Logan flew to Texas? I just saw him earlier today.
Oh. s.h.i.t.
"Reagan!" I shout into the phone. I"m now going into full on freak-the-h.e.l.l-out mode. "Pull yourself together and tell me what the f.u.c.k happened!"
I hear his laughter start to taper off as he gasps for air. "Sorry...sorry. It"s just, I can"t believe it and thinking about it again hit me all at once. I couldn"t control myself."
Letting out a loud sigh, I grab my phone and climb out of the hot tub. Wrapping a towel around my body, I pad across the stone patio and plop down on an outdoor lounger. "Well now that you"re all good, can you tell me what the h.e.l.l Logan was doing at the beach house and why the h.e.l.l you"re laughing about it?"
"I guess you had a little run in with Logan today and spilled the beans about moving. So that a.s.shole decided he was going to try and win Savannah back. He flew to Houston, then with a rental car drove to the beach house where he surprised Savannah. As we can imagine, she was pretty freaking p.i.s.sed to find him on her doorstep."
"That"s putting it lightly. I can picture steam pouring out of her ears when she realized it was that cheating piece of s.h.i.t at her door. Seriously, Reagan! We just packed up all of our belongings to move to Galveston to get away from that douchebag and his never ending attempts to get back with her. Now he has the audacity to fly out there and hara.s.s her. I"m surprised Kayden didn"t beat his a.s.s."
I cannot believe this. What in the world would possess that man to fly down there? I don"t understand why he can"t just move the h.e.l.l on. He is seriously mental. Logan cheats on Savannah for years but still thinks that there"s a chance for them to work things out. If he is smart, he"ll get his a.s.s back on a plane and fly back to Los Angeles; he doesn"t know who he"s dealing with. Kayden Knox is 6"3" and solid muscle. Not to mention he"s from the South. Those country boys can whoop some a.s.s. I"ve seen enough over the years with traveling to know pretty boy, Logan, is signing a death wish if he tries to go up against Kayden.
Reagan"s voice breaks me out of my thoughts, "Lucky for Logan, Kayden wasn"t there yet. And, believe me, I thought the same exact thing. Logan has lost his d.a.m.n mind. But that"s not even the best part. He groveled at Savannah"s feet, begging her to come back to L.A. Even after she repeatedly told him no, and she"s starting fresh in Galveston. He continued to try and promise her the world if she"d give him another chance. I guess he spewed some s.h.i.t at her about Kayden and she snapped...and I mean...Snapped."
Oh no. Savannah is a firecracker. She looks tiny, adorable and innocent. But p.i.s.s her off and she goes all Southern on your a.s.s!
"Oh my G.o.d. Please tell me my best friend isn"t in need of someone to bail her out." I ask Reagan nervously.
Laughing, Reagan tells me, "No. Not that I know of. But I"m surprised she isn"t being charged with a.s.sault. She busted Logan"s nose pretty good. I was freaking out when I saw online he was spotted at George Bush International. I thought maybe she had a lapse in judgment and took his sorry a.s.s back. Thank G.o.d that was far from the truth."
Oh. My. G.o.d! I am dying here. Now I"m the one laughing hysterically. She finally gave the King of Douchebags exactly what he deserved. Except, if it was me, I would"ve kept on going. To h.e.l.l with stopping at one punch. I would"ve made sure his baby makers were officially out of business by the time I was through with him.
Taking deep breaths, I calm myself down as I press my hand over my abdomen to try and ease the cramp in my side from laughing so hard.
"She isn"t p.i.s.sed at me is she?" I ask between breaths. "Since you know I"m the reason he knew where to find her."
"No. She knows he would have come sooner rather than later with her and Kayden all over the news. You know Hollywood. They love a hot new couple and will talk about it until we"re all sick of hearing it."
I talk to Reagan for a few more minutes before saying goodbye and heading inside to get dressed and order a pizza. Then find a comfy spot on the couch in our family room so I can call Savannah and get the full scoop with how she"s holding up. I know Kayden was supposed to be back from a business trip to Miami. Thankfully he wasn"t there yet, because I don"t doubt she"d be bailing his a.s.s out of jail for beating Logan to a pulp.
I cannot wait to hear her play by play of what went down today. Pulling up my contacts, I push on Savannah"s number and impatiently wait for her to answer. I"m just about to hang up when she finally answers.
