“Nothing happened.”
I chuckled, hoping to draw him out of his mood. “Either you're losing your touch or you’ve got it bad for Reagan.”
When you’ve lived with a guy practically for four years, you know him. He was really into her.
From my periphery, I caught him turning toward me. “I’ll admit that as soon as you admit you’re still panting after Megan.”
I ground my teeth together, starting to hate that name and for nothing more than the fact she was the one thing I couldn’t have.
Neither of us spoke for the rest of the ride. I drove to a spot on a hardly used, two-lane road a couple of miles from school. It was dark with nothing but the moon to light our way once I killed the engine and cut the headlights.
No one could call him a fool, which was why I’d brought him along. But I ignored the questioning raise of his brow.
Seconds later, a car arrived coming from the opposite direction.
“Wait here,” I said, pulling the duffle from behind the seat.
Tade scoffed. “Gav, what the hell?”
There was really no time to explain. Soon someone would get out and might overhear us.
“Just stay here.”
He didn’t let up. “What kind of illegal shit are you in? Is this a drop?”
Of course it was. But my friend was living on the right side of the law. Telling him yes would only lead to another set of questions I couldn’t answer.
“You’ve been watching too much TV, my friend.”
He wasn’t buying it. “Don’t play me. We’re supposed to be friends.”
Friends. I wondered what else I was when I was risking my life to save his. Tate would have no way of knowing about the family looking for Tade and that I could have stopped it. So yeah, friends to the bitter end. Yet I didn’t say any of that; I lifted a brow.
“Yeah, when was the last time you shared about anything?” I asked.
Wasn’t that the truth? He didn’t know I knew who his bio dad was. He clamped his mouth shut, though I added, “But you don’t have to worry. This isn’t anything that could get you arrested.”
It wasn’t. Not really. Bribing someone wasn’t exactly legal. But when you were giving money to a person to do something legal, the law seemed to keep a blind eye to it. Not taking a job wasn’t a criminal offense and that’s all I was paying the guy to do.
I tossed the duffle between us.
“So you’re a man of your word,” the round private dick said.
“Have you heard something different?”
It was more than a statement. I really did need to know what was being said about me in certain circles.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
We were at an impasse. One door opened and then another. I hadn’t planned to back down, but Tade had gone all rogue on me and gotten out of the truck. He came to my side.
“Who are you?” His New York accent was clear as he pointed at Tade.
“He’s nobody to you,” I said.
The second guy huffed his way over. I mentally checked the gun at my back I’d brought along as a precaution.
“Take it. It’s all there,” I said and eyed the bag full of Benjamins.
Instead of looking, he took Tade’s measure. That was a problem because Tade looked a little like his father. And Tate was well known in the underground. But he also looked a lot like someone else I knew.
“You look familiar,” the nosy private dick said, pointing at my friend.
I shifted to stand a little in front of him to get the attention back on me. Then I toed the bag, pushing it toward the guy.
“You can count it if you want,” I said.
Sounding like the weasel he was, he said, “I believe you.”
He aimed a stubby finger at the bag and grunted to the guy who’d joined us when Tade had gotten out. The man bent like he had arthritis of the knees, air expelling from his lungs before he panted as he grabbed it.
“We square?” I asked.
The man nodded and we all backtracked to our cars. It was a dance all men played when they didn’t completely trust the other.
After we got in the car, Tade and I didn’t speak. Though I spied his jaw working as he geared up to ask me a million questions.
“Don’t ask and I won’t have to lie to you,” I admitted, running a hand over my head while I steered with the other.
“You know you can tell me anything. I’ve got your back.”
I wouldn’t have expected anything less—that’s why he was more like a brother to me.
“Yeah, but some shit doesn’t need to be said.”
He didn’t argue. That was the thing about brothers. By the time we made it back to the dorm, we sat on the couch and started a game of Resident Evil like nothing happened.
The next day was a shit storm. I got back from class to find cops waiting for me. They weren’t in uniform, but I could smell one from a mile away. The first had a buzz cut and the other looked like he sat around eating donuts all day.
“Are you Gavin Volk?” the military-looking dude asked.
The fact that he had his hand at his hip, close to his service weapon, oddly relieved me. This meant that he was here for me and not to deliver shit news like my father had bit it.
I narrowed my eyes and matched his cool stare. “Yes.”
“We need you to come down to the station.”
Good thing I knew my rights. “Am I under arrest?”
“No.” But then he added, “Not yet.”
He didn’t like me. The doughy guy played good cop. He spoke next like we were buddies.
“We hope you can help us with an investigation.”
I relaxed my posture. “What investigation?”
If it had anything to do with the family, I would happily decline.
Good cop held up a hand to his partner, buttoning him up. “There’s a missing girl we want to find.”
That gave me pause. “Why do you think I can help?”
“If you could just come down to the station, we’d really appreciate it.”
