Don’t Let Go

25. Tyler

25

Tyler

The party was a rave in an abandoned hotel that took over an hour to drive to. We were in the middle of no-man’s-land. The city was named something Junction, and it seemed like a dusty hell. No, it was literally hell. It was hot, and drug addicts did deals clear as day on street corners and in front of liquor stores. A crazy homeless man threw empty soda cans at us at a red light as he ranted about the end of the world.

“Why are we celebrating here? We passed through a college town several miles back.”

James laughed as he pulled onto the road’s shoulder and killed the engine. “Tempe is lame. It was popular a few years ago, but now it’s posers and people who are older than us with shitty taste in music.”

Bryce and Christian got out, leaving me to follow or stay behind in the car.

Christian put an arm around my shoulders and took a deep breath. “Smell that, man?”

I inhaled. “Weed?”

He chuckled. “Weed and freedom! We’re going to the finals, and it’s all thanks to you. We’re going to rock this place.”

Bryce shook his head as Christian and James walked straight for the beer. “Don’t inhale too much. This hotel was closed for a reason. It has a horrible asbestos problem.”

I looked around as hundreds of people partied and danced in a toxic zone. “What the hell? Shouldn’t it be torn down?”

“Yup. It’ll be demolished in two weeks. That’s what makes it perfect for a rave.” He jogged off to join the others.

Wow. Maybe I was in Scottsdale too long. We would’ve never partied in a building closed and ready to be torn down.

How much exposure could kill? One night couldn’t hurt too much, right?

James held out an extra beer and shouted, “Ty! Get over here so we can celebrate!”

A few beers in me, and I wouldn’t give a damn.

It took about six beers to make me laugh my ass off about anything and not care. I was currently on my eighth.

This hotel had gone mad. People were locked in the rooms despite not having any beds. A moron swung on the chandelier singing a Miley Cyrus song. Every glass window and door had been smashed in. Only a few chairs and pieces of tables remained in the hollowed-out dining room. The main ballroom was smoky and gave me a headache. I stumbled outside for some fresh air.

Five guys skateboarded in the empty pool and caught some serious air. I leaned against a palm tree and watched. They were professionally good with their tricks and flips in the air. A few people were filming on the sidelines, probably posting the footage online later.

A few yards away lay the pool house. All the windows had been broken long ago by the people who tagged the place or the monsoons ravishing the deserted landscape. Dirt covered the once-white marble floors. The walls were gutted for their copper, leaving behind exposed wires and pink insulation. My skin itched looking at that fluffy stuff of doom. I remember being covered in it when I went into the attic of the house we lived in when I was a kid. I didn’t walk on the beams like my father told me to, so I fell through the ceiling, and insulation rained down on me. My mother ran me a bath as my father went on about how foolish I had been and how I could’ve broken my neck. Not to mention the huge hole in the living room ceiling.

I heard muffled voices, and a girl shouted, “No. I don’t want to.”

“Stop it. You haven’t put out in a while, and I’m tired of your excuses. I do a lot for you, so you can do this for me and—” she screamed as he did something to her. “—you’re going to like it.”

Thanks to the alcohol, I felt ballsy enough to jump in to save the mystery girl. I rounded the corner and puffed out my chest to appear tougher. “Hey. I think the girl said no.”

Paolo had red blotches on his face, and his eyes were liquid fire. “Leave us alone, asshole. You stole my team. I’ll be damned if you come between me and my girl.”

Rory had been stripped down to her bra and panties as she sat on the dusty ground on what looked like an old towel. Her cheeks turned as scarlet as the rose in her hair. She tried to be modest, covering her chest with her arms. “Ty, you don’t—”

Paolo grabbed her cheeks and pressed hard enough that her lips puckered. “Don’t talk to him.” He let go, and she rubbed her face, curling her body into the fetal position.

I was brought up to respect women and never leave when I felt like anyone was in danger. To me, it seemed Rory was in grave danger.

Paolo got to his feet. He looked as pissed as a bull on a rampage. “Leave! How many times do I need to say it?”

