"Maybe they should. Who knows?" I shrugged. "It's fantastic in small doses, but toxic when you OD."
"Most things are, right?" He nodded. "Thanks for your time, Nate. I'll be in touch if we have any follow-up questions."
"All right." I leaned back and watched him go as fear permeated the center of my chest. I needed to get the fuck out of the hospital and get over to Jenna's place. I wouldn't go in and let her know I was watching, but someone needed to keep her close. Ashley wouldn't rest easy without knowing that she'd finished the job and completely smashed my heart.
Maybe the only option was to find Ash and wrap my hands around her throat. To watch her squirm beneath me until she stopped breathing.
"Stop it," I groaned and pressed my hand to my face. I hated who I had become. The guy in the coffee shop that fell in love with the DA's daughter didn't exist. It was time to start acting like he was buried six feet under.
No more trying to resurrect the dead. I was who I was, and I got what I deserved. Play with fire, get your ass burnt.
28
Jenna
I rolled over on the couch and pressed my fingers to my mouth, trying hard to keep myself from crying. What had he wanted me to do? Just let him fuck himself to death? Swallow the goddamn pill and have a heart attack right in front of me?
"Jenna. Let it go." Erik walked around from the kitchen and sat down on the edge of the coffee table beside me.
"You don't have to stay here, Erik. I'm fine. If the bitch comes for me, I'll kill her."
"I'm not staying here to babysit you. I'm staying until you're strong enough for us to finish this shit. It's not over until we say it's over."
I sat up and pushed my hair behind my shoulder as my tears dissipated. "Are you serious right now? Do you even know where she is?"
"Sure do. She's in a small house in the woods outside of town. We can be there in a few hours if you're ready." He tilted his head to the side, looking like beautiful death. Grace was in love with him for a reason, and I honestly couldn't blame her one bit. He was her Nate. Everyone deserved a love like that.
Everyone except me, apparently.
"I'm ready." I got up and walked toward the back of the house to change. "Do you think he'll come back to me?"
"No. Well, I don’t know for sure. He's not the kind of guy that can lose his pride and get over it that easily." Erik stopped outside the bedroom. "You changing?"
"Yes." I pulled my dress over my head and changed into a pair of jeans and a black shirt before pulling boots on my feet. "I would die for him, Erik."
"Good. You'll need to prove that before this shit will turn around."
"Why?" I walked out and moved past him, ignoring the deliciously dark scent of his cologne. Nothing mattered but Nate. "Haven't I done enough?"
"He thinks he hurt you. That he raped you." He moved toward the door and opened it.
"Then he's an idiot. I raped him if nothing else."
He snorted. "Let's tell him that. Actually, let me tell him. I'd love to break that news to him."
I smacked him in the chest and walked down the hall toward the elevator beside him. "In what world would I be hanging out with a mafia hitman on a Wednesday night?"
"In our world?" He offered me his arm. "I'm thinking if I keep impressing you with my boyish good looks and my charm that you'll set me up with Grace."
"You just want sex. I'm not doing that to my best friend. She's a good woman."
He moved into the elevator and held the door open for me. "I want you to do me a favor."
"What's that?"
"I want you to tell her how long you pushed me out of her bed the first time I get into it. She'll hate you for life."
My turn to laugh. "You're kidding me, right? You're not that good. Grace loves me."
"Maybe, but she's going to worship me." He licked his lips and closed his eyes. "So many things I'm going to do to her."
"She dresses like my grandmother." I moved through the open door and thanked the stars for our silly conversation. It kept me from thinking too much about where we were headed.
"Yeah, but sweet girls like her always dress like that. She's got something naughty under that bulky sweater and horrid skirt. And she wants to break free. I can see it all over her."
"You're disturbing." I glanced over at him, realizing that I was starting to like being around him. Maybe he and Grace should give things a try. Maybe.
"You love it." He opened the door to his black Jag and moved back. He closed the door and smiled as he walked around to the other side and got in. "Do you love him enough to go after him when we're done with Ashley?"
