Thorn in the Dark (Grove High School Book Two)

by A. R. Breck

  I won’t let her.

  Never again.

  I groan into her mouth, and she swallows it up without a second thought.

  “I’m never.” Kiss. “Letting.” Kiss. “You go.” Kiss. “Again.” Bite.

  She moans so loudly it shakes the walls, and I’m not sure if it’s because she has finally broken through whatever hold life has had on her or if she is in complete agony, but either way, it turns my cock to cement.

  I want her pain. I want her agony. If she cries, I want to taste her tears. If she screams, I want it to be in my ear. If she needs to claw out of her skin, I want her to claw right into mine.

  After either seconds or hours—I’m not totally sure—I finally release her. The dazed, drunk look on her face puts a smirk on my face. She might not be able to handle crowds or anyone touching her yet, but I broke through it.

  Me. I win.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, only because it’s the polite thing to do. I wish we’d never stopped kissing. Honestly, I want to tear that dress in two and fuck her into oblivion, but one step at a time.

  “Maybe? I don’t know. I feel kind of out of it, to be honest.” She runs her hands through her curly hair, which has now turned into a messy pile on top of her head. I love this about her. What used to be a girl who wouldn’t let a hair stray on her head, now stands in front of me in a sexy mess.

  “I’m sorry about your hair.” She must have read my mind as she points up to what I’m sure is my own disaster. “And I’m sorry about my mom.” She frowns at this, clearly upset. “I didn’t think it would go that badly.”

  “Your mom is a cunt,” I say sharply. No kissing is going to make me forget how poorly I was just treated by someone who doesn’t even know me.

  I've never let anyone talk to me like that, and I never plan to again.

  She walks over to my bed and sits down at the foot of it. “I know. I’m sorry. I should have told her about you when she asked me to go.”

  “Yeah, you should have.”

  She looks up at me with teary eyes. “I’m not like, embarrassed of you or anything. I promise. I just—I didn’t know how she would react if I told her I have a boyfriend. She’s always been so judgmental, and by the time she insinuated it was Cara coming, I chickened out.”

  “So, you are embarrassed of me?”

  “No! I’m embarrassed of my mom. She’s rude sometimes. No one should have to be around that. I thought maybe blindsiding her would be better because there would be people around and Jeff and I don’t know, I guess it didn’t work out that way.” She frowns and wipes a few escaping tears.

  “Don’t pull shit like that again.” Or I’ll slap her ass red.

  She lays down on my bed and lets out a big yawn. “I guess I better head home before she tears my head off.”

  “No. Stay here tonight.” I slip off my only pair of nice shoes and sit on the other side of the bed. “I leave for Wisconsin tomorrow, and I won’t see you until Sunday.”

  “My mom…” She trails off. I can see the temptation brimming in her eyes, but I also know she lately finds comfort in the seclusion of being in her room. I don’t want her to feel like the only place she’s safe is in her own room. As long as she’s with me, she’ll always be protected. More than that, she shouldn’t feel like she can’t ever leave her house.

  “I promise, I won’t even stay on the bed if you don’t want me to. I can go to sleep on the couch.” As painful as it would be for me to leave this room when I know my girl is only feet away from me, I just want her to be comfortable.

  “You don’t have to do that. I don’t want to get in trouble. My mom, she’s losing her mind lately.”

  “I don’t even care. Let me be with you for one night, away from your mother, away from everyone. Let’s just hole up here for the next few hours before I have to go and deal with my dad and work.” The reality of what I’m going to do this weekend is gnawing at me. I’ve done some ruthless and dangerous tasks in the past for Rich. But going up against an entire cartel?

  Yeah, this one is out of my norm.

  “What are you even doing this weekend?” Worry floods her eyes.

  “Nothing for you to worry about. So, what do you say? Spend the night with me?” I evade. I evade so hard, and she can see right through it.

  “Fine. You don’t have to sleep on the couch, but if I end up freaking out in the middle of the night and elbowing you in the face, that’s on you.”

