Edge (Parker Reed #2)

by J. M. Walker

  Parker and I looked at each other before following him down the hall to the office.

  “Check the area,” Greyson told his crew. “Anyone you don’t recognize, shoot them in the leg.”

  “Fuck yeah,” Ex exclaimed. “Target practice, boys.”

  Snake shook his head and the rest of the guys made their way out of the house.

  “I swear. Give them a gun and their dicks grow hard.” Greyson pushed open the office door.

  We found Jones standing by the bookshelf. “Ready, Miss Price?”

  Instinctively, I grabbed Parker’s hand. “Now I am.”

  Jones nodded once and stuck a key into the shelf. When it opened completely, he stepped out of the way. “After you.”

  I took a breath and went into the bright room, my heart instantly skipping a beat when my gaze landed on the computer set up. Moving further into the room, I stopped when the middle screen flashed to life and I saw him. Devin. Staring back at me.

  An evil grin spread on his face. “Hello, Keely.”

  “What’s…what’s going on?” I asked, looking between the monitor and Jones.

  He sighed. “I’m sorry.” He quickly shut the door, closing me in with someone that I wasn’t supposed to see yet. I was supposed to have time to prepare for the meeting with him. This was not the plan.

  “Jones.” I banged on the door. “Please.” I couldn’t hear anything from the other side of the door but I could only imagine that Parker was giving him hell.

  “Keely.”

  Bracing myself, I turned around. “How could you kill Patrick?”

  Devin sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin. “I needed you to take me seriously. You all go on about how I can’t do anything for myself but you know what? I bet you take me seriously now, don’t you?”

  “How did you know where we were…?” I frowned, realization dawning. “Is Jones really in on this? Please…please don’t tell me that you’re paying him off.”

  “No. Unfortunately not. I can’t fucking crack that guy. I should have gone to one of the Hell’s Harlem. They would do anything for a little extra cash.”

  “They’re loyal to Greyson. If they betrayed us, he would have them killed. They know that. Club rules.”

  Devin tapped the screen. “Sit. We need to chat.”

  “Can I see my dad?” I asked, doing as I was told. There was no point in arguing with him. It would only make our lives that much more unbearable.

  “You can. When we meet.”

  “Please, Devin.”

  “Stop. You will listen to me and listen to me good, Keely. You better come with all of the hacking skills you have mastered. And you will come alone. But I know that you’ll have your band of merry men outside, waiting for you. Making sure that you’re safe.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I don’t care about that as much as I care about you coming with that beautiful brain of yours. No fuck ups or I will kill your dad in front of you. I will force you to watch like you’ve forced me to watch you fuck another man.”

  My eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

  He chuckled. “That got your attention.”

  “I don’t…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My heart raced. It couldn’t be true. He was lying.

  “You do realize that there are cameras in that place right?”

  “No. That’s not possible.”

  “I learned a thing or two about hacking, princess.”

  My eyes widened when an image of Parker and I in the playroom the first night he brought me here flashed onto the screen.

  “Come again, Keely. Come on my cock.” He leaned over me, grabbing my shoulders and pushed into me hard.

  The sound of my gasp erupted through the speakers. “Oh God.”

  “That’s it. Let me hear you. I’ve missed hearing you screaming my name.”

  “Harder.”

  “I’m going to fucking rip your sweet body open.”

  Bile rose to my throat at the scene before me when it switched to the rope room. Parker was pouring wax onto my body and the sounds of my moans jarred into my mind.

  “Fly for me, angel.”

  “Oh God.” I clapped a hand over my mouth. It had been our most intimate time together ever. Not only had Parker taken over my body, controlling me completely, he had taken over my mind as well. For this to be caught on camera and in the hands of the most sadistic and evil man I had ever met brought bile to my throat. Our love had been tainted. If Parker…

  My screams became louder and louder when Parker impaled himself into my body.

  “Shut it off,” I yelled, covering my ears. “Turn it off!”

