Facing The Enemy

by M. E. Clayton

  It boggled the mind. Ramsey was a goddamn 18-year-old kid telling grown folks what to do and how to do it. I found out most of the kids in Windsor’s senior class were 18 through casual conversation around me. Apparently in their grooming to take over the world, these kids spent a year abroad studying life shit before entering into their freshman year at this school.

  As I went over my schedule, I saw that we didn’t have fourth, fifth or seventh period together, but lucky me, Deke was in my fourth period and he took the liberty of ‘looking out for me’.

  The bastard.

  And during one of the gatherings at our lockers-because Liam and Deke’s lockers were next to Ramsey’s-Liam informed me that he had fifth and seventh period with me and we were going to be BFF’s.

  I almost punched him in his beautiful, blue-eyed face.

  Where Ramsey was sinister looking with his dark brown hair and eyes, Liam was all sunshine with his dark blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He was just as tall as Ramsey and he looked to be just as athletically built as him, too. No doubt about it, Liam was a good-looking guy.

  But Deke…

  Deke was altogether something else.

  Deke had black hair with green eyes and was just as tall as his two friends. His built matched Liam’s, and though they were a bit smaller than Ramsey, they still looked like they could get the job done. The thing about Deke was that he came off playful, but I could sense a deep intensity skimming just below his surface.

  I couldn’t imagine what would happen to the person on the receiving end of his intensity if it ever came out.

  I had managed to ditch Deke by pretending I needed to go to the restroom right before the bell rang for the end of fourth period, but I wasn’t naïve enough to believe Ramsey wouldn’t find me. I wasn’t exactly hiding out. Even though I was sitting by myself in a corner table of the eatery pavilion, the fact that I was by myself made me stand out.

  I wasn’t really hungry, but I knew I’d be starving later if I didn’t eat now. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how I had recklessly spread my legs for Ramsey in class this morning.

  Stupid!

  If everything I’m hearing about him is true, then I’m testing a man who is free from all responsibility and consequences. I mean, who does that? Even as cracked in the head as I was, I still knew better than to poke a bear that had no sense of accountability.

  I was brought out of my musings when I was jostled by a body dropping down on the bench next to me. I turned my head to the right and saw a girl who probably stood out more than I did.

  “Hey,” she greeted me as she reached over and plucked a chip out of the bag on my tray.

  I wondered what she wanted with me as I took her in. I assumed by her eyebrows that she was blonde, but her shoulder length hair was the color of a sno-cone. She had big blue eyes and her makeup matched her hair; all bright, cheerful colors. She had a straight, petite nose that had a tiny, tiny diamond stud pierced on the left side. Her purple colored lips were thin, but it worked for her.

  She looked absolutely awesome.

  However, my guard had instantly gone up when she sat down. I may be insane enough to play dangerously with Ramsey Reed, but I wasn’t a complete asylum candidate just yet. “May I help you?” I asked, my voice not friendly at all.

  She smiled, and her teeth were white and perfectly straight. “Why, yes. Yes, you can.” She reached over to help herself to another chip. “God, I love these chips, but I try to stay away from them,” she rambled on.

  My brows lifted. There was no way she could be on a diet. She was already slim. “On a diet?”

  She snorted. “Hell no,” she answered, and I found myself liking her more. “They’re just so good, I fear becoming really addicted, and then having to sell myself for my fix.” She shook her head. “I’m not trying to go down that road.”

  I couldn’t stop the laugh that emerged. “Understandable,” I agreed.

  She smirked. “I’m Roselyn by the way,” she said finally introducing herself.

  “I’m-”

  She snorted again. “I know who you are,” she interrupted.

  I lifted a brow. “I suppose you do.”

  “Hell, the entire town knows who you are,” she elaborated.

  I groaned.

  She laughed.

  “Ramsey Reed’s latest mouse,” I bemoaned, even though I’m sure she already knew that.

