Rev (4 page)

I’d emailed my mom, letting her know I’d be taking some time. Then I’d texted Frank:

I’m not coming back. Don’t wait up. Don’t bother calling.

I’d forgotten to charge my phone overnight, so I just got the text through and stepped into a taxi when it died.

And that’s where the real adventure began. As the shocking events of last night and this morning played over and over in my mind, I got the feeling the cab ride was taking way too long. Before my phone had died, I’d thrown up the address on Google maps and saw it was under half-an-hour outside the Vegas Strip. Problem was, we’d been driving for 45 minutes. And we weren’t in traffic.

Of course, my complaint resulted in argument. All I heard from an angry stream of broken English was that I owed him $75 and I gave it to him, hoping against all hope to prevent further hostility.

Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. The enraged taxi driver refused to acknowledge that he’d been practicing that long and noble Vegas cab tradition of “long hauling.” Not only that, but once he had the cash in his grubby hands, the car came to a screeching stop and I was promptly kicked to the curb.

So, there I was. One unfortunate event after another had culminated in my very peculiar situation.  I stood there at the side of the road, powder-blue blouse tucked into my beige skirt, rocking the whole J. Crew look with a brightly colored wheeled suitcase at my side. Across the street was a bar with a sign that read “Cash Only.” And outside of that bar were about a dozen motorcycles and a couple mean looking guys smoking and transacting some kind of business that I’d bet wasn’t exactly legal.

I was out of place. I was lost. And my phone was dead.

Well, this is unexpected.

I didn’t seem to be having much luck of late. But I had to be somewhere near my Aunt Sylvia’s. Though, how close, I didn’t know, thanks to that dishonest Vegas area taxi driver.

Big surprise there.

I made my way towards the bar and got a couple puzzled looks from the men smoking outside. I had a feeling it wasn’t very often they saw someone dressed like me, walking into the bar with a suitcase in tow. I remembered my Aunt Sylvia’s address, so all I needed was someone to point me in the right direction and maybe let me make a call for a car.

The moment I pushed the door open, I was an object of curiosity. The bar was full of tough looking, gritty men; a massive tattooed bartender whose face was frozen in a grimace; and a scantily clad waitress with rough, furrowed skin that had baked for years in the Nevada sun. This wasn’t the Vegas Strip. My pastel, preppy getup stuck out like a sore thumb.

I scanned the room, reaching deep for the courage to approach someone and ask exactly where the hell I was. The bartender seemed like a logical starting place, so I made my way across the floor to the counter.

“You look lost.”

The voice came from behind me. It wasn’t what I expected. Not some raspy, gritty exhale from a biker who’d had too many drinks and smoked his lungs out. The voice was deep, smooth, and even comforting. I turned around, no idea who I’d encounter.

Holy shit!

My eyes traced up from his chest and shoulders and right into his bright blue eyes. His face was angular. The stark shadows cast by the low light of the bar enhanced the chiseled contours of his prominent cheekbones and strong jawline. His physique was equally impressive. A trim waistline, broad shoulders, and a sleek but clearly muscular build.

But right beside his obvious rugged appeal, there was something almost delicate in his features. It was a kind of boyish openness and vulnerability that came through in his grin and the gleam of his eyes. I had to admit it was alluring.

“If you need a ride or something, come with me. I wouldn’t stay here too long if I were you.”

Who does this guy think he is?

It took a moment for me to snap out of ogling the hot guy in front of me. But when I finally did, I was shocked by how brazen he was. I didn’t even know his name.

“The name’s Rev—well, Revon actually,” he said, as if reading my mind.

I stared back up at him. His dark hair was messy, shaggy, careless, and damn sexy. His jeans were worn and fit just right, not tight but snug against muscular thighs. And his black motorcycle jacket, with a reddish stripe running diagonally across it, was thrown casually over his shoulder.

I knew his type. Incredibly attractive, self-infatuated, and perpetually unemployed. These guys thought they were God’s gift to the world and assumed all they had to do was walk up to a woman and she’d go home with them—which most likely meant their parents’ house. I wasn’t falling for that. I didn’t have the patience or the time to deal with that kind of guy.

He scanned the room. “Come on, let’s go.”

And then his hand was on the small of my back, pulling me around and back the way I came. I swear there was something electrifying in the firm, warm touch of his fingers through my thin blouse. For a moment I started walking with him, following as he guided me from behind. But, like before, I finally snapped out of that as well.

“Who the hell do you think you are?!” I shouted, slapping his arm away. “Get away from me, you delinquent punk!”

He just smirked. His face was all one big sexy crooked smile that almost made me melt. A long, quiet moment passed between us, with me lost in his gorgeous, smoldering eyes.

Finally he shrugged and chuckled. “Kitten’s got claws.” He turned toward the exit, shaking his head. “Well, maybe you’ll be alright.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, watching him walk out. At least that was one last problem to deal with. Though I had to admit it. I didn’t entirely dislike being bothered by him. 

Stay focused, Winter.

I shook my head, mentally resetting, and walked up to the bar. Getting the bartenders attention was incredibly difficult, as he seemed to be purposefully ignoring me.

“Excuse me. Sir. I just need to know where I am. Could you, Sir… Could you tell me how to get to Desert Ranch Road?”

Despite my every effort, he stood in the opposite corner, polishing glassware and restacking bottles. The longer I stood there, the more I felt extremely uncomfortable. I was starting to get some creepy looks from drunk guys sitting on the other end of the counter.

