Troublemaker (Troublemaker, Book 1) (2 page)

My gut sinks.
He’s already got plans to leave?

What on earth
is wrong with me?
I’m suddenly beyond disturbed that I actually care about some guy I have nothing in common with whatsoever. Why the hell would I ever care that some boy I just met at the café two hours ago is eventually going to move on with his life?

Congra
tulations McKenzie, you just reached an all-new personal low!

“What kind of business do y
ou have to take care of?” I ask, fiddling with the key in the doorknob.

He shakes his head in apparent disgust. “Are you daddy’s landlord or my
life coach?”

Ouch. So much for reaching out. Apparently I’m not the only one around here who has trouble opening up.
Meanwhile, I can’t get the damn key to work.

Great, just great.

I shift gears to distract him. “Alrighty then, just remember the rules. My father will be back soon. No parties, no group sleepovers, and no more parking on the sidewalk.” I look him dead in the eye, making every attempt to seem sure of myself.

“Y
es ma'am!” Surfer boy Cage mocks me with a military salute.

I gulp. Too many bad memories. I can’t hide t
he flood as I turn away from our new tenant.

McKenzie, it’s O Five Hundred. WAKE UP GIRL! Get your weak ass out of bed. GET UP GET UP GET UP!

“Jesus, you okay?” Cage puts his hand on my shoulder. It feels way too good. And way too bad.

“Yeah
, just remember the rules,” I say, gritting my teeth as I literally try to jam the most annoying key ever into its rightful hole.

“Here, let me give it
a whirl,” he says, holding his hand out for the key.

I hand
it over to him, beyond reluctantly I should add.

He unlocks
the door somewhere between one and two seconds.

Y
ou’ve got to be kidding me.

He opens the door and throws his bag down in the entrance way. He turns and looks at me. “Thanks for your help,” he says, grinning. “I’ll take it from here.”

I’m disgusted with myself as I scan the checklist one last time. “No problem, just let me know if you need anything else.” I feel totally defeated within my first ten minutes of being a landlord. I walk off towards the main house, wallowing in my wonderful aura of shame.

“Hey McKenzie,” he calls out. I stop dead in my tracks and turn to face him.

“Thank you.”

H
is eyes leave me feeling paralyzed.

I.
Am. Screwed.

* * *

“WTF Kenz? You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!” Jessie has been my best friend since sophomore year in high school, the year I transferred to private. She grew up kind of like me, but with more money and less verbal pummeling.

“Chill out Jess,
I got tied up.” Not literally, but the fantasy enters my mind for the first time ever. I shake my head to get rid of this disturbing thought.

“
Evan and Chase are gonna drop by too. I didn’t think you’d mind,” she says, half asking and half telling me.

“For real? You
really didn’t think I’d care that our special girl time together includes Chase?” I kick sand at her, and not in a playful way.

“Relax Kenz, he’s not
that
bad.” She pokes me in my ribs like she usually does when I get serious. But this time I hold my ground.

“He is that bad
. You know what he did to me Jess.” I’m getting pissed off just reminiscing.

“By
gones Kenz. You gotta let them be what they are. By gones.” She pulls out a bottle of tanning oil. “Plus your dad fucking loves him,” she pauses. “Oh I get it,” she looks up at me as if a major light just went on in her head. “Whatever daddy loves Mckenzie hates. Is that it?”

“No Jess. It’s not.” I’m clearly annoyed with her but I don’t want to ruin our time together. “
Chase is an asshole. You know it. I know it. I’m pretty sure even Chase knows it.”

“Bu
t he’s better looking than most rock stars.” She makes her best sexy growl sound.

“You’re messed up Jess. Totally messed up
.”

“I can’t argue with that,” she says. Jess is now painting her nails with some hot pink nail polish.
“By the way, Evan and I celebrated our two week anniversary last night.” She shakes her perfect breasts in my face.

“Real achievement there Jess. Sorry I couldn’t be there to celebrate with you two.”

“Me too. I could have used you to record us on video.” She winks at me.

I pretend to be disgusted, but really I just
feel good old fashioned jealous. Jess has such a way about her. She knows how to work guys, she tells it like it is, and she never misses out on having the time of her life. Even when the chips are down.

If only I…

“What’s up bitches?” Chase tosses a football that hits Jess in the leg and he throws his beach towel down right next to mine.

“Y
ou’re such an asshole Chase.” Jess throws a dirty look his way.

“You ladies
mind if two complete studs join you?” Evan takes off his shirt and tosses it on Jessie’s butt.

“Hey babe. I missed you,” Jess says, biting down on
Evan’s lip as he pulls her almost naked body into his.

“I missed you too. Happy fifteen day anniversary.”

“Ooh Evan, I missed you sooo much. I haven’t seen you in a whole twelve hours!” Chase reaches towards his buddy, pretending to kiss him as he mocks him.

“Shut up
Chase, you’re just jealous,” Jess says as she adjusts the top strap on her bikini.

“Yeah shut up
Chase. When’s the last time you got laid anyways?” Evan gently pokes Jess in the side, looking for some more backup.

Chase scratches his chin. “Let’s see, w
hen was the last time I got laid? Hmmm. I’d say around two days ago,” he pauses and looks at Evan, “with your sister.”

“Gross! What the hell’s the matter with you?” Jess fires back. “Hey Kenz, maybe you were right about
Chase.”

I drop my Kindle in the sand.

How. Awkward.

