Diesel #2
The thought grossed him out. He couldn’t believe how far removed he was from those innocent days. But he couldn’t get the memory of her beautiful body out his mind when she’d decided to strip while his back was turned.
No, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
Fuck, it was what it was. If he could go back and warn her not to do that, he would. Not that she’d listen. Rebel was the most hard-headed little shrew he’d ever met. Yet…this was on him. He had to resist her and the ideas she planted in his head.
Already, she played mind games. He couldn’t imagine how treacherous she’d be by the time she turned eighteen. Like Narci said…
She moved restlessly, shoving the covers aside and revealing one of her pretty nightgowns. The sight of her wearing the jewelry Kaia gave to her annoyed the fuck out of him.
Diesel knew it was real gold, but did she?
She turned her back toward him, her hair shifting with her. A moment later, she turned on her side, facing him.
Diesel was just about to wake her up, but she did that on her own, bolting into a sitting position, her eyes flying open. Her gaze landed on him and panic crossed her face, a frightened cry escaping her.
He hurried to her and dropped next to her, settling an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. “It’s me, sweetheart. You’re safe.”
She laid her head on his chest and heaved in a breath. “Diesel?”
“That’s me,” he quipped.
“I thought…” She pulled away, turned her back to him, and laid her head on the pillow. “Never mind. You were watching me sleep again?”
“Turn around and look on your dresser.”
When she complied, he leaned back so she could see the bags.
“That’s for me?” she gasped.
“All of it. I told you I had a present for you.”
“That implies one.” She pointed to her dresser. “Definitely more than a present.”
“When I went to pick up the present I ordered, I saw other things I knew you’d like,” he lied.
She studied him, then shook her head. “You’re so full of shit. You didn’t even think about giving me anything until Axel and Kaia gave me gifts.”
“Axel gave you money. That’s not a real gift.”
“Let me be with you when you tell him that.”
“No fucking thank you,” he said, laughing. “We argue enough.”
Rebel laid down again. “Don’t engage with him and there’ll be no argument. That’s simple.”
“Not so much,” Diesel said, turning toward her and propping himself up on his elbow. “Axel demands a response. It’ll be much worse if he doesn’t get it.”
“Okay,” she said with a shrug. “If that helps you to sleep so you’re not humiliated that a ten-year-old has you afraid of him.”
“He bombed my fucking bathroom, Rebel,” Diesel reminded her, scowling.
“By accident,” she said around a yawn.
“The motherfucker still detonated. Now, I can’t shower in the privacy of my room.”
“Go to the treehouse.”
His jaw clenched. “No.”
“What am I missing here? Why are you so angry at Jana when she was hurt, too?”
If her parents hadn’t told Rebel the truth, he didn’t intend to. Besides, once he forgave Jana and it sunk in that she was still that same girl he’d been determined to protect even before he saw her as a buffer between him and Rebel, he didn’t need Rebel to be her enemy.
“Diesel?”
“Isn’t it obvious? She shouldn’t have left the fucking mall.”
“True, but she was ambushed. Cut her some slack.”
Gnashing his teeth together, Diesel sat up and leaned forward, elbows on knees. “I thought you were angry with her.”
“She texted me earlier,” Rebel told him. “And apologized for how she’s been acting.”
He straightened and glanced over his shoulder. “That was enough for you?”
She tipped her head back, revealing the curve of her chin and the delicate skin on her throat.
“What do you want me to say? I’ve almost died twice in a matter of weeks.
Yes, I lost my temper with her but should I continue being that same awful person I was if I’m going to die soon?
I want to go to heaven, Diesel. With Baby Patrick and my grandmas. ”
“Sweetheart—”
“Don’t. Okay? It doesn’t seem as if I’m meant to stay alive.
I just want to go back to Friday night. No, the Friday before the volleyball game.
My driving lesson. You acting like you have manners toward Kaia.
Me and Kaia being Chi and Huahua. Thinking about Jo coming home. Visiting Rule. My 16th birthday.”
Her eyes watered and she blinked. It was only when the light glimmered off the blueness in her irises that he realized she had all her lamps on. The small one on the dresser that matched the crystal ones on each nightstand. The floor lamps in her sitting area were also on.
He stretched out next to her and drew her into his arms, tangling his fingers through her hair. “You’re safe,” he told her. “And you don’t have to be anyone other than who you have always been. My beautiful, sweet Rebel.”
She tilted her head back and met his gaze, before dropping hers to his lips. Immediately, his cock stirred and his pulse began to pound.
