Tempt Me: A First Class Romance Collection

by Jessica Hawkins

  The air shifts, sending rotten waves around us. Lance isn’t in uniform. Off-duty is easier to deal with when it comes to this asshole. I straighten and widen my stance, staring at him straight on. He smiles at me, but I see right through it.

  “Hey, Grady. Didn’t expect to find you out here.”

  I grunt at his blatant bullshit. “No? Who are you looking for?”

  He rocks on his heels. “A moment alone. Kinda loud in there.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it.” I take a step toward the door.

  His question halts my retreat. “How’s Sutton?”

  I squint at him, getting a good look. “Great, as always.”

  “Isn’t that nice for you.”

  “Sure is.” Pinpricks creep along my neck. I belatedly realize that he’s no longer smiling. At some point in our conversion, that grin collapsed into a sneer. His usually aloof mannerisms are absent. “You okay, Morris?”

  Lance’s tone is more of a snarl. “No, Grady. I’m not fucking all right.”

  And I couldn’t care less. Something prods at the back of my brain. I should get out of this creepy alley. But this guy clearly sought me out for a reason. “Is there something I can do for you?”

  “Get out of my way.”

  “What?” I glance over my shoulder. This dude has to be on something.

  He cracks his neck. “I figured you’d skip town once that dumpster diving piece of trailer trash died. But no. You stuck around for Sutton.”

  I narrow my eyes into deadly thin slits. “My mother wasn’t award-winning, but don’t talk about her that way.”

  He swats the air. “Who fucking cares about her. You stole my girl. I want her back.”

  “She was never yours to begin with.”

  “Was so.” Acting like a toddler must be one of his hobbies.

  “I believe you’re mistaken.”

  “She just doesn’t know about us yet. That’ll change soon.”

  Lance is talking about Sutton as if she’s a toy or some possession to own. How is this clown an officer of the law? An idea occurs to me. “Aren’t you dating Molly?”

  He shrugs. “Not sure what she has to do with this.”

  Is this dude for real? “She’s your girlfriend. Stop talking about Sutton and focus on Molly.”

  His snort echoes off the brick wall. “Please. As if that bossy loudmouth could replace true love. Molly is just a poor substitute while this Sutton situation gets sorted. She’s the one I really want.”

  What a lunatic. “Too fucking bad that’s never going to happen.”

  Lance steeples his fingers. “We’ll see about that.”

  “You’re delusional.”

  His laugh is maniacal. “I’ve been called worse.”

  “What’s your problem?” I flex my muscles, the itch for a fight screaming at me.

  He points a stubby finger at me. “You. You’re my damn problem.”

  I swing my arms out and spread them wide. “I haven’t done shit to you. If anyone has dirt on their hands, it’s you.”

  “Sutton is supposed to be mine.”

  I let my hands drop, fists forming with his words. “Wrong, buddy. Try again.”

  He watches my every move. “Getting mad? Good. Wanna punch me?”

  The answer is hell yes, I really do. But that’ll get me locked up faster than his blood spilling. A heavy exhale breezes through my clenching jaw. I force myself to relax. Sutton comes to mind and I almost smirk. She gets me even when we’re apart.

  Our silence yawns and I’m more than ready to end this exchange. Before I can get gone, sirens begin wailing in the distance. Maybe Lance will get called in and leave me the fuck alone. He stays put, squaring off against me. There’s an odd gleam in his eye. I wonder absently if he’s high. Wouldn’t that be a shit-kicker?

  A warped grin curls his lips. Out of nowhere, Lance punches himself in the nose. The crack is sickening. A river of red immediately pours down his face.

  My stomach curdles. “What the fuck, man? Are you psycho?”

  He smiles, showing off his bloody teeth. “Close, but the correct term is sociopath. The doctors would be proud to hear me finally admit it. But that’s not important. You just assaulted an officer, Grady.”

  “The fuck I did. I haven’t laid a finger on you.”

  “We’ll see who they believe.” Lance smashes a fist into his cheekbone.

