The edge of life: Official cover - coming soon

by Rachael Tonks

  We continue to drive for over an hour. I have no clue as to where we are, and frankly, I’m beginning to worry. What if he is taking me somewhere and trying to get rid of me because I’m a witness.

  “I won’t say anything to anyone about tonight; I promise,” I blurt out, my voice wavering.

  He flicks his head back and forth between me and the road. “That’s good to hear.” He pulls his brows together, his eyes narrowing at me. “What made you say that?”

  I play with the cuff of my sleeve, my nerves getting the better of me. “I’m not sure,” I lie with a lift of my shoulders. “Where are we going again?” I strain a little, trying to take in as much of the surroundings as I can. I may need to retrace my steps, and I have to be one move ahead of him if I need to escape.

  “Kailee, what’s really bugging you? Come on; I can see it in your eyes. You’re worried about something.”

  “Well, that’s an understatement if I ever heard one!” I turn my body until I’m facing him. “You, I mean, we just ran from what looks like a crime scene. I mean I can’t be sure what happened, but from the amount of blood you’re wearing, somebody’s gotta be hurting, right?”

  “Fair assumption,” he says, lifting just one brow. A slight grin tugs at the corner of his mouth.

  I slam my arms against my chest, crossing them, unamused by his expression. “I’m not joking, Jax. I don’t want to be here. I never asked to be involved in this.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. Really, I am. This was the last goddamn thing I wanted to happen. But fuck, Kailee, what would you have me do? Nothing, huh?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not from this world, but you seem so okay with what you’ve done.”

  “My hands were tied; I had no choice.”

  I watch as his eyes sadden, and I do see his point; that doesn’t mean I agree with it, but I get it. To some degree, anyway.

  “Listen, Kailee. We’re almost at Marco’s. Keep your head down and stay with me or Ryder at all times.”

  “Oh, Jesus.” I run my hand through my hair. “Where the fuck are you taking me?”

  “Don’t worry; you’ll be safe.”

  “Oh, really? So why the warning?”

  “Because he has a thing for redheads,” he says with a wink.

  I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. This house is huge. In fact, I’m not sure you’d actually describe it as a house. It’s more of a mansion. Yeah, that’s right. A goddamn mansion. We walk across the gravel, and the crunch under my feet echoes in my mind. I walk toward the front door as I gape at the magnificence of the front of the house. The driveway has a lawn centerpiece with pretty shaped bushes and a water fountain. Not just any water fountain, either; it’s one that lights up.

  “Kailee, this way,” Jax hollers, waving me toward him. He appears to be walking in the wrong direction.

  “But… here…” I say, pointing at the front door.

  Jax lets out a quiet chuckle. “Not looking like this, angel.”

  I bite my lip, giving a little nod in agreement. I pick up the pace, closing the gap between us. Jax has a fob in his hand as we approach a huge gate at the side of the monumental building.

  “How do you know someone who lives in a place like this?” I ask as I follow him through the electric gates. They slowly open in front of us, and we make our way through.

  “He’s a cyber criminal but hides behind a mask of being a fantastic businessman. He has businesses all over, all which exist just for him to launder his money.”

  “That still doesn’t explain how you know him.”

  “We go way back. We went to school together. Only he graduated.”

  “What, you guys dropped out? Like never finished high school?”

  “No,” he says with a shake of his head.

  “It doesn’t make any sense, Jax,” I say, pulling him to a stop, my hold on his arm gentle but firm.

  “If you guys are such fantastic criminals, then why the hell don’t you live in a place like this, or hell, a house, at least.”

  “What? Live in a neighborhood where everyone knows your business? Do you have any idea how much work I’d have to do just to buy something like that?” he says with a scoff. “One day, princess. One day, I’ll have my own mansion,” he says, reaching up to touch my face. I duck away from his touch, remembering the blood on his hands.

  “Maybe get cleaned up before you try that again,” I say with a shudder.

  “Follow me,” he says with a flick of his head. I stay close to him, following him into the house. The fob he has unlocks the door, and we step into what looks like a huge laundry room. The room is about five times the size of my tiny room at the trailer park.

