Chapter Thirteen
REILLY
I’VE BEEN SNEAKING AROUND with Bray as much as I possibly can in the last three weeks. The fact that he’s been filling in for Zac around the club doesn’t hurt—we’ve found all sorts of closets and offices to get to know each other better.
One time, he even picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and dragged me down to the basement.
Let’s just say, the three rounds I spent in the cage with Bray, we both came out winners.
That man has stamina like I’ve never seen before.
I honestly don’t know how he does it. I know he spends all morning working out in Zac’s gym.
Then he comes into the club and works and still finds time to fuck me senseless every day.
I’ve managed to avoid being caught sneaking in and out of Zac’s apartment most nights and mornings as well. I thought for sure Zac was more observant and would have caught me by now, but I guess he’s so hyper-focused on Alyssa he doesn’t know what’s going on around him.
The couple of days over Christmas I didn’t stay with Bray, I had at least a dozen messages and calls from him, not to mention the late-night video calls.
He even managed to get me off over the phone—okay, it was my hands and vibrator doing all the work—but it was his voice and the dirty things he would say that pushed me over the edge every sweet time.
It’s New Year’s Eve, the club’s busiest night I’ve seen yet.
I’m hyper-alert and anxiety riddles my body.
Bray’s fighting tonight; this is the first fight I have to watch him in since he’s been my boyfriend.
I’m torn on how I feel about him fighting.
On one hand, it’s hot as hell, and on the other, I really don’t want to see him get hurt.
His cocky ass has assured me that he’s winning this fight.
It’s not his abilities that I question. On some of those nights I’ve spent in my own bed, without him, I may have spent way more time than necessary watching YouTube videos of his fights.
There’s also the illegal, underground cage thing that worries me.
How he’s managed to stay out of jail this long, I have no idea.
I haven’t expressed my fears to him, that one day he will be taken away. I’ve been trying to push those thoughts down and focus on the present. Like right now, I’m sitting in my office staring at a bloody bouquet of doughnuts.
Who the hell sends someone a bouquet of doughnuts?
Bray Williamson, that’s who. James, the one and only guy in this club who doesn’t run the other way when he sees me.
James, the bartender well on his way to earning best friend rights.
That James, who is also about to get his ass kicked out of my office, is currently sitting on my desk laughing his ass off as he bites into a huge doughnut covered in pink icing and sprinkles.
He’s also holding the card that came with the doughnuts out in front of him, as he mocks me, reading it aloud around mouthfuls of food.
“I hope these taste just a sweet as you do. You can eat your sweets now. I’ll be devouring mine tonight,” he laughs.
“Shut up, asshole, or I won’t share any more with you,” I warn.
He looks at the box then back up to me. “You can’t possibly eat all of these on your own. You need my help, darl.”
He’s right. I don’t know what Bray was thinking.
There is no way one person can eat this many doughnuts.
They aren’t just your typical cinnamon doughnuts—no, these are extravagant.
They’re huge and in the shape of hearts and circles; some filled with jam, and others covered in icing of all colours and sprinkles.
My mouth salivates just looking at the sweet sugary goodness.
“So, who’s the guy who’s been licking your kitty lately, huh?” James questions. “I can’t wait till Bray finds out someone beat him to the cookie jar,” he laughs.
I’m not quick enough to hide my smirk at his comment. Bray and I, surprisingly, have done a spectacular job of keeping our little relationship secret. The only people who know are my mum and Holly.
“Shut the front door, Reilly Reynolds!” James screeches.
“What?” My innocent try to play it cool attitude does not work on him.
“Don’t what me! You’re fucking Bray! As in, the Bray Williamson. Don’t even try to lie to me, girlfriend.” It’s hard not to laugh as he points his half-eaten doughnut at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Deny, deny, deny. I keep repeating the mantra in my head. I’m not sure if I’m ready to leave the little bubble Bray and I have created for ourselves just yet. I like that we get to keep us, just us. No one else sticking their two cents into what’s happening in our relationship.
Then again, maybe, just maybe, if my friends knew that Bray was mine, they’d stop making remarks about how much they want a turn at the pierced cucumber.
When I say friends, I’m talking about Sarah—she’s the only one who mentions it really.
Alyssa is all about everything that is Zac.
