Jailbait (16 page)

There’s a lot of stuff I don’t know but probably should. Like how the fuck am I the legal owner of this house? Where did the money in my bank account come from and how am I supposed to explain it if I’m ever questioned? This whole situation is a wet dream for the IRS.
 

I’m a month and a half into my year long probation, which makes me stuck here until it’s up. If Pepper wants nothing to do with me, I can’t keep following her around like a fucking stalker. Then what do I do? Get a job? I don’t need one; Alcott gave me enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life. I’m sure it was pocket change for him, but I’m used to getting by with nothing.
 

A bad feeling starts to rise in my chest, and no matter what I do I can’t shake it. I grab my jacket and keys and get on my bike. I have no destination in mind when I set out, yet somehow I find myself on my way to the Davenwood Manor. I won’t go in, won’t stop. I’ll drive by like I did before, though driving by does shit. I can’t see anything. I’m too far from the house to even get a glimpse inside.
 

Rain clouds cover the moon, and the summer night is thick with humidity. I’m about a mile from the estate when flashing lights come up fast behind me. The siren whoops and I pull over, heart beating with indignation. Fuck. Was I speeding? Probably.
 

Okay yes, yes I was.
 

The cop goes around me. Huh. That was unexpected. But hey, I’ll take it. I twist the throttle and follow, keeping enough of a distance as not to be obvious. My heart plummets into my stomach and I almost lose control of my bike when the cop turns down the Davenwood’s driveway.
 

Pepper.
 

I don’t care if it’s obvious. I stop. I watch. I hold my breath until my chest hurts and my lungs are begging for air. A man in a suit greets the cop, and they continue on to the stable past the house. Minutes pass and I hear a car door shut. The blue and red lights turn off, and headlights point in my direction.
 

I’m gone before the cop is out of the driveway. There’s a gas station several miles up the road where I can pull over and call Pepper and make sure she’s okay. Rain starts to fall, making the road that winds uphill slippery. Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling under the shelter over the gas pumps.
 

A small group consisting of five bikes and seven riders is stopped as well. They hear me coming and turn, giving a curt nod in solidarity. Riding in the rain can piss off even the most seasoned rider. I park next to a pump, dig out cash from my wallet, and go inside to pay.
 

“It was a nice night for a ride,” a middle-aged woman says in passing. “Until that damn rain started. Came outta nowhere.”
 

“Hopefully it’ll stop just as fast,” I say back, slowing. I hate fake small talk like this. It’s complete bullshit that no one cares about and I don’t want to partake in it. “Or it’ll start raining harder.” I quickly look the group over. Three guys have on leather jackets. One has patches, but none I recognize. The lady I’m talking to has a vest on over her black t-shirt, but I can’t make out what her patch is, and I can’t look any longer or it’ll look like I’m checking out her tits.
 

She laughs and takes a drag on her cigarette. I go into the gas station and give the cashier money to fill up the tank. I pick dead bugs off the front of the mirrors as the tank fills, then I get out my phone and call Pepper, expecting my call to get declined.
 

“Hello?” she says after one ring.
 

“Pepper.” I state her name, taken aback. Her voice soothes my soul and awakens my cock, even with one word.
 

“What do you want?”
 

“I…I…are you okay?”
 

Music and laughter are in the background, making it hard to hear her sweet voice. She’s not home. So whatever happened twenty-some minutes ago…she might not know. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? Do you know something that you can’t tell me again? Who’s going to get me now?”
 

“Are you drunk?”
 

“What if I am? I’m a big girl. I can do as I please.”
 

I stick the nozzle back on the pump and swing a leg over my bike. “Are you alone?”
 

“You are such a creep. Wanna know what color my underwear is too?”
 

Dammit. She’s right. “I mean, are you with friends who’ll make sure you’re safe. And yes, I do want to know.”
 

“I’m not wearing any,” she spits.

“Fuck, Pepper…” I let out a sigh. “I miss you.”
 

