G-RING: A Bad Boy College Romance

by Diana Gardin

  Noah shifts Naima like a rag doll, reaching into his pocket. My breath hitches as he pulls out a switchblade. It’s gleaming chrome handle gleams in the bright hotel lighting, and it’s like my eyes lock on that point. Every ounce of blood running through my veins turns to ice.

  I’ve never been scared of a weapon, because usually the people using them are cowards. Weak men who can’t win a fight without them.

  But this time, I’m terrified. Because Noah leans down and whispers something in Naima’s ear. She closes her eyes as he presses the knife against the skin I know for a fact is so damn soft, on her neck.

  “Get out,” he repeats, his voice deadly soft.

  There’s a crazed gleam in his eyes. There’s no way I’m leaving her alone with him, but what can I do?

  He’s got a knife pressed against her throat. My blank mind struggles to come up with something I can do to get Naima away from him.

  “Hey, hey…okay, Noah. I want you to look down at her right now. See how scared she is? You’re doing that, Noah. That what you want?”

  I’m struggling to keep the tremors out of my own voice. I’m sure he can hear the rapid-fire beating of my heart. My gaze is stuck to the sharp, precise weapon, the one that could do so much damage.

  Cops.

  Where are they? Should have been right behind me, and I texted Counts the room number when I got it. They should be here!

  Noah’s teeth grind together. I take another step back, when all I really want to do is rush forward, grab Naima, and hurt him.

  I change my tactic. Placing my hands on the back of my neck in obvious frustration, I take another step back and shake my head. Allowing my true emotions to shine through, the pleading in my voice is too real. “I can’t leave her, man. Understand that. I can’t just walk out of here.”

  BRRRRRRNG!

  The hotel phone rings, and the thick, tense air in the suite swirls around us as we all focus on the insistent noise.

  Noah whips back around to stare at me, suspicion mounting in his eyes.

  “What’d you do?” he growls.

  He keeps flipping back and forth between me and the phone, which continues to ring. The sound jars me, grating on my nerves while I try to concentrate on getting him to let Naima go.

  “Don’t know who that is, Noah.”

  He clutches Naima and waves the knife at me. His anxiety is only growing, which means so is mine. “You’re lying! You called the cops!”

  Naima takes a shuddering breath as his hand slips from her mouth. Her eyes flick toward me. “Noah, no…he wouldn’t. Th last thing Ace wants is the cops involved. We can talk about this…”

  The phone keeps screaming.

  I lift my voice to be heard over the ringing. “Noah. Whoever it is obviously wants to talk to you, man. Just answer the phone.”

  “Fuck!” Noah lets go of Naima for just a second, long enough to run an agitated hand through his short hair. It’s enough that her eyes widen, and for just a second I think it’s the only moment I’ll have to grab her.

  But then his hand is right back in place, circling her waist and holding her to him. She sags, desolation apparent in her dark, dark eyes.

  The phone doesn’t stop ringing.

  “Answer it Noah!” screams Naima.

  He yanks her with him toward the phone, and I have to watch as she’s dragged the ten feet to the bedside table. He picks it up, putting it to his ear and listening. His gaze is locked on mine.

  “I don’t want anything. Leave me alone.”

  Noah slams the phone back down in the cradle, and the silence in the room is oppressive. Heavy.

  “Noah…” Naima’s voice bleeds with her fear and worry. “What’s your dad going to think about this? Please let me go…turn yourself in. You come from a powerful family. You’re a promising college senior, and you haven’t done anything you can’t come back from. The men who worked for you did. You can still come out of this okay, Noah.”

  The fact that this is true pisses me off. Between the fact that he hasn’t actually killed anyone himself, and his father’s money and prestige, he might get off with a slap on the wrist.

  But not where I’m concerned. I’ll never forgive him for this.

  Holding my breath, I watch the emotions whirling on his face.

  A loud banging pounds the door, and three sets of eyes fly in that direction.

  “Police! Exit the suite with your hands up!”

  None of us moves. My eyes are on Naima, her eyes are on me, and Noah’s eyes are glued to the hotel room door.

  “It’s now or never, Noah.” I keep my voice low. “They’re not going to be patient. Give her to me. Let’s walk out the door.”

  But no matter how rational I am at this moment, Naima’s still at his mercy.

  Thirty

  NAIMA

  Even though there’s nothing Ace can do for me right now, his presence in the room has made all the difference. Before Noah pulled the knife, he whispered in my ear that he wouldn’t hurt me, that he needed to do it to get rid of Ace.

  I believed him.

  But it doesn’t mean I’m not terrified of what will happen if this situation gets any more strained. Tossing a glance toward Ace, I plead with him, using my eyes to get him to understand.

  “Ace…you can back up. I’m okay.”

  The pounding on the door resumes, the police still yelling out surrendering instructions to Noah.

  “There’s no scenario where that happens, baby,” says Ace firmly. “Not leaving you. Never.”

