Famished (The Broken Series)

by Ellie Messe

  “Fuck it, we’ll think of something.”

  She gives a noncommittal shrug before reaching over the bar to steal a cherry.

  “So, what are y’all up to tonight besides keeping me out of prison and fucking?”

  “Nothing, really.” Haley starts, picking at the cherry stem with her teeth, “We watched T.V., fucked, watched a movie, fucked during it so we had to restart, showered-“

  “And let me guess,” I drone, “And fucked?”

  “No.” She answers, completely unfazed by my tone, “Parker picked up the apartment while I showered, and then we fucked.”

  “Jesus.” I groan with a laugh.

  “Oh, hey.” Parker holds up his hand and points in my direction, “Your red shirt’s at my place. Don’t worry- it’s washed.” He chuckles at the memory of them admitting they fucked on it no doubt, “It’s hanging up in the coat closet by the hall.”

  “My lucky shirt’s still there?” He nods, “Oh shit, I didn’t even realize I was still missing it, probably because y’all fucked on it.”

  “More like in it.” Haley laughs. I don’t even have time to gag before she throws her cherry stem down on the bartop with a flare of attitude. “Don’t worry you washed it?”

  “Yeah, be kind of gross to give it back to him without washing it.”

  “But you said it wasn’t at your place.”

  Oh fuck, this is bad. She’s about to catch me in a lie.

  “What? When?” He looks between us confused, “I’ve had it ever since that night, Sweetheart.”

  “I don’t think it really matters.” I try to side step as if it’s no big deal while attempting to send Parker a cease and deceased with my eyes.

  “When Drew called you the night I came back, you said you didn’t have it.”

  “Uh…” he looks at her, and then at me, then back to her, all the while holding the h in an uncomfortable tone, “I didn’t get any call from Drew.”

  “Shut up, man.” I grit between my teeth.

  “You bastard!” Haley yells with a pointed finger, “You didn’t call him?”

  “Well, I mean,” Fuck. I’m caught, there’s no way around this one, at least not one that I see at the moment, “Okay, no. I didn’t. But I mean it’s not like it mattered, he didn’t come outside or anything.”

  “What’s happening?”

  “This prick lied to me!”

  “Hey, now.” I warn, “Tricked. I tricked you. You were being all 007 and I helped ease your mind is all.”

  “What if he came outside?”

  “Then he probably wouldn’t have been as angry as he was when he did find out.”

  “Drew!” She yells so loud, multiple people turn to look at her.

  “Calm down. It’s all good now.”

  “You lied.”

  “Tricked.” I repeat.

  “Haley?” We both take our eyes off each other to see Danica approaching, “Hey. Where’ve you been?”

  Taking a deep breath, she buries her anger enough to focus on Danica.

  “Family shit.”

  “So you’re good?”

  “Yeah, how’s your boy?” Haley asks her but makes sure to shoot a ‘I’m still so angry at you’ glare to me.

  “He’s good.” Danica says slowly looking between us. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “Yes.” I speak quickly, “And I thank you for that.” I lean down and kiss her on the cheek, offering her a closer spot to distract Haley while I put a little distance between us. Once she calms down, she’ll be minorly annoyed at best with me, and the best way to calm her down is to put a little distance between us.

  “Josh wants you guys to go up and see him.” I tell Parker with a secret look.

  “I’m so confused.” He admits.

  “I know. I’ll explain later, but right now I think Josh wants to say hi.”

  “Sure.” He says slowly, taking a quick look at Haley who’s still talking to Danica.

  I swear he was forced to choose between being pretty or smart. “Just get her out of here before she kills me, huh?”

  “Oh.” He laughs, “Yeah, I can do that.”

  “Thank you.” I say sarcastically. “For fuck’s sake.”

  Leaning down, he whispers in her ear. She gives Danica a radiant smile that quickly vanishes when her eyes fall to me. “So not done.” She warns, getting up.

  “What’s that about?” Danica nods to the retreating back of Hales.

  “Nothing. I got caught in a lie.”

  “Told you she’d come back.” She sings, bumping into my shoulder.

  “Yeah. You were right.”

