Drake (The Powers That Be, Book 5) Read online

  “It’s Honor,” I offered, my eyes warily on him because what in the world was going on?

  “I know,” he answered, pecking away at the keyboard.

  “But you said—” I started.

  He looked up and interrupted, “I said you didn’t tell me your name.”

  I jerked my head back. So he’d been pissy to me this entire time because I hadn’t made a proper introduction? God. I couldn’t figure this guy out.

  Just then Jeremiah pulled up and honked.

  Looking out the window, I informed, “That’s my, uh…Jeremiah. Um, do you know when Betsy will be ready?”

  Drake stood tall now, an amused look on his face. “Betsy?”

  I felt my face get hot and explained, “My truck.”

  He grinned. “Betsy’ll be ready tomorrow.” He looked down at the computer then back at me. “Looks like we’ve only got your brother’s number here. Give me yours so I can call and let you know when she’s ready.”

  I knew it was stupid, but I felt a thrill run through me that he wanted my number. Then I chastised myself inside my ridiculous head because he only wanted it for business purposes. Duh.

  I gave him my number then thanked him and had nearly gotten to the door to leave when he said low, “It were me, I wouldn’t sit in the fucking parking lot honking. I’d come in and get you. Ask the mechanic what was up with the truck.”

  I turned back to him to see his eyes intense on mine again.

  “No. Actually, I’d fix the fucker for you, or at least pick it up and bring it to you so you wouldn’t have to. Also wouldn’t have you getting stranded by yourself in a bad part of town in front of a fucking low-grade strip club known for selling drugs,” he went on.

  Oh. So that’s where Betsy had broken down last week. That explained the shady people. Yikes.

  “Okay,” I whispered because I had no idea what else to say. I wasn’t sure if he was implying he wanted to date me—yeah, because he’d been so nice to me up until then ha!—and I was a bit intimidated by him right then.

  “But that’s just me, Honor.”

  I liked how my name sounded coming off his lips. Which reminded me. “You didn’t introduce yourself either.”

  I watched as the left side of his mouth tipped up. “Drake Powers.”

  God, he was handsome. I bit the inside of my lip then stated, “It’s nice meeting you, Drake.”

  Jeremiah honked again and I looked out at his truck then turned back to Drake.

  “Go. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, his golden eyes now darker as they bore into mine.

  “Okay. Thank you again,” I replied, hesitating a moment before going out the door.

  Getting into Jeremiah’s truck, I gave him a Hi, then turning to grab my seatbelt caught Drake still watching me from inside the shop.

  Our eyes stayed glued to each other’s as Jeremiah and I drove off.

  Chapter 7

  “Can I come in?” Jeremiah asked when we pulled up at the curb in front of my house.

  “I have to study for a test,” I lied.

  I really shouldn’t have called him because now it felt as if I was just using him, which I guessed I was. Crap.

  In the four months we’d been “seeing” each other, Jeremiah and I had barely even made it to first base and I didn’t plan on ever letting him hit a homerun either. We’d kissed exactly once which had been more a peck than a kiss and had resulted when I’d turned my head to him and he’d been right there, and just went for it before I could push him away. We’d met at a party given by mutual friends and had kind of bonded over a game of beer pong when we’d ended up on the same team. And that’s about as far as our bonding had gone, at least for me, seeing that he worked at a fast-food joint and had no aspirations of ever doing anything else. So even though I thought I’d made it pretty plain that I wasn’t interested in anything serious, he just kept sticking around, asking me to go to movies and the like. I’d gone out with him a couple times explaining it was solely as friends, making sure to pay for myself, but on our last “date,” he’d made it evident he wanted more. I’d restated my position on our relationship but I saw now he still thought I might change my mind. That wasn’t going to happen because there was something about him that I didn’t quite trust, something a little strange just under the surface, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Krystal felt the same and never missed a chance to remind me he was going nowhere in life if his only goal for it was, in her words, to ask, “You want fries with that?”

  “You have to study for a test…” he murmured. “It’s Friday, Honor. When’s your test?” The look he gave me told me he totally knew I was lying.

