by Melody Grace
My tab.
He makes it sound like a couple of beers, but it’s the reason I’m here at all, working for a man like him. Two years and counting as his personal enforcer, and I’m nowhere near close to repaying the debt I owe.
It was worth it. It’ll always be worth it, but still, I feel a clench of anger when he rubs it in like this.
I shrug, taking a gulp of beer. “I’m good.”
Fisher snorts. He thinks I’m bluffing. They all do. And why not? They run this town, every dark, seedy corner, and me, I’m just some punk kid, here to crack heads and keep the peace.
One by one, the players around me fold. “My wife is gonna kill me,” one of them sighs.
“Screw your wife. What about my mistress?” Another guy makes a show of throwing down his cards. But my eyes stay fixed on Fisher, looking for some sign.
Until the door opens and she walks in.
I don’t know why she catches my eye. This is Vegas, and pretty girls are all over the Strip, wearing heels much higher, and dresses way shorter than hers. But as she carefully weaves her way past the table towards the bar, I can’t help staring. A petite body poured into a simple black dress, her dark hair tumbling free. There’s something about the way she moves, an effortless grace as she slides up on a bar-stool and gazes curiously out around the room.
I can’t look away.
Our eyes meet, she catches me staring, but I don’t blink. Instead, I drink her in, memorizing her face the way I always do. It’s my thing, a way of keeping track. You never know when you’ll need to recall someone in a crowd, that split-second warning that could save my life.
But tonight, it’s not danger that has my pulse racing. This is all on her. Dark eyes, set in a small, pale face. Midnight pools, mysterious and guarded. In a room full of women tanned and made-up within an inch of their lives, laughing too loud, shrieking too brightly, she stands out just by virtue of her stillness. Her quiet.
“Alright, kid, you’re up.” Fisher announces, pulling me back to the game.
Damn. I try and shake off the moment across the room. Your whole future’s on that table, and you’re getting distracted, thinking about some girl?
“Time for the fat lady to start singin’,” someone whistles.
“I don’t see your mama anywhere.” One of the guys cracks. Everybody laughs but me and Fisher, holding our cards casually as if it doesn’t matter what’s on the other side.
This is it.
I should be nervous. I should give a damn. But the truth is, I’ve got nothing in this world left to lose. And whether I walk out that door tonight, or get thrown in a bloody heap, I’ve had it with them all.
I don’t even look at my cards. I couldn’t fold now even if I wanted. I toss the last of my borrowed chips in the middle. “Call.”
Fisher’s mouth curves into a triumphant grin. “Straight,” he drawls, laying them out.
There’s whistles and cheering, and Fisher is reaching for the chips even as I set my cards down in a neat line.
“Flush.”
I catch the shock on Fisher’s face, but he knows better than to show weakness, not in front of this crowd. He chuckles. “Well, I’ll be damned. Who knew the kid had it in him after all?”
I wait for the crowd to disperse, everyone paying tribute to Fisher before they leave. I slide one chip in my pocket, and then approach him, holding out the bag.
“We’re even now.”
Fisher doesn’t take it. “We’ll talk about this in the morning,” he tells me, in that ice-cool tone that says it’s not a discussion.
But I stand firm. “There’s over eighty here, it’s more than enough.”
“It ain’t just about the money.”
Before I can argue, someone leans in to respectfully whisper in his ear. He’s needed elsewhere. There’s a situation at one of the stash houses.
He nods, then turns back to me with a wide grin. “You should celebrate. Take the night off, have some fun. You can afford her,” he adds, nodding to the girl at the bar. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He strolls away, heading for the door. His driver, Jimmy follows, but I stop him. “Take this,” I tell him, passing him the bag of winnings. “Fisher wants it in the main safe. Tell him when it’s secure.”
Jimmy nods. “You coming out with the boys? We’re going to hit Diamond Girls after this is all squared away.”
“No thanks,” I pat him on the back. He’s not a friend, but he’s been a friendly face around here. “You take care.”
Jimmy looks puzzled, but he doesn’t ask questions, just heads obediently after Fisher, the way all good dogs too. Usually, I’d be right there at the end of my invisible leash, jumping to command, but not tonight.
