Take the Fall (Take the Fall, #1)(3)

“Slow down, wildcat.”

In response, she starts sucking on my earlobe. Rough brick bites into my hands when I hit the wall of an abandoned factory. Rowan tugs at my shirt, helping me pull it up and over my head. I cup her breasts, feeling her nipples harden.

“You looked so hot driving,” Rowan breathes. “I want to ride you while you drive us around. I want to feel you so deep inside…and the vibrations from the engine will make me come so hard.”

My heart slams against my chest. This girl…God, she knows how to amp things up. “Tomorrow,” I promise. “You wear that skirt I like and no bra. I’ll let you do whatever the hell you want while I drive.”

Rowan giggles and I smile, then stare into her eyes. “I really love you.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” She tilts her head to one side. “I know you love me.”

“Because after my conversation with your brother, I—”

“FIGHT!”

“Oh my God,” Rowan says, shoving at me. “Put me down.”

I let her legs slide down, and turn. Jase and Tony are going at it. Punches are being thrown and there are grunts, curses, and shouts. It’s too dark and the guys are built too much alike to see who’s whaling on who the most.

“I need to—”

Rowan hands me my shirt, and I kiss her. Hard. “Don’t let that perv hurt my brother, Seth.”

Pulling the shirt on and letting it fall, I stride in their direction, my heart slamming against my chest. “I won’t.”

Suddenly, one of the guys falls to the ground. I break out into a run, shoving my way past the crowd that’s forming around them.

Jase is on the bottom, arms up to protect his face as Tony pummels him.

“Pretty boy like you needs a lesson,” Tony grunts.

“I can’t help it if your girlfriend liked walking sideways so much, that after one night with me, she came back for more.”

Yeah, that’s going to help. But that’s Jase. He doesn’t give a shit and will taunt the hell out of anyone—including a cop.

I grab Tony’s shirt, yanking him away from Jase. Tony swings wildly. Pain bursts from my lip and a warm liquid trickles down. Obviously stunned, Tony freezes, his eyes all wild.

“Stay out of this, kid.”

“Shit.” I swipe the blood away and glare at Tony. “What the hell’s your problem?”

Jase tackles Tony from behind, and they both go sprawling in the dirt. I jump into the fray, trying to pull Tony off of Jase. Suddenly, everything speeds up.

“He has a gun,” someone shouts.

Who has a gun?

I catch a glimmer of metal in Tony’s hand and I pause, but that tiny second gives Tony enough time to hit me with the gun and shove me away. Dazed, I roll to my back, stars sparking in my eyes. But I don’t let that keep me down. I lunge for the gun again, and the three of us wrestle for it—Jase and I trying to work together.

The gun goes off. I fall back, and a woman screams.

“Rowan?” I whisper. Despite my pounding headache, I turn to the side and see Jase holding the gun, a look of shock on his face.

Tony lays motionless, his chest barely moving. “You’re f*cked now, Simmons,” he laughs. Blood leaks out of the corner of his mouth.

“You pulled the gun on me. You hit Seth with it,” Jase says, but his voice is nothing like I’ve heard before. He actually sounds…scared. “I didn’t mean to, but you were going to shoot—” He swallows and lets the gun fall to the ground.

“Yeah, I was going to, but you can’t prove a thing now,” Tony rasps.

Sirens blare in the distance. The crowd disperses, people running everywhere. Rowan stays, though, her face pale.

“Get my sister out of here,” Jase growls.

But I don’t move. I can’t move. I’ve never seen someone get shot, much less lie there dying.

“Seth,” Jase roars, snapping me out of my trance. “Move your ass and get my sister out of here.”

I look at Rowan; her eyes are wide. She’s f*cking terrified. “Oh, God. Jase, you can’t get in trouble for this. You’ll go to jail, and they’ll take me away.” Tears run down her cheeks, completely cutting at my heart.

“Rowan, honey. It’ll be okay,” he says, but we all know he’s lying.

Rowan scrubs her hands over her face. “You two leave. I’ll take the blame.” She holds out a hand. “Give me the gun.”

“Are you insane?” Jase shouts, shoving her hand away with a groan.

Images of Rowan in prison flood me. Her sweet, innocent face swollen with bruises and her eyes turning hard. My imagination runs wild with all the things that could happen to her. There’s no way I can let her do this.

“I’ll tell the cops I did it,” I blurt.

Jase and Rowan both look at me in surprise. Jase shakes his head. “No. You have to take care of my sister. You’re the only guy around here I trust to be with her.”

The sirens grow closer.

“Rowan.” I manage to get to my feet. “Go. Take your brother with you.”

Indecision plays over her beautiful face before it turns hard. “You can’t make me choose between the two of you. I won’t.” She crosses her arms. “You go down; we all go down.”