Serenity (13 page)

Brock ran his hands down her arms pulling her toward his car. As soon as Brock turned his back, Ren turned around to wave Jolin off. She needed him to let her go. She’d told him to stay away and he hadn’t listened. It was stupid of her to think she could have a slice of happy.

“It’s late Brock. I’ve been at work. I stink.” Ren tried to rattle off reasons why she didn’t want this tonight.

“I need a party.” He took her bag and opened the passenger door. “Get in, it’s freezing out here.”

“Where are we going?” They’d been going to a small beach down by the river but now the weather made that impossible.

“A party downtown, and then we’ll wait and see where we end up.”

“Brock,” she whined.

He held a finger to her lips. “Don’t. Climb in back and change out of that ratty outfit. I have clothes hanging in the back.”

Ren rolled her eyes. The fact Brock had clothes for her was irritating. Quill must have gotten them. It was even more irritating when she crawled over the seats to find an outfit she’d been looking for last week. “Asshole,” she muttered.

“Hurry up.” Brock pulled down the rearview mirror and adjusted it so he could watch her undress.

She dug through a small bag sitting behind his seat. A long sleeve shirt wasn’t in the bag. She pulled the clothes off the hangers and pulled the layers apart. “Where’s the blouse that goes under this?”

“What’s there is there.” He settled back for a show she was doing everything in her power to not give him.

“I need sleeves.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sat in the back.

“Get fucking dressed,” Brock hissed. Turning around, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her toward him. “Get dressed.”

Ren pulled her ankle free and scooted toward the back of his bronco. She sifted through the clothes and decided she could wear the undershirt from work under the corset and tuck the collar down into her bra. When she finally changed from her school clothes to her clubbing clothes, she crawled back into the passenger seat. Before she got completely situated Brock had his hand running up her exposed thigh. Ren twisted out of his reach and pulled at her skirt. “Let’s go.”

Brock reached into the center console and pulled out a joint and a lighter. Ren grabbed it out of his hand and lit up, pulling the rich smoke deep into her lungs. Means to an end, she told herself. Only a few more months and she’d be free.

Ren was very mellow when they reached The Warehouse. Brock didn’t smoke. He was afraid the coach would do random drug testing so he usually stuck to alcohol. He pulled a fifth out from under his seat and chugged a few gulps before stashing it again. He popped a Mento in his mouth and climbed out of the car. Coming around to her door, he grabbed Ren’s hand and dragged her into the party.

It only took Brock a few beers and some dirty dancing before he decided he’d had enough.

“I want to go.” Brock turned into Ren. He brought his lips close to hers and repeated his words. “Let’s get out of here.”

Brock gave her a sly grin, took her hand and led her out of the warehouse and into the parking lot. Her ears rang from the loud music and the cold air hit her like tiny knives, she shivered.

“I have some blankets in back. We’ll keep each other warm.” He winked.

Ren climbed in his Bronco and ran a finger down the window wishing she was in Jolin’s car. Anywhere but here.

“So Lisa wasn’t putting out tonight huh?” Ren shut down her pity party and tried to get a handle on what Brock was looking for.

“She doesn’t know what she wants.” He glanced in Ren’s direction and shrugged. “Don’t really want to do anything that attaches her permanently to me, but you know the game. Until I hook up with Elizabeth she has the connections to get me where I need to be.”

Ren always found their time together interesting. Brock played the roll of the popular jock to a T. But he knew it was all a game. A means to an end he said. Ren used the same saying to help her justify their activity.

Brock turned and climbed into the backseat. Pushing and pulling some levers, he lowered the seat so the back opened into a flat area. Brock’s big body twisted and turned while he placed blankets and pillows along the edges.

His head peaked between the seats. “C’mon babe.” His hand ran down Ren’s shoulder. She slid her boots off, turned and climbed over the console. The lights of the parking lot gave the back of the Bronco a grey glow. He pulled her into his side and covered them in a warm blanket. He sighed and ran his hand up and down her arms. “You still smell like coffee.” He buried his nose in her hair, kissing her temple, his lips brushed the lump along her hair line.

Ren shifted so she could straddle his hips.

Brock cupped her face, then trailed his fingers down and along her collar bone.