  “So, what are you doing tonight? John’s dad is starting shit with me again and I could use a distraction.”

  “Sorry, doll. I’ve got plans.”

  “Pity.” She mewls, “Call me if shit changes.”

  I chuckle as she walks back off to her station, her fat little ass swaying dramatically. Turning around I’m hit with a feeling of unease. Emma’s not my girlfriend, she’s not mine and I’m not hers, but for whatever reason, Danica asking for a booty call and the fact I didn’t mention Emma makes me feel like I just totally fucked up.

  Haley came back to the bar madder than a hornet. I was expecting her to be pissed at me but apparently all is forgiven and I got to enjoy watching her throw a tantrum over the fact her and Parker’s fuck fest has been cut short due to a shortage on staff. I was more than happy to switch roles from enemy to ally just by agreeing with her and talking shit out how bossy and unreasonable Josh is. Though, not even that was enough to kill the unease I still have. Even now, laying in bed, I’m staring at my bedroom door like Emma is going to come barreling through pissed as all hell. Stupid thing is, I can’t for the life of me figure out why and more importantly why I think she’d be right to do so.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Drew

  I thought Hales was pissed being told she had to come back to work. Fuck, I was not prepared for the level of angry this girl possesses. With Haley’s dad showing up to the club and then to her house and her running off because of it, Josh put in effect the ‘Haley doesn’t go anywhere alone’ act. That girl about lost her mind. For at least an hour while everyone else opened the club, she spent it yelling at the three of us about how we were all over protective cavemen and that she, and I quote, “doesn’t need this shit”. Didn’t help that wherever she went, one of us followed. The first four hours of this shift were hell on earth until she finally gave in and just went with it. The fact that Parker and her disappeared in the supply locker for over half an hour during her shift had absolutely no impact, I’m sure. That and the fact we’re almost to capacity leaves little time from brooding I imagine. At least tips are flying across the bartop like crazy tonight, sort of makes up for being yelled at for so long.

  Speaking of the little hot head, Hales comes up and leans over the bar, "It's packed!"

  "Yeah and it's almost unbearable being paired with Alice.” I whine, “When are you twenty-one, again?"

  She laughs, looking over at Alice fumble her way around the bar. Hales hasn’t brought up my lie about calling Parker and I have no intentions on mentioning it.

  Seriously though, Haley needs to hit nineteen pronto so I can get rid of this girl. Throwing the discarded napkin into the trash, it bounces off the top and falls the floor.

  "Fuuuuck." I groan, seeing the too-full trash can, "Hey, new blood! Jake, right?"

  The new jock looking guy pins me with a deer in the headlights stare, "Yeah?"

  "You got a minute? I'm overflowing, dude." I nod down at the trash, my break isn’t for another twenty minutes, there’s no way it’s going to last with how packed we are.

  "Uh, yeah. Gimme a sec." He throws his towel on the bartop behind him, Danica is quick to remove it; good girl. She’ll be sure to put this lost little puppy on a leash real fast during closing tonight. Clubs have strict health codes, Danica is almost as passionate about the rules and regulations as J
osh is, I almost feel sorry for the bastard.

  Mixing up a cocktail, I notice all my drawers are nearly empty. I start to turn towards Alice to assist but would really rather not acknowledge her existence.

  "Hales? Be a lamb and get me another drawer of cherries, please?"

  With a nod, she hops off the stool, sidestepping Jake on the way to the storage room.

  Moving to the side, I let Jake work on removing the bag while a drunken mess slurs her order over the counter.

  “Hey,” I tell Jake, making him pause to look over his shoulder at me. “If you see Hales, tell her not to go anywhere without an escort.”

  “Wh- what?”

  “Just don’t let her go anywhere without someone, you got me?”

  “Uh, sure man.”

  I nod to the hall before continuing this broads drink, internally cringing when she attempts to be sexy and ends up slobbering all over the straw. “That’s rough looking, you should go home and practice.”

  With an appalled gasp, she spins on her feet. Another two cocktails are ordered in the span it took her to stumble back into the crowd.

