Chapter 17

Chapter 1717
CALLUM
Miles wasn’t kidding about holding up his end of our bargain. Even though I repeatedly told him the
stupid bet over Nessa was off, I get an unexpected call from the garage in Goldenleaf on Monday
morning. The owner, Brady, has been kind enough to allow me to store my Corvette there for the past
several months in exchange for helping him out with simple mechanic jobs when I’ve got time. He
doesn’t hold me to a schedule or
anything, so when I see the incoming call from him on my screen, it catches me off guard- even more
so when he tells me to come down because my car’s ready to be picked up.
I catch a ride to the garage with Alec, not disclosing why I’m going. He doesn’t ask, either, because it’s
not unusual for me to get a ride to the garage to work for an afternoon, either on my own car or on
something for Brady. He pulls up to the garage, idling as I hop out of his truck and toss him a wave
over my shoulder. Gravel crunches underneath his tires as he drives away, and I shove my hands into
the pockets. of my hoodie, trudging up the driveway and into the garage.
The motion sensor chimes as I cross the threshold and Brady peeks out from behind the open hood of
a car in one of the bays, his lips spreading into a wide smile when he sees me.
“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he chuckles, wiping his oil -stained hands on a cloth and
trudging toward me. “Thought you’d be here hanging over my shoulder when I dropped that
transmission in.”
“If I knew, I would’ve,” I grumble, striding across the garage to meet him halfway.
Brady’s brow furrows. “You mean your friend didn’t tell you?”I give a little shake of my head, frowning. While Miles told me he’d pay up on the bet, he didn’t say it’d
be this soon. I thought I’d still have time to talk him out of it. Now that Nessa and I are a thing, there’s
no way this won’t come back to bite me in the ass. 5
Brady whistles, shaking his head. “Damn, boy. Wish I had a friend like that. He had the transmission
delivered from Denver on Saturday and paid me extra to get it dropped in ASAP.” 3
My frown deepens. Paying for the install wasn’t part of the deal.
“C’mon,” Brady calls, turning on a heel and waving for me to follow him. “It’s in bay three. I’m sure
you’re dying to see it. Wait till you hear the way that engine purrs.”
While I’m uncomfortable about this whole thing, Brady’s right- I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the
Corvette. I’ve been working on it for the better part of a year, and the anticipation of finally getting it
running has me itchy, my fingers twitching at my sides as I follow Brady across the garage.
My heart thumps faster when my car comes
into view. It still needs a new paintjob, but it looks like Brady has waxed and polished the body for the
big reveal, the original black paint shining under the fluorescents overhead.
“Keys are already inside,” Brady supplies, grinning from ear to ear as he observes my reaction. I trail
my fingers along the fender, approaching the drivers’ side and pulling the door open. The interior still
needs some work, too, but that can come later- the priority has been to get this baby running again. For
me, this is a lot more than a car. It’s freedom. No more asking for rides to get around; I can go
wherever I want, whenever I want. My pulse continues to race as I lower myself into the seat, finding
the keys already in the ignition. 2
“What are you waiting for?” Brady laughs, patting the hood of the car lovingly. “Fire her up!”I hold my breath as I turn the key, reveling in the roar of the engine coming to life. The car vibrates
beneath me, purring smoothly as I hit the gas a few times to rev it up. Brady was right- it sounds like a
dream. It sounds like sweet freedom. I can’t believe it’s
IN running, and I can’t wait to get it out on the road and take it for a spin.
My eagerness must be written all over my face, because without prompting, Brady hits the button for
the door to the bay the Corvette is parked in. A low hum sounds out as it begins sliding up.
“Have fun!” he calls, backing away and tossing me a wave.
I rev the engine again, nodding to Brady in appreciation before shifting the gear into reverse and
backing out of the garage.
As I shift gears at the end of the drive to start down the road, I realize there’s only one thing that could
make my first ride in this car better- one person, rather. I pause to shoot her a text, then rev the engine
again, the tires squealing as I take off in the direction of Riverton.
“Is this yours?!” Nessa asks excitedly as she pulls open the passenger door of the Corvette and slips
inside. She runs her hands. over the leather seat beneath her, eager eyes taking in the interior of my
car.
