Mason takes her seat and takes the beer from my hand. He finishes the bottle and shoves it on the table.
“Shit’s bad in town, brother,” he says. “She told me everything, promised there wasn’t anything she was leaving out.”
I don’t particularly care what’s going down in town, I have zero interest knowing all the details. There’s only one detail I’m interested in, so I ask, “So, that’s it? We’ve got what we want? She’s no more?”
He sits there staring at me before he speaks. “She’s gone now, brother.”
While they’re the words I want to hear, I don’t believe a fucking a word out of his mouth.
“How about we find us someone to play with and forget about being in this backwards ass town?”
A small sigh flows from his mouth and I knew the fucker was lying through his teeth.
“I’m not feeling it right now, Myles. I think I’m just going to catch up on some sleep.”
With that, he stands and heads for the stairs. I keep my eyes on him all the way up until he turns the corner. A shadow fills the chair beside me and I turn my head fractionally to see who is about to bug the shit out of me when I stop myself from glaring.
“Hi, I’m Lucky, you look like you could do with some fun.”
Lucky? What a name. Her mom must have hated her to call her such a thing but I smile and welcome the distraction she’s going to create for me.
It’s been too long since I last got my dick wet and with her plump lips, I’m growing hard.
Aspen
Father is out when I return home and not being one to let an opportunity slip by, I double check the house is empty before slipping into his office. The walls are lined with shelves and books, his pretentious desk sits in the centre by the floor to ceiling windows and an air of arrogance hangs heavy in the air. My father needs the perception of wealth solidly around him or showing off as I like to think. I have no idea how wealthy he is, I’ve never asked, but it must be quite considerable because of how he lives and how I grew up. I never needed for anything. Whatever I wanted, I received.
I cross the room, my feet leaving tracks in the soft, thick carpet. I start with the desk drawers and thankfully none of them are locked. I soon find that’s because there’s nothing useful to me in them to use against him. I flick through the folders in the filing cabinets and still, nothing. I sweep my hand over the top of the books on the top shelves to see if he hides anything up there, and again, I find nothing.
I pick the corner of the rug up and lift it as high as I can to see if he’s one of these people who have secret safes, but, he’s not. Falling into one of the armchairs, I rest my head against the back of the chair about to give up when the back of the only photo frame on the desk catches my attention. Sitting forward, I reach out for it and the bottom right corner is bulging out. Unclipping the rest of the holdings, a bunch of polaroid images fall into my lap. For a moment, I’m stunned. I wanted to find something but didn’t really think I would be successful. I’m almost afraid to flip them over and take a look.
Clenching my hands, I inhale deeply and turn them over in my hands. Bile immediately burns in my stomach and creeps up to my throat. Photo after photo are girls, half-dressed or naked, lying on beds I know aren’t in this house. Some have bruises or blood smeared on their faces. Others look asleep. It’s the last one that has me reaching for the trash can. Retching, I was sure vomit was going to appear, but nothing comes up. My vision spots with white and black dots and I force myself to look again to see if I saw what I’m pretty sure I saw.
My best friend, Amelia, is lying on her side, her hair resembling a bird’s nest and blood dripping from her bottom lip.
I can’t be sure how much time has passed but I shove the images back into the photo frame and be sure to leave the bottom right corner as I found it. Numbly, I leave the office and climb the stairs to my room. I undress as I head for the bathroom.
I step into the shower and don’t notice the cold water as it cascades down my body until it warms up.
I try as hard as I can to wash the filth I saw away but it doesn’t work. Without thinking, without feeling, I dress in the awful stiff dresses my father thinks is acceptable wear for me to dress in and apply minimal makeup and style my hair so it’s all pinned away from my face.
Finding what I imagine to be his trophies leaves me cold, yet it’s nothing how he left the girls feeling, especially my best friend. The day he did what he did, I lost her. In the beginning she stopped taking my calls, wouldn’t text me back and when I showed up at her house, her mom told me she didn’t want to see me anymore. I racked my brains for weeks to figure out what I had done wrong. When school finally started after the summer, I cornered her in the bathroom. I forced it out of her and by the time I had stopped throwing up in the toilet she had gone. I went straight home and confronted my father, he looked so innocent and disgusted at the accusation, it made it easier to want to believe him. He was my dad, but she was my best friend. Amelia had never lied to me before but neither had my father, or so I thought.
I was torn between defending my father and not wanting to alienate her if she was telling the truth. In the end, I stayed away from them both as much as I could. It wasn’t until the town came together for the Christmas lights switch on, I stumbled upon their conversation. He threatened to ruin her father’s construction business if she didn’t leave town. He passed her an envelope and she took it. That was the last time I saw her. I waited for my father to fall asleep that night and sneak out to her house, but I was too late.
I tried finding her when I left town, but I didn’t get close. I just hope wherever she is, she’ll sense when my father takes his last breath.
Cars pulling up out front break into my thoughts and I jump up from the dressing table and run my hand over my hair. Every strand is in place and my dress is fine. I make my way down to the kitchen before the door opens and my father walks in, joined by Sheriff Culpepper and the town priest, Father Andrews and lastly, Curtis.
