It was a joke—sort of.
"Man, stop acting so fuckin' scary all the damn time. It's me. I came to see if you wanna go party before you get stuck with another mission out of the country. You might not muthafuckin' come back," he joked.
"I told you…I don't get stuck. I love my job," I said, picking up my beer from the sand.
"Ay. Shut up with that shit. You don't gotta front around me," he whined with his thick Spanish accent.
I shook my head then took another swig of my beer before dropping the empty glass into the bonfire pit, where it shattered into a hundred pieces.
He chuckled. "I ain't frontin'. How many times I gotta say that? I'm about it."
"You ain't about nothing but cheap whores and getting' high."
"And damn proud," he said, pounding his fist to his chest.
I chuckled. "Fine. Fine." Let's get the fuck outta here," I said, following him back to his car, jumping into the passenger seat. "Where we headed?"
"Fuckin' downtown. A lotta bitches out tonight," he yelled out the window.
Halfway down the street, I looked around the car, realizing I hadn't seen him drive this before. "This isn't your mom's car. Whose car's this?"
"Pinche, Hunter, always asking questions. Just sit back and ride Clyde," he said, winking at me with the light hazel eyes he hooked all his women with.
I shook my head and slapped the back of his bald head. "Fuckin' Ari," I said, wiping the sweat from his scalp on my jeans.
"Ay man. I told you to stop slapping me on the back of my head."
"Stop doing dumb shit, and I'll stop." I laughed.
"We can hope, right?" he asked, snickering at his words.
He zipped up the 5 freeway and headed for the Gaslamp Quarter, taking the 6th and Downtown exit with a hard right, not realizing the light had turned red.
"Red light!" I yelled before a sizeable jolt shook me from my seat.
My head slammed against the passenger glass window as the car screeched to a halt.
"What the fuck was that?" Ari hollered.
I pressed my palm against my forehead; the sharp pain from the head trauma gave me a splitting headache. I looked at my hand, which was covered in blood. Ari turned to me, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
"You okay, Hunter?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
We both turned to our left as the smoke from the hood of the other car turned to fire.
"Oh fuck!" I yelled, jumping out of the passenger seat toward the crumpled metal that used to be a beautiful Maserati.
I knocked on the driver side window, motioning for the obviously dazed woman to unlock the door. Blood was streaming from her forehead as she slowly looked around. She looked like she had been crying by the looks of the black mascara streaking down her cheeks. I finally got her attention after having banged on the glass for a few seconds.
"Ari, come help!" I yelled to him.
He was looking around in his trunk. "I'm looking for a tire iron. Why does this car not have a tire iron?"
I looked back toward the woman. "Unlock the door," I yelled, motioning to the door handle.
She nodded and pulled the door handle, the lock to the door popping up from the locked position. She shifted her long, smooth, slender leg out first, followed by the body of a goddess, still a little wobbly from the accident.
"Are you okay?" I asked, shifting her blonde hair from her forehead, looking at the open wound.
She pushed me away. "I'm fine," she said, trying to walk away from the accident like nothing happened.
"Hey," Ari yelled.
She looked back at Ari, then toward me, sticking her hands in her pockets as she began to run as fast as she could in heels that weren't meant for anything more than decoration.
"Hey, where the fuck is she going?" Ari yelled again.
I ran after her, grabbing onto her jacket, pulling it off to reveal bruises all over her arms.
My jaw dropped. "What the…who did this to you?"
She turned to me, the fright in her face apparent as she tried to cover the bruises the best she could with her hands. I handed the jacket back to her, which she promptly slid back on.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"It's better if you just leave me alone. You'll be safer," she said, backing away.
"Don't let her leave; she needs to pay me for this car. Who the fuck is gonna pay for this shit?" Ari asked, pointing at his car.
I glanced back at him. "It's not even your car."
"So what? The bitch has a Maserati; she can pay me for mental distress."
