Play Me (21 page)

“Good mornin’,” I say.

She doesn’t answer. Her gaze flickers to my dad who is now starting the tractor back. He whistles—without looking back—and Duke hauls butt to his side.

The sun begins to rise over the hill in front of Dad but I don’t stay to watch it. I turn and walk past Roxy toward the tree house.

When I get back to the tree house, I help lift Roxy up. Her eyes are worried as she stands watching me shove things into my bag. “Who was that? What’s wrong?”

I don’t even want to tell her. What kind of father wouldn’t even say hello to their child? He didn’t even budge. Just watched.

I won’t cry in front of her. No, I won’t. For me to pretend things could get better one day was stupid. It will never be better because neither one of my parents want me. They don’t care.

“Talk to me.”

He just doesn’t fucking care. Every emotion built inside of me is banging to be let out. Clawing at my insides. A sob fills my throat as I toss the portal lamp against the treehouse floor and I scream.

Roxy fumbles toward me, her arms wrapping around my waist and she pulls me into her lap. “It’s okay,” she whispers. “It’s okay.”

I don’t know how long I sit and cry, like a fucking baby. I hate myself for it. I’m supposed to be her shoulder to cry on not that other way around. She strokes my hair and hums underneath her breath.

I stare up in her eyes and I know that I’m safe. Even if someone is after us. I
know
this is where I’m supposed to be. “My dad,” I choke out, my voice hoarse from crying.

She furrows her brow. “What?”

“The guy we saw. It was my dad.”

Chapter Sixteen

Roxy

His dad.

His fucking dad. I thought the man was a stranger. Staring at Weston like he was a trespasser on his land. That’s not the look I would expect a father to give his son. Ever.

Erica waves her hand in front of my face and tries to stick a French fry in my mouth. “Earth to Roxanne.”

I slap the fry away and sigh. “I’m back.”

She frowns. “Are you still thinking about Ryan? I mean—it’s been three weeks and no word. I think the police scared him off.”
Doubtful. Even though it should be on my mind it isn’t. All I can think about is the tears streaming down Weston’s face. He opened up to me and bared his heart like no one ever has. How dare his father make him feel that helpless and little! The fact that I haven’t talked to my parents hasn’t bothered me. They threw out their pregnant teenage daughter. How am I supposed to let them around my child? Or try to patch up that relationship? I went to sleep every night for a long time praying my parents would take me back but they never even looked in my direction again. But I’ve come to terms with it. Weston hasn’t.

“Erica, can you go somewhere with me really quick?”

Erica doesn’t ask where we’re going, she just drives. I don’t know the exact road but I get us a road over and direct her onto a long dirt driveway.

My entire body is shaking when Erica parks. She lifts a brow. “Can I ask you whose house this is or is it a secret?”

I sigh and run my fingers over my face. “It’s Weston’s parent’s house.”

Her mouth makes a perfect O. “Are you going to meet them—alone? Why isn’t he here?”

“He doesn’t know I’m here.”

She smirks. “That desperate to meet them?”

“No, it’s not like that. This won’t take long. Wait for me here.” I open the door and walk the dirt driveway toward their large farmhouse.

Their wraparound porch is full of wicker furniture and a porch swing. Flowers overflow their pots. The same dog from yesterday pops his head up and he begins to growl right beside the front door.

“What is it Duke?” someone coos and then the front screen door opens.

His Dad walks out and stops a few feet away from the door. “You look different with clothes on.”

My mouth pops open.
What a fucking dirtbag!
He narrows his eyes and I see it. The familiar face. There is no denying this is Weston’s father. I hate to say he got his good looks from him but it looks like it. Deep, brown eyes that you could drown in. Dirty blonde hair.

“You son of a bitch,” I snap. His eyes grow wide but I don’t give him a chance to say anything. “Do you even realize the pain you put on Weston? He cried—fucking cried—in my goddamn arms this morning because his dad is the biggest fucking asshole to walk the planet. No reason. At least my parents had a reason—a fucked up one—but it’s something. You just ignore him. Act like he isn’t your son just because he doesn’t want to be bull breeder? I wouldn’t want to be that either! You need to man-up to your responsibilities and treat him like the son he deserves to be treated like.”

