lot of women stay overnight, in this place, and I’ve never seen anyone look so good in the morning. Without makeup.”
“Right,” I said, resisting the urge to look at myself in the dresser mirror.
“No, I’m serious. You obviously have great genes. Your mother must be a gorgeous woman,” he said, before leaving the room.
Thinking about her, I quickly stood up. “Crap, where’s my phone?” I called.
“Your purse is in the kitchen,” he hollered back.
I closed the door, changed my clothes, and then glanced in the mirror. “He must be either blind or looking to get laid,” I mumbled, staring at my reflection. My hair was a mess, from drying overnight on the pillow, and there was still some mascara blotches under my lashes. Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair, and then licked my finger, to wipe off the black crud. When I cleaned what I could, I walked into the kitchen, where the smell of bacon made me groan in pleasure.
“It smells wonderful in here.”
“Thanks.”
“A man who can cook,” I said, watching him flip the eggs. “Nice.”
“I can hold my own. Hope you like your eggs over-easy, ‘cause that’s how I made them.”
“That’s how I like them,” I said, sitting down at the table.
“You want some coffee?”
“No thanks. I’m not much of a coffee drinker,” I answered and then held up the bottle of water. “I’ll just drink the rest of this.”
He grabbed two plates and set them on the counter. “I’ve got orange juice.”
“The water is fine.”
He glanced over his shoulder at me. “You like orange juice?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re drinking it,” he said, filling the plates with food. “After last night, the vitamin ‘C’ will be good for you.”
“Uh, okay.”
He brought the plates over and set one in front of me.
“Wow, this is a lot of food,” I said, staring down at my plate. There were two eggs, a pile of hash browns, along with two pieces of toast and four strips of bacon. “I normally have yogurt or a muffin for breakfast.”
“Explains why you’re so skinny.”
“I’m healthy, though.”
He opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of orange juice. “I’m not saying that you’re not. Just mentioning that you’re skinny.”
It was weird. I wondered if he thought I was too skinny. “Okay.”
Grinning, he poured some of the
orange juice into a glass and then set it down next to my plate.
“Why do you keep grinning?” I asked.
“Why are you so insecure?”
“I’m not insecure,” I said, defensively.
His grin widened.
“What is so damn funny?” I asked again, seeing the amusement in his eyes. “I just… I just don’t get it.”
He sat across from me. “Nothing, really. I just like fucking with you.”
“I can tell.”
Our eyes met.
“You can tell what?”
“That you like fucking with me,” I said.
He got a wicked look in his eyes and I thought he was going to come back with something crude, but then his face grew serious. Clearing his throat, he grabbed the bottle of ketchup and began pouring some of it on his hash browns. “You do realize what happened last night, don’t you?”
“I think so.”
“Tell me.”
I sighed. I’d thought it about it before drifting off to sleep. Nothing else made any sense other than Jason, or one of his friends, must have slipped something into my drink. Some kind of drug. I just didn’t know if I could prove it. “I think that maybe someone drugged me.”
“That guy, Jason?”
“I’m not totally sure. I think it was him, but it could have been one of his friends. They bought us shots and drinks. I don’t know, maybe I’m being silly. Maybe it was something else. Food poisoning. A touch of the flu. I don’t know.”
“How much did you drink?
“One shot. A couple sips of a Rum and Coke.”
“That’s it?”
“Jason bought me a soda. I drank that and then we went out on the dance floor.”
A vein in Trevor’s forehead began to pulsate. He looked pissed. “He bought you the soda. That’s what I wanted to hear. Do you know where to find him?”
“Not really. I mean, we both go to the same college, I.U. but the campus is huge. I’ll probably never see him again.”
“What kind of a car was he driving?”
“I think it was a Camry. Four-door.”
“Color?”
I closed my eyes and thought back. “I think it was dark blue,” I said, opening them back up.
“What about his friends? Is there anything you can tell me about them?”
rtbpdf Page 8
