Текст книги "Beautifully Insightful"
Автор книги: K.C. Lynn
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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
Ryder’s arms wrap around me from behind and he pulls me back against him. “What movie do you want to see, baby?” His deep, smooth voice in my ear has my body wracking with shivers.
I try to keep my wits about me and look at the movie posters but I have a hard time distinguishing what they’re about. “I don’t really know.”
“Well, do you want to watch something scary, funny, or action-packed? I’ll sit through a chick flick if I have to, since this is for you, but I’m not going to lie, I’d rather not.”
I giggle at his honesty. “I don’t care. You pick. I’m just excited to be here.”
“All right, come on.” He leads me over to the ticket booth, and purchases tickets for some sort of crime thriller movie. I tried to take out my wallet to help pay but the nasty look he shot me had me depositing it back in my purse quickly.
Getting popcorn and some sort of candy called Milk Duds we head to our theatre. “I can’t believe you’ve never had Milk Duds, baby, this is an abomination.”
I smile and shake my head at his teasing. He doesn’t realize that there is a ton of candy I haven’t tried. It was yet another luxury I was denied because my mother was worried I would gain weight, and it would only further ruin the image that my disability already put a damper on. If it weren’t for Rosa I would have never had any sugar, but lucky for me she would always bake for me and hide it from my mother. Her cinnamon buns were always my favorite.
Our theatre isn’t as busy as I anticipated, but Ryder says it’s because the movie has been out for a few weeks. Taking my hand, he leads me up the dim-lit stairs and sits in the empty, last row at the very top. I use a moment to take in my surroundings, noticing most people are sitting either in the middle or lower down. The screen, that is front and center, is absolutely massive, and a rush of excitement flows through me at finally getting to experience this. I glance over at Ryder to see him watching me with a smirk and I can’t help but get a smile of my own. “This is pretty cool.”
“I think you’re fucking cool,” he replies, making me giggle. It trails off into a moan when he gives me one of his delicious kisses.
Suddenly the lights go down, leaving the theatre in total blackness. I gasp and grab on to Ryder, my heart pounding in fear. The big screen quickly comes alive, dimly lighting the theatre back up. I release a breath and see Ryder watching me inquisitively. I ignore his questioning gaze and turn my attention to the movie.
All talk ceases, and Ryder drops a hand on my bare leg. It’s hard not to be intimately aware of him in the dark room. His body heat and clean masculine scent wraps around my senses, making it difficult to concentrate.
An hour later, I’m completely enraptured by the movie. Some parts are scary, and others a little disturbing. I’ve had to close my eyes at some of the killing, but mostly I’m intrigued at finding out who the murderer is. Ryder made a guess at the start of it, but I don’t think he’s right. My money is on the nosy neighbor. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with what is happening, and I think I’m driving Ryder nuts with all my whispered questions, but he always patiently explains. I’m surprised he can even hear me, considering how loud it is.
Things start to get steamy between the cop and victim in her hotel room. What the… Holy moly. My mouth drops open and my eyes bug out when the guy rips the girl’s clothes off, leaving her stark naked for all of us to see. My face flushes with heat and I feel like I should be looking anywhere else but the screen. But I can’t seem to take my eyes off of it. The room becomes really hot, and I squirm in my seat feeling uncomfortable. I sense Ryder watching me, but I don’t look over since this is awkward enough. Geez Louise, I feel sorry for anyone who is here with their family, this is just… awkward.
I tense when Ryder begins trailing his hand up my bare leg. I slap it away when he tries slipping it under my skirt and I look over at him, wondering what the hell he’s doing. He gives me a dirty grin, as if he knows what my thoughts were just moments ago. Loud moans fill the silence and I feel myself flush a darker shade of red before I look away from him. His quiet chuckle makes me want to slap his sexy face. He tries putting his hand between my legs again, but I have them squeezed together tightly. I’m not sure if this is because I don’t want him there, or because I’m trying to alleviate the minor ache that has started between them. Probably both.
“Come sit on me.”
My gaze snaps to his, wondering if he’s serious, and I quickly realize he is by the smirk he still has on his face. “What? No!” I whisper harshly. “Now stop it!”
He chuckles again at my outrage and leans in close to my ear. “Come on, baby, come over here and sit on me. Let me feel how wet your pussy is.”
