My eyes drifted shut and I collapsed against the handcuffs. Before I could catch my breath, he had me in his arms. I flopped against his hard chest like a rag doll. He carried me to the bed. He undressed quickly and rolled on a condom. I stared up at him completely speechless, completely breathless.
He glanced up at the mirror on the ceiling. “You climb on top, Baby. I want to watch you.” He stretched back and rested his head on the pillows. I willed my weak limbs to gather strength, and I straddled him and sat over him on my hands on knees. Sometimes I still had a hard time believing that this unbelievable man was mine for the taking. I leaned my mouth down next to his. “Who needs Rocko when I’ve got Rett Mason, naked beneath me.”
I slid over him and he impaled me with his long, thick erection. He lifted his pelvis and his cock went deeper. His hands circled the cheeks of my ass. He pressed me down so that my clit rubbed against him intimately and immediately my pussy was hot with desire again.
“I want you to come again, Baby. I want you to come with me.”
He moved faster and more urgently and I kissed him wildly. Then I threw my head back and braced my hands against his hard chest to leverage my body against his. His hands held my ass tightly over his cock and he pushed inside of me again and again. My clit moved over his skin, heating more and more with each pass. His eyes drifted shut and his fingers dug into my flesh as he jerked hard one last time. My pussy tightened around his throbbing cock as we climaxed together.
I dropped down on his chest and his strong arms circled me. “The feel of you in my arms is already so familiar. It’s strange to say, but I think I’ve been waiting for you.”
I smoothed my fingers over the hard muscles of his chest. “I know exactly what you mean.” I reached down and slid off my shoes and closed my eyes. My senses filled with his scent and the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his protective arms around me and my eyes burned with unexpected tears.
He lifted his head when he felt the moisture on his skin. “You all right, Fin?”
I couldn’t answer. I just nodded and pressed myself harder against him. “Don’t let me go, Rett,” I said on a sigh.
He tightened his hold on me. “Not a fucking chance.”
CHAPTER 16
Rett
Finley wriggled in my arms and then she stretched. Her long lashes lifted and her round blue eyes smiled up at me. “How long have we been sleeping?”
“An hour or two and I’m feeling plenty rested but more than a little hungry.”
She sat up. “You poor giant man, you must be starved after the difficult morning you’ve had.”
“Famished.” I pulled her back down and wrapped my arms around her. She felt small and delicate in my arms. “But I think I need food energy before we start any more activities.”
A phone buzzed from somewhere in the room. Finley sighed against my shoulder. “Your phone or mine?”
“Not sure.”
Reluctantly she left my arms. “I’ll order some food.”
I propped up on my elbow to watch her walk to her pile of clothes.
“I love that tattoo,” I said.
“You mean the one of Some Pig?” she asked sweetly.
“You know which one I’m talking about.”
She looked at her phone. “Not me. No one ever wants to talk to me. Must have been yours.” She looked my way. “I’ll bet girls text you all the time.”
“I’m not answering that on the grounds that it might incriminate me.”
Just then Finley startled as a helicopter’s roar rattled the massive bedroom window. She walked over and looked out. “Something must have happened on the beach. It’s rare for a helicopter to fly this close to the house.”
I leaned over the edge of my bed, grabbed my pants and pulled out my phone. It was a text from Cole. I opened it. “Rett, is Finley all right?”
“Yes,” I wrote back completely confused by the text. I waited for an angry message telling me to bring her home but the next text was even more confusing.
“By the look on your face, I assume that I was right about it being a girl.” Finley was slipping on her shoes. “I’m going to go out on the pool deck and see what’s happening down below.” She stopped in front of me. “I guess I’ll let you text in private.”
It took me a second to find my tongue. “It’s just Jimmy telling me I left the milk out.”
She laughed and walked out of the room.
I reread Cole’s text. “Don’t let Fin near the internet. I need you to get her home right away.” I ran my thumb over the keyboard to text him back, but Finley’s scream stopped me. My heart slammed against my ribs. I raced out to the pool area. Two men were standing on the edge of the yard snapping photos and lobbing questions at Finley.
“Is your father in custody right now? Did you know the victim?” one man asked as he balanced precariously on the edge of the hillside.
Finley backed up. “Get out of here. This is private property.” The men snapped as many pictures as they could, and their cameras didn’t stop when I stepped in front of Finley to shield her. I had no idea what the hell was happening, but I was certain it had to do with Cole’s text.
I lifted my phone to my ear. “I’m calling the police right now.” My threat didn’t stop them from clicking off picture after picture. I looked over my shoulder. Finley was pale and close to tears. “Fin, go inside.” She hurried into the house.
I lumbered toward the two men, and they scrambled back down the hillside. I hurried inside to Finley. In that short span of time, she’d grabbed her phone. Her fingers flew over the screen, and I hoped that she was just calling her brothers. Then her fingers stopped and she stared at the screen. Her face went pale and she dropped the phone. I reached her just before she dropped to her knees. I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the couch.
