Stone Deep: An Alpha Bad Boy Romance (Stone Brothers Book 3) (13 page)

Chapter 22

Britton

“Watch your head as you get in the car. The last thing you need is another whack to the brain.” I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice, but I’d had to wait two hours for the doctor to finally sign the release. Ryan’s face was twisted in pain as he ducked his tall frame down to climb into the passenger seat. A pang of guilt made me apologize. “I’m sorry to be snippy, Ry, it’s just I was out on the beach, having a good time.” And I had to leave my incredible, new guy friend behind, I wanted to add but didn’t. Ryan looked miserable enough.

“Look, I said I was sorry, Brit. I didn’t know who else to call. And the doctor said I had to have someone pick me up. Just seemed like you should be the first person I should call in an emergency. Who the hell were you on the beach with?” he asked as he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

“My beach trip is none of your business. In fact, my entire life is no longer your business.”

The doctor had covered what looked like a pretty significant forehead gash with gauze and tape. Ryan looked shaken and pale. I should have felt more sympathy, but he’d rarely showed me the same courtesy.

“The nurse said you weren’t wearing a seatbelt, and you were texting.” I knew he wasn’t in the mood for a lecture, but he’d ruined my day and I wasn’t going to let him off too easy. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself when you hit that parked truck.”

“Am I lucky? Maybe it would have been a quick exit.”

“No, don’t pretend to be on the broken end of this whole thing. You made your choices, Ryan, and just like today, when you decided to text and drive, you’re paying the price.”

“Shit, here we go.”

“Nope, you’re right. I don’t want to waste any energy talking to you. I’m just going to stew silently about how you fucked up my weekend.” I turned up the music. He winced as if the sound hurt his head.

“Damon called me yesterday,” he muttered unexpectedly.

He opened his eyes at the sound of me clumsily grinding the stick into third gear.

I looked at him. “What? Why the hell are you two still chummy?”

He pointed through the windshield. “Hey, watch the road. I’m already feeling like shit. Don’t need another accident.”

My fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter. I stared ahead but was hardly seeing the road I was looking at. “Why the hell did he call?”

“He was pissed. He said you showed up with some asshole making all kinds of threats.”

“Threats? Fucking Damon broke it off with Perris and he knew she was in a really bad place when he suggested she take a bottle of pills and be done with it.” I hadn’t talked about Damon’s confession. Even on the road home, Slade and I had avoided the topic. I had clear evidence of what had happened to my sister, and it was for me alone to absorb and understand. But Ryan had always come to Damon’s defense. It was one of many things that had helped drive us apart.

My dry throat was clamping tight around my voice but I continued. “Damon was at home when Perris died.”

Ryan rolled his head without lifting it from the seat. “That’s not what I heard. How do you know he was there?”

“Because he was playing his stupid drumsticks in the background of the voicemail Perris left me. The last message she left.” Tears burned my eyes.

Ryan had no response but something horrid occurred to me. I looked over at him. “Holy shit, all this time you’ve been in contact with Damon. You knew where he was. You knew I was going nuts looking for the asshole, and you knew where he was.”

“Yeah, so. Looks like I was right not to fucking tell you. Who the hell is the dude with all the tattoos?”

“I said it was none of your business.”

He kicked the floor beneath the dashboard. “Yes, it’s my fucking business.”

“No, it’s not. The doctor said I had to watch you tonight and wake you every three hours, but I’m ready to just dump you off. “

“Whatever.” He closed his eyes. His face paled to the soft olive tone of nausea.

“If you have to throw up, then hang your head out the window.”

He took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes. “Why are you going this direction?”

“I’m taking you to my motel room. I’ve got to stay there because I have a kitten.”

“You know I’m allergic to cats.”

“Yep. I guess it’ll just add to your misery.” Thankfully, we drove the rest of the way in silence. I pulled into the parking lot of the motel and stopped the car.

Ryan lifted his head and squinted at the shabby motel. “Fuck, Brit, is this where you’re staying? Why the hell don’t you just come home?”

“This place is fine, and best of all, you aren’t here. Or at least you weren’t here until today.”

“We just need to talk things out.”

A dry, anger-filled laugh left my mouth. “You can’t be serious?” I opened the door. “Now let’s hurry and get you inside. Otherwise, the manager will charge me double tonight.”

I walked over to his side. My wish to get him inside fast was made impossible by his slow-motion movements as he stretched up out of the car. He’d obviously taken a pretty good hit to the head. A few years ago, before he’d betrayed me, cheated on me, took me for granted and ignored all my feelings, I would have been happy to comfort him.

I opened the room door, and he stepped inside. “You’d rather stay here? It’s a fucking hell hole.”