  “Monday,” I kept up my fib. “But it’s gonna be hard so I need to get a start on it.”

  He sighed. “Guess I should just give up then, huh?”

  I turned in the seat to face him. “I’m sorry. You’re a nice guy, Jeremiah. It’s just that I don’t have time for a relationship right now,” I explained, trying to let him down easy yet again.

  “This is fucked up,” he unexpectedly spit out, glaring at me murderously.

  Yikes. Well, he had been a nice guy.

  My hand went to the door handle and I got out of there fast, throwing a ten onto the passenger seat and tossing out an apology as I closed the door. As I headed to the front porch, he yelled out the window, “Don’t call me again, you fucking bitch!” spinning his tires as he left.

  Well, there you go. I’d known there was something he’d been hiding—he was secretly a douche.

  Just as I got inside, my phone rang.

  “Hey, I saw you called. Sorry, I was at yoga,” Krystal said after I answered.

  “Yeah. It’s okay. Betsy broke down again but I got a ride from Jeremiah, who just proved he really is a dick.”

  “How so?” When I told her what he’d hollered at me, she proclaimed, “Nice. See? I knew he was a weirdo and a stage-five clinger!”

  I chuckled. “Dodged that bullet, didn’t I?”

  “Most definitely did.”

  But I felt there was a bigger gun aimed my way with a much bigger bullet when I thought of how Drake had looked at me earlier tonight.

  Oh, boy.

  ~*~*~*~*~

  “Hello?” I answered my phone Saturday evening at five as Krystal and I drove home from a day of shopping.

  She’d called that morning saying she needed a new dress for the date with Tim she’d made for the next afternoon—which she figured would be a disaster as usual, but she still wanted to look good in case he tried critiquing her again. I’d laughed and agreed to go, although I abhorred shopping, but I knew I owed her since she’d given me so many rides lately. Plus, there was the fact that she was my bestie and I’d do anything for her. After shopping, we’d had lunch and seen a movie which had made up for a morning of having to visit thirty different stores before she found the perfect dress…back at the first store we’d visited. Fun.

  I’d also made her more brownies and planned on giving them to her when we got to my house, but I told her I needed to do more to pay her back, at which she accused me of trying to make her fat. We’d been laughing about that being my master plan when my phone had rung with a number I didn’t know.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Drake replied.

  I blushed for a moment then bit the inside of my lip thinking he’d sure changed his tune from how he’d treated me up until I’d said Jeremiah was my boyfriend. Hm. That’s when he’d started being nice.

  Note to self: Must ask Krys about this.

  “Hey,” I said shyly. Clearing my throat, I asked, “Is Bets—er, my truck ready?”

  “It’s him, isn’t it?” Krystal said—loudly.

  “Shh!” I shushed, covering the mouthpiece on my phone.

  I’d told her that morning what he’d said the night before and she’d gotten all giddy, which, apparently, her giddiness was resurfacing.

  I heard his deep chuckle and rolled my eyes at her.

  “Yeah
. I’m bringing it to you. Need your address,” he said.

  I gave Krystal a panicked look and covering my phone again, whisper-hissed, “He wants my address! What do I do?”

  She gave me a duh face. “Give it to him!”

  “Uh, you don’t have to do that,” I told him, looking at Krystal, eyebrows raised in question. “I can come and pick it up.”

  She frowned and shook her head. “Let him bring it!”

  I bugged my eyes out at her at how loud she was being. God.

  “Gimme your address,” he ordered bossily.

  I now narrowed my eyes at her when she smiled great big as I told him where I lived.

  “See you in twenty,” he announced and hung up.

  “Oh, my God! Now I get to see Mr. Badass Mechanic guy up close and personal!” she chirped as she pulled into my drive. “And eat more brownies!” She was out of the car in a flash, dancing on her black high-heeled boots to the front door as her pink, trendy shawl fluttered behind her, making her look like Rapunzel with her flowing long, blond hair as she crowed, “Best. Day. Ever!”

