Brutal Boys
Page 7
I don’t want to spoil the calm. Laughing with relief, I hop and skip in front of Chase. He grabs the wooden balls off his vest and starts to knock them together like a metronome.
“What is the deal with that?” I ask. “Were you challenging someone to take them?”
He tosses them, and I catch them in my hand, proud that I don’t drop them.
“According to the internet,” Chase clears his throat as if he’s preaching the gospel, “Mick Fleetwood carried around two wooden balls he found in a pub stall as a good-luck charm.”
“Ew.” I hold them by the string.
Chase laughs. “Those aren’t the original pair, and I got those down at the Bait Shop.”
I hand them back. “Ever-resourceful place.”
“You know any more songs, Vicki?”
I shrug. “I’m not the best singer, but I know a couple of songs by heart.”
“Like what?”
I straighten my back and hold my hands in front of me. “I’m a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout.”
Chase laughs and reaches for my arm, but I dodge him and start running for the town house, laughing the entire way. I slow down and look up at the dark windows and smile.
“I think we’re alone now,” I smile. “I know the lyrics to that one too.”
“Seriously, you have a good voice.”
I shake my hair. “I practiced that song in the shower for a week.”
The laughter calms down as we stand at the main door that leads into my building. Chase loiters by the door. He takes my hand, and I let him. Instead, we walk through the archway under the building to the parking lot.
“I want to talk to you,” he says. “It’s serious.”
The smile drifts off my face, and I wish I had said good night a minute ago. Chase’s car has keyless entry and he touches the pad, unlocking the door. He holds the passenger door open as I get in.
“Are we going for a ride?” I ask hopefully. I wouldn’t mind driving away from here.
“No.” He doesn’t turn on the car, and my body becomes small as I tuck myself against the seat. Chase seems nervous too, and that relaxes me a little. He’s not the type of guy who’s nervous about sex, so we must be here for a different reason.
“Vicki, you should know this.” His voice sounds louder in the dark. “Silas has been searching you on the internet.”
“Oh fuck.” I sink lower into the seat until my knees rest against the dashboard.
“Everything that is public about your family, he knows,” Chase pauses. “Including the stuff you probably want hidden.”
I inhale deeply.
“Do you want to know what?” he asks.
“No, not right now. I don’t want to think about it right now.”
“I didn’t tell you to spoil the evening,” he adds softly. “I wasn’t going to tell you at all, but I didn’t realize how cool you are until tonight.”
“Because I dressed up as Stevie Nicks?”
“No,” he laughs, “because you took care of your friend while he was fucking up. Theo wasn’t far from right. Silas is pimping out Rhys. Rhys wants a green card after he graduates. Silas can get him a work visa.”
I shake my head. “You see how wrong this is? Don’t you?”
I look at his profile, but I can barely read his expression in the dark. “It’s how things are for us,” Chase continues, “Reputable people work in all industries, but I don’t hang with them. I mix with the bad apples…except for my brother.”
“Does he know my brother is good with computers?” I reply softly.
“Yeah, we know.”
I sigh again, but this time I’m pissed. “I just want to graduate and get a job without the bullshit.”
Chase sighs even louder. “You ever hear Jagan talk about the lotus flower?”
I roll my eyes. He can’t see me, but it’s in my tone. “Not yet.”
“The prettiest ones grow in a pile of shit.”
I turn and reach for the door handle. Chase touches my shoulder gently.
“Seriously, open this door.”
“Sit with me for a little while,” he says. “I’d like to talk.”
I lean back into the seat and keep my gaze on the floor. I doubt Chase can see me, and I realize that no one can see us. This is the best place for secrets.
“It’s funny how we have random things in common.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Our cars, the music, our brothers.”
“What’s yours like?”
“Adrian is a good guy,” replies Chase. “He’s older than me and in the business. Nothing like my parents. He works hard and keeps clean. Well, as clean as you can around here.”
“My brother Troy is older than me too,” I share a little. “He saved my ass a bunch of times even when I didn’t deserve it.”
Chase holds my hand. “I know what you mean. I think about Adrian a lot. I think, what would he do if he were in this situation?”
My curiosity is screaming for attention. “You said Silas looked me up on the internet.”
“Yeah, that’s how I knew you had a brother before you told me. But Silas doesn’t know everything. You don’t spend much time on social media.”
“I’ve got other things to do.”
Chase laughs. “Being busy saved you.”
“You mean keeping busy.”
I really want to ask him about rehab, but I don’t. I can’t. I want to know if somehow Silas found out about it. He shouldn’t have. The Wing Crest Recovery Center prides itself on being exclusive and private. Discreet was the word they used when they assured Dad and Maya that I would be well taken care of. I take my hand out of his and rub my hands over my arms, as if I can feel every pinprick again.
“I should really go upstairs,” I sigh.