“It is,” I reply proudly, unable to keep from cracking a smile. “Been working on it for a while and was
finally able to get ahold of the last part I needed for the engine to run.” 3
“It’s sexy,” she comments, throwing her long hair over a shoulder and tossing me a wink.
“You’re sexy.” I lean over the gearshift, grabbing her chin in a hand and pulling her lips to mine. I
swallow her little gasp of surprise, claiming her mouth in a quick and dirty kiss before pulling back with
a grin and resting a hand on the wheel. “Buckle up, sweetness,” I drawl with a lift of my chin.The dazed look in her eyes is cute as hell, but she quickly regains her composure and reaches for the
seatbelt, dragging it over her lap and clicking it into place. She’s casually dressed in jeans and a
sweater, but damn is she a knockout. Vanessa Diaz is hands down the most beautiful creature I’ve ever
laid eyes on. My gaze lingers on her for a moment longer before I turn back to look out the windshield,
revving the engine.
Nessa squeals in excitement and her enthusiasm is contagious. A wide grin spreads across my lips as
I pull away from the curb, the engine roaring beneath us as we take off down the road.
It’s strange- I used to wonder if I even had the capacity to truly care for another person 4 outside of my
close-knit group of friends.
I’d kill or die for any of them, no question, but part of the closeness that we have comes from our
history together and our understanding of one another. Our solid bond based upon the common ground
we share.
Miles may push my buttons more than the others, but I know it comes from a place of insecurity,
growing up as the son of such successful parents. He’s always making wagers with us because when
he wins one, he feels that it proves his worth. He doesn’t realize that he doesn’t need to prove anything
to us; we value him exactly as he is. 3
Levi’s arrogance and over-the-top charm is insufferable sometimes, but he’s that way because he’s
always felt like he was in Chase’s shadow. The two of them are similar, but Chase has always had the
edge as the alpha’s son. He’s always been taller, stronger, better looking. Levi’s constantly comparing
himself to Chase, overcompensating because he feels like he can’t measure up. He doesn’t need to,
though- he’s funny as fuck and he’s the life of the party. Levi’s the one that brings the fun.
Chase is stubborn and hard-headed at the best of times, but he’s smarter than he seems, clever and
courageous like his father. He may act out more often than the rest of us, but deep down, the guyalways has the best intentions. He puts on a hard front, but he’d give someone the shirt off his back if
they needed it. It’s what’ll make him such a good alpha when he steps up to lead our pack. Leading
comes naturally to him; he’s been the unofficial leader of our group for as long as I can remember.
Alec and Dare are both more sensible and cautious than the rest of us, partly owed to their strict
upbringing. They’re the balance that our group needs, always working out every possible angle and
outcome when we set out to do something foolish- which is more often than not. They’re also the glue
that holds our group together, mediating when we have disagreements with one another so that no rifts
between us ever last long. They’re our anchor.
I understand my friends and we all share similarities. Nessa, on the other hand, is my polar opposite.
She’s everything I’m not- sweet and idealistic with this naïve innocence that completely boggles my
fucking mind. It’s like she only sees the good in the world, even when the bad is staring her in the face.
Even when it’s sharing her bed.
By all logic, the two of us shouldn’t be compatible. We don’t make sense together. Yet I’m completely
captivated by her; utterly enraptured in her presence. She makes me feel like I could be someone else.
Someone… better. Someone without a dark past staining their soul, harboring a monster inside that
strikes fear in others. Despite everything, she’s never been afraid of me.
4
I know I care for Nessa in a way that I’ve never cared for anyone else. I know I’d protect her with
everything I have if it came down to it. But what if the person she truly needs protecting from winds up
being me? We’ve got a good thing going, but how can it last when we’re so fundamentally different? 2
That’s the question that keeps turning over in my mind as we drive through the forest, the rumble of the
engine echoing through the woods around us. I used to wonder how some people could seem so damn
happy all the time when life is an endless shitshow, but right now, driving down the open road in myCorvette with my girl by my side, I think I finally get it. This light feeling in my chest must be what
happiness feels like. It’s a feeling I want to hold on to as long as I can.
