Hush - Fighting Fate #2

by Maree Green

  Ever since we’d put the heavy on Jay and found the counterfeit pills, TJ had been holing himself up in his office on the phone, talking to every single one of his buyers. He’d sent Pock and Vinnie out to find Jay again, but it seemed he’d pulled a disappearing act.

  We also had a lot of discussions about where the shipment was going after we’d taken delivery and bagged it all. TJ was quite amazing to watch really. If he’d managed to pick something legitimate to do with his life, I would almost put money on his success.

  The other thing we were doing a lot of was counting and bundling money in to piles. That was the reason I knew the shipment was still going ahead. TJ was making sure the money would be ready when the shipment came in.

  I also knew what I’d be doing for the rest of the week.

  Debt collecting.

  Yeah, my life was just fucking awesome.

  Chapter 27

  Kaeli

  The next few days at school were weird. I almost felt as though I had two different people living inside my body. The person I’d always been, and this new person that had emerged since I’d become caught up in Ken’s bullshit.

  Thankfully, some new girl by the name of Sarah had arrived at school, somehow finding a place within our circle of friends and keeping everyone’s attention away from me. I thought that might actually give me more time to ponder over my problems, but unfortunately, she seemed to take a special interest in me and constantly kept trying to talk to me, when all I wanted to do was sort my head out.

  My main problem was that I had no idea how to reconcile these two different people who had taken up residence inside my body, together. I didn’t know how to pretend I was okay when my head was so screwed up it didn’t know which way was up.

  Surprisingly, the thing I had the most issues with wasn’t what I suspected it should be. It was my growing attachment to Mitch. I was still shit scared of that god awful house of horrors, but the protectiveness I felt from Mitch kind of made it bearable.

  And that was where my worries came in.

  I couldn’t understand for the life of me why I felt that way. It seemed wrong on so many levels. He. Was. A. Criminal. I said it to myself so many times, hoping it would sink in and reasonable feelings of panic and disgust would take over. But they didn’t.

  I just couldn’t stop thinking that despite what he was, he was still willing to risk it all to keep me safe, and that made it mean oh so much more.

  I also couldn’t escape that fact that he was so unbelievably hot. Those intense eyes and chiseled features, lumped together with the body of a professional UFC fighter was enough to keep me awake at night.

  And that was where I came full circle and was back to my biggest problem: Pretending to be okay.

  Unfortunately, as much as I tried to put on a good front, Mia knew me too well. But the good thing about the relationship I had with Mia was that we both knew each other well enough to know when to keep our mouths shut. If I could just stop her from casting worried looks at me every few minutes or so, I’d be fine.

  It wasn’t just her though. Jace and Aiden were in on the little anxious glance throwing thing too, and the whole thing just made me even more uptight.

  By the time school was done with on Friday afternoon, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. Heading to my car like I was being chased by a horde of zombies, I prayed for a clean escape.

  “Kaeli!”

  Lady luck really hated me.

  I turned to see Aiden striding towards me. Forcing a smile, I reluctantly released my grip from the door handle.

  “I just wanted to see if you were coming tonight. I have a ticket for you.” He held out a little strip of paper for me to take.

  “Uh…I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it,” I answered lamely.

  “You’ll try though, right? We like having you there.”

  I repressed a sigh. “Of course.” I reached out and took the ticket off him, giving him another one of my winning smiles. Not. “Thanks.”

  He nodded, looking like he wanted to say more, but I was damned if I was going to let him. Pulling the door open, I threw my bag in and sunk into the driver’s seat. “Hopefully I’ll see you there,” I said as I closed the door.

  I didn’t look to see what he was doing. I just started the car and pulled away.

  Driving home, I forced myself to stop thinking about it all. I passed on having a snack and went straight to my room to get a start on my math assignment, hoping that would keep my head busy.

