Last of the Bad Boys, page 16
The doors slid open with a 'ding.' Turning, I hefted the truffles, let the weight of them center me. I wasn't sure what was about to happen. I couldn't predict how Huck would take the news.
Sweat soaked my palms. Wiping my hands on my jacket did nothing. “Here we are,” I croaked, stopping in front of a door. The hallway was quiet, a single woman at the end rolling a cart.
Looking at Huck, I tried to see into his head. He wasn't smiling, he'd put on an expression that welled with empathy. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
Was I okay?
How could I be okay, with what I was about to tell him?
He has to know. It's only right. And, when it was over, if he thought I was as terrible as I did... maybe he would leave.
The idea turned my stomach and made me ill. I never answered him. Tucking my chin, I grabbed the handle and opened the door.
She was perched on the edge of her bed, facing the window. The light made her white hair look like a halo, and to me, she was saintly enough to deserve it. They'd dressed her in a long sweater, soft baby blue.
Everything about this woman was gentle.
The sound of the door alerted her to us. Turning enough to show her profile, she spotted me. Her smile went ear to ear, eyes twinkling with life—with vibrancy—even if so much of what was behind her blue gaze was jumbled.
“Zoe,” she said, motioning to me. “Oh, you've come to see me! It's been so long!”
Pain crept into my heart. So long? No. It was just yesterday. “Hi, Gram,” I said, moving to sit beside her. She curled her frail arms around my neck, kissing my cheek. Her skin was papery, yet still flushed for a woman in her seventies.
Embracing her firmly, I looked over her head. Huck was staring at us, confusion and doubt leaving deep grooves in his skin.
Carefully, I pulled out of my grandma's arms. “Gram, I brought you something.” Offering the truffles, I enjoyed a spark of joy at how delighted she looked.
“Oh! Hazelnut! My favorite.” Chuckling, she took the bag and opened it. “Now, I'd share, but you know you're allergic.”
I laughed like I always did when she said that.
Chewing the candy, she finally noticed Huxton. Her eyes flashed, concern burning bright. “Oh, who... Reese? Is that Reese, dear?” I caught the corner of her mouth trembling.
Both Huck and I flinched. Putting my palm on her knee, I shook my head. “No. Gram, this is a friend of mine. His name is Huxton.”
“Huxton,” she said doubtfully. Squinting, she offered him a truffle. “Are you allergic? You musn't eat this if you are. You'll turn all red and puffy, like poor Zoe did when she was little.”
The grin I loved returned to his face. “I'm not allergic, thank you.” Taking the little ball, he popped it in his mouth. He was watching me, asking so many things with his stare.
Patting Gram's knee, I said, “I'll be right back. I need to talk to Huxton outside. We'll be quick.”
Nodding, she waved her frail hand. Again, she watched Huck with a flutter of nerves. There was tension behind her eyes, I'd never seen her look so uneasy. “You need to be careful,” she said to him. “Very careful. Not too fast.”
My jaw went slack. Confused, I looked between them both. “It's okay Gram, we'll be careful.” What the heck did she mean by that? Did she think Huck and I were... what, getting together too fast?
I couldn't have said she was wrong. Everything in my life was moving at breakneck speeds, these days.
She watched us until we shut the door. In the silent hall, Huck turned to me. His lips didn't move.
Leaning on the wall, I closed my eyes. “That was my grandmother.”
He waited. When I said nothing else, he nodded. “Okay.”
Touching my cheek, where she'd kissed me, I sighed. “You noticed something was wrong with her, right?”
Huck shifted in place, uncomfortable. I didn't blame him. “Is it like Alzheimer's? She said she hadn't seen you in forever, but you did come here yesterday... right?”
“Yeah. I did. I come and visit her once a week or so.” My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I didn't know how to begin. “Gram has... brain damage.”
“That's awful,” he whispered. “From what?”
Lifting my chin, I smiled sadly. “From me.”
Huck transformed. I had a front seat to the show. His sympathy rolled into bafflement, then it took a hard corner and became disbelief. Surely, disgust would come next. I couldn't handle it, I closed my eyes. Seeing his reaction was too hard.
