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2022-08-13 13:06:07
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Catch Me 17
“I still don’t know about this dorm room situation,” Mom said.“Honey, she made her choice. We agreed to let her make her own decision,” Dad murmured.“But the apartments we saw were beautiful. And she’d have her privacy.”“Rena, stop it.”“Just try to talk to her, Peter. Please?”I sighed. “I can hear you two, you know.”Mom smiled at me hesitantly and Dad shook his head. As I rolled my last suitcase out the front door of our beautiful two-story home, I didn’t let their conversation dampen my spirits. I was excited to be rooming with my best friend, Hannah. I’d met her during orientation last year when we were both freshmen. And we seemed to latch on to one another. She was peppy and loud, with a boisterous laugh and curves that made every available boy on campus come over and talk to us just to get in good with her. She loved big costume jewelry and clothes that were a size too small. And through it all, we helped one another get through the tumultuous insanity that was freshman yea
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 18
“Oh, wonderful,” Hannah said.“It’s just my shampoo and stuff. It’s fine.”I scooped it up and closed the car door before I turned back to my guys. I waved my hand at them, signaling that I’d be right back. And when I did, their damn catcalling started up. Whistles filled the air and a couple of the guys gave me a thumbs-up. Then the comments began.“We give you five minutes with that one!”“I think you got ten in ya!”“Pics, or it didn’t happen, Max!”The guys burst into laughter as I snickered, shaking my head at those asshats. But when I felt someone tugging at the bag in my hand, I looked down to see the dark-haired girl fighting me for the damn thing.“Give it. I’ve got it,” she said.The bright pink of her face and the worried furrow of her brow told me everything I needed to know. She was embarrassed. And for some reason, that mattered. I held my hand up toward the guys again and made a fist, telling them they needed to shut the fuck up. And they did, too. Almost immediately.C
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 19
Dani“Ho-lee-shit,” Hannah said.The curtain dropped from my hand as I quickly whipped around.“And you’re still flushed! Did he kiss you? Did he hold you close? Tell me what those muscles felt like. Because that’s a big boy with some big muscles underneath those clothes.”I blinked. “What?”“Girl, you don’t even have your voice! He did something, didn’t he? Oh, you have to tell me all the juicy details. What’s his name? Where’s he from? What do those lips of his feel like?”I paused. What was his name? I should have asked.“You kissed a guy and you don’t even know his name?” Hannah asked.“We didn’t kiss,” I blurted out.“Then why are you so flushed right now?”Because he’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.“I just--he wanted to come into the room. Is that normal?” I asked.“You didn’t let him in?” Hannah asked.I shook my head. “No.”“Girl, why the hell didn’t you let him in!? I would’ve given you privacy. Come back with a pizza to help you refuel.”I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not going
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 20
“You’re in that dorm.”“Uh huh.”“On the third floor.”He grinned. “Yes, siree. And you don’t know what you’re missing, either. College girls are where it’s at. They know how to have a good time, they know how to keep their feelings in check, and they’re always wanting to try new things.”Rupert elbowed me. “You hear that? New things.”“And biker guys are always new things to girls like them.”I sighed. “You’re not a biker guy.”Benji waved his hand in the air. “When I graduate, I will be. I’ll be so fraught with knowledge on business and shit like that you’ll have no choice.”Rupert paused. “The fuck is ‘fraught’?”I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, you two.”I felt the guys staring at me as I watched across the road. All night I’d thought of that girl. Those eyes of hers kept me awake. That ass of hers kept my fingertips tingling. I didn’t know what it was about her. Possibly her clumsiness. Possibly the innocence in her eyes. I could almost smell virgins. They had it written all over thei
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 21
I darted down an alleyway and drew in a deep breath. I knew where I was going to pick up this job. The same place I always went. When my father had finally stepped away from the crew, he passed it onto my brother, who was three years older than me, and not very good at standing up to our father. My brother was a pushover. As strong as he was physically, Dad had a grip on him mentally. Which dove this crew into some shady shit for a very long time. But after my brother’s accident, after having the only thing he loved ripped away from him, he finally saw the light.Like I had years before.That’s how the club got passed down to me. From my father, to my older brother, to me. Family lineage, just like tradition stated. But my father didn’t like me having control of the Red Thorns. I wasn’t as much of a pushover. I always questioned him as well as his motives, something he never enjoyed about me. It had been easier to manipulate my brother than it was me. But with my brother no longer be
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 22
