Resist (#2): The Riptide Series Read online

  Colt’s eyes widened at the roll of hundred dollar bills in his hand. “I don’t understand.”

  “Don’t go back to the apartment. I’ll meet you outside of YaYa’s tonight. You can come back here and sleep then. Get new clothes from the Surf Shop or buy some with the cash I gave you. You’re days of working illegally for an income is over. I assume you’re good?”

  His shoulders relaxed. I knew he was battling with his conscience on persuading and trapping women. He’d be in for a rude awakening once the bust happened. I was giving him a way out. I didn’t want Colt to fall from this either. Tucker could rot in a jail cell for all I cared.

  “Where’s Marcy?”

  “YaYa’s. I figured she’d be safe there.”

  “She is now, but not at night. Don’t come to the shop this morning until I’m gone. Check the app where my burner phone can be traced.”

  “Will do, boss.”

  I patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Hey, Vance,” he shouted from the porch when I reached my car. “I don’t know exactly what you’re up to, but call me… if you need help.”

  I smiled at him. He was always on the same wavelength as me. “Don’t worry about me. Only worry about Lauren and Marcy.”

  He nodded, setting his hands on the railing and watching me drive away.

  I had a few more things to get ready for Lauren, then, I’d need to call Abby.

  ***

  “Thanks for meeting me.” We were sitting on the porch of a coffee shop at the Shore.

  Abby squirmed in her seat, repeatedly stirring her drink.

  I was relaxed, my foot resting on my knee while I watched her. She had the same color hair as Lauren’s, but it wasn’t near as long and thick. Her eyes were blue, but they didn’t sparkle like Lauren’s. I tried to compare them in my brain to prove to Marcus that Abby was a better candidate, but it wasn’t possible. Abby didn’t have anything on my beautiful Lauren.

  “You seem uncomfortable,” I added, taking a sip of my coffee.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Can you blame me? I haven’t talked to you in a few months. Odd of you to show up at my work and demand for my phone number, then call me a few days later wanting to meet for coffee.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you were ready to talk to me is all. Thought I’d give you some time.”

  She sighed. “Yeah… life has been pretty hectic. I’m not sure I would’ve made very good decisions around you the first night we met.”

  I swallowed, knowing that night I would have easily convinced her to join the dark side if she would have come home with me. She’d be drugged and chained right, prepping to be sold to a Vulture, or worse.

  “I’m glad you agreed to see me today. I want to get to know you better.”

  She blushed, her eyes focused on her drink. “What do you want to know?”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Kansas.”

  My brows furrowed. “Really? What brought you here?”

  She let out a deep breath. “My ex-boyfriend.”

  I gave her a knowing grin. “I see.”

  Her forehead knitted. “He wanted to go somewhere new, where no one could come between us…” Her words drifted.

  “But… that happened?”

  She nodded, her face drooping with sadness. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath as if she were cleansing herself. She shook her head then flashed her lids open, attempting to liven her mood. “It did. He cheated and left me for her. It was for the best I guess. Sucks because I dropped everything for him to uproot myself. I didn’t have an amazing job in Kansas, but it paid the bills. It was a negative relationship to begin with.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  She met my eyes for the first time since we had sat down. “I distanced myself from everyone. I haven’t talked to my friends in Kansas in… years.”

  I bobbed my head. “I guess that happens when you fall in love.”

  She shook her head, a frown forming on her lips. “No one liked my boyfriend, and I chose him over them. Same with my family. We were never close to begin with, but it’s been three years since I’ve seen or talked to them.” Her eyes began to water again, but she closed them, trying to find strength to keep it together. “I know this is all happening for a reason, and I’m not going to blame anyone but myself.”

  “You ever think about reaching out to them?”

  She shook her head. “Can’t. They died in a car accident a year and a half ago. I’m the only child, and I don’t have any desire to find my extended family. I’m trying to figure out my life, but I’m at a stopping point I guess.” She looked up at me, the bags under her eyes becoming more apparent. “If you want to run away, I won’t be offended.”

  I should have run. I should have high-tailed it to Lauren, snatching her up to escape to a small island away from this mess, but I didn’t.

  Forcing my hand across the table, I stroked Abby’s knuckles with my thumb. Her skin was nowhere as smooth as Lauren’s, and my blood pounded loudly in my ears, pumping from my heart as if it were screaming at me to stop. It was my body’s way of scolding me to be faithful to the one person who made me believe I could have a normal, happy life.

  Forcing a smile, I cleared my throat. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She flushed. “Do you like damaged girls or something?”

  I hid my turmoil with a grin. That was exactly what I searched for when it came to the Cage. Damaged, hopeless souls--exactly who Abby was.

  “I don’t think you’re damaged.” You’ve got potential. “You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay to feel a little lost.” I squeezed the top of her hand for a moment then brought it back to my lap, betrayal slapping it back. She trembled underneath my touch, but she didn’t pull away. My knees bounced under the table, an attempt to control how anxious the situation was making me. My face was smooth, appearing poised and comfortable in my own skin, when really, I was mortified. My sick, fucked-up self was actually going to go through with this.

