“Blane.”
I look up to see them walking toward me as they have the last three times. But this time, there’s three of them. Finally! I get to meet Cricket.
I walk toward them and meet them halfway. I’m already grabbing the cash out of my back pocket. I know how things work now.
The one with the snake tattoo places his arms over his huge chest. “How are things going?”
“Great,” I say slowly. Why does he care? Oh yeah, I’m a druggie. I always forget I’m supposed to act as if I am starving for my next hit.
The two guys in front of me exchange a glance and my heart rate speeds up. “We hear you have been hanging out at Seven Deadly Sins,” he muses.
“I have.” I pause. “Is that a problem?” I look back and forth between the three of them.
“Why are you hanging out up there?” I can’t mention Case. That was part of our deal.
“My sister works there.” As soon as I say it, I cringe. Why did I say my sister? I would hate to put her in danger.
“We know about Taylor,” the one on the left says. “We wanna make sure it doesn’t have to do with Case.” He arches a blond eyebrow. “We don’t associate with him.”
Shit! Shit! Shit! “No,” I say quickly shaking my head. “I … I, uh, have never met him. I’m not up there enough to know this guy named Case.”
“Wanna know what I think? I think you’re lying.” The one with the snake tattoo takes a step toward me, and I take a step back matching it.
The third guy who I have never met before steps toward me also. “We have word you’re selling out from underneath us. To Case.” I shake my head again. “I heard the police are looking for him.”
I swallow nervously. “Why would they be looking for this guy Case?”
The one to the far left answers. “Rox ratted him out.” Fuck! That was the guy who Case took me to see. The one I smoked weed with. “Rox’s club got busted and surveillance was obtained by the police, but somehow it went missing. Rox ratted out Case. Said they were working together.” He shrugs. “But the proof has just vanished.” He places his hands out to his side in wonder. “We also heard Case was there with you …”
“Nooooo,” I say stupidly. Fuck! Could this get any worse? Thank God, something happened to that damn tape. I need to ask Case about it. “I wouldn’t do that.” I wish I could ask them who their source is, but that would just make me look guilty.
“I hope not.” He takes a step toward me. “For your sake.” Then he punches me in the face.
I stumble back grabbing my jaw. I didn’t even see it coming. “Come on, guys,” I say placing up my hands. My heart pounds in my chest, and I breathe heavily. I’m about to get my ass kicked, and there’s no way for me to stop it. “I didn’t come here to fight.”
“Maybe not! But we want you to give Case a warning.”
“I don’t know a Case,” I growl getting frustrated. My temper flaring, I was being a scared little bitch, but now that they want me to deliver Case a message, I know they’re not gonna kill me.
He smirks. “Well, then give your sister the message, it will make it back to him.”
“What does Taylor have to do with this?” I demand.
The guy with the snake tattoo throws his head back and his large body shakes as he laughs. “This fucker really has no fucking clue.” He laughs at the other men. They all laugh as I stand there looking back and forth between them.
“What don’t I know?” I yell.
“You’ll find out soon enough!” Then his hand comes out to hit me in the stomach.
CASE
“Case.”
I open my sleepy eyes to my dark bedroom. Without thought, I wrap my arms around the warm and petite body I know is Taylor and pull her to me. I inhale her vanilla scent and let out a moan.
“Case?” A firm hand on my shoulder gives me a little shake.
“What?” I growl opening my eyes once again. I pull away from Taylor to look over my shoulder and see Brecken standing by my side of the bed. His head is looking up at the ceiling. I do the same and frown when I don’t see anything. “Why are we staring at my ceiling in the middle of the night?” I ask, my voice gruff.
He clears his throat. “Well, Taylor is lying next to you naked, and I didn’t think you would appreciate me looking at her. The ceiling was my only safe option,” he replies dryly.
I look over at her and see her exposed chest as she lies on her back. I sit up quickly and jerk the covers up and over her with a growl. Once I pull them up all the way up to her neck, I place my feet on the floor while sitting on the side of the bed. “Why are you in my room in the middle of the night?” I ask through a yawn.
He sighs heavily, and he lowers his head to look down at me. “I tried calling you. Blane tried calling you. None of us could get you to answer. But Blane is in the office and you need to speak to him.”
I rub a hand over my naked chest and let out a sigh. “Does he know Taylor is here?” Why else would he be here this time of the night?
“No.”
I get out of bed and throw on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I kiss Taylor on the forehead and follow after him to my office on the second floor.
I walk in after him and see Blane standing in front of my desk with his back facing me. “What is so important that you have to wake me up, Blane?”
He spins around and my heart speeds up. “What the hell happened to you?” I demand as I take in his appearance. His right eye is black. Blood runs from his nose and on to his shirt but it’s dry, letting me know that it is has been a while since he got into the fight. He has a gash above his left eye and a bruise on his cheek.
“They know,” he declares, and my eyes widen.
“Who? What do they know?” I ask trying not to panic.
He sighs. “I went to pick up another package about two hours ago. Three guys showed up this time. And they told me that they knew I was running product for you. That I am buying underneath them.”
“Fuck,” I hiss.
“I told them over and over that I didn’t know who you were. But they said they knew I had been to Seven Deadly Sins.”
“This is bad,” I say looking over at Brecken, and he grunts his agreement.
“They brought up Taylor.”
My feet move without thought. I’m in his face in a matter of seconds, my hand around his throat. “What in the fuck did they say about Taylor?” I snap, feeling my anger so high it burns my skin.
“They know she works here,” he rasps as my hand stays around his throat. “How’d they even know her fucking name?” I demand. “I told you not to fucking mention her to anyone.” And I took her to see Rox, but her name was never mentioned. Hell, as far as they were concerned, she could have been some hooker I just picked up that night.
“I didn’t,” he grinds out underneath my hand.
“Case!” I close my eyes when I hear Taylor’s voice screech my name. “What the hell are you doing?” she demands.
I let go of Blane and turn to face her. She stands inside the door to my office looking back and forth between Blane and me wide-eyed. I can only imagine what this looks like to her. She thinks I just beat the fuck out of her brother. “It’s not what it looks like,” I say softly.
“Then what the fuck is it?” she snaps.
I take a step back trying to clear my mind for a second. I have no way out. It’s time. I have to tell her. And that makes my chest physically hurt. ‘Cause I know I’m about to lose the best thing I will ever have because I have done nothing but lie to her.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Taylor?”
I look over at Blane as he stares at her with narrowed eyes as he takes in the overly large sweatpants and t-shirt of mine that she has on.
Fuck! Well, shit has officially hit the fan.
TAYLOR
Shit! I should have stayed in Case’s bed. I woke up and saw he was missing. After looking around his place, I decided to throw on some clothes and look down in his office. This is the only place he would be at five in the morning.