"You should. You should blame me. I should have looked harder. I knew Dad cheated, I knew it. I didn't know that he got another woman pregnant. If I had known, I would have taken care of you." Kane wrapped a towel around his knuckles, and the blood seeped through, making it look like a massacre.
“I don’t blame you. How can I blame you for something you didn’t know? How does that seem fair, Kane? You’re doing more for me than I ever dreamed about. You gave me a home, food, clothing, a haircut. And let me tell you something about that haircut that you were so excited about. I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. You want to know why? Because they wanted it long, they said it made me look younger and more appealing to the market. Every time I rebelled and cut it, they beat me. Every time I threatened to cut it, they would cut me. So yeah, when you took me to get my hair cut, it was like the chains that had bound me were gone. You couldn’t save me then, and that’s okay. But you have saved me now.”
Kane opened his arms and Evan ran into his chest. A thump filled the room from the intensity and Kane cupped his brother’s head, apologizing over and over.
“I think we need to get you to a therapist. Or just think about it okay? We need to get you to the doctor, have you checked for you know, any diseases.”
"Okay," Evan whispered, and for the first time, I finally saw how young he was. How anyone could break this kid's spirit was beyond me. Why anyone would want to do this to a child in general was disgusting.
"There's more," Dylan said from the couch. His arm was draped over the back of it, and his eyes were glued to Evan before looking at Kane.
“They are on their way here. I assume they’re going to come to you and demand money. Not only did you take their paycheck, but you lost them about five-hundred thousand dollars because now they can’t sell him.”
“How did I take their paycheck? They’re still his foster parents,” Kane pointed out.
“Actually, as of yesterday, I might have hacked into the system and change a few things where you are the legal guardian and brother. He is no longer tied to them.” Dylan threw the file on the table with a final plop. “Boom.”
“You did all that for me?” Evan had tears in his eyes as he walked up to Dylan. Kane let him go, trusting that Dylan wouldn’t lose it.
"Of course I did. You're my best friend's brother," Dylan said like he had been practicing it in the mirror.
“Thank you.” Evan bent down and kissed Dylan on the cheek before turning and going back to the shelter.
I glanced over at Dylan, who had his hand where Evan kissed him, smiling like a fool.
“Get that thought out of your head, right now!” Kane spat.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dylan played dumb.
"Guys, can we do this later? Yes, Dylan knows he is underage and can't touch him. Kane, we know you are the protective big brother. Let's move on." I waved my arms to clear the air.
“We need to be on our toes. We don’t know when they will be here, but you need to call your lawyer. Change his name from Little to Bridgeshaw, that I wasn’t able to do, sorry. And put money in his name. The more established he looks with you, the worse it looks for them. They are going to come here, guns ablazing. We need to be ready.”
“I don’t understand why they would go through all the trouble though. If they needed money that bad, god forbid I wouldn’t want this to happen, couldn’t they get another kid?” Kane asked Dylan.
"It isn't only about money. It's about possession. You took what belongs to them, and they want it back. They know it probably won't happen, so they will demand money. I've already called the FBI, they are aware. We have them on our side.” Dylan tossed his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.
“Why don’t you go upstairs in the guest bedroom and crash for a bit? You look like hell, man.” Kane clapped Dylan’s hand, helping him up.
“Thanks, love you too.”
“Shut up and get your ass to sleep.”
“Yeah, sleep sounds so good right about now.” Dylan stretched, his back popping as he walked away down the hall and up the steps. The door closed, and all that was left was me, Kane, and the tension from the shit that had hit the fan.
Chapter 12
The day was beautiful as Dylan, Kane, Evan and I sat in the park by the lake underneath my favorite weeping willow tree. It had been a few weeks, and there was still no word from his foster parents. We were hoping they got scared and high-tailed it out of the country, but one could only hope.
Kane was teaching Evan how to fish, leaving Dylan and me on the blanket underneath the beautiful tree. I always loved how they covered everything like an umbrella. They were so unique.
