Shane's Fall (The Escort Series Book 2)

by Kennedy, Sloane

  “Nell’s gonna skin you alive if you don’t eat that,” Riley said as she suddenly dropped into the seat across from him. Gabe’s girlfriend wasn’t beautiful in the typical sense, but something about her always made him feel a little lighter inside. Her long blonde hair was neatly braided and she wore a set of scrubs with puppies and kittens on them.

  He pushed the plate across the table to her and she snagged a fry. Her gray eyes bore into him as she leaned back against the cushion and studied him.

  “This is our table you know,” she remarked casually.

  He looked around and realized that they were in fact sitting in the same booth they’d sat in all those months ago when he had told her about Gabe’s childhood in hopes that she would understand the circumstances that had shaped the broody man’s dark life. That was also the day Shane had told her what he did for a living.

  “Let me guess. Nell,” he stated as he cast a look over to the counter where Nell was serving customers. The woman gave him a big, unabashed smile and then winked at him.

  “Gabe said he met you here yesterday and Nell gave you the third degree. Since you can’t take it upon yourself to show up for family dinner or answer any of my calls, I asked Nell to keep an eye out for you in case you showed up here again today.” She grabbed another fry and then pushed the plate back towards him. “You should eat – you look like you’re’ losing weight.”

  He hadn’t, but he secretly enjoyed her nagging so he reached for the burger and took a bite.

  “He misses you. We all do,” she said quietly.

  “I’ve been busy,” he began.

  “Bullshit,” she cut him off. The fact that she was swearing was a bad sign.

  He put the burger down and leaned back. “What do you want Riley?”

  “How about the truth? Why do you look like shit? Why does your smile never reach your eyes? Why are you lying to us? To me? Why do you keep pulling further and further away from us?”

  Hurt accompanied every one of her words and he actually felt pain in his chest.

  “What difference does it make? I’m out of here in less than a year. I’ve got a whole new life waiting for me.” He tried to inject excitement into his voice, but his words felt flat, even to his own ears.

  “So you’re breaking up with us before we can break up with you?” she said snidely.

  If she hadn’t been so upset, he would have found her analogy amusing. “I just have different priorities.” Might as well turn the knife a little deeper he thought.

  She was silent for a long time, her eyes sharp and calculating as they studied him. He actually started to squirm under her intense gaze. The woman was definitely in the wrong profession – she belonged in a prison somewhere, intimidating criminals into confessions. She finally leaned forward, her arms folded on the table.

  “Well, guess what Shane? You don’t get to walk away from this. We aren’t some girl you’re trying to ditch after a one night stand or some client who’s gotten a little bit too clingy for your liking. And we’re not “The Bitch” who doesn’t give a shit whether you’re coming or going. We’re your family.”

  Her use of the nickname his friends had given Paige would have made him laugh, but pinpricks of fear were skittering up and down his spine because he believed every word she was saying. His friends were loyal, unbending. It had been idiotic to think he could just brush them off and they’d disappear. Frustration and anger boiled up. Why didn’t she get that he was trying to protect them from the truth? He wanted them to keep the image of good old, fun loving, happy go lucky Shane. He’d worked hard to keep them from knowing who he was inside, the demons that haunted him.

  Shane stood up and pulled some money from his wallet. “You know what Riley? You’re not my family and unlike the rest of you, I already have a family, a real one.” She flinched when he said “real” but he forced himself to ignore it. “At best, you guys have been a placeholder.”

  Sharp heat flooded through him at his own cruelty and his throat closed up as he tossed the money down on the table and walked away from her. The image of tears pooling in her eyes caused his own eyes to burn, but he forced himself to walk out of the diner, ignoring Nell’s confused and hurt look as he slammed out the door.

