Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology)

by Ali Parker

  She mouthed, “No. Sneak in.”

  I winked and moved back down the stairs and snuck around the house. They were near the back, so my best surprise attack would be to go through the front and try to catch him from behind. I would just choke him to death. Nothing too terribly violent, just a bit of what was coming to him.

  "Payback is hell, brother, and you're messing with the wrong mother fucker's girl." I pushed the door open as she screamed. My time of being stealthy was done.

  Chapter 23

  There wasn't anything I could say to Jeremy that I hadn't already said by the time he parked the car in a shitty part of town. He was rambling about his week and how stressful his new job was, as if we were friends on a lunch date.

  I simply nodded and prayed like hell someone would realize I was gone before it was too late. Glancing around the confines of the car, I tried to figure out where my phone was. There had to be some type of tracking device in it.

  "Are you listening to me?" He popped my thigh hard and I yelped. "You never listen to me. How many times do I have to text you or call you to get you to come back to me? We were good together, weren't we?"

  I nodded as tears burned my gaze. The need to be tough was irrelevant. Maybe being intimidated and frightened would soften him a little.

  "Yes. Why are you doing this to me? You could have just asked me to come with you. You don't need that gun." I sniffled and wiped at my eyes.

  He laughed loudly. "Oh, that's rich. You think because you're crying that I'm going to melt and relent? Please."

  "I don't get it." I tugged at my seatbelt as he slid his hand over my thigh, pushing my dress up. Slapping at him, I jerked toward the door in hopes that he would back off. "Don't touch me."

  "That's not what you used to say, C. You used to love me touching you. All those nights of taking you hard from behind, the way you like it."

  "Whatever." I turned to look out the window as tears continued to drip on my cheeks. "Where are we going? Are you going to force yourself on me? Is that what this is about?"

  "No. If I wanted you, you'd be mine."

  I didn't respond. Better for him to think I was the pathetic moron who was trailing after him instead of the true reality we were living. The houses grew more and more dilapidated as he turned down another street. He didn't seem like the type of guy who would be welcomed in such a shitty neighborhood, but then again, I obviously didn't know him very well.

  He cleared his throat and pulled the car over by a small white shack. "Here we go. Get out. If you run, I'll shoot."

  I got out of the car and he jogged around, grabbing my arm roughly and tugging me toward the house. "Why am I here, Jer?"

  "It's Jeremy, you cunt, and you're here because I'm sick of being broke. Your father is a bastard and it's about time he paid me to keep that information to myself. I don't think he'd like the nation to know what an ass he is."

  "He is an ass, but you're not going to get any money out of him." I glanced over at Jeremy. "His assets are all locked up in this campaign. If you know anything about politics, you’d know this."

  "Oh, I'm aware. Did you know this wasn't his first time to run for office?" He opened the door and shoved me in.

  I stumbled and caught myself, reaching for the large table in front of me. "No. I thought this was his first."

  If I could keep my tone conversational and keep him talking, there was a chance that someone would finally realize where I was, and maybe track my phone, which was still sitting in the car outside no doubt.

  "No. He ran for office about eight years ago when you were a teenager. It wasn't long after your mother died. He thought her death might bring him some heavy sympathy. I was his campaign manager."

  "What?" I jerked up in surprise, all of my thoughts dissipating. I realized that my father hadn't actually met Jeremy face to face. He would have recognized him immediately.

  "Yep. He fucked me over then and I plan to return the favor."

  "Why am I here?"

  "You're bait, idiot." He laughed and walked toward the other end of the hall, reaching out and pulling me with him. "You're a hot little piece of ass, but I can't tell you how hard it was to get you to fall in love with me."

  I held my tongue on why I didn't want to date him and on the fact that love was never part of the deal.

  "Didn't seem like you had to try too hard to me. I've been attracted to you since we met." I stopped in the kitchen as he pointed to a nearby chair.

  "Sit down and shut up."

  I nodded and dropped down in the seat.

  "I'm thinking I'll call your dad in a bit and let him know where we are and what I want in return for you." He moved toward me. A smile slipped over Jeremy's handsome face, his attire and looks deeming him a preppy jock at the top of his class.

  Damn looks can be deceiving. I shuddered at the thought as he leaned over the top of me, running the tip of his gun up my dress and tapping it over my mound.

  "I can think of a few things we could do while we wait here together." He licked at his lips and I pushed at the gun, my courage roaring to life every time I thought of him raping me.

  "Stop it."

  He laughed and stood up before swinging his arm and pushing all the dishes off of the table. The loud crash that resounded around me caused me to jump.

  Jeremy laughed harder, something inside of him seeming to crack.

  "Get on the table and pull your dress up. I want to see what color your panties are. You rich girls always have the prettiest little panties." He moved to stand in front of me and I jerked away again.

  Something moved by the back door and I glanced up to see Ian. A sigh slipped from my lips at the sight of him. I shook my head as Jeremy began to pace in front of me, his pistol in his hand as if he expected to use it any minute.

  "How can I get you to do what I want you to do without hitting you again? You're too pretty to mark up too badly." He shrugged and turned back to stare down at me. "Guess it's impossible."

