CONVICTED

by Pelton, Kristi

  “Yes. It was him, but he’s not with me.”

  “I’m right here!” Joss spoke loudly, laughing and walking into the field.

  God, the way those worn-out jeans fit his ass.

  “Ren!” Evan shouted again. I held the phone away from my ear for a second.

  “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  “This is never going to work with him living underneath your roof.”

  “Evan, he isn’t underneath my roof.”

  “Close enough.” The phone disconnected.

  Exhausted mentally and physically, I lumbered past Liz and Anna, past the breakfast spread on the table and straight to my father’s office. When I rounded the corner, he sat front and center at his desk.

  Crap.

  “How was your birthday?”

  “Fun. Thanks for the party.”

  He thumbed through a stack of papers. “Eighteen is a big one.” His concentration was on what he was doing, not me. I eased out of the room unnoticed. That was nothing new.

  Back in the kitchen, I grabbed two ibuprofen, a bottle of water and a Gatorade, offering Keyona a halfhearted smile as I headed to my bedroom.

  “You need to be smart, Ren,” she said.

  “I know.” Actually, I didn’t know. I had no idea what she was getting at. I didn’t care. I’d been smart my entire life—smart was overrated.

  After a quick shower, I sprawled out across my bed, hoping to catch another hour or so of sleep. But, all I could think about was waking up in Joss’s arms. I remembered falling into the pool. I remembered wondering if he’d rescue me as I sunk to the bottom, but I didn’t remember him getting me out of the pool until he shouted my name. I totally remembered him gagging me with his fingers. Joss’s arms were different than Evan’s. They were solid, heavy and strong as they held me through the night, but it was his sturdy chest that my fingers clawed at as if his skin were fabric.

  My heavy lids closed as I thought about his arms holding me, protecting me. I glanced up at him—his lips lightly puckered. I desperately wanted a kiss. He leaned into me, and I waited but nothing came. Opening my eyes, I saw Joss walking off into the field.

  “Joss,” I whispered.

  “Wake up, you ‘ho!” Liz smacked my thigh, and I shot upright on my bed.

  “You just said Joss’s name in your sleep! Glad Evan wasn’t here. Are you going to spill the beans about last night? I mean like after Superman dove in and rescued you and then whisked you off to his far away land?”

  I rolled off the bed, frustrated that I didn’t get the sleep I wanted. And frustrated that there was nothing to dish about. But dear God was that man my kryptonite.

  “Nothing happened. Seriously.”

  Liz lunged onto the bed, next to Anna, who I hadn’t realized was already there, sprawled out under the fan. “Perfect. Because he was just talking to us, and I’m just sayin’, but I want to lick every single inch of his sweaty body.”

  My head about spun off my shoulders. “You were talking to him? Where? When?”

  “Your dad woke us up because he was worried we were going to get sunburned out in the loungers. Joss was walking back into the kitchen,” Anna explained.

  “He forgot his sunglasses,” Liz added. “Thank God. When he came back out, I just said, ‘how was your night’.”

  Anna giggled. “She did! She totally asked him that.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Well, first of all, his gorgeous, crooked smile made my britches wet. Then he winked and said… and I quote, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Ren is Mr. Briscoe’s daughter, so obviously she is off limits.’ So! Since you can’t and you’re with Evan anyway...maybe I can give Mr. gorgeous a ride?”

  Anna’s gaze zeroed in on me, waiting for my reaction. Jealousy surged to every extremity. “He’s like… a convict, Liz. Seriously, he’s dangerous.”

  “So, what. He’s hot as fuck. Just because you’re still a virgin doesn’t mean the rest of us are. And I’d bet money that guy is hung.”

  I turned my back to her, my mind frantically searching for a different excuse to give. My alcohol-dulled brain fired nothing my way. “Whatever. I’m going to jump in the shower.” I’d already showered.

  “Ok. We’re going to put some sunscreen on and go back out by the pool. Didn’t you just shower?”

  I closed the door to the bathroom harder than necessary, totally irritated.

