“Keep it up and I won’t tell you everything I know,” he warns teasingly.
“Tell me,” I demand, slapping his arm for extra emphasis.
“From what I’ve overheard, they’re sending Linc into the devil’s lair. Over the last few months, the club has been attacked several times. The bomb was just the beginning.”
“What bomb?”
“Wait, how do you think Linc ended up in the chair?”
“All your father said was that there was an accident and a lot of people were hurt.”
“Someone blew up their clubhouse on the day of the president’s wedding,” he reveals motioning to Linc. “He was trapped under the debris.”
“Oh my God,” I whisper, lifting my hand to cover the gasp.
“Yeah, it was bad and the guy responsible is a sick fuck. He’s into some pretty sick shit too, like kidnapping little girls. A real scumbag.”
“Where does Linc fit in?”
“Well, the guy is a fucking phantom they can’t seem to catch but, he’s into cards. They’re going to try to send Linc into the card game he hosts.”
“How does that help anything?”
“I’m not sure it does,” he admits. “Between you and me, I don’t think they know what they’re doing. If you ask me, they’re grasping at straws and he’s going to be the next one they bury,” he adds solemnly, drawing his gaze back to Linc.
“Don’t say that,” I reprimand.
“C’mon Kel, look at him. The man don’t give a fuck if he lives or dies.”
The wounds I was trying so hard not to open, split wide at Nico’s words and I swallow the lump in my throat.
“Why do I still care? I mean what’s wrong with me?” I grimace, realizing I’ve spoken aloud the questions I meant to ask myself. Eyeing Nico, I shrug my shoulders. “I’m sorry,” I tell him. “I hate that I still feel anything for the bastard and if you tell him that, I’ll kill you. Cousin or no cousin.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think he ever got over you either.”
“Wrong,” I deadpan. “You have to care about someone to get over them and Linc never cared about me. Not really. I was just someone he used to pass the time. Someone who made him forget the girl he really loved.”
Nico looks at me for a moment before shaking his head.
“For a smart girl, you’re really fucking naïve,” he mutters.
About to question him, I get distracted when Linc curses loudly.
“Fuck you,” he shouts at the therapist as he drops his body into the wheelchair. Panting through clenched teeth, he turns to me and Nico. “Get me the fuck out of here.”
“Tomorrow,” the therapist tells him. “And I want you in a pool until we can put weight on those legs.”
“Fuck you,” Linc repeats. “Fuck your pool. Fuck everything,” he calls over his shoulders as he wheels himself toward us.
“See what I mean?” Nico says, rising to his feet. “He needs someone who isn’t afraid to put him in line. He needs you and, fair warning, I call dibs on front row seats to the show.”
Linc doesn’t need someone to keep him in line. He needs someone to understand him, someone who can show him how to live again. He needs to learn to let go of the things he can’t change and embrace his blessings. Linc needs to remember how he felt when he was eighteen. He overcame the hopelessness he felt then and, he can overcome it now.
Only this time he has to do it without me.
I won’t make the same mistake twice. I’m not the girl I once was. I’ve learned from my mistakes and know no matter how hard you try to change someone, you can’t. They’ll never see themselves the way you do and all you can do is move on or at least try.
You need to know when to quit. Sometimes the cards are just bad and, you need to fold before you lose everything. I won’t go all in only to be discarded like a bad hand.
“No show,” I correct. Following Nico’s lead, I stand too. “I’ll be gone by the end of the week,” I continue as Linc comes to a stop in front of us.
Come hell or high water, I am getting the fuck out of Brooklyn and away from the disgruntled man staring up at me.
“You willing to bet on that?” Linc questions.
“Absolutely,” I say. “I play to win.”
“I should know, I’m the one who taught you,” he replies cockily.
You also taught me when to fold.
