Fear Me (42 page)

“What happened to his parents?” I blurted. I was planning to ask that question in a crowded hallway during the middle of the school day but hey…shit happens. I was done skating around the issue.

Keenan froze and then glared at Sheldon who actually looked contrite for once. “What makes you think something happened?”

“Keenan…”

“I don’t know, okay? He doesn’t talk about it. He probably doesn’t even remember.” He looked away and I could tell he was either lying or holding back something. Just then Dash walked up to our circle with a scowl on his face.

“Where’s your girl?”

“You tell me…you were with her last.” He thumbed his chin and eyed me before rolling his eyes and fishing out his phone. He punched in some numbers, mumbling. After dialing into his phone three times he muttered, “this is bullshit” and walked off.

“Willow still won’t talk to him?” Sheldon asked.

“Would you?” I asked.

“I’d cut his dick off and hang it over my mantle.”

Keenan gave Sheldon a crazy look. “So you’d touch your brother’s dick?”

“Of course not. I’d make you do it, pumpkin.” She planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

“Oh no. I’m not doing that again.”

“Again?” We both asked at the same time.

Keenan scratched the back of his neck. “I uhh…lost a bet last year so I had to hold his dick for two minutes.”

My mouth fell open and Sheldon was bent over laughing. “Oh honey, you’re such a pussy,” she chortled.

“Hey, he had pants on!” Keenan said defensively. He looked at me pleadingly and said, “Don’t tell Keiran alright?”

“Why?”

“Because then he’d make me hold
his
dick.”

We burst out laughing and I fell to me knees clutching my stomach. Keenan’s face was surely a Kodak moment. “What’s so funny?” Keiran’s voice suddenly came from behind us. I was still on the floor laughing as he approached. “Why she is on the floor?” he asked, mean mugging Keenan.

“Whatever, you guys are lame,” Keenan muttered walking off. Sheldon followed after him, still laughing.

“Lake, get off the floor, baby.”
Oh so now I’m ‘baby’ again?
I rolled my eyes and ignored the butterflies that erupted in my stomach each time he said it. It always sounded so sexy and sensual and intimate. Now, he only used my last name when he was being a dick or I was being punished. He scooped me up when I took too long to move but kept his hands on my hips, tugging me into him.

“How was volleyball?” he asked pecking me on my lips. I stared at him in surprise considering what happened the last time we talked. It was becoming really hard to keep up with his moods. Or maybe I was the only one who carried grudges over an entire weekend.

“Oh you know…someone hits the ball over the net so I hit the ball back over. It’s sort of like playing hot potato but with a volleyball that’s not hot.” He ignored my sarcasm and used the opportunity to feel me up instead. Thankfully, everyone had either gone to lunch or class so no one was left in the hallway but us. “What did you have to see Coach about?” It wasn’t important for me to know but I needed a distraction from the feeling of his hands on me.

“He wanted to talk to me about our next win.” I smiled at his assumption that the team would win their first game.

“Cocky much?” He gave me a lopsided grin that I thought made him look adorably human and started kissing on my neck. “Are you trying to go pro?”

“That’s the plan,” he mumbled against my neck.

“Are scouts still considering you for college ball?”

“Coach said they’re eager to see me perform this year.” He lifted his head from my neck and look down at me with a serious expression. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Okay.”

“I need to bring my game stronger than I have before considering the year I missed and the circumstances. I’m not blaming you so fix your face,” he added when I sent him withering look. “That year was justified for the shit that I have done.”
Like murder a little girl?
I masked the nauseous feeling that overcame me but realized I missed part of what he was saying. “…I’m going to be practicing a lot and won’t have a lot of spare time.”

The bell rang just as I caught on to what he was telling me. “I understand.”

“Do you?”

