And you know I don’t make idle threats, boy.”
“I heard you already.”
For a brief second, Caelyn was certain something awful was going to happen. His dad was going to pull a gun, a knife, or maybe just throw a punch.
But just when it seemed inevitable that the situation would explode into violence, Gabe’s shoulders lowered and he sighed, looking defeated. He turned to Caelyn. “I know we don’t know each other, which is a shame. But maybe you could talk sense to him. He obviously cares for you—“
“Leave her out of it,” Elijah said.
Gabe’s eyes met hers and lingered, and Caelyn nodded once. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you.” Then he turned on his heel, and left without looking back. The door slammed behind him as he went.
Elijah quickly locked it again, and then he breathed a relieved sigh.
“What was that?” Caelyn asked. “That was really your Dad?”
“Yeah, that’s Dad all right. Kind of weird, huh?” Elijah smiled at her, a bit sadly.
“I told you I didn’t have a normal childhood, Caelyn.”
“Yes, but that’s something else completely. You work for him? He’s a…you know…he’s a criminal too?”
Elijah ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like talking about it, or even thinking about it, really. But Dad’s the one who got us into the life, taught us the ropes, and he’s a big part of why I thought I had to leave the state to get out from under it all.”
“I understand a lot more now,” Caelyn said. “And you think he knew what your brother was planning to do?”
“In all honesty, Dad probably was the one who came up with the idea and told Jake to carry it out. Jake’s always been his little pet, the one who thinks Dad can do no wrong. Jake always worshipped him, always wanted to make him proud. I guess he finally got his wish.”
Caelyn was totally shocked at the relationship that she’d seen between Elijah and his father. They were more like friends, or maybe enemies, competing on some primal level that just didn’t seem right. No father she’d ever seen, acted and talked that way to his son.
“But what about those threats he made at the end?” Caelyn said. “Would he hurt ever you?”
Elijah’s expression grew hard, and the vein in his forehead started pulsing. “If he does try to hurt me, he’ll get a nasty surprise at what comes back at him.”
She reached out and touched his forearm softly. “Please don’t get into trouble again, Elijah. You’re on parole, you can’t afford to have any more problems like that.”
Elijah’s body relaxed as he watched her. “It’s amazing, but I’ve known you for less time than just about anyone else in my life. And yet you care more about me than all the rest put together.”
She smiled, her body warming as he reached out and took her by the arm, gently bringing her against his rock hard body. And then he pulled her in for a long, slow burning kiss.
His lips were like fire, and as she closed her eyes, she had a vision of beach being burned by the sun. A white beach, of powdered sand, and the yellow sun high in the sky was throwing fire down on everything around it. The sea was bright blue, like a gem, sparkling beneath it.
“Yes,” she whispered, as Elijah stopped kissing her momentarily.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, you’re right. I do care that much.” She opened her eyes and gazed into Elijah’s eyes.
His hands moved slowly down to her hips as his lopsided grin returned. “I don’t know. Maybe this is all just a scam because you’re interested in my connections.”
“Connections?”
“Yeah, I’m a real big player around these parts. I mean, if you want to eat at the best table at Johnny’s Road House or you want to know where to get a stolen iPhone 5, I’m your man. And you know if you get close to me, that’s all going to be yours for the taking.”
Caelyn laughed. “You figured it out, Elijah. I’m after your connections.”
“But it’s okay,” he said, running a
“I heard you already.”
For a brief second, Caelyn was certain something awful was going to happen. His dad was going to pull a gun, a knife, or maybe just throw a punch.
But just when it seemed inevitable that the situation would explode into violence, Gabe’s shoulders lowered and he sighed, looking defeated. He turned to Caelyn. “I know we don’t know each other, which is a shame. But maybe you could talk sense to him. He obviously cares for you—“
“Leave her out of it,” Elijah said.
Gabe’s eyes met hers and lingered, and Caelyn nodded once. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you.” Then he turned on his heel, and left without looking back. The door slammed behind him as he went.
Elijah quickly locked it again, and then he breathed a relieved sigh.
“What was that?” Caelyn asked. “That was really your Dad?”
“Yeah, that’s Dad all right. Kind of weird, huh?” Elijah smiled at her, a bit sadly.
“I told you I didn’t have a normal childhood, Caelyn.”
“Yes, but that’s something else completely. You work for him? He’s a…you know…he’s a criminal too?”
Elijah ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like talking about it, or even thinking about it, really. But Dad’s the one who got us into the life, taught us the ropes, and he’s a big part of why I thought I had to leave the state to get out from under it all.”
“I understand a lot more now,” Caelyn said. “And you think he knew what your brother was planning to do?”
“In all honesty, Dad probably was the one who came up with the idea and told Jake to carry it out. Jake’s always been his little pet, the one who thinks Dad can do no wrong. Jake always worshipped him, always wanted to make him proud. I guess he finally got his wish.”
Caelyn was totally shocked at the relationship that she’d seen between Elijah and his father. They were more like friends, or maybe enemies, competing on some primal level that just didn’t seem right. No father she’d ever seen, acted and talked that way to his son.
“But what about those threats he made at the end?” Caelyn said. “Would he hurt ever you?”
Elijah’s expression grew hard, and the vein in his forehead started pulsing. “If he does try to hurt me, he’ll get a nasty surprise at what comes back at him.”
She reached out and touched his forearm softly. “Please don’t get into trouble again, Elijah. You’re on parole, you can’t afford to have any more problems like that.”
Elijah’s body relaxed as he watched her. “It’s amazing, but I’ve known you for less time than just about anyone else in my life. And yet you care more about me than all the rest put together.”
She smiled, her body warming as he reached out and took her by the arm, gently bringing her against his rock hard body. And then he pulled her in for a long, slow burning kiss.
His lips were like fire, and as she closed her eyes, she had a vision of beach being burned by the sun. A white beach, of powdered sand, and the yellow sun high in the sky was throwing fire down on everything around it. The sea was bright blue, like a gem, sparkling beneath it.
“Yes,” she whispered, as Elijah stopped kissing her momentarily.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, you’re right. I do care that much.” She opened her eyes and gazed into Elijah’s eyes.
His hands moved slowly down to her hips as his lopsided grin returned. “I don’t know. Maybe this is all just a scam because you’re interested in my connections.”
“Connections?”
“Yeah, I’m a real big player around these parts. I mean, if you want to eat at the best table at Johnny’s Road House or you want to know where to get a stolen iPhone 5, I’m your man. And you know if you get close to me, that’s all going to be yours for the taking.”
Caelyn laughed. “You figured it out, Elijah. I’m after your connections.”
“But it’s okay,” he said, running a
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