by Erin Trejo
“What?” Lia asks, pulling back to look up at me.
“My brother is insane. You ready?” Lia nods before I lean down and capture her lips with mine. This day has been pretty damn good and I’m not ready to let that go yet.
Chapter 22
I kick back with a cigarette between my lips and a beer in hand. I’m enjoying the down time. I know it won’t last. In this lifestyle, it never does but I can at least enjoy it while it’s here.
“What are you thinkin’?” Crow asks before sitting down next to me. I shake my head and blow out a ring of smoke.
“Not much. Just enjoyin’ the view.” I nod toward Lia. She’s standing with Mona and Bray playing with the baby. It’s a strange sight to see. This is one of the days that Hawk would allow the women at the clubhouse. Since he isn’t here, I suppose it doesn’t really matter. Smokey has been off his game trying to run shit and figure out who the fucking rat is. His head isn’t in the right place. I can’t say that I blame him there.
“It’s a nice view. You get her figured out?” Crow asks. I turn my head to look at him.
“Nope. Don’t think she’s the one we’re lookin’ for though. At least not the main one.” His eyes widen as he lets that sink in before he says, “You think she knows somethin’?”
I shrug, “Hard to say. There’s somethin’ she ain’t tellin’ me. I don’t know that it’s necessarily about the club.”
Crow doesn’t say anything else. We both sit back and watch the scene in front of us when my phone rings. I slide it out and see it’s James.
“I’ll be back. Keep an eye on her, yeah?” I tell Crow, nodding toward Lia. He grunts his response. I head out the side door and click the green button bringing my phone to my ear.
“What’s up, bro?”
“I got some news about your girl,” He says. My heart starts beating faster. Is it bad? Am I going to hear something that could change everything I thought I was seeing in her?
“Spit it out, James,” I growl into the phone.
“Her parents and her brother were killed. They were in a car accident that burnt up the car but it was staged. They had a huge insurance policy on them. Your girl and her sister, Monica weren’t in the car,” He says. My mouth gapes open. I shake my head before I ask, “What do you mean it was staged?”
“They were shot. All of them. The autopsy confirmed it. They were killed before the crash,” He says softly. There’s more. I can hear it in his voice.
“What else, James?”
“Shit! The accident was over here on my street, Draven. Right down at the corner. It was long before I moved here.”
“What about the money? What happened with that?” I ask wondering how any of this makes sense.
“It’s sitting idle. They couldn’t prove that it wasn’t Lia or her sister.” What the hell? Lia isn’t capable of killing her own family. Anger surges inside of me. That’s bullshit.
“I know you’re pissed. I got my boys pulling some more information, just thought you’d want this.” My head is swarming with information and questions. She couldn’t have done that. She isn’t the type.
“I know that you’re thinking something but stop. Don’t change anything you’re doing. Let me figure this out,” James says, cutting off my thoughts.
“Thanks, brother. I appreciate you sticking your ass out for me.”
“Anytime, Draven. Be careful.” The line goes dead as I slide the phone back in my pocket. This whole thing is turning into more shit than I care to deal with. I don’t want to think that Lia could be the cause of something like this. I don’t like that idea but everything is spinning and when it stops, where is it going to land?
I head back inside wanting to talk to Crow about this shit but when I step inside my world spins a little more. Lia stands right inside the door with Bray’s baby in her arms. The happiest smile I’ve ever seen on one person tugged across her face. She looks like she’s in the best place of her life right there. Something tightens in my chest. What am I doing? What am I doing with her? She shouldn’t be with someone like us. Why is she here? I need to get information from Ratt. If he’s the one that brought her here, he has to know more about her than what he’s saying. Her eyes find mine and I’m stunned into silence. My feet refuse to move. My breath catches in my throat. What am I going to do? Why do I feel like I’m on the losing end of this battle yet again?