  After they left, I snuck back to Daddy’s empty office and began rifling through his drawers until I found the manila envelope. Joss’s mug shot fell out first. The sadness in his vacant eyes caught my attention immediately. Thumbing through the papers, I searched for his conviction and sentence. Found it.

  Aggravated Assault. I read over the police report quickly.

  Witness 1: I saw the guy running after a truck. I was on the driver’s side, so I didn’t see what he was yelling about. After the truck popped up over a curb into a field, the guy ran up to the truck on the passenger side. Several of us approached the vehicle, and the guy was bent down holding a bloody girl. Some Hispanic guy crawled out of the passenger side, and that’s when the first guy dropped the girl and tackled the Hispanic guy, unloading punch after punch. Several of us tried to stop him but he didn’t stop. Passenger transported to hospital—Abby Whitman.

  My mouth fell open. Abby?

  After the girls went home, I was hell bent on finding Joss. I’d watched him enough to know his routine. Every night he ran up the mountain just before sunset. Not sure what he did when he got up there, but I was going to find out. I drove the gator as far as I could and then walked the rest of the way feeling bad that I’d made Juliet make the climb the last time I had followed him. Once I crested the mountain, I saw the tree where I’d seen him sit—literally the only shade up here. So, I sat in the shade, trying to cool off and wondering what the heck I was doing. Maybe he didn’t like aggressive girls.

  I noticed Abby’s name had been carved into the tree. I wanted him to love me like he loved her.

  Not much time had passed before I heard the crunching of footsteps. His hair appeared first, then his head and shirtless torso. His shirt was tossed casually over his shoulder. Holy buckets. He was Zeus reincarnate.

  The minute he topped the mountain, he spotted me sitting beneath his tree. I couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t return it.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “You drove the gator part way up?”

  “Yep. I’ll give you a ride down.” I smiled again, trying to lighten the mood a little.

  “Why are you here?”

  My smile faded. Shrugging my shoulders, I stood. “Good to see you too,” I huffed sarcastically.

  “What do you want from me, Ren? I can’t seem to do anything right when it comes to you.”

  “Do you wanna fuck my friend, Liz?” I asked quietly needing to get that out of the way. I wasn’t even sure if he heard. My fingers literally twiddled in front of me.

  “I’m not sure which friend that is, but the answer would be no, regardless.”

  I released the pent-up breath I was holding.

  “What about Evan?” I asked hesitantly.

  “I don’t wanna fuck Evan either.”

  I tossed my hair to one side out of my face and gave him a ‘no shit’ look.

  “I meant, do you want me to break up with him?”

  Joss puffed out a chuckle. “Is that a joke? That’s not my decision.”

  “You told my friends that I’m off limits to you.”

  “You are off limits.”

  “I’m eighteen, Joss.” I stood tall, taking four measured steps toward him. “I am legally an adult, so I get to make my own choices.”

  He wiped a drop of sweat from his nose, his eyes never straying from mine.

  “Well that’s great Bird. Your father is like my warden. I don’t get to make choices. He says what I do and don’t do.” His strained voice served as a warning.

  “I don’t care!”

  A low gr
umble reverberated through his chest. “I care. Don’t you get it? If I wasn’t here, I’d be in the penitentiary. I choose here.”

  Joss towered over me, looking down into my eyes. His Adam’s apple protruded out when he swallowed. Our gaze was locked.

  “Choose me,” I whispered.

  “Stop, Ren.”

  “At least kiss me. Please Joss. One kiss. Nothing more. I won’t ask anything more.”

  The stare intensified. His eyes danced from my pleading eyes to my lips and back again.

  “Please,” I begged.

  After a long, surrendering blink, he moistened his lips and leaned down until his mouth met mine. Several of the softest, gentlest pecks contradicted everything he pretended to me. But it was the most perfect introduction two mouths had ever had. Desperation clung to my kiss because I wanted it to be the best kiss in history. Our mouths melded together simultaneously as our tongues softly floated around the other. My first taste of a man. A real man. An involuntary whimper scraped up my throat when he deepened the kiss, running his hands through my hair. He pulled back at my whimper and stared at me.