"Of course I do."
"Good. Then make him jealous. You like to dance, right?"
"Love it. You?"
"I'd rather kill a child."
"I'm not sure if that means you do or don't like dancing."
He chuckled. "Bitch."
"How do you know she's here, Erik?" I took the gun from his hand and took a shaky breath.
"We have eyes everywhere." He nodded toward the weapon. "Lift it up like you're going to fire it. I want to see how steady your grip is."
I lifted the gun and it bobbed around seeing that my hands were shaking so damn bad. "Ugh. I can't do this."
"Then I'll do it." He pointed his gun at my face and watched me. "See. Steady. I could care less about this bitch."
"Or you've just killed a million people and this girl is no different."
"Does it count that I've slept with her a handful of times?" He closed the car door and walked toward the small house tucked back in the woods.
"Gross. Has Nate... You know what? Don't answer that. I don't want to know."
“We fucked her together a couple of times. You know… when we were bored." He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. "We could show you first hand if you-"
"Stop. Please. Gross."
"Us fucking her, or me wanting us to fuck you together?"
"Both." I reached out and slipped my arm into his. "I don't wanna fall."
"I'd catch you." He glanced over and winked.
"You're not nearly the bad ass you pretend to be, are you?"
"Oh, I'm a dick. I promise. I just like you. You remind me of my little sister. Makes me wanna be a little bit nice."
"Where is she?"
"Dead." He walked away from me and walked toward the house. I wanted to apologize, but it seemed like being quiet was the better option. Erik's story had to be beyond interesting, but I wouldn't be asking for the extended version. Too much death and dismemberment. Too much loss.
"Is she-" I started to whisper as Erik stopped and lifted his hand.
"Ashley is a cunning bitch, Jenna. She's going to be prepared for you. Watch your back just in case."
"Okay," I whispered. My heart almost stopped in my chest when he took off for the side of the house. "Erik! Where are you going?"
"Go in the front. I'm not here. Remember that."
"Shit." I walked toward the front door and tucked the gun in my back pocket. I didn't know how to break into a house, how to sneak into someone's place.
I knocked on the door and let out a long sigh. If it was my time to die, so be it, but the bitch was going with me.
She opened the door and stepped back with a surprised look on her face. "Wow. I figured you would come, but I remember you saying something about a knife in my back."
I stepped forward and punched her twice in the face, surprising myself a little. "Yeah, well, I left the cutlery at home. Forgive me."
"You sorry bitch." She reached for her back and I tackled her, knocking her to the ground as she screamed. I had to wrestle the gun from her hand and it went off twice before Erik walked in calmly.
"Stealth would be nice." He leaned against the wall.
"Shut up." I reached down and wrapped my hands around her throat. "You sorry bitch. Killing my brother and then you try and take Nate from me?"
"He'll never belong to you." She laughed as I tight
ened my hands around her throat.
"I could shoot her for you," Erik offered.
"I need to do this." I felt something inside me break. She was right. Nate wasn't ever going to be mine because of what happened. The light in his eyes died that night as if he'd truly become the monster the drug made him think he was. "I hate you so much. I hope hell welcomes you with torture beyond anything you can imagine."
"Jenna. Killing someone will change you. Let me do this." Erik pulled out his gun and moved to stand beside us as I tightened my hands as much as I could and banged her head on the ground a few times, screaming at nothing. At everything. "Jenna."
"Back the fuck off." I glanced up at him and lifted up to press my full weight on her throat.
She scratched and clawed at me, but I couldn't force myself to back up. Erik should have killed her. He was the murderer, not me.
"Please. Please, Jenna. I didn't know. It was all him. It was all Nate. Check it out," Ashley whispered roughly as her face turned a sickening shade of blue.
"I don't care who it was. You're dying for it." I dug my nails into her neck and arched my back, wanting to hear her choke out more than I wanted my next breath. "I hate you. Sick bitch."
