Dare Me: The Pierce Boys of Georgia, Book One

by Brittany Tarkington

  My fucking head.

  And my brain. Have I felt this anxious before? It was like that time Roman told me I had a panic attack, but I knew I wasn’t even allowed that luxury today. I had to keep it bottled up inside or I’d die.

  The bed shifted and weight hit my middle. Carefully, Roman pulled me over to him.

  “Are you okay?” He whispered and it still hurt.

  “Does it always feel like this?” I whispered back.

  He hesitated. “Yes.”

  It was probably a lie. I don’t think he’d been happy with his brother giving that to me. For all the crazy shit we’ve done, he finally decided to draw the line at drugs I guess.

  His arm left me, I almost whined like a toddler, but I sucked it up. He was digging in a drawer next to the bed. It’s too loud. My lips turned down and I pushed myself further into the pillow.

  “Here, put this under your tongue.”

  I stared at the pill in front of me. “I’m still regretting the last time I took a pill from a Pierce boy.”

  His jaw clenched. “It’s a Xanax. Take this and sleep it off.” His lips brushed my forehead. I opened my mouth and he placed it under my tongue. “And don’t worry, I’ll kill Rhett for the shit he pulled.”

  I stared at the ceiling.

  His arm was around my waist again. I turned to the side and let his body drape over me, completely protecting me from the world.

  I smiled even if he couldn’t see it. “Don’t kill anyone,” I whispered. “You can’t hold me if you’re in prison.”

  Quiet laughter was against my neck.

  But no more talking. Talking hurts right now.

  The pill dissolved, and the angry people kicking my brain were being nicer. So, I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep in Roman’s arms.

  I think I kinda love those dangerous, protective arms.

  When my parents had this house built, mom insisted on an intercom in every bedroom. That also connected to the front gate. So, if you didn’t know our code, we’d all hear an annoying ass buzz until it was answered.

  She probably didn’t want to miss her wine deliveries or some shit. I mean, back when she cared to stay here.

  Sighing, I leaned over, grazing my lips across Raquel’s shoulder. Fuck, she’s perfect. I pressed a kiss on her skin and threw the covers back.

  I was across the room and pissed in no time. I pressed the button. “Yeah?” I barked out.

  A light chuckle came from the other side. “So friendly. This is Cora, Raquel’s grandmother.”

  All the blood drained from my fucking body.

  “Can you be a dear and let me in?”

  I glanced back at Raquel, passed the fuck out in a helpless clump under my covers. Sleeping off Molly and Xanax. Perfect timing, grandma.

  Goddammit.

  I wiped a hand down my face. I can’t get rid of her now.

  I pressed the button to open the gate. “Sure, come on.”

  And then I was flying back to the bed. I pulled on a shirt that was crumpled on my bed, and next was my jeans.

  Sighing, I stared at her. Jesus Christ. Her grandma knows she slept here, or she wouldn’t be coming. To let her sleep or wake her up and hope like fuck she’s able to pull off a conversation?

  I bit out a curse. Brushing her hair back, I placed a kiss on the side of her head. Don’t be mad at me.

  I threw open my door and was down the stairs before the doorbell rang.

  Raquel plus forty years was staring at me, unamused. She was poised but ready to strike. I opened the door wider, and nodded for her to come in.

  Manners be damned. She knew I was fucking her granddaughter.

  I bet a piece of her that she didn’t want to admit, knew her granddaughter was still naked in my bed.

  Yeah, we were past small talk.

  I guess she’d been in my house before because she walked straight for the living room and took a seat on one of the leather chairs.

  I sat across from her, leaning back, I waited.

  “I’m sure you know why I’m here,” she started.

  The first thing Rhett ever taught me was to never give anything away. You want me to admit something? Fucking say it and give me proof. I might tell you then.

  So, I shrugged. “I’m not a mind reader.”

  Her mouth fell open before she could stop it. Clearing her throat, she looked down for a beat to compose herself.

