CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

-•PRESLEY•-

I didn't startle when Ross tapped me on the shoulder. I almost expected him to seek me out throughout the day.

It was the afternoon and I sat on a bench in front of the school, waiting for Nathan. Ross sat next to me. As I looked at the way he smiled at me, I hoped that Tyler didn't find anything on Ross. I hoped that he wasn't who Nathan thought he was.

"Presley...," Ross trailed off, looking uncertain.

"Yes?," I whispered.

"I just need to get this out. Will you listen?," he asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

He took a deep breath, then spoke again. "I'm sorry if I've ever been too...pushy. I'm sorry if I've ever made you uncomfortable, okay?," Ross said. "It's not my intention, I just haven't been myself recently."

I wasn't expecting that.

"Don't worry about it," I smiled softly. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"Yes, I have," he sighed. "I kissed you without your permission. And after that, I kept pushing the idea of a relationship on you. It wasn't right."

He sounded so sincere. He was being sincere. I found myself giving his hand a quick squeeze. "You want to be forgiven?," I asked. "Is that what you want?"

He turned his attention towards the floor, "I don't know, Presley. It just seemed like I should tell you that."

"You feel better?," I asked.

He turned to me with his pearly white smile and laughed. "Yeah, I think I do."

I giggled along with him.

I saw Nathan's black Jeep pull into the parking lot I and quickly scrambled to grab my bag.

"I have to go," I told Ross. "See you tomorrow?"

Ross winked. "Of course."

It shouldn't have made me blush, but it did.

Once I found my way to the car, I hopped in. The scent inside was purely Nathan. Pinewood and gunfire.

"Still best buddies with the enemy I see," he muttered.

I poked him. He faced me.

"Don't poke me," he warned.

"Don't be jealous, I'm still your friend too," I said quietly.

Nathan scoffed. "I'm not jealous of him. I don't get jealous."

I giggled. "Everyone does, even me."

His lips went up in a boyish smirk. "I know you do."

My cheeks burned red and I turned away from him. "I wasn't jealous of that girl at the party."

He started the engine. "I didn't say you were. You said that."

I whirled on him. "I said no such thing."

Nathan pulled out of the parking lot and soon we were speeding away from the school.

"Nathan?," I asked, fiddling with a stray strand on my jeans.

He looked over at me briefly then refocused on the road. "Yeah, kid?"

I hated how he still called me 'kid', I wasn't even that much younger than him. If I mentioned it though, he'd insist on it even more.

"Did you get the picture? Of Ross?," I asked, feeling guilt in the pit of my stomach.

"Of course I did. Why?"

I shrugged. "No reason," I said weakly.

Nathan nudged me lightly. I lifted my face to look at him.

He took in a breath. "I'm not doing this just to be a jerk, okay? If I didn't get a bad vibe about your...friend," it looked like it pained him to say it, "then I wouldn't be imposing on him."

"I know," I whispered. "I know, Nathan."

"Good," he said. Then after a while, he looked over at me quickly and added. "Stop looking wounded about it. Everything's fine, I got it under control."

I released a small breath and allowed myself to believe him, that everything was going to fine.

When we arrived in front of a small beauty shop, I noticed that we were in the more sketchy part of town. Nathan unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to me.

"Before you ask," he said warningly. "The answer is no."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!," I protested.

He arched a brow. "Were you not going to ask if you could come inside with me?"

I opened my mouth, but I stopped short, because he was right.

"Please," I pleaded.

He ran a hand over his hair, then, "No, little one, you'll just be standing there, there's no need for you to come."

I huffed, but I didn't give up. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned fully to him. "I can help," I explained. "Maybe the last time you talked to the small businesses, you were missing something. It couldn't hurt to try, the boss doesn't care how we get the deals...he just wants them done, right? Let me try."

Nathan's eyebrows knitted together in consideration, then he threw his hands up in the air, helplessly. "Okay, kid. Let's see what you got," he responded with reluctance.

I smiled widely at him. He cut the engine and muttered something inaudible.

