Never Doubt Me (2 page)

I’d hustle over to the convenience store and stuff my backpack with junk food while the store clerk’s head was turned. Then, back at the apartment, I’d dump my loot out on the two twin beds in the tiny room we shared. Will and I would kick back and feast on all the chips and candy I’d lifted. Since it was always fucking hot as hell in our room (the air conditioner in the living room never quite reached the back of the apartment), I’d open the one lone window to let in some air.

Will and I would sit on the floor, crunch away in relative silence, and wait for that one small breeze. Our eyes would remain glued to the one thing decorating the otherwise blank walls—a sketch of a tree house I’d drawn for my brother when he was five. That sketch was our indicator of better things to come. We’d wait and wait for the sketch to start flittering. When the piece of paper would move at last, even just a flutter, Will and I would whoop and high-five, like we’d just won the fucking lottery or something.

Trust me, it was like we
had
hit the jackpot. When you’re in hell, it’s the little things everyone takes for granted that mean the most.

“Hey.” I kick at one of Will’s shoes, adding another dusty scuff mark. “Remember that tree house sketch? The one I drew for you way back when, the one you taped to the wall in that shit apartment we had.”

Will’s green eyes slowly meet mine. He purses his lips and nods.

Encouraged, I continue, “Remember how we used to watch for the sketch to move to see if we were going to get lucky and catch a breeze?”

“Yeah, I remember,” my brother responds softly.

But when I add, “You used to say that sketch gave you hope,” he quickly looks away.

“You still got it?” I press.

“Shit, Chase, enough with the trip down memory lane.” Will puffs up his chest and tries to act nonchalant. “That stupid sketch is long gone.”

If that’s true, then it saddens me that my brother didn’t hang on to his hope. And maybe that thought makes Will a little sad, too, since I see tears brimming in his eyes.

I sigh, deflated. “Look, I don’t want to fight.”

Will swipes at his cheeks. “Me neither, Chase.”

“What do you want to do?” I ask. “How are we going to fix this?”

Will jerks his chin toward the cell in my hand. “Give me the phone.” He sighs. “I’ll call Mom.”

I pass the phone to Will while he brushes wayward strands of dark blond hair, the exact same shade as our mother’s, away from his forehead. He then calls the parent he took after the most. I immediately hear our mother on the other end, giving him hell. I turn around to give Will a modicum of privacy, and just as I do, Cassie runs the rest of the way down the steps.

The girl is so focused on getting to Will that she practically slams right into me.

“Whoa, hold up there,” I say, steadying her with my hands on her slumped shoulders.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, and then she glances up at me with sorrowful blue eyes.

“No need to apologize,” I say gently. “You may as well stay right where you are, though. You’re calling
your
mom next.”

“Okay,” she squeaks out.

Cassie lowers her head and stares down at her sandal-covered feet, while her long hair frames her ethereal features like a champagne-blond veil. She strikes me as vulnerable, fragile. Just tonight, I’ve seen enough interaction between her and my brother that it’s clear Will has the upper hand in their relationship.

And that makes me want to check on something.

I jerk my head back to where Will is preoccupied on the phone. And then I ask Cassie, “My brother treats you right, yeah?”

“Of course,” she says, like it’s ridiculous to even pose such a question.

“Okay, okay”—I hold up my hands—“I was just checking.”

Hell, I’m just relieved none of Will’s recent acting out has manifested in his behavior towards Cassie. My brother can be pretty damn disrespectful when it comes to Mom, and it would kill me to hear he’s started treating the other women in his life in the same shitty way.

While I’m thinking all of this, Kay walks over to where we’re standing. She positions her body slightly in front of Cassie, so Cassie can’t see when Kay frowns at me and mouths, “Go easy on her.”

“I am,” I mumble.

Kay obviously missed me checking with Cassie to make sure my brother is treating her right.

Oh well. I’ll get Kay up to speed later. Right now I’m glancing over at Will to see if he’s done talking with Mom.

He nods my way and wraps up with our mom. He steps back over to where we’re all standing and hands me the phone. I pass it straight to Cassie. She takes the cell, presses a few keys, and then walks far enough away that she’s out of hearing range.