  “I know you’ve been spending time with my granddaughter.”

  “Yeah?”

  Frustration flared in her eyes. “Yes, Roman. At first it was just notes saying she was studying with a friend from school, and then I pieced it together.”

  I was still leaning back, nodding. I tried to appear calm and collected. She didn’t need to see a reaction from me. Raquel didn’t tell me everything about her family, but I’d pieced together that they were as shitty as mine. For that, they don’t get my respect.

  “Why did you come all the way over here to tell me this?”

  She let out a shocked laugh. “Because I know she’s here. She’s been gone since yesterday.”

  I shrugged. “Did she tell you she was coming here?”

  “Well, no, but I know she is.”

  I shook my head. “Haven’t seen her.”

  I scoffed at me. “Stop playing games. Tell her to come home. Her mother is beside herself.”

  “Oh, her mom’s concerned now?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “She’s working on things with Raquel. You don’t want to get in the way of that, do you?”

  Another shrug from me. “Raquel’s eighteen.” I sat up straight, looking her in the eye. This conversation was over. “If she wants anything to do with her mom, she’ll come home.” I stood, offering her a charming smile. “Wherever she is.”

  She stood up. Looking me up and down, she pressed her lips in a thin line. “You remind me a lot of him.” Sighing, “Your grandfather.”

  My brows knitted together. The fuck?

  “He was always a disrespectful little asshole. The bad boys always are. But guess what? Girls like me and Raquel? We grow up, we don’t want that type of boy around forever.” She stood, matching my glare. “This thing you have with her? It won’t last. Good girls always outgrow the bad boy stage.”

  She was walking away from me, bolting to the door. Smirking, I walked after her. You know? To be a gentleman and get the door and that shit. I caught the handle before she could, opening it for her.

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Cora.”

  Another scoff. “You’ll be gone soon, so,” she stepped out of the door, “I sleep just fine, thank you.”

  She was on my doorstep, glaring at me.

  “Me too.” I started closing the door. “Especially last night.” I threw a wink at her before slamming the door in her face. And I heard a scream from behind the door.

  “Roman?”

  I stilled. Raquel was standing on the stairs. A look of horror strained her face.

  “You’re up?”

  “Yeah,” she said, crossing her arms at her chest. “Just in time to hear the last of that conversation.”

  I should feel bad, but I’m a horrible person or some shit according to her grandma, so I just smiled as I jogged up the stairs to close the space between us.

  “Was that necessary?” She was frowning, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Instead, she was studying me.

  “I could’ve been nicer.” I shrugged. “But she also could’ve stepped the fuck up earlier and raised you. And she could’ve, ya know, not come in my house to insult me.”

  “What if she doesn’t let me go back to her house?”

  “You’re eighteen. If your family kicks you out, fuck ‘em. Their loss is my gain.”

  The corners of her mouth tugged up. “You’re kind of a dick.”

  “I’m not arguing with that.”

  “But you’re nice to me.”

 
I fell to my knees, looking her in the eyes. God, they were fucking beautiful.

  “I’m nice to people I care about.”

  Her lips twisted to the side. “How many people do you actually care about?”

  I tilted my head back. “At the moment or over my lifetime?”

  “The moment.”

  I grinned. “Just one.”

  And then I threw her over my shoulder. Screaming, she banged against my back. Laughing as she told me to put her down.

  I ignored her, until I threw her on my bed. And that’s where we stayed all weekend.

  No drugs. No alcohol. No crazy ass family members, hers, or mine. Just me and her. Until Monday morning rolled around.

  Somewhere in the distance an alarm was going off. I cracked an eye open, cursing my existence. I didn’t feel like my brain was going to punch its way out of my skull anymore, but still, fuck Mondays.

  I saw Roman at the edge of the bed, and I perked up. He was staring at his phone, eyebrows bunched. He didn’t have a shirt on. He was wearing low rise jeans that showed the top of his briefs. I propped on my elbows, taking in the sight.

