CW Boys- The Complete Series Box Set

by C. Shell

  Me: Why do you need a passport and when are you coming back to school?”

  I held the phone in the middle of the table where everyone could see it and waited for his response. It buzzed seconds later.

  Jimmie: Cammy has a big mouth

  “Are you fucking serious?” Cammy drops the bite of pizza she was eating and glares at the phone as if it was Jimmie himself.

  “Don’t take it personally.” I give her back a pat. “He’s just mad because he got caught.”

  Me: Don’t deflect. Answer my questions before I call Mom and tell her you’re skipping class.

  Jimmie: Dad said I might need one for work. He sometimes travels out of the country for big clients. I will be back in about thirty minutes. Don’t you dare call Mom!

  I take another bite of a french fry and glance at the guys for guidance. “Should I say more or leave it alone?”

  “See if he will tell you where he and David might travel to.”

  At Nate’s suggestion, I do just that.

  Me: Fine, my lips will stay sealed as long as you are back in time for soccer practice. Otherwise, I will sing like a canary. Where will you be traveling to? I might want in on that. Never been anywhere exciting.

  Jimmie: The Caribbean and maybe Europe.

  I groan and drop my head back as the others talk amongst themselves. Cammy doesn’t know that Dex, Nate, and I are targeting my father, and I want to keep it that way. She will always be my best friend. Despite the fact that Cammy is angry with Jimmie, I wonder where Cammy’s loyalties would lie should it come down to it.

  I’m relieved when the bell rings, indicating that lunch is over. I wait until Cammy is long gone before addressing the elephant in the room. “The Caribbean is a great place to hide money.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Dex says, moving to my right side so that I am walking between him and Nate.

  As we near my next class, I’m startled when Nate grips my upper arm and pulls me into an empty classroom. Hearing the distinctive click of the door closing, I twirl around to find Dex leaning against the only exit, his arms folded across his chest.

  “What is going on?” I ask, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. “We’re going to be late for class.”

  Nate props a hip against a desk and gives me a thin smile. His face looks far too severe for my liking. “Are you sure you want to go against your father?”

  I blink. “Where is this coming from?”

  “We wouldn’t blame you if you wanted out,” Dex interjects. “Plotting against a parent, even a shitty one, is a big deal. We have no problem doing this on our own.”

  I glance between the two of them instantly seeing where this is going. “Just stop,” I say, feeling as if a rock has settled in my stomach. “This was my idea, not yours. If anyone is going to put their neck on the line, then it’s going to be me. My brother needs me, he’s just too stupid to realize it.”

  “Okay,” they say in unison. “We’ve got your back just like we know you have ours.”

  “Okay,” I repeat, my eyes watering as I smile at them. And just because I suck at leaving good things alone, I have to go and say, “And when this is all over, the three of us need to talk. We need to figure out what we’re doing and what it all means.”

  “I thought—” Dex begins, but I cut him off not wanting to jump into this conversation until our heads are clear and we’ve had time to think on it for a while.

  “Later,” I say, making my point clear. “Now let’s get to class before we all end up in detention.”

  With that said, I walk back to my next class on shaky legs, trying to avoid looking at the guys so they can’t see the wobble of my chin or the mixed emotions written across my face.

  I have no doubt that the next few weeks will test our friendships, loyalty, and trust in each other.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Who in their right mind thinks that seafoam green and lilac purple are respectable wedding colors? Cindy, my dad’s fiancé obviously if the dress she sent me is any indication. Separately they are decent colors, but combined, they look like the stuff Peewee threw up last night after he ate one of Mom’s unicorn colored cookies.

  Sitting on my floor, I place my phone on speaker, so my hands are free to play fetch with Peewee. He’s gotten quite good at remembering to bring the ball back instead of just running off with it like he did in the beginning. I wish all males were this trainable.

  “If I’m not going to be in the wedding then why do I have to wear the dress? Since when does the bride get to decide what her guests wear?”

