I never regretted it before but over the last few days it felt like I was carrying around a lie. So, I decided to get rid of it. But when Brandlee started talking and fucking sketching we ended up doing both my forearms. While talking about Simi all fucking night. Hence the reason that fucker gave me the booze. Here we were, both of us pussy-fucking-footing around the subject to see what the other knew about Simi’s background. The video.
The video where her ex blindfolded her when she was tied naked to the bed. Her ex told her he wanted to try something new and she agreed, not knowing what was to come. Then he let his buddies in the room, and she panicked when she heard other voices. When she told him she didn't want to, they didn't stop. They videotaped the whole thing and they cut out parts where she was screaming for them to stop.
I had to hear this shit from Pokey before I did some digging around with a little help from my VP’s ol’lady, Nerd, who had the rest of the info and pulled most of the videos from the internet. It’s bad enough Simi went through this, for her to think that she’s now forever labeled as a whore. Her whole reason to put up a scheme to fit the shoe that was forced on her. Because in her eyes this video could come back to haunt her at any point in time.
Meaning no boyfriend would want that shit. A ticking time bomb she can’t keep hidden when someone might stumble on to the video and tell her boyfriend or his family about it. Well tough fucking luck because she’s mine and I couldn’t care less about her past. Shit. That’s not true because I’m dead set on doing something she didn’t. Revenge. Oh, fuck, yes. Bitter-fucking-sweet. But all in good time.
The most gut-wrenching in all of this is what Nerd told me. Simi thinks it wasn’t rape because she orgasmed. And because she said yes to getting tied up and being blindfolded by her ex. Yeah, fuck that. Everything about this is twisted up. But she’s so fucking strong, my woman.
She didn’t let this shit knock her down, but she fucking fought. She even showed the damn video to her own brother, telling Brandlee about it with a smile on her face like she was proud. Yeah, that’s how she put shit in place, a wall of protection. Label yourself a whore and own it like a bat out of hell so no one can shove you back in that fire pit.
Back to last night...me and Brandlee and our little talk? Turns out...we both know exactly what the fuck happened. I’ve got an ally who wanted in. Better yet, Brandlee wanted to have a huge part in it because he couldn’t go after those fuckers because he was the only one Simi had in her life who gave a fuck about her. If he went after her ex, Brandlee would have been the one thrown in prison.
So instead he chose to be there for Simi. He even got her to move into the town Brandlee was living in to get her away from there and close to him. And thank fuck he did or I would never have met her. Thus, we started planning our revenge and I have to have a little talk with Calix because I came up with a brilliant idea.
I groan again due to the pain that’s shooting through my skull. I need a fucking shower. Then it hits me. I fucked up. First time sleeping in my woman’s bed and, idiot that I am, I got drunk as fuck. Shit. Sitting upright, I glance next to me although I already am aware I’m in bed alone.
Dragging my ugly ass out of bed, I take a quick shower and throw on some sweatpants before I stroll into the living room. Calix is sitting on the couch, same pose he was in yesterday when he caught a show of me fucking Simi. Except right now he’s got his gaze on the TV, watching some series or something.
I swing my head around to see where Simi is. She’s right there, sitting at a long table with a sketchpad and all different kinds of pencils in front of her. She’s got her earplugs in and her gaze is fully invested in what she’s drawing. First thing I notice is that she didn’t dye her hair like she told me she wanted to do yesterday.
“You, brother, fucked up.” Calix chuckles. “She’s pissed.”
I narrow my eyes at the fucker. “Just because I came home drunk?”
Calix shakes his head slowly. “Ignorant I tell ya.” He’s clearly muttering to himself before he swings his head back, checking to see if Simi was still focused on what she’s doing in front of her. “No. You cheated on her, dumbass.”
Cheated? What the hell? “I didn’t touch another cunt and you damn well know it.”
Calix stands up and stalks toward me, grabbing me by my forearm that’s fucking burning with my new ink. “Your ol’lady is a tattoo artist, still think you didn’t cheat on her?”