  As if he felt my gaze, he locked his phone and shoved it in his pocket. He plucked a Henley from the bed and pulled it over his head, then raked fingers through his hair.

  I was green with envy. If I did that, I’d look like a bridge troll, he just looked like he needed to be pulled back in bed with me.

  “What are you staring at?” His eyes lit with humor.

  I bit my lip, going for it. “Wondering how you look so fuckable at seven a.m.”

  Chucking, he shook his head. “If we didn’t need to graduate, I’d take you up on that right now.”

  I popped a brow up. “What about fuck the world and our parents?”

  “Yeah, but we need a degree to do that.” He grinned. “The housekeeper washed your clothes from Saturday, so you can wear those to school.”

  I looked to the table he gestured to. Heat pooled in my cheeks when I remembered what we did this weekend. I wrapped his comforter around me before leaning over to grab my panties and bra.

  “Don’t get modest on me now,” he said, smirking.

  “I’m not,” I lied. “Just cold.”

  He grabbed the comforter, tossed it below, and it pooled at my lap. I met his stare head on, refusing to let him know I was lying.

  I grabbed my lacy, black bra and clasped it behind me, and then my matching panties, tugging them on without ever breaking contact.

  “Sure, you are,” he taunted. “My brother is downstairs, just a heads up.”

  “Rhett?” I squeaked out as I tugged my shirt over my head.

  “Ryder. I haven’t dealt with Rhett yet.”

  I stood from the bed and yanked my jeans in place. He didn’t mention Ryder a lot, but he was the guy that jerked him out of bed one morning. I knew that much. So, I didn’t know what to expect, but this weird little piece inside me took root and decided to trust him. When he held out his hand, I took it and let him drag me into the hallway and down into whatever the hell was downstairs.

  Roman was quiet about his family, and everything else in his life, but I let it go. I had secrets of my own that I wanted to bury. Who the hell was I to judge?

  His parents ditched him, his oldest brother was an ass, and well, I’m not sure about the middle brother other than he drug him out of bed by the neck and screamed at him once.

  Totally normal for him to hide that from me.

  But…didn’t he have friends? I glanced in his direction, but my eyes shot forward. Fuck! I don’t have friends anymore. I barely have any family in my life.

  Roman and I are the same.

  I get him.

  I shouldn’t pry or dig into his life.

  He hooked a right when we reached the bottom of the stairs, tugging me with him. Looking in his direction, I arched a brow, and he just smiled back.

  Right. Totally normal.

  He led me into a large kitchen. White on white on white. I was scared to touch anything. I glanced at my shoeless feet, at least the hardwood is dark. When I looked up, one of Roman’s brother’s eyes were boring into me.

  I can’t tell them apart anymore. They all look the same.

  I looked to Roman for help.

  “Ryder, you remember Raquel? She was in my bed when you hauled my ass out.”

  Roman look alike grinned. “This is the girl I’ve heard about?”

  “That’s her.”

  Roman’s brother closed the space between us and threw his arm around me. I stiffened, looking at Roman for help, but he nodded. I relaxed into his arms. I even patted his back.

  He stepped back, assessing me. “She’s too pretty for you, bro.”

  Roman shrugged, “She hasn’t figured it out yet. I’m just along for the ride.” He threw a wink at me.

  A frown tugged at my lips. “I thought you guys were mad at each other?”

  Roman looked at his brother. “She’s an only child.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, we fuck each other up daily and makeup the next hour. I’m Ryder by the way.”

  “Good to meet you,” I squeaked out.

  Jesus. It was hard to be around two of them. I couldn’t imagine being in the room with all the Pierce boys. I shuttered at that thought.

  “We need to get going,” Roman said, rounding the counter, he stood in front of the coffee pot. “Want some?”

  “Please. With sugar.”

  “I don’t need a family reunion. I just need Dad off my fucking back. I have to check in a few times a week and you have to stay out of trouble. Deal?” Ryder looked from me to Roman. I caught that. His parents would die if they knew a girl was staying here.