"h.e.l.lo?" She whispers into the phone.
"Hey, Biotch!! Or should I say Rocky-freaking-Balboa!" I shout into the phone at her with laughter in my voice. Forget whispering! I"m bursting with too much energy to whisper. I"m too excited to hear about her finally putting Logan in his place.
I hear Savannah sigh into the phone and what sounds like a door shut. "Let me guess, you talked to Reagan? Let"s not forget you are the cause for my extremely hurt hand!"
What the h.e.l.l! I know I had that coming...but still!
"Wow! Hey, now girlfriend...don"t go blaming that s.h.i.t on me. That was all Logan. I didn"t make his a.s.s jump on a plane. Anyways! He was bound to find out."
"Yes, he would"ve found out soon enough. But seriously, Brooklyn! He shows up the day Kayden is flying back into town!" Savannah shouts at me in a loud whisper. It"s very evident that she"s a tad p.i.s.sed off at the moment. But she"ll get over it. She always does. Plus this is a hilarious story we can reflect back on for years to come. "I came all the way to Galveston to escape the drama back in L.A., but just my luck, the freakin" drama follows me here!"
I can"t help but find it all a little funny. I don"t bother trying to hide the amus.e.m.e.nt in my voice with all of this, "I still can"t get over the fact that you punched him! It"s about freaking time; if it had been me, I would"ve nailed him in the b.a.l.l.s."
"Believe me, the thought crossed my mind. I"m not usually a violent person, but Logan brings out the worst in me."
Oh my gosh...I am literally going to die from laughing so hard tonight!
"d.a.m.n it, I wish someone would"ve recorded it. That is something I definitely wanted to see!" I would so watch it with a big a.s.s bowl of popcorn!
Savannah is quiet for a moment when I hear her let out another sigh of frustration before continuing, "I wish the whole thing never happened. I know this is going to come back to bite me in the a.s.s. You know how Logan has been lately. This is just one more thing to sell to the press."
I understand she"s p.i.s.sed about it all now. But I know once she has a few days to think on it she"ll be like me. Amused by the whole thing. Because, seriously...it"s Logan! He"s a douchebag who"s had it coming.
It"s infuriating to me that she"s beating herself up over him and what happened today. I let out a loud groan because I"m frustrated that she is upset and we"re so far apart that I can"t be there for her.
"Oh, I bet he will, but I think a lot of people will get a kick out of seeing photos of Logan with a busted nose." I let out a small giggle to try and relax her. I feel helpless but have to do what I can for my bestie.
I hear her voice perk up, "Yeah, I would enjoy seeing his not so perfect face everywhere for a change, sporting two black eyes. He"s going to have a heart attack; I would bet my car he will try to cover it up with makeup." Her laughter is like music to my ears. I knew I"d wear her down.
Now we"re both giggling fools together. "Oh. My. G.o.d! I know; he is such a pretty boy! Speaking of gracing covers of magazines, Miss. Thing, how was the shoot and interview for Envy?"
Savannah goes quiet and leaves me sitting here hanging. Seriously? What the h.e.l.l is she doing? Other than Kayden. I can"t help but laugh at that one.
Man I am hilarious!.
"Savannah! h.e.l.lo, earth to Savannah!" I shout into the phone as I try to remind her I"m sitting here on the other end of the d.a.m.n phone.
She is like a d.a.m.n squirrel sometimes.
Finally, she answers me, "Oh sorry, I heard the TV turn on, Kayden must"ve woken up. Anyway the shoot went great; we lucked out weather wise. So we did a lot of photos down by the water. They wanted to get pictures of Kayden and me for the article, to you know, officially announce us as a couple. He was still in Miami though, so Eloise said she would use pictures from the Envy party."
Bouncing with excitement, I squeal into the phone. "Oooh yes, the infamous dip and kiss picture! That was so freakin" hot Savannah. Kayden Knox kissing you in front of the world and breaking a million hearts while doing it! I swear I could hear the broken hearts echoing from city to city." We can"t stop laughing now.
"Oh, don"t I know it. I"m awaiting the endless death threats now that I have stolen the heart of the world"s most Eligible Bachelor. I have to pinch myself; I still cannot believe Kayden Knox is sitting in my living room. Just a few months ago I was meeting him for the first time at Envy, a nervous stuttering mess, and now he"s f.u.c.king my brains out every chance he gets!"
