by Bailey B
I don’t want to dance with just anyone, I want to dance with him. I step closer and put my hand on his chest. His heart beats violently. I smile because mine’s doing the same thing. I look up into his eyes, too drunk on the moment to relish his words and lick my lips.
Logan sets his drink on the counter behind him then wraps his arm around my waist, eliminating the space between us. His head dips, mouth pressing against mine, tongue sweeping with a vicious hunger. All of the blood in my veins rush to my head, making me dizzy. Logan’s kiss is pure perfection, this one even better than the first, if that’s possible.
I’ve got this terrifying yet thrilling feeling that nothing between us will be the same after tonight. I should be disappointed because I just got Logan as a friend, but I have a hunch that whatever we're about to become will be so much better.
Logan pulls back and I rest my head on his chest. I close my eyes, savoring this moment because nothing has ever felt so sweet. Mom was right. She warned that when I finally gave in to the pull, it would change me forever.
It has.
“Okay.” The word rumbles in his chest.
I look up and grin. “Okay what?”
“One dance.”
Logan
“I know your secret,” Sarah strolls up beside me in a pair of jeans and a red shirt. It’s not her usual getup, but she looks good. I’d tell her, but I don’t want Danika to think I’m a dick and hitting on her friend.
I walk back into the kitchen again and toss our old cups in the trash. People are sketchy as fuck. There’s no telling what may have been slipped into our sodas while left unattended. Because I have an audience now, I grab the bottle of whiskey I stashed in the cabinet above the fridge and pour in just enough to flavor my soda. I know I shouldn’t care what Sarah of all people thinks of me, but I do. All it takes is one person to ruin the reputation I’ve built for myself.
“Oh, yeah?” I bring the rim of my red plastic cup to my lips and take a sip. “And what secret might that be?”
Sarah leans into me, nudging my arm with hers. “That you have a crush on Danika. Don’t worry. I won’t tell.” She smirks. “Although, for the record, I’m pretty sure she likes you too.”
I chuckle into my cup. Sarah is a day late, dollar short with that news. “Like anyone would care.”
“You and I both know you’re full of shit.” She punches my shoulder. Normally, her weak hit wouldn’t even phase me, but I’ve taken a few beatings tonight. I’m working hard to keep Danika in the dark, but I’m fucking sore. “A lot of people would care, particularly the girls you’ve been screwing.”
I smirk but hide it with another sip of my drink. We both know I haven’t been playing the field like I usually do. Hell, everyone knows. If not for the random sophomores claiming to have hooked up with me to boost their reputations, my name wouldn’t even be a whisper this semester.
“Guys!” Rachel pushes through the crowd in a panic. She looks around, her gaze bouncing from one face to the next around us before settling on Sarah. “Have you seen Danika?”
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My stomach churns at the tremble in Rachel’s voice. How long have Sarah and I been in the kitchen for? Two, maybe three songs? Nothing that bad could happen in fifteen minutes. Then again, if I know my friends, they’re probably pissed having lost the bet and I know at least Melody is out for blood. It’s not the money they would be mad about, they have more than enough to go around, it would simply be the principal of losing.
Sarah shakes her head, not the least bit concerned. “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere. Why? What’s up?”
Rachel bites her lip. A tiny wrinkle forms between her brows and on an exhale, she says, “Melody convinced me to have Danika try my drink, only it was spiked, and now I can’t find her.”
“You did what?” I yell. I rush into the living room again, pushing people out of the way. I’m not gentle and garnish more than a few nasty comments in the process. Being a head taller, I have a better view of the room than the girls but I don’t see Danika anywhere. “Where was the last place you saw her?”
“We were dancing but then someone bumped into me and spilled their beer on my shirt. I went to the bathroom to clean myself up and when I got back, she was gone.”
“Goddamnit, Rachel! How could you let this happen?” Sarah yells over the music.