  ***

  Savannah was nervous as she entered the gym. She’d changed into sweats before she left school so she wouldn’t have to deal with changing in the gym’s locker room. Shane had given her directions to the gym which was north of the city, but she’d been surprised to find that it wasn’t some big fancy fitness place. In fact, if she hadn’t confirmed the address twice, she wouldn’t have known it was the gym at all. As she entered, she expected to see walls and walls of various workout machines but there was none. No weight machines either. She came to a stop when she realized she wasn’t actually in a gym but a boxing center. In the middle of the room was a boxing ring where two bulky mean in headgear and gloves were pounding on each other. Along the sides stood several men shouting instructions and encouragement and lining the back wall were various types of weights and boxing bags.

  Terror went through her as she realized there weren’t any women around and when several men looked up from what they were doing, she nearly choked on her fear. That terrible itch began and she swung around to hurry back out the door.

  “Savannah!”

  She knew that voice. Turning around, she saw Gabe striding confidently towards her, his face etched with concern. He was wearing a pair of sweats and a tank top that showed off his huge muscles and from the layer of sweat on his skin, she figured he’d already been working out before her arrival. She knew Gabe, trusted Gabe, she reminded herself, but couldn’t stop her body from automatically taking a few steps back as he closed the distance between them. He seemed to sense her tension because he stopped a good couple feet from her.

  “How you doin, darling?” His voice was light, casual.

  She managed a stiff nod, but nothing else.

  “He didn’t tell you I would be the one teaching you today, did he?” When she shook her head, he chuckled and said, “He’s such an asshole.” She could tell he was kidding, but couldn’t force herself to relax enough to enjoy his teasing.

  Hurt went through her at Shane’s betrayal. He’d told Gabe about what had happened to her. Her skin was crawling now and she started scratching at her left arm, her nails scraping over the scabs that had just started forming on the cuts that were there. Gabe seemed to sense her agitation and sharply called her name. His tone was firm, his voice authoritative when he said, “Savannah, look at me.”

  Temporarily distracted by his commanding nature, she stopped her scratching and looked up.

  “Shane didn’t betray you – he didn’t tell me anything other than you wanted to learn a few self-defense moves. That’s all I need to know.”

  If she knew anything about Gabe, it was that he didn’t lie. The man was honest to a fault, sometimes too much so, and if he said Shane hadn’t told her secrets then she believed him. The itching eased, but she could still feel it there and she debated whether or not she should just go.

  ***

  Gabe watched Savannah consider her options and felt his heart sink when he realized that whatever she’d been through was bad. It had been hard to not probe Shane for details, but one look at her stiff posture and her ready to flee stance gave him everything he needed to know. She kept rubbing her left arm and he guessed it was some type of subconscious, coping thing that she wasn’t even aware she was doing. He knew that teaching her self-defense was going to be a challenge because there was no way she’d be able to tolerate his hands on her, at least not until he’d reestablished some of the trust that he had just assumed would always be there between them. He hadn’t seen much of Savannah in recent years since she’d been gone at school, but early on when he and Michael had become friends with Logan, he remembered a gangly, always smiling Savannah trying to hone in on her big brother’s get togethers. She’d become like a little sister to al
l of them and guilt poured through him as he realized someone had hurt her at some point and none of them had known.

  “How about we warm up with a couple of laps?” he said as he pointed to the small jogging track that the gym’s owner had been smart enough to install. It ran along the top of the wall and had been a significant expense, but allowed the gym goers access to a cardio workout when they didn’t have the time to run outside or the desire to be caught in a Seattle downpour.

  She looked up at the track and then back at him. He sighed in relief at her nod, then led her to the stairs. They started off with a brisk walk and then a light jog. After a few laps he could see her starting to feel more comfortable in her stride so he took them back down to a walk and then led her down to the mats. She immediately tensed up when she realized what was next.

  “Savannah, we’re just going to cover the basic movements today – no one is going to touch you or grab you in any way. If and when we get to that point, it will be when you’re ready and not a second sooner. Okay?”

  She relaxed and he spent the next forty-five minutes breaking down various moves and showing them to her so she could mimic him.

