Surrender lost souls mc.., p.17
Surrender (Lost Souls MC Book 2), page 17
Jace walked us right into the shower with all our clothes on and hit the water, making me squeal with the sudden burst of cold. We laughed hard until our lips met again, and Jace pulled my shirt off over my head.
I was a whole new me. I was going to live life and experience what it had to offer, and right now, that was Jace Everly, the rock star with a commanding personality. Life was way too short to do anything else.
Avro
This didn’t seem like a smart idea.
Being summoned by Kai for anything felt wrong, but it screamed slasher flick when it was almost midnight. My headlights bounced over the rough driveway, the beams shining on the old farmhouse, and I shivered. It was straight out of a horror movie. Amityville or something could totally be made here. What made it fucking creepier was the fact there wasn’t a single light on, and yet when the lights flashed over the large bay window, I could clearly see Kai standing behind the glass, staring at me like a fucking mannequin.
Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, I was tempted to turn the fuck around, but the porch light turned on, and Kai stepped outside.
“Shit, shit, shit.”
A: Hey, I’m having a weird beer with Kai. If I disappear, you’ll know who to look at first.
J: Like he wouldn’t have already been my first choice. Why are you having a beer with him?
A: That is a good fucking question. I’ll keep you posted.
J: Don’t get yourself fucking killed.
A: Thanks, I’ll try not to.
Stuffing the phone in my pocket, I got out, and Kai smirked at me as he leaned against the support beam. Not walking any closer, I leaned against my car and crossed my arms.
“Making sure someone knows where you are?”
“You know what they say. Someone should know where you are at all times.” My eyes darted to the darkness beyond the pathetic glow of the lone light. “Especially when visiting a gang member in the middle of the night.”
“I’m not sure I’m the most dangerous thing out here, but I do like that you’re smart and think ahead. You do that a lot, don’t you, Avro?”
Kai lit up a smoke, the little flame of the lighter glowing brighter than anything else. I didn’t bother to say anything and watched him calmly as I thought about the baseball bat in the back seat and how I left the keys in the ignition for a quick escape. I might love Raine enough to accept this situation, but I was no one’s fool, and trusting Kai blindly was a sure way to get myself killed.
“You not planning to answer?”
“Didn’t know I needed to. You seem to have me figured out,” I said.
Kai snorted, and I couldn’t tell if he was amused or annoyed, but he sat down on the top step of the porch and opened the small cooler waiting for him. It was as if he knew I wouldn’t go inside the house alone and had anticipated that. He pulled out a beer and tossed the can for me to catch. When he said, ‘Have a beer,’ this was not what I had in mind, but it worked. Holding the can away from my body, I opened it and let the fizz bubble out onto the ground before taking a sip.
“Decent. At least you have good taste in more than a particular woman,” I said. It was a brand I’d never seen before.
“It’s from Canada, just had a shipment arrive.”
“Huh.”
“So tell me, Avro, how do you see all this ending?”
“Is this a serious question?”
“Yes.”
I took another sip of the beer as I thought about the question and the best way to answer it. “Well, I see this ending in one of two ways. You and Jace find common ground, or everything explodes, and we all lose Raine.”
Kai took another drag on the cigarette, the light scent of it floating in my direction. He leaned back on the wooden porch reminding me of one of the deadly snakes that liked to lounge in the shade. They were fine as long as you didn’t disturb them, but watch out if you did.
“What if I told you that I thought it would be in your best interest to make sure Jace doesn’t try anything stupid.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What exactly does that mean?”
“Don’t act stupid, Avro. You know as well as I do that Jace would love to persuade the two of you to fly off into the sunset with him. I can picture him convincing Raine that she wants to be his traveling groupie and forget all about me.”
I tilted my head and snorted. “Pot, I’d like you to meet kettle,” I said, holding out my hands. Kai just laughed. “Well, if you think that Jace has that kind of power, then you’re not giving Raine very much credit. Are you that insecure?”