I throw a parting glance to her turned back, shake my head, and then redirect my attention to Will. “What did Mom say?”

Kay steps forward, until she’s next to me.

“We have to go back to Vegas, of course,” Will says.

My brother lowers his gaze and kicks at the bottom step. He’s retreated back into himself. I remind myself he’s a mixed-up kid who’s confused, moody, and frustrated. This running away has more to do with Cassie longing to escape a bad home situation than anything else. I’m pretty sure Will didn’t really
want
to leave home. Things aren’t perfect for him with Mom and her relatively new husband, Greg, but I know things are far better than they’ve been in ages. As for the Cassie situation, my brother won’t tell me everything, but he’s said enough throughout the past few weeks that it’s clear Cassie’s stepfather—some scumbag named Paul who her mother married not all that long ago—has been making her feel uncomfortable in her own home. And by uncomfortable, I mean the prick is hitting on her.

Will’s mentioned, more than once, that Paul spouts off inappropriate remarks to Cassie, but only when her mother isn’t around. Problem is, Cassie’s mom has some high-flying career and works all the time. Cassie’s biological father can’t help—he died a few years back. In fact, it’s that loss that helps bind Will and Cassie. They’ve both lost fathers, and from what Will’s intimated, they find solace in their shared grief when they’re together.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” I say to Will, feeling empathy for what he’s ultimately trying to do—save Cassie from harm.

My brother grunts and kicks at the step again. “Sure, bro, whatever you say.”

Cassie finishes her call and returns to where we’re standing.

She hands me the phone, states resolutely, “My mom doesn’t want the car staying here indefinitely. But she also doesn’t want me and Will driving all the way back across the country alone.”

“Why?” Will asks, turning to his girlfriend. “We did just fine getting here.”

“What’s this ‘we’ shit?” I interject, eyeing Will suspiciously.

Up to this point, I guess I just assumed Cassie drove the whole way since she’s sixteen and has a driver’s license—unlike Will.

I raise a questioning eyebrow when neither kid responds.

Cassie quickly glances away, but Will looks nothing short of fucking jubilant. Oh great, defiant-Will is back.

“What about it?” he challenges. “You got a problem with that?”

“You bet I do. You don’t even have a driver’s license, Will. You’re only fifteen fucking years old.”

Will has the nerve to find my comments amusing. At least, I assume he does, since he laughs and says, “Hate to break it to you, Chase, but I’ve known how to drive for a while now. Mom taught me last year. She took me out to the desert to practice, said it was like insurance, in case something, you know, happened and she couldn’t drive.”

Jesus.
What am I supposed to do with that? I have no idea, so I just let it go.

Cassie leans into Will. “Hey,” she whispers. “My mom’s flying out of Vegas tonight. She has some business-thing in New York City. Her meetings run through Thursday, but she can come get us on Friday. She’s going to fly into Pittsburgh and take a taxi here. Then she’ll drive us back to Vegas in my car.”

“Whoa, wait,” I chime in. Pointing to Will, I say, “Mom expects you home tomorrow, right? Friday is four days away. And counting the drive time back, you won’t get home till sometime next week.”

Will and Cassie exchange a look.
These two
, I think, shaking my head.

“Mom won’t care,” Will insists, looking nothing short of bothered by my commentary. “As long as she knows I’m definitely coming home. And if Mrs. Sutter is driving, Mom will like that even more. Cassie’s mom offers, like, parental supervision or some stupid shit that you know Mom will be all over.”

I shake my head, but I can’t really argue. With the car situation, Cassie’s mom’s plan does make more sense. Our mom will like that plan better too, for the exact reasons Will mentioned.

“Where are you supposed to stay, honey, if you’re not leaving until Friday?” I overhear Kay asking Cassie.

Shit, I hadn’t even considered that not-so-minor detail.

“Um, my mom said I can use my credit card to book us hotel rooms. She said to get two, but one should be enough. Will can just stay with me in my room.” Cassie slips a sly little smile to my brother, who actually has the balls to wink at her.

“Uh, I don’t think so,” I interrupt, quickly putting the kibosh on what would surely be a teenage sex-soaked few days.

