“What are you going to do with it?”
“Unload it,” she said, like I’d asked an absurd question. “As soon as I find a buyer.”
“Shouldn’t there be some paperwork to go along with it?” I hadn’t had a lot of dealings with rarities, but I was pretty certain some sort of authentication was necessary.
Her chin dipped as though she was disappointed I thought so little of her. “Of course there is.”
“Where is the coin?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“That’s where you would be if you came to my apartment.”
“The conversation about that is finished.” Her tone brooked no argument, so I let it go for the moment. I’d just fought for this woman. My hand felt bruised from the beating I’d given. My cheekbone was probably already swelling. I was following a con artist back to her hiding place.
And I thought my life was fucked up before meeting Sonya Hughes.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Drew
“You aren’t getting out of doing your time at Paths of Purpose.”
I hadn’t been back to the health care facility for five seconds when Easton started in.
“I’m not trying to, but our mother needs me. I’ve let her down enough in my life. I’m not going to do it now.” I flopped onto the sofa in the room we’d commandeered to rest.
“What’s with the blood?” He pointed his chin at my shirt.
“Long story.”
“Looks like somebody landed a hit on your face. You need an ice pack?”
“Probably, but I’m going to skip it. That punch wasn’t nearly as bad as the ones you’ve landed.” I sank lower in my seat, leaning my head against the back of the sofa.
His jaw worked at the mention of our brawl. It still seemed inconceivable we’d come to blows.
“What’s up with the girl? I haven’t seen you with a woman in about twenty years.”
I stiffened at the observation. The walk back, after I’d seen Sonya safely inside, had my mind churning. I didn’t do one-on-one, yet the thought of anyone interfering with our time together made me want round two with those sons of bitches, just for the hell of it. That my brother had noticed my blatant lack of intimacy and never said anything had me confused. I’d thought it was because he didn’t care. Maybe it was because he didn’t know what to say as he’d explained before.
“I don’t know what’s up with her,” I said in frustration. She had me upside down. I was pissed as hell she wasn’t with me now. Pissed that she’d gotten under my skin. I wanted her to be mine. She was mine, and damn it, I had a sneaking suspicion I might be hers too. She could crush me, and I wouldn’t know until it was too late. That was a road I’d been down before, and I had no intention of making another pass.
I was a grown man getting in fights on her behalf. A grown man who was in a perpetual state of arousal and couldn’t keep my hands off her. A man who was letting a dangerous tigress infiltrate his life with zero power to stop it. She was very likely using me. I didn’t care because I was going to use her too. She couldn’t take anything from me anyway.
I had nothing.
Not even seven dollars in my wallet.
“I have to hand it to you, she’s bold,” Easton said with a twitch of his lips. That was one way of putting it. “Where’d you meet her?” I didn’t immediately answer, knowing full well he would go off when I told him. Light dawned in his sky-blue eyes, immediately reminding me of my son—no, Gabriel. “The remnants of a black eye. You son of a bitch. How could you take advantage of a woman from Paths of Purpose?”
“Does it look like I took advantage of her?” I countered. No way could he argue with that. My tigress had straight-up told them we were fucking.
“That’s not the point. After all you’ve done, I was delusional enough to think you’d put your head down and do the time. I should have known better. You will never be the person I used to know.”
Those words hurt worse than any punch I’d ever taken. He thought so little of me, and all I’d done was prove him right time and again.
I folded my arms. What was the point in arguing? I would never be the person he used to know. “Any word on when Mama is getting out of here?”
“A couple of days, hopefully.” Lines of worry framed his eyes. He looked exhausted, beaten down. Exactly how I felt when I stopped moving for a minute and let our mother’s illness catch up with me.
“Is the treatment working?” I hadn’t been able to corner the doctor, my father or brother always monopolizing his time.
“I don’t know. It’s too soon to tell.”