“I love your mind, Avro. This is exactly what I’m talking about. You see all the pieces and how they are moving and what you should say and do next. It took me a bit to figure you out, but it hit me when you showed up at the motel and said exactly what each of us needed, wanted, or expected to hear. Well, that and you’re really good at hiding secrets. Secrets I’m sure you don’t want the world to know.”
My heart jumped in my chest, but I forced myself to keep the surprise off my face. “I will admit that I’m strategic, but not to be harmful. I know what Raine wants, and that is all three of us. I’m simply trying to make sure that happens.”
“Come now, Avro. You’re being modest,” Kai said, and I gulped down the rest of the beer as I thought about what Kai might be referring to.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Kai stood and slowly walked down the stairs. There was something far more lethal about the stroll than if he ran at me. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he stopped a few feet away. My body tensed as I readied myself for a physical or verbal attack.
“I have to say, Alex, I’m impressed. I didn’t think you had it in you to kill someone, let alone cover it up and get away with it for this long,” Kai said, his voice low, yet I sucked in a breath like he’d punched me in the gut. He knew my real name, and how he found out about something that Jace and I refused to speak about to anyone was beyond me, but the pounding in my ears made it hard to hear his next words.
“You and Jace did a great job covering your tracks. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, or it will be if you can make sure that Jace doesn’t play dirty,” Kai said, his eyes filled with dark humor that only he found amusing. “You’d get bonus points if you walked away and took Jace with you, but I’m not going to push that button…yet.”
“So you’re threatening me?” I shook my head and glared at Kai.
“I wouldn’t say I’m threatening. I’d say I’m being strategic,” Kai said.
“You’re an asshole.” I didn’t care if he hit me. Let him attack me at this point. He was digging at the wound I’d tried to heal from for most of my life. “Do you even know what happened or why?”
Kai smiled, and there in his eyes was the man that had attacked us at my house. The man that wanted to rip me in two and would happily do it if it wasn’t for Raine. A cold shiver raced down my spine as I stared into his cold, blue eyes.
“I don’t care about the why—the exact how is also lost on me. I just know that your uncle is dead and that you and Jace are the prime suspects. It was so long ago, and you were both minors, that it has gotten swept under the rug. But I’m sure some poking around would cause a new stir, especially with your other uncle being a general. How long do you think it would remain buried what the two of you did? How do you think that would affect Jace’s singing career? You might even do jail time since you’re now adults.”
“Why are you doing this to me? I’ve done nothing to you, Kai. I’m the one trying to make sure we all get along for Raine’s sake.”
Kai stepped forward, but I didn’t flinch. At this point, I’d rather him kill me than force me to relive what happened in a court, or worse, drag Jace down for his part.
“I’m doing this for that exact reason, Avro or Alex, whatever you want to call yourself. You are the lynchpin to this fucked up relationship. Raine loves you, although I’m still baffled as to why. You obviously love her, or you would be helping Jace undermine me, but I don’t see you doing that. At least, I don’t unless Jace wants you to, and I’m stopping it before it ever happens. I will keep your secret, but in return, you keep your rock star boy toy in line. I need you to understand that Raine was mine. If it hadn’t been for a tragic situation that drove us apart, we’d be living our life without the two of you. I need her and will do whatever is necessary to keep her.”
I could feel the anger radiating off his body. “If Jace tries to sweep her off her feet and whisk her away, then I’ll make sure you’re the collateral damage. Before you ask, I don’t care about what happens to you. You and Jace are not in my bubble of give-a-shit, but Raine is my heart. If you or Jace try to rip it out of my chest, I will take you down with me. Do I make myself clear?”
Swallowing, I nodded. “Crystal.”
“Excellent. I’m so happy we had this little chat to clear the air between us.” The sarcasm was obvious and dripped off every word.
Kai stepped back, and I pushed away from the car to walk around to the other side. Opening the driver’s door, I stopped and glared at Kai.