I fiddle with the coffee machine and put my best smile on before turning to their arrival as they walk into the kitchen.
“Aspen, how nice to see you,” Father Andrews says with a smile I do not trust one bit.
“How are you, Father?” I ask as politely as I can.
“I’m doing very well, thank you.”
“I was just about to make coffee, would you gentlemen like a cup?” I offer and it makes me want to vomit when they agree.
“We’ll be in my office, sweetheart,” Father says, glancing my way.
Curtis lingers behind and internally battles whether to stay and talk to me or follow like the lapdog he is. Pleasing my father wins out and he leaves the door open when he joins the town’s disease club.
I grab the serving tray and place enough cups for them and a bowl of sugar and fill the milk jug with fresh cream.
“If war is what they want, it’s a war they’ll get,” Father huffs out.
“Calm, Jacob,” Andrews tells him. “This is our town, these new faces have homes to go to. Business will return to normal once they’re gone.”
I take my time pouring the coffee and listen out for anything I can take back to Mason.
Thinking of Mason, my pulse quickens and my cheeks warm at the thought of seeing him again. I wasn’t ready for him to waltz into my life and here I am, growing excited as I wonder when I’ll next get to see him again.
“This Cas guy, he’s different to Gabe.”
“Then we should remind Gabe who the fuck he belongs to,” Sheriff Culpepper grunts.
I’ve always thought of the Sheriff as a hard man who had a softer side for people who stayed on the right side of the law. Now I know it’s all a façade to keep up appearances.
“Call him and arrange a meet for midnight at the church,” Father orders.
Not able to prolong their coffee any longer, I steady the tray in my hold and walk through to the office. Everyone follows my movements as I walk across
and put the tray on my father’s desk.
I’m thanked as I pass the cups around and go to leave when my father calls me back to his side.
“Aspen here has been quite useful since she returned. She’s immersing herself with their club. Tell us, what have you found out.”
Everyone looks to me again as they add sugar and cream and I clear my throat.
“The bikers from out of town are different to our ones.” The words are foreign coming from my mouth, but I continue to play along. “Cas, he’s the president over all Lost Souls in the country, and what I’ve gathered so far, he isn’t happy with Gabe at all. I heard a few threats being thrown around but not much else I’m afraid.”
“How clever of you, Jacob,” the Sheriff applauds him.
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea of her around the Neanderthals, but needs must and she’s my daughter, she knows how to handle herself.”
“You must be careful though, Aspen. These men aren’t like us,” Father Andrews instructs, and I want to snort.
He’s right, the Lost Souls aren’t like the men in this room. The men is this room are far worse. I know who I’d take my chances on and it’s not on the men who I’ve known my whole life.
“She shouldn’t be going up there at all,” Curtis moans and I refrain from rolling my eyes. “I don’t see why-”
“You don’t need to see,” my father cuts him off and turns his attention to the Sheriff. “She’ll go again tonight, after our meet today hopefully they’ll be running their mouths, talking about what they’re going to do next.”
“In that case, if I’m not needed anymore. I’ll excuse myself.”
I can’t bolt from the room fast enough without causing suspicion and I end up hiding out in my room for the rest of the day. I decline Father’s invitation to dinner and he doesn’t push for me to join him. I should be worried he isn’t pushing for anything since I returned but for now, it’s a blessing I don’t have to deal much with him.
Mason
“He clearly understood we’re not paying another fucking dime, but he’s not going to go down without a fight and men like him don’t get his own hands dirty, I reckon he’ll use the Sheriff to come after us. The priest can’t do much so watch your backs when the law is around.”
I listen to Cas as I stare into the fire pit and tip the bottle of beer in my hand to my mouth.
The Mercy brothers are tending to flock around Cas much more than Gabe and it’s not going unnoticed by the two.
“He thinks we’re about to start a war, but it’s already fucking started,” Sparky adds, and Grumps clangs his beer bottle to his in agreement.
The longer I spend time with the Mercy brothers, it baffles me how they earned the patch in the first place. I know each place is different, but the one thread that connects us is our need for freedom and to not be tied down by anyone. Alliances are changing and it’ll be Gabe who is left out in the cold.
Someone inside turns the music up and the base thunders between my ears. I prefer loud music to most people’s conversations but tonight all I can think about is Aspen. Wondering if she’s okay, or what her father’s making her do next, if she’s playing me like everyone seems to think so. I smell cheap perfume before Myles walks up from behind me, his arm draped over a dark-haired girl. I give her the once over and decide she’s not bad, the kind of girl we go for at home, but she does nothing for me here.
“She wants to play, brother,” he says with his trademark smirk.
Her cheeks redden, but I can’t tell if it’s from the chilly winds or if she’s blushing.
Glancing over her again, I still feel no desire to entertain her. I’m not interested.
“Enjoy her, brother.”
His smirk disappears and a scowl settles in its place. “What’s your fucking problem, Mase?”
“I don’t have a problem, I just want to sit here and drink my beer,” I say, holding said beer up.
‘It’s her, isn’t it?’
I don’t need to hear the words leave his mouth; I know what he’s saying just by reading his face.