I glanced at bad cop. Anger simmered under his cool glare. He thought I had something to do with it. Though I didn’t have to, it was better to agree and straighten this out than for them to come with a warrant and arrest me on campus.
“Fine. I’ll meet you at the station.”
“Now,” bad cop sneered.
“Do you think you could be there in an hour?” good cop asked.
I nodded and he handed me a business card. “Ask for me.”
Because I could, I didn’t go right away. Though I arrived within the hour as request. It turned out to be bullshit. The missing girl had been last seen getting out of my truck when I wasn’t in it. She’d been out with Tade. But they’d done their research and had pictures of Tade and I driving across the bridge to the drop when she’d left her building based on the security footage they obtained. Though they didn’t know where we were headed, they knew that we couldn’t be in two places at one time. So we were in the clear. They’d brought me in hoping I might know more than I thought or who she might have gone with.
A few hours later, I was released and gave Tade hell for my trouble. After I told him the story, my do-gooder friend wanted to do the right thing.
“I should go down and make a statement anyway,” he said.
“For what? You’ll blow my story. Since we’re each other’s alibi, they would start to question that. Just leave it. We both know we had nothing to do with it.”
Tade was visibly shaken. The girl that had gone missing was a blonde, and so was Reagan. I had other reasons to worry. The girl’s name was Meghan. When they’d first said it, I about lost it until they’d shown me her picture and it wasn’t my Megan.
As I stood at some distance away, needing to see for myself she was fine, I wondered: When had I started to think of her as mine?
26
megan
About two weeks had past. Everyone on campus was talking a
bout the announcement of a missing girl from our school. Though it was speculated that she’d gone off on her own having done that kind of thing in the past.
Still it only made me think of Gavin who’d warned me to be more aware of my personal safety. It also reminded me that I hadn’t seen him with the exception of two very brief moments in passing. The stupid boy had listened and stayed away.
It was even more stupid of me to feel sad about it. It was my request that had come too late. My heart was already invested. I wasn’t in love with him, but I was seriously in like and lust with the guy.
“Valentine’s Day sucks,” I said to no one, or maybe Gaby guy, my Gavin t-shirt wearing pillow.
Why couldn’t I get rid of it?
The love holiday was tomorrow and I was sitting in my room talking to a pillow. I got up and went to Reagan’s room. I thought I’d find her still sad from her talk with her mother earlier, but she was all smiles.
“Want to go out tonight?”
She shook her head. “I really need to study and work on a paper. Tade and I are going sailing tomorrow.”
Of course they were. “Well good for you.”
I was truly happy for her. She needed a life. Now, it was time for me to find one or two.
My friends list turned up to be a dead end. I hit the bottom with Jenny, a pretty girl but with no substance. She made a sport out of screwing guys and exaggerating about her conquest. Beggars couldn’t be choosers when almost everyone I knew was paired up. Plus, she had a car. So I reluctantly made plans with her.
“Megalicous,” she screeched when I got in the car.
Gigi, another girl was with her. I gave Jenny a half hug because I wasn’t mean. It didn’t make us besties, but she was doing me a favor.
I waved to Gigi.
“Where are we headed?” Jenny asked.
“Up to you,” I said. “It’s your ride.”
“I say we go to the Dive.”
It wasn’t the name of the bar, but that was what everyone called it. It was the only place close to school.
“Fine.” I checked in the mirror at my makeup hoping she wouldn’t engage me in conversion. There was only one subject she’d want to talk to me about.
“So, where’s your friend?” she asked, trying to sound friendly.
“Reagan?” A glance over and I caught her nod. “She’s staying in to study.”
I hoped that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.
“Is she still with Tade?”
There it was. She could say whatever she wanted about him, but if she tried to put Reagan down I would end up walking home because I wasn’t going to let her do that.
“Yes,” I gritted out.
My teeth clapped together as I tried not to say anything else. I wanted very much to not have to give her a beat down. Her witchy response almost pushed me there.
“Well, I won’t be responsible if he’s there and wants to hook up. They’re not married and I owe her nothing.”
Breathe, I told myself. Though I wanted to verbally slap her, I put it in perspective. If Tade really did what she hoped then he didn’t deserve Reagan. So I said nothing. She’d only danced on the line. If she crossed it by saying anything negative about my bestie, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions.
Luckily the conversation changed. Apparently the queen of gossip was friends with the missing girl. She only confirmed in cringe worthy detail the misadventures of the other girl who shared my name but spelled it with an H.
I was never so grateful to see a dilapidated peeling paint blue structure in my life. Inside would smell just as musty as it looked old and worn down from the outside.
“We’re going to have fun,” Jenny squealed, getting out the car.
My dress had ridden up and so I smoothed it down to where it reached just slightly above mid-thigh. It had probably been a wrong choice as I would be fighting it not to ride up my ass all night. Then I fixed my tits. Though some girls envied my endowment, there were times when I thought about getting a breast reduction.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” Jenny cheered.
Her minion doubled her steps to keep up with her. I wasn’t her lackey. Though I was grateful for the company and the ride, I would not be her slave for the night.