“You know, I didn’t need to be threatened to keep Raine happy, but thank you for showing me your true nature. It’s eye-opening to what a fucking piece of shit you really are. Too bad Raine didn’t see this side of you, maybe she’d think twice, and it would have nothing to do with Jace or me if she ran in the other direction. Sleep well, Kai.”
His face darkened, and his hands clenched into fists, but nothing was worse than what he’d already threatened.
Slipping into the car, I quickly started it and drove out of the driveway, caught between fuming mad and terrified. My hands squeezed the steering wheel, and it complained with a squeak.
“Fuck,” I swore and slammed my hand off the top of the wheel as if that would somehow help.
“Dude, for fucks sake, what the hell happened,” Jace asked as he gripped my arm and yanked me into an empty classroom.
I jerked my arm away. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Yeah, not buying it. You’ve been weird ever since you got home from that camping trip. You won’t look me in the eye, you refuse to hangout, and you’re dodging my texts and calls. Now you refuse to turn around when I call your name in the hall? What the fuck?”
“Nothing happened. I’m fine. You’re just imagining it.” I went to walk around Jace and out the door, but he grabbed my arm again, and this time when I tried to jerk away, he wouldn’t let go.
“Let go.”
“No.” He closed the door and leaned against it before letting go of my arm.
“Fuck off, Jace, just let me leave. This has nothing to do with you,” I said, anger and fear bubbling to the surface. I couldn’t sleep, and I had to have the lights on all the time. The sound of light rain sent me into a panic attack that I couldn’t explain to my mother, and the last thing I needed was to share what had happened with Jace.
“Alex, you’re my best friend. You know you mean more to me than that.” His voice softened. “If you met someone else and you know…don’t wanna…hangout anymore, then just tell me.”
Hangout was code for us. It was simple, mundane, and all the other kids used it, but for us, it meant exploring our interest in one another.
“It’s not that.” I ran my hand through my hair and turned my back on him. I jumped and yelped as his hand touched my shoulder. When I turned to look at him, I lost it, and tears broke free—tears I’d refused to cry for almost two weeks. My lip trembled, and Jace stared at my face, worry evident in his eyes.
The door opened, and Jace looked over his shoulder at the math teacher about to walk in. No words were exchanged, but Mr. Mattacini backed out and closed the door.
“Great, now we’re in trouble,” I groaned.
“No, we’re not. I caught him and the new art teacher doing it in the storage room, and I made sure they both knew it,” Jace said and lifted his shoulders, which didn’t help him look more innocent.
“Caught as in by accident or followed them?”
“Does it really matter? Knowing is knowing, and with that comes power. He won’t say shit to us, and I’m no longer failing math.” He smiled, and I shook my head. “What? It’s not my fault he decided to fuck someone at work. He’s a cheating dick, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s getting what he deserves. He’s just lucky I don’t leave a note for his wife.”
I wiped away the wetness on my face, annoyed that I was crying at all. “Whatever. Can I go now?”
“Fuck no. Not until you tell me what happened,” Jace said.
“I don’t want to talk about it here.” I crossed my arms and looked down at my new sneakers. “After basketball practice.”
“Fine, but I will find out, and I want you to be the one to tell me. Don’t force me to go all undercover P.I. on you.”
True to his word, as soon as practice was over and everyone had left, Jace called his mom and asked if I could stay the night to work on a school project. He amazed me with how easily he could lie.
I was never that good. It was why I tried so hard never to give my parents any reason to question my sexuality. It was safer to pretend everything was fine, and I’d gone along with it since I started to see Jace as more than my friend. I figured if they didn’t ask if I liked guys, I wouldn’t have to answer, and they wouldn’t be faced with kicking me out. They’d both made it very clear that no son of theirs would fuck another guy.
I guess my uncle didn’t get that memo.
