Drew rushes in, first looking to the bed, and then those bright blue eyes spot me on the floor. “What happened? Did you fall out?”
Kelsoe comes in next, looking worried, but that unfamiliar look of concern is wiped away a second later, anger taking its place. That’s the expression I’m used to. I clumsily get to my feet and stand awkwardly.
This room screams Kelsoe. Why the fuck am I in his room? Now that I’m positive I know whose room I’m in, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner. Kelsoe has a unique earthy smell mixed with ash and citrus. The shirt I’m in is saturated in his scent, like he wore it all day before it came to be on me.
I swallow the lump in my throat. Of course, I thought he was hot, but I had no intention of sleeping with him. He hates me. He’s made it clear that he thought a woman’s role was to…
Oh. My. God.
My hand moves to my jaw. Is that why it hurts? Did I wear out my jaw on his dick? Holy shit.
Drew grips my shoulder. “Hey, you okay? Sit down. You’re shaking.”
I slowly move my head back and forth. “No. I’m fine. Going to my room.” I look to Kelsoe. “So…I must have been pretty drunk last night.” Not wanting to show weakness, I force my eyes to stay locked on his even though they beg to drop to the floor. “Can we just forget this happened?” I’m so fucking embarrassed “And I’d rather whatever went on between us…Can you just keep your mouth shut about it?”
Kelsoe straightens. “Shit.” He runs a hand down his face. His eyes are furious. “I didn’t fuck you.” He steps up, getting right in my face, grabbing my arm, and not giving me the chance to back up. “What the fuck were you thinking? You never take a drink!”
“Come on, Kelsoe. Give her some space,” Drew says, moving forward, but he hesitates to pull his boy off me.
I can see that he wants to. His eyes are bouncing back and forth between us, his shoulders rigid, his arm extended, yet, he does nothing.
Kelsoe’s grip tightens, and I thaw out, the surprise of waking up in here wearing off. Anger consumes me because this prick is putting his hands on me. I twist out of his grip. My hands fly to his chest, pushing as hard as I can. He barely budges, but I don’t care. The point was to show him I’m not scared, and he can’t push me around. I’ll fight back.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” I can feel myself shaking. It’s a combination of adrenaline and weakness. My body doesn’t feel right.
I turn to Drew who has his hand pressed firmly against Kelsoe’s shoulder whispering something into his ear. I don’t think Kelsoe’s listening. His unblinking eyes are trained on me. His mouth is a thin line and his body tense. I tear my eyes away.
“Do you remember anything from last night?” Drew asks me.
I chew my nail. Why is my memory so hazy? “Not much. Why is that?” I keep my eyes on Drew. Kelsoe’s angry energy is filling the room. I feel like if I look at him, he’ll snap, and I’ll snap back.
“We think that guy, Ethan, slipped something into your drink,” Drew says, studying my face.
My brows pinch together as I process the information. “Like what? Something that makes me forget?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kelsoe says, and I can hear the hatred he has for me in his tone.
That’s it. I step up, right in his face. I’m on the tips of my toes. The top of my head now level with his nose. I lean back slightly to look him in the eyes. “What the fuck is your problem? Can you just back off while I try and figure out what the fuck happened last night?” I want to hit him so bad, but I stop myself. The hit back wouldn’t be worth it.
Kelsoe’s lips smash together. His eyes burn into mine. “I’ll fucking tell you what the fuck happened.” He raises his hand to point his finger in my face. “That punk-ass motherfucker, Ethan, drugged and attempted to rape you.” He lowers his hand before I can do it for him.
I frown, unsure if he’s fucking with me or not. “Yeah, right. Tell me what happened. For real.”
Kelsoe’s nostrils flare. “He drugged you. Drew found you half-naked upstairs last night.”
I step back, my face going pale. Kelsoe’s chest is moving fast like he just ran a mile. Mine’s barely working. I remember a drink: vodka and orange juice. There were stairs and white sheets; nothing after that. I turn my attention to Drew. “He didn’t though? He stopped?” I can’t say the word rape out loud.
Drew shakes his head. “We stopped him. Have you never heard of date rape?”
Kelsoe doesn’t give me time to answer as he says, “You were supposed to stick to one of us last night. What were you thinking?”