  He changed the gun to his left hand and reared back, slapping me hard in the face before I could get my hands up to protect myself.

  I screamed as pain laced through my jaw. I stood and plowed into Jeremy about the time I heard Ian's voice behind us.

  "Chloe. No!"

  The gun went off, but I didn't care about anything in the moment. Ian was hired to protect me, but there was no way I was letting him walk in on the crazy bastard holding me hostage. He wouldn't hesitate to shoot my bodyguard, my lover.

  I couldn't let that happen.

  I wouldn't.

  Chapter 24

  The scene before me was surreal, Chloe having played hero and attacked the sick fuck that stood in front of her, waving his gun around. I bolted over the table and punched him twice in the face before he dropped. The gun fell from his hands and I scrambled to get it, the sickness rolling over me due to her possibly being hurt was almost debilitating.

  "No!" The guy screamed and moved up, ramming into my stomach and knocking me back. He was stronger than I had given him credit for, but he couldn't hold a candle to all the shit I'd been put through on the streets.

  How many times had I been faced with death, a gun or knife shoved to my chest or crammed into my back. This was child's play at best.

  I turned and flipped us, ramming him against the table as his back cracked and he screamed again. He fell to the floor and I rushed over to Chloe, pulling her up and checking for blood.

  A large scrape on the side of her face dripped blood from where he must have pistol whipped her, but nothing else from what I could tell.

  "Baby. Are you shot? Hurt anywhere but here?" I nodded to her face and pulled her close, not caring what the fucker behind me was up to. I had his gun and without it, he was at my mercy.

  "No," she sniffled, but held her tears back. "I was just scared that he was going to shoot you when you walked in."

  "I'm your bodyguard, silly woman. Shit." I kissed her face and moved back. "Sit back down over ther
e and let's wait for the cops to show up."

  She nodded and moved as the sirens sounded near the front of the house. I knew Pauly would move fast, but it almost wasn't fast enough. I stepped on the guy's chest and pressed down as he groaned.

  Pointing the gun at him felt good. It reminded me of my days of crime before getting caught. There was power in being the one with the weapon.

  I played with the trigger as the ugly fucker began to cry, lamenting over all the things he wanted in life and none of them coming to fruition.

  "Ian. Put the gun down, baby. He's not going anywhere and the cops are here."

  Her voice was soft, but something told me that he would just be the first of many to come after her. I'd lost Amanda because of my stupidity. Was this another moment like that? Another way for life to test me and find me inadequate once again? Maybe doing the same with Chloe was only going to leave me standing over another casket.

  I glanced toward her and realized I was surrounded by cops, all of them with their weapons drawn on me.

  "Put the gun down, son. We'll take it from here."

  "I don't want him to hurt you, baby." I blinked a few times, coming back to reality. What the fuck was I thinking?

  I handed the gun to the nearest officer and turned as one of them forcefully pressed me to the table and cuffed me.

  Chloe screamed and moved toward me, but a large cop picked her up and hauled her backwards.

  "No. Stop. He's my boyfriend. He came to save me." She screamed as he dragged her out of the house.

  I stood up, well aware that I'd be cleared of the charges, but knowing I had to go through the motions. One of the cops from my younger years walked up and chuckled.

  "I knew we weren't done seeing you, Matthenson. Once a criminal, always a criminal right?"

  "Yep. Now, instead of stealing guns and drugs, I've allotted my time to panties and hearts." I winked as they pulled me out. I could play their game. I'd been doing it for far longer than anything else in my life. Jake would bail me out and we would figure things out together.

  Chloe stood by Pauly as I walked to the car. She called out for me, but I tucked my head into my chest and just let the sound of her voice sink into me. Everything would be all right with the situation once it was cleared up, but I wasn't sure what was going to happen between us.

  She was the daughter of a Senator running for President and I was a thug who couldn't seem to move past my hard living. Maybe it was a good thing that things might end between us this way.

  I wasn't so sure she would think so, but the chances of her daddy letting anything resurrect between us after today was slim. I couldn't lose hope just yet though. She was the first woman I'd wanted in my life since Amanda.

  I would fight for her, no matter the cost.

  Epilogue

  "Why didn't he even look at me?" I turned to Pauly as I wiped at my tears. "Is he pissed over something I did?"

  "No, butterfly. Sometimes growing up means letting go of the things that matter most to you so they can mature and fly away." Pauly pulled me into a tight hug.

  "I'm not letting him go, Pauly. He's everything I want in my life. I can't." I tugged from his hold and extended my hand, palm up. "Give me your keys. I'm going to the station to wait for him."

  "Your father isn't going to accept him, Chloe."

  "Then he's not my father anymore. This whole life has been about him. I want this one moment... this one thing. If he can't figure out how to deal with that, then I'm done. I choose Ian."

  Pauly fished out his keys and dropped them into my hand. "Your father said the same thing when his parents flipped their shit over your mother.”

  "What? Mom was a movie star. Why would anyone have a problem with her?" I moved around the car, wanting to hear the rest of the story, but knowing that I needed to get to the station. I wanted to be the first thing Ian saw when he walked out. He needed to know that I was there for him without question.

