“Is that really the game you want to play?” he questions, watching me strut back to the table.
I grab Cora and Casey’s empty plates and turn back around. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him. “I’m just being a good little employee.”
I drop the plates onto the counter beside Colton’s and turn back just in time to see him getting up from the table, his eyes heavily on mine. He stalks forward, and my face drops.
Oh, fuck.
I back up a step, trying and failing not to grin at him, but damn it, it’s too hard.
He takes another step and then another, his pace slowly picking up, and then he breaks out into a sprint, and I take off like a bat out of hell. “NOOOOOO,” I shriek, my scream being muffled by my laughter. I dart around the kitchen counter as he goes the other way.
I stop at one end while he stands at the other, watching me like a lion watching his prey. I brace myself against the counter, more than ready to use it as leverage to propel myself faster. “Whatcha gonna do?” he teases, his grin so powerful and tempting. I should just give myself up and let him have me.
I shake my head, enjoying myself too much to give in like that. “You’ll never catch me.”
“Jade, I’ve already got you right where I want you.”
With that, he dives to the left, and I sprint through the other side of the kitchen. As I pass him on the opposite side of the counter, he launches himself over it, coming down right behind me. I squeal as Mom panics, shouting something about being careful and not running in my condition.
I hardly hear her because when a woman has Colton tearing after her, it’s the only thought circling her mind.
He gains on me quickly, and I aim for the door, knowing I’ll have more luck in the hallway. But as I go to throw myself out of the door, his arms wrap around me and he scoops me right off the floor. Instead of taking me back to the kitchen, he continues down the hallway and up the stairs, not stopping until he’s closing the door behind him and throwing me down on his bed. Exactly where I want to be.
Colton drops down on top of me, catching himself with his elbows so that no part of his body actually touches me, but I can't help flinching anyway. The bruises are still there, though they’re faded enough that I can finally start hiding them with makeup, but just because I can hide them away, doesn’t mean that they hurt any less.
His lips drop to mine, and as his hand falls to my waist, roaming over my skin, I pull back, meeting his eyes. “Wait,” I tell him. “I have to tell you about today.”
His lips come back to mine again. “It can wait.”
I push him back, somehow finding the strength to resist him. “No, trust me, you’re going to want to hear this, and if we wait, you would have wondered why I didn't tell you earlier.”
Colton groans, dropping his forehead to mine. “But I don’t want to talk,” he whines, sounding as though I just asked him to roast his balls over a fire like marshmallows. “I’d rather sink into you.”
“I know,” I tell him, struggling not to laugh at how serious he’s being. I guess even CEO billionaires get a little whiny when they don’t get what they want. “I promise, as soon as we’re done, I’m all yours, however you want me.”
He groans again but can’t deny that the idea of having me anyway he wants is certainly alluring. He finally pulls back and behaves himself. “Okay,” he tells me. “I’ll be patient.”
“Good,” I laugh, struggling to sit up into a position that doesn’t hurt. I meet his eyes and try to figure out the best way to tell him this. “I sort of ran into someone today.”
Colton’s brows furrow, finally being serious. “Who?”
“Your mom.”
“The fuck?” he grunts, pulling back and looking me dead in the eye. “Where the hell did you see her? She wasn’t still sneaking around Bellevue Springs was she?”
I hold back a laugh. “Trust me, you could only hope that’s where I saw her, but no, I saw her bent over a desk with her skirt somewhere up around her head while Mikhail Russo fucked her within an inch of her life.”
His mouth drops, and he seems to turn a little green as he struggles to find the words to say. I raise a brow watching him as he shakes his head, desperate to get rid of the mental image I just supplied.
I lean back against the headboard of his bed, patiently waiting for him to come to terms with the bomb I just dropped right in his lap.
“Umm …” he finally says. “The fuck?”
“Yeah,” I laugh. “She’s been screwing Russo, hoping for a payday, but that’s not even the worst part. The reason she came back here was because Russo put her here to keep tabs on me. The good part, though, is now that I’m officially a Wolf, he’s done with your mom and kicked her to the curb.”
“I …I can’t even wrap my head around that. My mom was fucking Russo?”
“Yeah,” I say with a cringe, remembering the exact scene I had walked in to see. “And honestly, it looked a little sloppy.”
“Jade, fuck. I don’t want to know that.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Sorry,” I laugh. “I just wanted to paint a realistic picture for you. I mean, it’s only fair, right? If I had to be subjected to it, then you should too.”
He shakes his head, looking as though he’s about to be sick. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and leaves it in his lap as he starts scrolling through his contact list. “Go back to the whole, ‘keeping tabs on you’ thing. What the fuck is that about?”
“I don’t know, but from what I could gather, Russo already had a connection to your mom before we met. When we started getting serious, he used it to his advantage. He had other people placed in my life too. Coach Sylvester, Dean Simmons, even Milo’s fucking dad, and now I have no idea if my friendship with Milo is even real?”
Colton reaches out and takes my hand. “It’s fucking real,” he insists. “Anyone can see that. I know Milo has practice at hiding what’s real, but you can’t fake that kind of friendship. It’s not possible.”