  “What are you doing next Friday?”

  Her gaze met mine as she resituated in her seat. She was opening up to me, her body becoming more relaxed instead of being tightly wound. The sides of her mouth lifted, and by the subtle flutter of her eyelids, I knew I had her trust.

  I was going to bring her to the Cage.

  Chapter Four

  Lauren

  Vance was gone, only leaving a note next to me on the bed.

  Good Morning. I’ll text you tonight.

  Colt will pick you up.

  -Vance

  A smile formed on my lips, but a coldness set in throughout my body. Why wouldn’t he wake me to say goodbye? He’d anchored himself to me as if the sea were going to swoop in and drown us with its angry current.

  I curled the thin sheet around my body, clutching the note to my heart. I missed him, and he couldn’t have left but an hour or so ago. The ache in my chest panged throughout the rest of my body. Tingles spread up and down my thighs as I moved, remembering the way his stubble scraped against them. My back arched as it relived the pads of his fingers digging into it while he thrusted his hips into me.

  Vance brought out a whole new life I never thought I’d be able to have. The intense emotions flowing inside of me were scary and deliciously addictive. I was going to let those feelings envelope me and embrace them, jumping two feet in and holding no reservations. If my heart broke, it would be worth it.

  Vance would be worth it.

  Even if he left me naked and alone in his bed.

  Glancing at the clock, I lifted my achy arms in the air, stretching the foreign muscles I used for the first time last night. My hips were sore when I stood, my insides clenching with each step. This soreness was one I wouldn’t complain about. I was willing to deal with the side effects of sex with Vance.

  Lazily grabbing my clothes that were scattered on the floor, I made my way into the bathroom to start the shower. I was covered i
n his scent, my eyelids closing heavily when I opened his body wash. It was the same smell which drew me to him when we first opened up to each other a few weeks ago.

  The soap glided across my body and I pretended my hands were his. I ignored my conscious telling me he should be the one to wash his scent off of me after our first night together. I understood he was busy and well aware he had an early flight to catch. If he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t have left a note, or let me stay in his home without him being here.

  I patted myself with the lone towel I could find, catching my reflection in the mirror in the process. My eyes were bright against my sun-kissed skin, my cheeks holding a lively color. The mousy little girl was gone, and a woman was emerging. The reality rushed through me, and making decisions for myself didn’t scare me like they had in the past.

  Dressing in my clothing from yesterday, I ran my hands through my wet hair as if it was a brush, seeing as Vance didn’t have one. I didn’t have much planned for the day and would need to brainstorm to keep myself busy, otherwise I’d be daydreaming about Vance, a constant tingle tickling between my legs.

  Colt was sitting at the kitchen table, his head resting on one long arm while the other was sprawled across the table. Not wanting to wake him, I tip toed into the kitchen, rummaging as quietly as I could through the cupboards in search of food. My stomach rumbled, and the memory of how much exertion I used last night made my lower belly tighten.

  The sound of a deep inhale and Colt startling himself awake caused me to turn.

  “Hey,” he muffled, the palms of his hands rubbing his eyes. “Wanna go to breakfast? We’ll pick up Marcy on the way.”

  “I wondered where she was. Thanks for coming to get me. I’m surprised Marcy isn’t with you.”

  He stood and stretched, his eyes still heavy from lack of sleep. “I dropped her back at YaYa’s around three this morning.”

  “She’s going to be fun to wake up,” I laughed, following him to the front door and slipping on my sandals.

  “I can handle it,” he grinned, opening the door for me.

  Colt was growing on YaYa, and she probably wouldn’t mind him waking her. “If you want to drop me off at the shop then go pick her up.”

  “No.” His tone was sharp. “I mean, I’m sure she’d like to see you. Besides, I figured we could all sit down and have breakfast.”

  “Alright, then you’re for sure waking her up and not me,” I joked, knowing Marcy wouldn’t be a monster if Colt woke her, and instead would talk about how sweet he was non-stop.

  ***

  “Colt, I still don’t understand why we needed to go to the IHOP forty-five minutes from town. The one on the strip would have sufficed,” Macy muttered.

  “Babe, I told you, this place has the best French toast.”

  “It’s a chain restaurant. They’re all the same.”

  I smiled at their banter, twirling my straw wrapper around my finger.

  “Whatever,” she conceded, her gaze finding me. “You’ve been awful smiley,” she prodded. “What did you do last night?”

  I shrugged my shoulders to be nonchalant, but I couldn’t stop the ear-to-ear grin from forming on my lips. Colt smirked, snatching the bill and standing from the booth. “I’ll go take care of this.”

  Marcy blew him a kiss then focused on me. “You did it, didn’t you?”

  Red must have struck my face, because Marcy began to snicker. “I knew it! How do you feel?”

  I closed my eyes and stirred my orange juice. “It’s hard to describe.”

  Marcy squealed then whispered, “We did it last night, too. Colt was…” She sighed in bewilderment before finishing her sentence… “Amazing. I’ve never gotten off during sex.”