"Jenna." Erik touched my shoulder and I jerked my head up.
"I'll kill you next if you don't back the fuck up."
“No, you won’t.” He pushed at my shoulder and knocked me back before firing his weapon twice.
“Why?” I scrambled to my knees.
“Because… someone was paying me something far more than a few favors to get it done, and that someone isn’t you, baby doll.” He winked and offered me his hand.
“What? Who?” I glanced down at Ashley’s bloody face and turned my back to her as a cry lodged in my throat. “I almost killed someone. They’re going to find her and they’ll have my prints all over her throat. What am I-”
"Never. I've been watching over Nate for twenty-six years. You belong to him as far as I'm concerned, which means you have my protection too. Go get in the car and I'll burn this place down. No one will ever know."
I looked up at him. "I'll know."
"Yeah, so live with it. We all do.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Nate would get rock hard over this. Get in the car. Now."
His voice was nothing more than an echo in my head as I stumbled out of the house and walked toward the car. The door slammed and I turned in time to watch him jog toward me as the house exploded into a million pieces. The force of it threw me to the ground, but I was in Erik's arms a few minutes later, struggling to keep consciousness.
Too much. It was all too much, and the one person I needed to help bring me through all of it wasn't available to me, nor would he ever be again.
Nate.
29
Nate
"Mr. Hayes? You're free to go." The nurse walked into my room the next morning with some of my clothes folded up in her hand. "Your friend Mikey is outside the room. You want me to tell him that you're not seeing people?"
"No. Let him in." I got up and pulled the gown off as she yelped and turned, walking to the door while cursing me.
I chuckled and walked over to my clothes.
"Okay. Thanks, ma'am." Mikey walked in and turned his back to me. "You fucker. How did I know you'd be wanting to wag your cock and make us all jealous? Sick ass."
"You missed me. It's obvious." I pulled my jeans over my legs and buttoned them. "You alone?"
"Yeah." He turned around, squinting. "Is it safe?"
"Only threat is jealousy." I picked up my shirt and pulled it over my head as the smell of Jenna's perfume filled my nose. I flinched and lifted an eyebrow as I glanced over toward Mikey. "Why does my shirt smell like Jenna?"
"Because she went with Erik to get you clothes a day or so ago. She held them clutched to her chest for most of the night." He glanced down. "You know I hate getting in your business-"
"Right. So don't." I brushed my hand over my nose and tried not to let the scent of her all over me drive me to the brink of insanity. I missed her so bad I felt like I had the fucking flu.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't if I didn't love you like a brother." He moved in front of me and gripped my shoulders. "You ain't never had nothing good in your life, Nate. Nothing. None of us, or a good woman. A mother that loved you. And finally this angel shows up, and because of shit that was out of her control, you dismiss her like she was a whore you paid money for."
"I'm not hearing this, Mikey. You weren't there. You didn't see the way I behaved. The things I said. The way I treated her."
"Word on the street is that she tied your ass up and rode you like a prized stallion."
"And you think that's the way a woman wants to be talked about?" I gripped his throat, striking at him like a viper. "She's a good woman. She deserves a man that never puts her in the position to have to do that shit."
He gripped my fingers and pulled. "What if she liked it, Nate? Some girls like rough sex. Ash did."
I released him and turned my back to him in search of my shoes. "Jenna isn't like other women. She's beautiful and kind. And don’t talk to me about Ashley again. I need to forget all that shit. You bringing it up ain’t helping."
"Alright.” He nodded. “But even if Jenna is sweet and kind, she’s still a woman. She's strong and sexy. Bold as fuck. You're telling me on a wild night in the future the two of you might not have tied each other up and fucked half the night?"
I glanced over my shoulder. "She put you up to this shit?"
"No. She's out cold." He glanced down to his hands as my blood ran cold.
"What the fuck do you mean, out cold?"
"She and Erik found Ashley last night, at least that's what I'm assuming with the little bit that he's telling me."