  The peace I was seeking though was only mine for a total of about forty-five minutes. When I ducked down to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, Ken walked into the kitchen and pinned me with a knowing smile. To say I was surprised would be a lie. It was Friday after all, and it seemed Friday’s were made for dark, illegal encounters.

  When Mom disappeared into the laundry room, he turned to me with two words. “Five o’clock.”

  He didn’t need to say anything else. I got it. With a quick glance at the clock, I saw I had approximately forty minutes to get there.

  “I’m going to go see Mia, Mom,” I called out.

  She appeared in the doorway. “Okay, honey. Will you be back for dinner?”

  “Probably not. Aiden gave me a ticket to go see them play tonight, so I’ll probably go there with Mia.”

  “Alright. Have fun. No drinking though, okay?”

  I gave her a warm smile. “I won’t.”

  My throat felt tight as I walked away. I hated keeping secrets from her. When it all came down to the barest of essentials, we only had each other, and we should’ve been sticking together.

  I found the brown bag from hell near the front door, and without breaking my stride, scooped it up and walked out to my car. I knew Mitch told me not to drive again, but I could hardly say I was going to Mia’s then leave my car at home, could I?

  Deciding to play it safe, I drove about halfway and caught the bus from there. There was no way I was doing anything that might piss TJ off. He was one scary son of a bitch.

  For some reason, the walk between where I got off and TJ’s house felt longer than usual. It was strange, but the backstreets felt even scarier during the light of day. Something just felt off about it, and my imagination had me wondering how many guys like TJ lived behind each of the doors I passed. It was enough to make me pick up my pace.

  I knew I was losing my mind for sure when I finally came to the backdoor of TJ’s house and felt relief. Taking a breath, I reached out and knocked.

  My relief quickly turned to fear though, when the door was thrown open and I found myself faced with a sneering Pock. He stepped to the side so I could come in then shut the door behind me. I tensed when I heard the sound of the lock click into place.

  I followed him through the kitchen to the living room, not able to stop my eyes from searching for the one person who’d make me feel like I had half a chance. Three pairs of eyes glanced up to stare at me.

  None of them were Mitch’s.

  My fear instantly turned to panic. Where was he? He was supposed to be here to protect me. Why hadn’t I thought about the possibility that he might not be here?

  The bag was ripped from my hand, and I flinched. Pock tossed it to one of the guys sitting on the couch – Davo, if I remembered right, and he casually zipped it open to check inside.

  I didn’t get to see what he did next though, because Pock grabbed me by the waist, spinning me around, and pulled me into his chest. “Seems I finally get my chance with you after all,” he murmured in my ear.

  Terror, just like that first time I’d been sent to this hell hole, filled every part of me. I struggled against his hold, hoping Mitch would magically appear and step in before it was too late.

  Pock’s hands moved so quickly, I had no chance of fending them off. They were everywhere. On my neck, cupping my breasts, under my skirt. Why the hell did I decide to wear a freaking skirt?! I screamed in protest, and he laughed with pleasure. “Go on, scr
eam. It makes me fucking hard,” he purred against my jaw.

  I thrashed harder, desperation taking a hold of me. “Please, don’t.” I cringed at the broken sound of my voice.

  Pock laughed even harder, then dragged me towards the stairs. “No wonder Mitch won’t give you up. You’re some wild party.”

  I fought as hard as I could. I knew if he managed to get me up the stairs, I had no chance at all. But if my head was clear enough to think properly, I would’ve known I already had no chance.

  Chapter 28

  Noah

  My knuckles throbbed with a satisfying ache. Mac and I had just finished some ‘debt collecting’ which had resulted in another scum of the earth sporting a broken nose.

  Fuck yeah.

  Mac laughed as he cranked the car. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone bleed so much from a busted nose before.”

  I shook my head. “It was like a fucking fountain.”

  “TJ’s gonna get a laugh out of that one.”

  “Maybe until he hears LowJack didn’t have his cash.”

  The smile on Mac’s face was immediately replaced with a scowl. “That fucker.”

  “Yeah, but on the bright side, we get to go beat him up again.”