  The sirens drift closer. I can only gawk at him. Startling clarity smacks me in the face. Holy shit, he’s setting me up. My heart gallops beyond reasonable rhythm. I stumble backward, already picturing how this will go.

  His eyes flare with some sort of sick excitement. “Scared now? I dare you to run. That’ll make this even better for me.”

  When a squad car screeches to a halt along the curb, Lance’s entire persona changes. He begins whimpering, folding over and shying away from me. It’s his word against mine. Fuck, I’m screwed. I’ll always be the lowlife loser who makes an easy target. There’s no escaping the stigma.

  Two officers I don’t recognize storm toward me. I hold up my palms, not bothering to fight. This will only end one way. They slam me to the filthy ground with a knee jabbing into my spine. I land with a jarring thud that radiates through my body and has me seeing stars. Cold metal slaps around my wrists, tighter than necessary. I feel my wallet get yanked out of my pocket. A set of hands hauls me off the pavement and I tilt from the force.

  The required speech starts up once their hold on me is secure. “Grady Bowen, you’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent...” The officer’s voice drones on, but I don’t hear any of it. How the fuck did this happen? I look up and see another cop inspecting Lance’s injuries. Mother fucker hurt himself. I want to shout and fight, but that won’t help me. I’m more than aware how this goes. The echoing vibrations linger for a second or two. Dread for what’s to come rests heavy on my shoulders.

  We pass Lance, who’s done sobbing like a little bitch. His expression is pure evil. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Sutton for you.”

  An animalistic roar rips from my throat. “Don’t you fucking touch her. I’ll kill you.”

  He cackles. “You’re only proving my case, Bowen.”

  Piping hot rage fills my veins and I struggle against the cuffs. The officers clutching my arms grip me tighter. “Knock it off, kid. You’re only making this worse.”

  How the fuck could this possibly get worse? A vision of Sutton’s beautiful face appears in front of me. What the hell are we going to do? I try to hold onto images of her, but the shadows are already obscuring my view. They toss me into the back of a cruiser. Just as they’re about to trap me inside, Lance appears.

  He leans in so only I can hear. “Say hello to your dad for me.”

  27

  Sutton

  Happy something #126: Trusting against all odds.

  I guzzle some more water while keeping my gaze trained on the bathroom hallway. Grady hasn’t emerged, regardless of my insistent staring. He’s been gone for at least fifteen minutes. Am I being paranoid? There’s little doubt. But he wouldn’t leave me alone longer than absolutely necessary. The tether between us is straining and I feel the taut pull in my chest. Something isn’t right.

  My gut is yelling at me to investigate. I chomp on an ice cube and check the clock. We should be leaving soon. The blaring hip hop that’s been playing fades into a muted whisper. My vision tunnels and blocks out anything that’s beyond the dark alcove. Where is he? I’m about to send him a text when Lacie sits beside me.

  She rubs my arm. “What’s wrong, Sutt?”

  I tap my nails on the table. “Grady isn’t back yet.”

  Her eyes follow the unwavering line of mine. “Where’d he go?”

  “To the bathroom. He was going to get some air after that.”

  “He’s taking an extended breather. No big deal. This place is popping. I’m sure a lot of people are stepping outside for a break.” Her placating touch continues
and my skin crawls. I need his coarse palm to be reassuring me.

  “No, that doesn’t sound like Grady.”

  “Maybe he’s dropping a deuce.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Eww, no way. Not at the bar.”

  She huffs and rolls her eyes. “You’re freaking for no reason. He’ll be stomping through that door at any moment.”

  “That’s what I’m waiting for.” Each second ticks by slower than the last. The knot in my stomach yanks harder until I’m a ball of tension. I give into my earlier impulse and message him.

  Me: Did you get lost? I’m starting to worry. Tell me you ran into an old friend so I can relax.

  The three little dots don’t appear. There’s no sign of him opening the text. I force down the bubble in my throat that’s doubling in size. He’s fine. I’m overreacting. Everything is all good. There’s no reason to lose my head over a few pesky minutes. I try to smooth the furrow from my features.

