Road to Them: The Road Series Book Two

by Erica Andrews

  I had a feeling that he was going to say that and that wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

  Duchess, who had up until now been laying at Dean’s feet, stretched her long body as she got up lazily walking to me, softly putting her head in my lap.

  Okay, so maybe she wasn’t so much of a traitor.

  I scratched behind her ears, while I pondered his words. I really did want to see Kasper, and even if Damon was one of the biggest asses on the planet, I missed him and his dancing. If I was honest with myself, I just missed all of us together.

  It didn’t feel right, not seeing them or talking to them.

  “Okay, say I do talk to him. Can I at least ask you if you or Kasper knew anything about any of this?”

  He shook his head vehemently, as he reached across the table for my hands, slightly knocking his coffee mug turning the picture slightly towards him.

  “No, we never knew anything and if it helps neither did Damon. None of us want to hurt you. It’s killed us these three weeks being away from you.”

  He squeezed my hand lightly. “Just talk to Damon please. I miss seeing you.”

  How could I say no to him when here he sat holding my hand, drinking out of my special coffee mug, and begging me to get the other side of the story?

  Pulling my hand out of his, I nudge Duchess’s head off my lap and come around the table.

  As if already knowing my intention, he pushed his chair back gently, making room for me to sit in his lap.

  Once settled, I encircled my arms around his neck, laying my head gently on his chest. His arms wrapped around my back, where he proceeded to rub circles across my back. As he rubbed my back, I sat still and listened to his heart beat against my ear, soothing me. Yeah, I needed more of this calmness in my life.

  “Okay, I'll think about calling him. That’s a big emphasis on ‘think’. It’s not like he tried super hard to see me.”

  He laughed and I loved the muffled sound against my ear.

  “Didn’t try? I think the man left you doughnuts, showed up at your door, and tried calling and texting. Granted if it was me, I’d have probably knocked down the whole door.”

  I leaned up, eyeing him curiously. “Oh, you would, would you? Just knock down my door?”

  He blushed but continued to rub my back. “Okay, maybe not knock it down, but I never would have stopped trying to get to you. Besides, it was more Kasper and all his logical stuff that made up our plan. I'm all about the groveling.”

  He winked. “Do you want me to grovel?”

  I laughed at the picture of him on his hands and knees.

  Oh, the possibilities.

  “No, you don’t have to grovel, but an ‘I’m sorry’ would be nice to hear.”

  He turned serious as he suddenly kissed me softly, keeping our heads close as he whispered, “I’m sorry for any second that you had to question how we feel about you. I’m sorry for any minute you have to question how much you have come to mean to every one of us. I’m sorry that you don’t know that you are everything to us. Everything.”

  Fresh tears fell down my face as our breaths mingled. Who knew that my goofy boyfriend could say something so sweet and romantic? My chest tightened from holding back the ugly cry that wanted to spew forward.

  To stop the tears from falling once again, I pulled his lips to mine crushing his as I attempted to show him how his words affected me. I lingered against his lips, barely brushing them back and forth. Not wanting to stop but knew I should get this Camille thing under control before we moved any further.

  Throat still clogged with unshed tears, I swallowed as I smiled at Dean. “You’re a pretty great boyfriend, you know that?”

  He leaned back, choosing to ignore the wetness in my eyes and for that I was grateful. Back to his comical self he blew on his nails pretending to buff them on his shirt. “Well I have been known to do some great things.”

  Hands on his chest, I shoved him slightly as I stood to get up.

  “Oh, well, since you know, I guess I don’t have to give you any more compliments, sounds like you are full of them and yourself.”

  I picked up my coffee mug and went to reach for his when he suddenly grabbed my hand, trying to see the other side of the coffee mug.

  “Kelly, what does my coffee mug say?”

  Ahh, he finally saw the special words on my special mug.

  Carefully, I twisted his mug so he could see the full extent of the words.

  Smiling at me he glanced down to see what I was doing.

  “I just wanted to show you my special mug for you guys. I might’ve had a little bit of a spending spree during our three weeks apart.”

  He looked at the words then back at me with his eyebrows raised. “It says I can eat dicks.”

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “What can I say, I had my sad stage and my very pissed stage. That was my pissed stage.”

  He twisted the words away from him. “So when you were pissed you bought us mugs that said to eat dicks?”

  I smiled. “Among other things.”

  He looked slightly curious when he asked his next question, “What other things?”

  I didn’t know if telling him would be a good thing, so I said the only thing I could think of. “You’ll see.”

  Five

  Kelly

  1. Was it really an addiction?

  2. Did Dean have a point about calling Damon?

  3. I missed doughnuts

  I had an addiction.

  A sugary goodness addiction, but nonetheless an addiction.

  “I’ll take the pink one, ohh, gotta have that blue and white one, and do you have a s’mores one?”

  Perusing through the selection of doughnuts from the diner, I tried to only pick three but it was so hard. I had gone three weeks without my most favorite thing in the world. I mean favorite food, and after my talk with Dean, well things looked like they might finally be looking up.

  Or at least I hoped they were.

