Dark Tide, page 9
Gabriella watches me intently, waiting for me to say something in response to her very accurate observation. I twirl my chopsticks in my hand. “You’re right. I didn’t want to enlist, but I got into a little trouble, and it was either that or end up with a permanent record.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Well, that makes more sense. I can see that happening a lot easier than you willingly choosing to go into it.”
It was a last-ditch effort to keep me out of jail after my third battery arrest. A Hail Mary thrown by Dad. He pulled strings and called in favors he’d been saving up for years to ensure I stayed clean. He’d be so pissed if he were alive to see how I’ve ended up—a fucking pirate and a killer.
I drop my head back against the wall to stare at the ceiling. “I'm glad I did, though.”
“Did what?”
“Enlisted.”
My phone dings, and I grab it from the nightstand and read the text.
Come back. We need to talk.
Cutter can go fuck himself.
There’s no way I’m going back there now. It’s going to take me a while to calm down enough to trust myself to return to the warehouse and not tear off someone’s head.
Gabby watches me place the phone on the nightstand. “Something wrong?”
I shake my head. “Nah. Nothing important.”
She pokes at her food with her chopsticks. “Why are you glad you enlisted? You sound a bit…disenchanted.”
I chuckle at her choice of words. A huge understatement. “It has probably given me the best times of my life.” Images flash before my eyes—ones I hope Gabriella never has to see. “But it’s also given me some of the worst.”
And given me and taken some of my best friends.
Her soft, warm hand lands against my chest, and I drop my head to meet her gaze. A thousand questions lie there. She wants to know about the “worst.” It’s written right there in the way she looks at me, searching for an answer.
It’s not something I’ve talked about with anyone. Not even the damn therapist they tried to send me to before I beat the shit out of Major Hodgins and got discharged. It’s my burden to carry, not anyone else’s.
I wrap my hand around her wrist and pull it off gently. My unwillingness to talk about it has nothing to do with her and everything to do with me. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea. I press my lips to the center of her palm and check out the takeout container she set on the nightstand.
“Are you finished eating?”
She peeks back at the remaining food, then her eyes drift down to my hardening cock. “That depends on what you have in mind.”
I grin and shift toward her. My lips hover a millimeter from hers. Her hand wraps around my side and squeezes. I press a kiss to her lips, and the salty-sweet taste of our meals rolls in my mouth. The kiss is hard and deep, and I crush my naked body against hers that’s only covered by a thin T-shirt.
When I finally come back up for air, she's panting and writhing underneath me. This is exactly what I needed after my confrontation with the guys. Good food and this woman. The night can only get better. I yank at the hem of her shirt and bunch it up over the top of her breasts.
I nip at her bottom lip. “That food was great, but what I could really use now is some dessert.”
She glances toward her kitchen. “I don't think I have anything unless you want a fortune cookie.”
I chuckle as I kiss my way across her breasts down over her taut stomach into the apex of her thighs. “That isn’t the type of dessert I’m talking about.”
12
Gabriella
The smell of stale beer and old smoke assaults my nose the moment I step into Smitty’s. I thought I would get used to it, but that has yet to happen. Maybe I need to spend more time here to really become one of the townies in order to become accustomed to the unique scent this place has. Or maybe I need to get the hell out of here before that.
I don’t ever want this to be normal.
Staying in this town might be a requirement for now, but as soon as I get what I came for, I’m getting out of here and taking a long fucking vacation—alone. Or maybe with a new tattooed friend. It’s time to reconsider what I’m doing with my life. What brought me here. There are so many things I wish I could redo or undo or just…do differently.
But I also don’t believe in dwelling on the negatives, so while I’m stuck here, I’ll concentrate on the positive. Like the hours I just spent in bed with Rion. Even being in this place for the rest of the night until close can’t squash my good mood.
“Gabby!” Nicki waves me over from the bar before the door even closes behind me. Her wide blue eyes follow me as I make my way around to her. “You’re late.”
I grit my teeth and force an apologetic smile. “Yeah, sorry about that. I got a little…held up.”
And pinned down.
And fucked every which way.
My body still feels every inch of Rion. I’ll be sore for days—in the best way possible.
Destroyed by a strong, attractive man with a magnificent cock.
A man who has led a truly intriguing life. One that explains a lot about him. He must have seen and experienced things I can’t even imagine. The things that cloud his already dark eyes.
She doesn’t need to know that part, though. It would only lead to an argument about being late for work in order to get laid…multiple times. By a man she seems to have a very serious issue with. I don’t have the energy for a fight with her. I don’t have the energy for anything right now, yet I still dragged myself here to sling drinks because it’s my job.
Nicki grabs my upper arm and leads me toward the back room.
“Hey, what the fuck?” I pull out of her grasp and wheel around to face her.
She peeks over her shoulder toward the bar and leans into me, her eyes wide—but not with anger. Concern. “A guy came in here looking for you earlier.”