  Mac grunted.

  He pulled up under the carport behind TJ’s house and grabbed the bag of cash we’d managed to get from Sal. At least we weren’t coming back empty handed.

  I shucked off my jacket just inside the back door while Mac went straight to the fridge. “Beer?” he asked.

  “Nah.” I hated knowing it, but I needed something more to relax me right now. I wondered what cocktail the guys had set out for the night. I was hoping it wouldn’t be crack again. That was going to be a bitch to kick.

  I went straight to the living room to see what the plan was. TJ and Vinnie were already smoking a joint, ogling girls wearing lingerie in some skanky magazine, while Davo weighed and bagged some coke.

  “Where’s Pock?” I asked casually, getting ready to slump down and relax.

  They all looked at me with guarded eyes. TJ grinned with amusement. I felt it straight away. Something was up. Unease crept through me. Had something given me away? But then Vinnie laughed.

  It was then that I saw Ken’s bag by Davo’s feet. Fuck! Kaeli!

  I drew my gun from the back of my jeans before I’d even taken my next breath. Pock was going to fucking die for this! I flew up the stairs and bust his door open in one swift kick.

  Pock had Kaeli pinned to his bed. Her shirt had been ripped open, exposing her white bra. His hands lay frozen on her naked stomach as he took in my loaded gun. The fact that he still had his pants on was the only reason he wasn’t dead yet.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Pock growled. “She’s fair game, Mitch!”

  I moved closer to him, my aim steady and menacing. He knew I wasn’t bluffing. He snarled and slowly climbed off the bed. I couldn’t look at Kaeli. If I saw the pain I knew would be in her eyes, it would kill me.

  “Exactly! And this is how I’m playing. SHE’S MINE! Until I get sick of her fuckable little ass, I won’t be sharing!”

  I saw Kaeli moving on the bed, behind Pock. As much as I wanted to look at her, to check and see if she was okay, I wanted to keep Pock’s attention on me, so I kept my glare placed on his repulsive face.

  His eyes narrowed with hatred. “Yeah, well I’ll be playing harder from now on too. You can’t be here all the time.”

  Something animalistic snapped inside me. Quick as a lightning strike, I dropped the aim of my gun and squeezed the trigger. Pock screamed out in pain. Alarmed voices called out from below, followed by thumping footsteps on the stairs.

  I threw Kaeli a desperate look, nodding for her to get behind me. I cringed when I saw the red rims of her eyes and her tear streaked face.

  Thankfully she did as I’d hoped and was clear of the action by the time TJ appeared in the doorway. He gazed between Pock, slumped on the floor, holding his wounded leg, and me, still aiming my gun at him.

  “He fucking shot me, TJ!” Pock screamed. “Do something!”

  Fucking pussy. It’d barely scraped his skin. I’d made sure of it, but I knew I had to do something to get TJ on my side. I growled at Pock. “I told you she was mine until I’d had enough of her! If you’re not going to listen, I’ll fucking make you listen!”

  “Oh come on, TJ! You’re not buying this bullshit are you? He’s had her for weeks! It’s my turn!”

  I didn’t take my gaze off Pock, but I could see TJ shake his head slowly. “She was Mitch’s first. What he says, goes.” He muttered something under his breath then turned to Vinnie. “Go get the First Aid kit and get this fucking mess cleaned up!”

  TJ disappeared out the door, and I didn’t waste any time with anything else but getting Kaeli out of there. I wanted to take her in my arms and gently carry her to my room, to wipe the tears from her cheeks and kiss the sadness from her eyes, but that would just contradict everything I’d just done.

  With the anger for Pock still raging through me, I grabbed her shoes off the floor, gripped the top of her arm, and marched her out the door.

  The instant I had her in my room, she broke away from me and strode straight for the table that held my bottle of bourbon. Her hands shook as she tipped the bottle, the amber liquid sloshing messily into the glass.

