Hush - Fighting Fate #2 (8 page)

It wasn’t until his hand released mine that I realized I’d stopped fighting. I wasn’t kissing him back, but I certainly wasn’t giving him the right signals to stop either.

I tried to form some semblance of coherent thoughts
. Tried to work out what my plan of attack was, but then his hand was around my waist, running over my lower back and around to my stomach. I felt it glide smoothly over my ribs, sending that tiny little thrill of
something
through my body, then his hand scrunched into a fist, pulling the folds of my dress in with it. I exhaled on a sigh…

A slight growl sounded in his chest, making something low in my stomach flitter. I tried pushing against hi
m again, but even I knew the attempt was pathetic.

His hands moved over my hips, down past the hem of my dress and over my thighs. I felt his hands tighten and his chest and arms flex before the sound of ripping nylon caught my attention and my tights pulled roughly around my thigh.

I gasped. Oh my god. Did he just rip my tights?

His muscles flexed again and I felt the tight pull around my other thigh before there was another ripping sound.

My head spun. I had no idea what was happening, no idea why I wasn’t fighting harder. I gave myself a mental slap, telling myself to snap out of it, but then Mitch was biting my bottom lip, sucking on it.

What…?

Then all of a sudden he released me. He didn’t move away. He just stood there, his hard body only inches away from mine, but his hands and mouth no longer touched me. Insanely, I felt a pang of disappointment. I pushed the thought away with self-disgust and screwed my eyes shut tight.

It didn’t help. It felt like my senses were on high alert.
The sound and feel of his deep breath was doing something to my body. I could feel it on my face. I swallowed. It smelled sweet. Good.

Holy hell.
I really was attracted to him. What was wrong with me?

When I eventually opened my eyes, he was gone, back on the other side of the room. He wasn’t looking at me,
but I could feel his awareness of me like the tingling of a soft breeze. He poured himself another glass of bourbon, tipped it down, and turned to face me.

“Let’s go,” he said
, the roughness of his voice sliding over me like warm butter.

My mind was still spinning.
I was so confused, not only with my own weirded out emotions, but with the way he was acting. I had absolutely no idea which way was up or down when I was around him. I mean, he was a criminal for crying out loud.

A
fter seeing what was going on downstairs, I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t gone any further. Hell, everything he’d done felt like he actually cared about what happened to me – well, except for the forced kissing. I didn’t understand that in the slightest.

He reached down and grabbed my jacket off the floor
, holding it out to me like it was a peace offering. I blinked at it, trying to force my mind to catch up.

A slight hiccup suddenly made me realize I had
tears falling down my face. When the hell had I started crying? Jesus, I was a freaking mess.

Mitch
stood patiently, watching me and waiting like he had all the time in the world.

Forcing myself to snap out of it, I
stepped forward and slid my arms into the sleeves. Wrapping it as tightly across my body as I could, I hoped it might hold the capacity to stop me from falling apart any more than I already was.

Mitch watched me as I struggled with my emotions. He actually looked like he wanted to say something, but was holding back for some reason. It was funny how I didn’t feel uncomfortable with his gaze this time. I didn’t know why that was, and I was pretty sure I didn’t ever want to know, because I knew the answer would only confused me more than I already was.

After what felt like an eternity, Mitch sighed and turned for the door, and with a strange sensation in my gut, I followed.

TJ was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs
. His eyes narrowed as I met his gaze, and I had to look away, not wanting him to see how distressed I was. I felt him scrutinizing my appearance, searching my hair, my clothes, even my mouth. The waiting eventually got to me and I looked up at him again. He smiled, and a shiver went down my spine.

“Want to drive her home, or should I get Pock to do it?” TJ said, all business.

I couldn’t hear much over the loud thumping music, but Mitch looked like he growled at him. “I’ll take her. Pock’s not getting into her pants until I’m done.”

Fear
and anger exploded inside me at once. Realizing they were planning on sharing me around was sickening, but knowing Mitch was going to allow it made me angry. Then I was just angry at myself. Why had I allowed myself to think he was any different? I was so incredibly stupid.

TJ grinned. “Check out the strip on your way back – see what’s going down.”

Mitch nodded, then without another glance, grabbed my arm and marched me to the kitchen.

The little dark haired girl I’d seen with
Davo when I’d first arrived was just inside the door, wearing only a bra. This time she was pinned up against the wall by one of the other guys, and she had her legs wrapped tightly around him as he pounded away. I was sure my face was as white as snow. I felt like I was seriously going to be sick. Didn’t these girls have any self-respect?

Mitch pulled me harder, thrusting open the back door and dragging me out to the car. It wasn’t until we were
well away from the house that he finally spoke.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

What? Was he really asking me if I was okay, when I’d just been subjected to the most revolting scenes I’d ever witnessed? When he’d just pushed himself onto me, forced his lips against mine?

I wanted to scream at him.
Ask him how the hell could I possibly be okay?

Clenching m
y fists at my sides, I glared down the tears that were threatening to spill, again, and tried to bite my tongue, but after a few seconds it became too much for me.

Turning, I
shot lasers out my eyes at him. “Are you serious?!”

He flinched and his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

I knew it wasn’t just his question. It was everything, finally catching up with me. It was either I let it out with anger, or I let it out with tears. I preferred anger, but I also knew I was probably dicing with death, speaking to a known criminal like that.

