by Rachel Leigh
"Well?" She pulls back, awaiting my answer.
"The truth? You're my first." It's not a lie. I'm not even sure that this a thing; it just sounded fun. I figured, we only have six more months until the baby comes, so we need to do all the youthful shit while we can. This is our last chance to be reckless and immature before we have to buckle down with responsibility.
"Liar."
"I'd never lie to you." Another truth. Willa is probably the only person in the world that I care enough about to give all my truths to.
Finally, she gives in and her body relaxes in my arms. My hands slide down to her ass and I give both cheeks a firm squeeze. We're just making out, but that includes copping a feel. She must have read my mind because she shoves her hand down my pants. "Willa, you dirty girl. We're at school," I tease.
"Don't you know that we only live once?" She pops the button on my jeans and slides my zipper down. My pants linger around my hips as she begins pumping my cock with her hand. Grazing her thumb over my head, she rubs the bead of pre-cum then resumes stroking.
I grab her face and pull it back to mine. "That feels so good, baby," I mutter into her mouth. "I'm getting you back later, promise."
"You better." She strokes my full length faster and my head falls back. My eyes close and my mouth forms an O as I feel myself fill up. Throbbing and ready to release. "God, I love you," I say in a breathy moan before I spill into her hand. She keeps jerking me off, sloshing my cum all over my dick. When my head comes back up, she stops.
"What do I do with this?" She laughs with her hand still wrapped around me. I slap around the pitch-black closet until I find a rag to give to her. I tug my pants back up and wait until she tosses the rag before opening the door.
Voices begin to carry down the hall and I don't even have to ask or hear her say it to know that she's nervous about walking out there. "Like a band-aid," I tell her. "We open the door quickly and shut it just as fast then walk down the hall normally."
"Everyone's gonna know."
"What's our motto?" I ask her, as I grip the handle, ready to escape.
"Fuck everyone." With my free hand, I pull her mouth to mine for one last kiss before I swing the door open. Laughing, she stumbles out into the hall. I slam the door shut and take her hand in mine. "I'm going to wash my hands then I have to get to class. I'll see you in drama, later?" She stops in front of the girls’ bathroom.
"You can count on it." I flash her a smile and release her hand.
I met Willa at her locker for all three classes. There was no sense in going home for just a couple hours. I played around in the library on the computer for a bit. Tried to get into my old locker to no avail. Went out in the parking lot for a smoke. It's a nasty habit that I kicked a while ago, but once in a great while, I still indulge. "I'm so nervous," Willa says as she swings her locker open and drops her books inside.
"Don't be. I told you before, that part is yours."
"I really wish that you would have accepted the role of Beast."
I let out a laugh, then another. "Not a chance in hell. I'd do just about anything for you, but I won't do that." After I say the words, I break into song, shouting out the lyrics of “Anything for Love” by Meatloaf.
"Stop it!" Willa swats playfully at me. All it does is make me sing louder. Everyone looks but since when do I give a shit about making a scene? "Lars!" She grits through her clenched teeth. A few passersby laugh and I finally give in and stop. "You're so embarrassing."
"Get used to it." I give her a smack on her ass.
We stop outside class and Willa pinches her eyes shut in front of the board that holds the chosen roles for the play.
"You got it!" I shout with excitement before she even has a chance to look. Grabbing her by the waist, I spin her around. "I fucking knew you'd get it." I mean, honestly, who else would have gotten it? Madison is gone and no one else wants it. Either way, Willa is really good and I knew she had it in the bag.
"Yay. Let's celebrate tonight."
Flinging an arm over her shoulder, I lead her into class. "You got it. Butt sex all night."
"Not a chance. I would do just about anything for you, but I won't do that."
I break out in song again, and this time, she just walks away from me with pink cheeks and a cute ass.
