by Jenika Snow
Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Jenika Snow
ISBN: 978-1-77130-432-0
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Cheryl Harper
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Two is always better than one.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
Ecstasy, Colorado, 1
Jenika Snow
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
“Come on, Jane.” Trevor Lane ran his hands over her chest and cupped her breasts. He reeked of alcohol, and she knew she should have never gotten in the car with him. He had been fine when they left the restaurant, but when he started drinking Jack Daniel’s right out of the bottle and maneuvering the car with one hand, she knew this had been a horrible idea. Not only was he basically mauling her, he was piss-ass drunk.
“Trevor, stop.” His kisses were slobbery and all over the place. Her neck felt slimy, and her heart was pounding hard behind her ribs from anxiety.
“Jane, quit being a cock tease. I know you ain’t no virgin, baby.”
If she could have pushed him away in the small interior of the car to slap his fucking face, she would have, but he was pressing her against the passenger-side door and making any movement impossible. “Get off, Trevor. Now.” Whether she was a virgin or not didn’t make a difference. “I’m ready to go home.” That made him stop. He looked at her with a glossy expression only drunks get.
“You what?” He looked genuinely surprised by her demand.
“I said I want to go home. You’re drunk, and I’m not having sex with you.” She adjusted her top that he had almost ripped off her body. “In fact, give me your keys. I’m not letting you drive in your condition.”
A beat of silence passed between them before he answered, “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” The venom in his voice shocked her, and she stopped adjusting her clothing to stare at him. “You strut around like you want to jump on my cock, and now you’re denying me?” His anger filled the car, and Jane started to feel the tendrils of fear taking hold. “I buy you a nice dinner and play nice, and you’re going to sit there and tell me you want to fucking go home?” His rage was tangible and Jane made a move to get out of the car, but his big hand landed on her arm.
“I don’t think so, baby. You’re going to give me something for taking your ass out tonight.”
“Let go of me, Trevor.” She tried to sound hard but her voice came out as a whimper. His fingers curled around her bicep, digging into the muscle and causing a squeak of pain to come out of her. All of this was too familiar. She pictured her father coming after her mother as she tried to protect Jane from the wrath that was Charles Silver.
“I’m not letting go until you make my night a happy ending.” With his free hand, he reached for the button of his jeans and popped it free.
Oh, hell no. “You either let me go, or I’m calling the cops and having them drag your ass to jail.” Her words stopped him for a second before disgust curled his upper lip.
“Do you really think they will take your word over mine? You’re just the daughter of an asshole that skipped out of town. He was worthless just like you and your mother. Your family is nothing but trash.”
His words hurt, but not as much as his hand on her arm. She knew what she was, where she came from. Charles Silver had been nothing but a man that liked to beat up on his wife and daughter. He had skipped out of town, taking every last dime they had and leaving her and her mother to pick up the shattered pieces. She couldn’t say she wasn’t happy to see him go, but despite all the abuse, her mother was a broken woman. It was clear she had spent her whole life dependent on him, and it had taken Jane a lot of time and work to get her mother to be independent and have self-esteem. She wasn’t one hundred percent there, not even after several years of her father’s absence, but every day she was getting better. Jane was just happy he was out of their life. Jane and her mother Bridgette might not have a lot of money, but they were picking up the pieces of their lives. The town of Ecstasy, Colorado, might look down on them, but she knew as long as she had her mother, Rys, and William around, everything would be okay. They were the only three people in her life that mattered.
“I’m trash but good enough to fuck, huh?” She had been a fool to think anyone in this fucking shitty-ass town would see her as anything different. With her father’s reputation as a drunk and being poorer than dirt, she was considered the town white trash. She might not be a virgin, but sleeping with a boy from out of town who had been visiting his grandparents one summer when she was seventeen didn’t constitute her an easy lay.
“Honey, why do you think I took you to a restaurant outside of Ecstasy?”
Oh, she wasn’t a fool. She knew Trevor had purposefully driven out of their town, a town named Ecstasy of all things, because he didn’t want them to be seen together. Had she been so starved for male affection that she had resorted to going on pathetic dates with pricks? She supposed she was. The only men she had in her life were Rys and William, the Holden twins. They were her lifeline in her fucked-up life, and if not for them, she would have left a long time ago. But if she was being honest, she knew she wouldn’t have gone anywhere, not with her mom still here and refusing to leave the only home she had ever known. Anyone that her mother had called a friend had either left to pursue other things, or she had severed ties with because of her loyalty to Jane’s father. He had burned a lot of bridges in the years he had stuck around. He had gotten into enough fights, stolen enough merchandise, and treated others like shit on his shoes that anyone associated with him was automatically the same.
