by Nikki Landis
Something pivotal, something huge and life-altering, happened between us today. We couldn’t go back to yesterday. It would never be that simple again. Part of me was sad to see those two little kids running away never to return and yet part of me was fascinated and exhilarated by Peter’s declaration of love. I was quite swept off my feet. How romantic.
Who knew Peter had that quality?
He held me tight, even as the sun set and the first bright stars appeared in the navy-blue sky. We watched them through the window of the treehouse. Each of us lost in thought, silence stretched and filled the small room. It wasn’t uncomfortable. In the past, it might have been. But tonight, I simply rested in his arms, perfectly content to stay there, with my head over his heart.
Forever.
Chapter 5
The next morning I wondered if it had all been a dream. Seriously. Did that romantic afternoon really happen? Had Peter really told me he loved me? Was it real or just some fantasy conjured in my head because I was lonely and I wanted someone to pay attention to me for more than five minutes at a time?
I showered and dressed, quickly yanking on my favorite dark denim jeans with the rhinestones on the back pockets, and stopping briefly to pet Feefee. After my hair and makeup were finished, I skipped down the stairs, hoping to snag a bowl of cereal before I left for school. Voices from the kitchen made me pause. Who was here so early?
“Pet,” a little voice squealed in delight.
“Hi, little munchkin. Can I have a Cheerio?”
It was Peter. Butterflies flitted around in my belly. I walked into the kitchen and smiled at him nervously as he popped one of Leah’s Cheerios into his mouth.
“No,” she smacked his hand. “Bad Pet.”
He laughed, “May I have one please?”
She picked one up in her little pincer grasp and placed it in his mouth. Peter pretended to munch and crunch loudly, “Yum. Yum.”
She clapped loudly. Then she handed him another one. He made the same sounds.
“Yay!” She clapped again. Leah loved to clap. She did it all the time, but she especially seemed to love Peter and applaud him. Her little feet kicked in the air in the middle of the high chair.
I giggled at her response.
Peter turned his head in my direction and his gaze softened further, “Good morning Rae.”
How was it possible that a simple good morning made my knees so weak? Or conveyed a deeper meaning? “Hi Pet,” I laughed, calling him by Leah’s nickname. She stole it from me, but I always let her think she was the one who made it up.
His face lost the playful smile and quickly turned intense. Intense like a smoldering flow of liquid lava. I gaped at him, pleasantly surprised by his response. How was a flash of heat able to conjure such chills?
He walked slowly over as I backed into the counter. A confident smirk rode his handsome features. Before I could stop him, his hands lifted to the countertop on either side of my waist as he leaned in. His lips dropped to just above my ear, the intimate closeness and heady warmth of his breath blanketing my skin as I held back a shiver.
His voice lowered, husky as he replied, “I’d like to be your pet.”
Holy crap. Did he just say that? Out loud???
Peter had been holding out on me. Who knew such a passionate guy lingered beneath his tough and playful exterior? Who knew Peter was, dare I say, sexy?
His lips dropped to my shoulder where he placed a gentle kiss on my exposed skin, “You look beautiful Rae.”
I did?
“Um, thanks,” I responded, unable to tear my eyes away from his.
He leaned closer, nuzzling my nose with his own, “I’m driving you to school.”
“Ok,” It’s all I had. Seriously. No other words would form. I was totally and pleasantly distracted.
Until I heard another voice.
“Rae!” Step-Vader yelled, “Dammit Rae, where the hell are the keys?”
I cringed. How would I know? Was I his keeper? It’s not like I drove.
Peter’s eyes narrowed. He turned and stood in front of me protectively as Charles – Step-Vader – charged into the room.
“I asked you a question.”
I trembled slightly as Peter grabbed my hand, “I don’t know. I haven’t seen them.”
“Well, shit. Help me look for them,” he glared at Peter. “Now!”
“Fine,” I pouted, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room. It took me twenty minutes to find the keys since they were buried underneath the couch. No doubt he dropped them there at some point after he came home late last night.
“Here,” I handed them over. “I have to go. I’m going to be late for school.”
His eyes narrowed at me, “If you’re late again, you’re going to be grounded.”
Peter leaned against the door frame, “Isn’t that your fault?”
Step-Vader laughed and shook his head, “Move on little Pet.”
We glanced at each other. A muscle in Peter’s jaw twitched with anger. I walked past him and placed a kiss on Leah’s cheek.
“See you later little munchkin.”
She plastered a sloppy wet kiss right on my mouth, “Bye-bye Sissy.”
Peter grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the front door, scooping up my backpack with his other hand. I noticed how stiff his arm felt but I didn’t say anything. He tossed the bag in the car and held the passenger door open for me, all the while glancing back at the front of the house. Once we left the driveway, he cast a thunderous frown in my direction.
“He’s getting worse.”
I knew he was. I had no idea why. He seemed to hate me which was completely confusing. I never did a thing to him. Mom asked me to be nice and I always was. Pretty much.
“He sure lives up to the nickname, doesn’t he?”
Peter worked hard to swallow, his jaw clenching, “It’s not funny Rae. If I wasn’t there he might have done something worse.”
