Hood River Zero (Hood River Hoodlums Book 4) Read online

  “You’re so fucking perfect,” he hisses, his movements growing uneven.

  His words send me over the edge. I’ve always been imperfect in every way. A broken version of my siblings who actually are perfect. I know I’m not perfect, but the fact Terrence thinks so has me succumbing to the pleasure he’s gifting me. I cry out as my orgasm overtakes me, unable to continue my ministrations on my hard, sensitive nipples. He growls before heat jets over my stomach, soaking me in his release. His thrusts slow to a stop.

  The room grows quiet, but this time it’s a sated, happy kind of comfortable. I wish I could see his face right now. I know he’d be giving me one of his ravenous stares I love so much. He grips my thighs, spreading me apart, and then crudely smears his cum all over my stomach. It tickles and a small giggle escapes me, making him freeze.

  “What?” I demand, suddenly self-conscious.

  “Nothing.”

  “Liar.”

  He rubs cum over my nipples, teasing them. “Just you.”

  “What?” My voice sounds tight and almost bitchy.

  “I thought your moans were the best sound I’d ever heard. Turns out, it’s that cute as fuck giggle. Now I’m wondering how to make it happen again.”

  “Don’t think about it,” I warn.

  Of course he already did.

  He spends the next few minutes tickling me until I’m screaming at him and promising bodily harm.

  “Asshole,” I grumble as he escapes the bed, narrowly missing a swift kick to the gut.

  “You love me.”

  With those words he heads to the bathroom and starts the shower. I lie on the bed, sticky with his cum and still grinning in the dark.

  The light turns on, blinding me. I squint at him, scowling. His sexy smirk does me in. I drink in his muscular body and cocky aura.

  “I got you dirty. Now it’s time to clean you up.” He makes a gesture with his head for me to follow.

  Like the lovesick girl I am, I scramble off the bed after the stupidly hot boy.

  This thing between us is fiery and intense. It grows and grows each day, an unstoppable inferno. All I can do is cherish each moment, hoping it’s not the last.

  As soon as we find Lacey and get Zella back, I have a feeling I’m going to lose him. It’s painful and I should walk away now, but I can’t.

  Even if this is all we get, I’ll take it.

  It’s more than anyone has given me my entire life. I’ll be damned if I don’t enjoy every second like it’s the last.

  Terrence

  Two weeks later…

  I’m a father.

  Fuck, I knew this already, but the results of the paternity test made it real.

  There’s no question.

  Zella Teejay is mine.

  The moment the test came through, proving what we already knew, I was ready to storm over to Jack’s and take my baby girl from him. Unfortunately, the law doesn’t work that way. According to Samantha, there are steps and procedures and hearings. Each day that passes feels like torture. She's locked away with a monster and there's not shit I can do about it.

  My main worry is he’ll run with her. He’s done it before, with Lacey, and then with Zella back here. Who’s to say he isn’t planning to bolt the second he can? It’s unnerving and stressful—always on my mind.

  “Here!” Penny barks at Tierra, jolting me from my thoughts and bringing my focus back to the game.

  Tierra chest passes the ball to Penny, who snags it, flies around her opponent, and dribbles toward the goal like her ass is on fire. She shoots and scores. Penny will make it wherever she throws from. That girl doesn’t miss, especially not in a game. I learned that after our first game where we destroyed the other team, mainly due to Penny and all her impossible shots.

  Penny and Tierra are a fearless duo who play incredibly well together. Pride surges through me. My girl is a beast and I fucking love that about her. Tierra steals the ball again, running it down the court. Penny shows up out of nowhere and ready for it. Like always. The other team can’t keep up. They’re exhausted and bummed, that’s evident.

  Penny goes to shoot and someone from the other team elbows her right in the nose, sending her falling to her ass.

  “Foul!” I yell at the referee, who’s already blowing his whistle.

  Tierra helps her to her feet. She’s not bleeding, which is good. Penny takes her free throw and drops it in with the most bored expression on her face. She flashes the girl one of her signature bitch smiles.

  Our girls get possession of the ball and once again score. They’ve tripled the other team’s score.

