RICHARD (A BAD BOY ROMANCE) (28 page)

Feebly,
I asked him, “What about
Jax
?”

Gunner
brushed both thumbs over my collarbone. “He’s fine.
Well_.
_._._not
fine.” His eyes darkened. “Asshole put something in his food bowl. A sedative.
Probably not lethal.”

It
was the
probably
that bothered me the
most. “Where’d they find him?”

“In
his doghouse, dead asleep.”

I
closed my eyes. “
Just_.
_._._tell me he’s
gonna
be okay, Gunner.”

My
stepbrother enveloped me in his arms. “He’s at the vet’s now.”

That
really wasn’t the same thing as telling me
Jax
was
okay, but it was a start. I sighed and pressed my forehead to Gunner’s
thickly-muscled chest, still worrying my fingers across my tattoo.

“I’ll
take care of everything,” Gunner murmured in my ear. He wove his hand through
my curls the way he’d done the night we kissed. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll save
you.”

I
breathed him in, trying to ignore the fact that whatever Gunner said, he and I
were running again. Maybe neither of us really knew how to stand and fight.

---THE FLAME---

I
watched the comedy of errors unfold from across the street, standing in plain
view yet knowing that nobody would see me.

That
was nothing new. Nobody had
ever
seen
me. I was invisible. Inconsequential. In their minds they were gods, and I was
just an ant. I didn’t even show up on their radar.

They
were stupid. Pitiful. Monstrosities of ignorance and clay. I was beautiful, the
Lucifer to their clumsy gods. I was rebellion and forbidden knowledge. I was
fire and brimstone.

I’d
been hoping she would be just as clumsy as all the rest, that she’d pull down
that sheet without even thinking and set her stepbrother’s house ablaze. I’d
gotten hard just thinking about the flames and their colors, the smoke
billowing toward the sky, blacking out the sun. A solar eclipse of my very own
making. Yes, that would have done nicely.

I’d
wanted to touch myself, but shame had gotten the better of me. I remembered the
lessons I’d been taught. The sermons. I didn’t believe in them really, but I
was Pavlov’s dog, taught to recoil in terror at the mere idea of bodily
pleasure, what my mother had always referred to as
sin.

Sin
was what had brought me into her life. Sin was what drove our family apart. Sin
was what I’d paid for in spades and what had left me with a collection of very
deep scars.

Sometimes
at night, just before I drifted off to sleep, I could feel them aching. Phantom
pains from a time when I’d been weak and cowardly. Memories of when I was a
child.

The
more I stood and watched that house, waiting for it to burn, the more those
demons boiled beneath my skin. They wanted out. They wanted the flames just as
badly as I did. And when they didn’t come, I felt more than a little
disappointed.

I
felt rage.

Rage,
because sometime between then and now, this whore had gotten smart. Rage,
because she wasn’t supposed to do that. She wasn’t supposed to evolve.

She
wasn’t even supposed to be alive!

I
seethed when the bomb squad showed up. I stewed in my frustration when that
stepbrother of hers swooped in, coming to her rescue.
Again,
I realized. He was coming to her rescue
again.

First
the apartment fire. Now this. He was ruining everything for me. Ruining all my
plans.

Guys
like him always did. He was the strong, mouthy type. Arrogant. Cocky. Muscular
and ruggedly handsome. Shrewd, in his own verminous way. He might even prove a
bigger enemy than his stepsister would. He’d be the thorn in my paw that
determined how well I could strike.

I
didn’t like being hindered. And I didn’t like being fucked with. Not when I’d
made such careful, beautiful plans.

If
any of that was going to come to fruition, I was going to have to be a little
smarter about this. A little sneakier. A little more persistent.

I
decided right then and there that when she died, I was going to stick around
and watch. There’d be no saving her next time.

Chapter 11

Gunner

“I
don’t think I’ve ever actually stayed in a hotel before,” Tanya said, looking
up at the tower as we drove to the covered entry way. Waiting for us was a
sharply-dressed valet—not the stoner high school drop-out one usually pictures
working that kind of gig.

“How
have you never been in a hotel?” I asked her, eyebrow raised.

“Well,
when your legal guardian is a raging alcoholic who blows all his all his money
on cheap whiskey, some things need to be sacrificed.”

I
sighed, shaking my head. As long as I lived, Tanya would never let me forget
what I’d done to her. Nor would she understand that I did way worse to myself.

I
stopped and the valet came around to my side as I opened the door. He gave the
broken back window one quick glance before nodding as I handed over my keys. He
probably felt the same pain I did whenever he saw that window. I still couldn’t
understand how anyone could do that to a classic—the pinnacle of American
engineering.