“Yep, I’d rather stay here. What does that say about us? Still want to talk things out?” Bolt’s tiny meow came from under the bed. “Lower your voice. You’re scaring my cat.”

“Good. Keep that walking ball of dander away from me.” He flopped onto the bed and pulled a pillow over his face to blot out the small amount of light peeking between the curtains.

I pulled out the empty ice pack the hospital had given me from my purse. “I need to get some ice. I’ll be right back.” I stepped out onto the cement pathway that ran along the entire stretch of rooms. The manager, Mr. Kinon, an extremely grumpy man with a long, stretched face and yellow teeth was standing in the office window watching me as I headed to the ice machine. I smiled and waved, but he didn’t return the greeting.

I filled the ice bucket and made a quick turn back to my room. I heard the office door open and shut behind me but ignored the footsteps. It would have been impossible for him to miss the six-foot-two man climbing out of my car at a snail’s pace. I hurried inside the room and even knowing Mr. Kinon with his long face was behind me, I startled at the sound of his knock on the door.

Ryan lifted the pillow and looked across the room.

“That’s the manager. You’re going to owe me some money.”

I opened the door and splashed a wide smile across my face. “Afternoon, Mr. Kinon.”

He leaned to look past me, but he wasn’t focused on the tall man stretched on my bed. His eyes went to the pet food dish I had next to the chair. “I see you have a cat.”

“No, I—I use that to spit out the shells of my sunflower seeds.”

“No.” His stretched face bunched up into an angry crumpled expression. “I saw a kitten, an orange kitten right here on the ledge of this window.” He pointed to the front window. “I’m afraid you’ll have to either put the kitten out or leave.”

“I’ll be gone in the morning.”

“Not good enough. You signed a contract. No pets. So, get the cat out, or you’ll have to pack up tonight.”

“Fine. I’ll pack.” I slammed the door shut. “Damn it. Guess we’ll head to your place.”

“You mean our place.” Ryan dropped the pillow back down on his face. “You can’t bring the cat,” he mumbled.

“You just referred to it as
our
place. The cat is going with me, so there’s an end to that part of the conversation.” I filled the ice pack and handed it to him. “Here, put this on your head while I pack.”

I walked to the closet and pulled out my bags. There was another knock on the door, and this time I was in no mood for my sour-faced landlord. I walked to the door. “I told you I’m leaving,” I said as I yanked it open.

“But I just got here.” Slade flashed that smile that I was already far too crazy about.

“Slade.” I moved into the center of the doorway. “How’d you find me?”

“Well, this was the only pay by the week motel in the area, and I know how you like to stay in the really crappy ones.” He looked around. “Yep, this one really fits the bill. I wanted to—”

Slade stopped and looked at something behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know that curiosity and the need to be a cocksure, possessive asshole had pulled Ryan out of bed.

“Who the hell are you?” Ryan’s snide tone came over my shoulder. I wanted to melt into a puddle and disappear into a crack in the cement.

Slade shot him a cold look. His jaw twitched with anger, but his dark green eyes showed something much deeper. It was hurt. “I’m a friend,” he answered, and the flicker of emotion in his face made my chest tighten as if someone was pressing against it. “Who are you?”

“I’m Britton’s husband.”

Slade’s hard gaze landed on my face. I nodded to let him know it was true.

“Fuck.” Slade turned and walked away. I ran after him, pulling the door shut in Ryan’s face.

“Slade, I can explain. We’ve been separated for four months.” I stood behind him as he faced his car.

His tense shoulders strained the fabric on his t-shirt. He reached up and slammed his hands against the top of the car before spinning around. “When were you going to fucking mention it, Brit? Seems like you’ve had a lot of opportunities. Long before you let me start to feel this way about you.”

“I was going to tell you, but—”

“But what?”

“But I thought you’d get upset. Like this. Like you are now. We were having such a good time—” I sucked in a shuddering breath. “I loved every second I spent with you, Slade. I just didn’t want to ruin that yet.”

“It would have been a hell of a lot easier hearing it from you than from him. I came running after you because you left so suddenly today, and now I feel like the biggest fucking chump in the world.”

I grabbed his arm. “Please let me explain.”

The door to the motel opened.

“Britton, let’s get going,” Ryan said from the hallway. I didn’t turn or answer him.

I looked at Slade through my tears.

His face changed, and his harsh gaze softened some. “Are you in any kind of danger?” he asked. “Will he hurt you?”

His concern made my heart ache that much more. Slade was everything I needed, but I was losing him. I’d never made smart life decisions. Ryan was proof of that, but he had never laid a mean hand on me. “He’s a terrible husband,” I said quietly. “But I’m in no danger. Please—”

“Britton?” Ryan called from behind.

