Because of the Dark: A Dark Standalone Romantic Suspense Novel (The Dark Series Book 4)

by Danah Logan

  Wes cocked his head and rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger before stuffing his hand into the front pocket of his MPU hoodie. "That's a great question."

  Uh, what?

  My brows furrowed, and he barked out a laugh. I involuntarily smiled at his genuine display of emotion, a tingling sensation spreading through my every limb until I almost felt weightless. How odd. Was that…happiness?

  My reaction seemed to be what he was waiting for, because he grinned from ear to ear. This guy was so confusing to me.

  My smile dimmed a little. "I'm serious, Wes." My voice was lower now. "What are you doing?"

  He shrugged, his lips still quirked up. "I have no fucking clue, MOAB Girl." After a pause, he added, "I guess you intrigue me."

  "Intrigue? Jesus Christ, you're more messed up than I am. And what's with you addressing me with the model of my car?" I giggled like a little girl. What the hell? He brought out a side of me I forgot existed.

  "Never said I wasn't." He sobered a little. "King."

  When he called me by my name, not MOAB Girl, something shifted again. It was like he formed a connection between us, and before I could stop myself, I said, "My name is Kingsley. Kingsley Monroe." Quickly I added, "But everyone calls me King. Besides Kiwi, but that's a whole different story. We've known each other—"

  Oh, God, what was I doing?

  My eyes bulged in shock as I realized all that I just laid out for him. I glanced around in an almost wild panic. What if he gave my name to Lilly? She could easily find out—

  "Hey."

  Fuck, now I really needed to leave and—

  Two large hands landed on my shoulders. "King."

  I focused on Wes, and concern was shining in his blues. I pressed my lips together to keep from spilling more details about myself.

  He seemed to understand, and his hands moved upward until he framed my face. He stepped closer until we were mere inches apart. I squeezed my eyes shut and fought the urge to lean into him.

  This was not how this was supposed to go.

  "Look at me, please."

  I could smell the cocoa he must've had while I was in class. I slowly peeled my lids back and found him studying me.

  "There you are." He huffed out a laugh. "Listen…" He glanced to the side before focusing back on me. "Let's see what happens."

  See what happens?

  He continued, "I have no idea what's going on. Why you followed me, or who you are. How you know so much about me. But if I'm honest—and I have thought about it a lot since you stood on top of that bar—I don't give a flying fuck."

  I burst out laughing at the absurdity of this.

  "Wes, you need to stay away from me. I'm not good for you." I sighed. "I should've never followed you from TMH."

  His thumb caressed my cheek. "I've heard that already."

  My eyebrows jolted up. "Oh?"

  He chuckled. "Yeah, Devon—or Kiwi, as you call him—made that clear the night you bailed from the bar."

  That little shit, I cursed inwardly. "He didn't tell me."

  "I figured."

  His grip on my head tightened, and I wanted to lean my forehead against his chest, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.

  "Let's see what happens, 'kay?"

  My eyes bounced between his. I should have said no. Every cell in my body screamed in wild terror to say no.

  "Okay," I whispered.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "Dude! Pay attention."

  I slowly turn my head toward my roommate. I can't help but watch her. She is completely in her element behind that bar.

  Kingsley Monroe, what am I going to do with you?

  "SHEATS!"

  Fingers snap in front of me, way too close for my liking, and I jerk back, scowling.

  "You need to fuck that chick out of your system already." Kai laughs like a hyena, and I fight the urge to clock him. Him calling King that chick triggers an extreme sense of violence in me.

  Showing up outside her criminology lecture—a lecture she is not officially a part of, as I found out—was a spur-of-the-moment decision. My class was canceled, and I was already on campus.

  Plus, I hadn't seen her since she ran out on me last Thursday. After that, I took a break from hanging out at The Grizz. I would've fingerbanged her in that bathroom if she hadn't put a stop to it. I certainly wanted to do a lot more. I don't think she noticed in her panic how rock hard I was against her sexy ass.

  I focus on Kai. "Don't talk about her like that." My tone is way more hostile than necessary, but this girl causes all kinds of emotions in me that I've never felt before.

