by Sara Cate
“Iris!” my mom barks.
“How can you defend him?” I shout.
“I should beat you senseless, you stupid bitch.”
My hand goes to a butter knife on the counter, dried butter still spread on the tip. “Try me, fucker.”
He laughs at me, a bellowing chuckle barking from his throat. “Shit, I’m scared,” he mocks.
Pure rage fills me. Anger over today. Anger over Lynx and Ray and everyone who has fucking wronged me. Anger over my mom who gives zero shits about me.
I grab my glass, taking a swig before dumping the rest, then slam it against the side of the sink, the weak, old glass shattering with ease. With a large shard in my grasp, I point it at him. “Does this scare you enough, Ray? Try and fucking touch me, and I swear I’ll stab you.”
The springs on the old couch squeak as my mom stands. “That’s fucking enough! Iris, put the glass down. Right now!”
Ray reaches into his pocket, pulling out an ancient looking pocketknife. Whipping it to the side, the blade flings open. “Try me, bitch.”
He steps toward me, and my senses ring on high alert. I’m instantly sweating, perspiration dotting along my hairline as he stalks toward me.
“Both of you, cut it out!” my mom shrieks.
I have no idea what’s come over me, but I didn’t think he’d ever take it this far. I don’t want to fight him, but with the wild look in his eyes, I don’t anticipate him backing down now. I’m fucking trapped in the corner of the kitchen with no way out. My only exit is exactly where Ray stands, and he has a dirty blade in his shaky grasp.
“Let me go, and I won’t come back,” I growl, my hands trembling.
He shakes his head slowly. “Now you just have to be put in your place, little girl. Your mouth needs more than a bar of soap.”
“What, you want to kill me?” I shriek.
He laughs. “Not kill. Just show you who the fucking adult is around here.”
I whip my head back and forth. “Leave me alone.”
“Too late,” he whispers.
“Ray, put the knife away. Iris, put the glass down. Quit acting like maniacs!”
He leaps toward me suddenly, and I shout as I step back, my back ramming against the refrigerator. It knocks against the wall, and I shove my hand out, slicing the shard of glass through the air.
“Stupid whore,” he whispers, wrestling me down to the ground. He swings his knife forward, and I roll to the side to avoid a slice to my chest.
I push the glass into his forearm, and the feeling of it sinking into his flesh makes me want to gag. He lets out a howl, and my mom starts screaming, but I can barely hear a word she says as my heartbeat whooshes in my ears, and Ray’s wails fill the air.
He shuffles closer to me, and rears his arm back, swinging it forward with the blade. My body goes cold as the blade sinks into my lower abdomen. Red, hot pain burns through my entire being, and an agonizing scream tears from my throat.
Boom.
I can barely see straight as I look toward the front door and see a massive shadow stomping toward me. I’d let out a scream if I wasn’t already screaming from the top of my lungs.
Holy shit.
It’s Lynx.
His face is pale and full of fury as he takes in the scene around him. My mom shrieks, rushing around him, and curling up by Ray.
Fucking Ray.
He shuffles back, his spine hitting the cabinets behind him as he stares nervously at Lynx. Lynx towers over him, a menacing, hulking presence over Ray’s crumbling form.
Lynx reaches behind him, and my eyes widen when I see him pull out a gun, with the nose of it longer than I’ve ever seen.
What the hell is that?
“You should’ve never touched what’s mine. That was your first mistake.” His finger goes around the trigger, and my mouth drops open as he pulls it, a silent shot flying from the gun and straight into Ray’s skull. His head snaps back, banging against the cabinets before lulling to the side. “Your second was hurting her.”
My mom lets out a terrified scream, her hands and left side of her face full of his blood. Her eyes are wide as she stares at the redness, only getting more so as it drips from the back of his skull and into her palms. He points the gun toward her, and she swallows her cries, letting out a soundless plea.
“Don’t. Please, don’t,” I whisper, my voice choked and full of pain.