What the actual fuck? “It was her fucking brother who inked me,” I grumble.
“Yeah, not me you have to plead the fifth with, friend. I’m just giving you fair warning how the female mind works. You deal with that, I did my part.” Calix chuckles and grabs a book from the table as he settles back down onto the couch.
Heading in the direction of Simi, I hear Calix mutter, “Nice ink, though. That will surely smooth things over...that color, though? Yeah...good luck.”
“Fucker,” I grumble and grab the chair next to Simi to pull it back and plant my ass on there.
The minute I place my forearm on the table, I curse myself. Fuck. That kinda sucks when your skin is burning and you want to casually lean on a damn table. Simi is still ignoring my ass, so I reach over and rip out one of her earbuds.
“Why the fuck didn’t you dye your hair?” Why is that the first thing I throw at her? Off to a nice fucking start already.
Simi taps on her phone and pulls out her other earbud and glares at me. “I don’t owe you an explanation. Now piss off, I’m working.”
Calix clears his throat and snaps out two words. “Be civil.”
I rub a hand over my face and slide it over my hair, finding the hair tie and take it out, making my hair fall down in wet strands. Simi’s eyes watch my movement and shit...that hint of lust that flares up is what I was after.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. And hope to fuck Calix...shit, the fucker snorts, he heard it. Dammit, I was hoping the fucker didn’t catch me apologizing. Oh, well, I might as well go on. “This is the reason why I asked,” I tell Simi and show her the cover up tattoo I had done.
Her eyes widen as she reaches out turning my arm back and forth. “Damn. That’s awesome. Did Lee use...never mind, you wouldn’t know. That’s...wait.” Her eyes pierce mine. “That’s me,” she squeaks.
“Yeah, beautiful. That’s you. Well, if you would have dyed your hair it would be a perfect match, but still.”
“You crazy ass, idiot. Why did you do that?” Her hand leaves my arm and is now covering her mouth.
“What? Why did I cover up the ‘I love hos’ and replace it with your face? Well, your hair since your face is on the other side. I kinda thought with me doing this it was perfectly clear why, but it seems I need to tell you again that you’re mine. My ol’lady. So why the fuck should I have those words that have now become a lie inked on my skin when I clearly don’t love a ho?”
She swallows and points to my other arm. “Can I see what my brother inked on there?”
I hold up my arm while she checks out the fresh ink.
“Is that...” Simi gasps. “Did that fucker ink my tree on your arm? The one I could see from our childhood bedroom window? Damn, full moon...did he sketch it first, or?”
“That fucker drank half a bottle of Jack Daniels and sketched it straight on my arm, after I asked if he had any objections if I’d marry you. He told me you always dreamed about a midnight wedding with a full moon...then he did that.” I wave at my new ink.
Simi just stares at it until every emotion just slides off her face, replacing it with a hard, condescending look. “You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t need a pity fuck from you every now and then and for sure don’t want you to marry me for the reasons your fucked-up mind thought up. Broken, whore status, match made in fucking heaven. Yeah, right. And for your information...I’m not capable of loving a man. And that has nothing to do with my ex tying me up to have a fuck party with his buddies at my expense but everything to do with the fact that all men are assho
les.” She stands up and pokes me in the chest. “When this shit is cleared up with that gang, I want you to get the fuck out of my house and life. Oh, and no fucking way will you be in my bed again. Get your things and move into one of the guest rooms. Make no mistake, I would kick your ass out the door right now, but I don’t want any of my friends to get hurt by that gang. But you? You could die for all,”
Flashing up, I grab the chair I was sitting on and fling it across the room before she can tell me she wouldn’t care less if I died, while I snarl, “Fuck you, you condescending cunt.”
“Be. Civil,” Calix snaps in a hard voice, making the both of us look his way.
He’s standing, holding on to the chair he seems to have caught mid swing.
“Now,” Calix sets the chair aside and points at me. “Apologize right now for calling your ol’lady a cunt.”
