by C. L. Stone
He looked up, tilting his head as he looked at the phone. “Do you want to keep it? Or did you want a new one?”
“Huh?”
“It’s an emergency phone,” he said. “It’s got a limited amount of minutes on it. An old model, too.” He held out his hand, offering to take it. I gave it to him and he looked it over. “Not a bad thing. It’s just disposable. We should probably get you a better one.”
“I don’t need it,” I said. I’d gone for so long without a cell phone, I couldn't imagine getting one now. And I couldn’t afford it. I didn’t want them buying one for me.
“We’ll get you one,” he said. “Probably a good idea to get one for both you and Wil. You need permanent numbers so you can call each other.”
I smothered my retort, not wanting to accidentally suggest: if I let them find Wil. Keeping my mouth shut about this was difficult.
He was right, though. If my brother and I had phones now, I wouldn’t be in this mess at all. I could just call and ask where he was. Corey didn’t mean to, but he was showing me how dysfunctional being poor had been.
He zipped up his case, looked over at mine, barely a quarter full, with only a few pieces of clothing, and half of the ones included were his. “Got everything you need?”
“I guess.”
He scanned me, checking out my feet. “Do you need shoes?”
“My old ones are at Coaltar’s house. I don’t think we can get those back.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Probably won’t see those again. And boots don’t really go with shorts, do they? There’s those sandals you wore to the party around here somewhere. Or we can get you new shoes.”
“You can’t keep buying me things.”
“Yes, I can. I’ve got money.”
“No, I mean, you can’t just buy stuff for me like that.”
He picked up my two book bags, and stuffed them on the shelf in his closet. “We’ll unpack when we get back. Anyway, yes, I can. You need shoes because you can’t go barefoot everywhere.”
I scoffed. So not the point. “I don’t want to owe you anything.”
“You won’t.” He walked over and hugged me around the shoulders. “We’ll get you whatever you need, okay? If you need shoes, we can get you shoes. If you want your own apartment, we’ll get it for you. Cell phone, clothes, food, a car, whatever you need.”
“But I...”
“And you won’t owe us anything,” he said, he hugged a little tighter, looking down at me with a big smile. “We’ll never ask.”
“I can’t be a mooch, Corey,” I said.
“You’re not. You’re going with me to do this thing, aren’t you?”
“I guess.”
“Well, now it’s like you’re part of the team. But if we’re chasing down bad guys or crossing the state border, you need a pair of shoes.”
I still felt guilty. The lady had said their accounts were low, that they didn’t have much money left. It would cost money if they wanted to adopt me. I didn’t say anything, just twisted my lips into a pout. Saying no to Corey was tough.
Corey sighed. “Look, just trust me, okay? I’d do it for any of the others.” With that, he released me, picked up his bag and mine, and then pulled out his keys. “Ready to go?”
I nodded, even as my insides were in knots, wondering how much further I was diving into this. Now Corey said it was like I was becoming a part of their team, and I was pretending I was fine with it.
I tried to tell myself it would be okay, that we were helping an old lady, and that sort of thing was a good deed. Corey didn’t appear to be a bad guy.
I could only hope it was true. I’d have a hard time escaping if it wasn’t.
HOW TO WAKE UP A BEAR
Corey locked up the apartment, and I followed him down the hallway. He stopped and knocked at Apartment 737.
Nothing. He took out his keys, and opened the door.
“You have a key to their place?”
“Yeah,” he said. “We all have one to each other’s cars and anything else. Comes in handy if they aren’t around and you need in.” He said it with a smile, like this was obvious and he was humoring me. He held open the door, letting me go in first. “I guess we should get you a set.”
I shoved his remark aside, not wanting to get that close while I still had my doubts. “Are we supposed to walk in on them?” I asked. I swept my eyes over the apartment. Bedroom doors were closed, bathroom doors were open. Kitchen and living room were empty.
“I’m pretty sure it’s only Raven in here,” he said. “And if he’s asleep, which I think he is, he’s dead to the world. We’ll have to wake him up.”
That was a job I could handle. “I’ll do it.”
Corey stood in the living room near the couch, and placed a hand on his hip, his smile fading. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I’ve got this,” I said. I was looking to fight anyway. I needed to release some pent-up anger, and Raven was a good target. No real reason, but I knew he wouldn’t be offended by a few punches.
Corey put our bags on top of the coffee table and then shrugged. “Okay, you do that. I’ll stay out here.” He started heading for the kitchen, passing me as he did. He patted me on the arm as he went by. “Just do me a favor and stand out of range when you wake him.”
Raven threw things? I had to assume he kept a gun beside his bed, too.
I crept over to Raven’s room, and shook the handle gently, just in case he was awake already. No noise. I knocked. “Raven?”
Silence.
I opened the door a crack. The fierce bear tattoo on his back faced me as he lay on his stomach. The blanket was bunched around his hips and twisted between his legs. His arms were up around the pillow and his head was buried in it, as if trying to block out the light.
