NINETEEN
MATTHEW
I WATCHED HER SLEEP.
Her eyes were puffy from crying and her cheeks flushed. I softly fingered the strands of her red hair, wishing I could take it all away for her—wishing I could erase the memories of his hands on her body—but more importantly, wishing I knew who he was so I could destroy him.
I had asked her his name, but she refused to tell me. She refused any details about him, and I wanted to be angry because she deserved justice, but at the same time, I wanted to be understanding of her need for privacy.
I lay there, needing to lose it on something, feeling like a bomb ready to detonate at any second. Anger squatted inside me, festering and boiling with a rage I had never felt in my entire life. My body trembled, shaking furiously for the desire to crush something in my palms.
She wouldn’t give me a name, but I would find him, and when I did, I would ruin his life the way he had almost ruined hers.
She shifted in her sleep, her face pushing into my chest, and I held her close. Pressing a kiss on her forehead, I silently made a promise to her that no one would ever hurt her again. She would never want for anything. Never feel the stress of life on her shoulders.
She was mine, and I would always take care of her.
My phone lit up at my side, illuminating the space around us. Before the ringing grew louder, I picked it up and checked to see who it was.
Jonathan’s name moved across the screen, his number following.
He never called. He favored texting, which was why I answered. If he was calling, something must be wrong.
“Hey. What’s up?” I answered.
A bit of static moved over the line, letting me know he was on the yacht.
“Nothing much. We’re having a birthday party for Curtis tonight on the yacht. You coming?”
There was music in the background, and the sound of women giggling.
I looked over at Shannon sleeping and decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to take her out at that moment. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure I wanted Shannon anywhere near the gun slinging and possible drugs.
“I don’t know, man,” I said into the phone. “I’m hanging out with my girl.”
Jonathan chuckled, a bit of a slur in his laughter letting me know he had started the party earlier in the day. “Your girl, huh? It’s like that now?”
“Yeah. My girl. And it’s definitely like that.”
He went silent and only the sounds of music and laughing came through the phone. I was worried he would have something sarcastic to say, but he surprised me when he said, “Well, hell, man. Bring her with you. I want to meet this goddess who managed to catch Matthew Ellis.”
I chuckled and opened my mouth to turn down his invitation, but Shannon sat up and grinned at me.
“I don’t mind if you want to go,” she said.
“Hold on a second, man,” I said into the phone before pressing it against my chest so he couldn’t hear our conversation.
“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I was kind of in and out, but I could hear your conversation. If your friends have a birthday party, you should be there. Let’s go.”
“Are you sure?” I still didn’t feel like she was ready. “He’s into some pretty hardcore shit. I don’t know if I want you around him.”
She giggled. “You’re so cute. Tell him we’ll be there.”
I placed a soft kiss on her lips before pulling the phone away from my chest.
“Okay, man, you win. Be there soon.”
WE WENT BACK TO HER APARTMENT SO SHE COULD GET SOME CLOTHES.
When we stepped through the door, Lilly and Devin were sitting on the couch. Lilly’s expression was one of shock, but when I looked at Devin, he shook his head and grinned.
“Um, anything you want to tell me, Shannon?” Lilly asked.
I snorted. “Yeah, babe, anything you want to tell her?”
Shannon blushed, prompting me to move in and kiss her on the cheek.
“Yeah, ah, we’re kind of seeing each other,” she said, motioning back and forth between us.
Devin laughed. “It’s about damn time they come clean about it.”
Lilly smacked him in the chest and grinned.
“Wait ...” Shannon started. “You knew?”
Lilly nodded. “Ever since the night Dev caught him sneaking out of the apartment.”
I sat on the couch talking with Lilly and Devin while Shannon took a shower and got dressed to go to Curtis’s birthday party. While there, I opened up to them about my motives, explaining my revenge plot and the reason I went after Lilly. Lilly nodded, understanding with a sad smile on her face
Devin squeezed my shoulder. “Damn, bro, I’m sorry. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend.”
I waved it away. “No worries, man. She wasn’t worth it. I know that now.”