  “She’s not your baby!” yells Noah. “God! What the fuck is wrong with you? She doesn’t belong to you, Wells. She’s not even in your league!”

  Ace remains silent, his expression wary, his eyes locked on me.

  I can’t take this anymore. My muscles are burning from standing so rigid, my eyes are threatening to brim over with unshed tears. My brain is exhausted. Mentally, I’m done. One way or another, this ends.

  Now.

  I blink a couple of times, making sure Ace is with me. When his expression sharpens, his eyes hyper-focused on mine, I slowly begin to turn in Noah’s arms.

  “Ny.” There’s a warning in Noah’s tone.

  The sharp, silver knife drags against my skin with the lightest pressure. I feel the slice, but Noah pulls it away from my skin too quick for me to become mortally wounded. His arms encircling me loosen their grip, giving me leeway to turn to face him completely.

  I place my hands on either side of his face, forcing his attention to my eyes.

  “Noah.” Keeping my voice soft and sweet, I give him a sad smile. “I hate how this has gone down. It’s just me and you here, okay? Forget about Ace.”

  “He’s not important.” Noah insists.

  Nodding my head, I go right along with him. “You’re right, he’s not. But if you and I are going to have a chance after this is all over, you have to walk out that door with me. I’ll hold your hand, okay? You didn’t hurt me. I know you wouldn’t. I’ll tell them that.”

  His expression is fierce and focused on me. It’s like he’s forgotten Ace is even in the room, just like I asked him to.

  “I’m in so much trouble, Ny.” He says softly, and my heart rips.

  But then I remember all the manipulative things he did. Scaring me in Bryn’s backyard, planting the body in The Corner…all of that was done with methodic calculation. He might be scared now, but then? Then he was in control.

  At least he thought he was.

  My resolve sharpens. “Yeah, Noah. But it’s nothing you can’t come back from. I’m with you.”

  “You’re…with me?” Cocking his head to the side, he studies my face, searching for any sign that I’m giving him a line.

  Still holding his face in my hands, I nod. “I’m with—”

  There’s an earsplitting crash as the hotel room door splits open. Something rolls inside, and it’s all happening so fast I can’t think. Ace yells at me to get down, I think, but my eyes are o
n the little canister as it rolls to a stop near Noah and me.

  Then the canister explodes with a blinding flash of light, and I’m being shoved to the ground with Ac’s hard body cradling me against the fall.

  Feet pound into the room, a voice telling us all to get down on the ground, but it’s pointless because we already are. Ace’s hands cradle my face as he asks me repeatedly if I’m okay.

  Every muscle I have sags, relaxes, as the tension siphons from my body.

  It’s over.

  Thirty-One

  ACE

  I thought that as soon as I had the chance to get my hands on Noah, as soon as I had the opportunity to wrap them around his throat and squeeze the life right out of him, that I’d never be able to stop. That’s how bad I wanted to hurt him.

  To more than hurt him.

  A few months ago? Hell, maybe even a few weeks ago, I would have. It’s a testament to how much I’ve changed, transformed, evolved just because Naima stepped into my life.

  I did a lot of hard work in counseling after I graduated from high school, but having her by my side gives me another reason to control my temper.

  As the cops stormed in, and I had him down on the ground beside me, all I could think about was Naima. I just needed to get to her.

  I needed to feel her in my arms.

  During that whole ordeal, I never once thought about my safety. I just wanted to make sure she made it out of that hotel room in one piece. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn’t exactly afraid of Noah, more of the situation itself.

  But I was fucking terrified.

  When I finally break through the commotion swimming around the hotel room, I search her out. I’m like a bloodhound sniffing for something lost, and Naima’s my end game.

  I find her sitting in the back of an ambulance, being tended to by a paramedic outside, just off of the main hotel entrance. All my breath escapes at once, and the second I see her our eyes lock.

  Crossing to her, I take her face in my hands, inspecting her while I stare into her eyes. “You okay?”

  She nods, and then immediately winces. I glance down, seeing the large butterfly bandage on the side of her throat.

  “He cut you!” I’m outraged, pissed beyond belief. “I’ll kill him, I swear to God.”

  Her small hands cover my wrists and she leans her forehead against mine. “No. You’ll stay right here with me. I don’t want to take my eyes off you.”

  Pulling back, I shake my head. “Not gonna happen. Now that I have you, I’m not letting anybody keep us apart.”

  Her expression turns wistful. “Promise?”

  “Mr. Wells.”

  The voice comes from behind me, and I turn back toward the hotel to face Detective Monahan. He runs a hand through his thick hair, and even though he looks tired the expression on his face is satisfied. “You managed to fulfill your end of our deal, even if it didn’t happen the way we expected.”

  I’m momentarily distracted when a sight behind him catches my eye. Noah, being led from the hotel in handcuffs. He’s placed into the backseat of a police cruiser, and our eyes meet the second before the door is closed. His expression is full of resignation and resentment.

