CHAPTER FIVE
CODIE
Thankfully, I didn’t see Stray again for the rest of the day. Every time I turned a corner on campus I expected him to be there. Lurking. I didn’t understand why he had this fixation with me. It had to be because I kept denying him. He hated not getting what he wanted.
Because Athena’s classes ran longer than mine, I left campus without her. She’d grab a ride home with one of the other girls later. Turning my music up extra loud, I left the campus parking lot headed for home.
Something told me to check my mirrors. To really scrutinize the cars behind me. At first, I didn’t notice anything amiss. Cars surrounded me but everyone seemed involved in their own little bubble. Then I spotted him.
A black Mustang three cars behind me caught my eye. Stray was in the driver’s seat. What the hell was this idiot doing? Was he seriously following me home?
At first, I was afraid. This was getting out of hand. After the other night at the rave, I’d figured he had some weird crush on me or something. Now I was starting to worry it was more like an obsession.
I kept driving, intent on going home and running up to my apartment, locking myself inside. Would that even stop a guy like Stray? A Graveyard King.
On a sudden whim, I took a left at the next set of lights.
This wasn’t my usual way home. Maybe taking a little detour would throw Stray off or help me lose him.
To my surprise, he took the same turn, keeping me in view.
After taking several more random turns, I began to grow frustrated. Stray was still behind me.
What was wrong with this guy? Didn’t he understand that I wanted nothing to do with him?
Sure, under the influence of alcohol and narcotics I may have admitted to finding him attractive.
I may have even kissed him back. But he kissed me first, and I couldn’t be held responsible for what I said and did under the influence.
The longer Stray followed me the more annoyed I grew. Finally, I gave up on losing him and headed for home. When I saw him run a red light to keep up with me, I knew for sure he was crazy.
When I reached my building, I parked in my usual spot in the back lot.
For a few minutes, I simply sat there, gathering myself before I left the car.
Something told me that Stray would be parked out front where he could see my balcony and apartment windows.
All fired up, I got out of the car and stormed around the building to the front.
Just as I expected, his Mustang sat parked next to the sidewalk. I stomped over to the car, ready to let him have it. He must have seen me coming because his door opened and he got out.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you mentally ill? Do I need to call the cops? Why do you keep following me everywhere, Stray?” My voice rose with each question until I was almost shouting.
He leaned against the side of the car, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Which question do you want me to answer first?”
“This isn’t funny. Why are you everywhere I look lately?” I tightly gripped my bag, strongly considering using it as a weapon.
Stray appeared completely unruffled. Like he wasn’t the least bit fazed by my outburst. “Just keeping an eye on you, strawberry. You seem like the type to do something reckless and get yourself killed.”
“And you think that it’s up to you to keep that from happening?” I gaped at him, aghast. “I didn’t ask you for help at the rave. I’m not asking for help now. I’m a grown ass woman capable of taking care of myself.”
“That’s not how it looked to me the other night. Seems to me like you’re on a mission to self-destruct, and nobody knows but me.” Stray ran a hand through his devil-may-care hair. The simplest of actions. God why did it have to be so hot? Why did he have to be so maddeningly good looking?
“Even if I am, it’s none of your business. This is starting to get creepy.” The way he watched me left me unnerved. Maybe I shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss him. A guy like Stray Hurley could definitely prove to be a threat.
“What’s wrong with that?” he asked, ogling my skirt. “I thought you liked that kind of thing. I’ve seen you taunt danger. Why would it bother you now?”
I hated so much that he’d been at the rave that night. That he’d seen me accept the drink, knowing it was drugged. No doubt it had been a reckless move on my part.
“That was different,” I insisted. “I was perfectly in control of that situation. I never needed you to step in.”
Stray pushed away from the car, taking a few steps toward me. “So that’s the problem. You thought you were in control that night and you know that you’re not in control with me. Does it scare you, Codie? Do you like it?”
A knowing grin lit up his face. He continued to advance on me, making me take a few steps back. I really didn’t know him at all. I had no idea what he was capable of.