  “Addison, stop being difficult,” my father barks. “Cindy was nice enough to buy you a beautiful dress. The least you can do is wear it with a smile. It is her big day after all.”

  I roll my eyes and wrestle the squeaky toy away from Peewee before giving it another throw. “I never said I wouldn’t wear the dress. I just thought someone should be notified that the colors are hideous. I don’t know the ins and outs of being pregnant, but maybe all those extra hormones are messing with her eyesight.”

  “You know?” my father asks in surprise.

  I choke back a laugh thinking of how horrified his face must look. Glad to know he wasn’t trying to keep it a secret from me or anything. I lean back against my bed and let out a heavy sigh. “Yes Dad, I know about your love child.”

  “Addison Bethany,” my dad roars over the line, “you will not speak to me in that manner. You will show Cindy and your future sibling the respect they deserve. I thought your mother raised you better than that.”

  I take a breath and close my eyes to calm myself. It doesn’t work. I count to ten slowly. Still, it doesn’t work. My dad has no right to say anything negative about my mother. She was the one who has been there for us growing up. Kissing our boo-boos when we got hurt and reading to us when we went to bed. He’s out of line, and I tell him just that.

  “My mother did a wonderful job raising me. She is the most hardworking, thoughtful, beautiful, generous person you will ever find. You are lucky to have her in your life, and you would do well to remember that.”

  With that final food for thought, I abruptly end the call. It’s times like this that I wish I had a landline so that I could slam down the receiver for dramatic effect. Touching a button just doesn’t have the same result.

  “Was that Dad?” Jimmie’s voice startles me. I smile back at him, not wanting him to see how upset I really am.

  “Yeah, we were talking about the lovely dress Cindy sent me.” It’s so hard to say that with a straight face. What makes it worse than the color is the big bow attached to the back. It’s going to make my butt look huge, something I think she did on purpose.

  Jimmie steps into the room, making his steps light, so he doesn’t accidentally step on Peewee who has a penchant for chewing on Jimmie’s pant legs. My dog might be small, but what he is missing in height he makes up for it in audacity.

  “Do you have to be so rude? Cindy was trying to be nice. I’m sure it can’t be easy for her right now.”

  “Yes, I do have to be rude,” I bite back. “You seem to forget that Cindy was once Dad’s mistress. She isn’t some innocent woman he met after the divorce. Cindy has had Dad wrapped around her finger for as long as I can remember.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “Maybe,” I concede with a laugh. “I keep forgetting to ask whether or not you’ve told Mom about wanting to spend the summer in Texas.”

  Jimmie looks thoughtful as he runs a hand over his face. He also looks tired, as if he hasn’t been sleeping well. “Not yet. I thought she and I could talk after the wedding. I don’t want to load her down with too much all at once.”

  “Good call.” I stand, and push him out of my bedroom before heading downstairs to help Mom with dinner. By the time I make it to the first floor, I can make out other voices drifting in from the kitchen. My steps quicken, wondering what is going on.

  When I swing around the corner, I expect to s
ee the boys watching television or picking up something they left from the last time they were here. I never thought I would find Nate working a mixer or Dax holding the oven open for Mom as she placed a pot roast in to cook. Standing there with my mouth agape, my heart swells.

  My blood warms, and my heart beats strong and fast. “What are you doing here?”

  Dex chuckles. “We came over to see what you and Jimmie were up to and then your Mom so kindly invited us to stay for dinner.”

  “Oh good,” I say, moving to take a seat on a bar stool so I can get a good look at everything they are doing. “I don’t think she meant that you had to cook what you ate,” I laugh.

  “Addy,” my mom sighs in exasperation, “don’t you go picking on these boys. They are so sweet.”

  I bark a laugh. “Of course,” I say trying not to openly drool over how sexy they look nestled in the kitchen helping my mom, a woman who means the world to me. I wasn’t lying when I told my dad that he was lucky to have had her in his life. She’s remarkable.