  When I glance over, Lacie has a front row view to my mini-meltdown. She raises a slim brow. “Should we look for him?”

  I’m not fooling anyone. I allow my expression to collapse. “I think so.”

  My ass is halfway off the stool when Molly appears in front of me. A frown is pinching her pretty face. “Have you seen Lance?”

  I just shake my head.

  “Is he missing? Seems like a common theme,” Lacie muses.

  I shoot her a glare. “Don’t say that. I’m scared enough.”

  She has the decency to wince. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be insensitive. Think of me as staying on the bright side.”

  A slow rush of pressure eases off my lips. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

  “What’s going on? Grady is gone?” Molly is still blocking my view.

  Any semblance of calm shatters with her questions. I peek at my phone. The damn device is silent. Not a single notification wakes the black screen. “I refuse to believe he left me. He’s around here somewhere.”

  Molly taps her chin. “Do you think they’re together?”

  A chill slithers through me. “I highly doubt that.”

  “Why not?” She fiddles with a perfectly coiffed curl.

  “They don’t really get along.” I’m distracted, my brain scrambling over possibilities. Her gasp has me looking over. “What?”

  “It looks like something big is going down.” She points out the window.

  The flashes of red and blue catch my attention first. At least three police cruisers are lined up along the curb. That sneaking suspicion in my gut rips wide open and swallows me. In the next beat, I’m off my seat and dashing out the door.

  Lance is the first person I stumble across. He’s sitting on the trunk of a squad car with an ice pack covering half his face. I slam to a skidding halt in front of him.

  “Have you seen Grady?”

  He removes the compress with a cringe. I gag at the sight of his busted nose. “I’m so sorry, Sutton. I tried to stop him.”

  A cannonball drops in my stomach. “What happened?”

  “He attacked me.”

  I allow my jaw to fall open. “No way.”

  His head bobs with rapid nods. The jerky move must bump a clot loose. Blood begins dribbling from his nostrils. “Yep, that’s how it went. He was in the alley spouting off all this degrading stuff about you—”

  I hold up a palm. “Wait a minute. Grady was bad mouthing me?”

  Lance grinds his teeth. “Yes, that’s what I’m trying to explain. He sucker punched me.”

  “I don’t believe you. Where is he?” My tone is flatter than concrete.

  He blinks and ignores my question. “What? Why not?”

  This moron could’ve given me all types of explanations or motives as to why Grady socked him. I might’ve believed a select few. But to accuse him of talking shit about me? Yeah, that’s a big pile of horse crap. I cross my arms and stare him down. “You’re lying.”

  “I was protecting you.” He wipes at his bloody nose. How attractive.

  “From Grady? That’s not possible, or necessary.” I almost choke on a mouthful of bile from the thought alone. Lance lifts a hand as if to cup my cheek. I leap out of the way. “What are you doing?”

  “Comforting you. I’m sure this is a huge shock.”

  I rub my throbbing temples. Am I having a nightmare? “I’ll be fine once I see Grady. Where is he? I shouldn’t have to repeat myself.”

  He coos at me as if I’m a simpering toddler. “You’re safe now, Sutton. I understand this is hard to accept, but your boyfriend is a monster. Let me give you a hug.” He holds his arms out and motions me in.

  I shy away from his advances. “No, knock it off. Grady is the only one I need. He couldn’t have done this. There’s no way that’s the true story. Please tell me where he is, Lance.”

  “You’re defending him?”

  “Of course, and I always will.”

  The sympathy in his expression melts into something far more sinister. “You’ll see the truth soon enough.”

  I shiver at his frosty tone. “How about you just tell me.”

  His sneer is nasty. “That asshole tried to kill me and all you care about is him. Great sense of empathy, Sutton. They’re taking him to county where he belongs.”

  Ice fills my veins. “Why would they do that?”

  Lance gestures at his injuries. “Are you blind? He pummeled me.”

  I purse my lips. “Nope, no way. Grady wouldn’t do that.”

  He stabs a thumb at his chest. “I was there, Sutton.”

