by KL Donn
Until he and Dom got to the master suite.
Case flew through the door unprepared for the scene that was to greet him. As he lay on the floor, rifle propped to take out Brooke who held a gun to her own son’s head, he waited for Dom’s signal to take the bitch out. And he would be the one taking her down. No fucking way did his best friend need to deal with the guilt of his son’s mother’s death. No matter that Jax saw Dee as his mom anyway, it wasn’t something any father should have to live with.
“Daddy!” Jax’s quiet whimper was full of fear and confusion.
“You fucking bitch! I warned you!” Dom snarled redirecting his aim.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Bradshaw tsked from his position.
It was like everyone had forgotten that Case had Brooke in his sights. A sick smile formed on his face delighted he’d be able to take them by surprise.
“Don’t be a pussy, Bradshaw. Do it,” he heard Dee taunt.
“Quiet,” Dom snapped at her.
“Listen like the good little bitch you are.” Brooke laughed.
A small twitch of his hand grabbed Dom’s attention quickly, letting his friend know he had the bitch. She was his; she just didn’t know it yet.
“The police are on the way. This is your one and only chance to let them go. There’s no negotiating,” Dom tried to advise them both.
As their laughter rang out, he reminded them again, “I warned you.”
Dee yelled to Jax, “Close your eyes, baby,” just as Casey squeezed the trigger, hitting Brooke right between the eyes killing her instantly. Her gun and body dropped just as Jax jumped into his arms.
Relief flooded him that it was over.
“Lacey, you can’t keep doing this!”
Evelyn Moore was the younger sister. She shouldn’t be looking after her older sibling as if she were a child anymore. She was tired of the life she was living but was stuck.
Stuck in a shitty apartment that barely fit her bed, and there were three of them living here.
Stuck in a dead-end job stripping.
A job that only wanted her because of her unique hair color. When she was little, she loved how it was so blonde it could almost be called white. The way it made her azure blue eyes pop. She’d been told many times how beautiful she was. That she could be a model. She’d never paid any attention to the comments, though. Didn’t feel she was worthy of them.
Her shorter stature seemed to make her stand out even more. With curves that played on a man’s most fundamental weaknesses, she was quintessentially perfect to bring in the high-paying clientele her boss seemed to crave.
Being a high school drop-out left her with no choice but to endure the daily scrutiny. The attention of men who didn’t deserve to be in a woman’s presence, let alone enjoying her love of dance. “Evelyn, it’s my life, stop trying to be Mom.” Lacey said. The dig hurt.
Evelyn was the youngest at twenty-three. She was also the one their mom chose to abandon once Lacey moved out when she was eighteen and Ev was twelve. The abandonment sent her straight into a broken foster system that cared more about the little money they received than taking care of the children brought into their homes.
Not all of the people were bad. Once in while she would find a nice enough family. One that fed her regularly and put clothes on her back. But none that ever felt like home. She’d gone to a new foster home nearly every six months, sometimes more, until she ended up in one when she was sixteen where the dad and the uncle liked to abuse the kids…in any form.
She lasted a week before she ran, dropped out of school, and lived on the streets and in shelters for two years. There were times she wished she’d stayed in the system—like the cold winters and the blistering summers. Strangers trying to “get to know her”.
It was just as hard to trust people on the streets as it was in foster care. Everyone was out for themselves. If you couldn’t give them something they needed, then you were expendable, and she found that out the hard way when she mistakenly trusted a woman who said she wanted to help her. Turns out, she expected Evelyn to turn tricks. She was fresh meat after all.
Since that day, she’d kept her head down and her ears open. No one had proven themselves worthy of her trust ever since. She hid so much of herself from everyone around her that she feared her heart had closed off for good.
