by Jordan Marie
“What the hell did you do that for?”
“You’re an asshole,” I yell at him, and I feel a little better when Jax gives a laugh, even if it does sound painful. Keys scowls at me, but doesn’t say anything else. Now, I just need to kill my uncles…and maybe Pops.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Jeff
Aubree lied. I hate that she lied to me. It’s that man making her do it. He’s a bad influence on her. He’s trying to take her from me. Take her innocence, her purity. I can’t let that happen. I look out of my car window and see Roxanne. I’ve only met her once or twice when she’s come to the school for events Aubree has been in. I’ve never heard good things about her. I know she used to be a club whore. That kind of influence can’t be had on my Breezy. I’ll have to cut her out of Breezy’s life. There’s no other way really. I’m glad she’s done her best to protect her, and it’s good that she helped me get her away from the idiot who thinks it’s cool to call himself Shaft.
Maybe I’ll be nice to her. I’ll make sure she doesn’t have to suffer the things I go through. Aubree could have made this easier. Everything was going fine, until she met him. We could have gone about this slow. She’s made me change my plans. She’s the reason there has to be pain. I hope she understands the lengths I will go to just to protect her. To keep her safe.
Roxanne lives in one of those small, government housing apartments, where each one looks the same. Dark brown brick, no more than three windows and the same colored brown door. Luckily for me however, her apartment is on the end. I’d rather not have a lot of people see me here. I don’t even like the fact that Bree is seen here. She’s too good for a place like this.
I walk to the door, and I can feel the adrenaline pumping inside of me. It takes the woman a few minutes to get to the door. For a minute, I’m hoping it is Aubree who opens, but it’s not.
“Can I help you?”
“Hi Roxanne, it’s great to see you again.”
She squints at my face. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“It’s me, Jeff? Remember? We met when you came to Bree’s award ceremony a few months ago.”
“Oh,” she answers, her face scrunched up in confusion. “Is Bree okay?” I study her for a moment. Her skin is starting to sag, especially around the neck. She’s got tired green eyes that are too heavily covered in eye-shadow. Her once vibrant red hair is starting to give way to gray. She’s tall and slim. Passable. She’s not a beautiful woman, but maybe in her prime she might have been, before she spread her legs and became a biker whore.
“Actually, I’m here to surprise her. She said she was visiting you for Christmas.”
“Oh. Well yeah, she was, but she got held up. She’s not here yet.” Roxanne holds the door close to her body.
“When will she be here?” I demand, a sick feeling of heat flushing through my body. She lied to me. She’s still with him. She’s not here at all.
“I’m not sure. Listen, I have to go. My boyfriend is on his way over. I’ll tell Bree you’re looking for her,” she stutters, and she pushes the door to close it. I stick my foot in, not letting her shut me out.
“I need to talk to Bree today.”
“I’m not sure what to tell you,” she answers. “But, I really need you to go now. I’ll call Bree, and if she wants to talk to you she’ll call you.”
“That’s not good enough for me Roxanne.”
I watch as her eyes go big. I see the moment that the fear hits her and it soothes me. I keep things so tightly compacted, I have to keep control. The fear in her eyes allows that control to snap. I grab her hand before she can completely back away from me and then push my way in the doorway as if I was out on the football field. This is going to be easier than I dreamed. I’ll take care of her, get rid of her car and set about luring Aubree away from that man. She’ll have to pay for letting him near. She’ll have to pay dearly.
As I snap Roxanne’s wrist, I smile because I can hear the crack of the bone even over her screaming I find myself hoping that Aubree doesn’t make me do to her what I’m going to do to Roxanne here.
Don’t make me, Aubree. There’s so much more I’d rather do to you…
Chapter Forty-Nine
Jax
“Feeling sore are you?”
“Fuck off, asshole,” I growl at Torch. The bastard just laughs harder. Skull sits down beside me, but his face is definitely more somber.
“We didn’t beat you down enough, you’re moving too soon.”
“Beth and Katie came over to take Bree shopping. I couldn’t stand to look at the empty walls. I really need a better place.”
“You do if you’re going to keep Bree,” Skull agrees and manages to piss me off. There’s no if to it, she’s mine.
“I’m keeping her,” I grumble at him.
“Si. Then you better find a new home. She deserves better than that dump,” he says, and he’s not wrong. She does. Hell, she deserves better than me, and I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s thinking too. I take a pull from my beer and lean back. “How is my sobrina?” he adds.
“Worried. She still can’t get a hold of Roxanne. Have you heard from the prospects I sent to Tennessee?”
“They reported back about an hour ago. There was no sign of her. The house is empty, and the woman’s car is gone. They checked inside, just to make sure. A few dresser drawers were open as if clothes were taken out in a hurry, and the closet door was open. Maybe she just needed to leave in a hurry?”
“Maybe, but from the way Bree talks they’re super close. I can’t imagine she’d leave and not call her.”
