Dropping my hand, she walks toward the door, opens it, and turns back to me.
“Is Lily still over there?”
When I nod, she looks down at the carpet.
“Say the word, Mom, and I’ll run her out of town,” I vow, meaning it.
She laughs, and her shoulders relax for the first time in two days.
“You’ll do no such thing. Knowing your dad like I do, he’s probably planning that as we speak.”
“What about Harper? Can you deal with her?”
“This isn’t her fault. Your dad wasn’t the only one kept in the dark all these years.”
She leaves it at that and heads downstairs.
A picture on the nightstand catches my eye. It’s of Mom, Dad, Leo, and me. I must’ve been ten when it was taken. I wonder what our family photos would’ve looked like if Dad had known Harper was his daughter? Would she be in our family albums too? Tossing the picture onto the bed, I push it out of my mind and head downstairs. If Mom’s cooking, then she’s distracting herself and not crying.
I hit the bottom step just as the front door opens. Victoria breezes over the threshold and freezes when she sees me.
“Are we being an asshole today or no?” she chirps too fucking brightly.
“Are your panties coming down for me today or no?”
She rolls her eyes. “Asshole day it is, then.”
She struts into the kitchen and I follow her, sliding my ass onto the counter and out of the way of Mom and Bonnie, who are both cooking up a storm.
Pulling my phone out, I hit Sara’s number and press send. Not expecting it to ring, I listen to her voice timidly telling me to leave a message. I listen once and hang up when Victoria laughs like she hasn’t got a care in the world, trying to get a smile from my niece. Everything about her is easy.
“Does my boy want bacon with his eggs?” Mom asks.
Bobbing my head, I catch Victoria staring at me, but she quickly looks away when our eyes meet.
“Before you eat, take this over to JJ,” Bonnie orders, thrusting a plate of sausage and bacon at me, and then a set of silverware. Turning to Kristen, she adds, “He’s been sitting outside Harper’s door for two days. He won’t leave her.”
Mom stiffens, but she rights herself.
Slipping off the counter, I take the meal over to JJ, forgetting about my own food.
I use the side door so I don’t have to run into dad and plod up the stairs. JJ’s right where Bonnie said he’s been.
He looks like shit. He needs at least a day’s sleep and a long shower.
“Courtesy of your mom, momma’s boy,” I grunt, holding out the plate for him.
Snatching it from my hand, I drop the silverware onto his lap.
“Thanks, baby Jackson.”
Without another word, I turn my back to him and head for the stairs.
“Are you not going to ask how she is?”
Stopping in my tracks, I turn around and face him, his plate on the floor beside him.
“I’m guessing you don’t know yourself if you’re not allowed in the room?”
I hear everything around the club. I don’t need to ask.
“Do you have a problem with her being your sister?”
“Why do you care, Carter?”
His mouth opens, and like his usual dick self, he can’t speak the truth.
“She’s a good girl. You should take the time to get to know her.”
“Yeah? How nice for you.”
Dragging himself up to his feet, his legs wobble—no doubt on pins and needles—before he rights himself.
“One day soon, I’ll make her mine, and she’ll be going nowhere. Get right with it, because you’re going to see her around a lot.”
Barking out a humourless laugh, I tell him, “I grew up here, and if I don’t want to see someone, I don’t. The club’s bigger than one person.”
I have no fucking idea how I feel about Harper, but I won’t have JJ ordering me on what I should or shouldn’t do.
Down in the bar, I follow Leo as he walks into the kitchen and closes the door behind me. It’s bad enough every brother in the club knows Dad’s business now, but they don’t need to know mine.
“What are we going to do about Lily?”
Turning around, he stops fiddling with the coffee machine and frowns.
“What are you talking about?”
“You got baby brain or something? I asked, what are we going to do about Lily?”
“We’re going to do nothing. It’s Dad’s business. He’ll deal with her.”
Snorting, I dig out my smokes and light one up before tossing the pack to Leo. From what I’ve heard, he’s been trying to cut down since Rayna was born.
“She’s hurting Mom by being around, or don’t you care now that you have your own little family?”
He looks at me like he wants to slap the shit out of me.
“Mom’s stronger than you give her credit for. And besides, she and Dad are tight. Lily won’t come between them.”
“Have you been over to the house recently? I was just there, listening to her cry in her room. Even the strongest break, Leo. She’s always there for us, and we both know we’ve put her through the shit from time to time. As her sons, we should be protecting her.”
Falling onto the nearest chair, he takes a long drag from his cigarette.
“What do you propose we do? Dad’s all about wanting to get to know Harper, and he’s not going to let her leave so easily.”
It doesn’t feel good to hear that.
“I suggest driving Lily out to the middle of nowhere and make it real clear she’s not welcome here.”
Pointing to the door, he says, “Have you not seen how everyone but Slade has been treating her? We don’t need to make it clear she’s not welcome. Hell, they’re doing it for us.”
“All I’m hearing are excuses. If you don’t care enough about Mom anymore, that’s cool. At least I know who has her back in the future.”
He lurches across the kitchen and fists my hoodie, pushing me back until I hit the wall.