Her skin and lips were white as I laid her down.
I walked over and picked up her phone. It was the headline story on Yahoo news— Nicky King arrested for murder.
I went to the couch and knelt down next to her. “Can I get you something, Finley?”
The agony in her beautiful face was almost too much to bear. “Barrett,” she said shakily, “take me home.”
***
It was a short, nightmarish glimpse into the world of rich and famous people that made an ordinary person thrilled not to be part of it. Several news helicopters circled the property at a dangerously low level, and cars and news crews already lined the street and driveway up to the iron gates.
Reporters were propped up on the high walls of the house snapping pictures as I helped Finley to the car. She dropped into the front seat and shrank down low, bringing her knees up to her chest. I started the Porsche and we headed to the gate. I’d never had to plow through a group of reporters before, but with the obnoxious way they were acting, and with Finley on the edge of total meltdown, I was damn sure I could do it.
We got to the gate. Onlookers were plastered against it trying to push their camera lenses between the iron slats to get more pictures. The windshield was darkly tinted and their attempts seemed stupidly meaningless, but it didn’t stop the photographers.
I looked over at Finley. She looked small, distraught and suddenly younger than I’d ever seen her. “Finley, we need the remote control to open the gate.” She moved slowly as if she was wading through tar and picked up her bag. She fished around inside and the gates swung open. The bag fell back to the floor, and Finley hugged herself tightly as I drove forward.
As badly as I wanted to slam my foot on the pedal, I held back. The people outside were so fucking crazy to get pictures and information I was sure they weren’t beyond jumping in front of the car. Finley looked beyond miserable. I needed to get her home fast.
By the time we reached the freeway, we’d lost most of the cars that had followed. I was sure they had gone on ahead to Beverly Hills to provide more harassment once we reached the King estate. Finley seemed to curl further and further
in on herself in the front seat of the Porsche, and there was nothing I could do or say to make things better. Her life and existence were so far removed from mine that it was impossible to know what she was going through. I was relieved when she finally emerged from her trancelike state and gazed out the window.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.
She shook her head but then pulled out her phone and dialed it. Jude’s voice came through the speaker. My heart sank in my chest as if someone had punched me.
“Finley?” Jude asked.
“Yeah,” she sobbed.
“Are you on your way home?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said faintly.
“I’m here waiting for you, Fin-Fin. It’ll be fine.”
She sobbed again and hung up the phone. We’d grown close in a short amount of time, but now she didn’t seem to need me at all. I’d just vanished. I was just the guy who was making sure she got home safely, and having her shut me out so suddenly made me sick to my stomach.
The drive home had seemed incredibly long. Finley was completely silent and tucked into a small ball. I could see the line of cars and news vans snaking up the long drive outside of the gates. The second I turned the Porsche onto the street, people were jumping up out of nowhere and swarming the car. I stayed focused on the gates ahead and tried my best to ignore the crowd of people. This time it was not just reporters and press but other people who’d apparently driven up to the estate once the news broke.
The gates opened the second the car reached them, and I released the breath I’d been holding. Three huge dudes in security uniforms and gun belts stepped into the opening. They waved us through and then stood guard until the gates had shut securely.
Jude and Cole rushed out before I’d even turned off the engine. Jude raced over to the passenger side, and for the first time since we’d left the beach house, Finley sat up. She sobbed wildly as Jude reached into the car and swept her into his arms.
Jude glanced over at me before lifting her out. “Thanks for getting her home so fast.” I watched her silvery blonde head disappear inside and wondered if I would ever see her again.
I got out of the car and realized I was completely stranded. Cole looked at me over the top of the car. “Can I call you a taxi?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll walk down the hill to a bus stop.” I looked down toward the sea of cars and curious people. “How do I get out of here?”
“Good question.” Cole thought for a second. “There’s a place along the back wall that Jude used to escape over whenever he was grounded or in trouble. It’s about fifty yards before you reach the tennis courts. Do you know where they are?”
I thought about the afternoon Finley and I had spent there and the dark hole in my heart widened. “Yeah, I know where they are.”
“A big chunk is missing from the wall, so you can put your foot in it to hoist yourself over. It lets out on the end of the street. You should be able to sneak out of the neighborhood.” He didn’t say another word before heading back inside.
There was a side gate to the pool area. I went through it and headed down the rose lined path to the long stretch of grass leading to the tennis courts. Considering the chaos out front, the house and yard seemed exceptionally quiet. In the distance, I could see Lilly Belle grazing in the sun. The frame for her barn was nearly complete, but Cole must have sent the crew home early. Once the courts came into view, I walked along the wall until I saw the place that Cole had described. I hoisted myself up and over and looked back once before heading down the street. More cars were driving up toward the estate, but I was no one now. I was just some guy who happened to come up and see what all the excitement was about. For a brief second in time, I was part of the crazy King world. For a brief second in time, I was part of Finley King’s world, but today she’d made it clear that I was not an important part of it. Scotlyn and Taylor had teased me mercilessly that someday I’d have my heart broken. It had finally happened, and I sure as hell hated it.
