Hold Me (10 page)

“Yeah. What about him?” My pulse speeds up, and I want to jump out of my skin. Has Prescott told my father about what I’ve asked him to do?

“He passed away. Your dad thought you might want to attend the funeral, so...”

“What?” I nearly drop the phone. No, that isn’t possible. It can’t be. My mind is racing and I can barely form coherent thoughts. “How did he die?”

“A heart attack,” my mom says. “They found him at home last night.”

“Oh, that’s...” My relief is so strong I nearly sag back onto the bed, but my throat constricts at the thought that such a kind and nice man is gone, and my father has lost one of his dear friends. “How’s dad?”

“He’s shocked. He didn’t expect something like that. Prescott wasn’t
that
old and he didn’t have heart problems or any other serious health issues, but these things happen and...” My mom sighs. “You’ll be there for the funeral, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Good.” We say our goodbyes and I stare at the phone in my hand, tears pooling in my eyes. What if he was too upset about something he discovered? What if it is actually my fault? Caleb didn’t look dangerous to me, but Katherine said I shouldn’t be around people like him and her explanation didn’t sound quite convincing. I take a deep, shuddery breath. No, I can’t think like that. This is just a coincidence. It has to be.

“How’d your date go?” Isaac claps Caleb on the back. A smile tugs at Caleb’s lips as he sits down on the floor with Isaac and Jade, who is holding a pillow in her lap.

“Where’d you get that?” Caleb nods toward the pillow and Jade hugs it to herself.

“Sam gave it to me. Raphael said I could keep it.”

Caleb shakes his head in disapproval. Keeping things and getting attached to them is a terrible idea. As soon as Jade displeases Raphael, he’ll take the pillow away and then she’ll be sad again. That’s exactly why Raphael allows it in the first place. “You sh...”

“Who cares about the fucking pillow,” Isaac says. “Tell us about the date. I haven’t just spent hours in the dungeon so you can go out for nothing. And don’t say you don’t want to talk about it because I can see that look on your face, and I want to know everything.”

Caleb grimaces, but then he relents. Jade is allowed out from time to time, but Isaac isn’t. If it weren’t for the stories they tell each other, they would feel completely trapped... Trapped. Something about that word makes Caleb’s stomach twist and he takes a deep breath. “It wasn’t a date. It was...” He isn’t really sure how to call what he and Lilith did. “Whatever. Her name is Lilith. We...” He lowers his voice. “We went to the movies.”

“Wait, isn’t that the name of some demon?” Isaac laughs.

“What movie did you watch?” Jade’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Was it good?”

“It was some action movie.” Caleb’s lips spread into a smile. “It was kind of fun.”

“Shh, you don’t want the horse face over there to hear you.” Isaac bobs his head toward the guard at the door, who is intently staring at the TV screen on the other side of the room.

Caleb rolls his eyes.

“What’s she like?” Jade asks.

“Different.” It’s the first word that comes to Caleb’s mind. “She’s... I don’t think she knows about... “

“Of course she doesn’t. If she did, she wouldn’t want to parade you as her boyfriend,” Isaac says. “But she’ll find out eventually.”

Caleb frowns. He doesn’t want Lilith to find out. Ever. “She won’t. She’ll find better company and forget about me.”

Isaac punches him lightly in the shoulder. “Oh God, you like her.”

“I...”

“No, don’t even try to deny it. But didn’t she only want to fuck you? The movie was probably because she had a fantasy about a perfect date.”

“We didn’t have sex today,” Caleb says. “She only wanted company.”

Isaac gapes at him, his eyes wide. “Are you sure she’s right in the head? Or is she just that rich?”

Caleb cuts him an annoyed look. “She’s not crazy. Her boyfriend was an asshole, so I guess she has trust issues.”

“Ah, lovely.” Isaac snickers. “I don’t see how paying for dates with you is going to help her.”

“Shut up.” Jade narrows her eyes at Isaac. “I wish someone would take me out.”

“Why?” Isaac gives her an incredulous look. “So you can pretend you’re living a normal life?”

“Isaac...” Caleb says in a pleading voice.

“What?” Isaac crosses his arms. “Raphael will kill us all before he lets us go. Why pretend it’s any different?”

“Do you really think we need a reminder?” Jade presses her lips into a tight line.

“I guess not.” Isaac scratches his head, then leans forward, lowering his voice. “Does anyone have extra... um, you know?”

Jade shakes her head, and Caleb’s brow furrows.

“Why? Didn’t Raphael give you any?”

“I pissed him off.” Isaac rubs his arms. “Do you have it?”

“No.” It’s a lie, but Caleb doesn’t want to add to Isaac’s addiction. Isaac’s already taking more pills than any of them.

“Fuck.” Isaac digs his nails into his skin. “I feel like my skull is going to explode.”

“You should stop doing that to yourself,” Caleb says.

“Doing what? Telling that son of a bitch what he deserves?”

“Using up the pills too fast.”

“Why? They’re the only things keeping me alive.”

“Don’t say that.” Jade takes hold of Isaac’s arm and pulls him toward her.

