Hide: Part One (The Black Letters Series Book 1) (20 page)

“Since when? Dude, she’s like a little sister to me. I mean, don’t get me wrong—she’s hot as shit. And if she gave me a chance I’d probably go for it, but come on,” Kevin rambled as he dusted off his jeans.

Rod turned to face me, sadness filling his eyes. “Can we talk? I miss you, Jamie.”

I swallowed hard, not sure what to say to him. He’d lost weight, his face thinner than when I’d stroke the stubble on his jaw. His hair was longer now, curling past his ears. I remembered when I’d tug on it as he made love to me. I also remembered when I’d pull on it wanting him to stop choking me, so I shook my head no.

Rod’s eyes grew wide. “Are you really with this stoner?”

“No, I just don’t want to talk to you.”

Rod stormed down the stairs until he was directly in front of me, his scent fresh in my nostrils, a smell that used to turn me on, but now brought on fear. “You listen—”

“I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from my sister,” Landon growled from the entrance to the house. The blonde he was with earlier nowhere in sight. His muscles looked huge in his button up uniform, and anyone who tried to mess with him was surely an idiot.

Rod looked into my eyes but slowly turned to face Landon. “I thought you were off being the best you could be?”

Landon walked down the steps until he was toe to toe with Rod. Last time I was worried about Landon, but this time Rod was the one who’d be in trouble.

“No, I aim high, fly-fight-win, you dip shit. You lay a finger on her and I’ll break your neck,” Landon snarled.

“Aren’t you precious in your little uniform. Too bad daddy lost his.”

Rod was egging Landon on, and it wasn’t going to be good. He’d been drinking, and the way his eyes were bloodshot wasn’t a good sign.

“Gentleman, let’s cool down,” Kevin said, moving his hands between the two men. “This is a celebration, after all. Landon’s home, Jamie’s prom, come on, can’t we all get along?”

Rod turned to look at me. “Let’s go talk. I’ve changed, Jamie.”

Landon reached for Rod’s shoulder, turning him so he was facing him again. “Don’t even look at her. She wants nothing to do with you.”

Rod’s lip curled. “She wanted me. I couldn’t keep her off my dick.”

Landon lost it, winding his arm back and making a hard blow to Rod’s right eye, causing him to go tumbling down. Kevin backed away toward me while Landon continued to beat him with reckless abandonment.

“Landon, stop!” I shouted, Kevin holding me back. “You’ll get into trouble!”

Just as Landon looked toward me, Rod caught him off guard, throwing a punch to his gut, bringing Landon to his knees. Rod stumbled up, knocking his fist into the side of Landon’s head.

“Stop it!” I screamed again. “Please! You’re hurting each other!”

The devil was in Rod’s eyes as he kept punching, relentless blows while Landon tried to stand and defend himself. A crowd was forming now, and I was furious no one was trying to stop them. Just as Rod was going to throw another punch at Landon, Landon leaped toward Rod’s knees, causing him to tumble to his back. Now Landon was straddling him, sending hit after hit to Rod’s face. He was bleeding from his nose and lips, bruises already forming on his face.

I wailed and begged for them to stop, sick of the fighting and the anger in both their eyes. Finally, Landon stood, straightening his shirt and rubbing the blood from his mouth with his hand. “Stay the fuck away from her,” he threatened one last time while his chest heaved.

“Let’s go,” I said firmly to Landon, reaching for his arm and yanking it toward the car.

“I can’t fucking drive,” Landon said as he stumbled alongside me.

“I’m fine. We need to get out of here. That was amazingly stupid of you to do,” I chided Landon as we got to the car. “Do you know who his grandfather is? He’s the head of all the police in Florida. Probably the reason why Dad can’t get a job anywhere else!”

“Fuck,” Landon mumbled, wiping his nose again. I handed him a sweatshirt from the backseat.

“This whole night was a mistake,” I muttered into the steering wheel as I pulled out of Kevin’s street.

“Whatever, that sick bastard had it coming to him.”

“I just hope it doesn’t get you into trouble,” I sighed, realizing this fight could jeopardize everything Landon had worked so hard for the past few months.

