Risk (Gentry Boys #2) (12 page)

“I was thinking that you look happy here,” I finally said. 

“I was,” she sighed.  “That picture was taken on my seventeenth birthday, before all hell broke loose.” 

Carefully I set the picture back on the dresser.  “How did it break loose?”

She didn’t answer.  She pulled her knees up to her chest and clammed up.  She’d mentioned before that she didn’t see her family so whatever had happened had been bad.  There was pain written on her face.  It hurt me to see it there. 

Truly saw me watching.  “
Now
what are you thinking?”

I wasn’t sure I should tell her.  “I was trying to imagine how I would feel if I were all alone, without Cord and Chase.”  I cleared my throat.  “I can’t.”

That made her smile a little.  “You love them, your brothers.” 

“Of course.” 

Truly nodded.  “I love my sisters too.  I think Mia and Carrie forgive me but I don’t know about Aggie.  It’s a little more complicated with her.”

I touched her knee.  “Forgive you for what, honey?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head.  “It’s not important right now.  I’m just sitting here feeling sorry for myself when I shouldn’t be.  There’s some regrets that you just can’t do anything about, you know?  But that damn well doesn’t stop them from haunting you from time to time.” 

She rested her head atop her knees, her black hair spilling around her. I touched her cheek and swallowed.  

“I chose Chase.” 

Those words came out of nowhere.  I hadn’t planned on saying them.  I’d just been thinking about what she said.  Haunting regrets. 

Truly looked at me strangely.  “What?”

I exhaled raggedly and walked over to turn off the light.  This could only be told in darkness. 

“My father was one sick fuck.  He knew how much us boys loved each other and he used it against us.  I’d broken a school window with a rock and they were demanding that my father pay for it.  Of course that sent him into a tirade.  But, instead of beating the shit out of me he grabbed Cord and Chase and told me to pick which one was gonna get the beating.  I wouldn’t do it, not at first, but then he said he’d hurt both of them and it would be even worse than if I’d chosen.  Cord had been sick with pneumonia a few weeks earlier and he still wasn’t right.  So I picked Chase.” 

It was the most I’d said in a while to anyone. It was terrible and it was all true. 

I could barely see Truly in the darkness.  It seemed like she might have stopped breathing.  Then her arms went around me and we fell back on the bed together.  We didn’t have sex again, not then anyway.  We just kissed and touched and remained silent together.  After she fell asleep in my arms my chest began to hurt.

Why now?  Why fucking now??  

It had to be one goddamn sick universe that decided to bring us together just when everything might be lost. 

Truly

Creed Gentry was more of a puzzle than I’d imagined.  He could be gruff, standoffish, on an endless and unapologetic quest to satisfy his own needs.  And then he would change direction so completely I wondered how I could have ever misjudged him. 

More than anything, he was honest in a way that I couldn’t bring myself to be.

The sun was barely over the horizon when I woke up.  I’d never been very good about sleeping in. It came from being the oldest, the one who had to get breakfast made and people dressed for the day when the only parent in the home couldn’t get out of bed. 

Creed was sound asleep.  I covered him with my handmade quilt and ran a hand lightly along his cheek, feeling the rough bristle of an unshaven day.  Looking at him, he took up so much of the bed that I marveled over the fact that I’d somehow been able to fit there too.

I pulled on a pair of capris and a fitted green top before closing the door softly behind me.  Dolly was waiting on the other side with an accusatory look on her face.  I sat down on the floor to show her some affection for a few minutes. 

“You’re still my best girl,” I said, cuddling her in my arms.

After a quick shower I towel dried my hair and checked on Creed.  He was still asleep, snoring lightly. 

Stephanie’s door was closed so she must have returned at some point.  I didn’t need to worry about being quiet for her sake though.  That girl couldn’t be roused by a fire alarm.   She rarely appeared before ten am and then usually bolted straight off to class. 

I felt like cooking.  Bustling around the kitchen always made me feel useful and happy.  But as I began hunting down the ingredients for a cheese omelet my mind kept going back to what Creed had said in the darkness. 

He’d known terrible things.  I’d known terrible things too but they were different.  Sometimes they were things I’d brought about myself. 

While I’d never known Creed’s horrors, the only vaguely good memories I had of my mother were back when we were little.  Later on, time wore away too much of her to leave anything resembling love and kindness behind. 

I started cracking eggs and angrily dismissed thoughts of Laura Lee.  Had I done what I’d done because she was a crappy, selfish excuse for a mother?  Or was it simply a base weakness I carried around inside of me? At any rate it hadn’t taken much for her to turn her back on me.  Dear lord if I was ever lucky enough to have a daughter…

The egg I was holding fell out of my hand and broke on the floor.  Mechanically, I reached down to pick it up.   I carried the whole mess to the sink and washed my hands clean. 

