The Ford Brothers Series Box Set, page 14
Julia spent the night with the Neanderthal last night, but I know my girl wouldn’t do anything foolish. She loves me more than life itself and she’ll forgive me. If I can keep that Mary thing away from her, she’ll come to her senses. My girl could never stay away from me for this long. She’s at the sleazy club with her sister and the Neanderthal tonight. I’ve been waiting outside for her. I know when she sees me, she’ll come running. The Neanderthal called the cops on me for sniffing around his house, so I had to change cars. I’ll do anything to get my girl back. She’ll see that.
As I sit in the back parking lot, I see the Neanderthal come out back to pick up a delivery. My fist balls up instantly, but I keep my temper at bay. It’s too early and I have to pick my moment carefully. Julia doesn’t like to see my temper, but I’ll bare my teeth at that Neanderthal if he puts his filthy paws on my girl. I’ll crush his skull with the baseball bat I keep in my car. Or slice his throat with the knife I have in the glove compartment. He won’t know what hit him. He’ll be too worried about his hair; he’s a pretty boy. I’ll fix it so his face is fucked up like Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky movies.
Some stupid fucker parks beside me while I wait in the front. He checks out my wheels and I figure he looks dumb enough to do a favor for a hundred bucks. His car is a beat up Ford Escape with rusted rims and sidewalls. He’s got another, even stupider looking, guy sitting next to him. They murmur something to each other before getting out of the car. I roll down my window and look at them. The parking lot is well lit. I can see that the driver is missing a tooth. He’s wearing a cap that says ‘Cheetah’ on it.
“Hey, nice wheels. Where’d you get the sick color? I’ve been looking at a paint job like that. This is my work car. I bring it here because I don’t want the good one to get stolen from this place.”
“I co-own a specialty car parts company.”
They both look at each other and high-five like two fags. “No shit, eh?” the stupid one sticks out his hand. “Hey, I’m Cheetah. That ain’t my real name but nobody knows the difference.”
I shake his hand and he introduces his friend who has a forgettable name. I’d forgotten it before we finished shaking hands, interrupting him with my request. “Hey, you feel like making an easy hundred?”
They open their mouths and stick their tongues out, holding their baby finger and thumbs in the air. If they didn’t stop doing that, I’m going to have to forget the whole thing and punch the shit out of them both. “All you have to do is go up to the bouncer; the big guy in the front, not any of them inside, and ask if Julia Abbott is in there tonight.”
“Well, shit, how the hell’re they gonna know that?”
“Don’t worry; they’ll know. She’s related to one of the waitresses.”
“Ooohhhh, we know the waitresses there.” Cheetah makes a disgusting whistling noise. “That’s half the reason we go every night. I’ve had so much titty from this place.”
“I’ll bet.”
Cheetah gets his back up. “Well, hey, I ain’t doing a thing until I see the cash first.”
I reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. “Here’s fifty. You get the other fifty when you do what I asked. If you don’t do what I ask…” I reach over to the passenger seat and pat the baseball bat.
“Hey, there ain’t no need to threaten me, man. We’re all friends here.” Cheetah says.
“Fuck, let’s go.” His friend says, grabbing the fifty. “I wanna go get a pint of beer.”
Watching the two dickless assholes walk up to the front, I smile. If word gets out to Julia that I’m here, she’ll come running. If she doesn’t, I have another, more perfect plan.
Chapter 27
Julia
Whatever just happened, I want more of it. At first, I wanted to slap him, for ravishing me like that in a broom closet. But then, I let myself melt into him. Never in my life have I been kissed like that before. That wasn’t a kiss. It was a full body ‘come-to-me-baby’ lip tease that extended from my mouth to my toes. If that was a preview of what he’s like in bed…mercy. Legs like jelly, lips swollen and throbbing…other things throbbing, too, my panties were soaked from ten seconds of Colton’s touch. What came over him, I have no idea. I just went in to get a stack of trays, and I left feeling like I’d been through a hurricane…hurricane sexy.
Then he apologized? What the hell for? And he said it wouldn’t happen again? Good Lord…I hope it does. Not in my wildest fantasies have I ever been ravaged so deliciously, begging for more. Colton is my wet dream. A dream I never knew I could have, or experience in the flesh. Flesh…hot, sweaty flesh…man, I’m getting ahead of myself. Okay, need a cold shower. Or another five minutes with Colton. Maybe it wouldn’t even take that long.
Colton is one of those guys you dream about. Gentle but hungry, sexy as hell but he doesn’t know it. That man hasn’t got a conceited bone in his body. Wait…bone. Yeah, I could feel his girth on my belly. Raw, ready, there’s no telling what might’ve happened if Dan hadn’t walked in and interrupted us. Doing it in a broom closet seems cheap, but no, this was, and would have been…closet ecstasy. Worth the rumors and looks.
But then Dan comes in and ruins my only moment of lust since…ever. Colton runs out of there like he’s trying to catch a purse snatcher. I follow him out a few seconds later, after I adjust my shirt and catch my breath. When I get closer to the front door, I see Colton forcing a guy against the wall. This guy looks like he lives in a trailer park; he’s wearing a hat that says ‘Cheetah’, but it falls off the moment Colton takes him by the scruff of his shirt. I can tell Colton has his knee pressed up against the guy’s balls, so he’s pinned and can’t move. Colton’s shirt is strained with the flexing of his muscles. It turns me on even further, making me feel kind of guilty for the response at such a time.