Burning
down a building was one thing. But fuckin’ up a
Mustang?
Man, fuck this guy.

“Let’s
get inside,” Tanya said, tugging on my shirt. When she clenched the fabric in
her fingers, I had the sudden image of her pulling it off me. My abs shuddered
and she bit her lip. Fuck. She’d noticed.

Wordlessly,
we made our way past the front doors. They glided open, smooth and silent, like
they were just an illusion and not really there at all. This whole place had
that kind of ethereal vibe to it. I’d never brought a girl here, myself. It
always seemed too much. Like maybe I’d given them the wrong idea.

But
with Tanya, I wanted her to feel safe. Even special.

“Good
evening, sir,” the concierge said with a practiced smile as I approached. Tanya
was only a little farther behind. “Checking in?”

“Yes,”
I said, flashing my own fake smile as I pulled my stepsister closer, wrapping
her up in my arm. “My wife and I are looking to spend a few nights here.”

Tanya
gave me a look, but didn’t budge. I returned her glare with one that pleaded
with her to
just go with it.
When she
sighed, I assumed she got the hint.

“I
see,” he said, tapping a few keystrokes into the computer. “Normally our guests
book in advance, but I believe we have a few rooms available.”

I
felt Tanya’s arms snake around my waist as the man behind the front desk
continued his typing. Just like that, she’d gone from cold to hot again. What
was her deal?

“Make
sure it’s a big room, baby,” she whispered just loud enough for the concierge
to hear. “I don’t want to spend our honeymoon cramped in some tiny little
suite.”

The
way she looked up at me had my heart thumping. She’d made her eyes real big and
was looking up at me through those thick, flirty lashes. I felt her fingers
running up along my side.

Now
I understood. This wasn’t real. This was payback. A chance to make me squirm.

Bitch,
I thought, even if I couldn’t help but smile. Two could play at this game.

“Honeymooning,
hm
?” the man asked, a knowing smile creeping across
his lips. “We just so happen to have our honeymoon suite available—and I can
even throw in a discount for you, Mr. and Mrs.—?”

“Thompson,”
I said quickly. I had an English teacher named Thompson once. “Honeymooners.
That’s us.”

“Mr.
and Mrs. Thompson,” the man repeated, typing it into his computer. I casually
glanced down at his nametag.

“We
really appreciate this, Jerry.”

“Oh,
no trouble at all. Always happy to help out a pair of newlyweds.”

We’d
packed light, though Jerry was kind enough to offer us some assistance in the
form of another staff member, which we politely refused. I had planned on
having a talk with Tanya on the way up to the room, and having a nosy bellhop
standing in the elevator wasn’t exactly going to make the conversation flow.

The
thought of the kiss still burned through my brain, the way her lips felt
against mine, how warm and soft they felt as they gave way against one another.
I could feel my pulse quickening again just from the thought of it.

“The
honeymoon suite, and I saved you some money,” Tanya said as the elevator doors
closed.

“Yeah,
but now we’re probably stuck with some heart shaped bathtub and pink
wallpaper,” I replied.

“Sounds
like you know the place. Do you take all the girls here?”

“Not
all of them,” I said coolly.

I
glanced over at her as we ascended. She was standing against one of the walls,
her eyes trained on the digital display that flashed with every floor’s number
as we passed them. We were near the top, just before the more expensive
suites—the ones you had to pay top-dollar for. I’d never actually been to the
honeymoon suite—mostly because I’d never been on my honeymoon. It seemed almost
to imply something just from the very idea—it felt like a show of commitment.
Maybe her little performance down in the lobby had saved us a few dollars, but
now I was starting to think maybe I should have forced the issue and went with
a normal room.

The
elevator chirped when we reached our floor, its heavy, brass-plated doors
sliding away to reveal a hallway with a few doors leading off to the side.
Ours—of course—was at the very end and was promised to be the biggest on the
floor. I guess I couldn’t be too upset about this. After what had happened
these last few days, a little luxury sounded nice.

“Think
they’ve got room service?” Tanya asked, and I couldn’t help but make a face.

“Of
course they do, and we can order whatever we want.”

“Seriously?
You’re actually going to let me order what I want?”

“What?
Of course I am. You’re a grown-ass woman.”

She
rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Must’ve forgot with the way you’ve been treating me
lately_.
_._._”

I
slid the keycard into the electronic lock on the door, watching the light shift
from red to green before turning the knob and pushing it open.

