by C. R. Marcum
“Pais, where are you going?” she asked as she watched Paisley walk out of the cafeteria well before the period was over. When Paisley didn’t answer, she stood and started to follow her. “Paisley! Wait up!” she called running after her. When she made her way through the door, Paisley was being yelled at by four men. They were huge and they were getting closer to her. “Pais, run!” she yelled, but Paisley just stood there. One of the men grabbed her and pinned her to the wall while another pulled a knife. She tried to run faster, but something was holding her to spot. She couldn’t move. She looked down and the white tile turned a bright crimson. All she could do was watch as the man with the knife showed it to Paisley, but instead of fear, Paisley seemed happy. The man turned and smiled to her before pulling the knife across Paisley’s throat.
The scream that ripped from her chest silenced the cafeteria. Raylynn looked around and found everyone staring at her, mouths open. She could feel the blood rushing to her face. She felt the nausea turn her stomach. Raylynn did the only thing she could do in the moment; she grabbed her bag and ran. Paisley could do nothing but stare after her.
Raylynn found herself in the restroom, ridding her stomach of its contents. When she felt completely empty, she sat on the floor and allowed herself to cry. She sat there until the bell rang before she cleaned herself up and headed to class. She just had to finish out the day.
The final bell of the day rang, and Raylynn knew that Paisley would want to talk. She wasn’t sure what to say to her though. She couldn’t tell her the truth. Raylynn just hoped that she would be able to steer her in another direction.
“So, what happened today?” Paisley asked as they walked towards the student lot.
“Nothing, just remembered that I hated girl talk.” Raylynn answered with a grin.
“C’mon Coop, be serious.”
“It was nothing Pais, really. Can we drop it now?”
“No, I need to know that you are alright. That scream wasn’t a normal scream. It was scary, like really scary.” Paisley said as the climbed in the car.
“I’m fine Pais. I swear.” She answered.
“I don’t believe that, but obviously you don’t want to talk to me.”
“That’s not true; I just don’t want to talk about that. Now, do you want to go see Ty or what?” She asked.
“This conversation isn’t over, but yes, let’s go see Ty.” Paisley resigned.
The girls stopped on the way and picked up a few pizzas for everyone. When they finally pulled up in front of the house there were cars everywhere. They found a parking spot a ways down the street and headed towards the crowd that was on the porch. The music was loud and the girls were barely dressed.
“I think we may be overdressed.” Paisley said as she followed behind Raylynn.
“You can strip if you want, but I think I’ll leave my clothes on.” Raylynn answered.
They made their way through the crowd on the porch and into the living room. There were even more people in there. Raylynn could see Syn on the couch, beer in hand, and a half naked girl hanging all over him. He didn’t seem to notice, he was deep in conversation with some guys sitting on the coffee table. Raylynn scanned the room and could see Jax talking to some blonde. She was leaning against the wall and Jax had his hand by her head. He was leaned in close and she was giggling. Raylynn rolled her eyes. It only took a second to spot Ty. He was sitting in the oversized chair. He looked like he was having a great time. Two girls sat on either side of him. Smiling and giggling and bending just enough for him to be able to see down the piece of cloth that they must have mistaken for shirts. Ty had a beer in one hand and his other rested on the ass of one of the girls.
Paisley stood stock still as she let her eyes scan the room. Raylynn had made her way through the crowd and took a seat on the couch next to Syn. Raylynn waited for Paisley to spot Ty. She knew what would happen when she did. WWIII would ensue. She smiled to herself and grabbed a slice of pizza, before sitting back to watch the show.
From her position on the couch Raylynn could see everything. She absentmindedly took a bite of her pizza and leaned back taking in the scene. Paisley hadn’t moved yet, but the look on her face showed that she had spotted Ty. Raylynn nudged Syn and pointed his attention to Ty and then to Paisley.
“Shit, this is gonna be good.” He said pushing the girl off him and sliding a bit closer to Raylynn.