“We aren’t dating, Keiran. No worries.” He narrowed his eyes before he took my lips with his in a possessive kiss that said otherwise. We ended up spending the entire lunch period making out against the lockers and thankfully weren’t caught. I had to end it when he tried to stick his hand down my pants. He didn’t put up too much of a stink even though his face said he wanted to because the bell rang. He wordlessly led me to class and when we arrived he slapped me on the ass and walked off.

I watched him swagger down the hall and couldn’t help but admit how much I loved his walk…and every other girl in the vicinity. Some even stopped to stare or reach out to touch him.

Horny hoebags
.

I wanted to yell that he was mine even though he never would be. I still took evil pleasure in how he ignored and shook them off and before he turned the corner he looked back at me as if sensing I was still there. He winked and disappeared around the corner.

* * *

It wasn’t even five minutes into class when a couple of uniforms walked in flashing badges. For some reason my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know why until I looked over a few rows and noticed an empty seat.

Anya’s empty seat.

The fair and everything that happened rushed back. Dash and Keenan drove off with them and Keiran hasn’t said a word but I knew they had to have taken them to him. Whatever I was expecting them to do in retaliation didn’t end with them, or rather, Anya not showing up to school.
Maybe she’s out sick.

The other students started to get riled as the two officers spoke to our teacher.

“Class settle down. The police are looking for Anya Risdell and Trevor Reynolds and are asking for our full cooperation. Every student will be scheduled for an individual interview with your parents over the next few days. They ask if you have any information on their disappearance you come forth with it as soon as possible.

Just then one of the officer’s eyes connected with mine and I recognized him as the partner of Trevor’s dad and the one who cuffed Keiran the night of the break-in.
Shit.
His was grilling me with his eyes and I fidgeted in my seat, nervously. My phone buzzed in my pocket so I pulled it out, thankful for the distraction from the officer.

K: R u ok?

Lake: No…

K: I’ll take care of it.

Lake: Like you took care of them?

K: Jeez, Lake. Don’t say that shit over the phone.

Lake: Sorry. I don’t know what to do.

K: Be there in two.

No matter how much I tried I couldn’t tamp down the nervous feelings or the bile that steadily rose. Keiran appeared in the doorway and walked right in. He ignored the officers who were talking to the class and my teacher who looked pretty pissed off but didn’t say anything. He walked up to my desk, grabbed my hand, and pulled me up from the seat. I hurriedly grabbed my bag just in case I didn’t or couldn’t come back.

“You are quickly putting me on every teacher’s shit list you know.”

“At least we’ll be together,” he smirked.

“Keiran what did you do?” I asked once we were out of earshot. He backed me into the lockers and rested his forearm above my head.

“I was
caring
,” he answered sarcastically. “The less you know the better. This is my shit.”

“Someone could have saw them being taken.”

“Let me worry about that. You don’t know anything. That’s what you tell them when they ask.”

“But I do know something!” He narrowed his eyes and I felt that familiar chill that I mistakenly thought was long gone.

“So what do you plan to tell them?”

“Don’t do that. You don’t get to look at me as if I already betrayed you. I don’t owe you anything.”

Instead of responding he took my lips with his, opening me up for his tongue, which I took greedily. The stress and fear of our current situation had me needy and trying to climb his body right there in the hallway. “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked, lifting his lips from mine.

“I would like that very much but I can’t. I have a test coming up and a project due in Art next period. Are you leaving?”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“My hero,” I whispered, smiling teasingly up at him. When he flinched and his gaze became murderous, I remembered his feelings about heroes. His reaction made me think it was more than just an opinion.

The police officers came out the room and cast us hard glances. I looked back at them nervously. I was probably giving everything away with my face. Keiran’s back was turned so he didn’t see them come out. I was distracted from their scrutiny when Keiran used his thumb to rub small circles over my lower stomach, just as I was about to warn him.

“I should get back,” I whispered.

“You should. The pervs are watching,” he said indicating the cops at the other end of the hall. I looked back at the cops and notice them saying something to each other but they were too far away for us to hear.

