Surrender lost souls mc.., p.27
Surrender (Lost Souls MC Book 2), page 27
Kai glanced up at me as they hugged, and our eyes locked. The usual anger brewing in their depths wasn’t there. It freaked me out when someone’s personality did a one-eighty like this. There was always a reason, and Kai didn’t change for sweet, fluffy bunny reasons. He would only have a personality lobotomy if something seriously bad happened.
I looked away first—this was their moment—and answered Allen and the list of questions he was firing at me. They were mixed in with reminders about everything for this evening.
We were supposed to do a concert in Nashville two days ago, but Damon caught the flu and couldn’t keep anything down. Not that I wanted Damon to be sick, but I wasn’t complaining about the extra time I got. This was the longest stretch I’d been home in years.
“Hey,” Raine said, smiling as she walked along the aisle and dropped her carry-on before hanging the garment bag on one of the lockable hooks.
“Hey,” I said back. I glanced out the window again, and Kai was still standing in the same spot, staring up at the window. “Did he want to come?” I pointed my thumb out the window. “I mean, he can’t come to the awards or anything. But if he’s that freaked out about you going to this with me, he can babysit me, I guess.”
Raine shook her head before sitting down. “No, I’m not even going to give him that option. He’s been…how do I put this?” She bit her lip. “Do you find Kai is acting strange? Like more protective than normal?”
“I have noticed it,” I said.
“I wondered if it was because we talked about me moving in with you and Avro, but he said he was fine. In fact, he said it would be safer than living at the old farmhouse so close to the MC property, and he liked that, so I don’t know.”
She shrugged. “Now that I think about it, they’ve both been weird. I don’t mean they have a thing going on kind of weird,” she said quickly, which made me chuckle.
“They’ve been weird in different ways. I’ve tried to get them to talk, but neither will say what’s bothering them. You’re the only one acting normal. You must have some idea what the hell is up. I hate being in the dark.” She looked stressed as she stared at me. “I know Avro’s knee has been sore. Are we doing too much?”
I sighed and crossed my arms, annoyed that Avro still hadn’t talked to Raine, and now I would have to tell her. Probably his damn plan all along.
“If you know anything, please tell me, Jace.” She rubbed at her chest. “I’m worried, and it’s freaking me out that I’m met with a door slamming in my face the moment I bring it up.”
“I know what’s going on with Avro, but Kai, I have no clue.” I rubbed the back of my neck as I debated whether I should tell her. It should come from Avro, but I wanted Raine to be able to enjoy this experience.
“Avro is acting off. I didn’t know if anyone else saw it, so I didn’t want to say anything.”
The roar of the motorcycle firing up echoed into the plane's cabin, and we watched silently as Kai pulled out into the dark. It was very early, and I wanted to throw my phone as it dinged three more times in a row. Fucking Allen.
“Jace, please tell me about Avro.” Raine reached out and placed her hand on my knee.
“I shouldn’t. It’s not my place to say,” I said, and Raine leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. She was giving me some serious ‘fuck you’ face, and it was kinda hot. “I’m serious. Avro doesn’t like anyone to worry, and I shouldn’t say if he hasn’t mentioned it yet.”
“Jace, are we or are we not all in this together? You made it very clear to me that anything that happened to any of us individually affected us all. I have the right to know.”
“Fuck, I hate it when my words are tossed back at me.” I leaned my head back against the seat. “Fine, but he may kill me if he finds out I told you.”
“I doubt he’s going to kill you,” she said, shaking her head. “So out with it.”
“You know about his knee, right?” Raine nodded. “It started to twinge a few months back, nothing big, just now and then when he’d move too fast the wrong way. He didn’t think much of it, just leftover pain from the original surgeries. Then the pain became more frequent. He went to the doctor for testing a couple of weeks back, and he got the call the other night that he needs another surgery. This time they are doing a knee replacement and ACL reconstruction surgery.” Raine covered her mouth and swore under her breath.