The fear forming in the pit of my stomach blossomed into excitement. Adrenaline hit me hard and fast. A sudden rush that got my heart racing. I couldn’t deny how much I enjoyed that feeling. Stray knew it too. Damn him.
Forcing my feet to stay put, I watched him draw closer. There was an intimidating aura to the way he carried himself. Like he could do just about anything. According to Storm, this man had helped harvest organs. He’d killed people. Maybe I should take him a little more seriously.
“I don’t like it,” I said, almost choking on the swell of adrenaline that grew with every step he took. “I don’t like you, Stray. You and me are never going to happen.”
His amusement faded, chasing the smile from his face. Something sinister took its place. I had the sudden urge to turn and run. Instead, I stood there frozen, staring at him.
Stray twisted a lock of my hair around his finger. Leaning in close, he said, “Liar. How bad do you want to know all the ways I could hurt you? I bet your panties are so wet right now.”
My shock at his brazen remark made me react without thinking.
There was a loud crack as my hand connected with his face.
Stray jerked back in surprise. I took the opportunity to run for the door without looking back.
Once I was safely inside the building with a locked door between us, I glanced back to find him standing there on the sidewalk, staring after me.
I didn’t hang around. Since I didn’t want to wait around for the elevator, I hightailed it up the stairs, taking them two at a time. By the time I reached my floor, I was breathless and shaky. Slipping into my apartment, I locked the door behind me and crept over to the window to peer out.
Stray was still down there. Standing next to his car. He stared at his phone while smoking a joint. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave.
I moved away from the window before he glanced up and saw me. Trying to forget about him entirely, I deposited my bag in my bedroom and changed into a comfortable pair of cotton PJ pants and a tank top. I wouldn’t be going out again today. Sometimes comfort ruled over fashion.
Usually I found something to snack on after classes. Right now my stomach was a mess of nerves. I had no appetite. I busied myself with unloading the dishwasher and tidying the kitchen counters. Every now and then I would peek out the window to find Stray still lingering down below.
What exactly was he trying to prove? Was this his way of instilling me with fear? It definitely left me uneasy. However, it also made me angry. Was this some kind of game to him? I’d seen the crap Storm went through with Rebel. The Graveyard Kings were game players, and I wasn’t having it.
When the door opened an hour later, I almost leapt from the couch. It was only Athena. She dropped her bag next to the door and nodded toward the living room window.
“Did you know that Stray Hurley is out there? Do you have any idea why?”
A quick glance revealed that he was indeed still there. Shit. “I’m not sure. He brought me home from the rave on Saturday. I tried to tell him there was nothing more between us. He seems to think otherwise.”
I really didn’t want to admit any of this to Athena. She had no idea what kind of trouble I got myself into at the raves. Still, she was my roommate and my friend. I couldn’t very well leave her completely in the dark if I had a stalker lurking outside my building all the time.
“That’s kind of weird. Do you think he’s dangerous?” Athena gathered her long brown hair into a ponytail, tying it with the hair tie she wore around her wrist.
I shook my head, trying to play it off like no big deal. “I doubt it. I think he has a big ego and can’t accept that I’m not into him. He’ll get over it.”
Athena frowned like she didn’t quite buy my explanation. “I hope so. It’s kind of weird. I’m going to grab a shower. We have that frozen lasagna my mom gave us in the freezer. Do you want to throw that in the oven?”
“Sure. No problem.” I waited for her to disappear into the bathroom before grabbing the lasagna from the freezer and popping it in the oven.
Glancing back at the fridge, I made a sudden reckless decision. I snatched the egg carton from inside and stepped out onto the balcony. Stray was still down there. He paced along the sidewalk with his phone pressed to his ear. Most likely conducting shady Graveyard King’s business.
Without hesitation, I opened the egg carton and turned it upside down, letting the contents plummet down onto Stray’s windshield. The crack of the eggs as they hit was strangely satisfying. I saw Stray freeze as the eggs splattered on the glass. I was gone back inside before he looked up at me.
Maybe that had been a bad move. Childish too.
