Case and I opened this club two years ago with the help of Rox and it ended up going better than either one of us could have imagined. In this club, anything goes. You can walk in sober and walk out high. Or you can walk in high and leave trashed. People come here to forget their everyday boring lives. Or to find that one drug to help them dull the pain. But Case and I do run a tight ship. You get in a fight, you get your ass kicked out after we beat the shit out of you ourselves. You steal from us, we break something of yours. You try to fuck us over, we go for someone who holds value. We do not hold back when it comes to our business. About ninety percent of the time, it gets dirty, and I like it. It turns me on to know that people fear us. And others wanna be us.
A drunk dancing woman bumps into me and almost trips over my shoes as I turn and make my way down the hallway. I reach out and grab her to help her stand. Before I can even ask if she’s okay, she’s ripped her arm from my hand and dances away from me. I continue down the hallway and enter the first door on the right.
Everyone in the room is laughing and carrying on. Most of them are friends of ours from the club, and some are people I have never seen before. They must be friends of Taylor’s from college. I look over at Case as he sits on one of the many couches this room provides. His beautiful woman sits on his lap, one arm around his shoulders, the other resting on her thigh. He says something to her brother, Blane, and she throws her head back laughing as if it was the funniest thing he ever said. She has no idea that her life is about to change. No one ever sees it coming—change. Doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, it always creeps up on you when you least expect it. When it’s too late for you to stop it.
“Hey, Brecken.” Taylor yells my name as she spots me. I give her a head nod as she gets up off Case’s lap and starts to walk toward me. I know she’s my best friend’s girl, but I can’t help but look down at her lean legs showcased by her short dress. Case really is a lucky son of a bitch. Not only is his woman hot, but she also worships him. She reaches out, grabs my hand, and pulls me to the other side of the room. I pretend that her touch doesn’t bother me. That my first instinct isn’t to pull away. I’m not against touching. I just prefer to keep it to a minimum, unless I’m fucking them. When she finally lets go, I lift my other hand holding my beer and take a sip.
“Brecken, I want you to meet my friend, Elena,” she says stopping in front of a brunette. Her hair is long, and I mean long. It hangs straight against her back and falls down to the top of her ass. It reminds me of Monica’s, just not as dark. Or thick.
I nod my head in greeting but don’t give her a smile. “Hello,” I say and watch the smile spread across her round face as she looks me up and down. She reminds me of a Cabbage Patch doll. She has smooth skin, big blue eyes, and a round face.
“Brecken,” she says excitedly. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
I actually laugh because I know that’s a lie. First of all, the things that Taylor does know about me, she wouldn’t repeat. And second, Taylor really doesn’t know much about me at all.
“All good things, I hope.” I play along before lifting the beer to my lips once more. If she knew the bad things, she wouldn’t stand this close to me.
She giggles as her eyes drop to my chest before returning to mine. “Well, yes”—she pauses—“but I sure hope that’s not all there is to know about you. Sometimes, good can get boring. I prefer a little excitement.” She gives me a little wink and then her eyes go to the tattoo on my knuckles.
I smirk to myself. “Does murder count?” I ask truthfully. The smile drops off her face, and her eyes widen. I don’t understand women. I’m thirty-one years old, and they still confuse me. They want a bad boy, yet what they really want is a man who will just buy them expensive jewelry.
She opens her collagen enhanced lips and then shuts them. She does it a couple of more times before I speak. “Didn’t think so,” I say and then add, “but I’m sure there’s someone around here who can show you a good time, though.”
Taylor gives me a slap on the back as she gives an uncomfortable laugh. “Can you give us a moment?”
Taylor is pushing me away before the girl can even answer. “What the hell was that about?” Taylor demands, turning to face me.
I shrug. “I’m not in the mood to be set up with one of your friends,” I reply flatly. “If I wanted to get laid tonight, I wouldn’t need your help.” Of course, she doesn’t know that I already got a piece tonight.
