Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2)

by Statham, Mayra

  “Get out!” She yells and I feel Matt walk to me, grabbing my shoulders as he kicks me out of the dressing room, not missing the obvious smirk on Duke’s face on my way out.

  Liz

  I didn’t want Matt to bring me home, but it’s obvious he isn’t going to hear any arguments.

  After the scene with Parker in the dressing room and him leaving Shine, the Judge and his guard dogs had left me alone. I didn’t have to walk the floor, I only danced one more time, and then Shine closed. I got dressed, back into yoga pants, a pink tee and running shoes. As I walked to meet Matt at the bar, I watch Jen hand him something. When I reach him he hands me a familiar grey bunched up hoodie.

  “Here,” he tells me, grabbing my bag, placing it on the ground and putting the hoodie on me gently and I fight the tears. It felt great to be covered in Parkers hoodie. It smells like Parker, somehow giving me strength.

  “Come on,” Matt says and we walk over to his black and chrome Harley-Davidson. Giving me his extra helmet, I put it on and we leave.

  He surprises me by taking me to a cozy all-night diner in Santa Monica. Grabbing two to go cups of coffee we walk to the bench outside and sit down. We silently drink coffee as the night slowly and silently changed into an official new day.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” I immediately answer and he nods taking a swig of coffee.

  “I don’t want you to stay by yourself at your place.” He tells me and I look at him.

  “Honey….”

  “I get you can’t go to your girls place in case Duke is up to something, it might make shit worse.” He adds his blue eyes soft with a kindness I feel is undeserved.

  “I can stay at a hotel.” I suggest smiling and he wraps his arm around my shoulder.

  “Stay with me this weekend.” He offers and I look away. It would be so easy to go from one thing to another. So easy to let myself make an even bigger mess of my life, to let myself depend of Matt. Matt’s a good guy. He had his own set of rules and walks to the beat of his own drummer, but under it all, he’s a good guy and I can’t let him get mixed up in things even more than he already is.

  “Matt…,” I start to say, not knowing the exact words I should say, but being the nice guy he is in his own right he doesn’t make me find them.

  “I know.” He sighs, “I had to offer.” He smiles looking down at me, and I smile at him.

  “Take me home?” I ask with a small smile.

  “Okay.”

  Once we finished our coffee, we ride on his bike to my place, where he walks me to my door and kisses my forehead. Before he leaves, he tells me to lock up, again reminding me of what a good guy Matt really is.

  Locking the door, I throw my bags down, way too tired to take them with me. I walk to the kitchen and grab a water bottle. The tequila, coffee and stress of the night is still churning in my stomach. I walk towards my room and stand still when I notice the large shadow of a man sitting on my couch in the dark. My skin tingles in fear and my heart races as my mind searches to think of what was close enough to use as a weapon to defend myself.

  “It’s me.” Parker’s deep voice whispers as if he can sense he’d scared me, that he was still scaring me. Incapable of knowing what to say to him, even breathing feels like an impossible feat. “Check the pocket of the hoodie,” his deep voice washes over me and I take a deep breath.

  Putting my hands in it, I take out a napkin, trying to ignore the obvious shaking in them. The writing on the napkin is too much for me.

  We’re latched to one another.

  God! Like the song that made me think of him.

  God!

  The napkin in my hands turns blurry, my hands are shaking now. My knees feel like they’re going to buckle again, but somehow I’m standing. It takes less than a second for him to reach me. His arms immediately latch onto my waist, my hands instantly go over his shoulders and he picks me up. He lifts me up under my legs, in his arms, like a groom carries his bride. I bury my face into his neck. Wordlessly, he carries us to my room, laying us on my bed, my body over his, his arms wrap tightly around mine.

  The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with the natural scent of Parker’s skin and the warmth from his strong, large body wraps around me. The evenness of his breathing helps me calm. God, I love him so much. I’m so deeply in love with the man in my bed it’s as if he’s somehow written into my DNA and into every single cell that makes me whole. He’s in every fiber of my body, in every single pore. It really hurt being away from him these past couple of days. Now in the safety of his arms, I feel whole. Like two puzzle pieces fitting seamlessly into one another.

