I breathed in slowly through my stuffy nose, thinking about the people I would hurt if I said anything. “If I tell you, innocent people will pay for my stupidity.”He moved away and turned another chair around so he straddled it, the bulge in his jeans still evident. The fact that he looked entirely too good sitting that way made me feel warm all over. There was something seriously wrong with me. No guy had ever affected me this way. If you added the situation into the mix, it was pure insanity to notice what he looked like. But hell was he hot.He interfered with my dreamy thoughts. “You should have considered the consequences before you broke into my house.”The words brought me back to reality and shame replaced the desire to run my fingers across his perfect abs. I couldn’t control my stuttered response. “I did consider them just…just not this one.” I looked away but quickly turned back. “I’d rather go to jail.”His intense glare almost burned through me. “I told you that’s not an
I shouldn’t have said anything more, but him thinking I’d leave my sister made me angry. “My brother’s inside too; he’s fifteen. I work some days and some nights; whenever I can get the hours. It’s not ideal, but it’s our only choice. My brother is very responsible.” I spoke so fast, my words tumbled together.Reed gave a loud sigh. “Fuck.”I did have some pride left because it came flaring back to life. “Don’t fucking pity us.”I threw open my door and so did he. He followed me up to the door and Don Gato rubbed against his pant leg.Traitor.I was back in my territory and feeling stronger. “You need to leave now.”“I’m coming inside.”“No.”“Yes.” There was steel in his voice.“You’ll upset my brother.”“Too fucking bad. Open the door.”It pissed me off, but I had little choice. I knocked on the door. The small curtain to the right of the door moved aside. An inside light came on and a slight thump sounded when Jon lifted the two-by-four barring the door. Our lock broke a few months
His car roared away while I stood in stunned silence.“What the hell’s in the box, sis?”I walked to the table and lifted the lid, handing one of the Plexiglas-encased balls to my brother. It was marked with a small plaque showing the name and date.“Holy shit, it’s a Babe Ruth.”When word went out on the street that Big Jim, the local fence, would pay ten grand for Reed Tyler’s autographed baseball collection, I had no idea exactly which balls I was after. I just figured that some dumbass rich jock could afford to lose them. I didn’t know Reed’s father gave them to him. I looked down. There was one more in the box. I peeked inside with my brother peering over my shoulder.I picked it up.Jon whispered, reverence dripping from his voice. “Joe Jackson. Holy shit, that’s Shoeless Joe’s signature.”“Shoeless Joe?”***Sleeping next to my sister on the soft, lumpy bed didn’t keep me from tossing and turning. Baseball’s Holy Grail collection was stashed under the box holding up the mattres
I thought I’d been kissed before, but I was so wrong. Those boys made weak bumbling attempts compared to what Reed did with his mouth. He explored mine, his tongue dodging, licking, and seeking. The kiss went on and on, his hand threaded through my hair, his other smoothed over my ear then across my jaw. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine, his heavy breath warm with the delicious smell that matched his taste.“That wasn’t a very good idea,” he said without pulling away.“Then why did you do it?” A low breathy whisper had replaced my real voice.He leaned back, the intensity in his eyes captivated me. “Honestly, I don’t know. You’re still too young for fuck’s sake.”“For two more months and since you’re such an old man at twenty-five, I’m sure you’ll be arrested for cradle robbing.” Jon had told me Reed’s age and other interesting tidbits about Mr. Baseball Man.He released my hair, moving his hands up my arms until both rested against my throat, his thumbs runnin
He shut off his car as soon as he pulled up in front of the trailer. The sudden quiet, though welcome, made me uncomfortable. I placed my hand on the door handle.“Could we talk for a minute?” His sexy voice had dipped to an even lower tone. Shivers ran across my skin.“Talking won’t change anything.”“This talk might.” He sounded so sure of himself.I turned to face him. “Look, Reed, I’m not going to be your girlfriend. I don’t need rides home or your jackets.” I was such a liar. I never wanted to give up the jacket enveloping me in warmth and his scent. I wanted to roll in his smell, coating my body with Reed Tyler.“I’d like you to work for me.”Well that made me laugh. “Doing what? Your laundry, cleaning?”“Don’t you think it’s a better gig than Tasty Burger?”I’d said my last words as a joke, but, God, he was serious. “I am not going to be your maid. The idea is ridiculous.”“Just hear me out.”“No.” Why did he always bring my pride to the forefront?“I have an apartment over the
I hid Don Gato under Reed’s jacket when I got on the bus. I looked like I was six-months pregnant, but there was no way I could walk the entire way. It was now a little more than an hour after Jon and Bitsy had left for school. Don Gato was still alive when I knocked on Reed’s door.During the entire trip, I swore I wouldn’t cry. Reed answered the door with bedhead, no shirt, low-slung sweatpants, and a sleepy adorable look on his face.“I need your help and…and I’ll sleep with you to get it.”Anger quickly replaced the sleepy look and, for a moment, I thought he would close the door in my face.“What. The. Fuck, Jaycee?”I started crying. It wasn’t soft or delicate, pretty, or feminine. It just poured out. I unzipped the jacket and uncovered Don Gato.“I don’t want him to suffer, but I couldn’t kill him. I don’t have the money to have him put down and I couldn’t do it.” I was repeating myself and blubbering like a fool.“Christ.”His arms closed around Don Gato and me at the same tim