Shit, you’d think these two would be sexed out. I’m sure they got it on all the time throughout their cross-country trip. But then I remember my brother is a Gartner, and well, that goes without saying…

Both kids give me a look like I’m the biggest buzzkill. Too fucking bad. I accept that my brother and his girlfriend have sex, but that doesn’t mean I’m on board with the running-off-to-stay-in-a-hotel-alone scenario. Not when they can stay in my house, under my supervision. Will claims he and Cassie diligently use protection, but my brother has a tendency to twist the truth. And frankly I don’t care to become an uncle anytime soon. So, yeah…

Will groans, aggravated, but I am not budging on this one.

“You two can stay here.” I hand Will the phone again. “Call Mom and tell her what’s going on. Catch her before she books your flights to Vegas.”

My brother starts to grab the phone, but I hold it just out of his grasp.

“What now?” he huffs.

“Just…no funny stuff, okay?” My eyes meet his. “No rearranging the plan, Will. You’re staying here. I mean it. No hotel.” I don’t trust what my brother might tell our mom.

Will rolls his eyes and grabs again for the phone. I let him have it this time. He walks away, out of hearing range, just like his girlfriend did when she made her phone call. Again, I’m reminded that I really need to keep an eye on these two this week.

When I divert my attention away from my brother’s turned back, I hear Cassie asking Kay where she lives. Kay points to the small building across the driveway. “I live above the garage. There’s an apartment up there.”

Cassie makes a face, and Kay laughs. “Hey, it’s actually very nice.”

“Really?” Cassie’s expression conveys her doubt.

“Yes, really.”

Cassie ponders for a few seconds, then says to Kay, “Um, since it looks the hotel thing is a no-go, can I stay with you this week?”

Kay’s caramel-brown eyes slide to mine, her gaze questioning.

I nod an assent, and Kay says to Cassie, “Sure, you can stay with me.”

It’s actually ideal. There’s much less likelihood of my brother and his girlfriend trying to sneak off to hook up if he stays in the main house with me and Cassie is next door with Kay. Of course, that means I won’t be sleeping with Kay, like we do every fucking night. It looks like this Gartner won’t be getting any sex, either. But, hey, I can deal.

I think.

Maybe Kay and I can find some alone-time once Will and Cassie drift off to sleep. I doubt I can make it four whole days without touching my girl. Now that it’s promising to be somewhat of a challenge, a slew of dirty thoughts begin to race through my mind, thoughts of how Kay and I just might be able to make a sneaking-around thing work to our advantage.

I like the possibilities. In fact, the thought of dirty, nasty sex that’s not supposed to be happening makes my cock twitch in my jeans. I try to think of something else, anything, but there’s no use. Consequently, my gaze is pretty much smoldering when Kay glances my way.

Her eyes hold mine, and she starts to smile. Poor Cassie is chatting away to Kay—they seem to be really hitting it off—but Kay’s attention is wavering because of me. Still, I can’t help but distract her further. I smile back at her, the kind of crooked smile I know she fucking loves.

Kay blushes, her cheeks turning pink, the kind of reaction
I
fucking love.

So much for ever clearing my head of dirty thoughts—but I’m sure Kay’s right there with me. She can be as filthy as I am when it comes to sex. And that’s saying a lot.

Shit, now all I can think of is how soon I can get Kay naked and spread out before me. When I do, I plan to love her long and hard.

Hopefully, we can work something out for later tonight. Sneaking around, getting down and dirty, all while trying not to get caught, promises to be a lot of fun.

Yeah, I am most definitely reassessing. Maybe my brother’s unexpected arrival will result in me reaping some well-deserved benefits, benefits I can’t wait to cash in on.

Chapter Two

Kay

C
assie is going on and on about something, details about her trip with Will. I think. I am striving to pay attention, I swear I am, but Chase keeps distracting me. Trust me, he’d distract you too. And not just because he’s stunning, though there is definitely that. But it’s his eyes, pale and blue, that don’t allow me to focus. And when one side of his mouth curves up into the kind of grin he knows I love, he’s hooked me completely. That half smile, full of sex and promise, is my favorite Chase Gartner smile.

