Masterpiece (Adrenaline Series Book 3) Read online

I give her a brief smile.

  She wasn't the only one freaked out. I know Jovi wasn't gonna cheat on me, but that doesn't mean other dicks wouldn't fucking try. Don't believe me? Think I'm being too quick to draw conclusions? Okay. Other than the fact she's fucking gorgeous, do you remember what Madden said Ben was doing before he supposedly wrecked his car all on his own? Yeah. Ben's not the only asshole in the world to go after a guy who has a girlfriend.

  The thought of my cousin causes an ache in my chest again. Pressure builds with each additional breath I take. I shake my head once more in an attempt to settle the sadness.

  As soon as we're in Jovi's room, she leans her back against the door and demands, “Talk to me.” When I raise my eyebrows she snaps, “I know you, Merrick. When you're in pain, I'm in pain.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I can really feel it. I mean, I know that sounds crazy-”

  “It doesn't sound crazy, baby,” I whisper.

  “I've had this knot inside of me all day, I couldn't shake. After seeing you, after feeling you...I know now why.”

  Just when I thought we couldn't be any more connected.

  “So tell me what's wrong, Merrick. Is this about me being gone?”

  Slowly I shake my head.

  “Are you sure? Because it's alright if it is. I missed you.”

  My voice has already begun to retreat at the idea of having to tell her. In a hushed tone I reply, “I missed you too.”

  Momentary relief comes across her face. “Okay. If it's not that, then what?”

  “Ben...”

  “Ben...?”

  The words smother out the little voice I had left. Shaking my head, I shut my eyes.

  I can't even fucking say it. Maybe if I don't say it...

  “Jail?”

  Four letters fall from my lips through a miracle. “Dead.”

  So much fucking pain with one goddamn word.

  She chokes out. “What?”

  My head lifts at the same moment, her arms fly around me, securing us together. Jovi grips me in a way no one ever has. It's the way Knox and Aunt Kelli used to try. The way I imagine my mom would, if she had lived to hold me. Overwhelmed by the nurturing action, it casts the final blow to the barrier that had been holding back the tears.

  Jovi gently rubs my back. “I'm so sorry, Merrick.”

  Uncontrollably I start to sob, shaking so tremendously my knees threaten to give out. On instinct, she clutches tighter. Rubs softer. Whispers sweet condolences, that feel like nothing more than a numbing solution floating through my veins.

  I would rather be numb than feel like this.

  Not sure when my arms found their way around her, I simply clutch her tighter, thankful they did. In a strangled voice I confess, “I don't wanna end up like Ben, Jovi.” Shaking my head rapidly, I pull back to look at her brown eyes that have a gloss to them, tears ready to fall for the one person who could also call themselves my best friend.

  And I treated him like shit his last day alive. Fuck. Did he even know that I was just fucking pissed? Did he die thinking I didn't give a fuck about him? He did, didn't he?

  “I don't wanna end up like that. I wanna live long enough to get married. To live in a cookie cutter neighborhood like this. To have fucking kids. Grandkids,” I plead. “I wanna live and spend the rest of my life with you, Jovi.”

  She whispers, “I know, love.”

  “I'm so goddamn tired of living like I'm about to be a court statistic for some dickhead prosecutor to use in his favor. I want out of this life. Fuck that. I need out of this life, Jovi...” Wiping away the tears on my cheek, I shake my head again. “I'm getting the fuck out of it, baby. You have my word. I'm done.”

  How? Fuck if I know. I'm about to have a debt to pay The Devil and brothers who are probably gonna be hell bent on revenge. Doesn't matter. That's what I want. That's how I got in this fucking life style to begin with! Because I knew that's what everyone fucking wanted from me! Because I thought that's what I wanted from me! Well I don't! I don't wanna fucking die at 23. Not if I can get out alive. Not sure if that's actually a fucking option, but I'm gonna do my fucking best to make it one.

  “Merrick-”

  My mouth drops to hers, desperation to bury my sorrows obvious enough for her to give up whatever the rest of the sentence was by the way she kisses back. In a mindless frenzy, I start to tug at her clothes. Within a matter of seconds, she's shedding each article as we swiftly back up towards her bed. When she falls backwards on to it, I'm right there, lowering myself on top of her, fingers roaming down her thighs. On a soft sigh against my lips, she parts them. Sliding a finger easily inside her soaking pussy causes a much needed satisfied groan out of me.

  “God you're beautiful,” I say in her ear before gently sucking on her ear lobe. She moans again, which is when I add a second finger, the sensation arching her off the bed. My fingers pump in a slow, but precise movement. Damn. I need her to come. I need that orgasm to wash away the despair coursing through me.

  Jovi rides my fingers, nails gripping the sheets violently enough to tear a hole in them.

  Fuck, I want her too. That's a story I'd wanna reflect on as we buy new ones for our first bed.

  “Merrick...I'm gonna...”

  “Do it,” I beg breathlessly. “Come for me. Come hard for me.”