Oh god. I hate it when he says stuff like that… Kinda. When I don’t budge, and attempt to ignore him, he starts tugging on my arm. “Would you stop it? Someone is going to see us!”
He rolls his eyes. “No one is going to see us, now get your sexy ass over here, Emily, and let me give you a new experience for the both of us.”
For the both of us? Meaning he hasn’t done this to another girl here, right? I’m not going to lie, I like the sound of that. I don’t think there’s much I’ll be able to do with him where it will be a first for both of us. His sly smirk spreads, knowing he has me, and he pats his leg. My body aches for his touch, but my heart pounds in fear at being caught. Oh to hell with it. I’m barely out of my chair when he pulls me down on top of him, his huge erection directly under my ass. I hear him groan and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one worked up. He spreads my legs, draping them over top of his, then he brings my back snug against his chest. I frantically look around, making sure no one can see us, but thankfully they all seem to be engrossed in the movie. One of his hands wraps gently around my throat and he tilts my head back, bringing his mouth to my ear.
“Watch the movie, Em.” His low demand has heat blazing through my body.
I do as he says, focusing on the big screen in front of me, where the cop and victim are now in full mode. The guy has the girl against the wall, screwing her senseless while her screams of pleasure fill the theatre. Oh this is so, so dirty and wrong, but boy do I like it.
My breathing kicks up as Ryder’s hand snakes between my spread legs. “The best decision you made tonight was wearing this fucking skirt.” Pushing the center of my wet panties aside, he wastes no time sliding his fingers through my aching flesh. I gasp at the sensation of his touch, remembering the pleasure it brought me last night.
“I knew you would be soaked. Is this for me, Em, or the movie?”
He knows damn well it’s for him, but I decide to stroke his ego anyway and play along. “You,” my response is breathless. “I’ve been like this since I left you this afternoon.”
His low growl in my ear has goose bumps breaking out over my heated flesh. “You’re dying for me to smack that tight ass of yours again, aren’t you, baby?”
Oh, am I ever, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“You see how that guy is fucking her?” he murmurs huskily while lubing his fingers with my arousal. “That is nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you later.” With that arrogant comment, he slides first one finger inside of me then quickly follows with another.
“Oh god,” I moan at the exquisite burn and grip onto his arm tightly.
“Shhh. Easy, baby,” he murmurs in my ear before starting to pump his fingers in and out of me. I whimper at the incredible sensations ripping through me, my body so sensitive, so turned on, I feel close to exploding already. I rock my hips to the rhythm of his hand, my ass sliding against his erection under me. He releases a low growl. “Stop fucking moving or I’m going to come in my goddamn pants.”
The rough command has me stilling, but it’s torture, my body needing more. I am so close to the edge, so close. Ryder senses it and slides his hand down my throat into my tank top. My breathing becomes erratic and my body desperate for release. His skilled fingers find my puckered nipple and pinches with enough force that the pleasure shoots between my legs and sends me over the edge.
He removes his hand from my breast and slaps it over my mouth, muffling my cries of pleasure. And thank god for that because I couldn’t have stopped if I tried. He doesn’t let up until every ounce of pleasure spills from my body. Once my tremors cease I lay back against him, limp and sated. He removes his hand from between my legs and wraps his arm around my waist, while the other locks possessively across my chest. His warm lips trail down the side of my throat as I catch my breath. “You’re so beautiful, Em.” My heart melts at his sincere whisper in my ear. He has always made me feel beautiful, which means everything to someone who was always told they weren’t good enough.
Turning in his arms, I bring my mouth to his and kiss him with everything I am and everything I feel. I show him how much I have missed him and I don’t stop until my lungs are craving air. His intense green eyes shine bright with so many emotions. Lust, restraint and something else, something that has my heart turning over in my chest. “Take me home, Ryder. I don’t want to wait any longer to feel you inside of me.”
He doesn’t need any convincing. Giving me one more deep, hard kiss, I stand and attempt to fix my skirt, but Ryder grabs my hand then starts hauling ass down the stairs. I try to keep up with him but clearly I’m not moving fast enough, because once we get to the bottom of the stairs he picks me up around the waist and blows out of our theatre’s door. I wrap my arms around his neck with a giggle.
“There is nothing funny about how hard you make my dick, Em.”
He races to the exit doors but I stop his quick pursuit. “Wait!”