-Twenty-three-
LINC
I was fucking exhausted but, the second I wheeled my ass back to Kelly and Nico and overheard her threaten to be gone by the end of the week, I forgot a physical therapist just handed me my ass. One glance into her eyes is all it took to reel me in. Instead of reminding myself of the reasons I left her in the first place, I immediately found myself accepting the challenge and figuring ways I could keep her here in New York. The threat of Yankovich and my duty to the club played second fiddle to the possibility of making things right between Kelly and me. It was crazy and, I blamed the temporary bout of insanity on my exhaustion.
I was in no shape to be the guy she needed. The man she deserved. If anything, things were worse now than when I left her. Aside from being temporarily glued to this chair, my club was in danger. Anyone associated with us could die at the drop of a hat. The risk of Kelly ending up a casualty was greater than it had ever been. Especially with me being the front runner of this latest plan to bring down Yankovich but I was too blinded by the feelings Kelly’s presence evoked.
She didn’t seem to take my challenge seriously and turned her back to me the moment I bet she would stick around. Walking like her ass was on fire, she took off in front of me and Nico, giving me a prime view of her ass.
“Want me to give you a hand?” Nico offered, nodding to my wheelchair. Too tired to fight, I swallowed my pride and accepted his offer. My arms were burning from the rigorous strain physical therapy had put on them and I was grateful for the reprieve. It also gave me a chance to enjoy my view.
“You really think she’s going to stay?” he questions nonchalantly.
“There’s a fifty-fifty shot,” I tell him. Reaching the truck, she turns back to us and shouts for Nico to unlock it. He pauses and reaches for his keys as I take her in. “She tell you what happened to her face.”
“No, she won’t give the motherfucker up but, when I find out I’m going to grate his balls like a block of Parmesan cheese.”
“She’s no rat,” I reply thoughtfully. His threat sinks in and I lift my head. “Grate his balls?”
“You watch and see,” he says. Pointing the key fob toward the truck, he unlocks the truck and grins down at me. “If you’re up to it, I’ll let you help.”
“You’re just as fucked as your father.”
Knowing better than to deny the apple didn’t fall far from the Scotto family tree, Nico wheels me the rest of the way. He helps me into the backseat of the SUV and folds my wheelchair into the trunk before getting behind the steering wheel. Flipping down his aviators, he starts the truck and peels away from the curb.
“So, I figured we’d take Linc back to the house and then head down to Coney Island. Lunar Park is closed because of the weather but, I know a great place to get a hotdog and it’s never too early to drink. We can take a tour of the Coney Island Brewery.” His eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “Unless you want to join us, man,” he offers.
The glasses hide the mischief in his eyes but, the dare is evident in his tone.
“He’s probably exhausted,” Kelly interjects quickly. “Take him back to the house.”
“Actually,” I start. Wrapping my hands around the headrest the back of her head leans against, I use it as leverage to pull myself forward. “I’m feeling a second wind.”
“Of course you are,” she mumbles.
Instinctively, I wind a lock of her hair around my fingers and give it a playful tug.
“Scared?” I tease.
Pulling out of my reach, she twists her body and stares back at me.
“You for
get who you’re playing with?”
Resting my back against the leather seats, I cock my head and let my eyes bore into hers. I can feel myself falling over the edge and instead of bracing for the all, I dive fearlessly into the pit of trouble Kelly and I are sure to create.
“Have you?”
“Now, children, settle down,” Nico taunts. “No reason to get all riled up and ruin a good time. Kelly, get my phone and search the contacts for Bethany or maybe its Beverly. Shit, it’s something with a B.”
“What?” Kelly asks, turning her attention back to her cousin.
“No, it’s definitely Bethany,” Nico says. “Get her on the horn.”
“Who is she?”
“My Friday night,” he answers, holding up a hand to stop Kelly’s wrath. “Before you go there, do you got an extra thirteen hundred floating around? I’m going to take your silence as a no. It costs thirteen hundred for a private tour of the brewery but, it just so happens that Beverly works there. Another coincidence is that she loves my cock and will likely waive the fees if I give her a ride.”
I don’t even attempt to hold back the chuckle as Kelly smacks Nico upside the head.
“Bethany,” Kelly corrects through gritted teeth.