The sound of heels clicking away from me against the asphalt quickly caught my attention.
I turned back to her. "Wait."
She glanced back as she ran.
"Get her, Hunter," Ari yelled.
I started for her, jogging slowly at first, but when she disappeared around the corner of a building, I upped my tempo. By the time I made it around the corner she was gone. My eyes panned the unsavory street, knowing just by the car she had crashed that she was ill-prepared for the trouble this particular street would offer. Instead of heading back to Ari, I kept moving, looking down alleyways and through open gates for any sign of her.
There was a rustling behind a set of metal trash cans a few feet away, followed by a slight whimper. Slowly making my way over to the cans, I spied over them to see her crouching down, trembling in fear. She looked up at me. Her soft blue eyes shining with tears that had yet to cascade down her smooth pale cheek.
I held out my hand. "I won't hurt you."
CELESTE
I pored over his strong, clean-shaven jaw, as he spoke, noting the softness in his honey-coated voice. His bright green eyes invited me to trust him unconditionally, but that would be stupid; to escape one man just to fall into the arms of another. But he didn't seem like a monster. I knew a monster. I just left a monster. I took in a deep breath and mustered my courage, resting my hand on his, grasping it as he pulled me up from the ground.
"What's your name?" he asked.
I quickly replied with, "I don't have any insurance."
"How do you have a Maserati and not have insurance?" he chuckled.
"I'm sure the owner has insurance. I'm just saying I don't have any," I said, dusting off the debris from my knees.
He looked over his shoulder. "Did you steal it?"
I didn't reply.
He looked into my eyes. "You don't strike me as the kinda girl that steals cars."
I let go of his hand and clutched onto the lapels of my jacket as I backed away. "I don't look like the kinda girl that would do a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I don't do them."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
I shook my head, wiping the tears that had begun to cascade down my cheeks.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?"
I crossed my arms, looking at the ground in shame. He seemed like a nice guy. The kind of guy that, in another life, I would've wanted to go out with—maybe a nice dinner and, if he was charming enough, a movie. But this wasn't another life, and in this life, I wasn't free to make the kind of choices afforded to regular women.
"Why do you care?" I asked.
"Why won't you answer me?" he asked, reaching for my wrist.
I backed away. "I don't owe you anything. Don't touch me."
"Well you owe me for this knot I have on my forehead. So why don't we start with your name?"
I looked at the sincerity in his face. No one ever asked what my name was. It was always just her, hey, or that bitch. Funny how a little kindness could make a girl like me feel as awkward as the day was long.
He smiled a little, which garnished a smile, and a response from me. "My name's Celeste."
"Celeste. That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."
I backed away. "I'm not beautiful. Please don't call me that."
"Okay. You're an ugly ogre. Got it."
I smiled at his attempt to make me laugh.
"I'm Hunter," he said, holding his hand out for me to shake.
I looked at his strong, manly hand for a time, wrestling with my want to touch him, versus my need to run as far away as I could.
"Look, I work for a security company, and I'm an ex-SEAL if that makes you feel any better. I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. If you are in some trouble, I'll help."
"Trust me, when tomorrow comes, you're gonna wish you never said those words to me. I'm trouble. Nothing but."
He smiled. "Well, trouble is my middle name. Looks like we're perfect for each other."
He held out his hand for only a moment longer and then dropped it, turning back to the accident scene.
"Wait, where are you going?" I asked, reaching out my hand to grab onto his hard shoulder.
"I'm not gonna force you. Looks like you had a lot of that in your life. I'm not into that shit. You can come with me if you'd like, or stay on this fucked up street…your choice."
I looked up the street, realizing it probably wasn't the best part of town, especially the way I was dressed. I turned back to him as he continued to walk away, taking with him the aura of safety that he projected.
I jogged over to him. "Wait."
He stopped mid-step. "I thought you might change your mind."
"You didn't know what I was going to do."
