CHAPTER THIRTEEN

COLE

“Wwhhhhaaatt … thhheeeee … fffucckkk.” Kellan growls as he lies on the floor of the clubhouse.

Deke stands beside me, bent at the waist laughing his ass off while Kellan shakes from the Taser Austin just zapped him with.

I just stand here thinking maybe this was a bad idea. If she doesn’t get herself killed, she’s gonna kill one of us.

“What was that?” she asks, spinning around to face Deke and me.

“You just tased his nuts,” Deke tells her, still laughing.

“What?” She gasps wide-eyed. “Why would you give me a Taser?” she snaps.

“Get up, man. Walk it off,” Bennett says, grabbing his hand.

Deke looks over at me. “I’m gonna keep her gun,” he says, making a joke, and my jaw tightens.

Kellan still lies there, but he has stopped shaking. That’s a plus.

“Why the fuck am I even here?” she demands, and no one answers her.

“Come on,” Bennett says, offering his hand to Kellan.

He gets to his feet, his hands fisted down by his side. He’s breathing heavy, and he glares at the back of her head. He grabs her shoulder and spins her around, then shoves her back against the wall. Her head hits it with a thud, and her eyes close for a brief second. “Bitch!” he shouts as his hand wraps around her throat.

I run over to him and yank him from her. She sucks in a deep breath the moment he releases her throat.

Deke grabs Kellan by the collar. “Whoa, man. It was my fault,” he tells him.

“She fucking tased me!” he shouts, pointing at her.

I stand between them, blocking her. “Don’t ever touch her again,” I say, and I’m surprised how calm my voice is. Because I’m about to rip his fucking head off.

“Fuck you, Cole!” he shouts. “And your new fucking whore!”

I shove Deke out of the way and slam my fist into Kellan’s nose. His head snaps back. “Ffffuuucckk.” Kellan’s cupping his face, so his voice comes out muffled.

“Add that to the mark I gave you the other day.”

“Cole,” Deke growls in my face. His hands grip my shirt. “Go home,” he tells me.

I shake my head. “No …”

“Go home, Cole!” He shouts my name. I look over his shoulder at Kellan. Blood pours from his nose and onto his white button up. “Cole?” Deke snaps, giving me a little shake. My eyes finally meet his. “Take Austin home,” he orders me. His blue eyes drill into mine.

He lets go of me, and I stand there, fisting my hands, breathing heavy. He walks away from me, and Kellan smiles. Blood runs down his nose and over his lips. “Have it under control, huh?”

I step toward him, but Deke slams the black drawstring backpack into my chest. Once again full of the items. “Go home,” he repeats.

I spin around, and my eyes find Austin. She remains standing by the wall, and I can see her body physically shaking. And I realize it’s time to go. I walk over to her and grab her hand, yanking her out of the clubhouse without another word.

She falls into the passenger seat, and I get in, start the car, and take off down the gravel road.

“Are you all right?” I ask her once we hit the pavement.

“Like you care.” Her voice is rough, and I know it’s from Kellan’s hand around her throat.

My left hand grips the steering wheel. “I didn’t know—”

“Just stop, Cole,” she shouts, interrupting me. “Quit acting like you fucking care!” She fists her hands in her lap.

I shut my mouth because she’s right. Asking if she’s okay does imply I care. And I don’t. Not one bit.

As I shift my car, my cracked knuckles remind me that I do. Or I wouldn’t have just hit my friend over a girl. For the second time in as many days.

That thought makes my stomach tighten.

I pull into her driveway and come to a stop. She hasn’t said one word in over fifteen minutes. She has been typing away on her phone. I’ve opened my mouth to ask her who it is a hundred times but managed not to. I have a feeling I know who it is anyway. She reaches for the door. “Austin …?”

She exits and slams it shut before I can say anything else. I sit back, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Then I put the car in gear and squeal my tires, circling the driveway to head home.

I walk into the silent house and make my way up to my room. As soon as the door shuts, my phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey, man,” Deke greets me. “I just wanted to apologize. You know I was just fucking with her, right? I wasn’t gonna touch her.”

