UNTamed: a bay falls high novel Read online

  Fake, Ti. It was all fake. You know this already though.

  Before my feet could hit the pavement, Kip was right there, sliding his hand into mine.

  I hurried to pull mine away.

  “What do you want?” I growled at him.

  I guess that was the only question I had in my mind to ask.

  “We were so close, girl,” Kip said. “I would have known right away too. Want to know how?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Because you’re so big, right? And you would have been able to tell. Please. Spare me.”

  “No shame here,” Kip said. “You felt it. Too bad you didn’t… feel it.”

  “Too bad,” I said.

  I threw an elbow to get Kip out of the way.

  I then walked toward Pres for our big face off.

  I mean, after being so dramatic here, it had to be something good, right?

  A grin climbed across my face.

  Money can’t buy my virginity back, asshole. So how does that fucking feel? You weren’t my first. And you never fucking will be.

  My thoughts took a twisted turn and that was just self-preservation.

  And, again, I liked it.

  I stopped a few feet from Pres and looked up at him.

  He looked down at me.

  And we just stood there in silence.

  It felt like an hour passed before he spoke.

  “You’re leaving,” he said.

  “Maybe.”

  “Definitely.”

  “Okay. Definitely.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Why does it matter to you?”

  “I asked the question.”

  “And I don’t have to answer.”

  “You should though.”

  “What’s going to happen to me if I don’t answer it?” I asked. “You going to find someone to beat me up? Fuck you, Pres. You three thought you could bet on me? And you were wrong all along.”

  “That we were,” Pres said.

  That dirty feeling went through me again. Like I was used up. Like I just threw myself out there for anyone to enjoy.

  “You’re all assholes.”

  “That we are,” Pres said.

  “Good. You know I fucked you before you could fuck me. And you know you’re an asshole. What else do we need here?”

  “I can tell you’re in a hurry, sugar,” Pres said. “So let me make this simple. Really simple. Are you listening?”

  “With all my heart and soul,” I said in a cocky voice.

  Pres inched toward me.

  The smell of his cologne attacked me and I thought I was going to cry.

  I held it back.

  Even as he touched my chin like he always did before kissing me… I held it together.

  Then he spoke again.

  “You’re not allowed to leave, sugar.”

  * * *

  I laughed as I stepped back and smacked his hand away.

  “Not allowed? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  “Come for a ride with us,” Pres said.

  “No.”

  “A quick ride. Then we’ll bring you back here. And you’ll drive back to Claire’s. And we find out what normal could be.”

  “Just like that, huh?” I asked. “You really think I’m going to listen to you? And just leave my…”

  I turned my head and saw Kip behind the wheel of my SUV.

  My jaw dropped as he started to back up, blowing me a kiss.

  They had gotten to me again. I was so stupid to let this happen. Let them find a way into my head and heart and whatever else.

  “Don’t worry, sugar,” Pres said. “He’s not stealing it. He’s just moving it. To the side of the road.”

  I watched as Kip parked my SUV on the side of the road.

  Then he and Barr got out and walked toward Pres and me.

  “Quick ride, love,” Barr said.

  He finished his cigarette and dropped it, leaving it smoldering in the street.

  “We’ll get you there and back safe,” Kip said.

  “There?” I asked. “Where is there?”

  “Only one way to find out, sugar,” Pres said.

  The Rulz walked to their SUV, all claiming their respective seats.

  Kip sat and waited for me to make my decision.

  I approached the SUV, shaking my head.

  One last time I’d play their stupid fucking game.

  Then I was gone.

  They couldn’t stop me from leaving.

  I opened the backdoor and Pres slid across the seat.

  Before I shut the door, Kip started to drive.

  Pres wasted no time in handing me an envelope.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “You won, sugar,” Pres said.

  “Won?”

  “The bet,” Barr said. “You worked us over, love. Really good too.”

  “Well, not really good,” Pres said. “We had bad information to start with.”

  “Which we will deal with,” Kip said. He flexed his right hand into a fist.

  “Where did you hear that I was… untouched?” I asked.

  “That doesn’t matter, love,” Barr said.

  “Well how did you figure out I was lying to you?” I asked.

  “Again, that doesn’t matter,” Barr said.

  “Then what does matter?” I asked.

  “We wanted to give you your prize in person,” Pres said.

  “That didn’t require me to drive somewhere with you,” I said.

  They laughed.

  All three.

  Laughing at me.

  I swallowed hard, feeling two inches tall.

  “What now?” I asked.

  “We have nowhere to go, girl,” Kip said.

  “Just wanted to see if you would listen,” Barr said.

  “For good reason,” Pres said.

  I looked at Pres. “What reason is that?”

  “Two reasons,” Pres said. “First off, leaving isn’t safe for you.”

  Now I laughed. “Leaving isn’t safe? What does that mean?”

  “Exactly what the words are, love,” Barr said in a nasty tone.

  I looked at him and lifted my middle finger. “Explain.”