  On an intense explosion, she cries out so loudly that I wanna catch it with my tongue. So I do. My tongue falls onto hers and I suck those sounds out of her and into me. Each connection our bodies make becomes my new life line. My only reason to exist. I need more. More moans. More tongue. More of her.

  In haste, I unbuckle, wiggle out of my jeans while watching Jovi spread her thighs to accommodate my frame. The subtle action causes an animalistic growl to come out of me, moments before I pounce. My cock pushes to the hilt inside of her. The invasion is rewarded with a mewl and her fingernails anchoring into my biceps.

  “Merrick...” Loving the sound of my fiance, calling out my name, I thrust harder until she calls it out again. “Merrick...”

  With my lips pressed to her ear, I whisper in unison with my pumps, “I need you so much, Jovi.” She whimpers. “My life without you baby is meaningless.” Another cry. Another sharp clench from her pleased pussy. “It's like a Van Gogh painting without the swirls...”

  Her breath seems to cease. The way her body is tensing warns me if I don't stop or slow down she's going to fall apart again.

  You're damn right I want her to come again.

  “More...More, Merrick. So close...”

  Prurience pushes me to pump faster. “It's like the night without the stars, baby...dark. Empty.”

  Jovi's body responds to the declaration by shattering underneath me, the passion pouring out of her in such a rate I suddenly find myself eager to come undone. Our hips continue to rock feverishly until the rhythm seems to be the only thing our bodies know how to do. Sweat seeps sealing us together.

  Unable to fend off the inevitable any longer, I drop my forehead onto hers, push her legs that are over my shoulders higher, and let out an intense rumble that rocks the entire bed. Surge after surge of come fills her, so much leaving me, I fear passing out.

  Can you pass out from coming too hard? Is that a thing? How do doctors deal with those patients?

  Finally finished, I let out a deep sigh, eyes still shut. However, the feeling of her hand on my cheek, lifts my eyelids back open.

  Jovi softly strokes my face as she says, “I love you, Merrick McCoy.”

  Nestling into the feeling of security it brings, I reply, “I love you, Jovi Carter. So fucking much...”

  Enough that I may have issued my own death warrant in an attempt to escape from this life to try to start a new one with her. But let's not mention that just yet, alright? Give me what might be one of the last moments like this I get.

  Jovi

  Dead. I don't even wanna say the word out loud. I just...I know that it won't change the fact that Ben is gone, bu
t I feel like if I say it, it might make it permanent. Does that make sense? Of course that doesn't make any sense.

  I run my fingers through Merrick's hair, the simple gesture obviously a soothing one from the way the tears that had come back have dispersed again. He adjusts his head on my chest once more and grips me tighter, holding onto me like I'm his whole life.

  And he's mine. Crazy and probably ridiculous to even think let alone say, but he is. I mean there's more to my world, but he's the heartbeat. The center. The masterpiece in my gallery.

  Carefully I ask, “How'd...how'd it happen?”

  “He um...” Merrick sniffles. “He crashed into a tree.”

  “How?”

  “According to the police report, reckless driving.”

  “You don't buy that?”

  “Fuck, no,” he snaps. “Ben did a lot of dumb shit, but he was a good fucking driver. He knew how to take curves with the best of us.”

  “Accidents can still happen, Merrick.”

  His head pops up. “It wasn't a fucking accident. His car was tampered with.”

  “Then why would the police report it otherwise?”

  “Because they do shit like that all the time.”

  Look, I know not all cops are clean, but come on, a conspiracy theory on an accident report? His grieving is just adding to this crazy wave of thoughts. What do you mean you don't agree?

  “Why-”

  “Not everyone is as clean as you think.”

  “Not everyone is as dirty as you think!”

  “More often than not, Jovi.” The remark lifts my body to a sitting position, pushing him off of me. Seeing the hurt look on my face he states, “I'm not saying there aren't cops that actually follow the laws.”

  “Good because there are.”

  “I know. And not everyone on the force has their own personal agenda. I'm just saying, quite a few do. We live in a crooked city. Crooked cops. Crooked lawyers. Crooked doctors. It's another reason I wanna get the fuck out. I know every city has some of that shit, but I don't have to knowingly surround myself with it.”

  I nod unsure what else to say.

  Merrick moves his body to sit up beside mine. “It's not confirmed if his car was actually tampered with or if one of his performance enhanced pieces malfunctioned.” When my face turns towards his, I see the pain has returned to his usually bright blue eyes. “But Daniel helped put those pieces in. He always checks for duds. He's got a weird sixth sense thing about parts too. And you know my family. If it's anything we know-”

  “It's cars.” Our fingers fold together. There's a brief pause before I sigh, “I'm not saying Ben deserved to...to die, but is there any chance this is just life catching up with him?”

  The hurt in his eyes deepens.

  I sound like such a bitch don't I? A heartless wench!