  “Let’s pack a bag and leave. Go to the closest airport and just hop on the next available flight.” I suggest into the darkness and he squeezes me tight.

  “I’ll go anywhere you need me to be.” I close my eyes at his words. God… God I love him. I love him so much but I can't have him. You can’t keep him. A voice in my head reminds me, but for a second I ignore it.

  “We could run off, hide. Start over somewhere he wouldn’t find us, me.”

  “Anything you want, angel,” his deep voice tells me and even with my eyes shut tightly a tear escapes.

  “Why are you here, Park?” I whisper calmly, I’m happy he’s here, holding me close, but I’m terrified that Duke will somehow find out.

  “I’m meant to end my days wherever you lay your head.” I love him so much! So damn beautiful! I shift in bed. Moving slightly so that I can look at him, as I place my hands on his strong chest, my fingertips mindlessly and randomly stroking his warm body, wishing he wasn’t wearing clothes.

  “Duke…,” I start to say, but he shakes his head.

  “I have it under control. He won’t know I’m here.” His grey eyes serious, they almost look lighter in the darkness. “I need you to tell me everything. Everything he’s threatened you with. I need to know what the deal is.”

  “Honey….”

  “I’m shackled to you, Elizabeth. I’m not kidding when I say I’m meant to end my days wherever you lay your head down. Do you get that? Do you get what that means?” His voice is obviously frustrated now, he doesn't let me answer. “You are mine. You gave me that in this very bed. The promise of what we could have in the long term is still here. I don’t give a fuck what you did before me, all that matters is us now from here on out. I need to know what he’s holding over you, what he wants. I need to know everything! You are a part of me. I’m a part of you. We are tied to one another, etched in each other’s soul. So please tell me.”

  With his words and everything that they mean, I give in. Not that it’s a hardship to be in his arms like I am. I tell him everything. From the moment that Tess walked into my office, to me walking into my apartment a couple of minutes before. I cry and he holds me close. I tell him everything. What’s happened and exactly how I’ve been feeling. I don’t leave anything out. It’s all out in the open now.

  Still in bed, completely dressed, Parker in the suit he’d worn to Shine, minus the jacket, and me in his grey hoodie and yoga pants. He holds me close, tucked into his side, his hands in my hair. Stroking me with his talented fingers, he holds me close, not letting me go, whispering that he’s going to make everything okay. He kisses my forehead and keeps gently stroking my hair, my scalp, all of which makes my eyes heavy. Somehow I drift off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Parker

  I feel the moment she falls completely asleep. Her body completely relaxed in my arms, but I don’t stop stroking her back or her hair. I don’t stop touching the tips of her long, soft dark hair that she’d left loose once we were tucked into one another and she told me everything about my grandfather.

  Her body feels good next to mine. Better than good it felt right. We were exactly where we were supposed to be, next to one another. I tried to ignore the sick feeling that clenched in my stomach thinking about my grandfather and whatever sick games he was playing, all I knew was that I wasn’t going to
let anything happen to her.

  My phone buzzes in my pants and I carefully take it out, trying not to wake her.

  Unknown: Time to go.

  I close my eyes and sigh, squeezing her closer to me. Breathing in the scent of her skin and hair, I exhale slowly, my lips kissing the top of her head.

  “I love you, my angel.” I whisper into the dark and silent room, knowing there was no way she heard it. Her breathing is even and soft. I look at her. She is so damn beautiful. Her dark hair on the pillow, is shiny and thick, her lush full lips are slightly parted. She looks peaceful, fucking angelic.

  Soon, very soon I’ll tell her when she’s awake. I remind myself and somehow will myself to leave.

  Chatper Thirty

  A heavy knock at the door startles me out of the deep sleep I’d been in.

  Sitting up, I look at the other side of the bed. Empty. My hands touch where he’d been laying and the sheets are now cold. He’d left. As much as I want to let myself believe in his sweet words of us being tied to one another, I can’t let myself believe in them. He could change his mind and realize that I’m not worth his time. The knock came again and I sit up in bed, stealing a glance at the small digital clock on my nightstand that reads 10:36 A.M. in bright red lights.

