by Erin Trejo
“If he gets angry, we leave. It’s simple. We are adults and we are no longer on the compound, Ariel. We don’t have to follow anyone’s rules but our own.” She’s confident and I love that but I’m also afraid. We don’t know what kind of mess we may be walking into. I don’t know what kind of reaction I will get from Quinn, and that’s what scares me the most.
Chapter 25
Q
We made it into the warehouse without any issues. I almost seemed too easy and that eats at the back of my mind. A million worries race through my head but I have to keep my focus. I watch the guys load up the vans in silence. I want to get the hell out of here and back to the clubhouse and my goddamn bottle of whiskey that awaits me. Since all this shit has been going down, so have I. My mind drifts to her far more than I care to admit and I can’t seem to make it stop. I just want her to live and be happy. I want her to go out and find who she is and what she wants. This isn’t any kind of life for her after what she’s lived through.
“Ready?” I holler, catching everyone’s attention as I head toward the second van. Climbing in the passenger seat, I watch Stoney walk around the front and climb in. A quick honk of the horn sends everyone on their way. We file out like last time, each of us taking a different turn aside from us and the van ahead of us.
“You ever gonna pull your head out of your ass?” Stoney asks, being the little prick he always is.
“It’s out, man. Just want this shit over and done,” I inform him.
“Which shit is that?” I huff out a breath and pull my sunglasses over my eyes, focusing on the road ahead when the scanners go off.
“Shit!” I snap when I hear it. “Cops. They got fuckin’ SWAT and snipers!” I roar pounding my fists on the dashboard. Anger courses through me but mostly adrenaline.
“What do you wanna do, Prez?” Stoney asks when the first bullet hits the van. It pierces the back door, shocking us both.
“They’re on us,” I mumble as I pull the phone out and callthe others.
“Keep movin’! They’re on us, not you. Get to the warehouse and drop the vans. As soon as you get back to the clubhouse lock it down!” Stoney sighs loudly, no doubt nervous about what this means.
“This is fucked! You think they knew?” he asks weaving down backroads. The shots have stopped which means we’re more than likely outside their perimeter. That’s the only relief I have.
“Yeah, they knew. I thought this was too fuckin’ easy. Think we’re past it?” I ask glancing out the windows and in the mirrors. I don’t see anything at first but then they all come into view.
“Oh fuck,” Stoney grumbles. Jerking my eyes to the front, there they are. A shit ton of cops, guns aimed and ready. “What the hell do we do?”
“Take that alley. We gotta dump the van and move on foot,” I tell him. Stoney takes a deep breath and presses the accelerator. The van picks up speed the closer we get to the cops. I can see their reactions and I can’t help but grin. Scared shitless that they’re going to have to fire on us.
“Hold on, motherfucker!” Stoney roars before whipping the wheel to the left. Shots are fired as the van takes the corner down the Alley. My arm burns on the turn but my adrenaline is running overtime.
“Where to?” Stoney asks, checking the mirrors. I do the same and get my bearings.
“Up here on the right, there’s a garage. Pull in there and I’ll jump out and close it. River uses it for a chop shop,” I inform him, keeping my eyes on the mirror. We have a very fucking small window of opportunity here, and I’m sure as hell going to take it. Stoney spots the open garage at the same time as me. He takes the turn and I leap from the truck, pulling the door down quickly. I sigh in relief as I hear the sirens growing closer.
“That was too fuckin’ close,” Stoney mouths as he walks around the van toward me.
“You think? Fuck, man. We gotta move outta here before they start searchin’. There’s a legit car in the back that River’s boys use when they need it. I’ll call him, you drive.” We walk toward the back where the other car is when Stoney grabs my arm. I’m slightly off balance and he saw it.
“You’re hit. Goddamn it, Q!” he roars but I shake my head. We don’t have time for this shit.
“We’ll deal with it at the clubhouse. We need to move, Stoney!”
He grabs my arm and jerks me around, no doubt noting the pale look on my face. My head is a little fuzzy as blood flows out of my arm.