  I hum my approval. “Sweet is exactly the word I was going for.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “You have your passport and drivers license? What about shoes, did you remember to pack heels for the wedding?”

  “Yes, mom,” I groan. “Stop worrying. We have everything we need. If we forgot something, I’m sure there will be a store nearby where we can replace it.”

  Dex and Nate have already gone inside, leaving Jimmie and me to deal with my weepy mom. You would think we were going away forever with the way she is carrying on.

  When she said she wanted to drive us to the airport, I didn’t know she would use the extra time to drill us on using manners and making us promise to sleep in our assigned rooms. I don’t know what she is expecting to happen, but for a moment I feared that she had found out about our plans to blackmail David.

  Now, that would be an interesting turn of events.

  “You’re right,” she agrees, blinking back a fresh set of tears. “I just want you both to have fun and enjoy yourselves. It’s been a long time since you’ve been to Texas.”

  “Not long enough,” I murmur under my breath. When Mom glares at me, I follow up my crass words with a beaming smile and tell her how much I love her.

  “Take care, Mom. We will be back in three days.”

  With a final wave, we are through the sliding door and heading down the busy corridor in search of the boys. My luggage is slowing me down; one of its wheels is acting wonky and not spinning nearly as fast as its counterparts. I’m already feeling frustrated, and this one little hinderance is making me want to scream and throw my bag—something that I am sure is frowned upon in such public and secured settings.

  I yank my bag into my arms, cursing it as if it were a living, breathing thing. Oddly, telling my luggage off makes me feel better. Even the headache I was starting to get has ebbed to a tolerable level.

  “What is wrong with you?” Jimmie is looking at me strangely. I guess he heard me scolding my bag.

  My chuckle is deep. “I don’t even know where to begin with that question.” That is a fact.

  The airport isn’t too busy making the lines for the security check short. After waiting behind an excited little girl traveling with her mommy on vacation, we check-in our bags and then search the area near our gate until we find Nate and Dex seated inside a small restaurant. Making our way inside the colorfully decorated Italian café, I take a spot next to Dex while Jimmie sits opposite me, next to Nate.

  “Did you already order?” Jimmie asks, grabbing us both a menu off the empty table behind us.

  Nate nods. “We don’t have much time until boarding, so I went ahead and got us a big pizza to share. Hope you’re in the mood for pepperoni.”

  “Always,” I say, putting away the menus and grabbing the nearest waitress so I can order a drink.

  “Can I help you?” She might be asking me the question, but her eyes are glued to the guys surrounding me. A flicker of annoyance slashes through me. You would think I’d be used to seeing all the attention they garner from the opposite sex, but I’m not. Not even a little bit.

  I wave my hands high in the air in a dramatic fashion until the girl finally gives me her attention. My resulting grin isn’t the least bit genuine. She looks me over from head to toe, taking in my cut-off shorts and faded band shirt with a wrinkle of her nose.

  “I need a lemonade, and my brother would like a sweet ice tea.” I peer to the side and smile at Dex while running a hand down his chest. “What about you, baby? Do you need anything else?”

  I can physically feel the girl stiffen beside me, and it makes my smile grown larger. My mature side knows that I just metaphorically peed on Dex’s leg, marking him as mine, which is wrong and inappropriate, but my childish side is doing a happy dance.

  The girl makes a disgruntled sound before marching off, her exit almost as theatrical as my little performance. Dex smiles back at me, deep dimples creasing his cheeks. “That was…” He shakes his head and gives a devilish smirk. “That was hot. And now thanks to you, I’m going to have to board the plane with a fucking hard-on.”

  “Seriously Dex?” Jimmie groans, uncomfortable with our topic of conversation. “What is going on with you two? I thought you were broken up?”

  Good question. And one I don’t have an honest answer to. I say the one thing that I know will keep him from digging further into my complicated love life. “It’s my period. My hormones are jacked up and causing me to act out. Sorry.”

