by K. Webster
Reluctantly, I nod. I can’t force her to stay away from her creepy boyfriend. Not if she doesn’t want to. And I do need to speak to Kayden.
“He’s in the basement. It’s crazy down there,” Ryan warns. “Be careful.”
Like he cares.
“Meet you here in half an hour,” I tell Charlotte. Then, I give Ryan a pointed look. “If you’re not here, I’m coming looking for you.”
She laughs as she pulls Ryan away. “We’ll be here.”
As soon as they disappear down a hallway, I go on a hunt for Kayden. This party has a lot of the usual Campfire Chaos subjects, minus the Hoodlums, and a lot of older guys I don’t recognize. They’re not people my brother and Jordy went to school with either.
They’re harder.
Scarier.
Sketchy.
A couple of guys standing in the kitchen wearing matching red bandanas eye me up like I’m a piece of meat. Yikes. Maybe coming to this party was a bad idea. I rush past them to the open door to the basement. Music thumps loudly from downstairs. It’s dark down there aside from some strobe lights blinking in tandem with the bass. Several people make out on the stairs and I’m pretty sure one couple is having sex. I finally make it to the bottom, my eyes squinting against the blinking lights to try and find Kayden.
Ahh, there he is.
Looking like the king of his domain, perched on the back of a sofa with girls hanging all over him. Disgust roils through me. He’s not exactly doing anything with them, aside from not pushing them away, but it irritates me anyway.
As though I have room to talk.
I let Jordy freaking Martinez give me hickeys last night.
At the memory of his mouth on me and how that made me feel, I flush. Heat burns across my flesh, making me crave him all the more. It just drives home the fact I need to break things off with Kayden. When I reach him, I can tell he’s high as hell. His lids are hooded and he has a lazy smile on his face. He’s shirtless and the two girls kneeling on the cushions on either side of him pet his ripped chest in appreciation.
I stand right in front of the sofa between it and the coffee table, glaring at him until he realizes who I am. His dark eyes latch onto mine. At first, he grins wider, seemingly pleased to see me. Then, he remembers his predicament.
He snarls out something to the girls, swatting their hands away. Both of them pout when he reaches for me. I shake my head, walking off. I’m not talking to him about anything with those two lingering. I’ve nearly reached the stairs when two strong arms hug me from behind.
“Hey, Roux-Roux.” Kayden nips at my ear through my hair. “Missed you, baby.”
I struggle against his hold to no avail. “Let me go.”
“Don’t be mad,” he begs. “You know it’s not like that with them. They’re just flirting, but I never act on it. You’re my girl.”
Not for long.
I tug against him, trying to extricate myself from his arms. All I manage to do is pull us away from the stairs to the dark corner. I spin around in his arms, hoping to put some distance between us. He grips my biceps, pinning me with his hips. There’s no mistaking how hard he is in his jeans. With the strobe light behind him, I can’t see his face. Just the outline of his head. He leans forward like he might kiss me, but then freezes.
“I want to break up,” I yell out over the music.
One of his hands lets go of my arm to travel to my neck. When his thumb brushes over my hickey, I stiffen.
“Who the fuck did this?” he demands, his breath hot and in my face.
“Did you hear me, Kayden?” I bite back. “I want to break up. We’re over.”
His thumb presses hard against the hickey, which coincidentally happens to be over the big vein in my neck. It makes me dizzy and I suck in a ragged gasp of air.
“That hurts!”
He squeezes my arm while simultaneously pressing against the hickey. I was angry, but now fear is trickling down my spine. Kayden wouldn’t hurt me, would he? The bruises I feel forming where he’s touching me state otherwise. Panic crawls up my throat and tears spring in my eyes.
“Kayden,” I croak out. “Stop.”
He relaxes his hold before crashing his lips to mine. I’m shocked by the kiss and am helpless to push away from him. I manage to get my palms to his bare chest so I can push him away. He doesn’t budge because he’s stronger than me. Turning my head to the side, I tear my lips from his, my heart frantically racing in my chest.