His Mento breath filled her nostrils as she unbuttoned his shirt, kissing his chest and running her nails lightly over his hard abs. He scooted down and arranged himself at an angle, giving her easier access. She trailed her finger along the waistline of his jeans before reaching to unbutton them. Brock grabbed her hands and pulled her up. Running his fingers through her hair, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. She took his lower lip in her teeth and tugged. Brock groaned and undid the belt at her waist, tossing it to the side, then pulled her shirt out of her skirt. Sliding his hands up her sides he ran a thumb over her breast. She pulled away and began her downward decent again.

“No babe, not yet.” Brock grabbed her thighs and pulled her into him, adjusting her until she could feel him hard between her legs.

“What do you want?” Ren shifted, and he let out a hiss.

“Move.” He pulled her hips forward, then back, rubbing her against his already hard cock.

His eyes squinted closed and a pained expression came over him. “God I want to be inside you.”

Ren stopped abruptly. That wasn’t their deal.

Brock’s eyes snapped opened. “Don’t worry, babe. Not tonight.” He smiled, but it wasn’t very reassuring.

Ren pulled herself back together and moved off his lap. Undoing his pants, she did what he said she did best. She took control while taking his away.

She’d already climbed to the front seat and was attempting to tuck her shirt in when Brock settled in next to her. “Do you need food?”

“I’m good.” She lifted her hips off the seat and pulled her belt around.

“I’ll give you extra for food. It’s too late to go to the store.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“I said I was good.” Her voice was strained from her awkward position.

“And I said I’d give you extra.”

She lowered herself to the seat and looked at him. She couldn’t figure him out.

“So Ty wants to rent you.” He turned the lights on and drove onto the road.

“What?”

“Ty wants to rent you for the night. There’s a party at Allesia’s Friday. I figured you could do him there.”

“If he wants to take me to a party why doesn’t he just ask me?” Ren pulled her bag from the back then put her seatbelt on.

“He doesn’t want to take you to a party. He wants you to suck him off and the party is a convenient location.” Brock stared absently at the road.

Ren checked her watch. 2:00 a.m. She hoped mom and boyfriend had passed out already. “I don’t want to.”

He didn’t answer.

“What are you making in this deal?” She ran her fingers threw her hair, then pulled a mirror out of her bag to check her make-up.

“Your cut is bigger.” He turned down her street.

“How noble of you.” Ren didn’t want to ask, but she had to. “How much?”

“Depends on what you agree to.” Brock pulled along the curb and stopped the truck.

“What did
you
agree to?”

“Blow job. He wanted more, but I said no.”

“Why don’t you ask one of the tarts you hang with?”

“They don’t put out. What makes you think they’d go down on a guy?”

Ren laughed. “You’re an idiot if you think Jolin wasn’t getting some.”

“So he confided in you when you were on your knees.” Brock smiled at her.

“You’re an ass.” Ren pulled the strap of her bag over her head.

“Are you in?” He reached over and grabbed her shirt, pulling her to him. “It’s a night of free beer and one hundred bucks.” She kept her gaze on his, not letting her hard shell break. He reached into the console and grabbed a roll of bills. Then pulled her mouth to his while pressing the money into her hand. “Get some food. I don’t want to fuck a skeleton.”

His words filled her veins with ice. She just needed a few more months and she could leave. Ren climbed out of Brock’s car and stood on the curb until he drove away.

Jolin

Friday, October 18

11:30 p.m.

Ren was heading for Jolin’s car when Brock appeared out of no where.

“What the fuck?”

Brock ran his hands down Ren’s arms pulling her toward his Bronco. Jolin wiped the window again hoping somehow Quill’s form was distorted by condensation but it wasn’t. In a split second Ren turned her head to look at him. Her look told him everything.

Leave her alone.

“Shit.” Brock was completely taking over his life.

Jolin pulled out his phone and sent a text to Akeo.

Where’s the party?

Who wants to know?
His text back was almost immediate.

Jolin smiled then typed in,
A dude.

Akeo texted him the address to a warehouse downtown. Not that far from the coffee shop. Jolin either needed to talk to Akeo or track down Quill. He wanted to know what the deal was with Ren and Brock. There is no way Brock would threaten his rise to stardom by hanging out with Ren. Something major was up.

