by C. Shell
After pulling him off her, I gave in to my primal desires and hammered my fists into Nicholas over and over. It took both Jimmie and Nate to pull me off him. Seeing his face pummeled was satisfying, but it's not enough. He deserves more, and so does that bitch step-sister of his. When the time is right, I will destroy them both. That bitch will get what's coming to her.
Whenever I close my eyes, I see it all over again. Those dark feelings come rushing back, only stronger. It’s eating me alive and I don’t know how longer I can fight it back. Hearing Addy’s voice brings me out of my head.
“So, what happens now?” she asks.
This is where everything gets messy. I want to tell her that everything works out and we will get our happily ever after, but I know it's all a lie. Our hell is just beginning.
“The police have Nicholas in custody, but his attorney is already working on a deal. His family has connections and he could get anywhere from a lesser sentence to time served.”
The quake in her voice strokes my fury. “How is that possible?”
“The moment the cuffs were on the jackass wouldn’t stop talking. He’s footing all the blame on Lacey and playing the innocent party who was only doing her bidding. She supplied the drugs and the plan and he’s willing to say that on record. The DEA will probably offer him a deal in exchange for his testimony against her in court.”
I can practically see the wheels turning in that smart head of hers. “What about my car being vandalized and all that shit that happened at school? Is there any way to prove she did those things too?”
“Maybe,” I admit. If I could spare her the hurt I’m about to dump on her I would, but she needs to know that not everyone around her has her best interest at heart. It’s a shitty lesson, but it's best she learn it now then later down the line. “Someone has come forward with information that can be used to pin Lacey with all the shit that happened at school. Destroying your car will possibly be the only thing she gets away with.”
Her voice is quiet when she speaks. “Who?”
“I tried to warn you about him, but you're so damn stubborn. I’ll give him credit on being sneaky, but a snake always shows its true colors eventually.”
Irritation leaks from her words. Jelly Bean is getting feisty and damn if that doesn’t make my dick hard. “Stop being cryptic and just spit it out. Who is the mystery manipulator that screwed me over.”
I heave an agitated breath. “Your best pal, Daniel Leamon. He’s the little fucker that hacked into the school newspaper blog for Lacey. He gave her everything she needed to try and ruin your reputation.” I shift her closer to me when I feel her body begin to shake. “Of course, he is also the motherfucker who introduced you to Nicholas per Lacey’s request.”
“Is this your way of saying I told you so?”
“Not in a million years, babe,” I answer on a dry laugh. “But the next time I tell you someone is scum, I hope you accept my opinion and not fight me on it.”
Sometimes when she looks at me the way she is now, the air between us seems charged. “I’ll take it into advisory, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on it.”
Chapter Twenty- Four
Addison
My friend Daniel?
A monkey could walk in my room right now and slap me, and I wouldn’t be as shocked as I am at hearing that Daniel betrayed me. I can’t wrap my head around it. Daniel is the only guy I’ve ever trusted besides the CW Boys. It’s like I’ve fallen into an alternate universe where everything is backward, upside-down, and turned inside-out. I bow my head as I try to hold back the tears threatening to unleash.
My head cocks to the side as I glance over at Dex. I push myself to speak over the emotions clogging my throat. “He was my friend. One of my best friends. Why would he do that to me?”
He shrugs. “People do crazy things in the name of love. I told you before that he wasn’t right in the head. The guy has had a hard-on for you for as long as I can remember.”
My face falls. Nothing makes sense to me and the harder I try to piece it all together, the more my head hurts. I’ve got to be missing some vital parts to this puzzle. It’s like I’ve got all the outer edges in place, but the entire middle part is mislaid. Sighing, I give Dex a tired look. “Explain it to me again. Something’s not right.”
“Daniel showed up shortly after the police and ambulance arrived at Nicholas’ house. When he saw them carry you out on the stretcher, he mistook you being passed out for something more and started crying like a baby. Before we could tell him that you were okay, he had flagged down a cop and was confessing his sins.”
“I never thought he had it in him to hurt me.”
Dex cleared his throat. “Desperate people will do desperate things. He was trying to put a wedge between us. People on the outside don’t understand the bond we have. Lacey had him believing that if she fucked with you enough, you would blame the CW Boys for all your problems and be done with us. Daniel thought he could swoop in and be the shoulder you cried on. Daniel was just another puppet Lacey manipulated into doing her dirty work.”
My sadness morphs into anger. Destruction, pain, sleepless nights, and a broken friendship—all over a stupid cunt who got her feelings hurt when she lost her favorite toy to play with.
“Where do we go from here?”
Dex leans back further into my bed and I tuck myself into the crook of his arm. With all the craziness going on, I can’t think of a better place to be. “We have to be patient and see what happens with the court system. The police will be here soon to ask you a butt load of questions. Knowing Lacey’s dad, he will call in some big shot lawyer to twist everyone’s words around until we’re all so confused we can’t think straight. Then he’ll flash enough money around until he gets his spawn off with only a slap on the wrists.”