Rachel shakes her head, tears running down her cheeks. “It was supposed to be funny. Danika’s so serious all the time. Melody thought we should loosen her up.” She looks at me. “I feel really bad. I’m sorry.”
I clench my hands, crushing the red cup and spilling my drink all over my feet. I take a deep breath to keep myself from snapping. This isn’t Rachel’s fault, not completely. Getting angry won’t help. I need to find Danika, get her someplace safe, then deal with those assholes later. “How long ago was this?”
Rachel shrugs. “Maybe five minutes. I think.”
A lot can happen in five minutes, but considering they were just downstairs I’m hopeful. “Rachel, check this floor. Look in every corner and at every couch you can find. Then start checking cars. “Sarah, this house has six bathrooms. Two downstairs and four upstairs. You check those. If she is not there, help Rachel by looking in car windows. I’m going to check the chambers.”
“Logan, it's a party. They’re probably locked.” Sarah says, hesitantly. She’s never been invited to play the game. She doesn’t know the house like I do.
“I’d bet my left nut they’re not.”
27
Logan
My heart drums in my chest when I reach the first closed door. I suck in a breath and reach for the knob. Considering I know the rooms lock from the outside, I’m not surprised when it twists. I step into the room without a care in the world that there’s a couple getting it on. The dude tunneling into the chick from behind barely blinks when I walk around the side of the bed. His fingers shove the face of a girl into the pillows, her red hair twisted in his palm. Not Danika.
I turn and storm out of the room, not bothering to shut the door behind me and run to the next chamber. The one Danika and I were in. This door is locked, from the inside. Something possible only if you have the key. My stomach twists, a feeling of dread coursing through me. I lift my foot and kick the white door, leaving a dirty footprint on its pristine paint. The frame makes a cracking sound but doesn’t budge. I kick the door again and this time it swings back, thumping against the wall.
“What the fuck!” A female voice shrieks.
I recognize it immediately, wishing I hadn’t. The soda in my gut twists with bile and lurches into my throat when I see her. Danika lies, passed out in the center of an elaborate four poster bed. Gunner stops tugging at Danika’s panties, leaving them loose around her thighs and gives an upward nod.
Melody finishes tying Danika’s wrists to the headboard, a smug look on her face. “You’re fixing that door before Jake finds out what you’ve done. He’s going to be pissed if you don’t.”
I walk further into her room, my blood boiling hotter with each step. Danika groans her head rolling to the side. It takes every bit of self-control I have not to beat Gunner’s face in, but I need to know what all they’ve done to her.
I play it cool, looking around the room with an uninterested expression that’s really hard to hold.
“Want in?” Gunner asks, completely unaware of how fucked up this situation is.
I always knew he was a low-life prick. I just never realized how low he was before tonight. “What the hell are you two doing?”
Melody giggles. Her annoying fake schoolgirl laugh grates my nerves. It’s always bothered me, but tonight it’s intensified. “Just having a little fun.”
“Dude, it’s not like you aren’t going to tag her anyway,” Gunner says, unbuckling his belt. “What’s the problem? You’re just getting a head start.”
“You’re my fucking problem!” Is this what he does? Drugs girls who refuse to sleep w
ith him? I shove Gunner’s arm, pushing him back a step. “This isn’t cool, Gunner. You could go to jail for this shit!”
Melody snickers and steps off the bed. She saunters to her dresser and grabs her phone, her thumbs incessantly tapping at the screen. “It’s not our first rodeo, Logan. Relax.”
I grit my teeth and point a finger at her face. If she were a dude, I’d break her fucking face. “I swear to fucking God, Melody. If you so much as turn that phone on, I’ll bury you in so much legal shit your rich daddy won’t be able to afford that Ivy League tuition you're shooting for.”
Melody crosses her arms, a sour look on her face. “I’d like to see you try.”
I smirk. My dad may be a piece of shit who beat on me when he was drunk, but he’s one of the best lawyers in town. “Watch me, bitch.”
“I’ve been half-ass decent about the Danika shit you’ve put me through,” Gunner warns. “But threaten Melody again and we’re done.”