“I’m going to go home, throw this God forsaken bag at Ken
if he’s home, then I’m going to the party, and I’m going to get very drunk.” I enunciated every word through my anger.

Mitch glanced over at me. He seemed to be holding his breath.
“You’re still going to the party?” He sounded surprised.

“
Yes! I need to just…I need to just…” my voice shook, betraying me. “I just want to forget everything. I want…” I couldn’t finish. I was close to losing it.

“I thought you didn’t drink,” he said quietly.

I looked over at him. I honestly had no idea how to take this guy. By all rights he should’ve been angry at me for speaking so bitchily towards him. He should’ve had a cocky scowl or something on his face. He should’ve been damn intimidating.

But he wasn’
t. And I actually thought I might even feel safe with him.

I shook my head at my stupidity. Shit! I was losing my com
mon sense. He was a damn criminal for god’s sake! I felt like screaming.

When he stopped in the alley behind my house, I grabbed the bag and slammed the car door behind me, leaving him there without another word.

C
hapter 16

Noah

I watched Kaeli slip through the gap in the fence with a knot in my stomach. I knew she was upset. Hell, the fact that she wanted to go get herself drunk when it was obvious she didn’t drink was like a flashing neon sign to the fact. I wanted to reassure her that it was all going to be alright, that I would do everything within my power to make sure she was kept safe. This was the first time since I’d become a cop that I felt completely helpless.

It hurt to think she hated me. I wanted to tell her I wasn’t really the bad guy. That it was all just an act, but of course I couldn’t do that. I hated to think what the captain would do to me if I blew eighteen months of undercover work for a girl. But I knew the state she was in at the moment was a dangerous one - not for me or anyone else. For her. I knew her mind would be in a state of shock between what she’d seen back at the house and what I’d done to her. It made me more determined than ever to put those sick fucks behind bars.

I planned to rendezvous with the unit later that night, to find out if they’d put any detail on Kaeli at school yet. I knew the Captain would want to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t do anything that might jeopardize the operation, but I just wanted to make sure she was coping.

Six minutes after I’d watched Kaeli disappear through the fence, I watched her slip out her front door, minus the tights I’d ripped, and head off down the street on foot. I frowned. She really was going to the party.

Tucking my
piece into the waist band of my jeans, I quietly climbed out the car and slipped into the shadows to follow her.

The tight set of her shoulders told me she was still upset. Well, that and the fact that she had her arms wrapped tightly around her body and her steps were quick and heavy on the sidewalk.
She’d ditched the jacket she was wearing earlier, and I now had full view of her beautiful, curvy little body. The way her hips swung as she walked had me swallowing hard.

Five
blocks later she slowed her steps, coming to stop in the shadows across the street from the party. I couldn’t see her face, so I wasn’t really sure why she’d stopped, but after a few minutes she dropped her arms to her sides and crossed the street.

I settled down in the shadows and waited.

Chapter 17

Kaeli

It took me a little while to work up the courage to walk into Ryan’s house. I’d been so consumed with everything going on in my life that I’d totally forgotten the implications of me coming tonight. Standing in the shadows across the street, I’d finally remembered Corey, and the fact that he could be waiting for me.

I wasn’t sure
if I was ready to handle that particular situation right now. I’d heard his ex-girlfriend was trying to get him back, and the memory of Mia’s run in with a jealous girl over Jace was still too fresh in my mind. That had ended with Mia in hospital in a coma.

E
ven if that wasn’t an issue, I still didn’t really think it was fair for me to have a boyfriend with everything that was going on in my life at this point in time.

But then
on the other hand, after what I just went through at the house of horror, I kind of felt desperate for a little normalcy. It really was a no win situation.

A surge of despair shot through me.
Would I ever know what it was like to have a normal relationship? To have what Mia had with Jace? I sighed. I was beginning to think not.

Steeling myself with a deep breath, I
walked inside.

Mia
spotted me the second I stepped in the door. She lit up so brightly I had no choice but to laugh. My shoulders instantly relaxed. God I loved her ability to do that.

She pulled me into a big bear hug, her soft giggles
making it obvious she’d had quite a few drinks already. “I thought you weren’t going to make it! Do you want something to drink?”

I pulled back to give her an exhaustive look. “God, yes!”

She grinned at me knowingly, then dragged me to the kitchen, where Ryan was pouring a few shots. Amber was front and center, overseeing his efforts. She looked up at me when I leant closer. “Shots?” she said, mischief ripe in her eyes.

I pushed the voice of
reason to the back of my mind. I’d never had a shot before, but I sure as shit wanted to try some tonight. “Sure.”

Mia gave me
a worried glance. “Are you sure? You’re not really a seasoned drinker, babe.”

Ryan
grinned like an idiot, pushing a few of the tiny glasses in front of me. “I am tonight,” I said, determined to blast my mind into an oblivion.

Mia didn’t say anything, but she bit her lip. That was speech enough. She didn’t approve. Oh well.

Without waiting a second longer, I picked up one of the shots and threw it down my throat, just like I’d seen Mitch do only an hour ago. It burned the whole way down. Tequila. Gross.

The thought of Mitch made
me think of Ken, and the anger inside me reared its ugly head again. I picked up another one and slammed it down too. My anger roared triumphantly.

Amber smirked at me and pushed a third one closer to me, holding one of her own up like a toast. Picking it up, I clicked our little glasses together and downed it too.