Because of Low (25 page)

“How do you feel?” he asked studying me carefully.

“Wonderful,” I replied honestly.

A sexy smirk touched his lips, “Me too.”

His warm hand moved down my back and began to caress my hip.

“You’re so soft,” he murmured. His heavy lidded eyes made my insides do all kinds of funny things.

“Cage may be here,” I reminded him sliding my leg up between his legs.

“Hmmm... he is.”

My eyes flew open wide.

Marcus chuckled, “Relax he didn’t see anything. I had you all covered up when he walked in.”

“What did he say?”

I believe his exact words were, “Well it’s about fucking time.”

Giggling I leaned up and kissed his chin.

“What did you say?”

Marcus kissed my head, “I agreed, wholeheartedly.”

Chapter Twenty- Seven

Marcus

Cheers, clapping, and whistling ensued when I walked into Live Bay two nights later with Low tucked closely to my side.

“Hot damn!”

“Hallelujah”

“It’s about time.”

“Finally!”

Willow glanced up at me smiling. “I guess they’re happy about this.”

She had no idea.

“Yes I’m pretty sure nothing short of our marriage would make them happier. They weren’t a fan of the Willowless Marcus.”

“Oh”

“Yes, Oh.”

Willow kissed my cheek and our crowd went wild.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Lick all over him,” Preston hooted as we came up to the table.

“I’d even be okay with some PDA at this point,” Dewayne drawled.

“Hello to all of you too,” Willow piped up.

“You have no idea how badly you were missed,” Preston said.

Willow glanced up at me, “I have an idea.”

“I’m taking my girl to dance and away from all of you. You’re making me sound pathetic.”

“You were pathetic,” Dewayne responded.

I was. No point arguing.

Pulling Willow into my arms I enjoyed her soft curves and sweet honey scent. Nothing in my life had ever felt as right as she did in my arms.

Willow

“I can’t believe you’re moving out. If I’d known you’d leave me I’d never have helped the jackass out and convinced you to give him another chance.” Cage stood in the living room frowning.

I had my suitcase packed and the key he’d given me in my outstretched hand.

“Don’t say that Cage. I’m not leaving you. I’m releasing you.”

“Who the hell said I wanted to be released?”

“I did. You’ve been my best friend, savior, family, safe haven for so long. I’ve always come first in your life. You put your wants and needs on hold to make sure I’m happy. I love you. And it’s time I let you go. You’re free to just be my friend. You don’t have to drop everything to come save me or pick up the pieces. I’m a big girl now. If my world falls apart again I’ll handle it.”

Cage reached out and took the key then grabbed my hand and jerked me into a hug.

“He won’t ever leave you, Low. That’s the only way I can let you walk out that door. I know he won’t. The boy is a goner.”

I nodded against his chest. “I don’t think he will either.”

“And I don’t regret anything. I’d do it all again. You know that right?”

I nodded feeling my eyes fill up with tears. “You’re my family, Cage. You always will be.”

“You too, Low, always.”

Marcus cleared his voice from the doorway. I stepped back and wiped my tears before he could see them.

“Take care of her,” Cage told Marcus.

“I will.”

Cage nodded and tucked my key into his pocket.

“I guess I’m going on that road trip. I’ll have a lot of free time on my hands now.”

“Go. Have fun.”

Cage grinned, “Okay.” He nodded toward the couch, “And just take the couch. I’m not taking your money.”

“I want to pay you for it. You’re gonna need to replace it.”

“I’m thinking of putting a few blow up mattresses out here. Might have a few orgies”

“UGH! Shut up Cage,” I shoved him making him loose his balance. Chuckling he shrugged, “Hey I thought you wanted me to live a little.”

“You’re crazy, Cage York.”

Marcus came up behind me and took my suitcase.

“You ready?”

I smiled back at him and nodded.

I was ready. I was ready for everything tomorrow may bring.

The Vincent Boys

by Abbi Glines

Available now on Amazon

Chapter 1

Ashton

Why couldn’t I have just made it home without seeing them? I wasn’t in the mood to play good freaking Samaritan to Beau and his trashy girlfriend. Although he wasn't here, Sawyer would expect me to stop. With a frustrated groan, I slowed down and pulled up beside Beau, who had put some distance between him and his vomiting girlfriend. Apparently throw up wasn’t a mating call for him. “Where’s your truck parked Beau?” I asked in the most annoyed tone I could muster. He flashed me that stupid sexy grin he knew made every female in town melt at his feet. I’d like to believe I was immune, after all these years, but I wasn’t. Being immune to the town’s bad boy was impossible.

“Don’t tell me perfect little Ashton Gray is gonna offer to help me out,” he drawled leaning down to stare at me through my open window.

“Sawyer’s out of town so the privilege falls to me. He wouldn’t let you drive home drunk and neither will I.”

He chuckled sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. God. He even laughed sexy. “Thanks beautiful but I can handle this. Once Nic stops puking I’ll throw her in my truck. I can drive the three miles to her house. You run on along now. Don’t you have a bible study somewhere you should be at?”

Arguing with him was pointless. He would just start throwing out more snide comments until he had me so mad I couldn’t see straight. I pressed the gas and turned into the parking lot. Like I was going to be able to just leave and let him drive home drunk. He could infuriate me with a wink of his eye and I worked real hard at being nice to everyone. I scanned the parked cars for his old black Chevy truck. Once I spotted it, I walked over to him and held out my hand.

“Either you can give me the keys to your truck or I can go digging for them. What’s it going to be Beau? You want me searching your pockets?”

A crooked grin touched his face. “As a matter of fact, I think I might just enjoy you digging around in my pockets Ash. Why don’t we go with option number two.”