  “Stay there,” he says, pointing at the huge mat I’m standing on. My feet freeze on the spot, and I watch him press a buzzer on the wall. Within seconds, a guy appears at the double doors. He’s short, has super blond hair, and is wearing thick rimmed glasses. I stifle a laugh as I take him in. I was confused how this guy and the twins would have ever become friends. They are so different, absolute opposites.

  “Jax, man. Stay where you are,” he says, pointing at the exact spot where he’s standing on the floor. He doesn’t enter the room, just remains in the huge doorway. “I’ll have Ernie come along and get this cleaned up. And the car?” he asks, his eyes bugging out at Jax.

  “Fucked,” he replies.

  “I’ll figure it out. We’ll get an identical car, switch out the serial numbers and license plates. Don’t you worry about a thing, bro. I got you.” His eyes suddenly land on me, scraping over the length of my body.

  “Very nice, very nice indeed,” he mutters under his breath.

  He tears his eyes away from me and turns his attention back to Jax. “We need to get you out of these clothes. Both of you,” he says, widening his eyes.

  “Marco, she’s good, man; she wasn’t involved.”

  “Both of you,” he reiterates. “Let’s not take any chances.” He turns on his heel and heads out of the doorway.

  I tuck a few loose strands behind my ear, trying to steady my suddenly erratic breathing. “What does he mean by that?” I ask, my fretful eyes meeting Jax. “About getting me out of my clothes?”

  “Baby, I got you. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” His words sound reassuring, but I feel totally out of my depth and frightened to within an inch of my life. I’m at some strange sort of mansion with an even stranger sort of guy. A guy who wants me to strip off my clothes.

  “So here’s what’s going to happen,” sings the strange man, clapping his hands together loudly. He stands in the doorway again, feet slightly apart, in a very weird stance. In fact, everything about this guy is just a bit weird.

  “Through that white door, just there,” he points to the left, my eyes following. “Inside are two white bags. Take off every item of clothing and place them in the bag. Once you have done this, you’re going to shower. Soap and everything you need is in there. Afterward, dry yourselves with the towels hanging just at the side of the shower cubicle. You will then exit into the adjoining dressing room where you will find clothes ready and waiting for you. Understood?”

  “I think this is all rather unnecessary.” I sigh. “I wasn’t even there. I’ll be fine as I am.”

  “But you were in the car.” He stares at me with his eyebrows raised a little.

  “Well, yeah… but I’m good.”

  “No,” he yells, “you’re not good. We need to eliminate the chance that you are carrying some DNA evidence that could lead back to Jax, or in fact, here.”

  I roll my eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh. “This is beyond ridiculous.”

  “Kailee, please.” Jax’s eyes plead with me. “I know this all seems crazy, but the last thing we want is anyone getting into trouble. I promise I will replace all your clothes.”

  “I gotta lose my clothes too? You know I traveled light, and I don’t have much,” I say, hoping there is some way I can get b
ack my clothes.

  “Don’t worry about clothes,” Marco chimes in. “I have a closet full of clothes. You take your pick; they’re all designer. But for now, you wear the ones set out for you. They’re pretty much identical to the ones you were wearing.” He smiles widely, like a damn Cheshire cat. I don’t like the thought of what is to come, but I know I have no choice.

  “Right, let’s do this, then. Since you guys aren’t going to let it go until I comply,” I say, looking back and forth between the two with a slight scowl on my face. I couldn’t hide my annoyance, not even if I tried.

  “Okay good! I’ll be waiting on the other side for you both.”

  I turn and make small steps toward the white door. The sudden sound of another door opening and slamming shut jolts me to a stop.

  I turn my head to see Ryder standing there, one hand holding his shoulder.

  “Bro, are you okay?” Jax asks, wincing as he looks at the blood pouring from his upper arm.

  “Oh jeez,” I say, rushing toward him. “Let me take a look. You might need stitches.” I look down and watch droplets of blood as they fall from his arm and onto the sterile white floor.