“What?” He looks down at me impatiently.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
He stares at me in utter disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I shake my head and try to keep a straight face at his expression. He blows out a heavy breath. “Fine. Hurry up or I’m coming in there and we are fucking in the girls’ bathroom.”
I don’t doubt for a moment he’s serious, not after what he just did to me in the theatre. “I promise. I’ll be quick.” The entire walk to the bathroom I can feel his eyes on me, roving as if it were his hands. Lord I cannot wait to get home.
Ryder
I watch Emily walk into the bathroom and want to fucking weep. My cock is so goddamn hard I fear it’s going to fucking break off. I run a hand through my hair and get a whiff of her sweet scent still on my fingers. Seeing her face when she saw that sex scene for the first time, and the way she came apart for me watching it… Fuck, it was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
I hope I can hold back long enough to say what needs to be said. I know we have to deal with the past and I have to tell her the truth before we move forward. I can’t keep it from her any longer. It’s one thing to touch her and another to fuck her. I just hope she understands, hell, I will make her understand.
My cell phone rings and I see it’s Stone. I go find a quiet corner to answer. “Jameson.” I get a bunch of static so I plug my ear and turn into the corner until it’s clearer. “Hello?”
“We need to talk.” I can tell by his tone this can’t wait.
I look behind me to see Emily is still in the bathroom, but I get static again so I turn back around. “What’s going on?”
“I just saw the school counselor, Marianne Olsen. I have some new information and it sounds like this shit is even bigger than we anticipated, Jameson.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When Cassie went missing, and no one would help her, she did some digging on her own. She has a good friend who works for Child Protective Services, who told her rumors circulated in the office about Michaels before. Apparently there was a social worker who tried bringing him down sixteen years prior.”
“Sixteen?” Jesus, how the fuck has he gotten away with it for this long?
“Yeah, and supposedly she was building quite the case, but most of her evidence was circumstantial. So she decided to play detective. Marianne’s friend said she heard that this social worker decided to go undercover at one of his charity functions; she said something big was going down and she would be able to get solid evidence. Only she was never seen again.” I grunt, not surprised to hear that. “Now this is where shit gets twisted. Her friend said that the circumstantial evidence she had involved high profilers – the majority were politicians from other states and countries. Girls were being trafficked within the web of the involved parties. I think we have more than just this group home, Jameson, I think we have stumbled upon a major human trafficking ring.”
Well shit! “We need to bring this to Senator Adams, when I spoke with him today this was far from what he was suspecting, but he may have some insight as to who else may be involved. I’m thinking there has to be someone higher up, because sixteen years ago Michaels would have only been Lieutenant Governor, maybe even lower on the chain. Not saying he isn’t one of the big fish now, but back then there must have been someone more influential who was able to keep this quiet.”
“If what this lady says is true it sounds like a lot of this shit is going down at his charity functions, which are being held at his plantation. You need to speed shit along with your girlfriend, Jameson. No more pussyfooting around with her. I can’t get that fucking girl from the group home out of my head, and I want this shit solved now – before those girls are moved to god knows where.”
My temper spikes. “And you think I don’t? I’m an FBI Agent, Stone, not a fucking magician. This shit takes time. I haven’t seen this girl for six years and…”
The sound of a gasp has me realizing my mistake too late. Turning around I see Emily standing behind me, her blue eyes filled with shock and betrayal while tears stream down her face. Fuck! Clearly she heard more than just the last part. Before I have a chance to say anything she takes off. “Shit! I gotta go!” Hanging up, I start after her. “Emily, wait!”
She ignores me and runs out of the theatre. I bolt out the door into the dark night, almost plowing people down in my haste. I catch up to her quickly and snag her arm. “Em, will you just fucking wait!”
She spins around and I don’t anticipate the blow to my face, her hand leaving a good fucking sting on my cheek. “Don’t touch me!”
“Baby, just let me explain…”
“I heard enough,” she sobs, backing further and further away from me. The pain on her expression makes me feel like someone just punched me in the throat. “God I am so stupid, I can’t believe I fell for your shit! Well never again, Ryder, you can go to hell!”
She turns back around and I’m about to go after her again when the squeal of tires catches my attention. Turning, I see a dark car peeling out of its spot with its lights turned off. That was my first warning; the second was the back window rolling down.