She pushed the door open and wrenched her arm out of Trevor’s ironclad grasp. Her flesh burned, and she had no doubt there would be a bruise. God, how she wished Rys and William were there with her. Just thinking about them made her feel better. She slammed the door of his prized Camaro and turned around to walk back into town. They were at least two miles outside of city limits, but she didn’t care. The cold air and time would give her the chance to think. She reached for her purse and realized she’d left it in Trevor’s car. When she turned back around, she saw he was driving toward her. He pulled up beside her and gave her the most disgusted look he could muster before tossing her purse out the window. He yelled, “Bitch!” as he sped away. Her purse lay in a puddle of muddy water. She quickly picked it up and prayed to the heavens the contents weren’t wet. Sending up a silent thank-you that everything was dry, she shook off her purse and started walking. The chilly air was unusual for this time of year, but it helped to clear her head.
The lights of Ecstasy came into view over an hour later, and she blew out a breath. Her feet and legs ached horribly. Her lungs burned, and all she could think about was going home, taking a nice soak in the tub, and putting this entire night behind her. Trevor would either keep his mouth shut about tonight or the whole town would know by tomorrow morning that she was a slut. Even though she hadn’t had sex with Trevor, she knew damn well he would make up whatever story he wanted, and everyone would believe him. Because of her father’s reputation, she was the black sheep in town.
The sound of a diesel engine behind her had her closing her eyes and praying it wasn’t who she thought it was. If it was, th
is night just got a whole lot shittier.
Chapter Two
“Is that Janey?” William leaned forward in the truck, trying to get a better look. Rys didn’t need to try to get a better look because he could spot Jane Silver anywhere.
“Yeah, that’s her. What the hell is she doing walking at this time of night?”
“I don’t know, but it looks like she’s coming from outside city limits.”
Rys had thought the same thing. William, his twin, ran a hand through his short hair. “Clearly something’s wrong, but what I don’t understand is why she didn’t call us. She’s smart enough to know it isn’t safe to walk alone at night.” He pulled the truck up beside her, and her whole body stiffened at his approach. He rolled his window down and waited for her to acknowledge them. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew it was them beside her because the fact that she was purposefully avoiding them made that abundantly clear. A red flag went off inside of him because there should be no reason she avoided him. Something had happened, and she was keeping it from them.
“Jane, stop and look at us.” His voice was raised so she could hear him over the rumbling of his diesel truck. She inhaled and exhaled deeply but did stop. It took her a minute to turn around, but when she did, he scanned her body up and down, checking for any injuries. Her eyes were big in her small, pale face, but other than the almost frightened look she was giving him, he didn’t see any injuries. Her slender throat worked as she swallowed. It was clear she wasn’t going to answer him right now, but she would. “Get in the truck, Jane.” It took her a moment but she finally nodded and made her way around the truck to the passenger side. William got out so she could slip into the center seat. When William was back in, Rys shifted the truck into gear and made his way through town.
“What’s wrong, Janey?” William’s voice was low, soothing. His twin might look identical to him, but they were two completely different people. He had always been the one to comfort her when she was upset or sad. William always knew how to make her smile, especially when all that shit was going on with her dad.
Rys didn’t say anything as William tried to get her to talk. It would only be a matter of time, though, because once again, his twin had the uncanny knack of drawing little Jane Silver out of her shell. Rys, on the other hand, knew he was too rough around the edges. He didn’t mean to be, especially with Jane, but he didn’t know how to be any different. Whereas William knew how to coax something out of someone, Rys just beat the shit out of him. Both of their tactics worked, but his left more of a lasting impression.
Rys turned onto Main Street and then made a right onto East Market. He passed the fire station and continued to head north until he was on the outskirts of town. Jane’s small house sat atop a hill. The only light on was the porch light. The house had missing shingles, broken shutters, and an all-around poverty stricken appearance. It was clear her mother had turned in for the night, and the very idea that Jane would have to go into a dark house didn’t sit right with him. He pulled into her driveway but immediately backed out.
“What are you doing?” Her voice seemed small, and he didn’t respond right away. He was going to find out what the hell happened. They had known each other their entire lives and had never kept a thing from one another.
“I want to go get a drink.” He drove back into town and pulled into Rowdy’s. It was ten o’clock on a Saturday night which meant the night was just starting at their town’s local bar. His truck was too big to park in one of the spots up front, so he pulled it around to the side of the small brick building and shut it off. The three of them sat there in silence for a solid minute before Rys exhaled.
“Come on, Jane. I know you could probably use a drink too.” He looked over at her and saw her playing with a frayed piece of material along the hem of her skirt. A light on the outside of the building cast enough of a glow through the windshield that he could see her long shapely legs. Just seeing all that smooth, tanned flesh was causing his jeans to become uncomfortably tight. A glance at William proved his brother was watching him with a scowl on his face. Rys didn’t hide the fact that he wanted Jane more than he had ever wanted another female. At least, he didn’t hide it from William. There was no way in hell he would ever make a move on her, though. They had too much history together. She was their best friend, had tagged along with them since she was five years old. He had watched her grow into the beautiful woman sitting between him and his brother. He had realized he wanted her years ago, and when he admitted as much to William, the look on his brother’s face told him there was no way in hell anything could ever happen between them. Things would change and neither of them wanted that. She didn’t need another asshole going after her, and despite the fact that she wasn’t favored in town, every fucking guy that lived in Ecstasy wanted in Jane Silver’s panties. It was a known fact, even if she didn’t realize it.