  Kai lifts his hands in surrender. "Man, she did a number on you. Didn't peg you for going for the stalker kind."

  "Kai." His name holds a warning, but he's already too intoxicated to get it.

  "I mean, didn't she follow you from TMH? Then, she runs from you the other night. Something is seriously off with her."

  "KAI."

  "What?"

  "Shut the fuck up." One more word, and I'm going to find myself a new seat.

  Suddenly, the hairs on my neck stand up, and I automatically turn my head, finding her looking at me. My pulse picks up, and all I can think about is dragging her back to that room and finishing what we started last week. Jesus. I don't even know her.

  One would think after everything that went down two and a half years ago, I would want to find myself a nice, boring girlfriend. No, I go for the one that has more secrets than Lilly's head of security has assault rifles—and the dude has a lot.

  King's mouth quirks at the corner, and I can't help but smile back. My view gets blocked by a bunch of sorority girls that came over to the table earlier. Now armed with colorful cocktails, all of them close in on us once more, and I groan inwardly. Please don't.

  As they move forward, King becomes visible again. She's glaring daggers at the airheads approaching us—as if I would ever be interested in one of them for more than a quick lay. And even for those, I am pickier.

  Her displeasure is visible, like a blinking neon sign in the dead of night, and I can't deny the satisfaction that stirs inside of me. The realization that I want her to be jealous is jarring. When did I get so involved in this? But then again, I did come close to rearranging that preppy douchebag's mug last week when he had his fingers all over her.

  Kai straightens in his chair, probably calculating which—or how many of them—he can entertain tonight. They've almost reached the table when I jump up and walk past them like they're not even there. I ignore Kai's, "Uh, bro?" and zero in on the only girl I am interested in. Her eyes grow wider with every step I take in her direction, and I let the grin that I've been trying to suppress show. Screw "Let's see what happens."

  Her gaze darts left and right like a deer in the headlights, and before she can make a run for it—again—I lean over the counter. Reaching for her, I grab her by the back of the neck, pulling her close. She's about to protest when I bring my mouth down on hers. King stiffens as our lips make contact, and I keep my eyes on hers. I let my tongue swipe over her bottom lip, urging her to let me in. When her lids flutter closed, I know I've won.

  She melts in my grip, and her hands lift to frame my face, returning the kiss. My primal craving for her sets every cell of my body on fire. I didn't plan for that to happen. I didn't even think I wanted to pursue anything deeper with her. She caught my curiosity, intrigued me, but then instinct took over. I want everyone in this damn place to understand that she is mine—and I am hers. Am I? Hers?

  A low moan escapes her throat, and that's all I need. I tighten my hand at her neck and pull her close until she kneels on top of the bar. Whistles and shouts erupt around us, but I couldn't care less. At the velvety sensation of King's tongue tangling with mine, my cock grows rock hard. I fight the urge to pull her across the unwanted barrier and dry hump her right here in front of everyone. I've never met a girl that has caused such a reaction inside of me. She nips at my bottom lip, and I groan a
t the sting.

  So good.

  Reluctantly, I force both of us to slow our pace. I got my point across to The Grizz's customers. Not losing contact, I place one more kiss on her lips and then let my forehead rest against hers.

  "What was that?" she whispers so only I can hear it.

  "This"—I bring my mouth back to hers for a small peck—"is making sure that all the dicks in this place, who have been eye fucking you every night, see that you're not interested."

  She chuckles, and her eyes open for the first time, finding mine. With an amused smirk, she challenges me. "I'm not?"

  I let my mouth glide along her jawline to her ear and growl lightly, followed by gently biting the lobe of her ear. "You're not. There is only one dick you'll be riding anytime soon, and we both know whose—"

  "You have some explaining to do, Sheats!" a female voice that should not be here breaks me out of my haze, and I drop my hands from King like I'm doing something wrong. I spin around in shock and gape.

  "What are you doing here?"