A door creaks, shuts, and then the music quiets. “Don’t do this to me, Grayson. Please. I can’t…” She trails off, voice thinning before twisting into a quiet sob. It’s like a knife to my heart. “You asked me if I was okay. Do you have a reason for thinking otherwise?”
 

“Yeah. A cop was at your house.”
 

“Again with the creepy. And you’re a terrible stalker. I’m not even home.”
 

“I’m not stalking you. I promised I’d keep an eye on you and make sure you’re safe.”
 

“I am safe. Grayson,” she says my name with so much emotion. “Please stop. I can’t do this. Knowing that you’re here but not here…it hurts.”
 

“It doesn’t have to.”
 

Voice breaking, she says, “Yes, it does.”
 

I can feel eyes on me, but I don’t give a fuck who’s listening to my conversation right now. All that matters is Pepper. “I don’t deserve it, but give me one more chance. I’ll explain everything.”
 

Pepper exhales and hesitates. Then she says the most beautiful word. “Fine.”
 

“When?”
 

“Dinner. Friday night, if that works for you.”
 

I chuckle. “Yeah. I think I can clear my schedule.”
 

“Good. Be at my house at seven. Gray?”
 

“Yeah?”
 

“This doesn’t change things. I want an explanation, but I…I can’t. I can’t handle any more pain.”
 

If she hadn’t been drinking, I don’t think I would have gotten that confession out of her. My heart rips in two and I hate myself now more than ever for hurting her. “I won’t hurt you.”
 

“You already have.”
 

“Let me fix it. Please, Pepper.”

“Are you begging?”
 

“I’ll do anything,” I tell her. Rain falls down harder, misting under the awning as the wind blows. “I never should have left that night. I never should have gone to California.” I cradle the phone against my ear, wishing Pepper was there in front of me.
 

“Well, you did. You did and you left me like it was easy to do.”
 

“It wasn’t. I swear, Pepper. Listen…fuck it, Pepper, I’ll tell you everything. Every goddamn thing. And then you’ll see that I never stopped—”

Thunder booms above me, and the lights flicker.
 

“Just promise me,” Pepper says. “You’ll tell me the truth.”
 

“I promise. I’ll tell
 
you everything that happened.”
 

Chapter Thirteen

Grayson

Six years ago…

I run my fingers up and down Pepper’s back. With her eyes closed, she moves in closer, breasts crushing against my bare chest. We just had sex and already I want to fuck her again.
 

And again.
 

Two weeks had passed since my skin felt the warmth of hers. Two weeks had passed since my arms went around her, since my lips pressed against hers.
 

Two weeks is way too fucking long. And the weekend will be up before we know it and Pepper will go back to Cornell and I’ll stay here, half-assing my way through business classes with my mind on her all day.
 

“I love you,” I tell her for the third time that night. She has that effect on me.
 

“I know,” she says and looks up at me, smiling. “And I love you too. Probably more.”
 

I shake my head. “That’s not possible.”
 

“Oh, but it is.” She bites her lip and slides her hand up my chest. She’s ready for more too. I pull her on top of me and kiss her. She slips her hands behind my shoulders and rests her head on my chest. “I like listening to your heartbeat. Is that weird?”
 

“It sounds boring, but not weird.”
 

“Good because—” She’s cut off by my phone ringing. Pepper reaches across her bed and picks it up. “It’s your dad,” she says and hands me the phone. My dad hardly ever calls me since he moved from New York to California. It’s not a holiday or my birthday, which means he’s either calling with good news or bad news. I debate ignoring the call, returning it later tonight or even tomorrow.
 

I accept at the last minute.

“Hello?”
 

“Hey, son,” my dad’s voice comes through the line fuzzy, like there’s a bad connection on his end. “Are you busy?”
 

“Kinda. Why?”
 

“I’ve gotten myself in a bind.”
 

I sit up, eyes narrowing. “What kind of a bind?”
 