  I laugh as I get up and walk over to my dresser, grabbing some sweats and a t-shirt and tossing it at her. “I would welcome your elbow to my face if you spend the night. Here, throw these on. I’m sure you’re exhausted and want to crash.”

  She yawns. “I am, actually. Going out again is going to take some getting used to.”

  When she walks to the bathroom to change, I quickly change into some basketball shorts. I contemplate putting on a shirt, but end up deciding against it. Fuck it.

  When she walks back in my room, the oversized shirt falls to her knees, and the ends of the sweatpants hide her tiny feet. She’s swimming in these clothes, but it’s that or go naked.

  Sounds great to me, but I know she would protest that one.

  “Hop in, Rose.” I slide underneath the sheets and lift them up for her to slide under on the other side.

  Hesitantly, she pads over and slides underneath the covers, not staying as far away as she would have yesterday, but not nearly as close as I would like. As in, on top of me, basically.

  “Night, Easton.” She whispers, leaning away from me.

  Sadness rips through me that I can’t hold her. I know I could push her, but I’m worried that if I do too much pushing, I will push her away from me. Best to give her a little space after demolishing her lips earlier.

  “Night, Rose.”

  I love you.

  Chapter Twelve

  Every time I feel like I’m stumbling in the darkness, she finds me.

  Easton

  Waking up the next morning is the closest to heaven I’ll ever get. I wake before Rose and can’t help but smile when I see her curled up in the crook of my arm. And she looks relaxed. She usually looks like me now, with a permanent line between her eyebrows signaling the distress she’s constantly swimming in.

  I know I need to get up and start moving, but I’m nearly tempted to call it all off and stay here in bed with my girl wrapped around me.

  Although, when my phone vibrates on the nightstand next to me, I know I have zero chance of staying home.

  With as little movements as possible, I reach over and silence the ringing. They can wait a little bit, we aren’t even leaving for a couple of hours anyway.

  As much as I tried, Rose still rouses from my movements.

  I can tell the moment she notices she’s in my arms. She grows stiff and starts to pull away, then surprisingly, relaxes back in my arms and looks up at me with sleepy eyes. The cautious look in her eyes still remains.

  “Morning,” I mumble.

  “Morning.” She says on a yawn.

  The temptation is too much. I lean down and give her a kiss and am rewarded with a kiss in return. It’s not as passionate as the other night, but it’s still enough to know she’s trying.

  “What time are you leaving today?” She asks, pulling away to stretch out like a cat.

  “Not until later this afternoon. I do have to do a few things beforehand, though.” The tense look on her face makes me shift around in my bed. “What’s the matter?”

  “I’m worried about this weekend. You, Jackson, Logan, I don’t want anything to happen to you guys. Do you think because of my own problems that I haven’t noticed the way you guys are all acting funny this week? Something’s going on, and you guys aren’t telling me what it is. I have this weird feeling, I don’t know, I can’t explain it. Can’t you guys just stay home this once?”

  I frown at the worry in her eyes. “No, we can’t stay back. If anything, we have a lesser chance of being able to stay back t
his time than any other time. I haven’t told you because I don’t want you to worry about it. It’s not anything you need to be concerned about. We just have to go deal with something for the business. It’s important and not something that I can really talk about.”

  I reach over and pick up my phone when it starts ringing again. People are persistent little fucks, that’s for sure.

  “Hello.” I run a hand through my hair and smirk when I see Rose taking a peek at my abs.

  “You ready?” Logan says, sounding more pumped than he should. I also hear Jackson in the background. They’re probably already packed up in the car and waiting for me.

  “Give me an hour.”

  “The fuck you doin’, beatin’ your meat?” Logan cackles through the phone.

  “Fuck you.” I hang up the phone and toss it on the floor. “Idiot.”

  “What did they say?”

  “Nothing. I’ve got to go shower.” I sit up and run my hands down my face. If I’m not ready in sixty minutes, they will be busting down the door not even a minute later.