Kayden’s mouth finds my ear. “Who did you let suck on your neck, Roux?”
I’m sure as hell not telling him the truth.
“Was it Jordy?” he accuses.
I shake my head in vehemence. “S-Some boy on the basketball team,” I lie. “I was drunk. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Did you fuck him?”
“What? No!”
He grabs a handful of my hair, smashing his lips back to mine. His hips grind against me and he moans in my mouth. I freeze in his arms, hoping like hell this’ll be over soon. He tastes like hard liquor and is practically thrumming with whatever’s running through his system.
This was a bad idea.
I do not want to lose my virginity in a basement with a fucked-up boyfriend who’s pissed because I let someone give me hickeys.
Fear has me searching for the boy I was helplessly head over heels for months ago.
“Kayden,” I whimper against his lips. “I’m scared.”
He stops kissing me to release his firm hold on me. I’m hauled into his arms as he hugs me tight. Tears threaten, but I blink them back. I hug him, hoping he’ll snap out of it.
“You’re my girlfriend, Roux,” he says against my ear. “I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”
I don’t have an answer for him. Nothing I say will matter. Not when he’s acting like this.
“We’re not breaking up because you made a mistake,” he tells me, his voice deep and fierce. “We’re made of tougher stuff than that. Just like those girls flirting with me was a mistake. I should have told them not to touch me.”
I remain silent, wondering how pissed Charlotte will be when I beg her to take me home.
“Let’s get out of here, baby,” Kayden says. “I think we just need to take that final step. So you will realize how much I mean to you. I already know you mean the world to me, which is why I want to make love to you.”
A tremble shudders through me. The thought of getting into bed with him, especially after tonight, has bile creeping up my throat. I need to leave. If I can’t find Charlotte, then I need to call Roan and have him come get me.
People start shouting from behind Kayden, interrupting our intense moment. A fight has broken out. Kayden yells, rushing into the fray because it seems like maybe it’s one of his friends involved. I take this opportunity to get the hell out of here, taking the stairs two at a time. When I burst out of the door and into the kitchen, I ignore the thugs and make a beeline toward the hall I saw Charlotte and Ryan disappear into.
I push into a few doors, grossed out to find people having sex in each room. One room has a full-on orgy going on and I turn away, closing the door behind me.
Wait.
I pause.
Not Charlotte. She’s with Ryan. I think she loves him for some unknown reason. Unease claws at me. Slowly, I twist the knob and turn it, peeking my head back in. Charlotte is completely naked as Ryan fucks her. His friend Isaiah is stretched beside them, groping my best friend’s tit. Some other guy I recognize from school is naked, stroking his cock on the other side of the bed.
I’m stunned.
I knew she was having sex with Ryan, but I didn’t know she was having orgies with his friends. It’s then I realize she’s not contributing much. None at all, in fact. I burst through the door, fury burning through me.
“Charlotte!”
She doesn’t move. Isaiah smirks at me, as he pinches her nipple. Ryan groans, flexes his ass, and then pulls out.
“What’
s happening?” I shriek, rushing over to Charlotte. “What have you done to her?”
Ryan scowls at me, as he throws on boxers over his dripping dick where the condom is thankfully in place. “She’s blissed out of her mind. Mind your own fucking business, Roux.”
“You can’t have sex with someone who’s passed out!” I yell, shoving his stupid friend Isaiah away from her.
Ryan grabs my arm hard, yanking me until we’re face to face. “She was pretty fucking into it moments before you showed up. Not my problem if she passed out right when I was nutting. Leave us alone, bitch.”
I smack him hard with my free hand. “Let me go.”
He shrugs, releasing me and finding his jeans. “Go,” he tells his two friends. “I’ll deal with her.”
Isaiah flips me off as he passes. The other guy flashes me a flirtatious grin. I shove him when he nears. They both laugh and walk out of the room. Ryan has tossed a blanket over Charlotte’s naked body.
“I’m turning you in,” I hiss. “This is wrong.”
His lip curls up. “When she wakes up, she’ll tell you she consented to all of this. I said mind your own goddamn business.”
