AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m ready.
My phone dings instantly with a message of an address, stating that I just must get there without cameras following me. Hmmm…
Grabbing the envelope, I shove it into my purse as I run out of my room. Knocking frantically on Tucker's door, I whisper-shout, “Open up, Tucker. It’s important.”
He swings the door open in a track suit as he looks at me with wide eyes and I bulldoze him out of the way, slamming the door and locking it.
“I need a diversion.”
“What?”
“A diversion, Tucker! I'm speaking English here!”
“Calm down, Strawberry. Shit. Okay, what kind?”
“The kind that makes the whole house go crazy and no one can follow me as I sneak out.”
Tucker thinks before throwing a beanie over the camera in his room, cutting the cord so they can’t get audio feed. He pulls his phone up and a FaceTime call to Everett Masterson connects. A man lays in bed as two heads lay on his covered chest. I can’t tell their gender since their hair is the only thing showing, but I can’t focus on that as Everett grins predatorily at Tucker.
“Ashford, I knew you’d be begging for me soon.”
Tucker grins. “Not in this lifetime, but I do need something from you. I need you to hack the house. Make some crazy shit happen so I can get a friend off the premises.”
Everett licks his lips, eyes hooding. “One night.”
“What?”
“One night in my bed in exchange for your little favor.”
Tucker groans, looking over to me. “Is this important?”
I nod, not feeling even a little bad for Tucker. Everett is hot and I am doing him a favor. He glares at me as he swings his eyes back to Everett. “One night. I’m bringing my girl and if anyone is doing the fucking, it’s me.”
Everett’s eyes twinkle with a promise that shoots straight to my libido. “We’ll see.”
The phone disconnects and I look to Tucker. “So—” The fire alarms go off, cutting me off.
“Go, Rayne.” Tucker pushes me out of his room, and I take off sprinting as I hear shouting.
Red lights flash through the house as the TV flicks through channels and music blasts from stereos. I dodge crew members as I make it to the back door. My heart pounds as I run around to the entrance, sprinklers flicking on as the doors open before shutting. The front gate swings open and closes, and as I reach closer, I slow down until I see the gates reopen, then I dash through it. My legs feel like they’re about to break and my heart is warning me that if I don’t stop, it will.
And that is why we exercise and don’t eat cake for breakfast.
I peer over my shoulder to make sure no one has followed me before I collapse onto the payment, heaving as I wait for my Uber. Clutching my chest, I make a vow to start jogging.
* * *
I arrive at the park I was given the address to. Although, there are no playgrounds, just beautiful scenery of rolling grass, and a water fountain in a gloomy gray surrounded by cobblestone. The clouds hang low, ominous gray skies giving me a foreboding feeling, and I have to push my feet to keep waking. I follow the path around the fountain, seeing a huge section of tables under enormous trees that are brought to life with chirping birds. Older men sit at the tables—tables covered in poker chips, chess pieces, and the ones farthest away hold dominos. I make my way, smiling at everyone as they nod politely, across to the domino table. An older man in a charcoal gray pea coat sits, arranging the dominos as he puffs from a Cuban cigar. Which is highly illegal, but he doesn’t seem to care. I approach him skeptically. He looks up, a smile on his aging face. His white hair is combed back.
“Rayne, please, take a seat.” Smiling, I pull out the black leather seat, it scrapes across the stone, sending the birds flying to a less hectic place.
Pursing my lips, I look up expectantly at the old guy. “And you are?” I ask politely but cautiously.
I grew up rough enough to know not to trust anyone. Even an older man with kind, crinkling eyes and an aristocratic nose he holds proudly. A light blush sweeps across his cheeks.He is a very nice-looking older man, was probably a ladies’ man in his younger age.
“Why, Rayne, I’m your grandfather.” He drops the bomb as my mouth hangs open. Shock shooting signals to my brain to respond, but all I do is gawk at him like an idiot. Looking at his hand and back to his face. Scrambling for my manners, I reach his hand with my own and he gives it a squeeze.
“You play?” He gestures to the dominos. I nod, grabbing my dominos and sticking them up so I can see them.