  “Okay. I should head home.” She looks away as she gathers her belongings, clearly upset.

  “Hey, what are you sad for?” I brush some hair off her shoulder and run my lips along her soft skin.

  Chills dance along her skin from her neck to her fingertips.

  “I just wish you didn’t have to leave. I feel safe when you’re around.” She frowns.

  “You should always feel safe when I’m around. But you also don't need to be scared. I taught you how to protect yourself. And here, I’ve got something for you.” I get off the bed and grab her present out of the top drawer of my dresser. Not the most romantic gift, but something that she desperately needs.

  I walk over and show her the sleek, small black pistol that I picked up for her after we went shooting the other day.

  “This is for me?” She acts surprised but doesn’t reach for it.

  “Yeah, take it and see how it feels.”

  She hesitantly picks up the gun from my hand and does exactly what she was taught when it comes to holding it. “Good. Looks perfect.” I say. What looked like a miniature toy gun in my hands looks perfect in her petite ones.

  “It does feel nice. I can’t bring this home with me, though.” She tries to hand it back to me, but I get up off the bed before she can pass it back.

  “Why not? This is for your protection. You will feel much safer with that on you, I promise.”

  “What if my mom finds it?” She looks at me like it’s bound to happen. Like protecting herself is a stupid idea.

  “Don’t let her.” I shrug.

  “Am I supposed to be anticipating something happening to me? Or you? Is that why you’re handing me this?” Panic flashes across her face and I lean over and cup her cheek.

  “Quit making excuses and trying to come up with reasons for not to take this. Take the damn gun, Rose.”

  She shrinks back, but thankfully, takes the fucking gun.

  “You know how to use it, so do me a favor and fucking use it if you need to. But don't go out of your way to find trouble. Seriously, I can’t do my job when you're in trouble, and I can’t help you when I’m in a different state. So, be safe.” I lean down and give her a kiss. “I need to go shower.” And I walk away before she can protest anything else.

  ~

  After a quick shower and shoving a few clothes into a backpack, I hear Logan and Jackson pull up. For once, I don’t have to drive. Logan offered, and I’m not going to pass it up.

  “Is that them?” Rose, who has been ready to go and sitting on my couch, looks up at me when she hears the bass thumping from Logan’s car stereo thumping through the walls of the trailer.

  “Yeah.” I lean down and haul her up into my arms. Each time I touch her, her eyes let out a little flicker of fear. Her body stiffens ever so slightly. It’s getting better, but it pisses me off when I think of what she goes through each time someone touches her.

  When I touch her.

  I bend down to kiss her, telling her with my lips what I’m apparently incapable of saying.

  I love you.

  I love you.

  “Rose—” I release her, ready to spit the words out for the first time in maybe my entire life, when Rose presses her lips to mine.

  “No. I don’t want to hear anything until you get back here on Sunday, all right?” She stands up on her tiptoes and gives me a peck on the lips. “That will give you the motivation to come back to me.”

  I grip the back of her neck and lean my forehead up against hers. “You have no idea what you do to me.” I kiss her with everything I have in me.

  Way too soon, the fuckers outside lay their hand on the horn for so long that I hear some of the neighbors open their doors and shout at them.

  I rip my lips from hers, “Fuck. Okay. Do you want us to drop you off at home?” Her glistening lips are the most succulent, tempting things I’ve ever seen and I have to adjust the hard on underneath my joggers.

  “No, I'm going to walk over to Cara’s and see what she’s doing.” She gives the boys a wave in Logan’s car as she walks out with me. “Can you call me tonight?”

  “I’ll try.” I watch her as she walks to Cara’s house, only turning back towards the car when she’s out of sight.

  When I get into the car and watch as Logan and Jackson silently laugh at me, all I want to do is haul ass out of here and run back to Rose.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Get too close and the thorns will bleed you dry.

  Rose

  When I hear Logan’s car pull away, I feel a piece of my heart drive away with it.

