I’m more than ready to come but I want to take her with me. So I keep thrusting until I feel her muscles clench around me and I know she’s ready.
I make a few more hard thrusts and Gracie grabs my neck. On the final thrust that sends us both flying, I pull her as close as I can and she cries out.
It takes a few moments but once my mind rejoins my body, everything is quiet and calm. Almost peaceful.
I can’t remember a time that I’ve felt so relaxed and at ease.
I never want this moment to end.
But I can feel myself start to contract and I know we’re going to make a mess of the sheets very shortly.
“I’d better get cleaned up.”
Gracie shakes her head. “I don’t want you to go. I want to fall asleep with you inside me.”
“But it’ll be kind of messy.”
“I’ll wash the sheets. I just don’t want you to move.”
“Are you sure?” I have to admit, the idea of staying connected to Gracie is appealing.
“Very,” she says.
I’m not one to argue with a woman who knows what she wants.
The two of us fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, sticky from our love making, but blissfully content.
***
I try to blink the sun away but as I wipe the sleep from my eyes, I realize it’s daylight. With Gracie in my bed, I’ve had another night of the best sleep I’ve had in years. I let out a big yawn. It takes me a few seconds to realize Gracie is already up and dressed.
“What are you doing?” I can feel my heart start to race and it escalates to near panic. “Are you leaving?”
When Gracie turns to face me, she’s smiling. It’s not what I expect. “Shane asked me to have lunch with him today, remember?”
“What time is it?” I ask as I glance over at the clock on my dresser.
“It’s almost eleven.”
“What?” I nearly jump out of the bed.
“That was some workout last night,” she teases.
“How did I sleep so long? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I like watching you sleep. It’s one of the only times you look truly at peace.”
I shake my head. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d have seen me before.”
“Before what?”
“Before you.”
She laughs. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to spend the afternoon with my brother. We don’t have to be to work until three. It’s been so long. I feel like I don’t even know my Shane. And I’d like to.”
Sometimes I feel like I don’t know my brothers too well either. But still, I can’t imagine what it would be like not see them for as long as Gracie hasn’t seen her brother.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” A big part of me doesn’t want to let Gracie out of my sight. Even with Dex in jail, I still want to be able to protect her. How can I protect her if she’s not here?
She puts her hand on my arm and it immediately calms my fraying nerves. “You can’t watch me all day every day, Tucker. It’s not reasonable and it’s not fair to you. You suggested I take GED classes. You can’t sit in the classes with me all day. And when’s the last time you went to the gym to lift weights?”
I take in a deep breath and exhale. I know she’s right but I still don’t want to let her go. I can’t get over the feeling that she won’t be safe if I’m not there to protect her.
“Promise me that you won’t go anywhere without Shane. I want him to walk you to work this afternoon. And if he can’t, call me. Okay?”
“Shane’s shop is right down the street from Haymakers. It’s like a three-minute walk.”
I glare at her. “Promise me. It’s important. Please don’t walk by yourself.”
She heaves a sigh. “Fine. I promise.”
We look at each for a moment then Gracie inches toward me. When she places her small hand on my chest, it’s like something that was missing has finally been returned.
“It’s only a few hours.”
I place my hand on her face and run my fingers down her cheek. “I’m going to miss you.” As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I know they sound ridiculous. She’s only going to be gone for the afternoon, but we haven’t really been apart since we met.
“I know. I’ll miss you, too. But you’ll see me at work. And I’ll be back before you know it.”
I know I need to let her go. If I try to hold on to her too tightly, she’ll be a prisoner and I’ll be no better than Dex. But I just can’t shake the feeling that that sick jerk is out there somewhere, just waiting for his chance to grab her.
***
The day drags by. I go to the gym to lift weights like Gracie suggested but everything I do feels off.
“What’s up?” Savage asks as he throws his towel down next to me. He’s been coming to the gym as long as I have and we often spot each other.
I glance up at him. “What do you mean?”
“Something’s going on inside that melon of yours. You’re not your usual miserable sad-sack of a self.”
I frown. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Savage eyes me suspiciously. “What’s going on with you and that girl?”
“What girl?” Now I’m just playing with him. Getting a rise out of Savage is one of my favorite pastimes.
“You know what girl. The little blonde hottie with the scar.”
That gets me up from the bench real quick. I point a finger at Savage. “Don’t call her that.”
“Call her what? Little blonde or blonde hottie or hottie with the scar?”
Now he’s the one trying to get a rise out of me. It’s one of his favorite pastimes too. “Just call her Gracie, okay?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, okay. Whatever. You’re acting like you’re in love with her or something.”
I can feel my entire body tense. I don’t want anyone to know how fast and hard I’ve fallen for Gracie. It makes me seem weak and vulnerable. Two things I never want anyone to think about me. Except maybe Gracie.
“Just start lifting, okay? We’re not here to play Gossip Girls.”
Savage eyes me again. He looks like he wants to say more but when I give him my death stare he thinks better of it. He picks up a free weight instead.