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Lia walks over with the baby still in her arms. I glance down at the little girl and nod before walking away. I have to. I can’t stand there in fairy tale land with her. I can’t be that. Smokey may have been able to change his ways but I know deep down I couldn’t. I don’t want kids. I can’t be a dad. Lia deserves a life. She deserves happiness. Or does she? Could she have really killed her own family? It’s a possibility. She may not look deadly but that doesn’t mean a thing. I’ve seen women smaller than here, more delicate looking that have killed.
Why do I want to believe that she didn’t do it so badly? Why is everything inside of me telling me to go back there and hold her? I want that more than anything else but I can’t do it.
Chapter 23
Removing myself from a situation before it turned ugly wasn’t always my strong point. I like the ugly. I like the grief and the blood that comes with a bad situation but when it comes to Lia, I don’t know that I could handle that. If I heard the words spoken that she was involved in the shit happening around the club, I don’t think I could control myself as much as I tell myself I can.
“Hawk’s gettin’ out tomorrow,” Smokey says walking toward me as I sit on my front porch drinking.
“Good to hear.”
“Yeah. Wanna ask you somethin’, Draven. His head ain’t right and he’s goin’ all kinds of crazy when he gets home. You gonna be good with him testin’ Lia?” I take another pull from the bottle of jack in my hand. I swallow hard and look up at Smokey, “She’s a suspect, yeah?” Smokey nods his head slowly his eyes never leaving mine.
“She is.”
“Then what’s with the question?” I try to maintain my cool, calm and collected attitude but inside, shit, inside I’m breaking down. I want to grab Lia and hide her somewhere. I want to get her to safety even if I have to drive her there myself. I want to protect the girl from anything that could hurt her or make her cry. What kind of sick fuck does that make me? What kind of brother am I?
“You’re with her, Draven. She’s been here every night. Don’t think I don’t see that shit, brother,” He says, watching me for a reaction. He won’t get one.
“She’s a job, Smokey. Have I ever backed out of a job before?” I pin him with my gaze. He doesn’t move or falter. He stands there stoically as if I don’t faze him. I probably don’t.
“Nope. You ain’t never had a woman either. I see how you look at her,” He says. That’s enough of that shit. I know what I need to do and if letting her go is the plan, I can handle that. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I shove out of my chair and stand to full height. Smokey watches me with worry on his face.
“Let me tell you somethin’, Smokey. I may be a lot of shit. I may be the last bastard standin’ but I sure as fuck wouldn’t let this club down over a woman! She needs handled? We handle her. She needs the dungeon? She goes in!” I roar. Smokey doesn’t even flinch. He stands there and watches me shaking his head.
“I said the same thing about Bray.” He is not comparing me to himself. No way in fuck. I chuckle and run my hand over my face before I say, “Big difference there, brother. I don’t want the girl. I already had her. I didn’t chase after her like you did.” His fists clench at his sides but he has to know I’m right on this one.
“Keep your head right, Draven. Tomorrow shit’s gonna rain down when Hawk gets here,” He says before turning and walking away. I watch him as he walks back toward the clubhouse. I could see the look in his eyes too. He isn’t joking.
“Fuck,” I grumble as I turn and head inside. Lia sits on the couch
watching TV and snacking on popcorn like this is the most natural thing in the world for her. Maybe it is. Maybe I fucking read her all wrong. Maybe, just maybe she is the bad guy.
“If I told you to walk out that gate and never come back, would you do it?” Her eyes jerk to mine. I don’t know what that look is though.
“What? Why?”
“If I told you that you were in for some of the worst pain in your life and you needed to leave now, would you go?” My voice remains stern, unfazed but inside? I’m drowning.
“No.”
“Why? What’s out there that you’re afraid of?” I ask, cocking my head to the side to study her. She remains calm and focused as she stares me down.