I leaped out of the Jeep and kept the smile I had on. Once we were at the door of the beauty shop, Nathan plastered one of his rare smiles on his lips. The dashing one.

It was showtime.

Nathan held the door open for me. Once we were inside, my attention fell on the short, portly women at the counter. She beamed at the sight of us.

"Good afternoon, boys," she said. "Can I help you find something?"

"Hi," I piped up. "Is the owner here?"

Her expression became slightly uneasy as her attention drifted to the tattoos on Nathan's hands, but she quickly recovered as she looked upon me again, smiling.

"I'm the owner," she replied. "My name's Katrina."

"I'm Presley," I said, mustering every ounce of maturity that I could find. I turned to Nathan. "And this-."

He held his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Nathan," he said, grinning. I could've swore I saw Katrina blush. "This is a great place you have here," Nathan continued, surveying her small shop.

Karina smiled bashfully. "Thank you, I try to keep it up, but with all the break-ins we have, especially on this part of town, it's hard to maintain the place," she said, looking around with a defeated look in her eyes.

Nathan glanced at me, his eyes lit up with the chance of an opportunity. He gave Katrina his full attention.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, resting his elbows against the counter. Watching Nathan, it was like seeing a teacher outside of school. The Nathan that was talking to this woman seemed compassionate, and someone that you could trust. He didn't seem hardened and avoidable. He looked normal, vulnerable.

As normal and vulnerable as he could look in tattooed hands and ear piercings.

"Yes," Katrina sighed. "If I'm being honest, things are tough right now," she looked around her store. "No matter how many alarm systems we get, how many cameras we put up, my shop still gets raided, loiterers hang around outside and scare the customers away," she shook her head. "I'm just tired of it."

I didn't know what it was, but out of authenticity, I reached out and took her hand. "That sounds horrible," I said softly.

I could feel Nathan's gaze from beside me.

Katrina smiled appreciatively at me. "You're very sweet."

I gave her hand a small squeeze. I realized that I did that twice today. Once with Ross and twice with Katrina.

I let go of her hand once Nathan spoke. "What if we told you, you wouldn't have to worry about that anymore?," he offered, shrugging.

Katrina looked between us with a bewildered expression. "Well, I'd be the happiest gal on the planet," she sputtered.

"We could offer you—this store, protection for as long as you're working with us," Nathan said carefully.

Katrina seemed taken back slightly. She looked like she didn't quite believe what Nathan was saying.

"You'd be saving a lot of money without having to pay thousands of dollars in repair and insurance," I continued. Katrina looked up at us in wonder.

"Are you being serious?," she asked. "Where...where would this protection come from?"

At the question, Nathan looked conflicted. I could tell he hadn't been prepared to reveal the identity of the gang. He looked unsure about whether or not he should.

I came to his rescue and prayed that what I was about to say didn't blow up in my face. "We're part of an organization that trains men into bodyguards," I explained, aiming to keep the uncertainty out of my voice.

Katrina looked puzzled.

I looked at Nathan in panic. He only smiled.

"We rent our bodyguards out to businesses in need, just like yours," he continued easily. "Even celebrities."

Lies. Big lies.

"Really?," Karina gasped. "Which celebrities?"

I looked to Nathan again, with wide eyes. He looked slightly vexed but gathered himself once again. He went back to his easy composure.

"Unfortunately, we can't disclose those details," Nathan said, leaning against the counter. "But, what we can offer you is complete and loyal protection for your store."

"Nothing gets past our bodyguards," I added.

Katrina paused to think.

"What's the cost for two?," she asked, looking intrigued.

Nathan lifted a shoulder. "Actually, the way our organization operates," he said, "we would need a quarter of your earnings every month. The funding goes toward the training and housing of our body guards."

I braced for Katrina to kick us out of her store. But she only sighed. "Seems fair. I'll need them year round. They'd be great when my staff is alone at night."

I grinned.

What I really wanted to do was give this sweet lady two members of the gang for free, to protect her store. But no, that could never work. The boss would drive a knife through my chest first.

"Do we have a deal, Katrina?," Nathan asked, giving her his most charming smile.