As she should be; that man treats her like a damn queen.
He even gave me uncontrolled access to that little magical black card of his at Christmas.
He wanted to get Lyssa a new wardrobe because hers was destroyed by that psycho Caitlyn who has been stalking and tormenting her.
I would really love to get my hands on that girl.
I know Dean’s had teams out searching high and low, but the bitch is a damn cockroach, hiding in nooks and crannies and unable to be found.
Bray has been stressed, spending way more time in the gym every morning than what I think is normal.
He says it’s because he’s preparing for his fight.
I’ve snuck down to the basement here to watch him train a few times.
A sweaty, practically naked Bray is a fucking welcoming sight.
I’ve heard his coach tell him he’s overdoing it but Bray shrugs him off and says it’s temporary.
He doesn’t show it, but Bray worries a lot about his family.
That’s the reason we’ve been sneaking around Zac’s apartment and not just hanging out at Bray’s house.
Bray wants to be close, in case he’s needed.
He doesn’t trust that Caitlyn won’t try something, even while Alyssa is staying in the penthouse with Zac.
Neither of them has left the building for a few weeks.
They are both meant to be going back to work tonight, so I’m expecting to see Zac any minute now. Which means I need to get on with my night and get James and these doughnuts away from me.
“Earth to Reilly!” James waves a new doughnut he’s holding—this one coated in chocolate icing and white sprinkles.
“What?”
“You were totally zoned out there. Thinking about lover boy Bray?”
“I’m not sleeping with Bray.” I try my darndest to continue denying.
“Yes, you are. I don’t know why you’re not screaming that shit from the rooftops.
If I had that boy, I’d be bragging left, right and centre to everyone and anything that would listen.
I mean, look at him. He’s what wet dreams are made of.
Please, for the love of everything that’s holy, tell me he is as good in bed as what I’ve imagined he would be? ”
Okay, I know that Bray is one hundred percent about the vagina, but I can’t seem to help the green-eyed monster appearing at James’s comment. He’s been imagining my boyfriend having sex.
“Stop, you need to stop thinking about my boyfriend that way if we are going to remain friends. Or at the very least, never mention those thoughts to me again,” I tell him.
The smile that crosses his face is not the scared and intimidated look I was going for. I really need Holly to teach me her teacher voice tactics.
“I knew it!” James jumps up and down like an over- excited kid on Christmas morning. Then I realise the mistake I made, oh crap.
“Wait, you said boyfriend. This is more than I was thinking. I thought for sure you two have been bumping uglies, but I never imagined you’d actually do the impossible and lock down Braydon Williamson. Bloody hell, your vagina must be lined in gold or some shit.”
“Are you done?” I ask, waiting for him to calm the fuck down.
“Oh, hunny, I have so much more.”
“Well, it will have to wait. I have work to do, so do you.”
“At least tell me one thing; inches, what are we talking here?” He holds his hands out in front of him, slowly moving them apart further like he’s measuring something.
“You want to know how big Bray’s dick is? Go ask him yourself, perv.”
“Oh, I have, many, many times. The bastard never gives me a straight answer.”
I get up and hold the door open for him, waiting for him to get the hint he needs to leave now. It doesn’t take too long. He stands, picking up two more doughnuts before walking out the door.
“This conversation is so not over, girl,” he says as I shut the door behind him.
After an hour sitting in my office, half dreaming and fantasising about Bray and what I want to do to his body tonight, and half focusing on what I need to do for tonight, I get up and head down to the floor.
I have one of the hottest bands in—Dawn.
They’ve topped the Australia top thirty charts for three weeks in a row.
I knew they would be big. I saw them on YouTube a few months back and booked them in for the New Year’s Eve slot.
They released their single four weeks ago, and it blew up big time.
I had to get Dean to arrange extra security, because the expected crowd this band is supposed to bring in is beyond what we can actually cater for here.
I held off on releasing the tickets for tonight until just two weeks ago.
I’m glad I did, because with Dawn’s new status at the top of the charts, I priced the tickets higher and they sold out within an hour of being released.
As I’m heading down to the floor, Zac and Dean both rush past me. They don’t stop to talk; they are in a zone. Zac looks furious. I wonder who peed in his Wheaties this time. Then it hits me, Alyssa, something is wrong with Alyssa.
