Page 78 of Roses and Skulls

Without thought, I spin around and grab Elijah by the front of his shirt. I kiss him at the same time shifting so my back is against the brick building.

Elijah pulls his head back a few inches to stare down at me, his eyebrows raise in question. I place my finger over my lips.

“No, it’s just me, she wouldn’t come with.” Lanie lights up a cigarette. “Yeah, I know I failed but did you really think her family was going to let her leave with me anyway?”

Elijah doesn’t miss the opportunity and gently places his lips against mine, his hand roams down my side, rubbing lightly against the side of my breast. My eyes widen in warning. He smiles against my mouth.

“Draven’s lost his fucking mind. Like I don’t get the hold they have over men. Like what the fuck?”

Elijah freezes and every muscle in his body tenses against me. I grab his shirt, keeping him tethered to me or maybe to keep myself upright, I’m not sure right now.

“She’s such a spoiled brat. I gave up years of my life for thisplan,” Lanie says dramatically. “I said I was sorry about that. Yeah, I’m letting him handle it but… yeah, I know I betrayed his trust by setting her up to be in the truck that night.”

I glance around Elijah’s shoulder and find a scantily dressed Lanie, leaning against the building.

“If you were in my shoes, you’d want her dead too. Yeah, yeah, I know. Like I said I’m just waiting for you to get here, then maybe you can talk some sense into him.”

My heart drops into my stomach. Lanie wanted me dead. My best friend.

“Shit, okay. Yeah, I got a customer coming in twenty.” Lanie drops her cigarette and stomps on it. “I’m trying to trust him.” She sighs and leans her head back against the bricks. “Does Bell know you’re coming?” She pushes off the building and heads towards the entrance. “Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”

Once she’s gone, I try to push Elijah away from me. He stands his ground, pinning me to the building. “Was that woman the same one you call best friend?”

Nodding, I turn away, blinking rapidly to stall the tears of betrayal from running down my face.

He cups the side of my face and I lean into his hand, unbelievably grateful that he’s here.

“Let’s go home, baby,” he says quietly, kissing my temple.

I nod and let him place a helmet on my head, his long fingers making quick work of the strap. He hops on and pulls my hands around him. Once he’s satisfied I’m hanging on tight, he heads out onto the open road.

My mind runs through every memory of Lanie and me. The hurt builds and builds until I think I might combust.

Strangely though, the one thing I hold onto is the fact that Draven didn’t lie. I wasn’t meant to be in the truck with grandpa that night.

Grandpa wasn’t supposed to give us a ride that night.

The call,dad said he got a tip about someone peddling drugs near the school.

Was it Lanie who provided the tip?

Oh my god, my best friend wanted me dead.

Elijah reaches around and grabs hold of my leg, brushing his hand back and forth over my thigh. Can he sense that I’m about to lose my goddamn shit?

He doesn’t take us home. He pulls into the spot across the lake from the warehouse and kills the motor. I hurry off the bike and toss the helmet to the ground. I need… I need… I start to rip my pants down my thighs, kicking my shoe off at the same time, completely forgetting where I am or who I’m with.

Elijah lets me shimmy them down and then once my legs are trapped in my jeans, he tackles me to the ground.

I stare up into his beautiful fucking face, wanting to rip it off him. “Let me go.” I struggle under him, trying to roll him off me.

“Let me help,” his minty breath whispers over my face.

My lungs are burning from my inability to breathe. I’m losing the battle with each second I don’t get some relief. Electric currents skitter to the tips of my fingers, and I let out a little sob. “Hurry,” I tell him, admitting my own defeat.

He instantly slides off me and tosses my other shoe to the side and then he makes quick work of getting my pants the rest of the way down. When his hand goes for my panties, I grip his wrist with a force I didn’t know I possessed.

“I’m not going to go all the way. This isn’t going to be how your first time goes down. Not when you just found out your friend is an evil bitch who wanted you dead.”

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