“Yeah,” I say, letting out a long breath. I didn’t stop him because I loved the look of fear in her eyes. The way she looked at me for help. I wanted her to know that she was on her own. See what she would do. If she’d fight.

“Kellan is gone,” he says, getting my attention.

“Gone how?”

“Like threw his hands up in the air, said fuck all of us, and left.”

“Good.” Fuck him! He’s been giving me shit, and I’m tired of it.

He starts to laugh. “You gotta admit that shit was funny.”

I grunt. And his laughter fades. “We’ll give things a week. See if it’s died down.”

“Sounds good,” I say, and we hang up.

I remove my tennis shoes, shirt, and jeans. Then I walk over to my dresser and pull out my board shorts. I put them on, grab a towel, and head downstairs to the pool.

The night air is chilly, but the stars are out. I dive into the pool, and the chlorine burns the cuts on my knuckles. Coming up for air, I tread water.

When I’m all alone with my own thoughts is when the memories try to pull me under. And it’s not just my friends; it’s my mother too. God, I miss her so much. Every time I look at Lilly, I see her. I feel her. I think that’s why my father hates her so much. But it’s not Lilly’s fault. She didn’t ask to be born. To have a mother who died.

I dive under the water and push against the wall of the pool and swim. My shoulder screams. Four months of physical therapy helped it, but nothing numbs it. The cracked ribs and collapsed lung healed just fine, but the shoulder will always be a reminder that a mistake cost me three lives. Three best friends. I still have their numbers in my phone. Their last text messages. Sometimes when I’m alone, I read them as if they just sent them to me.

It makes my stomach knot and my chest tighten.

 

“Maddox!” I shout. “Maddox! Come on, man.” I kneel over his bloody face as he lies in the middle of the street. I feel around his neck for any sign of life.

“Cole?” My name is called out from behind me.

I run over to Eli. He sits up in the ditch, coughing. Blood runs down his mouth, covering his shirt. “Hang on. Help is coming,” I say, grabbing my shoulder.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” he asks, looking over at Maddox. I can’t answer. Can’t make myself say the words.

“Where’s Landen?” I ask instead. Looking around, I see the car upside down in the middle of the road ahead of us. Broken glass and beer cans litter the pavement. The front end is missing. The top crushed from the impact of the rolls. Eli starts to cough again, and blood pours out of his mouth. “Cole.” He wheezes. “Please don’t let me die.”

My already tight chest constricts even more and I’m having problems catching my breath. “You’re not gonna die,” I promise him.

His big brown eyes meet mine. “Please …”

 

I swim ten laps. My muscles are sore, and I’m breathing heavy. I think I’ve exhausted myself enough for bed. I have problems going to sleep at night. Most of the time, I end up crawling in bed with Lilly. She helps calm my demons.

I get out of the pool and grab my towel, wiping my face. “Deke?” I ask surprised when I pull it away. He comes walking over to me from the back porch. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been calling you.”

“My phone is upstairs. What’s up?”

“We have a problem.”

I sigh. “What now?”

He holds up his phone, and I squint to look at the picture he’s showing me. It’s of a guy by the name of Nate Wax drinking from a keg. “I don’t …” My eyes narrow on the picture when I look past him to see two girls standing in the background. Both laughing with drinks in their hands. It’s of Austin and a blonde. “Becky,” I growl.

“They’re at a party.” He nods his head.

“I told her she couldn’t fucking go,” I snap.

She doesn’t understand how things work in this town. Guys see her at a party without me, and they’ll wonder why I didn’t go with her. They’ll start to think maybe I dumped her. That she’s available. Then they’ll make their move. And that’s just not gonna work with me. She’s mine. Has been since I laid eyes on her. Even if she chooses not to acknowledge it.

“Well …” I look back at him. “Guess we’re going to a party.”

He smiles.

AUSTIN

“I’m so glad you could make it,” Becky says, bumping her red Solo cup into mine.

“Me too.” I tip the cup back and take a large gulp. It’s my third one, and I’ve got a damn good buzz going. Some might even say I’m drunk.

As soon as Cole dropped me off at home, I changed my clothes, jumped in my car, and left. It’s a Friday night, and I needed a fucking drink after what happened with the guys. I embarrassed myself and tased Kellan. And I started a fight. Even I know a girl who starts a fight between friends is never good.

