Rev (17 page)

“Oh, I’ll find him,” Mayhem answered. “Look, Roman’s probably getting a little paranoid after an attempted coup. He’s consolidating power is all, and it’s doubtful he’ll make another move soon. We shouldn’t jump the gun.”

“I still don’t think it’s premature to act now,” I noted. “If anything, no one’s expecting it.”

Mayhem shook his head. “I’m going to put out some feelers, see if anyone from the service has heard anything about my guy. We don’t make a move until he gets here. He’ll have a better idea of what to do.”

“Yeah, and what’s this miracle worker’s name?” I asked, dubious.

“Dean. Dean Hunter.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Winter

“I think it’s time I get back to real life,” I said.

“And why is this not real?” asked my Aunt Sylvia. “Why is this not ‘real life.’”

I sat outside the vegetarian deli eyeing the sludgy vegan dish in front of me with suspicion. Aunt Sylvia had ordered for me, and while she heartily downed her meal, I was thrown off by the texture. It was hard to imagine she was my Aunt. She was so adventurous, openly embracing new experiences without a trace of inhibition.

Meanwhile, it took a long and arduous process of internal discussion before I did almost anything. I used to think I was just a little over-analytical. But maybe I wasn’t meant for a bold and fearless life. Maybe there was an intrinsic, profound distinction at play. Maybe the difference between my mother and Aunt Sylvia was no greater than difference between Revon Gryffin and me.

“All I had here was him,” I noted, shoveling my food around with my fork. “And it’s pretty clear now that was never meant to happen.”

Aunt Sylvia shook her head. “That’s nonsense.” She finished her food and dropped a twenty on the table, standing up to collect her belongings. “I may seem like a disciple of the school of mumbo jumbo to you, but even I firmly believe life is what you make of it. If there’s something irreconcilable between you two, if you just don’t fit together, I get it. That’s one thing. But if you let circumstance and happenstance dictate your life without even trying, then you have only yourselves to blame.”

“You’re heading back to the store?” I asked as she slung her pocketbook over her shoulder.

“Sorry, I have to run.” She stepped around the table and leaned in for a quick hug. “For the record, Winter, there’s no ‘real life,’ as you put it. There are experiences and then the identity and relationships we built through them. It’s the same whether you’re up in the tallest skyscraper in New York or in a small shack out in the middle of the desert.”

“That doesn’t really solve my problem,” I pointed out.

“Oh, it’s never that easy, Winter. If I had the easy answer, I wouldn’t still be searching.”

As my Aunt walked off, my thoughts turned to home. Even though I’d never been particularly close to any of the girls who’d come to my bachelorette party, I had the sudden hankering to call them. I was curious. I was lonely. So, as the waitress came outside to collect the check, I took out my cell phone and dialed.

The week I’d spent with Rev while living at my Aunt’s started like a whirlwind and ended just as suddenly. I felt like I’d been deposited far away in a place I didn’t recognize. It was time to stumble back to the life I used to know.

“Winter, is that you? Can’t believe I’m hearing from you.” The voice on the phone wasn’t so much excited to hear from me as intrigued.

“Yeah. I’ve just been taking some time. You know, after what happened.”

“Oh my God, you’ve missed so much!” Juliet began. “Remember Lisa from that Corporate Finance Theory class? She was the one who tried to get at Frank—oh you know she didn’t know you two were a thing—at that first year reunion, you know who I’m talking about?”

“Oh, right.” I had no idea.

“She just got engaged to one of Frank’s associates. Oh, you know, they’re both partner track, so we’re all so excited for her.”

“I’ll bet.” It was so difficult to find any of that interesting when all I could think about was Rev pinning my hands over my head and roaming my body, marking me with his every touch.

“Oh, and you should see the country club they just joined!” Juliet all but shrieked into the phone. “Oh my God, Winter, it’s that one with the beautiful stables over the Hudson River. And of course their parents are longstanding members, so they got in like that.” I heard the snap of her fingers over the line as she emphasized her point. “Oh, and Frank misses you, by the way,” she added.

Yeah right.

“If he misses me so much, Juliet, then why hasn’t he come back here?” I asked, my tone laced with exasperation. “He knows my Aunt lives outside of Vegas, he’s probably already reached out to my mother. He knows exactly where I am and yet, even after all that’s happened, not a single call.”

“Oh, well,” Juliet said, searching for the right words, “Frank Wilson is a busy man. I’m sure he’s just swamped starting up at the new job, which by the way—“ her voice lowered to a whisper as if we were sharing some great secret and avoiding being overheard—“pays so, so well. Winter, you should really give him a call.”

“I might be heading home soon anyway,” I admitted, then immediately regretted saying. I could see Frank getting word and gloating, the expression on his face almost nauseating.

“Oh, so good to hear!” Juliet said with affected enthusiasm. “And what have you been up to for an entire week anyway?”

Racing down the wide-open road, my heart pounding, and the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen working me up to unimaginable levels of excitement… his rough hands running over my nipples as he lays me down on the backseat of his car, his rigid manhood pressing into me as he whispers into my ear what he’s going to do to me… His kiss: intense, brutal, devouring… His cock: rigid, throbbing, too big… Screaming as he pounds into me, arching my back to meet his thrusts…Writhing on his pulsing shaft, his brilliant blue eyes peering into me as he grasps my hair, pulling my head back…Trembling as my legs grow wider, taking all he has to give as our bodies tense together…

“Just visiting my Aunt,” I said.

“Right, right. Well, I’ll see you soon Winter.”

The call clicked off.