“She’s going to get better,” I said resolutely. That was the only option. If she died, there would be nothing holding us together. I couldn’t lose the person I loved most in the world.
“Is she?” Easton whispered, voice cracking, haunted eyes pleading.
“She has to. I can’t—” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Me neither.” He moved to the sofa and sank down beside me as if his legs would no longer support him. I patted his knee, a totally unmanly thing to do to another guy, but he was my brother. His head snapped to me in surprise, though I sat there impassively as if it were nothing.
“Are you going to stay with them once she’s released?” Talking about things that could be controlled was easier.
“Yeah. The doctor wants her close by. We figured it would be easier on them, and they’ve got plenty of room.”
“Don’t try to keep me from her. I get it if you don’t want me around when Dad’s there, but I do love her. I’ve hurt her. She’d probably be better off if I stayed away, but it would hurt her more if I did. I can’t stand her thinking I don’t care.”
My brother blinked at me and then let out a resounding sigh. “You have my word.” He smoothed his hands up and down his thighs a couple of times. “The only reason I’ve let you get out of being at Paths of Purpose is because I think you’re actually helping her. You push Mom without overdoing it, and generally speaking, you don’t treat her like she’s sick. You’re doing a hell of a lot better job of that than Dad and me and Mulaney.”
“I’m just trying to be there for her.”
“You’re knocking it out of the park,” he praised, and it didn’t appear that it pained him to say it.
I’d always wanted to impress my big brother. At nearly forty years old, that hadn’t changed, and I swelled with pride. “What do I need to do to make sure everything is ready for her to go home?”
“We’ve got it handled, but if I think of anything, I’ll let you know.”
We sat there quietly, lost in our own tumultuous thoughts. There was so much shit around us that we were neck-deep in it, and most of it was my doing.
“Easton? What’s it like being Dad’s best friend?” I wanted to kick my own ass as soon as the words left my mouth. That was something a five-year-old would ask, not a man who could stand on his own two legs. But there was the truth—even though my brother understandably hated how I’d destroyed Carter Energy, he was giving me something I hadn’t had for years. Time. He was giving me time.
“It’s not too late to find out.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sonya
“Plumber’s here.”
Drew strode into my room without so much as knock, wielding a plunger. Sam leapt off the bed and made a disgruntled noise. He took the treat Drew tossed his way without hesitation, though.
“Mr. Carter, you can’t just barge into a resident’s room.” Baker’s harsh tone was much different than the woman I’d spoken to.
“Do you mind if I unclog your toilet?” Drew asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“My toilet—” He shushed me with a look and why I agreed to go along with whatever he was up to was a mystery I didn’t think I’d solve in this lifetime. “No, I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?” Lines of concern creased Baker’s forehead. “Mrs. Quinn sent me to escort him so you wouldn’t be uncomfor
table. You can hang out in my room if you like while you wait.”
“What about your project? Aren’t you on a deadline?”
She glanced in the direction of her room. “Yeah, but it’s okay. Mrs. Quinn had a meeting and couldn’t do this herself . . .”
“Go work on your project.” I motioned toward the door.
“I can’t—”
“It’s fine. I won’t tell.”
Baker looked uncertain before she turned a hard gaze to Drew. “I’m next door. Come get me when you’re finished so I can escort you back.”
He flashed her a smile. “You got it.”
She backed out of the room without shutting the door. With a flick of his finger, Drew motioned me into the bathroom, his brow furrowing when he caught sight of me in my flannel pajamas. My hair was piled on top of my head like I hadn’t showered that day. I hadn’t, but he didn’t look disgusted; his eyes roamed my makeup-free face, discreetly checking out how the bruise was healing.
“Is this what you have to resort to?” I hissed in the small space. Yesterday, I’d ignored his attempts to see me. Guess he’d had enough.
He tossed the plunger on the floor. Sam jumped when it clattered and huddled next to my leg. Drew pulled me into him as if he couldn’t physically stand for us to be apart.