My phone rang and as I pulled it from my pocket, I stupidly thought it might be Finley. It was Dray.
“Dude, where are you at? Did you hear about Nicky King?”
“I heard something about it, yeah. I was with Finley in Malibu when the news broke, but I only heard that he was arrested for murder.”
“Yeah, apparently they found some young girl dead in his bed at the hotel. He’s of course denying it. She’d been strangled or something and turns out she was only seventeen.”
“Shit.”
“How is Finley doing?”
“She’s really bad off. I doubt I’ll see her again.” Hearing the words out loud was worse than just thinking them. “Are you at work?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. I’m walking to a bus stop. I’m going to head over there.”
“You sound like shit, Rett. You all right?”
“Not really. I’ll see you soon.”
CHAPTER 17
Finley
Some Pig had not left my feet all morning, and I felt guilty for making him so stressed. He always absorbed all of my emotional turmoil as if he was suffering along with me. I reached down and scratched his head with shaky fingers. Every detail that emerged from the story blackened the day even more. And none of it made sense. My dad was wild and he partied and did crazy things, but he was never insane enough to sleep with an underage girl and he wasn’t capable of murder.
I leaned my throbbing head against Eden’s shoulder. I’d missed my tears, but now they came and seemingly without end as if I’d stored them up for so long, there was an entire flood of them waiting to be released. Jude had been on the phone all morning, and his expression grew more and more grim with each conversation. My stomach had grown into a painful, flaming knot.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to make you some toast or something, Fin?” Eden asked.
I shook my head. “There’s no way I could eat it.” Tears flowed again. “So much for me coping with things. Shit, Edie, I thought I was doing better, but look at me. I’m a pathetic mess. And poor Barrett. I couldn’t even look at him or talk to him. Now he’s seen me in my crazy state. I’ve lost him for good.”
Eden put her arm around me. “This is a huge deal. You’re allowed to fall apart when something massive happens. Everyone does and Barrett will understand. Cole is not much better off than you. He’s been downing beer after beer. Not the best way to deal with a problem.”
Jude was finally off the phone. He walked in and sat on the coffee table across from us. His face was drawn and pale, and he looked to be at the peak of his stress level before losing it himself.
“Dad’s lawyers have gotten him out on bail. The evidence is pretty sketchy so far. Aside from the girl being found in his bed, there isn’t any connection between them.”
“There’s no fucking way, Jude,” I said. “Dad would never—” my voice broke again.
“I agree, Fin. There’s no fucking way. All we can do is wait for word. They won’t let me talk to dad right now. The press is already having a goddamned field day.” He reached over and took Eden’s hand. “Sorry to pull you into our sordid little world, but I think you’d better skip school for a few days until the shock of this wears off of the press. There are enough pictures of you and me floating around that they’ll be hounding you too.”
Eden’s phone rang. “It’s my dad. I wondered when he would be calling.” She got up. “Hey, Dad.” She left the room.
Jude moved over to the couch and pulled me against him.
“I’m sorry I’m a useless mess again, Jude. I thought I was learning to deal with stuff better. I guess I was delusional.”
He looked down at me. “Are you kidding, Fin? I feel like someone gave me LSD or something. My head and my body aren’t even connected at the moment. This is huge, and you’re holding yourself together pretty damn well, considering. You are coping just fine. Hey, that guy, Barrett, he’s pretty even tempered and calm, isn’t he? He got
you here without a problem, and I’m sure he’s never been swarmed by paparazzi before. I can see why you thought he’d be good for you.”
“He is solid as a rock and I’m nuts about him, Jude. But I couldn’t even talk when we were in the car. I’ve scared him off for sure. Besides, now I don’t think I could even think about a relationship until we know that dad’s—” I broke into sobs again. The thought of it was all so wretched, so ugly, that it was too much to fathom or even talk about.
Jude squeezed me. “Can’t even fucking believe this is happening, Finley. Just wish Dad was here.”
Cole came in from the patio and flattened an empty beer can by smashing it against the counter. “This is bull shit. Dad’s not a murderer. This is fucking bull shit.” He grabbed another can of beer and sat on the couch.
“Cool it on the beers, Cole,” Jude advised.
“Fuck off. I’ll drink if I want to.”
Jude looked at me. “See, you’re dealing with it better than bonehead over there.” Jude’s phone rang and he sucked in a breath as he looked at the screen. He got up and walked to the kitchen. “Dad? What the hell is going on?”
Cole and I got up and followed him. Jude didn’t say much. I could hear Dad’s distinctive voice coming through the phone, but the words were not discernible. The angst and the waver in Dad’s tone made me press my hand against my stomach to keep it from burning more. Jude rubbed his hand over his face as his frown lines deepened. The horror of the whole situation was taking its toll on my brother. I reached over, took hold of his free hand and squeezed it.