Jolted (Conflicted Encounters #1) (18 page)

"Is this what you want?" he asked roughly. I nodded. "You like that?" he taunted in a low and tense voice.
 

"Yes," I breathed.
 

"Show me, Kallie," he demanded, pushing harder and faster. "Come for me."

With his words, I did as he commanded. His fingers worked me while I shook and squeezed against him. An explosion went off deep and sparks ricocheted inside me. I used his shoulder to smother the cries while the waves of heat rolled over my body.
 

When my body finally turned to liquid, he slowly pulled away his hand. He unwrapped my legs from his waist and let me stand on my feet again. He rested his forehead on mine as we both tried to slow our breathing. I could still feel him hard against my stomach.

"Ry," I heard from behind him. "We should go." Ryder pulled away from me, and I saw Logan standing behind him with a passed out Scarlett in his arms.

"Okay," he said and took my hand. He quickly led me down the stairs and out of the warehouse.

I inhaled the cool air deeply when we reached the outside. I let Ryder lead me to Logan's car and he helped me get in. Logan laid Scarlett across the backseat, resting her head on my lap. I closed my eyes and gently ran my fingers through her hair, feeling exhausted.
 

Ryder

I wandered out of the room to find Logan passed out, face first, on the couch. The rest of the apartment was quiet, even though it was almost the afternoon. I started the coffee and rested my head on the counter. I looked up to watch Logan starting to stir.
 

"Shit," he groaned.
 

"Morning, gorgeous," I laughed back at him. Logan hadn’t drank much this summer and was starting to become a bit of a lightweight.
 

I waited for the coffee to finish brewing and Logan sat up, rubbing his face. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he’d been losing weight. This week finally brought him some good news and he was beginning to go back to his normal self. Logan grunted as he stumbled to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Girls up?" he asked me.

"Not yet," I told him, looking over at Scarlett's bedroom door.
 

We put both of their sleeping bodies in her room when we got home last night. Logan and I stayed up and finished a bottle of tequila I had stashed away. We sat silently and took shot after shot, drowning away our anger and worries.
 

"I can make breakfast," he offered.

"I don't have much to cook," I warned him.

"Bacon is all you need, bro," he said as he looked through the fridge. I nodded and moved to sit on a stool, giving him room to cook.
 

Groans from the bedroom let us know the girls were waking up and not feeling too great about it either. Logan had put some water bottles on the night stand for them last night. After a few more minuets, Scarlett darted from her room to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Logan turned and watched the closed door with a concerned look on his face. Scarlett rarely got sick after a night of drinking.
 

Kallie came out slowly behind her and let herself into the bathroom, apparently checking on Scarlett. We watched the door while we heard the shower turn on. Kallie came out, went to the bedroom, and came back out with some clothes. She set them down on the sink for Scarlett before coming to the kitchen, not looking at me, and poured some coffee.

"Never again," she said, shaking her head.
 

I laughed. "You say that every time," I teased.
 

She looked up from her cup to look at me. Her cheeks turned a pink color and she smiled shyly back.

"I know. Your sister is a bad influence," she joked. "I think she is seriously regretting it though," she said, looking at the door with a worried look.

She had changed out of her clothes from last night and wore cotton shorts and a concert shirt that was probably Scarlett's. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. Her crystal blue eyes stood out with the light black smudges around her eyes from her makeup last night. I wanted to haul her off to my bedroom. Now, I wanted to punch myself.
 

My eyes traveled up her legs in the short shorts. Memories of touching them last night in that tiny skirt floated in my head. I had to look down at my cup to keep away the thoughts. I was supposed to be staying away from her. I screwed that up bad last night. Seeing her dressed like that and watching her dance, I couldn't stop myself. My hands and lips moved on their own accord. I was sure I would pay for my moment of insanity soon enough.

"She sick?" Logan asked quickly, abruptly stopping from flipping bacon.

"She'll be fine," Kallie told him. "Are you making breakfast?"
 

"Yes, I am, darling. Wanna help?"
 

"That's a bad idea," she said as she came and sat on the stool next to me. She fidgeted in her seat and played with the bracelet on her wrist.
 

Logan soon placed a plate of bacon and toast in front of us. We ate and Logan put some bacon to the side for my sister. We finally heard the water turn off when we finished eating. Scarlett came out in the clothes Kallie brought her and laid on the couch.

"This sucks," she whined.
 

"Logan made you bacon," Kallie remarked. She poured some coffee and brought Scarlett a cup and the plate of bacon. Scarlett smiled up at her.
 

"You were supposed to keep me out of trouble," she complained.
 

"Yeah, right," Kallie said. "Have you ever tried to get yourself to do something? You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever met." I laughed at her blunt honesty.

Scarlett glared back at her playfully. "Well, I at least helped you be bad." Kallie shot her a death glare and Scarlett shoved some bacon in her mouth.
 

"Thanks," Kallie said back sarcastically. She came back and grabbed her coffee and her phone.
 

"Why don't you ever have your phone on?" I finally asked. It's been driving me crazy. Every day it's on the counter and turned off. Most girls are glued to their screens. Surely she has someone who would be calling her. Or maybe that's the point.
 

Scarlett gave me a look telling me not to go there. I ignored her and looked back at Kallie for an answer. I could see her brain working to come up with a lie. She sighed and came back to the stool next to me.
 

"I'm avoiding certain calls," she answered. Sure enough, her screen flashed with voicemail, text, and missed call alerts. She ignored them all. Logan gave me a questioning look and I shrugged. This girl was a mystery to me.

"Is someone bothering you?" Logan asked, braver than me. "We can go kick some ass if you need us to, darling."

"Oh, no," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you, that's sweet. It's mostly my parents. They are a bit overbearing."
 

