by G N Wright
Silence descends on the car before I manage to find my voice.
“Lincoln,” I blow out a breath, “I can’t. You’re right there is something much bigger going on here but I just--”
“Elle, stop,” he grabs my hand and engulfs it in both of his. “I’m not asking for your truths; I just want your trust. I am with you on this one hundred percent and I know if you told Marcus he would be too.”
“I can’t, I’m not ready and neither is he, I don’t think we ever will be,” I answer him honestly and he just nods. I lean in and kiss his cheek.
“Thank you,” I whisper hoarsely trying to keep my emotions in check as I climb from the car and go inside.
I head straight to the kitchen in search of some carbs that will soothe my emotions. I eat half a tub of Ben and Jerrys and still feel no better. I go in search of something I know will make me feel better.
I head out back and make my way to the guest house and use my key and passcode to slip inside. I make my way down the hall to the room with the pink door and slip inside.
Cassie is sleeping curled up in the middle of a double bed surrounded by pink blankets and cushions. She looks tiny in such a large bed and the sight of it warms my heart instantly. I strip off my hoodie and pants down to the tank and shorts I had on underneath and pull the blankets back and climb in next to her.
As quiet as I tried to be, the movement still wakes her, she's a light sleeper. She rubs her eyes and turns to me.
“Shhh, it’s okay, angel. It’s only me. I came for snuggles,” she smiles a sleepy smile at me as she cuddles in close.
“Bad dream again?” she asks me quietly.
“No, princess, no bad dreams I just wanted a cuddle with my favorite girl,” she smiles at me before closing her eyes.
“You’re my favorite too,” she responds sweetly, and I hold her tight. Snuggles make everything better. I shut out everything in my mind and just breathe in her scent and drift off to sleep.
Chapter 21
MARCUS
I’m wide awake, like I have been for hours, even the whiskey inside me couldn’t lure me into staying asleep. My brain hasn’t shut off all night. All I can think about is her, Elle. She consumed my every thought and from what sleep I did manage, my every dream. I have been replaying last night repeatedly in my head, every moment, every word, and it doesn’t add up.
Why was she even at The Ring? I got there early and met up with some of my boys, Jace and Lincoln were nowhere to be seen. I was drinking, placing bets, winning money, and even doing a little work. Then when none of that was distracting enough from thinking about Elle’s lips on mine and having to watch her walk away, I decided it was time to bust some fucker’s face up.
Drowned in whiskey and blood, fighting against opponents who were just masked as my own demons. Feeling Elle’s kiss and rejection over and over again at every hit they managed. Thinking about her and wondering what she was doing and who she was with and then suddenly she was there. And who she was with was my brothers.
They surrounded me together, Elle ordered them to help me and then we left together. We all piled into Linc’s SUV with her and Jace's cars nowhere to be seen. Which means she must have come to The Ring with Linc but why? How?
Jace had arrived earlier with some of our crew but Linc said he was working. How did he go from working to being with Elle? It’s clear Jace would have called Linc when he thought trouble was brewing but he wouldn’t have called Elle, neither would Linc. Which means they must have been together when Linc got the call.
My whiskey haze is lifting, and I am now thinking clearly, I need answers and I need them now. I climb from bed and head into the living room and see Jace making a coffee.
“Hey man, you good?”
“Where is she?” I have no time for pleasantries right now and all I want to know is where Elle is and what happened last night.
He reaches up and pulls on the back of his neck, one of his nervous twitches that is always his tell, “Linc gave her a ride home last night.”
“And how did she get to The Ring?” he doesn’t respond straight away, and it just adds to my anger and I step towards him and he raises his hands in surrender.
“Look man, all I know is when I called Linc to come help me with your drunk ass, Elle was already with him.”
“Where is he?” my voice is strained with my barely restrained rage.
“Marcus man, just relax it’s not like that.”
“Where. Is. He?” I ask again slowly trying not to lose my temper and Jace's shoulders slump as he responds, “He’s in his office,” he nods over my shoulder.
I don’t hesitate before I stalk towards the door and throw it open and the force causes it to ricochet off the wall and Linc just raises his eyes at me like he had been expecting me. Jace is right behind me.
“Explain,” one word that holds so much tension as I spit it at him.
“Explain?” Linc repeats in question but I can tell by his face he knows what I mean.
“Explain Elle. Explain why it is that you can’t seem to find where she has been the last few years, or where she is staying now but you somehow knew where she was last night to bring her to me and were able to drop her off at home afterwards?” The words come out calm and collected considering the fury coursing through my body.
“Marcus,” he rises from his chair and comes around to the front of the desk to lean on it. “I am your brother, and you can trust me with your life, you can trust I will always do right by you which includes doing right by Elle.” He takes off his glasses and scrubs his hands over his face like he is tired. “There are things I can’t tell you and I can’t tell you why I can’t tell you but trust me when I say I am doing what is best for us and our family and that includes Elle King.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do with that, Lincoln?” my voice is less calm now and even I can hear the stress and worry laced into my tone.
