Chapter 14
Fourteen
DARCIE
Without the website to fall back on, I had to start picking up more shifts at the bar. Thankfully, I made more money as a manager, and I’d saved a lot over the years, but I’d also spent a lot. A girl and her shoes were sacred.
The official story was that the site had been hacked by a jealous lover and reported to the FBI that underage girls were there. While they were investigating, everyone was shut down as they combed through all the videos and messages. It made me feel violated in a way I’d never considered before. It was fine when it was people talking to me, but random men and women viewing things out of context felt a lot like someone reading my diary.
While I did miss the money, I missed Shadow and Cowboy more, even if I hadn’t heard from Shadow in a while. I wished I’d thought of some contingency plan on how to connect, but I never thought this would happen, and my dad would say that was my first mistake. “ Always know your escape plan and be prepared for it all to go to shit.”
Needless to say, I’d be doing that from now on. It seemed even when I guarded my heart, I was still capable of being hurt.
“What’s crawled up your butt?” Damon asked, eyeing me.
“Eww, and nothing.”
He watched me, not buying my lie. “You’ve been a downer for a month straight. What gives? Your boyfriend dump you? Did you get herpes? Your favorite boy band break up?”
Scrunching up my nose, I stuck my tongue out at him. We’d officially moved into enemy territory now. “Why would I tell you? You’ll just use it for ammo.”
He sighed, rubbing his forehead like I exhausted him. “Contrary to what you believe, I don’t hate you, Darcie.”
“Sure. Let’s go with that.” I rolled my eyes, rolling up the silverware.
“I’m trying to ask what’s going on. No ulterior motives.” I eyed him, assessing his sincerity. He did look like he was being honest, with no plans to dump a bucket of ice on me.
“Fine, but I doubt there’s anything you can do. I had a friend from an, um, chat room that I’ve lost contact with. I don’t know their real name or even where they live, and the server is down, so there’s no way for me to get in touch with them. I just miss them and want them to know I’m okay too.”
“Hmm, yeah, that sucks. Sorry.”
“Man, I was hoping you were secretly a tech whiz and were going to tell me some simple solution and make me feel dumb.”
“Sorry to bust your fantasy.”
“Yeah, well, thanks anyway.” I finished the rolling and moved on to the schedule when I felt his presence over me. I peeked over my shoulder, finding him closer.
“Can I help you?”
He opened his mouth, stopping before he said anything. His face was close to mine, and I watched as his eyes dropped down to my lips, licking his own. Damon glanced back up, his pupils more blown this time. He started to say something again when Buck walked in.
“Darcie, can we do the Cowboy Hustle tonight? I’m dressed to impress.” We both looked over, finding Buck in a full cowboy getup. When he turned, I caught the assless chaps, and he shook his butt at us. Buck was the perfect counterpart to my crazy. I tried to swallow the sadness at the mention of Cowboy.
“Um, sure, but you’re gonna have to put something on. You know the rules.”
“Fine. I only did it to see you laugh anyway. You’ve been down lately.”
“I’m good.” I forced a smile and realized I needed to get out of this funk. I couldn’t let it affect things.
“Your cute friend coming tonight? LJ?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Get in line, lover boy.” I turned back to the schedule and realized that Damon had moved away, his body heat no longer along my back. Had I envisioned that, or had he been about to kiss me?
When he called in sick the next night, he was officially back on my hate list, making me have to pull a double. I was going to need the world’s largest coffee to make it to breakfast to meet Lennox.
A COUPLE MONTHS LATER
Hanging up the phone, I was glad that Lennox and her guys were safe. I couldn’t believe that Thane had turned out to be a psycho stalker. I guess it showed people could pretend to be whoever they wanted.
Lennox told me she was staying in Bowling Green, KY to be closer to her family and help Slade with the opening of the new shop. Despite the crazy stalker, she’d gotten her happily ever after with her three guys. I was happy for my best friend, and thankful she was close, so I could visit her whenever I needed to get away.
But I missed her. We’d become soul sisters in such a short time, and now I felt lonely without her.
After the fallout with Cam Girls, Candi had shacked up with her sugar daddy and rarely went out anymore. I wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed or just not interested in that lifestyle since she was all loved up.
In a way, I couldn’t blame her, but I missed her friendship, too.
With both of them gone, I only had my job, which was becoming less and less fun.
“Damon, can I speak with you, please?” I asked, already hating this conversation. He looked at me, gritting his teeth, but followed.
Once he walked into the office, I closed the door and stayed standing. He glared at me, not saying a word. I sighed, not moving. He wasn’t going to use his height to intimidate me.
“Do you know why I asked you back here?”
