“I was about to push him away –”
“But you didn’t.”
“Jesus! Why are you so jealous?”
“Jealousy is envy of others’ possessions. I’m protecting what’s mine.”
He grabs my wrist and spins me around to face him. There’s fury in his eyes, but my eyes aren’t focusing on that. His hair is combed, he’s freshly shaved, and he’s wearing slacks and a white, long-sleeved dress shirt. Baby, teenaged, and adult Jesus.
“Fuck…you look…” What’s the word to use? Damn. “...yummy.”
I slide my fingers down his chest and feel his body relax. He wraps his arm around my waist, pulls me against him, and crushes my lips beneath his. He picks me up and takes me to his desk as his tongue unleashes a tornado of sensations on my body. I wrap my legs around him, pulling him to me, moaning as his hard dick connects with my pussy. One hand squeezes my thigh while the other fists in my hair. He trails kisses down my neck, lightly sucking at the base.
“Oh, God. I need you, Gage.”
He sinks his teeth into my shoulder with a growl. “Who do you belong to?”
“You! I’m yours.”
“Never forget it.”
He plunders my mouth once more, and I whimper helplessly. I reach down and he groans as I run my fingers down his bulge. I grip it and for a second wonder how I’m going to manage all of it. The next second, I desperately want to find out. I tug at his belt, but he steps out of my reach. He drags his hand over his face and turns his back to me. Once again, he’s shot me down.
“You know what? I’m done,” I state resolutely.
He spins around, forehead scrunched in confusion.
“The fuck does that mean?”
“It means I’m not begging anymore. From now on, I decide if or when we have sex.”
“If?”
“Yes…if. Pretty soon, you’ll be the one begging me.”
His lips curl up in amusement and he places his hands on his hips.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Mr. Hunter. Exactly so.”
He steps closer, and I try my best to look disinterested. I hope I’m succeeding.
“There are no ifs, buts or maybes, Miss Alvarez. When the clock strikes midnight on your birthday, I will be inside you.”
Fuck. “We’ll see about that.”
“Yes, we will. Have you been taking your pills?”
“No.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Next week. Dr. E said it becomes effective immediately if I start on the first day of my period.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Are we all done here? I’d like to get back to celebrating my best friend’s birthday.”
I hop off the desk and pull my dress down back to where it sat, just above mid-thigh.
“Fine. But I’m watching you.”
“Great. I’ll make sure to twerk a little harder just for you.”
“Don’t make me come down there,” he warns.
I turn to him with a smirk when I get to the door. “Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, papi.”
I grab my clutch and close the door behind me, deciding to make this as painful for him as possible. No more whimpering female. It’s time to turn the tables on the prez.
CHAPTER 8
***Gage***
I take a drink of my beer and impatiently tap my fingers on the bar. I’ve been so antsy these past few days, and I can only attribute it to the fact that I haven’t seen Raven all week. She’s been avoiding me, making all kinds of excuses why we can’t meet up. I know it’s all a part of her plan to make me beg. Fuck if it ain’t working. A ruckus from the boys draws my attention, and I look to the door to see Ellen walking in.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Excuse me, big brother, but I grew up here, too.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. You know you’re always welcome. Where’s Mikey?”
“With a sitter.”
“What sitter?”
“Jeez…I swear you’re worse than Daddy. He’s with Raven. Stop worrying.”
At least I know where she is now. Jesus. I’m like a crack fiend. I need to see her. I slip away quietly and ride out. The closer I get to Ellen’s, the better I feel. This isn’t me. Maybe I do need some time away from her. She’s sucking me in deeper and deeper, and I haven’t even fucked her yet. I should turn around, go back to the club. I should. So why am I pulling into Ellen’s driveway?
I let myself in and find her curled up on the couch with Mikey, watching cartoons. They haven’t noticed me yet, so I take advantage of the opportunity and watch them. She seems so comfortable with him. He’s asking a million questions, and she answers each one with patience and enthusiasm. She’d be a great mother. I make my presence known and she stares at me, surprised.
“Unca!”
Mikey runs to me and I pick him up as I walk to the couch. “Hey, buddy. What you doing?”
“Cartoon.”
The word comes out sounding like “cawtoon”.
“Yeah? Can I watch with you?”
“Yes! Watch cartoon.”
I sit next to Raven and she folds her hands in her lap, keeping her eyes on the TV.
“Hello, Raven.”
“Hello.”
“Unca, I like Waben,” Mikey whispers.
“Yeah? I don’t blame you, little guy.”
He sticks his thumb in his mouth and gives the TV his attention.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” I confront her.
“I haven’t. I’ve just been busy.”
“Is that why you can’t look at me?”
“Of course not. I’m watching TV.”
“If you say so.”
We sit quietly for a while. I watch the images on the screen, not really paying attention. My entire being is attuned to her; I can’t focus on anything else. She finally turns her head but not to look at me.
