Before Us (The Next Generation Book 3)

by J. M. Walker

  “Piper.”

  My wide eyes stared at the man who saved me.

  Jaron’s gaze met mine.

  “Is he …” My stomach churned. I had never seen a dead body before. Only in movies but this was nothing like them. This was real life. This was … this was worse.

  Jaron didn’t move. He only stared at me. Was he waiting for me to freak out? To leave and tell everyone what happened?

  I slowly pushed myself from the bed. Jaron stepped over Brody’s lifeless form and crashed into me. Cupping my face, he forced me to look up at him.

  “Say it,” he demanded, turning me away from Brody. “Say it, Piper.”

  “I … I don’t know what you want me to say.” I shivered, my heart racing hard behind the walls of my rib cage.

  “What did you see?” He shielded me from Brody. “Tell me.”

  “Brody.” I swallowed hard. “Brody’s dead.”

  “Yes.” Jaron wrapped his arms around me. “Do you still want me?”

  “You saved me,” I said, ignoring his question.

  “I would go to hell for you, Piper.” He kissed my cheek. “Remember that.”

  I looked away. Neither of us were ready for a confession like that but yet, he said it anyway.

  “Tell me what you want me to do,” Jaron said, pushing me back into the corner.

  “What do you mean?” My heart was thundering in my ears, an impending headache threatening to explode through my mind at the same time.

  “We can do this the legal way and call the cops, or I can have my boys clean this up. No questions asked.” Jaron pinched my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “We will do whatever you want. But Brody was the mayor’s son. This won’t go away.”

  “So we have to call the cops.” I wasn’t sure how his boys could make Brody disappear.

  “Just say the word, Piper.”

  “I … I don’t know. I feel …” I shivered. I should have felt guiltier. Shouldn’t I have? Brody was going to … “He was going to rape me.” I gripped Jaron’s leather jacket, leaning my head against his chest. “But he didn’t. God … I …”

  “Yeah, Piper.” Jaron cupped my nape, brushing his thumb back and forth over the spot just beneath my ear. “He was.” He gently pulled my head back, running his fingers over the bruises on my face. “I’ve seen a lot of shit. I’ve been through a lot too but seeing that … seeing him …” His jaw clenched.

  “I can’t … I don’t …” My breathing became labored, tears burned my eyes.

  “Look at me.” Jaron gently tugged my head back. “What he did, is not your fault. What he said to you, none of that was true. You hear me?”

  I nodded, the tears falling freely down my cheeks. “I’ve never seen that side of him. He’s always been nice to us. I actually thought he was gay at one point. I thought maybe his fiancée leaving him turned him or something. I thought…”

  “Bastards like that will never let you know that they’re a rapist.” Jaron leaned down to meet my gaze. “You hear me?”

  I nodded again. “I need out of here.”

  “Tell me what you want to do.”

  I glanced back at Brody’s body. “We should call the cops.”

  “And tell them what?”

  “You’re asking me?”

  “I am.” Jaron brushed a finger down my jaw. “This is all you, Piper. Your choice. Whatever you want.”

  “I … I don’t know what I want. I want this night to be over. I want us to be happy. I want to forget. I just … I want you.” I gripped his jacket, leaning my forehead against his chest.

  “I don’t deserve you, Piper.” Jaron cupped my nape. “You can come in now.”

  I glanced up, finding him on his cell.

  He caught my gaze, his gray eyes darkening even more. He ended the call, putting his phone back in his pocket. About a minute later, there was a knock on the door.

  I jumped. “Jaron.”

  “Trust me.” He kissed the top of my head and released me. Walking toward the door to my bedroom, he opened it.

  A large man filled the doorway. He glanced my way, nodded once and stepped into my room. He was followed by another man who looked identical to him but smaller.

  “Piper, that large fucker is Cyrus, and this is his brother, Sammy,” Jaron said, closing the door and clicking the lock into place. “Guys, this is Piper.”