He frowns at me, his gun lowering. A blank look takes over his face as he tucks the gun back into his jeans. Returning his gaze to my mom, he growls, “You will not say a fucking word about this. If you say anything, what happens to you will be much worse. You will not see your daughter again. Not unless she wants you to. She won’t live here anymore, and you won’t talk to her or poison her with your bullshit. You got me?”
My mom lets out a choked sob, clutching Ray in her arms. “She can go to hell for all I care. She’s no daughter of mine.”
A silent tear leaks from my eye, and I glance away from her, so hurt, so torn. She starts sobbing again, and I look at the wall as arms curl around me. I realize it’s Lynx as his woodsy and smoky scent surrounds me.
The last thing I hear as I walk out of my apartment for the last time are my mom’s sobs over Ray.
She’s no daughter of mine.
Chapter 13
The next time I wake up, I’m in a soft bed, the plush covers pulled up to my neck. I roll over, and an instant ache hits my stomach, making me wince.
My hand goes to the source of my pain, and I feel what I think is a bandage covering the area.
What?
I pull the covers back, seeing me in only my sports bra. A thick, white bandage is wrapped around my stomach.
Oh my fucking hell, I was stabbed.
Ray.
Tears flood my eyes, and I glance around the unfamiliar room, unsure of where I am.
“Holy shit, you’re awake.”
I turn to face the blank wall, seeing Violet standing up from the floor. The sun barely shines through the windows, meaning it’s Christmas morning.
My first morning alone.
What am I now, an orphan?
I start crying, and the movement makes the muscles in my stomach throb. Violet cringes as she rushes over to me, pressing her hands on either side of my face. “Try not to move. Everything is going to be okay, but I’m sure it hurts like a bitch.”
“What happened?” I ask through a sob.
She sits on the corner of the bed. “Lynx just disappeared, and when he showed up again, you were bleeding on the back of his bike and barely conscious. They brought you inside and stitched you up, and you’ve been sleeping ever since.”
“Am I okay?” I gasp. “Is Lynx okay?”
She nods. “Yeah, you’re fine. You lost quite a bit of blood, but the knife didn’t hit anything serious. Lynx is fine too, just… quiet.” She stares at me a moment. “How did he find you? How did he know you were in trouble? He said he just felt something was off, but… I just don’t get it.”
I stare at her, my tears drying up as she interrogates me. I don’t know what to say, but I know he wouldn’t want me to say anything. “I don’t know… he just showed up out of nowhere. He was just… there.” Which is true, except I’m leaving out the pieces about the before.
She nods, completely believing everything I’m saying. It makes me feel so damn guilty, but I know I can’t tell her the truth.
She sighs. “I know this isn’t how Christmas is supposed to be, but I hear you might be staying here now, and I can’t deny that I’m kind of excited about it.”
My brows furrow. “I’m going to be staying here?” Not that I mind, because where the hell else would I stay? If I wasn’t here, I’d be at a homeless shelter or with child protection. This feels like it’s my only option, and it’s not even a bad one.
“Unless you don’t want to?” She frowns, looking a little hurt.
I smile, reaching out to squeeze her arm, wincing again as it pulls on m
y stomach. “No, I’m happy about it. Just… it’s weird.”
She nods, completely understanding. “I know, girl. But trust me when I tell you, this is the best family you could ever ask for.”
I wonder what my mom’s doing, sitting at home by herself. Is she still covered in blood? Have the cops come? What did she tell them? Is she happy with her decision?
“Quit thinking about it, Iris. Quit wondering and hoping and contemplating. You’ve been dealt your shitty hand, and now you finally received your royal flush. Fucking take it.”
My eyes shift to hers. I feel so broken, and I’m in pain, but I do know one thing… I have to listen to her.
I nod. “Okay, I’m in.”
She smiles. “Perfect.”
Chapter 14
After lying down and talking to Violet for a bit, there’s a knock at the door.
“Hey, how’re you feeling, Iris?” Haley’s head pops inside.