Once we walked inside, the music and the crowd noise picked up my mood. I would do my best to have fun tonight. I needed it.
“What do you want to drink?” I asked.
I would buy the first round. Good thing this place was cheap, I was low on funds. I got their orders and found an empty spot to slide in and get the bartender’s attention.
“Excuse me,” I said to the guy next to me. Automatic politeness drilled into me as a child.
It was a full house, some locals and the rest students. Because of the noise level, I hadn’t expected to be heard. But the guy turned around and my heart leaped to my throat blocking any further words.
His beautiful eyes were a little glazed and his lopsided smile should have looked idiotic, but he was just as gorgeous as he always was.
“It’s you.” I couldn’t determine if he’d meant that like a curse until he added, “pretty girl.”
Why did have to be so charming? And that mouth of him was made from pure sin.
A cute bartender arrived and I ignored Gavin to place my order. The three shots were poured in front of me. A handed him my card and had decided what I was going to say to Gavin.
“Look, we’re both here, but that doesn’t have to be a problem. You stay in your corner and I’ll stay in mine.”
His stare was intense and I waited for his answer. A girl made of more plastic than Barbie walked over and smooth a hand up his black leather jacket.
“Gavin.”
She sounded as sultry as she looked. I hated her on sight. But in that moment his eyes never left mine. Air burned in my lungs as I held it there unsure of my next move.
“Sure thing, Angel.”
Then he turned toward the girl had wedged herself in on his other side.
The bartender came back and my card. I quickly signed and picked up my drinks in a hasty exit from there. I walked to a table Jenny found them engaged in conversation with two guys. Great, I was a third wheel or was that fifth.
Jenny barely turned my way when I pushed the shot in her direction. That’s when the guys glanced at me. When their smiles jacked up a notch, Jenny’s flirtatious grin turned to a scathing glare at me. It was going to be a long night. I downed my drink and announced the group that I was going to dance.
Gavin
The chick I’d let distract me talked while I looked over my shoulder to get a damn good view of Megan in the dress she wore. My dick was more than a little excited to see her.
“Gavin,” squeaky asked.
Her voice was as welcome as mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus.
“What?”
Unfortunately my bored tone wasn’t enough to piss her off.
She reached out and fingered the collar of my jacket. “I just thought you might want to hang out later.”
I don’t think I’d ever lost a hard on faster. “Yeah, I’m busy tonight.”
Her florescent smile dimmed as she glanced around.
“Are you here with someone?”
“You can say that.”
I couldn’t stop myself and I glanced at Megan. She was moving toward the dance floor.
“Her?”
There was so much venomous disdain in her words, I leveled steely eyes at her.
“You have a problem with that.”
Fake Barbie was a local. And it was probably a bad idea to play this hand, but I didn’t want to lead her on either.
“It’s just … what does she have that I don’t?”
A brain. She’s real in every way you’re not. But I hadn’t stayed away from Megan to make her a target because the this chick would be so pissed I’d passed on her offer, she’d say something to the wrong person.
“Who said I was with
her?”
“But…” she sputtered.
“You asked if I was with someone. Let me repeat myself. I said you can say that. Now I’ve got business tonight. You feel me?”
She scattered like her shoes were on fire, but not before she killed my buzz. I ordered another shot.
“Damn she was hot,” Rick, one of my crewmates said.
Rick turned out to be useless at keeping me distracted since Tade was too busy to come out tonight.
The bartender placed my shot down.
“Put it on my tab.”
He glared at me and I instantly knew he was pissed at me about Megan because he hadn’t acted like that earlier. He’d been friendly. Now, if I hadn’t watched him pour my shot, I wouldn’t have drank it fearing he’d spit in it.
Finally breaking eye contact when I wouldn’t, he moved along to the next customer.
“The chick,” my crewmate asked again.
“You’re welcome to her.”
“She’s fair game?”
I nodded and tossed back my drink.
He skittered after her like a mouse on the hunt for cheese leaving me alone again. I turned around on my stool and leaned back on the counter my arms on either side of me. I didn’t give a rat’s ass that I was taking up limited space given the crowd. I needed to braced myself as I watched the show.
Megan moved like the music was a snake charmer and she was serpent. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe she was charmer because she had me under her spell.
The only times I took my eyes off of her was when I got another drink. My throat was as dry as stale toast.
“You’ve got some competition.” Rick was back and raised his glass, aiming it in the direction of a guy I remembered.
The shorter and stocky than me dude looked like he’d played high school football. Though if he went here, a school that wasn’t rank high in that sport, meant he’d failed to get recruited.
Worse, I didn’t like how he looked at Megan. The few times I’d seen him around her, he’d acted like he had rights to her. She’d looked uncomfortable, so I’d played the fake boyfriend card and that hadn’t gotten me any thanks. So I should turn around and let things play out as they would. She wasn’t mine and never would be.
Captivated by Him Page 15