Trent joins her side and when he wraps his arms around her, something twitches inside of me. I saw that Willa got the part. I also saw that Trent is playing her beast. Taking in deep breaths, I attempt to calm myself while his crummy hands rub up and down her back. She breaks away and looks back at me to make sure I'm behaving. I smile and wave then quickly drop my courteous expression when she turns back to Trent and he looks my way. With two fingers, I point to my eyes and then direct one finger at him. His eyes widen and he takes a step back.
He can be her beast in the play, but I'm the beast that lives in her heart.
It's the coldest day of the year, so far, which doesn't say a lot, considering it's the first week in January. Willa is sitting in the front seat of my car—in the dark, at a cemetery—with the heat on full blast.
I walk through the maze of stones like I know exactly where to go, even though it's been five years since I've even been here. Somehow, though, I end up right in front of Colby's gravesite.
Slouching down, I don't say anything for at least five minutes. I just stare straight ahead reading the engraved words on his headstone. Beloved son and brother. Mustering up the courage, I try to talk to him. Although, it feels weird at first. "Hey, Colby. How ya doing?"
Stupid. How do you think he's doing? He's dead. I drop down on my ass and try again. "I'm sorry I haven't been here to see you in a while. Things have been busy."
It's a lie and he knows it. Fuck it, it’s time to be honest. "Look, I know that I sucked as a brother. I was always so mean to you. Never let you hang out with me and my friends. Even locked you in a closet once. Ok. Twice. The truth is, I didn't know how to be a brother. I didn't know how to be much of anything but a selfish spoiled asshole. I was just a kid, too."
Looking down at my hands at the PlayStation controller I brought, regret floods through me. I set it down in front of his stone and begin picking at the grass at my side, pulling piece by piece and dropping them back down. "I'm sorry, Colby. You didn't deserve any of that. You loved me. You looked up to me and I just pushed you away any time you came close to me." I choke down the lump in my throat. "The thing is, I didn't know how to love, so even if I did love you, I didn't know what it felt like. I've always thought that because I didn't feel it while you were here that it meant I never loved you at all. The truth is, I do love you, Colby. I'm just now learning that love isn't always black and white. There are times you think you hate someone you love, but you don't really hate them, you're just angry. That love is still there; it's just masked by other emotions. So yeah, I love you little brother and I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you that."
I go to push myself off the grass, but I stop myself and get on my knees. "You're gonna be an uncle. I'm having a little girl." The wind picks up and I laugh. "Yeah, I know. Me? A dad to a little girl. Shit man, I'm gonna need some guidance on this one or I might end up burning this whole town down just to get rid of the asshole teenager boys." I hear the car door shut, so I wrap things up. "I'll make sure she knows who you are and maybe bring her to visit sometime. You would have been a good uncle." I kiss my fingertips then touch his stone. "Later, little bro."
When I stand up and turn around, Willa is standing there. I give her a smile to tell her that I'm ok. And, for the first time in my life, I actually believe it.
“How do you feel?” she asks, nuzzling her face into my chest. My arms wrap around her back and I hold onto her tightly.
“I feel good.”
Her delicate fingers graze over the infinity tattoo on my neck. “So, you got your revenge on Madison, what’s next for the rebels?”
Pulling back, I brace my hands on her shoulders and look into her soft glowing eye
s. “Actually, Madison was never my revenge. It was me all along. I was fighting against my own inner demons. I think I finally won.” I press a chaste kiss to her forehead, holding my lips still and thinking about what is next for me and the guys. Tommy’s next. He’s been fighting something of his own and I think we’re all ready to see him happy again. “Come on,” I take her hand, “let’s get out of here.”
We walk away and I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. My heart is full, my head is clear, and the woman of my dreams is carrying our baby. Come what may, I’ll give my last breath to protect my girls.
The End.