  It’s a lie, but it’s a good one, especially when the guys start twisting and fidgeting in their seats, not knowing how to react to that bit of news. I can only shake my head and use the unnaturally quiet time to inspect the olive-green walls decorated with pictures of opera singers and baskets of fruit and old cheese. The décor is an odd assortment making the room look eclectic and outdated.

  The drinks and food arrive soon after by a different waitress, one that doesn’t have the same gawking affliction the other suffered from. It’s every man for himself when the pizza is placed on the table. I reach my arm under Dex’s aiming for two extra cheesy slices and come up empty when Nate snatches them out from under me.

  “Sneaky bastard,” I grumbled, taking the next available slices. Eating with them is the equivalent to having dinner with a bunch of animals.

  “You snooze you lose,” he shoots back, his eyes alight with mirth. With his eyes locked on mine, he picks up one of his pizza slices and moans around a big bite, making it sound as yummy as it looks.

  I laughed and nod to Nate. “You go right ahead and enjoy your win while it lasts. Paybacks are a bitch.”

  “I’ll give you my second slice,” he teases, “but what will you give me in return?”

  The smile that lifts my lips is sinful. “Well,” I hedge, running a finger over my bottom lip. I catch sight of my brother out of the corner of my eye, and my playful answer dies on my tongue. Jimmie’s brows are scrunched in confusion…or is that disbelief?

  My cheeks heat in embarrassment. I don’t know how I forgot that Jimmie was at the table. I stare down at my pizza too ashamed to look at any of them. When it’s just the three of us, it's easy to forget how complicated our situation is. Throw in my brother and a public setting, and I’m out of my element, stumbling over my words and drowning in my own humiliation.

  “Are you going to blame that shit on your period too?” Jimmie’s clipped tone stings like a thousand bull needles.

  A growl penetrates the air, and I can’t discern who it’s from. Then Nate speaks, his voice a deep rumble. “Watch yourself, Jimmie. You aren’t in any place to be casting stones,” he says, very severely.

  I make a face, not knowing precisely what Nate is referring to. Then again, I don’t think I want to know. Jimmie and I might be twins, but that doesn’t mean we should know everything about one another. Sexual preferences and sex, in general, is a line never to be crossed. I shudder just thinking about it.

&n
bsp; Jimmie glances around the table studying each of our faces as if he can pick apart out deepest secrets. “So, what are you saying?” He’s angry, and I hate that I had a hand in that. Hard hazel eyes study me before shifting away as if I’m of no consequence.

  “Are you both messing around with my sister?” Jimmie demands.

  All sets of eyes land on me and I feel so very exposed. There is nothing leashed about the violence in the air. I open my mouth, ready to deny it and offer up any explanation that will get me out of this predicament, but nothing comes out. My desires are complicated and anything but straightforward. A month ago, I would adamantly say no way, but today…today I am pleading the fifth. The speaker comes to life proclaiming that our gate number is ready for boarding, saving me from further humiliation.

  The breath whooshes out of me. “That’s our gate,” I announce, my voice coming out high-pitched. “We should get going, otherwise we won’t get good spots in the overhead compartment to store our carry-on bags.”

  Jimmie gives me saddened smile, looking so much like my father that it makes my heart ache. I didn’t agree with his assumptions, but I didn’t bother denying them either. My throat goes tight. As always, he sees right through me.

  We move down the corridor toward our destination, but not before Jimmie has the last word. “You’re playing with fire, sister. I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Do I?

  Not hardly, but I’ve never shied away from a challenge, and I don’t intend to start now.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The sweltering Texas heat beats down on me the moment we exit the airport. Living in Florida, I’m used to hot weather, but the humidity here makes the air feel more cumbersome and less friendly than it is back home.

  The plane ride wasn’t too bad, although I did feel as if I was stuffed into a tin can with wings. The flight was overbooked which caused a lot of undue stress and delayed us from leaving by about an hour. After tense negotiations, it ended with one little girl crying over not getting to see the Alamo and her mom walking away with a handbag full of travel vouchers.