“So, Dylan.”
“So, Leslie,” he mocked.
"In all seriousness, between you and me. Do you have feelings for Evan?" I whispered just in case Kane had supersonic hearing.
Dylan sighed. “Yeah, I do. From the moment I saw him, he made my heart stop. I know he isn’t eighteen yet, but once he is…” He didn’t finish the thought, making me fill in the blanks with his plan.
“Kane won’t be happy.” I picked at the dewy green grass.
"I don't care. It isn't about him. This is about me and my happiness. It's about Evan and his happiness. Kane can be protective, that's fine, but I'd rather cut my arm off than to ever hurt Evan." He toed the dirt with his tennis shoe, an anxious, insecure move. I would say he wasn’t feeling too confident about the situation.
“And plus, Evan might not even want me. He might want to make his brother happy after so many years of not knowing him, ya know? A man can dream though.” He shrugged.
“I support you. I’d kill you if you ever hurt him, though.” I squinted my eyes and gave the best look I could so they seemed threatening.
He laughed. “I think the way you would kill me would be so much worse than Kane’s way. Yours would be slow and deliberate, while Kane’s would be fast because he is quick to anger.” Dylan karate chopped the air, making a hi-ya noise.
Kane and Evan walked back with smiles on their faces. "I caught one! I actually caught one! I didn't think I would get it because the line was so tight, and the end of the rod was so curved I thought it was going to snap in half. But Kane let out more string to help with the tension. I thought my arm was going to fall off from exhaustion. You guys want to see?"
Dylan and I said at the same time, "Yes, absolutely." He went back to the shore where the line was where they’d hooked the fish, and when he came walking back, it took all I had not to laugh. When I looked over at Dylan, he had his mouth open and eyes wide, as we took in Evan's fish.
Kane muffled his smile with his hand. "He took to fishing like a champion. I think a few more attempts and we’ll be ready to go out on the water." He slapped Evan's back, making him stumble.
“Dude, you have to watch your strength. You’re like massive compared to me.” Evan rubbed his shoulder, pinching his face in pain.
Kane’s smile disappeared. “I’m sorry, are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Anyways, guys. Look at my first fish!" Evan held up the silver-scaled creature, and we all clapped.
It was the smallest fish of all time. It couldn’t be more than three inches long, but he seemed happy, and there was no way in hell I was taking that away from him.
“Well, are you going to cook it up? It’s only the right of passage,” Dylan teased.
Evan gasped. “It’s just a baby. How could you say that? I’m releasing him back. Why do you think I brought the bucket? You’re an animal!” Evan stomped away back to the lake, releasing the fish he had just caught.
“He is so damn cute.” Dylan sighed. I swear I could see his heart beating out of his chest.
"Yeah, yeah," Kane grumbled like the Grinch.
We all turned when we heard a car pull up to the park. It was a beaten up white van pulling behind a tree. The windows were tinted black and the trim of the car was rusted. The tires lo
oked too small, and smoke billowed from the crack of the windows, which were slightly rolled down. The hairs on the back of my next stood up when I got the feeling we were being watched.
“Do you feel that, Dylan?” I whispered, afraid whoever was in the white van would hear me.
"Sure do. Don't look obvious. Go about your natural actions, and don't look at them," Dylan said as if he was laughing at something I said.
“Are you kidding me? Now I want to look back. You can’t say things like that and expect people not to look. It’s unnatural,” I whispered as loud as I could from the corner of my mouth.
Kane sat next to me as we watched Evan swim in the lake with not a care in the world.
“What’s going on?” Kane grabbed my hand and squeezed tight.
“We think someone is watching us, and we also believe it might be his foster parents.” Dylan pointed his head in the direction that the van was sitting, and Kane squeezed my hand as he watched Evan play.
“I won’t let them take him,” Kane said with death in his tone.