  With her hands still unsteady, she thumped the bottle back down and up-ended the glass in one big gulp. She didn’t cough or choke, she just screwed her eyes shut tight and took huge, deep breaths.

  I couldn’t watch any longer. Like someone approaching an injured animal, I advanced slowly. With gentle hands, I turned her to me and took her face in my hands, my gaze raking over her for any signs of injury.

  “Please tell me you’re okay,” I said, my voice strangely rough.

  She met my gaze, and I could see the panic there. It broke my heart. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth to answer, but then she closed it again and simply nodded.

  Her body was shaking so badly. She swallowed hard, looking like she was trying to control her emotions. Without another thought, I pulled her into my arms and just held her. I breathed slow and deep, silently encouraging her to breath with me.

  And she did.

  It took a few minutes, but eventually the shaking stopped and the tension in her body started to ease.

  I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how I could make up for not being here for her. I felt like I’d failed her in the worst way.

  I was just going to tell her how sorry I was when I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Fuck. I hadn’t locked the door.

  I had a split second to decide what to do. Lurch for the door to lock it, risking not making it and raising suspicion, or making it look like I was getting the bit from her I was so psychotically not sharing.

  “Please forgive me,” I whispered, before pushing her against the wall.

  With lightning fast moves, I shucked my shirt, unzipped my jeans, and yanked her skirt down. She didn’t even resist. She just let it happen with wide eyes that were barely containing her shock.

  Wrapping my hand around her throat in a firm, but gentle, hold, I grabbed her ass and pulled her hips against mine. At the same moment, a fist thumped on the door and it swung open.

  I growled loudly and jerked my head towards whoever the fuck was game enough to come interrupt me now. “WHAT?!”

  Vinnie stood in the doorway, an apologetic expression on his face. “Sorry, man. TJ wanted me to tell you he needs you in his office in twenty minutes.”

  I sighed heavily. “Fine. Now fuck off!”

  I watched the door close, wishing I could lock it with my mind, then carefully released my hold on Kaeli’s throat, but it seemed that was as far as I could make myself get from her. I forced myself to at least remove bodily contact, and pressed my hands to the wall either side of her head.

  With the weight of everything hanging over my
head, I lowered my forehead onto her shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

  What else could I say?

  Chapter 29

  Kaeli

  I swallowed, testing my emotions. In that moment when Mitch had pushed me against the wall, I’d felt his panic. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew I had to go with it.

  My body had reacted to it, sending my heart racing, and my head into a swirl of confusion, but he hadn’t frightened me. The second Vinnie had thumped on the door and come in, I understood what he was doing. His quick thinking was keeping us both safe. My heart couldn’t help but warm for him.

  I stood, pinned to the wall, although this time, Mitch’s forehead was the only part of him that was touching me. The curve of his neck was right before me, within kissing distance if I should dare. I wondered what it’d feel like to press my lips to his warm skin. The swirling pattern of his tattoo that ran down the side of his neck seemed to invite me in.

  Without any more thought, I reached up between our bodies, and touched the inky patterns with my fingertips, letting them slowly trace the patterns from his jaw, downwards. I felt Mitch still under my touch, his breath stopping suddenly, and I found myself becoming still with him, my fingers lingering on his skin.

  Slowly, he raised his head. Not enough to look at me, but just enough for his lips to taste the bare skin on my shoulder if he wanted to. I felt his breath start again, caressing me in a way that made something inside me ache. I slid my fingers over his skin until my hand was cupping the side of his neck. Then his lips brushed against my skin.

  He moved so slowly, his touch like the soft kiss of butterfly wings, tracing a line from the curve of my shoulder, across my collarbone. I found myself tilting my head to the side, exposing my neck, inviting him in, and when he obliged, I let out a soft sigh of fulfillment.

  “Kaeli,” he whispered against my neck.

  His voice sounded pained. I didn’t want him to hurt. Hesitantly, I slid my free hand to his waist, feeling the smooth warmth of his bare skin under my touch.