  “Don’t touch me,” he yells, slowly shaking his head from side to side. His head drops down, and I can’t help my feet from inching closer to him. His eye is cut, and his face is swollen.

  “Let me take a look,” I say with determination.

  “Why? It’s not like you’re a goddamn nurse,” he spits back.

  “You’re right. I’m not. I’ll just let you bleed out then,” I say, holding up my hands in defeat and stepping backward. “But you know my mom was a nurse, right. I’ve taken an emergency first aid course, and she also taught me a few things as the years went by, but don’t worry, I’ll let you deal with it,” I say smugly as I turn and step toward the white door to the shower room.

  “Wait, Kailee…” Jax shouts, stopping me in my tracks. “You think you can clean it up, maybe stitch him?”

  “I could,” I say with a loose lift of my shudders, “but he doesn’t want my help. He’s made that perfectly clear.”

  “Well, we all know Ryder is a stubborn motherfucker. That’s exactly what got him into this mess in the first place.”

  “I’m standing right here you know, dickhead.” Ryder exhales loudly.

  “What?” Jax shrugs. “I’m not saying anything that isn’t true.”

  “Anyway,” he snaps. “What the fuck is she doing here?” he sneers with a look of disgust on his face.

  “She was with me when I drove past the bar.”

  “Well, she shouldn’t be here, bro; you know the fucking score. What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

  “I saved your ass,” Jax retaliates. “You should be thanking me not giving me some goddamn lecture.”

  Ryder mumbles something inaudible, and his gaze drops to the floor.

  “I hate to break up the party, guys, but you know, time is of the essence,” he says, looking down at the huge wristwatch and tapping the face of it. “Jax, you go through and get cleaned up. Kailee, I will go and fetch all you need to get Ryder cleaned up. I will send Fran in to help you. She’s my maid. I’m sure she’ll be able to help out. She’s very hands on.”

  “We all know that, Marco,” Ryder says, giving him the jerk off gesture. We all laugh a little, but Ryder winces.

  “Looks like they got you good, bro.” Jax purses his lips, lifting his head in acknowledgment.

  “A few bruised ribs, but fuck it, I made it out alive. Thanks to you.” He shoots his brother a half smile.

  Jax throws his arms into the air. “Well, if that’s my thank-you, I’m taking it,” he says with a chuckle before making his way into the shower room. My eyes quickly scan the room, and I realize I’m standing in this room alone with Ryder. He takes a step backward until he’s against the wall. He slowly bends his legs, falling to the floor. I don’t hesitate to move closer, so I sit in front of him, crossing my legs.

  “So what happened at the bar? How’d your face get so messed up?” I ask, bending my head until our eyes meet.

  “I was there to do a job,” he says, sucking in a deep breath, his teeth clenched together.

  “A job,” I repeat, “What? Like fixing a leaky faucet kinda job?”

  He laughs. “Not quite, princess. I was called up to be the muscle, to sort out a little fucking problem the owner was having with a group of pussy bikers.”

  “Why, though? Why risk your life like that? That’s really stupid if you ask me.” I look at him wide-eyed.

  “Because I need the money. This is how I make a living. Well, you know, among other things.”

  Marco appears in the room, interrupting our conversation. My eyes flit to the girl beside him. She’s really short and wears her light brown hair in a graduated bob. It’s perfect; not one hair is out of place. I tilt my head as I take her in. She sees me looking and shoots me a small smile. I widen mine, standing and holding out my hand to her.

  “Hey, I’m Kailee,” I say, breaking the silence in the room.

  “Hi, I’m Francis, but everyone calls me Fran,” she replies, taking my hand and shaking it lightly. Her voice is quiet and soft spoken. I look down at what she’s holding in her hands. She has a huge case that she clutches in both hands; one arm crossed over the other.

  “Here, let me help you,” I say, grabbing the handle at the top. I turn, dropping it beside Ryder.

  “Well, I’ll leave you girls to it. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Marco jeers, wiggling his eyebrows before turning and closing the sliding doors behind him. I shake my head disapprovingly at his comments but see the grin tugging at Ryder’s mouth and know he’s getting some sort of enjoyment out of this.

