Before we fall, p.16
Before We Fall, page 16
“Get out of here, before I fucking kill you, you son of a bitch.”
“Now, now. That sounds like a threat, Sheriff, and in front of all of these witnesses. You better be careful. A man could press charges against you.”
“Try it, motherfucker. I dare you.”
“I just might. We’ll see how brave you are when they arrest you and you’re forced in a jail cell with all of the men you threw in there. I hear they don’t like cops much in prison—unless it’s to make them take it up the ass,” Greg sneers.
“You’re real good at playing on people’s fears, aren’t you, asshole? You forgot just one thing, asshole. You aren’t dealing with someone who can’t hit you back twice as hard. You want to try something? Go ahead. I’ll bury you so deep in the ground, they won’t ever find your ass. You try messing with me, motherfucker, you try. If you think you’re brave enough.”
Greg’s face tightens, and I can see it even from this distance. It’s the same look he got every time he beat the shit out of me. I brace myself as old memories threaten to come back, but somehow, I manage to stifle them. Greg doesn’t have a hold on me like he once did. Not anymore. Greg sits here for another minute. Then, all at once, he peels out with a cloud of smoke, black rubber, and screeching tires, just as the guy in the car behind him has to slam on his brakes to keep from hitting his rear end.
Ben and I both stand here until Greg’s car goes out of sight.
“Ben? Are you all right?” I sound so lame, but I don’t know what else to say.
“Let’s get out of here,” my man growls.
He takes my hand in his. We walk away, heading toward the vehicle, leaving the Wedding Cake House and my beautiful day behind us.
This is just another reason to hate Greg.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Junie
“You two look like the life of the party tonight,” Luna mumbles as she sits down beside me.
“Ben’s pissed,” I respond with a sigh, giving her a tight smile and taking a hug from my big brother before he sits behind Luna and beside Ben. Ben’s hands tighten on my shoulders, and I reach behind me and pat them, my head resting against his knee. I watch as Luna maneuvers in a similar position with Gavin. This all would be nice, if Ben could relax and enjoy the night. I’m pretty sure that’s not happening, however. He’s been like this since yesterday when we were in Kennebunkport. Nothing I’ve done since has helped. I’ve finally given up. The man is just going to have to work through it on his own. I hope like hell he doesn’t take forever.
“No luck tracking the asshole down?” Gavin asks Ben, and he shakes his head no.
“Fuck no, it’s like the motherfucker has turned into a ghost the last two years. No paper trail, nothing,” Ben mumbles.
“What about his story that he’s playing for Ryker Lane in New Hampshire?”
“Ryker is scheduled to play Saturday night, so the timeline Rat Boy gave is wrong, but it’s sold out. I’ve called his agent, his publicist, and every number I can get, but no one has returned a fucking call yet.”
“Maybe Luna’s office could call. They may reply to the Stone Lake Mayor before a lowly sheriff,” Gavin suggests, and Ben flips him off.
“I could try,” Luna adds, but I’m too busy frowning.
“You’re trying to call Ryker?” I ask, because this is the first time I’ve heard about it.
“Yeah, I need to know if this asshole really has a reason to be here and if this Ryker dude might be able to locate him.”
“Why didn’t you ask me?” I rumble, narrowing my eyes at my sexy, hot, but definitely dense at times boyfriend.
“Ask you what?”
I let out an exaggerated sigh. “To call Ryker.”
“You know how to get hold of Ryker’s agent and not be fielded off?”
“Well yeah, but I’m not going to do that,” I tell him, taking out my phone.
“Baby, you have to. If there’s the smallest chance you can get a message to Ryker, we need to do it. I know dealing with this shit is hard for you, and I’ve tried to shield you as much as I can, but I’m running out of avenues here…”
I can hear Ben talk, but I ignore him as I sift through my contacts and hit call, bringing the phone up to my ear.
