LOGINCasey POV
Noah's stare just froze me. I'd never been with a guy besides Anthony, and I'm so old-school. Like, I'd make out with Anthony, but I'd always make sure I stayed a virgin.
"Your face is all red, Swan. Has your boyfriend never treated you like this?"
"Stop messing with me! What do you even want?!"
"You wanna get revenge, right?"
"I never said I would."
"So, you're just gonna let your boyfriend have a blast while you're miserable?"
Noah's hand suddenly slid under my shirt. He rubbed my stomach. I gasped, totally on instinct. I had no idea why I was reacting like that.Noah grinned, looking all smug as he watched me.
"You feel it."
"Shut up. You bastard."
"Indeed, but don't deny you're kinda turned on by my touch."
"Let me go. I'm leaving."
"Nah, nah. You already decided to come with me. You can't just bail before finishing things with me."
"What do you mean? I didn't make any deal with you. I came with you because…"
"Because you were too embarrassed to look pathetic in front of all the college kids, right? I know you were using me. So now it's my turn to use you."
"What?"
Noah pulled out his phone. Then he took a picture of us.
"What are you doing?"
"This is a weapon."
"Huh?"
Noah looked at me, smiling. His clear eyes were kind of captivating, but I tried not to get sucked into the situation. No luck, though. Noah's hand was still on my stomach, starting to move up to my chest.
"Don't touch me!"
Noah's lips got close to mine. My body instantly shivered. He recorded us, then he kissed me, moving his lips a little wildly. Just a few seconds, then he let go. He also pulled his hand away from me and got up.
Noah flopped down next to me, staring at his phone, or rather, watching the video."You're so hot, Swan. I like it."
"My name is Casey. And don't harass me like that again!"
"Casey? Oh... I'm not harassing you. I'm helping you. I can send you this video if you want. That way you can get back at your boyfriend."
"I don't need that video. I should go!"
I quickly bolted out of the room, but as I stepped out, James showed up. He looked so rushed."Go, Noah. The cops are here. Looks like it's your dad's orders!"
Noah got up. He pocketed his phone. Then he grabbed his jacket.
"How many are here?" Noah asked as he walked out.
"There are two police cars. Sherly's distracting them right now. You should go, Noah. Don't let them see you here or we're screwed."
I had no clue what was happening or why Noah's dad would call the cops, but they definitely looked tense. That meant things were not good.
James and Noah looked at me. It made me confused and totally freaked out.
"She can't be seen here either, Noah," James said.
Noah rubbed his face. He was panicking. I started to get scared about the whole situation. His hand instantly grabbed mine.
"I'm taking her with me," Noah said.
Noah pulled me out and led me into a dark corridor. This wasn't the area we came through earlier, this was a back way.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
Noah didn't answer. His steps were quick. I heard a loud noise from the bar area. Some stuff fell.
"Don't look back!" Noah warned me.
We got out through the back door. This area was totally quiet. Noah sneaked past the side of the building. I saw his bike, which was parked out front earlier, but now it was on the side of the building.
"Stay here."
Noah immediately got on his bike. He waved quickly, signaling that I needed to get on right away. So I did. Noah started the engine. We peeled out of there. As we passed the front of the building, I saw two cop cars out front and a few people in police uniforms seemed to be searching the place.
I was terrified. Cops? I'd never been in trouble with them my entire life. What had Noah done? Why were the police looking for him?Noah was riding the bike so fast. It freaked me out. I didn't dare open my eyes wide. When we rounded a corner, Noah's hand grabbed mine and made me hug him.
"You're gonna fly off if you don't hold onto me."
I couldn't argue. I was seriously terrified. I hugged Noah tight, letting him take me wherever.
After a bit, the bike finally stopped. I dared to open my eyes. I saw a super luxurious house. The yard was huge, and there were some bodyguards guarding the place.
"Get off," Noah ordered me.
I immediately got off Noah's bike. What was wrong with me today? After years of living a boring life, today was just completely random. Suddenly I was in a biker gang hideout, then running from the police, and now I was at a fancy house.
Noah got off his bike too. Then he grabbed my hand. I was surprised why he kept holding my hand.
"Let's go inside."
When Noah was about to walk, I pulled him back.
"Wait, wait, wait. Why are we here? And whose house is this?"