  This time her laugh was dark. “That’s not the way I’m hearing it.”

  What did that mean? “Oh, really?”

  “Let me explain a couple of things to you, girlie,” she started. “I’m a step.” A step? “Brandon Greene is my step-brother and not in that sexy, forbidden novel kind of way. My gold-digging trashy mother-who is actually the best person on the planet but is blinded by love-married into the Greene family when Brandon’s father met her a couple of years ago and lost his mind over her.”

  Wow. Okay.

  “So, I wasn’t born to all this privilege.” She waved her hand about indicating her surroundings. “It took me a few months to figure out how this town worked, but once I did, I decided to mind my own damn business and just mark the calendar for the day when I finally graduate and can get the hell out of here.”

  “Lofty goal,” I agreed, since I was doing the same.

  “Anyways, since I’m an outsider, I’m able to view all of this from a very different point of view, and I gotta tell you, girlie…a mouse you are not,” she said finally just grabbing the entire pack of potato chips.

  “Then what am I?’ I asked, curiously.

  Her grin was positively wicked. “You’re the girl who has Ramsey Reed wrapped around her finger,” she alleged. “And that makes you the most powerful person in this school. Hell, in this town.”

  I scoffed. “I do not have Ramsey Reed wrapped around my finger,” I corrected her. “If anything, his hands wrapped around my neck, snuffing the life out of me, is more plausible.”

  “Keep telling yours-”

  Roselyn’s lips stopped moving as a voice above me interrupted her. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  Sad to say, I didn’t even have to look up to see who it was. I already knew that voice as well as I knew my own. I growled. “What does it look like? I’m eating lunch.”

  His Highness sat down and leaned into the side of my face when he realized I wasn’t going to look at him. “Sneak away from Deke again and you will not like the consequences,” he snapped.

  I knew we were starting to garner an audience, so I turned to him before speaking. While I wouldn’t let anyone see me back down, I didn’t necessarily want them to hear our conversation. “I’m not scared of you, Shepherd.”

  His jaw ticked and I almost smiled. That is, until he grabbed me by my hips, yanking on my body until I was actually straddling him on the bench.

  Holy fuck!

  I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t fight him and keep my dignity. We were positioned where I knew if I started struggling, we’d both end up on our asses. Or rolling around on the ground with him on top of me.

  So, I ignored my hormones, called upon all my pride and kicked off round three. I brought my arms up and wrapped them around Ramsey’s neck. I leaned into his body and we looked like a regular affectionate couple that was hugging.

  But we were far from it.

  I touched my lips to his ear and rubbed my center over his obvious arousal. His breath hissed, and I asked, “Is this what you want, Shepherd? Are you short a slut in your herd? Or are you bored? Do you just need a new pussy because all the girls here have gotten old?”

  I felt his hands dig painfully into my hips. The grip was going to leave bruises, but I’d bite off my own tongue before I’d admit he was hurting me.

  The exertion didn’t last long. Ramsey lifted me off him and dropped me back onto the bench. He stood up and my face was eye level with his dick. When I looked up at him, his face said it all. He wanted to yank out his cock and force it down my t
hroat.

  And my body clenched at the thought. Lust, pure and primal, was pouring out of every nerve in his body and it was colliding with mine.

  Because everyone was watching the exchange with bated breath, Ramsey could be heard clearly throughout the pavilion. “Keep thinking you’re stronger than you really are, Charity. It’s just going to make my victory that much more sweeter.” He smiled down at me and my body broke out in shivers. “I’m going to love breaking you, baby,” he said right before he turned his back and walked away.

  All I could hear was Roselyn whispering, “Goddamn.”

  Chapter 7

  Ramsey

  I’d almost killed three teammates today at scrimmage.

  When I had thrown Emerson off my lap and stormed off, I was shaking with so much violence, it was a wonder I hadn’t burn the school down.