  I wonder if he felt it too—the earth shifting.

  Something flickered through his eyes, like a shutter closing. “Your father, Ren.”

  “My father,” I laughed breathlessly. “If my father were to ever pick sides, I think he’d choose you.”

  Chapter 16

  Bitten…

  Joss

  STILL REELING FROM the exceptional kiss, I chuckled blithely at her words and forced myself to walk away from her. Actually, forced myself or I’d grab her and kiss her repeatedly. Besides her words distracted me. There was no way in hell her father would pick me over her.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “You felt that too, just now, didn’t you?”

  “Felt what,” I asked, looking out across the valley of turbines below. Girls always made more out of things.

  “That spark. That connection. We have something, Joss.”

  “It was just a kiss, Ren. It’s hot up here. Let’s go down.”

  She stepped into my path. The intensity of her gaze freezing me in place. “I’d like to go down. But I’ve never done it. Teach me how.”

  Most people didn’t shock me. Ren did. Desperately wanting to take her up on that offer, my mind lost focus.

  “Seriously, let’s head down.”

  Ren sighed, shaking her head. “Don’t you realize what I just offered you?” she asked.

  My hip brushed her as I stepped past, shoving the conversation aside too.

  “How can you ignore me like that?” Her expression rose. She was panicking. I heard it in her voice.

  I spun around, gripping her shoulders. “I’m not ignoring you, Ren. I am trying like hell not to devour every inch of you up here on this mountain. I’m trying like hell not to rip the fucking yarn from your finger and violate your body like it’s never been violated before. You begged me for a kiss, and I obliged. I’m begging you now to do as I say and walk with me down this mountain.”

  Her beautiful, long lashes slowly blinked over her honey-soaked wide eyes as she conceded with a nod. The longing in her eyes was the hardest thing I’d ever tried to squash. I was fucking dangerous. I had to make her understand.

  We slowly started our descent down the mountain, guilt eating at every inch of me. Ren’s kiss had rocked me to my core. Kissing Abby had never been like that, and I hated that I was comparing them. Silence followed us down, and against my better judgement, I decided to try and find conversation.

  “Why did you say your father would choose me?”

  She shrugged but answered. “I’m serious. It’s true. You don’t know the history. You don’t understand.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “My brother, Joss.”

  The pictures on the wall with the boy flashed through my head.

  “I haven’t met him, yet.”

  “That’s because he’s dead.”

  No sooner had the words left her mouth, she slid down a gravely, sandy slope landing hard on her ass.

  “Ouch,” she laughed, but I didn’t.

  Death wasn’t funny to me and neither was her fall. Before I could get down to her, she’d plucked herself back up.

  “You, all right?”

  “Yep. Embarrassed a bit. But yeah.” She brushed off her butt.

  “What happened to your brother?”

  “Reece. His name was Reece.” She paused, shifting from foot to foot. “Car accident. He was 18, I was almost 14. My dad lost his mind. Still hasn’t quite found it. But he found you.”

  “Found me? Explain.”

  The rattle startled us both, causing us to freeze. Ren’s wide eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “Joss,” she whispered.

  My eyes scanned the gravely ground around us. There was only one thing that sounded like that. “Listen to me, Ren. Don’t move.”

  As if a cloak of armor slid over me, I knew I had one mission and that was to get Ren out of this safely. Nothing else mattered.

  “Joss…” Her chin quivered as her eyes filled with tears. My heart plummeted in my chest.

  Finally, I spotted it. The snake was only six inches or so from her back foot, already reared up in striking position. The damn thing was coiled up absorbing the sun. In the months I’d been here, I’d not seen a rattler.

  “Please don’t let it bite me.” Her voice cracked.

  Picking up a long stick, I slowly moved it toward the rattler, hoping to pull the snake away from her. The stick shook in my hand as the intimidating rattle intensified. Sweat trickled down my face while I fought to steady my breathing. The rattle slowed momentarily. Getting the stick to curve in front of the snake wasn’t working. I bent down, preparing to grab the tail of the snake at the same time.