“What’s going on with the knee? Do they know?”
“I don’t have technical terms for you, but basically, the bone is breaking apart in the joint.” I used my hands to demonstrate Avro’s knee and the joint breaking. Raine looked like she was going to cry.
“Oh my god, why is he still dancing at the bar? That has to kill. And why doesn’t he want me to know?”
“It’s not that he doesn’t want you to know. He doesn’t want to become someone’s problem, and...honestly, I think he’s avoiding the topic. The less he talks about it, the less real it becomes.”
“So he’s opting to stay quiet and pretend he’s okay? Jace, come on, that’s not healthy,” Raine said, and I shrugged.
“I’ve tried getting him to talk. He’s very stubborn when he wants to be. The doc is talking six weeks with zero weight to start and then re-evaluate. That means he is most likely in a wheelchair, then on crutches if all goes well. If it doesn’t…I don’t know. But stairs will be nearly impossible, so he’s been setting up the spare room on the main floor. He definitely won’t be able to work behind the bar, and he won’t be able to dance. As far as sex goes, I’m guessing that he will be out for a few weeks and can only sit or lay down, so that will bother him too.” I ran my thumb across my lip as I pictured the kiss he gave me before I left. I could feel his heart breaking.
I hated that he was going through this for a third time. He didn’t like me to know how much pain he was in. When I was home, he’d sneak off to another room. I’d find him silently crying but refusing to take more than one painkiller a day. He was terrified that he’d become addicted. Avro was stronger than he realized, while he always thought he was weak. I didn’t get it, but it was another thing he and Raine had in common.
“Anyway, Avro’s not taking it very well. That accident was horrible, and his knee was a mess. I was in Germany at the time and didn’t get back until two weeks after it happened, but he was…lost, I don’t know how better to describe it.”
Tears ran steadily down Raine’s cheeks as she leaned forward, her hands clasped together. “I feel like such an asshole. How did I not see he was in so much pain? I’ve been so caught up in my wonderful new bubble with all of you that I just wasn’t paying attention.” Her eyes snapped up to mine. “Should we even be going on this trip?”
“I have to go, but you can stay if you don’t feel like going now. The thing is, Peaches, Avro wouldn’t want that. Why do you think he didn’t tell you? He doesn’t want to be treated differently. It drives him crazy.”
Raine slumped back and wiped away the tears. “Is this why he decided not to come?”
“He has an appointment today with the surgeon to go over his surgery plan,” I said, and Raine jumped up, her fists clenched tight.
“What? You have to be kidding me? He’s going all alone?” I didn’t say anything, and she swore and paced the aisle. “I hate this. I have to pretend I don’t know when all I want is to be there for him. This is ridiculous. Why are men so stubborn?”
I cocked a brow at her. “Have you ever looked in a mirror?”
“Oh, shut up,” she grumbled, making me laugh.
“Look, we are only going for the night. It’s why I shortened the trip. We go, do the awards, fly out tomorrow morning, and force him to come clean and accept help. I have to go to this, Peaches. It is an obligation, and I’d prefer to have you with me, but if you want to stay, I won’t stop you.” I nodded to the Captain and Co-Pilot as they walked in. “But you better hurry and decide. It looks like we’re heading out soon.”
She nibbled her bottom lip and looked back and forth between the open door and me before sitting down.
“You’re right. It’s one night, and this way, he won’t feel worse that I backed out. Especially since we spent an entire day finding that dress.” She looked over at the garment bag. “I thought I was going to kill him. He took me to every store twice.”
“I know, you’ve mentioned it once or twice,” I emphasized, and she glared at me.
“You going to turn into asshole Jace again?” She huffed. “I feel like you’re a transformer.”
“I thought we already settled this. I’m always asshole Jace.” Leaning in close to her, I made sure she was wiggling with nervous energy before I spoke again. “And I plan on being very, very much the asshole at the awards. Be prepared to blush for me more than once.”