She huffs. “I wasn’t trying to get you in bed with her.”
I look up to see her friend, whatever her name is, looking over her shoulder at me. The shock of the word murder has officially worn off because now she’s smiling at me again. “I’m pretty sure that’s all she cares about,” I say.
Taylor looks over at her and then back to me with a frown on her lips. “I’m just trying to get you—”
“Don’t,” I say interrupting her. I know exactly where she’s going with that statement, and I want no part of it.
She turns her body to face me, and she looks over at Case, who still sits on the couch as he talks to her brother and his new wife. “I just hate how lonely you look,” she says softly, and my body stiffens at her words. “I feel like I took Case from you.”
She did. They have their own life now, but Case is still my best friend. Things change, but I’m not jealous or mad. I don’t feel left out. I’m glad that Case is getting his woman. He deserves it.
“I’m never lonely,” I tell her with a big smile.
Her frown deepens. Taylor has a way of telling when someone is faking it. “You’re not as good of a liar as you think you are.” She places her hands on her hips, and I chuckle.
“Am I rusty?” I ask jokingly.
“No. I just know you better now. I know it must be hard. You know, after—” she cuts off and swallows.
I know what she refuses to say. After Rachel.
I killed her! I took a life of someone I thought was a friend. But in the end, she was just a lying, vindictive bitch.
Case and I stand side by side as we stare at the mausoleum. He speaks softly. “I got a call while you were in the restroom a minute ago.” I don’t turn to face him. “The toxicology report came back.” He pauses to wait for me to give him some sort of movement to let him know I’m listening. When I give him nothing, he answers anyway. “It came back positive for methamphetamines and cocaine.” I fist my hands down by my sides, pissed at how much this bitch lied to us. It sickens me how easily we believed every little thing she said. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” he asks.
I remain silent. I feel his hand on my shoulder, and I jump. “I tried to tell you when I saw that cocaine in her place.”
He sighs. “Brecken, she passed the drug test …” When Rachel wasn’t spreading her legs or opening her mouth for us, she was working at Seven Deadly Sins, and we do not allow our employees to do any drugs. It causes problems. Drugs impair your judgment, and we already have enough shit that we have to take care of there. The last thing I need is a fucked-up waitress unable to deliver drinks or a bartender who can’t keep his eyes open.
“I don’t know how,” I say through gritted teeth. “She must have had someone change out the tests. Or she paid someone else to take it. Fuck, who knows how deep her connections went,” I hiss.
“I don’t understand how she—”
“This isn’t the time to discuss this,” I interrupt him.
“We don’t have any more time,” he argues. “She’s been dead for a week, Brecken, and no one has come looking for her.” No one knows that I killed her. We have been able to keep her death under wraps. But I agree with him. We don’t have much time. She was only fucking us to get information for another man. A very powerful man we want. As soon as Rachel doesn’t contact him, he will be looking, wanting to know what we are up to and how we got her to go away. We went through her phone, but nothing was suspicious about it. She must have used a different phone to keep in contact w
ith Cricket. And of course, nothing came up at her place. She was good, but we already knew that. She kept us blind for four years. “We need to decide what to do when we reopen and people start to ask about her.” The club has been completely remodeled and will be ready to open next week. You have to make up excuses when blood is splattered everywhere.
“Tell them she left,” I say simply with a careless shrug. I finally turn to face him. “Hell, put an obituary in the paper that she was found dead from an overdose. I killed her, Case,” I say flatly. “And don’t let the feelings I had for her make you think I care more than I do.” She was a good fuck, but I didn’t love her. “The moment I saw her lift that gun, I knew I was gonna do whatever was necessary to keep her from killing anyone. I did what needed to be done. Just as I always will, no matter the circumstances.” With that, I turn to face the wall one last time. I wish I could have spent more time with her. I wish I could go back and get more answers out of her, but it’s too late now. What’s done is done. I turn, giving Case my back, place my hands in the pocket of my slacks, and walk off. No remorse.