“Thanks, Vicki, for hanging out tonight.”
Chase walks around the car, but I’m already out and gripping the door handle. The doors flip up and overhead. He grips mine easily and pulls it down. I can see his expression in the bright lights on the walls of the building. He’s handsome and it makes me feel shy. If this were a different place, would we date? I don’t think so. Some guys have a little softness in them that makes them approachable. Not Chase. He looks like he’s ready to raid a Viking village with those muscles, and I’m not ready for sex. Not that kind of sex anyway. I know he likes the kind that would blow my mind and leave me in pieces on the floor.
There are a few more lights on in the building. I have no idea how long we were in the car as he walks me into my building. We stand outside my door, and he pats my shoulder like I’m his best buddy then steps away. A whole range of emotions has been played tonight, and he pats my shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” he frowns.
“You’re not going to try to come in?” I ask.
His eyebrows rise. “Would you want me to come in?”
I laugh. “You could have tried and not hurt my feelings.”
Chase shakes his head in disbelief. “Why do I think about you? You’re impossible to figure out.”
“We seem to be having fun though,” I smile. “I can tell by the goofy grin on your face.”
He leans in. “It matches yours.”
Chase steps in close, and I’m pressed against the door. My hands clutch the smooth wood as my fingers spread out. I don’t play coy. I lift my chin and lower my lashes as I wait for what I’ve earned tonight. I’m curious if he’s just looks and no soul. His lips brush against my cheek, and I sigh, placing my hand on his built shoulder. My eyes flutter shut, and I wait because I know he’s not going to leave me like this. I’m not disappointed as Chase’s lips press against mine.
His arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me against his hard body. I moan into his mouth as his hand grabs the back of my head. The fake beard tickles my nose as I squirm against him. And the heat off our bodies mingles together as we grind against each other. I moan again. So, this is
what it feels like to kiss a man that’s impossibly sexy. I had always wondered, and it is amazing.
My eyes flutter open for a moment and his dreamy gaze meets mine. I smile lazily, but I don’t let go. I want one more kiss. One that I can dream about when I’m a star and on my third husband. His mouth crashes against mine as our tongues tangle, and I feel my passion rising swiftly. Part of me wishes we were still in the car. I know he’d go back if I asked.
“Thanks, Vicki,” he whispers as he lets me go. “You just made my night.”
I giggle. “You made my year.”
***
I jump when I step into the suite and see Luna sitting at the kitchen table. She’s in her sweats, and a towel is wrapped around her head. She raises an eyebrow when she sees me, and puts down her phone.
“You look like you just stole a dollar from mummy’s bag,” she says.
“Not my mother’s purse,” I snip. “She never handles money, only credit cards.”
“Well, you look like you were up to something again. Your face has a pinky glow.”
I sit down. “How’s Theo?”
“He’s sleeping it off in his room.”
I straighten my spine. “Alone?”
Luna pats my arm. “Relax, Talia’s with him. I wanted to drag him back here, but for obvious reasons, I didn’t.”
I stand up again. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Vicki?” Luna sing-songs. “Those boys are not your friends.”
Luna’s gaze meets mine, and I freeze, wondering if she heard what just happened. I told her about Dom’s kiss, but I feel awkward about this one. She knows I went with Chase to make Dom jealous. Now, I’m wondering why. I don’t really understand. Because we shared a couple of good moments?
“Do you know something?” I ask slowly.
“You looked chummy with Chase, and everyone noticed. If you wanted to piss off Dom, you did, but you also pissed off Silas. Don’t you wonder why we never really see them hanging out together?”
I sit back down again.
Luna looks me in the eye. “I overheard something tonight I think you should know. Silas has a contract with Chase’s parents.”
“What?” I gasp.
Luna continues, “Because I was with Dom, his circle didn’t feel uncomfortable talking around me, and I kept my mouth shut. The boys aren’t really friends. They’re business associates. Dom’s father is grooming him to be a big producer, and he gets a lot of talent from Chase’s parents. And Silas was one of their first big talents.”
“But he hasn’t been in anything in years,” I reply. “Nothing as big as his first show.”
“And that’s why he’s fucked up,” she says. “Just imagine if you had the biggest success in your life when you were a kid. Frustration can make you depressed or raging psycho.”
“So, he’s still working for Chase’s parents?”
Luna shrugs. “The Evans are in the middle of a really vicious divorce.” Luna stops picking at her polish to look at me. “Vicki, you’re in the industry. You really need to keep up with the gossip.”
I press my lips together. “You’re right. I should. Just give me the tl;dr.”
Luna shrugs her shoulders. “Silas still works for the agency, but they didn’t say on what. That’s the moment they remembered I was sitting there and they shut up.”