  “We finally meet.” Sammy came toward me and stuck out his hand. “I wish it could be under different circumstances.”

  “Me too.” I returned the handshake. “Twins?”

  “Yeah, kiddo.” He nodded toward Cyrus. “Although this fucker beefed up on me so now I look like a damn pussy next to him.”

  Cyrus only grunted. “What do you want us to do?”

  “Piper?”

  I turned to Jaron. “What?”

  “Tell him,” he said gently.

  I glanced at Cyrus who now stood over Brody’s body. “I … I feel like we should call the cops but …”

  “Nothing will happen to you, Piper.” Jaron moved to my side, hooking an arm around my shoulders. “I promise you that. I’ll go to jail first.”

  “No.” I shoved out of his grip. “You could be there for years. If I say it was self-defense.”

  “No,” all three men barked at once.

  “But—”

  “I said no.” Jaron took my hands, bringing them up to his mouth and placed soft pecks on my knuckles. “Call the cops.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I came in, found him trying to rape Piper and pulled him off. He swung at me and ended up pulling a gun on me. Isn’t that right?” He looked at me then. “Even if you pulled the trigger yourself, you could have it worse.”

  “How is that even fair?” I gaped at him.

  “It’s not.” Jaron kissed my fingertips. “He pulled a gun on me. Right, Piper?”

  I swallowed hard.

  Jaron handed Cyrus his gun. Cyrus wiped it off with a black cloth and placed the gun in Brody’s hand.

  “The mayor has it out for us,” Cyrus said. “Has since our dads were kids. This won’t end well, Jaron.”

  “I know.” Jaron cupped my face. “Like I said, Piper. I would go to hell for you.”

  “Why?” I whispered, covering his hand.

  “I think you know why.” Something flashed behind his eyes. Although he had never said the words, I knew what he meant. But it wasn’t time. It could possibly never be the right time. But I still wanted to hear them.

  “Tell me,” I demanded. “Please.”

  “No, baby.” He swallowed noisily. “I don’t want to say them and be taken from you. When I say them, when I say those fucking words, Piper, it’ll be when you’re wrapped around me.”

  Tears threatened to burn my eyes.

  “He tried shooting Jaron but before that happened, Jaron was able to take him out. Isn’t that right, Piper?” Cyrus asked me.

  A breath left me at the lie they expected me to tell. Could I do it? Could I do it for him?

  “Yes,” I finally said. “That’s right.”

  “Good girl.” Jaron kissed my forehead. “I could go away for a while,” he whispered.

  “Even if I testify?” I leaned back, staring up at him.

  “I don’t think that would matter. The mayor has it out for bikers in general. He always has for our family and crew. He’ll probably throw me behind bars just out of spite. Especially now that it involves his son.” Jaron brushed his thumb along the length of my jaw. “But you’ll be safe. No matter what happens.” He looked over his shoulder. “Sammy and Cyrus will make sure you’re good.”

  “That’s not their job.” I pushed out of his hold.

  “Piper.”

  I spun on Jaron. “What? I can’t do this without you. I know we went into this because it was fun, but I need more from you.” I didn’t care that we weren’t alone, he needed to hear what I had to say. “I like you, Jaron. I like you a lot. Paris was the best night of my life. And then you came here and …” My
chest tightened. “I need more.”

  Jaron closed the distance between us, wrapping his big body around mine and hugged me to him. “I don’t deserve more from you.”

  My eyes burned. Running my hands inside his leather cut, I pushed my face against his chest and inhaled. He smelled of sweat and spice. Everything that made up him. The man I couldn’t stop thinking about. The man I needed but pushed away at the same time.

  “What about … what about us?” I had gone into this wanting nothing more than a good time, but it wasn’t true. As much as I wanted it to be. It was never true.

  “Don’t wait for me, Piper.” He kissed my head.

  “Don’t.” I pushed him. “Will you give us a moment?” I asked Cyrus and Sammy. “Please.”