  What the hell is taking her so long? Turning to track Hales down, the lights flash in quick succession from red to orange. “Son of a bitch.”

  I look down the hall to warn Jake to get back here but he’s already gone.

  Pulling the stool to the counter, Alice climbs up with me on her heels. I catch sight of Jake rushing back in, rubbing a paper towel over his hands. Damn, he just earned the nickname Barry Allen with speed like that. I hope he didn’t just ditch the bag outside the back door.

  Knowing Danica isn’t going to chop off his balls for missing the show, I stand next to Alice as we do the same boring ass routine and decide to let the guy fend for himself.

  The fire zips over the surface of the crowd, creating a sea of drunken cheers. Wiping my mouth, I jump off the bar just to see a gorgeous blonde lean across the counter towards me, “Hey, Tiger.”

  I know I have two other orders to fill, but it doesn’t stop me from leaning over the marble top to kiss her chastely. Enjoying her annoyed reaction to my public display of affection, I nod to the shelves behind me, “What’ll it be?”

  “Depends if you’re taking me home or not.” She smiles, biting her bottom lip. “I’m hungry.”

  My stomach flutters, a pussy response but damn it if I don’t love the sound of taking her home. “I think that can be arranged.”

  “Then I’ll have two shots of tequila and a sweet and sour.” I feel my face contort as I try to figure out why she’s planning on getting drunk this early in the night, “Rode in with Lynch.”

  Makes sense, dude drinks tequila like water. Nodding, I pour out her shots, and start mixing her drink when I realize Haley still isn’t back yet.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “What?” I look back at her.

  “You look worried, you okay?”

  “Yeah,” I shake it off, giving the hall another glance. “Hales went to get me more cherries before the show and she’s not back yet. She’s probably with Parker.”

  “Nah,” She says, tipping back one of the shots, “I just passed Parker, he went outside to smoke.”

  My stomach drops as dread settles over me. “That’s weird.”

  I pour her cocktail into a glass and push it forward, “I owe you a cherry.” I try to smile but the sinking feeling in my stomach has me nauseous.

  She’s fine, I know she’s fine, but I can’t help but to feel panicked. She wouldn’t have ran, no reason to. Taking a breath, I refill Emma’s empty shot glass.

  “Hey, you seen Haley?” I look up to see Josh enter behind the bar. “She’s got tables waiting.”

  “I asked her to get me a drawer before the show.”

  The look on Josh’s face suggests he feels the same way I do. “She’s probably with Parker.”

  “That’s what I thought, but Emma just said she saw Parker go out to smoke.”

  “She probably forgot where they are.” He waves me off, “Don’t worry, I’ll go check the back.”

  Haley’s had this place memorized since her first week here and he fucking knows it.

  I watch him enter the hall before turning around and giving Emma the best smile I can. She smiles sadly in response, “She’s fine. What could go wrong?”

  “No, yeah, exactly.” I tell her even though long, horrible, unrealistic images flash in front of my eyes.

  “Okay, well I better get these to Lynch. See you in a bit?”

  I nod, watching her retreat with a smile, straw between her lips. Normally that look would have my dick twitching. But not now, not when I’m hyper-aware Hales should be back by now.

  Tapping my knuckles against the counter, I realize I can’t just stand here. I can save myself all this anxiety with a three second trip down the hall. She’s probably on the phone or something stupid, I just know I’ll feel better once I put eyes on her.

  “Alice, watch the bar.”

  “No! No way! We’re packed!”

  “Shut up, and just do it. I need to go help Josh.”

  She rolls her eyes, stomping her foot like a toddler but I ignore her and walk down the hall.

  “Who the fuck are you?” I hear Josh yell from the other end.

  Jogging down the hall I follow the trail of his voice until I see Hales leaning against Josh while he talks to her.

  "Haley?" Storming into the room, I take her shoulders and draw her away from a very livid Josh who stands at the back door of the supply room. Josh is never livid, annoyed or angry sure, but never this angry. "Where the fuck did you go- Wow, are you okay?" I steady her sway and try to get her to focus on me. “Hales?”

  "Get her to the hospital and make sure she talks to the cops." Someone says from the alley.