“Whatever you want,” he shrugs nonchalantly, only fueling my rage more. He is always serious, but I can see now he means this. He’s my brother but he really won’t tell me what’s going on.
“Something is going on here and I’m going to find out.” I am going to make it my mission to find out, not only is Elle keeping things from me but now she’s got my brother hiding things from me too.
“And I really hope you do but it can’t come from me.” He’s serious, there is no detection of a lie in his voice, he really does want me to know what is going on, but he doesn’t want to be the one to tell me. That’s when it hits me, he’s doing this for her, for Elle, she’s got to him and now he is choosing her side over mine.
“You trust her?” I say in shock, it takes a lot for Lincoln to open up to anyone.
“With my life,” he responds without missing a beat.
“And does she trust you?” he pauses at that before he glances to Jace who is still standing silently behind me watching over our interaction ready to come between us if need be. Linc answers, “She’s getting there.”
Well fuck me, I did not see that coming. I knew Elle being back would be trouble for me, but I never saw it going like this. She's got me wound up in knots and both my brothers are looking out for her. I have seen it with Jace, the little jokes and affectionate gestures. She reminds him of his sister, I get it. But Lincoln is different, he’s never had a family, never had anyone to rely on or care about. Jace and I practically forced him to be friends with us, so someone had his back. For him to be opening up to her is such a big deal.
“Okay,” I say eventually and feel Jace relax behind me. Lincoln doesn’t say anything he just nods and goes back around to his computer to carry on his work.
I turn and head back to my room, my head is filled with far too much information yet still not enough to give me the answers I crave. I need to do something; I need to know where Elle has been, and it looks like I can’t rely on my brothers for that information but that doesn’t mean I don't have other people to help me. I’m the l
eader of the South Side after all. I grab my phone and pull up my contacts and dial my second in command outside the guys.
“Sup, boss?” Jack's voice answers after two rings. Jack Hanson is a South Sider through and through, born and raised here, he knows everything about everyone and if for some reason he doesn’t know, he will find out. He can be invisible when he needs to be and has eyes everywhere. I wouldn’t pick anyone else for this which is why he also runs a lot of my other shit for me.
“I need a tail.”
“Let me guess on that hot piece of ass you pretend you hate?” I grind my teeth at his response, “Watch yourself, Hanson,” I bite back.
“Hey man, I’m just busting your balls. Who’s the target?” he asks all serious now and I feel like a prick when I answer, “Elle King,” there is a pause before he bursts out laughing. Okay, I guess I pay him to be perceptive but not on me.
“You done, you little fucker?”
“Yeah, man”, he says, still laughing, “What you need?”
“Eyes everywhere. I wanna know where she goes and when and who she's with.”
“Yeah, consider it done, what’s her address?”
“That's what I need you for, prick! She’s a ghost, find out what you can and don’t underestimate her. I want something by the end of the day.”
“Okay, I’ll get on it with Kai and Malcom, reporting to you or--”
I cut him off, “Yeah, directly to me and make it a priority,” I bark back but he is used to my sharp tone, so it doesn’t even faze him.
“Sure, no problem.”
“Got anything else for me?” I ask now that my first priority is out of the way I can relax and listen to some of my actual business.
Coming to the South Side was a fairly easy transition. Everyone was too scared to go against the rich pricks from the North that there wasn’t much in terms of gangs or leaders or any shit like that. I came in and was respected just for being a North Son Prodigy, everyone in town knew what happened to my dad, word here spreads faster than a hooker’s legs.
I was kicked out of a few foster homes for being a rowdy fucker until I landed in my fourth and met Jace, we hit it off instantly. I recognized the cold look in his eyes, I see it in the mirror every day. We were both alone and thirsty for revenge from some North Bred pricks. We started doing our own recon, watching runs, and stealing stashes of drugs and guns for ourselves. Moving them discreetly and making our own money. By the time we came across Linc we were flushed with cash and had nothing to do with it. He became our thinker, he never makes spontaneous decisions, always plans everything through first and is always the rational one of the three of us.
Once he came along, we started funneling our money into legitimate businesses, bought The Ring and a club down on Riverside and signed up to do some work for Mr. Royton. Once we were more established people started looking up to us and coming to us for stuff, we deal with anything from protecting people to hunting someone down and making them disappear. We are good at what we do, that's why we now have the South Side at our feet.
Jack answers, “Not much man, police raided the fight club but we had cleared out our shit by the time they got there. I paid off the deputy to make sure he said nothing. Had a couple of jobs come through the wire, a few protections needed and also a hunting, all seem straightforward enough.”
“Right, I’m heading in now, so I’ll go through them, keep me updated on King.”
“No doubt.”
I hang up the phone and throw it on the bed, my head is still fucked but there isn’t much more I can do right now so I think heading into work for a little will keep me occupied. At least until I can get some information on Elle.
Chapter 22
ELLE
Iwoke up this morning filled with so much pent up energy that even my late night snuggles with my mini best friend didn’t cure me. I need release and the only way I can get that today is with Ash’s help. I called him this morning and told him I needed him, he didn’t even ask why, just what I wanted to do and that he’d be here within the hour.