"My dad."
"What? Are you crazy? Why are we going to your dad's house?"
Noah just smiled. He wouldn't explain anything to me, then still led me into this luxurious house. I was amazed by this place. Where I used to live, I never imagined I'd get to step into a house this fancy.
"Noah, I just wanna go home."
"You're not going anywhere. I'll help you by giving you that video, but you also have to do what I ask."
"I didn't say I'd agree to anything."
"We're already here. You don't have a choice."
"Hey, hey, Noah!"
As we walked in, a woman, looking super hot and elegant, came up to us. She smiled at Noah.
"I'm glad you're back. You must be here for dinner with your dad, Noah," the woman greeted him.
"Don't get in my way, Bitch."
I was shocked by Noah's attitude. Why was he so rude to that beautiful woman?
"Where's my dad? I need to see him."
"He's busy. Some biker gangs are causing trouble in this town. He's doing some things to sort them out."
Noah's jaw tightened. He did not like what that woman said. Instantly, Noah let go of my hand, went up to the woman, and grabbed her arm roughly.
"Tell my dad I wanna see him right now or he's gonna regret it."
"Why are you so mad when I mention biker gangs? Are you involved with them or... "
"Hey, Mistress! I'll rip your mouth off if you get involved. This is my business with my dad. I wanna see him now or I'll... "
"Noah!"
From the direction of the door, a man's voice echoed, loud and firm. I turned. He was the guy from the newspaper article. That meant he was Peter Adam, Noah's dad. He was the mayor of Wood Town. Oh, my god.
Mayor Adam walked with confident strides. His vibe gave me chills. Now I got why I was so scared of Noah, his dad gave off the same vibe.
SLAP!
Suddenly, he slapped Noah. I was shocked. The sexy woman was too.
"You've embarrassed me! Why are you still hanging out with those thugs! You know I have to protect this town, but you're getting involved with them instead!"
Noah's POV“What kind of game are you playing, Becky? Sherly? Why the hell should I be suspicious of her?”Becky burst out laughing, cracking up hard.“You’re such a fucking idiot, Noah.”Becky glanced at his smartwatch.“Casey’s out of the house, right?”His words hit me like a slap. He’d been watching Casey. I’d fucked up big time.“Jordan, go! Find Casey!” I ordered.“Too late, Noah.”Becky smirked and held up his phone. The picture was crystal clear, Casey’s car, but Sherly was the one behind the wheel.My chest tightened instantly. Sherly? She was in on this with Becky? Why? Shouldn’t Sherly hate Becky for killing James?“Ah, you need to know one thing, Noah.” Becky smiled smugly.“What the hell, Becky.”“Sherly already knows everything.”“What?”“James was gonna die… I mean, yeah, the real target back then was actually Casey, but you and Casey didn’t show up. So…”A chill ran down the back of my neck. What the fuck did he just say? Sherly already knew? She’d known about this the
Casey's POVI didn’t want to force Noah. Even though I felt a pang of disappointment when he told me he’d met Sherly, I had to admit he was being a gentleman by choosing to be honest.“I’ve always felt guilty about Sherly, Casey. She lost James because of me.”I felt the same way. None of this would have happened if James hadn’t saved me that day.“Should we do something for Sherly, Noah?”“No. Don’t do anything.”I noticed Noah’s impulsive response.“Why?”“You know… she doesn’t really like you.”“She hated me.”“No, it’s not like that, Casey.”“Indeed. She said it herself, and I’m not going to force her to talk to me. So…”I tried to push all these feelings aside, but the guilt was overwhelming. It felt like I had played a huge part in James’s death.Noah stroked my cheek.“I’m sorry,” he said.“Why are you apologizing?”“Because I dragged you into all this.”“You didn’t. This is all because of me. James died because of me.”“No, no, Casey. I knew exactly what kind of world I lived
Casey’s POV"Ow!"The knife slipped as I was peeling a melon, slicing into my finger."Casey."Jordan rushed over to me. "What's wrong?""No… nothing," I said, showing him my finger. "It’s just a little blood."Jordan didn’t say much. He grabbed my hand, led me to the sink, and ran cold water over the cut."Seriously, Jordan, I’m fine.""You’re distracted."To be honest, I was a nervous wreck. It was almost nine p.m. and he still wasn’t home. Jordan had mentioned that Noah would be late because of some business.With everything going on, I couldn't shake my anxiety. Becky could easily be meeting him in secret, or vice versa. I couldn't bear the thought of what happened to James happening to Noah."When is Noah coming back?""I'm not entirely sure, but he’ll be home."Why did I get the feeling Jordan knew something he wasn’t telling me?"Jordan."He avoided my gaze, reaching up to the overhead cabinet to grab the first-aid kit. He pulled out some ointment and gently applied it to my wo