Fuck! I spring into action, adrenaline fueling my speed. “EMILY, GET DOWN!” My warning shout has her spinning around. Her eyes widen in fear as she sees me charging at her then suddenly everything happens in slow motion. Gunshots and screams sound behind me just as I plow into her and take her down. I try to take the brunt of our fall then roll over top of her. Glass shatters and rains down on us from the store windows, the crashing sound mixing in with Emily’s screams. Reaching down, I grab my gun that’s strapped to my ankle, but by the time I have it aimed the car is turning the corner and everything is over within seconds.
I quickly rise up on my arms to check Emily, and see her face pale with fear and her eyes wide with shock. There is a small gash at the top right corner of her forehead. “Shit.” I push her hair back to make sure there is no glass in it. “You okay, baby?”
“I– I think so. What was that? Gunshots?”
“Yeah,” is my only response because I’m still trying to figure out what the fuck just went down. Putting my gun back in its holster, I help her sit up and take a closer look at her gash. Thankfully it doesn’t seem too deep. “Is your head okay? Can you see clearly?”
“Yes, I can see fine,” she answers numbly.
I help her up carefully, and then look behind me to see a large crowd in front of the theatre. Taking Emily’s hand I rush over, dragging her behind me. “Is everyone okay, anyone hurt?”
Most people shake their head. “No, man, cops are on their way and this dude here is a doctor,” a teenage boy explains.
A guy in a suit stands up, after assessing an older lady. “Yes, I’m a doctor. I work across the street. I was doing paperwork when I heard the gunshots and came running over.”
“Did you get a good look at the car by chance, or the driver?”
He shakes his head. “No. I just saw the back of it when it was turning the corner.”
“Did you see anything?” I ask the kid next.
“No, my buddies and I were walking out when glass started shattering and we instinctively dropped to the ground. Good thing we did or else we would be toast right now. Why the hell would anyone shoot up a theatre?” Why indeed. I think about the timing of the car pulling out onto the street, suspicion rearing it’s ugly head.
“Are you a cop?” I feel Emily tense behind me at the doctor’s question.
“No. I’m not a cop.” She tries pulling her hand out of mine but I grip it tightly. The doctor nods then goes back to checking on everyone. The sound of approaching sirens echo in the distance, and my suspicion becomes stronger.
“We need to get out of here,” I mumble to no one in particular. Looking at my vehicle, that’s parked down the street, I decide to leave it and see if my suspicions are confirmed. “Come on.” I tug on Emily’s hand but her feet stay planted.
“Shouldn’t we wait and talk to the police?”
“No.” I pull on her hand again but she resists.
“What? But why? We…”
“Emily, I don’t have time to fucking explain everything right now. We just need to get fucking moving!”
I feel like an asshole when she flinches, but I don’t have time to sugarcoat shit. She doesn’t resist me when I pull her forward again and I move quickly, making sure to keep an eye on our surroundings. Slowing for just a second, I reach down and grab my gun again before turning down an alley between two buildings.
Grabbing my cell from my pocket I call Nick, and he answers on the first ring. “What the hell happened?”
“I need you to come pick us up. I’m at the corner of Eighth and Bouchard. Meet us at the back.”
He doesn’t hesitate or ask questions. “I’ll be there in five.”
I hang up then look at Emily who’s leaning against the wall, watching me with the gun in my hand. She looks away when I make eye contact and crosses her arms over her chest. I notice her tremble, her body probably still in shock. I shrug off my plaid button-down and pass it to her. “Here.” She doesn’t acknowledge me. “Come on, Em, just take the shirt.”
“No, thank you!” she grinds out.
With a frustrated sigh I step closer to put my shirt over her, but she pushes me away. “I said no th…” Her words trail off on a gasp. “Oh my god, Ryder, you’re bleeding.”
Huh? I look down to see the left side of my white T-shirt soaked with blood. What the fuck? Lifting it, I realize a bullet grazed me.
“Oh god!” I look up to see Em’s face ghost-white. “We have to go back, Ryder, we have to get that doctor to look at you.” She pulls at me in a panic. “Oh never mind, you stay here. I’ll run and get him.”
She bolts for the street but I grab her from behind before she can make it. “Hold up, baby.”
She pulls away then spins around. “You need to get looked at. You’ve been shot. You’re going to bleed to death… Oh god, oh god.” Her breathing turns erratic and she looks like she’s about to pass out.
I grab her upper arms and shake her before she can go into complete hysterics. “Whoa, Em, it’s okay. I’m fine, it’s just a graze.”
