by J Bree
“I think I should go alone. Harley is being targeted by the Jackal, I don’t want to paint targets on Ash and Blaise, and Avery wouldn’t be safe there. Illi has offered to pick me up so I’m going to take him up on that.”
All of the savage looks swing to focus on me.
For fuck’s sake!
“Over my dead fucking body are you going to a party at the docks with the Butcher without me,” Harley growls.
I grit my teeth. “It’s not like I haven’t been a million times before and Illi will watch my back. It’s not somewhere I want to take you guys.”
Blaise scowls, flicking his beer bottle cap at Harley. “Why? I mean, the Jackal could come to Hannaford and kill Harley whenever he wants to, the gossip site has announced our relationships to the world, and we always protect Avery. Why not take us so we can protect you too?”
I scrub a hand over my face. “You want to take Avery somewhere full of drugs, sex, murder, violence, girls being kidnapped, torture, rape, the list goes fucking on? You want that? Because I sure as hell don’t.”
I expect some sort of reaction from Blaise, but he just stares me down. Ash is the one to snarl, “Well, that settles it. We’re all fucking going. End of discussion.”
Chapter Eleven
It takes me weeks to find the things we need to attend the party.
Avery gives me a hard look when I ask her for everyone's measurements and I refuse to tell her why I need them. There is no way I’m telling any of them what the outfits are necessary, because fuck that. I don’t need the headache any sooner than I have to have it.
I have the items ordered at one of the boutique stores in Haven and they arrive on the Thursday before fall break. I email all of my teachers to get out of class the following day and when I ask to borrow Harley’s car to go pick them up he stares me down like I’m testing him. When he crawls into my bed after midnight, he informs me that he’s escorting me to Haven in the morning.
I wake to Harley’s hands cupping my ass and pulling me into his body.
I swear he was put on this Earth to tease me, to break all of my control and turn me into a desperate mess and, sweet fucking lord, he was fucking good at it. I keep my eyes closed as I reach out to find his face, drawing him into my lips for a kiss. I’m too content to deal with today, I don’t want to leave the bed and let the outside world fuck with us. I need a break, dammit!
“We could stay here.” I mumble and he groans into my mouth.
“Don’t fucking tempt me, babe. You said we had to pick up the shit you ordered and it’s already late. Ash and Blaise took Avery down to class hours ago.”
I frown at him like a pissy toddler. “That’s not helping. I don’t want to leave this warm bed in my empty room.”
Harley groans and pushes away from me, stumbling out of the bed and rearranging his dick in his shorts like that’ll somehow help the raging hard-on he has. “If we don’t leave now we can’t stop for French toast at the coffee shop and we both know you’ll lose your shit if you’re hungry. If we leave now, we can get everything finished in time and I’ll convince Avery to have a sleepover with Ash.”
I shiver because, fuck yes. “Get dressed, Arbour. I need food.”
We have to stop off at the guys room to grab Harley’s spare set of keys after he turns the living room back at my room apart looking for his original set. I make a mental note to myself because I’ve been burned by missing keys before.
We take Harley’s ‘Stang to Haven and I get to admire the way he drives it like it’s an extension of himself, effortless and smooth. I love watching his hands, big and rough and scarred, and then my lungs forget how to work as I remember what they feel like on my body. Fuck, I need to inhale my food and get this shopping over with.
Harley smirks at my flushed cheeks like a smug dick.
We park behind the cafe because it closes the earliest, and then I bite my lip as Harley refuses to let me pay for our food. I make a note to never tell him I’ve been the one giving him money since I inducted him. He might have a stroke.
We sit, side-by-side, in one of the corner booths at the back. The waitress keeps looking at Harley like she’d bend over any available surface for him and the haughty, disinterested look he gives her in return makes me concerned about eating the food she serves us, but it’s worth it.
“How is Avery handling the news about Senior’s plans to have them both killed?” Harley mumbles around his mouthful of eggs. It should be gross but the guy is so fucking hot he could get away with anything.
