“Why? Are you asking me out?”
“No.”
“You’re not?” Huh...weird. Why would he ask what I’m doing then?
“No. I’m gonna tell you what time I’m coming to pick you up.”
Jesus. I’m trying so hard right now not to climb over this counter. The struggle is real.
“I got some shit to do, but I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
He grasps my chin between his thumb and index finger and smiles.
“See you later, baby doll.”
“See ya.”
As I watch him walk away, I meet Chrissy’s shocked, open-mouthed stare. Fuck! I don’t know how much she saw, but I know it was enough. I’m in total panic mode. I grab her hand and pull her over to an empty booth. She sits across from me, eyes wide, mouth still hanging open.
“What the fuck, Ray? What did I just see?”
“Chrissy –”
“Are you cheating on my brother?”
“No –”
“Oh, my God. You’re breaking up with him, aren’t you?”
“It’s compli–”
“I knew it! Ever since that day we met, I knew there was something between you and Gage. I saw it in his eyes.”
“Will you calm down for a minute and let me explain?”
“Okay, okay. Go ahead.”
“You’re right. By the time I met you, we had already kissed a few times.”
Her eyes bug out once again and her lips form an ‘O’.
“But then he found out my age and pretty much left me alone.”
“And you started dating Chris.”
“Right.”
“But now he’s back.”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do?” she asks, eyes so wide I think they might pop out of her skull.
“I really like Chris, but Gage…”
“Is hot.”
“So is Chris,” I tell her. She might not want to think of her brother that way, but he is. I can’t help it.
“Gage Hunter is in another galaxy of hotness.”
“What would you do?” I ask.
“Me? No clue. Never had two hot guys chasing me.”
“Ugh!”
I fold my hands on the table and drop my head on them.
“I’m so confused.”
“Mira, I’m not getting in the middle of this. You need to figure out who you want. If you pick Gage, my brother will be hurt, pero we all have to look out for our own happiness,” she explains.
“That’s just it. I don’t want to hurt him.”
“He’ll get over it, eventually. Gage…just make sure you know what you’re getting into. He may not be who you think he is.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, intrigued.
“There’s just…stuff. I’m not going to repeat rumors.”
“If there’s something you think I should know –”
“It’s nothing.”
“Chrissy, tell me.”
“He got into some trouble with the cops a while back. Nothing stuck, though.”
That’ll happen when you’re a killer. A murderer. Holy shit. Am I really getting involved with a murderer? Wouldn’t Daddy be proud? Jesus. I really didn’t think this thing through, did I? If I’m honest with myself, it doesn’t bother me that much. Actually, knowing what he’s capable of turns me on. Fuck. I’m a sick bitch.
“What did he do?”
“Don’t worry. He didn’t kill anyone. Frankly I don’t think he did it. They couldn’t prove it.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“We should go out tonight,” she says, trying to change the subject. “Forget about guys for one night. Just you and me.”
Whatever. I’ll just ask Gage about it. “I have to work tomorrow.”
“Stop being such a pussy. We can go to that new place, Chiquita’s. I heard they have a sick DJ.”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on. We’ll hang out, dance our asses off, and then go home. You can teach me how to twerk.”
That coaxes a smile from me. “Well, I am the twerk Queen.”
“See? Come over after work. We’ll get ready and go.”
“Okay. But I sorta made plans with Gage. I have to let him know.”
“Great!”
I grab her hand as she slides out of the booth.
“Chrissy, please –”
“I won’t say anything. Not my place.”
“Thanks.”
***
“Girl, you look amazing. ¡Muy caliente!”
I turn away from the mirror and toward Chrissy with a smile. “You, too, chica.”
I look at my ass in the mirror and consider my outfit – jean shorts; black, layered chiffon tank top; gold fashion jewelry; and black and gold wedge sandals. We decided to match outfits so Chrissy is dressed the same, only in white.
“We are gonna break some hearts tonight, honey,” she says.
“Hopefully not mine.”
I spin around at Chris’ voice. He walks in, his eyes dragging over me from head to toe.
“Jesus.”
“You like?”
“I can’t let you leave the house like that without me.”
“Oh, really?”
He wraps his arms around my waist as I raise a defiant brow at him.
“Can’t have anybody looking at my woman.”
I pull away, guilt racking my body. “Can’t stop people from looking, Christopher,” I tell him.
“Get out, Chris, before I tell Mom. You’re not going to ruin our night.”
“Fine, fine.” He kisses my neck and then strokes my hair. “Have fun, and call me if you need anything.”
“We won’t,” Chrissy says.
“Whatever, sis. Take care of my girl.”
“Boy, ‘bye! She’s my bitch tonight. You’ll be lucky if you get her back once she’s had a taste of me.”
“Gross.”
Chrissy sticks her tongue out at him and I burst out laughing.
“Come on, Ray.”
I grab my leather jacket and we head downstairs. Chris drops us off at Chiquita’s in his dad’s car, kissing my cheek before I get out.
“Call me when y’all are ready.”