The last time I’d been in his room, there was a table with a lot of guns on it, with more bullets and guns all over his dresser. The guns and bullets were gone now and the floor was clean, with the table folded up against the wall. The dresser top had a couple of books on it: a dictionary and a couple books that were in Russian.
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, and then felt a twinge of panic when I realized I should have left it open just in case I needed to run. It couldn’t be that bad, though. He was tough, but he hadn’t killed anyone yet.
Or had he? I still didn’t know him that well.
I tiptoed over to Raven, checking him out. His eyes were closed. Everything about him was so still except the rise and fall of his back. I studied the tattoos. The bear was snarling as usual. Watching Raven breathe, it really was like the bear was breathing, too.
I glanced around, wondering if I should risk going through his closet or drawers for information. If Corey didn’t keep Academy secrets in his bedroom, did Raven? Probably not. He seemed more like hired muscle. If anyone had secret documents, it was probably Axel. There wasn’t a chance I’d be able to poke around in his room right now.
I stood beside Raven for a moment, trying to figure out the best approach. Gentle nudge? Calling from the other side of the room? Throwing a shoe at his head?
Go for broke. I planted my foot against his butt and shoved, trying to push him over on the bed.
A hand shot out, capturing my ankle. With a swift tug, I was on my back on the floor, all the air gone from my lungs.
Before I could recover, a wild Russian face came nose to nose with me. Raven’s hand clamped down around my throat, holding strong but not choking. He sat on top of me, pressing his weight, trapping my legs. All I could see was his face, his unfocused eyes wild. His chest shoved up against my breasts, preventing me from expanding my lungs, almost suffocating me.
My hands went up, catching his wrist, holding back on his hand before he could choke me. “Raven, stop,” I wheezed.
“Chto za huy,” he called out, and I understood it to be Russian cursing of some kind. He breathed heavily and blinked, shaking his head a few times. “It’s you.”
/>
“Who did you think it was?” I asked.
He loosened his grip on my neck, but still clung to it. His thumb traced up along my skin. His hair was messed up from sleeping, going this way and that. His dark eyes were squinty, and if I thought he looked sexy tough before, he was incredible now. It made every look he gave into a sensual glare. He lowered his body over mine, until he was nose to nose with me and I could feel the weight of him from chest to hip. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“We’ve got to go to Florida,” I said. I released his wrist and pushed at his shoulders to try to encourage him to get up. “Corey’s out in the living room. We’ve got some assignment.”
“You’re going?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Guess we’re including you now.” His backed up his head, although he stayed on top of me. His eyes lowered. “You have to watch how you wake me. I may not go so easy on you next time.”
“You moved pretty quick.”
“Used to have to,” he said. “If you don’t, where I come from, it could mean you don’t wake up at all.”
“You make it sound like there’s assassins in every closet in Russia.”
“Depends on which part of Russia you’re in,” he said, “or who your friends are.” He released my neck, but his fingers traced down along my collarbone. He pinched the strap of my tank top between his fingers. “What’s this?”
“A shirt,” I said.
“I don’t like it,” he said.
I smacked at his hand so he’d let go. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
“Your tits are falling out.”
I glared at him. His sitting on top of me was what was forcing my breasts to be pushed almost out of my top. I didn’t understand his meaning, anyway. I thought guys liked girls to wear shirts like that. I punched him in the chest. “Get off of me.”
He smirked down at me. “You sure?”
“Yes!” What was his problem? “You can’t sit on top of me all day. We’ve got to go.”
He lifted his torso, but, still pinning me down with his legs, backed up slowly to present his bare chest.
And everything else.
My mouth popped open, and the moment I saw pubes and thighs, I covered my face with my arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were naked?”
“What? You’d stare at Axel and don’t want to look at me?”
I took his challenge, wanting to prove I wasn’t afraid or affected by this, whatever he was trying to goad me into. I lowered my arm but kept my eyes deliberately on his face. “Put some pants on.”
“What? Never seen one so big before?” He locked his butt down on my hips, holding me. He reached down, his hand angling out of my peripheral vision, I continued trying to focus on his face, but I could tell he was grabbing himself. “Never thought I’d see Kayli afraid of anything.”
I snorted and took the bait, looking down.
His hand encircled his length, close to the base so it stood out more.
What captured my attention was that it was uncut, and I’d never seen one like that before. I’d meant only to take a glimpse, but my curiosity got the better of me. He pulled back some of the skin for the pink tip to emerge.
Then I noticed that the tattoos continued down his body, right to the base.
Then there were the piercings. I spotted the one through the tip of his cock first, crosswise, a little off center since he was uncut, and then another piercing through the balls. For some reason, it was the piercings that drew my attention the most. Did he have sex with those in? Wouldn’t it hurt?
“Ah,” I said, unable to form any words.
“Nice?” he asked.
What was it with men and needing a girl’s opinion about their bodies? “It’ll do,” I said. I was lying through my teeth. His length was thick, like him. He was making me worried about any girl who might have tried to take him on. “But we need to get going.”