“Case said that you loved her—” she trails off softly as she looks at the floor.
You don’t spend day and night with someone for four years without forming some sort of bond. A part of me really did love her. I loved how she looked from her knees. I loved how she played the role of a whore. I loved that fact she was always down for anything. But in the end, she was a psychotic bitch who threatened my friend’s life, so I shot her. Twice.
“Case doesn’t know what I love,” I say simply. “No need to worry about me. I promise,” I say giving her another fake smile before I raise my beer.
She goes to open her mouth to speak but is interrupted.
“Can I have your attention, everyone?” Case stands on the coffee table in the middle of the room with a smile on his face.
I ignore the tightness in my chest and the emptiness in my soul knowing that this woman is right. I am alone. But that’s what I deserve. Failure has consequences, and loneliness is one of them.
“Case?” Taylor squeals as she runs up to him. “Get down,” she orders as she tugs on his arm. It’s crazy, really. I’ve never seen him like this before. Well, not since Nicole. But that’s another demon I fight every day to keep away. He never has been the same since Nicole, but neither have I. She was just the first in a long list of many who I’ve failed. Although I wasn’t the one who took her life, she was the one who left me broken. When Nicole was taken, a part of us went with her. I have nothing left to give now. I’m glad that Case still does, though.
“Just one sec,” Case says looking down at her. “I have an announcement to make,” he says loudly.
“Are you pregnant?”
I spin around to see the brunette friend she had introduced me to laugh at her own stupid question.
“Not that I know of,” Case says with a chuckle. He places his hand against his flat stomach and looks down at himself.
“I meant Taylor. Are you pregnant, Taylor?” she goes on.
“Maybe you’re the one pregnant,” I holler, and she looks at me. No longer a smile on her face. “That dress looks a little tight,” I say with a careless shrug and her eyes narrow on me.
I turn back to face Case. He gives me a look that says be nice, but I ignore it. I’m not the nice guy. That’s not who I am. I’m the guy most hate because I don’t put up with bullshit. Case used to be that way, but love has changed him—in a good way—and I don’t fault him for that. This world needs more good than it does evil.
He jumps down off the coffee table and walks over to Taylor. He takes her hand, and she looks up at him in confusion. “Maybe you should lay off the alcohol, babe.” She laughs.
He smiles down at her, and she returns the smile. “I love you, Taylor,” he announces, and her smile widens. “And I’m so proud of you.”
Rachel, Case, and I all stand in the middle of Seven Deadly Sins with the lights on as the club is closed. Taylor joins us, and we all turn to look over at her. “You need to leave,” Case snaps.
She looks up at him. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Oh, but you are.” I look back over at Rachel, and she’s straightening her back as she pulls a gun out of her right boot. She used the distraction of Taylor walking into the room to reach down and pull her weapon. “I hate to break up the party, but I need to go,” she announces as she lifts the gun and points it straight at him. “And I can’t leave any of you alive.”
It all happens so fast; Case goes to lift his gun as he lunges for Taylor. A loud bang goes off then Rachel spins to face me. I lift my gun, and I shoot. I watch as she falls to her knees, blood running down her chest as she looks up at me. I look at her with hatred, and my jaw is tight. She falls backward, and I move to stand over her. My heart beats wildly, and my breathing is labored.
I hear Case speak desperately behind me. “Sorry, babe. You okay?”
Rachel gives me a small smile as she looks up at me from her back. “Cricket will take what you love. He always wins.”
I pull the trigger again. You can’t take anything from a man who has nothing.
“Taylor?” I hear Case say behind me as I watch Rachel take her last breath. “Taylor?” he demands, and I turn around to face them. And my lips part as I suck in a breath. Taylor lies on the floor as well as Case, leaning over her from his knees. “TAYLOR!” He screams out her name.