“Tell me, you son of a bitch!” Colton seethes, pushing his body further into trailer park boy.
“I…I don’t know him, I swear! He paid me a hundred bucks to ask!”
Bingo has opened the other side of the door, and is letting people in through there, while Colton grills this guy for information.
“Who? What did he look like?” Colton’s nose is pressed up against his. “Tall? Dark hair? What? Tell me or I’ll shove my knees so far up your balls, you’ll have to go in after them!”
“Yeah,” Cheetah pants, wincing. “He’s got dark hair.”
“What kind of car was he driving, asshole!”
“A sweet lookin’ Charger. Who the hell’s Julia, anyway?”
“None of your fucking business.” Colton says, letting him go. He takes off into the parking lot at lightning speed.
“Ma’am, you need to stay inside.” Bingo says to me.
“What? Why?”
“Colton’s orders.”
“Okay.”
Watching Colton run through the parking lot, Cheetah turns to me. Winking, he licks his lips, like he’s about to take a bite out of a Porterhouse steak. He looks me up and down like I am one. “You must be Julia. He your boyfriend? The guy who wanted to know if you was in here?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” I say, suddenly feeling the need to take a shower.
“Oh, it’s you alright.” Cheetah is pleased that he’s figured something out by himself.
I remain silent, distracted by Colton’s absence. He isn’t visible in the parking lot anymore. Part of me is nervous that John and Colton, if John is, in fact, here, would get into a fight. Colton could handle himself, but with John’s temper and jealousy, there is no telling what he might do.
Liz walks up to me. “Hey, what’s going on? The tables in there are going nuts; this is the first chance I had to come check it out.”
“I’ll tell you later,” I mutter, not wishing for Cheetah to hear our conversation. He’s still leering at me, waiting for me to talk to him, as if I owe him.
“Oh, this little chickie here has some score to settle with some guy out in the parking lot. Paid me fifty bucks to ask if she was here.” Cheetah brags, lifting his fifty dollar bill.
Liz’s eyes widen at me. “Shit, is he here? Now?”
“I don’t know. Colton went running out into the parking lot to find him.”
“Oh, he’s here alright.” Cheetah interrupts. “He still owes me the other fifty. I ain’t leaving until I get it.”
“Shut up, Cheetah.” Bingo says, growing tired of hearing him. The incoming crowd on the other door has thinned. “I’ll kick your ass.”
“You will not. You’ll get fired. It’s against the rules.”
This spurs Cheetah on. “Ah-ha! See, I’m right, aren’t I?”
“I won’t get fired if I kick your ass.” Liz states firmly. “And don’t think I won’t, either. I’ve got a thirteen year old boy who’d kiss your ass, too.”
Seconds later, a red Charger drives too slowly out of the parking lot. The tinted window on the driver’s side slides down. I see the chillingly calm look on my ex-fiance’s face. He stops for a moment, glances at me, as if I should say something, and he drives away grinning.
“What the hell did he want?” Liz says.
I don’t answer. Cheetah tears off after him, screaming that he wants his money.
When Colton appears, he says five words that both thrill and terrify me at the same time. “You’re staying with me tonight.”
Chapter 28
Colton
That skinny, spoiled, daddy’s boy, son-of-a-bitch is not going to act like he owns Julia. Not if I can help it. The smug look on his face, I’d like to wipe it off…with my fist. Mount a couple of his teeth on my dashboard, and mount his ass in my stable. As I walk over to his souped-up faggot-mobile, I have to stop myself from just whacking him one, right after I kick a couple of dents into his side panels. He sees me approach and giggles to himself, like just the sight of me is funny. Cream puff. This loser is too much of a pretty-boy to throw a punch; probably afraid he’ll ruin his manicure.
“What’d you go and call the cops on me for?” he laughs.
“Listen, chuckles. You don’t know who I am, but I sure as hell know who you are. Stay away from Julia; she wants nothing to do with you. Didn’t her leaving the state give you any clues? Or are you just too stupid to read between the lines?”
“Ah, come on. We’re friends here, aren’t we? I just want to talk to her.” his patronizing tone makes me want to crush his skull into the windshield.
“Is that why you’re following her around? Stalking her like some desperate, pathetic freak?”
“I’m just making sure she’s okay.” His tone is way too smooth. “Hey, tell me, is she as good a fuck for you?”
Lips curled into a snarl, I can feel my fingernails digging into the inside of my palms, as my fists ball up. My voice is a low growl. “You watch your mouth, asshole.”
“Hey, I’m just asking.” He lifts his hands in mock defence. “Say, hey, do me a favor and give that skinny little runt and his friend this?” he asks, handing me two fifties. “They did me a little favor and I owe them.”
I say nothing, but my chest heaves up and down.
“I asked them to find out if my girl was inside the bar. And she was.”
“She won’t come out to see you. You wasted your time.”