  I walk to the front door, the knocking becoming louder. I look through the peephole and take a deep breath. Unlocking it, I open it slightly.

  “What do you two want?” I ask coldly. Duke’s two bodyguards are standing at the door. Creepy looks me over frowning, as cute and dangerous talks.

  “Boss would like to talk to you.” His voice is deep. I tilt my head, trying to seem unaffected and unamused.

  “Well tell your boss, I’m busy getting my beauty rest.” I snap and try to close the door. But he places a huge booted foot inside the door before I’m able to close it.

  “Look sweet cheeks, I get it. You don’t want to go. Thing is...that’s not my fucking problem. Make this easy on us, will you?” his voice is deep, his eyes covered in the same dark aviator sunglasses he wore before.

  “Or what?” I ask. My voice is calm, even if everything in me is frightened.

  “What?” His eyebrows go up, as if I surprised him.

  “Or what?” He asks. He takes off his sunglasses, angry eyes stare back at me, narrowed and slightly irritated.

  “I get that some might see you and twiddle dumb behind you, and get scared to shit and feel like the only choice they have is to do everything you say. But you should remember, I’m not like most. Especially not before I’ve had a freaking cup of coffee! So my question honey buns is OR what?” Not knowing where the false bravery was coming from, but I decided to roll with it. I was tired, grumpy and beyond stressed out.

  Cute and dangerous’ eyes narrow, something flashes in them as I take in twiddle-dumb behind him turning slightly red.

  “Or…,” he leans his face forward into mine. “I let twiddle-dumb here, come inside and have him help you get ready.” His hand comes to my face and says, “You look like an angel sweet cheeks, but fuck you have fire in you. I can see why the boss is drawn to you.” He whispers, my stomach turning. I pull my face back and he smirks. “Maybe I should go in and help you get ready?”

  I hold my body still as I try to glare daggers at him.

  “You have twenty minutes to get dressed. Bring the shit you need for tonight, I’ll take you to work after he’s done with you.” He says closing the door in front of him and for a minute I’m frozen in place. What do I do?

  A buzzing starts to go off and I look down at the bags I’d left at the door. Picking them up, searching through them, the flip phone Parker had slipped into my pocket is the one going off.

  Walking to my room, I answer.

  “Hello?” I whisper.

  “Angel.”

  “Park,” I breathe out, fear and anxiety filling me up, and I feel like I’m going to drown in it.

  “I saw them. What do they want?” He tells me.

  “What?” I ask. How had he seen them?

  “Baby, focus!”

  “They told me to get ready, Duke wants to see me.” Swallowing hard, looking at my bed, I keep filling him in. “I am to take my things with me because one of them will take me to Shine after.” I say quickly, now sitting on the edge of my bed. My hands tremble and it’s hard to breathe.

  “Okay, baby. Just do what they say….”

  “Are you insane?” I hiss out.

  “Do you trust me?” He asks and I put my hand in the pocket of the hoodie, feeling the napkin, “Angel, do you trust me?” He repeats his voice gentle and sweet.

  “Yes.” I tell him looking at myself in the mirror in front of me. My hair is down, slightly wavy and wild from sleep in his sweater. My hand clenches the napkin in the pocket of the over-sized sweater, holding onto it like an anchor so I won’t somehow drift away.

  “Yeah, I trust you, Parker.” My voice somehow sounding more confident than I felt.

  “Go get ready. Tonight, you might not see me, but I’ll see you. Trust me.”

  “Parker… I don’t want you to get hurt...maybe …,” I start to say, but he cuts me off.

  “Stick with Matt.” He demands, “And angel?”

  “Yeah?” I ask, my heart still beating hard.

  “No kissing him tonight...or any other night...okay?” he voice is gruff and I bite my lip.

  “Okay… I… Park...,” I start to tell him softly, laying on my back in my bed, I look at the ceiling fan over me, as if I don’t have two goons waiting for me.