My mom only agreed to the sleepover when I said it was for school. I thought I heard relief in her voice. They hadn’t said much to me since the camping trip. It was what Courtney said and had nothing to do with my Uncle Martin. I didn’t think they knew what he did. If they did and were protecting him…no, I couldn’t think about that.
“Okay, we’re alone. I even double-checked the locker rooms and got rid of Matt and Lacey making out under the bleachers,” Jace said as he dropped down beside me. In his very Jace way, he sprawled out on the bleachers. The giant Gator logo stared at us from across the gym. “Spill, what’s going on?”
I ran my backpack straps through my fingers, my body shaking as I thought about what had happened. Jace moved, and although I knew he’d touch me, I still couldn’t stop myself from jumping as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. Instead of pulling away, he gripped me tighter, hugging me.
“Alex, what the hell is going on?”
“Jace…I don’t want to say it out loud. It feels like it will make it worse somehow, or I don’t know, but….” I stammered out quickly, my chest heaving. I wiped my hands on my jeans over and over like that would wipe away the stain of what had happened.
“Okay, slow your roll. You’re gonna make yourself pass out,” Jace mumbled as he held me tighter. “Whatever happened has happened, and nothing you say will make it worse.”
“I know, but I can’t help feeling like this.”
“No, but it’s true.” Jace pulled back, and I didn’t want him to let me go. For those few short seconds, I felt safe. Jace always made me feel safe. “And no matter what you tell me, I’m here. You know that.”
“You may not be. You may decide to fuck off,” I said, and Jace’s brow furrowed, his eyebrows pressing so close together that they almost touched. I knew what was coming before he opened his mouth.
“Are you fucking stupid?”
I smiled, but the happiness faded as I blurted it out. “My uncle hurt me, Jace. After I texted you and fell asleep, he snuck into my tent.”
“Hurt you? You mean like hit you? For what?”
I shook my head no. I wished he’d hit me. I’d take a thousand punches over what he’d done to me.
“Did he say mean shit?”
It was my turn to stare at Jace. He just wasn’t clued in, and I didn’t want to say it. His eyes remained confused a moment longer and then went wide. “He…he hurt you like…touched you…like not hitting?” I nodded, and once more, the fucking tears filled my eyes. “Like just hand or more?”
“More,” I choked out. “Like everything.”
Jace grew really still and quiet, and I dared to look up. He seemed frozen. My stomach dropped as his eyes went wide. Was this the moment he was going to shove me away? Panic gripped my heart, and a moment later, it tried to jump out of my chest as Jace leaped to his feet.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Jace growled. He turned and stomped down the bleachers.
I believed him. I could picture Jace running to my Uncle’s house to do it, and then he’d be in jail.
My brain registered what was about to happen, and I jumped up, chasing Jace down before he could leave the gym. His lip pulled up in a snarl when I got in his way. He looked terrifying with his fists balled and muscles flexing. We might have only been thirteen, but we were both almost six feet, which was part of the reason we were so good at basketball. Jace had been working out hard since he turned twelve, and he looked it.
“Stop, Jace. Please, you can’t make this worse.”
“Worse? Alex, he not only hurt you, but he is family. I watched that prick sit in the stands and cheer our team on last night and act like he’s not a fucking piece of shit. I wondered why your shots were so terrible. I just thought you were having an off night.” Jace tried to walk around me, and I fisted his T-shirt.
“Please, Jace. I’m begging you. I can’t deal with whatever happens if my parents find out. At least not yet. I’m not ready. Besides, I can’t lose you.”
“Oh, for fucks sake.” I let go of his shirt as he began to pace. “Aren’t you supposed to go there next week, with your parents going on that second honeymoon cruise or some shit?” I nodded, already terrified to go. I’d been dreading it since the moment we got back.
“So, you have to stay with your uncle for a week and don’t want me to do anything?” I nodded. “Not happening. You can stay with me.”
“I already thought of that. I asked my mom, and she said it was too much to ask of your mom with the two young kids. She’s made the arrangements. If I push, they’ll start to ask questions.”