He asked gently, “Zoe, how could you have caused that?”
Breathing through my nose, the air came out in a rush. “I'll let you in on a secret. Not that long ago, I used to be an awful, awful person. I didn't give a shit about anyone but myself. Life was hard, everyone always says that. But for me... it was like, if I didn't do something to numb it all, I couldn't deal.”
Risking a look upwards, I studied Huck's knotted eyebrows. He was listening intently. I pressed on, saying, “I didn't even have a good reason. Sure, my parents divorced, and I hated how they fought, how they wanted me to choose between them. But so what? How pathetic is that?”
Huck was still as stone.
“I just wanted someone to care about me, for once. The first guy... I guess I was sixteen. Typical jerk, but he did it for me. He offered me attention. An escape.” Smiling bitterly, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Fuck, I hate this story. I hate my past. I'll sum it up; I was a party girl. I drank and stuck whatever I could into my system.”
Shivering, I hugged myself, recalling the needles. Coming down off of everything cold-turkey had been a struggle. It had been six months since I'd quit, and even now, I still felt a ghost of a craving at times.
Reese had really given me hell for quitting, he'd called me boring.
That was probably why he'd cheated on me.
I said flatly, “Asshole after fucking asshole, none of those guys cared about me. I thought they did, but... I know better, now. My parents didn't want to deal with me, they said I was out of control.”
Turning, I put my cheek on the door. “But my Gram? She took me in. She wanted better for me. She believed in me, even if I didn't.”
Huxton reached out, cupping my shoulders. I winced at the contact, so wrapped up in my memories that it was hard to battle down my urge to run. He hissed through his teeth. “Zoe, calm down. You're not a bad person for partying, or for messing with the wrong guys. Lots of people do that.”
Setting my jaw tight, I met his stare calmly. “I know. I haven't gotten to the worst part of the story yet.”
He stood taller, not releasing me.
Deciding to continue, no matter what Huck did or said, I licked my bottom lip. “She really did try to get me to stop. I still didn't, I just began hiding it from her. I wanted her to be proud of me, but I was too weak to quit. I was dating Reese at the time, he loved going out and being nuts. He was so free, I guess I admired how little he cared what others thought of him. Now I hate that part of him.”
Remembering that I'd compared Huck to Reese, I frowned. Huck said nothing. I looked to the side, whispering, “Sorry.”
“It's fine. Go on.”
Nodding, I said, “Because I was hiding it from her... I wasn't ready for her phone call. It was kind of late, and I was already fucked up. She phoned me, so I stumbled outside the house I was partying at. Gram needed me to come with her. She was a good driver, but she wasn't strong enough to carry this big desk she'd seen someone giving away online. She really wanted it—she used to be a writer.” My voice fractured. “Smart as a whip. It was her only chance to get it before they'd hand it off to someone else. Well, I panicked.”
My blood was pumping with the memory. I could hear the tremor in my voice. “She needed someone, and it couldn't be me. I called Reese. She knew him, we'd been dating for over a year by then. He was... angry, he wanted to come to the party with me. I told him, just go to her house, let her drive you to wherever and move the desk, it'd be fast.”
Huck sensed my nerves, squeezing me gently. “You're trembling.”
“Of course I am. I hate this story. I can't believe I'm telling you.” Willing my lungs to work better, I gathered myself. “Reese went with her. I went back to getting wasted. His phone call came at seven-fifteen at night. I remember it exactly.” How could I forget? “Reese was freaking out. He said there'd been an accident, I needed to go to the hospital.”
Tension slammed into my temples. Reaching up, I held my skull, grimacing. “What's wrong?” Huck asked.
“This is killing me. I'm exposing how terrible I am. I let my selfishness get my grandmother nearly killed, Huck. I should have told her the truth, I should have never asked Reese to go... he was hurt, too. I thought, back then, how thankful I was that he'd been with her when she'd crashed the car.” Blinking, my tears welled up. I forced them away. “He pulled her out of the wreck, called the ambulance. Because of me, she's like this... because of him, she was saved.”
Reese. I'd had so many reasons to want to believe in him.