I run to catch up with them. The elevator doors shut before I’m even close. Shit. Pulling out my phone, I try to call Alyssa, but the call rings out. Next, I try Sarah. She picks up on the first ring.
“Reilly, oh God, something’s wrong. Alyssa’s gone,” she cries into the phone. My blood runs cold, my fingers tremble and I struggle not to drop the phone.
“What do you mean gone?”
“We were meant to meet for lunch; she didn’t show so I called Zac, thinking he was monopolising her time again. Except she wasn’t with him. I was going to go into the ER and ask for her, but Zac started tracking her and said she wasn’t there and that he was going to find her.”
That’s a lot to process. “What do you mean he was tracking her? How’s he tracking her?” I’m making my way back to my office to grab my things.
“I don’t know; he said something about her ring. Oh God, Reilly, what if Caitlyn actually got to her? I feel so helpless right now.”
“Zac will find her. If anyone can find her, it’s him.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or her of this. One thing I do know is that Zac will burn the city down in order to find Alyssa. There is nothing he won’t do for her.
“Sarah, I gotta hang up. I need to find someone who can do a semi-decent job of setting up for tonight so I can leave. Find Holly. I’ll pick you both up from your place. We are going to find her.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you soon,” I say before hanging up.
I dial Bray’s number. He takes a little longer to answer than Sarah did.
“Babe, is it me or junior who you’re missing so soon?
” He’s overly chirpy for someone who should be going through his pre-fight routine.
Which, according to him, is an all-day event, consisting of a deep tissue massage, rub downs and yoga, followed by spending time locked away alone in a room with headphones on and clearing his mind for an hour or two.
The whole rub down part did not fly too well with me.
He doesn’t sound like he’s doing any of that right now though; he sounds like he’s in a car.
“Bray, where are you?”
He takes a minute to reply, which tells me he’s trying to come up with something. “Ahh, I just had to run an errand, babe. I’ll be back at the club before you know it.”
Run an errand my ass. “What the hell is going on with Alyssa, Bray? Where the fuck is she?” I demand.
He has to know something; he wouldn’t have left the club for anything other than an emergency situation. The fact that he doesn’t want to tell me just pisses me off more.
“Whoa, babe, calm down. It’s going to be okay. I’m following Zac and Dean now. Zac has a tracker on her; he knows exactly where she is. Dean has some guys who will reach her quicker than we can, and they’re already on their way to her. As soon as I know anything else, I’ll let you know. I promise.”
“Bray, where is she? Where are you heading to?” I want to know exactly where I need to get to. I’m walking out of the club and just about to get in the car.
“Babe, I need you to calm down. You’re not driving anywhere while you’re in this state.”
I laugh. Does the idiot think he can actually stop me?
“Either you tell me or I’ll find out another way,” I say as I start my car.
“Fuck, shit. Reilly, please, you can’t drive while you’re panicked and freaked out. Turn the car off.”
It’s pretty clear he’s not going to tell me where they’re headed to, so I hang up on him.
I dial Sarah back.
“Have they found her?” she asks.
“They know where she is and are heading for her. Bray says Dean has some guys who are close and are on their way to her now.”
“Fuck, Reilly, that bitch is crazy as fuck… who knows what she’s capable of doing.”
“I know. Did you get a hold of Holly?”
“Yeah, she should be here in about five minutes.” “Good, I’ll be there in fifteen. Be out front.”
“Okay,” she says as I hang up.
Shit, now to figure out how the hell we are going to find where these assholes are heading to. I’m reversing out when someone knocks on the passenger side window, making me jump a mile out of my seat in the process.
“What the fuck, James?” I scream at him as he opens the door and jumps in.
“I’ve got strict orders to ensure you arrive in Glenvale in one piece, without a hair out of place. Orders directly from Bray. I value my life way too much to not follow those orders.”
“Glenvale, what the fuck. That’s two hours away, James.”
“I’m aware, so let’s go. It’s only one now, so we’ll be able to make it back before the club starts getting busy tonight.”
“I have to stop at Sarah’s and pick up her and Holly.” I reverse out, my hands shaking a little from a mixture of fear and anger. Fear of something happening to my friend and anger that I can’t do shit about it right now.