“I’m not trying to be, Lacey, but it’s not just you anymore.” The implication was clear as she looked to her two-year-old nephew Andy as he colored on the table. He was the sweetest boy Ev had ever known, but he was a handful. When she had suggested ADD, Lacey lost her shit, smashing anything she could get her hands on in the apartment. Pushing Ev so hard she cracked the wall. She’d learned that day to keep her thoughts to herself.
“You know nothing of what it’s like to be a single mother, Evelyn, so don’t you dare fucking judge me!” Lacey got nasty when she felt someone was judging her…or disagreeing with her…or anything else she didn’t like.
Ev had nothing to say to that because it was true. She wasn’t a mother, let alone a single mother. All she wanted was to make sure Andy was taken care of, and it seemed like she was the only one with that objective.
Speechless and helpless to take control over anything in her life at that moment, she stood in the middle of the living room watching as Lacey slammed out the door. Leaving her to take Andy to his Mommy and Me class that he loved so much.
When Ev found her sister a year ago, she wasn’t sure what to expect from her. Would they connect? Would she even want to see her? She had gone searching for her with the hope of being able to feel again.
Loved. Valued. Wanted.
In turn, what she actually felt was used.
Neither of them knew who their dads were. Their mom had been a drug addicted whore sleeping with anyone for a quick buck or fix. How they were never taken away from her by the state still confused Ev.
Tiny arms wrapping around her thigh brought her out of her regretful thoughts. Crouching down to meet Andy’s eyes, she smiled, softly whispering, “Hi, sweetheart.”
He wasn’t much of a talker, so his happy smile was enough to warm her heart.
“Ready to go?” His loud squeal of excitement was answer enough for her.
Getting off the bus, they walked hand in hand the two blocks to the downtown YMCA. She’d never brought him to this one before. The last time Ev had taken him to any type of activity was a swimming class over a year ago, not long after she’d found him and Lacey.
Being in a room full of people—especially strangers—had her heart rate speeding up, her breathing becoming choppy. Large crowds always scared her. She had no clue why especially given what she did for a living. When she danced, though, she was free, free of the loneliness. Free of the pain of the past. Being around happy families reminded her of everything she would never have.
As soon as they entered the small room where the class was held, she felt suffocated. Standing off to the side away from everyone, she tried to even out her breathing. It wasn’t until Andy happily yelled, “Jax!” and ran to another little blond-haired boy that she relaxed a fraction.
Him being here eased her pain; his happiness helped ease her panic. Watching as Andy and his friend ran to the center of the room and began playing together, she envied the ease in which they interacted. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she had that.
Movement from the corner of her eye had her freezing, almost vibrating with the urgency to run. When she saw that it was Andy’s friend’s mom, she calmed down slightly.
“Hi, I’m Deedee, Jaxson’s mom.” She seemed friendly enough.
Looking around for what she wasn’t sure, she finally took her hand and said, “Evelyn Moore, Andy’s aunt.”
“Nice to meet you. Where’s Lacey?” Deedee inquired.
She felt ready to jump out of her skin with all her questions. “She had to work, and Andy wanted to come.” At her nod and quietness, Ev finally felt comfortable enough to let
out the breath it felt like she was holding.
It wasn’t long before the class began, and she was required to participate with her nephew. They sang nursery rhymes that Ev remembered from her own childhood, not because her mom sang to her but because she had a neighbor who’s mom used to sing them all the time.
Her pocket began vibrating non-stop, so she was finally forced to stop playing with Andy to check.
Lacey: I need you to come get me now.
Ev: What? Why? We’re in the middle of this class you refused to come to. I had to lie for you!
She wasn’t happy that when she was finally feeling like she could handle being there that Lacey wanted her to leave to probably come clean up yet another one of her messes.
Lacey: Fine. Whatever. I’ll just bleed out on the sidewalk, and you’ll be saddled with the kid.
Ev: What’s happening?
Lacey: What do you care?
Sighing in defeat, she knew they were leaving. That whatever Lacey had done, Ev was about to pay the price for.
Ev: On our way.