  My gaze flickers back to King, who is scrambling off the bar, not taking her eyes off the brown-haired girl in four-inch heels, skintight jeans, and a white lace blouse. She commands this place like she has with every room since junior high.

  "BK!" Kai's voice breaks our stare down as he envelops D from behind to lift and twirl her around.

  "Ahhh!" she shrieks, but nevertheless laughs.

  She's not mad that he called her by the name she forbade me to use under the penalty of being impaled by her Louboutin.

  Once he sets her down, she regards me with her head tilted. "Wes?"

  Hesitantly, I open my arms, and Den steps into me like she belongs there, which she did until recently. She used to be the only girl I let in or come close in years. Now, it feels like I'm cheating. I hug my best friend, peering behind me so I can see King. She stands with her back pressed against the glass shelves on the other side as if she is trying to get as far away as possible. Her lips are pursed, and I want to assure her that it's not how it appears.

  Den pulls back, and with her heels, we're almost at the same eye level. She studies me intently before looking behind me. "Who's this, Sheats?" Her tone is neutral, but I know her better than anyone—the bulldog is in the house.

  I throw Kai a pleading glance and hope he is not too drunk to understand what I want him to do. I need Den out of here so I can talk to King. Then, I'll have a conversation with my best friend away from prying eyes. Half the customers probably think she's my girlfriend.

  Thank the sobriety gods, Kai is coherent enough to get the message and wraps his arm around Den.

  "D, let's get you home and continue the party there."

  She's ready to argue, but Kai has her halfway out the door before anyone can blink. I'm impressed.

  Seeing it as my chance, I whirl around to address King when I find her in deep conversation with a customer. She laughs at something he says, and my fists ball at my sides.

  I move closer, waiting for her to look at me, but she never does. What the fuck?

  "King?"

  She holds up a finger, signaling "one moment" without averting her eyes. The asshole flicks his gaze to me before focusing back on King's tits, and I'm coming close to introducing my fist to his nose.

  Fuck this shit.

  I stalk to our high top table. Dropping several bills on it, I grab my hoodie from the back of the chair and leave. As I pass King, our eyes connect for a fraction of a second, and all I see is the girl with the knife from last week.

  Den is in the back of Kai's Rover with him in the driver's seat. I walk around and open his door. He glowers, probably hoping I won't embarrass him in front of D, but I don't give two shits. He is not driving my best friend while intoxicated. Usually, I couldn't care less. His tolerance is incomparable. Most of the time, he is the one functioning better than me with ten times the amount of booze in his system, but not tonight. I had barely two sips of my beer while he had…I lost count after four. Kai sighs dramatically and slides out of the SUV, walking around to the passenger side.

  No one speaks as we make the short drive to the townhouse. I peer at D in the rearview mirror and am fixed with a glare she reserves for the Katherine Rosenfields of the world.

  Fucking great. Now my best friend and my girlfriend are pissed at me. Wait, what? Girlfriend? Do I even like King that way? Jesus fucking Christ, when did my life become such a mess again?

  Kai is the first to exit with a huff and is up the stairs before I can turn in my seat. Den sits with her arms crossed, surveying me with a mix of curiosity and something I can't pinpoint.

  "Can we talk upstairs?" I mutter, suddenly beyond tired. I just want to get to bed.

  "Sure." She doesn't smile, but some of the hardness melts off of her.

  She pulls a small overnight bag from the seat beside her as she slides out, and I frown. "Is this it?" I don't think I've ever seen her travel with less than two large suitcases.

  "I'm heading back tomorrow," she explains as I take the bag from her.

  "I see." I don't.

  Upstairs, she aims straight for my bedroom, and I pause. Maybe I should take the media room. My neck instantly protests, remembering the one time I accidentally fell asleep on that tiny-ass couch. I had a kink in my neck for days and had to go see the team's physician.

  Guess we're co-sleeping—not waiting for Thanksgiving. By the time I close my door behind me, she is in the bathroom, and I hear the shower come on.