“Ouch! Who?” Nico questions, rubbing the back of his head.
“Oh my God, Nico!”
He flashes a wicked grin and I laugh at his antics. The cousins continue to banter making me realize for the first time since the bomb, I’m not plagued by my situation. I forget my legs don’t work like they used to and let go of everything weighing me down. I stare at Kelly, watching her fight the smile until she finally throws her head back and gives into the laughter. Her shoulders shake with amusement and, she fights to catch her breath through the chuckles. The sound takes me back to the night I first heard that beautiful melody in a crowded bar with the chords of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ playing in the background. I lose myself in the melody and let it carry me away.
Nico parks the car and I’m not even bothered when he helps me into the chair. I decided to give myself this day. One day to live and enjoy Kelly because as much as I hate to lose, it’s possible I may. She might leave by the end of the week and deep down I know that’s best. I won’t fight her or try to change her mind. I’ll let her live her life and spend the rest of mine wishing I could’ve kept her by my side. But, today…we have today. It’s a bridge to the love song we wrote so many years ago.
We head to the Coney Island Brewery and true to his word, Nico gets us the tour with the promise to rock Bethany’s world. Somewhere between the distillery and knocking back a dozen Hard Root Beers, Kelly lets down her guard and stops avoiding me at all costs. We order another round and Nico excuses himself to the bathroom.
“Twenty bucks says he’s not taking a piss,” I say, lifting the bottle to my lips. Taking a long pull, I watch her eyes drift in the direction of the bathrooms.
“You think Bethany is back there?” she questions. Bringing her own bottle to her lips, she hides the smile playing on her lips and the grin widens across mine.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
“And you know this because?”
Thanks to the beer, both of us seem to throw caution to the wind and as fleeting as it is, I catch the flicker of mischief in her eyes. Deciding to roll with it, I place my bottle on the table and lean forward. I forget the snarky reply as I get distracted by her features. Her big brown eyes are lined with a dark pencil and framed by the long fringe of her eyelashes. The bruises are still there but with the dark lighting of the bar they’re not as noticeable. High cheekbones naturally pink, a result of the alcohol and those lips…those fucking lips. I miss them. Noticing the lipstick, she started the day wearing is long gone, I can’t help but wish it was smeared around my cock and not the neck of a glass bottle.
“Let me guess,” she starts. Pausing, she removes her leather jacket and drapes it over her chair before turning back to me. “You’re so sure Nico’s back there banging Bethany because it’s something you would do.”
“Glad to see you remember,” I retort with a wink.
“I walked right into that one,” she mutters, rolling her eyes.
“Sure, did,” I say, cocking my head. “Question is, how much of that night do you remember?”
Her eyes flash as she takes a sip of her beer and shakes her head.
“Nope, we’re not going there,” she says.
“Scared?” I bait, watching her eyes snap back to mine. Setting the glass back on the table, she places her palms flat against the wood and leans forward. The scent of her perfume mixes with the stale air of the brewery and flits past my nose.
“You want to go there Linc? You want to take that ride?”
“Wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t.”
“Where should we start?”
“It was your eighteenth birthday,” I recall, swiping a hand down my face. “You wanted to go back to the Jukebox.”
“I wanted to hear you sing,” she corrects.
“So, I took you,” I continue.
“I needed to use the bathroom,” she interjects coyly.
“No, you didn’t.”
“You’re right, I didn’t,” she laughs.
“But, as usual, I went along with it.”
“Because I used to be your favorite kind of trouble.”
“Yeah, you were,” I agree, meeting her gaze. I leave out the fact she still is or, we wouldn’t be doing this. “I found you waiting for me, sitting on top of the bathroom vanity.”
“I wasn’t waiting for you, I was reapplying my lipstick.”
“You were waiting for me and the lipstick was a nice touch,” I point out. At least my cock thought so when she got down on her knees and painted him from root to tip in that pretty shade of red.
“You locked the door behind you,” she whispers.