When I shut off the water the stillness got to me.  Sometimes I turned on some music in the morning.  When I’d asked Creed about singing he’d seemed embarrassed.  I didn’t tell him that I used to sing too.  A kindly neighbor had taken an interest in four neglected girls and spirited us off to church every Sunday.  It was a beautiful place filled with people who smiled a lot. I had learned some of their songs.  Standing there in my own kitchen, I began singing one of them.  The music got me moving again and I returned to making cheese omelets.  I wanted them to be ready when Creed woke up. 

I was nearing the end of
‘Down to the River to Pray’
when I realized Creed was standing in the doorway watching me. 

“Don’t stop,” he whispered when I paused. 

He leaned against the door frame, completely naked, with a look of pure serenity on his face as I resumed singing.  When I finished he broke into a brilliant smile.  God help me, if I hadn’t been a goner before, then I surely became one right there. 

“Well,” I said, “now you’ve heard me but I haven’t heard you.” 

“You will.  What are you making?”

“Cheese omelets.  Sound good?”

“Yeah.  You got any coffee?”

“I do.  You got any clothes?”

He glanced down at himself with some surprise. “Somewhere,” he said as if he didn’t understand why it mattered. 

“Check out the floor,” I told him and flipped an omelet. 

I started some coffee while he retreated.  I hoped he was dressing.  I didn’t exactly mind looking at the splendid creation that was his body, but Stephanie might be a little put out.

Creed emerged with his pants on but his chest still bare.  He poured himself a cup of coffee and drank it black.  Then he stood directly behind me while I tried to concentrate on finishing the omelets. 

“This is an effort,” he said. 

I didn’t turn around.  “What?”

His hands were suddenly on me, running over my hips, up to my breasts and between my legs as he kissed the back of my neck. I nearly dissolved like sugar in water. 

“It’s an effort not to tackle you and rip all this sexy shit off your body.”  

I turned around and cheerfully pushed a plate into his chest.  “Breakfast is ready.” 

Creed grumbled but shuffled off to the table.  He waited until I sat down too before he picked up a fork and started to eat.  “Damn, this is good.”

I was pleased.  “I’m glad you like it.” 

He stared at me.  I felt something on the inside of my left thigh and realized he’d slipped his hand down there.  “What time you got to be at work?”

“I don’t.  It’s my day off.” 

“No shit?  Mine too.” 

I bit my lip.  “You want to do something?”

Both his hands started stroking my thighs.  “All right.” 

I poked his shoulder.  “Sometimes people do things other than fornicate.” 

Creed took his hands away and picked up his coffee.  “So what do you want to do, Truly Lee?”

“Why’d you stop?  I didn’t say
I
wanted to do something other than fornicate.”

He spat out his coffee, laughing loudly. 

Stephanie’s door flung open and she burst through it in a wild rush. 

“Oh,” she grumbled, glowering at Creed.  “It’s just you.” 

She wore a shapeless gray t-shirt and a pair of ancient cutoff jeans she always liked to sleep in. 

“Sorry if we woke you up,” I said, surprised because usually nothing woke her.  She had dark circles under her eyes so perhaps she wasn’t sleeping well.  “You want to join us?”

“Just tell your ogre to keep it down.”  She moved into the kitchen and sniffed. 

I pointed to the stove.  “I made an extra omelet.  It’s yours if you want it.”

That seemed to brighten her mood.  She grabbed a plate and went to transfer the omelet from the frying pan onto the plate. Unfortunately, her aim was sloppy and it wound up on the floor.  Stephanie shrugged and grabbed it anyway. 

“Thanks,” she yawned, carrying to the plate to her bedroom.  She slammed the door behind her. 

“What the hell,” Creed muttered.   

I shook my head.  “Exactly.” 

Creedence could be quite the gentleman.  He gathered up the dishes and washed them carefully while I finished my coffee.   He even washed Stephanie’s plate after she tossed it in there before disappearing into the shower. 

“I should change,” I frowned, looking down at my shirt.  It had a halter-style strap and was a tight fit around my breasts. 

“Why?” he asked as he pulled his own shirt on. 

“A lady should make some overtures to decency.”  His expression seemed a little blank and I rolled my eyes.  “My tits are practically poppin’ out, Creedence.” 

Creed stood in front of me and grabbed a handful of my right breast.  “Honey, you couldn’t hide all this if you tried.”  He smiled.  “So don’t try.”

I let him talk me into coming back to his apartment to wait while he showered and changed.  I didn’t see the boys’ truck or Saylor’s car parked outside and the place was quiet.  Creed told me I could hang out in the living room if I wanted to.  I felt a little uncomfortable as I sat on the couch and listened to the shower starting down the hall. 

