“Where are you going?” I jump when I hear Gavin’s voice. He’s once again dressed in practically the same clothes, only he has on a white t-shirt instead of his normal black one. “I was just getting some water.” His eyes dangerously take me in. I can feel him undressing me with a hungry look and it completely unnerves me. “You dressed up for water?”
I’m dressed up compared to what I wear to school every day, but I’m by no means dressed up. “I’m going out in a little while.”
Gavin’s eyes snap to mine. “Out?”
He thinks I’m a liar, so why does he care what I do? “Yeah, out. The opposite of in.” I grab my water and start heading back up toward my room where I can wait for Alyssa alone, but Gavin is one step behind me.
“Why are you living here?” I’m surprised at his sudden straightforward approach. His question didn’t seem harsh, just to the point.
“I just transferred to Berkeley and Leeta invited me to stay with her.”
Gavin holds my eyes for several beats. “You don’t find that odd? A woman you hardly know invites you to live with her?” Where Gavin and Leeta are concerned I feel like I’m caught in a strange game of tug-of-war and I want nothing to do with it.
“Leeta’s nice and she also happens to be a family friend.” Gavin slowly shakes his head.
“Leeta is only nice when she wants something. Believe me, I have years of dealing with her firsthand.”
“Trust me, I’ll be fine,” I say with a nervous laugh.
“If you keep your eyes open where she’s concerned then sooner or later you’ll see the truth. Leeta is trouble and not the fun kind of trouble.”
Where I come from trouble is just plain trouble, but I’m already sensing Gavin has a brand of trouble that could be exciting. To the right girl, that is.
I take a deep breath as I look into his eyes, where I once again find him closely watching me. I feel more flutters in my stomach as my body starts to heat under his intense stare. Whatever strange spell we seem to be under is broken when I hear my cell phone ring with a text. I grab it and see a message from Alyssa that says she is out front waiting on me.
“I gotta go. My friend is here,” I say with a shaky voice.
To my surprise, Gavin licks his lips and gives me a sinister smile. “I’ll see you later. Enjoy your evening.” I suck in a breath, beyond confused by his strange behavior. Does he hate me? Or no...don’t even go there.
****
I didn’t make it home. I ended up crashed at Alyssa’s place. We went out for dinner but we never made it to the movies. Instead, Alyssa ran into a bunch of people she knew from high school and the two of us ended up at some party where Alyssa drank herself stupid.
With help from her friends, I somehow got her home safely. I didn’t have my car but I could have taken a cab home if I really wanted to, but I didn’t. I stayed with Alyssa to ensure she was okay, or at least that’s what I kept telling myself.
When I finally make it back to Leeta’s, it’s early afternoon. I thought I was going to successfully make it to my room without seeing anyone, but Gavin is once again in the same bedroom I saw him in a few days ago. He left the door wide open and hops up the second he spots me.
“Where have you been?” he snaps, causing me to stop and turn in his direction.
“Out.” His eyes turn sharp.
“Oh, that’s right. We already covered that. You were going out.”
He crosses his huge arms over his chest as he continues to stare at me like I did something wrong. I would be annoyed if Leeta gave me a hard time for not coming home without calling but I could at least understand where her concern is coming from. Gavin, however, is a completely different story.
“What is your deal?” I say pursing my lips. Gorgeous or not, I’m done with Gavin acting like an asshole.
He must see the fury in my features because he quickly changes his tune. “I’m sorry. I hate this house and Leeta, it brings out the worst in me.”
“So leave. I mean, wait...how old are you?” There’s no way this beautiful man isn’t well over eighteen, but this is California and everyone here seems to age well.
He laughs before giving an honest and almost breath taking smile. “I’m twenty-four. And I have my own money. I’m here because right now...this is where I need to be.”
I feel like he’s talking in riddles, and it annoys me. I eye him one more time and instead of asking him anything else I turn and start heading toward my room.
“Hey,” I hear him holler out only a few steps behind me.