“Nothing.” She turns back to the Tv. I shake my head and blow out a breath. I stomp past her and down the hallway when it hits me. I don’t want her hurt. I don’t want to see what the fuck Ruger will do to her because, frankly, me and her in the dungeon isn’t going to work. There is no fucking way in hell that I could take her in there and do the vile things I do to people. I thought I could. I had that right in my head that I could do it but one look at her and I know there is nothing in this world I would want to hurt her. I want to protect her, for fuck’s sake. Spinning on my heel, I storm back to the living room. I walk over and rip Lia of the couch, holding her shoulders as I shake her slightly.
“They will torture you! They will kill you!” I roar in her face. Her eyes water but she swallows hard.
“I don’t care.”
“Why don’t you care? Why don’t you want to live?”
“I do want to live! It just doesn’t matter at this point!” She screams in my face. She’s getting as heated as I am.
“Then leave! I’m givin’ you the opportunity to walk outta here with no blowback on you. I’m offerin’ you a way out! Take it!” I shake her again. Lia’s head whips back and forth quickly as tears spill down her face.
“I’m dead either way!”
Chapter 24
“What the fuck does that mean?” I ask her, letting her go. Lia takes a step back, the tears still falling down her face. Lia reaches up and swipes at them before licking her lips.
“Can’t you see? I can’t tell you anything! If I do, I’m dead. If I don’t, who cares, right?” She says throwing her arms wide. I don’t know what to say. For once, I’m stunned into silence. I don’t know how to reply to her. What do you say to that? I go with the first thing that comes to mind, “I know about your family. The accident.” Her eyes widen, fear crosses her features. Her face pales.
“What? What do you mean?” She asks almost choking on her own words.
“I know they were killed. I know there was more to it. I know about the money. I. Know.” I pronounce the last two words a little harsher to get my point across. But what is that point? I don’t even fucking know.
“You know nothing. So, what? There was an accident.” She wraps her arms around herself. It’s a soothing tactic. I’ve seen it more than once. I watch her eyes. That’s where I’m going to find the truth. That’s where this road is leading us.
“Tell me you did it,” I tell her. She looks everywhere but at me. I reach forward, grabbing her chin in my hand, forcing her to look at me. “Tell me you killed them all. Tell me that you took a gun, put it to your little brother’s head and blew his life out of him. Tell me!” I roar the last two words. Lia’s eyes water and her lip trembles.
“I didn’t kill them. God, I should have gone with them that day! I shouldn’t have been such a brat! I was a bad kid, Draven. I said things. Mean things that I can never take back. I said they always loved my brother more! I told them I hated them! I didn’t hate them. I didn’t. I swear I didn’t.” It isn’t her admission that tells me she’s telling the truth. It’s the hurt, regret and anger in her eyes. It’s like I can see into her past. The words that she spoke that now rip her apart inside. Lia cries so hard, her body shakes. The sounds leaving her throat are pure agony. I let her go and watch as she falls to her knees in front of me.
“I told them I hated them. My sister only stayed with me because they told her to. She was the oldest. She was so mad at me when she didn’t get to go.” She sobs into her hands. I look down but I don’t know how to help her. I don’t know how to make things okay for her. She walked from her own hell into this one. Now she’s in my hell. My reality.
“Where were they goin’?” I ask. Lia looks up a little confused before she wipes at her eyes.
“Mini golf,” She says with a sad smile on her face. “My brother used to love it. Whatever he said he wanted to do, they did it. I was jealous of him. I didn’t kill him though. He was my family, Draven.” The hurt in her eyes eats me alive. I drop to my knees in front of her, pulling her head to my chest.
“You have to leave here, Lia. Doesn’t matter where you go as long as you’re gone. I can’t stop what they’ll do to you,” I tell her as I run my hand down her back.
“I can’t leave. Even if I wanted to,” She sighs, trying to control her breathing. I pull back and grab her face once more in my hand.
“Look at me, Lia. I need you to go,” I tell her. Almost pleading. I will beg her. I will if I have to. If that’s what keeps her safe.