“Don’t worry, Jade. You’re keeping me alive too.” He wraps her into a brotherly hug, burying his head into her dark red hair.

Jade smiles at him.

Caleb looks at his hands in his lap. Raphael would never let them have too many pills at once, but he certainly doesn’t mind the addicting effect they have and keeps providing them. Even though Caleb doesn’t know what exactly they are, he’s seen what they do to people.

Some of Raphael’s prostitutes actually agreed to work for him of their own free will just to get the pills that apparently can’t be found anywhere on the market. It’s Raphael’s special mix, and aside from dulling all the emotions and distorting reality, they also help with the sex drive.

Jade laughs about something, and Caleb’s thoughts drift off to Lilith. If she could see him now, what would she think? She’d probably never want to have anything to do with him and would be embarrassed she’d taken him to the movies with her. He should forget about her. He really should, but he doesn’t know if he can.

I’ve survived only two full weeks without contacting Alessandra and asking for Caleb. Even though I don’t really want to talk about him to anyone, his name slipped out when I was talking to Katherine and she just rolled her eyes and changed the subject.

When Alessandra confirms that Caleb has agreed to see me at my apartment, my stomach fills with butterflies. One part of me wonders if my obsession with Caleb is wrong. Things might be too awkward or complicated between us if we start a relationship, but I’m not willing to let it go just yet.

My doorbell rings. I roll my shoulders to loosen up my tense muscles, then I straighten my back, check myself in the mirror, and open the door.

Caleb smiles at me when he sees me, his dark eyes sparkling. He’s wearing a gray shirt and tight black jeans. “You called, princess?”

“Yeah.” I let him in, then lock the door. “I hope you know how to play video games.”

“What?” His mouth falls open, but he quickly collects himself and just tilts his head. “You didn’t just call me to play video games the whole night, did you?”

“Nope. I think.” I shrug, then raise my hand to point in the direction of the living room. “But I’ve set everything up, so get ready to lose.”

His gaze briefly falls on my wrist and on the bracelet that he bought me. “What makes you think I’m going to lose?”

“I don’t know. Because you want to please me?” I laugh, readjusting my ponytail.

“No way.” He shakes his head. “I won’t let you win.”

“We’ll see.” I wink at him. “I’ll get us some drinks.”

I don’t know how long we’ve been playing when I sit back on my heels and groan. “You’re too good at this!” He’s won almost every single time, no matter what type of game I chose, even my favorite racing and shooter games.

Amusement flickers in his eyes. “Oh, did you want me to lose?”

I press my lips together and shake my head in fake indignation. “You’re probably playing games all the time when you’re not working, so you’ve had time to practice. I can only play once in a while when I have some free time in between exams. And I can’t really find anyone to play with.”

Katherine and Alessandra would rather jump out of a speeding car than play video games with me, and inviting others from college into my home doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure most of them would find me childish and immature and wouldn’t like me at all, and some would pretend to enjoy it to suck up to me, which would be even more annoying.

“Oh poor you, always so busy. Do you want me to let you win this time, princess?” He grins.

“No.” I punch him lightly on the shoulder, then sigh. “I mean, yeah. Maybe just one time.”

“Okay.” He restarts the game, and I’m surprised that he actually doesn’t seem to mind. But when I win, I actually shout out in delight and throw myself into his embrace, winding my arms around his neck.

“You did it, princess,” he says. “You won.”

“Yeah,” I breathe, my lips so close to his. I bend my head and close my mouth over his. His hand travels up my body as he pulls me closer, his mouth ravaging mine. I thread my fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss. When I break away, trying to catch my breath, he kisses my neck and tugs on my pink top.

He lifts me up and lays me down on the couch, his hands exploring my body and sliding under my top, caressing my hard nipples. I plant a soft kiss on Caleb’s neck, then slide his shirt over his head and run my fingers across his hard chest. The look he gives me is filled with hunger and I help him strip off my top and pants.

As his tongue twirls around my nipple, I arch my back. I don’t even know where our clothes ended up or when he slipped on a condom, but now he’s naked above me, his hard cock brushing against my navel. I part my legs, already wet for him. But instead of penetrating me with his cock, he slips a finger inside of me and my eyes flutter and drift closed. His finger goes in and out until I’m no longer sure I can take it anymore.

Suddenly, his fingers leave me and his throbbing thickness fills me, making me gasp. His moves are urgent and swift as I hold onto him, the pleasure getting more intense with each deep thrust. I whisper his name over and over again, and when his lips meet mine, something crashes to the ground near the couch, but I couldn’t care less. All that exists in my world now is Caleb. And he’s mine. All mine.

When I’m finally able to stand, I lift myself off the couch. Caleb gets up too, and I realize we somehow knocked over one of the glasses that was on the small table in front of the couch, and the glass broke into a dozen pieces that are now all over the floor, and some are even on the small, round carpet. Caleb mutters a curse and I realize he stepped right into the middle of that mess.

“Wait! Don’t move!” I say as I scramble to get my clothes. “There’s glass everywhere.”

“I can clean it up.”