A college guy. A cute college guy. Although he did appear a little rough around the edges. “Hey.”
“You were right, Kara. She is hot.” Tyler lifted a bottle and drank.
“Sierra just moved here from Arizona,” Kara added.
“No shit. A buddy of mine is working construction down there.”
“Really? Is that what you’re going to school for?”
“Nope. I’m in auto mechanics.” He cocked his head and his brown-eyed gaze flicked over her, from her boots to her eyes. “I like things that go fast.”
Cheesy line, but he was obviously interested. She’d flirt. No harm in that.
Kara mouthed, “Later,” and ditched her.
“So, ah, Tyler, how’d you hear about the party?”
“Around.” He eyed her cup. “Whatcha drinkin’?”
“Beer. Why?”
He waggled a bottle of Jack Daniels. “I’m willing to share.”
“Yeah? What’s the catch?”
Tyler grinned. “Smart girl. Why don’t you do a couple shots with me and we’ll figure something out.”
“Sure.” Sierra drained her beer and tossed the cup aside. She snatched the bottle from him and drank. Somehow she withheld a shudder. Jesus. That stuff tasted like shit. The Crown XR her dad drank was way better.
He laughed and grabbed the bottle back. “Eager. I like that.” He tipped the bottle, somehow keeping his gaze on her chest while he guzzled. “I haven’t seen you here before.”
“Really? I was here last weekend.”
“I wasn’t. I had to work.”
“That sucks. It was a great party. Been a lot of great parties lately.”
“And you’ve been to all of them?”
She grinned. “Yep.”
“So you don’t got a job?”
“No.”
“Must be nice.” He knocked back another slug. “So if you ain’t workin’, what do you do for fun?”
“I’ve been stuck at home for a few months without wheels, so it’s been a long time since I’ve had any fun.”
“Then you’re in luck, ’cause I can think of a whole lotta ways we can have fun together tonight.” He passed the bottle back to her. “Drink up.”
Sierra held her breath and managed to swallow another mouthful. But she didn’t stop the shudder this time.
“Gets better by about the fifth shot. After that, you won’t know what you’re swallowing.”
Her warning bells went off. Especially when he wrapped his fingers in the necklace she wore and tugged. “I’ve been watching you all night.”
Crap.
“Heard some things about you. You’ve got a nice ass, pretty face too.” He kept putting pressure on her necklace chain, giving her no choice but to move closer to him.
Her brain warned her to tell him that he was choking her, even as she feared he was fully aware of what he was doing.
“Now. How about we talk about payment?”
Two shots in a row made her head spin.
Stupid, Sierra. What is wrong with you?
But she couldn’t make her legs or arms work.
“Wanna hear your options?”
No. I want you to let me go. “I could just pay you.”
“Nah. I’m wantin’ something else. Your money is no good.”
“But mine is. I figure she drank maybe five bucks worth of Jack.” A hand waved a five dollar bill between her face and Tyler’s. “So consider this payment in full.”
Boone.
Oh God, Boone was here. She didn’t know whether to be happy or embarrassed.
Tyler released her necklace. She sucked in a deep breath and snapped back against Boone’s chest.
But Tyler didn’t notice, he was too busy glaring at Boone. “What the fuck is your problem, West?”
“Don’t have one, Ty. Just watching out for my girl.” He tucked the folded bill in Tyler’s shirt pocket. “We square?”
Sierra remained frozen.
“You’re with her? Bullshit,” Tyler spat. “Kara didn’t say nothin’ to me about that.”
“That’s ’cause Kara doesn’t know. No one knows.” Boone dropped his arm over Sierra’s shoulder. “Our families would have a shit fit if they knew we were together.” Then Boone’s hot mouth teased the skin below her ear. “Right, sugar bear?”
He’d said the words loud enough for Tyler to hear. But her tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of her mouth.
“Don’t pull that silent treatment crap with me,” Boone warned Sierra testily. “Tell you what. You don’t get pissed off at me for bein’ late and I won’t get pissed off at you for drinking with another guy. ’Cause you know how jealous I get, baby.”
Tyler’s gaze moved between them. He looked ready to kill Boone. And maim her.
Boone twined his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back in a move that showed his displeasure she hadn’t answered him. Then he put his mouth on her ear and whispered, “For Christsake, Sierra, act like we’re together or Tyler will fuck me up, and then he’ll fuck you.”
That snapped her out of it. “Sorry, Boone. Don’t be mad.” Sierra turned her head and buried her face in his neck.
Boone sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. She’s a big fuckin’ cocktease when she’s been drinking.” He offered Tyler his hand. “No hard feelings?”
A beat passed before Tyler shook Boone’s hand. “You’re lucky you got here in time. Me’n her were about to have us a private party. You’d better keep a tighter leash on her. Most guys ain’t as understanding as me.”
“You got that right.” Boone curled his hand around her hip and squeezed. “Any bedrooms open so Sierra and I can…talk?”
Tyler laughed. Then he yelled, “Jimbo. Clear out my bedroom so these two can fuck and make up.”
His bedroom? Omigod. This was his house?
