Blue 42 (Hail Mary Duet Book 1)

by C. A. Rene

  Dani gives me a smug once over and Dixon barely spares me a glance, I can already see how this night is going to go down. I follow Dex to the bar and he orders two shots of tequila, my stomach flips as the golden liquid pours. I can feel Dani’s eyes on me as I tip back the glass and take the shot, signaling the bartender for another round.

  “Yes!” Dex exclaims, “I love when Avando comes out to play.” You bet your fucking ass I’m ready to play.

  I want to crush Dani’s perfect bubble about Dixon and I know I can, it’s just going to take some time. Unfortunately for her, I got all the damn time in the world and he’s with me for most of his days. I can feel a plan forming in my mind but it won’t work unless I have Dixon trusting me and that’s where my work will lie, especially after everything I’ve done. How do I make him see I only want what’s best for him?

  I head to the table with Jameson, Ortiz, and the ladies they grabbed on the way in, the sweet one eyeing me over her drink, her gorgeous brown eyes shining with interest. I can start on Dixon tonight, fan the flames I know are building inside of him, and help him see what he genuinely wants. I hold my hand out for the girl and when she obliges, placing her hand in mine, I pull her to her feet.

  “Name?” I breathe into her ear and her shudder has me chuckling.

  “Nicole.”

  I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her in closer, and keeping my mouth to her ear, “do you dance, Nicole?”

  She nods and I lead her into the middle of the room just as Too Close by Next starts playing, too perfect. I grind my pelvis into hers and delight runs through me when she matches me move for move. My hand moves to her ass and I grip it in my palm, moving against her harder. She looks up at me almost shyly, and I look down at her, amused. She is exquisite.

  After our dance, I head to the bar to grab us drinks, and Dixon appears at my side. I hide my grin in my hand and ignore him. I can feel his eyes on me and when the bartender steps up, I ask for two beers.

  “I wonder how the last chick you were here with would feel about seeing that display.” He sounds jealous and it makes my heart soar.

  “She could join if she wants.” I flash him a smile and grab the beers. The scowl on his face has me laughing as I walk back to the table.

  I will have him eating out of my hand in no time.

  Chapter twenty-two

  Dixon

  We’re having a surprise piss test today.

  I’ve done this plenty of times but never hungover and pissed off. Last night was a shitshow and watching Sebastian grind on some female was affecting me more than it should. It still fucking is because he’s sitting at the far corner of the locker room with a satisfied look on his face and I want to punch it off. He took her home last night, I watched them leave together, and now he looks like she gave him exactly what he’s been looking for.

  This is just crazy, why the fuck do I even care? Maybe because I still haven’t taken Dani home, and the fact that he can fuck any chick is grating on my nerves. I should be able to as well. Maybe it’s time I did. Dani has been practically begging me to fuck her and I have been putting it off due to some misplaced sense of guilt. What the fuck do I have to be guilty about? I know my sexuality and even though Sebastian wants to convince me otherwise, I love women.

  I pull out my phone as I wait for everyone to piss in a cup, and text Dani. I ask her if she’s free tonight and when she replies yes instantly, I tell her to pack a bag. This confusing relationship with Sebastian stops today and I’m ready to move on. I have to move on. I breathe out the frustration and wait for Coach to finish up with the testing. I’m tired and I want to get the fuck out of here.

  Coach releases us all for clean tests and I find Dani in the corridor, a small smile on her face. She’s beautiful, knows about football, and she cares about me. It’s time I take this up a notch. I tug on her shirt and chuckle when she falls into my chest, a look of surprise on her face. I lean down and kiss her thoroughly, her moan betraying how turned on she is. I can do this, she’s perfect, and everything I’ve been looking for. I hear a snort behind me and I know it’s him, but I don’t let it affect me. He can snort all he wants, this is happening, and the push and pull with him is ending.