"d.a.m.n girl, I would do anything to be you right now! Is it as big as everyone says?" I can just imagine Savannah rolling her eyes at my boldness. I don"t hold back! I need to know if everything is truly bigger in Texas.
I hear Savannah let out a small gasp. G.o.d, she is so dramatic. She should know me well enough by now to just expect this s.h.i.t to fly out of my mouth.
"Brooklyn! I cannot believe you just asked me that!"
"What?! You should know me by now; I need the dirty details Savannah! Plus I had the worst lay of my life last night...I swear that man couldn"t find my G-spot if I drew the idiot a freakin" map!" I seriously need a good lay. I"m still b.u.mming over that last hook-up.
"All right, if you must know, he is as big as they say and then some." She whispers into the phone.
What is with all the d.a.m.n whispering!?
Oh yay! I knew it! "I knew it! You lucky b.i.t.c.h. Does he have any brothers? I need to go cowboy hunting when I get there tomorrow, I"m in need of a good f.u.c.k."
Savannah says with amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice, "You are awful Brooklyn Bennett! And no, no brothers...but we can definitely go cowboy hunting and find you a cowboy to ride."
Oh h.e.l.l yeah, baby! Mama needs her a fine a.s.s cowboy!
"Hot d.a.m.n girly, I am going to hop on a red eye right now! Oh, speaking of Knox and his Texas size d.i.c.k, did you ride him until his junk fell off? I know if I had to go four days without that man candy, I would be jumping his bones the moment he walked through the door."
I can already picture my best friend blushing about a hundred shades of red right now. She"s adorable.
I hear her exhale slowly into the phone before answering me, "Yes...we pretty much christened the entire beach house today."
Go Savannah! But also ewww! I have to live there too. Who am I kidding, I"ve had s.e.x on every inch of our Hollywood Hills home. Nothing like a hot a.s.s kitchen f.u.c.k to start your morning off right.
"Oh, my G.o.d! You dirty little hoe! You better be sanitizing that f.u.c.king house before I get there! One more thing, don"t get sidetracked having wild animal s.e.x with Knox and forget about me tomorrow, I expect you to be at the airport to pick me up when my flight lands."
"For your information, Kayden has to work tomorrow, so don"t worry...I won"t be getting sidetracked by wild s.e.x with Kayden. Once you land, we can go grab lunch somewhere and maybe do a little retail therapy, help me forget about this whole Logan drama."
"Oooh shopping sounds fan-freaking-tastic! I need some country chic clothes; I want to get myself some hot a.s.s cowgirl boots!"
I hate saying goodbye, but know it won"t be long and I"ll be with her in Texas for some much needed bestie time to talk about the whole Logan thing in person. I hear the pizza delivery guy buzzing at the front gate. I toss my phone onto the coffee table and jump to my feet running to the front door to buzz him in.
I am really missing Savannah"s cooking. Thank the Lord for takeout or my a.s.s would starve. But thanks to this pizza, I"ll have to hit the gym extra hard this week.
That"s another thing, now we need to find a new gym for kickboxing. It"s my new obsession and the reason I"m kicking a.s.s as a stunt double right now. I can feel it. This job is going to help me get the break I"ve been praying for!
odors a.s.sault my nose, pressed against the frigid concrete. The smell lingers and a warning flashes in my brain, cautioning me not to turn over. Refusing to listen, I regret the movement immediately as pain slices through my limp body. The hairs on my arms are smoldering then matting to my skin before my eyes. My mind blank, I try to make sense of the sight, barely registering my surroundings. A gust of wind blows by, and the chattering of my teeth echoes off the brick wall in front of me.
Sweat drips off my forehead as rage seeps from my pores. Vague images of black-masked forms start playing on repeat in my head as I try not to think about the unbearable agony slithering up my side. Dragging my limp arm across my chest, I attempt to hold my throbbing ribcage, to lessen the pain.
Viscid warmth covers my fingers as I find the wound there. Wincing, I gather all the strength I have left and apply pressure in an effort to keep from bleeding out. The pain dulls when I don"t breathe so I hold my breath, grunting with each gasp that escapes my lips. I"m lightheaded, and my weak neck can barely hold my head up.