“Stop,” I mouth.

Chase rakes his fingers through his light-brown hair, pushing it into a messier-than-usual state.
So sexy.

He mouths back to me, “Later.”

Cassie quiets when Will, who’s apparently finished with his phone call to his mom, walks back over to his brother and hands him the phone. Chase gives me a quick wink and then motions for Will to follow him back up the porch steps. I can’t help but check out Chase’s incredibly fine ass while he’s walking away.

Sighing, I wonder:
How did I get so lucky?

Chase is hot as hell, sexy, great in bed, and beyond gorgeous. Truly, he’s beautiful in a way that makes heads turn and knees weaken. He’s tall, muscular, and swoon-worthy strong. Chase’s strength never ceases to amaze me. Under the jeans and tees he’s usually wearing, Chase is solid, hard, and cut from years of working out—and fighting—in prison. And though his body is hard, his heart isn’t. Chase is good and kind, thoughtful and sensitive, the kind of guy who brings Paris to you on a summer evening, then wows you with a rooftop picnic at sunset.

I hear Chase laugh, a really happy laugh, loud and from the heart. Will has just made him crack up about something.

Cassie and I glance at one another, our eyes meeting meaningfully. “Finally,” I mutter on a relieved sigh.

“I know, right?” Cassie grins.

I’m relieved and happy these brothers, who I know love one another so damn much, are finally getting along. The heavy tension permeating the air following Will and Cassie’s surprise arrival had me worried. I know Chase would never hurt his brother, but concern overtook me when Will tried to hit him. I’m glad that situation diffused quickly.

Cassie glances around the property, which is a little more visible now that the bright summer moon has come out from behind a cloud. “Wow,” she says. “This is like a real farm, isn’t it?”

“Well, it was at one time,” I tell her. “But there aren’t any animals here, and Chase doesn’t grow crops or anything.”

“Not even corn?” Cassie asks, as though this is surprising.

“Not a single stalk,” I reply, laughing.

Cassie appears mostly thoughtful. “Huh,” she says, “okay. I sure saw a lot of corn on the way here, though. Like, everywhere.” She pauses, then adds, “This part of the country is so different from home. Everything is so green, even at night. It’s just…strange.”

I nod. “Yeah, I’d imagine so.” I suppose from her perspective—she’s lived in the desert all her life—things would certainly seem different.

While Cassie continues to glance around the property, I assess this young girl who’s captured Chase’s brother’s heart. The first thing I notice is how blue Cassie’s eyes are. They’re very pretty, similar to Chase’s, but darker and with no flecks of gray. Chase’s blues are what I long-ago termed gunmetal blue, whereas Cassie’s eyes are more of a cornflower blue shade.

I also take note of Will’s girlfriend’s cute vintage-style outfit—wide-bottomed jeans and a gauzy bohemian-style top. They’re adorable clothes, suited to Cassie, for sure. I can see how Will would feel compelled to protect her. Everything about Cassie screams young, vulnerable girl. So different from Chase’s brother, who is more cocksure than I ever would have imagined. I guess I’ve heard too many little-boy Will stories, like the tale of a kid who couldn’t catch lizards.

Well, Will might have been clumsy and uncoordinated in the past, but he seems rather sure of himself nowadays. Not completely, of course. He is just a kid. But his swagger is far beyond what you’d expect at fifteen.

Will is a lot like Chase. And just like with Chase, under all that bravado, there’s a guy who has been through some tough times. Jack Gartner’s suicide, losing the family home, living in a car for a period of time, those things have shaped the Gartner boys.

Cassie shifts uncomfortably and starts bouncing on her toes. She asks if she can use the bathroom. “We haven’t stopped for a really long time,” she adds apologetically.

“Oh, of course, honey,” I say. “You should have said something sooner.” I gesture to my apartment above the garage. “Here, follow me.”

I lead Cassie over to my place. It’s a little farther than if we just went into the main house, but I figure this way Cassie can get a glimpse of where she’ll be staying for the next few days. Plus, the extra time it takes to walk back and forth will give Chase and his brother more time to reconnect.