  I snorted at how silly she was, loving that she could be so carefree. I worried about her career choice, though. She was going into pediatric oncology, and although I knew the kids would love her and she them, I just hoped being around those precious, ailing children wouldn’t break her spirit.

  Grabbing my purse, I followed her inside the house, she had her own key, and found her in the kitchen already snarfing down a brownie.

  “Omigod, these are so freaking good!” she said with a moan, grabbing for a second one.

  “This time I added honey,” I revealed smiling as she literally inhaled the treats.

  “You’re a baking goddess,” she returned, mouth full as she opened the fridge to pour herself a glass of milk.

  “I need to ask you if you think Drake’s only being nice to me because of Jeremiah, and now this has become some kind of weird competition thing?”

  She twisted her mouth in thought—or more to get the sticky brownie out of her teeth—before taking a drink. “Maybe. Or it could’ve made him see you differently or something, you know?” She split another brownie in two, popping half into her mouth. “Wanna know the truth?” she garbled.

  “Nope. Lie to me.”

  She chuckled as she swallowed, bringing the glass up ready to take a drink. “I think it was your crying that got to hi—” She froze, glass halfway to her mouth.

  “What’s all the commotion,” Vic interrupted, coming into the kitchen.

  Spotting Krystal, he went rigid too, staring at her as if he was seeing a ghost. My eyes were the only things not suspended in time as they moved back and forth between the two of them as if they were playing a tennis match. As far as I knew, this was the first time they’d been together in the same room since breaking up.

  Shit.

  “I thought you were at work. I didn’t see your motorcycle,” I whispered breaking the silence.

  He replied quietly, his eyes staying on Krystal, “Night off. I parked it out back.”

  “Oh.” What else could I say. Eep!

  “I’ve gotta go,” Krystal said abruptly, setting her glass down on the counter before flipping her hair behind her shoulder showing she was annoyed.

  “No!” I all but yelled, making them both jump, surprising even myself with my outburst. “You’re not going anywhere. I need you here. Remember?” I canted my head to the side, raising my eyebrows in an attempt to remind her that Drake was coming by.

  “Stay.” Vic’s eyes were intense as he gazed at her. Then he looked at me. “I’ve gotta go anyway.” Turning on his boot heel he headed to the front door where he grabbed one of his many leather jackets off a hook and went out the door.

  I looked back at Krystal. “You okay?”

  She nodded distractedly, picking her glass back up and taking a long drink. Then the hair flipping was all over the place. “I’m good.” Flip. “I just hate…” Flip. “that he’s still…” Flip “so hot…” Flip.

  I heard voices outside and knew Drake must’ve arrived and was probably talking to Vic.

  “Come on. I need to get the keys from him and pay,” I said, going to my purse on the counter and digging around for my checkbook as Krystal scooted out of the kitchen with an excited squeal.

  She was peeking through the curtains out the front window when I got into the living room. “It’s like a hot guy convention out there,” she said in awe, keeping her voice low.

  I went to stand next to her and saw Vic talking to Drake along with another guy who looked a lot like Drake but younger and not as big. “Must be one of his brothers,” I said perfunctorily, because I only had eyes for Drake. My God, he was beautiful.

  The guys laughed about something then suddenly all three happened to look right at us, you know, we girls who were gaping at them from the window.

  Krystal quickly let the curtain go and we both stepped back.

  “You think they saw us?” she gasped, her eyes big.

  “Not a chance,” I responded, huffing out a snicker as I walked to the door because of course they saw us. Duh.

  “Wait for me!” she said, her heels clicking on the wood floor as she hurried to catch up.

  Going out onto the porch, I heard Vic’s bike start then he zoomed off past my truck that was parked in the drive, throwing his left hand down in that cool biker acknowledgment, pointer and middle fingers together, basically saying goodbye. I looked back to see Drake ascending the steps but he stopped when he saw me, his eyes traveling over my body, and making my face get hot.

  “No scrubs or hoodie tonight?” he asked, his sexy lips twitching as he and the guy—who seeing him up close I knew had to be his brother—both came on up to stand on the porch.