“Thanks, man.” Boone dropped his free hand to her ass and kept his arm around her neck, almost in a headlock as he maneuvered her through the crowd.
Sierra felt everyone staring at them, but she kept her gaze on her feet. Even that didn’t keep her from stumbling. She heard laughter and Boone’s grip tightened.
He steered her into a bedroom and slammed the door behind them.
The shots hit her the same time as the reality of the situation. She tripped over something on the floor and Boone caught her before she fell.
He pushed her against the door, bracing her shoulders, and got right in her face. “What the fuck were you doing?”
“I don’t know.”
“That is goddamn obvious, Sierra.”
She closed her eyes.
“Huh-uh. Look at me. Keep those eyes open because the room will start spinning and I don’t wanna deal with you being sick as well as being stupid.”
Stupid. She hated being called stupid. And it stung hearing it from him. “I’m not that drunk.” Sierra put her hands on his chest and shoved him as hard as she could.
Boone wasn’t expecting it and he stumbled back two steps.
“Leave me alone. I don’t need you to fucking babysit me, Boone.”
He clenched his hands into fists at his sides and stared at her. “What the hell do you think would’ve happened if I’d left you alone with Tyler Larkin?”
“I would’ve figured something out.”
“Before or after he fed you more booze, dragged you into his bedroom and raped you?”
“What?”
“Rape. Sex without consent,” he snarled. “Tyler doesn’t fucking care if you’re conscious.”
She felt sick. “And how do you know that?”
“Because he did it to a friend of mine. They were drinking and then the next thing she remembered was waking up with him on top of her.”
“Oh God.”
Then Boone was face to face with her again. “I told you to stay away from Kara. And I heard you’ve been here, at her brother Tyler’s house for the past two weekends.”
“I didn’t know it was his house.” S
he swallowed hard. “I didn’t know Tyler was her brother.”
His eyes turned hard. “You just showed up at some random person’s house and started drinking with strangers? Jesus. Sierra. You’re smarter than that. Why would you do that?”
“Because I’m fucking sick and tired of sitting at home by myself all the time, okay? No one in this godforsaken town wants anything to do with me. So when Kara and Angie asked me to hang out, I said yes. I thought maybe I’d meet other people.”
“You don’t want to meet the people they hang out with,” he snapped. “For Christsake, Tyler is twenty-three. He’s been in jail. The only people who are around him are his loser jailbird buddies and his sister’s high school friends who don’t have any other place to drink.”
“Then why are you here?” she demanded. “Are you one of his loser friends?”
“Fuck no. I showed up because I heard at school you were here last weekend.”
“Bull. I haven’t seen you in school for weeks, so I doubt you heard anything.”
“I only need one credit to graduate so I’m only there for one class in the morning, so yeah, I heard.”
“Why do you give a shit what I do anyway?”
“Because I also heard you’re some kind of party girl now.”
“So?”
“So you don’t need to head down this road again, Sierra. Making bad choices like you did in Arizona.”
Maybe he was right. But he had no idea how alone she felt. And it wasn’t like he called to check up on her like he’d said he might. He had no business judging her anyway. They weren’t anything to each other.
Closing her eyes, she slumped against the door. “You’ve done your good deed, protecting me from Tyler. Thank you. You’ve made it clear I’m a fucking idiot. So go away.”
“I’m just supposed to what? Leave you here?”
“I’ve got a car.”
Boone’s hands were on her arms. “You think you’re gonna drive after you’ve been drinking? Bullshit. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
She twisted out of his hold. “I wasn’t gonna leave right now, asshole. I’ll be sober enough to drive in a couple of hours. I’ll just hang out until then.”
“Listen to yourself. Do you really think Tyler will let you hang out? Especially after I convinced him that we’re together? What exactly do you think the people out there think we’re doing in here? Talking?” he half-sneered.
She opened her mouth to deny it, but Boone was right. “Fine. You can stay in here with me. That oughta add to your stud reputation. That you banged me for two solid hours.”
Boone blushed. Then he got pissed off. “Right. Because that’s all I give a shit about. My reputation as some kind of stud. Even if we stay in here, that doesn’t deal with the problem when we leave the bedroom.”
“Which is what?”
“We’ll have to act like we’re together at least a little while, so Tyler doesn’t track me down and beat the fuck out of me for pulling one over on him. That’s the kind of guy he is. Making him look stupid turns him psycho.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Dammit. This is the last thing I wanted.”
Meaning, I’m the last one you wanted to be tied to—in reality or even pretend.
“You know what, Boone? Fuck off. You don’t have to act so disgusted that people will think we’re together.”
Boone whirled around. “That’s what you think? That being with you would be an embarrassment to me? God. You are drunk.”
“Shut up.”
“Think about it. If we’re a couple at school the news will spread like wildfire through the McKay and West families.”
“Then we will have a very loud and public breakup on Monday morning. Or better yet, let’s have a big fight now. Want me to scream and storm out?”
“Jesus. I’m not doing this with you.” He gave her a once over. “Where’s your coat?”
“In the living room.”
“Do you have snow boots?”
“No.”
“Gloves?”