Heat rose up my neck and left splotches of color on my cheeks. I didn’t need a mirror to know I was blushing like an idiot. Beau never made suggestive comments to me or even flirted with me. I happened to be the only reasonably attractive female at school he completely ignored.

“Don’t you dare touch him, you stupid bitch. His keys are in the ignition of his truck,” Nicole, Beau’s on again off again girlfriend, lifted her head slinging her dark brown hair back over her shoulder and snarled at me. Bloodshot blue eyes filled with hate watched me as if daring me to touch what was hers. I didn’t respond to her nor did I look back up at Beau. Instead, I turned and headed for his truck reminding myself I was doing this for Sawyer.

“Come on then and get in the truck,” I barked at both of them before sliding into the driver’s seat. It was really hard not to focus on the fact this was the first time I’d ever been in Beau’s truck. After countless nights lying on my roof with him talking about the day we got our driver’s license and all the places we would go, I was just now, at seventeen years old, sitting inside his truck.

Beau picked Nicole up and dumped her in the back.

“Lay down unless you get sick again then make sure you puke over the side,” he snapped while opening the driver’s side door.

“Hop out princess. She’s about to pass out, she won’t care if I’m driving.”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I’m not going to let you drive. You’re slurring your words. You don’t need to drive.”

He opened his mouth to argue then mumbled something that sounded like a curse word before

slamming the door and walking around the front of the truck to get in on the passenger’s side. He didn’t say anything and I didn’t glance over at him. Without Sawyer around, Beau made me nervous.

“
I’m tired of arguing with females tonight. That’s the only reason I’m letting you drive,” he grumbled without a slur this time.

It wasn't surprising he could control the slurring. The boy had been getting drunk before most the kids our age had tasted their first beer. When a guy had a face like Beau’s, older girls took notice. He’d been snagging invites to the field parties way before the rest of us.

I managed a shrug. “You wouldn’t have to argue with me if you didn’t drink so much.”

He let out a hard laugh. “You really are a perfect little preacher’s daughter aren’t you Ash? Once upon a time you were a helluva lot more fun. Before you started sucking face with Sawyer, we use to have some good times together.” He was watching me for a reaction.

Knowing his eyes were directed at me, made it hard to focus on driving.

“You were my partner in crime Ash. Sawyer was the good guy. But the two of us, we were the trouble makers. What happened?”

How do I respond to that? No one knows the girl who use to steal bubble gum from the Quick Stop or abduct the paper boy to tie him up so we could take all his papers and dip them in blue paint before leaving them on the front door steps of houses. No one knew the girl who snuck out of her house at two in the morning to go toilet paper yards and throw water balloons at cars from behind the bushes. No one would even believe I'd done all those things if I told them... no one but Beau.

“I grew up,” I finally replied.

“You completely changed Ash.”

“We were kids Beau. Yes, you and I got into trouble and Sawyer got us out of trouble but we were

just kids. I’m different now.”

For a moment he didn’t respond. He shifted in his seat and I knew his gaze was no longer focused

on me. We’d never had this conversation before. Even if it was uncomfortable, I knew it was way overdue. Sawyer always stood in the way of Beau and I mending our fences. Fences that crumbled and I never knew why. One day he was Beau, my best friend. The next day he was just my boyfriend’s cousin.

“I miss that girl, you know. She was exciting. She knew how to have fun. This perfect little preacher’s daughter who took her place sucks.”

His words hurt. Maybe because they were coming from him or maybe because I understood what he was saying. It wasn’t as if I never thought about that girl. I hated him for making me miss her too. I worked really hard at keeping her locked away. Having someone actually want her to be set loose made it so much harder to keep her under control.

“I’d rather be a preacher’s daughter than a drunk whore who vomits all over herself.” I snapped before I could stop myself.

A low chuckle startled me and I glanced over as Beau sunk down low enough in his seat so his head rested on the worn leather instead of the hard window behind him.

“I guess you’re not completely perfect. Sawyer’d never call someone a name. Does he know you use the word whore?”

This time I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. He was trying to make me mad and he was doing a fabulous job. I had no response to his question. The truth was, Sawyer would be shocked I’d called someone a whore. Especially his cousin’s girlfriend.

“Loosen up Ash, it’s not like I’m going to tell on you. I’ve been keeping your secrets for years. I like knowing my Ash is still there somewhere underneath that perfect facade.”

I refused to look at him. This conversation was going somewhere I didn’t want it to go.

“No one is perfect. I don’t pretend to be,” which was a lie and we both knew it. Sawyer was perfect and I worked hard to be worthy. The whole town knew I fell short of Sawyer’s glowing reputation.

voice.

Beau let out a short hard laugh. “Yes Ash, you do pretend to be.”

I pulled into Nicole’s driveway. Beau didn’t move. “She’s passed out. You’re going to have to help her,” I whispered afraid he’d hear the hurt in my voice.

“You want me to help a vomiting whore?” he asked with an amused tone.

I sighed and finally glanced over at him. He reminded me of a fallen angel with the moonlight casting a glow on his sun kissed blond hair
.
His eyelids were heavier than usual and his thick eyelashes almost concealed the hazel color underneath.

“She’s your girlfriend. Help her.” I managed to sound angry. When I let myself study Beau this closely, it was hard to get disgusted with him. I could still see the little boy I’d once thought hung the moon staring back at me. Our past would always be there keeping us from ever really being close again.

“Thanks for reminding me,” he said reaching for the door handle without breaking his eye contact with me. I dropped my gaze to study my hands now folded in my lap. Nicole fumbled around in the back