Raine’s eyes grew wide, and I heard her swallow. It was so fun to play with her. She’d have the worst-case scenarios running around in her head all flight, and I was sick because I loved it.
“What are you planning?”
The Co-pilot chose that moment to close the door. The lock was loud even over the sound of the engines coming to life. “Too late now. I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” I said, loving the look of pure horror in her eyes.
This was going to be fun.
Kaivan
My beer bottle tapped on the top of the bar. The clubhouse was extremely noisy with everyone back. I couldn’t decide if I enjoyed the background noise that drowned out the voices in my head or preferred when it was quiet and my voices kept me company.
“Hey man, what’s going on?” Mannix sat on the stool beside me. I looked at my friend and knew he knew about the cult, the house, and what we’d seen. It was all laid bare in his eyes. Roach—that ass—must have said something, and now Mannix looked worried. The only ones that should be worrying were Dave and Frank or Francois, whatever he was going by. I had plans for them, and the images only got worse with each passing day.
“I’m not going to randomly kill anyone if that’s what you’re asking,” I said, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
“The thought may have crossed my mind. You tend to take your pent-up anger out in interesting ways.” Mannix smirked, and the corner of my mouth turned up.
“Lately, I’ve had another outlet for my frustration,” I said, and Mannix clapped a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m happy for you, kid.”
“No, don’t be callinʼ me that. I thought I’d finally got you kicked of that habit?” I groaned and then laughed. Strangely, being called by the nickname Mannix gave me in prison felt good. I knew he’d done it to remind me of my place but also that my life wasn’t over. The guy was like that, subtle with the things he chose to do, but they always had a purpose.
“I remember the first time you mentioned Raine’s name. Even then, with all the anger in you, I saw how much you still loved her. That kind of devotion never dies.” I drank the last of my beer and pushed the bottle away.
“Is that so? And how would you know?”
Mannix smiled and chuckled a deep sound that always sounded warm and inviting. “Well, I think that will be a story for another night. As long as you’re good, I’m good. We’re ride or die, remember that.”
“Mannix,” I said as he stood. I couldn’t look at him as I warred with the emotions swirling in my gut. “I would’ve been honored to call you dad.”
“Asshole,” Mannix grumbled, and I watched his reflection as he wiped at his face, which made me smile.
“Hey, Snake! Um…isn’t that your old lady on the television?” Kickstand yelled over the noise, and just like that, the room fell silent. “Holy shit! It is. What the hell is she doing on that guy’s arm? Isn’t he some rockstar or something?”
Oh, this was my worst nightmare. If there was a God, he knew how to fuck with me in all the worst ways. I lifted my head to the massive television that typically showed sports or a car restoration show, but nope, not tonight. Of course, someone had to turn to the awards show, and there they were, Jace and Raine, smiling for cameras.
She looked fucking stunning, and my mouth fell open as I soaked her in. She was wearing a shimmery blue dress the same color as her eyes that sparkled under the lights and clung to every one of her delicious curves. It was cut so low in the front that there was a perfect V that left very little to the imagination. The dress was long with a slit up the side, exposing one leg, and showed off the matching shoes. Her hair was styled in an adorable look that showed off her neck and the jewelry I had no doubt Jace bought for her. My mouth ran dry, the shock of her perfection leaving me speechless.
She looked like a queen and as magical as the nickname I’d given her years ago. My heart beat faster in my chest, my breathing harsh as I tried to draw a deep breath. In the bright lights on Jace Everly’s arm, she looked like she’d always belonged. And the fear of not being enough tried to claw its way to the front of my brain.
“Let’s kill him!” Kickstand yelled, setting off a chain of hollering.
“Yeah, no one touches one of our old ladies and gets away with it.” The crowd of a hundred or more stood in a single motion and headed for the artillery room like a wave coming into shore.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled under my breath and slid off my stool.