  Resigned, I sit down on the edge of the bed. Putting my head in my hands, I prop my elbows on my thighs. She doesn't take as long as I expected, but when she emerges in a cloud of steam, I choke on my saliva and start coughing. Pounding my chest, I can't take my eyes off my friend.

  "Why do you have my shirt on?" Another cough. "And please tell me you're wearing something under it."

  She narrows her eyes and lifts the hem enough to reveal her hot-pink lace underwear. "I don't think that is much better," I deadpan.

  Den snorts. "Dude, like you and I would ever go there again. Your shirts are the size of two of mine, maybe three—so much comfier to sleep in."

  With that, the weird tension evaporates. I give her my sauciest grin and open my arms to her.

  Closing the distance, Den straddles my lap, her pretty much bare pussy rubbing against my jeans and…nothing. My dick doesn't twitch. He only wants one girl—if she still wants us after tonight. Does King know who Den is? She seemed to be informed about my other friends. Former friends. Fuck. I shake my head. Not going there.

  Instead, I focus on my surprise visitor. "What are you doing here?"

  I look into her eyes as she rests her arms on my shoulders.

  "I felt bad for not warning you about Rhys. I texted Kai asking where you were when no one answered the door," she pauses for a beat. "Lilly made me promise not to tell you because he wanted to talk face-to-face. And we both know that you would've bailed and hidden somewhere."

  She's correct in that assumption.

  "I kicked him out," I snarl, not wanting to rehash that evening.

  "So I've heard." Den sighs.

  I wrap my hands around her waist. "Can we not do this?"

  I hold my breath and count to seven before she replies, "Okay."

  Climbing off me, she crawls over the bed to the other side and pulls the covers down to slide in. "Go shower."

  I don't immediately move, so D amends, "You stink. And I want to hear all about the blonde you tongue fucked earlier."

  I spend about five times as long under the hot spray, hoping Den would fall asleep. No dice. She sits in the middle of my bed, propped up against every single pillow I own. Her ferocious typing indicates that she's anything but happy.

  "Comfy?"

  Her eyes snap to mine, and she attempts to school her features. Too late.

  "Very. Are these the pillows I ordered for you when you moved out here?"

  "Who pissed in your egg whites?" Her regular breakfast
.

  She lets the device drop on my comforter. "Don't get mad."

  What now?

  "Lilly is picking me up with the jet tomorrow morning."

  My spine is so stiff it feels like it's going to snap in half. I inhale slowly through my nose, not breaking eye contact. Den is fidgeting with the duvet, and I wait for the punch line.

  "Is she now?" I force my response out between clenched teeth. I normally don't get this worked up about them anymore, but after what went down with King earlier—the wrong girl is in my bed, Rhys was standing in my living room less than a week ago, and now Lilly is coming into town—my adrenaline level skyrockets.

  "G was supposed to be with her, but he had to leave Colorado unexpectedly, and now it's just Marcus." She doesn't have to say much more. Marcus became Lilly's security when George was handling the legalities surrounding her case, but even back then, when Lilly traveled, G was with her. George would've been the buffer D needed. Marcus by himself…

  "You want me to come with you to the airport." I don't have to ask.

  "Yes," she whispers. I would act as the distraction until they were in the air, then she was on her own.

  Addressing the actual issue—what goes on between her and Marcus—would be a moot point. She'd evade me as usual. "Why did George leave?" That is more interesting to me. He would never abandon his charge unless it was a situation of life and— "Is Rhys okay?"

  Why am I asking?

  "Yes. She said it was a family emergency." D's gaze mimics my own confusion.

  "Fam—what? George doesn't have family, does he?" I realize I never bothered to ask; I simply assumed.

  "Your guess is as good as mine."

  "And now the shadow is going to be with her." Her lips turn to a scowl.

  "Under one condition." I'm an asshole, but I don't care.

  "Oh?"

  "I'm not ready to talk about King."

  She smirks. "King, is it?"

  I tilt my head, and she pretends to zip her mouth. She reorganizes the pillows so that both of us have four and scoots over to the far side.

  That was too easy.

  "We'll talk in the morning," she says in the sweetest tone as she settles into bed, facing away from me.