“You’re gonna drop, brother!”
I shove him off with as much strength as I can muster. “We move. That’s a fuckin’ order!”
Stoney doesn’t argue with that. We climb in the car, pressing the button to open the garage door to the main part of the shop and pull out. Cops swarm the area, but they wave us on like we’re just some pedestrians. Stoney chuckles as I begin to make phone calls.
“So, you stole my car?” River asks with a chuckle when I tell him why there’s an extra van at his shop.
“Borrowed, bro. You know I don’t like cages.”
“It’s all good, Q. I’ll get that van chopped and your product moved while you handle shit,” he says.
“Keep the product. Payment for my quick usage of your shop.” River agrees, not that I didn’t think he would. He likes his drugs just as much as the next guy.
“He good?”
“Yeah. Didn’t figure it’d be an issue. Asphalt has the club lockin’ down but there isn’t any sign of cops. The vans are bein’ dumped at the warehouse for now, we’ll deal with that later.” Stoney nods as I look out the window.
“You got any ideas on what you wanna do with those church motherfuckers?” I know he’s just trying to keep me amped up because when this adrenaline wears off, I’m going to drop and it’s going to be hard.
“Besides kill them all?” I chuckle.
“How we gettin’ in there?” he asks, keeping an eye on the road and the other on me.
“Blow the fuckin’ place?” I glance over.
“There’s kids in there. Kids like them,” he reminds me.
I nod my head knowing that already. It scares the shit out of me to think what they must be going through in that hellhole, but the plan has to be meticulous to minimize any of them getting hurt. And whether I like it or not, I need intel and there are only two people that can give me that.
“I’m gonna have to call her, ain’t I?” I sigh as Stoney laughs.
“Yeah, you’re gonna have to. It’ll be better than you think, bro.”
“I don’t know about all that. You see this shit? What if she was with? What if she was around? This bullet could have hit her, man, not me. I can’t risk that shit,” I hiss.
“Fuck off, Q. You use that as an excuse. She wouldn’t have been on a goddamn run with us anyway. You like to blow that shit up to cover what you feel.”
I’m sick of Stoney being the voice of reason around here. Asshole. Thank fuck we’re pulling up to the clubhouse because I can’t handle talking to this fucker about feelings any longer.
Chapter 26
Ariel
We got a taxi with the money that our parents gave us. It was strange to be riding in one for the first time. Now standing in front of the clubhouse gates, I stare at them.
“Since when do they lock them?” Ava asks, looking over at me. I shrug my shoulders when Asphalt comes into view. His gun is slung over his shoulder, his eyes wild.
“What the hell are you doin’ here?” he asks, looking Ava and me up and down.
“I want to see Stoney,” Ava speaks first. Asphalt stands there, eyeing her once more before a grin spreads across his face. He motions for someone to open the gates. We walk in and they are quickly closed behind us. Ava takes off toward the door as I follow slowly behind her.
“Where you been? Q’s been shit since you left,” Asphalt tells me.
“With my real parents. He doesn’t answer my calls, I wasn’t sure if he’d want to see me.”
“He will, but I’ll warn you, shit’s
a little crazy right now. He’s a little fucked up,” he warns me and nods toward the door.
I walk closer and that’s when I see him through the window. His long hair hanging around his face, a beer in hand. Some girl is standing, blocking half my view of him, but when she steps to the side, I gasp. Quinn is shirtless, his beautiful abs on display, but as my eyes travel over him, I see the wrap around his upper arm and blood seeping out and around it. Mini kneels in front of him, her hands all over his thighs. I take a step back when he looks up. Our eyes lock and the air is ripped from my lungs. He’s with her. He’s hurt and when I should be taking care of him, he’s with her. Spinning on my heel, I break the stare down and head toward the gate.
“No one in or out,” Asphalt says with a smirk.
“You just let us in,” I remind him.
He chuckles and scratches at his jaw. “Yeah, that was an accident.”