Raylynn could see Paisley inhale and she waited for the yelling to start. It happened faster than she expected. Before Raylynn had been able to take another bite, Paisley started stomping towards Ty.
“TYLER JOSEPH WINSTON! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” She yelled.
Someone had cut the music so that they could hear the yelling better. Jax whipped his head around so quick that Raylynn swore she heard his neck pop.
“ANSWER ME!” Paisley continued.
“Pais, calm down. I’m feeling fine.”
“DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!”
“Pais, really I don’t see what the big deal is; I mean I’m just sitting here.” Ty replied before realizing where his hand was resting.
“Yeah, just sitting there drinking! Do you even know what that can do to you? Especially on your meds. I would expect that type of thing from the rest of these people, but not you. You are smarter than that Ty!”
Ty could do nothing but sit and stare as Paisley tore into him. She was relentless in her lecture.
Paisley hadn’t even noticed that everyone was staring at her. She paid no attention to a very shirtless Lucas coming out of the hall with two half dressed girls either. All she could focus on was Ty.
“Pais, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about my meds. I promise I won’t drink anymore. Okay, just please stop yelling at me.” Ty said as he slowly stood.
Paisley crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “I just worry about you Ty. You’re my best friend and I love you. You have to think.” She said poking him in his forehead.
Raylynn smiled to herself, thankful that Paisley hadn’t hit him. She had just been getting ready to stand when she heard Drake’s voice cut through the room.
“PARTY’S OVER, GET THE FUCK OUT!”
People started scrambling out the door. Girls were leaving without shoes and some without shirts. The room cleared out quickly. Before long, Raylynn and Paisley were the only ones left who didn’t live there.
“We gotta go fellas; I got some information about our friends. We gotta go meet them before they cut out.” Drake said before turning to the girls. “Can you stay here with Ty?”
“Sure, you guys be safe.” Raylynn answered, knowing that something was off.
“Thanks.” Drake said before turning for the door.
Jax, Syn and Lucas each turned and headed for their rooms. They were only gone a minute before each returning and walking out the front door.
Paisley sat on the arm of Ty’s chair for only a minute before standing and going to the kitchen. She returned with a glass of water and a trash bag. She handed Ty the water and ordered him to drink it and set off picking up the trash.
“What are you doing Pais?” Raylynn asked.
“Well, I might as well make myself useful. This place is a disaster.” She replied.
Raylynn sighed before standing to help clean up. Paisley wasn’t wrong. The place really was a mess.
Syn
Drake was pissed, he could tell. It was obvious by the way he ended the party. No words were needed. Drake had found the assholes that jumped Ty, and now it was time to handle it.
Drake was behind the wheel, driving faster than normal but under the circumstances it was understandable. Jax and Lucas were in the back seat looking out the window. The car was quiet, only the sounds of the tires on the road were audible. Syn could almost hear the anticipation surrounding him. He was ready for a fight.
Drake pulled up in front of Gold digger’s. Jerry, the bar owner, had been friends with Drake’s dad for years. He had watched them all grow up, so when Drake put
the word out, it didn’t take long before the phone call came in. Syn looked around and spotted the car. It was exactly the same one that Ty had described.
“They in there?” He asked nodding to the bar.
“Yeah, all five of them. The four that did the beating and the motherfucker that drove the car.” Drake answered pointing to the glove box.
Syn reached in without a word and pulled out the 9mm that Drake kept in there. He handed it over without a word and turned back to face the others. “You boys ready?” He asked.
“Always.” Lucas answered twisting his cap backwards.
“Why are we still in the fuckin car?” Jax responded reaching for the door.
“Watch each other’s back.” Were the last words out of Drake’s mouth before stepping out of the car.
The music inside the bar was loud as always. Drake was the first in with Syn to his right. Jax and Lucas followed two steps behind. Syn scanned the crowd and in a matter of seconds found who he was looking for. They were positioned at the back of the bar playing pool. Drake nodded to Jerry as they passed and headed towards the men who decided to jump his brother. Syn was ready; he could feel the weight of his gun pulling at the back of his jeans. He would only use it if it were necessary; otherwise he planned to use his hands.
