“But you did. You think because you allowed me into your pussy that I should let you into my past,” I say through clenched teeth.

Her eyes widen, and she gets up onto her knees. “I … I didn’t mean anything by it.” She speaks quickly. “I was just …”

“Wanting to know if you had competition?” I ask. Show her that you’re a dick. Maybe she’ll make this easier for you.

“No!” she says without hesitation. “It’s not that. I just want to know more about you,” she says lowering her voice.

“There’s nothing to know,” I say simply as I cuss myself. I just had to cross that line with her. I just had to fuck shit up.

She lets out a long breath and looks down at her hands in her lap. “That was… I don’t wanna lie.” She swallows and then looks up at me. “I do want to know you more.”

Not good! Kick her out, Case!

“I just want to know how you ended up in this life.”

“This life?” I growl, getting pissed off. She has no idea what my life is really like.

“Yes, Case. This life. This life where you are willing to risk it every day. How did you get into selling drugs? Why would you …”

“Shut up!” I snap. “Just shut up, Taylor,” I repeat, and her lips thin as she becomes angry. “You know nothing about my life, so don’t sit there as if you’re some special little brat and judge me.” Her mouth falls open, and I turn away from her, walk into my bathroom, and slam the door shut.

I lean against it and close my eyes as I take a deep breath. My heart pounds in my chest but not out of anger. When I open them, I look down at my wrists and run a finger over her name. I had it tattooed on my skin so I would never forget what it’s like to know that you can’t control everything. That you can’t protect the ones you loved.

“Case?”

I poke my head into her room and I see Nicole and Brecken sitting on her bed. They both smile up at me. “What’s up?” I ask.

“Did you get the popcorn? We have the movie ready.” She lifts the remote to the TV letting me know they are just waiting for me.

“I’m on it. I can’t be downstairs getting the popcorn if you keep hollering for me to keep coming up here,” I say with an eye roll.

She laughs at me and then leans over to Brecken’s side. He lifts his arm and wraps it around her shoulders. He then leans down and kisses her forehead and my jaw tightens at their display of affection. I don’t like it!

I clear my throat and Nicole pulls away quickly giving me a shy smile as she tucks a few long brown strands behind her ear. Brecken narrows his eyes on me. I’m totally cock blocking him, and that’s how it’s gonna stay.

If only I knew then what I know now. I would have told her that I loved her more. I would have told her just how much she meant to me. But what’s done is done and you can’t go back. I bring my hands up and grip my hair as I think about the night I just spent with Taylor. Did it mean that much to me to go and break all my rules? The answer, I’m afraid, is yes. It was just as amazing as I had imagined. But only now, I know it’s true.

I had made a promise to Blane that I would protect Taylor. But instead, I fucked her and just pushed her away.

I hear the front door of my apartment open and then slam shut. I bang my head against the bathroom door, and I let out a cuss. “I’m fucked!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

 

TAYLOR

I speed home as I cuss myself. What did I think I was doing? Really? He was right. I let him into my pants, so I expected him to let me into his life. I know nothing about the guy except for the fact he is dangerous and probably currently wanted by the police. “Shit!” I hit my hand against the steering wheel. “That was stupid.” I continue to talk to myself.

What did he do to me? I wonder as I drive down the highway.

What didn’t he do to me? I ask myself stupidly.

I close my eyes for a quick second as I remember the way his hands felt wrapped around my wrists, holding them down. My body shudders at that memory. And my pussy clenches as I feel that warming in my stomach start again.

Oh no, this can’t happen. You can’t allow him to do this again. You’re a big girl. You had one crazy night with your boss, who just happens to be a drug dealer. Now, let’s be an adult about it. Who am I kidding? He will probably fire my ass later tonight for how stupid I was this morning.

I can just imagine Savannah jumping up and down saying I told you so. And Blane …

“Shit!” I hiss out loud again. Blane is gonna kill me. I just slept with his friend. His friend who sells drugs for a living. I slap my hand over my head. “What have I done?” I berate myself out loud.

I pull up to our house and very quietly walk through the front door and pass the living room. I come face to face with Savannah as she leaps from the couch. “Oh, my God, where have you been?” she demands but keeps her voice down.

I open my mouth to speak, but she pushes me toward my room. “Never mind. Go put on some pajamas and come back out yawning.” She shoves me forward, and my sore legs have me stumbling from how tired they are.

I do as she says as I remove my work clothes that smell like the club and now sex. Finding a pair of pajama pants and an overly large t-shirt, I walk out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen. I need some coffee. Case took every bit of energy from me, and I need to replenish.

“When did you get home?” my brother demands as he now stands in the kitchen with Savannah. She looks me up and down and then turns to face him. “She got in late last night.” She waves a hand in the air as if no big deal. “They had to work late. You know how things can get crazy there. The busier they get, the more they have to clean up.”

He stands there looking at me up and down and frowns. I allow my hair to fall over my right cheek, so he can’t see the scratch on my face from the fight last night. “I was in your room twenty minutes ago wanting to talk to you, but you weren’t in there.”

“Uh …” I stumble trying to figure out what to say to that. My mind is still as sluggish as my body feels.

“She had forgot her phone in her car and went out to get it,” Savannah says simply, and I mentally thank her.

“Well,” he pauses for a second, “I need to go meet up with Case. I’ll be back in about two hours,” he says as he leans down and kisses Savannah. I would totally be creeped out about their exchange, but the fact that he said he is going to see Case repeats in my mind. Will Case tell him? Is he the type of guy to brag about who he sleeps with? Lord, I hope not.

“Why are you going to see Case?” I ask in a high pitch. I clear my throat as he pulls away from her to look at me strangely. I put a big smile on my face to try to throw him off.

“He called me around seven this morning and told me he had to speak with me.” I feel sick. That was right in the middle of our sex-a-thon. Speak to him about what? Me?

“And no, I’m still not on drugs or high,” he adds with a growl. “I can see your face is full of judgment.”

My face falls. Have I been so worked up with Case and the club that I forgot how Blane knows him in the first place? Seems so. “I wasn’t …”

“Save it,” he growls, and I shut my mouth. I’m not in the mood to argue with him right now. I just want to go to sleep. He gives me one last long look and then tells us bye with another kiss to Savannah before he walks out the door.

She spins around and gives me a big smile. “Spill the beans,” she says excitedly as she pushes her coffee across the table to me.

I sigh as my shoulders slump. “Oh, Savannah, I have fucked up. Majorly.”

“What happened?” she asks as the smile drops off her face.

I sit down on the tall barstool and drop my head in my hands. “I slept with Case.” I look up at her. “Three times,” I confess in a whisper.