My heart kicks up a notch, and I instinctually step to the door to scan the bar. “What guy?”
“I don’t know,” she shakes her head, “but I’ve never seen him before, and he seemed…annoyed. There was something just off about him. Definitely not from around here, though he was trying to act casual, like you were expecting him or something.”
“Blond? Striking eyes? Handsome? Arrogant?”
Her eyebrows rise. “Yes…”
Shit. Robert.
The asshole couldn’t just stay away and wait for me to come to him like I said I would. He’s risking a lot. Way too much. Both our lives.
I run a hand through my hair and bite my lip. “What did he say?”
“That he was looking for you.”
My gut clenches, and acid crawls up my throat. This so isn’t good. “What did you tell him?”
Her eyes narrow, and she huffs out an annoyed breath. “Nothing. Just that you weren’t here. You actually think I would tell some rando guy who walks in here anything personal about you? Major red flags.”
I release a long, shaky breath and stick my head back out into the bar to scan it quickly again. Nothing looks amiss—just a few locals at the bar and a couple playing darts in the corner. I turn back to find Nicki watching me intently. “I appreciate you not telling him anything.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and assesses me. Her blue eyes seem to bore through me like she’s trying to peel back all the layers I have in place to protect myself. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
You could say that.
Robert being here is definitely trouble. Trouble I don’t need when I’m already on a fucking wild goose chase.
Possessive jerk.
He can’t seem to take the hint that I need to be left alone. I can’t think with him breathing down my neck, and I need to have my wits about me if I’m going to get what I came for.
So, Nicki’s concern is warranted—and deeply appreciated. We aren’t exactly friends, but she cares enough to cover for me and give me a warning.
I step forward and rest a hand on her arm. “Thank you for watching my back. I’m okay. Just let me know if anyone comes looking for me again, okay?”
Her brow furrows, and she presses her lips together into a thin line. “I’m worried about you, Gabby. First, you hook up with Rion despite my warning, and now, you have some random, shady guy here asking questions. You sure there’s nothing for me to be concerned about?”
I squeeze her arm. “I’m sure. And I still don’t get what your issue is with Rion. He seems like a good guy.”
And he’s more than proven himself to be an entertaining and enjoyable relief from life. Beyond that, he may be able to help me more than he even knows. Today in bed wasn’t the right time, but I can go on a little fishing expedition of my own later.
She inspects the bar before turning back to me. “I told you, not only is Rion a well-known womanizer, but he also works for my ex-boyfriend. Anyone associated with him is bad news.”
I can’t possibly see Rion being bad news.
Yes, he’s big and tattooed and clearly has some shadows in his past that he might try to keep at bay by climbing into the bottom of a bottle, but everyone has issues. God knows I sure as hell do. The key is finding an outlet and a way to deal with it. Mine happens to be sex. His seems to be booze. Maybe one is healthier than the other—then again, maybe not. Either way, time spent with him is about the only time I’m not stressed recently, and I’m not going to let her personal issue with her ex-boyfriend get in the way of enjoying myself.
“I appreciate your concern, Nick. I really do, but Rion and I are just having some fun. You don’t have anything to worry about. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”
Speaking of which…
I need to deal with this Robert situation head-on. “If that guy, or anyone else, comes back looking for me. Do me a favor and play dumb again. Okay?”
She nods slowly, but the reluctance flashes in her eyes.
I bite my lip and look toward the front door. “And…I’m going to need to get out of here to deal with someone now.”
Her jaw drops. “You come in hours late, and now you want to leave again? I’ve already worked a ten-hour shift today!”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t an emergency.”
Before she can protest, I dart out the door into the bar and make my way outside. The dark parking lot suddenly looks a lot more ominous than it had when I arrived. I always try to stay aware of my surroundings, but tonight, as I make my way across the lot toward my car, every shadow is a threat, and every little noise makes me jump. The rustle of the wind through the trees. An empty beer bottle rolling across the asphalt. The low rumble of a semi passing on the two-lane road Smitty’s sits on.
This is all Robert’s fault. He’s making me a jumpy basket case. I climb into my car and lock the doors. It takes a few moments, but as soon as my heartbeat returns to a normal rhythm, I pull out my phone and dial.
“I’ve been expecting your call.” Robert’s smooth, low voice rolls through me, raising the hair on my arms.
“What the hell were you thinking showing up here, Robert?”
“What the hell were you thinking blowing off my call and my concern?”
A low growl slips through my lips. “I told you I’d come to you when I could. When it was safe and I had something.”
He lets out a mirthless laugh. “Right, and I’m supposed to believe that?”
The man has no trust in me. None.
A horn honks in the background, and Robert lays on his, likely swerving in and out of traffic like a madman, driving like a jerk as usual. “What the hell are you doing there, Gabriella? Because it apparently isn’t your job, or you wouldn’t be avoiding me.”
“I’m getting what I need, Robert. Exactly what you told me to do.”