If they didn’t want me dead before, they do now.

I take another drink. My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I ignore it because I don’t want to speak to anyone at the moment. It’s probably Celeste. I didn’t even tell her I was leaving. I’m not even sure she was at the house.

“I’m out,” Becky announces as she stands from the couch in the living room at some rich kid’s parents’ house. “Let’s do some shots.” She smiles down at me. “I saw some bottles of vodka.”

I stand, and the room sways a little. “You talked me into it.”

We make our way through the people and into the kitchen. A guy who looks over twenty-one with his lip piercing and gauged ears stands behind the kitchen island. He reminds me of Martin, and I wonder if he ever thinks of me. He hasn’t crossed my mind once until now.

The guy lines up five shot glasses and then starts pouring the vodka into them.

We clink our glasses together and then down them.

“Another,” I say, not even feeling the burn.

Becky laughs, and we slam our glasses on the countertop.

She raises her phone, and I lean into her, pushing my lips out and throwing up the deuce. I have become the typical drunk teenage girl, and I’m not ashamed. She takes the picture, and then I see her starting to upload it to Instagram. “Don’t upload that,” I say, placing my hand on it and slamming it to the table. “That’s all I need is for Cole to see it.” She said he didn’t do social media, but Deke does, and he has tons of friends. Someone is bound to inform Cole. I don’t wanna have to hear about it.

“Okay.” She smiles, and we both laugh.

“And why don’t you want me to see it, sweetheart?”

My laughter dies off when I look across the counter and into a set of blue eyes. My throat instantly goes dry, and my stomach drops.

Cole stands before me, his hands on the island, spread out wide, and his eyes are staring down at me, void of emotion. “Hmm?”

I don’t answer.

“Fancy seeing you here, baby. Hello, Becky.”

I see Deke standing next to him, his eyes running over her chest, but mine go back to Cole. He pours a shot of vodka and then slowly pushes it across the countertop to me. “I dare you.” A shiver runs through me at the challenge in his deep voice.

“Shit,” I hear Becky whisper, and I lift my chin. He arches a brow.

He’s not my dad. He’s not even my boyfriend. I can do whatever I want whenever I want. I grab the cold shot glass and knock it back. I slam it on the countertop and shove it over to him. “Another,” I demand.

Becky places her hand on mine. “Austin …”

“Another,” I repeat, ignoring her.

He does as I say without taking his eyes off mine. But this time, he takes it instead of giving it to me.

“Thought you weren’t coming out tonight?” And I slurred the last word. Becky laughs.

He is not amused. “That was the plan.”

“And?” I ask, trying to act like I don’t care he’s standing in front of me. That he’s here when I wanted to get away from him. How much can one person humiliate another? I think he is up to ten times. In six days.

“Plans change.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” I ask, yanking the bottle from his hand and pouring myself another shot. Then Becky. “To plans changing.” We clink our glasses together.

He slams his hand down on the counter and leans over it. “Do not take that shot, Austin!” he shouts, getting everyone’s attention.

My anger rises. Just two hours ago, his best friend had his hand around my throat. I wanna get drunk, and I wanna forget about this fucking week where I have completely lost all grasp of my life. “What are you going to do to me, Cole? Gonna hurt me?” I ask. A part of me wants him to. I want his hands fisted in my hair. Around my neck. I want him to make me weak in the knees like at his house party. Even if it was for show. I didn’t realize how cold I was until he touched me. Now my body craves that burn.

His blue eyes narrow on me, and I notice he’s changed his clothes since I was with him earlier. He had on a black t-shirt but now he has on a dark blue one that matches his eyes. I lick my lips, remembering what his chest looked like when he got out of my father’s pool. Just fuck me already! At this point, I have no dignity left anyway.

“I dare you,” I say and then toss back my shot.

He stands there, staring down at me like he wants to rip my head off. I’ve never seen such pretty blue eyes look so dark. All I can do is give him a lopsided smile, knowing I got to him. My lips went numb an hour ago. Show me what you got, Cole.

“Sleepwalking” by Diamante plays through the house, and I turn to face Becky, dismissing him when he just stands there. “Let’s go dance.”

