“I’ll figure it out.”

“Fine,” Z growled. “I’m out.” Z turned, walking out the door.

Someone was trying to hurt Vann. My Vann. There was no way in hell I would allow that to happen.


Vann


“You knew?” I half-yelled at Sawyer and Kinsley. How could my best friends not tell me about Z?

“It wasn’t a big deal.” Kinsley rolled her eyes.

“It just would have been nice to know. I don’t like being blindsided by shit.” My voice was laced with anger.

“Sorry,” Sawyer said sheepishly.

“Z wants us all to hang out. Well us, him, and Deke,” I added.

“Really? How do you feel about that?” Kinsley asked skeptically.

“It is what it is. If I’m gonna live here, I need to get over this. Move on.”

Kinsley smiled her beautiful smile. “Atta girl.”

Laying around the living room in our pjs, the three of us sat eating chocolate ice cream, gabbing. I’d missed this. I’d missed them.

* * *

The pounding on the front door had Sawyer, Kinsley, and me groaning and covering our faces. We’d obviously fallen asleep. After who knew how much sex talk last night, we fell asleep in the living room just like old times.

The pounding kept getting worse. “Who is it?” Kinsley croaked.

“Hell if I know. I’ll get it.” Getting up, I wrapped my hair up in a ponytail and wiped my face. Looking out the peephole, I saw Z standing there in a very nice suit.

“It’s Z,” I announced to the girls. I heard Sawyer groan before opening the door.

“Hey. What’s up?” my sleepy self questioned.

“Well, look at you.” His eyes wandered up and down my body. Shit. The tank with no bra and short shorts was giving him quite a show.

“You’re my cousin, knock it off.” I scowled.

“Not by blood.” He winked. “I’m thinking we need to go back to the no-relation thing, and Deke can kiss my ass.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Shut up. What do ya need?”

Z peered around me. “You have a slumber party last night and not invite me?”

“Yep and nope.”

“Damn. Hey ladies.” Z gave a small wave while staring at Kinsley and Sawyer.

“Hey Z,” Kinsley croaked right before Sawyer nodded her hello.

“Shit, if you ladies dress in pretty much nothing for bed every night, I’m coming over here early every morning.” He winked at Sawyer who blushed.

“Z, it’s early, what do you need?” I needed to get his mind back to why the hell he was waking us up at the ass crack of dawn.

“I’m actually on official police business. Can I talk to you in private?” His eyes turned serious.

“Sure. Come on in. I need to put some clothes on.”

“Don’t on my account,” he charged back.

“Don’t be a horny jackass. Go sit out on the deck. I’ll be there in a minute.” My head nodded toward the sliding glass doors.

“But I don’t want to miss this view.” His arm gestured at the women lying on the couches.

“Go.” I pushed him out the door and quickly changed.

* * *

“What’s up?” I asked as I walked out on to the deck.

“Thought you could tell me about Gabriella Daniels.”

I felt as if my blood left my body, leaving me cold. “Shit. You know.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, I do, you sexy porn writer.”

“I’m not a porn writer.” I glowered. “I’m an erotic romance writer. There is a difference.”

“Whatever.” Z rolled his eyes. “Anyway, tell me what’s going on?”

“You already know.” I stared out at the woods lining the property.

“Tell me your view,” Z’s voice was curt and abrupt.

I turned to Z, seeing his arms crossed over his chest, his gray eyes staring intently at me as if he meant business. “This stays just between us. There are only a few people who know I’m Gabriella.”

“Yep. It’s marked confidential.”

Sighing, I pressed on, “I started writing after I left here. I needed an escape so I just started. Anyway, I used a pen name because I didn’t want anyone to know I was Gabriella. Everything was great until one of my guy fans went too far and freaked me out. I haven’t heard from him in a few months so I’m hoping he gave up.”

“You don’t have your legal name out there anywhere?”

“Nope. I never put it out there. Now, I’m not stupid either. I know the internet is my biggest enemy. If someone was savvy enough and they knew their way around a computer, I’m sure they could link Gabriella Daniels to me. But I don’t think Gary, or whoever he is, is that way.”

“You don’t think?” Z’s eyebrow shot up as if he thought I was being naive.

“He’s only sent letters and packages. He’s never made in-person contact.”

“All right. You get anything or hear anything you come directly to me. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Now that that’s over, let’s talk about this date.” Z uncrossed his arms and followed me to the lounge chair.

“Already?” I asked, thinking it had only been a day since I told him I’d do it.

“Yep. Tonight. Meet us at Sully’s.”

I groaned. “Really?”

“Yep. See you tonight.”

* * *

Sully’s was hopping. People were packed wall-to-wall, leaving barely any space when we entered. Taking the corner booth, Kinsley, Sawyer, and I decided to start with tequila shots.

“One, two, three … go.”

Pounding back our drinks, I searched the crowd for Deke; I couldn’t stop myself. I just wanted a glance.

Moving slowly toward our table, Z approached with Deke on his tail. My mouth watered at the sight of him. His jeans looked as if they were custom made with the way they hung off his hips. His t-shirt fit like a glove, showing off his unbelievably muscular arms and hot as hell tattoos. When my eyes lifted to his, I pulled my glance away.

“Hey ladies. You look beautiful tonight.” Z’s voice had my eyes traveling to him.

“Hi Vann.” Deke’s voice was low and utterly delicious.

“Hey.” I smirked and turned away from him.

“Hey cuz! How’s it going?”

“Oh, so now we’re back to cuz. That’s not what you said this morning,” I said teasingly as Z slid in the booth next to Kinsley and Sawyer leaving Deke to slide in next to me. His smell, the one that engulfed me every time I was near, was already sending me into a tailspin.