He shook his head, acting invincible, then we both jolted forward in our seats.

BAM!

A car bumped us from behind, then did it again.

BAM!

The strong force caused us both to lurch forward, my chest burning from the seatbelt. “What the hell?” I shrieked, trying to gain control of the steering wheel so we wouldn’t fly off the road and into the trees.

Landon flung his head toward the back, trying to look out the window, but all he could see were headlights.
BAM
, another blow, but now the car sped up to the side, roaring so he was even with us in the other lane. It was Rod, murder in his eyes as he looked at the two of us from the window. He mouthed for me to pull over, but there was no way I’d stop the car for that sick and twisted man. Especially with the insanity in his eyes. I’d seen the damage he could do in that state of mind.

“Go faster!” Landon ordered, wanting to get away from the sick freak as bad as I did, but Rod was keeping the same pace, no matter how heavy I laid on the gas pedal. The car began to shake with the speed, and the steering wheel fought me as I hit the gravel. Rod was slowly pushing me off the side of the road with his car, getting pushed until half the car was completely off the road. The trees were getting closer and closer with every inch Rod pushed.

Tears of fear sprung from my eyes, wanting more than anything to not be in control of the car. “Focus, Jay. You can do this,” Landon encouraged, although I could sense the tension in his voice.

My instincts kicked in, focusing on Newton’s laws of motion. I slammed on my brakes, hoping to stay at rest, but my tires skidded in the gravel, my back end swinging into a complete circle. We bounced, nearly rolling to one side, but thankfully fell back on all fours and right up against a tree trunk. I shrieked as my side of the car dented inward, touching my thighs, my breath halting as the car finally stilled.

“You all right?” Landon asked, reaching over to touch my arm. I nodded, my body shaking from the adrenaline of our crash. With trembling hands, I attempted to maneuver away from the tree, but it was pointless. The car was jammed and the steering wheel wouldn’t turn. We were trapped now, at Rod’s mercy.

My heart pounded as I saw the headlights shining in Landon’s direction. Landon hadn’t noticed because he was too focused on making sure I was okay. My eyes widened in horror as the sound of his engine revved, then the screeching of his tires blared through the dark of the night.

“No!” I screamed as one final blow hit us. Glass shattered, bending the metal of the car with a loud creak. Landon howled along with the sound of metal crunching, but it wasn’t metal, it was his legs. Landon was pinned from the waist down, his body warped where his head was in my lap.

“Landon!” I screamed.

My hands reached to try and pull him, but it only caused a blood-curdling scream to come from his mouth. He was trapped between pieces of the car, smashed together like a metal sandwich. I thrashed inside the car, attempting to wiggle my way out in every way possible to find help. I shouted at the top of my lungs, begging for a sign of life to come and rescue us, but it was no use. It was one o’clock in the morning on a nearly deserted road. My head slammed backward into the headrest, my fists pounding against the steering wheel. Landon moaned, and I moved my hands to cradle his face.

“Someone will come soon, Landon. You’ll be okay,” I assured him soothingly.

***

The hours passed as I listened to the calmness of the night mingling with Landon’s whimpers. My legs were cramped and numb from the lack of blood flow. My back ached, and the headlights from Rod’s car had finally disappeared, leaving us in the moonlight. I was running out of ways to distract us from the terrible situation we were trapped in.

“Soon, you’ll be doped up on pain meds, and I’ll make sure the most attractive nurse will be by your bedside at your beck and call.”

He let out a slight laugh, followed by a groan. I winced as I helplessly watched, running my fingers over his eyebrows and along the buzzed cut of his hair. It was something my mother always did when I had a bad dream. The way his face slightly relaxed led me to believe my mother did the same for him.

His heavily lidded brown eyes met mine. I bit my lip to stop it from trembling, but my voice shook with uncertainty. “You’re going to be okay.” I wanted to sound brave and convincing, but the light was fading from his eyes as his shallow breaths began to slow. “Hang in there with me, Landon. Please. I can’t lose you.” Tears flowed from my eyes like an endless faucet. He was my everything, the only person who’d made me smile in months and understood why I was the way I was. He was practically my twin, only separated by eleven months. Landon had always been the strong one, and my weakness was overpowering me. I couldn’t let him go.