‘It doesn’t matter, she’s not here.’
I cock my brow just to drive in the sarcasm and his top lip snarls in return.
“Fuck this,” he mutters, turning his back on me, taking the girl with him.
Shit is changing and I don’t know if I want it to revert back to normal. Myles would be happy if it would. How can it though? I mean, life was simple before we came here, even when Ellis was causing trouble for us. We knew where we stood. I finish my beer and toss the empty bottle into the nearest bush as I watch Myles stop with the girl on the porch steps. Deep voices fill the night and two Mercy brothers are fucking about. I swing my eyes back to my brother when a shot fires and echoes around us. I just had my eyes on him, but I look back to him and he’s fine. The brothers continue fucking around and another shot is fired. What the fuck they’re playing I don’t know, but I watch on seeing how it’ll play out when my heart drops to my stomach. Victoria runs out of the clubhouse in tears, not watching what’s going on around her and then it happens, a shot is fired as she passes the brothers that are about to die when she falls to the ground. The screaming coming from her will stay with me for the rest of my days.
I’m running before I make the decision to move and as I drop on one side of Tori, Myles is dropping to his knees on her other side. Blood drips in large drops from both her ears and her screams drown out the chaos happening around us. I search for a bullet wound but find nothing. The shot must have burst her eardrums. Dad pushes me to the side and I’m on my feet the same time Myles jump up to his.
We might not be agreeing on much these days but with one shared look, we agree on what’s about to happen.
As one, we move toward the brothers who were fucking around and I swing my arm back ready to launch my fist into one’s jaw while Myles runs fast and raises his boot to slam into the other. They both pale as we advance but don’t make to move anywhere. All my frustrations building up since we came here pour from me as I throw punch after punch, and kick at him when he falls to the ground. What is it with our sister bearing the brunt because of these assholes? First with the drink being thrown over her and now she’s fucking bleeding after nearly being shot.
From the corner of my eye, I see dad scoop her up into his arms. I briefly wonder where Luca is, they’re never too far from each other nowadays but I quickly forget about it when my guy groans, trying to pull himself up. Smashing my boot into the side of his head, he’s spark out by the time he hits the ground again.
“They’re going to kill them, call them off!”
I barely hear Gabe’s incessant, whiny, bitch ass voice yell out to Cas but I’m already moving back when Cas pierces the air with a whistle.
“Fucker thinks he can shoot at our sister,” Myles shouts as he drops to his knees and straddles the other guy. He grabs onto his shirt and heaves him closer to punch him, again and again.
I stand catching my breath as Cas orders Zachery and JJ to pull Myles away and keep hold of him.
Gabe rushes over to his men and stands guard in front of them until they’re taken out of our sight.
“Cas, you have got to keep these two reigned in. It was a fucking accident.”
Clenching my hand into a fist, I have more than enough energy to lay him out too, especially if he carries on trying to defend the men who have drawn blood from our sister.
“That’s the funny thing, Gabe. We look out for our own, yours obviously don’t. They brought harm to one of mine, I’ll call no one off to help you. I called them off because their sister just left and they’re going to want to be with her.”
I look around for mom’s car and it’s gone. He’s right, she has gone. I want to follow but I’m too pumped to be soft and gentle around her. Myles is too. Just one look at him and I know the blood is rushing through him, just like it is with me.
“Boys, follow your dad. I’ll sort everything out here, you
have my word.”
I believe Cas and it’s why Myles and me didn’t vote against him before leaving to come here. I understand Leo was angry with him but calling for his patch was going too far. He should have allowed for the circumstances Cas found himself in and dealt with things differently. He should have kept it in the family, not in the club.
We head for our bikes and I smirk when Myles says, “Shall we find someone in town and then head for the hospital?”
It’s exactly what I was thinking. I don’t care who we stumble upon, but I do care about being this angry around Victoria.
Her screams echo in my mind and as I sit on my bike, Aspen comes walking up the path.
“For fucks sake,” I hear Myles mutter, but she has perfect fucking timing. I swing my leg over my bike and walk towards her without missing a beat.
“If you’re here to talk, I’m not interested.”
She takes one look at my face and then down at my knuckles. “What’s wrong?”
Her first instinct is to lunge forward and hold my cheeks in her soft, warm hands.
“Tell me what’s happened? Are you okay?”
And there it is.
She sees me.
Not anything, or anyone else. Her need to make sure I’m good gets to me. It changes everything I thought I was going to do. She’s changing me and it feels…right.
“Unless we’re fucking her, we’ve got to get to the hospital.”
A low growl emerges from me at Myles words and I realise I don’t want to share her, not with him. She’s the first to make me think this way and an overwhelming urge to keep her for myself takes over me.
“Hospital?”
“Our sister,” Myles spits out. “Let’s go, Mase.”
His patience is running thin, but so is mine. With everything and everyone.
Myles starts his bike and goes to speed off past us and my first instinct is to grab her arm and pull her to me when Myles purposefully rides to close. I know he’s not going to hit us, but she doesn’t. I don’t let her go when he leaves our sight.
Their Fractured Souls: Sons Of Lost Soul MC Book Six Page 7