  “Yeah, and who else? We need more witnesses.”

  Another trickle of blood drips out of his nose. “Too bad no one else was around. It’s me against him.”

  Waves of nausea flip my stomach. “I need to see him.”

  “Good luck.” He snorts, a wince following immediately. “Shit, that hurts.”

  I want to tell him he probably deserves it. I know Grady. He wouldn’t attack without a damn good reason. “What’s the procedure after getting arrested?”

  “I’m not helping you see that criminal.” If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under.

  “Stop being a jerk, Lance.”

  “Name calling will get you nowhere. Go ask someone else.”

  I ball my hands into fists. “Fine. Thanks for absolutely nothing.”

  A familiar face lingers by the next cruiser in line. I recognize this officer more than the others. Kyler played football with Jace and Grady in high school. He looks nice enough. Maybe he’ll be more willing to answer me.

  I attempt to gulp down the desperation clawing at my throat. “Hey there. You’re Kyler, right?”

  He lifts his gaze at my greeting, a smile firmly in place. “Hi, Sutton. I remember you sitting in the bleachers at our games. Wondering about Grady?”

  Heat springs to my eyes and I sniff. “Yes. Can you tell me what happened?”

  Kyler scratches the back of his neck. “I’m not supposed to share that. Need to know basis and all that.”

  “Please.” The beg wobbles my lips.

  He glances around and sighs. “There was a brawl in the alley. Report states that Grady got angry and struck Lance twice.”

  I press a palm to my forehead. “What if that isn’t true?”

  Kyler squints at me. “Uh, well, the case is pretty much set.”

  “How? Grady wouldn’t do this.”

  “How much did he have to drink? Alcohol can cause extreme reactions.”

  I swipe at my wet cheeks. “He only had one beer. Two at the most.”

  He strokes his jaw. “That’s not much. Must’ve been something else driving him.”

  A scream tickles my tongue. “He’s innocent. Please believe me.”

  “Sutton.” Kyler’s tone is soft and probably meant to be pacifying. “I’m sure you want to believe that, but we have no evidence proving otherwise.”

  I’m unraveling, a spool spinning out of control. There’s no hope of winding my brain around this new reality. �
��W-what happens next for him?”

  He offers a limp shrug. “Protocol is for him to be booked with preliminary charges, especially for an assault of this degree.”

  “Assault?” My voice is hollow.

  Kyler almost seems shocked by my reactions. “Well, yeah. Battery at best. Didn’t you see Lance’s face?”

  A fresh wash of tears blurs my vision. “This can’t be happening.”

  “I was a bit surprised myself. Never took Grady as the type to be brutal.”

  “Because he’s not,” I whisper. “You have to believe in him.”

  “The proof against him is pretty damning. Not much can change his fate.”

  “Have you heard Grady’s side? Doesn’t that count for anything?”

  He scratches his jaw. “It does, but he’s refusing to speak to anyone.”

  That makes this entire shit-storm even worse. My heartbeat ratchets up, creating an erratic thumping I feel everywhere. “There has to be something we can do. Where are they taking him?”

  Kyler averts his gaze. “He’ll be pent up at county for a week or two, maybe more. You never know how long it takes for trial to be set.”

  “Can we get him out on bail?”

  He snorts out a laugh. “That’s way down the road. He’s assumed guilty and stuck for now.”

  I clap my palms over my ears. I refuse to hear these lies. My knees buckle and I almost face plant onto the sidewalk. “Why is this happening to him?”

  Kyler glances over my shoulder. “Lance told us this was a lover’s quarrel. Whatever that means.”

  “They weren’t fighting over me.” I force my tone to remain level. On the inside, I’m bordering on hysteria.

  “The official statement suggests otherwise.”

  I let my jaw pop. Enough of the lies. Boiling fury rises inside of me and the need to attack flexes my muscles. I swing my gaze to Lance. A steady finger gets pointed directly at his chest.

  “You did this.” I don’t even recognize my own voice. “You staged this entire thing.”

  Lance shoots a scathing glare at me. “You have no clue what you’re implying.”