They approached quickly, but without a sound. When he was within swinging distance, Syn could feel the air around him shift. He felt the adrenaline coursing through his body. The feel of an impending fight was the second best feeling in the world, coming only behind sex. In that moment, everything went into slow motion. He could see Drake grabbing the biggest guy and slamming him onto the pool table. He saw Jax grab a pool cue and break it across another guys face. Lucas was hitting another guy in the ribs and had managed to get him to the ground. Syn smiled to himself as he grabbed the one in front of him. It took a matter of seconds for him to spin the man and hit him. The four of them fought with everything they had in them.
Syn could still see everyone; Drake was beating the guy on the table without mercy. Lucas was handling his fight with ease; the man really didn’t seem to know what he was doing. Syn got hit with an uppercut just as Jax got hit with a barstool from behind. Jax fell to the ground. Syn could feel the rage inside him burning. He turned and swung hard. He felt the jaw break under his fist. He took off towards Jax and pulled the guy off of him. Jax stood and started laughing wiping the blood from his lip.
“You lil fuckin bitch, how the fuck you gonna run up on me from behind.” Jax laughed as he grabbed the guy by his shirt. Two quick punches to the mouth and the guy went limp.
“Good looking out bro.” Jax said to his brother.
“You whole?” he asked.
“I’m good.” Jax answered.
Lucas walked over and nudged Syn. “Get your boy before he kills that motherfucker.”
Syn turned and saw that Drake had not stopped.
“Fuck.” He said as he approached Drake.
“You ever touch my little brother again and I will fuckin kill you. You understand me little bitch? I will find you and beat you until you stop fuckin breathing. You fucked with the wrong one this time.” Drake said as he continued to throw punches.
“Drake, we gotta go man.” Syn said as he grabbed his arm.
Drake stopped swinging and looked up to see the others standing close by. He took a look down and for the first time actually saw the guy on the table. His jaw was defiantly broken, and both his eyes were swollen shut. His mouth was bleeding and Drake could see that he was going to need a hospital. He backed away from table and headed towards the door. Syn close behind. When the four of them made it to the bar, Syn laid a few hundred dollar bills on the counter and nodded to Jerry.
“For the damages.” He said before they left the bar.
The drive home was a lot like the drive there. No words needed be spoken. They each took inventory of their own injuries. Jax was a bit bloody. His eye was cut and he had a busted lip. Lucas had a few cuts on his face, but for the most part was whole. Drake’s knuckles had taken quite a bit of damage, but that was about the only visible injury he had that Syn could see. As for him, the uppercut caught him in just the right spot to cause a busted lip. He knew he was bleeding; he could taste the familiar copper taste in his mouth. His eye was cut too; he could feel the blood drying. He felt his shirt sticking to his back, but he couldn’t tell why.
“What are we gonna tell the girls when we roll up in there lookin like we just killed some people?” Jax asked from the backseat.
“Nuthin, let’em think what they want. That little Paisley chick don’t like us much anyway.” Lucas said with a slight smile at the mention of her name.
“Yeah, but Ray’s cool. She’s laid back and shit. Not to mention, she stood up to Drake with no fear. Fuck, for that matter so did the girl scout.” Jax said laughing.
“Jax, do you ever shut the fuck up?” Drake asked looking in the rear view, before smiling himself.
“So, we at least gonna let Ty know that the shit has been settled though right?” Jax asked.
“Won’t have to. He knew as soon as we left.” Syn said looking back at his brother. “Put some ice on that when we get in. If it swells any more we might have to have doc make a night call.”
“Fuck that, doc aint comin nowhere near my eye.”
Syn smiled his signature grin and turned back around. His little brother was as tough as they came, but he was still afraid of the doc. The thought made him shake his head. They would be home soon, and Ty would be able to rest easy again.