“Tread carefully, little brother. Neither Mom nor Dad would appreciate us getting involved. Don’t you dare tell me I don’t care enough!”
“You’re a fucking joke. Let me go or I’ll fight back.”
His dark eyes burn. “I think you’re looking for a reason to hurt someone.”
“You’re damn right I am. She’s our fucking mom!” I roar.
The door opens, and Dad steps into the kitchen, taking in the scene before him.
“What the fuck is going on here?” he barks at us.
Leo uncurls his fist and steps back. Tugging on the crumpled fabric, I straighten myself out and push away from the wall.
“Nothing. Absolutely fuck all is happening,” I huff, stepping on the butt I dropped when Leo came at me.
“It doesn’t look like nothing.”
“What would you know? You aren’t seeing us at the moment,” I bite out.
My words sting him for all of five seconds before his anger turns his cheeks red.
“Who the fuck are you talking to, you little shit?”
I can’t stop the rage consuming me. It needs to be released; I can’t keep it in any longer.
“Everyone keeps telling me you’ll deal with Lily, but you aren’t doing shit. She’s still here. Why?”
“You’re questioning me now?”
“Fuck yeah. Especially when my Mom’s hurting.”
His anger simmers and his shoulders sag at the mention of Mom’s pain. Dropping onto the chair Leo was just on, he slams his hand down on the table.
“I have more important shit to deal with right now than Lily McCarthy, son, but she’ll get hers soon enough. As for your mother, she’s my business, you hear me?”
This is bullshit. Heading for the door, his hand shoots out and grabs onto my wrist.
“I understand this is fucked up, but if you ever speak to me like that again, you better be prep
ared to face the consequences.”
Yanking my arm away, I stare at the man I’ve looked up to my whole life and nod.
“If you do what’s right, I won’t have to.”
His laugh is unexpected. “What are you expecting me to do, son?”
“She wouldn’t be the first person you’ve made disappear, and no doubt, she wouldn’t be the last.”
Raising his brows, he leans back in his seat. “You want me to put her in the ground?”
“I couldn’t give a fuck where you put her, so long as Mom doesn’t have to see her every day.”
The fucker smiles.
“I’ll keep that in mind. But what would I say to Slade when he can’t find his sister?”
“I don’t give a shit. It’s not my problem.”
“He’s a brother,” Leo chimes in. “Brothers’ families are off-limits, and in rare cases, they would be dealt with based on a club vote. You think you’re above that? Even Mom understands it.”
Glaring at him, my lip curls in disgust. They think I’m bothered about that detail?
“He should’ve kept a tighter leash on his sister, then,” I snap, looking at Dad. “I couldn’t care less if ten more of your kids showed up, as long as my mom doesn’t have to have the mothers rubbed in her face on a daily basis.”
“I admire your loyalty to your mom, Luca. It makes me proud. But you’ve got to trust me when I say this will sort itself out. Your mom will be fine.”
This is going nowhere. Dad professes to love the shit out of her, yet he’s leaving her to hurt not a hundred yards away from him.
“Now, if you’ve finished spitting out your pacifier, I want to talk to you about when you’re planning to slap a prospect patch on a cut? You haven’t mentioned anything to me or anyone else.”
“I can’t think about that now.”
The truth is, I don’t plan on ever wearing the patch. I’m not my dad or my brother. Leo has always known he’d join the club, but not me. I had plans of my own, and they didn’t involve being shot at every other month, or having to live by club rules. Albeit, there aren’t many, but today has shown that the brothers have their own leashes they’re strung up by. Because Lily is Slade’s sister, it makes her untouchable. It’s bullshit.
I hear dad sigh as I swing open the door and head out into the bar. Taking a seat on one of the stools, I keep my front to the crowd and lean back, resting my arms on the bar top, finding the lying bitch sitting with Slade and Kristen.
Narrowing my eyes, I choose to forget everything Dad and Leo had to say. They don’t seem to be looking out for Mom, so I will. I don’t need to be asked or told, and I certainly don’t fucking need to have a leash squeezing around my neck because I wear the club patch. Her gaze roams around the bar and lands on me.
I give her a murderous look, making it real fucking clear I can’t stand the sight of her, and she cringes. Good. I want her uncomfortable.
I don’t need Leo’s help. I just thought it would be the right thing for him to do for his own mother.
Lily quickly looks away from me, but I continue to glare at her, watching her squirm. I can make her life unbearable, and I plan to. If she had kept her fucking mouth shut, she could’ve lived in town for the rest of her life for all I would’ve cared, but she didn’t, and now she has to pay the consequences for her actions.
Chapter Six
Victoria
“What do you think is going on now?”
The brothers were called into the back room a while ago. While I know I’ll never be privy to what is said behind those dark wooden doors, it doesn’t mean I’m not curious.
Being that Myles is more interested in checking out Zara than listening to me, it’s Mason who tells me, “They’re probably talking over Harper’s attack and what to do next.”
“Do you wish you were in there with them?”
“I wouldn’t be wearing the prospect patch if I didn’t, would I?”
He makes a good point. Sometimes I think the sons of brothers are automatically raised to join. My brothers, they actually want to join.