  “Nothing to explain,” Barr said. “You’re not fucking leaving BFH.”

  “Oh, wait,” I said. “Is this you kidnapping me?”

  “I bet you were the kind of kid that if you were kidnapped, you’d be returned, girl,” Kip said.

  “Yeah, you can go fuck yourself too,” I said. I clapped my hands together. “Hey, there’s a plan. All three of you go fuck yourselves. Or do it together. A bad boy circle jerk extravaganza.”

  Nobody laughed.

  At all.

  I folded my arms and sank back into my seat.

  The envelope of money sat on my lap.

  “Congrats on the win, love,” Barr said. “It won’t ever happen again.”

  “You know, you all are pieces of trash,” I said. “For doing what you did. I’m just glad I knew about it. So I didn’t fall for your stupid acts. You could have really hurt me. Or hurt whoever you chose for your little game.”

  “Yeah, we know,” Kip said.

  Oh, great, so now you’re suddenly cold too? Mr. Blue-eyed-dream-surfer-dude.

  “Tell me you heard what we said,” Pres said.

  “About?”

  “Leaving,” he said.

  “What about it?”

  Pres curled his lip.

  “It’s not a joke, love,” Barr said. “You are not leaving BFH. You’re going to go home and be happy, nice and fun and wait.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” I said. “I am leaving. I don’t belong here. The only reason I almost fit in was because I acted like you three. I played games. I said whatever needed be said to get what I wanted. And that’s how all you rich fuckheads are. Just like your parents. Say and do whatever it takes to make a few extra bucks.”

  “Says the girl with the envelope
full of cash,” Kip said.

  I grabbed the envelope and threw it back at Pres. “I don’t want that. I want nothing to do with it.”

  “Too late, sugar,” Pres said.

  “Not even close.”

  “Hey,” Barr snapped. “Bet or not, love, we don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “Happen to me?” I asked with a laugh. “Like what?”

  “Like anything,” he said.

  “I guess I’m not speaking the right language here,” I said. “Let me try again.” I lifted both middle fingers and turned left to right so they could see. Then I cleared my throat. “Fuck. You. Did you get that? I’ll say it one more time. Fuck. You.”

  Kip hit the brakes and I thought I was going to go flying through the windshield.

  Barr put his arm out to save me.

  Pres grabbed my waist.

  And my left hand grabbed Kip’s shoulder.

  “What the fuck?” I asked.

  “We’re here,” Kip said. “Sorry about the sudden stop, girl. Sometimes realizing you need to stop is a good thing.”

  “Let’s hope so,” I said.

  Kip puckered up his lips.

  They were so fucking kissable. It wasn’t fair.

  And what did it matter if I did kiss them…

  I shook my head.

  I wiggled my way out of their reach and into the backseat again.

  I opened the door and realized Kip had made one giant circle.

  He was parked next to my SUV on the side of the road.

  “Assholes,” I growled.

  “See you soon, love,” Barr said.

  No you won’t.

  “Don't forget your envelope,” Pres said.

  “I don't want that shit,” I said. “You keep it. It’s worth more to you than it is to me. I can see you getting hard just thinking about the money.”

  Without a word, Pres grabbed the envelope and flung it at me.

  I slammed the door shut and Kip took off.

  So fast I had to jump out of the way.

  “Assholes!” I screamed, knowing they wouldn’t hear me.

  My heart was alive again though.

  That was for sure.

  Pounding inside my chest.

  The pounding subsided enough for my mind to tell me I never got to hear their second reason why I needed to stay in BFH.

  “You know what?” I said to nobody. “I don’t give a damn.”

  Because it was simple.

  They had nothing over me or on me anymore.

  And by me just getting into my SUV and driving off, they would lose their power.

  And if they wanted to chase me into the shithole town I called home, then fine.

  They could chase all they wanted.

  I looked down at the ground at the envelope and shook my head.

  I had no choice but to pick it up.

  I opened the door to my SUV and tossed the envelope to the passenger seat.

  Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. That could be the cash I needed to figure things out. It wasn’t stolen. It was earned.

  I smiled.

  “I win,” I whispered.

  I had accomplished what I set out to do.

  “I fucking win,” I said.

  Something then touched the middle of my back.

  “Don’t fucking move until I tell you to, bitch.”

  * * *

  It could have been a gun.

  It could have been a cellphone.

  It could have been a screwdriver.

  It could have been a finger.

  It could have been anything pressed against my back as I stood at the open door to my SUV.

  And fear should have hit me.

  Fear should have hit me instantly and crushed me.

  I should have been falling forward or down to my knees, bursting into tears, pleading for my life.

  Don’t fucking move until I tell you to, bitch.

  There was something off about the voice though.

  Whoever it was, was trying to cover up their voice.

  Why would someone do that?

  Because it was someone I knew? And they were messing with me?

  “Did you hear me, bitch?” the same voice said.

  “Loud and clear,” I said. “I haven’t moved. Who are you? What do you want?”