“Wait!” There were still a few calls for murder, one unsurprisingly coming from Tanner. “I knew she was going to be there,” I said and hoped they would leave it at that. I walked around a few tables and turned to face the room, making sure the exit was right behind me for when this hell was over.
“Does that mean she’s no longer your old lady,” Tanner asked. “Is she fair game?”
I was going to kill him.
“No,” I growled in his direction and slowly turned to glare at the massive group staring at me. This felt very much like my drunken dancing on the bar night…what I could remember of it anyway.
“Raine is still my old lady.” The group blinked like they were hooked to the same remote control. Fuck they were going to make me say it.
“Well, don’t leave us hanging, Snake. What’s going on,” Chase asked from where he was sitting playing cards.
This felt worse than everyone staring at me on my first day in prison, and that was saying something. I cleared my throat and rolled out my shoulders. My eyes found Roach and then Mannix.
“I’m in a relationship with Raine and two guys,” I said, and no one moved.
Roach’s mouth hit the floor, and I felt the heat creeping up my neck. It wasn’t that there weren’t guys in the clubhouse that liked other guys. It was the fact that this was me. I was a jealous, possessive asshole, and I’d made a very loud statement by fucking Raine in here. It was the kind of statement that said my hands only, and that went for inside the club and out.
“So, you’re fucking that hot ass woman and fucking the hot ass rock star,” Tanner asked, and I rolled my eyes in his direction. “Holy fuck, you are. You’re my mother fucking superhero. I want to be you when I grow up. Damn! Where’s my foursome ladies and gents,” Tanner yelled, and for the first time, I was happy Tanner was crazier than I was because the tension diffused like a balloon popping.
“To be clear, you’re good with this,” Chase asked, pointing at the television showing Raine and Jace kissing. I may still murder him when they got back for kissing her like that and putting me through this, but I sighed and nodded.
“Yes, sorta, but….” I paused as my feet vibrated. I looked around the room. “Did you all feel that?” There was a soft rumbling sound, and I turned my head to listen. Was this a gas leak?
“Feel what,” Chase asked, standing from the table.
“He looks like his head is going to twist right off his body,” Tanner joked.
“Not the time Tanner,” Chase said before I could. “What do you feel, Snake?”
“There is an intermittent rumbling and….” The floor vibrated again, but this time so did the walls and dirt sprinkled down from the ceiling. “That.”
Pulling my gun, I turned and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. The entire room was on the move and following behind me. At the next church meeting, I would bring up how this place was a death trap waiting to happen. We needed a second or even third set of stairs.
The sounds were louder down on the lower level, and it definitely seemed like explosions. I pushed open the metal door just enough to peer out and not get shot if this was an ambush.
“What the fuck is going on out there,” Mannix asked at the sound of gunfire.
“I’m not sure. Be ready for anything,” I said and darted out the door.
When the door wasn’t pelted with a rain of bullets, I turned toward the sounds which were coming from the amusement park. That wasn’t normal, but it seemed fitting. With Wilder, anything was possible. I stopped in my tracks as an explosion erupted from under the old Teacups ride and watched a screaming man that seemed to be chased by a flying pink teacup. I cringed as the man and the teacup slammed into an old upright support of a rollercoaster before crashing to the hard concrete below. As if to add insult to injury, the ride groaned and bent in half, the top landing on the already still man, effectively squishing him like a bug.
“Wow, that was….”
“Gnarly as fuck,” Tanner said. I couldn’t even be bothered looking at him.
“What the fuck is going on,” I asked no one as my eyes took in the mass amounts of carnage.
How did Wilder get involved with this blood bath? It looked like an invisible hand was tearing apart bodies and decided to sprinkle them all over the amusement park. I’d seen a lot of shit, but never anything close to this.
The ground was littered with pieces of rides while fires burned in every corner of the large park. There was more gunfire and screaming, but it all seemed contained to that side of the fence.