“We were done the moment you laid your hands my girl.”
Gunner takes a step toward me, chest puffed. If he wants a fight, fine. He’s got one. What’s another ass kicking on a night like tonight. I clench my fists, waiting for him to make the first move—dad told Cooper it’s always self-defense if you don’t strike first— when someone screams.
“Shit,” Gunner mumbles as Sarah runs into the room. He leaves without another word and I let him because all I want to do is get Danika out of here. I’ll make him pay for what he’s done. Just not tonight.
“Oh my God! Logan!” Sarah looks at me with tears in her eyes. Her shaking fingers trail across Dani’s cheek. She frantically pulls at the ties on Danika’s wrists, struggling to free her.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Melody chimes from the corner. She kicks one hip out and crosses her arms. “The bitch needed to loosen up.”
Sarah finally frees Danika’s wrists and pulls her limp body into her lap. Sarah turns to Melody with fire in her eyes. I’ve never seen Sarah mad before. She usually lets everything slide. I’m glad to see she has a backbone. “What about you?”
“What about me?” Melody snarks.
“Should I drug you and let you damn near get raped so you can stop being a raging bitch? Because if that’s how I can get you to loosen up, then by all means tell me where your stash is.” Sarah hitches her thumb over her shoulder and glances at the door. “Or should I chase down Gunner again? I’m sure he’s got a few roofies left in his pocket and a hard dick. He can loosen you right up.”
“Watch yourself, Sarah,” Melody says through gritted teeth. She steps forward, attempting to establish dominance, but I see her for what she really is. A scared little girl. “Keep talking like that, and you’ll be dead to me.”
Sarah chuckles darkly. “If this is who you’ve become this year, I don’t want anything to do with you. Call me when you remember how to be a semi-decent human being. Until then, stay the hell away from me and Danika.”
I shimmy Danika’s black lace panties up her thighs, ignoring how sexy they are because everything about this situation is wrong. When she’s decent again, I slip my hands under her back and legs and lift her into my arms. She groans and rolls her head into my chest. “Uh, a little help.”
“Oh. Sorry. What can I do?” Sarah asks.
“Move her arms. They’re throwing me off balance. I don’t want to fall down the stairs.” I don’t think I would, but I’m not taking any chances.
Descending the stairs, the party is still in full swing. No one seems to notice I’m carrying an unconscious Danika or if they do, they don’t care, which speaks volumes about the people here. We make it outside and Sarah opens the passenger door to my car. I bend down, setting Danika in as gingerly as possible, then close the door. “You should probably text Rachel.”
“Oh! Right.” Sarah pulls her phone out and shoots a quick message. Her phone pings almost instantly with what I’m assuming is a reply. “Rachel wants me to drive her home. She doesn’t feel safe staying the night tonight.”
“I don’t blame her.”
Sarah chews her bottom lip, mulling over her words before texting Rachel back. Hesitantly, she looks up at me. “I don’t know how I feel about leaving you alone with Danika in the state that she’s in.”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of her.”
Sarah stares at me for a moment then nods. I’m not a bad guy. Despite my reputation of being a drunk playboy, there’s not much anyone can say about me that’s bad. “You know her dad can’t see her like this. He’ll freak.”
I’ve seen how Dr. Winters handles intense situations. He’s the voice of reason, but I doubt he would be so calm when it comes to Danika. “I figured as much.”
“So, what are you going to do? Rachel’s meeting me here in a few minutes and I don’t want to leave until I know your plan.”
I reach out and set my hand on Sarah’s shoulder. I appreciate her concern, but I’ve got this. Outside of her own home, there’s nowhere safer in the world tonight than with me. I lean down and stare into her eyes. “Trust me when I say, we Harris men, we take care of our girls.”
28
Logan
Cooper sits on the front steps waiting for us when I pull into the driveway. He stands with a frown as I get Danika out of the car. When I reach the house, he opens the front door and follows me inside. “She okay?”