  I played rugby and football during PE, but it was all just for fun. While there was some real talent in this school, no one here would ever move on to be a professional athlete. We were all being groomed to take over business conglomerates. Sports were for fun at this school.

  But rugby and football helped keep me in shape. I loved physical exertion and until I could fuck Emerson into oblivion, I had to take out my anger in other ways.

  And I was angry.

  When she straddled me and ran her pussy across my cock, I almost wrapped my hands around her throat and strangled her to death. She was fucking with me and I wasn’t sure how much more I was going to be able to take.

  Emerson was unpredictable and challenging and just so goddamn beautiful.

  I stayed away from her after sixth period and, even, then, I spent all of sixth period fuming. I made her sit next to me, but I didn’t touch her beyond yanking her ass down and planting her next to me. I feared for my sanity when I realized that if she had made one move towards me…just one…I would have mounted her in front of the entire class.

  Deke, Liam, a classmate of ours, named Grant Strong, and I walked into Serenity Café, stopping to get something to eat before heading home to our empty houses. The place was small and quaint, but it served the best sandwiches around.

  When you walked in, the counter was immediately to your left and the tables were scattered throughout the right side of the room. There were only two booths placed in the far corner of the café and it was perfect for privacy. That is, if you needed it.

  We made our way to our regular table and sat down, ready to place our order and finish out the day. I was so ready for this day to be over, so color me fucking stupid when I looked up, and was less than prepared for Emerson to be walking towards us in an apron with Serenity Café stitched across it.

  What the fuck?

  We all looked up at her as she stopped at our table. “What can I get you?”

  “Hey-”

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked, cutting Grant off.

  She spared me only second long glance before saying, “Working.”

  “I can see that. Why the fuck are you working?”

  Emerson completely ignored me and asked again, “What can I get you guys?”

  Liam and Deke knew better, but it looked like Grant didn’t. “What are you offering?” he smirked.

  Now, here’s the thing. I knew people tended to conform to fit it. I get that peer pressure and the need to be cool can make a person do things they normally wouldn’t do when they were alone. The power of suggestion was strong when you had a weak disposition. So, I knew that a lot of the students at Windsor might thing it was okay to be rude to Emerson because I was setting the example.

  But it wasn’t.

  I turned in my seat and pinned him with a glare. “What did you just ask her, Strong?”

  He laughed at first, but then paled a bit once the tone of my voice registered. “Uh, sh…she’s…isn’t she…”

  “She’s mine, motherfucker. That’s what she is. She’s fucking mine,” I spat. “So, whatever she has to offer belongs to me. You got that, Strong?”

  He started bobbing his head up and down frantically. “Yeah…yeah, Rams-”

  I turned away from him and looked back up at Emerson. “Now answer me, Charity. What the fuck are you doing working here?”

  Emerson turned to me and lifted a lifted a brow. “Not being charity,” she answered, coolly.

  I could hear one of the guys cough in his hand, and I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at her nerve to meet me head on, or if he was uncomfortable by her answer.

  Emerson wasn’t embarrassed to be poor. She wasn’t embarrassed to not belong. She wasn’t embarrassed about what her father did. She wasn’t embarrassed about any of the circumstances thrust upon her. And she wasn’t going to apologize for not being embarrassed.

  I clenched my jaw at her putting me in my place, but not because she was showing her backbone. No. I was pissed because I hated seeing her have to work.

  Emerson Anderson was too magnificent to be working. And she, sure as shit, was too special to be waiting on motherfuckers, even if one of those motherfuckers was me.

  And I knew, deep down, she’d be working whether I called her Charity or not.

  Before I could say anything more, a woman at another table called for her, and Emerson turned her back on our table and went to go assist the woman.

  If I hated knowing she was working for a living, it was nothing compared to actually watching her wait on someone who was looking down their nose at her.

  I didn’t even realize I was getting up until Deke said something. “Come on, Reed. She’s just doing her job. Calm down.” I looked over at him and he nodded. “Just sit down, dude.”