I wince. “Pretty sore.”
She nods. “Understandable. Do you think you’re up for getting some breakfast downstairs?”
I glance over at Violet and watch as a smile breaks out across her face. “Haley makes a badass Christmas breakfast.”
Christmas breakfast? Never heard of it.
I can’t remember the last time I actually ate a real warm meal that wasn’t half-cooked in the microwave.
I nod, and Violet helps me out of bed. It takes minutes longer than it should, and Haley grabs a hoodie off the nearby chair, handing it off to me.
It’s suddenly quiet, so damn quiet my body tenses as I glance at them. They’re both staring at my chest, and looking down, I see bite marks all around my chest and neck. I blink, my palm rubbing over them, trying to cover them, even though it’s useless.
I’m already caught.
“It’s nothing,” I mumble.
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Haley says with raised eyebrows.
Violet sighs. “You’re definitely telling me about that shit later.”
I swallow down a groan as I grab the sweatshirt. My fingers brush against the nice fabric. It’s not the worn, beaten fabric of the sweatshirt I came here in. No, this one is thick, warm and cozy, with the Harley logo on the front. I look up at both of them, wondering where it came from.
“It’s yours,” Violet says, grabbing the sweatshirt from my fingers and shoving it over my head.
“Come on, before the food gets cold.”
I’m slow to shove my arms through the holes. After a quick brush of my hair with my fingers, we head down the hall. Voices instantly filter up the stairs, the amount of people making my knees shake.
Do they all know? I don’t want to be that person. The one with the sad looks on Christmas morning.
Haley must notice my face. “No one cares about your past here, Iris. We’ve all got shit we’d rather keep buried. No one’s going to look at you funny or ask questions that you don’t want asked.”
The sincerity in her tone makes my body relax, only slightly. Even if people won’t stare at me like a leper, I’m still the newbie. They’ll still know.
With a deep breath, we make our way down the stairs, and my eyes widen at the sight in front of me. The small bar tables have been removed and a massive table to fit twenty sits in the middle of the room. The Christmas tree has even more presents shoved under it, and I have no idea how that’s even possible. Christmas music rumbles lightly through the speakers as everyone walks around the table, scooping different foods onto their plate.
I’ve never seen such a feast, such an extravagant meal of various colors and sizes. It smells absolutely delectable in here; my mouth begins to water at the sight in front of me.
“Hungry?” Violet asks as we hit the bottom step. Everyone turns around at Violet’s voice, their eyes looking me over with a protectiveness I didn’t expect. Something I could’ve never anticipated.
I nod, watching as everyone glances away, going back to what they were doing. Everyone except one person.
Lynx.
My heart lodges in my throat, and I bring my palm to my belly at the lingering ache. His eyes instantly drop to my fingers, and his jaw tenses in frustration.
“He looks ready to tear down the entire world. He does get pretty possessive over his own.” Haley sighs, shaking her head as she walks off.
“Why does he look so damn growly?” Violet grumbles, tilting her nose up as he walks over to us. “You look like someone shit on your ham.”
He rolls his eyes at her. “No, I look like someone got stabbed.”
“Well, stop making that face before you scare off my friend.” She steps in front of him, like she can somehow protect me from whatever Lynx would inflict my way.
She doesn’t realize he’s already made his way into my veins. I can still feel him between my legs, and I know without a doubt, if he wouldn’t have shown up last night, I most likely wouldn’t even be standing here today.
“Hi.” I feel so out of sorts. So damn confused and lost but also so fucking found.
“How are you feeling?” His eyes lift to mine, and I can see in his whiskey gaze that he feels the same connection I do.
“Like I was stabbed,” I shrug, then wince, pushing into my stomach a bit. It feels swollen and so sore, but the rest of my body feels a little foggy. “Did you give me something?”
He nods. “You wouldn’t be walking if I didn’t. You really shouldn’t be walking, anyway.” He scowls at Violet. “Quit lingering around and help her into a chair.”