“A graze?” She stares at me wide-eyed, not understanding what that is.
“Yeah, the bullet just skimmed me. It didn’t penetrate. I just need to clean and bandage it. I’m not going to bleed to death.” Although now that I know about it, the fucking thing is starting to sting like a bitch.
She swallows thickly then looks back down at my shirt, which was a mistake. “Oh god.”
I put my fist under her chin and lift her gaze to mine. “It looks worse than what it is. Don’t look at it.”
She stares at me as if she can’t process what’s happened, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. “What the hell is going on, Ryder?”
I pull her against me when she starts sobbing and drape my shirt over her shaking body. “I’ll explain everything soon, Em. We need to get out of here first.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Nick pulls up at the end of the street. “Come on.” I lead her down the alley quickly then crawl in the back behind her.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Stone asks, looking at my bloody shirt.
“It’s just a graze. Drive and I’ll tell you the story.” I give him Emily’s address then relay the events of the shooting. I sense Emily look back and forth between us, piecing together that Nick is my partner. I reach for her hand but she moves to the far side of the seat, her intention of not wanting me to touch her loud and clear. It fucking sucks. By the time I finish telling Stone the story, we arrive at Emily’s complex. He parks behind the building and we walk in the back exit unnoticed.
Emily unlocks her door but I hold her back from entering, and signal for Nick to do a quick check. She watches me with questions but she doesn’t ask any. When her dog runs over she drops to her knees, burrowing her face in its neck, clearly needing it’s comfort. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of the little fucker, because I want to be the one to comfort her, but I doubt that will be happening anytime soon. Nick comes back, giving it the all clear.
“Do you have a first aid kit?” I ask, needing to attend to my ribs.
“Yeah.” She goes and grabs it from her bathroom then hands it to me without looking at me, then walks to her room without another word, the dog following closely behind her.
Nick quirks a brow at me. “Busted I take it?”
I glare at him, wanting to blame him for it because of the stupid phone call, but I know I have no one to blame but myself. Ignoring his question, I take my shirt off and head to her kitchen. As I clean and bandage myself I try not to think about the fact that this bullet would have hit Emily if I hadn’t made it in time.
“So I take it you don’t think that shooting was coincidental,” Nicks says, sensing my suspicion.
I shrug. “It’s possible, but no, I don’t think so. Something doesn’t feel right. Especially with the timing the car pulled out.”
“Are you thinking it was meant for you or her?”
“I…”
“Me?” Emily shrieks, cutting off my reply. Looking over, I see her standing at the edge of the kitchen. She’s changed into a pair of black yoga pants that mold to her lithe body like second skin, and an oversized sweater folded over her as if she’s trying to keep warm. She stares at Nick like he’s lost his mind for even suggesting it. “It’s not me, no one wants to shoot me.”
“But they want to shoot him?” he asks with a smirk, pointing at me.
She shrugs. “It’s possible. I know I do.”
I grunt and Nick chuckles, finding her sassy ass amusing. “I like her, Jameson.” He walks over to her and formally introduces himself. “I’m Nick Stone, Ryder’s partner.”
She accepts his hand timidly. “Hi. I’m Emily Michaels, which I guess you already know since it seems I’m part of whatever case you guys are working on.” Her tone drips with betrayal, making me feel like shit.
“Actually, the case is on your father.”
“Back off, Stone.” Not that I don’t intend to tell her, but he can be a little more sensitive about the situation.
Emily glares at me. “I think it’s time I know the truth, Ryder. Now what the hell do you want with my father?”
Nick glances over at me, waiting for me to explain. I run a hand through my hair, trying to think of a way to tell her this without hurting her, but I realize it’s inevitable. “Come sit down, Em.” I gesture to the living room. She looks ready to fall over.
“No, I’ll stand.”
I grind my teeth at how stubborn she’s being. “There is a lot to tell you. So if you want to know the entire story then go sit down, now!”
We glare off at one another for a long moment before she finally relents. With a huff she makes her way toward the couch, but stops and looks back at Stone. “Can I get you something to drink, Nick?”
I don’t miss the fact that she doesn’t offer me one and neither does Nick, by the amused smirk that is plastered on his face. Asshole!
“No, I’m good, but thanks for asking.”
She nods before sitting down then looks back at me. ‘Tell me what’s going on.”