  "Hospital?” Lowering myself I catch her eyes, “Hales, what happened?"

  "Don't move," Josh warns with a pointed finger before the sentence dies in his throat, he holds his arm out in front of himself, inspecting the skin that appears to be wet, "Is she bleeding?"

  Pushing her deeper into the room, I guide her under the light to look her over. Noticing the way her arm is cocked and buried into her chest, tortured panic squeezes my chest, “Are you bleeding?”

  Tears immediately surface followed by a tremor as she nods. What the fuck, man.

  "Alice!” I bark towards the door, “Call the cops and get Parker! It's an emergency!"

  "Where the fuck are you going?" Josh yells into the alley. "The cops are going to need to talk to you!"

  Pulling Haley’s shaky frame back into my chest I try to find the face in the darkness, "Is that Kaylan?" She nods against my shirt, "Did he fucking hurt you? I swear to God I’ll kill-"

  "He saved me." She whispers, her voice strained and shaky.

  “Saved you from what?” Her eyes stay locked outside. I hate this guy but the way she’s watching him, I know Hales needs her brother. "Kaylan, I know you got a shit record with your sister. But I swear to God you better get your ass in here and make sure she's alright."

  "Her new daddy doesn't want me near her. Call the cops, Drew. They'll be back, they know where she is and didn't finish the job."

  “Whoa, who-”

  "Stay with Haley," Josh interrupts me before stepping outside. "Who will be back and what job?"

  "Our brothers and-"

  "Kaylan!" Haley screams like he just stepped in front of oncoming traffic making me jump. My heart is beating in time to the vibrations in her bones.

  "What job?" Josh pushes forward.

  "Kaylan, don't!"

  “What the hell is happening? Hales?"

  "I don't know how to protect you any other way!" Kaylan yells back from the depths of the alley, his voice breaking with emotion.

  "Stop talking." She sobs, losing the strength in her legs.

  “Whoa!” I catch her around the ribs, lowering her into my lap. What the hell happened?

  I don’t get time to ask before Kay
lan surges forward, "Are you finally going to tell them?! Are you going to tell the truth? Cause if you won't then I don't have a choice!"

  She gags on her sob as I hold her tighter, "You're dead if you talk." She cries.

  "You're dead if you don't!" He yells, tears breaking over his cheeks. "Don't you get it?"

  "Haley?!" Parker's panicked voice carries down the hall.

  "She's here!" I yell over my shoulder, “Back door!”

  "How many birthdays do you have left in you, Ryan?”

  They continue yelling at each other while I watch the service door for Parker.

  "What the fuck is happening?" He enters, his eyes zeroing in on her. Rushing over, he kneels to the floor beside us, “Is that blood?”

  I nod, watching him trying to catch up. I hope he figures it out quick and clues me in because I have no idea what’s happening.

  "Dammit! Stop trying to protect me!" Kaylan screams over Josh's shoulder. "That's my job!" His fist pounds against his chest. "It's my job to protect you! Don't you get it?!”

  Kaylan’s still yelling when Parker grabs my attention, “What happened?”

  “No fucking clue.” I start, “She came in to get a drawer and Josh went to look for her. I came in and Kaylan was yelling about calling the cops and that her brothers will be back.” I shrug, not knowing what more I can add.

  “Her arm.” His hands fall to the wrist pinned against her chest, “Give me your arm.”

  She pulls away from him, sagging into my chest. Something warm starts to seep through my shirt, “What’s wet, Haley? Goddammit, Haley. What’s wet?”

  "Ryan?" Kaylan says panicked, I try to twist to see her face, but all I’m able to see are her eyelashes, slowly blinking, almost like she’s about to fall asleep. Kaylan shoves Josh out of the way and collapses at her side. "Give me your arm."

  "Back off," I growl with a glare so fierce I’m bound to kill him on the spot.

  "You said they didn't do anything!" He panics, ignoring me while reaching for her arm once again.

  He manages to get under her hold, but just as he starts to pull, she lets out a scream so pained, I jerk her back.

  "No! No, no, no, no, no." He repeats, trying harder to claim her arm. "I think he slit her wrists.”