“No, it wasn’t! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“What are you doin’ here?”
That voice sends a chill down my spine. I don’t want to look at him, I can’t. Instead of answering, I keep my eyes trained on Asphalt hoping like hell he will help me. The smirk on his face tells me he isn’t going to.
“I asked you a question.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn to look at the man who stole not only my heart but my mind. “Ava wanted to see Stoney,” I say keeping my head held high. His head tilts to the side as he studies me.
“That right?” He steps closer, closing the distance between us until my knees shake. I nod my head not knowing if words will come out of my mouth even if I tried. Quinn’s hand comes up to my cheek, holding it like he did before I left him. The warmth is something out of this world. In this moment, the world seems to stop and there’s only us.
“You didn’t come to see me?” he asks, his tone steady and sexy just like always.
“You ignored all my calls.”
“I turned that phone off.”
“You didn’t want to talk to me?” I ask, getting a little louder now that I heard his admission.
“I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Hurt how? With some other girl on her knees in front of you?” Anger surges within me, and for the first time in a very long time, I feel free. I feel like I am me. I am Ariel. The girl who is allowed to be angry and upset. And I am! I’m both of those!
“You jealous, baby?” His fingers tighten on my cheek, but I reach up and slap his hand away. How dare he touch me after touching her? Who does he think he is? I step back out his reach when his arm falls to his side. He watches me, unsure what to say. Frankly, I don’t know either.
“I didn’t want you to get hurt, Ariel,” he says softly. Rain slowly starts to fall over the two of us. Quinn motions for Asphalt and the other guy to go back inside but he just stands here watching me.
“You are the one who hurts me, Quinn! Don’t you see that? All I want is you!” Tears stream down my cheeks mingling with the rain as we stare at each other.
“I know that, Ariel! Fuck, I know! Don’t you see this shit?” he roars pointing to his arm. “I don’t want this for you! You are better than me, Ariel, in every fuckin’ way.”
“I don’t care what you think! I want you. I’m sorry you don’t want me back.” My heart feels heavy as I lower my head. Lightning crackles through the sky, thunder clapping closer and closer.
“I’m sorry I’m bad for you. I’m sorry about whatever I put you through. I know I can’t take it back, but you can live better. You can have a better life without me,” he pleads.
I look up into those eyes that have captivated me since the first time I saw them and step closer, brushing the wet hair from his face. I didn’t miss the gasp at my touch either.
“You aren’t bad for me, Quinn. You make me feel alive. I want to live when I’m with you, but when I’m not, I hate it all. There is nothing more than you.”
“That’s the thing, Ariel. There is so much more out there for you, you just haven’t seen it yet. You care about me because I took you, that’s all it is.”
“Is that all it is for you? Tell me that’s all it is and that you don’t love me and I will walk away and never look back.” As much as it breaks my heart to say it, I do. I don’t want him to feel obligated to be with me and I won’t stay where I’m not wanted. Quinn stares at me as I stare back at him. When he doesn’t speak, I step back and turn toward the gate, rain pounding on my heated skin. He doesn’t want me. That thought alone breaks my will.
“I do love you, goddamn it, Ariel!”
In the next second, before I can move, Quinn has me spun around in his arms, his lips crashing into mine. His tongue works its way into my mouth, devouring me as I do the same. His taste on my tongue rushes all my senses. My hands move to his neck, pulling him closer, tugging his hair. I want him as close as possible. I want to feel every piece of this man pressed into me. I want him infused into my skin, living and breathing me.
“You’re gonna kill me, Ariel. God, I missed you,” he mumbles, kissing me again.
“I never want to be without you, Quinn. Ever. I hated every second of it,” I tell him, nuzzling into his shoulder. His arms tighten around me, keeping me close.
“I’m never gonna let you go again. In my heart, I thought it was best.”
“Your heart lied. You are all I need,” I whisper.