My upper lip rises and I fight the urge to whine, asking why she doesn’t get a damn reprimand. “Fine. I’m fucking sorry, okay? I should have said condescending bitch, whatever.”
Calix shrugs out of his jacket. Fuck. He takes out his cufflinks and places them on top of his jacket that he placed over the back of the couch. Now he’s fucking rolling up his sleeves in a serene way. I should have fucking known better.
“Head or gut? You get two, so you can also pick both.” That’s all he says.
And again, I should have fucking known better because this is what Calix does when he’s pissed off. He turns into this serene asshole that gives away up front what he’s going to do and the amount to go with it. Oh, and not to mention he gives you two fucking choices but fuck...no one has a choice because his way is the law that will be expelled.
“Gut,” I grumble. Because for real, that fucker can hit like dynamite with a short fuse, fucking instantaneous explosion.
Seeing I train my abs daily I can flex and take some of the impact.
“Don’t you dare touch him,” Simi growls coming to stand in between us.
“Step away, Everleigh. I will talk to you when I’m done with Sico.” Calix’s voice is hard. “And why are you defending him?”
“I’m not defending him,” Simi snaps and turns around to bury her tiny fist in my fucking eye. “I just don’t need you to butt in. I can handle my own shit.”
Calix growls and I only have a split second to grab Simi’s waist and pull her behind me. “She’s mine to deal with, brother. I get we were disrespectful to one another. You’ve made your point. Give me the two blows and we’ll be done with it.”
“No. She wasn’t civil either. I’ve warned you both two times and neither of you listened. So, no, you can’t take both punishments, she needs to take her own.” Calix’s voice is like steel, unbreakable.
Simi is holding onto my waist, her fingers digging into my skin when I hear her soft voice from behind me. “I’m sorry, Calix. I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I’m just not used to all of this. Him being nice and doing something like that...all of it directed and revolving around me. I’m not worth,”
I spin around and cup her gorgeous face that’s got bloodshot eyes, tears threatening to fall. “Don’t fucking say it. Don’t fucking say you ain’t worth shit when you’re the only goddamned woman that’s ever reached my heart. A heart I never fucking knew existed. You damn well think again because you’re life changing. Someone worth living for. Because before you? I didn’t care if I took another breath or if the one leaving my body was the last. So, please, beautiful...” I can’t stand looking into her eyes where tears now freely fall down her cheeks, so I close mine and brush my lips over hers before I whisper, “Please don’t fucking say it.”
“That’s some sappy shit right there,” Calix mutters making the both of us turn his way.
“Be civil,” we snap in sync.
Calix narrows his eyes but doesn’t say a thing.
The doorbell rings and we all check the TV screen that gives a visual of who’s at the door. Zack, Dams, and Ransom. Simi moves away to open the door. I watch how she strolls a bit out of sight when a sharp fucking pain explodes in my gut, immediately followed by another one.
“That’s two. You’re done and don’t fuck up again or I’ll start doubling the count,” Calix grunts while he rolls his sleeves back down. “And that one there?” He points in the direction Simi went. “Smack her ass hard when you fuck her next time because my mind needs to know that her punishment is handled. Got me?”
I give the fucker a tight nod, because for real...between the two of us, I might be a class A asshole...but he’s the decent, twisted fucker that’s for damn sure.
Chapter 06
***Simi***
Zack, Dams, and Ransom stroll inside and I close the door behind them. Before I can ask what they are doing here, Zack starts to talk to Sico. “Sorry to say this, man...but your bike is toast.”
“What?” Sico roars.
“You left it at the tattoo shop right next to Brandlee’s bike, both are burned to a crisp, totally destroyed. We watched the security tape but it doesn’t show shit. It shows a shadowed figure spraying accelerant and after that a sea of flames,” Ransom adds. “I should have brought them to the clubhouse or called Nerd to get the flat back over to pick them up. Sorry, man.”
“Not your fault.” Sico’s voice is flat. “It is what it is. Any chance it was connected to the Cape Town crew?”