“Yes, I’m not a total idiot.”
Boone scowled at her. “Did you even check the weather before you went out tonight?”
She blinked at him.
“I take that as a no. The road conditions were shitty an hour ago. They’ve gotta be worse by now.”
“Did you ride your bike here?”
“No.”
“How’d you expect to get home?”
“How’d you expect to get home?” he countered. “Or did you tell your dad you were spending the night someplace?”
“No. My curfew is midnight.”
He glanced at his watch. “It’s only nine thirty. Give me your keys.”
“They’re in my coat.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “When we get out there, go ahead and act like you’re mad at me.”
“Won’t be an act,” she flashed her teeth at him.
Boone jammed his hands into her hair and messed it up. He popped the button on his jeans. Then he pulled her shirt down her arm, exposing her bra strap. “There. At least it looks like we’ve been going at it.”
Her head pounded and she just wanted to leave.
He held out his hand for hers and opened the door.
A few catcalls greeted them. She’d just slipped on her coat when Kara and Angie sidled up to her. “Omigod, Sierra. Why didn’t you tell us you were with Boone West?”
She looked at him, too tired to come up with something clever. “Because our families will freak out. So don’t tell anyone. Please.”
“It’s our secret. We promise.” They exchanged a conspiring look.
Sierra allowed Boone to tuck her against his side as they left the party.
Fierce winds smacked her in the face, stealing her breath, and she jerked away from Boone. Immediately vertigo hit; she swayed and fell on her ass.
Boone picked her up without comment. He shoved her in the passenger seat and buckled her in.
The drive was tense and the visibility horrible, as Boone repeatedly pointed out. After a bit, he said, “Your car runs like crap. What’s wrong with it?”
“I don’t know. Been like that a few days.”
“And yet you’re still driving it?”
“Either that or sit at home.”
Boone muttered.
As soon as they hit the cut-across to the paved county road, he drove faster. He probably couldn’t wait to get rid of her. But given the weather and the fact he didn’t have his bike, Boone would be stuck at her house. What would her Dad think?
He’ll be pissed you’ve been drinking.
Snow swirled and blew over the windshield. It made her dizzy and she wanted to close her eyes. Why was it taking so long for the car to warm up?
A loud bang sounded and the car wobbled.
She glanced over at Boone to see both his hands clamped on the steering wheel. His feet intermittently pumped the brakes. She saw his horror when they picked up momentum and the road seemed to buckle and snap.
She was jerked forward as the front end connected with a solid object, throwing snow on the windshield before the world went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Gavin glanced at his cell phone when it rang at eleven-thirty. That’d better not be his daughter calling to say she’d be late coming home. Again.
The caller ID was a restricted number so he was tempted to ignore it, but he answered, “What?”
“Gavin? This is Cam.”
Why the hell would Cam McKay be calling him this time of night? Then it hit him. Cam was with the sheriff’s office. “What’s happened?”
“Sierra’s been in a car accident.”
He sank into the closest chair. The words registered, yet not. “When?”
“Not sure. She’s in the ER now. Look, the roads are nasty and there’ve been a lot of accidents. Do you have a four-wheel drive vehicle that’ll get you into Sundance?”
He frowned at the phone. “What? I need a four-wheeler to
get there?”
“No. Let’s take this slow.” Cam asked a question. Gavin answered. Cam asked another question. Gavin answered again. Cam asked, “Is Rielle there?”
“No. She’s in Denver.”
“You okay to drive?”
Gavin nodded.
Silence.
“Gavin, stay on the line.”
Sierra. Ask him what’s going on with Sierra before he hangs up.
“Cam?”
Dead air for what seemed like forever.
Then a click. “I called Ben. He’ll be there in five minutes to get you.”
That registered. Why hadn’t he thought of calling his brother? It also registered he hadn’t asked if his daughter was all right. “What can you tell me about Sierra?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry.”
Fuck.
“Do you need me to stay on the line with you until Ben arrives?”
“No, Cam. Thanks. I’m…I’ll…I need to get myself together.”
“Understandable. See you in a few.”
But he couldn’t get himself together. He was absolutely numb. What if she was…? He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t think the word, let alone say it.
Every second felt like a day. He slipped on his cold weather gear. By the time he’d pulled on the hat Sierra had made him, a vehicle barreled up the driveway and he scooted out of the house and into Ben’s big rig.
Ben whipped a U-turn in the drive. Then they were on the highway leading to Sundance. “Any word on her?”
“No. Just that she was in an accident.”
Silence filled the cab as Gavin stared out the window into the black night. He finally said, “Cam said the roads are bad.”
“Not here. But I flipped on the road condition report. Guess it’s worse by Moorcroft. Was that where she was tonight?”
I have no idea.
Why didn’t he know?
Because as soon as she’d gotten those keys she was gone. He’d been relieved the issue of her not driving wasn’t an issue between them anymore, so he’d been lax asking her specifics on where she was going, what she was doing, and who she was doing it with.
Some parent. No idea where his kid had been, no idea how the fuck he’d deal with it if something bad had happened to her.
Gone Country: Rough Riders, Book 14 Page 28