This for That (Edge Of Retaliation, #1)

by Jewel, Bella

“What did you do for a living before you met Andrea?” Mandy asks me when Andrea gets up for another round of drinks.

  “Oh, just the same thing really. Waitressing and other odd jobs.” I hate lying. I hate when people ask me these questions. It makes me so damned uncomfortable.

  “Oh, like what?”

  She’s questioning me too much. Does she recognize me somehow?

  “Let’s dance!” Jo says, clapping her hands and standing.

  “Great idea,” I cry, so grateful for her quick thinking.

  She takes my hand and we shuffle out onto the dance floor. When we’re out there, and we’re dancing, I mouth a ‘thank you’ to her, and she gives me the thumbs up.

  We dance until our legs burn and our lungs are exhausted from all the heavy breathing we’re doing as we work our bodies. I tell Jo I’m going to sit back down and get a drink, and I make my way back to the table. The girls were dancing, too, and have just sat down also.

  “That dance floor is amazing.” Andrea laughs when I sit down.

  “You’re right; it is. This club is great.”

  “It sure is!”

  I pull out my phone as I sip my drink, and see three missed calls and three messages from Tanner. My heart flutters in my chest as I read them.

  T – How long until you’re done with Andrea? I want you here.

  T – Hurry up, darlin’. I want to put my mouth on you. Everywhere.

  My cheeks burn.

  T – Half an hour, baby. Be here.

  I swallow and I can’t stop the stupid grin on my face as I text back, asking for his address. He gives it to me, and I turn to Andrea.

  “I’m going to head out soon. I promised Tanner I’d swing by and catch up with him, too.”

  Andrea nods. “Yeah he mentioned that. Are you two a thing?”

  I shake my head. “Oh, ah, not that I know of.”

  At least, I don’t think we are yet.

  “Well, thanks for coming, I had an absolute blast!”

  I smile. “Thanks for inviting us.”

  “Where are we going?” Jo asks, stumbling to the table and grabbing onto the sides. Her eyes are bloodshot and she’s drunk, but she’s the happiest I’ve seen her in weeks.

  “To see Tanner. You coming?”

  “Is that other hot one going to be there?” she asks.

  “Tatum?” I ask.

  “Yeah, that one.”

  Andrea laughs. “Tatum is gorgeous, isn’t he?”

  Jo nods. “He sure is. I like the whole mysterious part, to be honest.”

  “How about Garrett?” Meghan fans herself. “He’s lovely.”

  I laugh. “They’re all pretty hot, really.”

  Andrea nods. “That’s for sure. I wasn’t complaining when Tanner started hanging around them.”

  I grin at her, and then grab my purse and tell everyone goodbye. Then Jo and I leave and catch a cab to the address Tanner gave me.

  I’m excited. Nervous. Full of anticipation.

  Tanner gets to me. He makes me feel things I haven’t felt before.

  I’m excited to see where that goes.

  “LADIES,” TATUM MURMURS, opening the door and staring at us with those gorgeous sky-blue eyes that you could get lost in. “You both look fuckin’ gorgeous tonight.”

  We do, if I do say so myself. I mean, come on, we’re doing okay in the looks department, and tonight we ramped things up with hair, make-up and tight dresses. It’s not every day we get to go out.

  “Thank you.” I smile and Jo’s cheeks get red.

  Oh, boy. Tatum gets to her. He really gets to her.

  I know how she feels. That’s exactly how I felt when I met Tanner. It was this instant attraction I couldn’t understand, considering he was a complete stranger.

  “Come in,” Tatum says. He pushes the door open to his fairly decent-sized home, and we step inside.

  Lucky guy.

  I look around at the very masculine furniture, most of it black, grey, or red. We walk through the house, which is really tidy considering a guy lives here, and out onto the massive back deck overlooking a pool.

  All the other guys are seated around a table, playing card games, drinking beer, and smoking. Hell hot brigade.