“I can help you out,” a gritty voice whispered in my left ear. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

I felt coarse fingers slide up my right thigh and under the hem of my skirt. As I turned to get away, a hand grabbed hold of my ass. I heard a deep laugh, and another hand fell on top of my shoulder.

So I bolted. I grasped my suitcase so hard my knuckles turned white and burst out of the bar as fast as I could. I didn’t know where the hell I was going, just as far away from there as possible.

I hurriedly crossed the road, shaken and wary. The town, if you could even call it that, wasn’t exactly a bustling hub of activity. The street was empty, stretching into the vast and barren distance. Meanwhile, nightfall was limiting my options.

Just then, I heard a deafening and thunderous roar. The ground shook and an orange-red flash sped by. Up ahead, a brightly colored sports car came to a screeching halt, and then backed up until I was face to face with the driver-side window.

The window came slowly down, revealing the unforgettable grin of that arrogant, cocky hot guy from the bar.

“Last chance kitten,” was all he said as the trunk popped open.

Well, what the hell.

I threw my suitcase in the back and hitched a ride. Little did I know that it would be the craziest, most exciting, and altogether transformative ride of my life.

Chapter Four

Rev

She wasn’t my type. I knew that the moment I laid eyes on her at the bar. She was restrained, modest, and wearing some golf club housewife outfit that should have been an immediate turn-off.

But try telling that to my cock.

This girl was a short, curvy, brunette with a body made for sex. My eyes traced the delicious contours of her breasts and ass, and my jeans tightened right there and then. I had to have her.

And of course, when I turned the charm on, her claws came out. She was sassy, this one. “Delinquent punk” was what she called me. Somehow that smart-mouth went right along with that great ass and pair of tits. And, whether she realized it or not, her big brown bedroom eyes were a temptation all on their own.

She had a lot of spunk, strolling into a shit-hole like that—a favorite hangout for the worst elements of outer-Vegas society. And that’s saying a lot. Let’s just say these guys weren’t the most well-mannered type. And this girl just wandered in, looking lost and helpless, her boxy, rigid, preppy clothes failing miserably to conceal the exquisite swells of her little body.

So I knew she’d be running out of there pretty soon. Once those guys got all riled up and couldn’t stay away, that is.

But look whose talking…

Truth was, I couldn’t stay away either. It’s why I sped by her, resolved to keep going and not get involved with something that wasn’t worth the effort. But she
was
worth the effort. That first look at her curvy little body made my cock twitch and blood rush from head.

I wasn’t thinking when I backed the car up to give her a ride. I didn’t really care. She was one hot little firecracker. And she was coming with me.

“No funny business,” she warned as she took a seat.

I grinned. “Well, look whose already making demands. You’re lucky I stopped, you know. There’s jack shit around here except more drunk, lecherous dirt-bags who hang out in bars like that.”

She shook her head and frowned. “Well, what does that make you then?”

“A diamond in the rough.”

She smiled, but it was short-lived, and her pretty face settled back into self-restraint. “Yeah, right.” She looked into the distance, thinking something over. “Well, I just need a ride to my Aunt Sylvia’s. Try anything else and I’ll call the cops so fast it’ll make your head spin.”

“Jeesh!” I held my hands up in surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” My right hand went over my chest. “Cross my heart.”

She raised her eyebrows incredulously and crossed her arms. Her small features tensed and her button nose scrunched as she again thought something over.

For some reason, as much as I wanted to get in her skirt, I wanted to get in her head as well. She was making me curious. I hadn’t felt this interested in a girl in a very long time.

“Oh,” I started again. “By the way, if your cell was working, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have gone waltzing into that bar. But, no worries, you can trust me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah. I’m sure.”

“Happy to assist,” I continued. “Of course, there’s one small qualification. We’ll be heading into Vegas first because I’m on the way to my brother’s fight, and I’m running late.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Ugh. Alright. Once we get to Vegas, I’ll get a car service or try my luck with a cab again.”

I grinned. “Vegas cab give you the run-around on the scenic route?”

“You have no idea.”

“Well, all I’m saying is you should stick around for the fight. Swear I’ll get you safe and sound to your Aunt’s the moment it ends.”

“We’ll see,” she murmured.

“Challenge accepted.” I revved the car and got ready to peel out onto the highway. “By the way, you know my name…”

“Oh, right.” She extended a delicate hand. “Winter. Winter Calloway.”

“Revon Gryffin, but call me Rev.” I shook her slender, soft hand and couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel wrapped around the base of my cock. “Well, Winter, I would buckle up if I were you.”

I popped the clutch into first and shifted up quickly as the engine screamed. We were cruising through the desert at a hundred in no time. I shifted to sixth and lowered my rpms to reduce the engine noise.

“Winter Calloway…” I began, trying to strike up conversation. “You’re obviously not from around here”—I scanned her outfit out of the corner of my eye— “so, what’s your story?”

She tugged the hem of her skirt down towards her knees. My eyes darted from the road to her thighs as she smoothed the fabric.

Finally, she responded. “I flew in from New York for my bachelorette party.”

Disappointment rushed through me as I sank into my seat.

“But things didn’t go so well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Not really though…

“Looks like the wedding’s off,” she said in a flat tone that didn’t betray how she felt about it.

My curiosity got the better of me. “Why? What happened?”

She glared at me. “None of your business, that’s what.”

She’s cute when she’s angry.

“Whoa…hey come on. Just asking. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Her head rested in her palm as she propped her elbow up against the door. She was clearly distraught, but I doubt I’d get much else out of her. She certainly wasn’t shy, but she was as reserved as they came. And that just piqued my curiosity even more. I hadn’t been this interested in a girl in a long time.