"I knew you were smart enough not to stay," he chuckled, cracking the slightest of smiles as we walked silently back to the accident, where his friend was sitting on his hood, twiddling his thumbs.
He saw us step from around the corner and jumped off the hood, jogging toward us. "What the fuck? I can get your ass for hit and run," his friend threatened.
"You ain't doing shit, Ari, that car is stolen," Hunter said, imposingly.
"You don't know that," Ari replied, shaking his head.
"I know, and you should know me well enough to know I wouldn't lie to you."
Ari opened his mouth to reply, when the sound of revving engines and two sets of high beams speeding toward us, cut him off.
"What the fuck is going on?" Ari asked.
I turned to Hunter, resting my hand on his chest. "We need to get out of here. Please," I begged.
FERAL
HUNTER
I looked into her eyes, the fear jumping out at me like she was a feral cat. I've seen that look before; usually on the hostage victims we rescued in the field. I knew whoever were in those Escalades weren't coming after her for a friendly Sunday chat.
I turned to Ari. "Does your car still work?"
"I think so," he said, kicking the tires.
"Gimmie the muthafuckin' keys," I said, holding out my hand.
He shook his head and threw me the keys. I snatched her hand and started for Ari's car.
"Wait! Where are we going?" she asked.
"Just get in," I yelled, jumping into the driver's seat.
Quickly, Celeste slid into the back seat, Ari on the passenger side, as I stuck the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine turned over a couple of times but kept dying. One last twist of the key and the car started. I jerked it into gear, then slammed on the gas; the wheels squealed against the asphalt and created a plume of burning rubber behind the car.
The Escalades were on our tail the minute the car caught traction and zoomed off down the crowded streets of downtown San Diego.
"Hurry, they're coming," she yelled from the back seat.
"That's not fuckin' helping," I said, bobbing and weaving in and out of traffic on the busy street. The first Escalade slammed into the bumper of the car, pushing us straight into a large delivery truck. I spun the wheel, narrowly missing the truck by a few inches. The Escalade was not as lucky, colliding with the truck, its whole top half slicing off.
The second Escalade veered away from the tragedy which had befallen their comrades, and quickly maneuvered themselves, mirroring my movements as I zipped down a quiet street and rounded a corner. This gave the next SUV an advantage, giving it the chance to pull up next to us, side-swiping our car, forcing us in front of oncoming traffic.
I veered to the left, letting the car pass, but unfortunately there was no more room to swerve away before I hit a parked car, making our left two tires lift off the ground, causing us to drive on the right side wheels. From the rear view mirror, I witnessed the Escalade behind us crash into the oncoming car, the engine catching fire on impact. I couldn't help but hope that there were no children in that car.
My attention shifted back to my current situation. "Bring your weight over to the left side of the car," I yelled.
Ari climbed as close to me as possible, while Celeste unbuckled her belt and moved over to the left side of the car, but it was too late, the car flipped over, sliding halfway down the street on its roof, creating sparks from the friction of the metal against the concrete. If all that hadn't been enough bad luck for the next two years, at least, the car happened to stop in the middle of the trolley tracks. Ari and Celeste were both lying on the roof since they hadn't been wearing seatbelts. I shook Ari awake; although he was dazed and confused, he had the wherewithal to grab Celeste and crawl out of the car as I tried to unbuckle my belt.
The light and horn of the trolley sent me into a panic since my buckle wouldn't unlock, no matter how hard I tried to yank it apart while pushing the release button. The lights grew larger as they neared my position, my eyes widened, while the sounds of Ari and Celeste yelling for me clouded my head. Finally, I heard the sudden click of the seat belt.
In a flash I was free and out of the metal death trap, sitting on the asphalt next to Celeste as the cab of the red trolley car smashed into the car, reducing it to a pile of shredded metal and burning upholstery.
"Fuck!" Ari yelled, resting his hands on his head. "I just wanted to get drunk."