  I raise a hand and wave when they all stop and look over at us, and my eyes immediately move to Tanner, who is already pushing out of his chair, his eyes hooded and dragging slowly over my body. He reaches me and curls a hand around my hip, hauling me close and murmuring into my ear, “Why the fuck did you come in here in that fuckin’ lovely dress?”

  “I was out having fun,” I say, my voice sultry and a little teasing. “A girl has to look good to have fun.”

  He growls and presses his lips to my neck, which makes me tremble, then he lets me go and spins me around and says, “You remember all the guys?”

  I nod and wave, and they all wave back.

  Tanner walks over and Tatum pulls out a chair for Jo and I, placing Jo right next to him. She looks helplessly at me, but sits down, her leg touching his. I know she’s freaking out right about now.

  “How was your night out?” Garrett asks, dealing a round of cards to everyone.

  “It was awesome fun; we had a great time,” I tell him. “What game are you all playing?”

  “Blackjack,” he tells me. “Winner gets to throw a dare at the person of his or her choosing.”

  “Sounds fun.” I grin.

  Garrett looks up at me, and grins, and oh boy, he must break some hearts, “Oh, it is.”

  Tanner squeezes my thigh, and then softly runs his hand up and down it. My pussy clenches. He’s making it very hard to sit next to him and not lose my damn mind. I want to attack him with my mouth and my hands, and anything I can get on his body.

  “Okay, ladies, you know the rules of the game?” Luka asks.

  I nod. “Yep, I’ve played it before.”

  “Same,” Jo agrees.

  “Okay then. Let’s start.”

  We play a few rounds, I suck big time. Logan and Chad clean up, doing exceptionally well, to the point you’d almost think they were cheating, except they’re absolutely not—they’re just that good. They get to choose who does the dare, and of course they pick Jo and Tatum. With huge grins on their faces, I might add.

  “The dare for you two is to do the lift off Dirty Dancing, right here, until you get it right,” Chad says, his eyes flashing with mischief.

  “How the fuck do you even know what that is?” Tanner asks.

  “I youtubed something funny to do earlier, and decided that was it,” Chad tells him, and then looks back to Tatum. “Off you go, bro. Get her up in the air.”

  Jo looks to me, her eyes wide, and I shrug, grinning.

  “The rules are the rules,” I tell her. “Good luck, honey.”

  “I’m wearing a dress and . . .” Jo begins, but Chad puts a finger up and says, “Rules are rules sweetheart.”

  Oh God.

  Jo looks to Tatum, who grins at her, a slow, sexy grin that no doubt makes her knees shake, and then he stands and extends a hand. She gets to her feet, looking back at me again, and I laugh as I watch her walk across to the other end of the deck and turn slowly to face a waiting Tatum.

  “Wait!” I cry, putting a hand up. “You need the song playing; it’s not the same without the song.”

  Jo gives me a look, and Luka gets his phone out and finds the song, starting it. Then, taking a deep breath, Jo kicks off her shoes and runs towards Tatum. He catches her with ease, lifting her into the air rather effortlessly. She goes up, he takes a step back, and then they’re both crashing down to the ground, her landing right on top of him.

  Laughter erupts, and Tatum’s big arms wrap around Jo to stop her falling off him and hurting herself. He looks winded, but he doesn’t let her go. She looks down at him, and then bursts out laughing. He follows suit, stilling hanging onto her. Then, they both stop, and the look they give each other would melt the panties off any sane person.

  J
o moves quickly, getting off Tatum and straightening her dress.

  He gets up from the floor, amidst the laughter, and glances at Jo, who is rushing back to her seat. He likes her. I know she feels the same. It makes me sad, because she deserves someone like that, someone who would catch her when she fell instead of letting her hurt herself.

  I can guarantee that if that was Patrick, he would have tossed her to the side and carried on about how much it hurt before ever putting her first.

  I don’t wish that kind of love for Jo, I really don’t.

  “Well.” Luka laughs. “That was epic. Should we do another round?”

  “Soon,” Tanner murmurs, standing. “I have to speak with Callie first.”

  I look at Tanner, confused, and he extends a hand and I take it, letting him lead me inside the house, but not before I give Jo a confused look. She winks at me, and I grin.

