Chapter 8
Darcie
I take a seat on a stack of beer, bend over and rest my elbows on my knees, still feeling the effects of the alcohol. Then Reggie flips. “What the fuck was that? Do you realize what almost happened to her?” His breathing is forced as his chest heaves up and down. Reggie paces the width of the storage room, mumbling under his breath. I try to concentrate on his words when he starts taking out his anger on the wall behind him. Blow after blow, Reggie lands his fists into the drywall and it disintegrates at his feet. His fists are red and his flesh is beginning to tear before he finally surrenders the abuse on the wall. Reggie is beyond angry, it renders him speechless. He looks up to Jake and Jeremy and with a cold scowl tells them, “Get the fuck out of here, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Jeremy and Jake don’t say a word as they make their way to the door. I stand to follow them out when Reggie grabs my elbow, halting me. “Not you, Darcie. I need to make sure you’re all right.” His gaze is intense and the feel of his hand on my skin sends a tingling feeling through me.
I nod my head in agreement, reach into my back pocket and grab the wad of money I took from the guy Jake was hustling. This gets his attention. I fan myself with the twenties and Jake’s eyes grow wide as I slap it into his hand. “Here…don’t say I never did anything for ya.”
I sit back down on the stack of beer cases.
Jake smiles at me and then follows his twin out the door, shutting it behind him. Reggie is standing across from me with his hands on his hips. He’s in the perfect line of sight for me to gape at the lower half of his body. Oh God, I’ve never realized how sexy he looks in his jeans and how his hips wear them well. My face is flushing. I can’t keep the vulgar thoughts from infiltrating my brain.
Reggie walks over and kneels in front of me, examining my neck; his warm hand gently touching the delicate skin. He brushes the pad of his thumb over each small bruise that’s started to form. Reggie shakes his head and mumbles a few obscenities under his breath. Bringing his hand to my tender cheek, he strokes it with the back of his hand. I wince slightly, it’s still sore to the touch.
He moves closer, sliding in between my knees. As our eyes meet, I physically lose the ability to breath. I can’t look away from the blue glow of his eyes.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t get there before this happened,” he apologizes while rubbing his hand over my sore cheek.
“You’re always my knight in shining armor, Reggie.” I can hardly muster the words. The possibility of forming sentences is gone the moment he touches me.
“Always, Darcie,” he whispers while pressing his forehead to mine.
Reggie’s lips get extremely close to my face. If I move a centimeter forward, our lips would be touching…kissing, but I don’t. I remain stock still. He moves his head over to the side, slightly brushing his lips to my ear. I let out a slight shudder from the electricity. “I don’t know what I would do, Darcie, if something were to happen to you. You’ve become an important part of my world. More than you’ll ever know.”
Then Reggie does something unexpected. He places his lips to the finger-sized bruises on my neck, tenderly kissing each one. Blood rushes through my body, making my insides heat up from this unfamiliar pleasure he’s bestowing on me. With every kiss he plants on my neck, Reggie’s lips remain on my skin slightly longer than the first, and I can feel the tip of his tongue brush along my neck every time he kisses a new spot.
My hands are aching to feel his skin. They want to explore his body while he’s planting intimate kisses on mine. I’ve never done this before, so I’m not sure what I should be doing. The need for touching him outweighs the fear of the unknown. I lift my hands up, placing them on his forearms. His muscles are firm and his skin is soft. I keep them there for a moment then gain the courage to slide them up to his solid biceps and even further up to his shoulders.
My hands keep trailing up when he retracts his face from my neck and looks to my lips then my eyes. When I give my head a slight nod of approval, Reggie moves forward and lightly presses his soft, supple lips to mine. He starts with small, delicate pecks and, with each kiss, makes them a little more intense. Passion stews inside; the pleasant pressure builds in my belly, causing me to release a moan. His hands slide around to my back, pushing our bodies together as our kiss turns from tender to ravenous in a matter of moments. I thrust my hands into his long, golden hair while devouring every part of Reggie’s lips and letting my tongue start to explore his mouth; he tastes sweet like mint.