I had to leave. The longer I stayed here, the more I thought about him. And he was all I had here. I didn’t want to go back East, but I knew I should.

I texted Rev one last time:

I’m leaving on the red-eye tonight. I understand. Sometimes it just isn’t meant to be.

Chapter Twenty-Two

REV

“Fuck!” Mayhem shouted, missing the lowest number ball on his shot. “Damn I had that!”

“Tough shit, big bro.” I said, taking a swig of my shitty beer. “It’s probably all those muscles getting in your way. Limits mobility.”

Mayhem scowled, his arms crossed, biceps ripping his shirt sleeves. “Yeah, let’s take this outside and see who’s faster.”

I shook my head. “Obviously me.”

“Dipshits, are you going to play or what?” Ink asked. “I’ve got winner, and I’m not waiting around all fucking night.”

I lined up for my shot. Eight ball. Then the Nine. All I had to do was get some solid english on that ball, spin it right back into position…

Fuck… I missed the angle by a mile. Figures. I had other things on my mind.

Like her. When I taste her, I can’t help but groan as my dick gets harder… The way she bites the edge of her lip when I slip my fingers into her… Her breasts bouncing, her head tilted back, as she rides on my cock… The sounds of her moans and the silky smoothness of her skin under my fingertips as I plunge deep inside her, my balls clenching, letting go…

“Ha…another easy win,” Mayhem gloated. He easily knocked in the eight and the nine.

“Ah… Shit.” I said.

“That’s two beers, Rev,” Mayhem reminded me. “One for Julian and one for me. Oh, and make them both drafts.”

“Eh, screw you Cage.”

“Yeah, yeah. Listen, Rev, getting serious for a minute here: I think you should come work for the business.”

I was taken aback. “What?”

Mayhem leaned his cue stick against the wall and walked over to where I stood. He put his hand on my shoulder. “You can do a lot more to influence Gryffin Transportation from the inside than from the outside, especially after what happened.”

I shrugged. “I don’t exactly think we’re on the same page here.”

Mayhem turned his head, his eyes dropping downwards. “Dad’s not doing too well, Rev. He’s been out of the office more and more. I’m picking up more and more of the slack.”

“So what does that have to do with me?”

“I’m looking into the link between dad and Roman Carmichael. Though I’m not prepared to stop transitioning into the trucking business, I’m prepared to do anything it takes to get justice for Uncle Norman and your crew. We need to be a family now, Rev. We’re brothers, first and foremost.”

“So, you’re asking me to hold off on taking caring of this myself?” I clarified.

“You
can’t
sort this whole mess out yourself, Revon,” Ink threw in. “It’s imperative we stick together. Or one of us will be next.”

Mayhem chugged down the rest of his beer, pointing to it as a reminder that he’d be expecting another one. “I’m thinking you could work in maintenance and security for Gryffin Transportation, learn the ropes, and then head up the division.”

“That’s ironic,” I quipped.

Mayhem shrugged. “I’m assuming you have some special insights into transportation security by now. Let’s make positive use of them.”

“I’ll think about it.” I handed my pool cue to Ink.

Ink began chalking up while Mayhem racked another table. Another night out at a crap hole bar. It felt almost like things were back to normal.

Except they weren’t.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Winter. I’d never been with a girl like that and never would again. Just the sheer bliss of her breathy sighs and lusty moans drove me close to rapture. My heart beat faster thinking about the way her eyes closed, her lips parted, and she quivered against me as she came.

I’d never been inside a girl who felt that good. She fit all of me inside her, warm, velvety, and tight. It’s like we were made to fit together, our bodies clutching, grasping, and grinding out wave after wave of pleasure. We were meant for one another.

“Have you reached out to Winter yet?” Ink asked, as if on cue. “You two didn’t leave on the best terms after the funeral.”

“Yeah, that’s over now,” I said, a little too nonchalantly.

“Seems like a pretty flippant way to end your first real relationship, don’t you think?” Ink questioned, his eyes focused and his expression urgent.

“I know, I know…” I searched for words. “With everything going on, this wasn’t the right place for her. She doesn’t belong here.” I leaned against the wall, thoughts of Winter flooding my mind, trying to convince myself. But for the millionth time, I couldn’t.

Because she does belong here. With me.

“You obviously care about this girl,” Mayhem pointed out. His words were surprisingly gentle and his expression was tender and wistful. I almost didn’t recognize him. He went from killing machine to gentle giant.

He walked up to me and his eyes narrowed, fixed on something not quite there. For a moment he stood absorbed by some distant thought. Finally, when he spoke, I heard a tinge of sadness in his husky voice.

“Take it from me,” he counseled. “I’ve been there, made mistakes. You find a girl like that, you don’t let her go.”

I tried to imagine what led him to say something like that. I wondered who could possibly have gotten through to a tough-as-nails guy like Cage. Something or someone was buried with permanent depth in his past. It was a part of him as much as anything else.

I didn’t have time to wonder about his past though. I had my own future to worry about.

“I’m sure you two can wait on those beers a little longer,” I said, practically sprinting out the door.

Cellphone in hand, I did some digging and found out when and where she’d be. The car roared as I revved the engine. I’d barely make it, but I had to. I had one chance, and text just wasn’t going to cut it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Winter

“Boarding Gate 3”

The speaker blared and I pulled up my suitcase behind me. I hesitated one last time before handing over my ticket.

What’s done is done.

I don’t know what I was expecting. My father never came back. Frank never came back. And now Rev.

So far my relationships had been a series of failures. I couldn’t help but see a pattern, as if the universe were telling me I wasn’t enough of a fully developed human being to sustain anything meaningful in my life.