Elect(38)

“Don’t fight it,” I mumbled across her lips. “For once, just stop thinking, and don’t fight it, Trace. It’s just you and me. There is no mafia, nobody’s out to kill us, and we aren’t putting on a show. We’re making out, behind a tree, at college, like normal college students do.” I gripped her hands and helped her wrap her arms around my neck and I pushed her a bit harder against the tree. The feel of her body pressed against mine almost made me pass out. I groaned as she began playing with my hair and then her tongue was in my mouth.

In my mouth.

Her hands. In my hair.

Her body against mine.

We broke apart. Her eyes weren’t condemning, she didn’t freak out. Instead, they softened as she laughed. “That was a damn good speech.”

Grinning, I pulled her into my embrace and kissed her forehead. “And people say I’m all action, no talk.”

“Um, no.” Trace laughed against my chest. “People say you get too much action. There’s a difference, Chase.”

“Details.” I sighed and kissed her forehead again. It was like I couldn’t stop myself. It felt so real, so right.

“Thanks,” she sighed. “For saying all those things, for being so… great. I swear I’m probably the last person you want to have to be with for all of this.”

My smile faded. “What do you mean?”

“Admit it.” She punched me in the arm. “I’m going to kill your game for the rest of the year if people think we’re together.”

I tripped as I backed away from her. Was she shitting me? She thought I was seriously just saying those things to say them?

“No wonder girls fall all over themselves for you, Chase Winter. You kiss like a god and you make girls forget you’re a player.”

Shit. Well played, Trace. Well played. There went that damn friend-zone shield she was so fond of.

“Class?” She gripped my hand first this time.

“Um, sure, yeah. Let’s go to class.” And pray I didn’t pass out from exhaustion and lust before we got there.





Chapter Twenty-three


Nixon


I was still reeling from my encounter with Trace and Mrs. Butterworth that morning. Damn, I’d never look at syrup the same again.

Unfortunate that Tex would probably never let me live it down, either. The bastard. I walked across campus to the Space and unlocked the door to the warehouse.

Blood was caked on Phoenix’s face from our last meeting. You’d think his expression would be less smug, but if anything it got worse. I pulled up a chair and sighed.

“So…” I popped my knuckles. “Sleep well?”

“Like a baby.”

“You ready to talk yet?”

“No.”

“Thought so.” My knees cracked as I got to my feet and slowly walked away from Phoenix. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my knife. The light from the one window caught the edge of it, making it shimmer in the otherwise dark room. “What is your life worth to you?”

“Nothing. Either way I’m dead.”

I nodded. “What if I tell you I’ll put you into hiding? I’d do it, you know. Not because I’m particularly fond of you, but because I need to know what the hell is going on and you seem to be the only one stupid enough to rat people out to save your own damn hide.”

“True.” Phoenix smirked. “But this is bigger than you, Nixon. It’s bigger than us.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I slammed the knife down onto the table.

“It’s not even about us. It’s about them; it’s about him and what he did. Shit, you don’t even know what I know. Believe me, if you did, you wouldn’t trust Chase as far as you could throw him.”

“Chase?” I shook my head. “What the hell does Chase have to do with anything?”

“He has everything to do with it. Every damn thing goes back to your family. The Abandonatos. How many people do you think… died to protect the secret? Hmm? Your father took it to his grave; your mother, bless her heart, never got a chance to tell you the truth; and now the one person who knows…”—he chuckled and winked—“won’t tell a soul.”

“How do I know what you’re saying is even true? And why the hell would someone be stupid enough to tell you?”

“I wasn’t told. I overheard.”

“From?”

“Nope,” Phoenix laughed. “Does it kill you that I know something you don’t? That your family’s dirty little laundry is going to die right along with me? Maybe that’s a good thing. We don’t want to mess with the way the family does things.”