“I won’t either,” Dylan said. “I wish I had my gun, but I didn’t think they would do this at a family park.”
“Obviously, nothing is going to happen. It’s broad daylight, and people are around. They would have to be complete idiots.” As soon as I finished my sentence, we heard tires squeal in the distance.
We all got to out feet, looking at the white van that was speeding towards us.
"They are headed straight for us!" I yelled as my heart pounded in my chest. Oh my gosh, what if this was where I died? I didn't want to die. I screamed as we all ran in a zig-zag pattern across the park, but it was no use, the van was gaining ground faster than we could run.
“We need to get behind the tree, back where we were. It’s the biggest one that will cover all three of us. At least Evan’s in the water.” We all looked at him treading water with his brows drawn in worry.
The van was getting closer, and I only had one minute to dive behind the tree before impact. I could feel my lungs burning, a stitch in my side, and my head was getting dizzy from the adrenaline.
Right when I was mid-dive behind the tree, I felt something hard against my back, sending me flying through the air.
Inked Forever
Description
Black roses for Kane and Leslie’s beginning.
Red for the blood that will be spilt.
Or is red the color of the end?
Leslie’s life was on the line, and she had no idea why. She knew one thing, that she was tired of all the pain and agony life had brought her recently and was ready for a change.
She didn’t know how to move forward. She didn’t know how to accept what had happened. Would Kane want to be with her still? Would Kane see her as damaged goods?
Can Kane and Leslie fight life’s daggers? Or will they drown in Ocean’s ink?
Chapter 1
My ribs screamed from the impact against the ground. My lungs choked and dirt flew into my eyes as Kane landed on top of me. He was massive and I felt my ribs give a little.
“Leslie! Kane!” Evan splashed to shore, trying to get to us.
A steady clicking brought me out of my stupor. My oxygen deprived brain started to catch up with my surroundings. Smoke filled my nostrils and turning my head, I saw the van that had tried to annihilate us. The front-end was smashed, the right headlight now hung low to the ground, and the windshield was smashed on the left side with a splatter of blood.
“Oh my God,” I groaned, but I couldn’t move. The weight of Kane kept me in place, making it difficult to breathe.
“Kane.”
He grunted, rolling off me with a thud. “What the hell?”
I tested my mobility by starting with my toes, fingers, and my neck. I winced when a muscle pulled, but it was better than being dead.
“Are you okay? Leslie, talk to me.” Kane’s hands traveled up my body, and like always, it heated from his touch. Gosh, this was so not the time.
“Kane? What happened?” I sat up and my head swam, making me put my hand against my forehead.
“Some lunatic tried to run us over. Are you okay?” When I glanced over at Kane to tell him I was okay, I noticed his arm was bleeding. His shirt was torn and a big gash cut across his inner bicep.
“Kane, you’re bleeding!”
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” He glanced down at his arm, then looked over my entire body. He was assessing me with calculating eyes.
“Kane, I’m fine. I’m not the one bleeding.”
He ripped his shirt off, tying it around his cut. “Better?”
My tongue lashed out, licking my bottom lip as he muscles bunched and flexed. His skin glistened in the sun, sweat dripped across the planes of his chest, down between the valley of his abs, soaking in the waistband of his underwear.
“Are you checking me out?”
I wanted to pout when he stopped me from my assessment.
“Yes…?”
He smirked. Standing up, he held out his hand to help me up. “Insatiable.”
“Are you guys okay?” Evan rushed over to us dripping from the lake he was swimming in.
“Yeah, just a little shaken.”
“You!” An older man that looked to be in his seventies tumbled out of the vehicle with a gun. His pot belly stretched his dirty white tank top, and his hair was greasy like it hadn’t been washed in days. The other door of the van opened revealing a far too skinny woman. Her cheeks were sunken in, her brown hair was stringy, her clothes hung off her bones, and bruises marked her arms.