“So, it’s like the rest of the shit around here lately. Another mystery without answers,” Beast growls, and it’s hard for me to get used to his darker voice. He’s changed a lot since his accident. He was trying to get out more and become part of the club again—besides just being the main muscle. Yet, since that day at the picnic when Lucy said crap about him, he’s retreated more. Fuck, he’s so hairy now I can barely see his face and he’s added so many tattoos there’s no skin visible anywhere. He’s definitely more beast than man now. He puts his heavy body down in the seat, and I’m surprised the fucker doesn’t cave under his weight.
“Amen,” we all seem to say together.
“You look like a fucking train hit you,” Beast says, and shit, I must be bad if this is coming from him.
“It looks worse than it is,” I mutter resisting the urge to kick the shit out of Torch for laughing. Fucking bastard.
“Where did Beth and Katie take Bree?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“Who the fuck knows, Katie’s not talking to me,” Torch bitches.
“They went into Somerset,” Skull answers.
“That’s a hell of a long drive for shopping,” Torch complains. “I should paddle her ass for not telling me.”
“I’ve got Bruno driving them,” Skull answers. “Or Beth wouldn’t have told me either. I told him to take them there so they wouldn’t run into any of Tucker’s bunch.”
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Si. There is a can of worms you do not want to open just yet, motherfucker.”
I scrub my hands over my face. “Fuck. I know,” I answer.
“I ought to beat you again,” Torch says giving me a dirty look.
“Then your wife really would be pissed,” I joke, hoping that’s enough to change his mind, because hell, I’m so damned sore I haven’t even been able to love on my own woman. I’m hoping that will change tonight. It’s been two days, and I still had trouble riding my damn bike over here.
“That’s not why she’s not talking motherfucker,” Torch answers, and Skull snorts in disbelief. “Well it’s not the only reason. She’s mad cause I won’t give her my dick.”
“Jesus, I don’t want to hear about your sex-life,” Beast growls.
“Screw you. The woman is addicted to me, what can I say?” Torch brags.
“That you’re an asshole?” Skull answers and
we all laugh. Skull’s phone rings though and takes his attention. He barely has the phone up to his ear before he’s hanging up. “Briar’s awake. Let’s ride,” he orders already going to the door, leaving us to follow behind.
Chapter Fifty
Jax
“Fuck brother, you had us worried,” Skull says grabbing Briar’s hand in his inked one and giving it a squeeze before letting it go. We’re in Briar’s hospital room. His old lady, Stephanie is sitting at his side, holding his other hand, her head resting on his chest.
“Too fucking mean to die,” he jokes, his voice is hoarse and really weak. They took the breathing tube out when he came to, hopefully that’s all it is. He’s so damned pale, he doesn’t even resemble the man who was giving me hell over Bree.
“Do you feel like telling us what went on?”
“He needs his rest,” Stephanie says tearfully.
“Need to tell them, babe,” he argues and she stares into his face for a minute.
“I’m not leaving,” she argues. Skull must not object, because he sits down and waits.
“Drove to the meeting place,” Briar says and starts coughing. His old lady helps him drink water from a straw and just seeing that hurts. This bastard could best any man that came his way. Son-of-a-fucking-bitch. “It was empty. Chains said the crew had messaged they were going to be late. Someone suggested we check everything out, scavenge the area and make sure it was secure and no cops waiting for us.”
“Who suggested that? Chains?” Torch asks, talking about Tucker’s sergeant-of-arms and the man that was supposed to be in charge of the run.
“Nah. One of the others,” Briar says wheezing. I watch as Stephanie rubs his chest while still holding his hand. Her grip on him has her hand white because she’s holding on so hard. “We parked up. Sabre and me stuck together—shit, how’s Sabre?”
“He’s alive brother. Better shape than you, but whoever did this beat the ever-loving-fuck out of him,” I joke.
Briar’s eyes go to me. They take a minute to focus, you can tell, but then he does his best to smile. “They get a hold of you too.”
“Nah man. Skull and Torch had to teach me a lesson about women,” I joke. Understanding dawns on him and he shakes his head.
“Told you she wasn’t for you. Jailbait.” He chokes out with a wheeze.
I tell him with pride, “She’s my old lady.”
“Damn, how long I been out?”
“Too long.”
“Be careful. Tucker didn’t do this, but after the shots were fired…” Briar stops taking a breath, his face cringing as if he was in pain and his eyes go cloudy again.
“Who fired shots?” Skull presses.
“Don’t,” another deep breath, “know who was first it came from the woods. But, my bullet came from one of Tucker’s men,” he says, and he tries to move his hand to his chest.
“Who shot…are you okay, el hermano?”
“Feels….”
He doesn’t get the rest of the words out. Briars head goes straight back as if in pain and his eyes go wide. His entire body shakes to the point the bed rattles. Stephanie starts screaming. Skull is hitting the call button for the nurse. They barely get there before the heart monitor changes from a steady beep to one long continuous sound. The doctors and nurses work, as we fall back around our brother. Keys helps pull Stephanie back who’s cries and screams may haunt me for years. Our eyes are glued as they take the crash cart out and prepare Briar.