Chapter 27
Q
I watch her walk around the clubhouse looking as beautiful as ever. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything the way I want her. She’s a fucking goddess. It’s been weeks since Ariel and Ava have come back, and I can’t say that they haven’t been the best weeks of my life. I never thought this was something I’d want or needed but it is. She is.
“You love her?” David asks. I nod my head and tip my beer to my lips, taking a long pull.
“More than you know. You sure I can’t go in there and kill those motherfuckers?” I ask glancing over at him. He chuckles and shakes his head.
“If it were simpler, I’d say fuck yes. After what we dug up about them and what the girls have told us, I’d like nothing more than to help you, but the Feds got this. They should be hauling the fuckers out as we speak. Every little detail that I could feed them, I did.”
That’s not exactly what I wanted but I suppose it will do. I wanted blood and I wanted it on my fucking hands. I wanted to watch each of them suffer for what they did to my girl but this is the second best I suppose.
“You thinkin’ about changin’ professions?” I ask him playfully.
“Hell no. Someone has to keep you assholes in line,” he adds before shoving out of his seat. Offering me his hand, I take it.
“Appreciate you handlin’ them. I know that means a lot to the girls too, yeah?” David nods his head.
“Pleasure is all mine, Quinn. Child abuse is as sick as it comes. Glad the girls are safe now. I see Ava took to Stoney of all guys, huh?” He laughs.
“Yeah. She’s good for him. Makes him a better man.”
“By the way. Tell the girls I’m sorry about their parents. I can’t believe the lowlifes were more about being a fifteen minute celebrity. That’s some shitty way to welcome your missing kids home,” he adds.
“No shit. I’ll let them know.”
David nods before turning and leaving, nothing more to say about our situation. You might find it strange that a cop is hanging out at an outlaw clubhouse, but not around here, not anymore. David is as crooked as they come. That makes him a good guy in my book. He’s worked alongside the us and the girls to bring those bastards down who hurt them. David even got his boy at the FBI in on it. Turns out they were far more twisted than we knew. Half the girls there were kidnapped and will be returned to their families.
After all was said and done, Ariel didn’t want to go back to her parents and I didn’t make her. Why should I? She’s mine after all. Though her parents make it a point to call them every other day and I even talked Ariel into let
ting them come by to see her, she wasn’t truly comfortable with them, especially after what they pulled. Ava on the other hand seems to have found herself parents that she wants to be around for the most part. I’m glad for her, but honestly, I understand Ariel’s side of this too.
“You think the party is gonna last all night?” Asphalt asks looking at me funny.
“Yeah, why the fuck not?” Strange ass question.
“Some of us are gettin’ old, Q. We need sleep,” he laughs.
“Old my ass! You just wanna get Mini in that room, motherfucker. Don’t lie to me.”
He looks around before laughing hard. This is how things have been around here lately. I can’t say that I don’t like it either. We laugh, we have a good time. We just act like us. We can’t change who we are and I wouldn’t want us to. I watch Ava as she laughs and hugs Stoney and my heart swells. Those two have come a long way since we took them. Stoney has shown a side of himself that I didn’t get a chance to see before her and I think I like it. He knows when to back off now and when to pour it on hard.
“Fine. I need to get some pussy. The rest of you motherfuckers live in it around here,” he grumbles before walking away.
I laugh and take down the rest of my beer before shoving out of the chair. I stalk toward the bar looking for something else when Ava runs toward me.
“Quinn! I have exciting news!” she squeals and smiles. She looks so much like her sister, that smile, those eyes.
“What is it? You gettin’ that fucker to move outta here?” I ask nodding toward Stoney. Ava laughs and slaps at me before shaking her head.
“No. We’re getting married!”
I knew he was going to ask her. He asked me about it first. I smile and pull her into my arms for a hug.
“I’m happy for you, darlin’. You deserve to be loved.”
“Thank you, Quinn. Thank you for everything. Without you, I wouldn’t have met him.” When she pulls back I see the tears in her eyes. I reach up and wipe them away before she takes off toward Stoney once more.