SNAP (The SNAP Trilogy Book 1) (17 page)

I pause as I enter the dining room, but there was nothing to be worried about. Several people are seated around the table, but they are playing cards. My body, full of tension I didn't feel until now, begins to loosen up leaving an ache in my neck and shoulder blades. Cash squeezes my hand reminding me that he's got my back. I smile at him and pull him through the room into the kitchen where Cady and Erick are making drinks.

"I could use one of those," I tell Cady as we enter the small cubbyhole.

"Your wish is my command." She smiles brightly as she hands me a glass and begins making another. "Would you like one, Cash?"

"No, I'll take a beer though," he says after tearing his attention away from the other room.

Erick opens two beers and hands him one. I let go of Cash's hand and rub the ache in my neck. This alcohol can't work fast enough.

"Where's the bathroom?" Cash asks Erick.

"Down the hallway you walked through on the left," he says, pointing at the person who just walked out.

Cash sets his beer down and looks at me.

"I'll be alright."

I watch as he walks away, admiring his backside. But I'm not the only one. The women standing around notice him as well, their eyes glued to his ass as he makes his way to the bathroom. I'm not one to be jealous, but right now I want to chuck the first thing I grab at their damn heads. Standing in a kitchen full of sharp objects makes me a dangerous woman right now.

Turning to Cady, she's whispering something to Erick. A smile spreads across his face as he stares off into space imagining something.

"Secrets don't make friends," I sing to her and the two laugh.

"You don't want to know these secrets," she says making Erick laugh harder.

"I don't know, maybe she could learn a thing or two to show Cash later."

Cady turns toward Erick elbowing him on purpose. His breath rushes out as he bends forward slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were so close to me." She winks at me and I laugh at both of them.

"If it isn't the love of my life." Bobby drapes his arm across my shoulders and gives me his best smile. "How goes it, hellcat?"

I shake my head and pat his cheek. "We need to find you a woman."

"I did. She just refuses to date me." He frowns at me making me awe and giggle.

Movement behind us has me looking further over my shoulder. Cash is standing there with his arms crossed over chest. His eyes are glued to Bobby's arm around my shoulders and he looks none too happy about it. Nice to know I'm not the only one bitten by the jealousy bug. He strolls over and grabs his beer off the counter. Standing next to Bobby, he sips from the bottle.

Bobby turns his head to check out the newcomer wondering who he is. The two have sort of a stare down before Erick chimes in.

"Bobby this is Cash. He's–"

"Hazel's date," Cash interrupts, matter-of-factly.

I slip from Bobby's embrace as the two size each other up in what can only be described as a cock off. The image of them puffing out their chests and strutting around like peacocks showing their feathers causes me to laugh. Cady laughs with me because she sees it too. I wouldn't have expected this from Cash after the way he's been warm/cold toward me. Then again, he's awfully quiet. Who knows what demons he's battling in his mind?

"Good luck with that one," Bobby says, sticking out his hand in defeat. "She's a hellcat."

Cash snorts softly and grabs his hand, shaking it. As he approaches me, I reach out to take his hand, but he surprises me by pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around my waist a little too tightly. My hands land on his chest. His heart thumping wildly beneath them has me wondering if it's out of anger or my nearness. The women who were watching him minutes ago are now staring daggers at me. I silently gloat as his lips brush my ear.

"More like kitty cat," he whispers, brushing his face against mine.

The material of his shirt bunches beneath my fingers as I grip it. My nipples harden when my chest rubs against him as my breaths increase. I'm not sure if it was the contact or his words that are getting me worked up. Cady has a smirk on her face and raises her brow at me. She takes a drink of beer before turning to the boys and starting a conversation with them attempting to give me a little bit of privacy, but she heard what Cash said.

Leaning back, I look up at him not afraid for him to see my pink cheeks. I want him to know what he does to me; the effect he has on my body when he's near and says things like that. His words weren't dirty, but the raspy growl to them had me imagining all the ways he could make me purr.

Staring into his eyes, I see the mixed emotions battling one another. He wants me, the lusty way he devours me with his eyes tells me that much. But he doesn't want to want me. That is written on his face clear as day. If I'm going to be telling him the truth about Phil later, he's going to be talking too. There's no reason to play games. If he's in a relationship already, I need to know. I'm not a home wrecker, and I'm not crossing that line now.

"Where is Dustin?" Erick asks, making me put aside all those thoughts for later.

I turn in Cash's arms and lean my back against his front, his arms loosely drape around me as he relaxes.

"His grandma fell at the nursing home today. He should be back soon," Bobby states.

I cringe at the thought. My father had fallen after his open heart surgery. We thought he was getting stronger and healing well, but he was always good at pretending. One day, while I was at school, he had lost his footing in his weakened state. He lay on the floor in horrible pain all day until I found him. It was terrifying. I thought for sure he was dead. After the ambulance rushed him to the hospital, we discovered that he didn't break any bones, but he was terribly bruised along the side of his body where he landed. It wasn't long after that that we learned his kidneys were failing. That was the cause of his frailty. The doctors didn't have time to test his other organs in their rush to do his surgery and save his life. In a week's time he was gone. I often wonder if it would've been better had the doctors not saved him during his surgery. It would've been hard losing him so suddenly, but it was awful watching him deteriorate before my eyes. No one should have to suffer that much.

"That's awful." I try to cover the tremor in my voice caused by the memories of my father and what she must be going through. "I hope she's okay."

Cash tightens his hold on me. He doesn't know anything about my dad, but it's nice that he senses my sadness. I ignore Cady's sympathetic smile. That's all I need is to have a meltdown at a party.