  I just had to text Damon. Which was easier said than done.

  Doughnuts in the bag, Damon’s favorite waitress eyed me as she handed me my precious.

  “You’re the new school teacher, Miss. Green?”

  The waitress, whose name I couldn’t remember, wasn’t striking, not like Camille, but more of a Dorothy type, with long plaited hair, and gingham dress. All she needed was the ruby slippers, and her little dog.

  “I am, and thank you for my doughnuts.”

  I turned to leave before I could get suckered into a long winded conversation, but my chance at freedom was dashed when I heard her call out, “Are you dating all three of them?”

  My freedom went up in flames.

  I put on a sweet smile as I turned. “Why do you ask?”

  She came around to my side leaning up against the glass case, “Well I talked to Damon, and he didn’t say anything mind you, but I think he's confused. I think you’ve confused them all. I mean, Damon has finally realized he isn’t gay, so he should be with me. But now you’ve got your hook in him.”

  Oh, boy.

  Now I knew Damon had dated her in high school for her looks, because it wasn’t for her brains.

  Bless her heart.

  “Oh, honey. They’re not confused.”

  She was the one actually looking confused at the moment. Or possibly constipated.

  Yeah, let’s go with constipated.

  “They’re not confused?”

  I shook my head. “No hun, they just happen to like the same woman…me.” I leaned into her slightly urging her to move closer before I added, “And they are very, very happy.”

  Dumbstruck, she straightened herself, with wide eyes staring back at me. Not wanting to keep going on, I turned and waved, “Tootles, hun.”

  The door jingled behind me as I left, heading for my car. I guess the plus side of being asked if I was dating them all, Damon didn’t have to worry about his soulmate bothering him again.

  Bless his heart.
>
  My lock was broke.

  I stood outside my house, scared to go inside. My once old Colonial door was now broken, cracked and splintered around the lock, and slightly ajar.

  What did I do?

  Where was Duchess?

  Duchess, who was known for barking at the door and greeting me, was nowhere to be seen or heard.

  Had they got to her?

  I tore through the front door thinking of nothing but my dog, and how somewhere she needed me.

  In shock, I took in the overturned couch and shredded cushions. My table and pink hutch that I had painted myself was now destroyed. The legs broken and coffee mugs shattered.

  It was destroyed.

  My new beginning.

  Everything.

  Arrooh.

  “Duchess!”

  I followed her voice to the kitchen where plates and cups laid shattered on the floor. And in the midst, laid my Duchess.

  Panting and looking up at me she made no effort to move, as I took in the cuts and scrapes along her body. Her right front paw was turned at such an angle that I knew it had been broken.

  Crawling across the floor carefully, I made my way towards my dog, who had put up a fight that would have knocked others down.

  Carefully, I sat beside her, stroking her head as she laid in my lap. “Oh Duchess, what happened? Who did this to you?”

  Not getting a reply, I knew the only person that could help the both of us.

  Tears leaked from my eyes as I fought down the images of Duchess fighting and losing, while I tried to wrangle my phone out of my purse, to call the three people who had come to mean so much to both me and Duchess.

  Without hesitation, I called the first number on my speed dial.

  “Hello?”

  Just the sound of his voiced calmed me.

  Throat scratchy from the tears that threatened to burst from hearing his voice, I cleared my throat.

  “Damon?”

  “Kelly? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  “My door has been busted...”

  “What? Don’t go in.”

  Well I’m already in, and the house is a mess…”

  “Why would you go in there? You should have called me as soon as you saw the lock.”

  Ass.

  “Damon, listen...they hurt Duchess. I think her foot is broken.”

  “They hurt Duchess?”

  The vehemence in his voice on Duchess’s behalf, warmed my heart.

  “Yes, and well, I’m scared.”

  I could hear him whispering, probably to Dean or Kasper, before he came back on the line.

  “Kelly, listen stay right there. Me and the guys are on our way. We’ll call the police and the local vet to tell them that we’re bringing Duchess in. Just stay with her. Can you do that?”

  Duchess licked my face suddenly, finally hearing the voice on the other end of the call.

  “I can stay here. Just hurry, please.”

  He huffed out a breath while he quietly replied, “We’re on our way darling.”

  Six

  Damon

  “Mother Fucker!”

  “Just calm down we’re almost there!” Kasper had been saying that since I had got the phone call just five minutes earlier.

  But I couldn’t calm down, and I didn't think they could either. They just had an easier way to hide it than I did. Kasper gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, while Dean sat in the back switching from popping his knuckles or running his fingers through his hair.

  We were all a mess.

  Me maybe the most.

  I hated that dog.

  Or I thought I did until tonight when Kelly had brokenly told me that on top of her house getting broken into that the dog had gotten hurt also, and I caught myself caring about whether the brute died or not.

  That worried me.

  It seemed I had gotten used to her always pouncing on me and trying to sit on me. Apparently, the big behemoth had started to grow on me. And the thought of Kelly sitting there with her broken dog alone, burned inside my belly.

  I really hated knowing that she was there alone.