I shrug at him. “Our room has never been cleaner. Avery is pissed there’s nothing she can do to help and now Ash is fucking livid that it’ll all rest on my shoulders to get them out of this.”
Harley scowls. “Well, of course he is. We all are. It’s hard enough keeping you safe and alive as it is, we don’t need some psycho coming to the Bay to join the mix.”
I snort at him, ever the lady, and poke a fork in his direction. “I survived without you guys having my back for seventeen years. I’ll be fine, it’s all of you lot with your shitty families that are the concern.”
Fuck. That reminds me… I clear my throat. “Look, the meeting isn’t just about the Vulture’s death. We’re also going to go through the usual bullshit and I’ve put something big in motion. I’ve… fuck, okay… I’ve called in some favors to get you free and clear from your grandfather once and for all. You need to be prepared for that meeting. You need to stick to all of the rules I’ve told you and be on your best behavior because once we’re through it, we’ll have one less threat stalking us.”
Harley chews slowly, frowning down at his plate. I wait him out, the last thing he needs is to be pushed about his issues.
Finally, he flicks his eyes up to mine. “Are you at risk? Is this putting you in more fucking danger?”
I shake my head and he sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Okay. Okay, I’ll play along. I don’t want my grandfather coming after me and finding you, so if this gets him off my ass then I’ll do it.”
I lean over and try to kiss him sweetly, something I’m still unsure of because I don’t know how the fuck to be sweet. He cups my cheek to hold me there so I think I succeed.
“Come on, let’s get your shopping and go back so I can do more than just kiss you.”
Harley carries all of the bags in one hand and threads his fingers through mine with the other. He swings our arms playfully as we head back to the alleyway we’d left the car in, so relaxed and unlike himself that I laugh like a besotted idiot at him in return. I guess that’s exactly what I am.
The streets have cleared now that the sun is going down. Only the bar is still open, and it’s on the other side of the sleepy town, so we’re alone and happy to walk in silence, soaking up each other without the distraction of words.
We turn into the alleyway, and Harley gives my hand a little squeeze before letting go to fish his keys out of his jeans. My senses pick up the slight rasp of feet attempting to be silent behind us half a second before Harley realizes what’s happening. My hand is already slipping into my pocket to grab my knife when the body slams into Harley from behind.
The bags all go flying into the air as Harley throws his arms out to break his fall.
I freeze for a second, assuming it’s a rich asshole from Hannaford trying to eke out a revenge beating for a failed fight in the boys’ dorms, and then I see the flash of light hitting the steel blade in the attacker’s hand.
It’s a hit.
Lips retreats back into the farthest reaches of my mind, where she’s safe and protected, and leaves me with the Wolf.
Harley manages to dislodge the guy enough to roll over and I see first hand that he’s a fucking good brawler; strong, fast, and willing to fight dirty. The problem is that Harley’s only going to knock him the fuck out, and if we let him live it’s a sign of weakness. Something that will eat away at the carefully constructed image I’ve built as the Wolf, and our lives all depend on that image
. If we let him go alive, the Jackal will just keep sending guys until eventually one of them kills Harley.
I cannot let that happen.
Harley knocks the knife away and grabs him with one hand by the throat. I take my chance and use every ounce of strength I have to ram the blade of my knife through the base of his skull, the quickest and most effective way to kill someone. Harley’s strong grip gives me just the right resistance to help push the blade through the spinal cord and it’s lights out for the attacker.
He’s dead instantly.
When the guy’s arms drop and he slumps down, Harley’s eyes flare and fix themselves onto my knife. I shove the limp body off of him before I yank the knife out because the last thing I need is for him to be covered in blood and have some sort of flashback to his dad’s murder. Harley jumps up and stares down at the guy, then at me.
My hands are steady.
I stare at him blankly, waiting for him to start screaming, or hurling accusations, or for something else to happen, and when he takes a step towards me I move back instinctively.