  “No trouble here,” Roman said. He hooked his eyes at me, narrowing them as he studied my reaction.

  “I’ll keep him out of trouble,” I said, adding a forced grin. Ryder bought it because he shot a wink in my direction.

  “Who knew all it’d take for my little brother to get on the right path was a girl?”

  I laughed louder than I should have. They both looked at me. “Crazy, right?”

  Ryder clipped Roman on the shoulder, nodded at me, and left the kitchen. I cringed as Roman stared wide eyed at me.

  “If he only knew the shit you drove me to do,” Roman whispered.

  And he was around the kitchen island in a second, handing me the coffee.

  “But I don’t hear you complaining,” I shot back.

  He tilted his head with a laugh. “Oh, I have a lot to complain about. Number one, talk to me before you swallow a pill.”

  I rolled my eyes. “But would you have taken that night back.”

  His lips pressed in a hard line. “My soul is on the line. If I have to pick between regretting a good fuck with you or you not taking Molly, I guess I’m going to Hell.”

  I laughed. “I guess you’ll have company.”

  He swatted my ass, and we were out the door.

  It was the first morning we’d come to school together on time. Roman’s arm was slung over my shoulder as we walked through the back doors.

  A few curious looks were thrown our way. And I didn’t miss a couple girls glaring at me. I got it. I’m new and Roman doesn’t strike me as the type to give girls here the time of day.

  So why am I special?

  Fuck if I know.

  But I’m along for the ride.

  That’s how we arrived at first period. Roman’s arm around me, and I wanted to sink into him and disappear. Ms. Indigo was one of the last to see us. Her eyes went as wide as saucers until she transfixed on something in front of her.

  I sat in front of Roman. When he slid in behind me, he leaned up.

  “You okay?” He asked.

  “Yup.”

  I pulled out my notebook and tried to tune out the world. Curious peaks, spiteful glares, and Roman’s presence invaded my brain.

  The bell rang, an
d Ms. Indigo cleared her throat, demanding everyone look at her. And not me.

  I was relieved, but I still felt his eyes glued to the back of my head. He was probably staring at my page of doodles in front of me, so I decided to have a little fun.

  Smirking, I started writing anything and everything that popped into my brain.

  If I threw a stick, would you leave?

  I heard a light chuckle behind me.

  Boring. I’m not insulting you. I’m describing you.

  “You’ll pay for that one,” he whispered. My smile grew.

  If laughter is the best medicine, your face must be curing the world of all its problems.

  Does your trash can get tired of all the garbage that comes out of your mouth?

  He barked out a laugh. A loud one. I caught my bottom lip in my mouth, quivering at our stupid inside jokes.

  “Something funny? Roman?” My eyes slid up to see Ms. Indigo staring at me. I shook my head.

  “Nothing funny at all,” Roman said, sarcasm dripping from his voice, and I knew it was directed at me.

  The bell rang and everyone started putting away their things.

  “Raquel?” My head shot up as I tugged my backpack on. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  A chorus broke out around the room, and I fought an eye roll.

  “You’re in trouble,” Roman smirked.

  “Next class, Mr. Pierce. She can breathe without you,” Ms. Indigo bit out.

  “Yeah, but does she want to?”

  “Out.” She had her serious face on. He held up his hands, smirking as he walked out the door. “Go to your next class, I mean it.”

  He mouthed something back, but he was too far away for me to hear. I tugged on my backpack straps and walked to the front of the room.

  “How’s everything going?” She asked, looking me in the eye. My face grew hot, and I looked down.

  “Fine. Why?”

  “You missed class last week, and you’re spending a lot of time with Roman. Have you made any other friends?”

  My brows knitted together. “Aren’t you the one who said we would be good friends together?”

  She let out a sigh. “Yeah, friends at school are one thing, but don’t get that twisted. I know how Roman is. I thought you could be a good influence, not the other way around.”