The fact that I managed to find an interesting man to occupy my time here who may also offer me some of the information I came for is just an added bonus. And it doesn’t take away from my ability to do what needs to be done.
I’ve proven over and over again that I’m capable and reliable. Robert is only up my ass because I dumped his ass. The audacity and misogyny light my blood on fire.
Robert growls low into the phone, the sound making my hands shake. “I didn’t tell you to do it like this, Gabriella.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” I tighten my free hand around the steering wheel and grit my teeth. “You don’t get to tell me to do something and then question the way I choose to do it.”
The anger coursing through my blood heats my entire body. Things between Robert and me always have been…contentious. We used to work it out in the bedroom between the sheets, but lately, it’s become more common to scream at each other while vying for the upper hand in any argument.
He loves to win, but I hate to lose. It leads to a lot of hot heads and short tempers. We manage to keep ourselves professional when we need to work together, but this time, it seems he’s crossed the line and can’t go back over.
“This isn’t a game, Gabby.” His snarl cuts through the line, and another car honks at him in the background.
He better not be heading back this way.
“No, it isn’t, Robert. And I’m the one putting my life on the line doing this, not you. So, leave me alone. Let me do what I came here to do. I’m making progress. I just need time to get more information.”
He issues a low growl I can feel all the way in my belly. “Time is one thing we don’t have enough of, Gabriella. You know that better than anyone. There’s already been another incident. Things will come to a head soon, and I don’t want you caught in the crossfire.”
Neither do I.
I release a heavy sigh, one laden with the weight of the situation and the consequences of failure. “Don’t worry about me, Robert. Worry about yourself. Stay away if you know what’s good for both of us.”
Ending the call gives me a tiny rush of power, but I know it won’t last. I’m not the one in control here, as much as I would love to believe I am. He knows it. And he’s using it to try to control me in a way that will never work. He could never have come in here and done this job. We both know that, and his feeling of powerlessness is breaking him down.
I slam my palms against the wheel.
That man doesn’t trust me.
Fine.
I never needed his help anyway. I’ll do this on my own, just like I always intended.
13
Rion
My fist connects with the leather bag and sends it flying through the air. It swings back at me, and I hammer another right into it. Beating the shit out of the heavy bag is always preferable to beating the shit out of someone else. It’s definitely not as much fun or as much of a challenge as a live opponent, but it keeps me out of jail while a flesh and blood fight usually lands me in it.
And I've been so pissed since the guys told me they sent Elijah that I haven't been able to think about anything other than cracking some skulls. At least…not when I'm alone.
The time I spent with Gabriella was a momentary balm on the open wound, but the relief couldn't last. Neither could my escape with her.
I probably could have asked to stay at her place while she went to work to drown my sorrows alone until she returned and I could bury myself inside her again, but I knew she'd have more questions. The more time we spend together, the more she will want to know and the more I want her to know.
That's dangerous in this line of work.
Look what it did to the other guys. They’ve all managed to find someone who loves them despite the darkness in this world, but it has also opened the girls up to all the bad things that come along with the life. I wouldn’t want to expose Gabriella to any of that. Not if it can be avoided.
It’s best she stays at arm’s length—close enough to give me what I need but far enough away to keep her safe.
That meant leaving when all I wanted to do was remain lost in her.
I fire off another round of shots against the bag, but over the noise, the sound of the door to the gym opening and closing still makes its way to me.
Fuck. Who the hell is dumb enough to come in here now?
I stayed away as long as I could. Got a hotel room and a bottle of Jack and holed up there rather than having to come back to face the guys and what they did. But without my clothes or anything else with me, I couldn’t exactly disappear forever.
Besides, the incessant phone calls and texts from everyone weren’t going to stop until I came back. Even though they knew I was pissed and volatile, they couldn’t leave me the fuck alone. That worries me that something big is going on.
I land one more right jab then wheel around to face whoever has the balls to come in and confront me.
Preacher leans against the wall behind me, arms crossed over his chest. “I waited as long as I could to give you some time to cool off, but we need to talk.”
Like hell we do.
I growl and spin around to land another blow. “I don't want to talk to you or anyone else for that matter.”
He wanders over to me, the slight hitch audible in his step, and grabs the bag to hold it as I continue the assault on the leather. “I know you’re pissed, Rion.” He pauses for a moment, like he’s mulling over my anger, then shakes his head. “And maybe you have a right to be. But we can't take any chances right now. There's too much at stake.”
“So that gives you the right to stab me in the fucking back?” I land a few more jabs and a hard left. “After everything I did for everyone? After what I did for you?”
Without even meaning to, my focus automatically drifts down to where the leg I amputated should be. We both know he wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for what Cutter and I did.
He releases a deep sigh and leans forward against the bag. “If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t one hundred percent on board with sending Elijah.”
I freeze for a second and take a step back. He drops the bag and lets it swing between us.