  Finally, the buzzer signifies the end of the game. The girls are hyped by the win, but not many of them congratulate the stars. Kind of pisses me off. It seems that most of them are in solidarity with Liv. The bitch wishes she were half as good as either Tierra or Penny.

  “Bring it in,” I call out. “Good game. Way to kill those girls out there. Get some rest because next weekend we need to destroy Rockford like we did this team.”

  Liv sniggers and whispers to Ericka.

  “Care to share?” Tierra snaps at her.

  “Nope, Rockford Reject.”

  Tierra fists her hands and I shake my head at her. “Enough. Go home, ladies.”

  They disperse and Tierra is once again grinning. We bump fists before I turn my attention on Penny. Her face is flushed and she’s not smiling, but her eyes smile for her. She’s pleased with her playing.

  “Good job, Zero.” I smirk at her.

  “Couldn’t have done it without you, Coach Smash.”

  It’s sweet of her to say, but we both know Penny doesn’t need much coaching. She’s a natural.

  “Congrats, angel,” Garrett says, pulling Penny to him for a hug. “You did awesome out there. You too, princess.”

  Tierra preens. “I told you. It’s queen.”

  Garrett smiles at her. “My sincerest apologies, your majesty.”

  “Go shower, stinky ass,” I say to my cousin, giving her a playful shove.

  She shoots me an embarrassed look before punching my arm. “Asshole.”

  “Penny and I are going out for a late dinner to celebrate. Jace is meeting us up there. Cal had something to do with his dad, but Charlotte and Loden will be there too. You two should come with,” Garrett says, darting his attention between me and Tierra. “My treat.”

  His treats are all too frequent where I’m concerned.

  “We’ll come, but I’m getting mine and this knucklehead’s meal,” I tell him, tugging on Tierra’s ponytail. I want to get Penny’s too, but her dad might see through that shit.

  Another day.

  He’ll find out one day and I’m glad it’s not this one.

  Garrett seems like a cool guy, but I don’t know how cool he’ll be if he knows I’ve been all but fucking his daughter. We haven’t gone through with it yet. I’m in no rush. Just having her in my bed to kiss and hold would be enough. Of course, Penny never lets it be enough. She rolls into my bed, naked and eager every damn time. I can’t tell that girl no. Never.

  “We should go to Jordy’s place to eat. He’s working tonight,” Garrett says, a knowing glint in his eyes. “Maybe Roux could even come down and see us.”

  “Sounds like a plan. See you there.”

  The restaurant is bustling with activity. Saturday nights draw in a big crowd. Thankfully, Garrett must have called ahead and reserved the large, corner round booth for us. I’m on one end on the outside with Penny to my right and Tierra to her right. Garrett sits beside her with Charlotte on his right. Loden is beside her and Jace is next to him, sitting directly across from me.

  “Stop playing footsies with me, Lo,” I complain.

  He laughs, slinging his arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. That shit used to piss off Cal, but now he treats Loden like an annoying little brother and puts up with his flirtation shenanigans. If he weren’t gay, Cal would have probably already drowned him in Hood River.

&nb
sp; Jace smirks at me, amused that Loden always projects his advances my way. Truth be told, I think Jace scares the shit out of Loden. He’d probably crush his guitar playing hands in his fists if Loden put the moves on him. Lo definitely doesn’t attempt his playful flirtations toward Jace. No, that shit is reserved all for me.

  In a nonchalant move, I put my arm around Penny, pretending to just need to stretch out a little. Jace shakes his head, barely hiding his stupid smile. I don’t care if he knows. He’s Penny’s friend—albeit a strange pairing. It’s her dad I would like to keep that shit from.

  I glance toward the kitchen, where Jordy’s working his ass off. That boy has always loved to cook. He told me last we spoke that Bob’s been traveling a lot to see his sick mom, leaving Jordy to manage the restaurant. He’s pulling long hours, which is hard on Roux, but whenever he gets a break, he runs next door and up to their apartment to pay them a visit.

  “How are the headaches?” Garrett asks, drawing my attention his way. I don’t miss the slight glance at my proximity to Penny, but he doesn’t say anything about it.

