Seth's Cravings: An Endless Series: Book 2 (64 page)

     “I haven’t touched another girl without her permission
since you were here, I promise.” Dale panted in fright between his wired teeth.

     I began moving around the room again. “Are you sure
about zat, Dale?” I sang the words slightly like I knew something he didn’t. While
I was here it wouldn’t hurt to find out if he was behaving himself.

     “Yes, yes, it’s true.” He sat forward, nodding
fervently. “I haven’t even been with a girl since that night. I…” He looked
around the room at the guys in both fright and embarrassment. “I’ve tried but I
can’t seem to hold onto an…ah, you know. So, really, if you’ve heard something
it’s not true.”

     There were four coughs this time which had Dale
swiveling his head. The guys held themselves together though. It was rather
funny in a way, but it had me thinking.

     I moved to stand in front of him again staring him in
the eye. “Dale, it seems like you’re trying to tell me zat you can’t get it up
unless you’re forcing a woman. Am I going to have to worry about you regressing
to forceful persuasion when zee urges become too much?” 

     His shook his head furiously, wincing in pain. “No! No!
I promise. I will never do that again. I normally don’t have any problems in
that department; I’ve just been anxious about…what I did to you. I’ve been
feeling guilty about it. I want you to know I wasn’t really planning to do
anything; I was just angry about losing and wanted to scare you.”

     I narrowed my eyes at him scrutinizing his expression
and words. He sounded and looked somewhat sincere, but his extreme desperation
and panic at the moment aided him in his earnestness making it difficult to get
an accurate reading from him.

     I gave him a haughty brow raise. “I guess you should be
more careful on who you try to mess with…or just cut that shit out all
together.”

     He nodded swiftly, readily. “Like I said, I won’t do
that ever again.”

     I smiled like he’d pleased me, when in fact, nothing
about him pleased me. “Good, make sure it stays that way.” I went back to strolling.
“I hafe anozer matter I would like to discuss wiz you. You were recently in a
confrontation wiz someone I hear.
Da
?” I raised my eyebrow in question
while looking him over.

     Dale frowned in confusion, probably wondering why I
cared. Little did he know.

     “Uh, yeah. The guy came out of nowhere and started
wailing on me for no reason. He was a fucking psycho.”

     Maintaining my cool I turned to look at him. “You
didn’t know him…at all?” Did Dale not remember Seth? Seth had said he’d only
met Dale that one time, but Seth was pretty hard to forget…at least from my
point of view. Seth had also been the one to walk into the room when Dale was
attacking me.

     “Not that I can remember.” He shrugged.

     “Huh.” I huffed in slight surprise. “Well Dale, my fazer
needs somezing from you. I told him you owed me, and he wants to call in a fafor.”

     Dale looked ready to piss his pants. “Wwhat does he
need?”

     I strolled leisurely, touching an item every now and
then like it really interested me. “He wants you to drop zee charges against Sez
Weston.”

     Dale exhaled loudly and frowned. “That’s it? Just drop
the charges?”

     “
Da
.”

     “Why does he care about this guy?”

     “Zat doesn’t concern you, Dale. I don’t even ask zose
questions” I sent him a quelling glare before looking away. 

     There was a pause and my body tensed, but I kept
walking. Looking at all four guys I nudged my head and they all moved a little
closer to Dale, cracking their knuckles.

     “I would drop the charges, but my parent’s might not
let me.” He rushed out in a panic.

     I turned toward him. “Dale, you are ofer eighteen, it’s
up to you if you want to drop zee charges.”

     “I’ve been gung-ho on charging this guy, I don’t think
they’d believe me if I suddenly changed my mind.” Dale’s eyes were nearly
rolling in his anxiety.

     I sighed like he was putting me out, and he was. “Dale,
do I need to come up wiz a story for you? Why can’t you just say zat you hafe
had a change of heart, or do your parent’s know you too well?” I couldn’t stop
from sneering those words. “Maybe you could make zem believe you hafe found
religion and want to gife zis man a second chance…like you were gifen.”

