Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 (23 page)

“Us?
Who’s us?” He doesn’t answer. “Jake, who’s with you?”

Another
shadowy figure walks up to him and takes the phone out of his hand. Is it too
much to ask for someone to turn on a light so I can see what’s going on? I can
hear them bickering, but can’t tell what they are saying.

“Kacie,”
another familiar voice says into the phone.

“Evan?”
Shock replaces anger, but only momentarily.

“Stop
looking over here. Someone is going to notice.” I do as he says. My feet start
walking toward the sidewalk again. I’m never wearing heels again. Ever. “Danny
is on his way to get you. He’s right down the street. You need to do exactly as
I say and everything will be fine.”

“I
am really sick and tired of people telling me what to do today,” I tell him.

“How
did you end up in the car with that guy?” he asks.

“That
guy
is the doctor my mom thinks I should be dating. He was at her house
when I got there tonight. When I made an excuse to leave, he jumped at the
chance to get out himself and told my parents he’d take me home. Evan, you
can’t do this. He was talking to his friend on the way over here. They are
pretty confident about winning.”

“Don’t
worry about that. Worry about getting the hell out of here in one piece. Chris
already had to kick a bunch of guys out for getting out of control. I had no
idea all these people would be here. This isn’t usually how it goes down. If it
was any other race, you could just wait with Danny until it was over and then
I’d come get you. I’ll be able to concentrate better if I know you’re safe.
Jake was right. If anyone knows you are with us, they’ll use that to distract
us.”

“What
part of you aren’t doing this didn’t you understand?!” I yell.

“Danny,
how much longer?” I turn to look over. Even though I’m closer to them, I can still
only see figures. He’s holding a phone up to each ear. “Walk faster,” he says
and lowers one hand. “Kacie, what I’m about to say to you is very important.
You are going to be passing a bunch of guys who have been pissing girls off for
the last half-hour. They are drunk and very obnoxious. For the first time in
your life, you are going to ignore them. Do not look their way and, whatever
you do, do not say anything to them. Do you understand?”

Being
completely fed up with this whole situation, what’s the first thing I do? I
turn and start searching for them. Why wouldn’t I? I’ve gone way beyond angry
at this point. I’m livid. Okay, livid and maybe a tad irrational with very
little concern for my well-being at the moment. But hey, in all fairness, it
has really been a shitty day. They aren’t hard to spot. There are four of them,
each using the other to prevent themselves from falling over. They are standing
right in the grass just off of the sidewalk.

“Kacie,
look straight ahead and don’t stop walking. Danny should be right in front of
you any second,” Evan commands.

“Yo,
look at that,” I hear one of them say. “She looks wound up. Think we could help
her out?” My feet root to the cement.

“Move.
Now!” I can hear Evan, but my feet don’t obey.

My
head whips around to face them, just like I was asked not to do. “What did you
just say?” Another thing I was asked not to do.

“You
look upset. Maybe we could fix that for you,” the ringleader of the crew
offers, taking a step forward.

“You
think there’s something you could do to fix that?”

“Kacie!”
My arm lowers to my side so Evan isn’t screaming in my ear.

“Damn
right,” he gloats.

“How
would you do that exactly? From the sound of it, you’re making it seem like you
have something that could actually please me. I can assure you that even if all
four of you added your puny dicks together, a virgin still wouldn’t notice.”

“You
fucking bitch,” the one says, reaching for me.

He
doesn’t get close because someone yanks me from behind at the same time three
bigger guys step in between me and the four losers. “Get lost,” Danny says
firmly.

“I’m
not done with her.”

“You
never even got started. Beat it before we let her kick your ass,” Mike says.

I
turn around to see Jake’s friend Gabe still holding onto my arm. The last time
I saw him was that night at Skyline. He smiles at me. “Still striking out with
the guys, I see.”

“Kacie,”
Danny says, pointing to my hand hanging by my side. “Phone.” I almost forgot
about Evan.