“I asked Jana to talk to you,” he told her, determined to hold onto his morals, no matter how fine a line he treaded. “I would like you two to get along. If you don’t want to talk to her again, then don’t force it.”
Rebel was quiet for a moment before she tucked her head under his chin. “She told me to forgive Kaia.”
Diesel stiffened, not that Rebel noticed because she continued talking about that motherfucker.
“I-I don’t want to. He cheated twice with Fia. That’s a pattern and he obviously likes her. I can’t compete with her because I don’t want to have sex with him right now.”
“What the fuck do you mean right now?” he demanded. “Try never,” he snarled. “I will fucking kill him if he touches you.”
“You have no fucking say so over that. You and Daddy and CJ put him in my path.”
Snatching himself away from her, he sat up and jumped to his feet. “Not to fuck you.”
“Just to amuse me or tolerate me, right, fuck face?”
“Don’t start,” he warned.
“The three of you can threaten him all you want to, but at the end of the day, I can give him something none of you can, so stop fucking with me before I do it just to spite you.”
“Are you seriously fucking telling me you’d fuck him out of spite?
” he snarled, barely recognizing his tone or his jealous fury.
Then he remembered he was dealing with Rebel.
If he pushed, she’d pull or push fucking harder.
He heaved in a breath, changing tactics.
“It wouldn’t be very nice of you to use emo boy as revenge. ”
She made a face at him. “I know what the fuck you’re doing, Diesel, so fuck you. I don’t want to make love to Kaia out of spite. I want to do it because I trust him and because I care about him and because he’s my Huahua.”
Jesus fucking Christ, Diesel would have a fucking stroke.
“But…but…” Her shoulders slumped and that vulnerability returned.
“I’m confused. Kaia hurt me terribly. I’ve said that to him.
To Momma. To Daddy. And it doesn’t get any easier.
It just bounces in my head. I miss him, and I feel so alone without him.
A part of me blames myself. If I would’ve had sex with him the night of your birthday party, he wouldn’t have slept with Fia. ”
“You can’t police that motherfucker’s cock. What the fuck is wrong with you? It’s attached to him for the time being. He controls what he does with it.”
“But he wanted me. I don’t know if I should give him another chance because I messed up.”
“Are you ready to fuck?” he snarled.
A flush crept over her beautiful skin, the mounds of her breasts up her neck and into her lovely face. She avoided his gaze and her blush deepened. Realizing her problem, he laughed, appeased.
“You couldn’t give yourself to him because you want me,” he stated in satisfaction.
Her nod was short and curt. “But that isn’t fair to Kaia, so how can I not give him another chance if the entire reason for turning him down is because I want you to be my first?”
His cock had just settled down. Now, it stiffened again.
“I don’t think I wanted to admit that until this past Saturday because it was so unfair to him.”
“Fuck Kaia!” Perfect segue. “He couldn’t even afford the type of jewelry you deserve.”
She frowned. “That isn’t true!” she said, always ready to defend that fuckhead. “I know the box they were in—”
“Anyone can get a fake fucking box and pass it off as one from a luxury store or jeweler. That isn’t real gold. Keep them in and your fucking earlobes and wrists will turn green.”
Her frown deepening, she lifted her wrist and studied Kaia’s bracelet.
“Could he really afford to spend five grand on fucking jewelry?” Diesel asked, wondering if he should’ve gone the other route and told her Aunt Meggie fronted him the money. “You know better than that. Emo boy loves expensive emo clothes. That’s costume jewelry at most.”
“I don’t care. They’re so pretty and they were from the heart. Unlike yours.”
Fucking Rebel. Always calling him out. Fine. He’d let her win this battle but he’d win the fucking war and convince her to take off Kaia’s jewelry. “Are you implying my gifts to you aren’t heartfelt?”
“A gift to me from you wasn’t even on your fucking radar, fuck face.”
“Fucking sue me if I was so fucking relieved you were coming home.” That was the truth. He was so fucking tired of Hortensia General, he was ready to blow that motherfucker up. “That was my main focus.”
She looked at the bracelet again, touched her delicate earlobe. “Kaia will be so hurt if I don’t wear them.”
That was the point. “Then he shouldn’t have aimed so high and pretended to give you something he couldn’t afford. Take the jewelry off, Rebel. Wear them sparingly.”
Though her chin wobbled, she complied, even allowing him to unclasp that fucking bracelet, setting it and the earrings on the nightstand closest to her.