“Fuck. Juniper Sellers. There’s a name from the past. Tell me something good, Babe.”
“Hey, Reed,” I murmur, laughing.
“Reed?” Luna whispers, almost mouthing the words, and I roll my eyes at her.
“Damn good to hear your voice, Junie. You dropped off the face of the Earth.”
“I’m sorry about that. It was… things weren’t good.”
“And that’s why we need to talk, Junie. You kept secrets from me.”
“You know?” I ask surprised.
“I found out from Trisha,” he says, and he doesn’t bother hiding the disappointment in his voice.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Reed. I didn’t want to involve you.”
“What the fuck did I tell you, Junie?” he asks, and I sigh.
“That we’re family.”
“Right and you don’t disappear on family. It’s been over two fucking years, Babe. You worried me. If I hadn’t seen that shit on the news and found out you were with your brother and fine, I’d have showed up there and busted your ass.”
“Yeah? You and what army?” I joke.
“Babe,” he says, and I just laugh. Ben clears his throat, and I can see he’s not happy. Eek. Sometimes I forget having a hot, overprotective boyfriend can be a delicate balance—probably because I haven’t had one that long.
“Reed, I kind of need to talk to you—well my boyfriend needs to talk to you.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yeah, boyfriend,” I murmur looking up at Ben and smiling. His face softens a little, but I can still tell he’s not happy.
“He good to you?” Reed asks.
“He’s really good to me. Even when I’m being a pain in the ass.”
That makes Reed laugh. Ben’s eyes capture my attention. They get these little crinkles in the corners that I love.
“What’s he do?”
“He’s a sheriff.”
“Fuck, Junie. You’re screwing the law? Have you gone to the dark side completely?”
“Completely.”
“Shit. There’s a sheriff that’s been calling my shit for brains publicist. Is that the same one?”
“Yeah. We’ve had some issues.”
“What kind of issues and why does it involve me, Junie?”
“It doesn’t. It involves…”
“Is that fucking jackass bothering you again, Junie?” Reed barks.
“Yeah. He says he’s playing in your band again and was in town for the concert.”
“Absolutely not, Junie. I fired his sorry ass and put the word out that if anyone hired him, I’d be unhappy.”
“And if Ryker Lane is unhappy, no one is happy,” I murmur.
“You laugh, but most people do as I ask in this world, except for a curvy little blonde who has attitude that soars higher than my records on the charts.”
“It’s not me you wanted,” I deny. I’m laughing, but I feel Ben’s hands tighten on my shoulder. Whoops.
“Bullshit,” Reed mumbles.
“Did you ever break down and call Callie?”
“No reason to,” he says, sounding bored, but I know the truth.
“Now that’s bullshit.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Junie,” Reed says, and I feel nothing but regret, because he never will go after the one woman he’s always loved.
“Love is rare, Reed. You shouldn’t push it away,” I murmur, looking at Ben so he realizes that I’ve finally learned my lesson. He leans in and kisses my forehead, so I think he got the message.
“I never should have told you my story. I thought you were too drunk to remember,” he mutters, and I can just picture him scrubbing his hand down his face with aggravation.
“You were the drunk one,” I remind him. “Would it be possible for you to call my overprotective, jealous, but sexy as hell boyfriend in the morning?”
“I’m meeting up with the band in about five minutes, but I’ll give you one better. If you text me his cell, I’ll call him tonight.”
“That sounds great, Reed. I really appreciate it.”
“No worries. It was damn good to hear from you, Junie.”
“You too. I’m sorry I cut you and Trisha out of my life.”
“She understood. Me not so much. I have your new phone number now, though. Expect to hear from me on the regular, understand?”
“I got it. Later, Reed.”
“Later, Junie,” he says, hanging up.
“You call Ryker Lane, Reed?” Luna cries.
“That’s his name. His record company just thought Ryker was more marketable,” I inform her, feeling uncomfortable. I don’t really like talking about my past, even if, evidently, I do have a really good friend from that time.