He looks fucking devastated as he holds out a hand to coax me over to him. “Shh, babe. I just need to know you’re okay.”
I blink.
I blink again.
Nope, still no idea how the fuck he can be worried about me when I’m the one who’s just killed a man. Shouldn’t he be afraid of me? Shouldn’t he be calling Avery and getting the family far, far away from me?
“Babe, please. Don’t freak out,” he pleads and I think the word ‘please’ eases the trance I’m in and I step into his arms. He holds me to his chest with the sort of ferocity that you can only feel when there’s a leaking corpse at your feet.
He buries his face into my hair and says, “Tell me what you need me to do.”
I think he means emotionally, but I lost the ability to feel anything about this sort of death years ago. I pull away and shove the guy onto his back with the toe of my boot to get a proper look at him. Great, I know him. He goes by Whip on the streets in Mounts Bay, fuck knows what his real name is. He’s a scumbag, constantly hanging around the docks trying to get close to the Jackal’s men. He thought being a gangster sounded cool.
It hasn’t worked out for him.
I look back at Harley and he’s watching me carefully, his eyes seeming to catalog every breath I’m taking. It’s oddly reassuring.
“Call Avery. Tell her it’s a 911 and ask her if there are any cameras in this alleyway, she needs to get them wiped immediately.”
Harley nods and I stare down at Whip’s vacant eyes. It’s weird how quickly the life leaches out of them and leaves behind nothing, even though the eyes themselves haven’t changed.
I shake myself to regain some focus.
Harley murmurs quietly enough that I can make my own call without moving away. I don’t want to leave him here alone with the body. He has a rap sheet, a tattoo on his face, and a bad attitude towards authority and, well, anyone outside our family. If by some cruel twist of fate the cops showed up, he’d get himself shot in a heartbeat without supervision.
“Wolf.” The Bear doesn’t bother with pleasantries, thank fuck. I don’t have it in me to fake it.
“I need a priority cleanup crew.” I rattle off the address and I hear him directing people in the background. Harley hangs up and makes a series of complicated hand gestures that I assume mean there’s no cameras around. I make a note to start teaching him and the others military hand signals in our oh-so-plentiful spare time.
“Two minutes away,” the Bear says and I shift my focus back to him.
“Perfect. Payment?” I say, tone cool and calm. Harley scowls down at the body like he wants to revive the fuck and kill him himself. He’s weirdly protective of my diamonds.
The Bear grunts, “It’s nothing, kid. I have a job for you, a quick in-and-out you can do in an hour. So if you get it done while you’re here for the meeting I’ll take care of this and owe you another.”
I tilt my head in consideration. I guess that’s more than fair. I don’t want to give up a diamond even though I have more from him than any other member. “It’s a pleasure to work with you, Bear,” I say, my tone still flat and he grunts out a laugh at me.
“See you in the Bay, kid.”
Harley tells the others the finer details of what happened while I shower.
I’m still struggling with the detached feeling, and no matter how hard I try to slip back into Lips, when I dress and leave the bathroom I am still the Wolf.
They all look at me like I’m a ticking bomb.
I stare back blankly.
Avery is the one to try to approach me, to take my hand, and when Harley hisses out a warning she falters for a second. I don’t move back because I trust her and the adrenaline isn’t riding me hard anymore like it was when Harley first tried to touch me.
Avery sighs and goes to grab a tub of my cherry ice cream out of the freezer, jamming a spoon into it and then she holds it out to me like a peace offering. I look at it for a second, puzzled, and then take it. The tension in the room eases a little.
She gently guides me over to the couch and tucks a blanket around me. I’m not cold. I don’t know why she does it, but it’s easier to keep my mouth shut and let her go. She grabs her own tub of ice cream and settles at my side with her phone out, tucking her arm in mine. I eat in silence while the guys all move aimlessly around the room.
“I’m fine. It’s not like I haven’t done it countless times before,” I murmur, and Avery nods without looking up from her phone. It’s easier to talk without her eyes on me.