“And, you slid off the counter,” I continue. My jeans grow tight as I recall her slithering off the counter. Her dress hiked up her thighs, and she never bothered to fix it. Instead, she pushed me against the door and swiveled down my body. Peering up at me from those lashes, she undid my jeans and pulled out my cock.
“We should stop,” she pants, reaching for her beer.
“So, you do remember,” I tease as her lips wrap around the bottle. “Best fucking blowjob of my life,” I add nonchalantly. A satisfied grin ticks the corner of my lips as the beer sputters from her mouth. Narrowing her eyes, she swipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Okay, I think we’re done.”
“Come on, Pinky,” I argue, reaching for her hand. “Those were good times,” I say sincerely. “The best.”
Glancing at our hands, she swallows before meeting my gaze.
“We had fun,” she agrees hesitantly.
Sadness radiates from her eyes and suddenly our little game isn’t as enjoyable as it was a moment ago. The need to make it right nags at me and a thousand excuses tease my tongue.
“Truth or dare?” she questions hoarsely.
“You know I’m in a wheelchair, right? That the days of being a daredevil are on pause?”
“Truth it is,” she whispers.
“You did that on purpose,” I accuse.
“Don’t be a pussy, Linc,” she says flippantly.
“Fine, truth.”
“Do you ever regret it?”
Unsure if she’s questioning if I regret leaving or us in general, I take a deep breath and pray it’s the latter because I am one hundred percent a pussy. A pussy who can’t fess up that walking away from her was the biggest regret of my life. A fucking wimp who made a shitty decision thinking he was saving her from an unknown fate. I gotta wonder if it was a mistake. I mean, look how we wound up. She’s sporting two black eyes, running with no destination and I’m in a wheelchair offering myself up to a psychopath. Seems to me we both got fucked.
“Us?” I rasp.
She nods.
“Not a single second,”
I admit. My heart hammers inside my chest as her face softens, and she exhales a sigh of relief.
“We gotta go,” Nico exclaims, interrupting the moment.
If I could stand I’d fucking kick him in the shin.
Simultaneously, Kelly and I turn in his direction and watch as he runs one finger through his messy hair and draws the zipper up on his jeans.
“Guys, did you hear me? We got to get the fuck out of here.”
“What happened?” Kelly asks, grabbing her jacket.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I retort, pushing back my wheels.
“She fucking dropped the L bomb.”
“She’s a lesbian?” I question, confused.
“No, you dick. She told me she loved me. Now please, let's get the fuck out of here before she comes out and asks me to pay the thirteen-hundred-dollar tour bill.”
“The entire male species is made up of a bunch of jerkoffs,” Kelly slurs.
Rounding the table, she sways as the alcohol hits her. Trying to regain her balance she reaches for the handle grip on the back of my chair.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Fine,” she insists. Pausing she squares her shoulders back and attempts to walk in front of me but trips over the wheel and lands directly in my lap.
“Okay, so maybe I’m a little tipsy,” she laughs.
“Jesus, fuck, did you hear me? Beverly said she loves me,” Nico hisses through his clenched teeth.
Still in my lap, Kelly doubles over in hysterics.
“Beverly,” she gasps, smacking her hand against my thigh.
Loving the feel of her on top of me, I grab a hold of her hips and steady her against my chest. The laughter drifts away from her and she glances down at my hands before looking over her shoulder at me.
“What’re you doing?”
“I can’t ask you to climb on the back of my bike but, we can improvise. C’mon, Pinky, let me take you for one more ride,” I breathe against her ear.
“Fuck this, you two are slower than a snail on a Percocet,” Nico grunts, grabbing the handle grips of my chair. “Excuse me, out of my way,” he barks, pushing my chair through the crowd.
Kelly braces her hands on the arms of the chair and I keep mine planted on her hips as he quickens the pace. Any other time, I would’ve shot the crazy bastard in the junk for making a mockery out of me but, his antics keep Kelly on my lap earning the son of a bitch a pass.
The Nomad Series-Collectors Edition Page 114