Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5
Page 39
I picked up my purse and headed out. I didn’t have Abe’s phone number, so I would just have to drive around the neighborhood till I found his bike parked somewhere. That was my only way of getting a hold of him.
19
Abe
I was working at the garage by myself when I saw Alexis’ car pull up outside. I wasn’t prepared to see her and I didn’t know what she could have to talk to me about.
After the conversation I had with Oz, I was feeling confused and desperate to spend some time alone. The last thing I wanted to do was hash it out with Alexis right now.
I heard the sound of her footsteps approaching before I saw her, and I slid myself out from under the car I was working on. Alexis looked around the garage, before she spotted me on the ground. I was straightening myself up, covered in grease and oil from the car.
She looked just as beautiful as she always did. She was petite and delicate in a cotton yellow dress, which brightened up her whole appearance along with her red hair. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her green eyes sparkled as she looked at me. I knew she had something to say.
“If you’re looking for Oz, he’s not here,” I said, standing up and dusting my hands.
“No, I’m not looking for Oz. There’s no point, it’s not like he wants to talk to me anyway,” she said and slipped the keys of her car into her purse.
“Okay, then do you have something to say to me?” I asked, walking over to the tool box. I kept my back turned to her, and I knew I was being rude, but I needed to put some distance between us. I didn’t want to be in that situation again where I couldn’t resist pulling her into my arms.
I heard Alexis sigh lightly. I could sense something different about her. Today, she was less aggressive. She wasn’t here to fight and I was worried about what she might say next because I knew I would disappoint her.
“Well, yeah, I’ve been thinking,” she said and I turned to look at her again, I couldn’t help it.
She had her hands clasped together and a worried expression on her face. My gaze travelled down from her eyes, to her long slender neck and the way her breasts rose and fell with every breath she was taking. She had a tiny waist, and endless long legs. I knew what it felt like to have those legs wrapped around me. I knew what that mouth tasted of too, and how tight it was when my cock was ramming into it.
I felt a movement in my pants and I clenched my jaws. I needed to rip this off like a bandaid before it went too far.
“About Oz?” I asked and she nodded her head.
“Yeah, about Oz and other things too,” she said.
I felt my body tense up when I heard those words. I couldn’t help but come to conclusions about what those other things were. She was talking about us. She was going to ask me where this was going.
I cleared my throat and walked around the garage, trying to make it look like I had things to do. I didn’t want to meet her eyes. I was trying to avoid this confrontation.
“Abe,” she said my name softly and I looked at her. Her eyes were stretched wide and her voice was soft. This was a new side to Alexis that I was seeing. It was strange that she wasn’t trying to fight me.
“How can I help you, Alexis?” I asked, making my voice sound as formal as I could possibly make it.
Her eyes darted about the garage nervously and she gulped. I could see that she was trying to find the right words to say, and I wished she didn’t—the last thing I wanted was to see her upset.
“I’ve been thinking about us…about what’s been going on between us,” she said. Her fingers were wound together, she was knotting and pressing them out of nervousness. I had a sudden violent urge to pull her into my arms and to stroke her hair. I wanted to tell her whatever it took to make her feel better again.
“Alexis…” I said her name and she shook her head.
“No, please, Abe, let me just say it,” she interrupted me and I clenched my jaws with frustration. I didn’t want to hear the words.
“The simple thing is, that I trust you. You’ve won. I trust you with Oz and I…I trust you with me,” she began and I followed her every movement with my eyes. I wished she hadn’t said that, because now it would make it even harder for me to turn her away. I had nothing to give her other than misery.
“And…regarding you and me. It’s crazy for me to even admit it, but I don’t want to pretend like nothing is happening between us,” she continued and I took a few solid steps towards her. She stopped talking and looked up at me with her large nervous eyes. I could see that it was draining her of her resources; to say all this to me.
“Alexis, just stop talking!” I grunted and she gulped.
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed deeply.
“You shouldn’t have said anything before you heard what I had to say, because I’ve been thinking too,” I told her and her lips parted gently. I had an idea of what she was expecting to hear, but she was going to be disappointed.
“I’ve decided that this needs to stop,” I stated.
Alexis clamped her mouth shut again and raised her chin up to glare at me. There was no anger behind those eyes this time, she just looked like someone who had been trampled over.
“Well, if you’ve decided already, then I have nothing more to say,” she said and I pushed my hands into the pockets of grease-stained jeans.
“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you, that was never my intention but I think we should stop…doing what we’re doing,” I said and she flared her nostrils at me, looking proud.
“Stop fucking, you mean?” she snapped.
“I just don’t want you to think that this could turn into something else, and the right thing to do would be to end it between us before I hurt you more,” I said and Alexis nodded her head and looked away from me.
I could see it in her eyes that I was already hurting her, that I was insulting her, but she was trying to keep her pride.