He gurgled before he barely whispered the words, “You’re the fighter, Jay.” He gulped, closing his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the pain that was written on his face evaporated as though he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, taking him from this world.

“No,” I said sternly. “Don’t you dare leave me!” I shook his head firmly in my hands, pleading with him not to give in to the other side.

His lips parted slightly. “Fight… for me…” He faded, his eyes drifting away from mine, staring as though he was looking right through me. After another gurgle, blood began to pour from his mouth and drain from his ears as his body spasmed to fight for his life. He was trapped and bleeding from the inside out, and all I could do was yell for help.

Utter, painful wails beseeching for hope.

Chapter Twenty-One

Keeping Mitch at arm’s length wasn’t a walk in the park. Not because he wasn’t giving me my space, but because I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Every time the door to the office would open, my head would whip up, hoping to see his smug grin walking through the door, white T-shirt and jeans looking sexy as ever. But I was repeatedly let down. I’d hardly talked to him, besides the daily pick-up line texts that I looked forward to.

Mitch
:
I want to live in your socks so I can be with you every step of the way.

My phone rang, saving me from my sorrowful thoughts. “Hello?” I answered without looking at the screen.

“So is there any room in your socks for me?”

My grin was wide as my breath caught. 

“My feet are pretty small.”

“Hmm… I guess I could squeeze into your bra, although you fill that sucker up nicely.”

I leaned back in my chair, thankful no one could see my blush. “You’re such a boob guy.”

“Mmm, yes I am. Only yours, though.” I sighed heavily, feeling my heart thump loudly as I closed my eyes. “Sorry, that wasn’t very appropriate,” he corrected.

“No, it wasn’t. Where are you?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

“I’m in Chicago, have been for a week now. We’ve been finishing up a new high-rise. Thankfully, I’ll be in Grand Rapids all next week.” He paused for a moment. “Are you going to be at Becca and Tyler’s welcome home party from their honeymoon?”

I’d been looking forward to that party for the past three weeks. I’d missed Becca and the Conklin’s, especially Mitch. Trying to hide the excitement in my voice I replied, “Yes, my flight leaves Saturday morning. I’ll be staying in Grand Rapids the following week as well.”

“Yeah? Maybe we could grab coffee or dinner?”

“Maybe.” Keeping him at a distance was going to be difficult while we were in the same city.

He sighed into the phone. “We’ll talk at Tyler and Becca’s?”

“Of course.”

***

My stomach was in knots and I’d even puked a few times, worried sick about seeing Mitch and not being able to keep my distance.

Nathan and I rode together from my condo in Grand Rapids to Becca and Tyler’s house in Grand Haven. It was great catching up with Nathan as we went, but I couldn’t help daydreaming about Mitch and our night under the stars.

I thought about how I’d greet Mitch. Would I hug him? Wave? Ignore him until he approached me? I was putting way too much thought into seeing Mitch when today wasn’t even about him. I wanted to hear all about Becca’s honeymoon. She greeted me from the front porch of her beautiful lakeside home. It was her dream floor plan, and I was happy Tyler could make her dreams come true. She was glowing as we hugged, the smile on her face giddy. She hugged Nathan quickly after me, then latched her arm with mine.

“Good trip?” I asked, kissing her cheek.

“Jamie, it was amazing.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” I said enthusiastically as we walked inside.

“Well, not too much,” Nathan teased as Tyler met us halfway.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Tyler laughed, holding his hands to his sides. I snickered inwardly, knowing Becca would tell me everything.

We greeted Becca’s family, along with Nathan and Tyler’s mom as we entered. The only person missing was Mitch, and my stomach was churning. Was he not going to show up because I’d been so wishy-washy on the phone with him?

“Let’s eat before it gets cold! Mitch texted me saying he was running behind and to start without him,” Mary said. My face remained neutral, but my heart fluttered. Mitch was going to be here, and I couldn’t want to see him.