I close my eyes and silently pray that I"m not dying. I can feel the flesh of my face redden with color as the pain of my wounds blazes more fiercely than anything I"ve ever endured. I wonder if this is even real. As much as I hate admitting I"ve hallucinated before, nothing has ever seemed quite this vivid.
This isn"t a dream; it is indeed a nightmare, though I"m not sleeping.
Was I shot? Doused in acid?
The realization of my f.u.c.king reality cuts me deep. Stabbed, beaten, burned into unconsciousness, and left to rot in a puddle of mud and my own despair.
An ache races like a fever across my skin as sudden stinging attacks me, jarring my senses. Moving my bloodied hand, I inch it up toward my cheek. As if my face were made of breakable porcelain, I graze lightly over my skin, afraid that with even the faintest touch, I will crumble. I moan, licking my lips to ease their dryness, tasting a foul, metallic-tinged substance. I"ve been cut there, too.
Sliced.
From the corner of my mouth, I trace the wide path carved in my skin upward to my eye, ending right beside the brow. The open flesh burns under my touch, and in this moment, as I lie helpless, my mind freezes. My body weakens, drained of life, of hope, and I wish that they had killed me.
Death has to be better than this.
Death has to be better than fighting to live.
Chapter One.
Niko.
"Jarod!" I bark into the receiver of my phone, paging my a.s.sistant and then hit end abruptly. Clenching my jaw, I lean back in my black leather chair and inhale deeply then exhale very slowly. It"s something I learned from watching self-improvement videos online. Sometimes it helps, but most of the time it doesn"t do anything but make me feel like a f.u.c.king idiot.
My eyes burn from staring at the computer screen in the room"s dim lighting. It"s been two minutes and Jarod still hasn"t returned my page. I seethe as my rage and agitation grow. Running my hand through my hair, I exhale and allow the anger trapped inside to leave my body before I loosen the knot of the blue tie that"s like a noose around my neck and I tug the silk away. I"m thankful that my day is coming to an end. Running an empire is no joke, and the day"s tension builds in my temples.
I reach into the bottom drawer of my cherry-stained desk and pull out a bottle of aged bourbon. Pouring an ample amount into a short gla.s.s, I raise the rim to my nose. As I inhale the aroma, the stout yet refined smell pleases my senses. Taking a swig, I swish the liquid around, and allow my taste buds to savor the liquor before I swallow. The alcohol is not meant to cure my anger. It is merely meant to dilute the real desire that lurks within me. My longing to get laid is like a nagging alarm clock in my body. I can tell when it"s going to go off and rings loudly in my ears.
As the seconds pa.s.s, I grow more annoyed at Jarod"s unanswered page. I pour another drink. Tipping back the second gla.s.s, the faint sound of a creaking door alerts me that someone is coming. Finally. The beast within me ignites and begs to be let loose, but I stow the growlingthe urges that prowl within me are powerless as long as I stay in control. My eyes dart from the screen sitting in front of me as I sharply whip my head to the door. Glaring into the dimly lit room, I"m greeted with the silhouette of a body.
"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" Jarod asks from the door"s threshold, appearing unbothered by my agitated state.
As irritated as I am at Jarod for taking his sweet time, I"m more irritated at myself. I know what my body longs for, what I"m craving in this very moment, and I know the only way to make these feelings disappear is for me to give in to them. Being locked up like an animal has put a giant kink in my normally eccentric s.e.xual tendencies, but I"ve found other ways to lure women into my home and my bed. I open my mouth to speak, a calmness seeps out of my parted lips. "Please invite a guest for dinner." A devilish grin spreads across my face.
Jarod nods his head and raises his hand to grip the side of the wooden door. I watch as he silently takes a step backward into the hallway and prepares to shut me alone in the obscurity once again.
"Wait." My voice sounds stern, demanding, and unyielding. c.o.c.king his neck to the side, Jarod halts. "I want someone new, younger, brunette, and innocent. Make it fast too. I"ve been stressed and need to unwind."
I watch as his Adam"s apple moves up and down as he swallows and gestures okay with a bob of his head, and then he turns to shut the door. He"s probably thinking too hard about my request if I had to guess. I"ve never asked for a brunette before. That"s usually his type of woman.
end.