When we walk into my apartment, I show Cassie where the bathroom is, then wait for her in the living room. When she comes out, she surveys the small, but nicely decorated rooms and says, “You were right. Your place
is
really nice. It’s…cute.”

“Thank you,” I reply, smiling.

We head back over to the house, but as we near the main house, Cassie slows to a stop. She starts to giggle, and I ask, “What? What’s so funny?”

She gestures to our guys, who are still standing on the porch, laughing and talking. “It’s just funny that neither one of them had any idea what the other was wearing today, yet, check it out, they’re dressed almost exactly alike.”

Now I’m chuckling, too, since what Cassie is saying is so true. Both Chase and Will are wearing dark T-shirts and low-riding jeans, only Will’s T-shirt is dark blue and Chase’s is black. Oh, and Will’s jeans hang
way
low, lower than Chase’s, leaving the top part of Will’s boxers exposed.

“Nice white boxers,” I mutter to Cassie, teasingly, since I’m hoping to keep things light like this. There was enough drama earlier.

Cassie plays right along. “I can see the top edge of Chase’s underwear, too, you know. They’re black and look like boxer briefs.”

I start laughing. Cassie just called it, right on the nose.

“They are boxer briefs,” I confirm. I then nudge her arm and nod over to the boys. “Hey, you should yell over to Chase to pull up his pants. Tell him you can see his underwear.”

Her eyes widen. “God,” she gasps, “no way!”

“I’m just kidding,” I assure her.

While we laugh, Chase and Will have no idea we’re discussing their underwear. The brothers appear far too busy catching up.

Cassie and I glance over at each other and just lose it for no particular reason. It’s been a stressful night and laughing feels good. Chase glances our way, but otherwise doesn’t pay us much heed. “Typical man,” I say when he resumes talking to his brother.

Cassie giggles, then says, “I like you, Kay. You’re pretty cool.”

I’m flattered Will’s girlfriend has decided I’m “cool.”

We start walking again, and Cassie wants to know, “What’s Chase like?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” I reply. “He’s basically incredible.”

“Yeah…” She smiles as she eyes Will. “I believe it. Will is pretty much great, too.”

“They’re probably a lot alike,” I muse, giving my guy a wistful once-over, as well.

Cassie sighs and slows, since we’re almost within earshot. “Can I ask you something, Kay?” she quietly murmurs.

“Sure.”

“Is Chase really pissed Will drove without a license?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, Cassie, probably not. I think he just doesn’t want to see Will get into any trouble.”

“That makes sense,” she replies, nodding. “But, seriously, Will was the logical choice. He’s actually a much better driver than me, especially on the interstates. The trucks get so close when they pass.” She shudders. “Ugh, they freak me out.”

“I completely understand,” I tell her, since I do. “Trucks make me nervous, too.”

Cassie quiets, perhaps reflecting, and then she says in a low, low voice, “Will was so cute, Kay. Like the whole way here, he kept doing the sweetest things.”

I sense she wants to share, so I ask, “Like what?”

“Well, for starters, he made sure we stopped for meals at what he termed ‘regular intervals.’” She pauses and smiles. “And even though we ate mostly fast food, Will always made sure all the food groups were covered.”

“That is sweet,” I agree.

And it is. Will’s obviously a thoughtful kid. And Cassie is sweet, too. I can’t help but smile as she continues to share, quietly but excitedly.

“Another thing Will insisted on doing was guarding all the ladies’ rooms I went into, especially when I’d stop in to freshen up.” With downcast eyes, Cassie softly adds, “Will told me he was guarding to make sure no perverts snuck in with me.”

A funny look crosses Cassie’s face when the word “pervert” passes her lips. Chase has told me about her stepdad, some guy named Paul. He’s much younger than Cassie’s mom—closer to Cassie’s age, in fact. He’s supposedly around the house a lot. Used to work in some casino, but he got fired. This is just what Chase has related to me. Will doesn’t share much with him in the way of details, but it’s been made clear Paul spends a lot of his free time basically hitting on Cassie.

Chase and I worry things will escalate if she doesn’t tell her mother what’s been going on. It’s too much of a burden for Will and Cassie to carry alone. Case in point, running away sure wasn’t the answer.