I take a long breath and stare at him for a few minutes. He hasn’t moved, just leaned down to scratch his dog’s head.

So, I leave.

***

Maddox is sitting on the living room floor with his Legos when a truck door slams from outside.

He turns back to look at me with wide-eyes. My heart starts to jackhammer in my throat but as I get up the door swings open.

Weston’s eyes are wild and crazy. A look in them I have never seen before. “Are you okay?” I ask.

He swallows slowly. “Hey, Weston!” Maddox yells, running up to him.

Weston turns his gaze to Maddox and bends down to his level. “Hey, buddy. Why don’t you go to your room really quick for me? Then I’ll take you to play some football outside when you’re done.”

Maddox jumps up and runs to his room without any question. Weston turns to me and stares. My heart is in my throat. Is he mad about his dad? Does he even know? What the hell is going on?!

Walking over, he shoves my books across the couch and carries me to my bedroom. The bed squeaks as he lays us down and begins to cover my entire body with his mouth. “Weston,” I groan, squirming my hips. “It’s not that I’m not enjoying this because I am but what’s going on? You look kind of crazed.”

Ten rough fingers dig into my hips and he pulls me down lower so I can look up at him. “I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like you did today.” He rubs my jaw.

“So, you talked to your dad?”

He nods. “He—he called me today and told me what you said to him. I’m not stupid and I’m not going to get my hopes up but this was a step in the right direction. It was almost—nice to hear his voice.”

My chest swells. “Well, I’m glad he called. I was beginning to think he wasn’t even listening to me.”

Weston grips the back of my neck with his wide palm. “Oh, he was listening, baby. I’ve never had anyone stick up for me like that—besides Dom—and I don’t think you know how much that means to me.”

I fight the tears. “I hated to see you cry—I never want to see it again. It hurt me to see it.”

Weston presses his forehead against mine and molds my mouth with his. This kiss isn’t sexy or sweet. It’s prefect. The firmness of him against the softness of me—it almost feels like we are thread of the same cloth. “Thank you,” he begins to whisper against my throat, then my chest. He rips my shirt over my head and pulls down the cups of my bra.

He sucks me hard into his mouth while he flicks my other nipple between his index finger and thumb. “I want to devour you, Roxanne.”

I groan into his mouth.
I want to be devoured.

“Taste every single inch of this skin. Consume you,” he whispers against my belly while his fingers unzip my jeans.

Finally I’m lying naked beneath him, shivering with needs that only he can fulfill. His erection presses against my wet entrance. He cusses underneath his breath and then lowers himself on top of me. “I’m not my father, Roxy,” he groans.

I furrow my brow. “I know that—,”

“No,” he teases me again and I buck upward. “I’m not my dad. I will not become my dad. I meant what I said about Maddox. I love him,” he whispers against my throat. “As much as I love you. And I will never let anything happen to either one of you.” He laughs and slides inside of me. “I never thought I could be this man. There was no future in marriage or love for me. I never felt love back. That was all I needed, someone to love me like no one ever has.” He locks gazes with me. The corner of his full mouth rises up in a smirk. “I love you, Roxanne. And I don’t give a goddamn rat’s ass who knows.” He slides into me again and begins to quicken his pace.

“I’m yours whether you want me or not.”

His fingers dig into my hips as he pushes further into me. “Good thing I want you then.”

He groans and lowers his mouth to my ear. “You’ll always have me.”

“Hey, Weston?”

He stops moving and glances down at me. “What is it?”

I reach up and run my fingers through his dirty blond hair. “I love you, too.”

Chapter
Seventeen

Weston

I know this doesn’t make my dad and me friends. Or even normal. But I know a step in the right direction when I see one.

Roxanne went over there to confront him without telling me. At first I was too stunned stupid to even think. Then I realized it worked. Roxanne put him in his place like she’s put me in mine so many times. A sense of pride formed in the pit of my stomach.

“What can I get you?”

What? I glance up over the counter at Java City at a familiar face. Where have I seen her before? “You never called,” she says.

Oh, right.
I smile over at her and actually glance at her name tag instead of her rack. “Rachel, is it?”

She flips her hair, still hopeful that I’ll call her
.
And I would have—if Roxy hadn’t have come tumbling into my life. “You’re a beautiful girl,” I say.