“He’s asleep. You should go put him down,” she says.
I take him upstairs and gently place him in his crib then turn on the baby monitor. He looks so much like Eddie. It’s all my fault that he’ll grow up without his father. His is the only death I’ve ever felt guilty about. Mikey may not have his father, but I’ll be damned if I won’t be the strong, male role model he’ll need. I kiss his forehead and head downstairs. I find Raven in the kitchen with a bottle of Advil.
“Are you sick?”
“¡Dios! Why do you keep sneaking up on me?”
“Answer me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then why are you taking pain pills?”
“Honestly, Gage…there are things that a woman just doesn’t need to explain.”
“Is it your period?”
“That is one of them.”
She walks past me, and I follow her back to the living room. She picks up the remote and starts flipping through the channels.
“When did it start?”
She mumbles in Spanish but doesn’t answer my question. “Well?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“You’re my business.”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Trust me, doll. In a few months, I’ll know your cycle better than you do.”
“I doubt that.”
“Every man dreads that one week where he can’t get no pussy.”
“That’s what this is about? You want to mark the week when you can’t get any sex?”
“Yup.”
I bring up the calendar on my phone and wait, but she’s still not forthcoming with the information.
“Fine. Let me put it this way. When did you start taking the pills?”
She sighs and shakes her head in resignation. “Tuesday.”
“Good.” I put the phone away and pull her to me. “Now, come here.”
She lays her head on my chest and her hand on my stomach, taking a deep breath. My soul settles. This is just what I needed.
“I mis
sed you,” she whispers.
“Were you trying to make me miss you?”
“Did you?”
“I missed you in my bed.”
“That’s not what I asked you.”
She runs her fingers along the patches on my cut. Another first. No woman has ever been allowed to touch my cut. The mere fact that I can allow and do all these things with her without even thinking about it confuses me a little. I’m in unchartered territory here. This whole thing is going to be a challenge but not one I’m going to back away from.
“Yeah, doll. I missed you.”
***
A tap on my shoulder wakes me up and I open my eyes to Ellen’s confounded ones. She jerks her head toward the kitchen and storms off. I carefully untangle myself from Raven and settle her into the couch, then head to the next room to face my sister.
“What the fuck are you doing?” She whisper-shouts.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? She’s seventeen years old!”
“I know that.”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“We were watching TV…fell asleep. That’s all.”
“Don’t feed me that bullshit.”
I take a deep breath and pull her to the breakfast table. “Sit,” I say as I take the chair next to her. “You’re gonna find out soon anyways, so I guess you should hear it from me.”
“Oh, God.”
“I swear nothing’s happened. But in a few weeks, she’ll be eighteen, and we’re going to start seeing each other.”
“Seeing each other?” She raises her brows in curiosity.
“Dating…if that’s what you wanna call it.”
She leans back and regards me carefully. I can see the wheels turning in her head and puzzle pieces clicking into place. Finally, she smirks.
“You’re falling for her.”
“What? No. I like her, I’ll admit, but that’s it.”
“Mmhmm.” She’s not convinced and frankly, neither am I. “How much longer?”
“A month.”
“Be careful, Gage. I don’t want to see you in prison over this.”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Don’t worry. And don’t say anything to anyone.”
“Goes without saying.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m going to check on Mikey.” She looks down at the watch on her wrist. “Take her home. And pay her…sixty dollars.”
“Okay.”
She’s still asleep on the couch. I kneel in front of her, then trail my fingers down her cheek and whisper her name. Her eyes flutter open, and she smiles up at me.
“Wake up, doll.”
“Shit. I can’t believe I fell asleep,” she says while sitting up.
“Come on. I’m taking you home.”
“Ellen’s back?”
“She’s upstairs with Mikey.”
I pull her up and she staggers, grabbing my arm. “You good?”
“Yeah…just still waking up.”
“Here.”
I hand her the money and she shoves it into her pocket then sags against me. “I got the bike so you gotta wake up, doll.”
She grumbles incoherently, and I realize that I’ll either have to carry her or we walk to her house. I tuck her under my arm and we make our way outside and up the street. By the time we get to her door, she’s fully awake. She buries her face in my chest and groans. Her hands slide under my cut and up my back, then she drags her nails over my T-shirt.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ugh. What’s not wrong? I’m horny and frustrated and I want you and I’m on my period. Pick one.”
“We’re on the home stretch now, babe. Not much longer.”
“God, I love how you smell. I just wanna eat you up.”
She reaches for my crotch and I pull away, taking a few steps back. “Whoa.”
“You should let me.”
“Let you what?”
She moves toward me, biting into her bottom lip. Jesus. Why does she have to be so tempting?
“Eat you up.”
“Fuck, Raven. Don’t talk like that.”
“Why not? It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”
Rage overtakes me. Just thinking about it makes me want to kill someone. “The fuck, Raven? Who the fuck had their dick in your mouth? Was it the boy?”