  “As long as I stay on top of them, I’m okay. Reading for long periods makes my eyes hurt, which leads to migraines.” I frown because lately I’ve been doing a lot of that.

  “My cuz is going to be a teacher,” Tierra tattles. “As if the school needed another teacher like Cal Hutton.” She shakes her head. “I am so glad I’ll be graduating in May. Too embarrassing to have both my cousins teaching there.”

  Garrett lifts a brow at her. “I think Terrence is more than capable.”

  “You don’t know him like I do,” she sasses back.

  I roll my eyes. “I won’t be doing shit if I don’t pass these certifications.”

  “I want you to get your eyes checked,” Garrett says to me. “I could do it, but if you need glasses, you’ll have to see an optometrist anyway. Make an appointment. Might help with your headaches too.” He pulls out his phone. “I’ll text you Dr. Rowland’s number.”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket and I nod my thanks. Not interested in getting glasses, but if it helps, I’ll try it. Just like physical therapy has been helping. I'm not so stubborn I'd rather leave myself at a disadvantage if there's any possibility I can improve and become pain free.

  “Ahh, there’s my baby girl,” Jace says, grinning.

  Roux walks over to the table, Emilia in her arms. “Hey.”

  Jordy like a fucking vampire just appears behind her, dragging a chair up to the table for her to sit. “Hey, Little Hoodlum.” He presses a kiss to her mouth and then runs his thumb over Emilia’s dark head before nodding toward the kitchen. “Food’s almost done. It’s too busy to take a break, but I’ll come back by later.”

  “Give me my girl,” Jace says, holding his tattooed arms out for Emilia.

  Roux passes her to him and then smiles sweetly as her dad—huge ex-con—hugs the baby to him. He coos at her in a stupid ass voice, but I get it. I’m about to have my little girl in my own arms and if baby talk makes her feel happy, I’ll do that shit too with a goddamn smile on my face.

  “Me and Jordy have some news,” Roux says, her amber eyes lighting up.

  “I told you Jordy has super sperm,” Loden whispers loudly to Charlotte.

  Roux shakes her head. “Ha. No, it’s something else.”

  Concern flashes in Jace’s eyes. “Everything okay?”

  “Perfect,” she assures him.

  The waitress stops by, delivering our food, and everyone dives in. Penny, no longer hyped up from the game and with fatigue wearing her down, grows tense at all the clattering of silverware on plates. She’s great at managing the way they bother her, but I notice when she’s stressed, tired, or upset, she has no wall high enough to stop them from whipping at her like lashes of a belt.

  I give her thigh a reassuring squeeze, letting her know I know she’s struggling, but that I’m here for her. Some of the tension bleeds out of her body.

  “Did you tell them?” Jordy asks, taking Emilia from Jace so he can eat.

  “I thought we could do it together.” She beams up at him, proud as hell.

  Jordy and Roux are stupidly in love. It’s satisfying to feel their happiness rippling off them in waves. Those two deserve that shit more than just about anyone I know.

  “Bob’s selling the restaurant,” Jordy states. “To a local businessman.”

  “This has Garrett English written all over it,” Penny whispers to me.

  “The businessman,” Roux says, flashing Garrett a wide grin, “has offered to sell it to Jordy and me at a ridiculously low price and has also offered to finance it for us. The interest rate is lower than any bank and the payments are more than manageable considering how busy the restaurant stays.”

  “The businessman runs his life like it’s a goddamn Monopoly board,” Jace says with a smirk. “We’re all pawns in his game.”

  “Better hold on tight to that get out of jail free card then, pet,” Penny says.

  He rolls his eyes. “Penny’s got jokes. What else is new?”

  “We’re going to fix this place up and make it really nice,” Jordy tells me. “Garrett’s lending us some extra for renovations.” He nods at Jace. “And Hirsch over here is gonna help with the hard shit since he’s good with his hands.”

  “There’s a joke there and I’m holding it in because I don’t want broken bones,” Loden says, bursting out into laughter that makes Charlotte join in on.

  Jace messes up Loden’s perfect rock god hair, making him scowl and whine for Charlotte to trade places with him.

  “That’s great,” I say, grinning at Roux. “I’m happy for you guys.”

