Before Hadley (4 page)

I leveled my breathing, drowning out every other sound, until all I heard were the first set of double clicks. Fifty-six. Talk about music to my ears. I took a quick breath, then started again.
Click, click, click-click
. Twenty-four.  Another couple minutes passed before I heard the final
click, click, click-click
. Eighteen.

Knowing I’d been in the office far longer than I should’ve been, especially with a party raging downstairs, I entered the combination and turned the handle.

The once-locked door swung open.

The flashlight’s strobe cast light on piles of envelopes, different sized documents, and stacks of cash. I opened the envelopes quickly, sliding the contents into my hands. I flipped through them: mostly personal documents, contracts, deeds, birth certificates. Nothing of any use to me. I shoved them back in and returned the envelopes to their initial spots, beside the towering stacks of cash.

Not wasting anymore time, I grabbed the wrapped hundreds, stuffing them half-way down the front waistband of my boxer-briefs. Reaching around, I tucked more stacks down the back to keep everything even. I left some cash in the safe so it wasn’t obvious at first glance that anything had been touched. Digging into the back of the safe, I checked for anything else worth grabbing. My hand grasped a small ring box. I pulled it out and snapped it open. A diamond ring sat tucked inside. Even under the dim flashlight, the massive diamond sparkled like crazy. It had to be at least five carats. I wondered why they kept it hidden away in a safe. I shook off the thought, learning a long time ago not to think about the people I stole from. It made it easier.

I jammed the ring back into the box and returned it to its spot in the back of the safe. My dad would’ve killed me for leaving it behind. But what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. I closed the safe quietly and snuck out of the room. I made my way downstairs, my eyes on the front door.

Laughter from the kitchen stopped me in my tracks. Feisty’s laugh. Throaty and deep and all woman.
Yup. I just said that.
I glanced down at my jeans. My shirt concealed the cash, but could I really stay with eighty grand tucked into my drawers? I’d done some ballsy shit. But that was pushing it for even me.

Hadley

I threw down my final card, winning the hand for Cass and me. “Pay up, boys. Cash, please.”

Pete and Eric groaned, demanding a rematch.

“Look who’s back,” Cass exclaimed like some celebrity just entered the kitchen.

I looked up as Caynan stepped into the room. I couldn’t stop myself. “Monica came down a few minutes ago fixing her lipstick and readjusting her knickers,” I explained with my newly discovered British mojo. “I take it she found you?”

Caynan’s lips slid into a smile. A freaking smile. Did he have no shame? He glanced to Cass. “Mind if I be Feisty’s partner?”

A smile sprang to Cass’ face as she bounded up from her seat and onto Eric’s lap.

Caynan slipped into her empty seat, directly across from me, as Pete shuffled the cards.

“You know how to play?” Pete asked him.

He nodded, his eyes locked on mine.

I averted my gaze, picking away at my chipped plum nail polish. What had been wrong with me? I sounded like such a jealous bitch. It was like I couldn’t stop myself from poking the proverbial bear.

“Don’t do that.”

I pulled up my gaze.

“Don’t avoid me now that you’ve got me in front of you,” Caynan said. “What happened to the Feisty I know and love?” The second the L-word left his mouth, his lips tipped up in one corner, conspiratorially.

I lifted my brows. “Good to know where you stand.” I picked up my cards, eyeing the assortment of red and black in my hand.

“Oh, I don’t think you have any idea where I stand.” The gruff tone in his voice and the flirty glint in his eyes zapped all the way down between my legs.

Screw that.

“Nice try. But I know your game. Haven’t you heard that song about players playing?” I picked up my cup with my free hand and dangled it out in front of Cass. “Be a dear and go fetch me some ale.”

She lifted a brow. “Sounds like you’ve been hanging around with the exchange student too long.”

“Bugger off, wench.”

Caynan laughed, probably at the fact that she just called him the exchange student.

Cass took off outside with my empty cup as Eric threw a card into the center of the table, starting the game. “She just wants you to be happy.”

My head flew back as if I’d been yanked by my hair. “What?”

Caynan threw down a card, his attention now on Eric.

“She hates that you’re alone. Hates that you’re by yourself in that big house most weekends. Hates that you feel like a third wheel whenever you’re with us.”

I knew she worried about me, but she actually discussed it with her boyfriend? I waited for Pete to throw down his card, then followed suit. “For the record, I don’t feel like a third wheel. I love sitting next to you two in the movies while you make out. It’s a fun time. Maybe next time I’ll try sitting between you.”

Caynan and Pete laughed, but Eric didn’t. “You know what I mean.”

I shrugged, pretending what he said didn’t bother me. Like none of what he said was the truth. But it was. I
was
currently alone. I
did
spend a lot of time in that big house by myself while my mother flew off to different functions to support my grandfather and my dad worked long shifts. And I
did
feel like a third wheel with Cass and Eric. How could I not? “Thanks. But I’m fine.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

That pushed me over the edge. “Seriously, Eric? Why is tonight the night for everyone to dump on me? I’m just sitting here minding my own business. And I’ve got Cass trying to hook me up with the town player.” My hand shot out at Caynan who sat quietly for a change. “Now I’ve got you reminding me that I’m alone. Do you think I need reminding?” I jumped to my feet, my eyes jumping between Caynan and Pete. “Sorry, guys. I gotta head home.”

“Hadley, wait.” Eric pushed his seat back, ready to jump to his feet.

I held up my hand. “Don’t. Don’t take it back because you think poor Hadley’s upset. I told you. I’ve gotta go.”

I took off down the hall, walking right out the front door. The light evening breeze grasped hold of my hair and whipped it around my face as I walked down Mark’s driveway.