The guy opened the door and Hannah’s face fell. I looked over at her and she peered at me, not wanting to fully take her eyes off the guy. I knew she recognized him. That leather coat and those black jeans. She furrowed her brow slowly before coming into the room, then gripped him by his coat.“Hey. Wai--what are you--?”Hannah looked at me. “Any point to him?”I shook my head. “He said he’s hiding from someone. He let himself in and hasn’t left yet.”The boy growled. “Let go of me.”Hannah shrugged. “Suit yourself. Go hide somewhere else.”She shoved him out the door and he stumbled into the wall across the hallway. He whipped around with wide, shocked eyes, and I wiggled my fingertips at him. Hannah giggled as she slammed the door closed, then flipped the lock for good measure.“See? That’s what happens when you study unnecessarily and don’t pay attention to a damn thing I ask you to do.”I blinked. “Really? You’re doing that right now?”She grinned. “Really, really. Now that we’re
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 23
I tugged at the white shirt before it thwaped right back into place, making Hannah giggle.“Come on, time’s a’wastin’, hot stuff.”I rolled my eyes. “Never. Again.”I felt my roommate grab my hand before we stumbled out into the hallway. With the music pumping and the strobe lights going again, it felt as if I had stepped out onto another planet. I squinted as someone shoved a drink in my free hand. I had on my only pair of heels, which somehow kept throwing me off balance. Maybe it was the effects of the light, or the fact that Hannah practically tipped the cup to my lips. But the more beer I chugged down, the looser I felt.“Need another?” she asked.I grimaced as the taste of lukewarm beer filled my throat. I forced myself to get it down, but I sure didn’t want another one. I tossed the red cup into the nearest trash can before Hannah started bopping around, dancing to the thumping music and reaching for yet another drink.One of many I presumed she’d already had.I looked up and d
Last Updated : 2022-08-13Catch Me 24
“I don’t like the sound of this one, Max. I’ve heard Dad talk about a ‘Dean’ before.”“You think it’s the same one?”He nodded. “Absolutely. You know Dad. He doesn’t keep company much. So you know he’s gotten in with them somehow. And if they work for or with Dad…?”“They’re shit news.”“Yeah.”I growled. “Fuck.”“And it’s not a good sign that he wants your best men. That means this man is already in some deep shit as it is.”“You think I don’t know that?”He held up his hands. “Just making sure you do. I’d rather talk your ear off about it than you go in blind.”“I never go in blind.”He grinned. “Except when it comes to your women.”I rolled my eyes. “So what else is new?”He chuckled. “I’m serious, though. The way I’ve heard Dad talk about this ‘Dean’ guy? If that’s even his name? It’s big. He’s big, and he’s bad. Much bigger fish than the Red Thorns have ever gotten tied up with.”“What have you heard Dad say about this character?”“It’s not what I’ve heard him say, it’s when I’v
Last Updated : 2022-08-13
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Catch Me 44
“Well, it sounds like you’re about to find out,” he says ominously.I remember my father defending his decision to kidnap me if Emmett hadn’t stepped in. He claimed he just needed to ‘remove me from the game.’ Like I was just some kind of gambling chip in his mind, one that was swinging the odds out of his favor. At the time, I didn’t know if I was better off with Emmett or my dad. Now it seems I’m getting both, whether I like it or not.We’ve come so far since then. When everything about Emmett and my dad came out, I couldn’t imagine ever trusting Emmett again after everything he had put me through. I certainly never thought we’d be where we are today. But I can’t help but feel like the lingering presence of my father threatens what we have. I don’t know how, but I know it’s not good.“Do you think he still keeps tabs on my mom and me?” I ask Emmett nervously. “You remember what he said after everything happened with your father. About my mother belonging to him before anybody else.
Catch Me 43
Emmett and I race through the cold to the warmth of his car after school. A fresh snow has just fallen, and the campus has been transformed. The blinding, pure white glow all around brings me hope that maybe when we return in January, the Elites won’t come at us with the force we’re expecting. But mostly, I try not to think about any of it at all.The weather in Massachusetts is beautiful, especially in Jameson. It’s a small enough town with a historic square in the middle that gets decorated with lights, greenery, and bright red bows every November, and stands through the holidays. It all looks so beautiful with the snow and the sparkling salt on the cobblestone sidewalks. It’s so scenic that horse-drawn carriages park in wait for people who want to pay to ride around.The orange and red autumn leaves have shriveled to dried, brown, crunchy dead things that are frozen and buried deep beneath the snow. In some places where the snow has turned to slush from cars or foot traffic, you ca
Catch Me 42
“I don’t know.” I smile lightly. “Did they? You’re free now. You don’t have to play their games anymore, or walk around with the weight of your father’s legacy on your shoulders. You can live your life however you want to now.”He grins. “I can finally take you to that concert, that band I was telling you about. There’s nothing to worry about anymore but normal stuff like school and college. And us.”“The concert…sure.” I laugh. “But also Ritzville. The Ferris wheel at Ritzville.”“What?” He smirks and wrinkles his brow.“It’s a thing for me.” I shrug. “Just promise me we’ll go.”“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” he says before pulling my lips to his.“I don’t know about where I want to go…but I know I need to go home.” I look at the time on my phone. “My parents are going to be worried sick…again.”He nods and looks at me intently. “I think it’s time to tell them everything, Ophelia.”I have always known that anyone outside of Jameson would never be able to understand the full
Catch Me 41