  They glanced at Jaron who nodded, but instead of leaving, Jaron tugged me into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned against it and waited.

  “You can’t tell me to not wait for you,” I finally said. “No matter how long you’re in jail for—”

  “Piper,” he growled, coming toward me. “You deserve more than that.”

  “I don’t care,” I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. “I need you.”

  “Fuck.” Jaron crashed into me, wrapping himself around me. All we did was hold each other. I wasn’t sure how long we stood like that. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled back. “I got blood on you.”

  I swallowed hard, looking down at myself. “I’m sure they’ll want this for evidence.”

  “When I saw him on top of you. His marks on you.” Jaron pinched my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “I’ll never forgive myself for letting you walk away from me tonight.”

  “Don’t do that.” My voice cracked. “It’s not your fault.”

  He cupped my cheek, brushing his hand to the back of my head and held me against him. “Yeah, I’d like to report an attempted rape and murder,” he muttered.

  A sob left me when I realized he had called the police.

  “I just found you.” I pulled him tighter against me. “And now you’re leaving. You’re leaving me.”

  “I’m sorry, Piper.” He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine. “I’m so fucking sorry. I never should have pushed you away. I should have spent more time with you in Paris instead of just fucking you.”

  “I’m the one who left you,” I reminded him.

  “But that was on me.”

  “I was scared.” I stared up at him. “My feelings for you scare me.”

  “I know, baby.” He placed a hard peck on my mouth. “I know.”

  Tears rolled freely down my cheeks. This was it. He would be taken from me for who knew how long. But no matter what he said, I would wait for him. Paris didn’t happen for no reason. We were meant to be. I knew we had a lot of shit to work through, but he was mine and I was his. Before we even began, there was something there. Paris reiterated that fact.

  “Piper.” As soon as my name left Jaron’s lips, a hard knock sounded on the door. It was shoved open suddenly, revealing two police officers.

  “No.” I gripped Jaron’s jacket. “Jaron, please.”

  “I’ll go quietly with you,” he told the officers, ignoring me. “As long as you don’t cuff me.”

  They glanced between each other.

  “Fine,” the one officer said. “Don’t make me regret being nice.”

  Jaron kissed my forehead. “I have to go.”

  “Please. I lo—”

  “What did I say?” he snapped.

  My chest tightened.

  One of the officers pulled him from me.

  The last thing I saw when they took him out of the bathroom was the look of pain in Jaron’s dark-gray eyes.

  I fell to my knees, sobs crashing through me. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t strong enough. My heart felt like it was being ripped into a million tiny pieces. Jaron was an asshole most times, but he was mine. He had always been mine and, before we could move forward, we were set completely back.

  Jaron

  I RAN MY thumb over the black and white photo in my hand. It had been the only thing keeping me going. I pushed Piper away and yet she was still able to get to me. She wasn’t giving up on us. I didn’t deserve her. I didn’t deserve any of this, but I craved her just the same. I wanted her happy. I waited for the day I could put a smile on her face and make her laugh. I waited for the day I could tell her how I felt and hear her say the same.

  “This is just sex, Piper,” I said, kissing the corner of her mouth as I ripped her panties free from her body. “That’s all I want.”

  “Good.” She pushed me back. “Because that’s all you’re going to get.”

  It had felt like years since our night together in Paris. I didn’t know she was there until I saw her sitting at the little café that would change both of our worlds forever.

  I stood, stuffing the picture into my pocket and headed to the phones. Thankfully I had been a good boy and still had phone privileges. I was still awaiting trial but needed to keep my nose clean. I didn’t want to be holed up in this hell any longer than necessary.

  Picking up the receiver, I dialed the number that had been engrained in my mind from the moment Piper gave it to me.

  “Jaron.” Piper’s sweet voice washed over me, giving me the strength I needed to move forward.

  “Yeah, sweet girl. It’s me.”

  “God, I’ve missed your voice.”

  “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for everything.”