“Draven, I can’t. After my parents died, someone came after me and my sister. She took off. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to run. I had nothing and no one. She had a plan.” She starts. Someone came after them?
“Why would someone come after you?” I ask the obvious.
“The money. We couldn’t touch it. It’s sealed until my twenty first birthday. The cops always looked at me and Monica like we did it. Like we killed them for the money.” Lia chokes on a sob when I pull her back against me.
“Fuck, Lia,” I mumble under my breath. I hold her like this for a long time. Maybe even an hour before Lia pulls her head from my chest, leaning up slightly. Her fingers move to the hem of my shirt. When she has her little hands underneath, she drags her nails over my abs. I suck in a breath as I look down at her.
“They are gonna take this club shit out on you,” I tell her as my dick hardens.
“It’s better than what’s out there,” She says. Her eyes stay on mine. I read her. I read her like a fucking book. Whatever it is she is scared. Whoever it is, she’s afraid of them.
“Are they cops?” I ask as her fingers work the button on my jeans.
“Some of them.” Fuck! I didn’t want to hear that.
“You could run,” I tell her just as her fingers wrap around my dick. Lia shakes her head, “I have nowhere to go.” Slow, soft strokes. She’s making my head spin. My heart races.
“Tell me who else is involved,” I tell her as she strokes me some more.
“I can’t.”
“You can, Lia. I’m here, baby. I’m not goin’ anywhere,” I grunt.
“If I told you, you would kill me. This is the only way to stay alive, Draven. But after tomorrow, I won’t have to worry anymore,” She says as she lowers herself down. Her lips wrap around me. I gasp.
“Why tomorrow?” I ask as Lia sucks the life straight out of me.
“Your guys will torture and kill me. Just like you said but for me, it will be a pleasure. It will mean that he doesn’t get anything.” Her words ring in my head but her lips are taking me somewhere else. The harder she sucks the more I need to be inside of her. I grab her head, pulling her lips free before leaning down and capturing them with mine. I kiss her like a savage. I want to ruin her. I want to mark her. I lay her down, shoving my jeans and boxers to my ankles as I go. I lift the long shirt she’s wearing and growl when I find her naked beneath it.
“I’m goin’ in bare. I don’t give a fuck at this point.” I tell her before I shove forcefully inside of her. Her walls clamp down, she cries out my name. I look at her face, so perfect and sated. Her eyes are closed but the tears still leak from under those fluttering lids. I push into her once more before I lean down and kiss her closed eyes. Her body shud
ders.
“We’re gonna figure this out. I don’t want you to go,” I whisper against her soft skin.
“There’s no other way.” Her hands wrap around my back, her nails digging into my skin. It’s such a sweet burn, I never want it to end.
“I’ll find one,” I tell her, my hips rocking into her. She doesn’t say anything else. She lets the feelings she has inside of her unleash on me and I gladly accept it all.
Chapter 25
I crack my eye open as the sunlight beats through the front window. I glance down to find Lia draped over my body. Her long dark hair is splayed across my chest, her naked body on display for me. I fucked her senseless last night. That doesn’t mean shit for today. Today is a new day. A new reality. I know Hawk’s coming home today. I know what the plans are for Lia too. The one problem I didn’t plan on having? Feelings for her. I knew they were there. I knew that I felt things but after what she told me last night? I can’t let them do that shit to her. She may not be telling me the whole truth but I damn sure can’t let her go down like they planned.
“Hey, beautiful. You need to wake up.” Ideas spin around my mind like a tornado ready to rip apart anything in its path. My heart is heavy with some of the things that are whipping through there. Lia stirs as I run my fingers through her hair.
“You awake?” I ask.
“Hmm,” She hums. I smile even though she can’t see me.
“We only have one choice today. We need to get up and get the hell outta here before Hawk comes back,” I tell her. That decision is weighing heavily on my mind and heart. No one will give a damn if I disappear for a while but taking something they see as a threat? That changes things.