  Easton’s pushed me past my limits these last couple days, and I’m starting to feel like my old self. I don’t want him leaving lead to me regressing back into my room. He gives me strength, and although I don’t want to be someone that relies on another human constantly, I know that without him, I would wither up and crumble into dust.

  He is my strength.

  His touch might burn me, but it’s slowly starting to turn into a good kind of burn. One that I look forward to.

  He calls himself the devil, after all. I might as well get used to his fiery touch.

  I knock on Cara’s door and give her a wave when she looks apprehensively through the window. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Come on in, I was just about to call you.” Cara says.

  “What was that look for?” I say as I shut the door behind me and follow her into the living room.

  “I didn’t know who it was. You don’t open the door for just anybody living around here.” She rolls her eyes at me. “But, anyway, what’re you doing here? You must have been with Easton.”

  I nod my head at her. “They just left. I was coming to say hi and hoping you could give me a ride home.” I grab the glass of water she passes me and down it in one go.

  “Why didn’t they just take you?”

  I give her a look. “Rude. I wanted to see you. That, and I wanted to ask you something. Do you get a weird feeling about them going to Wisconsin? I don’t know what it is, but I have some seriously bad vibes from it.”

  She laughs at me. “Must just be you. They’re fine. They’re always fine. Indestructible, actually. You are just paranoid lately. Relax and enjoy this time without him breathing down your neck all weekend.”

  “He hasn’t been bothering me much. It’s more my mom. Shit, you should have seen her last night. She finally met Easton.” I drop my face into my hands and groan. That had to be one of the worst top meet-the-boyfriend nights in the history of ever.

  Cara spits her water all down her shirt. “Fuck. He met your mom?” She snorts out a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him meeting a girl’s parents, ever. Was he just totally nervous or what? No, Easton never gets nervous. Oh my God, was he dressed up? Please tell me he dressed up.”

  I roll my eyes at her. “Yes, he dressed up, and no, he wasn’t nervous at all. He was pissed because my mom didn’
t like him, and I could tell she instantly thought he was some thug. Ugh, I bet she's going to try and send me back to Woodbury now for sure. She mean-mugged him the entire time, and I think he wanted to kill her.”

  Cara laughs, but I can’t find any humor in last night.

  “Can you bring me home? I better go deal with my mom before she drives around town looking for me.”

  “I guess so. Let’s go. You might be sad that Easton left for the weekend, but my vagina is singing halleluiah. Logan basically bruised me up down there last night, and I can barely walk.”

  “Jesus Christ, Cara. Way too much information.” I wrinkle my nose up at her.

  “You guys haven’t?” She tilts her head at me.

  I frown. “No. Nothing besides kiss.”

  She comes over and lays a hand on my shoulder, only to swipe her hand away when I twitch out of her hold. “Sorry, forgot. Don’t worry about Easton. I’m sure he understands. You just need time to heal.”

  “I hope he can wait around for me. What if he finds someone that isn’t all damaged and defiled? He can pick whoever he wants at the Pit.” Just the thought of him with another Pit whore makes my stomach clench.

  Cara laughs. “Are you kidding me? He loves you. I don’t think he even notices anyone else.”

  “He hasn’t said anything.”

  Does he really love me? He was about to say something this morning, but I was too afraid to have him say it with this sinking feeling I have in my gut. I just couldn’t let him say it, not then.

  But the truth is…

  I love him.

  I love him so much that I feel like my battered and broken heart can withhold anything. This dangerous, raw man found something in my bitter soul and transformed me into someone else.

  He’s changed me into someone better, and I don’t know how I could live without him.

  Not now, not ever.

  “I’m sure he hasn't said anything because he doesn’t want to bombard you when your life has already been turned upside down.”

  This dread in my stomach feels like it is burning a hole in the pit of my stomach. I don’t like this feeling, mostly because every other time I’ve had it, something terrible happens. “Can you take me home? I should really go.” I'm going to hole myself up in my room and wait until Easton gets home.