Vicious Circles (25 page)

He didn’t leave a message. They were on the way.

I found Owen again, standing near the bar, draining a glass of some kind of liquor. I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the floor.

“Come on, darling,” he wheedled when I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Aren’t you tired of dancing yet?” I smashed my breasts into his chest and yanked his head down so I could capture his lips. His hands tightened on my hips as he returned the kiss and a wave of nausea rol ed through my stomach.

“Very nice,” he said as he pul ed back, a little breathless. “Very nice.”

“It gets better,” I said as I rubbed my body over his. “Just wait.”

“Don’t know how much longer I can wait,” he said as he kissed his way up my neck.

I shifted him so I could watch the door and before long, Craig entered with a smal group. Including Morgan.

It was show time.

Now I just had to get her to notice us without him noticing her. Craig had promised to help in that department, too, though I worried he’d be a bit too obvious.

The staircase to the upper level rooms was located next to the hal to the bathrooms. The bar ran perpendicular to it so I had a tiny window of opportunity that I could get him to the stairs without him seeing Morgan. I had a feeling that once I got him halfway up the stairs that if he saw her, he wouldn’t much care - as long as he thought he was going to score. Knowing him and his big ego, he’d probably figure that he could just charm his way back into her good graces. And I prayed Morgan wasn’t that stupid.

I wrapped a leg around his thigh and he gasped. I grinned at him as he ran a hand over the smooth stockings up toward my hip. I kissed him again. “I real y want you, Owen,” I muttered, my mouth so close to his.

Beaming, he dropped my leg. “Are you ready to go upstairs?”

“Yes,” I said as I stood on my toes to kiss his neck. I glanced at Craig over Owen’s shoulder and he nodded. I laced my fingers with Owen’s and smiled seductively as I walked backwards toward the stairs. My eyes never left Owen’s and I had to put al my trust in Craig, hoping like hel he would get Morgan to notice us. I couldn’t take a chance at looking that way or she’d know it was al a ruse.

I shook my hair away from my face as I approached the stairs, giving Morgan a clear, unobstructed view of who I was. I wrapped Owen’s arms around my waist and mounted the steps as he kissed my neck. I repressed a shudder and hoped fervently that Morgan was watching.

Once we reached the landing, Owen took charge and steered me into a room. He flipped a switch then adjusted the light to make it dimmer. He shut and locked the door and crossed his arms over his chest as I inspected the room. It was bare except for a bed and a nightstand with a digital clock. The blankets were black and the pil owcases silk. I rol ed my eyes.

“Very romantic,” I said dryly.

“It serves its purpose,” he said as his eyes fol owed me. “Want me to cal down for a bottle of champagne? A dozen roses? Or do you just want to get down to business?”

I plastered a seductive smile on my lips and lowered my lids. I sauntered toward him, watching as his face lit up in anticipation. He reached for me as I drew near and pul ed me flush with his body.

“I’ve been waiting for this since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

“Is that so?” I purred as I trailed my hands up his chest and connected them behind his head. “Do you know what I’ve wanted to do since the first time I met you?”

“What?” he asked in a throaty voice. He smirked knowingly and it only fueled my contempt.

I reared back and spit in his face.

He shoved me away with one hand while his other frantical y wiped away my saliva.

A low growl erupted from his throat and I took a cautious step back – al the while smiling triumphantly at him.

“You bitch,” he said, his eyes narrowed. “You dick teasing bitch.”

“Yeah, maybe so, but you need to keep your slimy hands off my friend,” I said.

He inched toward me, dangerous glint in his eyes. “So, Bailey couldn’t stand that Morgan had someone interested in her, huh?” I snorted. “You weren’t interested in her – you used her to piss us off, didn’t you? You flaunted her in front of us knowing we’d be worried after what you did to Tori.”

He barked out a mirthless laugh. “Yeah, whatever. Tori was nothing but a clingy, sniveling little girl. She thought from the get go that we’d be together forever.” I lifted a brow. “Isn’t that what you told her to get her to sleep with you?”

“I don’t need to lie to get women in my bed,” he said.

I lifted a shoulder. “Oh, so you just use drugs and alcohol, huh?” He pushed his sneering face into mine. “Whatever works, sweetheart.”

“You disgust me,” I said, not backing away. “You’re nothing but filth.”