“Probably not.” I wait for him to open my bedroom door then let him enter first so he can pull the comforter back. I lay Danika down and pull the blanket up to her shoulders. Then stare down at her. I like the way she looks, curled up in my bed. Too bad the circumstances aren’t different. That one night we fell asleep together was amazing.
“Where are you going to sleep?” he asks me.
Danika’s mouth falls open, a soft snoring sound leaving her lips. I’d say she looks peaceful, but that’s a lie. I grab one of the pillows and toss it to the floor near the end of the bed. “Here., I want to be close in case she has a reaction or something. I don’t know what that bitch gave her.”
Cooper chuckles, shaking his head in amusement. “Taking a page out of my playbook, brother.”
Not gonna acknowledge that. I pull my shirt off and toss it in the corner of the room where yesterday’s clothes wait to be washed. “How is Piper doing?”
He shrugs. “As good as can be. She hasn’t spoken to me yet, but I know she will. Eventually.” Silence falls between us. Cooper stares at Danika while I change out of my jeans and into a pair of basketball shorts.
“What?” I ask, noticing a small smile on his lips. Cooper gets this stupid, goofy expression when it comes to Piper. Looking at Danika, he’s got the same one.
“Do you love her?”
“Do you?” I’m not talking about Danika. Cooper barely knows her. I’m talking about Piper because I have never seen someone fight so hard for another person. The shit thing is, Piper doesn’t even realize Cooper’s been fighting her battles for years. Too bad he’s stuck so far in the friend-zone there’s no coming out without a miracle.
“That’s a stupid question.”
“But she’s fucked up, Coop. Don’t get me wrong. I love Piper like a sister, I just don’t think falling for someone so broken can be healthy for you.”
Cooper smirks. “We’re all broken, Logan. You. Me. Her.” He tilts his chin at Danika. “Falling in love is finding that person who’s willing to pick up your pieces and help put them where they belong.”
I step into the hallway and grab a blanket from the closet. I don’t have time to think about love. I don’t want to think about love. This thing with Danika and I just started. Love isn’t in the cards. Not yet. “You’re getting way too philosophical for me.” I drop the blanket at my feet, by the pillow, and look at the door. “I’m going to bed.”
“Logan?” Danika asks, her voice hoarse from sleep. She groans and rolls to the side of the bed, looking for me.
“It’s okay. I’m here.” I grab the wastebasket and set it
beside the bed in case she pukes. I’ve never needed to roofie a girl to get her to sleep with me. I don’t have any experience with this shit, but Google says the aftereffects are similar to a hangover only worse.
I know hangovers.
“Why am I in your bed?” Her face pinches together in pain and she groans again. “Holy crap, my head is killing me.”
Under other circumstances, hearing a curse word slip from those pretty little lips would be cute but Danika looks like she’s on her deathbed. I reach out and touch her cheek. “Can I get you anything?”
“Could you—” she tries until a lurching sound eats her words.
I lift the trashcan to Danika’s face just in time as what’s left in her stomach empties. I grab her hair with my free hand, holding it back and out of the way like I’ve seen people doing in movies. I don’t usually do this. When a girl starts puking, that's my cue to leave, but the thought of abandoning Danika when she’s at her weakest doesn’t even cross my mind.
She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and rolls onto her back. “What the hell happened to me last night?” she asks pain in her voice.
“You were drugged.”
There’s a long stretch of silence as Danika processes my words. I’m sure she’s trying her hardest to remember the night. If our kiss is even on her radar, I’d bet she’s also trying to determine if that was why she did it. “How?”
“Rachel tricked you into drinking a spiked drink, but it was Melody’s idea.”
Tears pull in Danika’s eyes as she rolls onto the pillow. Her sobs aren’t violent like I expect. They’re soft, like that of someone who has been through this before. My heart squeezes at the thought and I hope that I’m wrong.
“Hey, hey,” I tell her, rubbing small circles on her back. “It’s okay.”