With the weight of the world on her shoulders, she whispered in Andy’s ear, “We have to go now.” Seeing his shoulders slump in sadness, she hated her sister in that moment.
“Come on, Lace, pick up, dammit.” She attempted to call her sister a dozen times since they left Andy’s class, only to get no answer or be sent directly to voicemail each time. With no idea where to pick her sister up, they were left with no other choice than to go back home.
Andy held her hand so tight like he thought she was going to leave him. Gazing down at his tiny body, she couldn’t imagine not having him in her life and was petrified that if Lacey kept up whatever it was that she doing, that was exactly what would happen. Whether to the foster system or as a casualty of his mother’s careless actions remained to be seen.
With every bump the bus went over, he squeezed her fingers that much tighter. What he didn’t know was that she needed the reassurance too. The connection they seemed to have was unbreakable. It was something she would hold on to for the rest of her life. She would be the rock when he needed one, the shoulder to cry on when he was sad. She would be his home for as long as she was able.
The phone buzzing in her hand startled her for a moment. Looking down, she saw Lacey’s name flash across the display. “Lacey? Where are you?” she whispered angrily.
“Evie-booooo,” she sang back. Evelyn could immediately tell she was high. “I had a accident.”
Do not lose your patience, Ev. Not everyone needed to know that drugs were far more important to her sister than the little boy currently clinging to her.
“What happened?” she repeated.
“I didn’t have enough money for Marcus.” Through the haze of her high, Ev heard the faintest whispers of fear in her words.
Marcus was a nasty drug dealer. One of the worst in the city as far as she was concerned. If you didn’t pay him in money, he collected in blood or pimping you out. Since her sister was high as a kite, she figured he’d pimped her out.
Pity and disgust seemed to be all she felt for her lately, but more and more disgust was winning out. Hands down.
“Did he hurt you?” She didn’t dare say “again”. Who knew if Lace would be insulted or not, and if she were, then you could be damn sure Marcus would be, too.
“Just a small scratch.”
“When are you going to stop this, Lacey? When are you going to be a mother and not some crack whore?” Her temper got the best of her. Watching the way their mom had behaved, she didn’t know about her sister, but Ev vowed to never be like her. Nothing could force her to be that woman.
Stripping wasn’t the best way to avoid it, but she knew her limits. She didn’t let people push her around or dictate what she did or didn’t do. The club she worked in wasn’t the best, but it sure as hell wasn’t the worst either. The owner didn’t try and pimp his girls out. In fact, he didn’t allow drugs or sex anywhere near his place.
Six months ago, he’d made her the spotlight dancer—meaning she got the prime times of the night. Unfortunately, it also meant she had the handsiest customers around.
“Don’t be such a judgy bitch, Evelyn.” Lacey sneered her name like it was the dirt she walked on every day. “One day you’ll have your own fall from grace, and I’ll be there to remind you of this moment.”
Speechless, she led Andy off the bus as Lacey continued to rant about her imperfections. As they neared the apartment building they lived in, a black Escalade caught her eye, and she knew that Lacey and Marcus were inside.
“Where are you, Lacey?” she asked again more firmly.
“Up here, you dumb cow.” Looking up she saw Lacey hanging out of her bedroom window.
“Aunty Evie?” She’d nearly forgotten the little boy in her care.
Crouching down to him, she smiled, “Yeah, buddy?”
“Mommy said mean words.”
A sigh of utter despair left her cold. “Yeah. She did.” She couldn’t very well lie. He heard them. Standing again, they slowly made their way inside.
Dread crawled up her spine. Fear held her lungs in a tight grip. Loyalty made her step forward.
Casey had successfully hidden his night of drinking from Dom, but he was afraid Dee had seen right through his act. So when Dom said she had a friend she was worried about, he jumped on the helping bandwagon without thought.