  “It’s exciting. It’ll be hard with a baby, but Dad said he’ll babysit when he can if I want to do stuff around the restaurant,” Roux says. “Aunt Penny is a good babysitter too, huh?”

  Penny stiffens at her words. “Yup.”

  I shoot Penny a questioning look, but she’s in impenetrable wall mode, face expressionless.

  “I’ve been adding more Tex-mex dishes into the menu,” Jordy states, a proud grin on his face. “The customers are digging the new specials. Might make them permanent additions.”

  “When the restaurant is officially ours, we’re going to revamp the whole menu,” Roux reveals. “Charlotte’s going to help with the new décor, too.”

  “You going to keep it the same name?” Tierra asks.

  Roux shakes her head. “It’s probably silly, but…”

  “It’s not silly,” Jordy assures her, using his free hand to stroke his fingers through her hair. “They’ll like it.”

  “Hood River Hoodlums.”

  “Catchy,” I say with a shit-eating grin. “A name that demands respect.”

  “Damn straight,” Charlotte agrees. “Ooh, we should sell T-shirts!”

  “Starting to sound like a cult,” Penny pipes up. “Am I right, pet?”

  Jace laughs, holding his hands up in defense. “No comment.”

  “Am I the only one who hasn’t drunk the Kool-Aid?” Penny asks. “When did everyone turn into Hoodlums around here?” She points at Jordy and then me. “OG Hoodlums. Roux is Little Hoodlum.” She flutters her fingers at Charlotte and Loden. “Barbie Hoodlum and her sidekick Gay Ken Hoodlum.” They both crack up.

  “What about me?” Jace asks, smirking.

  “Like you don’t know you’re Daddy Hoodlum, pet.” She rolls her eyes and then points at her dad. “Wannabe Mayor Hoodlum.” He snorts out a laugh. “Rockford Reject Hoodlum.”

  “Bitch,” Tierra says, cackling and elbowing Penny.

  “I’m the only one here who’s not a Hoodlum. Even Emilia is one.” Penny crosses her arms over her chest, her brow lifted, daring anyone to argue.

  “You’re Mean-Ass Hoodlum,” I tell her with a laugh. “Sorry to break it to you, but you drank the Kool-Aid the moment you stepped foot in Hood River.”

  While everyone laughs, I lean in and whisper, “And you’re my Hoodlum.”

>   She smiles—a rare, beautiful Penny smile—because she knows it.

  Welcome to the cult, baby.

  Penny

  It’s after dinner on Sunday by the time I arrive at Jack’s to sit for Zella. With everything that’s going on with Terrence trying to get custody of Zella, it’s even more imperative I look after her in case Jack tries anything stupid, like kidnapping her.

  I raise my hand to knock on the door, but it opens before I get the chance. Jack is a mess. His hair hangs in his eyes, which are bloodshot, he needs a shave, and he smells like liquor.

  Lovely.

  Apprehension crawls up my spine. Last time he was drunk didn’t end well. As much as I want to run in the other direction, I enter his home when he steps aside to grant me entry.

  “Get your shit together, Jack,” I grumble. “You’re a mess.”

  He hangs his head in shame. I’d much rather him feel sorry for himself than get angry. I walk through the living room toward the kitchen. Zella isn’t there.

  “Where’s my little buddy?” I ask, keeping my voice light.

  “Her room. She’s in trouble, so I sent her to bed early.”

  My blood runs cold. I start in that direction, but he stumbles my way, blocking me.

  “Stay and have a drink with me, sweetheart.” He sways and places a hand on the wall. “Please.”

  I curl my lip up, unable to stop myself. “Pass.”

  His eyes flash with anger. Fuck. I don’t mean to rile him up, but he pisses me off and disgusts me.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  He gently bounces his fist off the wall. The constant, obnoxious sound immediately gets under my skin, sending flares of irritation itching through me. I want to yell at him to stop.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  “They’re going to take my baby away,” he murmurs, choking on a sob. “She’s mine. I’m her daddy.”

  I lift my chin, facing off with the dragon. “What are you talking about?” I know. I just need to hear him say it.

  “That man,” he growls. “The one who fucked my daughter.”