Brunch was lovely. It was strange seeing Becca so chipper and chatty. She normally sat back and listened, but was beyond thrilled to discuss all the sites and activities they’d done while on the honeymoon of their dreams.

We’d cleared the table and gathered around the living room to watch Becca and Tyler open wedding gifts when Mitch briskly walked inside, waving both hands in greeting. Becca jumped up to give him a hug, along with Tyler and his mother. Once we were settled, Mitch meandered to the kitchen in search of food.

“I’m going to get a mimosa, want one?” I asked Nathan. He studied me, then shook his head, continuing to watch Becca and Tyler open their gifts. As nonchalantly as I could, I made my way to the fridge, grabbing the orange juice and champagne.

“Hey, stranger,” Mitch said subtly while loading up his plate.

“Hi,” I whispered while moving closer to him to grab a flute from a cupboard above the sink. He was inches away now, and I couldn’t help but smell his woodsy scent. His arm touched my lower back as I stood on my tip toes.

“I could have gotten that for you,” he murmured close to my ear as I stretched. My body stilled for a moment, enjoying our closeness.

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, taking a step back from him, aware of our company. I caught the grin on his face out of the corner of my eye. Fixing my drink, I found my place back by Nathan on the couch. He was smirking at me as I sat down.

“How’s your drink?” he asked with a smug smile.

I nudged his bicep for teasing me.

***

“Jamie, I need to look at a property out this way. Do you mind?” Nathan asked as we began to say our goodbyes. I really didn’t feel like working, but the expression on Nathan’s face meant it wasn’t an option to say no.

“I’ll take you back. I’m heading to Grand Rapids,” Mitch offered.

“You don’t have to do that,” I said instinctively, although every bone in my body wanted to drive with him for hours upon hours, escaping far away from my demons.

“I know, but I want to.”

“I’d go with Mitch,” Becca said with a knowing smile. She didn’t know Mitch and I had spent the night together after her wedding, but I thought she had an inkling something had happened between us.

“Who knows how long I’ll take,” Nathan added while looking at his phone.

“Okay.” My voice was quiet, but my body shivered as Mitch led me out the door and to his car. To my surprise, he didn’t have his car. He walked toward a black motorcycle. “What is that?”

Mitch grinned, walking toward it to grab one of the helmets to hand to me. “It’s my baby.”

“I’m not riding on that.”

“Come on, Jay. I thought you liked the fast lane?” Shoving the helmet in my hands, he added, “Please, I’ve been dreaming about you behind me on this bike for God knows how long.”

My heart fluttered at his words, my eyes hypnotized by the sparkle in his green eyes. I huffed, wanting to look reluctant as I put the helmet on, and Mitch gave me a megawatt smile in return. He was beginning to be able to see past my mask, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

“Good thing you wore jeans and that leather jacket,” he winked, climbing onto the bike. Finding my courage, I straddled the bike behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “This is the real reason I brought the bike,” he flirted.

I shook my head and smacked his shoulder, causing him to chuckle. He started it up, revving the engine and causing it to roar to life. My breath caught in my throat as he darted down the curved driveway. He zipped and zoomed around cars on the highway, and I squeezed him tighter each time he weaved.

He’d tease me through the headsets in the helmets when I’d get anxious, and I’d curse and shout back at him. It only fueled him to tease me more. Our relationship was strange, but comforting.

When we reached Grand Rapids, Mitch didn’t take me to my condo, but instead back to the high rises he’d been working on. They looked beautiful. I couldn’t help but think back to the night we’d stargazed at the top and how he'd held me all night.

“Want to come up and see? My suite is finished,” Mitch said with excitement. “This is where I’ve really been the past few weeks, not Chicago. If you’d wondered at all.”

I had wondered, and it made sense. Mitch helped me climb off his bike, never letting go of my hand. No one was in the building, which gave me time to appreciate the marble floors and high ceilings of the main lobby; it had been dark and unfinished the last time we were here together. Mitch pulled a key card from his pocket, swiping it over the pad next to the elevator.

“This is turning out great, Mitch,” I complimented.