  “We have a lot of shit to talk about and we will. Once all of this is over, I promise.” He keeps talking, surprising me. Men don’t like to ‘talk about shit’ but this had been brought up by him.

  “Park…?”

  “Go get ready.” he says, ending the call. Go get ready. Just like that. So I do.

  ***

  Twiddle-Hot and Twiddle-Creep take me to downtown LA, escorting me through one of the older high-rises. On the outside of the building it’d looked as if it had seen better days. The area isn’t the nicest and I wonder if the SUV the two goons are driving is even safe being left in the parking lot we’d left it at. The inside of the building is a whole other story.

  Newly re-done and by the paint scent still fresh in the air it had to have been done recently. In the elevator Twiddle- Creep corners me. Pressing his body next to mine, his pathetic excuse for a hard on pressing up against my slacks, whispering exactly what he likes about my ass. I’m ready to push him off, when Twiddle-Hot notices and he yanks him off of me and hits him hard upside the head, telling him to get the fuck away from me. They walk me into what looks like an upscale apartment on the top floor of the building.

  “Hello, Elizabeth.” Dukes deep voice makes me jump. Busy taking in the elegance of the top floor apartment I hadn’t realized that he had walked into the room.

  “Judge,” I say, looking at him.

  “I thought we could have lunch,” he says, tilting his head for me to follow him in. Twiddle- Hot puts his hand at the small of my back and gives me a nudge to follow.

  Duke pulls the chair for me to sit, then sits in front of me. The furnishing of the place is beautiful. Everything is immaculate and elegant. The entire place something out of a home interiors magazine.

  “Like the place?” Duke asks, tilting his eyebrow and I nod.

  “It’s beautiful.” I remark trying to be polite and not let him see how nervous I am. Everything is done in whites and gold’s makes the place seem big and airy, restored to its original beauty.

  “The view is great too… I think you would love the rooftop garden for painting.” He says sipping from the glass of white wine on the table.

  I look at him, trying not to show my surprise. What is he up too? More importantly, how does he know about my painting?

  Dread mixes in with the anxiety that is already flowing through me. I look behind me, and realize that the two goons are standing behind me, standing at attention.
A middle-aged woman in a maid’s uniform comes out to serve us our food and drinks. She never once looks at us directly nor does she speak. Once she leaves, Duke clears his throat.

  “Boys, will you please give us a moment? Why don’t you join Helen in the kitchen for lunch?” He orders, and Twiddle-hot and Twiddle-creep leave without a word and my heart rate picks up at the thought of being left alone with him. I don’t want to be left alone with him.

  “You can relax, Elizabeth. It’s not time yet.” He says, his voice deep, almost gentle.

  “Time for what?” I ask, looking at him, hating that the fear I feel, shows in the slight wobble in my voice.

  His dark eyes meet mine, his lips twitch making his thick mustache move slightly, and my stomach twists at the look in his eyes, predatory and glazed with lust. He breathes in deeply his eyes not moving from mine.

  “For me to get what I want,” he says softly, his eyes moving down to my chest.

  I’m wearing a white sweater with a baby blue camisole underneath because it always slips off my shoulder, and had paired it with black wide-legged slacks and black patent leather pumps. It’s a simple outfit that covers up most of my body. Something that I knew I would need when I was getting ready at my apartment. My mouth is dry, I pick up a glass of tea that Helen had brought out with our salads. What I don’t do, is respond.

  We eat in silence. Well Duke eats while I pick at my food. Once he’s done he leans back in his chair and stares at me. Stares at me so long, so quietly, that I feel his eyes warm on my skin as a sick shiver runs straight through me.

  “John Davenport is having a bachelor party for his friend Michael Crown tonight. My grandson’s new business associates are going to be there, as well as a couple of other boys. I need you to be there. Give Davenport some special attention,” he tells me calmly as if he’s discussing the weather.

  “Duke, I don’t...,” I start to tell him and his gaze snaps up to meet mine and I stop talking immediately. His eyes are angry, something ugly burning behind them. It is so ugly that I feel sick to my stomach.