Slade reached back and opened his car door. “You get your life puzzled out first, Britton.” He climbed inside and looked up at me before closing the door. “Trust me, Tink, it’s not fucking easy driving away from someone like you.” He shut the door and took off.

Chapter 23

Slade

Cleveland was standing on the stoop holding a six pack in each meaty hand. “Get your sunbonnet, buddy, we’re going out for a boat ride.”

“Not in the mood.” I turned around.

He followed me inside. “Come on, dude, you’ve been boring as shit for two weeks. Never thought any girl could suck the life out of Slade Stone.”

His words were especially irritating because they were true. I hadn’t talked to Britton since I’d found her sitting in a motel room with her husband, a discovery that had knocked the wind from me. I’d fallen hard for a girl who seemed to be more mirage than real. She hadn’t tried to call me since, and I wasn’t all that surprised. I’d always figured the attraction was more from my side than hers. Didn’t make it any easier, but at least I knew never to put my heart out there for the taking again. My brothers could be the saints. I didn’t need to tie myself to anyone.

I flopped on the couch. “Ah fuck, now you’re just going to stand there and whine, aren’t you? Whose boat?”

He hesitated, and that was all I needed. “Shit, not your clownish pal, Stewie and that rusted bathtub he parades as a fucking boat.”

“Yeah, that’s the clown
and
the tub. But there’s a plus side. Remember his sister, Melonie, with the really big—” Cleveland stuck the beer cans against his chest for a visual in case I didn’t know what he was referring to. “She leaves for college next week, and one of her hot little college friends is staying with her for a few days. So, there’ll be college coeds on board.” He held up his beer prop again. “Beer and college cuties and big tits. Sounds like a perfect day on the water. Besides, you have to come.”

I walked to the window. In the distance the promised storm was waiting to roll onto shore. I looked back at Cleveland. “Weather is supposed to get rough. And why do I
have
to go along?”

He glanced around the room, avoiding eye contact. “Cuz, I promised the girls,” he muttered quickly, obviously hoping I wouldn’t really catch what he said.

“You promised them what?”

He grunted. “Look, Melonie and her friend are only coming because I told them you’d be there. Fuck. There. Humiliating as shit to have to tell you, but Stewie and me weren’t enough to get them on board. Oh, I think Stewie has a thing for the friend, so don’t pour on the Stone charm too much.”

“You’re fucking certifiable, do you know that?” My phone rang. I picked it up off the coffee table. I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello.”

“Yes, is this Slade Stone?”

“Speaking.”

“Hello, this is Captain Trentworth from Alaska. You interviewed for a greenhorn position on my boat.”

“Yes, how are you?”

“I’m good, thanks. Just wanted to let you know I spoke with Captain Dell, your current boss, and he had great things to say about you. Said you were as tough as they came, and you never complained. I’d like you on board for the king crab season if you’re still interested.”

“Yes, absolutely. Just let me know when and where and I’ll be there.”

“Great. I’ve got your email, so I’ll be sending you the paperwork and list of things you’ll need.”

“Looking forward to working for you, sir. Thanks.”

“Take care and I’ll see you in October.”

I hung up. “I got the greenhorn position. Couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“That’s fucking awesome. I’ll be heading up there for fall too so we can room together. Damn. Now you’ve got to come celebrate.”

I was stoked. After feeling completely sideswiped for the last two weeks, the captain’s timing was perfect. “You know something, Cleve, I’m in a good enough mood that I can even put up with Stewie for a few hours.”

Hunter’s motorcycle rumbled in the driveway. I could hear Amy laughing about something as they walked up to the front door. She walked in first. “Hey, Cleveland, did you get this couch mushroom up off his ass?” She glanced at the beer in his hands. “Ah, I see, you used the traditional bait as a lure. Good thinking.”

Hunter walked inside. “Where are you two off to?”

“We’re going out on Stewie’s boat.” I grabbed my shirt off the arm of the couch and pulled it on.

“Shit, that floating deathtrap? Supposed to be a storm later,” Hunter said.

“We’ll be back long before that.” Cleveland looked at me. “So, you going to tell them, or what?”

“Getting to it,” I said. “I got the greenhorn position up in Alaska this fall.”

“Nooo,” Amy said in her best whiny voice. She threw her arms around me and squeezed me. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous. Don’t want you to go.”

I turned my face to her. “You and Hunter will have the place to yourselves for two months. No couch mushrooms.”

She kissed my cheek and dropped her arms. “When do you leave?”

“Thought you might see the bonus side of me going. Even if I will be risking life and limb.”

Amy threw her arms around me again. “Nooo. Don’t say that. I’m already worried.”

Hunter sat down on the couch. “You’re sure about this?”

I nodded. “I am. In fact, I need this.”