I’m in the gym warming up when he swings the doors open and walks in, he barely gets into the room before I am flinging my arms around him.
“Woah, Hells Bells. Sup?” he says, staggering back slightly as he catches my body against his.
“Nothing,” I sigh, pulling back to look at him. “Just needed a hug.”
“Well, I have always got one of them for you but how about something that will actually help you,” he gleams at me wiggling his eyebrows.
“Yeah, kicking your ass always cheers me up,” I tease.
“Ha you wish, baby girl,”
We make our way over to the mats in the corner and start to stretch. We have done this countless times, stretch, fight and then go over any bad moves and work on any new stuff. Keeps up both fit, trained and most importantly ready for anytime we might need to fight.
We spar back and forth and when I throw myself at him again and he is able to easily block it he stops.
“Right, what’s happened?” He accuses me, standing back and staring at me fiercely.
“What do you mean?” I question him confused.
“You’re sloppy.”
Why does he always notice everything? That's the problem when you have been friends for as long as we have, you can’t be this close to someone and keep secrets, it's impossible, they know too much about you.
“I’m just tired,” I shrug and bend to pick up my water bottle trying to avoid his gaze.
“Bullshit, I have been sparring with you for years and not once has that affected you. I’ve fought you tired, ill, even fresh out of the hospital, so don’t fucking lie to me, Elle.”
Ash never uses my actual name, it’s always Hells Bells or baby girl so when he uses my given name, I know he is losing his patience with me. It doesn’t happen often.
I huff, “Marcus kissed me.”
He rolls his eyes as he throws himself onto the mat to sit, “Of course he did.” He takes a drink of water before continuing, “What else?”
“What do you mean what else, that’s it?”
“Baby girl, I know you better than you know yourself so I know just a kiss wouldn’t have you like this, what else?”
“He thinks you and I are together.”
“Because you let him think that, why?” I sit down next to him as I think about how to answer him and he continues “Look I don’t care what he thinks about us, but you obviously care, so why?”
“To protect him,” I say with sorrow as I look at him. “You and I are in this already. We weren’t given a choice, fate fucked us on that one, but Marcus isn’t. He has already lost Michael. I won’t allow him to sacrifice anything else.”
“You’re wrong, losing Michael means he is already in this, my father murdered him in cold blood. The Marcus I grew up with would never forget that.”
He says the same thing I have already heard from others but is he right? I know Marcus, he is going to want revenge for what happened to Michael and I am sure he will get it regardless of me being here. Does that mean he is already in danger and no matter what I do he would be putting himself at risk anyway?
“Look, baby girl, I get it I do but I don’t think it’s your choice to make. He’s already in this and you being around him only brings him in further. You have to let him in fully or let him go and cut him out of your life for good, there is no in between here.”
He’s right I know he is but I just can’t bear the thought of Marcus joining us and him getting hurt or worse, but can I let him go? I left this town for years and not one day passed that I didn’t think about him, how can I lose him forever?
“He said things,” I whisper, and he looks at me. “Things that I can’t stop thinking about, things that make me want him but how can I bring him in when he lost his dad because of me?” he grabs my shoulders and turns me to him fully.
“Listen to me, Elle, and listen well because I am only going to say this once. Wha
t happened to Michael wasn’t your fault. My father is a sick murdering bastard, and he is the only reason Michael Riviera is dead. No one else and trust me, I will make him pay for that. He will burn in hell for his sins and I will make sure I send him there myself.” His grip on my shoulders is tight but the slight pain is welcome to give him the comfort he needs. I pull him in for a hug and we hold each other tight, both of us seeking comfort from something we will never be able to forget.
I pull back, “What if he finds out what happened to me and can’t get past it?” I voice my biggest fear to him at barely a whisper as a lone tear escapes down my cheek.
He cradles my face and swipes the tear away, “Baby girl, nothing could stop that boy from loving you and if the truth changes that I will kill him and gift you his heart.”
A sad laugh escapes me and before I can respond the door pushes open and Z appears.
“You have a visitor, sweetheart, he said it’s important,” he stands aside and reveals Linc standing behind him and my eyebrows hit the roof. I never expected him here. Sure, he has picked me up here for missions and dropped me off, but I have never invited him inside and I feel like cursing Zack out for letting him in. Is he insane? He knows how secret I like to keep things where home is concerned. I look at Ash in a panic, but he is just stoic, watching Lincoln intently. Fuck looks like I am being outnumbered on this one, I try not to panic as he enters and Zack leaves.
“Heyyy,” I say slowly, and it comes out all awkward and high pitched and Ash laughs slightly beside me, and I elbow him hard.
“Hey,” he responds, watching us closely. “Sorry to just drop in but it’s important,” he taps a file in his hand and my stomach sinks. That’s when it hits me, whatever is in that file is important as fuck otherwise he wouldn’t have come here. I already know that whatever is inside there I am not going to like.