“Oh, should I have hung out with you? You fucking hate me. Ethan gave me a drink. He’s a sleazy motherfucker, but I never would have thought…” A strangled sound pushes its way up my throat as a memory hits; Ethan running his hands over my body—wrists painfully pinned. My body heats with anger. Red clouds my vision. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” I shoulder check Kelsoe as I move to the door.
His arms come around my waist. “We handled him, Red.”
I spin around, the movement putting us chest to chest. I can feel his heat and I damn well know that he can feel mine. I look up at dark-green eyes. “Good for you. Now it’s my turn. He needs to know he can’t mess with me.” I push myself back and then spin around, moving towards the door again.
“He won’t be bothering you again.” Kelsoe moves to block the exit.
I fake left and move right. Kelsoe’s quicker and snatches me up, lifting me off the ground and moving towards the bed.
“Let me go! This is my business to handle.” I dig my fingers into his arm trying to pry him off me.
“You got her, Kelsoe? She okay?” Ramsey says from the doorway.
Kelsoe tosses me onto the bed; I bounce as I land. Fuck this. I’ll go out the window. I scramble across the bed. As soon as my fingertips touch the windowsill, I’m pulled backward. I claw at the comforter like a panther as Kelsoe tries to tame me.
In the back of my mind, I know I’m acting crazy and that my ass is on display because the shirt has risen to my chest. Neither of those things is enough to calm the fire. Kelsoe’s hands grip the bare skin at my waist as he pulls me closer to him and away from the window.
“Lenny, calm down. We are not the enemies.”
I struggle in Kelsoe’s arms as I lock my wild eyes on Drew. “Oh yeah? Then let me handle Ethan.”
“That motherfucker has been handled. He’s not going to be a problem,” Drew snaps, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this easy-going guy so angry.
Imagine how I feel, fucker.
A lump forms in my throat as my emotions work to burst free from the cage I’ve locked them in. “I didn’t…I want…Ah!” I pull at my hair in frustration. “I tried to stop…” I run my fingertips over my cheek, remembering where he hit me. It’s sore and a little swollen. I’m sure it’s bruised. I’m set down on the bed, my legs hanging off the side.
Kelsoe kneels in front of me, his features softening. “You never heard of date rape?”
“No. That’s what he gave me?”
Kelsoe nods, tucking my hair behind my ear. It’s such an odd thing for him to do. I don’t get it, but I watch in curiosity as he does the same thing to the other side.
“Probably GHB. He just had to slip a little into your drink. That’s why everyone says not to accept drinks from others. You always make your own or get an unopened one,” Kelsoe says.
“I never heard that. Nobody ever told me that.”
Ramsey walks in with a bottled water. “Here drink this, Lena.”
I take it from him, down half of it, take a few deep breaths, and then finish off the rest. “I feel like shit.”
Ramsey nods. “I bet you do. You should rest today.”
I notice the skin on Ramsey’s knuckles is broken and red. My eyes move to Kelsoe’s hands: same. They must have been the ones to handle Ethan. I wouldn’t want to go up against either one of them. Ethan is lucky if he’s alive. I b
ite my lip. Maybe he isn’t? It’s going to drive me crazy if I don’t ask. I look up at Kelsoe. “Ethan still alive?”
Kelsoe’s fist clench. He nods once.
Drew cracks his knuckles. “For now, but if he steps out a line an inch, he’s dead. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves town.”
The energy is the room is thick and tense. I wonder if they know Ethan’s brothers are the Montgomerys or if they even know who the Montgomerys are? I don’t think I need to worry about it though. The Montgomerys are crazy, but I’m sure they wouldn’t condone rape. Ethan is probably embarrassed and at home licking his wounds like the bitch he is.
“Where are my clothes? The ones I was wearing.”
“Left ’em there,” Kelsoe says.
“We didn’t exactly have time to dress you. We were in a hurry to get you outta there,” Drew says. “We can get you more.”
I nod not caring about my clothes. It was the knife in my back pocket I'll miss, not that it did me any good last night, I think to myself. “I think I need to lie down,” I say, nudging Drew with my shoulder. “Help me to my room?”
He wraps his arm around my waist. “Of course, Lenny.”
