Chapter 15
Quinn
“You should have knocked their asses out,” I insisted as I escorted the three men to the door.
Keith shrugged. “They’re cops.”
Shock crept across my face as I looked over my shoulder. What a couple of assholes. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to wear a badge. I knew that most of the cops in the city were useless in most cases, only handing out bogus tickets instead of tracking down bad guys, but I never thought they were corrupt.
“You should turn them in.”
Taven laughed, and Keith rolled his eyes. Pulling off his sunglasses, Zane looked at me with those dazzling pinkish eyes. “Sugar, the world sees us as a bunch of hooligans. Even with video proof, nobody would believe we didn’t start it.”
“That’s such bullshit,” I muttered, angry for them.
Zane smiled at me and caressed my cheek with his finger. “Before you hang out with this loser, you should call me. I’ll take you for a ride…” He trailed off, showing off a full, toothy grin. “On the bike and on something else.” Before I could say anything, he locked me into a kiss. I was so shocked I couldn’t pull away. And he was the one to break it.
In a daze, I blinked a few times before I could speak. “I don’t even have your number.”
“I’ll give it to you,” Keith offered.
Taven wrapped his arm tightly around me, squeezing my ass. “Think you can handle all three of us in one night, Cupcake?”
My brain was screaming no, but my lips decided to have a mind of their own. “I’ll try,” I squeaked.
Keith grabbed me, pulling me from his friend’s grip. “You’re going to be sore for a week.” He plastered his lips to mine, holding me there for much longer than Zane had. When he broke free, he winked. “See you tomorrow, Sweet Pea.”
I could do nothing but watch as they mounted their bikes. What the fuck was wrong with me? My brain was telling me this was one of the dumbest things I had ever done, while my pussy was telling me I needed to ride those dicks every chance I got. Was this witchcraft? Because it felt like these men had some sort of crazy sex spell cast on me. The angel on my shoulder was begging me to walk away from them while the devil on the other was telling me to be a good girl and take whatever they threw at me. I felt so dirty while around them, yet so alive at the same time.
When they roared onto the street, I finally re-entered the diner. Cameron and Amree were staring at me. I sat down and shoved a fork full of salad into my mouth.
“What the fuck was that?” demanded Amree.
Taking my time to swallow, I stared at her. “What?”
Leaning over, she dropped her voice to a low whisper. “Are you fucking all of them?”
Shrinking down, I fidgeted with my fork. “Maybe.”
“Jesus Christ, Quinn,” bellowed Cameron.
“What?”
“What do you mean ‘what?’ I told you that you needed to get laid; I didn’t mean ride every dick you trip on.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I snapped.
“I know you needed some dick to get over losing Luke, but three? He wouldn’t want that.”
Standing up, I glared down at him. “How do you know? Luke isn’t here! He’s gone, Cameron, and he’s never coming back! I needed something to help me cope and move on. I found that something. Why is it okay for you to date several men at once, but it isn’t okay for me?” I scowled. “Is it because I’m a woman? Women aren’t supposed to have a body count?”
“I never said that,” he muttered, averting his eyes.
“You know what? Fuck this.”
I stormed off. Who the hell was he to judge? When his last serious relationship ended, he was dating at least ten different men at the same time and sleeping with every one of them. Why the hell was it so horrible for me to do the same? Why was I not allowed to test the waters before I dived into another relationship? And even if I didn’t want to get serious with one of my biker boys, so what? There was nothing wrong with me having a little fun until I decided I wanted something more. I swear, sometimes I hated being a woman.
Hopping into the Jeep, I slammed the door and jammed the key into the ignition. It was a pity Keith and the others were busy; I could use a good lay to get some of this frustration out. Remembering they had plans reminded me that I had a deadline. I needed to get a new story to my boss to collect a paycheck. Groaning, I opened my phone and searched for scary places in my area. Nothing came up except for the two abandoned prisons. Tossing the device in the cup holder, I sighed and thought about what Amree had suggested. I could simply make up a story based around the Imagination Kingdom.
I had only been to that place twice during my childhood, and thinking back to it always gave me a sour reminder of how broke my family was growing up. Like any theme park, it was pricey. One of my childhood memories was from that place, and it wasn’t a good one. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven when I went there for a field trip near the end of the school year. I had no money with me, so I wasn’t able to enjoy a single ride. I ended up stuck with not only snobby little girls but a snob mother as well. My chaperone forced me to sit on a bench with her while her daughter and the rest of the group got to have the time of their lives. After a few hours, I managed to gain the courage to ask if I could go on one of the rides. Twenty-five-plus years later, I could still hear the woman yell, “I am only here to pay for my daughter and her friends. I didn’t ask to get saddled with you.”
As an adult, I knew I wasn’t the woman’s responsibility, but to a child so young, it was heartbreaking. It wasn’t my fault I was so broke. Eventually, I got tired of sitting on the bench watching all the kids have fun, so I snuck off. The amusement park had a free playground and petting zoo, so I ran off to do my own thing. I was gone hours before the woman found me. She lectured me, of course, but I didn’t care. Even years later, I got a warm, fuzzy feeling deep down when I pictured the woman’s pissed-off face.
When Cameron and Amree emerged from the building, I pulled out of the parking spot before they could talk to me. I was just so damned mad.
At home, I sat down at my laptop, intending to write another chapter of fan fiction. But I couldn’t seem to get it right. Every time I wrote a paragraph, I would reread it and change the entire thing. It went on for several hours, and I only got seven paragraphs done.
I looked at the clock, six p.m. It would be getting dark soon. What a perfect opportunity to get some good shots of the Imagination Kingdom. The setting sunlight would offer a spooky feel, and maybe my lens would capture some of those ethereal little dust orbs for good measure.
After packing my best camera, I headed out the door. As I left the city limits, I took in the brilliant orange, red, and yellow hues speckling the treetops. Perhaps I would take Zane up on that ride. How wonderful the view would be with the sun shining overhead and no windshield to distort my view. I chuckled. Maybe I’d take him up on that other offer, too.
Turning up the radio, I bobbed my head to the music for the entire trip. It took roughly fifteen minutes; I had forgotten how well-hidden the place was. It was off an old dirt path about a mile into the surrounding woods. Being so far off the beaten path, it was no wonder the park closed down.
As the gray castle came into view, I smiled. I may not have had good memories of the place, but it still gave me a warm feeling of nostalgia. That only lasted a few moments before a wave of sadness swept over me. It really was wasting away. At the front of the drive, two worn toy soldier statues stood guard, covered in dying ivy. The gray castle walls were peeling, and the pictures of knights, princesses, and dragons were almost completely faded.
I pulled up to the entrance and groaned heavily at the sight of the thick chain and padlock keeping the iron gate locked up tight. I would have to find another way in. Normally, I wouldn’t think about trying such a risky stunt. Since my initial run-in with Keith and his buddies, I started taking a lot of risks. What was one more?