Her smile widens. “But I’m in love with someone else. “

All the color in her face pales. “You’re Weston Garrison, right?”

I nod.

Then she furrows her brow. “You’ve fucked everyone else but you won’t fuck me? What the hell did I ever do to you?”

Ouch.

I lean closer to her. “Nothing and that’s a good thing. You don’t need me or any other guy to
fuck you
, Rachel. Why don’t you find the guy that wants to take you out instead of have sex?”

Her cheeks redden. “Right. Well, why don’t you just order and put me out of my misery?”

I smile. “Two Oreo Javalanches, please.”

She rolls hers eyes and starts making them while mumbling underneath her breath. Can’t win them all.

I carry both drinks out of the library and out to my truck. Driving to Roxy’s house is programmed into my brain. I’ll find myself turning down her road without even realizing I’ve turned. The feeling of knowing you have someone to go to is heart-warming.

The radio changes to an upbeat song and I hum along as I drive. It’s been three weeks since the incident and there hasn’t been one peep out of Ryan or any potential fuckup friends. No more bashed in trucks. No more envelopes full of money. No kidnapping and no break-ins.

But a nagging feeling at the back of my neck has been hovering over me for the past couple of days. There hasn’t been any sign of them but I feel it. Deep down I feel it.

It’s quiet on Roxy’s street. No noise. No passing cars. Even the neighbor’s cars are gone. Just her small Honda Civic is sitting in the driveway. When I park, I sit staring at Duplex number 6. No one passes by the windows. A few lights are on but that’s it. It’s unsettling.

When I walk to the door, I listen. Only the faint sound of the TV from Maddox’s room is playing. Panic sets inside of me, so I open the door and walk in.

The living room is a mess. Pillows torn to pieces, the mirror over the entertainment center is in shards scattered on the floor. Jesus Christ. I rush through the house like a madman. I can’t think straight. Where are they?

I sling Roxy’s bedroom door open and stop dead in my tracks. Ryan is sitting on the edge of her bed. He isn’t looking at me but she is. Roxy’s hands and feet are bound together. Tearstains are covering her cheeks. One eye is swollen shut and blood is dripping from her lip. “Are you okay?” I ask.

She begins to shake but nods. “Where is Maddox?”

Ryan chuckles beneath his breath and stands up. His clothes are starting to hang off of him. Both cheeks are sunken in and dark shadows line his eyes. “He’s safe in the closet.” He gestures toward the closet. “There.”

I run to the closet and find Maddox gagged and bound on the closet floor. Anger floods me and I fly upward but he’s holding a gun to Roxy’s head when I turn around.

With both hands up in surrender, I take a step backwards. “Tell me what you want. I’ll do it.”

Roxy moans and he shoves her back to the bed. “Did you not take me seriously? Did you think I would let you go on with your life—with my wife! With my son!” He laughs hysterically, holding the gun up to his lips. “I told you I had people coming for you.” A sinister looks takes over his face. “And now it’s time.”

“Promise me they won’t get hurt.”

“Oh, I never intended on hurting them.”

Good.
Roxy’s gaze flickers to mine and holds. “I love you,” I whisper.

Ryan grins at the same time Roxy starts to squirm. But something strikes me from behind before I can move, and I hit the floor with thud.

***

A deep ache is brushing against the back of my skull when I open my eyes. It’s throbbing so hard that I can’t see straight. Everything is in duplicates. Two dark rooms. Two high ceilings.

“He’s awake.”

Goddammit it hurts to hear. I groan and try to move my hands up to my face but I can’t move them.

“You sure?”

Fuck! Prying my eyes open I try to focus on something. Anything. The first movement I see I focus in on. The darkness adjusts and the outline of a giant beam comes into sight. Where the fuck—

Dread sets in. My eyes focus all the way, and with the moonbeams shining in through the holey ceiling I see where we are. There is only one place in Magnolia that has a building like this. And it’s twenty minutes out of town toward Salem. My mouth dries. The abandoned warehouse has been used by college students for parties for years.

“Yep, definitely awake.”

A tall guy with skin as dark as night stares down at me. When he smiles all I can focus on are his big white teeth. “Where are Roxy and Maddox?” I groan out. It feels like sandpaper is rubbing against the inside of my throat.