“I know, you’re one of the strongest people I know. This is for me. I need to know that you’re okay and being here with you is comforting to me. It’s a part of being a family, Lips,” she explains gently, with none of her usual fire.
I nod and relax back into the chair. I can do this for her. I’m not sure there’s anything I couldn’t do for her.
By the fourth spoonful my body relaxes. By the tenth I’m Lips again.
Hours of tense silence later, Ash and Blaise climb into my bed with me. Neither of them give me any space, Blaise’s chest pressing my back into Ash, whose face is buried into the nape of my neck. They both touch me like they need reassurance that I’m still here, whole and unflinching.
Harley takes the couch because he knows he’s not going to sleep.
He watches the door until dawn.
Chapter Twelve
Ash insists on chaperoning Avery’s dinner date with Atticus when we arrive at the hotel and I think she only agrees because she’s terrified it’s not a real date.
It gives me some time to shower and shave, well, everything in preparation for the party. I still haven’t told everyone that the dress code is strictly lingerie and briefs.
The Jackal is the host and he’s trying to provoke Harley into taking a swing at him. My stomach feels like it’s full of lead because he just might succeed.
I leave the bags of the guys’ clothes in their rooms and lock myself in the bathroom at ten to start getting ready. Blaise offers to wash my hair for me, saying he’ll even let Harley help him soap me up, and Harley cusses him out when I blanch like a virginal idiot. I’m so fucking tempted. Wet, naked, and pressed in between them.
Sweet merciful lord.
I’m standing in front of the mirror wrapped in a towel and putting on my makeup when Avery knocks at the door and joins me.
I raise an eyebrow at her and she blushes.
“I think he wanted it to be a real date. He stared at Ash like he wanted to break his arm when he walked down with me. I’ve just sat through their sniping for the last two hours.”
“Why didn’t you just tell Ash to leave? He would’ve.” Maybe. Okay, doubtful.
Avery pulls off her stunning and elegant red silk dress that I’m sure Atticus took one look at and wished he’d be the one removing it. “Maybe I want to be chased. Maybe I think I deserve to have him work for me. I’ve been on a pl
atter for him for years and he’s turned me down.”
No maybes about it; the guy can grovel for her. But if I’ve learned anything about girl talk, it’s that you ask questions and offer to gut anyone who slights your bestie. “Did he ever say why he wasn’t interested before? The age gap might have freaked him out. I mean, maybe he’s been waiting for you to get a bit closer to eighteen so he didn’t feel like a creep.”
Avery hums and slips into the shower, scrubbing at her skin like she always does. I wince at how rough she is. “I tried to speak to him about that during freshman year. I told him I would wait if he was interested in something in the future. He told me he refused to tie me down. It was like a knife in my heart. That’s when I started seeing Rory.”
I pretend too gag. “Don’t say his name! I was close to forgetting he exists. I wonder how he’s doing these days?”
Avery smirks at me as she cuts the shower off. “Ash keeps an eye on him to make sure he’s miserable and very far away from me. Apparently the spinal injury has affected more than just his ability to walk.”
Ahh, perfect. Nothing the rapist deserves more.
I sigh happily and then again with less joy when I open the bags holding the lingerie I’ve bought for Avery and I to wear. She wraps herself in a towel and peers into the bag.
“You’re joking, right?” she asks and when I shake my head she cackles. “Ash is going to be pissed.” She gasps out as she laughs even harder.
I begin to wriggle my way into the stupid teddy-thing, but it’s a struggle to get it on my body. It’s made of lace and pure white, but with too many straps and a white choker. It looks like something an angel would wear if it gave bondage a whirl.
“I got us both the most coverage possible while sticking to the rules,” I grumble, as I accidentally snap one of the many straps against my skin and curse viciously under my breath. It doesn’t hurt, but I’m so fucking frustrated at this stupid thing. Avery giggles at me and takes pity, deftly fixing the mess I’ve made with it. She slips hers on with far more ease and I glare at her for being so graceful. And bendy.