"Where is Jenna?" I walked toward my oldest friend with a pleading in my voice that I knew I didn't need to explain.
"What do you care?" He took a step back.
"I'll fucking take you to the ground and whoop your ass like I did when we were kids, Mikey. Where is my girl?"
"Your girl?" The door opened a little wider behind Mikey and Erik leaned against it, looking like the cocky fucker he was. "I was thinking you threw her away. I was trying to be a gentleman, sweeping in and playing prince charming while you were tucked away, nursing your wounds."
"Stop dicking around with me." I gave them both a look that said I was going to find a blunt object and start fucking people up pretty soon.
"I told you where she was." Mikey turned and walked toward the door. "Come on. Get your shoes on and we'll take you home."
"Is Jenna at my place?"
"What? No." Erik smirked. "Why would she be at your place?"
"Did she kill Ash? Or did you do it?"
"I did it, and you owe me for it. She almost did it though. You should have seen her. I've had a hard on since last night. She's lucky she belongs to you, because I would have violated every part of her. So beautiful. So strong and fucking sexy." Erik's eyes grew dim.
"Hey. Shut the fuck up. Now." I moved toward him and he lifted his hands.
"She's pretty upset, man. I can't get her to eat or drink anything. She feels like a monster even though I put two slugs in Ashley’s pretty face.”
I swallowed my questions. All but one. "Where is the body?”
"Burned it."
"And Jenna’s brother's murder case?"
"It’s going to get pinned on Ashley.” Erik shrugged. “She attacked you and Jenna at your place and then fled town.”
Mikey cleared his throat. “Hey. They’re going to wonder where the hell she is.”
“True.” I glanced over to Erik. “We say that we don’t know or what?”
“Have you seen her since she went ape shit over at the apartment?” Erik lifted his eyebrow and smirked.
“No, but the cops aren’t going to stop looking for her.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Dude, there isn’t anything to tie my girl to Ash’s death, right?”
&nbs
p; “Nope. They got a tip this morning that Denise, or Ashley ran out to an old house in the woods and the water heater was faulty. Whole fucking house blew up. Cops are out there now, I’m sure.” He looked far too cool for the situation at hand. Asshole. “Let’s just say I paid an eyewitness at the house beside it to help cover the story of nothing being out of the ordinary.”
“Paid or threatened?” Mikey snorted and jerked back as Erik turned and growled at him. “Okay. Shit. Sorry.”
“What’s going to happen to the money Ashley was set to inherit?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“It will go back to the family.” Erik chuckled darkly. “Why? You still wanting your cut?”
“No. I’m done with that shit. Never. I’d never take anything from Jenna or her folks.” I let out a long sigh. “Her family knows me as one of Denise’s old friend.”
“Good. That helps then.” Erik shrugged and moved back to rest against the door.
“How so?” Mikey glanced between me and my old friend.
I spoke up. “It could help in that they might think I met Jenna through Denise, but honestly that doesn’t matter. I told her dad that I go to De Luca all the time. He already assumes that I’ve seen Jenna, I’m sure. This isn’t as fucked up as it seems. We can work through it.”
“If you can work through killing Ash, then you got this in the bag.” Erik gave me a knowing look. “Besides, this pretty woman is totally in love with you. She mentioned not wanting to live without you. I even told her my dick was far meatier than yours, but there's just something about-"
I charged him, popping him in the mouth once before he returned the favor.
"Fuck you for that," I barked in his face.
"Yeah. Fuck you too for almost giving up the best thing that's ever going to happen to your sorry ass. Get your shit and I'll take you to her, but you fuck it up and that's it. She's mine. And you're not going to do a goddamn thing about it."
I turned and walked back into the room, sliding my hands through my hair as I looked around for my shoes. He was right. She was the best thing that was ever going to happen to me. She needed me. Even watching someone die was a big fucking deal.
Captain Hotness: A Single Father Bad Boy Novel Page 76