  But now I’m the one who’s satisfied.

  I tilt my chin in the direction of the cruiser. “So you’ve got everything you need?”

  His lips thin in what I guess is the closest thing he has to a smile. “You were very helpful, Mr. Wells. Our deal stands. Immunity. But…” He dips his head, meeting my gaze full-on. “You and I are going to stay in touch. I want to know how your life is going. I don’t want to see you making the same mistakes. I have a feeling you’re better than your circumstances.”

  Feeling solemn and grateful, I nod. “I have the same feeling.”

  EPILOGUE

  NAIMA

  Six Months Later

  My grin threatens to split my face as I leap into Ace’s arms. He catches me, easily, stepping back to brace himself against the Harley as my legs wrap tightly around his waist. We’re eye level, and his gaze warms me.

  “Hi.” My voice is a little breathless as I press my lips to his.

  The kiss is everything. It always is with Ace. Blazing heat curls through me as he parts my lips with his tongue. I sigh into his mouth and our tongues dance, tangling in a languid duet. His hold tightens on me, and my thighs squeeze just a little harder.

  When he pulls away from me, his eyes are aflame. “You keep that up, we won’t make it to your parents’ house for that graduation party.”

  Sighing, I nod. “I already can’t wait until this night is over. Tomorrow, you and I are on the road to Nashville. New city, new life together.”

  Ace’s smirk makes my stomach flip-flop. “Me, too, angel.”

  At the top of my parents’ long and winding driveway, Ace and I stare up at the mansion I grew up in. My cap and gown are draped over one arm, and I clasp his hand in mine as we trudge up the stone steps.

  My father opens the door, and his smile for me is warm. For Ace, its begrudging at best, but he does reach out to shake his hand.

  “Welcome back to our home, Ace.” His Moroccan accent is thick, his hair the same color as mine but graying at the temples.

  He envelopes me in a hug. “Congratulations my dear. Seeing you walk across that staeg was the highlight of your mother and my—”

  A squeal erupts from inside the house, and Ace and I glance at one another.

  “Get out of the way, Karim, and let my graduate daughter into the house. Ace, hello!” My mother, Rania, ushers us inside, wearing her traditional plum-colored kaftan.

  I grab Ace’s hand and lead him through the house. In the backyard, Bryn and Jaxon, along with several of my favorite sorority sisters and Rose are waiting for us in the backyard. The party is in full swing, it just took Ace and I a little longer than everyone else to get here.

  A white tent is set up to block the late afternoon sun’s glare, and traditional Moroccan food is being served by servers from a professional chef. Delicious smells are wafting over the grounds, and I sigh with happiness.

  Before everything happened with Noah and the G-Ring, I felt a certain kind of way about my childhood home, my culture, my life. I felt wrapped in chains. But since everything happened months ago, my perspective has shifted.

  My parents were ready to sit down with me and listen to all of the thoughts that have weighed so heavily on me for so long. Since then, they’ve been more present in my life, more supportive of my dreams and ambitions.

  Ace leans over, his lips landing on the soft spot at my temple. “Happy?”

  I smile up at him. “Very. Six months ago, I never thought I could get here. In a healthy place with my parents, them accepting my choices. I think a lot of that has to do with what happened with Noah and I think more of it has to do with you coming into my life.”

  He leans over and kisses me on the lips, this kiss sweet and lingering. “You’ve changed me, too. You might be gearing up to start your record label in Nashville, but we’re a team. You and I are in this together, baby. You know hat, right? The degree I’m getting can only help us, and I want to take over the world with you.”

  My smile grows. “Let’s start the city of Nashville.”

  Ace has been working on a business degree, one that he’ll finish up in the next couple of years in Nashville. We fully intend to run the record label together, and with his savvy business skills and my passion for music, I have no doubt that we can start an empire.

  On our own terms.

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  Through Christ I can do all things, and I’m always mindful and thankful for the talent provided to me by Jesus.

  To my kiddos, Carrington and Raleigh-thank you for your patience every single time Mom needs to write, edit, and promote. You’re my everything, and it’s all for you.

  To my agent, Stacey Donaghy- thank you for everything you do. You’ve become more than an agent over the
years…you’re now someone I can call a true friend.

  To my best friends in this business, Kate Mary and Sybil Bartel. It’s amazing to have two talented writers I can share the ups and downs with, and I couldn’t ask for better besties than the two of you. Keep those late night texts and messages coming, this bond is everything!

  To all the writers in this wide arena who give me advice, support, and motivation-thank you. You are all my role models and my encouragement, and I couldn’t do it without you!

  To my Dolls-you’re the best reader group a girl could ever ask for. Let’s keep it going strong in the year to come!

  To the readers who find their way to Ace and Naima’s story-I hope you love them. I fell for this couple the second my mind started to form them, and I’m so very excited to share them with you. Also, I don’t think their story is quite finished.