  "Back then movie stars were gangsters, the hookers, the loose women of the night." Pauly laughed. "Your dad was a straight-laced guy and your mom... well, she was a looker and had a personality that couldn't be boxed no matter how hard she tried. Stop being what everyone else wants you to be, butterfly. Spread your wings and go get the boy."

  I laughed as a few more tears fell from my eyes. There wasn't anything to concern myself with other than getting my guy back and telling him that I loved him. I didn't care what his past was or what his hang-ups looked like. I wanted to heal him and offer a safe, comfortable place for him to land. In my arms he would find anything he wanted, because I would make it so.

  I went through the gamut of emotions as I waited outside of the police station for Ian to finally come out. The expression on his handsome face was pensive at best. He glanced both ways and ran his fingers through his hair before jogging down the steps and pulling out his phone. He was calling his brother no doubt.

  I got out of the car and walked around to the passenger’s side to lean against the door and dangle the keys on my finger. He looked around before laying eyes on me and freezing.

  "I thought maybe you might need a ride?"

  A smile tugged at his sexy mouth and he jogged across the street, stopping in front of me. "I wasn't sure you'd be willing to see me after today."

  "Why's that? Because you saved my life, stole my heart and forced me to consider giving up my love of panties?"

  He laughed and pulled me into his arms, leaning down and pressing a hard kiss to my lips. "I'm not a good guy. My past is going to keep rolling over me until the day I die."

  "And I'll be there to help you push it back each time it does."

  He reached into his pocket and pulled something silver out before moving back and letting it drop from his fingers. It was a dainty silver necklace with a butterfly charm on it.

  "What's this? A gift?" I lifted my eyebrow. "My father uses gifts to say that he loves me because he can't figure out how to mumble the words and mean them."

  "I got it for you at the mall when you were trying on your hundredth dress today." He moved behind me and put it over my head. "I don't need an object to tell you that I love you."

  I turned and slipped my arms around his waist, lifting up and kissing him. "Do you know what my greatest fear is?"

  "Tell me, baby." He tightened his hold on me and watched me closely.

  "To be lonely." I glanced down and he rubbed my back softly.

  "I'll never let that happen as long as you stay beside me." He kissed the tip of my nose and I blinked back tears. "You know what mine is?"

  "What?"

  "To be forgotten."

  "Never." I pulled him down for another long kiss as he pressed his hips forward, the language of our love roaring to life in the middle of the street.

  He broke the kiss only for a minute and winked. "Get in the car and let's go to the beach. There's a small alcove just a mile down from your beach house. It's good for... exploring."

  I laughed and pulled from him, pausing to say the words that scared me most. "Ian, I love you."

  He winked and licked at his perfect lips. "I love you too, now, get your fine ass in the car. I got a new tat I want to show you."

  "You did not..."

  "I did."

  The End

  Enjoy Forgotten Bodyguard?

  Future Investment is the next standalone in this series

  SNEAK PEEK BELOW!!

  Pick up your copy today!!

  Dr. Jax Crawford has reached the pinnacle of his career, but it's come at a steep cost. Three divorces and nothing to show for any of them, he's forced to start considering other possibilities to meet his needs. Being a bachelor forever doesn't sound too bad, but sleeping around isn't a possibility. He needs one woman, who he knows is safe and is willing to be adventurous in his bedroom. He needs a pet.

  Elizabeth Jenkins has struggled her whole life. She’s finally through med school and has her residency set up. She’s locked into the low paying gig for th
e next three years, but couldn’t be more thrilled. The only problem is that she's completely broke, and her student loans have piled up significantly beyond what she's capable of managing.

  When Jax finds out about their newest residence's situation, he's more than happy to take her out for a drink to test the waters. She might be the perfect addition to his life, but secrecy is of the upmost importance. He needs a warm body to snuggle up next to at night, but what he never considered was how quickly she might unravel his desire to stay alone and free forever.

  Sneak Peek of Future Investment

  Chapter 1

  Elizabeth

  "Yes! Yes!" I spun around from the kitchen table where the mail lay strewn about. My fingers shook as they gripped the letter I had been waiting to get for as long as I could remember. "Mom! I got it!"

  "Really?" My mom jogged into the kitchen and stopped in front of me. "Oh my God! Let me read it."

  I handed her the letter and wrapped my arms around myself as I picked at my lip. I had just graduated a month before after ten long years at NYU. There were only two more steps remaining before I would be a full-fledged doctor. A surgeon.

  Chills ran through me as my mother looked up with tears in her eyes.

  "Baby, I'm so proud of you. All the sacrifices that you've made and the friendships you've lost. It’s all worth it. Look what you’ve done." She moved toward me and wrapped me in a tight hug as we shared a brief sob session.

  I had given up a lot. Far too much.

  Being twenty-eight with a deadbeat boyfriend and no prospects of marriage or children were just part of the cost of the path I'd chosen. It was lonely, but made up for in moments of success much like the one I was experiencing. It was far overdue.

  "We should celebrate." I moved back and let out a soft chuckle. "I need to call Steph and let her know that I got my residency letter. I'll be working right up the road for the next three years."