  The sounds of passion stopped and were soon replaced by Devin’s evil laugh. “If I would have known that you were into kink, I would have tried harder. Looks like you haven’t been worrying too much about what I would do next. I bet if you weren’t so wrapped up in Parker, Patrick would still be alive.”

  “Fuck you!” I screamed, shoving to my feet.

  His laughter hardened, turning deep and boisterous.

  “You sick fucking bastard! I’ll kill you. Whatever you’ve done to my father and the shit you did to me will be a million times worse when I get through with you,” I yelled.

  At that point I heard people joining me in the room but I couldn’t make out their voices. Arms wrapped around me, pulling me from the room as Devin continued to laugh.

  “Three days, Keely. You are fucking mine. I will allow you to bury Patrick since I am a nice guy and all.” He laughed. “But you will show up if you ever want to see your father again.”

  EELY, CALM down. Breathe, angel. Damn it, breathe!”

  I gasped for air, my lungs constricting and burning with the lack of oxygen. “He’s…he’s been watching us.” I swallowed past the bile that had risen to my throat. “Parker.”

  He cupped my cheeks, silencing me with a kiss. “Breathe with me.” He took deep breaths, placing soft pecks on my mouth every so often.

  Shaking my head, I gripped his arm, doing as he said. My shoulders slumped, my body aching with the stress that was because of Devin. “He’s seen everything that we’ve done.” The tiny hairs on my body tingled. I knew Devin was nowhere near us but I couldn’t help but feel like he was watching us.

  “Jones, turn off the fucking security cameras,” Colin growled.

  Jones nodded and headed back into the house. That was when I realized that we were outside on the patio. The cold wind whipped around us, sending a shiver down my back. Parker wrapped an arm around me, pulling me tighter against him.

  Troy was sitting on a bench across the yard, his head in his hands. Although he was several feet away, I could see the bone-crushing sobs wracking through his lean body.

  Fresh tears welled in my eyes and I snuggled into Parker’s side. I couldn’t take it anymore. I wasn’t strong enough. So much pain. So much darkness. It was like a thunderous cloud had taken up permanent residence in our lives, shielding us from the rays of sunshine that we no longer felt.

  “Keely,” Greyson said gently, sitting beside me. “What did he say?”

  “I have to meet him . He told me to come alone but knows that you all will be there as well.” I wiped under my eyes and took a breath. “He needs me to do some work for him.”

  Greyson nodded, his strong jaw clenching. “What was the outcome of your meeting with Agent Cross?”

  “I think we scared him but I don’t know if he’ll listen to us and do as we asked,” Parker said, rubbing his jaw.

  “How do we make sure that he does?” I asked, my voice small. I didn’t want to think of what would happen to the agent if he turned us in.

  Greyson smirked. “Well…”

  “Legally, I mean,” I said. “I don’t want to hurt him. Scare him, yes, but I’ve done enough in my life that I’m not proud of. I don’t want to add more to that list.”

  “Call him,” Parker ordered, handing me a cell phone.

  “What? Now?” I took it from him and opened
my mouth to ask more when Jones and the rest of the Hell’s Harlem joined us outside.

  “Security cameras are disabled and Patrick’s body has been moved until we’re ready to bury him. The kitchen has also been cleaned.” Jones loosened his black tie and rolled his head on his shoulders. “I need a fucking drink.”

  The crew grunted in response.

  “We need to talk to Troy first.” Colin clapped Jones on the shoulder and nodded towards Troy.

  A knowing glance passed between the two of them before they turned to me. “Do you trust us?” Jones asked.

  I frowned. “Depends on if you’re going to lock me in a room again.”

  His eyes darkened with guilt. “I am sorry for that. Colin and Parker already gave me shit.”

  “Why did you lock me in there in the first place?”

  “He threatened the safety of Colin and Parker. I had no choice.” Jones voice was firm, challenging me to argue with him.

  My shoulders slumped in defeat as a sigh escaped my lips. I nodded. “I trust you,” I said finally.