“Whatever it takes, sugar.” He wound a hand in my ponytail, tugged my head back, and smashed his lips against mine, a groan of relief escaping him. I melted almost immediately, hating how easy I made it for him.
“Aren’t you supposed to be fixing a toilet?”
“Told Mrs. Quinn yours was backed up. Again. And this time you couldn’t handle it on your own.”
My eyes bulged, and I shoved at his chest. “You did what?”
He pulled on my ponytail again. “Pack your shit, or leave it all here—I don’t care. Either way, you’re coming with me.”
Who did he think he was? It was bad enough he was telling Mrs. Quinn I kept stopping up the toilet. Now he was dishing out orders like it was his job?
“I’m not. Now go away. I’m busy.”
He snorted. “You look like it.” He eyed my attire suspiciously. “The only thing you’re busy doing is thinking about me.”
“Fuck you.”
“Excellent idea.” He yanked on the hem of my top, and I batted his hands away.
“You’ll get me kicked out of here.”
A wicked gleam glittered in his eyes, and I inwardly cursed myself. “That man you got tangled up with will kill you for that coin and toss you in a garbage dump.”
“Not if he can’t find it. And if I’m dead, he never will,” I said haughtily.
“I can’t protect you here.”
“I’ve been in worse situations.”
“You promised me truth.”
Damn him, he almost sounded hurt. And how did he know I was telling a fib? This was about as bad as it had gotten. I’d never taken anything worth this much. A paperweight. Letter opener. Favorite coffee mug. The things I stole generally had more sentimental value than anything. Because I wanted someone else to know what it was like to have something they loved stolen the way I had.
Stealing as I’d done at the bar was just for sport. For fun. For the rush. To see if I could get away with it.
To get personal mementos took time and trust. I didn’t often immediately know what items were important to someone. I’d become a student of observation and patience.
It always amazed me how quickly gifts of high monetary value were given. That was part of my game. To see what I could get and how fast.
But learning what that certain something was that meant more wasn’t always as easy. I could’ve taken Tamas’s favorite robe, yet when I’d seen he fussed about that coin, I couldn’t resist lifting it.
“Fine. It’s not the best predicament to be in. But I got myself into it, and I’ll find my way out.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Why? Because you’ve screwed up your own life and think if you help me fix mine, somehow that will make you a better person?”
He blanched but quickly recovered, his expression turning hard. “I’m not saying you can’t take care of yourself, but you can’t hide here forever either.”
“Sure, I can. If I tell them my ex who beat me in the face found me, they won’t turn me away,” I replied indignantly.
“Tigress, stop arguing. You aren’t going to win this one. Now put some shoes on and let’s go.”
“How’s your cheek?” I trailed my fingertips against the bruise.
“It’s nothing.” He brushed me off, but I couldn’t make my hand leave his face. “Stop trying to distract me.” His voice was soft, and I rose on my toes to kiss the bruise.
“Thank you. Did I say that yesterday?”
“Not in those exact words, but the way you tried to rip off my clothes was way better.”
My cheeks heated, but I didn’t look away. His fingers dug into my hips. He shoved me against the edge of the counter, and the look in his eyes turned feral. Instinct should have had me backing away, but instead, I elongated my neck until my lips almost touched his.
“I’ve decided how you can thank me.” Drew fisted the hem of my shirt and tugged upward until my stomach was exposed.
I stepped closer to stop his progress. “I’m not showing you my gratitude with sex.”
A disappointed huff escaped him. “Tigress, I’m wounded you think so little of me.” His strength outmatched mine, and my shirt went over my head and into the tub. Our hips bumped. He palmed a bare breast, squeezing none too gently. “You’re going to give me your orgasm,” he breathed in my ear, and I shivered. “In my mouth.”
“Why would I—” I stopped when I realized what he’d said.
“Can’t argue with me taking your pleasure,” he said smugly.