     I stared Dale straight in the eye so he got my point.

     He gulped and nodded. “Okay, yeah. I’ll drop the
charges and figure out something to tell them.”

     I kept a straight face even though I wanted to leap in
glee. “Good, my fazer will be grateful.”

     “You didn’t tell him…did you?” Dale swallowed, tracking
the guys in the room nervously.

     I smirked. “You’d be dead if I did, Dale.”

     His pupils dilated and I swear I smelled urine. Time to
go.

     I walked over to Cole who was holding the package. His
lip quirked as he handed it over. Striding back over to Dale I set the box
containing a new blender on the table in front of him. He looked at it in confusion.

     “What’s that for?”

     “A gift from my fazer. He said to use it well…so he
wouldn’t hafe to.” I grinned evilly as I turned and sauntered from the room,
two guys at my front and back.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

SETH

     “He dropped the charges?” I stared at Aaron, our lawyer,
in shock. “Seriously, he just…dropped them?”

     I’d gotten a text from my father an hour ago telling me
that my attorney had something important to tell us. We were supposed to be
meeting at the courthouse at three o’clock for my hearing, so I was anxious
about what information he had.

     When my early afternoon class had let out I’d
immediately made my way to his office meeting my mother and father there, and I
was finding out that this was the important news.

     He smiled. “Yes. I got the call this morning. The
prosecuting attorney said that Mr. Gifford contacted them yesterday and no
longer wanted to press charges, said he had some sort of epiphany and wanted to
give you a second chance. So, young man, take this good fortune and make the
most of…your second chance.”

     He reached out to shake my hand and I accepted it in a
daze. He did the same to my father and mother who beamed at him like he was the
second coming.

     Mom turned and hugged me. “Seth, this is marvelous. I
can’t believe that young man just dropped the charges. Are you sure he’s as bad
a boy as you said, because this doesn’t sound like the actions of an evil
person?”

     I frowned, coming out of my daze. “No, it doesn’t, does
it.”

     “Who cares?” My father said hugging me as well. “This
is great news. I thought you’d be receiving a possible sentence on assault today,
but instead it’s all been wiped clean. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
We need to have a celebratory dinner tonight.”

     I had only one thought in my head now that everything
had been taken care of. I needed to see Nadia. “”Yeah, okay dad. Let me get
some things straightened out first and then I’ll get back to you.”

     He stared at me thoughtfully. I hadn’t come right out
and admitted it, but I think he’d caught on that I’d stopped trying to get back
with Nadia after being arrested. He’d continued hounding me about having her
testify on my behalf, but I’d been adamant in my decision.

     “Okay son. We will be staying until after the weekend.
I’d like to spend some non-stressful time with you, and maybe you can get
things straightened out between you and Nadia and we could meet her.”

     “I want to thank both of you for everything you’ve
done. Not a lot of parent’s would have been as supporting.”

     They both smiled. “You are our son.” Dad stated
matter-of-factly, but then his face sobered. “And while I agree the boy
deserved a good beating you need to learn how to rein your anger back some,
things could have been even worse if your friends weren’t there to pull you
off.”  

     I kept my thoughts on that to myself, because I didn’t
regret kicking Dale’s ass. The guy was a predator and deserved worse. And I
think my dad was just saying these words because he was a dad and didn’t want
me ending up in jail for killing a guy. I didn’t want to end up there either,
but again, there was still no regret on my part.

     We concluded some paperwork with the lawyer and then left,
separating at the buildings entryway with more hugs. I got in my truck and
pointed it toward downtown. It was two-fifteen in the afternoon and Nadia would
be at work, and while I knew I could be getting myself in a world of hurt by
just dropping by I had to see her. I’d been too long without her.

     It had been extremely difficult to end all contact with
her these last six days. My nerves were tied up in knots fearful that it would
convince her further that I didn’t care when it was in fact the other way
around.  