  “I mean, Ben was a great guy, but...he did like to push life to the edge, ya know?” Seeing tears creep into his eye I hurry to undo everything I carelessly just suggested. “Forget it. Forget what I just said! Forget-”

  “No.” He squeezes my hand. “You're right. It could've just been life catching up with him.”

  No. I don't feel relieved that he's agreeing. I feel worse. So much fucking worse.

  “But if it caught Ben, how much longer until it catches up to me, baby?” The weak tone causes my face to tense. In a trembling voice he asks, “How much longer do I have?”

  Instantly I pull us together and hug him close.

  I deserved that. I deserve this agony eating at me over those words.

  With closed eyes, I whisper, “You can't think like that.”

  “But I-”

  “No.” He grips me tighter, his hard bare chest meshing with mine. “You just have to live. For you.”

  Through tears he says, “I'm the reason he died, Jovi. Me. If I had been with him-”

  “Both of you would be dead.” Pulling back so our eyes meet again, I shake my head. “And I don't know if I could ever come back from that.”

  For a moment he just stares into my eyes as if looking for something, but what I'm not sure. I let him. He can take whatever he needs from me. He can have it. Everything. Anything.

  “Let's get married Tuesday.”

  Baffled by the change of topic, I shake away the whiplash. “What?”

  “We were supposed to get married tomorrow,” he reminds me.

  I didn't forget. How could I forget? I spent the entire plane ride to and from trying to decide what to get married in. Sure it's just the courthouse, but I mean I have to get married in something ya know? Well of course that's Hayli's department, but she doesn't know yet. I don't know who our witness is gonna be. I kinda hoped Merrick had figured that out. Right! Focus!

  “Well we can't now. We're burying Ben tomorrow-”

  “So soon?”

  “Always as soon as possible. There won't be a huge ceremony or anything. Just the family. Madden spent most of the day dealing with that.”

  Slowly I question, “Do you want me there?”

  “Of course.”

  “Hayli?”

  He nods. “You're both family as far as I'm concerned.”

  “Your brothers might-”

  “Fuck 'em,” he cuts me off. “It's not about who they considered family, but Ben.” There's a flash of something in his eyes that he quickly tries to shake away.

  Did you see that too? What do you think that was?

  “Anyway, with the funeral Monday, we'll have to move dates. Let's just move it to Tuesday.”

  Smiling I touch his cheek. “A funeral and a wedding? I don't feel that's how the movie went...”

  Merrick lightly chuckles. “That's what makes this real life.” I roll my eyes and he pushes. “Tuesday.”

  “Thursday,” I counter, which makes his eyebrows furrow. “As much as I wanna marry you, there's just something that feels wrong about getting married the day after your best friend gets buried, Merrick. I don't want the happiest day of our lives to be directly beside one of the saddest.”

  His lips press tightly together as if biting something back.

  Am I wrong? Isn't that weird to get married the very next day?

  “Thursday it is,” he agrees. “Thursday you become Mrs. McCoy.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  It does right? What do you mean you don't buy that I feel that's perfect? Well I- But I. You-. Okay, okay. I'm not sure that's going to be perfect but it sounds that way. Truth is there's this gut wrenching feeling that Ben's death isn't about to be the only punch we're going to take before we get down the aisle.

  Jovi

  Merrick sneaks out before the sun rises, leaving me with the task of breaking the news to Hayli.

  Trying to be strong for Merrick was hard enough. I have a feeling Hayli's not gonna be any easier. Their bizarre friendship didn't make any sense to me, but meant a lot to them.

  “You're up early,” Nadie's voice appears over my shoulder, seconds after I lock the door. “Trying to get the boyfriend out before I woke up?”

  I offer her a simple smile. “Not exactly. He had to get home early. Big day...”

  She curiously ask, “Something important happening?”

  “A funeral,” the word hurts almost as much as the other.

  I know I'm not the one putting the nails in his coffin but God, every time I say it, I feel like it's me.

  “Oh no,” she instantly squeaks. “I'm so sorry for his loss. Someone close to him?”

  “Cousin,” I answer and immediately realize how I'm not doing them justice. “His best friend.”

  Nadie's jaw drops and she's barely able to say, “I'm so sorry, Jovi.”

  I whisper, “Me too.”

  “You knew him then?”

  “Yeah. He was...” Ben's cocky smiling face pops in my head and I feel tears trying to seal my throat closed. Struggling through it I finish with, “One of a kind.”

  Her face tightens before she embraces me. For just a moment, I let
my guard down and give up the tears I didn't want Merrick to see.

  He needed me to be strong, so I was. Doesn't mean that it didn't hurt. Doesn't mean I'm not sad. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna miss Ben. You're gonna miss him too aren't you?

  She lets me fall apart in her arms for a few moments, no words needing to be spoken. I softly sob knowing I need to get it all out now. Hayli's going to need me to support her. Merrick's going to need it even more. Holding both of them up is what matters most. What should come first. I know I need a minute too. I guess I'll just take this one.