“I’m calling the cops,” I threaten.
He laughs at me. “When she comes to, and she will, she’ll admit we were having fun. Your friendship, which is already on the fucking rocks, will be destroyed.” He takes a threatening step toward me. “My dad’s a cop. I know everyone at the station. What do you think’s really going to happen?”
I stare at him in horror. He’s so confident nothing will happen. That this is absolutely okay.
“You might be above the law,” I seethe, “but you are not above my brother. And he will not be okay with what you’re doing with his sister-in-law.”
Fear glints in his eyes.
Roan will beat his ass.
“Leave,” I hiss.
He finishes yanking on his clothes, his jaw furiously working. “You’re gonna regret this, Roux.”
“Get the hell out of here!”
As soon as he storms off, I yank my phone from my pocket and call Roan. He’s going to be pissed, but he’ll be even more pissed if I don’t call him. God put big brothers on this earth for a reason. They’re here to get their little sisters out of heaps of shit.
I’m standing in the biggest heap yet.
Jordy
Unbelievable.
After checking into El Juarez Restaurant for my lame-ass dishwashing job, I took care of some shit, including meeting up with Samantha at her hotel. I’d barely made it into Hollis and Roan’s place when someone knocked on the door. Juno showed up with one of his goons, gave me a pimped-out navy-blue Camaro, and told me an address. I’m barely out of the pen, and I’m back to the same old bullshit.
I can’t exactly tell Juno and Renaldo no, though. It could be worse. They could be asking me to chop cars or deal drugs. Right now, all they want is eyes on baby Ramirez. Since he’s all kinds of in love with my fucking girl, it shouldn’t be too hard.
My girl.
In another life.
She’s nothing but my best friend’s little sister.
I have to remember that.
When I reach the address, the street is lined with cars. I’ve barely parked and am climbing out when a familiar purple Mustang zooms past me.
What the fuck is the rat doing here?
I storm after him and have to run when he takes off toward the house.
“Yo, rat, where the fuck you heading in such a hurry?” I call out.
He comes to a screeching halt and whirls around. “Thank fuck you’re here. It’s Charlotte and Roux. Roux called Roan flipping the hell out earlier.”
I stalk past him, no longer annoyed to be here but on an eager mission to find them. The place is filled with a bunch of motherfuckers eyeing me the wrong way. They’re all carrying. I can see it in the way they watch me. I must put off some “don’t fuck with me vibes,” though, because no one messes with us.
“She said in the second bedroom on the right,” Hollis says, ushering me down a hall. “This way.”
We find said door, but it’s locked.
“Roux! It’s me and Jordy!” Hollis calls out, banging on the door.
The next moment, the door flings open. Roux looks like hell. Scared out of her mind and sobbing. I don’t think twice about yanking her to me in a protective embrace. Charlotte sits on the bed, her hair messy and her eyelids drooping.
“I told her I’m fine,” Charlotte slurs.
“You don’t look fine, little mouse,” I bite out. “You look like total shit.”
She flips me off. Hollis sits down beside her and starts snapping at her about being irresponsible. Beneath all his anger, worry ripples from him.
“What happened?” I ask, raking my fingers through Roux’s hair and tugging her head back so I can look at her.
She swallows, drawing my gaze to her hickeys. “She says she wanted it, but, Jordy, I walked in on them doing stuff to her while she was passed out.”
I frown and press a kiss to her forehead. “Who, Little Hoodlum?”
“Ryan and Isaiah and a kid named Gunther, I think.”
“Want me to kill them?”
Her nostrils flare. “Don’t even joke about that. Not after…” She trails off and her lip wobbles. “I want to go home. Can you please take me home?”
Fuck, I would kill to claim her plump lips and promise her everything will be okay.
But I can’t.
“Let’s get out of here,” I bark out to Hollis.
Hollis tugs Charlotte out of the bed, but she’s incredibly unsteady on her feet. Her brother scoops her in his arms, surprising the hell out of me, and nods at me for us to leave. Roux breaks away from me to grab Charlotte’s shoes and purse.
