ZEKE (18 page)

“Yeah, she told me about the day she met you.” She tilts her head. “Does she know who you are?”

“We don’t talk about it, but yeah, she does.”

“Zeke, I don’t understand. The two of you seem so close, but then there’s this past that you don’t ever talk about?”

“We don’t need to.” I shrug. “The more time that I spent with Addy, the more I came to realize, like me she lost someone she loved, and with no other family, she’s all alone. I also came to understand Addy didn’t create the monster that killed my parents. Evil isn’t born. Something was seriously wrong with him. He was defective. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t help him.”

“Why didn’t you tell the police what happened?”

I stare at her. Motherfuckers, Slate or Jax must’ve been running their mouths. How else would she know about all of this? “After I told my dad what happened that day, he made me promise not to talk to anyone about it.” I scrub a hand over my chin. “And,” I drop my hand on the bed, “at seven years old, I listened. Especially, after he died. I wanted to honor what I promised. At the funeral, I overheard my dad’s friend, Mitch, say that my dad called him the day he died. He said Dad asked him to stop by the next day for a visit. Mitch was a cop. As I got older, things started to make sense. I figured Dad sent Jax and Zeke to Grams’ because he wanted me to meet with Mitch at the house. I think he wanted to file charges against Glenn for what he did to me. I also think my dad went to see Glenn that night. From the bruises on his knuckles, I think he went there and roughed him up. I assume that’s why Glenn came to the house. He knew my dad was going to blow him in, and he couldn’t handle it. He was weak. He’d rather die than let anyone know the truth about him, about what he was.”

“So you never told your brothers?”

“No.” I place my hands on her thighs and rub them. “I was young when it happened. I didn’t fully grasp what was going on, and as I got older and I did understand, well. Years had passed. It’s not as though we’d get any justice for my parents. Glenn was dead. Besides, I didn’t want to drudge up the past. It’d hurt too many people, my brothers and Addy, she’s gone through enough.”

“All these years, you’ve had to deal with it alone.”

“Yeah, but I’m talking about it now,” I look up into her glistening eyes, “and if I got to be honest, it feels okay.”

“It’s important to talk about,” her eyes soften, “but Zeke, do you honestly believe no one should love you?”

“For years, I did,” I say, rubbing her thighs a little faster. “I know, it ain’t right, but it’s why I made those rules. I was young and stupid, but as I got older, when I knew better. Well, I guess I just got stuck in that mentality. It was easier than letting myself get too close to anyone.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

“No.” I look up at her, seeing in her eyes that someday I could.

“What about Luna Featherhouse?”

“Woman, who in the hell have you been talking to?” I laugh, “Luna Featherhouse? Shit, I haven’t heard that name in years.”

“Rayna says you really liked her in high school, said that she was the only girl you ever chased after.”

“Yeah,” I laugh again, “I chased after her but not for the reason you think. I did like her, though, a lot, and because she was the kind of girl I could see myself falling for, I wanted to know why she wouldn’t go out with me for I planned to keep doing it to keep the Luna Featherhouse’s of the world away from me. And when I finally did get a straight answer out of her, she told me it was because she heard that I got around. Apparently, it turned her off. So I made it my mission to turn off the types of girls that turned me on and I procured the reputation of being the best damn lay in Galveston County. So, I guess, sweetheart,” I fit my fingers into hers and pull her down onto my chest, “you were right. My rules, they’re there to keep me safe.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I didn’t tell anyone what Zeke told me the other night, and we haven’t talked about it since, but I think telling someone what happened helped him. I’ve spent the past few nights in his arms, and he hasn’t had any nightmares.

I’m falling for him but I’m leaving in a week, and like his past, we don’t talk about that either.

Opening the door, I find Zeke and Slate fighting in the cage. Manly grunts echo in the large empty room. I get to the ring and their bodies, a ball of muscles and limbs roll together on the floor. Zeke manages to get on top of Slate and pins his arms to the mat.

Slate laughs, slamming his foot on the floor. “Okay, okay,” he laughs harder, “you win fucker. Get off me.”

“Yeah.” Zeke springs up fists in the air. Like a little kid, he bounces on his feet. His eyes flash to me. “Hey.” He lowers his arms and his cocky smile turns warm and affectionate.

“Hi.” I smile back. I love the way he’s been looking at me these past few days.

Slate’s head tilts back. “Oh hey,” he pushes himself from the mat, “we were just messing around.” He stands up and I barely notice his scars; after getting to know him, you seem to forget all about them. “Thought I’d let him win for once.” He winks, swiping his glove across his forehead.

“That was very nice of you.” I smile, walk over to the door, and enter the cage.

“Let me?” Zeke snorts, jabbing Slate in the arm with his glove. “Yeah, right.”

Slate’s grin widens, and he lightly hits Zeke in the arm. “I’m gonna get showered. Be back in about an hour to help you open up, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Zeke nudges. Slate nods his head at me before leaving the cage.

Zeke walks over and pulls his gloves off, dropping each one on the floor. His arm comes around my waist and he hauls me against his sweaty body. “Hey beautiful,” he says just before his lips melt into mine.

“Hey gorgeous,” I say, pulling away. I beam up at him. He’s really opened up around me. And I must admit, Rayna was right. Zeke Declan is fan-fucking-tastic. I run my hands down his shorts, grab his fine ass, and yank him hard against me.

“Ah,” his arms tighten, “what you think you’re a tough girl or something?”

“I know I am.”

“Yeah,” he arches back and gazes down at me, “you wanna go a round?”

“I’m game.”

He pulls away, bends down, and picks up his gloves. “Here.” He holds one out at me. “I’ll tell you what,” he pushes the glove onto my hand, “if you make contact with my body with either of these gloves,” he slips the other glove on me, “then for next hour, I’ll follow your every command.”