I turn in his arms, eyes wide with worry. “You think that could happen? After everything that’s happened?”
Dex leans in, his low voice raking across my skin. “I’m counting on it. It’s the only way I’ll get my chance to teach them both a lesson.”
I swallow hard. “And what lesson is that?”
“You don’t mess with the CW Boys. Jelly Bean, that includes you. I’ve told you before, and I’ll keep saying it until you understand that you’re a part of us. Without you, we’re nothing. You make us whole.”
I curl further into his embrace and allow him to hold me. Despite all the chaos that has unfolded, I feel safe and content. With his fingers stroking my arm, my stomach flips, and my body warms. I close my eyes and let out a content sigh.
I’m right where I belong.
CW Boys: Starting Over (Book Two)
C. Shell
Copyright C. Shell 2017
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. IF you are reading this book and didn't purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the author and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance between persons living and dead, establishments, events, or location is entirely coincidental.
Chapter One
Addison
“Who do you have left to buy for on your Christmas list?”
Pulling the little, crinkled sheet of paper from my purse, I survey the names not already marked off. “I still need to find something for Jimmie, pick up the antique pocket watch I bought for my dad at Elenor’s fine watches on Beach St., and grab Nate something small to go along with the photo I had framed from his last soccer game.”
“That was a great picture you took of him. You captured all his fine qualities as he blocked that corner kick by the other team.”
“You don’t th
ink it’s a cheesy gift?” I ask with a frown. “I love it, but I’m biased. Even after the expensive frame I bought for it, I’m nervous that it won’t be enough.”
Cam clucks her tongue at me. “The photo is hot as hell. You caught him in a prime position that makes him look like a bonafide professional soccer player. If anything, his ego will soar to heights unseen. It’ll make the other guys green with envy.”
“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I can do without all that. I just want to make this Christmas memorable. One so amazing, that it pushes away all the negative thoughts and bad publicity that has been plaguing us since the beach incident.”
I’m majorly downplaying what happened to me by calling it an incident, but it’s easier to say that than to admit that I was drugged and almost raped. The feeling of Nicholas’ hands on me, of being unable to stop him, completely helpless to do anything but watch him undress me haunts my dreams. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve woken up crying, in a cold sweat, and pleading with him to stop. Mom wants me to talk with a counselor and Dex wants to beat Nicholas’ face in. Neither solution sounds appealing to me.
“This Christmas will be awesome. Between presents, lots of food, and our seven-day winter trip to Colorado, we’ll be so busy the guys won’t have time to fret over you.” She gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “It’ll be just like old times again, only better because the festering sexual tension between you and a certain rowdy blue-eyed hunk has finally been breached.”
Tilting my head to the side, I grin back at Cam. I want to believe every word out of her mouth. The last month has been hell, and not only because I’ve suffered to stand scrutiny from everyone in our small town who either wants to coddle me or treats me like I’m a prostitute and a liar. Dex is set on revenge, while Nate and my brother follow me around like well-trained guard dogs. It’s too much for a sane person to manage let alone one who has been through what I have. I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I just want to get on with my life and let the justice system do its job.
“That sounds like a good plan to me.” With the weight of the bags turning my hands into a pummeled mess, I shift everything around and give her a pleading look. “I can’t take anymore shopping today. My arms have turned to jelly and I think my bank account is in shock. Mind if we call it a day?”
“Seriously?”
Cam can whine and give me sad puppy eyes all she wants; it’s not going to change my mind. “Yep,” I answer with a roll of my eyes. “I’m ready to get out of here.”
With my shoulders held high, I wait for her to fight me. Her expressive eyes tell me how much she wants to stay and, for a very brief moment, I feel bad about pushing her and taking away her fun. Then the ache in my tired arms kicks up a gear, and my sympathy for her is gone in a flash. I’m shopped out for the day. My right fingers are starting to lose circulation due to the tight plastic handles encircling them. I watched her expression carefully and know the moment she gives in. I sag with relief.
“Fine, you win.” Her frown makes me want to laugh, but I hold it in. “Can we at least stop on the way home and pick up some burgers? And maybe a chocolate shake too. I’m starving.”
I can no longer hold in my laugh. “By all means, let's feed that beast you keep stowed away in that bottomless pit you call a stomach.” Looping my arms with hers, we begin the long walk back to where I parked the car. With a storm moving in from the ocean, the winds have picked up, making the air saltier than normal and harsh against my skin.
Cam glances at the ominous clouds moving in as she slides into the passenger seat. “Do you think we’ll be able to make it back home before the sky opens up and unleashes its fury?”
I click my seatbelt into place and look out my windshield. The storm's presence is already having a negative impact on the once busy walkways teeming with tourists shopping for the Christmas season. It’s dark enough now that the automated streetlights have come to life, their soft glow giving everything they touch a yellowish hue.
