Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare

Chapter Twenty-One

Kennedy

Ispend the week sneaking my cell phone into my school bag so I can text Conner throughout the day. After an amazing night together at the bar, I can’t let go. I know it’s risky, I know Warren will probably do something awful if he finds out, but I need that link to him.

It’s that simple.

When I’d gotten that text from Warren, telling me that if I didn’t come back to him, he would ruin the Jaggers, I’d only had one thought in mind.

Save them.

I would happily sacrifice myself if it meant Conner and his family were safe.

But now I see love doesn’t make you weak, it makes you strong. It gives you something to fight for.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

After everything we’ve been through, Conner and I deserve our shot at happiness. We’ve just got to get through this.

Whatever James has planned, I hope it hurts. I hope Warren suffers even a fraction of the pain I have at his hands.

I force those thoughts out of my head. He might own my body, but my heart is in a steel cage he won’t ever unlock. I’ve gotten good over the last few days at pacifying him, letting him use my body to fuck away his anger and frustrations. I don’t even cry anymore. Because I know the end is in sight. I know that after the weekend, I’ll be free.

And hopefully Warren will be gone. Forever.

It’s my birthday tomorrow, and I’ll be eighteen. An adult in the eyes of the authorities.

I can pack a bag, leave the Heights, and never look back.

But I can’t leave Conner.

I won’t.

I lost him once...

I won’t lose him again.

“Miss Lowe, are you still with us?” The teacher’s unamused voice startles me and I bolt upright.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Please try to stay awake in my class.”

A couple of girls snicker and I shoot them daggers. They soon avert their eyes.

It’s last period, and with every second that ticks by the pit in my stomach carves a little deeper. Warren will probably already be waiting. He hasn’t let me out of his sight much since Monday.

Part of me wonders if he senses something.

The familiar vibration of my cell phone against my palm is a welcome reprieve from my thoughts.

Conner: I can’t wait to give you a birthday kiss.

Me: One isn’t good enough, I want eighteen.

Conner: How about one for every second I’ve loved you?

My smile grows. Even in our dire situation he still finds it in himself to be a giant goofball.

Me: That’s a lot of kisses.

Conner: You haven’t seen nothing yet. Try to text me later.

Me: You know I might not be able to.

Conner: I know... but try. Love you, babe. So much.

The final bell rings, and the class breaks into chaos. I quickly text Conner back before packing away my belongings and throwing my bag over my shoulder. I’m not eager to get outside to Warren, but I am eager for this day to be over, because it means we’re almost at the finish line.

Thank God.

Shelbie meets me outside class and we leave together. But she doesn’t take off; instead she sticks to my side as I cross the parking lot to Warren’s car.

“Shelb, what’s going on?” I ask, feeling dread snake up my spine.

“You’ll see.” She shoots me a conspiratorial smile.

“Baby.” Warren pulls me in for a hug, nuzzling my neck. “Did you have a good day?”

“It was okay, I guess.”

“Did you tell her?” His eyes go over my head to Shelbie.

“Tell me?” I frown. “Tell me what?”

“So, I thought,” Warren walks his finger along my collarbone, “you might like to have a girls night with Shelbie tonight.”

“You did”? Hope unfurls in my stomach, but it’s laced with fear. “What’s the catch?”

“Catch? Baby, I’m offended. I need to go out of town for the night. My old man has a date with Hilda, so you’ll be home, and since it’s your birthday tomorrow, I figured it would be nice for the two of you to hang. You can get pizza, drink some of those shitty mixer drinks you like, and watch some girl porn.”

“Girl porn?” Shelbie chokes out.

“Yeah, you know, like Magic Mike or that Fifty Shades crap.”

“You know what Fifty Shades is?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he snarls at her.

Shelbie shrugs. “I’m just surprised is all.”

“Did you know about this?” I ask Shelbie, who doesn’t seem the least bit surprised Warren just invited her over for a girls night.

“Yeah, he called me.”

“You called her?” Now I’m the one gawking.

“I’m just full of surprises, baby.” Warren gives me a rare smile before kissing me hard while his hands grope my ass and thighs as if we’re not standing in the middle of the school parking lot.

Shelbie clears her throat after a minute or so, and thankfully it’s enough to make him break away.

“Are you sure about this?” He’s never let me have anyone over to the trailer before.

“It’s your home as much as mine, Kennedy.” He brushes the hair off my face and pushes it behind my ear, staring at me with a raw intensity.

“Well, in that case, I would love for Shelbie to come over for a girls night.”

* * *

The second we get back to the trailer, I slip into the bathroom and text Conner. It’s dangerous, but I want to let him know I’m okay, and that Shelbie is coming over, so he doesn’t spend all night worrying about me.

Me: Warren’s out tonight so Shelbie is coming over for a girls night. I’ll call if I can.

His reply is immediate.

Conner: You’d better.

Conner: In fact, I could sneak over and steal a birthday kiss.

Me: You can’t! If anyone saw you...

I can’t bear thinking about it.

Conner: Yeah, you’re probably right. But it doesn’t mean I won’t be thinking about the next time I’m in your arms.

Me: You giant goofball.

Conner: Only for you, K. Only ever for you!

Fighting a smile, I stuff the cell into my bra and slip back into the bedroom. There’s no sign of Warren, so I grab a load of clean laundry and hurry to the dresser, pretending to put it away while I stash the phone in its usual hiding place.

“Ken?” he yells, and I flinch.

“Coming.”

Taking a deep breath, I run a hand through my hair before going to find him. He and Mitch are talking.

“Hey,” I say. “What’s going on?”

“He isn’t sure he wants to go to Hilda’s, but I told him he needs to stay clear of the trailer.”