I looked up at him. "Are you seriously worried about that and not what the fuck just happened?"
"Yeah, who were those muthafucka's, by the way?" Ari yelled at Celeste.
She cringed at the tone of his voice; her body quivered in response to the anger in his face.
"Ari!" I yelled as I stood up, wiping the dirt off palms.
"What the fuck, Hunter?" his voice tight.
I turned to Celeste. "Who were those guys in the Escalades?"
She glanced over at the car, and the people stepping off the trolley. Her lips separated as she rubbed her elbow, visibly frightened to say anything.
"You're gonna have to tell us something. We almost got killed for you," I said.
"Those were Torello's men," she whispered.
"What the fuck!" Ari yelled.
I turned to him. "Who the fuck is Torello?"
"Are you kidding?"
"Why would I ask if I knew?"
"You just got yourself involved with the fuckin' mob. This bitch just got you involved with the fuckin' mob," Ari said, pointing at Celeste.
I swiped his hand away. "There is no need to call her fuckin' names, asshole."
I don't know why, but I felt protective of her. There was something broken and fragile in her that reminded me of someone very special to me—my mother. I wanted to hold her in my arms and keep the world at bay.
Maybe I was trying to make up for the fact I couldn't keep my mom safe from the countless deadbeats she brought home who would beat her right in front of me; a scrawny little kid who couldn't do anything but try and stand between a grown man and a cowering woman.
After my father was killed by a drunk driver, she was never the same, and the drugs and men were the only things that seemed to dull the pain for her. I could see the same fear in Celeste's eyes, so what else could I do but help?
Ari started to back away. "We better get the fuck outta here before people start asking questions, don't you think?"
I took her hand, twining my fingers with hers, exchanging a look which I had never shared with a woman before. You could have knocked me over with a feather right then.
"Let's go," Ari yelled.
I t
ugged at her hand, and she didn't oppose my advance, nor did her hand tremble in mine.
Taking a step away from the amassing crowd, she followed without any resistance. Our steps quickened as the conductor yelled for us to stop—a call we didn't acknowledge. We kept on our way, rounding a corner, finding refuge in a vacant building, where transients had apparently taken up residence. There were old beer cans, used syringes, and half-broken crack pipes strewn about, just waiting for someone to pick them up and reuse them.
Celeste stepped on a glass pipe, which startled her. She pressed her body into mine, trying to shake the broken glass from her shoe, letting me know she wasn't used to this sort of atmosphere. Where ever she just came from; she didn't have to deal with the seedy sort.
"There's nowhere to hide if Torello is involved. Tell us, what the fuck is going on?" Ari yelled, his screams echoing throughout the empty building.
"He bought me. I'm his," she yelled back at him.
"Oh, fuck me! We have one of his girls, Hunter!" Ari hollered, clasping his hands on top of his head while pacing back and forth, crushing crack pipes and syringes underfoot.
"Calm the fuck down, Ari," I motioned to him.
"Don't tell me to calm the fuck down. I knew I should've left your annoying ass at home and went to my bitch's house instead."
I shook my head. "Listen here, muthafucker. Calm the fuck down."
He stepped to me. "Then what the fuck are we gonna do? Let's drop her off where the fuck we found her, and be on our way. Man, I ain't tryin' to be involved in this shit. I'm on muthafuckin' parole."
"Goddammit, Ari, shut the fuck up for two fuckin' seconds," I yelled, my words echoing through the barren building.
"I'm sorry. I told you to leave me. I said you would be sorry," she whispered.
I grasped her wrist and pulled her into the safety of my arms. I was treating her like she was already mine. I was a little taken aback by how comfortable it was to handle her that way, but I felt like she needed me to…handle her that is.
Softly kissing the top of her head, I let my lips linger for a time, breathing in the lavender fragrance emanating from her hair, taking in the scent like an animal in heat.
Teach Me: A Bad Boy Professor Romance (The Me Series Book 1) Page 12