  With my arm around Dani’s shoulders, I lead her outside to my car, and press her up against it with my pelvis. It’s getting colder here in Buffalo as the fall is turning into winter, and the cold air is making her nose red. I kiss it softly and she tips her head back, giving me a small smile. I can feel the potential we could have but I can’t deny something is missing and it’s not just on my side. I know it could probably be rectified with a bit more attention and our affection will grow, too.

  “This week you’re playing the Cowboys, right?” she asks as she shivers with the cold breeze.

  “Yeah,” I nod.

  “I’ve watched the practices and you guys are strong. You’ve made us stronger, Dixon.”

  I kiss her forehead and open the door for her to sit inside, closing it gently behind her. Then I cross around to the driver’s side, feeling eyes on me the whole way, and knowing exactly who it is. I look up at him standing on the steps, only to see he’s not watching me at all, and his eyes are instead on Dani. I get inside and find her staring right back at him, a small smirk on her lips. I don’t know exactly what went down, but I can see it’s not completely over between them, and I can’t seem to muster up an ounce of concern. Fuck, I should be concerned, right? I want a relationship with her and always finding them watching each other should be bothersome, right?

  We get to my house and she steps inside, looking around. “You need to decorate.”

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be here,” I close the front door, “I’m convincing Ma and Danny to come live with me and when they agree, I’ll have to find something bigger.”

  “Why don’t they want to come?” She looks at me with her brow raised.

  I like her, but not enough yet to tell her my family issues, “long story.”

  She accepts it for what it is and we settle in to watch a movie, her eyes constantly moving to my face. I can feel like it’s now or never to make the move, this one instant will determine where we’re going, and I’m ready. I mute the TV and turn to look at her, licking my lips as she watches. I lean in and kiss her, her lips feeling small and timid. I need to give myself a shake and try not to imagine him. I lock his image away and deepen the kiss, pulling her onto my lap. She straddles my hips and slowly begins to grind down, her hands landing on my chest.

  We’re going through the motions but the passion isn’t there, the heat that feels so intense, and the combustion that teeters just along the edge is missing. It’s just not there and my traitor cock agrees as it lays flaccid against my thigh. I don’t want to hurt her but I can’t see this going any further if I don’t take it up a notch. I stand with her in my arms and she wraps her legs around my waist, her mouth still on mine. I settle her on my small kitchen table, her ass right at the edge, and guide her to her back with my hand at the center of her chest. Her heart isn’t racing and her breath isn’t getting lodged in her throat, all sure signs of need are missing. But I ignore it, desperate to get over him, and get her under me.

  I pull her pants off, taking her panties with them, and stare down into her pink folds. Nothing, my dick doesn’t even twitch, and my heart doesn’t accelerate. Again, I push down the thoughts, and slip my hands under her ass, lifting her slightly off the table. My tongue swipes along her center and she moans with the motion, finally getting into it. I look up and find her eyes shut and I wonder if she’s imagining Sebastian is between her legs. Just the thought of him being here as I eat her out, watching as rage courses through him, and his eyes alight with jealousy, has my dick hard in record time.

  “Fuck me,” she groans, “fuck me so hard.”

  I want to tell her to say my name but decide against it, not wanting her voice to discourage my cock further, and instead imagine Sebastian asking me the same thing. His l
egs open and his cock hard against his lower stomach, begging me to fuck him. I haul down my pants in the front, just enough to free my cock, and at the last minute I remember a condom. That’s not something I want to forget. Luckily, I have one in my wallet and that’s in my pants, I grab it and roll it on. Then I’m pushing it inside her, the feel of her warmth, her writhing beneath me, and how tight she is, has me groaning.

  I spread her ass cheeks wider and instead of looking up into her face, I watch as my cock disappears inside her, over and over. I imagine this is what it would be like with Sebastian, his ass so damn tight, and his moans a mix of pleasure and pain.

  “Play with yourself,” I grunt out as I thrust harder into her, her walls clenching the second her fingers land on her clit.

  “You feel so good,” she says as she continues to furiously circle her clit. I’m softening with her words and I reach up, placing my hand over her mouth.