"Me too. He's been worried about her since his visit the other day. She's not doing well."

Sounds throughout the house trickle into the kitchen as we stand there silently drinking our beer, each of us in deep thought not knowing what else to say.

Erick turns to Bobby and ask, "How long have you been here?"

"Almost a week," he answers with a sigh as he rubs his hand over his face. That's when I notice the tired lines and bags under his eyes. He's exhausted. I would be, too, if I lived in this party house and trying to hold down a job. "Mom's still pissed off after the fight Dad and I had and won't let me come home. Dustin told me to stay as long as it takes to save up the money to get my own place."

Staying at Dustin's is a bad idea. He is going to get Bobby into all kinds of trouble. Knowing that Bobby is here where Phil frequently visits has the hair on my neck rising. I would offer him a place to stay, but I only have one bedroom. My couch is uncomfortable as fuck, but he could get a blow up mattress for the floor. Anything to keep him away from here as much as possible. Just as I open my mouth to say so, the back door opens and in walks Dustin.

"Hey," says Bobby. "How's your grandma?"

"Grams is okay for now. The fall really scared her so they've got her sedated and on bed rest."

Dustin drops his keys on the counter and grabs a beer from the fridge. People from the dining room shout out his name finally noticing that he's home. The need on their faces to get a fix makes me sick to my stomach. He turns his back to them after a quick wave and rolls his eyes.

"Damn vultures," he mumbles under his breath. As he tips back his bottle, he notices Cash standing behind me. The bottle halts just before it reaches his lips. "Who are you?"

"This is my friend, Cash."

Dustin looks at me before turning his scrutinizing gaze back to Cash. My hands tighten on his arms in warning. Dustin fears unknown people, and for good reason. The business he's in is dangerous and illegal.

"Nice to meet you, Dustin. I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother." Cash's calm words seem to work on Dustin because after a moment he relaxes, sidetracked with thoughts of a woman we can tell he cares deeply about.

What would his grandmother think if she knew what he has turned her home into? One look at the place and you can tell it was put together with love. Family pictures hang throughout on all the walls, knickknacks fill shelves, and old handmade gifts from her children and grandchildren lay about. All of it carefully displayed and preserved in frames and in china cabinets. This woman loved her family dearly, but by the sounds of it, her children took a different path in their lives leading them down rough roads and dragging their children with them. Obviously, Dustin was the only one who loved her enough to care for her. The depth of his love shows in the way he cares for her home. Not a speck of dust can be found in the place, all her belongings shining and looking brand new sitting right where she left them. Seems as though Dustin is awaiting her return, maybe in the hopes to receive an approving smile from her that beams with pride for him. I have a feeling he didn't get many of those from his own mother. Could be the reason for his doings now. Not having that structure his Grams offered him is once again tearing his world apart, making him resort to the one thing that always made him numb to his existence. Drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.

"Thank you." He takes a drink of his beer and looks back into the dining room. "I'm gonna take care of business so I can get these people out of my house. I don't feel like dealing with them tonight. Make yourselves at home."

Cash

The people in the house swarmed Dustin when he entered the dining room with his supply. I've never seen anything like it. It was like a dinner bell had been rung and starving people flocked to get their meager hand out. Hands were held out grabbing at the packets in fear of not getting their next fix. Sharks. That's what they were. Sharks swarming a kill getting their fill. Money was thrown at him left and right. I didn't see any other drug but that one. The only word I heard out of the junkies' mouths was Snap. Normally that would make me happy knowing my pockets were being lined more than his. But this kind of frenzy had me confused, worried, and scared. Joseph has not altered the drug in any way since we started production. It is a non-addictive drug, that's why we deal it. We don't want to be responsible for the lives of strung out people. This is the main reason we took that step to sell.

These people are strung out though. There's no doubt about that. The majority immediately crushed the pills in the packet on the table and consumed it straight from the baggies, shoving their straws and pens in and snorting it, licking the remnants out not leaving a speck of dust behind. That screams addiction. Within minutes, dilated, lifeless pupils passed us to leave out the backdoor. I will never forget that moment; it's seared in my memory. I did this to them. No one’s fault but my own and the greed that fueled this endeavor.

I tried to get a good look at what the pills looked like without anyone noticing, but I was too far away and the people didn't hesitate to "dose up" as fast as humanly possible. As I wondered how I was going to get my hands on one, Dustin strolled out of his room shaking some of those baggies in the air with a come hither look on his face making my small group hoot with joy. Except Hazel. She stiffened in my arms and stared at her friends as if they had gone mad, especially Cady. She was concerned for her friend using Snap. And she should be, at least with this version of Snap. If my assumptions are correct, Phil is altering this drug. I don't see any other reason than for profit. He wants people hooked and running back for more. His Snap is more like crack.

We follow the others out of the kitchen, but before we enter the hallway, I grab Hazel's hand pulling her back to have a moment with her alone. I run the back of my fingers along her cheek, reading the questions on her face.

"I made you a promise. It goes for your friends as well. I won't let anything happen to them, but you can't run people's lives, Hazel. You can express your dislike, but ultimately it's their decision if they are or aren't going to do something."

Her chin drops to her chest before she whispers. "They don't understand what they are getting themselves into." Her voice breaks as she speaks.

The truth hidden in her words tells me that she does. She knows exactly what they are getting themselves into. I start questioning if Dale was right and that maybe she was part of Phil's scheme, at least in the beginning. The thought makes me sick, like she's lied to me. But she hasn't, that's the strangest part of all this. I feel like I know her more than I do because I watched her for weeks. Not once did she do anything to suggest that she's in cahoots with that bastard.