***
“She’s meeting us at Haymakers,” I say to Jake as he downs what’s left of a BLT.
He wipes a little bit of mayo on the side of his mouth with his thumb.
“We have napkins,” I remind him.
He shrugs. “I’m too lazy to get one.”
“I still can’t believe Shane is Gracie’s brother. How crazy is that?”
“They don’t have the same fathers. Do you know why they have the same last name?”
“Gracie told me that their mom was married to Shane’s dad a long time ago but they got divorced. I guess she kept the name Parker and gave it to Gracie. She never married Gracie’s dad. It was just a casual thing.”
Jake raises an eyebrow. “Heavy.”
I nod. “Did you ever ask Shane about his mom?”
Jake shakes his head. “He told me she was a drug addict but I never asked him anything else about her. Too much drama. Besides, we weren’t that close in high school.”
“Are you really that close to anyone? I mean, you have a lot of acquaintances but do you have a lot of true friends?”
He thinks about it for a moment. “I guess not. Who needs close friends when you’ve got brothers?”
He’s got a point. Growing up as one of four boys all close in age is like having built-in friends. Like I’m one to talk anyway. I can count my friends on one finger: Savage.
“It’ll probably be slow tonight anyway. I told Hunter to take the night off. I think the two of us can handle it with Gracie and Harley.”
“You know you’re lucky Harley’s still willing to work for you. Especially the way you treat her.”
“What are you talking about? I’m a great boss.”
&n
bsp; “Ever heard of sexual harassment?”
Jake laughs. “You can’t harass someone who’s ready, willing and eager. Which Harley always is.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“Besides, where else is she going to get a job making that kind of money in this town? She’s twenty and she’s raking in close to fifty thousand a year in tips.”
I grab my empty plate and rise from the table. “Don’t be surprised when she bails on you, Jake. She’s only going to take so much. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was sooner rather than later.”
He snickers. “I don’t think she’s going anywhere for a while.”
I pat his shoulder. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I actually see something flash through his eyes. Maybe it’s uncertainty. It’s definitely not something Jake shows very often. Then just as quickly it’s gone.
***
Just as Jake predicted, the bar isn’t crowded. There are a few tables of couples eating burgers and fries and a few regulars are camped out at the end of the bar. Sammy, on old friend of my dad’s, has been coming to the bar for nearly forty years.
“Hey, Kid,” Sammy says as he waves at me. He calls me and all of my brothers kid because he can never keep our names straight.
I make my way to the end of the bar. “What’s up?”
He takes a swig of his beer before he speaks. “I heard some gossip you may be interested in.”
I raise an eyebrow. I can’t image any town gossip that would interest me but my curiosity is piqued. “What’s that?”
“That guy. That biker who caused all of the trouble. The one who got arrested.”
I can feel every muscle in my body tense. “What about him?”
“He’s out.”
“What do you mean he’s out? He was arrested for assault.”
“Innocent until proven guilty. His lawyer got him out on bail.”
My mind races from thinking about the prick being back out on the streets to realizing that Gracie isn’t right next to me.
I’m flooded with images of him grabbing Gracie, of him hitting her, of him putting his hands on her body.
Before Sammy can say another word, I’m over the bar and heading out of the bar.
“Where are you going?” I can hear Jake yell in the distance as I make my way out the door.
I’m about half way down the block when I catch sight of my leather jacket sticking out of a garbage can. It’s the jacket I gave Gracie. The one she never took off.
I remove it from the trash and hurry down the street.
I can feel pain shooting up my leg but it doesn’t stop me from running as fast as I possibly can toward Shane’s shop. I have to see Gracie. I have to know she’s safe. But the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach is hard to deny. It’s the same feeling I had when I saw those boys run into the mess hall. Before any of us even knew they were strapped with bombs, I had a horrible feeling deep in my gut that something was wrong.
I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong again.
The sun is just about to go down as I hobble into Shane’s garage. My leg feels like it’s about ready to give out but I can’t stop until I see Gracie.
Shane is working under the hood of a Mustang when I grab him by the shoulder and spin him around.
“Where’s Gracie?” I ask between heaves. I can’t believe how out of shape I am from trying to run.
We scan the garage, which is empty except for the cars and Shane.
“She was right here.” He scratches his nose and gets a bit of grease on the end of it.
“Well, where is she now?” I can feel myself growing impatient very quickly.
He shrugs then looks at his watch. “Shit.”
“What?” I’m not sure how much more patience I have for Shane. I’m about ready to hit him.
He gulps. “She was upset because she thought she was going to be late for work. I had to finish working on the Mustang because the owner is coming to pick it up. We got behind. I asked her to wait just for a few minutes but that was like twenty minutes ago. I guess I got distracted with the car. It happens when I’m working. She said she didn’t want anyone to think she was taking advantage of you and that she wasn’t a good employee. I guess I should have just stopped to take her.”
“You think?”
My fists are now balls of rage that are just looking for something to hit, preferably Shane.