I run over to them and fall to my knees as I slide to them. “She has no pulse.” His voice shakes.
I place my ear down to her parted lips, and I look up at him as my heart stops. His blue eyes beg me to say something.
“Case,” I say sitting up. I refuse to let this woman die. I refuse to let Rachel win! I will save my best friend’s woman. I lean over and rip her tank top covered with blood. “Case!” I shout as I reach up and remove my own shirt.
He just kneels there. Blue eyes watery as he looks at her as if she’s already gone. And I hate that look in his eyes. It’s the same look I saw when we found out that Nicole had been taken from us. I refuse to let that happen again.
“Case!” I yell, and he doesn’t even blink. I reach up and slap him across the face. He blinks a few times and then shakes his head. “We’re gonna save her, but I need you to help me,” I growl. “Are you gonna help me or not?” I can’t do it on my own.
He looks down at her, and I see his chest rise and fall as he breathes heavily. You can see the bullet wound since I removed her shirt. It’s on the left side of her abdomen and blood flows from it as it pools around us. I slap him again. His head snaps up to look at me. “Pull it together, Tyler!” I demand using his first name.
I position myself over her as I place my shirt to her wound and apply pressure as he starts to perform CPR.
You wouldn’t know by looking at her now that that was nine months ago. I thought we were going to lose her. But when Case had given up, I had to keep trying. I had to have hope that God wouldn’t do that to him again. He wouldn’t survive another loss.
“I love you too, Case,” she says, lowering her eyes to the ground as if his words embarrass her.
He leans down, gives her a gentle kiss, and then drops to his knee. The smile drops off her face, and she gasps as she places her hands over her mouth. “Case,” she whispers.
Leaning up against the far wall, I get comfortable watching the exchange with a small smile on my face. Letting everyone know that I am happy for my best friend, while on the inside, I’m dying. I once wanted this life. Love. A wife. A house full of kids. Can you believe that I once wanted to be a firefighter? Yeah, I had this life planned out. My wife was going to be a nurse, and I was gonna be a firefighter. Boy, was I ever wrong.
“Taylor …” He pauses as he stares up at her. Tears well in her eyes, and they slowly roll down her face as we all stand and watch in silence. The only noise is the pounding of the music on the other side of these walls. He clears his throat. “I had this long speech prepared, but I c
an’t remember a word of it.” Everyone laughs. “All that matters is that I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” she screams. No pause. No having to consider the fact that one day she will wake up, and he will no longer be there. The world is a cruel place. People die every day. People who you love and count on can be ripped from you at any moment. She sees his proposal as a gift; I see it as a tragedy. He stands quickly and picks her up in his arms.
I set my beer on the table next to me so I can clap for the happy couple.
“Now, I really think you’re pregnant,” that bitch of a friend shouts as she laughs.
“Wanna try and keep your fat ass mouth shut for two seconds?” I demand.
She gasps and everyone turns to look at me. I just stare back carelessly.
“Brecken, can I talk to you for a minute?” Case asks coming up to me.
I don’t answer but follow him out of the room and into the hallway. The music from the club is louder out here, so he walks down to the end where the restroom and employee’s locker room are.
“Congratulations, man.” I slap him on the back.
He looks at me with narrowed eyes, and I sigh heavily. “I was just trying to keep her from ruining your guys’ moment.”
“I know. And although I appreciate it, I would like you to be nice to Taylor’s friend.”
“Friend?” I snort. “I’ve never even seen her.” I’ve spent a lot of time with Taylor over the nine months since the day Rachel shot her in our club.
“She’s a friend from school,” he says with an eye roll. “And I know she’s a total bitch.” He runs his hand through his hair.
“She’s a whore,” I say flatly. And normally, I wouldn’t judge how a woman plans to spend her time. I mean if there were no whores, then we men wouldn’t get laid. But the fact that she runs her mouth as much as she probably spreads her legs is what bothers me.
Obsession (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Page 3