“Well, I can admit Reed is kind of boring,” Luna mumbles.
“That’s what the record exec’s thought too,” I tell her, laughing.
“Reed, Ryker whatever, it doesn’t matter. Girl, he is so hot!” Luna cries.
“Oh fuck, no,” Gavin growls.
“Honey, he is.”
“You can’t think any man is hot but me. It’s in our damn wedding vows, Moonbeam.”
“It was not,” Luna says, laughing.
“It should have been,” Gavin mutters.
“Well,” Ben prompts, apparently tired of waiting to hear what I have to say.
“Reed’s going to call you after his rehearsal tonight. I have to warn you though, it could be late.”
“Ask me if I care,” Ben deadpans. “Did he say anything else?”
“He fired Greg the minute he found out about what he did to me. Blackballed him in the industry even.”
“Shit,” Gavin says, letting out a long whistle. “Well, judging from that Mercedes he was driving that I put the BOLO on, he’s getting a bankroll somewhere.”
“It was a rental,” Ben mutters. “Could be our guy just likes to look like he still has money.”
“Well, he did at one time. He wrote a couple hit songs and got that money and royalties. Still probably makes bank on the residuals, but he had money from a trust fund his dad had set up for him. I think that’s how he paid me all that hush money years ago,” I tell Ben.
I’m turned to the side so I can look at him, and Ben studies my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek again like he does often.
“Love you, Junie,” he croons, and I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he just admitted to loving me in from of my brother and Luna, so I do what any good girlfriend would do.
I kiss the hell out of him.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Greg
She’s hanging all over that piece of shit. It makes me sick. I’ll have to scald her skin inside and out before I touch her again. Spreading her legs for a fucking cop. I knew she was a whore, could tell it by the way she always hung around the guys in the band, not to mention Ryker, the fucking pussy. I had to keep Juniper on a tight leash back then. I get her back and it will be even tighter.
And I will get her back.
She will have to be cleansed and punished, but we’ll be happy again. I thought I would be better off without her, but the cunt destroyed my life, and when she left, I lost everything. Once I have her back, Ryker will be begging me to play in his band again and then all those doors that were closed will open. That’s how this industry works, and once I get my name back, I’ll make Ryker pay.
I’ll make him beg.
I watch as Junie kisses that sniveling cop right there in front of everyone. She never used to like public affection. Hell she even fucked him on her porch. It’s bad enough I watch them fucking on the camera in the bedroom. Now they do it outside for everyone to see. It’s like she’s a fucking animal. When I get her back, I’ll give her that. If she wants treated like a dog—I’ll make sure I do that too.
The kickoff to the game starts and I walk away. I have at least three hours, because Sheriff Kingston is nothing if not predictable. He’ll sit there and watch the game and then drag Juniper to what passes for a restaurant in this damn town.
That gives me time to go to Juniper’s house and leave her a nice surprise.
At the thought of her reaction, a smile moves across my lips. Juniper thought she could leave me, take my money, ruin my career, and I’d just rollover and play nice? The bitch better think again. When I’m done, she’ll be begging me to forgive her.
The idea of Juniper begging me on her hands and knees, her hands tied behind her back, her face swollen and bruised from her punishment, makes my cock hard. I bet she’d be just as greedy for it, if not more. Judging by the company she keeps, it’s been a long time since she’s been fucked by a real man. It’ll be fun reminding her what it’s like.
I make it back to my car and move my hand over the pearl white hood. It’s a Corvette. Turns out I’m pretty fucking good at hot-wiring. When I saw this baby parked in a carport in York, I had to take it. The Mercedes was too easily found after my run in with Juniper and the cop, so I set it on fire. It’s amazing how quick those things go up in flames with the right chemicals.
I once drove a new car with three more in the garage. That’s changed now and it’s all Juniper’s fault. I don’t even have a garage now. After I teach her a lesson and use her to get my life back, maybe I’ll send her into the next world with flames.