“One I can’t talk about over the phone. I need your help. Here.”
 

“With what?” I ask. Pepper leans forward, concern on her pretty face.

“What’s wrong?” she whispers and I shake my head, mouthing, “I don’t know.”
 

“I can’t just up and leave. I have a job here. And class on Tuesday.” My hand falls on Pepper’s thigh. And my naked girlfriend is curled up next to me, but I leave that part out.
 

“Grayson, I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t dire.”
 

His words send a jolt through me. “What is wrong?” I repeat each word firmly.
 

“I got involved with some bad people,” he confesses. “Grayson, please.”
 

I’ve never heard my father ask for anything like that before. My blood runs cold. “All right. I’ll find a flight in the morning—”

“I don’t think I have that much time.”
 

Fear spreads through me. “Okay.” I blink, feeling my heart pound in my ears. “I’ll come as soon as I can.” I hang up and turn to Pepper. “He said he’s in trouble and needs help. That’s it.”
 

She pushes the blankets off and gets up with me. “You’re going? Now? All the way to California?”
 

“I don’t really have a choice.” I grab my boxers, stress winding inside. “I’ll take the first flight I can find.”
 

“I’ll have our pilot take you.”
 

“I can’t do that.”
 

“You can and you will.” She’s already reaching for her phone to make a call. “Where in Cali are you going?”
 

“Santa Cruz.” By the time I use the bathroom and finish getting dressed, Pepper has everything set. We kiss, two, three, four times before I leave her, promising to call as soon as I land.
 

*

I open a text from Pepper, not expecting it to be a naughty picture. I’m at the airport, waiting for my dad to come pick me up. I smile, feeling blood rush to my cock, and look at the photo once more before saving the image. She wants a picture from me in return. I tell her she’ll get one later, then pocket my phone and wait.
 

And wait.
 

An hour later, my dad trudges through the airport. He’s all smiles and claps me on the back, but not before I notice how shitty he looks. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen him. He has dark circles under bloodshot eyes. He’s lost weight, and his hair is a mess. He looks like he rolled out of bed, threw on whatever laundry was left on the floor, and flew out of the house.
 

Which is probably what he did. “It’s good to see you, son. I bet you’re hungry. Want to get something to eat.”
 

“I want you to tell me what the hell is going on.”
 

His right eye twitches. “There’s a nice cafe not far from here. Open all night.”
 

“Sure,” I agree, knowing that’s code for he doesn’t want to talk about shit here. I get in his truck, tossing my bag into the backseat. We make small talk, and he asks about Pepper.
 

“Sounds like things are getting serious.”
 

I shrug, not one to share my feelings. “I guess. We’ve been together over a year.”
 

“That seems like forever when you’re nineteen,” he chuckles. “She’s a nice girl.”
 

“Very nice,” I muse. “Sometimes I wonder what she sees in me.” It feels good to say that out loud. I’ve never told that to anyone, not even Pepper.
 

“You’re a good kid,” he affirms. “A bit of a hellion, but you’re my son so I wouldn’t expect it any other way.”
 

I laugh and agree. We talk about school—my dad says the same thing Pepper just lectured me on hours ago, on how I need to take it seriously.
 

We order our food and he’s still asking me questions, and I know it’s just to delay what’s coming. I finish half my burger before drilling him.

“So are we gonna sit here and chat like old ladies all night or are you going to tell me what’s going on.”
 

My dad’s face pales. He drains his beer and takes a deep breath. “I owe the club money.”
 

I raise an eyebrow. “You made me come all the way out here to tell me you owe the club money?” Something isn’t right with that. “How much?”
 

“A hundred-grand.”
 

I almost spit out my drink. My mouth opens, but no words come out. I’m literally fucking speechless. “You’re VP. Tell them you’ll pay later.”
 

“That’s kind of the thing,” he starts, and drops he gaze to the table. “They don’t know I owe them.”