“Ah, I didn’t want her to come out and see me.” he looks me straight in the eye. “This is the reaction I was looking for.” He sticks his hand out to me for a shake, but I don’t move. “Nice to meet you, Colton. I’ll be seeing you around.”
“You stay away from her.” I warn; eyes slit into a seething glare.
He winks at me and puts his car into drive. I watch him pull out of the parking spot, and he gives me a single wave through the side view mirror. I stood there, feeling my pulse race faster than when I rode Rebel for the first time. He’ll never get that close to Julia again. This guy is sick, delusional, and psychopathic. How he won that sweet girl over is beyond me. His charm is more transparent than a fishbowl. She must love her father to the moon and back to have agreed to marry this guy. No wonder she fled. No wonder she’s scared. This guy is bad news. I just need to figure out some way to get rid of him…permanently.
***
When we pull up to the house, she has a forlorn look on her face as I turn the engine off. “Hey,” I say, taking her chin in my hand. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she says, but her eyes say that no, she’s not okay. It looks like she’s just been told bad news.
“Look, you don’t have to stay here. You can go stay with your dad. You mentioned that he’s in town. If you’re not comfortable here, I’m fine with that. I’ll take you straight over to your dad.”
“It’s not that.”
“You want to tell me what’s wrong?” I ask gently. “I’m all ears.”
“I’m just….” She sighs. “I’m afraid.”
“Well, of course you are. Anyone would be.”
“No, it’s not what you think.”
I giggle softly. “Then what?”
She offers me a tight smile. “I can’t tell you. Not yet.”
Nodding once, I take her hand in mine. “You’re not ready. I’m okay with that. No pressure here.”
Exiting the car, I walk over to her side and grab her overnight bag from the back seat. When I open the passenger side door, I take her hand in mine. For a split second, the memory of our passionate kiss tonight shoots through my head. Eyes to her lips, I have to stifle the urge to steal another kiss. But I’d made a promise to her. I told her it wouldn’t happen again. What I did earlier was nothing short of taking advantage. Why she didn’t slap me I’ll never know. Why she’s decided to stay the night with me despite what happened in the closet, I’ll never figure out, either. In the dark, it’s hard to tell what her eyes are saying, but her body language says that she’s scared and nervous. I would be too, with a jackass like that following me around.
As we get inside the house, Julia looks around, as if through fresh eyes. “You want some tea, or do you just want to get some sleep?” I ask, feeling the tension in the air. “You can take the bed. No arguments.”
“No, I’m fine.” Her expression changes. “You aren’t expecting any visitors in the morning, are you?” a ghost of a smile appears on her lips.
I return a tiny smile. “Sorry about that. That’s my fault. I’ve never given Wade any boundaries. I suppose I never needed them.”
“Not even when you were married?”
“Ah, that was never a problem. Wade and Pam never got along. He didn’t make any trips over here. We got together outside of the house.” I clear my throat. “Well, I’ll just grab some things out of the bedroom, and you can hit the hay if you want.”
“Colton?”
She stops me in my tracks, “Yeah?”
Her face takes on a child-like expression. Like a young girl asking if she can have cookies before bed. “I don’t mind if you sleep in the bed again…with me.” It isn’t a sexual thing, that I can tell. It’s as though we just finished watching a horror movie. Problem is, I’ll have to stuff the ice packs from my freezer inside my boxers to make it through the night.
“Err…sure. I’ll stay on my side if you stay on yours.” I say playfully, feeling my thighs ache already.
“Okay.”
“You go ahead and take the bathroom first.” I offer, while I make my way to the kitchen, to look at pictures of when Maya gave birth to Rebel, hoping that will turn off any steamy thoughts I have lurking around inside my brain.
It’s going to be a long night.
Chapter 29
Gregory
Having just turned off his bedside lamp, Gregory hears his cell phone ring from the next room. The suite he is staying in is as large as a small cottage, complete with an eat-in kitchen and a full bathroom with a hot tub and sauna. This suite is usually reserved for special guests, but Gregory’s team let him know the previous day that it was vacant. The bedroom and kitchen have dark mahogany flooring throughout, with a marble bathroom floor. The wing chair by the four-poster bed has a small, oak console table in front of it, where Gregory keeps his laptop computer.
Rising, Mr. Abbott takes his robe from the top of the wing chair and throws it over his shoulders before exiting the bedroom via the grand oak door. His phone shrills one last time before he picks it up and barks into it.
“Mr. Abbott, so sorry to wake you.” John says.
“This better be good.” Gregory does not hide the note of warning in his voice.
“Sir, I know that you’re aware that your daughter is in North Carolina with her sister. As are you.”
“I don’t see how this is any of your business, young man. I’ll thank you for letting me get some rest.” About to hang up on John, Gregory hears John giggle teasingly. “What is this nonsense, boy? The nerve of you calling and wasting my time at such an hour!”
“Oh, I’m not wasting your time, sir.”
“Just what is the meaning of this!” Gregory demands.
“Did you know your little girl is shacking up with some hot-headed cowboy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, fool! She’s with her sister! You just said so yourself!”
“Try calling her right now. I dare you.” John teases.