I
raise the phone to my ear as Danny and the guys walk me down the street. “I’m
trying to keep you safe and all I ask is that you listen to me one fucking
time! You couldn’t keep your mouth closed just one fucking time?!” Evan might
be a little upset, but my anger is running this show.

“You’re
next,” I tell him, then disconnect the call. We’ll see how he feels about that.

Kacie

Gabe
was the one recruited to chauffeur me away from the industrial park. They
probably figured he’d be the one least likely to set me off. I’ve known Danny
and Mike the longest so I would have no problem telling them a thing or two.
I’ve never seen the other guy before. Everyone has witnessed how I react to new
guys who try to talk to me. So that only left Gabe. He’s actually the one I
would have chosen out of my limited choices, as well. He’s a very sweet guy. I
had fun hanging out with him that one night.

 I’m
clutching my phone with one hand while squeezing my other hand so tight that my
knuckles are white. The thought of something happening to either Evan or Jake
is more than I can handle tonight. Why couldn’t they just listen to me and
leave? Why did they have to go through with the stupid race? Why the hell are
boys stupid enough to put themselves in dangerous situations?

“Just
so you know,” Gabe speaks for the first time since we got in the car, “the race
doesn’t even start for another twenty minutes.”

“Why
don’t they just do it and get it over with already?” I sigh and lean my head
against the seat.

He
laughs lightly. “There’s always a pre-determined start time. It gives everyone
enough time to bet. Would it help if I told you I’ve seen Evan and Jake race
before?”

My
head rolls so I can face him. “Why would you think that’s a good idea? I’m
having enough trouble dealing with this one,” I spit out.

“I
just meant you don’t have to worry because they look out for each other.
They’ll be fine.” I want to believe him, but it’s hard.

“Where
are we going?” You think that would have been something I asked before getting
in the car.

“Evan
asked one of us take you to Skyline. He’ll pick you up from there.”

“What
if I’m not at Skyline when he gets there?” I wonder out loud.

“Please
be there. If you aren’t, he’ll come after me.”

“Don’t
worry. I’ll be waiting for him. I have plenty to say.”

“I
imagine you do,” he says, chuckling again.

I
cut Gabe a break and stay quiet for the rest of the ride to the club. It’s only
another few minutes, but he really doesn’t need any shit from me. He was nice
enough to get me away from there. In all honesty, I would have been a royal pain
in the ass if they let me hang around. Evan and Jake are the two who will have
to deal with me.

Gabe
pulls up next to the curb at the main entrance to Skyline. Joe, the bouncer, is
walking toward the car, cell phone to his ear. He opens the door and extends a
hand to help me out. Evan probably told him to be expecting me. Before I exit,
I thank Gabe for the ride, then reach for Joe’s hand.

“I
have her now, boss,” Joe speaks into the phone and pulls me out of the car at
the same time. “You got it. Good luck.” He shoves the phone into his pocket,
then smiles at me. “You’re causing some trouble tonight, I hear.”

“Apparently,”
I mumble. Is there anyone Evan
didn’t
call?

Joe
snickers, leading me through the club. “Evan’s just taking care of you. He’ll
be here soon,” Joe tries to reassure me. After pushing the door open, he ushers
me into the office.

“He’s
your boss. I wouldn’t expect you to say anything different.”

“You’re
right, he is, but he’s also my friend. I’ve known him since he moved here,
Kacie, and he’s never acted this way with anyone before. Whatever is going on
between the two of you is new for him. Just try to remember that when he screws
up. I’m sure he’d never intentionally do something to upset you.”

“How
much did he pay you to say that?” My anger seems to have subsided a little.
Everyone has been telling me the same thing. Regardless of what is going on
with Gram’s house or my parents, I want Evan to have feelings for me because I
have them for him. Can I really be mad when he acts on them, even if he seems
to be a little too excessive?

“Nothing.
I just don’t like to see someone as beautiful as you upset, especially if the
truth will make you feel better.”

“He
must be paying you double tonight,” I mutter. “Thanks, Joe.”

