Untamed (42 page)

“And you’re fine with that?”

“Got to start sometime, right?”

“Then aren’t you supposed to be preparing for your fight?”

“I worked out this morning, got some reps in, took a nap. Now I’ve got to eat a little and hydrate, really. It’s nothing.”

“Hydrate, huh?”

“That’s right.”

I pull off my gown, and then nervously smooth my dress. It’s a black, sleeved midi-dress that I had altered so it ends right above my knees, rather than half-way down my calves.

I still feel frumpy, though, and I look toward some of the other girls who wear their tighter, shorter dresses so much better than I wear mine.

“You look beautiful, Dee,” Duncan says, pulling my eyes back from the other girls and up to him.

“No I don’t.”

“You do. God fucking damn it, you do. You’re hot as hell.”

Feeling awkward, my face going red, I turn toward the columns of chairs. “My bag.”

“Let’s go together.” He puts out his arm. “Nobody knows who I am, right?”

I shake my head.

“Come on then,” he says.

“Somebody has a big head.”

He smirks. “I know I make an impression.”

I take his arm, and together we walk back toward the chairs. Some of the girls notice us – or rather, they notice him – and before long all eyes are on us.

God, this is so stupid, but as we pass people I hear the whispers, and suddenly I feel like I’m walking down the red carpet. They’re all asking who this hot guy is, is he a gangster like my father… they’re all asking why he would be with
me
.

Little do they know that Duncan and I… well, there’s something going on between us, that’s for sure.

Little do they know that he’s my adoptive brother.

It’s all so… risky.

It’s kind of… exciting.

It’s also reckless, but I’m not in the mood to care right now. I feel like I’ve tossed my parachute out of the plane first, and now I’m diving down to collect it.

Live a little.

We get to my chair, he takes my gown and hat and I pick up my bag. Together, we walk off the football field, past teachers who dare not speak to me because of my dad, past students who were never my friends because of who my father was.

Finally, I wasn’t alone in school, even if it was, for all intents and purposes, the very last day.

Idly, Duncan rolls up his shirt sleeves. He shows off his tattoos, and I can’t hold back my laugh. He’s really putting on a show, he’s really milking it.

The girls are all wondering who that tall guy is, with the broad back and tight body and the tattoos.

The boys are all wondering who’d have the balls to date a mob boss’ daughter.

I feel like we’re in a cheesy high school movie.

When we get outside the school, and start walking toward Duncan’s car, I laugh, slap his shoulder. “That was bad,” I say.

“They’ll gossip for weeks,” he says. “The whole summer, maybe.”

“No they won’t,” I tell him. “You’re not
that
hot. Hey, thanks for coming. I… I’m really glad you did.”

He turns to me, and then without warning leans down, scoops my face into his hand, and kisses me. It’s a gentle kiss, lingering, on his hot lips the promise of more, but we just can’t do this in public! Not this level of affection, and not out on the street.

“Duncan!” I say, pushing off him. “No, Frank could be watching.”

He shakes his head. “He’s not here. He went to meet your father.”

“Well anyone of Dad’s guys could be watching now that we’re out here. No.”

He just smirks, and we climb into the car together.

“So, where to?”

“I want to watch you fight tonight.”

“I’m down with that. I’d like you there.”

“So, do you like, need to do any more preparation?”

He licks his lips, thinks for a moment. “I’ll need to warm up.”

“Let’s do that,” I tell him.

“You’re sure?” he asks. “You want to come with me and watch me prepare? It’ll be boring for you.”

“You’ve got to, anyway, and I’m going to be there to support you. We may as well get started. Maybe I can help somehow.”

“Just being there will help me.”

“Why?”

“Motivation.”

“There’s just one thing, though…”

“What?”

“Frank told me Dad wants me to go home straight away after graduation.”

“No offense, but fuck your father. Do what you like, you’re your own person. Do you really care what he’ll think?”

I shrug. “Not really. He’ll just shout at me for not being the good girl or whatever.”

“You want to be the good girl?”

“No,” I say with a shake of my head.

“Then…?”

“Let’s go,” I say. “Fuck what he says, I’m not going straight home. It’s time I stopped letting him push me around.”

“Fucking right,” Duncan says. It’s almost a growl, catches me off-guard.

He starts the car, guns out of the parking spot and around the bend. I’m thrown into my seat by the acceleration, love the feeling of it. Dad always has Frank drive the limousine so slowly.

Duncan drives me to the location, a restaurant that only exists as a front. As we get out of the car, I see Dad sweeping out of the door, and he’s pointing at us.

“What the fuck are
you
doing here?” he bellows at me.

Chapter Sixteen