He pushed the door open and reached for her hand at the same time William did. Rys scowled at his brother and silently commanded him to back the fuck off. Even though William had never admitted he wanted Jane, there was no doubt in Rys’s eyes that he did. Hell, he had seen William stare at her with this intense expression. He knew it was the same expression that crossed his face whenever he looked at her. At first he didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him, but after he told his brother he had feelings for Jane, the same emotions had washed across his twin’s face.
William let go of Jane’s hand with a huff and got out of the passenger side. Rys pulled on Jane’s hand until she was sliding across the driver’s seat. Her legs dangled over the side, and he instinctively placed his hands on her hips. She was tiny compared to him and William, and his hands nearly engulfed her entire waist. Keeping his composure, he watched as she kept her head lowered. He didn’t miss how she bit her lip, and it took everything inside of him not to groan at the sight. Did she even realize how fucking hot she was, that she drove men to their knees? Shaking his head, he helped her out of the truck and shut the door. They flanked her on instinct. They had always been the ones to protect her, always been the ones that made sure no one fucked with her. They couldn’t stop people from talking, but they sure as hell could make sure they didn’t harass her. Rys and William had beat enough asses over the years to make sure anyone and everyone knew that if they messed with Jane, they messed with the Holden twins.
****
Ever the proper gentleman, William held the door open for Jane. “Sweet Home Alabama” blasted through the jukebox in the far corner, and several people moved to the music on the makeshift dance floor. Rowdy’s was the only bar in town, so it was safe to say it was the hottest spot in town, not just on the weekends but when the sun went down too. The first thing Jane realized when she stepped onto the worn wooden floor was that half the town seemed to be crammed into the building. Smoke filled the intimate interior despite the smoking ban that had gone into effect in the state.
Jane never came to Rowdy’s alone, not when she got enough dirty looks and whispers behind her back in town. If Rys and William were with her, no one bothered her. Of course she knew the twins made sure she was safe and wrapped in bubble wrap, but they couldn’t protect her for the rest of her life. She didn’t want to be dependent on them like her mother had been her father. Jane would not rely on a man, even if those men were the two most important people in her life. She might still be here because of her mother, but she wanted out. She wanted to explore the world and leave behind the town of Ecstasy.
“Well, I’ll be damned. If it isn’t Jane Silver and the Holden boys.” Jane smiled at the voice that pierced through the music. Brooklyn Iverson, the owner of Rowdy’s, pushed through the thick throng of people and smiled down at her. She might not be very popular in their small town, but there were decent people in Ecstasy and Brooklyn was one of them.
He wrapped her in a one-armed embrace and kissed the top of her head. She knew if she did decide to come to Rowdy’s alone, Brooklyn would make sure no one bothered her, but she
wasn’t blind or deaf. People didn’t have to call her white trash to her face for her to know that was what they were thinking.
“Hey, man.” Brooklyn and Rys clapped hands together in the way men do and then William and Brooklyn did the same. “You guys thirsty?” Brooklyn gestured for them to follow him to the front of the bar. He slipped behind the scarred counter and grabbed two Sam Adams bottles for Rys and William. “What would you like, sweetheart?” Brooklyn handed the beers to the guys on either side of her.
“Just a beer, Brooklyn. Thanks.” He gave her the longneck and turned to help other customers.
“Come on, let’s find a table.” Rys grabbed her hand and gently steered her toward the corner and an empty table. She could feel William right behind her, his hand on the small of her back. She kept her head lowered because she knew damn well if she looked at any of these people, they would all have the same expression. Disgust. Even though she knew they didn’t speak out loud, she could hear their thoughts.
“Slut.”
“Whore.”
“She is such a bitch, sleeping with both of the Holden twins.”
She supposed their conclusions were to be expected. It wasn’t every day that a girl was best friends with two guys. She supposed it was only natural for them to assume the worst about their relationship. After years of denying there was any kind of sexual relationship between them, Jane and the guys just stopped worrying about it. Well, the guys did. It still bothered Jane, though.
For twenty of her twenty-five years of life, it had always been her, Rys, and William. From the first time she met them in kindergarten, she knew there was something different about the Holden twins. At first the guys had hated her. She could admit she was an irritating little girl who followed them around wherever they went. All it took was one five-year-old boy pulling her hair for Rys and William to come to her rescue. After that the three of them had been inseparable.