Page 12 of Stray
“Not a fucking word. Do you understand?” Rebel cornered him at the door. “We were never here. Not a single one of us.”
“Yeah, I’ve got it. I’m not sure I can keep doing this, guys. I didn’t sign on for this shit.” Jordan all but ran out the door and down the street to his car.
Rebel and I stared after him before exchanging a look. “Do you think we can trust him?” I asked.
Rebel sighed, dragging a hand through his dark hair, tugging at the blonde streak in the front. “I fucking hope so. Otherwise, he’s a dead man.”
We took the time to ensure there was no evidence that linked us to the scene. Then we booked it the hell out of there. The drive to the graveyard was especially tense. We weren’t used to having everything go wrong.
“We can’t take a risk like that again,” Auryn said. “We need to take the donors to a different location.”
“Agreed. This was too close. We can’t let that happen again.” I was starting to feel that itch again. That need to check in on Codie.
I pulled up my phone to check on the tracker I’d placed on her car. To my surprise, she was on the move. Where was she going at this time of night?
The kidney hand off went smoothly, so that was something at least. We were all in a bit of a mood. Nobody had much to say. I was eager to get going. To track down Codie and find out what she was doing. Something told me she was up to no good.
“No more organ harvests until we secure a safe place to conduct them,” Rebel confirmed when we dropped him off at his apartment. “We got too cocky. What happened tonight never should’ve happened.”
The rest of the guys and I returned to my place. I muttered some bullshit excuse about going to grab a late night bite to eat. I doubted any of them believed me. Nobody was in the mood to bust my balls about it. Not even Auryn.
I got into my car and went in search of Codie. I needed a fix.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CODIE
There was no sign of Stray for the rest of the evening. Even though I focused on hanging out with Athena and doing some schoolwork, I kept sneaking glances out the window. Part of me expected him to be there.
After Athena went to bed, I considered doing the same. Yet I couldn’t shake this little niggling feeling inside me. This need for a little thrill. A rush. Stray had ruined my night on Saturday. The spanking incident today had left me feeling strangely dissatisfied. I needed more.
But not from him. It was too easy to get caught up in him. I didn’t want that. I wanted a one and done encounter. Something to give me a rush. Someone I would never see again.
Flopping on my bed, I opened an app on my phone that I kept hidden inside the utilities folder. The app was for an anonymous hookup site. A perfect place for meeting a random stranger. Random was risky. Risky felt good.
I purposely searched for someone who didn’t have a lot of information and no photo. The more mystery the better. It didn’t take long for someone to reply to my message. Within minutes I had an encounter planned. We would meet at a roadside motel outside town in an hour.
I sat at my vanity, switching the LED strip lights to pink. I did my makeup heavier than usual. A dark look I would never wear in my day-to-day life along with bold red lips. I left my hair long and loose.
There was something powerful about becoming a different version of myself. Every passing moment made my anticipation grow. I stared into my closet, finally deciding on a tight red dress that barely covered my ass. After a moment of consideration, I decided not to wear underwear.
By the time I was ready to sneak out of the apartment, I was buzzing. Knowing I was about to meet a stranger and anything could happen left me reeling. I was especially quiet as I let myself out of the apartment. I didn’t want to wake Athena.
The drive to the motel really got my pulse pounding. I didn’t do things like this often. Only when I needed a surge of adrenaline that left me sated for days. I may have just agreed to meet any creep. Even a serial killer. That should have deterred me. However, it only made me more eager.
My hands were tight on the wheel as I drove. There was a can of pepper spray in my purse in case things got out of hand. I’d had to use it once before. A man who told me he was twenty-five turned out to be twice that age. When I tried to leave, he’d blocked the door. A shot of pepper spray in the eyes had disabled him long enough for me to escape.
As I drove, I couldn’t help but think back to Stray bursting into my apartment. Bending me over the armchair and spanking my ass. He’d proven there was much more to him than a flirtatious jokester with an ego. Stray had a dark side.
Unfortunately, it only made him more desirable. I couldn’t help but wonder what lurked beneath the surface. How much monster was in that man?
It didn’t matter. I’d never let myself find out. He and I were no good. We were from entirely different worlds. That maybe fine for a one night encounter but I had to see him every day on campus. If I gave in to the urges he inspired in me, I would have to look him in the eyes every day after. No thank you.
The closer I drew to the motel, the more creeped out I began to feel. Most people wouldn’t enjoy such a sensation. I liked not knowing what or who waited for me. That’s what made it so thrilling.
When I arrived, I parked at the end of the lot away from the door I’d been instructed to enter. I had to suck in several deep breaths to calm myself enough to leave the car. I double checked that I had the pepper spray. All good.
I stepped out of the car, pausing to adjust my cleavage. Running my hands through my hair a few times, I did a quick armpit check, making sure the anxious anticipation hadn’t made me sweat. Not that it mattered. Anyone on the other side of that door wouldn’t care.