“It’s my fucking trailer, kid.”

“Kid? Really old man? Who pays the rent? Who pays for the electricity and makes sure there’s food in the cupboards?”

The air crackles as son and father square off with one another.

“Hilda has invited you over, so I suggest you take a shower, put on a nice shirt, and go keep the woman happy. If you can manage to get it up.” Warren chuckles, but Mitch looks murderous.

“You’re an evil son—”

“Yeah, yeah. Save it for someone who cares.” He walks away from him, toward me. “You all good?”

“Yeah.” I smile, but it’s at odds with the knot in my stomach. “I don’t have to—”

“Shh.” He kisses my forehead. “It’s almost your birthday, you deserve this.”

His mood swings give me whiplash, but I can’t deny I feel a flicker of excitement at the thought of spending the night with Shelbie instead of him.

“Where are you going anyway?”

“Business calls,” he says cryptically, tapping the end of my nose.

I want to ask what business, but something tells me I don’t want to know.

“I’ll miss you,” I add for effect.

“Not as much as I’ll miss you, baby.” He slides his lips over mine, plunging his tongue deep into my mouth. “Make me something to eat before I leave?”

“Of course. What are you in the mood for?”

“That thing you do with the chicken tenders and pasta.”

“Coming right up.” I go to move around him, but he grabs my arm. “I love you, Kennedy.”

“I know.” I flash him a bright smile, but I don’t say the words back.

This time, I can’t.

* * *

Two hours later, Shelbie arrives. Warren still hasn’t left, but Mitch slipped out a little while ago. He didn’t look happy about it, but Warren insisted he go and stay gone. Tonight, I have the entire trailer to myself, and I intend on making the most of it.

“Holy crap, Shelb,” I say, eyeing her bags. “What did you bring?” It looks like she’s staying for the week, not one night.

“I may have gotten a little carried away.” She gives me a sheepish smile. “It’s been a while since I had a girls night. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had one.”

“There’s a first for everything,” I say. “Dump all your stuff over there and I’ll get us some drinks.”

“Oh wait.” She pulls out a bottle of cheap champagne. “Happy birthday, Kennedy.”

“Thank you.”

“What the fuck, Garret. I said a night, not the month.” Warren eyes her bags.

“It’s mostly snacks and pamper stuff.”

“Just as long as you’re not trying to smuggle a boy in there.” He smirks playfully as he says the words, but it doesn’t ease the knot in my stomach. He’s being nice.

Too nice.

I don’t like it.

“You girls going to be good?” he says. “Lock the door behind me, and don’t answer it for anyone except the delivery guy.”

“Geez, Dad, I think we’ve got it.” Shelbie snickers, and he flips her off.

“We’ll be fine,” I say. “Shelbie has her cell if anything goes wrong, which it won’t.”

He regards me for a moment, his intense gaze searching my face.

“Warren?” I breathe.

“Yeah, baby?”

“What are—"

He dives for my mouth, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss. “I love you, Kennedy. I love you so fucking much.”

I can’t say it back.

Not now, not when I’m so close to breaking free from his chains.

“Okay, lovebirds, break it up.” Shelbie has perfect timing as ever. “She’ll be here when you get back. Now go, shoo. We have girl porn to watch.”

Warren chuckles at that. He seems lighter, less intense than he has done all week. It’s unnerving.

But he reluctantly releases me and says, “Have fun. I’ll be home first thing tomorrow.”

Shelbie comes around to me and laces her arm through mine as we watch Warren leave the trailer. The second the door closes behind me, she turns to me and says, “For a second there, I thought he was never going to leave.”

“I can’t believe it,” I whisper, still staring at the door.

“Well, believe it, babe. Because dickface is gone and we’ve got the entire place to ourselves. Although I might have to crack open a window. This place smells worse than the bar.”

“You get used to it after a while.” It no longer knocks the air from my lungs when I come inside. But it’s always there, lingering.

“Aren’t you going to call Conner?”

“Later. I want to give it some time so we know Warren is definitely gone.” I peek out of the window, watching his car disappear down the graveled track.

“Suit yourself. Let’s order pizza, then I’ll do your face mask and give you a manicure.” Shelbie pulls out her cell. “Pepperoni?”

“I’m fine with whatever.”

She taps a few buttons. “Done. Now, where was I?” She starts rooting through one of her small bags, pulling out nail polishes and an array of makeup.

“Hmm, Shelbie, what is all that stuff?”

“Some of us have to work hard to look this good.” She smirks. “Just let me have this.”

“Fine.” I hold up my hands with a little chuckle. She grabs what she needs and sets about cleansing my face before slapping on the thick cooling mask.

“We let them set for thirty minutes then wash them off.”

I catch a glance of myself in the mirror. “Sexy,” I tease.

“Conner won’t know what’s hit him.” She winks, and my heart contracts at the mention of his name.

“I think I’ll call him.”

“Well, duh.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad.”

“Babe, you’re so gone for that boy it’s not even funny.”

“He’s just so—”

“Annoying?” Amusement sparkles in her eyes.

“Hey, that’s my—” I stop myself, the knot in my stomach twisting.

“Boyfriend?”

A quiet knock at the door catches my attention. “That can’t be the pizza already.” Dread slithers through me as I approach the door, nervously lifting my hand to the face mask covering my skin.

“Maybe it’s Mitch,” she suggests.

“He wouldn’t knock, it’s his trailer.” I peer through the window and my eyes widen.

Ripping open the door, I yank Conner inside and hiss, “What the hell are you doing here?”

He gives me an easy smile which soon turns into a smirk as he takes in my face and holds out a small gift box. “Happy birthday, K. You’re looking good.”