I can’t take it anymore. I can’t stand here while she tries to make Emmett feel bad after everything she’s done. “Well, if you’ve been up Liam’s ass this whole time anyway, just waiting for your chance to run the company,” I chime in, “why do you care what Emmett did? You said you were glad Thomas was gone.”She shrugs cavalierly. “It doesn’t change the way things work around here. You can’t just take out the crown of the hierarchy around here and expect not to suffer the consequences.”“You people are all seriously fucked up,” I blurt out.“I knew what you did, Emmett,” Bernadette grunts resentfully. “I came and told Liam. He was the one who let Mom know.”“I thought you were smarter than that, Emmett,” Liam scolds. “You know what happens to people who mess with the Elites. You know a thing or two about that yourself, don’t you, Ophelia? So now you’ll walk away with nothing.”“And if I were you…I’d get out of town,” Malcolm adds. “Now the Elites will rise back to where we belong. And
Catch Me 40
He plops into a chair in the corner as his leg starts bobbing up and down. He presses his palm to his mouth and looks anxiously around the room, fighting hard not to let my words affect him.“I can’t believe I let you,” I mused. “Something about the way you commanded me…I just couldn’t refuse. I guess you still have that power over me somehow.”“I wasn’t expecting to feel like that when I kissed you,” he responds with a surprising tenderness.His recollection of it makes sense. The way he seemed confused and tormented as he grabbed at my body with an almost punishing touch. He hated me for the feelings I stirred up inside of him. He was just doing what he was told, scoping me out and luring me to WJ Prep. He never meant to feel anything for me.“I still never expect to feel that way when I kiss you,” he added in a disappointed mutter.“But you do,” I offer optimistically, thinking maybe I’ve found my way into him. “And I do too. There’s something between us, Emmett. Enough that…surely
Catch Me 39
“I’m going as fast as I can,” I whine back, trying to hurry.He huffs over, slinging back the curtain and reaching in to turn the faucets off.“What are you doing!?” I cry, looking at him in shock. “I’m almost done. Just give me a minute.”“You’re out of time, princess,” he sneers, throwing a towel at me, but not until after he takes a good long slow look at my wet and naked body. I’m quick to cover up from his gaze, figuring if he can’t even have the decency to give me a full five minutes in the shower, he doesn’t get to see me naked.Anger sparks in his eyes as I cover up, robbing him of his eye candy. His hand grips my elbow tightly as he yanks me out, banging my arm harshly against the sink countertop.“Shit!” I shout, looking down to see fresh red blood pooling out into the beads of water still dripping across my skin. Just another reminder of who he really is, making me kick myself for every moment of weakness I had last night.“We don’t have time for all of this,” he moans impa
Catch Me 38
As soon as I have the thought of gratitude, his arms wrap around me tightly, one hand wriggling down to unbuckle my seatbelt before he drags me into his lap.“What the fuck are you doing!?” I shout, kicking and squirming to get away.“We’re gonna take a little drive,” he explains in a hauntingly snide tone. “And I want you close to me.”All I can think of is the last time these fuckers took me for a drive, and the time after that when Emmett tried again to lure me away in his car. My hands and arms flail frantically for escape, but he quickly grips onto me in every direction. He holds me down long enough to secure his stretched seat belt over the both of us. With one arm held firmly across my chest, holding my arms down, a black cloth falls over my eyes.“No!” I yell hopelessly, not wanting to be blindfolded. But the cloth ties tight across my vision, blocking out the outside world. “Emmett, please…don’t do that!”Vincent and Trey cackle. They love it when I’m struggling.I finally gi
Catch Me 37
“He hurts you?” Malcolm asks, his face slightly twisted.“They all do.”He shakes his head, turning briefly to the driver’s side window with his lips pursed before refocusing on the road. “That’s not like him. I know it’s going to be hard to convince you…but anything he’s doing is just out of fear. He didn’t ask to be born into that fucked up family of his. He’s just as much of a pawn as the rest of us.”I stare at him as he drives, searching for some sign of an ulterior motive. Doubt. Anything that tells me he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But he’s filled with resolve. Completely confident that Emmett is somehow different than his flock of abusers.My head flings back against my seat. I can’t handle this right now. The last thing I need is another gnawing voice in my ear trying to convince me that Emmett’s behavior is excusable.I’ve watched him dump trash on Lily’s head. He manhandled me in front of his asshole Elite friends. He’s verbally abused me. Humiliated me. Threatene
Catch Me 36
I feel completely helpless. And as tired as I am of going through this alone, the only time I feel safe is when I’m alone. And even then, I’m plagued with paranoia over what will happen next. Especially now with this tracking device in my arm. I feel broken. Like something is wrong with me. I don’t know how I can ever go back to living a normal life after this.Thankfully, I’m able to avoid my parents as I race to my bathroom. The spot on my shoulder where they sewed in the implant is still bleeding, and I have to bandage it up just to keep the blood off of my clothes.I decide to take a bath to soothe my aching muscles, filling the hot steaming water with every bath product I can find that might bring me some peace and comfort.I lay back into the bath water, my body still tingling and my legs feeling almost numb. The lavender scented steam rising up should comfort me. But nothing seems to be able to do that anymore.I think back on the life I had before coming to WJ Prep and this El