“Even if he saved her, that doesn't mean he gets to treat you like shit,” he said urgently. There was anger in his piercing greens.
“I know that now. But at the time, with everything... Huck, I was terrified she was going to die. When they told me how hurt she was, that she would need special treatment to even have a chance at recovering fully... I went with my gut.” A harsh chuckle escaped me. “My gut said Reese could be trusted. That he loved me. That he cared. And that was why I let him take me to meet Nehro.”
This was the memory I loathed most.
Understanding flashed through Huck's face. He let me go, staring around the place he now recognized as a special care facility. “Your debt. This is what it paid for.”
Tasting bile, I said, “Correct. This is why I'm doing everything. This is what Nehro has over my head.” Turning towards the room behind me, I lowered my voice. “He knows where she is. He could kill her if I tried to run away, and he knows I know that. It's my fault. All of this. And that's why I have to keep her safe. I'll pay off that loan... and I'll do it any way I have to.”
“That contract is bullshit.”
My memory burned, thinking of how Huck had tossed that man, Kit, onto Eliza's front lawn. 'Look—it's just how it is. Okay? She owes me the money. She has to pay, or else.' Kit had said that.
Huck had stood proud and declared otherwise.
“That day, my birthday party,” I whispered. “I think... I saw you stand up for Eliza and wondered if it was possible someone might do that for me.” Looking into his eyes, I wanted to touch him. I didn't. How could I ask for more from him? “I have to fix this. I'll endure the pain... and if no one else will stand by my side, I'll accept my fate. I'll do what Nehro wants. It's my sacrifice to make.”
I was so tired of being someone who constantly needed saving.
His fingers trailed to my neck, clasping gently, then pulling me against him. I gasped, wondering how he'd known I needed him to do that. “Zoe,” he growled, sending my goosebumps jumping. “How many times do I have to tell you?” Forcing my face near his, so that I saw the flecks of ebony in his eyes, he whispered, “I will fight for you. Me. Stop treating me like I'll disappear any god damn second.”
I stuttered. “What? I'm not—”
“You are. I can see it when you look at me. The edge of your sad smiles... you still think I'll abandon you like Reese did. That I'll see through you and hate what's there. Well,” he said, brushing his nose on mine. “I see all of you. I know the truth. And I'm still right fucking here, wanting to kiss you and hold you and rip apart the men who have made you cry.”
Reaching up, I rubbed at the wetness near my eyes. “I don't cry.”
Huck grinned, his tone husky. “I've heard you cry out, that's close enough.”
The shame inside of me was crumbling, stampeded over by my throbbing heart. Huxton Blake was filling me up so that there was no room for self-hate.
What had I done to deserve a man so wonderful?
I didn't have that answer, but I did know one thing.
When Huck said he would rip apart the men who had made me cry, he had never been more serious.
- Chapter Fourteen -
Huxton
Nearly a week went by before the next phone call came. I was sitting beside Zoe when it happened, and not so innocently. Her head was on my inner thigh, and I was wrapping her hair around my cock, just enjoying the look and the feel.
She heard the ringing, reached for her jeans. Digging the phone out, she scowled at the number, giving away the caller. “Hello?”
Sitting against my headboard, I stretched my arms over my head. Nehro was on my bad side already. Interrupting our fun just made my distaste for him grow.
Zoe nodded her head, glancing at me. “Fine, we'll be there.” Not saying goodbye, she ended the call. I motioned for her, and she got the hint, crawling back into my lap. “Nehro needs us to come by tonight, eight on the dot.”
“Isn't that a little early?”
Wrinkling her nose, she wrapped her arms around my waist and nuzzled my chest. “Yeah, but look on the bright side. It means we can get out of there and do something fun.”
“Fun?” I asked, trailing a finger over her bare shoulder. I moved lower, enjoying the soft curve of her hip. Tiny goosebumps lifted where I went. “Isn't this fun?”
Her eyes twinkled with heat. “I meant like a movie.”
