“I’m sure we’ll get through it,” I told myself. I was so absorbed in thought that I couldn’t remember driving home, but sure as the sun rose, I was staring at my apartment building. I sighed, “We always do.”
The air was perpetually warm and sticky as I walked into the building. And the cling of the smoke in the hallway didn’t help matters either. But there was the distinct smell of smoked weed tonight, and that made me nauseous.If I ever get out from under King,I resolved,getting out of this building is the first thing I am going to do.
I climbed the stairs to my apartment and locked the door behind me as I entered. I took off my shoes and put my purse on the table. Walking to the kitchen, I took out my slice of birthday cake and a fork. On my way to the couch, I grabbed my phone and dialed Crush. He answered on the second ring.
“Something without alcohol,” I negotiated without a greeting.
“Done,” he replied. “Coffee tomorrow afternoon in Henderson. Roaster’s Oasis. Two pm sound all right?”
I agreed. He hung up the phone, and I stared at the blank TV. Refocusing, I slid the fork into the splurge of the day. I hummed as the vanilla frosting hit my tastebuds as I took a bite. I thought about what I must look like to a fly on the wall, dressed in scrubs and staring at a TV that wasn’t on, eating a singular square of birthday cake.What a wonderful life, I thought as I went for another bite.
And for the second night in a row, I had to wonder what the fuck I had just agreed to.
Crush
Irode to Roasters Oasis the next day. Henderson was the furthest spot I could get away from King’s eyes and ears without leaving the Vegas area and having even a bigger mess on my hands. And it turned out to actually be a nice day, with the temperature staying in the low nineties even now in the afternoon.
I parked my bike and wandered into the coffee shop, looking as casual as I could. I found a table for two and sat down. I looked around at the bustling people, wondering what it was like to have a standard, run-of-the-mill life. I continued to people watch from my little table inside the café as a whole cast of characters went about their day.
But even with that, man, did I stick out like a sore thumb inside the coffee shop. More so than I would have if I had chosen outside seating. A biker in a white-collar part of town was bound to draw attention—hipster coffee shop aside. Not to mention, when I asked for just black coffee, the barista gave me a funny look.And what is with these tiny fucking chairs?I thought. My ass barely fit in the seat, and I swore I heard the metal legs groan when I sat down.
I had chosen a seat next to the window. I wanted to make sure I could see the people—just because I was on the outskirts didn’t mean that this date was in the clear. Plus, Brianna was a little late, and I was wondering if I had suckered myself into a trap of sorts. This table was the closest to the door, and my bike was just across the street. A quick getaway was always important.
I saw Brianna from a mile. She looked stunning. The dress she wore clung to her figure, and the white color with bright red and pink flowers brought out her tan skin. Her blond hair fell down her shoulders in waves. It’s longer than I imagined it to be, ending at her waist like a waterfall of gold when the sun hit it just right. As she got closer, I noticed that she was wearing makeup. Which shocked me. She didn’t strike me as being that…girly.
She walked inside and immediately saw me. I noticed the looks of some of the other patrons, wondering what the hell a girl like her was doing with a guy like me. Not that I gave two shits about their thoughts, but I had to admit it wasn’t completely unfounded. Even without my cut, I still looked as menacing as any biker, that much I knew.
“Hey,” she greeted meekly once she got to the table.Not the demanding surgeon from before, I noted. She shifted from foot to foot and bit her lip. As sexy as that look was, and damn did I find my jeans a little tight all of a sudden, she seemed…unsure. Conflicted. “Is this seat taken?”
I wasn’t sure if she was trying to be funny or if she was just as awkward as I felt. I motioned for her to sit, and she did so with almost a clumsy grace about it. Perhaps it was the nerves, and I noticed her hands were shaking a little as she set her purse on the ground next to her chair. The same barista from before came over and took her order—a vanilla breve, extra shot, and no foam. Seeming satisfied with that order’s complexity, the barista shot Brianna a smile and left us to ourselves.
Which was rather uneventful. We fell into this awkward exchange of words—not a conversation, just like…bad text message chatting. One-word responses to generic questions. I didn’t think it would be this…weird.Andholy fuck am I bad at flirting when I’m not having a bullet dug out of my leg, I thought.
The barista gave us a short reprieve and handed Brianna her drink. I watched her as she brought the cup to her full lips and took a sip. I noticed how her hands grasped the cup with a death grip, her knuckles practically white. And it hit me—she was fucking terrified. I tried to relax my shoulders, taking in my own countenance as a factor to her unease.
As we continued our awkward banter, it became crystal clear why she was so antsy. Brianna didn’t like the idea of being out with me, of being seen with me. And I wasn’t sure if King and his ever-looming presence were to blame for it. She wasn’t here because she likes me. No. She had her own motive, and while I couldn’t blame her, I felt angry at the idea.
She wants out.
Now, I just had to wait for her to have the balls to ask me point-blank. I was annoyed as fuck, and I was pretty sure she could see that. But I couldn’t pinpoint if it was just because she was using me or if the fact that she looked so hot while doing it that made me even angrier.If she bites her lip in that fucking sexy way one more fucking time, I’m gonna lose it. She took a deep breath and continued to sip her coffee.
After a moment, Brianna finally asked, “How are you going to get me free?”
“I can’t explain that here,” I answered.
She tensed. Thatobviouslywasn’t the correct answer to give, but it was the truth. We might be far from King, but we weren’t out of the woods yet. She crossed her arms with ahumph, and the crests of her tits pressed up over her neckline. She perked up an eyebrow, which was sexy as hell.
“Was this your way of getting me alone?” she snapped.
“Call it what you want, sweetheart,” I said bitterly, curling my lip in a snarl. If she wanted to be catty, then so be it. “But some things are just not meant for the public ear.”
“Should’ve left the bullet in you,” she sighed, obviously annoyed, looking out the window.
Her jaw was set. In the sunshine, she looked radiant. And if I wasn’t so fucking angry, I’d be all but dragging her to some discreet place to eat her out. The woman was like sex on a stick, but it was obvious she had standards. Standards that I was far from reaching at this point in the date. But at least there was some hope to maybe salvage what remained.
“Tell you what,” I started, taking a new angle, and she looked at me.Damn her blue eyes, I thought.They’ll be the death of me.“Let’s go for a walk at the park.”
“Fat chance,” she said, looking out the window again. “I’m not going to a second location just so you can murder me. Whatever you have to tell me, you can tell me here.”