“Quit barking at me, old man. It’s Christmas for fuck’s sake.” She grabs onto me, pulling me to an open seat and helping me into it. It’s excruciating. The process of standing to sitting is literally torture.
I let out a breath once I’m seated, feeling dozens of eyes on me. Glancing up, I see a small set of brown eyes across the table from me. The little girl with the curly hair. “Hi,” I whisper, the pain still lingering.
“Santa came.” She points her fork at the Christmas tree, and I glance over, seeing the absolute mountain of presents.
“Really?” I’m envious of her excitement, and that makes me feel like shit. But I’ve never been as excited as she seems to be, barely able to sit in her seat, scarfing her food down so she can open presents.
She nods, stuffing her face with eggs.
I glance around, noticing the two girls from the bar the other night. Two guys sit on each side of them, their arms possessively around the backs of their chairs.
Lynx sits at the head of the table, talking to a guy with dark hair around the same age as him. He glances at me every so often, his eyes dark and heavy, suctioning me in place.
He makes me feel like the only person in the room.
Violet shoved a heap of food on my plate, but my appetite is nonexistent after last night, so I only nibble on my buttery roll as I watch everyone else.
It seems like everyone is as ravenous as the next, inhaling their food before I can blink. Soon after, chairs are scraping against the floor as people get up to head to the Christmas tree.
“I might go lay down,” I whisper to Violet. I’m exhausted, but I really don’t want to watch everyone open presents when I haven’t gotten anything for anyone. I don’t expect anyone to get me anything, but this feels like a family event, and as the minutes go on, I just feel like someone crashing their party with a slice in my stomach.
She grabs onto my arm. “You can’t leave yet, we have presents to open.”
We?
She can read my face, a smile lifting her lips. “You didn’t really think there wouldn’t be anything under the tree for you, did you? You’re part of the family now.”
But… how?
I only came here last night. How the hell would they get gifts on such short notice? Stores aren’t opened today, and I came here after they were closed. There’s no way.
“Lynx has connections.” She pulls me to the tree, sitting us down toward the back as the little girl and her mom start passing out pr
esents.
I feel like crying when one present lands in front of me, but when ten are stacked around me, I feel like full out sobbing.
I’ve never… I’ve never even had one gift. Santa never came. Any other gift I’ve received has been second hand and tossed at me like a bag of garbage. The wrapping is perfection, the paper expensive, and the bow expertly tied.
A tear falls down my cheek. This is too much.
People give me space, and thankfully they don’t put on a production with unwrapping. Everyone unwraps at the same time, and I silently peel at the tape on the first one, feeling like this isn’t real. It can’t be.
“If you take any more time, Lilah will come over and open them for you,” Violet whispers in my ear.
I laugh-cry, ripping the paper excitedly, then becoming sad that I did. I should’ve kept it. My first ever present wrap.
How fucking pathetic is that.
Pulling out a box, I wipe my eyes as the Harley logo stares back at me.
I lift the lid slowly, a brand-new leather jacket coming into view. My fingers brush over the thick, smooth leather, so rich and expensive that I barely want to touch it.
“Do you like it?” The heavy voice comes over my shoulder. I glance behind me, seeing Lynx standing there all tall and powerful, his face inquisitive as he watches me.
“It’s too much. I don’t need any of this stuff.” I want to push it away, but I don’t want to be rude. It’s just… a lot.
He lifts his brows, not the least bit surprised by my answer. “You live here now. You need a fucking Harley coat to live at the clubhouse. Nothin’ to it.”
Violet pushes the rest of the stack toward me. “Open these.”
I take my time, opening each one with care and savoring every moment. I never want this to end.
I get more clothes, a cell phone, a plush blanket, a pair of combat boots, a winter coat, and a bunch of other stuff that should mean nothing but means the absolute world to me. I can barely see through my tears as Haley picks up the wrapping paper around me.
“Can I talk to you a moment?” Lynx surprises me, asking from over my shoulder.