“What if you win?”

“Well, then get whatever I want,” he grins down at me.

“And what do you want?” I look up at him, recalling the last time that I asked him this question.

“As the great Oscar Wilde once said, the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. And from the moment we met, you have tempted me,” he says, gripping my gloved wrists. “What I want is you,” he pulls me against him.

“You already have that,” I say just before I tip up on my toes and kiss him.

“Then,” he says with a crooked grin. “If I win,” he takes a step back, “you have to ride the lightning.”

“Aright, you’re on.” I smack the gloves together, sounds like a win-win to me. “But didn’t my brother Token tell you that I know how to box a little too.”

“No,” Zeke laughs, “but I ain’t scared.”

“You should be.” I thrust my fist out at him; he darts to the left, and I fall forward. Damn, he’s fast. I right my feet, spin around, and trying to surprise him, I strike again. He sways back, curving his body, and my glove just misses his stomach. I wrench my arm back, step forward, and with everything I got, I throw another punch. Feet remaining in the same place, Zeke shifts to the side and I stumble forward. This time, unable to control my feet, I lose my balance. His arm catches me around my stomach. He pulls my back against him.

His lips brush my ear. “You tryin’ to lose?”

“No.” Somewhat out of breath, I jerk my shoulders to break free.

“I think you are.” His husky laugh tickles my neck. His hand slips into my shirt. He yanks my bra down, and within a flash, his fingers grip my taut nipple. “I think you want to ride the lightning.” His hand moves from my belly into my pants. “Oh yeah,” he reaches my wetness, “that’s what my tough little girl wants.” His finger slips inside of me as he tugs harder on my tight nipple. I drop my head back with a low moan. Under the influence of his skillful hands, I’m defenseless. His warm lips fall upon my shoulder as he holds me firmly to his body, finger fucking me and pinching my sore nipple. He’s in control. “You ready to give up,” he whispers, his warm breath searing my neck.

“Never,” I arch back, turn my head, and look up into his eyes. “I’ll never give up when it comes to you. So,” I grin up at him, “are you ready to fight?”

His hand moves upward from my breast, gripping my neck. His other hand slides up from my pants around my waist, and not breaking eye contact, he turns me around to face him. “Yes. I’m ready.” His thumb caresses my chin. “Ready to fight for you.” He leans in, kisses me, and within a few minutes, I’m blissfully riding the lightning.

An hour later, we’re in the front bar, getting it ready to open. I put the beers Zeke just brought up from the cellar into the cooler while he pulls the chairs down from the tables. I’m keeping busy but I can’t stop thinking about what he said about fighting for me. What did it mean?

“Hi guys,” I hear Rayna’s voice, glance up from the cooler, and see her and Slate walking over to the bar.

“Hi,” I stand up, placing the empty case on the counter.

Slate looks around. “Looks like you guys don’t need any of our help, huh?”

“No.” Zeke sets the last chair down. “We got it covered.” He looks over at the door just as Emmie and Jax walk in. “Thought you two were heading to Texas City to go Kiteboarding?”

“Yeah, Emmie chickened out,” Jax says, sitting down on a stool.

Emmie smacks him in the arm. “I would have been fine if you hadn’t tried to scare me with all of those stories.”

“Oh-ho,” Zeke says, “you told her about the guy who got caught in some strong winds and was dragged into the highway where he got hit by a car, didn’t you?”

“Yes, he did,” Emmie squints at Jax, “along with a few other horror stories.”

Slate laughs. “Yeah know why he did that, don’t you?”

“No,” Emmie turns to him.

“Same reason he didn’t let me get a cycle when I was seventeen,” Slate says, “doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

Emmie’s eyes dart back to Jax. “Is that true?”

“Sorry, princess,” he shrugs with a smile.

“Owww,” she walks over and drops an arm around his broad shoulder, “what am I going to do with you?”

Jax looks up, holding his smile. “You’re going to marry me.” The room goes completely silent and Emmie’s eyes widen. “And you’re going to let me buy you a big house too.”

“I ... I ... am,” Emmie stutters.

“Yes,” Jax pulls her down onto his lap, “you are, and in return, I’m going to want some babies from you.”

“Babies!” Emmie tries to jump from the Jax’s lap, but he pulls her back down with a deep chuckle.

“Well that’s good,” Slate says, wrapping an arm around Rayna and pulling her against him, “it’ll give us a little more room in the apartment for when you move in.”

With dropped mouths, Emmie and I turn to Rayna. “Oh come on, don’t look at me like that!” She waves a hand at us. “Did you really think I was going back to Manhattan? You guys know I took that job in Santa Fe.”

Emmie jumps up from Jax’s lap and, this time, he allows it. No doubt, happy about the news, she runs over and throws her arms around Rayna. I walk over to a table and sit down in the chair. They’re both leaving me. I’m happy for them but...

“Well,” Zeke walks over and crouches down in front of me, “what do ya say, Picasso? Think maybe you want to show me your beautiful city?”

“What?” I shake my head, and look at him, confused and depressed about losing my friends to the Bayou.

“Manhattan,” he smiles. “If I come there would you want to be my tour guide?”

Is he saying what I think he’s saying?

“Of course, it’d wouldn’t have to be strictly platonic and I’d let you ride the lightning as many times as your little heart desires.”

“Zeke, you’d come to Manhattan?”

“Yeah, but I’d need somewhere to stay and I thought that I’d check out the colleges there, what do you think, sweetheart?”

“Yes.” I smile. “On one condition,” I say, my heart swelling so big in my chest that it’s difficult to breathe. “There’ll be no groping my ass in public places.” I smile.

“You can have as many conditions and rules that you want,” he leans in and kisses me, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t try to break them ...”

THE END