Seems an apt ending for her. Besides it will be fun to watch the flames burn the skin from her bones. My cock gets even harder at the thought. I adjust myself with a smile, climbing behind the wheel of my ride.
“In time,” I murmur patting my hard cock. It will definitely happen and soon.
Chapter Forty
Junie
“Sometimes I think I dreamed you,” I whisper against Ben’s stomach, pressing a small kiss against his skin.
“If you’re dreaming, then so am I, Baby.”
I giggle, feeling happy down to the soles of my feet. “We’re so sappy.” He gives me a gentle squeeze, and I’m not looking, but I can literally feel his smile. His fingers come down sifting through my hair, and I hug him a little tighter. Adjusting my head so that my ear is against his chest, I can hear his heartbeat. “Tell me we don’t have to go anywhere. Tell me that we can just stay here, together,” I beg, not wanting to leave from this spot. It’s been a good night. The football game with Gavin and Luna, then a quick dinner, and after that we walked along the town hand in hand, before heading home. After we got here, Ben talked to Reed and we snuggled in bed, watching a movie, before Ben made slow sweet love to me that was unlike anything we’ve done together, but completely beautiful. I never really knew I could be this happy.
“Well, we don’t, at least for a few more hours. Then, I’m going to have to get up from here and go to work,” he says. Automatically, my gaze goes to the window, and I can see the sun beginning to peek in over the mountains.
“Ugh, Ben. You’re being kind of a buzzkill right now,” I mumble, smiling as I move my hand down, pressing my palm against his semi aroused cock. I move my hand against the rigid outline, squeezing his shaft through our covers.
“I’ll give you ten minutes to stop that,” he murmurs.
“Just ten minutes?” I giggle as I ask the question. I seem to giggle a lot since we made up.
“I figure after ten minutes we’ll both be on the verge of coming, and I’ll be forced to take matters into my own hands.”
“Into your own hands?” I raise up to look at him, my eyebrow cocked in question, while biting on my lip and imagining Ben taking his cock in his own hand, sliding back-and-forth against his hard shaft.
“Do you like that idea?” he asks, humor in his voice.
“Um, duh. You making yourself come and me getting the watch? What’s not to like?”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
“Why next time?” I whine, pouting as I bite my lip, wanting it now.
“Because I haven’t had enough of you yet, Baby. I need inside that sweet pussy of yours,” Ben responds. What girl could argue with that?
Definitely not me.
Ben guides me to lie back on the bed, staring deep into my eyes. I can feel my heartbeat hammer in my chest, because I know the promise in his eyes is as intense as the pleasure he gives me will be. He pulls the cover away from my body, baring me to his view. I lick my suddenly dry lips, My gaze never leaves his face as he looks down at me. My body feels like molten lava, hot raging liquid, and it all pools in my center, sliding down the inside of my thighs.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Junie,” Ben murmurs, bending down to kiss along my collarbone. I never in my life felt beautiful—not until Ben.
He makes me feel beautiful.
Ben’s hand begins to make a heated path down my stomach when his phone rings, breaking the spell that he was weaving around me.
“Shit,” I whimper, feeling as if I’m on fire.
“I’ll ignore it,” he grouses.
“It might be important,” I remind him, because an early morning phone call for anyone else is not the same if you are sheriff.
“Don’t move,” he orders, reaching across me to get his phone.
“Hold that thought. I’m going to run into the kitchen and grab us some snacks,” I tell him, turning to get up off the bed.
“What in the hell for?” Ben grumbles, grabbing his phone.
“Because I’m hungry, and you’ll be on the phone wasting what little time we have. If I feed you in bed, that means I get you in bed for my morning workout.”
“Hold on a minute,” he barks into the phone. “What if I’m too worn out from giving you a workout to get mine?” he asks, his eyes full of hunger and laughter.