I slide a glance to Nessa in the passenger seat and for the first time, I’m reconsidering the mission I’ve
been selected for. I still haven’t told her about it, and there’s still the better part of a week left for me to
back out.
Miles would jump at the opportunity to take my place, so I wouldn’t be leaving the rest of them high and
dry if I decided not to go. All I wanted before was to get away from this place, but the girl beside me
has me rethinking everything.
“Are you taking me out to the woods to kill me?” Nessa teases as I turn on a narrow forest road that
winds up a mountain, the gravel crunching underneath my tires.
I smirk, darting her a glance. “The chances are low, but never zero.”
“The dangers of dating a bad boy,” she sighs, sliding her hand over to rest on top of mine. I turn it over,
lacing my fingers with hers in a gesture that feels so natural that it unnerves me a little bit. Then again,
I’ll take any opportunity to touch this girl, even if it’s something as cheesy as holding her hand.
My phone vibrates in the cupholder and Nessa glances down at it, stifling a giggle.” Who’s Fuckface?”
I groan, unlacing my fingers from hers and reaching down to silence the call. “Troy.”
Her brows shoot up. “Your stepdad?”
“Yeah.”
She’s quiet for a moment, her stare practically burning a hole in the side of my face. “Do you need to
call him back?”“No.”
I hit the brakes as we approach one of the scenic overlooks on the mountain, pulling onto the shoulder
so we can get a better look at the view. It’s a tactic to distract Nessa from the current conversation, and
it works like a charm. Her eyes widen as she takes in the landscape, leaning forward in her seat and
resting her hands on the dash as we roll to a stop.
“Wow. This is beautiful,” she breathes.
She’s looking at the picturesque scenery, but I can’t look at anything but her. I wish I could see the
world through her eyes. I watch her long lashes blinking, her big brown eyes scanning the view before
us. Then she turns to me, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a little smile and a faint blush
staining her cheeks.
“What?” she asks.
I smile, reaching over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful.” Her blush
deepens, then I remember our conversation at the hot springs, quickly tacking on an explanation. “Not
just on the outside, but the way you look at the world,” I add. “Like you see the best parts of
everything.”
Nessa unbuckles her seatbelt, a look of determination in her eyes as she climbs over the center
console toward me. It’s a little bit clumsy given the tight space we’re in, and even though she knocks
her head against the ceiling on her way, she somehow makes it look graceful. She climbs onto my lap,
straddling me, and takes my face in both hands, grazing her thumbs along my stubble. “How is it that
you always say the right things?”
I smirk, shrugging a shoulder. “Just speaking the truth.”She leans forward, capturing my lips in a kiss so searing hot that it steals my breath. Her mouth slides
against mine, her tongue slipping past the seam of my lips to meet my own. I plunge a hand into her
hair, pulling her closer and tilting my head, devouring every pout of her full lips, every stroke of her soft
tongue. She tastes like cherries dipped in sin, and the way she’s grinding against my lap has me
breathless by the time we come up for air.
Nessa licks her lips, gazing down at me with lust-filled eyes. “Should we go back to your place?”
My dick twitches beneath her at her suggestion. To think that a few days ago, she was a blushing
virgin, and now? The girl’s a damn temptress.
“To do what?” I tease, rubbing the pad of my thumb along her lower lip. I want to hear that sweet mouth
speak filthy words. It gets me going like nothing else.
She leans closer, pressing her cheek to mine while her lips hover beside my ear. “I think you know,”
she whispers.
I slide my hands down to rest on her hips. You’re gonna need to be a little more specific, babe,” I
murmur.
She captures my earlobe between her teeth, tugging at it. I groan, squeezing her hips beneath my
fingertips. Her warm breath fans my ear, her whispered words barely audible. “I want you to make me
scream, Callum.” 2
Fuck. Me.
A growl tears from my chest as I lift her by her hips, wrenching her off my lap and depositing her back
in the passenger seat“l beside me. If there was enough space in this car, I’d take her right here, right now. She lands with a
little ‘umph’ and I press the brake, wasting no time in shifting the gear into drive. 2
“Buckle up,” I command, shooting her a deviant glare. “Let’s see how fast this car can go.”