  That crazy woman, instead of waiting outside like any normal person would, she went barreling into the house alone, no weapon, and her only defense was probably that big ass handbag she usually carried.

  What was she thinking?

  Knowing her she probably wasn’t. She just wanted that damn dog to be okay.

  Her house came into focus as Kasper pulled into the driveway.

  Finally.

  Not waiting for the truck to stop, I threw open my door, jumping out and skidding across the gravel as I headed for her broken door.

  My mind rallied against me, as I barged into her house, the broken door slamming behind me. Kasper’s and Dean’s footsteps could be heard not far behind me.

  “My God.”

  Dean’s whisper seemed to carry through the now demolished living room, echoing what we all thought.

  “Kelly!” I yelled out, seeing the destruction at how the room was taken apart made me worry for her and Duchess more.

  “In here!”

  Her small voice filtered through the kitchen, where we all three ran at the sound of her voice, stopping at the sight that greeted us.

  Duchess looked bad.

  Her head in Kelly’s lap, I could make out the deep gashes around her eyes and the dried blood that dripped from her jaw.

  Goddamn.

  Kelly’s hands shook, as she rubbed Duchess’s head, speaking small soothing sounds trying to calm her dog. But somehow, I think the words were more for her.

  I squatted down behind her while Kasper and Dean sat in front of her.

  Her body felt cold against the front of my chest, and I wanted to tuck her under my arm and tell her that everything would be alright, but I couldn’t lie.

  Duchess looked bad.

  Kasper, slowly grabbed the hand that wasn’t petting Duchess, squeezing it lightly to get her attention.

  “Kelly, the police are on their way, and we called the vet. He’s meeting us at the office. Who do you want to stay here and who do you want to got to the vet with you?”

  Her head bumped against my chin when she looked up at the guys. “I want Damon,” she hesitated and my heart stopped, “I mean Duchess loves Damon, so he should be the one to go with us.” She paused as if to think over her next words. “That is if Damon would go with me?”

  Did she really think, I’d say, no?

  Did she not know how much I cared?

  Judging by her question I guess she didn’t.

  I wrapped my arm around her waist feeling her tense beneath my fingers. “Of course, I'll go with you, these guys can handle the police.” I raised my eyes to them “Right guys?”

  Dean met my eyes, placing his hands on Kelly’s leg. ”Of course Princess, we’ll handle the police and pick up around here.”

  Her hand moved to Dean’s hand on her leg and rubbed up and down his arm, and I could admit I was jealous.

  “No, don’t worry about picking up, I’ll do it when I get home.”

  He leaned in pushing her hair behind her ear. “If we can do anything to help, then we will, plus at least we know where everything goes.”

  I felt her body relax slightly against me, and I savored the feel, because I didn't know when it would happen again. She was still mad, and I hadn’t told her my side of what happened with Camille. Though it’s not like she actually tried to listen. Peeling out of the driveway without waiting for me to explain and then refusing to answer my calls or my texts. I even bought her the damn doughnuts.

  Worked up, I could feel my muscles clench around her stomach. Breathing out slowly, I forced myself to relax.

  Now was not the time to worry about our relationship, or if it even was a relationship. Right now, we needed to worry about Duchess and who the fuck would tear up her house.

  I didn’t think it was just an accident.

  “Dean’s righ
t. I’ll go and help you with Duchess, and they can help clean up. You’ll be too tired to clean when you get home.”

  I leaned in, smelling the shampoo that she probably used to take a shower with this morning, and I had to stop from pulling her in my lap.

  She twisted slightly, careful of Duchess, turning to look at me and it gripped my heart seeing the unshed tears in her eyes. I was going to get whoever fucked with Duchess and her house and who put those tears in her eyes.

  She opened her mouth to, probably, tell me off, but the sound of sirens caught us all off guard.

  “That must be the police.”

  Kasper stood up, offering Dean a hand up. After helping Dean, Kasper glanced down at me and Kelly frowning. “Me and Dean, will meet the police at the door.” Catching my eye he continued, “I’ll leave the keys to the truck on the dash, so when you guys are ready, you can go.”

  I nodded my head. “Thanks man.”

  He nodded, while cuffing Dean across the shoulder. “Well, you ready to meet the police?”

  Dean smiled at Kelly attempting to lighten the mood. “Hey, at least I’m not getting arrested this time.”

  Her eyes left Duchess, and fixed on Kasper. “Another tattoo, another story?”

  He eyed me and Dean. “Yeah something like that…”

  I rolled my eyes, another story that was more of a nightmare, and I still had the scar on my ass to prove it.

  Dean, not wanting to explain to Kelly how he was arrested, and I wouldn't either if I was him, pulled nervously at the back of Kasper’s shirt. “Well I bet those nice officers are not very patient, let’s not leave them waiting.”

  Kasper who knew the same story I did, winked at Kelly. “Don’t worry Butterscotch, we’ll deal with the police and the house, you just take care of that good guard dog of yours.”

  Once the guys could be heard greeting the officers, Kelly turned back to me and asked, “Do you think you could carry her to the truck, for me?”

  When she asked me things like that, it made me feel like an ass. And I hated the way that felt.