“It’s going to be a close call, but if we hurry and don’t catch any traffic on the way, then I think we stand a chance.” I give the dark clouds another good look and shrug my shoulders. “At least I hope we do. Otherwise, all these bags are staying in the car until it lets up. It’s hard enough to sneak gifts past the guys without having to worry about them getting wet and ruined in the process.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get on the road, and don’t forget to order me a shake when we stop for food. I want a chocolate one with extra whipped cream. And sprinkles, if they’ve got them,” she adds, giving me a toothy grin.
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be sure to get right on that,” I retort, then put the car in gear, tap the gas, and head out of the shopping center parking lot.
The drive to get fast food is short and after filling our bellies full of greasy burgers and fries we are back at my house, but not before the dark clouds have released their heavy burden. We get soaked from head to toe as we make a dash for the front door with our arms filled with shopping bags, making our leaps over large puddles clumsy and disastrous.
I take the stairs two at a time and when I reach the last step, the slick sole of my shoe loses traction, causing me to pitch forward and slide the last few feet to the entrance. I squeal with happiness when Jimmie swings the door open and saves me from crashing head-on into it. Bumping against his hard frame, I latch onto his shoulders and steady myself before he pushes me to the side so he can save Cammy who isn’t fairing nearly as well in the rain as I did.
She looks like a drowned rat with her makeup smeared down her face and her wet, long brown hair unfashionably plastered to her head. With her arms wrapped around my brother’s neck, he ceremoniously carries her into the foyer and places her back on her feet beside me. I bite back a laugh as I take her in, seeing as she’s sopping wet from head to toe. She reminds me of an Ewok.
The moment the thought enters my mind, a laugh bursts from my chest. Picturing Cammy as a short, hairy Ewok is too damn funny and the more I laugh, the happier I feel. I can’t remember the last time I’ve giggled this hard over something so silly. Since the incident, our lives have been filled with nothing but drama, guilt, and anger. I’ve forgotten how good it can feel to have a full belly laugh, and that’s sad.
Nicholas and his demented step-sister, Lacey, have taken too much from us. There are days that Dex is filled with so much hate and rage that I barely recognize him. He’s always gentle with me, even at times when I wish he wouldn’t be. I don’t want to be handled with kid gloves. I want things to go back to the way they used to be.
“Earth to Addy.” Jimmie’s voice draws me from my private thoughts. I glance up, and my cheeks heat with embarrassment when I notice how close he and Cammy are studying me. They’re concerned about me. I don’t blame them, but I’m so damn tired of being looked at like a science experiment gone wrong. Everyone gives me the same look, including my teachers and mom. I want to scream for it all to stop. But I never do. Their hearts are in the right place, even if they suck at acting normal around me. Everyone, except Nate that is. He’s the only one who treats me as if I won’t crack at any moment. He still gives me hell and tells me when I’m being a brat. It’s refreshing.
“Sorry,” I say, giving them each an apologetic smile. “Mind helping me get these bags upstairs so we can dry off?”
“Um, yeah, sure,” Jimmie answers, giving me, another hard look before stepping forward and relieving us of our packages. When he takes off upstairs, I tiptoe over to the laundry room and snag two towels from the fresh laundry basket and hand one over to Cam.
“Can you give me a hand with this?”
“You’re acting odder than usual. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
I work at soaking up all the water on the tile floor. “Nothing important,” I answer with a sigh. Standing, I nudge her shoulder with mine. “Can’t a girl have a laugh without the world coming to an end? Lighten up, Cam. Everything�
�s fine.”
Her wince is noticeable. “I’m sorry. I promised you a day without having to talk about the trial or the guys and I’m failing miserably. You should put me on friendship suspension or something drastic like that. I suck as a best friend.”
My eye roll is as dramatic as Cam’s personality. “I don’t think that kind of punishment fits the crime.”
Her eyes sparkle with mirth. “Then what do you suggest?”
I don’t even have to work at thinking up a punishment. I’ve got one in mind, and it happens to be the one thing I hate doing more than folding laundry—and I detest that chore. “You have to wrap all the presents. Yours and mine, both.” I place my arm around her shoulders and give it a tight squeeze. “And don’t forget to put a pretty ribbon on them all. No wrinkles either. They need to look festive and inviting.”
“The boys don’t give you enough credit,” she laughs. “You can be a downright evil bitch when you want to be.”
I grab my chest, acting as if her words have wounded me. “I learned from the best and you, my dear friend, were a fantastic teacher.”
Her chuckle turns into a full laugh, spurring on my own. When we’re finally able to contain ourselves, I motion to the stairs. “Let’s go change into some dry clothes before we catch a cold. You can borrow those pink sweatpants of mine you like so much and a T-shirt.”
We’re only a few feet from my door when I hear Jimmie’s voice floating from his room. His stereo is up so loud, I strain to hear his words, although the irritation in his tone comes through loud and clear. “You’ve got company. He’s been waiting here for over an hour and he isn’t happy with you. Not that I blame him.”
I huff out a harsh breath. “Seriously, Jimmie? I was only gone for a few hours. You act like I skipped out of the country or something.” I point to Cam, even though he can’t see me do it. “I wasn’t alone. Cam got to play babysitter for all of you.”