I blow out a breath and come up with an idea. Since Cassie seems to like me, maybe I can get her to open up this week. If I can find out more of what exactly goes on in Vegas, perhaps I can convince Cassie to speak with her mom. Will has good intentions, but he’s a guy and can never understand that feeling of powerlessness only women are privy to sometimes.

I think about my experience with the junkie, the night I was assaulted in the parking lot of my old apartment. I was lucky my assailant was scared away by passing cop cars. I shudder at the thought of what all
could
have happened that night.

Cassie, noticing when I cross my arms and shudder again, places her hand on my elbow. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I nod once. “It’s just kind of chilly. We should go inside the house.”

Cassie and I walk up the porch steps, and in keeping with my assertion that I’m cold, I suggest to the guys that we all go into the house.

Chase agrees, and once we’re inside the front hall, he stops and turns to his brother and Cassie. He proceeds to lay out some ground rules. “Like no sneaking off to do God-knows-what,” he says.

Will and Cassie nod in unison, and Chase adds, “If you’re hungry, there’s grub in the kitchen. Kay and I will wait in the living room so you two can have some alone time before bed.”

“That was very nice of you,” I say once Cassie and Will are out of hearing range.

“Yeah, that’s me”—Chase rolls his eyes—“Mr. Nice Guy. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

Chase is always expecting to screw things up somehow.

“You’re too hard on yourself,” I tell him, since it’s unfortunately true.

Chase shrugs his wide shoulders and mumbles, “Whatever, babe.”

From the kitchen, noises begin to drift out to the hall, Cabinets opening, plates and cups rattling. Someone opens the refrigerator door, and Cassie laughs as she and Will playfully argue over what kind of sandwiches to make.

“Sounds like they’re having fun,” I say, nudging Chase.

He smiles and drapes his arm around my shoulder. “Yeah, it does.”

He leads me into the living room, and once we’re seated on the sofa, Chase draws me into an all-encompassing hug. Now that things are calming, I feel him letting go. Tension in his shoulders and back begins to ease up. I know Chase needs me the most when he holds me like this.

“You always feel so good,” he murmurs into my hair.

“Chase…” I release a breath and squeeze him a little tighter.

After a few minutes, he leans back slightly, says, “Jesus… What a fucking night, yeah?”

“You’re not kidding,” I agree. “It was a little crazy there for a while.”

Our arms remain around each another, and our eyes meet. Holding his gaze, I slowly lift the back of his T-shirt. Touching skin to skin always soothes us both, so I continue to touch, trailing my hands along Chase’s heavily muscled back.

He sighs and closes his eyes.

“I love how your skin feels,” I whisper.

His back is warm and smooth, but the texture of his skin differs slightly where his tattoos lie. Chase has several tattoos, all of which I love. From the scroll of words on his left bicep that reads,
As I stand before you, judge me not
, to the numeral
72
inked on his right bicep.

All of Chase’s ink is beyond stunning. But my favorite, hands down, is the tattoo on his back.

With care, I slowly trail my fingertips over the inked wings spanning his shoulders…then skim down to the angel kneeling underneath. I linger when I reach a feather that rains down past the angel. Several more feathers fall nearby. I now touch each one, all the way down to the base of Chase’s back. I’ve learned this ink so well that I don’t need to see his tattoos to know where each one is inked.

When I reach the feather near the sexy indentation above his left ass cheek, Chase shivers. “Babe, you better stop,” he warns. “You’re making me hard.”

“So,” I coyly reply, “if that’s the case, does that mean I should sneak back over in a little while?”

Chase groans and runs his hand up my thigh. He reaches the edge of my shorts, and says, “I like the way you’re thinking, sexy girl.”

I start to respond, but quickly and without warning, Chase pulls me onto his lap. I giggle and adjust my legs around him.

When he lifts his hips and presses his arousal into me, I let out on a surprised gasp. Chase wasn’t kidding, he’s hard as steel.

I circle my hips, creating a little friction that quickens our breaths.

“Mmm, maybe there’s something to be said for this sneaking-around thing,” I murmur.