Page 10 of The Heavier The Chains…
Talon.
I didn’t know his last name, but his first name fit him perfectly; deadly once in its grip.
The exchanging of barbs earlier had put me on edge, but when his hand snaked out and grabbed me in its grip, the sensation that danced up my spine and across my skin had been enough to know to stay the hell away from him.
I’d never been fanciful or believed in true love or crap like that-I couldn’t afford to. My life had never been overly affectionate or loveable, save for my brother. My parents acted the proper, polite adults like everyone else’s parents I knew. Kaden used to joke that it was a miracle we had even been conceived. He used to swear we were conceived in a petri dish somewhere. Mom offered up her eggs, and Dad jacked off in a cup, they were tossed into a blender, and whala…nine months later, twins.
Even while dating Cameron, he had stuck to the no-affection theme. We weren’t heathens, after all, he’d say. Only animals rutted in public and mated with no consequence. And, no lie, it took the guy a full two minutes to put on a condom. It was so tedious, and clinical, I opted out of foreplay because I hated it when I was turned on and ready then he’d push Pause to put on protection. Now, it wasn’t the protection I minded, because even though I was on the shot, I did not desire to be a teenage statistic. It was how he’d stop, andtake his timegetting the condom, unwrapping it, pinching the tip, sitting down (because he needed to be comfortable to do it right), then finally rolling it over his dick. And, once it was safely and securely covering his appendage, he’d climb over me, get re-situated, and then finally enter me; all very polite like. And if I’m being completely honest, the dude wasn’t packing a whole lot of heat. It shouldn’t take him but a second or two to roll a condom on.
Six months of unbridled passion our relationship was not. It had been more like an evolutionary next step after dating for two years.
Talon’s quick touch had triggered more desire in me than Cameron had managed in two years, and that was scary as hell. And, now, sitting at an empty lunch table with Alex, I knew I needed some advice.
“You know, every single day, I tell myself I’m going to stuff my face with a big, fat, juicy burger instead of a sad, lonely, chicken salad, and every single day, my thighs rubbing together remind me why I pass on the burger,” Alex grumbled, picking at her salad.
“Oh, come on, Alex,” I chuckled. “It doesn’t look that bad.” She snorted. “And your thighs do not rub together.”
Her pretty ice-colored eyes pierced through me. “Kenzlee, they could start a goddamn fire with how much they rub together,” she retorted.
I smiled at my cousin. “Guys like thick thighs,” I teased.
“Yeah,” she quipped. “That is until they’re being suffocated between them.”
I laughed. “You are so ridiculous.”
She smiled and finally dug into her salad. “A little,” she agreed.
We ate in silence for a little bit, her eating her salad and me eating my turkey melt. I ate a couple of bites before telling her about Talon. “So, uh, hey…do you know a guy named Talon?”
Good thing I waited until Alexandria had finished the bite of her salad, because her voice came out all hawkish and screechy sounding.“Talon Draven?”
I shrugged a shoulder, trying to appear casual. “I don’t know his last name,” I told her. “He’s in my fourth period class, and I heard the teacher address him by Talon only.”
Her head started bobbing side to side while she blinked the crap out of her eyes, and I guessed that was her way she looked when her mind was working. “Well, since there’s only one Talon that goes to school here, I’m going to go out on a wild limb here and say it’s one in the same.”
“The CIA should totally recruit you,” I deadpanned.
“Right?” she countered unfazed.
“So, what do I need to know about Talon Draven?” I asked.
Alexandria’s eyes narrowed. “Nu uh,” she smirked, “you first. Why are you asking about Talon?”
Normally, I wouldn’t spill my deepest, darkest thoughts and feelings, but Alexandria was my only ally here. We weren’t super close because my parents were self-absorbed assholes, but we were family, and she’s always been good to me. So, I spilled. I didn’t tell her about the whirlwind of emotions he made me feel, I just told her about our encounter and the acidic exchange.
She was quiet for a few long ass seconds, but finally, she said, “I don’t know him well, or anything. I mean, we’re not friends. We don’t hang out. But I’ve seen him at football games, after parties, things like that. I have him in fifth period, but we don’t sit next to each other.”
Alex paused, and after a few seconds, I lost my patience. “That’s it? That’s all you got?”
Her brows shot up, and I knew I had just given myself away. “Well, my, my, my, Kenzlee,” she sing-songed. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Of course not. I just explained to you how much of a jerk he was in spectacular fashion,” I reminded her. “I just wanted to know…if he’s…dangerous, or…I don’t know…”
She took pity on me. “All I know are the rumors, Kenz,” she admitted. “Like I said, we’re not friends, and we don’t hang out. I have third period with his two best friends, the Finley brothers, but I don’t sit by them in class either.”
“So, what are the rumors,” I prompted her.
She started ticking off the rumors with her fingers. “That he’s a bit of a dick. He loves no girl, other than his sister, Edie. He knows lots of people, but only considers Lars and Hunter his actual friends. He’s the best fighter in the underground scene. His family could do with some financial help. And, regardless of his bad boy reputation, he actually gets good grades, and does try to stay out of trouble as much as he can.” Her eyes sparkled before adding, “Oh, and if the braggarts are to be believed, he never fails to deliver in the bedroom.”