“Do you...I don’t know, maybe want to get some lunch or maybe even dinner later...with me?”
My eyes widen at his question. A question I wasn’t expecting. “Um, sure?”
Gavin takes a step toward me, his eyes focused on mine. “Good. Then be ready in three hours.” I take a step back to put a little more distance between us because I’m suddenly wondering if being alone with him is such a great idea. But I’m drawn to him enough that I’m not about to back out now.
When I returned to my room, I put on my running gear and hit the streets. During my run I kept thinking about Gavin and the fact that he asked me to have dinner with him. I’m excited but I’m also nervous. I have no idea what his thoughts are regarding me, but I’m hoping to find out.
After an hour of running, I give up and go home. Gavin asked me to share a meal with him, he didn’t necessarily ask me out on a date, but either way I’m not about to go anywhere with Gavin Loman unless I look decent.
When I’m finally ready to go, I head over to Gavin’s room but the door is shut. I knock a few times, but he never opens the door. I head down the stairs hoping to find him in the kitchen but I stop when I hear a voice coming from the office Leeta uses.
“I said I’d take care of it.” Leeta is talking but once again the door is shut enough that I can’t tell if she’s on the phone or talking to someone in the room with her, so I silently wait. “Don’t cross me. I’ll make sure you regret it,” she sneers. My heart sinks. Leeta must be really upset because I’ve never heard her use such a harsh tone before, not even when she was talking to Gavin. Her voice rises, but I decide it’s best to get out of here before she finds me listening to her conversation. I turn around and walk straight into a wall of solid male.
“Oh. My. God,” I nervously ramble out as Gavin puts his hands on my arms to keep me from falling over. His grip is tight but once I appear steady he removes them and steps away.
“You ready to go?”
I was expecting him to call me out on listening to Leeta’s conversation. Thankfully, he didn’t.
“Um, yeah. I’m ready.”
His eyes flicker toward the cracked door then back to me. “Then let’s go.”
Gavin takes me to a locally owned bar and grill where every worker appears to know him by his first name. We finally make it to a table after being stopped ten times. “What’s good here?”
“Everything.” I roll my eyes and sigh at his comment. “I mean it. Everything I’ve eaten here is great. That’s why I brought you here.”
My stomach flutters. He put thought into the place he picked tonight. That’s something a date would do, right?
With that thought, my nerves kick up, but Gavin remains cool and collected. After we order, I take a good long look at Gavin, who suddenly appears serious. His eyes soften and his smile disappears.
“I’m sorry to hear about your parents.” His eyes remain on mine while he waits for a reply. I usually avoid talking about my parents because talking typically leads to crying, but I’d like to get to know Gavin better. If I answer his questions then maybe he’ll answer a few of my own.
“Thanks. I’ve come to terms with my mom being gone, but I keep waiting for my dad to call me from some trip he’s on.” I rush out my response as a softer, almost sad smile replaces the easy going one Gavin had moments ago.
“That sucks. I remember meeting your dad but I don’t really remember him. Your mom...wel
l, I only met her once but that was enough to know she was an amazing woman.”
I look down at my lap while I push back the tears, because my mom was the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. “She was. Every single day of my life she made me feel special.”
When I look back up at him, I’m startled at the intense look he’s giving me. “That’s because you are special.” I’m already shaking my head to disagree.
“Nah. I have unique colored eyes. That doesn’t make me any more special than anyone else.”
“No, it’s not your eyes. It’s you.” His remark comes seconds after mine, and for the first time in my life I wonder if I’ve met a guy who see’s past my outside layer.
I chew on my lip for a moment, thinking of what I should say but the waiter interrupts with our dinner. While we’re eating, we talk about easier topics like school, my new friends and how I ended up at The Hill, but we take another serious turn when Gavin brings up Leeta.
“Why are you living with her, and don’t give me that same bullshit answer you gave me last time.”
My nerves are back on display. I still don’t know why these two hate each other, but I know I don’t want to add to the problem.