Guilt wracked his soul for breaking the one thing Dom had asked for—his sobriety. He was terrified to tell his best friend that killing the woman who had no troubles in torturing his woman and harassing his son was eating at his soul. It was waking him with nightmares he wasn’t sure he could take much longer.
As soon as they entered the strip club, Dom went straight to the bar while he slowly began to wander. It wasn’t the classiest joint he’d been in, but the girls didn’t look strung out. Lights were dim, music was pounding, and he was suddenly held immobile as the most gorgeous creature he’d ever laid eyes on walked on stage.
He watched in fascination as the woman turned her back to the stage, raised her hands above her head, grabbing the pole with a tight grip and began to sway her hips back and forth seductively with every beat of the drum. His eyes were riveted to the way her hips moved as she slowly slid down the pole.
When she finally turned, his gaze travelled the front of her body, and he was instantly angry. Not with what she was doing but because she was basically nude. He discerned that from the back, of course, but the front, he could take in nearly everything. Small triangles of string—he couldn’t call it a top or even a bra it had so little material—covered her nipples, just the nipple. And panties that couldn’t even be categorized as that clearly showcased the outline of her tight, little pussy. One lift of her leg and the audience would see everything she had to offer.
What had him transfixed was her face. She was stunning no doubt about it, but the pleasure that was written in every line is what had him pinned. Her eyes were closed as she moved, with a small smile gracing her succulent red lips. She exuded confidence in every move. The straight lines of her legs as she twirled and swayed, almost floated across the stage were a sight to behold.
Her beauty shone through like the brightest twinkling stars. She was provocative in her dance but in a reserved way. In a way that left him breathless, left him wanting more. A quick look around the room told him he wasn’t the only one she held captive with her movements.
If he could describe her in three words, he’d say graceful, fluid, his. Mine? What the fuck? But the more he watched her, the more he knew he needed to learn everything about her. Why she danced. Why it gave her so much pleasure. Where had she learned to do the dip and twirl she just did that had him trying to gauge the reaction on her face again?
As the song came to an end, she gave a small bow before darting off stage and behind the dark curtain. Losing track of her, he watched the entrance the bouncer was at to see if she was like oth
er strippers and would come out to interact with her captive audience.
He stood there waiting for longer than he cared to admit when she finally appeared with some gauzy wrap thing tied around her. As he started to move forward, there was a small commotion from some drunk asshole thinking he could lay hands on her. He watched in rage as the same man crowded her against a wall while she struggled to get free. Before a bouncer could arrive, he was ripping the man off of her and plowing his fist in his face, instantly bloodying the man’s nose and knocking him on his ass.
Turning to her, he offered a hand to steady her shakiness. When she reached out to take it, he pulled her into his chest.
Heaven. She was pure heaven in his arms.
Her tiny body fit his perfectly. Her hands rested on his hips loosely while he cradled her head to his chest where she barely reached his pecs. With her breasts smashed against him and his body embracing hers, it wasn’t long before blood flow began to travel south and he was fighting to keep his erection down in order to not scare her away.
He was afraid it hadn’t worked when she began to pull away from him. Getting his first close-up look at her then, her long blonde hair was so light it was almost white, framing a sweet cherub face. Her nose wasn’t too long with just a slight upturn. Followed by full, luscious, pouty, lips colored a natural sexy red to boot.
When he finally looked into her eyes, he was taken aback at the color. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but they were so blue it seemed like they lit up, like she had some secret way of turning them on.
Or maybe it was the fire in them as she blasted him. “What the hell?”
His dick probably shouldn’t be getting harder when she pushed on his chest, right?
“What?” he asked affronted by her anger. He’d helped her, hadn’t he?
“What was that? You can’t go around hitting people!” She was screaming at him as she turned to point at the man he hadn’t realized he knocked out and was still laying on the ground.
But that wasn’t what had him seeing red. It was the obvious bruise under her left eye covered with a pound of makeup. Reaching out to her, his thumb just grazed the bruise and she winced, so he asked her, “What’s this?”