He smirked. Suddenly, he dropped down, doing something like a close push up hovering over me, with one hand on either side of my shoulders. His nose touched mine briefly.
Before I could yell at him, he kissed me.
It was a short kiss, closed mouth, but every part of it was crushing, dominating. He wasn’t kissing me, he was staking a claim.
He backed his head up. “Want me to show you how Russians say good morning to their wives?”
“We...have to go.” I couldn’t take this. This turned out to be way more than I was ready for. My head was telling me I needed to get out of here before I ended up naked with him, but my body was telling my head to shut up and find out what those piercings felt like.
As it was, his length was pressing up against my abdomen, and I could feel the cool tip of one of those piercings digging a little into me. It made my core melt at the thought of it, right there, so close. And after such a crazy week, a little stress relief was tempting.
Reality settled in. I didn’t want it like this. There was Brandon’s kiss the night before, and Marc. Did I want to mix up Raven up in this? Was he even looking for a commitment, or just a fling?
I nudged at him again. “Seriously, we need to go.”
He kept his head lowered close to mine, looking at me. “I can make time,” he said. It was deliberate, an offering.
I tried to hide a gulp. “Corey’s waiting.”
“So?”
“I want to get back before Wil’s out of school.”
“I’ll drive faster.”
Don’t make me say it. I stared up at him, challenging. Telling him quietly I wasn’t ready for this. I liked him a lot, but this was too far, too quick. I needed more from him if he wanted to take it that far.
He stared back at me, challenging me back, like he was waiting me out. He wasn’t getting it.
I tilted my head up, trying to get his attention, and at the same time, trying to shove him off. “Raven, I just met you two days ago.”
“So?”
“So... American girls don’t go that fast.”
“Yes, they do.”
I snorted. What was I telling him? “Well, not all of them do,” I said, shoving at his shoulder. “You have to do it right. Like kissing and then make out sessions, and then a little second base and stuff before you head home.”
“Second base?” he asked.
Would a Russian get the baseball analogy? I sighed and then in a desperate move before I ended up pinned to the floor by a pierced cock, I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his shoulders. I held to him and then nuzzled at his neck. “Please?” I asked.
His hand reached for my shoulder, massaging and then went toward my neck, warming the skin. “Please what?”
“If you like me, slow down a little. Just a little,” I said. “You have to take a girl out on a few dates before you show her your ... thing.”
The unshaven coarse hair of his jaw scratched against my cheek. “It’s a cock,” he said. “I know the word.”
Not exactly what I meant. “Raven...”
He grunted, groaned, cursed in English, cursed in Russian, cursed again in English, and then pulled away. He grumbled while he went to his closet, pulled down clothes, and draped them over his shoulder. He marched out, and pointed right at me. “When we get back,” he said, his dark eyes capturing my full attention, “you and I are going on a date. We’ll do it your American way.” He straightened, jutting his hips out, his length pointing right at me, full and determined. “And when we’re done with that, we’ll do it the Russian way.” He went to his bedroom door, opened it, took a few steps forward, turned, nodded to I imagine Corey and then walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.
I remained on the floor for a moment, stunned, my heart pounding. Russian and American cultures were conflicting here. I’d have to figure out what this Russian way was.
Corey came to the door, his eyes wide. “You okay?”
I nodded, and fell back against the floor. What a mess. I needed to figure out this Academy secret before the boys
ended up killing each other when they discover they were all trying to claim one girl. I was getting in way over my head. Why didn’t I say anything?
LOST IN FRUIT SALAD
After Raven dressed and packed a small bag, we took the elevator down.
Out in the parking lot, I followed the guys to a black SUV. Raven took out keys, and hit a button, unlocking the door. Corey held open the passenger side door for me.
“You don’t want to sit up front?” I asked.
He shrugged and smiled. “I can stretch out in the back.”
It sounded like he was just being polite. It forced me to smile back. He really was a sweetheart.
Raven drove, rolling the car out of the lot. Through light Sunday traffic, and with Corey giving directions, he wound the SUV onto the Savannah highway, heading south.
I’d never been out of the state, or even too far from Charleston proper. I curled up, gazing out the window, watching the scenery change from city enough until I was sure I hadn’t been this far south before. My eyes widened, and I was staring hard at every tree, every sign, feeling like an alien off to a new world.
It was strange because last night, or even this morning, I wouldn’t have dreamed of going off to Florida, or anywhere else. How long would I have to be in this car?
Raven didn’t avoid me, but he kept a distance and I could feel it. He didn’t talk to me, only Corey.
Did he take it as a rejection? It could have been a good thing, but I didn’t feel that way. Maybe I was being paranoid because I’d turned him down and now wanted to feel him out to see if he’d just had a heated moment or if he was at all serious. He was so difficult to read. Was he trying to hide how he felt in front of Corey?
Raven dug out some sunglasses from the console and put them on. He leaned forward, checking road signs. “Do we want Denny’s for breakfast?” he asked.
“I think we should hit Starbucks,” Corey said. “I feel like coffee. I don’t want to sit around.”