“Feisty.”

Great.
I stopped as I hit the road, glancing over my shoulder so I didn’t look like a total bitch.

Caynan walked toward me. “Let me drive you.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. I don’t live far.”

He scratched the back of his head like hot guys always did when they didn’t know what to say. “Then let me walk with you.”

I crossed my arms. “You can’t seriously want to leave a party to walk me home.”

He nodded. “Hot girl? Moonlit night? Hell, yeah I wanna.”

I laughed, strangely eased by his enthusiasm. I started down the road in the direction of my house.

Caynan’s long strides kept an easy pace at my side. “Sorry that guy upset you.”

I shrugged. “He’s entitled to his opinion.”

We walked in silence for a little while, the moonlight and scattered street lights guiding our path.

“Was he right?” Caynan asked.

I shrugged.

He nodded, like he already knew the answer. “Well, I felt like he blindsided you, and that wasn’t okay.”

“He’s actually a really good friend. If it came from someone I didn’t like, it would’ve been a different story.”

Caynan’s dark eyes flickered under the street lights. “Oh, yeah?”

“There would’ve been definite bloodshed.”

He grinned. “I figured.”

We shared a quiet laugh in the silent night. Caynan’s attention quickly shifted to the neighborhood playground tucked behind some trees. “You’ve got your own playground?” He took off toward it like an eager little kid.

I followed him, standing on the edge of the beach sand that filled the area. His eyes jumped from the swing set to the seesaw to the jungle gym liked he’d never played on a playground before.

He walked behind one of the swaying swings and grasped the chains to stop it from moving. “Come over here.”

I paused for a minute, torn between getting home and not wanting to be a total bitch.
Ah, what the hell
. I kicked off my flip flops, my feet sinking into the grainy sand as I walked toward him. “I take it you like the playground?”

“It’s definitely cool sitting smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood like this.”

I dropped down onto the swing and grabbed hold of the chains at my sides. “My dad had it built.”

“What’s he some kind of contractor?”

I shook my head, glad I wasn’t looking at him. People made a habit of steering clear of cops, evading them on roads, slowing down when they spotted them hiding with radars. I knew the normal reaction was more disgust than admiration, even if he was a detective. “Well?” I prompted him, wanting to change the subject.

“Well what?”

I glanced over my shoulder at him behind me. “You planning on pushing me or what?”

He snickered as his hands pressed against my back.

I tried ignoring the almost-electrical zap that shot through his hands, buzzing straight through my body. I really did. But WTF?

“Tell me something about you I don’t already know.” His question came out of nowhere.

“
Something
? You don’t know
anything
about me.”

I could hear the smile in his voice. “Yeah, that’s why I’m asking.”

I stifled a grin as he propelled me forward, each time gaining more momentum. “Fine. I eat red licorice like it’s going out of style.”

“How about that. I like licorice, too.”

I laughed, knowing his game and upping the ante. “I have five guinea pigs.”

He paused. “Guinea pigs?”

“Oh yeah. They’re so cute and cuddly. I actually sleep with them in my bed every night.”

“Oh.” Though I couldn’t see him, I assumed his repulsed tone mirrored his expression.

“Oh,” I said, really getting into it. “I know something most people don’t know about me. I
hate
shaving. Like absolutely loathe it. My legs, my armpits. You name it. It’s totally annoying. So I don’t do it. Do you think that’s weird?”

“No.” He sounded completely unsettled. “It’s totally…cool?”

I waited until I couldn’t take it anymore, then burst out laughing.

“Tell me that means you’re lying.”

“About the guinea pigs? Yes.”

“Not the shaving?”

I shrugged. “Depends on the day.”

We both laughed.

“You should know,” I warned him. “In a game of wits, I always win. You might as well just admit defeat now.”

“Defeat? I’d never admit that. And if this were an actual competition, I’d die before backing down.”

“Fine. I wouldn’t want you dying on me.”

“See?” He sounded pleased with himself. “You do like me.”

I closed my eyes, enjoying the breeze on my face as I lifted higher into the air. “So, why’d you move here? Your dad’s job?”

“Oh…” He cleared his throat like he’d swallowed a bug. “No…He’s kind of between jobs right now.”

“So, your mom’s?” Silence followed my question. A long, awkward, deafening silence. I’d clearly asked the wrong question.
Idiot
. “I’m sorry. Look at me being all nosy. You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, it’s fine. I just haven’t really thought about her in a while.” His voice came out low, muffled even.

“She passed away when I was five.”

“I’m so sorry.”
Way to go, Hadley.

“Nah. It’s okay. I’m good.”

He didn’t sound good and for some bizarre reason, I had the urge to stop the swing and wrap him in a big hug. Not the kind of hug the girls at school wanted to give him. The kind of hug a guy who grew up without a mom deserved.

“She got cancer. And it spread quickly.” He continued, catching me off guard. “My dad said it took no more than a month between the time they found it and the day she died.”

I dropped my feet, letting my toes drag in the sand until I slowed the swing. When I finally stopped, I swiveled to face him. “That must’ve been really hard on you both.”

He shrugged, his eyes avoiding mine. “I barely remember.”

“Well, I’m a good listener—when I’m not being nosy or a smart ass. So…”

His appreciative eyes met mine. In that moment, I saw a real guy. I saw someone who’d endured heartbreak just like everyone else. And as much as I despised guys who slept with anything that walked, I hurt for him.

Needing a subject change—like yesterday—my eyes flashed to my empty driveway three houses away. “That one’s mine.” I pointed to the monstrosity my mother had designed, with its white bricks and multiple peaks.