  Finally, I thought. They’d been playing grab-ass the past few weeks. I was impressed Marcy held off for as long as she did, although I knew Colt was the one dragging it out, even though Marcy made every excuse in the book for why it hadn’t happened yet.

  “I had an orgasm last night, too.”

  She leaned across the table and hit my forearm. “Shut up! Are you serious?”

  I giggled. “I’m pretty sure. I mean, I’ve never had sex, so I guess I can’t compare it to anything, but there were definitely a few climatic points.”

  Marcy’s brows shot upward. “A few? You got off more than once? How? During sex? Did he go down on you?”

  My grin was still wide. I glanced around the restaurant as if people were listening to our conversation, then hushed across the table. “Both. At first I didn’t really want him to kiss me there, but now I keep imagining it, and I can’t get it out of my head.”

  “Never say no when a guy wants to go down on you!” Her eyes softened with sincerity. “So he was good? Gentle?” Her first time was horrible. I’ll never forget how long she cried afterward.

  “It hurt a little at first, but he went really slow. It wasn’t what I was expecting.”

  She tilted her head in understanding. “It is supposed to be like that, Lo. I’m so glad he was sweet to you.”

  I nodded and swallowed. “I wish he would have been there when I woke up.”

  She frowned. “He wasn’t?”

  I shook my head.

  “He really didn’t wake you up to say goodbye?”

  “No. Is that bad? He left me a note.”

  “What did it say?” she asked curiously.

  “Good morning, text you tonight.”

  Her frown deepened. “That’s it? Did he leave a heart by his name or anything?”

  Now I was frowning. “No. Should I be worried?”

  Her features smoothed over. “Nah, he wouldn’t have left a note at all if he didn’t care. Whenever I ask Colt about Vance and you, he says Vance is smitten.”

  It was reassuring knowing others thought the same. “I really like him, Marcy.”

  She grinned. “I can tell. Just, be careful.”

  My whole life I was careful, never stepping on a crack and always hiding in the back. For the first time, I didn’t want to be careful. I wanted to fall, hard and fast, and quite frankly, it was already too late. I was both feet in, eager to experience all Vance was willing to show me.

  She shook her head, her smile still in place. “I thought you were walking funny today.”

  I busted out laughing. “I am not!” Calming my laughter some, I wiped my eyes, grin still in place. “It did hurt at first.”

  She nodded. “Hurt for me some last night too. Colt is fucking huge!”

  I grabbed my stomach, the laughter erupting from me yet again by how Marcy held her hands out to display his size. Colt came back to the table, looking between the two of us with a knitted brow. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing, baby,” Marcy cooed, standing from the booth and on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for breakfast.”

  “Yeah, let me give you some cash for my portion.”

  He smiled down at Marcy, then met my flushed from laughing face. “It was on Vancy.”

  “He always pays,” I muttered, grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder.

  Colt shrugged. “He likes to.”

  I frowned. “So, he doesn’t have to. He already pays me way more than he should for working at the shop.” I glanced down at my phone to see the time. “We should go. Is Tucker at the shop to open it?”

  Colt waved his hand and scowled. “Tucker is out of town this week. Don’t worry, Vancy said it’ll be fine to open at eleven today.”

  “Oh. Did he call you?” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice. My phone hadn’t beeped all morning.

  “He texted me yesterday. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  ***

  “Lauren, wanna grab the cash drawer from the safe in Vancy’s office?” Colt asked on his way to unlock the front door.

  I strolled into his office, stopping in my tracks at the sight of balloons and a large box wrapped in seashell-covered paper.

  Worry swept over me. Did
I miss Vance’s birthday? Someone must have come in here to leave him this gift. Insecurity swept in as I inched closer to his desk. Was this from another woman? It had crossed my mind dozens of times when he said he was busy and couldn’t hang out, but I trusted him when he told me it was for work and nothing else.

  Taking a deep breath, I passed by the package and headed straight for the safe. I was still shocked Vance gave me the code.

  Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. He cared about me, and I had no reason to be upset over someone else giving him a gift. If it were his birthday, I’d figure out a way to make his day.

  I opened the safe and grabbed the deposit bag, rounding his desk and proceeding to the cash register. Marcy was leaning on the front counter and playing with a strand of her hair. She hated working, and only came because Colt was here.

  “Colt, it’s not Vance’s birthday, is it?”

  Colt stood from his crouched position by a bin full of rubber wrist bands. His brows knitted together. “I don’t think so, but then again, he isn’t an over-sharer.”

  I frowned. “Someone put balloons in his office and a gift on his desk.”

  “Really?” Marcy asked curiously, pushing off the counter and heading toward Vance’s office.

  I followed her. “Marcy, what are you doing?” Even though I already knew the answer.

  “Wow,” she smiled, charging toward his desk. “I wonder who it’s from.”

  I hurried and stood between her and the balloons, trying to block her from being nosy. “Marcy, don’t. That’s none of our business.”

  Colt leaned against the threshold of Vance’s office, his arms crossed, a knowing grin on his lips. “I think you should see who it’s from.”

  I bit my lip, unsure what to do. Marcy took advantage, snatching the card on top of the gift while I contemplated. I tilted my head and scowled at her.