“She came to my father’s funeral. We ended up talking for a while afterward and she told me my dad would love to see me graduate from Berkley. She just happens to have a huge home near campus that I could stay in for free. I don’t really remember your parents, either, but I know my dad really cared about your dad, and deep down I know she’s right. My dad would love it if I got a degree from Berkley. So, here I am.”
Gavin takes a deep breath and appears to be thinking about something. “I have no idea what game Leeta is playing, but I know she didn’t invite you to live with her out of the kindness of her heart because Leeta doesn’t know how to be kind. I’m not sure if she even has a heart. No,” he says, shaking his head, “she’s working an angle. Give me time and I’ll figure out what she’s up to. In the meantime, don’t trust anything she says or does. And if you can, try to avoid her whenever possible.”
Gavin’s opinion of Leeta is very different from the one I have. I wonder if he’s not capable of seeing past his own anger, or maybe the two of them enjoy fighting with each other.
“She’s evil through and through. I don’t know what her game is where you’re concerned but I’m sure she’s playing you. She’s probably looking for money.” He starts nodding his head like he’s suddenly positive she’s out for some payday.
A fake laugh escapes my lips. “If that’s true then the joke is on her. I won’t have access to my trust until I’m twenty-five or I graduate college, which won’t be for at least another two years. Right now, I’m using a savings account my dad set up to pay for school and to live off of but I’m sure in Leeta’s world it’s not much to get excited over.”
Gavin chews on his lip and watches me closely like he wants to say more but instead he adds, “Where Leeta is concerned...be...careful.” He opens his mouth to say something else but is interrupted when his cellphone rings. When he pulls it out of his pocket, he sighs at whatever the caller ID says. “Yeah?” Gavin pauses while he listens to whoever called him. “Nah. I told you earlier, not tonight.” His eyes snap to mine. “Fuck, are you serious? Okay. Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Gavin puts his phone away and groans before looking back across the table at me. He’s watching me closely, searching for something. “I need to get to The Hill. Kiran scheduled a fight tonight between two fighters who have been talking trash on each other. I told him earlier I was busy but he doesn’t listen worth a shit. Now I need to get my ass down there in case something happens.”
“Oh, that’s right. Kiran runs that place.” Gavin’s eyes flare as he squares his shoulders.
“The Hill...it’s mine. I own it. Kiran is my go between guy, that’s why I need to be there.”
I’m not completely shocked by his claim. Gavin oozes bad boy in everything he does. “You own an underground fight club?”
“No, I do not own a fight club. I own a building in east Oakland that people around here call The Hill. Guys who are looking to fight, off the record, challenge each other and set up a time with either Kiran or me.”
I’m a little disappointed in Gavin. That speech was rehearsed down to a fine point to avoid admitting to any wrongdoing on his part. I thought we made progress during our dinner, enough that he would know I wasn’t looking to set him up, but clearly that’s not the case.
“I can take a cab back to Leeta’s so you can get going.”
Gavin grabs my hand and locks our fingers together, ignoring my comment about taking a cab, and walks me out to the passenger side door of his Mustang GT. He opens my door for me and I settle in. Seconds later Gavin is driving even further away from the Lomans’ house.
“I thought you were taking me home?”
“You thought wrong then. The Hill can be dangerous for a single female roaming around by herself but you’ll be with me. If I take you home I’ll worry all evening about you being there alone with Leeta.” I still find it strange how Gavin never calls Leeta mom. I guess that only spot lights the dysfunctional relationship the two of them share.
When we arrive to the area that Noah parked in last week, Gavin pulls right up in front of the building almost like he owns the place and I guess that’s because he does. “Stay close. I don’t know much about either of these fighters but Kiran is friends with one of them and has assured me they’re fine, but I still have no idea what type of crowd they’ll draw.”