  I imagine it’s Sebastian I’m shutting up and I’m dominating him, forcing him to take my cock. My balls clench and my breath gets caught in my chest just as her walls squeeze me, milking the cum from my cock. I come hard as she continues pulsing, her screams muffled behind my hand, and Sebastian laying in her place in my mind. Guilt begins to burn its way throughout me and I chance a glance at her as I slowly lift my hand off her mouth, her eyes are on the ceiling. She’s not here with me either. The guilt disappears and I can’t help but wonder, was she imagining the same person I did?

  Sebastian

  I want to call him, I want to disturb whatever the fuck they’re doing, and I want to chase her out of his house. I’m going wild with all the shit I’m imagining them doing and I slam my fist through the wall again. Why is he taking it this far? Is he that determined to erase me? Just as I’m about to punch another hole, my phone rings, and my heart soars with hope that it might be him. Maybe he realized his feelings for her aren’t there and it’s me he wants instead.

  When I see Delano’s name, I almost chuck the phone at the wall, and take two deep breaths to bring myself down.

  “Yeah,” I grit out as I answer the phone.

  “Daniel North fucked up.”

  I straighten at his words, “go on.”

  “He’s on the run for botching his initiation.” He continues, “he didn’t kill his target.”

  All gangs are different but what they have in common is an initiation. Some kill, some rape, and some just take an oath. I had to kill and luckily my target had deserved it, but some don’t, they can be random picks.

  “Any idea where he is?” I ask.

  “Nah, the second we find out, I’d say they will, too. He’d be smart to leave the state and not come back.”

  Leave the state, like maybe show up at his brother’s place, and potentially put him at risk.

  “Keep an ear out and the second you hear anything, you call me.” I bark out.

  “You got it.” He says and hangs up the phone.

  I have to go and keep an eye on Dixon’s house, he’s not a gangbanger. He wouldn’t know the first thing about protecting himself, he keeps his doors unlocked, and that’s just begging to be killed. I rush out of my house and jump in my Hummer, my tires burning as I speed out of my driveway. The kid could be on his way here right now and his gang could be on his tail. I get to Dixon’s house and exhale the tension when I see it’s quiet, a single light on downstairs, his TV room if I remember correctly.

  I turn off the engine and settle into my seat, waiting for any disturbance. I wonder if Dani is in there still, I bet she’s sunk her claws in a bit deeper, and it’s going to hurt that much more when I have to rip them the fuck out. I’m about to doze off when I see the porch light come on and the front door open, making me quickly slouch down. He knows what I drive and if he looks up the street, he’ll see me here. Dani appears first and she pulls a bag higher up on her shoulder, her face looking indifferent. Then Dixon is behind her, leaning on the door frame, and smiling down into her face. If she has a bag, why isn’t she staying over?

  She reaches up and kisses his cheek, like you’d do for an aunt or uncle, and she walks to the street, an idling cab waiting at the curb. Why isn’t he driving her home? Did they fight?

  They don’t look like they’ve been intimate and the thought cools the rage threatening to explode, maybe I still occupy his mind. She waves and gets into the cab, Dixon disappears into his house. I settle in and wait it out, if his brother shows up here, I might just kill the little shit myself.

  I startle when I hear the slamming of a car door and groan when I realize I fell asleep. I watch as Dixon starts his car and pulls out of the driveway, heading in the opposite direction towards the stadium. I look at the dashboard and see it’s four in the morning, meaning I slept for one damn hour. I sit up and pull away from the curb, following behind him at a far enough distance. I’m going to die during practice today and we have a game tomorrow night.

  There’s no way I can keep an eye on his house every night like this, I’ll be shit on the field, and Coach will pull me. How the fuck is this going to work? If the kid were coming here, he’d either already be on his way or here already, and that means I have to stake out the house this week. The stadium comes into view and I see Dixon walking up to the entrance, his head hanging. Something is fucking wrong. I grab my extra bag that I keep in the Hummer and follow behind him. The locker room is empty save for the two of us and I watch as he throws on his running shoes, he means to run laps like he does every day before practice. He still hasn’t looked at me or said a damned thing.