People stare at us as we leave the party. I follow them to Hollis’s Mustang and hold the door open while Hollis sets Charlotte into the front seat.
“Take her home,” I tell him. “I need to take care of something.”
Hollis’s jaw clenches. “You can’t beat them up, man. There’s like fifty of those assholes in there who look scarier than you. Bad idea.”
“I’m not beating anyone up,” I growl. “I’m going to check on some things. I’ll meet you at your mom’s after.”
“I’m staying with you,” Roux says, tugging on my T-shirt.
“No.”
She starts to argue, but Hollis backs me up, his voice dripping with big brotherly authority he no doubt learned from Roan. “Get in the car, Roux. It’s not up for debate.”
“Be careful,” she mutters to me before slipping into the back seat.
“What she said,” Hollis grumbles.
As soon as they drive off, I head back inside. I’m on a mission to find Cuntingham and knock his teeth in. He’s nowhere to be found, but baby Ramirez shows up looking like a fucking shirtless gangster.
His jeans are hanging low on his hips, showing the band of his white boxers. The kid is cut, but I could stomp his ass without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, I have to play nice with this idiot. It’s going to be difficult when I know he’s had his tongue down my girl’s throat and who the fuck knows what else since they’ve been together.
Not my girl.
Still my something.
Not fucking his.
“Where’s Cunningham?” I demand at the same time he asks, “Where’s Roux?”
I crack my neck, ignoring the crowd of losers who come to stand behind him. Most are about his age and I could take them if I had to. “Roux went home with Charlotte. Now where the fuck is that piece of shit?”
Kayden’s eyes narrow, anger flashing in them. “Did he do something to Roux?”
“No, man, but he did something to her best friend. I want to talk to him.” And by talk, I want to fucking head butt him.
“He’s out back,” Kayden says. “Cody, bring him here.”
A lanky kid—Cody—ambles off on a hunt for that motherfucker. I pop my knu
ckles, my furious glare never leaving Kayden. I may have to watch over him, but I don’t have to like his ass. As I wait, my eyes skim over the crowd. I spot Renaldo’s crew easy with their red bandanas. It’s a few guys wearing Nike sweatbands that stand out like sore thumbs. Some of Alejandro’s crew used to wear that shit. A less obvious way to state they were a part of a gang without bringing attention from the cops.
“What the fuck?” Cuntingham bellows as he storms toward us. “Who the fuck…” He trails off upon seeing me. His lip curls up and he sneers at me. “What are you doing here, convict?”
I don’t flinch. I don’t react.
After a long beat of silence, making him wait so I can watch the panic slowly slide over him like a fog, I lick my tongue over my upper teeth and lift my chin at him.
“You like to fuck unconscious girls?” I ask, my voice low and deadly.
Kayden stiffens, anger bursting from him in hot waves. “What the fuck? You said that shit wasn’t for—”
“Back the fuck up off my nuts,” Cuntingham snaps at Kayden. “You don’t know shit, man. She wanted to try it.”
Kayden’s jaw clenches.
“Why the fuck are you so worried about my girlfriend anyway?” Cuntingham snarls, turning his jealous rage on Kayden.
Maybe it’ll be more entertaining to watch them beat the fuck out of each other.
“She’s my girlfriend’s best friend,” Kayden snaps. “That’s why. You fucked up, Ryan. Get the hell out of here.”
Cuntingham shakes his head like a spoiled child. “You can’t kick me out. Half these people are my friends, not yours, douchebag!”
Kayden steps closer, getting in his face. “And the other half belong to me, motherfucker.”
“We have an agreement,” Cuntingham hisses, his nose bumping Kayden’s. “You choose this fuckface over me and that agreement goes the fuck away.”
What agreement?
Kayden tenses. It must have something to do with Renaldo.
“I don’t have shit with you,” I grind out, causing Cuntingham to turn around. “This is for little mouse.”
My fist slams into his gut, making him groan and double over. I want to bash his fucking face in, but I know who his dad is. I’m not getting sent back to prison for breaking the nose of a cop’s son.