Casey's POVJordan had been acting weird ever since we left the church. I had no idea who he’d seen there, but he’d seemed on edge the whole time. It was rare to see Jordan show that much emotion or uneasiness. He was usually so composed. Even when we sat down to eat at a restaurant, he kept scanning our surroundings like he was expecting something to happen.“You okay, Jordan?”“Hmm.” He looked at me, snapped out of his thoughts. “Yeah. I’m fine. Why?”Something felt off. Jordan was hiding something. What was going on? Or maybe something had happened to him that he wasn’t telling me.“Are you uncomfortable being with me? I mean. I told Noah about what happened between us. He doesn’t…”“Look, Casey.” Jordan gave a dry, knowing smirk. “Didn’t we agree we wouldn’t talk about what happened in your car? I’ve already put all that behind me. So, there’s no problem at all.”“Then why do you seem so tense? Your attitude is making me nervous.”“I just have a feeling…” Jordan took a deep breat
Casey POVI know better than anyone that the world is a cruel place. Back when I worked as a journalist, I saw firsthand just how risky my job could be whenever I wrote stories that affected people’s lives. I always stayed behind the scenes, writing regardless of the situation, and I did my work with integrity. I was always driven to do better, even though Arnold never once appreciated what I did.He acted like every bit of success was only thanks to his own hard work.Then I started my own social media channels, and suddenly, all eyes were on me. People were leaving comments about Becky, comments about Noah. My head was spinning from it all, but like I told Noah before, it didn’t stop there. Several people sent me direct messages with proof from years ago, confirming that Becky really was involved in violent acts and a biker gang.Turns out, I wasn’t the only one Becky had mistreated. There were other women right here in Wood Town who went through the exact same thing. Most of them h
Noah’s POVI’m pretty sure my voice boomed so loudly that Casey actually flinched and stepped back, completely shocked by my words. I don’t even know how to control myself right now. My blood is absolutely boiling. I could literally kill her this moment.Instead, all I heard was a mocking laugh. Becky’s voice on the other end of the line, dripping with satisfaction.“Really? Just try, Noah. I’m so fucking waiting for you.”My chest heaved. I had to find her. After all the hell I’d been through, she was still coming after Casey.“Stay the fuck away from Casey, Becky. I’m not playing games!”“Noah… little boy. Casey is just too tempting for me. Especially after that crazy interview you did with her.”“Just admit you’re terrified the cops will find out the truth, Becky.”“The truth?” Becky laughed again. “Which truth is that, Noah? The truth that you shot James? You held the gun. You’re the one who shot him. I wasn’t even there when the cops showed up.”I gripped Casey’s phone so hard my
Noah POV I walked up to the bar. Spike, the bartender, smiled at me, but his eyes were on her. The girl who’d been scared of me since she first saw me. I glanced back. Sherly was leading her into a quieter area."Why'd you bring a puppy to a place like this, Noah? We can't involve outsiders with B
Casey's POV"I'm sorry, Dude, but Casey can't answer your call, and it looks like you should probably stop calling her from now on."I couldn't believe Noah said that to Anthony."What the hell? Who are you? Give her the phone back!" I listened to what Anthony said.I tried to snatch my phone back.
Casey POV"Fucking asshole!" I almost slapped Noah, but he just swatted my hand away, grabbing it with one hand. He smirked, clearly enjoying having control over me."Don't even try fighting me, Girl. You're completely under my control.""Noah, stop it…"A knock at the door was like a godsend, and
Casey POVMy jaw dropped, but I quickly snapped it shut with my hand. This is insane. The annoying guy I'm most scared of is being treated like this. I didn't dare say anything. The situation was so awkward, but also tense. I never thought someone would dare slap this rebellious, fearless-looking g