Reed didn’t care about my mood disorder; he just started pumping me for information. “Tell me about your classes?” he asked after we placed our orders.Someday I’d get the unsociable girl attitude down properly. I gave in with a small puff of air, which moved a few flighty strands of hair from my face. “There are only two this semester—math and English. At the rate I’m going, I’ll graduate from college in ten years.”“You’re taking an advanced math course.”“I tested out of basic, took two math courses last semester, and decided to push myself a little this time. I know it’s weird, but I like anything to do with numbers. ”“Do you ever play Sudoku?”I rolled my eyes. “Not anymore. They’re too easy.”“Prove it.” He stood up and walked to the diner’s front counter, grabbing a newspaper.I used to play the puzzles from the newspapers at the library, but seriously, they became too easy. He went through the paper and folded it before placing it in front of me.“Are you going to time me or
Bitsy’s smile disappeared when she saw I didn’t have Don Gato and her lips started quivering. Jon looked resigned.“He’s at the vet, Bitsy. They think he has an infection and they’re keeping him overnight for fluids and medicine.” I turned to Jon so he would understand. “Reed gave me a ride to the vet’s office.”Jon’s eyes narrowed. “Is he paying for it?”I looked back at Bitsy and smiled at her. “No, the doctor said he would take the bunny money as payment in full.” If I was going to start a lifetime of lying, I might as well make it good.There was no chance Jon believed me, but he would keep quiet with Bitsy within earshot.I cooked dinner and had just enough time to make it to my evening class. I only had to go to the community college once a week because I used a computer at the library and took most of the course online. It was easier to work around my schedule this way. I turned in my assignment, did my lab, and walked outside to catch the bus.Several guys stood about ten feet
I hid in Italy for three weeks. Greg came with me and kicked my ass on the court. He actually made a great practice partner. I was back to clean eating and drinking only water. It surprised me when Greg brought a bottle of wine to my room one night. “What’s this for?” I asked when he gave me one of his golly-gee smiles. Greg was cute. And, married to a lovely woman who worshipped him. “I’ve been your coach for three months now and I have no idea what makes you tick. It’s time for a come to daddy talk. Or in your case, come to coach. I figured the alcohol might make it easier.” “You’ll need more than one bottle,” I told him. He came back to my room ten minutes later with two more bottles in his hands. “Does your wife know you’re getting drunk with a slutty tennis star tonight?” I smiled to take the sting out of calling myself a slut. “She suggested it. We’ve had many long conversations about you.” “How romantic.” He poured our first glasses and tilted the edge of his glass against
I never returned to the hospital, which was entirely unfair of me. My anger at my father carried over to Brack. I was horrible. The man I loved hadn’t fully recovered and I left him at the hospital alone. Okay, he had his parents and his team. But, bottom line—I was horrible and a coward. I ignored the calls from Brack and my father. Again… coward.I needed complete control of my life. It took me two weeks to come up with a plan. During those two weeks, I hired a new coach and trained until I could barely walk. I trained with a purpose. I’d had my own money. Not just from tennis but from my mother. I’d never used it. That was the way I punished her and myself. Now, for the first time, I paid for my own coach.I liked him. I could actually smile over the fact that my father paid for Jerry all those years while the two of them hated each other. Greg, my new coach, kicked my ass. I had no idea if I had a chance this season. But, winning the Grand Slam was in my peripheral vision and not
Two days later, the doctors discontinued the medication that kept Brack in a coma. My father showed up the morning after surgery and made me go home, shower, and change clothes. Brack’s parents were staying in shifts. His mom promised she wouldn’t leave his side until I returned. I hadn’t really spoken to them. We stayed relatively quiet in Brack’s room. I whispered encouragement and told him I was there. They gave us privacy, too. That’s when I told him I loved him. Again and again, I whispered the words.My father and Senator Jacobs were cordial. Brack’s mother treated my dad like a family friend. Apparently she’d been friends with my mom. I tried not to think about the ramifications of our two families tied together through me and Brack. It was too much to take right now.Brack still had the ventilator. The doctor reviewed best and worst case scenarios with us. I refused to listen to brain damage, paralysis, learning to walk and talk again, and so on. My focus was full recovery. I