  “Good girl,” Colin said. “Listen. Together, Jones and I…we want…” He looked back at Troy before meeting my gaze. “We want to help him. Will you allow us to do that?”

  “Of course.” Anxiety twisted at my stomach over everything that had happened in such a short matter of time. “Please. He needs all the help that he can get. He…”

  “Keely, we will help him in whatever way that we can.” Colin turned to Greyson and his crew. “Can you give us a minute?”

  “Sure thing.” Greyson snapped his fingers and winked at me when the club followed him into the house.

  Colin sat beside me with Jones standing on the other side of Parker. “You know the lifestyle that we live. You’ve now been introduced to it by Parker. We want to slowly bring Troy into it.”

  My head whipped around. “Really?”

  Colin smiled sadly. “We want to take him under our wing, so to speak. We won’t push him to do anything that he doesn’t want to do—”

  “Please. Yes. Do whatever it takes.” I grabbed Colin’s arm as he rose to his feet. “Just bring me back my best friend.”

  He nodded and together, they made their way to Troy. I watched as they said something to him. Troy kept his head in his hands but slowly nodded. Colin sat beside him and placed a hand on his back. Troy’s shoulders shook. Colin glanced at me when he wrapped his arm around him. Troy returned the embrace, crying hard against Colin. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. Jones sat on the other side of Troy, whispering in his ear. “You think they can help him?” I asked Parker, curling my feet under me.

  “Yes. In time. Troy needs to mourn Patrick’s loss.” Parker squeezed my thigh with reassurance. “This is what Colin and Jones do.”

  “I thought Jones wasn’t gay.” Not that it mattered really but I had to know for Troy’s sake. I didn’t want him hurt again.

  “He’s not but he loves Colin so he would do anything to make him happy.”

  That bond was not normally shared between two people let alone three. Loving someone was hard work. It was a twenty-four/seven task and I couldn’t ask for better for Troy.

  “One day at a time, angel.” Parker kissed my forehead. “One day at a time.”

  “KEELY?”

  My heart jumped at the soft, deep voice and turned from my laptop towards Troy coming up behind me.

  A small smile appeared on his lips. “Can I join you?”

  I nodded quickly. “Of course.”

  He sat beside me, stretching out his long legs in front of him. It had been several hours since Patrick’s murder. It was now late into the night but none of us could sleep.

  “What are you working on?” Troy asked, nodding towards the computer on my lap.

  “Uh…I’m trying to find out everything that I can on my dad.” I glanced at the screen. “But unfortunately, Devin did well at hiding him.”

  “So it’s like he actually died.”

  “Yeah.” I sighed and shut the laptop closed, placing it on the coffee table in front of us. “H-how are you doing?”

  He shrugged. “I’m…” He swallowed hard. “I’ll be okay I guess.”

  Colin appeared at the doorway of the office, holding two beers in his hands, and then handed them to us.

  We both thanked him.

  He nodded once before locking eyes with Troy. “One month,” was all he said before he left the room.

  “One month?” I asked Troy, taking a swig of the cold brew.

  A slight flush crept up his neck. “He, uh…Jones and him want me back here in a month. After this shit is done. They told me or I guess…they instructed me to mourn Patrick and then I have to be back here.”

  “You can trust them,” I told him, curling my feet under me.

  “I know.” His look became thoughtful as the silence wore on.

  “I am sorry,” I whispered finally.

  “I know that, too.” Troy grabbed my hand, linking his fingers in mine. “And I’m sorry for the shit I said to you. For blaming you.” His voice became thick and he cleared his throat. “I love you, Keely.”

  Tears burned my eyes. “I love you, too.”

  “So your father is alive. That’s fucking amazing and ridiculous all at the same time.”

  “I agree.” I wrapped a hand around his thick arm and leaned my head against his shoulder. “If you would have known that this would happen all those years ago, would you have convinced me to leave?”