“Since mom started going in earlier to work he finds something to yell at me about almost every day,” I sighed. “I don’t know why.”
He reached for my hand and held it, bringing my fingers up to his lips, “Some people are just mean Rae. Why doesn’t matter.”
I nodded and gazed out the window, my thoughts running rampant in my head. I would be gone in a couple of years and could escape him, but what about my baby sister? Who would protect Leah from his wrath?
My mother married Charles two years ago after a whirlwind romance and a surprise pregnancy. I wasn’t mad at her. I knew she was lonely. For four years she never dated anyone. At first, Charles was really nice, but after they married his demeanor changed. His true colors shone through his fake façade.
For some reason I was often the object of his wrath. His anger never made any sense to me. Why be angry and harsh all the time to people you’re supposed to love and care about? To family?
What could that possibly accomplish?
Peter opened the car door for me at school and immediately tugged me into a fierce hug, “You know I’m always here for you, no matter what time of the day or night. If you fear him, if he comes after you, promise me you’ll call me?” His arms gripped tighter, “I mean it, Rae. Text me. Run to my house if you want. I don’t care. But make sure you find help.”
The urgency and hostility in his voice surprised me. Was he that concerned about my safety?
“I will,” I promised as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
The rest of the day Peter’s eyes followed me. In class. At lunch when he ditched his own classes to sit with our group. Across the hall. Everywhere. I couldn’t tell if he was watching me because he was attracted to me or because he knew I was upset about Step-Vader.
Hayley grinned more than once, wiggling her eyebrows as I stuck my tongue out at her.
“Don’t say a word,” I whispered when Peter was distracted.
“I won’t, for now,” she promised, but her eyes hinted that we would be discussing this at l
ength tonight.
I didn’t doubt it.
Chapter 6
I fought to rein in my anger as my grip tightened on the steering wheel. The entire way to school I was seething, pissed at Step-Vader and his bullshit. Charles was a problem. For weeks the guys had been watching him for me, waiting for Charles to make a move. The tension and stress left me ready to snap. Both Jake and R.J. had taken shifts to share the burden, but I preferred to stay as close to Rae as possible.
Beckett and Shane popped in once or twice to help too. They weren’t prospects or patches to the Ravage Riders MC, but they were close to me and some of my best friends. Jake and R.J. were my brothers and fellow MC prospects. They did all the dirty work I didn’t have time to do. Luckily the RRMC had enough prospects and wasn’t too concerned about me or my guys until we graduated.
We were cut a little slack, and that had entirely everything to do with my father. Rae’s father too.
Being owned by Rafe and the club wasn’t what I wanted for my future, but I would bide my time for now. No sense in starting a bunch of shit until I was ready to handle it. There was little choice in becoming pledged to the RRMC. My blood demanded my allegiance.
That didn’t mean I couldn’t find a way out of it.
For now the biggest threat was Step-Vader, and I was so caught up in protecting Rae that my focus was entirely on her. Nothing was going to screw up my chance to be with her or prevent me from keeping her safe. I promised Rae’s dad, and I hadn’t broken that promise yet.
I was extra attentive at school, watching out for Rae as I always did. No, I didn’t stalk her but I sure as hell protected her from the harsh reality of life and things better left unspoken. My enemies were never far. Not only mine but her father’s too. If I had my way, she’d never know just how close to danger she lived on a daily basis. It was my duty, a deathbed promise to Ron, and I took that shit seriously.
In Providence, there weren’t many options, but you had better make it clear which side you chose. Or it may be chosen for you.
My word was my oath. Men lived by their word . . . and died by it, and their allegiance.
Ron, Rae’s father, certainly had. Mack nearly did too and all for me and Rae. The past was a fucked-up place of revenge, regret, and unresolved issues. None of that shit was getting anywhere close to Rae. Buried in secrets, lies, and the bitterness of loss I held on to the one thing that mattered.
My promise to keep Rae safe, even at the expense of my own life.
My highest priority was her safety.
I wondered off and on all morning if she was still upset about Charles and his cruel behavior. She appeared happy enough, laughing with Hayley and our friends but I still wasn’t sure she was alright. Her normally happy glow was a little dimmed today.
I didn’t like it.
I made it my personal mission to cheer her up, even if I had to resort to leaving the school and taking her somewhere else for the day. I could always sense her moods, even from a distance. She wore her heart and her emotions right on her pretty face, but it was something more. We shared a connection since we were young, one that seemed a bit different than other kids our age. Maybe we were destined to love each other. Or perhaps fate had brought us together for a reason, but the closeness I felt to her was more than simple friendship or a new relationship.
Rae and I have been able to sense each other as long as I can remember. We used to play a little game where she would reach out to me with nothing more than her thoughts and feelings and see if I could perceive her pull reaching toward me.
I could.
Every single time.
And when we reversed the process . . . she could always feel the same sensations from me.
Because of that Rae and I grew close when we were young and spent a lot of time together. Our dads noticed the deep connection and encouraged it, but I was never sure if they understood how strange and out of the ordinary these moments with Rae and I always seemed to be.