“You’re way too calm about this,” I remarked. It was actually making me nervous rather than assuring me. The cops were watching us too hard and standing around as they were waiting for something. He shrugged, dropped his arm from over my head and backed away from me.

I missed the safety his closeness created. It felt like my personal hideaway from the world. Funny when he used to be the only thing I needed to hide from not so long ago. Maybe he still was, I thought, thinking about Anya, Trevor, and what he said about my grandmother.

He nudged me to the door but this time waited from me to go inside before heading in the direction of the officers. I couldn’t resist so I peeked my head outside the door, fully aware that the entire class along with my teacher’s attention was on me. When Keiran was in hearing distance the officer said something to him and I tensed even though I couldn’t hear. Keiran didn’t stop to talk to them, though. His only acknowledgment was to flip them off. I watched him climb the stairs, taking two at time, until he disappeared.

“Ms. Monroe, if it’s alright with you, please take your seat so that I may resume class,” Mrs. Bisette, barked.
Definitely on her shit list.

I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes drawing out the sound of Keiran’s practice. My head felt like it was spinning and all I wanted to do was go home and hide under my covers. I’d fully expected to go straight home after school but like always, Keiran had different ideas and like always, I followed.

“Is it Friday yet?” Sheldon griped from her seat next to me.

“Nope.”

“Fuck. I don’t think I can tolerate going to practice today. I’m too stressed.”

“Can you skip that now? With Anya missing, aren’t you captain now?”

“Oh my gosh. What if people think I did it?”

“Why would they think that?”

“So I could take her spot as Captain?”

“You watch too much TV.”

“Trevor did it to Keiran,” she pointed out.

“Point taken.”

“Ugh, what do you think they are going to do about the investigation?” she asked.

“What makes you think they are going to do anything?” I asked while keeping my eyes shut.

“Because they are too calm and quiet about it.”

“What do you think they did to them? You know them better than I do. What would they do?” She paused from tying up her sneakers and hesitated before answering. “If Keiran is behind it, I don’t think I want to know. Dash says he has connections that money
can’t
buy.” I watched her carefully for any sign that she was holding back but her answers sounded genuine.

I remembered the conversation I overheard him having last Friday but none of it put me closer to figuring out what may have happened to Trevor and Anya. Keiran was dead set on making me leave his past alone but his past didn’t seem to be much of a past at all.

“They don’t say much around me anyway,” Sheldon continued, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Keiran said I had a big mouth. Can you believe that?” she yelled drawing the attention of a few players and cheerleaders.

I raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips. “No…I couldn’t imagine.” I said sarcastically. She gave me an indignant look and went back to fixing her shoes. “Are you guys practicing in here today?”

She nodded, “It’s raining outside. You didn’t notice?” she gestured to the double doors leading outside. She left with a quick “see you later” and headed to the other part of the gym. Our gym was unique in that it multiple sections so it wouldn’t impede on the basketball practice and other events.

I looked over to the court in time to Keiran make an effortless shot at the halfway line. Keenan began to gloat as if he had just taken the shot and I shook my head. Keiran made eye contact with me and called for a break.

“What’s wrong?” he asked approaching me.

“Besides my raging headache and impending jail sentence?”

“Sure,” he said rolling his eyes.

“Then nothing. I think I’m going to head home.” I stood up on my tiptoes and pecked his lips. He wore a scowl and looked as if he was going to protest as I picked up my messenger bag.

“Go to my place.”

“I’ll be fine at home.”

“What did I say?”

“You’re not my father, Keiran.” He gripped my chin hard and stared down at me without saying anything. “How am I supposed to get in?” I rolled my eyes him. He bent and dug into his gym bag and produced his key ring. He popped one of the three keys and handed it to me. “Straight there.”

“Well I’m kind of hungry so I was thinking about grabbing a burger on the way,” I said just to piss him off.

“Monroe,” he warned over his shoulder as he walked away. Mission accomplished.