  “Joss,” Ren whimpered.

  Hearing the fear in her voice broke something inside of me. The need. The fear. I went for it, jerking back on the tail and the stick simultaneously and flinging the snake as far as I could. Ren’s agonizing scream wracked through my body as I realized that I had failed.

  “It bit me,” she cried, spinning around, panic seizing her entire face.

  On my knees, I crawled in the dirt over to her bare leg. Blood oozed from the wound. The one ragged hole. I must have yanked at the same time it tried to bite. Only one fang got her, and I’d literally ripped it from her skin.

  I did the only thing I could think of. I covered the gash with my mouth and sucked, trying to pull out any venom. Ren screamed in pain as I sucked with everything I had. I stood, spit and then quickly cradled her in my arms.

  The taste of the blood mixed with venom wasn’t the worst thing I’d ever tasted, but I continued to spit as I carried her down to the gator.

  “Joss, I’m scared.”

  “I know. We’re almost there.”

  Even though she wasn’t heavy, my muscles cursed at the additional weight. My sweat dripped on her while she rested her head against my chest.

  “Talk to me,” I pled. When Abby stopped talking…it was over.

  “I’m trying to stay calm. Sal says that’s the most important thing. Not to panic.”

  “Sal is smart.”

  Another reason for me to like Sal. When we reached the gator, I gently laid her down in the back.

  “Keep your leg below your heart.”

  “OK.”

  “And, hold on.”

  The gator beeped when I reversed to turn around, but once we faced down the mountain, I floored the gas pedal. The ride was bumpy, but gravity played in our favor. I sat sideways to keep an eye on Ren, who braced herself for the ride. The ride down took way longer than I hoped.

  I steered the gator straight up to the pool and dashed inside. Keyona sat in the dining room reading.

  “Where’s Cal?” I shouted.

  “In the bedroom. What’s wrong?”

  “Ren’s been bit by a rattlesnake. Please get him. I’ll get her to the t
ruck.”

  Keyona’s black hair whipped the air behind her as she darted down the hall shouting for Cal.

  Ren’s round, tearful eyes followed me from the door back to the gator.

  “Is Daddy coming?”

  “Of course. Hold on.”

  I drove around the grounds to the garage and spotted Mr. Briscoe running out. Not sure why Ren was convinced this man didn’t love her.

  “Where was she bit?” he shouted, throwing on a shirt.

  “The leg.”

  I lifted her out of the gator and rushed to the passenger side of the truck. I managed to open the back door, lay her down in the back seat and buckle her in. We were both too concerned to get lost in the closeness. Shutting the door and stepping away from the truck was the hardest thing I’d done since leaving Abby’s side six months ago.

  “Are you hurt?” Mr. Briscoe asked across the hood.

  “No, sir.”

  “Get in. You have blood on your face and hands.”

  With zero hesitation, I jumped in next to Ren in the backseat of the truck. The tires screamed as he peeled out, still buttoning his shirt.

  “What happened?” he asked, watching the road but driving like a bat out of hell.

  “She rode the gator part way up the mountain.” My breaths were uneven. “I was coming down and ran into her,” I lied. “We were walking back to the gator when we heard the rattle. It drew back on her. I tried, sir. I tried to stop it from happening.”

  Ren’s fingers intertwined with mine and she squeezed. She was comforting me? I couldn’t look at her. My eyes shot up to the rearview mirror to make sure her father couldn’t see. I didn’t want to let go of her but I also didn’t want to risk being sent away from the ranch. She needed to understand that I wasn’t good for her. I’d seen plenty of girls like her. Girls wanting to slum it with the guy from the other side of the tracks. Most of them wanted to hang for a bit, fuck a lot and then bail, knowing it would never work. Knowing I had nothing to offer.

  The closest hospital was farther away than I’d realized.

  “Hello. This is Calvin Briscoe. My daughter was bitten by a rattler. We are about five minutes out. I want someone outside waiting for us. I have a ranch hand that needs assistance as well.” He tossed his phone into the seat.