  “Nice,” he said when she completed the final move. She’d worked up a nice sweat and he was pleased to see that she seemed more at ease around him now. “You ever try using a speed bag?”

  “A what?” she asked in confusion.

  He took that as a no and led her to one of the small punching bags nearby. “These are great for hand-eye coordination.” He didn’t mention that they were an excellent outlet for one’s frustrations too, but based on her earlier agitation, he guessed that she could use something to vent her anxiety on. He gave her a brief demo of how to hit the bag and then stepped back to let her try. Her hits were awkward at first and she laughed a couple times when she completely missed the bag all together. It was a good sound and he suddenly realized why Shane had sent her to him. He was an asshole but a smart one, Gabe mused.

  ***

  Savannah’s arms felt like noodles, but satisfaction roared through her at her accomplishment. She’d kicked that little bag’s ass and it had felt great. Sure, hitting the bag in the beginning had felt weird and awkward, but after she got the rhythm going, it had felt smooth and natural. And when Gabe had patted her on the back afterwards, all she’d felt was pride. No, she wasn’t ready to go out walking the streets at night by herself, but maybe it was a start. She could have run when she realized Gabe would be her instructor, but she hadn’t. And even if Shane hadn’t revealed all her secrets, the fact that Gabe hadn’t touched her during their training indicated that he suspected what had happened to her. But she’d stuck it out and absorbed as much information as she could about the different techniques she could use to defend herself.

  Electricity hummed through her all the way home. She took just a few minutes to get showered and blew her hair just dry enough so that it wouldn’t leave wet marks along her back. She threw on her favorite yellow spring dress that fell in soft waves around her knees and grabbed a pale blue, long sleeved cardigan from her closet. She texted Logan a brief message saying she was out meeting with a friend and then rushed back out the door. She’d seen Shane less than twenty-four hours ago, but it had felt like a lifetime. They’d agreed to meet at his apartment so they could drive to dinner together. He was waiting for her on the curb near his car. As she parked her car next to his, he opened her door. Before he could even speak, she was kissing him, her arms up and around his neck, her body pressed against the full length of his. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it because he kissed her back and then used his arm to brace them both so she wouldn’t get pushed back against the body of the car as he leaned into her.

  When they finally separated he said, “I’m really starting to like when you do that.” She blushed when she realized that she had initiated their kisses on more than one occasion.

  “I guess you had a good day?” he asked, somewhat cautious.

  “I did. I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.”

  He nodded and then went to close her door. She noticed the wariness almost instantly and then the sadness in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. He looked up at her, seemingly surprised at her observation. He instantly pasted a smile to his mouth and shook his head as if in confusion.

  “Nothing,” he said easily. She didn’t believe him, but didn’t say anything when he pulled her to his car and deposited her in the passenger seat. He made casual conversation throughout the drive but it was hollow and her previous excitement drained away. She wanted to beg him to tell her what was going on, but that didn’t fall under the purview of their relationship, did it?

  “Maybe I can help,” she said finally.

  He looked at her and then back at the road.

  “With what?”

  “With whatever is bothering you.”

  She saw him tighten his jaw, but then he relaxed again and smiled brightly. “I’m good, swear.”

  Cold swamped her at the obvious lie and she couldn’t help but wonder how many times she and the other people in his life had fallen for that easy, charming smile and upbeat voice. This wasn’t the Shane she knew, but she had met him before in the past. She’d been too caught up in her naïve, schoolgirl crush to recognize that he was pulling away even then, but she saw it now.

  The rest of the ride was made in silence. Dinner was awkward and impersonal and was only interspersed with the occasional comment about how good the food was or what the weather had done today. When he asked for details about her training with Gabe she gave him quick, simple answers because she didn’t want to share her excitement with this Shane. He was absolutely perfect to the outside eye. Impeccable manners, expensive clothes, polite and charming to the hostess and waiter, complimentary to her – any woman watching would have envied her. She just felt sick because she had no idea how to reach him.