The
suite certainly did not disappoint. It was far from the gaudy image I had in my
head. A small living area greeted us as we entered our temporary
home-away-from-home. A large modern-looking couch and two matching arm chairs
sat huddled around a low dark wooden coffee table, set with a perfect view of a
forty-two inch
plasma-screen television.

Past
the living room rose a short set of steps leading up to a raised platform, upon
which sat a massive California king-sized bed made up immaculately with what
looked like the utmost care. Just past the bed, a door
lead
into what I could only assume was the bathroom.

Tanya
let out a squeal of delight as she threw her bag down on the couch and rushed
over to examine the bed. I turned my gaze toward the massive plasma-screen TV,
imagining what channels I could get while we stayed.

“Oh,
my God!” I heard my sister scream happily from somewhere behind me, turning
back around just in time to see her exiting the bathroom with a look of pure
joy lighting up her beautiful face. “They have a Jacuzzi in here!”

 
Before I could even say a word, Tanya’s
shirt was coming off. My eyes opened wide, my face beginning to flush as she
began shuffling out of her jeans until she was left in just her lacy red thong
and a perfectly fitted matching bra.

“Tanya!”
I said, trying to at least appear somewhat scandalized by the thought of my
naked stepsister. Though after the last few days, I couldn’t deny that I’d been
yearning to see exactly this, ever since that first night she’d spent at my
house.

“C’mon,
Gunner! You and I
both
need to relax
after the couple of days we’ve been having,” she said, turning around as she
began undoing her bra, letting it fall to the ground as she disappeared from
view. “Besides, aren’t you on vacation?” she shouted.

Despite
my protests, I followed after her into the bathroom, removing my shirt and
dropping it where Tanya had left her own clothes. She was right, of course. After
the time we’d been having, a little relaxation would probably do us some good.

As
I turned the corner into the bathroom, I got my first look at the Jacuzzi,
relief flooding over me as I saw that it was separated in the center into a
sort of “his-and-hers” setup. At least there’d be one thing between me and my
very naked stepsister.

Though
as soon as I set eyes on her, I wasn’t sure anything could keep me from putting
my hands all over her.

When
I entered the room, Tanya turned toward me, giving me my first look at her
gorgeous breasts. They were young and perky, but full, the kind of breasts
you’d kill to have your hands on, with soft, rose-colored nipples. I turned my
head away a moment too late, certain that she’s caught me staring.

“What’s
wrong? A lap dance is one thing, but seeing me naked crosses the line?” she
asked, a chuckle rising from her full lips as she stepped into the swirling
waters of the hot-tub. “We’re a little too far beyond the Pale now, Gunner,
don’t you think?”

“I
guess,” I said, nervously undoing the button on my pants before I too stripped
down to nothing. I stepped out of the crumbled jeans and slowly dipped myself
into my side of the Jacuzzi’s hot, turbulent waters. I lowered my body all the
way down to my chest, closing my eyes as I felt the massaging jets begin their
work on my tense back muscles. For a long time, the two of us sat in silence,
letting the rushing water fill the silence between us.

“Do
you think he knows where we are?” Tanya asked, sinking down almost all the way
to her chin in the bubbles and warm water.

“I
made sure
nobody
can find us,” I
said, resting my arms on the walls of the hot tub. “And I paid cash downstairs.
We hole up here for a few weeks, let the detectives do their job, and
everything’s going to be fine.”

I
wanted to believe my own words… To relax and just enjoy a little break from
work and worry and this psychopath… So why the fuck did I have the feeling that
I’d missed something?

Tanya
was quiet for a moment as she settled in. But that damn pensive look never left
her face. She curled her toes on the rim of the tub.

“What
if he goes after someone else?”

“Just
let the detectives do their job.”

Tanya
actually looked a little scared. “I mean it, Gunner,” she said, splashing some
water at me from her side of the tub. “We should at least make sure this guy
doesn’t hurt anyone. I’ve got friends back at that club. What is this psycho
goes
back there? Someone needs to warn them.”

“All
right,” I relented, holding my hands up to stave off the bulk of her splashing.
“I’ll talk with the detective. Just keep your water on your side and for
tonight at least, relax.”

“Thank
you,” she said, giving me a strained smile. I could tell she had more thoughts
running through her head than she probably knew what to do with—one of which I
could actually do something about.

It
was going to hurt. But Tanya had questions. And I had the answers. It wasn’t
right to keep them from her. Not when there was a chance
that_.
_._._

I
couldn’t entertain the thought for more than a second.
She’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.

Still.
I needed to tell her.

I
took a deep breath. “Do you think we can talk about—you
know_.
_._._”
I said, trying to come up with a better way of saying it without it and failing
miserably. I looked over at her and winced. “The kiss?”