“Yeah, I think once Kobiashi’s amusement park is done, I might stay here more often.”

My heart twisted. I wanted to be in Grand Rapids again too, not Florida. “I can’t wait to see your place.”

The doors opened directly to his unit. The floors were in now, beautiful dark hardwood spread throughout the wide space, and dark accents trimmed the white walls. His furniture was sparse, but I’d assumed he just hadn’t had time to make the place his. Making our way to his bedroom, I was surprised by just how little there was. A bed sat in the middle with one dresser on the side holding an alarm clock and a lamp.

“Needs a woman’s touch,” he said softly.

His hand found my lower back, trailing up my spine and to the neck of my jacket. I gulped, unsure if I could fight my heart any longer. Both his hands were on me now, slowly helping to remove my jacket from behind. His breath was heavy as we stared at his bed. Both our minds in the same place, but terrified to make the move.

“I’ve missed you,” he murmured across my neck, one hand running down my hip while the other worked at my ponytail. His lips were so close, begging to taste me, but he wouldn’t do it without my permission. I turned to face him, my eyes heavy with indecision.

“What’s holding you back?” he asked softly, his hand tracing my jaw.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” I whispered. It was the truth.

“Then don’t break my heart. I’m going to kiss you,” he breathed across my cheek. My eyes fluttered shut, waiting for the moment I’d longed for the past month. My conscience screamed at me, but I was going to be selfish tonight. After all, Rod hadn’t shown his face or written any cryptic letters since the night after the wedding.

His lips touched the side of my mouth, asking for permission. The moment I felt the contact, I gasped, reaching my hands around his shoulders and diving in, kissing him like I needed it to breath.

Mitch groaned into my mouth, dipping his tongue with mine as his arms held me close to his chest. He swiftly lifted my legs to wrap around his waist, walking us until we were aligned with the bed. I pulled back from the kiss long enough to look into his lust-filled eyes.

“I’m not sure if I can go slow tonight,” he rasped, licking his lips.

“So don’t,” I coaxed, pulling his face back to mine.

Unhooking my ankles from his waist, he set me down so I was sitting on the edge of the bed. I reached for my shirt, lifting it over my head and tossing it on the floor. Mitch’s eyes widened when they found my lacy red bra, pushing my girls to their fullest.

“Yep, not going to be able to go slow,” he said rapidly, falling to his knees in front of me.

His mouth found the top of my breasts in a rush, heavily panting between each suck. I giggled, my hands grabbing the back of his head. He nuzzled between them, his arms locking around my lower back. Frenzied, open-mouthed kisses ran across my skin, making its way to my collarbone, causing my giggles to turn into gasps. My head tipped back, relishing the feeling of his need to consume me.

My heart pounded as he made his way toward the base of my neck, mentally telling myself he was kissing me there because it made me feel good and not because he wanted to drain the life from my eyes. As though he were reading my thoughts, his mouth moved slower, taking its time as it traveled upward. His soft lips mended my scars with each gentle suck.

My body went lax, accepting his devotion. I gripped his strong shoulders, enjoying how they were flexed and taut under the pads of my fingers. I sighed as he found my jaw, working his way back to my lips. His grip loosened around me, moving to my waist and pushing me backward so I was lying flat on my back.

Rising from his knees, his hand ran down my stomach, stopping at the button on my jeans. I smirked at him, urging him to undo it. Meeting my grin, he swiftly opening the button with one hand, then tugged my jeans off my legs, tossing them to the floor. The low growl that erupted from his chest was primitive. Maybe he loved the matching red lace thong. My chest rose as I arched my back, feeling seductive and powerful.

I slowly opened my legs, inviting him to have his way with me. That mouth was more than welcome to repeat the passionate movements from earlier. A devious grin crossed his face as he watched my actions.

“Want something in particular?”

My hand caressed down my belly and to my pubic bone. Lust filled eyes followed intently, his lip firmly between his teeth in anticipation of where it was headed. “Let me point you in the right direction,” I said slyly. My clit was sensitive as my thumb brushed over the top of the red lace. I moaned slightly, arching my back in pleasure.