“You’re
welcome. I have to get back to the door.” He hands me a generic business card
for Skyline with a handwritten phone number across the back. He must have had
it ready before I got here. “If you need anything, that’s my cell. Call if Evan
isn’t here within an hour or so. Sometimes it takes him a little longer to get
out of there.”

“Okay,”
I reply gratefully. Joe leaves, shutting the door behind him.

What
the hell am I supposed to do for the next sixty minutes? I turn around and take
in the office that Evan shares with his uncle. A dark mahogany desk is
positioned so that whoever is sitting behind it would be facing the door. The
desk’s expansive size is almost overwhelming, but in a room as large as this,
it fits nicely. There’s a long bookshelf along the wall behind the desk with
family photos displayed on top of it. The side walls hold larger framed
pictures from what looks to be Skyline when it first opened. I walk over to
look at them. Meg looks so happy with her parents. I wonder if she’s
appreciative of the life she has had so far.

A
knock at the door snaps me out of my trance. Meg pokes her head in. “Hey. Want
some company?” she asks, not coming in.

“That
depends. Did your cousin send you in here to babysit me, too?”

“Nope.
He did call to tell me you’d be here, but that’s not why I came to check on
you. I come as a friend.” She walks all the way in and pushes the door closed
behind her using her foot. “With booze.” Meg holds up two tall glasses full of
a red drink.

“Those
are the best kind,” I smile at her.

“Agreed.
Come sit.” She motions to the leather sofa on the opposite side of the room.
“Sorry I had to put martinis in these ridiculous glasses. I would have never
made it all the way back here without spilling them, otherwise. Don’t tell Evan
I did that. He gets upset when a drink is in the wrong kind of glass.” We sit
on opposite ends of the sofa. For the first time all night, I slip my shoes
off.

“I
don’t really care what glass it’s in,” I tell her, sipping on the drink that
she handed me. “Not bad.”

She
smiles. “Evan’s a good teacher.” Meg pulls her long legs up on the sofa. “I’m
sorry they didn’t tell you about the races. Sometimes I wish
I
didn’t
know about them, if you want to know the truth. Sitting here waiting for Evan
to call to let me know it’s over is agonizing.”

“I’m
sure,” I say. I look down at my phone that I haven’t put down since hanging up
on Evan a little while ago.

“The
good thing is they are over in a few minutes. It’s the anticipation beforehand
that sucks.” She looks down at her phone I didn’t even realize she had with
her. “When Jake first asked Evan to race with him, I thought I was going to
have to murder one of my closest friends.” I’m actually shocked to hear that it
was Jake who got Evan into racing. I would have thought it was the other way
around. “Evan seemed so lost when he first came to Tampa, but racing made him
happy. It gave him something to look forward to and kept his mind off of Ethan.
You should have seen him while Danny and the guys were rebuilding his new car.
It was all he could talk about.” She laughs softly, thinking of her cousin. I
admire how close they are. “But I think he may be through with racing very
soon. He found something else that makes him happier than I’ve ever seen him
before.”

Looking
up from the hem of my dress that I had been fiddling with, I ask, “What’s
that?”

“It’s
actually more of a who than a what.” She smiles at me.

The
buzzing of my phone causes me to jump. I nod to Meg, answering the unspoken
question on her face, and she lets out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it
wasn’t as long as Joe made it sound it would be. “Are you okay?” I ask him
right away.

“That
depends…” Evan responds cautiously. “Am I allowed to come get you?”

“Yes,
please.”

“Then
I’m more than okay. Is Meg there?”

“She
is,” I say, meeting her gaze again. “Do you want to talk to her?”

“Just
for a second.” I lean over to hand her the phone.

“Hey…
You’re welcome, but I didn’t come to sit with her for you.” Meg rolls her eyes,
but grins. “See you soon.” She hands the phone back to me.

“How
long until you get here?” I ask.

“Ten
minutes, tops.”

“Be
careful,” I say and end the call.

“See.
It’s over and they’re fine.” Did she say that for me or for herself?

“Thanks
for waiting with me. You made it so much more tolerable.”