“I'd rather watch you for hours, that's almost the same.” Pushing her over, I bent in, stealing a kiss that went on so long that my lungs burned. Breaking away, I reveled in how dazed she was. Those pink lips were slightly open, tempting me back for more. “You're amazing, babe,” I chuckled, tracing the edge of her ear. “I never thought one woman could be so captivating.”
Blinking, Zoe watched me with new interest. “Can I ask something?”
“Anything.”
Adjusting on the bed, she rested on her side, giving me a view of her delicious, naked tits. “Your clients... did you like being with them, the way you do with me?”
My wince ran right over my mouth. I couldn't hide my reaction. Shit. “Zoe, I don't think you want to go down this road.”
Digging her nails into the sheets, she smiled coyly. “You think I'll get jealous.”
“Weren't you jealous when you thought Eliza and I could be more than friends?”
Gently, she gave me a shove. “That's not the same. And it wasn't really jealousy, I was just weirded out about you guys knowing each other and only telling me after my party.” She pursed her lips, and I wanted to kiss her again. “Escorting, is that how you two met?”
Laughing, I gave Zoe a once over. “Sort of. She was friends with another girl that I played security for. One night, this guy wanted two girls at once... so she called in Eliza.”
“Huh, and you just hit it off?”
“Not quite,” I said, smiling at the memory. “I think she didn't like me at first. Weird, right?” I winked, and Zoe just made a face. “Anyway, the dickhead got too handsy with them. I heard them scream, but by the time I got inside the room, Eliza had knocked the guy out with her shoe. After that, I had to get to know her. Once I bought her a drink, she warmed up.”
Zoe giggled, her fingers slipping across the bed to graze my shoulder. “Sounds like Eliza. Did any girls ever do that to you?”
“What, hit me with a shoe?”
“Get too handsy,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Smirking devilishly, I climbed over until she was under me, my hands on either side of her face. Already, she was breathing faster. “No, not my clients. No one could ever be too handsy with me. I only give them what they ask for.”
She licked her lips. “What do they ask for?”
Hesitating, I watched her closely. “You're really sure about this?”
“I'm fine. I don't care what you did with them. Beyond being curious, I mean.”
With new appreciation, I let my eyes eat up the girl in my bed. Zoe had a past full of wildness and excitement. She'd been with men similar to me... except entirely fucking different.
I was much better.
She knew the kind of man I was—that I could be. It was why she gorged herself on my tattoos and my foul mouth.
And, from what I'd seen, she didn't shy away from my insatiable side. My roughness. Was she really not unsettled by my stories?
Zoe. Whenever I thought I understood her, I found another layer.
Holding her wrists, I nuzzled her cheek, my breath hot on her skin. “You want to know what they asked for, what they begged me to do to them?” I licked the smooth corner of her throat, felt her rush of heat. “You want to understand why they paid me as much as they did just to get a taste of my cock?”
“Yes,” she blurted, trying to reach my mouth. I sat up, not giving her a chance. Her irritated mewl was adorable. “Huck, come on.”
“You said you wanted to know.” Tightening my fingers, I pushed her into the bed so hard the springs squeaked. “I'll show you, babe. I'll fuck you and I won't charge you a dime, but you have to tell me you really want this. I'm not wasting my skills on you if you're not into it.”
Nerves scattered through her wide eyes. “I doubt you'd do anything I wasn't into.”
Growling low in my throat, I settled my weight on her, rubbed my firm cock over her belly. “I like a challenge. Alright. Last chance, you up for some fun, or are you going to back down when it gets too much?”
Her lashes covered most of her eyes, but her smile was confident. “Seriously, you're so cocky. Go ahead.” She licked her lips. “Show me what too much is, Mr. Romantic.”
“Right now, I'm not Mr. Romantic.” I darted downwards, murmuring into her ear. “Tonight, I'm Huxton Blake, and you're my client. Hope you don't regret this, love. I know I won't.”
Zoe tried to muffle her whimper, but she couldn't hide her excitement. Fuck, I was just as ready. Adjusting myself, I saw some pre-come sticking to her skin. We were both entirely naked, the view fantastic. My palm ran down to her throat. “I'm going to get something. Don't fucking move, or this ends here.”
