then he was back, holding her close, spooning her from behind.
“Can I stay tonight?”
Stay forever.
“Yes.”
She was still frightened by how much she wanted this man, needed him.
But just maybe not quite as frightened as before.
• • •
Drew lay wide awake in the guest room at Tommy and Shea’s house, tense and waiting. He still wasn’t too sure about this harebrained scheme of Ty’s, but he was committed. If he backed out now, his friend would think he was a chickenshit.
Ty had texted him earlier, asking for the Skylers’ address, because he was planning to show at two in the morning and they were going to have some fun. Who’d be awake to spot them?
“Um, the police for one, dipstick,” Drew had pointed out. “And my adopted Daddy Dearest is a cop, remember?”
“Relax, man, or you’re gonna get wrinkles before your time. We’ll keep to the shadows, like ninjas. We won’t get caught.”
So, despite the warning in his gut that screamed it was a bad idea, Drew had given Ty the address. Like a pussy, he was hoping his friend was home in bed, snoring away. A tap at the window a few minutes later proved he had no such luck.
Crap.
Padding to the curtains, he parted them to see Ty grinning at him. He held up a finger for his friend to give him a minute, then searched for his clothes in the dark. After getting dressed, he shrugged on his jacket and returned to the window. He’d already tested it earlier, and knew it would slide up easily.
In seconds, he was out, standing on the ground. Ty helped him put the window back down all but an inch, just enough to get his fingers under it when it was time to sneak back in.
Sneaking out, and anything could happen.
What the hell am I thinking?
His heart pounded painfully against his sternum at the thought of Tommy catching him—and, worse, telling Shane.
“Man, this is gonna be awesome,” Ty whispered excitedly.
“Jesus, what’re you on?” he muttered. “It’s the middle of the frickin’ night and you’re jumping around like a flea.”
“Nothin’ but a natural high. Chillax, my friend. Come on, let’s get going.”
He followed Ty to the street—and was brought up short by the sleek black SUV parked by the curb. “An Escalade? Is that yours?” he asked, incredulous. By the state of their run-down little house, he’d figured Ty and his dad didn’t have two nickels to rub together.
“It’s my dad’s. Sweet ride, huh?”
“Ty, he’s gonna freak if he wakes up to find this gone!”
“Nah. My old man doesn’t give a shit what I’m doing as long as I show up before he has to leave in the morning.”
“What does your dad do?” he asked as they climbed in, admiring the plush leather interior in spite of himself.
“Hell if I know. He’s all mysterious and crap when I ask, but I intend to find out soon,” his friend said with a grin.
“You don’t
know
what your dad does for a living?” That didn’t sound good. In fact, this whole scenario was giving him a stomachache. Still, he didn’t want to wimp out. “What’s on the agenda?”
“Look.” He pointed to the floorboard at Drew’s feet.
There was a plastic sack. A quick inspection of the contents revealed two cans of red spray paint.
Fantastic—not.
“What are we decorating with those? The train trestle or the bridge?”
“Even better. I’ll show you.”
They drove for a while, to the eastern outskirts of town. Before long, Ty pulled the SUV onto a small county road and parked off to the side. Grabbing both cans of paint, he handed one to Drew and said, “Come on.”
“Where to?”
“Up ahead is Franklin Johnson’s place. Yesterday he called my dad a worthless fucker and a cock-suckin’ son of a bitch,” Ty spat. “So we’re gonna make sure he gets a little payback.”
“Ty, I don’t think this is a good idea. My dad would’ve killed me if he ever found out—”
“Well, he’s not here, is he? And if he cared so much, why’d he
“Can I stay tonight?”
Stay forever.
“Yes.”
She was still frightened by how much she wanted this man, needed him.
But just maybe not quite as frightened as before.
• • •
Drew lay wide awake in the guest room at Tommy and Shea’s house, tense and waiting. He still wasn’t too sure about this harebrained scheme of Ty’s, but he was committed. If he backed out now, his friend would think he was a chickenshit.
Ty had texted him earlier, asking for the Skylers’ address, because he was planning to show at two in the morning and they were going to have some fun. Who’d be awake to spot them?
“Um, the police for one, dipstick,” Drew had pointed out. “And my adopted Daddy Dearest is a cop, remember?”
“Relax, man, or you’re gonna get wrinkles before your time. We’ll keep to the shadows, like ninjas. We won’t get caught.”
So, despite the warning in his gut that screamed it was a bad idea, Drew had given Ty the address. Like a pussy, he was hoping his friend was home in bed, snoring away. A tap at the window a few minutes later proved he had no such luck.
Crap.
Padding to the curtains, he parted them to see Ty grinning at him. He held up a finger for his friend to give him a minute, then searched for his clothes in the dark. After getting dressed, he shrugged on his jacket and returned to the window. He’d already tested it earlier, and knew it would slide up easily.
In seconds, he was out, standing on the ground. Ty helped him put the window back down all but an inch, just enough to get his fingers under it when it was time to sneak back in.
Sneaking out, and anything could happen.
What the hell am I thinking?
His heart pounded painfully against his sternum at the thought of Tommy catching him—and, worse, telling Shane.
“Man, this is gonna be awesome,” Ty whispered excitedly.
“Jesus, what’re you on?” he muttered. “It’s the middle of the frickin’ night and you’re jumping around like a flea.”
“Nothin’ but a natural high. Chillax, my friend. Come on, let’s get going.”
He followed Ty to the street—and was brought up short by the sleek black SUV parked by the curb. “An Escalade? Is that yours?” he asked, incredulous. By the state of their run-down little house, he’d figured Ty and his dad didn’t have two nickels to rub together.
“It’s my dad’s. Sweet ride, huh?”
“Ty, he’s gonna freak if he wakes up to find this gone!”
“Nah. My old man doesn’t give a shit what I’m doing as long as I show up before he has to leave in the morning.”
“What does your dad do?” he asked as they climbed in, admiring the plush leather interior in spite of himself.
“Hell if I know. He’s all mysterious and crap when I ask, but I intend to find out soon,” his friend said with a grin.
“You don’t
know
what your dad does for a living?” That didn’t sound good. In fact, this whole scenario was giving him a stomachache. Still, he didn’t want to wimp out. “What’s on the agenda?”
“Look.” He pointed to the floorboard at Drew’s feet.
There was a plastic sack. A quick inspection of the contents revealed two cans of red spray paint.
Fantastic—not.
“What are we decorating with those? The train trestle or the bridge?”
“Even better. I’ll show you.”
They drove for a while, to the eastern outskirts of town. Before long, Ty pulled the SUV onto a small county road and parked off to the side. Grabbing both cans of paint, he handed one to Drew and said, “Come on.”
“Where to?”
“Up ahead is Franklin Johnson’s place. Yesterday he called my dad a worthless fucker and a cock-suckin’ son of a bitch,” Ty spat. “So we’re gonna make sure he gets a little payback.”
“Ty, I don’t think this is a good idea. My dad would’ve killed me if he ever found out—”
“Well, he’s not here, is he? And if he cared so much, why’d he
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