“Neither of you strike me as interested in club politics, though.”
Myles snorts. “Because we’re not. With the club comes many perks—that’s what we’re interested in.”
“Perks? Such as?”
Besides the women and doing what you like, when you like, my curiosity branches out into their minds, which is a brave thing for me to delve into.
My eyes dart between the two of them, and I sigh when I see them doing their freaky twin thing. It’s like they’re silently conversing, and they know exactly what the other is saying. Because I know my brothers, I have a pretty good idea that they’re discussing how much they want to share with me.
“Being a part of the club gives us paths we know we can walk without being touched. The patch will mean we can do what we want for the rest of our lives.”
“You can’t guarantee a lifetime of being untouchable. Grow up.”
Myles sits forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as he leans toward me.
“You don’t give us enough credit, little sister.”
His smirk matches Mason’s. Oh hell, I give up. They get more than enough credit, and it causes their egos to grow substantially.
I blame Grandpa. He’s always telling them they can have anything they want, no matter how they get it. I mean, he tells me the same thing, but I have limits, whereas my brothers don’t. There’s no line they won’t cross. Hell, they cross the line just for something to do, and to see what shit they can get themselves into on any particular day.
Luca strolls in, quickly looks around, and takes a seat in the corner by the bar. I quickly look away before he catches me staring… again. He’s been avoiding me like the plague the last couple of days. Not that I planned on going out of my way to approach him. I can’t say it hasn’t hurt, and I’ve been trying to work out why I’m starting to feel like shit over this boy. I made the offer to help with my boredom, not his.
The door to the back room opens and the twins are called in. They share another look, talking to each other in their weird way, and their smirks spread into full-blown grins.
Even I can guess this means they’re potentially about to get their patches, and I can’t help but smile with them.
My brothers are a handful, and the patch will go straight to their heads, but I’m happy for them. This is what they’ve wanted since they were old enough to understand Grandpa’s stories about the club, promising they’d have their own patches one day.
They were raised on the notion of loyalty and the club, and this is their moment. So I decide to stick around and celebrate with them if that’s the case.
My gaze roams from the now closed back room doors to Luca. He’s got his earbuds in, and his eyes are closed. I know he likes to listen to Guns N’ Roses and Metallica.
As if he can feel me watching him, his eyes open and land directly on me. I refuse to be the first to look away like some stupid girl getting caught for sneaking looks at her crush. He doesn’t look away either, and I find myself desperately wanting to know what goes through his head. He’s never been an open book, but I remember times before Sara left town, I’d see them around school, and he’d talk nonstop with her.
A bout of jealously ripples through me, and I try to push it away. She hasn’t been around in ages, yet I can’t forget him telling me he still thinks of her every day. Does he think about her when he’s with me? Or worse, does he compare us? I’m usually a pretty confident person, and there isn’t a soul in the world I would show weakness in front of—my grandpa taught me that. But it doesn’t mean I don’t feel everything on the inside, where my thoughts are private, safe, and run away with themselves.
The back doors opening startle me, and I focus on the brothers filtering out into the bar in high spirits.
My dad walks out with a huge smile on his face. The twins walk out behind him, together, both clutching their patches, smiling ear to ear. We
were right. Today is the day they get what they’ve always wanted.
Maybe one day, I’ll figure out what it is that I want, and I’ll be lucky enough to have it all.
As I make my way over to them, they hold their patches up for me to see.
“Congratulations! The world should truly be afraid of you now.”
“You’re damn right!” Myles hollers.
Mason slings his arm around me and murmurs, “Thank you.”
My brothers’ attention soon turns to Grandpa as he makes his way over.
“I’m damn fuckin’ proud, boys. A day I’ve been waiting for since you were born.”
Slapping their backs, he adds, “Celebrate tonight, and come find me in the morning. I’ll teach you what’s what.”
The three of them share another look, and this time, I don’t bother trying to decipher it.
Grandpa kisses me on the forehead and walks off, heading up to his room. He rarely stays at home these days. Since Grandma passed away, he prefers to be at the club, surrounded by his brothers. One might think it’s a lonely life, but it’s a life he would live forever given the chance.
The music is cranked up, and within minutes, everyone has a drink in their hands. I love being at the club when it’s like this. The feeling of being able to let go and not be judged is wondrous. I can be anyone I wish to be, and tonight, I choose to be a stupid girl.
Making my way over to Luca’s table, I take the seat next to him. Like a magnet drawn to disaster, I’m leaning toward him, bumping him with my shoulder. Pulling one of his earbuds out, he raises his brows, waiting to hear what I have to say.
A little part of me is happy he hasn’t told me to fuck off yet.
Smiling at the lively atmosphere, I say to Luca, “That’ll be you one day.”
For a moment, he’s confused by my words. “Getting your patch?” I explain.
“No, it won’t.”
Frowning, I ask, “What are you talking about? You don’t plan on patching in?”
He shakes his head. “Not a chance. I won’t ever be bound to this club.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Luca Jackson isn’t going to patch in and be a part of the club his family built?
His Twisted Heart : Sons of Lost Souls MC Series Book Nine Page 4