     I pulled into the parking lot of
Anderson’s
parking
my truck next to Nadia’s car. Striding into the building I stepped up to the
front desk where an older gentleman manned the desk.

     “Can I help you?” He asked.

     “I hope so. I’m looking for Nadia Cherkesov?”

     The man raised his brows looking me up and down
intently. “You wouldn’t by chance be Seth, would you?”

     I was slightly surprised he knew me, and wary on what
she’d been saying about me. “Yes I am, and it’s really important that I speak
with her.”

     “Well, she’s not here at the moment. She’s out on a
call.”

     Shit…I should have been expecting that. “Is it all
right if I wait?” I’d sit here all day if need be.

     He grinned, and his eyes were bright as they scrutinized
me. “By all means. How would you like to sit in our break room? It’s more
comfortable and there are drinks and snacks available.”

     The fact that he was being pleasant had my hopes rising
with the thought that if she wasn’t bad-mouthing me maybe she wasn’t too mad at
me, but it was more likely that she hadn’t wanted to spill her private
information to everyone. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

     The man motioned for me to follow him. “You know who I
am; can I ask your name?” I asked.

     “I’m Tom Anderson.”

     Nadia’s boss. “It’s great to finally meet you. Nadia’s
told me how you took a chance on her; something I believed helped her
extensively.”

     We walked into the break room and he turned to face me,
his eyes twinkling. “I’ve never regretted taking a chance on that girl, she’s
never failed me. Nadia is stubborn and determined like no one I’ve ever seen.
She’s become very dear to me.”

     The guy was reading my mind. “Sounds familiar.” I
mumbled.  

     He chuckled. “Yeah. I’m sure it does. Well, I don’t
know how long Nadia will be, but make yourself comfortable. I have paperwork to
get through.” He headed for the door but halted in the doorway. “It was nice to
meet you, Seth, and let me just say that I hope you appreciate everything that
is Nadia.” Chuckling and shaking his head, he walked away.

     I absolutely appreciated Nadia, and I wasn’t certain if
it was just nerves, but I felt like I was missing something.

     For eighty minutes I sat and paced in that break room…alone.
I didn’t take advantage of the snacks though. I really hadn’t been all that
hungry for the last two weeks, which wasn’t anything like me. Only one other
thing had caused me to lose my appetite, and that had been the weeks after
Derek had died.

     I was pacing the room again, the noise of the
television barely breaking into my thoughts, when I finally heard Nadia’s name
being called from outside the room. My heart raced in anticipation.

     “Nadia, you’re back! There’s a package waiting for you
in the break room.”

     My brows rose at Tom’s description of me.

     “Package?
I
have a package…here?”

     Damn, it was good hearing her voice.

     “Yep, it’s a large one, too.” Tom said. I could hear
the humor in his tone, so I know Nadia heard it as well. 

     “Oookay.” She drawled, and then the echo of her feet
began to thump nearer…and it matched the thumping of my heart. And then she
appeared, and it was like everything inside me settled. All the anxiety and
pain I’d been living with for the last twelve days quieted.

     Nadia froze in the entryway at seeing me. Her aquamarine
eyes widened in shock, and for half a second they brightened and I thought she
was going to smile, but then her expression morphed into that poker face of
hers I heartedly disliked.

     “Nadia.” I breathed. Damn, it was good to see her. I
could stand here all day just soaking her in. She wore wrinkled and somewhat
dirty work clothes, and her hair was in a messy top knot with loose tendrils,
but nothing could distract from her beauty.

     Although, I did detect some dark bruising under her
eyes telling me that she hadn’t been getting enough sleep.

     Those beautiful lips if hers trembled slightly before
tightening into a rigid line, the same as her body. “Seth…this is a surprise.”
She stepped into the room and headed for the refrigerator. I watched as she
seized a water bottle, opened it, and proceeded to drink from it pretending
like I wasn’t there.