  When they arrived back at his place, she debated whether or not she should just go home. He invited her up for a drink and she agreed. After showing her into the apartment, he took her coat and hung it up, then asked her what she wanted. She watched him get the soda she asked for and then he prepared himself a drink. It was all completely wrong and her skin crawled as she realized what he was doing.

  “Is this the part where you fuck me now?”

  ***

  Shane froze at her words, the swear word sounding unnatural from her lips. When she’d arrived at his place, he had an excuse loaded and ready to go as to why he couldn’t have dinner with her tonight, but then she’d gone and kissed him and the excuse was wiped away. Her entire day had been in that kiss – whatever had happened with Gabe had obviously gone as well as he’d hoped, because she’d put every ounce of her joy and confidence in that kiss. But then her sharp gaze had picked up on the sadness that still lurked in his head after his confrontation with Riley in the diner. And when Savannah had offered him help, something inside of him shifted and changed. He’d entered his safe mode – the place he could go and be whoever he needed to be in that moment. Savannah needed the strong, confident, fun-loving Shane who she could share her day with, not the broody, angry Shane that wanted desperately to find the relief that a few straight, clean lines of coke could bring him.

  He’d struggled all day with not calling his old contacts. He’d deleted them from his phone, but he had memorized the numbers long ago. He’d entered them more than once into the keypad on his phone, but hadn’t hit the dial button. The things he’d said to Riley today were cold and cruel and completely untrue, but he couldn’t sit there and let her strip any more layers from him. How could he explain to her that he was always balanced just on the edge of the cliff, his foothold precarious? The slightest thing could send him over into the darkness that he wouldn’t be able to escape this time and he feared he would take those closest with him. After all, his own brother had done it to him. But as bad as he hurt Riley, it paled compared to the agony that knifed through him when he realized S
avannah knew exactly what he was doing.

  “I mean, that’s what happens next, right Shane?”

  He put the soda he’d been getting for her back in the fridge and closed the door. She was still by the door, her body tense, her angry eyes glittering.

  “But I paid to fuck you so I guess that means I get to say what happens next.”

  If he didn’t know how much she hurt underneath, he would have found this Savannah intriguing. He loved when she was soft and compliant and curious, but seeing her try to take control called out to his baser needs.

  “Take off your shirt,” she ordered coldly.

  He knew this game far better than she did and maybe this was the best way to end things between them. He’d been a fool to think he could help her. She was so much stronger then he was. After whatever they were doing here was over, he’d betray her one last time and tell her brother the truth about her and then he’d walk away from all of them.

  He reached for the buttons on his shirt and undid them slowly. Women always liked it that way. But her eyes never even left his as he stripped the shirt off and dropped it to the floor. He was standing just over the threshold of the kitchen. She closed the distance between them, her eyes still on his.

  “This is what you want, right Shane? You want to give me what I need? I can take whatever I want from you. Like in the hotel room.”

  He nodded curtly. She still hadn’t looked at anything but his eyes and had made no effort to touch him.

  “I want one kiss,” she said. “Kiss me once like you do all the other women.” She took a step back from him. “If you can keep yourself from me during the kiss like you did at dinner tonight, then I’ll go right now and tell Logan everything. About the rape, about the cutting. You won’t have to stick around out of some sense of guilt or worry that I’ll hurt myself again.”

  He knew he was going to fail even as he closed the distance between them and slashed his mouth over hers. He guessed she knew it too. She held herself back at first, probably testing him or judging his kiss. But he wasn’t going to even bother trying to deny what was between them. It didn’t change how things would end, but at least he could have this moment. He bent down and grabbed her around the backs of the thighs and lifted her against him. She squeaked in surprise as he carried her the few steps to the kitchen and deposited her on the counter, stepping between her legs. He took advantage of her open mouth to steal back into it, his hand wrapping around her head and fisting in her hair to keep her from trying to escape him. He knew he was being too aggressive, but when she kissed him back and then wrapped her arms around him, he knew she was still with him.