Her entire body steels as I push her forward, reminding me of the big tractor tires that Coach would make us push up and down the field during practices my junior year. “I don’t think,” she stumbles over her words, “I don’t think I can go near that car.”
“I said, move.” I walk into her back, forcing her body to move forward. Leaning in, I whisper, “He’s not in there.”
Her body relaxes a tad, but she’s still resisting. “He’s not?”
“No, of course not. You think we’d let his body sit in a car in this heat and rot? We aren’t that inhumane.” I pause for a beat, letting her absorb that information. “He’s buried. Beneath the concrete in the basement of Briarwood. Remember that wall I pressed you up against?” When she doesn’t respond with words, but I feel her body tense up again, I continue, “Let’s just say that Joshy boy was watching the whole thing. I heard he likes to watch you. Did you know that?”
Her entire body spins around to face me while the guys gather behind the car. With flared nostrils, she clears her throat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She knows exactly what I’m talking about. I tsk. “You didn’t think we were the only ones with a secret, did you?”
“How do you know?” When I stand there idly with my hands in my pockets and a smirk on my face, she plunges her hands into my chest. “Damnit, Talon, how do you know?”
Leaning forward, my mouth ghosts her ear. I take in her hitched breaths and relish in the sound of her trumpeting heart. “Because I like to watch you, too.”
7
Unease ripples through my body. Talon’s hot breath sticks to my skin like a thirsty leech. Running my fingers over the dew on my neck where his words hit, I realize that I’m sweating. Frozen in place but burning up.
“How does that make you feel?” he hums, “Knowing that I’ve not only touched you in the dark, but also seen your naked body in the light?”
Playing dumb, I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
Sure, I did some things that I’m not proud of. But he shouldn’t know that. No one should. Especially not Josh. Especially not Talon Fucking Porter.
“Are we doing this or what?” Zed growls from the backside of the car. The guys are all standing idly, waiting for whatever it is we are supposed to be doing.
“We’ll talk about this later.” Talon places his hand on my back and begins walking toward the guys.
“Yes, we will talk about it later, because I also want to know what you meant when you said that Josh is buried in that basement.”
“I meant he’s buried in the basement. What more is there to talk about?”
The thought sends a quiver of nausea through me. There was a body decomposing just beneath the floors where my arousal was dripping as Talon gave me one of the best orgasms of my life.
“Little Thorn.” Zed waves me over, and if he calls me that one more time, I swear I’m gonna scream. Hating myself more and more with each step, I move to his side like an obedient puppy. I shouldn’t be putting up with this shit. This is not me. I’m not one to be pushed around. “Stand here. And once Lars jumps out of the car, you push.” He looks me dead in the eye as he stretches a pair of black leather gloves on his hands. I struggle to catch the thoughts in my head. I have to push. “Do you hear me? You push,” he repeats again.
“What? No?” I shake my head, “I’m not being an accomplice to this. I already burned his phone.” Zed clenches his fists at his side and the possibility that he could lay those fists on me at any given moment has my stomach turning. My eyes hold tightly to them at his side. “Please, just let me sit this one out.”
His eyes narrow and in one fell swoop, his hands are gripping the side of my face. “You will do what I tell you to do or my joke earlier about tossing you over this ledge will become a reality.” He pushes my head away as he drops his hands. “Got it?”
Zed scares me. He really fucking scares me. There is nothing I wouldn’t put past him at this point and he is one of the reasons that I’m still standing here. If it were just Talon, Tommy, and Lars, I’d probably knot all three of their dicks together and run like hell. I’d fight back. But I take Zed’s threats seriously. His heart isn’t just black; it’s non-existent.
Swallowing hard, I nod. “I hear you, but why am I pushing? Why can’t they help you?” I look at Talon and Tommy. I am not putting my fingerprints on this car. Nope. Not happening.
“Because you’re part of this now and because I told you to,” he looks to Talon, “She really is a pain in the ass.”
Talon nods in agreement as he stands there puffing on a cigarette.
“And do you plan on recording this little stint, too?” I ask, for obvious reasons.
“We’ve insured your silence after everything else. This one’s just for us. Just a little something extra to stomp on your soul when you need a reminder of your part in this.”
My part in this. It seems that whether I like or not, I am part of this, and we are all in this together. “I want gloves, too, then. I’m not touching this car.”
Zed’s eyes shoot to Talon who nods. He then directs his attention to Tommy who’s shaking a can of spray paint. “Tommy, gimme your gloves.”
“Take his gloves,” he points to Talon, “he’s not doing anything.”
Zed’s body straightens, his shoulders drawn and his back stiff. He shouts, “Someone give her some fucking gloves!”
Sticking the cigarette between his teeth, Talon bites down on the butt and reaches into his pockets. He pulls out a pair of the same gloves that Zed is wearing, then tosses them right in front of him, which is at least three feet away from me. I watch as they hit the ground. “Really? This shit again?” I huff as I walk over and pick them up. “You're lucky I have clothes on this time.”
Zed’s eyes drill into Talon. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Not a damn thing. Do this shit.” Talon is quickly at my side; he grabs the gloves from my hands and begins putting them on me like I’m a child. One finger at a time while he stares me down with unsaid words. He doesn’t want Zed to know that he made me change in front of him. But why? Zed hates my guts. He’d probably encourage Talon to shred my comfort zone to pieces. “Tommy, get your ass over here and help them.”
“They’ve got it covered,” Tommy says, as he continues to shake a can of paint and begins spraying leaves—weirdo.
“Now!” Talon demands.
Once the gloves are on, I walk over to Zed’s side. Lars has one foot in the car and one on the ground, as he stands there waiting to take his foot off the brake. Dozens of questions are shooting through my mind, but I don’t bother asking them—not yet.
Closing my eyes, I press my hands to the back of the trunk. “Ok, let’s just get this over with,” I say, as my eyes open. Lars shifts the car into neutral and then jogs behind the car where Zed, Tommy, and I are and we all press against the back. My hands, entrapped in black leather, push as my feet dig into the dirt beneath me. To my surprise, the car rolls effortlessly. I can feel the weight of the car drop forward as the front tires go over. I follow the car as it moves right to the edge. Step by step, until it drops.