“Good, because that was what I came here to tell you anyway,” she said. I stared at her, hopeful that she was telling the truth. If she wanted to end things between us anyway, then me doing it first wouldn’t have made much of a difference…but she looked like she was hurting.
“Alexis…” I said and stepped towards her. That feeling of needing to hold her washed over me again, but she backed away from me.
“You don’t need to apologize to me, Abe. You’ve done me a favor,” she said, and with that, she turned from me. I watched her walking out of the garage, and I listened for the sound of her car backing up and then driving away.
What I should have felt, was relief. That it was over. That I wouldn’t be responsible for messing up her life anymore; but what I felt was an emptiness. It was like I was addicted to her, and now I was going cold turkey. My craving for Alexis was already filling my veins and lungs.
I paced around the garage, trying to keep my hands busy so that I didn’t smash something. She said this was what she wanted! And I had no other choice but to believe her.
I looked around for my phone and when I found it, I dialed Vanity’s number. She answered on the third ring. She sounded like she had been sleeping.
“Finally! I’ve been waiting for your call,” Vanity said groggily. The moment I heard her voice, I wished it was Alexis instead.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” I told her, rubbing a hand exhaustedly over my face.
“You’re always busy. Are you at the house? I’ll come over if you want, or you can come over to mine. Don’t worry, I don’t have anyone here with me. I’m all yours now,” she said with a giggle.
“Vanity, listen. It’s over,” I said, a growl was rising up in my throat.
“What are you fucking talking about?” her sugary sweet voice had taken on a different tone pretty quickly.
“I’m talking about us, us fucking, you turning up at my place. Everything. It’s over. I don’t give a shit who you invite to your apartment,” I barked into the phone.
“It’s her, isn’t it? It’s that fucking bitch! I kne
w you were fucking her and now she has her claws in you. You think you’re suddenly going to turn into some good little loyal boyfriend?” Vanity was screeching and I cut the call.
I didn’t want to hear her voice ever again.
20
Alexis
When I returned to the apartment, I found Oz in the kitchen.
“I was just about to make some coffee, do you want one?” he asked. I smiled weakly at him and nodded.
I sat down at the kitchen table and watched him making two mugs of coffee and then empty a box of cookies on a plate. I could sense that he wanted to talk, which was high time because we hadn’t ever gone so long without talking.
Oz sat down across from me, cradling his mug of coffee.
“You’ve been waking up early these days,” I said, arching an eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes.
“Please, sis, don’t start…” he exclaimed and I smiled.
“I’m just saying that’s a good thing,” I told him and he picked up a cookie and munched, strewing crumbs all over the front of his t-shirt.
“I thought we could talk, like, about everything that’s been going on between us. I need you to look at things from my perspective because you’re my sister and I care about your opinion,” he began.
I nodded my head and took a sip of the coffee, to which Oz had added too much sugar.
“I’m all ears,” I told him with a smile on my face and he looked surprised. He was expecting a fight, but it wasn’t coming.
“Look, sis, I want to join the Marked Skulls MC. Abe is a great mentor, he’s taking me under his wing and showing me the ropes. I think if I can learn from him, then I’ll be very good at it,” he said and I nodded my head some more.
“Very good at what?” I asked and Oz looked about the kitchen nervously.
“You know, at the business,” he replied. I smiled at him again.
“You can relax, Oz, I’m not trying to fight you on this. I get it. You’ll be good at whatever it is that the MC does. Dealing drugs and illegal things and offering businesses protection and other such things,” I said and Oz ran a hand through his ginger hair. He had no idea how much he looked like dad. He didn’t remember him.
“Yeah, exactly, that sort of stuff,” he said. I took another sip of my coffee while he stared at me, expecting me to say something more.
“And it’s not just that sis, I think the Marked Skulls are headed towards greatness. They’re trying to get into some big scale business and we’re all going to end up making a lot of dough,” he continued and I looked at him with my lips pursed. How did he not know yet, that I had never cared about the money? I cared about his safety.
“Once I make some money, we can move out of this shit-hole, move into a big ass house, like the kind you want. Maybe we can move to a better neighborhood, so you can stay out of it. I don’t want you to get involved in anything that you don’t want,” Oz said and I looked at him sharply.
“As long as my brother is involved in it, I will be too…that’s the way these things work. I remember from when we were kids and dad was trying to get into the same thing,” I said and Oz glared at me from under his heavy brows.
“I’m not dad. I have Abe and the backing of an entire MC. I’m never going to be alone in this like dad was,” he retorted and I nodded my head.
I reached for Oz’ hand and squeezed it warmly.
“Okay,” I said and his eyes immediately brightened up.
“Because, you know, sis, I never wanted the kind of job you want for me. I don’t want to lead a boring life at a desk, pushing numbers and taking orders from rich fat bastards,” he said, and I could hear the passion in his voice. I smiled at him warmly.