Epilogue
We’re headed over to Marni’s house for a surprise birthday party that her dad is throwing her. Apparently he’s been kissing her ass to make up for selling her to the devil—the devil being Talon. I think Anderson is starting to learn that we’re not all as evil as he took us for. We’re just loyal as fuck to each other and we prefer to eliminate toxicity. I mean, only two out of the four of us are murderers, so we’re not all that bad.
We’re creeping down the driveway when Willa stops me halfway down. “Hey, back up.”
"Why?"
"Just do it."
I shift into reverse and roll the car backward. "Stop! That," she points up, "is that a camera?"
Leaning forward, I get a closer look. "Yeah. It looks like one, why?"
"If Josh was hit right in front of the house, shouldn't there be some kind of footage on that camera?"
"Hmm, I guess. Maybe. But if Anderson thought he killed Josh for months, I'm sure he's checked into it."
"Yeah. You're probably right."
Shifting back in drive, we keep moving forward. There are only a few cars here. Probably just Marni's close friends and family. Wouldn't be surprised if that shithead Axel and his nitwit friends are here. Still can't stand those guys, even if they did help us out when Zed lost his mind a couple months ago. They weren't there to help us—they were there for Marni.
They actually remind me a lot of us. They're tried and true, we're ride or die.
Memories of my stay here with Willa hit me as soon as I walk through the door. From bickering to mental breakdowns to making up and making love. It's been a whirlwind, but the future is looking bright for all of us.
Tommy and Talon are sitting on the couch, and when I spot Marni, I realize we're late. "Shit man, you said eight. Happy birthday, Marni." I swat Talon on the back of the head. He actually said seven, but I won't admit that. Willa and I had a hard time getting up today and spent most of the day naked in bed. It definitely beats yelling surprise to someone who probably already knew she was having a party. Talon's a whipped little bitch, and there is no way he kept it from her.
I take a seat next to Tommy and pull Willa down on my lap. "What are you guys talking about?"
Talon looks at the older group across the room who must be friends of Anderson's, then he leans forward, bringing his voice down a few octaves. "I was just saying that someone out there is wondering how the fuck Josh's car went into Lake Ruin and how his body ended up in the pastor's basement. I mean, they've gotta be shitting balls right now."
"No kidding. I was thinking the same thing. We're clear for now, but someone out there knows something."
"Is it possible that Rick really is the one that hit him?" Willa shrugs her shoulders and looks from person to person.
"Nah, too obvious. And it certainly wasn't an accident. When we found Josh, it looked like he had been mulled to death. Like someone ran him over and backed up a few times to finish him off. Then, of course, Marni's dad came flying down the road and smooshed his ass even more."
Willa cringes. "Ugh, that's disgusting."
"You should have seen his face, it was—"
"No." I shake my head to Tommy. "Don't go there."
Willa gives me a nudge. "Ask about the camera."
"What camera?" Marni asks.
It's probably a dead end, but what the hell. "There's a camera about halfway down your driveway facing the road. I'm sure your dad already checked it, but it could have caught something."
Marni taps her finger to her chin. "Hmm, I don't remember a camera in the driveway. Hey, Dad?" she hollers across the room, "come here."
Anderson makes his way over to us with a glass in his hand. The ice clinks against the side of the glass sloshing the caramel-colored liquor. "Is there a camera in the driveway?"
He raises a brow and thinks on it. "Tiny white camera?"
Marni looks at Willa. "Yeah, it was white," Willa says.
"Oh yeah. It's from the old system. That cheap piece of shit that wouldn't pick up a pack of wolves coming down the driveway."
"Is it armed?" Talon asks.
"Nah, I don't think so. That system was set up through a third party. I'm pretty sure we dropped them when we switched to a private system."
"What's the name of the company?" I ask, pulling my phone out, ready to search the company name.
"Umm, Whitlock Security."
"We're gonna look into," Marni tells him. "I'll let you know if we need anything to log in."
He nods and walks away, but not before giving Talon a death glare. Some things never change.