Chase Gentry walked into the living room rubbing his eyes.  I figured I should be grateful that he was at least wearing underwear. 

“Hi,” he said when he saw me. 

“Hello Chase.  How are you?” 

He sat down next to me. 
Right
next to me.  Our shoulders touched.  He put his elbows on his knees and frowned at the wall.  Chase was every bit as tough, strong and categorically sexy as his brothers.  But there was something else about him too.  Saylor had often talked about how smart he was but he also had a vulnerable, childish quality that made you want to take care of him.

“I’m hungry as shit,” he said, turning to me.  “Fucking Cord.  Ate the rest of my cereal.” 

I rose from the couch and went to the kitchen.  I wasn’t sure what I’d find there.  I knew Saylor didn’t cook and I doubted the Gentry boys even knew how to boil water. 

“Want me to make you something?” I asked. 

Chase stared at me.  “You’d do that?” 

“Sure.  If there’s anything here I can use.”  I started scanning the fridge.  It held a nearly empty carton of milk, an avocado, a stick of butter, three slices of American cheese and a package of baloney. I took the butter, cheese, and baloney out before shutting the door.  I was pleased to find a new loaf of bread on the counter and a griddle shoved underneath the sink. 

Chase sauntered over to the table and stared at me while I started to heat some butter on the griddle. 

“Is Saylor around?” I asked. 

“Nope.  She had some writers’ group thing to go to this morning.  And Cord’s at work already.” 

I removed three slices of baloney from the package and dropped them on the hot griddle.  They sizzled and immediately sent out a heavenly aroma.  After a few minutes I flipped them with a fork.  As they were browning I laid out the bread, topped with cheese slices.  When the baloney was done I put the whole thing together and melted it on the griddle for a minute before setting it on a paper plate. 

Chase stared at the food I put in front of him.  “This is nice of you,” he said.  He said it as if he was surprised. 

“I can be nice when I want to be.” 

Chase snorted.  “Yeah, you’d have to be nearly a saint to put up with that sour gorilla who’s washing his ass off down the hall.” 

“He’s not so bad,” I smiled. 

Chase took a bite of his sandwich.  He looked at me carefully while he chewed.  There was nothing lewd about it though.  It was a serious appraisal of the girl his brother had started spending a lot of time with.

“You’ve got one too,” I said, pointing to the words inked on his chest.  Chase, however, decided to abandon his manners.  He looked pointedly down at his crotch and smiled broadly. 

“I’ve got the
best
one, Miss Truly.  This is a fucking awesome sandwich by the way.”

“I’m glad. By the way, my roommate Stephanie knows who you are.  You guys share a class.”

Chase looked interested.  “Is that so?  Tell her to come say hi sometime.  I’m pretty friendly.”

“Yeah, but she isn’t.”   I tried to imagine Stephanie Bransky and Chasyn Gentry having a conversation.  I didn’t think the occasion would go smoothly.

Chase continued to eat his sandwich.   He stared down at himself again and I wondered if he was going to say something else crude.  He lightly touched a pink line of scar tissue running down the middle of his abdomen.  I knew he’d suffered some internal injuries when he’d been jumped in a cowardly attack several months earlier.  He had needed surgery.   The scar marred the look of his otherwise perfectly tanned and muscled chest.

“It’ll fade,” I said quietly.  “They always do.” 

He glanced up at me.  He seemed sad.  I remembered the strange look he’d given me in the stadium after I caught him completing some furtive deal.  The Gentry boys were all more complicated than they seemed. 

Chase clenched his fist and stared darkly at the table.  “You have scars, Truly?”

I hesitated.  “Only one.”

He smiled faintly.  “Show me.”

“Hell no. Finish your breakfast.”

Creed walked into the kitchen.  He was dressed, smelled strongly of soap and looked so damn hot my knees buckled.  He scowled when he saw Chase sitting there in his underwear but apparently decided it wasn’t worth hollering about. 

Chase stretched and grinned as Creed sidled next to me. 

“Truly can cook,” Chase said cheerfully.  “You should keep her.” 

I blushed and looked quickly at Creed.  He had a funny look on his face. 

“I’ll try,” he said softly and then nodded to Chase.  “Don’t you have class or something?”

“No.  I have no class.  And neither do you.  Are you guys going somewhere now?”

“I don’t know.”  I nudged Creed.  “Are we?”

“We could take a drive to the mountains,” said Chase. 

Creed hissed and glared at him.  “Who the hell invited you?” 

“Truly did.”

I raised my eyebrows.  “I did?”

“Sure.  Didn’t anyone explain to you how extraordinarily intelligent I am?  I picked up on your sensory cues.”