“Because you drew the short straw?” he asked.
“Sort of. I’m also the only one not scared of you. You’ve been here longer than any of us and we let you take the most leeway with everything. You call in at least once a week. You pass off your closing duties and never pick up extra shifts. You’re grumpy most of the time, and if you weren’t hot, I doubt you’d get any tips. You’re a good bartender, but you have horrible customer service skills. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why you stay at this job that you clearly hate.” I stared at him, my breathing heavy as I laid it all out. I found it was always better to be slightly angry with Damon, so he couldn’t catch you off guard with his own.
He took a step forward, and I realized my mistake of staying against the door. I’d blocked his exit, but it also allowed him to trap me against it. Damon towered over me, bracing his hands against the door, glaring daggers at me.
“You know why I stay.”
“No, I don’t.” I crossed my arms, pushing him a little away from me.
“Do you know why I call in? Why I can barely stand to be here some days but can’t seem to stay away?”
“No, but I’d like to know. Maybe then we can find a solution.”
His hand gripped my chin, tilting it up. “The only solution is this.” His lips slammed down on mine, and it was a kiss to change the world. My body pressed into his, my hands threading through his hair, feeling the small hairs tickle the palm of my hand. He lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around him as he continued to devour me against the door.
“Wait, you hate me. We hate each other.”
“No, Darcie, I only hate myself for letting my brother get his hands on you first. I’m not boyfriend material, but I can’t seem to quit thinking about you. I don’t even need this job, but I stay because of you. It eats me up to see you going home with all of these losers every night instead of me, but I don’t say anything, too scared I’d lost my chance all those years ago.”
“You’re an idiot.”
I pulled him back to me, needing his lips on mine like I needed oxygen. His hands started to unbutton my shirt, and I grabbed at him, needing to feel his skin. His mouth began to plant hot, open-mouth kisses on my body, and I couldn’t take it any longer. I dropped to the ground, pulling my shorts off in one go, unbuckling his belt. He turned me, pulling my head back to look at him.
“I don’t do soft, sweetheart. I’m nothing like my brother.”
“Good. Your bother was shit at fucking.”
Damon smiled, and I realized it was one of the only full ones I’d ever seen. It caught me off guard, so when he slammed into me, I screamed, my eyes rolling back. His hand clamped down around my lips, and I bit into his fingers. He kept my head pulled back, maintaining eye contact as he pounded into me.
The Salvatore brothers didn’t seem to like foreplay, but I suppose Damon and I had been teasing one another for years. The fact he slid in so smoothly, my wetness already dripping for him, was a testament to that fact.
“You’re mine now, Darcie. Do you understand?”
I couldn’t answer him, his cock too deep as he plunged in and out. Something felt wrong with agreeing, so I managed to only moan out my pleasure.
“Darcie?”
“No. I don’t belong to anyone.”
He stopped mid-thrust. “I’m not going to share you, Darcie. It’s either me or nothing.”
I blinked, trying to process what he said, and I realized the feeling I’d registered earlier.
“I’m sorry, Damon, but I can’t promise you that. Why do I have to choose? My heart is capable of a lot of love.”
His face screwed up, and he withdrew. “Don’t tell me you want what your crazy little friend has? I saw her with those two guys on the dance floor.”
I turned, not caring I was naked, planting my hands on my hips. “She actually has three boyfriends, and yeah, if I had the chance, I’d take it. Love doesn’t have to be only one way. There are people in my life that have already claimed a piece of my heart. I might not ever see them again, but I can’t tell you that I wouldn’t want to be with them if they walked through that door right now, because I would.”
Damon stared at me for a long moment, pulling his pants up and putting his shirt back on. I gathered my clothes, too, not wanting to be naked now that it was apparent this was stopping.
“I thought the whole slut thing was a phase, but I guess I was wrong. Don’t worry about firing me. I quit.”
He opened the door, slamming it shut, and I stood there staring, wondering what the hell had just happened.
A FEW MONTHS LATER
Dragging my feet, I tried to convince myself it was only a few more steps. The past few months had been miserable, and I didn’t know what I was even doing here anymore. My job was a job. My friends were gone. And I didn’t even want to hook up with anyone after the failed attempt with Damon. I needed a change. I just needed to figure out where. I’d even gone to the bank and cleaned out the safe deposit box in preparation. Something had kept holding me back from loading up my car and driving to wherever my car took me.
But I didn’t think I could wait on whatever it was any longer. I needed a change of scenery.
Opening my apartment, a voice called out to me when I turned on the lights.
“Darcie.”
I screamed, dropped my phone, and rushed to the man currently bleeding out in my kitchen. Seemed like change had just waltzed through my door.