My body craves to get closer to him, so I lift my legs, wrapping them around his hips, nudging his pelvis forward. The forward movement makes the last part of our bodies touch. I can now feel his hardness through my jeans. The heat developing at the apex of my thighs wants nothing more than to rub his steel rod against it. My legs are clinging so tightly around his body. Then he stands and I tightly latch onto him, never breaking our kiss.
Reggie pushes me up against the destroyed wall and powerfully rocks his hips into my warmth. I sigh out loud in pleasure as I’m experiencing new urges. The unfamiliar desire is almost overwhelming. I’m baffled how my body craves his because I never thought my life would get to this point. I have never allowed anyone to touch me this way, but Reggie’s body feels incredible against mine. I never want this to end.
He starts to pull away from our kiss and gently slides me down his body until my feet are touching the floor. I don’t want him to stop. I’m left aching and it sucks. I fear once reality settles in and the alcohol is out of my system, I may never have these feelings again.
We are both gasping for air when he says, “We should get some ice on that cheek.” I break his stare and glue my eyes to the floor, trying to shield my disappointment.
Readjusting my shirt, I allow Reggie to lead me out of the storage room and through the back door. Reggie hands me his coat and I wrap it around my body, absorbing the scent of his safety. I climb into his Camaro, squeezing my hands tightlyin my lap—stroking my scar—then watch out the window as we pull out of the parking lot and head home. My eyes are heavy and my heart is throbbing. I lay my head back and shut myself off from the world.
Reggie
The entire ride home, I’m cursing myself under my breath. My heart is pained with the sudden withdraw from our kiss. This can’t happen again. I can’t ruin the relationship we already have because of my deep seeded desires for her. I won’t ruin us. What the fuck was I thinking? How could I have been so careless? She should’ve gone home with the boys, but instead, I let my sanity get clouded. In that moment, I needed to be close to her, to feel her pressed against me. Kissing her was the only way my body knew she was safe. Then I felt her wanting me when she wrapped her legs around me. My inhibitions died as I pressed my dick into her heat. The lustful kiss and her hungry eyes are all it took to make me blind to judgment.
She’s still sound asleep when I pull into the driveway. I put the car into gear and take a moment to capture her features. Darcie’s full lips are parted slightly while she is taking deep breaths in and out, completely relaxed. I love to watch her sleep. I’ve been doing it for years, but this is the first time my eyes are looking at the woman I love. My love for her reminds me she is worth every penny I have to pay to keep her safe. I can never jeopardize her safety again. If her stepfather finds out what happened, he will surely take her away. I need to make it until June. Darcie will graduate, turn eighteen and will be completely free of him.
I climb out of the car and stretch my weary body. Opening the passenger door, I reach in and lift Darcie into my arms. Still sleeping, she rotates her body toward mine, placing her cheek on my chest. She lets out a deep sigh and falls limp once again into my arms. I carry Darcie into herroom as quietly as I can—trying not to disturb Presley—and lay her in bed. I reach over, pulling the covers on top of her. Kneeling down, I bring my face close to hers and kiss the bruise forming across her porcelain cheek.
When I had looked up from the cash regi
ster and seen that asshole choking her, I had jumped over the bar and practically ran to her side. I wanted to kill him. It wouldn’t have been the first time I had killed someone to protect those I love. It would’ve been easy to break his arm when I ripped it from her neck. If we were anywhere else, I probably would have, too.
Brushing pieces of hair from her face, I whisper, “I love you, Darcie Claiborne. I promise I will never let anyone hurt you again, including myself.” I kiss her cheek one last time, reliving the intimate moments we shared in the moments before we came home. It’s our last kiss and no matter what happens to us, I will never regret it.
Darcie ~Age 15
I’ve been staying with my new family for a year and, so far, it’s been pretty good. At first, I was petrified to close my eyes at night, knowing the nightmares would invade and Robert is all that would consume me. It was the smell of his fat cigars, the feel of the razor blade cutting into my skin, and the sound of his evil laugh as he tormented me night after night, causing my unconscious to drift back into the pits of hell. Once the darkness starts to take me over, my knight rescues me from nowhere. He picks me up in his arms and it’s when I lock eyes with the color blue and inhale the smell of salvation that I’m instantly ripped from hell and back to the solace I’ve had for the last year.