  When we’re inside, Tanner takes me around a corner, and the moment we’re out of sight, he takes my face, kissing me deep and hard. It catches me off guard, and I whimper, clutching his shirt and letting myself fall into the incredible kiss.

  Tanner moves quickly, murmuring something about not being able to take it a second longer. He drops to his knees, jerks my dress up, and exposes my very tiny, lacy panties. With a hiss, he hooks one finger in them, and pulls them aside.

  Then he’s licking me, his tongue gliding straight up the middle of my pussy, making me whimper with desperation at the feeling that explodes through my body. His mouth is warm against my pussy, and my back arches against the wall as pleasure engulfs me—a warm, deep pleasure that makes my legs tremble. Tanner holds me up with one hand as his mouth does wonders for my nether regions.

  Then I come with a low whimper, keeping as quiet as I can as the most incredible orgasm rocks my body.

  Tanner doesn’t stop.

  He keeps licking and sucking, his mouth devouring me. My knees shake, my body trembles, and it takes all my willpower and more not to scream to the rooftops with sheer delight.

  He continues this path until I come again, shoving my hands over my mouth to stop my scream. Only when he’s licked every last tremble from my body does he get back to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes lock onto mine, and he growls, “I’m goin’ to fuck you later, so fuckin’ hard you’ll never remember anyone else but me. Be ready, darlin’.”

  Then, just like that, he disappears around the corner, leaving me weak and trembling, and wanting him more than I’ve ever wanted another human in my life.

  Tanner is going to be the death of me, I’m sure of it.

  I can’t get enough of him.

  24

  NOW – CALLIE

  “I can’t find him,” Jo tells me. “I cannot find him; I swear, it’s like he has just disappeared off the face of the Earth. There is nothing on Facebook. I’ve searched names, looked up mutual friends of Amber’s, done as many searches as I can. There is no Chase anywhere. I even found some old friends who went to the same school, and messaged them; nobody has seen or heard from him in years. It’s weird; I’m not going to lie. There is something very suspicious about him disappearing like that.”

  I narrow my eyes. “You’re right. That is strange. Why would he just disappear? Maybe there is another reason for it? Maybe Chase isn’t even his name? Perhaps Amber gave me the wrong information.”

  “No, I checked the school records; they have photos on Facebook. He was there: Chase Wick. Same year as Celia Yates. There is no way he doesn’t exist. One of the guys I messaged said he used to be friends with Chase, but after Celia died, he just disappeared. He thought he moved away, because he was so upset, but nobody has seen or heard from him since and I guess they didn’t bother to look further into it.”

  This is weird. Really damned weird.

  I’d bet anything that whatever happened to Celia Yates has to do with Chase Wick and because of that, he disappeared. The question is, how did he disappear? A boy of his age couldn’t just disappear without help. Someone had to get him out, possibly help him change his name.

  “So Chase disappears after Celia dies, and nobody can find him. That tells me he’s changed his name. He had to have help to do that. Most likely, family. There is no way he could have done it on his own. It also makes it pretty damned obvious that whatever happened to Celia had a lot to do with Chase. People don’t run for no reason, unless he was depressed and couldn’t cope?” I say to Jo.

  She nods, looking at me. “You’re right; this is suspicious. We need to find Chase. We need information.”

  “What about family members?”

  “I’m looking into that, but it isn’t easy. There are so many people with that last name, it’s hard for me to say with certainty that anyone I’m looking at is related to him.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find something; you’re incredible.”

  “Either way, you’re definitely onto something. I’m curious now to find answers. I’m curious to know what happened to Celia.”

  “Do you suppose her family still live here?” I ask.

  Jo shrugs. “It’s possible. I mean, they might not have left town or anything. What do you want from her family?”

  I bite my lip and meet her eyes. “I want to get into their house. I think it’ll have answers.”

  Jo gasps, her mouth dropping open. “You can’t be serious. You can’t just waltz up there and introduce yourself. They know your face better than anyone.”

  “You’re right, they do, which is why I’m not telling them I’m going.”