“’Kay.”
We walk in to the sound of nineties hip-hop – Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up,” the clean version. Better yet, let me say, the edited version. Chrissy is bouncing like she’s ready to hit the dance floor. A few guys whistle as we walk by and Chrissy wiggles her fingers at them. We’re shown to a table and immediately start people watching as we look through the menu.
“There are some hot guys here,” Chrissy says, eyeing a group of men in a corner.
“I thought tonight was about us girls?”
“Hey, you have two. I’m just playing catch-up.”
“Whatever.”
“Raven, I know you like him and all, but…”
“But what?”
“Don’t you think he’s a little old for you?” she asks, quickly getting serious on me.
“His age doesn’t matter to me. Besides, you know what they say – a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows every corner.”
I wink at her and she throws her head back, laughing.
“So, he’ll be sweeping your corners?”
“Chrissy, I wish I could explain to you how I feel when he touches me.”
“Fireworks?”
“Frickin’ Fourth of July and New Year’s rolled into one.”
Her eyes widen and she loses her smile. She holds my stare and nods in understanding. I’m so glad I can talk to her about this without judgment.
“I got you.”
She squeezes my fingers and brightens up once more.
“Enough of that. No more deep stuff. We came here to eat and shake our asses, right?”
“Right,” I say with a smile.
“Good.”
We listen and sing along a
s the DJ plays some more Cash Money hits, Ruff Ryders, No Limit, Biggie, Pac, and a whole lot more.
“You were right. The DJ is really good.”
“I know, right?”
We jam our way through chips and salsa and some empanadas before the music changes. It’s as if the DJ is playing especially for me. He slows it down and plays Sam Smith’s “Leave Your Lover”. Chrissy’s eyes meet mine and she shrugs. Then he plays “Stay With Me” and “Like I Can.”
“Is this a sign?” I ask. The lyrics of each song are hitting way too close to home.
“Don’t concentrate on that. How’s your Churrasco?”
“Good. How’s your Mahi Mahi?”
“Here, try it.”
She extends her fork to me and I do the same, offering her a bite of my steak.
“It’s good,” I tell her.
“Mm hmm.”
My phone vibrates on the table and I look down to see a text from Gage. He tried his best to hide it, but I could tell he was disappointed when I called him earlier to cancel our plans.
G: Having fun without me?
R: So far…eating right now.
“Which one is it?”
“Gage.”
“What did he say?”
“Just wanted to know if we’re having fun.”
“That’s nice.”
G: Don’t worry about the bill. I got you.
Chrissy must have seen the confused look on my face.
“What is it?” she asks.
“He says he’s taking care of our bill.”
“Shit. If I’d known, I would have gotten the lobster.”
We laugh and she raises her glass for a toast. I tap mine against hers.
“To not worrying about our bill,” she says, giggling.
I send him a quick thank you before Chrissy starts jumping up and down in her seat. The music has changed and the DJ is now playing Gusttavo Lima’s “Balada”.
“I love this song! Let’s dance,” she squeals.
We throw off our jackets and she grabs my hand, pulling me to the dance floor. Here we go.
CHAPTER 16
***Gage***
I’ve been watching her since the moment she walked in. Of course, she doesn’t know I’m here, but I couldn’t stay away. I had to see her. Ron and Booker are with me. Ron’s already figured me out, but Booker is clueless. They’re having a good time, though.
When she told me about her little girls’ night out, I was disappointed. But then I decided to stop being a pussy and let her have some fun. And then I thought about all the fuckers who would be here hitting on her, so here I am in full pussy/stalker mode.
They remove their jackets and head to the dance floor. My soldier immediately stands at attention. Legs, thighs, breasts…I don’t know where to focus.
“Damn, Chrissy got hot.”
For once, I take my eyes off Raven and look to her friend. Ron’s right. There must be something in the fucking water these days. I adjust myself as they start to dance, shaking their asses and grinding on each other. Fuck, my girl can move. She rolls her hips, slowing down and speeding up to match the beat. I sure hope she’ll utilize these skills in the bedroom.
Ron and Booker both sit up and lean forward, watching the show. I’m about to go upside both their heads when I realize that it’s not just them. All the fuckers with a dick are staring at her. Well, both of them, but Chrissy’s not mine, Raven is. I clench my teeth and restrain myself. She’s not doing anything wrong, and I don’t want to ruin her night.
A few guys try to dance with them, but the girls brush them off. That is, until Ron walks over there and whispers in Chrissy’s ear. She looks to Raven who waves them off. She turns to head back to the table and bumps right into him, the boyfriend. I grab the arms of my chair to stop myself from going over there. They exchange a few words and then he pulls her into his arms. They begin to dance but it looks more like vertical fucking to me. With each step, my anger rises. He pushes her against the wall and basically starts humping her. I lose my shit. The chair topples over as I bolt to my feet and march right over there.
I grab her arm and pull her away from him roughly. Her eyes widen in surprise.
“Gage! What are you doing here?”