Beads of sweat are now running down Shane’s forehead. Part of me is glad that he’s scared. And he should be because I’m ready to beat the shit out of him.
“I can’t believe you let her out of your sight,” I say through clenched teeth. “I told you there were two options. Either you walk her to Haymakers or you call me and I walk her.”
“I know,” he mutters. “I’m sorry.”
I grab him by the collar and look him dead in the eye. “You should be. That son-of-a-bitch Dex was let out of jail. Wanna bet he’s got her?”
Shane’s eyes are now as wide as the rims on the Mustang he’s working on.
“Please don’t kill me,” Shane pleads. He looks like a scared little rabbit. I’ve known Shane for years but it’s only now, with that look of fear in his eyes, that I see how much he looks like Gracie.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
When Shane looks up at me, I can see his eyes are moist. I don’t want to make the dude cry. “I didn’t want you to get mad at me. You’re kind of scary when you’re mad.”
“Well, you get to see me mad anyway because you didn’t do what you promised.”
“I’m really sorry.” Shane’s voice is breaking up and I have a feeling he’s going to start balling within a matter of seconds.
I pull him even closer and point a finger in his face. His cheeks turn white and I think he might even puke. He’s scared out of his mind but he deserves it.
“This is your fault. If anything happens to Gracie, it’s on you.”
“I know.” Shane sniffles.
“I suggest you do whatever it takes to find her. Because whatever Dex does to Gracie, I’m going to do to you. Understand?”
Shane gives a slow nod.
“Good.”
***
“What the hell happened?” Jake asks when I walk back into Haymakers.
I place Gracie’s leather jacket on the bar. “She’s gone and I’m pretty sure he’s got her.”
It takes a few seconds for the awareness to register on Jake’s face. “Dex has Gracie?”
I nod. “He made bail and they let him out of jail. Shane said she left the garage about thirty minutes ago. It’s a five minute walk at the most. She’s gone.”
“I’m sorry,” Jake says and I can see he’s sincere. He may be an asshole most of the time but he is there for his brothers when it really counts. “I’ll call Hunter to work the rest of your shift. We’re slow, so he and Harley should be able to handle it.”
“Thanks.”
“What are you going to do?” he asks.
“Find her.”
“How?”
I shake my head. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe Mac can help.”
***
Waiting is out of the question. I’m a bundle of raw nerves and my mind is racing. All I can think about Dex hurting Gracie. And the fact that I didn’t keep my promise. The one thing I said I’d do, protect Gracie, and I failed. I have to find her if it’s the last thing I do.
***
“We can’t officially file a missing persons report yet,” Mac states. “She hasn’t been gone long enough.”
“You’ve seen what he’s done to her.” I can’t help but think about him hitting her. Beating her worse than he’s beaten her before. Touching her. Forcing himself on her. It makes my stomach knot.
Mac nods. As a friend of Jake’s, I know he wants to be compassionate but he’s also Officer Malone and that side of him is all business.
“I think this is something you should let the
police handle.” Mac gives me a look which says he fully expects me to disobey his recommendation.
“Can you tell me anything about him?”
Mac heaves a sigh. “Look, you didn’t hear this from me. A lot of our detectives use Facebook just like everyone else. Check and see if he’s got a Facebook account. Look for any friends or family members that he has in New Jersey. That’s where I’d start.”
“Thanks,” I say as I rise from the chair.
“Remember what I said,” Mac warns. “These matters are best handled by the police.”
“This is something that can’t wait.”
“I know,” Mac says. “Just doing my duty as an officer of the law.”
***
I feel like some kind of amateur detective. I rarely use Facebook. Don’t have time for it. Not that I have that many friends anyway. A few people from my high school class were at the bar late last year and told me they heard something about our high school reunion information being posted on Facebook last year. I don’t know why I even bothered to look at it. It’s not like I would have attended the reunion anyway.
But this is important. This may be the only shot I’ve got to find Gracie. After thirty minutes of looking through Dex’s so-called Facebook friends, most of whom look like thugs, I find a lead. Dex apparently has some cousins who live in New Jersey.
“Where are you going?” I hear Jake’s voice as he hurries down the stairs.
I have my hand on the front door but I pause long enough to turn back toward him. “Out.”
“Out where?” he asks. He has a look of concern in his eyes that’s usually reserved for the worst case scenarios. I suppose this might classify as one of those.
“Does it matter?” I’m going to get Gracie no matter what he says or does. I’m sure he realizes he’s not going to stop me.
“I’m coming with you.” He grabs his coat from the closet.
“No, you’re not.” I give him a look which says I’m not playing around.
“You’re not doing this alone.”
“You need to worry about the bar. I need to worry about Gracie.”
“My brothers will always come before the bar.”
I’m glad he feels that way but he’s still not coming with me. “I need to do this alone.”
“That guy is crazy and dangerous. It’s not a good combination.”
The Wilde One (Old Town Country Romance) Page 13