A ringing cuts through the room, and I glance down at Colton’s phone to find his mom’s name on the screen. He puts the call on speakerphone as we wait far too impatiently for her to answer.
“Colton, darling,” her voice finally comes through the phone, sounding far too optimistic. “Have you finally come to your senses and are ready to apologize to your dear mother?”
His eyes shoot up to mine. “Is it true?” he snaps.
Laurelle sighs, and I want to smack her for the disappointment she causes to flash in Colton’s eyes. “I figured that little bitch would twist the story. What did she tell you?”
“Exactly what happened. She walked in to find you fucking Mikhail Russo.”
Laurelle gasps. “That’s absurd. I don’t even know who you’re talking about. I’m in England at the moment, so I can assure you that your little whore certainly didn’t walk in on me doing anything.”
Colton scoffs and pulls up an app on his phone, which instantly locates her position. “Mom, you’re in a shitty hotel on the outskirts of Breakers Flats. I don’t know who you’re trying to fool. But tell me, if this were true, how would you know to accuse Ocean of something before even hearing what I had to say?”
Laurelle huffs as Colton shakes his head at just how pathetic his mom has become. “Fine, I was in a brief relationship with Mikhail. However, I ended things. He’s not a very good man.”
I grumble under my breath. “More like he kicked your bitch ass out because he was through with you.”
Colton meets my eye, and a sparkle lights up his face. “Mom, just be real for once. Why the fuck did you come back here? It wasn’t to rebuild a relationship with me, was it?”
She groans. “I came back because Mikhail asked me to. He had me watching that little slut of yours, and reporting back on her every movement. He was supposed to pay me but he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain.”
“Really? Because it certainly sounds like you got more than what
you bargained for.”
“Don’t you speak to me like that,” Laurelle snaps. “I’m still your mother, and you will respect me.”
Colton scoffs. “Why did you do it?”
“Because I had no damn choice,” she yells at him. “And honestly, I don’t get his infatuation with her. There is absolutely nothing special about that girl. She has no redeeming qualities, and she’s not even pretty. You can do so much better, Colton. I thought I taught you better than that.”
“Goodbye, Mother.”
“Don’t you dare hang—”
Colton ends the call and tosses his phone to the bed beside him before pulling me into his chest and collapsing down into the soft blankets. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he tells me. “I promise, you’ll never have to have anything to do with her again, not if you don’t want to.”
“Thanks,” I murmur, spreading my fingers over his chest. “I don’t know how you came from that. She’s such a …”
“Bitch?”
“Yeah,” I laugh, though the joy doesn’t last long and quickly fades away, leaving us both laying with nothing but our own thoughts.
Colton lets out a deep sigh and curls his arm around my waist, holding me close. “I have to tell you something,” he murmurs, his voice low and full of guilt.
I push up onto my elbow and look at him, my brows drawn as I take in the expression on his face. I instantly narrow my eyes at him, knowing damn well that I’m not going to like what’s about to come out of his mouth. “What did you do?”
Colton presses his lips into a tight line, almost as though he’s trying to prepare himself for the worst. “I was the one who made sure your student loan applications didn’t go through.”
I gape at him, unsure that I heard him correctly. “What?” I breathe, pushing up until I'm sitting. “I swear that I just heard you say that you’re responsible for making my college dream that much harder.”
Colton sits up and takes my hand. “Trust me, Jade, I didn’t do it to make your life harder—”
“No,” I scoff. “You did it so that I’d have no choice but to come and ask you for help, so I’d have to rely on you instead of finally standing on my own two feet.”
“Babe, no. It’s not like that. They were going to deny you anyway. Your application wasn’t looking good, and it was going to put a black mark on your credit score. I didn’t want it to fuck things up for your future. I withdrew the applications and had them email you to say it was rejected so you wouldn’t think I had anything to do with it. But the more I fall in love with you, the harder it is to keep my fucking mouth shut.”
I stare at him, not sure what to say. “They were going to deny it anyway?” I ask, feeling the devastation wash over me.
“Yeah,” he sighs. “I’m sorry. I know how badly you wanted to do this on your own.”
My bottom lip pouts out and I fall back into Colton’s chest. “I guess it really doesn’t matter now anyway. It’s not like I’ll be going to college while I’m pregnant. I'm going to have to try again for the following year.”
Colton’s arms wrap around me, and he props his chin over my head. “Whatever you want to do, Ocean, I'm going to be right there, making it happen. I promise, this baby is just a temporary setback. Once you figure out what you want to do, we can make a plan. I promise you, Jade, whatever you want in life, you’re going to get it. You fucking deserve it, and I’ll do everything I can to give it to you.”
“You know when that time comes, I’m going to fight you on it.”
Colton laughs, and it rumbles through his chest, spreading warmth through me. “I’m fucking counting on it.”
Chapter 18
This whole waiting to hear about the Wolf and Widow gang war is really starting to drive me crazy, but the less I hear about it, the easier it is to pretend that everything is normal in the world. You know, except for the growing child in my womb and the fact that I haven’t seen or talked to Nic in weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without talking to him, and although it shouldn’t, it still hurts. I still miss him.