I felt the rumble of his voice all the way to my toes. His mouth captured mine, his warm tongue plunging straight in without preamble. He took, and I gave. There was power in the way we kissed—tongues and lips and teeth. We battled yet we were on the same side, fighting to see who would succumb first.
“Why aren’t you touching me?” he rasped.
“I am.” I thrust my chest into his palm to prove the point and ground my pelvis against his.
“With your hands.”
I white-knuckled the edge of the counter. I looked down at them and then back at Drew. Fire blazed in his eyes, and my skin heated. One of us was going to burn the other down. “You mean these?” I asked innocently, wiggling my fingers. “What are you going to do to make me touch you, sugar?”
“This.”
Drew dropped to his knees, taking my pajama bottoms and underwear with him. He spread my legs as far as the pants would allow and dove for my sex, licking straight up the seam. I clutched the top of his head.
He tilted his head back, victory on his face. That infuriated me as much as it turned me on. I tugged on his hair until his mouth was back on me. His tongue circled my clit as a splayed hand slid up my stomach to my breast. He pinched my nipple at the same time he sucked on my swollen nub, and a cry of ecstasy escaped me.
Drew smacked my ass to get my attention. “Be quiet.” The way his eyes glimmered told me that was the last thing he wanted.
But if I didn’t, I’d be on my way out, and I couldn’t have that. “Aren’t you supposed to be making me come?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I don’t think you can do it.”
Drew got down to business, his fingers and mouth working in tandem. He fucked me with his fingers, drawing me to the edge. Just when I was about to go over, he withdrew his middle digit and thrust his tongue inside me as his thumb pressed my clit.
I detonated with a muffled groan, biting my bottom lip to keep from screaming. Drew lapped at me, prolonging the pleasure until the only thing holding me up was the counter.
He sat back on his heels, his mouth shiny with my pleasure, wearing a look of satisfaction on his face. “Ease up on the hair.”
I glanced down to find my fingers twisted in his thick locks. “Which is it? Do you want me to touch you or not?”
Drew gripped my hips, pulled me to him, and pressed a kiss against my lower lips. He eased to his feet, towering over me once more. “Four point two.” He slid his hands to my lower back, and I moved mine to his neck.
“Four point two what?” I asked, forehead creasing.
“Seconds. That’s how quickly I made you come,” he said. “You’re welcome.”
Arrogant bastard. “It wasn’t supposed to be a race.”
“You got what you wanted, and we didn’t get caught.” He nibbled my bottom lip. “Now we’ll find out if that sweet little cunt of yours can make me come that fast.”
He reached for his belt buckle, but I covered his hands with mine. “Not here.”
“I can’t wait.” He worked to loosen his belt. I stopped him. “You test my patience.” He fixed his belt and righted my underwear and pajama bottoms before putting my shirt on inside out. “Let’s get out of here and finish what we started,” he said seductively. My feet would have moved on their own if my brain hadn’t stopped them. I wanted to go with him. Wasn’t that what I’d needed? The opportunity was staring me in the face, but I couldn’t take it. If I relented so easily, I’d lose the upper hand. And maybe I was a little frightened of how he made me feel so off balance.
“No.” I was quiet yet firm.
“If you think I’m backing down that easily,” he warned, cupping my cheeks, “you’ll find out quickly just how wrong you are.”
He kissed me again before collecting his plunger and vanishing like a phantom. I couldn’t move, almost dazed. Sam stared at the empty doorway and then up at me. I shrugged, at a loss, my heart definitely heavier now that Drew was gone. The men in my life were a job, no more than objects to me the same as I was to them. Sure, I could always find a way to enjoy myself, but I never allowed myself to feel anything. Staying detached meant survival. I’d gone from one bad man to another who was worse. This one had power no one ever had. I wasn’t neutral when it came to him. While I mostly hated him, I still felt. And there was something about him I couldn’t stay away from.
Thick As Thieves: An Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (Paths To Love Book 5) Page 14