He just upset me so much earlier. Still, there were better ways to deal with him.
I immediately feel bad for such a rash reaction.
I grabbed the paper towel roll from the kitchen counter, returning to the balcony with the intent to toss it down so he could wipe the mess.
When I glanced down at the sidewalk, I found it empty. Stray’s car remained, but he was gone. There’s no way he could’ve gotten inside the building. Right?
A moment later there was a bang on the apartment door. The sound of a heavy fist falling several times against the surface. Oh fuck.
Not wanting him to draw the attention of my neighbors, I hurried to the door and opened it. Stray shoved inside, closing the door behind him. Grabbing me by the throat, he backed me up into the living room. We came to a stop when my back hit the armchair.
“What the hell was that?” he hissed. “What were you hoping to prove by dropping a dozen eggs on my car? Did you think that would chase me off? Or were you hoping for this exact thing to happen?”
With him pressed against me, threatening to choke off my breath, I was overcome with a rush of excitement. Had I been trying to goad a reaction out of him? I didn’t think so. Maybe he was right. Maybe I’d known exactly what I was doing.
“I was hoping you would get a clue and get lost. Do you know how messed up it is that you’re sitting outside my apartment?
Don’t you have more important things to do?
Like harvesting organs or running illegal drugs?
” Despite my apprehension, I forced myself to hold his icy blue gaze. No backing down.
Stray’s chuckle was low and malicious. “Heard about that, have you? Then you know what I’m capable of. Be careful, Codie. You might get more than you bargained for with me.”
“I’m not afraid of you. You’re all talk.” I don’t know why I said that. It was like this other version of me took over, doing all she could to antagonize him.
It worked.
Stray spun me around, forcing me to bend over the arm of the chair. “You think so, do you? I live for proving people wrong about me.”
Grabbing the waistband of my pants, he yanked them down. I struggled against him, trying to stand up. With one hand on my back, he held me pressed against the chair. With the other hand, he pulled my underwear down to bare my ass.
The sound of his hand against my skin was almost more startling than the sensation.
Over and over, Stray aggressively spanked my ass.
What the hell was happening? My brain refused to accept this as reality.
There was no denying the burning sensation of each stinging slap or the heat that crept along my flesh.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I cried out, clawing at the chair as I tried to escape.
“Showing you exactly who you’re fucking with, strawberry. If you want to call me out, I’m going to show you why that’s a terrible idea.” Stray grabbed my arm, pulling me off the chair.
I was still struggling to pull my pants back up when he pinned me to the wall and kissed me. There was a violence in his kiss this time. A darkness that gripped me tight, threatening to never let go.
My burning hot ass was almost forgotten as he crushed his lips to mine in a bruising kiss. The taste of marijuana lingered on his breath. Against my own good judgment, I parted my lips for him, allowing him to entangle his tongue with mine.
This time there was no denying that I definitely kissed him back. There was no blaming drugs or alcohol. Only my own poor judgement when it came to Stray Hurley.
He held me against the wall, pressing his thigh between my legs. I was surprised to discover how wet I was. Who knew I’d enjoy a good spanking so much? I knew that I should stop him. Push him away or something. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
The sound of the bathroom door did it for me. Athena’s sudden appearance put me into panic mode. I shoved Stray away so hard he almost stumbled. Athena stood in the hallway. She’d dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, her hair twisted up in a towel. She froze when she spotted Stray.
Thankfully, he didn’t hang around to explain himself. Without a word, he walked out of the apartment, leaving me standing there feeling like I’d been caught doing something wrong.
“Do I even want to know?” Athena asked, taking in my panicked expression. “Is everything okay?”
“You don’t want to know,” I confirmed. When she continued to look at me with both brows raised, I added, “It’s complicated. Don’t worry about it.”
Thankfully, she was a good friend and didn’t press me further. I had no answers for her. I didn’t understand myself when I was around Stray, and I didn’t know how to explain it to anyone else.
Athena went to check on the lasagna while I ventured over to the window. Stray’s car was gone. He left. Or maybe that’s what he wanted me to think.