  “I’ll talk and you’ll listen,” the voice said.

  “Fine,” I said.

  “Show me your hands.”

  I lifted my hands and made them visible.

  “Good,” the voice said. “That’s really good. You’ve got a great ass, you know that?”

  “What?” I asked.

  I started to turn my head but the object to my back (gun-phone-screwdriver-finger) pressed harder. Hard enough that it started to hurt.

  I jumped and groaned in pain.

  “Don’t fucking look at me, bitch," the voice said.

  “Just wanted to look you in the eyes and say thanks for the compliment about my ass.”

  “Yeah, no problem,” the voice said. “Do you know who I am?”

  “No idea.”

  “Good.”

  “You know, most secret admirers send flowers,” I said. “Not sure violence is the way to a woman’s heart.”

  “It is to yours, isn’t it?”

  The question turned my blood icy cold.

  Who the hell…

  The passenger door to the SUV opened.

  Another person was involved in this too.

  Wearing an oversized black hoodie with a black mask over their face, complete with black sunglasses. So there was no way I could figure out who it was.

  The second person reached for the envelope and swiped it off the seat.

  He or she opened it and thumbed through the cash.

  He or she was also wearing black gloves.

  “Who are you?” I called out to the second person.

  “You don’t want to fucking know,” the second person said.

  It was a guy for sure.

  And it sounded like a practiced, forced, really deep voice.

  “That voice doesn’t scare me,” I said.

  The second guy slammed the door, taking the envelope of cash.

  “This is about money?” I asked, laughing. “I’m fucking poor and I’m getting held up for money?”

  “Shut up, bitch,” the first guy said, still pressing something to my back. “Now you’re going to listen carefully. Got it?”

  “I’m still here,” I said. “Still listening.”

  “You stay in this fucking town,” he said. “You leave and we will follow you. And nobody will be able to try to protect you. And next time, it won’t be an envelope of cash we’re taking.”

  “Are you serious…”

  “I wasn’t done talking, bitch.” I felt the object slide up my back. “This is a gun. Understand? And I’m the one who makes the decisions now. I don’t know what you believe in, but I’m now God. Don’t fuck this up.”

  He pushed away from me.

  I quickly turned and saw him running away. Dressed in the same black as the other guy. Those two met up with a third one. All dressed in black. Clothes that were oversized to hide any features about themselves.

  The second guy tossed the envelope to the first guy.

  I could have climbed into my SUV and followed them.

  But why bother?

  I already knew who it was.

  It was the fucking Rulz.

  Trying to mess with me again.

  Scare me into staying.

  Playing nice to my face, giving me their little bet money, only to take it right back.

  It was going to take more than that to get me to stay in BFH.

  Yet when I got behind the wheel of the SUV, I sucked in a deep breath.

  When I exhaled, I had no choice…

  I screamed.

  So loud and so hard I burst into tears.

  I put my head to the steering wheel and started to shake as the who
le fear thing had a chance to catch up to me.

  And right then I knew I was going to drive back to Claire’s… but not for forever.

  three

  three

  I felt like a mess and looked the same.

  I succumbed to the fact that I wanted my bed. The one at Claire’s. And I wanted my friends. The friends that weren’t really friends but fit the job for the moment.

  I’d let the Rulz think they had won the war but in reality it was just another battle. The real war they could never win. The real war was reality itself. Mom was going to get out of rehab and we would be gone then. She wasn’t going to live with Claire. At least I hoped not. Especially with my father working for Claire.

  That wasn’t my problem.

  Nothing was my problem.

  Except the Rulz.

  This was them pushing back at me. Getting what they thought was a version of revenge because of what I did to them.

  I opened the door to Claire’s house and heard an explosion of laughter.

  I shut my eyes and looked back down to the driveway.

  How stupid of me to not realize there were extra cars parked there.

  Claire was having a get together.

  An adult party.

  Just what I needed.

  I shut the door and moved toward the stairs.

  “So I told him I was going to piss into his escrow account!” a man’s voice commanded over the laughter.

  Then there was more laughter.

  “Still better than Franklin,” Claire’s voice said. “He thinks equity is built by ejaculation.”

  My jaw dropped.

  “Well if that’s the case,” another woman’s voice said, “then he’s swimming in negative equity!”

  “With sticky hands!” Claire yelled.

  They all exploded into another round of laughter.

  I silently fake laughed, touching my stomach, putting my head back.

  Then I whispered, “Oh, Reginald, you kill me. I can’t breathe. Hurry. Fetch me some oxygen. The golden oxygen. Please… hurry…”

  I stopped and turned my head, feeling watched.

  I was right.

  Tucker - my father - was standing just outside the bathroom.

  He gave a quick wave to me.

  His face was healing but the evidence of what Pres, Barr, and Kip had done was still there.

  I swallowed hard.

  “I was invited,” he said. “Just walking back to the kitchen.”

  “Okay,” I said.