Jolin got to the warehouse by midnight. He sent a text off letting his mom know he was out with Akeo then headed inside. The music was pumping and a haze of smoke distorted the overhead lighting. He’d never been to one of the makeshift clubs put on by the college kids. His group had their own exclusive parties. With Elizabeth on his arm, he hadn’t needed to look elsewhere for companionship.

Jolin stood by the make-shift bar and looked for Akeo’s black hair, towering over the rest of the crowd.

“Hey dude you need something to drink?” A voice behind him said. Why was everyone calling him dude?

He turned and found a guy dressed like a male version of Ren standing behind a piece of plywood held up with wood boxes. “What are you offering?” Jolin leaned in and yelled.

“Beer.”

“Then I’ll take a b-b-beer.”

“Twenty bucks for a blue cup and unlimited refills or a buck a cup for the red.” He held up two different colored Solo cups.

Jolin pulled his wallet out and handed him a buck. He wasn’t sure how long he was staying.

The beer was semi warm and left a bad after taste but what do you expect at a glorified kegger?

He texted Akeo to meet him at the bar. Three beers later Akeo finally showed up.

“Dude!” he yelled and wrapped his arms around Jolin. “Slumming with the big boys.”

Jolin pushed him back and tried to regain his manhood. “K-K-Ke lay off.”

Akeo wasn’t a drinker so any of his crazy behavior could only be chalked up to his
I don’t give a fuck personality.

“I need to t-t-talk to you.” Jolin leaned in and yelled into Akeo’s ear. The music pumped through his bones. The dance floor was full of kids dressed as circus performers. Ren’s outfits were tame compared to these people. Maybe Mr. Carson needed to check out the length of their arms.

“What about? You’re drinking?” Akeo asked.

Jolin looked down at his cup then held it up to take a drink, answering Akeo’s question.

“You driving?” And there was Jolin’s father disguised as Akeo.

“Not if I’m d-d-drinking.”

“So you’re going to need a ride then?” Akeo asked.

This was not the conversation Jolin was looking to have with him. He grabbed Akeo’s arm and pulled him to a corner of the room. “Look I need you to t-t-tell me what you meant by Brock and Ren. He p-p-picked her up after work,” Jolin yelled.

Akeo closed his eyes and ran his hands over his head. “Let it go Jo. Leave it alone. You can’t win this one.”

“I d-d-don’t want to win anything. She isn’t some p-p-prize. I just don’t want Brock around her.”

Akeo shook his head. He wasn’t going to elaborate.

“What the fuck, Ke. Jesus. Where’s Quill? Is he here?”

Jolin turned to leave but Akeo grabbed his arm and pulled him back so his mouth was uncomfortably close to his ear. “She’s here.”

Jolin spun around and didn’t have to search.She glowed as she walked through the crowd. She was wearing a skirt that was way too short. It had a train of ruffles that flowed down her ass. A thin draping of lace flowed across the front keeping it from being completely inappropriate. He almost swallowed his tongue when his eyes traveled from her drop dead legs up to the top she had cinched tight across her abs. This was the sexiest he’d seen her. But his stomach felt sick when he saw who was pulling her through to the dance floor.

Brock.

Jolin turned on Akeo and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “They come here?”

Akeo shook his head. “Just started a few weeks ago. No one from the crowd ever shows up here. He can do whatever he wants and can keep it on the down low.”

“What is it they d-d-do?” He was afraid to ask.

“Grab your beer and come with me.” Akeo jerked his head away from where Ren and Brock were dancing. Jolin threw two bucks at the bartender and followed Akeo toward a set of stairs. He downed one, and then the other before they even reached the top, then headed to the bar on the second floor to get two more. He couldn’t watch this sober.

Akeo settled them in at a table, nodding at the people already sitting around it. Jolin scooted his chair close to the rail so he would watch the scene going on below. He poured thenext beer down. He was well on his way to spending the evening by a toilet.

“Jo. Slow down. I’ll drive you home, but I’m not defending your honor when you do something stupid.” Akeo grabbed his arm before the cup could hit his lips.

He didn’t have a clue what he was in for, but he was pretty sure he needed to be drunk to witness it. Akeo let go of his wrist and Jolin gulped down more beer. He did a quick look around to see if there was any way he could get another without losing his view.