The strangest experience so far is going to school. The boys tried to prepare me for what I was in for, but it was nothing like they said. Apparently, you can only speak to people who live on the same side of the tracks as you. Day one, I found out I live on the Southside which is the wrong side.
My newly acquired fighting skills did not help matters any. Shortly after I moved in, the guys took me into the garage and taught me how to fight. Reggie was my coach and Jake was my opponent. It was scary at first, but now, I love slamming my fists into the heavy bag and Jake’s gut. Now, it’s an outlet for all the pent up rage I accumulated from my experiences in Satan’s Mansion. I want to unload it on anyone who crosses my path. Reggie says, not only have I inherited Jakes eagerness for fighting, but I’ve also inherited his mouth. The blunt foulness that comes spewing from me is liberating. I can finally tell people how I feel and won’t get beaten for it. For the first time, I feel like this is how I’m really supposed to be.
I did make a friend, Vanessa Baker. She’s kind of loud and always talks about boys and what she wants to do with them. I find the whole thing repulsive. She’s been begging me to talk to Jake for her and she acts completely ridiculous when Reggie walks in from the garage after working out. I mean, really? It’s a guy without a shirt, what’s the big damn deal? I tend to look the other way whenever Reggie walks around shirtless, unsure what the protocol is for looking at a guy naked from the waist up. I don’t know if it’s considered perverted, but seriously, it’s no reason to alert the media.
Other than going to school and hanging out with Vanessa, I spend time in the garage with Jeremy and Reggie, learning about cars. According to Reggie, he will only own a classic muscle car and his tastes have definitely rubbed off on the rest of us. The first time I rode in Reggie’s 1980 Camaro, my skin tingled as the motor vibrated the seat. He takes me for drives out of town to places where we can speed on the open road. Accelerating, easily, going faster than ninety miles per hour at some points; it is exhilarating.
All the boys like working on cars, but Jeremy and Reggie are obsessed with it. They spend hours talking, working on, or driving cars. Lately, they’ve been getting Jeremy’s 1967 Mustang ready for this Sulfur Heights underground drag racing circuit. This will be his first year participating and Reggie is beaming with pride. He’s been too busy trying to get his bar up and running, so he decided not to enter the races this summer. I’m really excited to see what a drag race is and maybe someday I can drive myself.
Chapter 9
Darcie
“Did you see her face?”
I lift my throbbing head up off the pillow and draw back the covers. Am I dreaming or did I hear shouting? “Did you see what that asshole did to her? Take a good look at her neck!” Yep, I definitely hear shouting and, from the sound of it, Reggie is on a war path this morning.
Looking around, I try to remember how I got in my bed. The last thing I remember is my make-out session with Reggie in the storage room. My face heats when I recall his expert lips devouring mine. Oh God, the feel of his body pressed against intimate parts of my body makes tingling grow beneath my skin.
I take my hand and begin to explore the feeling. Eyes closed tight, I inch my hand from my side through the barrier of my jeans. I roll to my side and feel Presley pushed up against me. My eyes shoot open. Holy fuck! I can’t believe I was about to get friendly with myself and she’s been lying here this entire time. Luckily, she’s incapacitated in a somber sleep.
Trying not to disturb her, I move off my bed and glance down. I’m still wearing the clothes from the night before. I take a glimpse at my appearance in the mirror and see small, purplish-blue bruises down my neck. My cheek is tender to the touch and only a faint blue mark remains from where I was slapped. My hair is disheveled, barely contained in its once elegant braid, and black mascara is streaked under my eyes. I rub my hands over my face and stretch my sluggish body. My door is open partially when I make my move down the hall to see what all the commotion is about.
I stand at the edge of the hallway, getting a glimpse into the kitchen where Reggie is leaning against the counter. His arms folded tightly across his chest. His body is tense and steel blue eyes are releasing lethal glares at Jake, Jeremy and Drake who are hovering around in the kitchen.