Chase
sits up taller and turns his attentions towards me.
“Right about me? How so Kenz?” He puts his disgusting hand on my bare thigh as he reaches for a beer out of their cooler.

“Get away from me
jerk off,” I get up and move my towel to the other side of Jess and Evan.

“C’mon McKenzie, y
ou know you can’t say no to me.” Chase follows after me and lies right next to me.

“Leave her alone
, Chase.” Jess throws an empty soda can at him but he doesn’t budge.

“What’s the matter babe, you afraid you don’t want to get too close to me again?”

Such an asshole. Reminds me so much of my dad, I guess it’s no shocker my father’s been wanting the two of us to get married since the day he set eyes on Chase.

“I’ve never been close to you.” I pick up my towel again and move it a couple of feet further away.

Chase guzzles the rest of his beer and throws it at a seagull that’s nibbling on a piece of bread crust. “Get outta here ya’ fucking rat with wings.”

“
Chase will you chill out? Are you totally drunk or something?” Jess asks, looking at Evan for an answer. Evan shrugs his shoulders, caught in the middle.

Between good and evil.

I turn over on my stomach.  I try to block him out completely as I dive into my kindle.

“C
ome on baby, you love my shit.” He starts to rub the back of my thigh.

“Get away from me
, I mean it Chase.” I should really just scream. Or kick him in the balls. Or something. But then again I guess I’m kind of used to not getting my way.

I’m so weak.

“For real brother, leave her alone. We’re just chilln’ on the beach Chase.” Evan looks at Jess for some help.

Chase
runs his finger up my legs and mockingly spanks my butt. I see a dark figure in my peripheral vision come from out of nowhere. A surfboard goes flying through the air and nosedives into the sand.

“That’s enough!” A thick, muscular arm rips
Chase away from my body. “She said no more.” Chase’s body gets tossed into the sand like a rag doll.

Cage
West.

I feel
so relieved that Chase got what he deserved for once. But somehow overwhelmed at the same time.

“You okay?”
Cage looks at me, then looks at Evan like he’s ready to knock his head off his body. Cage’s long surfer guy hair is drenched from the ocean. He looked strong before, but now I can really see the definition in his body through the wetsuit.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You didn’t have to do that. I can take care of
myself.” I can’t finish the words without looking away from Cage’s eyes.

Because the truth is I can’t take care of myself. At least that’s what I’ve always been told, and even though a part
of me sometimes questions this, I’ve pretty much come to believe it myself.

McKenzie, look at me! Look at your father! You’re weak McKenzie. And you’re nothing without me.

Chase, still wiping sand off his face and out of his eyes, finally manages to pull himself off the ground. “Dude, what’s your problem? She’s practically my girlfriend.” It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Chase Bishop look intimidated.

Cage
looks at me. My eyebrows raise as I shake my head at Chase’s claim.

Cage
pulls his wet hair back and off his face. “I don’t care if she’s your wife,” Cage pauses and cracks his neck, “you’re lucky I didn’t break your face.” And it’s obvious that he means it. Cage looks almost uncontrollably furious.

Chase
scoffs at Cage’s threat, but looks scared to death underneath his façade. “C’mon Evan, let’s blow this shithole.” 

Justice is finally served.

Then why do I feel like total crap? I think I’d rather get swallowed up in a giant sinkhole right about now.

Cage looks at Jessie’
s new fling
.
“Great idea, Evan. Get the hell out of here before I beat the shit out of you too.” Cage gestures with his hands for him to take off.

I look over at Jess who’s jaw is practically on the ground.
“Bye babe, I’ll call you,” Evan says. He pecks Jess on the cheek, then darts off towards the parking lot. Chase makes one last attempt at redemption as he turns around and shoots a dirty look at Cage. Cage’s lips form a smile, but his eyes tell a different story. He’s on the verge of killing someone.

“Those guys friends of yours?” A calmness finally settles on
Cage’s face as he looks towards me.

I can’t answer at first.
This is the most anybody, including family, has ever stuck up for me.

Then why do I want to run as far away as I possibly can?

“Not exactly.” I look over at Jess who’s still speechless.
I pick up my towel, Kindle, and iphone and get ready to run as far away from this beach as I possibly can.

Cage
puts his hand on my shoulder. “You okay?” The warmth from his fingers is better than alcohol.

“Yeah, fine.” I brush my bangs out of my eyes. The last place I want to be is right here.

I glance over at Jessie who’s jaw is still practically on the ground. “Call me Jess,” I say. I throw my towel around my waist and head off the beach.

I have no idea what just happened. Or why I’m so uncomfortable with someone helping me out like that.

Even more important, why does this guy keep showing up in my life? Three times in one day?

The
hot parking lot pavement is scorching my feet, which somehow feels like a welcome distraction from the emotional storm inside of me.

I reach for the handle on my Jetta. “McKenzie, wait up a sec.” I turn to see
Cage jogging towards me, his chest muscles rippling through his wetsuit. I imagine him scooping me into his arms and carrying me home, or maybe even some place better than home. Some place new, with someone new.

But no
t with a total stranger
!
He helped me out, that doesn’t mean he wants to marry me. Not to mention he’s pretty much the opposite of my type.

“I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds, but I couldn’t watch another guy treat a girl like that.”

“Yeah, well, I had things under control.”

Cage
smirks. “No, you didn’t.” He picks up his board like he’s ready to take off, probably frustrated that I’m completely stone cold after he just rescued me from a complete asshole. “But whatever. Who am I to try to do the right thing?” He looks… hurt.

Relax. Breathe. Trust
.