  “Don’t. You can try pushing me away all you want but I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, Jaron. And I know when you get out, we’ll have a lot of shit to work through but …”

  “I got the picture.” I rested my arm on top of the phone.

  “I’m glad.”

  “I wish I could be there for you,” I told her, my voice thick. “For both of you.”

  “I know but you will be. I’m waiting.”

  “Fuck, Piper. I like the sound of that.”

  She laughed lightly. “I’m ready, Jaron.”

  Although she said the words and I felt them down to the marrow of my bones, I wasn’t sure how ready either of us were. Or if we ever would be.

  Jaron

  “I’M PROUD OF you, son.” My dad smiled at me from the other side of the glass.

  My heart swelled.

  The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to ask. It hurt. Fuck me it hurt. Not being able to hold Piper. Not seeing her. Not talking to her. But she had to move on. She deserved better. I knew she wouldn’t listen to me though. A part of me was proud of that fact. I couldn’t wait for the day I could leave this place and have her back in my arms. But I also wasn’t stupid. I would have to earn the right to touch her again. To earn her heart. To earn her damn love. I should have told her how I felt.

  “Piper’s doing well.” My dad grunted. “Well, as good as can be expected.”

  I nodded, gripping the phone receiver tightly in my hand. It had been a few months since I had seen her. Since I talked to her. Weeks since I was locked away in this shit hole.

  “You need to keep your nose clean, son,” my dad told me. “Trust me. Please fucking trust me. I need you smart and to use your head.”

  I frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  His jaw clenched. Although his graying beard had grown in some, I could still see the typical clench of his jaw he always did when he was hesitating over what to say next.

  “What’s going on?” I sat forward when my father didn’t respond. “Is it Piper? Is she okay?”

  “You need to see her.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to refuse but I knew I couldn’t. Tomorrow was the trial I had been waiting for. That we all had been waiting for.

  “What’s going on?” I asked instead.

  “Just trust me.” My dad leaned forward, searching my face. “You already know. Don’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The black a
nd white picture sat in my pocket. I found out at Cyrus and Sammy’s last visit that she had them mail it to me. My girl was good. Even though I had pushed her away in the beginning, she was stubborn and fighting.

  Keep fighting, baby. I’m here.

  “Jaron.”

  “Listen, Cyrus and Sammy are watching over her. I’ll see her tomorrow at the trial. She’ll vouch for me. I know she will.”

  “I know she will too.” My dad gave me a soft smile. “I have no doubt about that.”

  “I should go.” I needed to call her.

  “Keep your head up, Jaron,” my dad warned. “And trust no one within these walls.”

  “I know. Give Mom a hug for me.”

  Wait for me, Piper. Don’t listen to me. Please don’t listen to me. I need you. I’m coming for you, sweet girl.

  And when I saw her again, I was never letting her go.

  ***

  (Piper)

  Jaron had been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Even though we both knew that it was definitely voluntary.

  Being called up to the stand to testify, had been one of the hardest things I had ever done. The mayor had been there and that didn’t make me feel any better. He was slimy, his eyes raking over my body. Bile rose to my throat, just thinking about it.

  That had been a few months ago and now I was spending most of my time, waiting for the phone call that Jaron was being released.

  As if on cue, my phone rang, startling me. My heart thumped. There was no way.

  “Hello?” I greeted whoever was on the other end.

  “Piper.”

  My eyes widened. “Jaron.”

  “I’m ready, baby,” he told me.

  “Are you getting out? Please tell me that you’re getting out,” I pleaded. I needed him. We had so much to work through, but I couldn’t do it without him at my side.

  “I am, Piper.” Jaron sighed. “Tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be there,” I told him. “I promise.”

  “Good.” He paused. “Both of you?”

  I smiled, bringing my knees up to my chest. “Yeah. Both of us.”

  “Thank fucking God.”

  “Jaron?” I said, picking at a fuzz on the blanket wrapped around me.