“And you’re nothing but trash,” he said. “Pure trash. I was glad when you and Spencer split. He deserves far better than you.”

“You were pretty anxious to get me in your bed,” I said.

His eyes scanned my body. “I’m not picky. I don’t care how trashy as long as it looks good. Hel , I can throw two condoms on to protect myself.” I ignored his jib –

he was lashing out in an effort to save face. I did the best I could not to let his words penetrate.

“Do they make them that smal , I wonder?” I said. Immature, but I couldn’t resist.

“Want to see?” he asked as he stepped closer.

“Not particularly.”

“Let’s skip past the childish name cal ing, shal we, and get to what’s real y going on here,” he said. “You got me up here, now what do you intend to do? Spit in my face again?”

“No,” I chortled. “I’l leave you here to your own devices.” I attempted to move past him but he grabbed my arm and hauled me back. “I don’t think so. Listen, bitch, you got me up here for a reason, tel me what it was. Unless you do want to go at it? Spencer’s a great guy and al but I bet he’s not much in the sack.” I smacked him as hard as I could and reveled when his head fel to the side with the blow. He recovered and grasped my shoulders, shoving me roughly into the wal . His face leered in mine and his eyes took on a crazy glint.

“Don’t ever touch me again, you bitch,” he said, saliva spraying in my face. He yanked me to his chest and slammed me back again. “Do you hear me?”

“Get off me you son of a bitch,” I said as I planted my hands on his chest and heaved.

He laughed eerily and caught me way off guard. “I know your little secret, Bailey.

Morgan told me.” I froze, my heart stopping in my chest. “What secret?”

“You want Col in now, huh? Already lured him in your bed, didn’t you?” He took advantage of my shock to prowl closer to me. “Get real, sweetheart – he’l sleep with you, sure, and maybe keep you around for awhile, but you’re not the sort of girl he takes home to Mama. You don’t have enough class. You’re the type of girl a guy likes to have on the side – the one you don’t take out in public but keep in the bedroom. You’re the type that would embarrass a man.” He grinned. “You’re not the type of girl a man fal s in love with – especial y good guys like Col in Newton.”

“And you’re ful of shit,” I said, my heart ready to explode. I tried to remind myself that they were just words, nothing else. But they were the same words that had run around my head over and over. Maybe I was just kidding myself.

“What a worthless piece of trash you are, Bailey. You can’t even finish what you start! You drag me up here and don’t even fol ow through,” he taunted. “You are so worthless, you can’t even be a lousy whore.”

“Go to hel ,” I said as I shook off his words and lifted my chin.

He grabbed my right arm and squeezed tight enough to draw tears to my eyes.

“You put a lot of effort into getting me up here now you’re going to fol ow through.” I narrowed my eyes and made a fist with my left hand. “No way in hel .” I swung and connected weakly with his chin.

He laughed in my face and backhanded me, drawing even more tears but riling up my anger. I wrested my arm out of his grip and pushed him away from me.

“Don’t ever think of hitting me again,” I warned.

Chuckling, he seized me by the shoulders to swing me away from the door. “Why?

You going to beat me up?”

“I can take you,” I said in a nonchalant tone, although my insides were quivering.

This is what Col in and Spencer and the others had tried to warn me about, but I wasn’t going to back down. I wasn’t going to let him think that just because I was female that he was in control of the situation.

His laughter bounced off the wal s. “I should kick your skanky ass now and put you in your place. It would serve you right.”

“Bring it, then,” I hissed. “Like I said, I can take you.” He lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking down hard. I punched him with as much strength as I could muster with my right hand and was satisfied when warm blood dripped over my knuckles. He let me go immediately.

“Son of a bitch!” he shouted as his hands cupped his nose. “Shit!”

“Get out of my way,” I said, my chest heaving. “I’m out of here.” He straightened, one hand stil covering his nose, and blocked the doorway. “You’re going to pay for that.”

“Like hel ,” I said as I charged him and rammed my knee into his groin. He dropped to his knees and I shoved him aside. I disengaged the lock, gasping for air to chase away the sob climbing my throat, and ripped the door open.

I stepped into the hal and heard my name.

“Bailey!” It was Irelyn. I flew to her and buried my head in the crook of her neck as her comforting arms wrapped around me. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“Where the hel is he?” Col in asked as he tried to disengage me from Irelyn. She twisted her body away and tightened her hold. I lifted my eyes to Col in’s.