  Liam flicked his gaze at Grant, no doubt wondering how much to say in front of him, but he spoke anyway. “You’ll regret this one, Ram,” he said.

  And, then, before I could comment, Emerson was back to take our order. “Have you guys decided what you want?” she asked as I sat back down.

  Jesus. What a fucking question.

  I knew exactly what the fuck I wanted. I wanted her. I wanted her naked underneath me. I wanted to be inside her every minute of every day. But something told me that was probably not on the menu.

  Liam, Grant and Deke gave her their orders and when she looked down at me, I couldn’t speak. For all the shit I’ve put this girl through, I just couldn’t bring myself to make her take my order and wait on me.

  It felt…wrong.

  Like I’ve said, Emerson had a great poker face, and she wasn’t giving anything away, but I knew…I just knew that, in this moment, she was feeling every bit the charity case I kept accusing her of being.

  Even though she clearly wasn’t.

  In fact, we were all the real charity cases. If our parents took away everything we had, most this town would put a bullet through their heads because they wouldn’t know how to function without everything just being handed to them.

  I looked into her mesmerizing grey eyes and answered, “Nothing for me.”

  If Emerson was surprised, she didn’t show it. She just nodded at the group and walked off to place our orders.

  The table was quiet, and I wished like hell that Grant hadn’t joined us. Normally, he was a cool guy and I didn’t mind him, but I didn’t speak freely around anyone, other than Deke and Liam. And I needed to figure out what I was going to do with this girl.

  One second, I’m feeling the urge to bring her to her knees, and then the next, I don’t want her on her knees for anyone ever. One second, I’m spewing the most ugliest things at her, and then the next I want to tell her how fucking beautiful she is.

  She’s got me so goddamn fucked up.

  And all because I’ve never not been in control before. I can’t control Emerson Andrews, and that both fascinated and infuriated me.

  Apparently, Grant couldn’t take the silence any longer, because he started to randomly chat about the first day of school and whatever.

  I tuned him out and kept scanning the café, watching Emerson walk around checking on
tables or cleaning. The place wasn’t packed, but she was working too hard for my liking.

  After about 15 minutes, she came back to our table to deliver our food and drinks without uttering a single word. It wasn’t lost on me that she didn’t bring our drinks first while we waited for our food as was customary. Emerson wanted nothing to do with our table and she made no secret of it.

  Since I hadn’t ordered anything, my eyes stayed on her and, fuck my life, every time she reached out, grabbed her tip money and put it in her pocket, I wanted to break something. And then a dark laugh escaped me when it dawned on me why we were getting shitty service. Emerson already assumed that she wouldn’t be getting a tip from us, so it didn’t matter if she was friendly to us or not.

  My resolved snapped when she walked up to our table and dropped the check off without asking us if we wanted anything more or if the check was together or separate. She turned to walk away, and I jumped out of my seat.

  “Ram-”

  “Forget it, Deke,” I threw back as I snatched Emerson by her arm.

  “What the-”

  I ignored her as I dragged her through the café and into the side alley of the building. There wasn’t going to be an audience for what I wanted to say to her.

  Chapter 8

  Emerson

  Ramsey whirled me around until my back slammed up against the brick building of the café.

  This motherfucker.

  “Are you out of your mind?” I seethed. “I need this job, Ramsey!”

  He stepped up and caged me in with his palms flat against the wall on either side of my face. “You do not need this fucking job, Emerson,” he spat.

  I straightened my back until I was as tall as I possibly could be. “Yes. I. Do.”

  And, then, he went and moved another chess piece in a direction it wasn’t allowed to go. “I’ll give you whatever you need if you really can’t stand the idea of living off your aunt,” he said, shocking the ever loving hell out of me. Shocked that he was insightful enough to guess where my need to work stemmed from and shocked that he offered to help me.