  “Yes,” he said automatically.

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  “What you have with Parker…I want that and I like to believe that I had it with Patrick but I honestly feel that everything happens for a reason. Look at what we’ve been through, Keely.”

  “I know, honey. I just wish things were easier for us.”

  He kissed my head. “I know, baby girl.” He took a deep breath. “Patrick would be happy right now seeing us talking again. He called me a douche monkey for getting mad at you in the first place.”

  “You had every right, Troy. I betrayed your trust. I understand—”

  “No. It’s still no reason for how I treated you.”

  “Okay. Well, I forgive you,” I whispered.

  He hooked an arm around my shoulders, holding me against him. “Colin is a scary man.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “You think so?”

  “Dude, one look from him and my knees tremble with fear.”

  “Are you sure it’s fear they tremble with?” I waggled my eyebrows.

  His cheeks reddened. “Patrick would like him.”

  “Colin doesn’t expect you to move on right away. It hasn’t even been a day yet.” I sat up and crossed my legs, turning towards him. “Jones and Colin are very patient men. From what I’ve heard, they train people to um…well…” I wasn’t sure exactly what Troy knew or if they had shown him the play room or even the rope room.

  “I know. I find myself willing to do whatever it takes to move on but…I need time.”

  I threw my arms around his neck. “I know. They know that. We’ll all get through this together.”

  “How are you doing?” he asked me.

  I opened my mouth to reply when nothing came out. I honestly had no idea how I was doing. Or how this would all play out. But as long as I had my best friend and my boyfriend, I would get through this. I had to.

  PATRICK WAS dead; the rest of us remained alive. Looking down at the grave as his coffin was being lowered into the ground, I held tight onto Troy’s hand. I knew a part of him still blamed me for the death of the man that he loved. I even blamed myself. I thought back to that first day I met Devin Tate. If only I wouldn’t have let him into my life. My parents would probably still be alive. Patrick would be with Troy and Parker and I would have a normal relationship. But would I have still met Parker? If I never met Devin, than Troy would never have needed to save me. And then we wouldn’t have moved to the city. Funny how life worked sometimes. />
  I liked to think that I still would have met Parker even if I never had met Devin. If I never had talked to him at that ice cream shop. If I never agreed to go on that date with him.

  Life was full of what-if’s.

  It was two days after Patrick’s death. Jones and Colin had worked their magic and set up a private funeral just so Troy could say goodbye. I knew that usually in cases like this, they would just bury the body and be done with it so the police would have no way of getting involved. But apparently they knew a guy who knew a guy who owed them a favor.

  It was still raining as we all huddled under our own umbrellas, Troy and I sharing one. The Hell’s Harlem were standing around us, their Old Ladies on their arms. Greyson the only one without a woman. He caught my eye and smiled softly at me.

  I nodded, inhaling a shaky breath.

  The priest continued on, blessing Patrick’s body. It was a nice, short funeral and it gave Troy a chance to heal and move on.

  Once the funeral was over, I stayed with Troy while he spoke quietly at the graveside, telling Patrick how much he loved him and how sorry he was. Tears welled in my eyes and as much as I needed to say something, I couldn’t for fear of breaking down and losing it. Again.

  “Baby, I know you told me to move on and be happy but I can’t. Not without you.”

  My head whipped around. “Troy,” I gasped.

  His shoulders shook. “He died in my arms.”

  Oh God. I knelt beside him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” I cried along with him as we both told Patrick that he would be missed. I hadn’t known him that well but he was good for Troy. He had helped that timid boy inside of him grow into the strong confident man that he was today. Years ago, he never would have spoken to me like he did through all of this. Although the words hurt, I was glad that he told me how he felt instead of keeping it bottled inside.

  “Keely?”

  Wiping under my eyes, I looked up as Parker, Colin, and Jones approached us.

  “We have to go, angel,” Parker said softly.

  I nodded. “Troy.” I cupped his face and kissed his cheek. “Let’s go home.”