Syn pulled his cap back around and down over his eyes as he laid his head back. His thoughts traveled to how much he wished he could bury himself in someone tonight. His mind went straight to Raylynn. He could imagine sliding her panties down those perfect legs. He could hear her moaning his name while his tongue played between them. He could taste her sweetness on his tongue. The image in his mind was so vivid; he could feel himself getting hard. There was no denying how bad he wanted to fuck her, but she was off limits now. Jax had marked her for his own. He wouldn’t do that to his brother, no matter how much he wanted to.
The car pulled up in the driveway and Drake killed the engine. They all sat in silence for a few minutes before opening the doors and climbing out. Syn could see someone peeking out the blinds, but couldn’t distinguish who it was.
Raylynn
She saw the lights pull up through the blinds. She hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else, but she had an uneasy feeling about what had happened out there. When the four of them had left, she had seen the look on Ty’s face. He knew what they were doing but wouldn’t let on as to what it was. He looked nervous all night and had kept checking his phone. He was worried about them, which made Raylynn worry too.
She had been peeking out the window when the four of them climbed out of the Suburban. They were all okay. She couldn’t explain the relief she felt at that realization. She had honestly only talked to Jax for a few minutes. She didn’t know these guys really, but there was a connection she felt for them. Like they could be her family. She turned and saw that Paisley was sitting with Ty on the oversized chair. He was staring intently at Raylynn though. She gave him a silent nod and went to open the door.
Drake was in first. Raylynn had really never noticed how big he was. He stood at least six feet four. She took the time to look at him for the first time. His skin was a perfect caramel color. He could have been Hawaiian; she made a mental note to ask Ty. His dark hair was longer than Ty’s, coming in waves down to his shoulders. His hazel eyes were striking against the darkness of his skin. She noticed that he had a scar over his left eye. He was bigger than the others; his muscles were perfectly defined even through his wife beater. She was in awe of his commanding presence.
Syn was next through the door, and Raylynn took in every detail. He was almost as tall as Drake, but not quite. His skin was a perfect tan, and his blue eyes were clear enough that she could see herself in them. His dark hair was only vi
sible on his face. He seemed to always be wearing a ball cap. She let her eyes travel down his neck to his broad shoulders. She could see the top of a tattoo wrapping its way over his shoulders. She wondered what it was of. She could see his muscles through his shirt and had to fight the urge to reach out and touch them. His arms were covered in tattoos as well, and she found herself oddly turned on looking at him. Syn was walking, talking, sex on legs.
When Jax came through behind his brother, she could see the resemblance immediately. He looked like his brother, just younger and less tattooed. They both had strong jaw lines and perfect lips. Jax sported an eyebrow ring and she could have sworn that she saw a tongue ring when they had talked before; and it also seemed that they both wore hats most of the time. She felt him staring at her when he walked past. He smiled a sideways grin and used his uninjured eye to wink at her. She shook her head and waited for Lucas to bring up the rear.
Lucas was sexy in his own right. His bright green eyes were the color of emeralds. He wasn’t as big as the others, and not nearly as defined, but he made up for that with cockiness. He too always seemed to have a cap on, but she knew he was blonde. His scruff made that apparent.
Raylynn closed the door behind Lucas and sat down on the arm of the couch. She could see that they had been fighting. Jax was bleeding from above his eye, and his mouth. His knuckles were split and swollen as well. She looked to Syn who was sitting on the other end of the couch. His lip was busted and his eye had a gash above it. The way he was sitting gave her a good view of his back; he was bleeding from somewhere back there, as his white shirt was red now.
“Everyone okay?” Ty asked once everyone was in the house.
“Yeah, we’re good.” Drake answered looking at his knuckles. They were red and bloody.
“You should see the other guys.” Jax said with a laugh.
“Jax shut up man.” Lucas shot.
“Come on, they aint stupid, they know what’s up.” Jax fired back before sliding closer to Raylynn. “Aint that right?” He asked her.