***
It’s almost one, so we say good night and head off to bed. The wigs are fun, but my scalp is itching like a beast. I hop into the shower, and hot water pours over my scalp as I scrub like I’m a filthy beast. I want to make sense of this, but I’m not in the loop. I never was in the loop. Luna spent a night with Dom, and she knows more than I do.
With the light off, I lie down in my bed and scroll through my phone. I type in Chase’s name, see the results, and I’m wide awake again. The divorce isn’t a mess; it’s a landfill. I didn’t know that Chase’s dad is hot and handsome. And obviously a lot of women think so too. There’s a photo of him in dark glasses and a baseball cap, walking in front of a girl in sweats who has her head lowered. The teaser reads LA agent off for some fun with…Shit, I don’t want to click on this. I debate getting out of bed and using my private browser. I get up and get my laptop.
I don’t feel tired until I lie down again in that fucking cozy bed. California nights are cold in the fall, and I pull my comforter up around my head. I toss under the bedding, pulling it tight against my body, and look at more pictures in the dark. I find one of Chase with his mother. His intense hazel eyes stare at the camera as if he’s staring through the screen at me. My finger hovers, and I decide to save it. No wonder Marcy follows him like an orphan grubbing for scraps.
My mind is all over the place and I realize it’s past 2:00 a.m. I’ll sleep in tomorrow. And I look at another teaser on Chase’s parents. Tracey Chase accuses husband of infidelity with his son’s…Fucking unbelievable. This time I have to know. I tap the article and end up on a website that is no doubt infecting my laptop. Girlfriend. What. Wait. Was that girl Chase’s ex or his brother’s?
3:00 a.m. I stop scrolling when I see the time and place my laptop on my desk next to my bed. I pull the covers up to my chin and my eyes adjust to the dark in the room. The lights on my computer cast weird shadows against the wall. I really don’t feel good in this bedroom. I felt secure knowing Dad was down the hall, but that’s not an option. Besides, he’s spending more time in San Francisco.
I yawn and my thoughts ricochet. I have too much going on in my head. I shouldn’t have looked at the internet before bed; now my mind is racing. I used to drink when I couldn’t sleep. I’m a sleepy drunk, not a loud one. I meant to ask Luna where Theo got the alcohol. My eyes widen. Was it in the punch?
I yawn again and roll over onto my back. My mind imagines Chase’s gorgeous face. He’s just too fucking beautiful. Tall, slim, bright hazel eyes, and that shiny, dark hair. What woman would cheat on him? Or his brother? I yawn again, and my mind wanders down a different path as I drift into a dream.
I’m on the stage again, singing to an appreciative crowd, but when I look out into the audience, I only see Dom. He’s glaring at me with his arms folded. Suddenly, the sun is up and I’m wearing my flannel again. Dom grabs my arm.
“You like playing games, but I have rules.”
“Wait, I only played you off one another to keep Silas away.”
He tosses me backward, and I’m sprawled on that stage, my legs tangled in the ropes. I shut my eyes tight, and when I open them again, I see Marcy lying across a school desk. That old man from the nasty video is sitting beside me on the couch while Marcy writhes on the desk.
“I’m enough for you, Chase,” she moans. “It’s not over yet.”
Chases smiles at me as he lifts up Marcy’s hips. She moans and stretches her long body against the polished surface of the desk. Mirrored balls are wrapped around her throat as she opens her lips and sucks one in. She hisses as Chase moves her hips.
Chase stares at me. “I’m balls deep, Vicki. This could’ve been you.”
Balls bounce across the ground, and I slip on them as I try to run. I fall, and then I’m the one on the desk. Dom and Chase sit on the old couch dressed in black. Luna sits on Dom’s lap, and Marcy on Chase’s. Hands are on my ass as my hips are spread and lifted. I look up, and it’s Silas. He’s grinning at me as he pulls down his zipper.
“You didn’t make up your mind, Victoria, so they gave you to me.”
Chapter Nine
That dream is unsettling and I spend the weekend in the suite, messing with my hair. The ball took something out of us. Luna is also unusually quiet.
I keep thinking about the ball as I walk across the campus to my class. I didn’t dress up for the boys today. I feel my game is controlling me. Indecisive, I scoff at my thoughts. I doubt the boys are ever off their game. They’re probably assholes all the time. But I have to put thought into it. I tug at the strap on my book bag, twisting it in my hands as I walk toward the humaniti
es building for class.
I take in a deep breath. Glad that I won’t have to see any of the boys.
“Vicki,” Chase motions as he approaches. He has his phone in his hand.
I slow my steps and wish I had made up my face. Silly thoughts. Should I really care if I’m wearing lipstick when they talk shit about me?
He holds out his phone, and there’s a picture of the two of us striking the pose. I smile despite how nauseous I’m feeling. We pulled it off even though we had a fucked-up night. But it did start off well.