This was the reason I knew how she was feeling, even when she could fool everyone else.
At lunch, I pulled her outside and sat next to one of the large redwood trees that graced the northern California school grounds and populated the area. Providence was a city in Northern Cali surrounded by redwood trees, picturesque mountains, and the scenic Pacific coast. Surrounded by the beauty of clear blue sky and the consistent light breeze we ate and talked as the rest of the gang arrived, sitting on the grass and lounging in the early afternoon sunshine.
My thoughts were centered on Rae. I was wondering about something. In the treehouse she never really answered my question about flirting with me all year. My curiosity grew, and I couldn’t resist trying to find out the truth.
“Tell me something,” I asked, wanting to continue the easy familiarity that accompanied the last twenty-four hours. “Did you really never flirt with me? Or even want to try?”
She blushed, and I knew I had her the moment I saw her pink cheeks. Rae could never lie. She stammered under my scrutiny, “I, uh . . . maybe once or twice?”
I laughed lightly, grazing my nose across the surface of her flushed cheek as I leaned in, “Maybe?” I whispered seductively. “Just maybe?”
“Peter,” she gasped, breathless. “You know it was more than once or twice.”
My low laugh caused her to shiver as I dropped another inch closer, “I know love. I just wanted to hear you admit it.”
She smacked me lightly on the arm and shook her head, “You keep distracting me.”
“From?”
My lips trailed down the side of her slender neck, pressing tiny kisses against her smooth, creamy skin as I continued my deliberate flirtation, determined to make Rae want me as badly as I craved and desired her. My hand rested on her hip as I tugged her a little closer.
“Pet,” she half moaned using my nickname, and I growled low in triumph. “You make me dizzy.”
“Only because you want me as much as I want you,” I murmured, waiting for her denial.
It never came.
“Kiss me,” she begged, her breath quickening. “Kiss me like you mean it, Pete.”
On school grounds, with most of our friends only feet away, I was taking a risk but I didn’t care. Correction, I really didn’t give a shit at all. My lips crashed down on hers passionately, demanding her response, and she gave it willingly as her fingers grasped the back of my neck, pulling me closer. I lost myself in her warmth and forgot where we were until R.J. cleared his throat and Hayley giggled.
“Dude, the bell rang.”
Rae and I separated instantly, but I held her against my chest as she blushed, “I’m sure it did.”
R.J. huffed off and shook his head as I pulled Rae to her feet, my arm sliding across her shoulders.
“Walking me to class?” she asked, smirking.
“Be right there. Wait for me? Over by the snack machine?”
She glanced at me questioningly but nodded, her arm looping through Hay’s as they walked away. My attention focused on Jake who ticked his head toward the fence and the group of guys lingering against the chain links. Jake followed as I sauntered closer, my eyes locked on my nemesis.
Striker’s son, the MC Pres of our rival Satan’s Outlaws, was a huge pain in my ass. Not to mention the fact that he was a dick. I drew one on his forehead once in middle school when he fell asleep in class with a black permanent marker. Didn’t help the lack of friendship we had for each other, but I sure laughed my ass off along with half the school.
He had it coming.
“Bryce,” I replied coolly. “Feel the need to scent the area with your piss like the dog you are?”
Bryce sneered, pulling the skin by his mouth upward toward the right, and stretching the long puffy scar that ran jagged across the left side of his face from temple to chin, “Slumming it. Looking for your girl, I’d sure like to tap that ass. Maybe she’ll want a real cock to stuff that tight pussy.” He made a motion like he was doing her doggy and grabbin
g her hips with his rough hands.
Deep breath. One. Two. Three . . .
I rolled my shoulders and exhaled slowly, cool as a cucumber. Losing my shit right now would help no one, but I could have a little fun, especially at his expense, “When are you gonna change that pussy ass name Bryce?”
Jake laughed next to me. Beckett and Shane snickered, hanging back a little in case I needed them.
Several guys held Bryce back as he snarled, “Where’s the slut off to? Doesn’t she need your protection?”
I smiled calmly, my body relaxing even as I fought the urge to reach through the chain links and choke the fucker. “I don’t think she’s your concern,” I drawled, ticking my head toward the line of bikes parked along the curb. “What I’d be concerned about is how I was going to pay all of those tickets.”
Bryce swung his head in time to see the sheriff posting parking tickets on all the bikes and smiling a cheesy grin.
“What the fuck man?” he screeched, but the sheriff gave no indication that he heard, whistling as he walked toward his cruiser parked across the street.
“Looks like you were in the wrong place at the right time,” I quipped, laughing at Bryce’s sudden anger. “I’d leave the area if I were you.”
Bryce grabbed the fence and shook the chain links, rattling the metal against the solid poles, “This conversation isn’t over Edge.”
Edge.
Fucking Rafe and his nicknames.
I waited until I knew Bryce and his brothers were gone before rushing to find Rae. I reached her right as the bell rang, hoping she didn’t ask too many questions, “Sorry honey looks like we’re late to class.”
She frowned, biting her lower lip which was her only indication she was irritated, “What took you so long?”
I leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead, “Nothing baby, I had to talk to Jake about something.”