I take a seat at the other end of the couch and face her. “As you heard earlier, Nick and I are FBI Agents. Last week we were given a case to investigate that involves your father.”
She swallows thickly, hurt and anger darkening her expression. “What has he done?” She doesn’t even question if he has done something. Her knowing he is capable of breaking the law makes this a little easier, but I know it’s going to be hard for her to hear just how twisted he is.
I start to explain the story, first telling her about Cassie’s allegations and the group home, only to have her cut me off by throwing her hand up. “Whoa, just wait a minute. There has to be a mistake. I know my father is capable of a lot of things, but not this. He and my mother are huge advocates against human trafficking. Also, the group home you are talking about is one of many my father donates to, and my mother runs charity functions for.”
Before I can explain further, Nick speaks up: “The allegations have the assaults taking place after the charity functions.”
“What? No way.” She shakes her head, discrediting the accusation right away. “I’m at most of these functions. I would know.”
“I don’t know how it’s happening yet, Em, but there have been a lot of incidents to back up Cassie’s story.” I tell her about Senator Adams being threatened when he tried to look into the allegations, and everything Nick learned earlier tonight from the school counselor. I also mention how Cassie has been missing since she came forward. By the time I’m done she looks like she’s going to be sick. She looks so lost that I don’t hold back any longer. Moving in next to her, I wrap an arm around her shoulders and kiss the side of her head. “I’m sorry, baby, I know this isn’t easy to hear.”
Nick clears his throat. “Did you ever see anything unusual happen at any of these functions?”
Emily’s head snaps up and I quickly realize I never told him about her disability. Thankfully, she doesn’t seem put off by it. “No, up until a month ago I was blind.”
Nick rears back in shock then glances at me before looking back at her. “Oh sorry, I didn’t know.”
She shrugs. “Nothing to be sorry about. But to answer your question, no, I never encountered anything unusual at any of the charity functions, and I have been going to them for as long as I can remember.”
That one statement has me suddenly remembering something she said a long time ago. “Didn’t you say the night you lost your sight your parents had a charity function?”
She ponders it for a moment. “Well, yeah, I was put to bed early, like usual, but I snuck out to the well and…” Her words stop abruptly and she looks at me, pure fear washing over her expression. I know her mind is going where mine is.
“Do you remember anything at all from that night, or the nightmare you had?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing from that night. All I remember from my nightmare are screams, but they could have been mine as I woke myself up that way. We really don’t know if my dream was even a memory, I mean the possibility is slim.”
“I don’t know, Em,” I tread carefully. “Too much shit is happening for it to be coincidental, and tonight…”
“What do you mean tonight? Why would anyone want to kill me, Ryder? Maybe it’s you. Or hell, maybe it’s someone else who was walking out of that theatre at the same time!” Her voice rises and I know she’s scared of the thought, but right now I can’t sugarcoat anything. We need to look at this from all angles, but the thought that those bullets were meant for her has a dangerous violence rushing through me.
“I saw that car pull out just as you began to walk away. Earlier today you told your father that you’re going to try hypnotherapy, to see if you can remember what happened that night, and he goes fucking ballistic. Then we just happen to be part of a drive-by shooting. If you ask me, it’s a big fucking possibility.”
Getting up, she moves away from me to the other side of the room and crosses her arms, looking lost and alone. “I know my father doesn’t care about me, but to suggest him having someone try to kill me?” She shakes her head sadly, as if she can’t fathom the possibility.
Nick cuts back in. “Your parents have another charity function in a few weeks. Do you know anything about it?”
She nods. “Yes. I’m attending it. It’s actually to raise money for the group home you guys are talking about.”
“I need you to get me in there, Em.”
Her gaze snaps to mine, betrayal and anger darkening her expression. “Well, Ryder, all you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to pretend to want to fuck me.”
I tense at her words, my temper igniting hot and fast. “Watch it, Emily, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!”
“Okay, well that’s my cue,” Stone breaks in awkwardly. “I’ll talk to you later, Jameson. Call me if you need a ride back to your vehicle.”
“Actually, you can take him with you. He isn’t staying.”
Nick stops halfway to the door then turns back to me, but I don’t take my eyes off Emily. “I’m not fucking going anywhere.” We glare off at one another, and I hear Nick eventually let himself out. Mentally preparing myself, I get ready for the shit-storm that’s about to hit.