Not ever again.
It hits me for real now, as I stand there in the middle of the crowded room.
I’m finally free.
My debt is paid, the slate is wiped clean. No more dirty work, no more broken bones and skeezy clubs, no more back-alley dealings and nights in a shitty apartment watching the ceiling fan spin and wishing I could be anywhere else but here.
The rest of my life starts right now.
I head to the bar, victory singing in my veins. It’s a miracle, but the girl is still alone, so I take it as a sign to slide in next to her.
“No.”
Her voice is cool and firm. She doesn’t even look over.
I smile. “I was just going to offer to buy you a drink.”
“I know,” she replies, turning now. “And I said no.”
I pause, thrown for a moment by those dark, watchful eyes. I know when to take the hint, but there’s something about the way she’s looking at me, like there’s more going on beneath the surface. “Can I ask why not?”
“Because you’re trouble.” The girl doesn’t say it like she’s flirting, she says it like it’s a fact.
“Me? I’m a teddy bear,” I flash her my most charming grin, the one that gets any girl in this town to slip me her hotel key.
She snorts. “Try a grizzly.”
I pause, trying to figure her out. “One beer.”
“I don’t drink.”
“Then you sure picked a strange place to hang out for the night.”
The girl sighs. “I know.” The guarded look slips, just a little. “It’s my birthday,” she adds quietly. “Or rather, it will be in... three minutes.” she checks the clock on the wall. “My brother’s off God knows where with his girlfriend, probably getting married, and I’m... sitting here babbling to a complete stranger.” She rolls her eyes, catching herself.
“A handsome, mysterious stranger,” I grin. “I’m Ryland,” I add, holding out my hand.
She hesitates a moment before taking it. “Tegan,” she says.
Her touch is cool and soft, and I feel a strange sense of regret when she withdraws her hand and looks away, shoulders tense. I wonder who hurt her, who made her sit here all alone counting down to her birthday: away from her family and friends, so quiet in the crowd.
But more than anything, I want to make her forget all that, just for a moment.
“You sure about that drink?” I ask. “I’m sure the bartender can whip you up a Shirley Temple.”
Tegan shakes her head. “I’m sorry, but I meant what I said,” she says quietly. “I’ve had enough of guys like you.”
I move closer, taking her by surprise. She looks up, eyes widening in shock as I lean in closer, drawling low just for her to hear.
“Baby, you’ve never met a man like me.”
I don’t know what comes over me. Maybe it’s the beer buzz, or the contact high from her arm pressing against my side. Maybe it’s the thrill of new beginnings, and then end of my life in this town.
Or maybe it’s just because in this moment, I suddenly want her more than anything. But whatever the reason, I lean down and kiss her, right in front of everyone.
Her lips are soft, parted in surprise, sweet as the ripe peaches I used to steal from
the farm back in another, simpler life. I slide my hand to the back of her head, and kiss her deeper, falling into bliss of her warm mouth and the gentle slide of her tongue.
It’s everything I’ve been needing, and I didn’t even know it.
Tegan pauses, uncertain against my mouth, and then she’s kissing me back.
Damn.
I’m not the one whose trouble here, she is. Arching up to meet my lips, tasting me, biting down on my lip with a smirk. Tegan presses her body against me, and demanding more, and I have to bite back a groan of desire.
Who is this girl?
There’s fire lurking beneath that calm surface, a passion that could drive a man wild. I spiral, devouring her sweet lips, sliding my hands over her body, needing to be a dozen miles away from this packed bar right now: some place with a door, and a lock, and a bed.
Tegan pulls away with a gasp.
“Happy birthday,” I whisper, relishing the flare in her eyes. The desire there, the hunger. But as I reach for her, the shutters come down again. Panic skitters across her face. She lurches back.
“I’m sorry,” she stammers, conflict clear on her face. “I can’t. Not this time.”
Before I can stop her, she turns and flees, ducking through the crowd.
What the hell?