“Yes, I know, Oz, and I’m sorry that I’ve been trying to push you in the other direction. I shouldn’t have done that,” I said and he finally smiled. I could see that he was happy we were finally on the same page.
“You’ve changed your mind?” he asked and I shrugged my shoulders.
“I’m not excited about it, but I also know that I can’t realistically stop you from doing what you want to do…what you will do,” I replied and Oz smiled more fully.
“I promise you, sis, I won’t do anything to make you sad. I’ll do everything to make you proud of me. I want to give you the life you deserve and this is the only way I know how,” he continued, before he stood up from his chair and came over to give me a hug.
We held each other tightly, and I was so relieved to be on talking terms with him again, that I felt my eyes water up.
“I just want you to be safe, that is all, and now I know that the Marked Skulls are your best bet,” I told him.
Oz went back to his chair and emptied the rest of the coffee down his throat.
“They’re good men, sis. They live by a set of rules and a moral code of conduct. They’re not like some of the other MCs around here, like the Dark Legion and the Hell’s Drifters. Like people in the neighborhood actually like the Marked Skulls guys. They rely on them for their own safety, even though they’re just a small MC right now,” Oz was talking enthusiastically, like he was gushing about getting into the college of his dreams. I felt a lump in my throat at the thought that he would never go to college, he wouldn’t fulfill my dream.
But it was wrong of me to try and live vicariously through him. I shouldn’t have expected my brother to fulfill my dreams. I shouldn’t have burdened him with that responsibility.
“Okay, I’m glad to hear that. As long as you’re safe and you’re leading a life with a clear conscience, that’s all I really care about. Most of all, I want you to be happy,” I said. Oz was grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m happy now, sis. I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t have you on my side,” he said. I dusted my hands and stood up from the kitchen table.
“You need to wash up after yourself though, mister, I’m not going to be mothering you any longer—now that you’ve declared yourself a grown man,” I said and placed my hands on my hips. Oz laughed and started taking the mugs and the cookie plate to the sink.
I watched him as he tried to haphazardly wash the dishes. I was happy that he was happy. I knew he was a smart kid, and that he wouldn’t do something stupid like our dad. He wouldn’t get himself killed.
Oz turned to me, catching me looking at him.
“Should I be thanking Abe for your change of heart?” he asked with a grin, and I crossed my brows. It made me sick to even hear his name. I didn’t want any more reminders.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, and I knew that Oz could see the anxiety on my face.
He turned to me, drying his hands on the kitchen towel. He was watching me curiously.
“What’s going on between the two of you?” he asked and I gulped, holding my head up so he wouldn’t doubt that I was miserable.
“Nothing. We’ve called it quits. You have nothing to worry about,” I said, and turning from him, I walked out of the kitchen.
Oz followed me, as I made my way towards the bedroom.
“What happened? I thought things were going smooth between you guys,” he asked. I stopped at my bedroom door and looked at my brother, trying to put on a show for him.
“Yeah, I guess, it wasn’t anything serious. We decided that it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to be sleeping together, now that you’re going to be working with him. He thought it would be unprofessional and I agreed,” I said, gave him a forced smile and opened the door.
“Sis, are you okay?” Abe asked, blocking me from shutting the door on his face.
“Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be? Don’t worry, Oz, it’s not like I fell for him or anything. He’s just a guy,” I said.
Oz looked at me, with a worried expression on his face and stepped away so I could shut the door.
In the privacy of my room, I could finally do what I had been waiting to do all afternoon—to fall on my bed, cover my face with a pillow and just cry.
21
Abe
Two other guys from our MC had been appointed to guard the warehouse, and they would stay on guard till the next day when we were ready for distribution.
I knew, as well as Rodeo and Girth, that four people was too little to take the handover of the weapons safely. If something went wrong, we could go belly-up pretty quickly.
With still half an hour to go before the ship’s arrival; Girth and Oz paced around the dock in the dark. Rodeo and I were standing guard at the other end, closer to the jetty. I could sense that Rodeo had a lot on his mind and if he could, he would have punched me in the face for getting all of us involved in this.
“You’re going to burst a vein,” I said and he stopped walking and charged towards me instead.
“Damn fucking right I am! And you’re responsible for that,” he hissed in the dark, trying to keep his voice low but failing at it.
I breathed in deeply and shook my head.
“When are you going to let this drop, brother? We haven’t even started and you’re already shitting bricks,” I retorted and Rodeo threw his head back, like he had enough of me.
“Look man, I’m all for ambition and looking out for the betterment of our MC, but this is too much and too fast. You were supposed to have the new prospects patched in first before we even got anywhere near shit like this!” Rodeo raged and I watched him.
“I’m working on it,” I said.
“He’s fucking working on it!” Rodeo threw his arms up in the air and whipped away from me.
“All you’ve done, since you made these promises, is find this kid from somewhere, push a gun in his hand and now you expect him to be our savior. We need more guys, Abe. We need many more guys!” he drawled on.