Arranged love

APRIL

An hour and countless shots later, we remain close to the bar when I look to the right and see Grave standing about twenty feet away talking to a man who is with a woman. He’s shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of black basketball shorts and tennis shoes, and his hair is wet like he just showered. My eyes run over his tatted and muscular body. My thighs tighten. Grave is by far the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He has that unobtainable air about him. Like he’s the type of guy you want but know you can’t keep. The one who would give you a night of endless orgasms and never call you back. An absolute fuckboy. Yet he keeps coming back. And I keep letting him in. I’m going to ride that train until it runs off the tracks.

“Who is Grave talking to?” I ask, placing my attention on someone else. I’m drunk and horny. “That woman looks familiar.” She has dark brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She wears a simple white sundress with black Superstars. She looks cute yet comfortable but totally out of place here with this crowd.

Jasmine follows my line of sight. “That is Lovely Mathers.”

“I know that name …”

“Judge Mathers’ daughter.” She fills in the blank.

“Right.” I nod. “Didn’t she have a drug problem and went to rehab?” I remember reading something like that about her.

“Rumor is her father put her in a psych ward but told everyone she went to rehab.”

“Is she crazy?” I ask.

Jasmine throws her head back, laughing. “Girl, the right man can make any sane woman crazy.”

“True.”

“But no, she wasn’t. She went to school with us. She made straight A’s and was never in trouble. Her younger brother went missing, and Judge Mathers announced her stay in rehab. Said that after the disappearance she turned to drugs and alcohol abuse.”

“But you don’t believe that?”

“Nope.” She shakes her head. “My ex Trenton…” She growls the words. “At the time said that his mother saw her being brought into the psych ward of the hospital by her father. That she was screaming and crying. He took her into a room, then came out alone.”

“He just left her there?” I ask in shock.

“I’ve heard she was put in a straitjacket and remained in it for two weeks while locked in a padded room.”

“Jesus.” I hiss.

“I’ve also been told that she was restrained to a hospital bed for two weeks with a catheter and fed through a feeding tube down her nose. Either one could be true. Or it could be worse. Who knows?”

“Why would her father do that to her?” What has happened to that poor girl?

“Look around.” She lifts her hands to gesture to the crowd. “How do you think the Kings and the Mason brothers run this town? It’s because they pay someone higher up a cut.”

I swallow at the mention of the Mason brothers. “So he’s just a twisted fuck.”

“Yep, and he won’t let anyone stand in his way. Not even his daughter.”

“Poor thing.” She just stands there, her eyes straight ahead. Like a doll. Or someone who has been trained to be ignored. But I see her. She stands out and it’s not because of how she chose to dress. “Why is Grave ignoring her? He’s only talking to the guy. Acts like she’s not even there.”

“Maybe she prefers it that way,” she guesses. “Some people choose to wear blinders, so they don’t have to face what’s right in front of them. Turner Mason-he’s the middle child-used to be obsessed with her.”

There’s that name again. “Did they date?”

“No.” She laughs. “She was too good for him. He knew it. The whole town knew it. Except for her. She had no clue he was into her.” She looks up at the high ceilings. I do the same and see the little black domes all over the place. I know what they are. Cameras. “If he finds out she’s here, he’ll jack off later tonight while watching the surveillance video.”

“Gross,” I say. “Wait?” My mind a little slow from the alcohol. “What?” I ask. “Why would he be watching the surveillance tapes?”

“The Mason brothers own this place,” she states.

My palms begin to sweat. My eyes start looking around frantically. I don’t know what they look like. Would they recognize me? My eyes land back on Grave, and I watch a blonde walk up to him. “That’s …”

“Lucy Mason,” Jasmine finishes for me.

She’s a fucking Mason as well? My hands clench as she runs hers down his bare arm.

“I’m usually the first one to jump in and cut a bitch, but if you want to stay and watch him fight, I’d suggest we do it some other time,” Jasmine says, taking a sip of her drink.

I look over at her.

“Her brothers own the place,” she reminds me. “We’ll be thrown out in two point five seconds if we jump on her. Although, I must admit, I can do a lot of damage in that short of time. So if that’s the commitment you want to make, I’m in.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

I look back over at them. He’s still talking to the guy and doesn’t acknowledge Lucy, but that doesn’t offend her in the least. She’s still touching him. Her body now pressed into the side of his.

A new guy walks up to them and grabs her upper arm, jerking Lucy away from them.

“Who’s that?” I ask like she knows. Jasmine seems to know everyone.

“That is Trey Mason. The baby.”

I take a step back, my heart racing at her words. “I shouldn’t have come here.”

“What? You wanted to see Grave …”

“Yes, but I didn’t know the Mason brothers owned the place,” I snap, and she frowns. “They had someone break into my shop,” I blurt out. The alcohol has my mouth running. “Who knows what they’ll do if they knew I was here.”

“They what?” She gasps.

“Let’s go.” I turn and start walking, not wanting to explain it right now. But a hand grips my arm and I’m spun back around. My heart pounds in my chest when I look up into a set of blue eyes.

“Hey,” Grave says. “I knew that was you. What are you doing here?” he asks, looking from me to Jasmine.

I lick my numb lips. “I wanted to come see you. But …”

“But what?” He frowns.

I step into him and stand on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “I didn’t know that this place belonged to the Mason brothers.”

He cups my face when I pull back. “They won’t touch you. I promise. But …” Letting me go, he digs his cell out of his pocket and begins to type away. “Doesn’t mean I want you here without protection.”

“Are you afraid I’m going to get pregnant?” Jasmine jokes.

Grave snorts. “Your chance of reproduction does not concern me,” he replies, typing away on his phone. Then he looks at me. “Nite will stay with you girls.”

Jasmine throws her head back with a sigh. “You’re giving us the babysitter? I come here all the time.”

“Yeah, and so do I. I know what happens to women here when no one is watching.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand, but he leans into me, cups my face, and kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and open for him, kissing him back. His hands slide down my back and grip my ass. He lifts me up effortlessly, and I wrap my legs around his narrow hips.

I pull away, panting and whisper against his lips. “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me, baby.” He slaps my ass, and I jump down, laughing just as Nite shows up.

“Watch them,” Grave orders him, and Nite nods once.

Grave gives me one more kiss and then walks off.

“Hi, we haven’t officially met. I’m April.” I hold out my right hand, and he shakes it firmly. He then starts to look around the crowded place. I wait for him to say hello or introduce himself. But he completely ignores me.

“He doesn’t speak,” Jasmine offers, glaring up at him.

Oh. “At all?”

She shakes her head. “He took a vow of silence back in college. He’s a mute,” she snaps, “and we’re not staying here with him.” She goes to walk off, but he reaches out, grabs ahold of her hair, and spins her around to face him.

Her hands go to his broad chest as she glares up at him. And before she can argue with him, he slams his lips down on hers. I watch her body melt for him as he openly kisses her. Wrapping my lips around my straw, I drink while she opens her mouth for him, and he deepens the kiss, pulling her neck back even farther and devouring her. I swear I hear her moan.

Then, just like it didn’t happen, he yanks away. “Fuck you, Nite!” she shouts and then slaps him across the face. She jerks out of his grip and storms off.

“I have a feeling you’re the guy from last night.” I laugh, taking another sip of my drink. So she’s got something going on with Nite. I never saw that coming.

He lets out a huff, grabs my hand, and drags me through the crowd to catch up with her.