“I can’t help it you were half naked this morning. It was a hot way to start my day.” The sound that came from Deke was fierce causing me to jump. Z smiled. “You should have seen it this morning, all these beautiful ladies, barely any clothes on. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.” Z’s arm reached around Sawyer, as a small smile played on her lips.

With Deke sitting so close, I could feel the tension coming off his body. I tried not to react to it and join in the conversation.

“Vann?” Nerves were about to crush me, but I held it together at the sound of his voice.

Turning slowly, I looked in his beautiful blue eyes. “Yeah?”

“You gonna talk to me or ignore me all night?” The tension in his face was still there, but the tone of his voice was calm.

I, as Grams put it, pulled up my big girl panties. “You kissed me goodbye. Remember?”

“Still pissed about that?”

“Not at all.” I smiled, knowing it wouldn’t be a full one.

Deke grabbed my arm. “Come on, we need to talk.”

I didn’t fight as he led me away from the table toward an empty table in the back. “So, you gonna tell me why you left?”

“You gonna tell me why you never called?”

“I was pissed. You left when I needed you.” He shrugged his shoulder.

“So, instead of calling me and talking, you just cut me out. You didn’t answer my calls, texts, or emails?” My anger rose.

“I was a teenager. What did you expect?”

“I was a teenager and didn’t have a choice. I expected you to be by my side like I was for you.” I bit out angrily not even realizing where that was coming from. Deke stared at me as if he didn’t know what to say. Good, maybe I gave him something to think about for a change. “I need a break. Move,” I brushed past Deke. “I’m going to the restroom girls, be back in a few.”

I needed air. A lot of air.

The bathroom was dark and small, but clean. Sitting down, I laid my head in my hands. What in the hell was I going to do? What the hell was I thinking, being ‘friends’ with Deke?

A woman’s loud voice boomed as she walked into the bathroom. “Can you believe he blew me off?”

“No. I can’t,” some random other girl answered.

“I guess I need to wait ‘til later, but Deke will be mine tonight.”

“He’ll be up for it. I hear he always is.”

“I’m ready for my turn. I’ve waited too damn long for him.”

As I sit there listening to this conversation, I could only wonder when I would get my chance with him. How sick was that?

“Just flash your boobs and he’ll come.” The woman laughed.

“He is a boob guy,” she said, adjusting her boobs and pulling them so her cleavage was spilling out.

I could hear the smile in her voice. Looking down at my own cleavage, I reached my hand in and push them up a bit more, showing even more. What was I doing? Ugh.

Hearing the door slam, I finally escaped the bathroom. I thought I needed space from Deke, but now I needed space from the bathroom. Why did these women act like this?

I shouldn’t give a shit. Fuck him.

Heading to the bar, I needed a drink—a strong one. Ordering tequila shots, I begin shooting them one by one. Glancing over at our table, Deke’s eyes were boring into mine.

Quickly, I looked away, slammed another shot and headed out to the dance floor. At least out there, I could get lost in the music and just move. Closing my eyes, my body began to move. The fog in my mind caused by Deke started to slowly clear.

I felt arms grip my hips, and upon turning saw a handsome man with blonde hair and a strong jaw smiling at me. Leaning down to my ear, he said, “I’m Blake.”

“Hi. I’m Vann.” I reached up, pulling him closer to me by the shirt. “Dance with me.”

“Absolutely.”

Turning around, I closed my eyes and began to grind against him. At least I turned him on—that much I could tell. Sweat began streaming down my body, while Blake’s hands groped every inch of me. I didn’t stop him. I wasn’t going home with him, but it was nice to feel wanted.

Suddenly, strong arms pulled me from Blake’s grip. My eyes flew open to see Deke standing in front of me.

“Hey man, go find your own,” Blake barked behind me. My eyes were glued to the blue ones staring in front me.

“Fuck off,” Deke growled, his eyes never leaving mine.

Blake’s hand gripped my arm tightly, pulling my attention away from Deke. “Come on.”

“Ow. Stop!” I yelled, trying to yank my arm out of his grasp.

“Let. Her. Fucking. Go.” Deke’s low rumble turned into one of the scariest things I had ever heard. There was something else laced in his voice. But Blake didn’t seem to want to back down.

“She’s been practically dry humping me out here. She’s mine.”

“Fuck off. I haven’t been doing shit. I’m not going home with you!” I yelled.

“You heard the lady, now piss off.”

“You fucking bitch.” Blake’s grip got tighter before shoving me into Deke’s arms.

Deke caught me and steadied my feet before his entire body changed, becoming stiff and unyielding. He stepped in front of me, and I couldn’t help but touch his back, pulling on his shirt, and holding for dear life. “Deke, come on,” I tried yelling over the music.

My words fell on deaf ears as Deke’s arm flew out, his hand connecting with Blake’s chin. Blake instantly fell hard on the floor, gripping his face. Three mountainous bouncers came from out of nowhere, pulling Blake up off the ground.

“Get him out of here now,” Deke instructed the guys.

With nods, the very large men dragged Blake off the dance floor. Deke grabbed my hand, pulling me along. Directing me through the crowd, he pushed through a large door with me hot on his heels. I hated to admit it to myself, but I wanted to follow him.

After getting through the door, Deke slammed it shut. Grabbing me, he pushed me against it, meeting my eyes. My breath caught, no words coming out of my mouth. He was so close. “Are you okay?” Deke’s soft tone caught me off guard. I thought with all the anger rolling off him, his words would be harsh, but I was wrong.

“I’m fine,” I whispered breathlessly.

“You sure?” Deke’s hand grazed the spot where Blake had gripped my arm. Looking down, I could see the red handprint imprinted on my arm, but I could feel the electrifying tingle from Deke’s touch, which was so much better than the angry red marks.