  “You’re quiet,” I murmur as I begin to tape my hands, might as well do a bit of weight training this morning.

  “I don’t have anything to say,” he replies.

  “I saw you take Dani home, shouldn’t you be in a better mood?”

  “Why? Because we fucked?” he chuckles sarcastically, “some things sex can’t fix.”

  My stomach burns with jealousy, scorching liquid moves up to my chest, and I can’t hold in the growl that escapes, “you fucked her.”

  He finally looks up at me, his brow raised, “that’s what generally happens when you date someone.”

  “Date?”

  “Yeah, seeing someone exclusively on a regular basis.” He retorts and stands from the bench.

  “I feel sorry for you if you think she’s seeing you because she actually likes you,” I snort and he turns to look at me, “tell me, while you were fucking her, did she look at you?”

  He flies forward and shoves me into the row of lockers, his forearm pressing on my throat, “stop fucking talking.”

  “She didn’t, did she?” I continue to taunt him.

  He pushes off me and slaps his hand against the metal behind me, “you’re jealous and you look stupid for it.” He sneers and heads out onto the field.

  I am boiling with jealousy and I’m about ready to strangle Dani. I rest my head back against the cool metal and breathe, I have a plan. I can’t let my anger ruin it because it’ll need perfect execution, but by the end of it all, Dixon will realize who it is he wants.

  Chapter twenty-three

  Sebastian

  It’s been a few days and little North hasn’t shown up at Dixon’s house, but Dixon has been growing quieter. He doesn’t interact too much with the team and he looks like he doesn’t sleep. I’ve been watching the house and Dani comes over every night, but she never stays. It doesn’t make the anger any less and every time she steps up into his house, I can feel that jealousy grow. I’m a damn mess, but I think hiding his feelings is taking a toll on him. Good.

  It’s game day and that means light practice on plays we’ll be using later, then some gym for weight training. I’m fucking exhausted but I need to push through for the team, we’ve been on a winning streak and even though I hate to admit it, Dixon has been a huge help with that. He’s fierce out on the field and he takes no prisoners. He has a single goal and he pushes himself until he gets it.

  Dani has been lingering around
us all day, her cloying perfume, and her arrogant face is starting to make me nauseated. The one single thing that’s holding me back from flipping my shit is the fact that Dixon is just as distant with her, he doesn’t smile while she talks, and his body language is closed off. Just like he is with me and that gives me some comfort. She still hasn’t won him over completely and that means I still have a chance at breaking this up without losing him in the process.

  I say all this but in reality, I don’t know what the fuck I want from him. I’m not looking for a relationship, I have one, and besides, I’m not going to be with a man. But I want to experiment and work through my sexual feelings for him, the same feelings he has for me. No amount of ignoring or pushing them away will change that, we have this connection, and ignoring it will only fan the flame.

  Am I selfish? Fuck yes, but I always have been and that’s not changing now. I don’t care if he wants a relationship, but first he’ll be with me, and then he can choose a woman that actually wants him. Dani is up to something and I know it has everything to do with me. She was in love with me and when I dropped her like a used rag, she didn’t take it well. Not that I wasn’t completely transparent with her, she knew the deal was to fuck until one of us didn’t want to fuck anymore, and unfortunately for her, she caught feelings. Most females do and I warned her not to.

  We’re lining up to run out onto the field, the crowd roaring, and the energy is coursing through us. Dixon is at the end of the line with Dani and I can hear him telling her not to sit on the bench tonight, he would rather she be in the stands. She attempts to argue but his continued silence on the matter pisses her off and she storms off towards her father’s office. I can’t help but let my mouth tip up and maybe I won’t have to go through with my plan after all.

  The stadium erupts into chants and screams as we circle the field, some of them calling out our numbers. It’s a feeling that never grows old, no matter how long you play, and it gives us that extra bit of strength to push through to the end. I can’t seem to take my eyes off Dixon as he circles the field, his hand is up waving, but his face is a mask of indifference. I don’t know what’s wrong with him and he would never give me the chance to find out. He’s been so distant and cold.