She told me her parents were calling a few weeks ago. I wondered what was going on that she would be ignoring them for this long. I wanted to ask, but I doubted she would tell me. She briefly scanned through her phone and I tried to peek at the screen.
 

"Ryder, I hate to ask, but do you think tomorrow we could find out how much my car will be?" she asked with a worried expression.
 

"Sure," I told her. Relief crossed her face and I realized she was expecting me to blow up on her like I did the last time she asked.
 

"You get a deposit yet?" Scarlett called out from her fetal position on the couch.
 

"No, I don't think one is coming anymore," Kallie muttered while shutting down her phone.
 

"Shit," Scarlett whispered.
 

"What's the problem?" I asked.
 

"Nothing," Kallie said, too quickly. "I just need to make sure I save enough money for my car. Since I haven't been home to work, my parents aren't paying me."

"Work? You?" I asked, and Logan gave me look. I was an asshole, no denying that.

"Yes," she said, obviously offended. "I work in my family's jewelry store. Did you just assume I had everything handed to me for nothing?"

"Well, kinda," I admitted and shrugged.
 

She let out a hard laugh. "Well, I earn the money they give me. Maybe I don't get paid by the hour, but they own me. I show up whenever they want, do what they want, say and feel what they want. In return, they pay me to afford my lifestyle. A lifestyle they approve," she bit out bitterly. "I'm going to go shower."

"Tried to tell you to drop it," Scarlett mumbled once we heard the water turn on.

"What's her story, Scar?" I asked her.
 

"Don't know much, really," she said sitting up. "She's a tiny vault. A teeny, tiny vault begging to be cracked."

Kallie finally came out of the bathroom dressed and looking better than she had this morning. Logan finally headed home and Scarlett was drawing in her room. A look of panic crossed Kallie's face when she noticed she was left alone with me. Hopefully she regretted last night like I did. As much as I enjoyed it, because I did, it wasn't the best idea. I was supposed to be keeping a distance.

"She's in her room," I told her, and she sighed in relief. She fingered the charms on her wrist, which I noticed was a nervous habit of hers. I knew I was going to regret the next words to come out of my mouth, but the big brother part in me wouldn't shut up.
 

"Let's go for a drive," I said. She looked at me in surprise. "We can stop by the shop and I can get the work order on your car with the final cost."

"Okay," she said slowly. "Why?"

"Because you wanted to know. Let's go, Princess." I just wanted her to stop asking me about it. Plus, once she signed off, we could start the repair and get the parts ordered. The longer she stayed here, the closer I got to completely destroying her. I already broke my own rules last night.
 

She cautiously followed me down to the lot and let me help her into the truck. I tried, and failed, not to look at her ass when she climbed up to her seat. We drove down to the shop in silence. I kept waiting for her to ask about last night, or about when I snapped at her, but she never did, which is good with me. I knew she remembered. I wouldn't have done it if I thought she wouldn't.
 

I used my key to open up the closed shop. The place was quiet and dark. She followed me to the small office and I turned on the lights and computer. I printed the estimate we prepared when we found the engine earlier that week and gave it to her.

"The engine is in California, so the shipping is what makes it expensive. It was the only one we could find in the states, though," I told her.
 

She stared blankly at the paper and I watched her eyes start to glisten. She closed them, trying to hold them back. I knew she wouldn't be thrilled that it was much more than the estimate we gave her. "Just junk it."

"What? I thought you wanted it fixed," I asked, surprised.

"I do. But I can't fucking fix it," she said, raising her voice. I raised my eyebrow at the f-bomb she dropped. "I don't have enough to pay for this. And I really should be paying you guys for letting me stay with you. I'm so screwed."

"How short are you?" I asked. "You don't think you can call your parents and ask for the money? I thought your family was pretty wealthy."

She let out a short laugh. "They are. But that would mean I would have to tell them where I am."

The look of defeat broke me. I couldn't stand to see her hurting, regardless of how bad I wanted her gone. She didn't deserve it. The little I did know about her told me she deserved the best.

"Come on," I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the shop. My idea would probably come back to bite me in the ass, but I was going with it anyway. I wasn't known for my brilliance, after all.

I locked up behind me and led her down the street. She followed limply and didn't ask any questions. The blank look in her usually lively eyes rubbed me the wrong way. We walked the short distance through the bustling town and I opened the door to the diner for her.
 

"Ryder!" I heard from the kitchen.

"Hey, Minnie," I waved to her as she made her way through the tables to meet me.

"What brings you here?" she asked, pulling me down for a hug. I bent down to wrap my arms around the short lady. Minnie was like the town mother. Always welcoming, warm, and loving. "Who is this pretty thing?" she asked, looking at me with shock.
 

I shook my head at her to tell her it wasn't what she thought it was. "This is Kallie. She was looking for a job."

Kallie snapped her head up to glare at me. The fire was back in her eyes, and I smiled down at her.
 

"Hello," she said in a sweet and professional voice. "I'm Kallie Adams. It's a pleasure to meet you." She stuck out her hand for Minnie to shake.
 

Minnie looked her up and down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her in for a hug. Kallie's eyes went wide, but she gave in and hugged the round woman back.
 

"What experience do you have, dear?" Minnie asked.

"I have ten years of sales experience. I have a bachelors of science in business management and -," she cut herself off. Her voice was completely professional and polite. I guess that's what a fancy college would do for you.

"Well, can you waitress?" Minnie asked when she let her go.

"I'm sure I could learn," Kallie answered.
 

"Great. I just need someone to fill in during the week. My granddaughter, Lilly, and her friend, Stacey, work most summer weekends, so I am covered there. When can you start?" Minnie asked, excitedly.

 
I looked around the diner and noticed it was the same staff that had been there for as long as I could remember. I knew she didn't really need the help, but she was doing this to help Kallie.