I must be crazy to miss the guy who murdered my father, but he’s been such a huge part of my life for so long. I should hate him, well maybe I do. The last time I saw him, I’d only just found out. All the facts hadn’t had a chance to settle, but now they have, and I’m curious to see if I’m going to regret making the decision to see Russo. I guess I won’t know until I see him.
Colton’s hand travels up my thigh, and I bite down on my lip, trying my best to keep my composure as it slides higher and higher.
We sit at the best restaurant that Bellevue Springs has to offer while Roman stands at the head of the table, gushing about how fortunate he was to have met my mom when he did. It's sweet, and I wish I could concentrate, but I'm really struggling.
That warm hand creeps even closer, teasing me, full of promise and desire. With Drix seated directly in front of me, I find it impossible to meet her eyes, knowing that with one look, she’ll know exactly what’s happening here. There's a massive, beaming smile on her face as she holds her glass up to her gushing father. They’re so cute. It’s as though being here with a woman at his side is already a huge accomplishment.
Colton’s hand squeezes my thigh, and I sink into the firmness. I love how he doesn’t hold back with me. He’s never afraid to push the boundaries, and it sends an electrifying pulse through my body.
“What else can I say?” Roman declares, glancing down at Mom as we wait for our meals to arrive. “I know it’s only been a few short weeks, but you’ve completely bewitched me. I’ve fallen so head over heels in love with you that I no longer see my life without you.”
Mom blushes, placing her hand against her heart as she looks up at the man who is quickly becoming her knight in shining armor. “And I you,” she tells him, reaching up and lacing her fingers through his.
I smile wide, feeling all the emotions rushing in and overwhelming me. My heart is so full as I watch them completely loved up. She was never this mushy with Dad. I know she loved him on a deep level, but it was never the all-consuming, unbreakable connection that she clearly shares with Roman.
I meet Drix’s eye across the table and she gives me a warm, proud smile. I can’t help but return it. Setting Mom and Roman up was the best thing we’ll ever do. They look so happy, so over-the-moon in love, and solid.
I know I wanted to give it a few months to see where this was going, but seeing them here together, it's obvious. This is an ever-lasting kind of thing, and honestly, I don't even think Mom realizes it yet.
Roman raises his glass, and we all do the same, watching as he looks down at her with that love-crazed smile of his. My glass sits high in the air, and as I bring it to my lips, Colton's hand travels deeper between my legs, making me choke on my drink.
I feign innocence as everyone turns to look at me with concern, even Colton, the dick. "Sorry, it went down the wrong tube,” I say, desperately trying to regain control of myself as a large hand finds its way inside my underwear.
Mom reaches out and pats my back, trying to help, but there’s no helping me now. I’m in God’s hands. “Are you alright, love?” she questions, concern written all over her face.
“Yep,” I say quickly, taking another sip of my drink. “All good, thanks.”
Colton’s soft, rumbly laugh beside me has my elbow discreetly slamming back into his ribs and sending a wave of satisfaction over me. Take that fucker. But as his thick fingers slide into me, I can imagine him thinking the exact same thing.
My hand slams down on his thigh, desperately needing to do something, to somehow let him know just how badly he’s affecting me. All the while, trying to remain calm and pretend that I'm listening intently to Roman’s every word.
Colton’s fingers flinch inside of me, and a low groan rumbles through my chest. How lucky does a girl have to be to get dessert before dinner?
He really begins to move, and just as I feel that familiar pull deep insi
de of me, Roman drops to his knee in front of my mother, and my whole world freezes.
Colton’s hand stops.
My eyes widen.
Drix sucks in a gasp.
“What the hell?” I breathe, staring at the man who suddenly looks as though he’s about to be sick with nerves.
Colton thankfully slips his fingers out of me and allows me this moment to really take in what’s happening. Honestly, I think he’s just a little too shocked to keep himself moving.
Drix flashes her shocked stare to me, and a million messages pass between us when Roman clears his throat and brings all the attention back to him. “Maria,” he breathes, saying her name like a soft caress on his lips. He reaches out and brushes her hair off her face as she stares at him with wide eyes. “I know this has only been a short few weeks—which have flown by—but they’ve been amazing and have told me everything that I need to know about you. I don’t want to spend another day without you by my side.”
Mom glances back at me, unsure of what to say and hoping that I can somehow help her, but I can't. I can’t make this decision for her. She needs to figure this out on her own. “I … I … I don’t know what to say.”
Roman takes her hand in his. “I know, dear. I don’t expect you to say anything. Believe me, I know just how crazy I sound. Who proposes to a woman that he met only a few weeks ago? All I know is that I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t breathe when you’re not with me. I can’t function without seeing your smile. Maria … I don’t even know what to say myself, but if I don’t ask for your hand in marriage, or let you know my purest intention is to stand by your side as your loving husband for all of our days, it might just kill me.”
Mom gapes at him, completely speechless when he pulls out a black velvet box and opens it up, holding it out to her and showing off the biggest rock I’ve ever seen.
Ride or Die: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 4) Page 17