Ransom shrugs. “Dunno, man. Casey told me that some other cars and bikes have been set on fire over the past few weeks. Some might be connected to that shitass gang, but we might just have a troubled kid or a pyromaniac running lose in town.”
“Great. Fucking great,” Sico mutters and rubs his neck.
A strange feeling burns in the pit of my stomach. I want to go to him, slide my arms around his waist and snuggle close. But on the other hand, I want to throat punch him. He’s such an asshole and his mood is like a freaking coin, flipping heads to tails with a nudge of your thumb.
So, I steer clear of all of this and make my way into the kitchen to make some coffee. I can still hear them talking when I’m staring at a full pot of coffee. Dammit. I’m actually hiding in my own freaking house, how weird is that?
“I’m heading out.” Calix’s voice pulls me out of my staring match with the coffeepot.
“Okay.” I shrug, not meeting his eyes.
“Ransom will take my place and I’ll be here tomorrow to relieve him. But, Everleigh?” Calix waits for me to meet his gaze before he continues. “Ransom likes to nag people. He’s going to try to stir some trouble between you and Sico, purely for his own entertainment.”
I shrug off his statement again and reach for a cup to get myself some coffee.
“In life you can choose to walk away, do nothing, or grab it by the balls. Open your damn eyes and grab life by the balls, Everleigh. You’re allowed to do that, even if it means you have to lay your trust in someone to stand up for you as well. But you have to do just that first, darling...stand up for yourself and don’t be afraid of the risks.” Calix sighs.
My heart is pounding in my ears, fury laced with fear flows through me in waves, making me nauseous. “The last time I did that? Take a risk? I let my ex blindfold me and we all know how well that worked out, right? Thanks for the brilliant advice, you can leave now.”
“Fuck,” Calix snaps.
And that’s actually the first time I’ve heard that word fall out of his mouth. Either he’s careful with throwing curses around or he feels he doesn’t need them to give his vocabulary some strength. What do I care? He’s too complicated for me to figure out.
“It all comes down to fucked up moments in our past, huh? The pebble that’s in your shoe you can’t seem to remove.” Calix’s voice sounds like a caress. “Remember what I told you about me? That my past doesn’t define me? Come on, darling...open your eyes and look past the thick wall you built. The world is filled with assholes but even in that amount there are some fuckers you can polish up so they can shine some.”
“What the hel
l does that mean?” I can’t help but chuckle at his last statement.
Calix takes a step closer to me. “You know that saying ‘get on his dick, not his nerves’? You’re not an easy one and neither is Sico. You two bump heads like magnets that push each other away and yet when they flip...yeah, I might need to remind him about the saying ‘a way to a woman’s heart is to make her pussy wet and not her eyes’ but I don’t think that would do any good. What I’m trying to say is that Sico might be an asshole, but he’s your asshole. The fucker inked over his own life’s motto and replaced it with a face that is clearly it for him. The day he claimed you? He did so because he didn’t want anyone else touching you. And that fucker shares every pussy he bumped into in his life. He’s never cared for one nor did he even give one another glance. Yet you? You’ve been his since the day you two met. Instant lust, or a spark of something more. Like I said...open your eyes, then you’ll see he’s all yours and what that idiot has to give. I can tell you there’s more to him than the asshole side you know. But that’s something for you to find out...but if you won’t...cut him loose, Everleigh. The both of you will be the only two who will get hurt in the end. Hate fucking only goes so far until there’s nothing left. You’re a strong woman. One who crawled out of a dirty pit, but darling? It’s time to brush the dirt off yourself too. You’re allowed, you know? Oh, and if you’re all ‘I don’t know where to start’...go dye your hair. That’s a nice first step.”
Calix spins around but right before he leaves the kitchen, I tell him, “Thanks. Appreciate it.”
With his back still to me I can tell he nods, smacks his flat hand against the wall and walks out of the kitchen. Well, shit.
Grabbing my cup of coffee, I stroll into the living room. “Anyone want some coffee?”
“Sure, no need to add sugar to it if you’re the one serving me,” Ransom quips.
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