“No
problem.” We sit there silently for a bit, just appreciating the fact that we
aren’t alone at the moment. Meg speaks first. “I really hope things work out
between you and Evan. You both deserve to be happy for a change.”

“We
all deserve to be happy. Connor hasn’t tried to call you, has he?” I ask,
remembering the trouble he caused.

“No.”
She diverts her attention to setting her drink down on the table next to the
sofa. “He’s an asshole, but I really thought he loved me,” she says sadly.

“Sometimes
things happen for a reason, even if we don’t know what it is at first. You
shouldn’t settle for an asshole who pretends to love you when there’s a
gentleman out there who can’t wait to hold you.”

“Well,
he better hurry the hell up because I’m all out of patience,” she replies. Her
phone chimes with a text message. “Looks like I’m getting kicked out.” She
stands to leave. “Try not to be too hard on Evan.”

“I’ll
try, but I’m not making any promises,” I tease. Truthfully, I’m not even upset
with him anymore.

“Have
a good night. Maybe I’ll see you around this weekend,” Meg says as she exits
the office.

Relaxing
my head back and pulling my legs up on the sofa, my eyes close while I try to
chase away the thoughts of a horrible last twelve hours. From my mother’s
unwelcome visit, to dinner, to fighting with Evan. I just want it all to get
the hell out of my head and let me be. Why did I think that coming back to
Florida would be a good thing? I try to force myself to stop thinking and just
breathe. I sit there with my eyes closed until the door opens. If I was still
angry, I wouldn’t be anymore. Just seeing Evan standing there makes all the
events of today melt away into a distant memory. He’s wearing perfectly worn
jeans and a white, short-sleeved shirt. This is probably the most relaxed I’ve
seen him, aside from when he’s sleeping next to me. Why was I angry with him
again?

“On
a scale of one to ten, just how pissed are you?” Evan asks, carefully coming
over to sit down next to me.

“Five
thousand, four hundred sixty-three,” I mumble the first number that comes to
mind.

He
sighs. “I was going to tell you about the races, but I wasn’t sure why Jake
didn’t want you to know. I really am sorry. But I’m not sorry for what I did to
get you out of there. I will never apologize for making sure you’re safe. If
something happened to you there tonight…”

“Evan,”
I interrupt, “I’m not mad anymore.”

“You’re
not?”

I
shake my head. “No. And I might be sorry for being a little difficult. I know
you were just looking out for me.”

He
shows me his famous sexy smirk. “A
little
difficult? Sweetheart, I’ve
never met anyone as stubborn as you.”

“You
never will, either.”

“Probably
not.” He reaches over and runs the back of his fingers down my cheek. “I have
to meet Chris soon to pick up my money. Do you want to stay here or do you want
me to take you home first?” he asks, standing up. I guess he won.

“Why
can’t you take me with you?”

“Not
a good idea. Anyone from the race could be there. If any of them saw you get
out of Sean’s car, they’ll run right back to tell him you’re there.”

“It
was dark. No one will recognize me.”

He
raises his eyebrows. “Have you looked in the mirror? Trust me, they’ll notice.”

“I’m
never wearing this dress again.”

“Maybe
not never,” Evan suggests, holding out his hand to help me up to my feet.
“Maybe just not when you’re going to be around a shitload of guys. We are a
bunch of pigs, you know.”

“Yes,
I know,” I say, making him chuckle. “I don’t want to stay here by myself and I
really don’t want to go home.”

He
sighs, pulling his phone from his pocket, while wrapping one arm around my
waist and tucking me up against his chest. “You are really pushing it today,”
he whispers into my hair. I’m close enough that I hear someone answer on the
other end of the phone. “Yo, I need you to do me a favor,” Evan says. “I’ll be
around in a few minutes. Can you meet me out back?” Evan goes quiet, listening.
I’m just happy he’s holding me. “Cool. Thanks.” He kisses my head. “Let’s go.”
I’ll do whatever he wants, as long as it means he won’t leave me alone.