“Get that no good filthy tramp out of my club!” Owen ordered as he leaned in the doorway, gripping the frame for support. “Al of you get the hel out of here and don’t come back. And keep your sil y little friend, Morgan away from me too!” Col in crossed the hal in two huge steps and fisted Owen’s shirt. He shoved him into the wal , red hot anger contorting his handsome face.

“What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do a damn thing to her,” Owen said as he attempted to push Col in away.

“Look what the bitch did to me!”

“Dude,” Lucas said as he grabbed Col in’s arm. “Come on. We got Bailey, let’s just go.” Spencer took Col in’s other arm and they managed to wrestle him off of Owen.

Irelyn wrapped an arm around my shoulder and guided me down the stairs. I searched frantical y for Morgan or Craig and didn’t see either of them anywhere. I wondered where they’d gone until Irelyn pushed me out the door and toward the parking lot.

“She’s supposed to be my friend!” I heard Morgan shout.

“That’s why she did this,” Tori’s low voice answered.

I wiggled out of Irelyn’s embrace and trotted toward Morgan. “Morg,” I pleaded.

“Please, listen.”

“No,” Morgan said, shaking her head. “I’m through with you. I’m through with al of you!”

“Morgan,” Spencer said as he attempted to take her arm. She shook him off and stepped toward Craig and his group.

“If Owen was such a monster, why didn’t any of you try to just tel me?” she asked, tears streaking down her cheeks

“We did,” I claimed. “Holy hel , Morg, you wouldn’t answer any of our cal s!”

“Did you sleep with him, too?” Morgan asked, her eyes rimmed in red. “Did you?”

“No, of course not,” Irelyn said, a hint of pride in her voice. “She kicked his ass. For you.”

“Whatever,” Morgan snorted, dropping her eyes to the ground. “I…I just want to go home.” She spun on her heel and marched toward a minivan.

“Morg,” I cal ed but she just picked up the pace. “Damn.”

“I’l make sure she gets home and I’l cal you, okay?” Craig said softly. I nodded. “Are you al right?”

“Yeah, just fine,” I said, my voice breaking. A stupid tear trickled down my cheek but I wiped it away quickly. Irelyn put her arm around my shoulders again. “Thanks, Craig.”

“No problem. I’l see you around.”

“Who is that?” Col in asked as he came up beside me.

“My dog park buddy,” I said, shivering.

“Oh,” he muttered. We watched as the van carrying Morgan pul ed out of the parking lot and drove away into the dark. With a sigh, Col in stepped in front of me.

His sad eyes searched my face desperately and my stomach clenched. I just knew he was going to carry through with his threat.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Spence,” he said, helplessly as if in a world of pain. “Spence, man.” Spencer clapped him on the back and gave him a half-hearted grin. “Dude, it’s cool, so long as you love her.” Col in gazed at his friend, an echo of a smile flitting across his lips. “I do, man, I swear.” My confused heart didn’t know what to think as I watched the two of them. Spencer winked at me and left Col in’s side to take Tori by the hand and lead her to his car.

“Take her home with you, Col in,” Irelyn said as she kissed my cheek. “We’l go let Otis out tonight then you can go get him in the morning.” She kissed Col in’s cheek and dragged Lucas after Spencer.

“Bailey,” Col in said as he stepped closer. He cupped my chin and wiped the pesky tears from my face. “Come here.” He pul ed me into an embrace and kissed my hair. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and let the tears flow just so I could get it out of my system – thinking my tear ducts were like a radiator and needed a good flushing once in awhile.

“Come on,” I muttered. “Life would be rather boring then, wouldn’t it?” He edged me back to shake his head at me. “I’l take boring.” He leaned in and kissed me tenderly. “Let’s go back to my place, okay? And get some sleep.” I nodded and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him. “I need to take my car, though. I’m not leaving it here. Owen wil probably either tear it up or have it towed.”

“I’l fol ow you,” Col in said as he opened my car door. He lifted my chin and kissed me again. “Drive safe.” My heart teetered as I started my car and hopped on the highway. I rewound back to what Spencer had said before he'd left: It’s cool, so long as you love her.

And didn’t Col in say he did? Did he mean me?