  “I need you to take off your clothes,” I say to Ryder, rolling up my sleeves and opening the medic box. I rifle through the impressive collection. I remember my mom had something similar, but this one is way more impressive. I find the saline and the surgical needle and thread, setting it on an absorbent pad just beside me on the floor.

  “Fran.” I turn my head a little, startled to see her squatting right beside me. “Oh, there you are.” I laugh. “Can you get me a bowl of hot water and a cloth?”

  “Sure,” she answers with a little smile.

  “Oh, and a few shots of something real strong,” I add. There was no getting away from the fact that this is going to be painful. And without anesthetic, it is the only thing to numb the pain.

  I turn back to Ryder. “Right, we gotta get you out of these clothes,” I say, grabbing the hem. “So I’m going to cut them off, okay? All this blood has ruined them anyway.”

  “Go for it,” he says with a playful twitch of his lips. I reach into the box, grab the scissors, and cut straight up the middle of his shirt then along from the sleeve and up the neck. My eyes focus, not only on his toned stomach and arms, but also on the tattoos that cover his body. A lump forms in my throat, biting my lip as I take him in. I didn’t realize I was straddling him until I pull off the parts of the shirt, completely undressing him. He is a beautiful feast for my eyes.

  “You okay there?” he asks with a scowl, the kind that is sexy and broody all at once.

  “Sure,” I say with a small grin tugging at the corner of my lips. I throw the bits of his shirt together in a pile. Fran arrives with the bowl, cloth, and a pile of towels, placing them down beside me. A few seconds later, she returns clutching a bottle of Jack in her hands.

  “Take this,” she says, pushing it in front of Ryder. “You’re going to need it.”

  “Thanks, Fran,” I say, dipping my hands in the water to check the temperature. It’s perfect. Holding the cloth in one hand, I hold his hand with my free one. “I’m going to clean all the blood from your arms,” I tell him. “Because you won’t be able to get this wet for at least twenty-four hours, and a little birdy tells me we are required to scrub ourselves within an inch of our lives. You know, to remove any evidence and all.”

  “Gotcha,” he
says as a puff of laughter escapes him.

  “I’m being serious,” I say with a lift of my brow.

  “Yes, nurse,” he responds, sipping on the bottle of Jack, hissing a little with every mouthful he swallows.

  I start to run the cloth carefully over his arm, removing the dried blood. Fran replaces the water frequently, and after about twenty minutes, he’s finally cleaned up. His arm is still dripping blood, but I have him holding a compress, trying to stem the flow.

  “I need you on your back, lying flat,” I say, ready to suture.

  He laughs again, and I blush at my words. “You know what I mean,” I say, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks. He slides down until he’s on the floor with his arm resting on my leg. Fran holds the compress in place while I get what I need ready. I pull on a pair of latex gloves.

  “First, I need to clean the wound and see how deep it is. How did it get cut?” I ask, removing the compress and rinsing the saline solution over the deep cut.

  “Got caught with a blade. Flick knife, I reckon.”

  “Jeez,” I mutter under my breath, giving him the side eye. I get to work on cleaning his wound.

  “So you want to be some sort of nurse then. All this blood and shit doesn’t bother you?”

  “No” —I shake my head— “not in the slightest. I’ve considered nursing, and I feel like it’s a good option for me, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

  I keep checking his face for signs of pain, but his expression doesn’t change. His eyes burn into me even when I’m looking away. The intensity of his stare, knowing he’s watching my every move, puts me on edge.

  As soon as he’s completely cleaned up, and the bleeding has slowed, I grab the needle holder and pick up the needle and thread I have laid out. Starting in the middle of the wound, I work the needle through as steadily as I can, pulling the wound together. Ryder doesn’t let out a sound, but I know this must be incredibly painful.

  “You okay there, big fella?” I say lightly, hoping to get a response.

  “I’m good,” he replies without moving. “Have you started yet? Because I don’t feel a thing.”