“Frank.” Evan backed up a step, tripping over a tree root.
“Frank? Your foster dad, Frank?” Kane yanked Evan behind him, protecting him from the gun-wielding maniac.
“Marissa…” Evan looked over at the only mother he had over known, and my heart shattered for the young man that had been in this situation all his life.
“Your mother promised us a shit ton of money when she died and guess what? We haven’t gotten shit.” The delusional man waved the little black gun in the air and Kane put his arms out like he was trying to tame a wild beast.
“Now, listen. If it’s money you want, I have plenty of it.” Kane tried to compromise.
“What do you mean my mom promised you money? My mom died giving birth to me!” Evan shouted from behind Kane’s back.
The wicked man laughed, showing his stained rotten teeth. “Are you kidding? She gave you up the minute your dad wouldn’t fork up any money.”
Evan looked distraught. “What are you talking about? Was she alive all this time? The money you got every month…” His brows were scrunched like he was replaying all the memories of them checking the mail to reveal the paycheck.
“You’re an idiot. Always have been. That money was drug money.”
Evan was staring off into space, tears trailing down his cheek. “She didn’t want me. No one wanted me.”
“That’s right. You’ve been nothing but a pain the ass. Look at what you did to my wife.” He pointed the gun at the sickly woman.
“That is your fault. And you’re wrong. We want him.” Kane rose to his full height and the man stumbled back a bit. He always looked so intimidating, oozing raw power that made my heart race. He gave me strength.
I stood with pride next to Kane, blocking Evan from this verbal and mental abuse. He would never have to experience this again. He had us.
“We want a million dollars for the boy.” Frank spit a thick glob of brown liquid onto the ground, which made my stomach turn.
“Done.”
“Kane, you don’t have to do this.” Evan clutched the back of Kane’s shirt like a lifeline.
“Yes, I do. You’re my brother. Plus, that money is your money too. You’re just buying your freedom.” Kane winked before turning back around.
“Aw, how sweet.” The man cocked the gun. “Now, take us to the money.”
“Not today, Andrew.” Dylan had crept up behind him with a gun
to his temple and a few cops were behind them, weapons drawn. One began to arrest Marissa.
“My name is Frank!” The man struggled.
“Now, now, Andrew. No more lying. We know who you are. Tiffany and Andrew Brickel, you paid a lot of money to look like the couple you killed all those years ago, but you let yourself go.” Dylan tsked.
“Oh, thank God.” My shoulders slumped with relief. I had forgotten that Dylan was with us. My brain had completely shut off during this entire mess.
The cops came from behind Dylan, cuffs in hand, the sun reflected on the silver metal blinding me in the eyes for a moment, but I didn’t care. The temporary blindness was welcome if it meant seeing them get arrested.
“Tiffany and Andrew Brickel, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have a right to an attorney…” The cops read them their Miranda Rights as they walked away. Their voices faded into the distance as they walked to their cruisers that were outside the park.
“Why did they park so far away?” I asked.
“When I called them, I told them what was happening and when I said there was a man with a gun, I suggested that they park away from the scene so that we could have the upper hand.”
My brows furrowed. “Uh, Dylan, what if your plan didn’t work? What if he shot us?” The sun was scorching, causing beads of sweat to form on my temple. It was a hot day for the fall season. The leaves hadn’t changed color yet; they were still a vivid green like they were nowhere near ready to evolve into a variety of beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows.
“That was a chance I had to calculate.” He shrugged his shoulder like playing with our lives wasn’t a big deal.
“I’m glad you can decide when to gamble with someone’s life,” I spit at him. I wasn’t comfortable with that. That wasn’t a typical, everyday event. Gun-wielding people don’t stumble out of the woodwork. I was shaken up. I needed to see that he was only doing what was best for the circumstances. That crazy Frank, or Andrew, or whatever the hell his name was, could have ended up shooting us anyway.
The Ink Romance Series Page 30