≈≈≈
I stay in bed for the first half of the day in self-loathing. I’m fucking pissed off at Ethan but mostly myself for being naive. Ramsey brings me water and crackers every so often. I have plenty of time to plot my revenge. If I don't do something soon, I'll give the impression that I'm weak and need others to fight my battles: neither is true.
I get dressed then head to the kitchen for lunch. I think my stomach's ready for some real food. Zack sits in the empty kitchen, nose in his phone as usual.
“Hey, Kid, where is everyone?”
“Chris and Kelsoe are in the garage. Drew’s sleeping. Everyone else is either at work or out.” He glances at my cheek.
I saw the bruise in the bathroom mirror; it’s not as bad as it feels. Drew says it was worse when they found me. I’m a quick healer. “Hey, Kid, if anyone asks, can you say that I'm sleeping, and I don't want woken up?”
He sets his phone down on the table, giving me full eye contact. “I don't think that's a good idea. You're not going to be sleeping, are you?”
Smart kid. “As far as you know, I am.” I wink.
Zack rubs the back of his neck, and I give him a reassuring smile. “All you have to say is that I told you I was going to take a nap and didn’t want people bothering me.” I shrug. “That’s completely true.”
Zack frowns. “I’ll repeat what you said if anyone asks.”
“Thanks, Kid.” I grab a bagel on the way out of the kitchen. I should be good to go for a few hours before anyone thinks the nap that I’m taking is a little too long. Hopefully, I’ll be back by then. And if not, fuck it. They don’t own me. They can’t control what I do.
With my bag over my shoulder, I climb out the window. Both Pepper and Karma run over to me as I’m hurrying through the backyard. I shoo them away, not wanting them to draw attention. I run down the road, looking over my shoulder every few seconds, until I’m a mile away. There’s a pressure inside my stomach that gets heavier and heavier the farther away from Neverland I get.
It takes me twenty minutes to get to the trailer court. I tap on Alex’s bedroom window. It’s mid-afternoon, so he’s probably sleeping.
Lazy ass.
After a few minutes of tapping, his curtain moves to show his face. A pillow mark runs from his nose to his chin, and his hair sticks up in every direction. He looks like he should be hiding under a bridge trying to rob people of their money as they pass by. The glass between us slides up.
“What the fuck? It’s only two. I just went to sleep a few hours ago,” Alex says, his voice sounding hoarse.
I roll my eyes and motion for him to get out of the way. Not wanting to be seen out here, I brace my hands on the windowsill while using my feet to push off the ground. Alex’s bed is pressed against the window, so I grab at his comforter to help pull myself in. He scoots back, giving me room. I close the curtain behind myself, leaving the window open for a fast escape if necessary.
“What’s the word on Ethan?” I ask, getting straight to the reason why I’m here.
Alex lights a cigarette, eyeing the bruise on my face. “He’s keeping things pretty hush-hush from what I know. I saw him at Mike’s party all busted up. He wouldn’t tell anyone what happened. I saw him leave with his brother Reece.” Alex tilts his head to the side as he takes a drag from the cigarette. “I had to pick my stepdad up from the bar this morning.” He blows out a stream of smoke to the side, so it doesn't get in my face. “Guess who was there?” he asks but doesn’t pause long enough for me to guess. “David and Ethan. They were acting buddy-buddy while shooting pool. I overheard a little bit. Something about the Rivers jumped him ’cause you wanted to fuck. He said one of them is your boyfriend. I know he’s bullshitting about you trying to get with him, but what about the Rivers? You wrapped up with them?”
“Ethan said that?” I narrow my eyes. “Where’s he at?”
Alex shakes his head. “Did the Rivers beat his ass or did you?”
“The Rivers?”
“Ya know, all them guys that live on the river at the edge of town. You don’t want to mess with those dudes. I heard they’re all on probation or parole or something. Word is, the biggest one killed someone and is running from the police. Nobody—”
“Alex, focus.” I don’t want to hear small-town gossip about the Lost Boys—not now at least. I’ve got bigger issues. “Where’s Ethan?”