“Well, still, it fucking sucks. I’m glad we can move past that shit. Lilly hated that we had tension. Especially when I told her and you Shannon were hooking up.”
It felt good to gain Devin’s friendship again, and it came in handy since I was determined to be in Shannon’s life. Lilly was a big part of Shannon’s world, so I didn’t want there to be any tension.
Twenty minutes later, Shannon came into the living room looking amazing in a knee-length black dress and heeled booties. Her long, shapely legs glistened in the living room lighting and the gloss on her lips sparkled.
She’d curled her scarlet hair into a beautiful set of ringlets, and she had put just a tiny bit of mascara on her eyes to make the green stand out.
I stood, going to her and pulling her into my arms.
“Damn, baby,” I whispered in her ear. “You look good enough to eat.”
She pushed back, wearing a seductive grin on her pouty lips. “You’re so bad.”
“Nah, I’m good at it. I didn’t hear you complaining earlier.”
WE HELD HANDS ON THE WAY TO THE COAST.
With one hand on the wheel, I hummed to the music on the radio as I drove across town.
“So tell me more about your friend,” she said. “Have you guys known each other long?”
I nodded. “A couple of years. Although, I’d say he’s more than my friend. We’re more like brothers.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m meeting him then. He can tell me all about your dirty deeds.”
I chuckled. “If you want to know about my dirty deeds, all you have to do is ask, sweetheart. I have no problem at all showing you.”
She giggled; an adorable sound I wanted to wake up to every day.
“You said he’s into some hardcore stuff? What does he do?”
I looked over at her, unsure if I wanted to tell her everything about Jonathan. I didn’t want her judging him before she even met him.
“Just some bullshit. Nothing to worry your pretty head about. He’s a good guy, Red. I can’t tell you how many times he’s helped get me out of some crazy stuff. Trust me, you’ll love him.”
She smiled. “If you love him, then I already do.”
I squeezed her hand, pulling it up to my mouth so I could kiss her knuckles.
I parked close to the dock, pressing my hand on the small of her back as we made our way down to the end. The heels on her booties clapped against the wood planks of the dock, making a bit of music with the lapping sound of the water hitting the posts.
“Hey, Finch,” I said as we approached a smaller boat.
When Jonathan had parties on board, Finch, his father’s assistant, ferried the guests to the yacht and back to the dock.
He nodded, reaching up and helping Shannon board the smaller boat.
I dropped down after her and pulled her to my side as we hit the small waves on the way to the large yacht in the distance. The lights of the yacht lit up the night, making us able to see it from far away, and I could hear the music spilling from the expensive sound system once we were halfway there.
“This is so fun,” Shannon said, enjoying the boat ride.
“Is this the first time you’ve ever been on a boat?”
She nodded.
“You’re a wild woman,” I said, kissing the side of her head.
She giggled once again, the sound making me love her even more.
The boat ride to the yacht lasted only minutes, and soon, we were on board. Shannon’s eyes took in the grandeur of the yacht, twinkling in the lights strung high above us. She was friendly to every person we passed, and when I stopped to chat with a few of my friends, I introduced her as my girlfriend.
We hadn’t technically made it official, but seeing the grin on her face whenever I referred to her that way let me know it was a conversation we didn’t need to have because we were on the same page.
I knew Jonathan would be at his spot next to the gas fire, so I started that way, my arm around Shannon’s waist the entire way. It took a bit to get there, since everyone we passed wanted an introduction to Shannon, but then we broke through the crowd and I spotted Jonathan’s back, Corrine planted in his lap with a flirty grin on her face.
Once we reached his side, I tapped him on his shoulder, making him turn around.
“Oh hey, man,” he said loudly. “Glad you could finally make it.”
“Me too.”
“So where’s the goddess?” he asked.
I looked back, and Shannon was behind me talking to a girl, not paying attention. I waited until she had finished chatting and then grabbed her around the waist and pulled back to my side with a huge, happy grin on my face.
“Here she is,” I said. “Jonathan, this is Shannon. Shannon, this is my best friend, Jonathan.”