“No, it wasn’t Chris. My ex back home.”
“That’s what you meant when you said you’ve done things? Did he touch you?”
“No. It was a compromise. He was ready for sex, I wasn’t. He got tired of hand jobs.”
“I’m gonna fucking kill him.”
He’s dead. That motherfucker better start picking out caskets. Never mind caskets; there won’t be anything left of him to bury when I’m done with him.
She pats my chest then takes the sides of my cut in her hands.
“You don’t talk like that.”
“Why not? I’m serious.”
“That’s just it. Coming from anyone else, it might sound like an empty threat…but not you.”
“What do you expect? I have to live with the thought of you sucking some other dude’s dick.”
“Forget about it. I have. I can’t even remember what it looks like…just that he was nowhere near your size.”
Her eyes twinkle with mischief and just like that, she levels me out. “Not many men are,” I say.
“I’ll take your word for it, monster dick.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“I liked it, you know…seeing his face while I was doing it. I can’t wait to see yours.”
She leans into me, and I have to take deep breaths to calm my body. All I can see is her on her knees with her lips wrapped around my dick.
“You gonna come in my mouth, Gage? You want me to swallow?” She asks in a low, gravelly voice.
Jesus Christ. I think I can hear my balls turning blue. “Raven –”
She winks, stands on her toes, and gives me a quick peck on the lips.
“I’m going to get some sleep. Call me tomorrow?”
“Yeah, babe.”
“Dream about me.”
“You dream about me,” I tell her.
“Always.”
CHAPTER 9
***Raven***
I see him before he walks into the diner. Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself to face him. It’s time to put three years of drama club to use. I square my shoulders but go back to wiping down the counter. The chimes on the door jingle, and I smile up at him.
“Hi. Welcome to Millie’s. Just sit where you like, and I’ll be right with you,” I issue my standard greeting.
He removes his hat and takes the stool in front of me. He looks tired. The kind of tired that comes from having a stressful job. He’s probably in his thirties but looks much older. His eyes are a beautiful shade of brown, but are heavy with years of seeing too much shit. His brown hair is parted to the side and neatly combed. I can tell he works out a lot because his arms fill out his shirt very nicely.
“Okay…counter it is. What can I get you?”
“Coffee.”
“Regular or decaf?”
“Regular.”
“Coming right up.”
As I’m pouring his coffee, he introduces himself. “Sheriff Adrian Renley. I’d like to ask you some questions, Miss Alvarez.”
“Um…okay.”
I need to play it cool. I have to find a balance between not knowing anything and knowing too much. He’s here, which means he thinks I know something.
“Are you acquainted with Mr. Gage Hunter?”
“I know him. Why?”
“How do you know him?”
“I met him through my sister. Again…why?”
“There was an incident on September thirteenth. Witnesses reported a car being chased and shot at by two men on motorcycles.”
“Yeah, I heard about that. Have
you caught those guys?”
“Working on it. Witnesses from Chiquita’s say the two of you had a heated argument that night.”
“I wouldn’t call it that.”
“What would you call it?”
“A conversation.”
Millie walks up and places her arm around my shoulder protectively. “Sheriff, what’s going on here?”
“Just asking some questions.”
“Well, since Raven is a minor, you won’t mind me sticking around.”
“Of course not.”
Throughout the entire exchange so far, his expression has not changed. Not even a twitch. He has one hell of a poker face because I can’t tell what he’s thinking. He nods to Millie then turns back to me.
“What did you talk about?”
I look to Millie in mock confusion and back to Renley. “What’s this about? I know it’s not illegal to talk to people.”
“It isn’t…but I know it was him those bikers were after. And I believe you were with him.”
“Why would I have been with him?”
“You were seen leaving Chiquita’s together.”
“We went out back, talked, and then went our separate ways.”
Finally, I get an expression from him. He raises an eyebrow.
“Really now?”
“Yes…really.”
“You’re protecting him. I don’t know why or who you think he is, but let me enlighten you.”
He opens a file folder I hadn’t even noticed before and pulls out some pictures. He lays one on the counter and I look down at it. It’s a gorgeous girl with the most intense green eyes I’ve ever seen. Glossy brown hair, and lips women pay a fortune for.
“What the hell are you doing, Renley?”
Millie’s voice drags my attention away from the picture. She looks like she’s about to rip the man’s head off, but he ignores her.
“That’s Janet Presley,” Renley says, pointing to the picture.
I try not to react to the name, but I think he caught wind of the fact that I’ve heard it before.
“Well…before Hunter got to her.”
He slaps down four other photos and I gasp in shock. Each one is of Janet but documenting different injuries. The one of her face shows her eyes black and blue and swollen shut. As a matter of fact, her whole face is swollen and covered in cuts and bruises, her lips split. There are choke marks around her neck. The others show her arm in a cast and horrible bruises on her ribs and stomach.
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