Gavin grabs ahold of my hand again and walks us through a few halls until we’re down on the main level. I now know why Noah insisted we stay up at the top. There are guys everywhere, most of them big and fairly scary looking surrounding the make shift ring the fighters are about to use. The females range from slutty to equally scary looking, and none of them appear happy to see Gavin holding my hand.
“Did you not hear me say no earlier?” Kiran turns around when he hears Gavin practically yell at him.
“Yeah, dude, I did. But Stephen is only in town for the weekend, and he’s been dying to get a piece of this dude. When did we start scheduling fighting around your hook ups?” My eyes narrow at his rude remark, but Gavin lets go of my hand and puts his on Kiran’s shirt, yanking him toward him.
“I suggest you shut your fucking mouth.”
I’m certain Kiran was only joking, but Gavin definitely wasn’t. “Okay, chill the fuck out man. I owe Stephen and I knew he’d pull the numbers, so I went over you. It won’t happen again.”
His shoulder’s slightly relax but otherwise doesn’t say another word to Kiran who walks over and starts announcing the fighters. Like the last time I was here the fighters look rough and down for anything.
In the very corner there are two chairs, where Gavin and I take a seat. Seconds later, the two guys are going at each other. Other than last weekend, I’d never seen a fight before. The room is warm causing my body temperature to rise while I can feel the acid in my stomach starting to build. I nervously swallow and try to look away when the guy Kiran announced as Stephen pulls the other fighter by his dreads and slams his face into the metal corner post of the ring.
“Why again are there no rules?” I blurt out as I tuck my face into Gavin’s chest. Shit, that had to freaking hurt.
Gavin chuckles. “There are a few rules. The main one is you can’t bring anything into the ring with you, but this is more cutthroat fighting than that crap you’ll see on TV. If someone talks shit on you, this is where you can finally force them to put up or shut up.”
Before I bring my face back up to look toward the ring, Kiran is already announcing Stephen as the official winner. When I glance into the ring, my mouth drops open at the site of the other guy lying on the ring floor covered in blood.
“Follow me. I’m going to go help Kiran do the pay out so we can shut this down and get everyone the fuck out of here.”
“Okay.” Gavin smiles down at me an
d I see the amusement in his eyes. That’s when I notice that I’m still wrapped around his waist. “Oh. Sorry,” I mumble as I let go of him.
“Don’t be sorry.” His smile is easy as he turns and starts pushing his way through the crowd. I’m doing my best to stay behind him until an attractive looking woman tugs on my arm.
“Have you met Carly yet?” she asks with a smirk on her face.
I glance around to be sure she’s talking to me. “Carly who?” Instead of answering me, she gives me a wicked smile and walks away. I chalk up her comment to Carly being an old girlfriend of Gavin’s and she’s probably a friend of the girl who approached me. Whatever. I’m not about to play games with catty women.
The amount of people who crammed in here tonight is finally starting to thin out when I spot Gavin talking to Kiran. When Gavin notices that I’m not next to him, his eyes narrow and he waves for me to come to him. I take a few steps in his direction when a big, beefy man stops in front of me.
“What’s your name, honey?” he purrs out while grinning at me.
I hesitate for a second. Lie or tell the truth? “Kate.” Lying bothered Gavin before so I decide to be honest this time.
“Well, Kate, how about we get out of here together.”
I start shaking my head no as beefy man grabs my hand and starts pulling me further away from Gavin. I start to panic, wondering if I were to scream if Gavin, or anyone for that matter, would hear me when Gavin appears out of nowhere and throws the guy up against the wall. “She’s off limits, asshole.” Beefy guy was ready to fight back until he saw who had him pinned against the wall.
“Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t know she was yours. Kate didn’t say anything.”
Gavin’s eyes quickly glance over at me then he looks back at Beefy. “She’s mine, and if you touch her again, you’ll be breathing through a straw afterwards.”
The guy is nodding his head in agreement. The second Gavin lets him go, he takes off toward the hallway I used when I came with Noah and Gabby.
Beneath The Lies Page 4