  Jo’s eyes widen. “You’re going to break in?”

  “Have you got any other ideas? Without Chase, we have no answers. We might not ever find him. Houses hold the best secrets. They’ve probably cleaned out Celia’s room by now, but even if they have, they wouldn’t have thrown her stuff away. At least, I wouldn’t think they would.”

  “If her parents found something suspicious, they would have told someone.”

  “Not if they didn’t find it. I know where girls hide things; they don’t. I need answers. I have a feeling those answers will be found at her house.”

  Jo shakes her head. “It’s too risky. You could go back to prison.”

  “Yeah, it is risky, which is why you’re going to keep a look out.”

  “No, no way. Besides, her family probably has incredible security. You’ll never get in.”

  I grin at her. “I learned a few things in prison.”

  “Callie, no. This is the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

  “Maybe it is,” I protest. “But it’s the only way I have any chance of getting answers. Nobody except Chase knows anything, and Chase is nowhere to be found. It could take months to find him. Right now, someone is out to make me pay. The sooner I can find answers, the better. Don’t you see that?”

  She exhales. “This is dangerous, but I know you, and I know you’re going to do it. Even though it’s a huge risk. They won’t even want to talk to me, Callie. They probably hate me, too. I’m your friend, after all. They likely know who I am.”

  “It’ll be okay. There is a chance they won’t know you. If they do, you can simply say you wanted to check in on them, make up some big story about how you’re suffering, too. They don’t blame you, Jo. They blame me.”

  She shakes her head, running her hands through her hair. “This is so risky.”

  “It is, but Jo, I really need your help.”

  She sighs. “You don’t even have their address. You don’t even know their names.”

  “No,” I say. “But Amber does.”

  “Callie . . .”

  “I’m doing this, with or without you. Celia has secrets buried; I’m going to dig them up.”

  “Fine,” she huffs, crossing her arms. “But I think this is a really, really stupid idea. I just know you’re going to do it no matter what I say, and I’m not going to see you go back to prison, so I’ll help you.”

  “You’re awesome.” I smile. “Thank you.”<
br />
  She frowns. “This isn’t going to end well.”

  No. She’s right; it probably won’t.

  But I have to get answers.

  I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of being tormented. I’m tired of the world not knowing what really happened to Celia Yates.

  It’s time to uncover the truth.

  Once and for all.

  “I HAVE TO GO TO WORK,” I murmur into Tanner’s chest, kissing the warm skin softly before pushing up to my hands and looking down at him. “Stop distracting me.”

  He chuckles. “You’re the one who rolled over and fucked me like a wild woman. I was just sleeping. If you’re late, it’s your own fault.”

  I snort. “I’m certain you weren’t complaining.”

  He grins. “Oh, I wasn’t complaining.”

  “Good. Now, I have to go before your sister decides that I’m not worth employing and throws me to the wolves.”

  Tanner pushes up on his elbows and stares down at me, his eyes scanning over my body. “You could just call in sick, get back in this bed, and fuck me until night.”

  I shake my head, trying to climb out, but he wraps his big arms around me and pulls me down, pressing his mouth into my neck and nuzzling me. He knows I love it when he nuzzles me. He knows how damned good it feels. I’m suddenly considering the option of calling in sick, especially when his hands slide down and cup my ass.

  But no, I have to work.

  “Stop it.” I laugh, shoving him back and climbing out of the bed before he can grab me again. “I’m serious, Tanner. I have to go to work.”

  He grumbles something, and then gets out of the bed. “Me too. Fuck.”

  I chuckle and get a quick shower, before changing for the day. Tanner puts his clothes on, and then we both grab a coffee before walking out to my car and kissing long, and deep, and so damned sensually that I want him to bend me over the hood and be done with me right there. Instead, I pull back and tell him I’ll see him tonight, and then I get in the car and head to work.

  I try to call Ethan on the drive, but he’s not answering my calls. After what happened the other day, I was a bit upset, but after a few days, I cooled down and felt better about things. He’s still not answering. It gives me anxiety, because he is my friend and I really don’t want to lose that.