  From over my shoulder, Krystal answered, “No! We went shopping today because she didn’t have to work!”

  “Yeah?” he inquired of her then gazed down at me. “Where do you work?”

  “She works at Colonial Manor. It’s a nursing home. And she recently got her license so she can give out meds!” Krystal shared, apparently embracing wholeheartedly the role of being my personal herald.

  “I like the jeans,” Drake announced.

  Krystal jumped in again. “Aren’t they cute? I got them for her on her last birthday! They’re True Religion! And they make her butt look amazing! See?” She grabbed me by the shoulders spinning me to face her.

  Oh. My. God.

  I swatted her hands off of me and quickly turned back to face Drake who was smirking. The guy off to his side donned a similar expression.

  Kill me now.

  “Ignore my friend. She’s obviously delusional,” I muttered, mortified that I’d been subjected to that ridiculous display of…my ass. God.

  "Oh! I’m Krystal. You must be Drake,” she now said, holding out her hand to shake his. She looked at the other guy. “And you’re his brother?”

  “Titus,” the guy said with a nod, shaking her hand and snorting at her boldness. He held his hand out to me next. “Nice meeting you, Honor.” He winked at me as if he knew some big secret which had me jerking my head back wondering what the heck that was all about.

  I looked at Drake. “Thank you for bringing Bets—I mean, my truck back. She’s good now?”

  He nodded, grinning as he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the keys. “Good as new,” he said, holding them out to me.

  “Really, thank you so much,” I replied. “What do I owe you?” I opened my checkbook and took the pen ready to write the check.

  “No charge.”

  My head snapped up. “What? No, we can’t do this again!”

  His half smirk let me know he’d been ready for my response. Well, that and the way he glanced at his brother like, I told you the crazy chick would protest.

  That’s when Titus stepped in. “This was my fault.” At my questioning look, he shared. “I worked on it.”

  He left that hanging there as if it explained
everything. Good grief. He talked just like his brother.

  I found myself on repeat of what I’d said to Drake the other night. “And?”

  Titus grinned sheepishly. “I must’ve knocked loose the ground wire.” He shrugged. “That’s why it wouldn’t start.”

  Ah. That was a better explanation.

  “But what about labor?” I asked, not wanting something for nothing from them yet again.

  Titus looked at Drake and chuckled.

  Now what?

  “Took what, twenty minutes, tops?” he asked.

  Drake nodded then looked at me. “You really wanna pay?”

  I glanced at Krystal who’d fallen silent then back at him. “Well, yeah.”

  “You serious about the guy who picked you up last night?” he queried.

  My brow dipped. “Jeremiah? Um, no.”

  He actually smiled then. “Good. Tomorrow. Seven. I’ll pick you up.”

  Looking at Titus, Drake jerked his head toward the black muscle car I’d just noticed sitting in the street. Then both guys turned and descended the porch steps walking toward it.

  “Wait!” I called, going down the steps after him. He stopped walking, nodding at Titus to keep going before turning to face me. “Why’re you being so nice to me all of a sudden?” I asked, eyes narrowed.

  He chuckled. “I wasn’t being nice before?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Huh.”

  “It’s not because I said I have a boyfriend, is it?” I questioned.

  “Babe.”

  There was that way he talked. When he said nothing else, I said, “What?”

  He let out a breath as his eyes went soft and golden. “Guess I finally opened up my eyes and saw what was in front of me.”

  I bit the inside of my lip at how sweet he was being. “Oh.”

  “Yeah.” He turned when Titus started the car then looked back at me, ordering, “Tomorrow. Seven.” Annnd Mr. Confident was back.

  “What if I’m not free?” I postured, only a tiny bit snottily. FYI—I was so free it wasn’t even funny but his cocky self didn’t need to know that.

  “Get free,” he advised.

  “But—”

  He reached out a hand pushing my hair behind my shoulder then held my neck at the back. Leaning down and getting right in my face, his eyes danced in amusement as if he knew I had no plans. Our noses were nearly touching, our lips a mere inch apart which made me suck in a breath before he said, “Get free, babe.”