“Clear!” a doctor yells and they hit him with the paddles. We all hold our breath, but the sound doesn’t change. “Charge!” he says again and just a few seconds later. “Clear!” Again no change. A repeat of the same, brings the same conclusion. The doctor looks at the clock on the wall, putting his hand on Briar’s face, closing his eyes. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! “Time of death—”
I don’t hear the time. I don’t see anything but my brother lying on the bed in front of me, gone. Stephanie breaks free from Keys and collapses on top of Briar, screaming, “No,” as if it was torn form her very soul.
“No….” she cries, the sound dragging out as if the word lasted forever, and then a shuddering breath, “Oh, God, no. Not my man. Not my man,” she sobs, her whole body shaking.
Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! I’ve lost my brother. I’ve lost my friend.
Chapter Fifty-One
Bree
“Honey? Are you okay?” I ask Jax, lamely. He’s sitting in our room, staring out the window. We’re all on lockdown since Briar’s death. Jax has been so quiet, withdrawn really. I don’t know how to reach him. He barely eats, he doesn’t talk much. If he didn’t come to our bed at night and hold me, I would worry that he is done with me. We’ve been moved to the club, into Jax’s old room. I wasn’t happy about it, but I wasn’t about to argue either. He’s going through enough. It took me a complete day to clean and scrub it. Jax promised he hadn’t been with a woman in there since it had been cleaned last, and I know he hasn’t touched anyone since we got together, but just the idea that something in there might have been left over made me uneasy. I even had one of the prospects get me new sheets. Better safe than sorry. Still, I can’t wait until the day we get back to the apartment. There, it was just the two of us, and I loved it. Now, I barely speak to him all day. We’ve been on lockdown for four days, but it feels like a year.
“Fine, Bree,” he says, as if I haven’t heard that answer each time I’ve asked it. It’s enough to make a woman cry.
“Honey—”
“Damn it, I said I’m fine!” he growls, and I’m standing behind him getting ready to put my hands on his shoulders. When he barks at me like that I jump back, holding my hands together instead of putting them on him. I know he’s upset about Briar. All the men are. Katie and Beth said Skull and Torch are a mess. The only difference is they’re holding onto their women. Jax isn’t. He keeps pushing me away.
“Okay. Dinner is served in the main kitchen,” I tell him, trying again. “You really should eat.”
“I’ll eat when I get hungry. It’s not your job to make sure I eat. We’re not married, Bree and you sure as hell aren’t my mother.”
“What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing. Just forget it. Go eat and visit with your family,” he mutters.
“I spend all my time with them. I want to be with you,” I tell him, and I’m doing my best to keep the tears at bay.
“Well, I don’t want to be with you. Understand?” he growls, looking over his shoulder at me. He looks so cold. I can almost feel my heart physically break. I was fooling myself. This is what happens when you love someone and they don’t love you. I thought I could be enough, could love him enough, so that this relationship would be good for both of us. What a fool I was. Maybe I am just a stupid kid.
“Yeah, I think I got it, finally,” I mumble, hating that I feel the sting of tears at the corner of my eyes.
“Bree—”
“I think you’ve said enough. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute.”
“What are you doing?”
“Packing.”
“Packing? Where the fuck you going to go? We’re on lockdown, and I doubt very seriously Skull and Torch want you in their room with their women.”
“It’s none of your business, is it? You’ve made it clear you don’t want me, I’m sure someone out there will.”
“Fuck no. You get your ass back here,” he yells, but it’s too late. I’ve given up packing, and I just march outside. I don’t want to be around him. I make it to the main room, which is really just a giant bar complete with music, tables, a dance floor, and stripper poles. I’ve decided these places are designed by men who are really little boys who never grow up. Jax grabs me just as I get there, pulling me back against him. I fight, pulling away trying to get free, but he clamps his arm around me.
“Let me go, asshole,” I hiss. I’m really tired of everything.
“Bree, damn it! Get back in the room. You can stay there. I’ll sleep somewh
ere else tonight.”
His words feel like a kick in the stomach, momentarily robbing me of breath. I thought I was hurt before, but now the hurt is so much more. Sleep somewhere else? I think on those words, mostly because right now, I can’t do anything else. I can’t breathe. Slowly, I turn around on him. I’ve gone completely still, so maybe that’s why Jax lets go. I’m not sure, and I don’t really care. I face him, and I hope he can see the pain he’s caused, but more than that I hope he can see the anger.
“And just where would you sleep, Jax?” I growl, and I don’t do it quietly. It echoes in the room, mostly because the room has gone quiet now.
“Bree mad,” I hear Diego say in the background, and my little cousin doesn’t even know the half of it.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll find somewhere. Just get back in there.”
“You’ll find somewhere?”
“That’s what I said damn it.” Where did that man I was falling for disappear to? The man I gave myself too, the man who claimed me.
“You can bunk with me honey. I sure have missed having you warm up my bed.”
My head turns when I hear that, and it’s the woman that was with Keys that day at the picnic. The thought of him sleeping with that cunt-bag makes me sick. This is what he prefers to me?
“Well there you go Jax. You can go climb in bed with your whore and relive all the reasons why they named you Shaft.”
“Hey! Who you calling a whore?”
“Three guesses and the first two don’t count,” I growl turning to face her.