Katrina blushed at the sound of her name. She looked at us, squinted, then huffed out a breath. "I need this deal more than you boys, believe or not."

At her words, Nathan's shoulders seem to relax. "Perfect," he breathed.

Nathan and Katrina spent the next hour exchanging information, swapping identification, and going over the contract. Katrina clung onto every word that dripped out of Nathan's mouth. I suppressed the giggle that wanted to escape.

Katrina gave Nathan a check upfront. He seemed happy about that.

"I'll be bringing our men next week, is that okay with you?," he asked, pocketing the check.

Katrina smiled. "Music to my ears."

They shook hands again. Katrina waved enthusiastically at me as I opened the door to leave her store. I waved back.

When Nathan got in the car, he became silent. I couldn't quite tell what was on his mind, surely he had to be happy. I certainly was. That was my first official 'gang business' deal. I felt official.

He started the engine.

"Nathan?," I whispered.

He didn't look at me, he pulled out of the parking spot and started towards the main road.

I tugged on his sleeve. "Are you...mad? What's wrong?," I questioned.

He kept driving. He didn't look angry. He didn't look anything at all, he was stoic.

I wrapped my arms around myself and bit my bottom lip. "Did I do something wrong?," I asked quietly. "I'm sorry."

He looked at me briefly, tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swerved into another parking lot. He cut the engine.

"Back seat," he ordered.

I scrunched up my nose. "Why?"

He got out of the car. "Presley," he grunted. "Back seat, now."

I sighed, unbuckled my seatbelt and met him in the backseat of the car. He locked the doors. I gave him a quizzical look.

"Nathan," I said. "What is this? What are we doing right now?"

He studied my face. His attention skimmed the rest of me. "I don't know."

I giggled slightly. "What?"

He swallowed. "Would you let me kiss you right now?"

Silence.

No. No. No. No.

My heart dropped. "I-."

"Would you? Yes or no?," there was a pleading look in his eyes.

Say no, Presley.

"Yes," I whispered.

There was a pause, then he pulled me on top of him.

I was straddling Nathan Pierce.

First he just admired me, then, "Fuck this," he grumbled.

Nathan crashed his lips onto mine and gripped my waist. My hands went to his hair.

He continued to kiss me, my breathing became more labored the more he gripped my waist.

He slipped his heated hand up my shirt and I squirmed in his lap. He groaned as he held my waist more firmly to keep me from moving.

He sneaked his tongue into my mouth, a little moan escaped me.

Nathan trailed one hand down to my thigh, while the other held my waist.

As he ran his hand torturously slow over my quivering thigh, my cheeks became flushed.

An embarrassing sound belonged to me.

He removed my legs from around his waist and laid me on my back. There was a clutter of horribly traitorous butterfly's in my stomach. Nathan placed both hands beside each side of my head. As he hovered over me, he looked at me in wonder. Then he brought his mouth over mine again.

He used his tongue to make me gasp, then he kissed down my chin to my neck. I had a fistful of his hair in my hands and I pulled when he grazed his teeth over the delicate part of skin behind my ear.

"Did that hurt?," he looked sincerely at me, rubbing my arm affectionately.

I shook my head. "No," I breathed.

He dove back down to litter kisses on my neck, moving to the tender skin of my collarbone.

"Ah," I moaned when he bit down on my collarbone.

Embarrassing.

Nathan kissed over it softly, again and again, almost like he wanted to cure it.

He trailed those delicate kisses back up my neck and to my lips.

I must've been caught up in the moment, because I tugged at the hem of my shirt, thinking he'd want that too. He pulled back slightly and husked in my ear, "Not yet," he kissed my cheek. "Not here."

His low voice sent a fresh wave of butterfly's to attack my stomach. I felt my cheeks warm and I hid my face from him.

"What?," he taunted playfully, kissing my throat. "Embarrassed?," he asked.

I didn't trust my words. They'd probably come out severely high pitched.

I didn't answer him. I let him kiss me, I let him roam his hands over every inch of my body. I let him make a fool out of me.

He let me run my hands through his hair. He let me moan into his ear. He let me kiss him.