I start after her, but I can’t get by so easy. I shove people aside with quick apologies, making for the exit. But when I burst through the doorway and look around, she’s nowhere to be seen.
Dammit.
I pace the neon, noisy floors, desperately looking for some sign of that dark hair; those watchful eyes. I’ve covered the whole damn hotel before I finally give it up.
She’s gone.
I catch my breath, out front by the fountains. A crowd has gathered, waiting for the next famous show. Right on cue, the music starts, and the water jets arc up, bright against the dark sky. It’s beautiful, as these things go. The Strip shines, a dazzling sea of neon and lights in the desert, but I’ve seen this view too many time to care.
That kiss was like a dose of reality, cutting through the bullshit and reminding me what it’s like to feel something real. Something pure. Enough doing dirty work, swimming with the sharks. Enough of this town, and all the fake, glittering promise.
I pull out my cellphone, and dial the number I know by heart. I haven’t used it in way too long, but I know, tonight it’s time.
“Ray Jay?” The voice on the other end is puzzled, and I don’t blame him. “What’s going on? Is everything OK?”
“I’m fine,” I reassure him, before he thinks I’m locked up in some county sheriff’s office. “And when will you stop calling me that? I haven’t gone by Ray Jay since I was a kid.”
Emerson snorts. “Can you blame me for getting it wrong when I haven’t seen you in years?” he says it lightly, but I can hear the disapproval in his tone. “You didn’t make it down for my wedding, or Brit’s. We’re still your family, Ryland. Or we would be, if you let us.”
“Then you’re in luck, big brother.” I take one last look at the city lights, and start walking.
“I’m coming home.”
Want to find out what happens next with Tegan and Ryland?
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UNSTOPPABLE
A secret scar…
Tegan Callahan has sworn off bad boys for good. Growing up on tour with her rock star brother, she knows first-hand the damage they can do. She’s looking for a nice, safe, stable guy – until a chance encounter with a devastatingly sexy stranger makes her question everything she thought she wanted.
A troubled soul…
Ryland James arrives in Beachwood Bay on the run from his mistakes. He knows he’s the last thing Tegan needs, but somehow, he can’t stay away. There’s something about her fierce beauty that draws him in – and makes him vow to protect her, whatever the cost.
A passionate destiny…
Their bond is undeniable; the stakes, higher than ever. But the past won’t stay gone forever, and soon, Ryland must make the ultimate choice: will he risk everything he treasures in the world, or keep Tegan safe – and sacrifice her love forever?
Discover the latest sexy, heart-felt romance from USA Today bestselling author, Melody Grace!
THE BEACHWOOD BAY SERIES:
BOOK 1: UNTOUCHED
BOOK 2: UNBROKEN
BOOK 3: UNTAMED HEARTS
BOOK 4: UNAFRAID
BOOK 5: UNWRAPPED
BOOK 6: UNCONDITIONAL
BEACHWOOD BAY: THE CALLAHANS
BOOK 7: UNREQUITED
BOOK 8: UNINHIBITED -- JULY 2014
BOOK 9: UNSTOPPABLE -- SEPTEMBER 2014
BOOK 10: UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS
-- DECEMBER 2014
Author’s note: each book can be read as a stand-alone story, but you'll enjoy reading the other Beachwood Bay books, too.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is dedicated to all the amazing bloggers, readers, and friends who demanded to know more about Alicia and Dex! You make writing a job and a priviledge, and I’m so happy to share my stories with you all.
Thanks especially to my kick-ass agent, Rebecca Friedman; Abby Shulman; Rachel Marks; KP Simmons; Emilie Jackson; Brandie Coonis, and Becca Manuel. Thank you to the very big deals, Lauren Blakely, Monica Murphy, Violet Duke, Jessie Evans, Lexi Ryan, Kendall Ryan, and Sawyer Bennett. To Ella James, Cora Carmack, Nichole Chase, Laurelin Paige, Rachel van Dyken, J.S Cooper, and Marquita Valentine. You are all so awesome!
And thanks finally to everyone who’s read, shared, tweeted, blogged, liked, and supported my books. I love you all so much!
Xo Melody