I stood firm. “No. You need to get the hell out. I can’t leave her here with you.”

His jaw tightened. He looked around wildly and picked something up from the ground. I saw the glass beer bottle shine in the light streaming in from outside. Paolo smashed the bottle against the wall, creating a sharp weapon. “You wanna fight?”

Well, this went to hell faster than I thought possible.

I put my hands up. “What are you going to do? Cut me, seriously? How is that a fair fight?”

He licked his lips and jabbed toward my ribs. I jumped back. He laughed like a lunatic. “I don’t care. You took over my team.”

“I saved your team. Without me, you wouldn’t be in the finals.”

“We’ll never know, will we?” He took another step forward and went for my left arm. I moved out of the way and got the wind knocked out of my lungs from hitting the wall too hard.

I was trapped, and Paolo knew it.

He smiled and looked at his weapon like it was some kind of prize. “Thanks for your time on the team, but I think it’s time you get cut.” He aimed for my chest. I turned my face away and used my arms to shield myself, bracing for pain.

Nothing happened.

Paolo gasped and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I looked over to see Rory holding a broken wine bottle.

“He had to be stopped. You okay?” She tossed what was left of the wine bottle into a pile of debris.

“Holy shit. Did you kill him?”

She kicked his side. “No. He’s still breathing.” His chest moved up and down, but damn.

Rory spat on Paolo. “I’m done with your shit. I’m done with you.” She nodded at me. “Let’s get out of here.”

Paolo rubbed the back of his head, moaning. “Bitch, you’re going to regret this. Once I tell my grandfather what you’ve done life for you and your family will be much different.”

Rory stood silent for a moment, her nostrils flaring. “Go ahead. I’m not afraid of you anymore and my mamma has decades of experience over your pettiness.”

Paolo sat up, looking at his hand. It was covered in blood. “You could have killed me.”

Rory walked around Paolo and grabbed her skirt and top. “I still could. Leave my family out of this.”

Paolo turned his attention toward me. He pointed a blood-stained finger at my chest. “You will pay for this. I promise you on your parents’ graves.”

The coldness in his eyes made a ball of fear choke me. I wanted to curse him for bringing up my parents, but I was speechless.

This guy was the devil.

Rory got dressed and grabbed an unopened bottle of wine. “Come on, Ty. Let’s leave this dick alone. Maybe he’ll fall asleep and die from a concussion. One can only hope.” Rory kicked Paolo in the side again.

“I’m going to kill you!” Rory hooked her arm with mine and dragged me out of the pool house. Paolo continued yelling, “I’m going to kill your sisters in front of you first! I’m going to kill everyone you love! Do you hear me, cagna?”

We stopped outside. I turned my head, looking at all the broken windows. The pool house must’ve been fancy in its day with marble and gold, but now it was covered in grime, and the plants were taking back what once was theirs. Vines grew up the walls and dead palm tree limbs were scattered everywhere.

“Doesn’t his spewing upset you? What is wrong with him?”

Rory gathered her hair over one shoulder, twisting it into a loose braid. “Forget him. Just forget all this.” She looked up at the moon. Past the pool house was a range of monstrous mountains illuminated by the full moon. The view must’ve been amazing when the sun came up. “Isn’t the moon beautiful?” she whispered.

I looked at the moon, then dropped my gaze to her. The moonlight highlighted her flushed cheeks and the gold in her hair. “Yes, but it’s nothing compared to you.”

Damn, that was so cheesy.

Rory pressed her lips together and stared at me for a long moment. “Thank you for saving me.” She grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling me in close. She kissed me on the lips. Rory tasted sweet, like strawberries and magic. I reached out to touch her hair, but she pulled away. She put a hand to her mouth, hiding her smile before running toward the hotel where the party was still going strong.

What the hell just happened?

I followed her inside but lost track of her. She was nowhere, like she evaporated. James spotted me and handed me a beer. “Cheers to Tyler! We’re going to win finals with him on our team! I can’t wait until our next game.”

We all clinked bottles. The party absorbed me, turning me into nothing more than mist.