Page 19 of Unloaded
The boys have become part of our extended family, too. They are always with Rachel when she comes to hang out or work withMarley and Shelby. The boys had been a little reserved the first time they came to Luke’s with Rachel, but it hadn’t taken them long to warm up to us.
They’d watched while we’d played a Call of Duty campaign. We’d formed two teams with Enos leading one and me leading the other. We’d fought our way to victory while arguing over the best strategies and even ambushing one another when we got annoyed with each other. Enos and I had been brutal, but it had all been in good natured fun. The boys had seemed to like the banter and comradery we’d shared.
We’d gotten them to join in on the next round and both had been active participants in the ribbing and pranking that goes on during one of our gaming sessions. By the time the women were finished with prepping for their event, the twins were just one of the guys. They’ve been fixtures at our houses ever since. They have even helped us with security and grunt work at the restaurant and catering events. I’ve become very fond of both boys.
Rachel sighs loudly, drawing me from my thoughts. My eyes find her to still be shaking her head.
“I’m sorry Ricky. I didn’t mean to say the games you play are stupid. I just meant you shouldn’t be fighting over a video game…any game for that matter. I know you guys take your games seriously, but you know they aren’t really that important, right? You know what we are up against, who is searching for us every day. We have to stick together, especially because of that.”
What in the hell is she talking about?
“No, I haven’t started looking for a new place yet.” I frown. Her words have made me curious and more than a little concerned.
“Yes, I know that normally we would have moved on by now, but I’ve just been so busy with the restaurant and catering…Shit! I haven’t been focused.” I can hear fear in her voice. Now I’mvery alarmed.What in the hell is going on?“I haven’t detected any unusual activity, but I haven’t been monitoring things like I should.” She pauses to listen.
“Yes, I said a swear word. Forget I said that. I’ll…I’ll start looking for a new place tomorrow—” she pauses, listening to I assume Ricky.
“What? Stop talking over each other,” she says, dropping the phone from her ear and pressing something on her phone. Ricky’s voice comes out of her phone.
“We like it here, too, Rach. If we don’t have to move, we don’t want to. The only reason I asked is because I was hoping you’d say we wouldn’t have to move again.” Rachel is staring down at her phone, thoughtfully.
“I know all the moving had to have been hard on you guys,” Rachel says, her voice sounding thick with emotion. “But you always seemed to just roll with it every time. I just didn’t think you minded it as badly as I did. I’ve been checking, though not as diligently as I should’ve. I haven’t seen any indication that we need to move, at least not right now.”
“Great!” Both boys say at the same time.
“So, about us being hangry,” Nicky—I think—says. “How about you order us a pizza to be delivered? Please?” Her face softens, and a smile forms on her lips. The worry she’d been projecting moments ago fades away.
“I suppose,” she agrees, rolling her eyes. “But no more arguing or trying to hide each other’s stuff, agreed?” The boys give grunts of agreement. “I have to go. I’m supposed to be working, you know? If I get fired, we will definitely have to move. I doubt I could find a job that pays as well as this one. Now, clean up whatever mess you guys have made and behave yourselves or there’ll be hell to pay when I get home.”
“Okay, thanks for the pizza!”
“Bye, Rach!”
The boys yell over one another. Rachel ends the call. She pecks on her phone for a minute ordering the pizza, before pocketing her phone. She turns to go back inside, stopping the moment she spots me lurking a few feet away from her.
8
ROSCO
“Shit!” she screeches. “You scared me! What are you doing skulking out here?” I can see wariness in her eyes after her initial fear is gone. She bites her lip as she waits for my reply.What is she so worried about? Perhaps that I’d overheard her conversation?
“I’m not lurking,” I answer, moving closer to her. “I’m making my rounds.” She reaches for the door to the kitchen, but I move to block her escape, placing my hand over hers on the door knob. Her head jerks up to look at me. I should let her go. I shouldn’t be this close to her, but I can’t seem to help myself. I can’t stand her being upset with me.
“I’d like to apologize, for earlier.” Her eyes widen, then she feigns confusion.
“What are you referring to?” She asks me, as if she doesn’t know. I step even closer, invading her personal space. Her pulse is pounding in her throat. Her breaths are short and fast. Her lips part slightly, and her eyes drop to my mine.
She’s as attracted to me as I am to her. It takes everything I have not to smirk at her or better yet, press her against the building and kiss the hell out of her. It’s too bad we can’t indulge in our attraction and see just how explosive wecould be together. There’s no doubt in my mind we would be phenomenal.
“I lied to you,” I confess, lowering my voice, like what I’m saying is a secret. Her eyes fly back to mine. Now she has an honest expression of confusion. “I find you very attractive, Rachel. I can’t keep my eyes off of you whenever you’re near me. You very much catch my attention, but I don’t like it.”
Fuck! Did I really just say all of that? Yes, yes, I did.
I’ve felt like a douchebag extraordinaire since she’d turned away from me after I’d said my hateful words. In my defense, I’d said them so she wouldn’t get the wrong idea about us. I can’t have her thinking there can be anything more than attraction between us, but I hate that I’ve hurt her feelings.
Now I’ve said way too much. I wish I could say I’m drunk and don’t know what I’m saying, but I haven’t had a drop of alcohol today. Bo had tied one on after meeting Shelby in an effort to tame his attraction to her. It hadn’t worked. He climbed into to bed with her, naked, and spooned her all night. Shelby laughs about it now, but she’d been a little freaked out at the time.
“I see.” Rachel says, studying me for several seconds. “Well, I’m sure there’s a compliment in there somewhere, but I don’t have time to go hunting for it. I have work to do. Now, if you’ll excuse?” She sasses, cocking her head to side and giving me a questioning look.