She grabs my hand, but I don’t even get a chance to step away from the countertop before I’m picked up and thrown over someone’s shoulder.

I stare at an ass wrapped in blue denim as I hang upside down. “Cole!” I hit his muscular thighs with my fists. My head bouncing up and down. He slaps my ass. And I moan at the sting.

“That was just a warning,” he growls.

I smile.

I hear people talking as he turns and walks down a hallway. Then he’s opening a door. He steps in and places me on my feet. I stumble back, my heels clinking on the tile. He slams the door shut.

I spin around to see we’re in a bathroom. “What …?”

His hand grips my hair, and he spins me back around. I pant as he shoves my hips into the counter. He stands behind me, staring at me in the mirror.

He lowers his lips to my ear. “I’m not gonna let you back out, sweetheart.”

I moan, pushing my ass into him, and I can feel how hard he is.

He chuckles as his lips trail down my neck before his teeth sink into my skin. A shudder runs through me, and I rise on my tiptoes. “Cole.” I swallow. “Please.”

He starts kissing my neck again. “You’re gonna hate me in the morning.”

“I hate you now.” I breathe.

He lets go of my hair and spins me around. His hands go to my hips, and he lifts me, setting me on the counter. Then his lips are on mine.

I grab the hem of his shirt. “Take it off,” I mumble against his lips.

He pulls away, reaches up behind him, and yanks it up over his head. “Jesus,” I whisper, placing my hands on his hard and chiseled abs. I didn’t know a body could look like this.

My hands lower, and I yank at his belt and then his button. His hand is in my hair, and he’s nipping at my lips as I pant. My mind screams this is a bad idea, but my body says nothing that looks like this good could be bad.

He grips the hem of my shirt and yanks it off, tossing it to the floor by his.

I pull his jeans down only to find he has a pair of black boxer briefs on. I go to remove them, but he yanks me off the counter. I stumble into him.

He chuckles at my lack of stability and patience. I don’t care.

“Remove your heels,” he orders, and I do as he asks without question. He undoes my jeans and yanks them down my legs. I kick them off. “Put your heels back on.”

“What…?”

“Put them back on, Austin.” He demands, kneeling and holding them out. One at a time, I slide them on. When he stands back to his full height, I realize why he wanted me to put them back on. Even though I’m still a few inches shorter than him with my heels.

He removes my thong next, and before I can stop him, he has my bra undone. The last time I stood naked in front of a man for the first time, I was terrified. My entire body shook. But I don’t feel that way right now. And it has nothing to do with the alcohol in my system and everything to do with the way his blue eyes darken as he looks me up and down. They linger on my breasts, and he slowly licks his lips. They’re not anything to show off, but they’re not small either.

Then his hands are on me. He grips my sides and yanks me to him. His lips take over mine, and I moan into his mouth. My hand goes between our bodies, and I reach inside his boxers. My thighs tighten when I feel how big he is.

I pull away, panting. “Please.”

“Please what?” he asks, kissing along my jawline. He lowers his lips to my neck, and he sucks on it hard. I arch my back, giving him better access and not caring if he leaves a hickey.

Goosebumps break out over my body, and I yank his boxers down his legs, shoving him backward. His back slams into the wall, and I drop to my knees before him. I’m not gonna allow him to take his time. To draw this out. I wanna fuck. And I’m gonna get what I what for a change.

“Goddamn.” He hisses, throwing his head back into the wall with a thud.

I take his hard dick into my hand and run it up along the shaft. He’s thick and long— he’s going to feel amazing. I look up at him, watching his muscles clench with each ragged breath he takes. I almost smile at how gorgeous he is when he’s all worked up. This is a side of Cole I haven’t seen. And I like it.

He raises his hands and grips his dark hair. Those muscles rippling like waves.

He’s equally evil as he is gorgeous.

“Fuck me, Cole.”

He looks down at me, those blue eyes dark with lust. He lets go of his own hair to fist mine. I hiss in a breath as my scalp stings, but I didn’t expect him to go easy on me.

“Open your mouth, sweetheart.” He orders roughly, and I do as he says because I’m getting what I want. I’m gonna bring this bastard to his knees even if it means I have to stay on mine.