“What the fuck are you doing?” I demand.
“Hey! Get your hands off my girl!” the boyfriend shouts.
Ron and Booker show up and restrain the little fucker before I snap on him. I drag her behind me and head for the exit at the back. I hear the boy shouting, but all I can think is that I need to get her out of here. She struggles against me, trying to pull out of my grasp.
“Stop!” I say through clenched teeth.
She stops struggling but I still have to drag her along. I push through the door and look around to make sure we’re alone. Satisfied, I push her against the wall, trapping her with my body. “What the fuck was that?”
“I could ask you the same thing! How could you embarrass me like that in front of all those people?”
“Embarrass you? You were practically fucking him in front of everyone!”
“It’s not fucking. It’s called the Bachata.”
“I give zero fucks what it’s called! This is your supposed girls’ night?”
“He wasn’t supposed to be here. He just showed up. Like someone else, I see.”
I step back and let out a frustrated growl. “Jesus Christ, Raven! It’s bad enough I had to watch all those fuckers in there staring at you, but he had his hands all over you!”
She crosses her arms under her breasts, her chest heaving in anger.
“So what? I’m not your girlfriend.”
“Fuck what you think. You’re mine.”
“Fuck you! You come with your promises of dating but you don’t want a commitment. You say I run hot and cold, but at least I know what I want.”
“I know what I want.”
“Yeah. As you so eloquently put it, you want to fuck me.”
They’re my words, but hearing them thrown back at me pisses me the fuck off. “Shut the fuck up. If this was just about pussy, I’d be long gone. You wanna talk about commitment? Why don’t we talk about how you’re stringing that poor kid along? How committed are you to him?”
She opens her mouth to say something but closes it quickly. I take the opportunity to continue.
“And what about me? Am I supposed to sit back and watch you run around with the boy? You’re asking me for something you don’t seem willing to give. Maybe you’re just like Lonnie after all.”
Why the fuck did I say that? Shit. She stands frozen to the spot, staring at me in open-mouthed shock and disbelief.
I step toward her and she plants her palms on my chest, pushing me away. I take another step and she pummels my chest with her little fists.
“You motherfucker!”
“Raven, stop!”
I grab her wrists and we engage in a battle of death stares. She pulls away and then surprises the hell out of me when she grabs my shirt and drags me toward her, pressing her lips to mine. I force her against the wall and fucking own her lips. I have never kissed a woman like this before. It’s as if I’m pouring out all my rage and frustration, focusing all my energy into this one act. She claws at me like she’s unsure what to do with her hands. One second she’s grabbing my shirt, the next it’s my face, and then my hair.
She parts her lips, letting me in, and then I own her tongue, too. She moans, writhing against me. I taste every sweet inch of her mouth, grabbing her ass and pulling her to me. Squeezing her firm cheeks, I lift her off the ground. She wraps her legs around my hips and I push into the wall, pressing my dick against her pussy. I slide my hands under her top and up her back, desperate to feel her skin. She quivers, whimpering loudly. All the while, we’re going at each other’s lips like some ravenous creatures. She breaks the kiss, trying to catch her breath, and I sink my teeth into her neck.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“Gage…�
�
“No one else, Raven. No one touches you but me.”
“Raven?”
I turn my head to see who the soft, shaky voice came from. Raven gasps, unhooks her legs from around me, and shrieks in horror, “Chris!”
***Raven***
Fuck, fuck, fuck! The shattered look on his face grabs my heart in a chokehold. He looks like he’s about to be sick. I can’t blame him. I can’t even imagine what’s going through his mind right now. He just shakes his head and walks away.
“Chris, wait!” I untangle myself from Gage and chase him down, but he ignores me. I grab his hand and he turns to me in a rage.
“I asked you about him and you lied!”
“You asked me if we’re having sex. We’re not.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“We’ve kissed. That’s it.”
“That’s it?” he mocks me. “Oh, that’s fine then.”
“I know you’re angry, but please –”
“I love you. Do you understand that?”
The tears that were forming in my eyes spill over and race down my cheeks.
“You had something going with him before we started dating, didn’t you?”
“We kissed.”
“What is he? Some kind of pedophile?”
“He didn’t know my age.”
“Aah, now I get it. With your birthday coming up, he’s sniffing around you again.”
“Chris, I swear I didn’t want…I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Well, you have. And for what? Some guy who’s just going to fuck you and then toss you out like garbage.” He practically spits the words at me.
“I get your anger, but there’s no need to be mean.”
“Well, what are you going to do?”
“I…I don’t know.” I honestly don’t.
“Great. You know what? Have fun with the biker trash.”
“Chris…”
“Oh, by the way, ask him about Janet Presley.”
He walks away and this time I let him leave. What have I done? My knees buckle, but I’m caught before I hit the ground.
“It’s okay, doll. I got you.”
He picks me up and I bury my face in his neck as I bawl my eyes out. When he sets me down, I open my eyes and see I’m in the passenger seat of his car. “Where are we going?”
“I’m getting you out of here.”
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