Alex narrow his eyes. “What, you want to get him back for a rumor? Lenny, let it be. Whoever beat his ass did a good job.” Alex frowns. “Trust me when I say to stay far away from David and Ethan.” He rubs his chin before wagging his finger at me. “Maybe it’s good you’re with the Rivers now. You’ll need help. You are staying with them, right?”
“Fuck.” I rub my hands over my face. “I’m staying with them for now.” I open the curtains and peek out to make sure it’s clear. “Thanks for the info, Alex. Gotta go.”
With anger coursing through my veins, I make my way back to Neverland.
Chapter 11
Reaching the property, I see my target. His back is to me as he talks to Kelsoe near the garage. I drop my bag on the road. With my hands balled into fists, I march up to them. Kelsoe’s smile falls from his face. Drew turns to face me, and I swing. Hard.
He never even suspected it. The familiar burn lights up my hand. Drew stumbles back a step, looking stunned. Kelsoe doesn’t hesitate as I raise my fist to land another blow. He grabs my wrist with his left hand while pushing me up against the outer wall of the garage with his right. My body hits with a loud thud, knocking the wind out of me. While I’m temporarily stunned, Kelsoe acts— his right hand locks my wrists above my head while his body pins me. I try moving my wrists, causing him to grip tighter. With our eyes locked, I can feel the rage brewing between us. Welcome to my world.
“What the fuck, Lenny,” Drew says from somewhere to my left. I’m not about to break eye contact with Kelsoe to see.
“You don’t hit. That’s a rule,” Kelsoe growls.
I lick my dry lips and watch his eyes follow the movement. “Fuck you. You fucking assholes have ruined everything. I’m fucked, because of you two.” I buck wildly against him, trying to get free. I feel Kelsoe’s body tense.
He’s so close that my tits are smashed against his chest. One of his thighs is between my legs, giving him better leverage to hold me still while creating friction in a place that has no business being touched by him. His mouth is close to mine. I can feel his warm breath against my cheek. Under all the anger, a small part of me is turned on by him because I’m deranged.
“If I let you go, are you going to hit again?”
“Probably. Let me go and find out.” I smile.
He releases my wrists and then steps back just out of reach, so if I were to swing, I wouldn’t land the punch.
I stare at their faces a moment, reading the expressions there: concern, shock, and anger. Hitting Drew was unexpected. I’m not surprised I did it; it just wasn't planned. That’s the thing with anger; once it’s dug its claws into me, I can’t calm down until I’ve yelled or fought my point across.
“I’m out.” I spin around, heading for the road.
Surprise, surprise. They both rush to me, blocking my path. “This is why I’m fucked. You don’t listen!” I grab my bag from the road and continue walking.
Drew darts in front of me. “What are you talking about, Alena?” Where'd you just come from? What happened?”
I point my finger at him. “This is your fault. You should have never got involved in my life.”
“Where the fuck did you come from? You weren’t in your room,” Kelsoe says, grabbing my wrist.
I yank free of his hold. “I had to get info from a friend.”
“That was fucking stupid. You shouldn’t leave, and if they don’t live here, you can’t trust ’em,” Kelsoe says.
Why’s he even getting involved? He’s made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me. “Fuck that. You can’t tell me who to trust. I trust Alex with my life. He’s been my boy for years. The only real friend I have.”
“Lenny, what’s going on?” Drew looks worried.
Good.
“I had a system that was working. A few more weeks, and I would have been completely free. I’m almost eighteen.” I hold my thumb and forefinger close together. “And I was this close.” I wipe the sweat from my forehead. “I already had to watch my back, and now, it’s going to be twice as much work looking over my shoulder.”
“That's what you're so worked up over? I told you that you're safe here.”
I throw my hands up. “You don't get it, Drew! If you would have just left me alone, I would never have gone to that party. Ethan would have never slipped me drugs, and he wouldn't be besties with David now. Did you know my mom had me when she was fifteen?” I look between them, but they don’t answer. They don’t even blink. “My mom’s young. David’s even younger. He’s only ten years older than me.” I watch Kelsoe’s eyes narrow probably unsure of where I’m going with this. “David might be in his late twenties, but he has the mentality of a teenager.” I scoff. “Him and Ethan probably have a lot in common. They’re both pieces of shit. And they both have it out for me.”
Found by the Rivers Page 8