In a matter of seconds, I've got the company pulled up. "It looks like they have an online system where you can see all saved footage from the start of service. Doesn't hurt to try. Go ask your dad what his log-in info is."
Marni jumps up and goes to talk to him.
"It could be nothing. But it could be something." I shrug. "Good catch." I nudge Willa.
Fifteen minutes later, she returns with a piece of paper. "Holy fuck, what did you have to do, track down the software developer?" Tommy teases.
"Sorry. My dad doesn't know this shit. I had to search his office. Call his former assistant. Anyways, I got it." She hands me the paper and I log him in.
"Bingo. We're in." I scroll down and there are at least a thousand pages of motion-activated footage. "Holy shit. These have today's date on it." I click on one clip and it shows Tommy's truck coming down the driveway only seventy-two minutes ago. "Fucking-A dude, we got it!"
"No way!" Everyone gets up and hovers around me. "There's one clip clocked in five minutes before Tommy and Talon would have gotten there. This has to be it. The other ones are all after we arrived. This is some serious shit, we need to delete this when we're done."
"What are you waiting for? Play it." Tommy bumps me from behind the couch.
I tap play on the forty-two second long clip. It's not very good footage and I can see why Anderson switched companies. A car flies by, but it goes as fast as it came. There isn’t a chance in hell we’d be able to make it out.
"Wait, go back," Marni says, after another car is shown on the screen.
Dragging my finger back, I take us to the thirty-one second mark. "There it is again. Anyone recognize that car? It's blurry, but it's something." I pause the video on a black shiny little car that tapped his brakes right around where Josh would have been lying.
Marni slaps a hand over her mouth and takes a few steps back. "What's up, girl? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She shakes a finger at the phone. "Zoom in on those tires."
Pinching my fingers together on the screen, I drag them to zoom in.
"Shit!" Marni huffs. "I know who that is."
"Who? Who the fuck has neon pink hubcaps?” Holy shit! Of course!
"Wyatt McCoy." Tommy snaps his fingers. "I'm gonna fucking kill his ass."
"Like hell you are. Wyatt's my best friend!" Marni snaps back. "You better not lay a finger on him."
This is like a fucking dream come true for Tommy. For some reason, he can't stand Wyatt. Poor boy isn't gonna know what's coming when Tommy gets ahold of him. I'm not sure Marni, or anyone for that matter, will be able to stop him.
Vandal is coming March 25th! Preorder Now: http://mybook.to/vandal
Also by Rachel Leigh
Redwood Rebels
Series
Book One: Striker
Book Three: Vandal (Coming soon!)
Redwood High Series
Book One: Like Gravity
Book Two: Like You
Book Three: Like Hate
Standalones
Guarded
Undercover Barmaid
Message from the Author
Readers! Thank you for giving Heathen a chance. I hope you enjoyed Willa and Lars’ quest to find happiness.
Carolina, you have been such a blessing in my life and I appreciate all you do for me.
Amanda & Aurora, thank you so much for beta reading and giving your feedback and thoughts. I love you both!
Sara, once again, thank you for being my go-to-girl and dealing with my constant randomness.
Talk Nerdy PR, thank you for helping get the word out about my books and for being so wonderful to work with.
Kate, thank you for this gorgeous cover. You rock!
Becky, thank you for another beautiful edit and for being so flexible. You’re amazing!
Thank you to all the bloggers who like, love, share, and review. I appreciate you all so much.
My amazing street team, thank you for your daily support and shares! I couldn’t do this without you all.
I’d love to hear what you thought of Heathen by leaving a review. It would be greatly appreciated. I’d also like to invite you to join my readers group Rachel’s Ramblers.
xoxo-Rachel
About the Author
Rachel Leigh resides in West Michigan with her husband, three kids, and a couple fur babies.
Rachel lives in leggings, overuses emojis, and survives on books and coffee. Writing is her passion. Her goal is to brighten at least one person’s day with the worlds she creates between the pages of her books.