Reggie closes his eyes; I’m assuming in an attempt to calm his nerves down. Using a less angry tone of voice, he says, “Someone needs to explain to me what happened.”
Jake takes a deep breath and recounts the night’s events. He talks about the man accusing him of cheating, punching him in the face and my interference. “Why didn’t you come and get me? You know I would’ve thrown those assholes out!” Reggie’s face is red with anger again as he points an accusatory finger at Jake. “There’s no excuse for what happened to her last night. You all know what I’ve gone through to keep her here with us and—”
“Stop it, Reggie…it’s not his fault!” I shout. He shouldn’t be blaming Jake for my actions. Reggie’s eyes snap up to mine and I can see the blood draining away from his face. I’m not sure if his reaction is from our storage room make-out session or to my appearance the morning after, but he certainly looks in shock when he sees me.
I move my eyes over to Jake who is standing by the back door. He lowers his head and shakes it, pleading me with his eyes to shut up, but I can’t. “This isn’t Jake’s fault!” I gesture in his direction. “The guy insulted me and I punched him. No one knew he was going to completely rage out on me. I’m to blame for this, not Jake, or anyone. Just me. If you want to yell at someone, then yell at me!” My head is pounding as my temper flares.
Reggie’s massive frame charges over to me in two steps as he grabs a hold of my arms, holding them tightly. His face is incredibly close to mine, but not in the way I want it to be. His eyes are burning in anger and I’m getting nervous by his sudden charging temper. “You want me to yell…then fine, I’ll yell!” His breath is ragged and the vein in his forehead starts to protrude. “You keep promising me you’ll stay out of trouble. That you’ll stop fighting, right?” I nod my head in agreement as he continues, “But it’s a lost cause with you, Darcie! It doesn’t matter what I say, you always defy me. Then, last night…ugh… just forget it.” Reggie’s voice trails off like he’s trying to tell me something, but can’t find the words.
“Forget what, Reggie?” I inquire with a calmer tone.
“If he knew…what happened.” His face transforms from angry to sad in a matter of seconds. He releases an exasperated breath then slides his hands down my arms and to his side. With his voice no higher than a whisper, he says, “I can’t do this right now.”Then he storms off to his bedroom, slamming the door i
n the process.
I look over to the rest of the boys and they just bow their heads slowly, starting to exit the room. What am I missing here? What is Reggie so freaked out about? What are they all hiding from me? The questions start to circle my brain as I make my way to my room, stopping at Reggie’s closed door. I knock, hoping he’ll open it and pull me in, kissing me the way he did last night.
He yanks open the door, angrily looking at me. He’s out of the clothes from last night and changed into a pair of gym shorts. Reggie’s masculine chest takes my breath away and I take a moment to study it. A small patch of light hair trails down between his hard pecks and another starts under his belly button, disappearing into his waistband. This man is unbelievable. I could go into cardiac arrest just from looking at him.
The blonde locks of his hair are restrained behind his head with an elastic band, and his hands are wrapped in his leather fighting gloves. I stand there, staring at him, pleading with my eyes for him to talk to me, but he doesn’t. Reggie pushes passed me and heads to the garage for a few rounds with the heavy bag. My heart twinges when the door closes and I’m left standing alone.
Chapter 10
Darcie
When I get back to my room, the lump in my bed where Presley slept is bare. I round the corner to the bathroom and see her opening a bottle of ibuprofen. She dumps the contents into her hand and swallows down four pills. Wateris dripping from her chin and I notice she does not look good this morning. Presley’s eyes are sunken in—large,dark circles pool underneath—and her olive skin is ashen white.
“Hung over this morning?” I ask with a little smile to my voice.
She doesn’t say anything. She is staring off into space. She doesn’t even recognize that I’m in her presence. I have a horrible feeling something is wrong with her. Her face is wrenched and she looks like she is in extreme pain as she rubs her neck. Tears have stricken her eyes, starting to spill down her pasty cheeks. Presley’s frail body leans against the bathroom wall then slides down to the tile.
Scarred Love Page 6