Four hours later, I was passed out against Mack’s shoulder when his cell rang. My brain registered the noise and I was pulled quickly from sleep.“Yeah,” he answered quietly. He listened for several minutes before responding. “I have her here with me. We’ll be there in a minute.” He slid his phone back in his pocket and looked at me. “He’s in recovery. It was touch and go, but he pulled through. They have him in a sedated coma. He has a stent in his skull to relieve swelling. The doctor told his parents he came to before surgery and demanded to see you. His mom wants you up there if you think you can handle it.”I was up and walking out of the emergency room before he finished, my heart pounding a hundred miles an hour. “What floor? I’m not waiting for you to waddle behind me.”Snickers came from several of the guys. “I’ve got her,” Molly said.“Second floor.”The elevator took so long I almost turned to the stairs. I’d do anything to get to him. Brack asked for me and I had to see hi
I ran toward Brack, who had fallen to the floor. There was so much blood and I tried wiping it off his face. My hands turned dark red.“You did it, baby,” he whispered before his body went completely limp.Sander and a woman who must be Molly ran into the enclosure with guns drawn. I could barely hear them. Echoed gunshots continued ringing in my ears.“Call an ambulance and please someone check on my father. He’s in the van,” I said as I held Brack’s head in my lap. Blood soaked my panties and covered my legs. Head wounds bleed, I kept saying to myself. Sander practically jumped over us and went straight to Ty’s body. He turned back when he had assured himself Ty was no longer a threat.“Where were you?” I asked softly. I didn’t want Brack to hear me yelling at his team.Sander sat down next to me and took Brack’s arm checking his pulse. “The bastard used some kind of scrambler. It took us a while to figure out the van didn’t leave the premises. We recovered the phones. Brack had a t
Kids laughed. A mother scolded a young child for attempting to go under the bar and get closer to one of the cages. Brack and I stood in the center of the primate exhibit. My phone chirped. It didn’t startle me this time; I was too numb. “Yes.”“Walk over to the primate exhibit sign and you’ll find another cell phone behind it. Exchange it for the one you’re using. Have Mr. Jacobs leave his phone behind, too.”Brack followed me to the sign and I did exactly as told. The phone was there. I picked it up and lay mine down. “He said to leave yours, too.” Brack took his from his jeans pocket and placed it beside mine. Thankfully, no one paid attention to us. I had no idea what we needed to do next. The phone in my hand vibrated. This time I clicked the call button without saying a word.“Go to your left and keep walking on the path. Did you bring my present?” I carried a bag with the dress inside so both of Brack’s arms would be free. He carried a gun in a hidden leg holster.“Yes, it’s in
The inside of my father’s home was a crime scene. We sat on the couch in the front room away from the forensic team that arrived a few minutes before. The media camped at the gates added to the growing chaos.Even knowing Ty would eventually call, I jumped when my cell phone chirped. The display read “Unknown.” My fingers trembled as I picked it up and answered, “Hello, Ty, or should I call you Leo?”His husky laugh sent goose bumps across my arms. “I told you not to call the police. You wouldn’t listen and you’ll pay for disobedience.”My voice remained steady. “It wasn’t me. You killed your mother, so what exactly did you expect? She worked for my dad for over thirty years. One plus one equals two, Leo.” Fuller and Brack told me not to push him too hard. I had to make him believe I hadn’t gone to the police, though.“My mother had cancer and it was eating away at her. I did her a favor. She didn’t walk in God’s light. By making her repent and then killing her God may show mercy.”He
My heart stopped. Dread and terror filled me. Colors danced before my eyes making it hard to see. The whoosh of blood traveling into my head made it hard to hear. I had to get control of myself. I gulped in air. “You goddamn son of a bitch. If you hurt my father I’ll kill you.”“He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall be put to death and stoned. Remember that when you feel the pain of my hand, Olivia.”Brack startled me by gathering me close and placing his head against mine so we both listened. “Where’s my father?” I demanded.“That’s better. I have instructions for you, Olivia. You will follow them to the letter. Please bring that man with you. The one you’ve been with lately.” His voice took on an eerie quality. “If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death.” He breathed heavily and then gave a sadistic laugh. “You may choose your father or lover to pay for your sins. One shall die and the other walks away.”“But…”He lau
I don’t know what I expected love to be like. Violins playing, little cupids flying around with bow and arrows, hell maybe just cuddles in bed for hours. That wasn’t what happened the following morning. Brack paced across the carpet of my living room with his cell to his ear listening to one of his men on the other end. He cast a glance or two my way. I could tell before the call ended that he would try his non-communication shit with me again.I was right.“What’s the news?” I asked the second he lowered the phone.He came over and sat beside me. “Nothing to worry about.”I gave him my I’m-about-to-slam-you-with-a-tennis-racquet look. “Bullshit.” I was beginning to notice his tells. The fingers traveling through his hair was a sign that he didn’t want to enlighten me. I waited.He breathed out a slow and steady breath of air. “Mack didn’t see his attacker, but he heard him before he lost consciousness.”My heartbeat accelerated. “Okay. Spill it.”“Mack told Herman that most of it was