by Kayley Shaye
“Bye honey,” Ryder’s mom told Liam as he walked out. Holy crap, what was going on?
“I . . . uh . . .” I trailed off, looking over to the sink. “Well, breakfast is ruined . . . and I need to get to school.”
“That’s fine, sweetheart. I’ll make breakfast. You can go ahead,” she said softly. I wasn’t used to such a soft-spoken lady.
“Thanks,” I told her. Stepping over to Ryder, I hugged him and muttered an apology for blaming him about the burnt toast. Of course, I had to bite my tongue to keep my act.
I headed out of the clubhouse doors with a smile on my face for the first time in what seemed like forever.
***
I walked the plain long halls of my high school after my classes were over and reached my locker quickly. Thank God I only had two more weeks until graduation. I couldn’t wait to get out of that hellhole. I didn’t belong there and I never had.
I always got decent grades and was a loner. I had only ever had one or two friends that I’d hung out with from school, nothing crazy. It wasn’t that I couldn’t make friends, I just didn’t exactly get along with anyone or gave them a chance. In fact, fights between me and the other girls were pretty common, but ever since I slammed that girl’s face into the locker awhile back, no one even dared to start anything. Guess they knew what was best for them for once in their lives.
“Sage!” my name was shouted.
I spun around to see Avery clinging to her boyfriend’s arm. What’s new? Yeah? What’s up?”
“I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us tonight at the mall. I need some new clothes,” Avery replied.
Of course she did. The girl never seemed to have enough clothes. Shopping was her addiction. “Us?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Yeah, silly.” Avery chuckled, nudging her boyfriend’s arm.
“I think I’ll pass. I’m going to hang out with the guys tonight, but I hope you two have fun.” I shoved some books into my locker.
“Why are you always with them? You never hang out with me anymore,” Avery whined, leaning up against the locker beside me. I noticed her boyfriend had walked off when I turned my back.
“You’re always with him,” I said. “I don’t like feeling like the third wheel. You wouldn’t either. Please understand that.”
“He’s my boyfriend, and I love him. Of course, I’m going to spend more time with him.”
“Then so be it, but I don’t want any part of it when you barely even pay attention to me.” I slammed my locker and headed for the doors. A lot of girls had that problem. They got a boyfriend and then bam, their friends didn’t mean anything to them anymore.
“Whatever. You’re such a bitch these days,” she spat at me.
I turned on my heel and glared at her. “And you’re not?” I asked. When she didn’t reply with a more-than-hurt look, I walked outside. I was beginning to wonder why I had ever called her my best friend in the first place. Then again, she was different back in the day. I guess things changed.
***
“How was school?” Ryder asked as I walked into the clubhouse.
“How do you think?” I sighed and kicked back on the couch. “I hate that place. Like, I want to burn the place down along with everyone in it.”
“That can be arranged,” Damien said with a smirk. He had a beer in hand.
“I don’t doubt it either.” I swiped a beer from Liam. “Anyway, did you guys have a good breakfast?” Amusement flashed across my face.
“That woman sure can cook.” Devin’s dark hair was spiked into his usual hairstyle.
“But she never shuts up,” Liam interrupted.
“At least, she was nice enough to cook for you fools,” said Ryder.
“We’re the fools? Who burned the food in the first place?” Liam asked smugly. “Do you know, Damien? I can’t seem to remember.”
“Alright, alright, shut up. We get it.” I took a gulp of the alcohol. Ryder jumped over the back of the couch and landed right beside me. I leaned into him slightly and handed him the rest of the beer. “I think I’m going to take a nap. I’m worn out.”
“We’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Better be, or I’ll beat your asses after I track you down.” With that, I walked to my bedroom.
Chapter Thirteen
No longer than two seconds after my head hit my pillow that night, my phone started ringing loudly and scared the living daylights out of me. Groaning, I reached over and swiped it up. “Hello?”
“Sweetheart,” his rough voice said.
I couldn’t help but smile. “How did you get my number?”
“You called me remember,” Jesse replied.
I rolled my eyes. So, he is going to play this game. “My number should have shown up as ‘unknown’ when I called . . . ,” I said. “How did you get my number?”
Jesse chuckled and said, “We’ll talk about that another time, but I want to see you now.”
I smiled. What a sneak. Then again, what should I expect? “I was about to go to sleep . . .”
“Well, get some clothes on and meet me at the beach. I need to see you,” Jesse replied. I heard a door slam in the background.
I leaned over and looked at the clock, which showed that it was only 9 PM. I guess it wasn’t too late to go see him. “Fine. I’ll be there, but you better not bring along any of your guys, especially Steve.”
“Why would I do something like that?” he asked.
“You’re Jesse Miller. You’re unpredictable,” I replied, making it sound like I was bored even though my stomach was doing flips. “I’ll see you in ten.” Why did he even want to see me? What was so special about me? He could get any girl he wanted.
I dropped my phone on the bed and quickly got out of my pajamas into my skinny jeans, combat boots, a button-down plaid shirt, and a leather jacket.
***
After I snuck out of the clubhouse, I walked down to the beach until I saw his silhouette in the moonlight. I was glad we were the only two there that night, and maybe that’s why he wanted us to meet there. “Jesse,” I called to let him know I was around. The last thing I needed was to accidentally sneak up on him.
Jesse turned around and looked at me. “Sweetheart.”
It melted me every time he said it. A criminal like him calling me ‘sweetheart.’ It wasn’t something I expected from a man like him.
I walked up to him until I was just a few steps away.
“So I’m unpredictable, huh?” he asked. I could see a small smirk on his face.
“Yeah, you are,” I muttered. My stomach was once again doing flips.
“When it comes to you, I’m not,” he replied back in the same tone. I frowned, but I’m sure he couldn’t see it. What was that supposed to mean? I wondered. He took another step towards me, and I backed up a step out of pure instinct until his voice cut through the air.
“You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?” he asked, leaning down to look me in the eye.
“I-I don’t know,” I stuttered. God it was embarrassing! What had gotten into me? It wasn’t like I had never been alone with him before. Maybe because we were surrounded by nothing but loud waves and limited light, so I guess it was only natural to be a little freaked out.
“Don’t be afraid of me, sweetheart,” Jesse said softly. He wrapped his arms around me and I instantly relaxed, wrapping my arms around his back and resting my head on his chest. “You know I won’t hurt you.”
“I’ve heard that one before,” I said, pulling back from his embrace.
“I’m serious. If I was going to hurt you, I would’ve already done it,” Jesse admitted, running his knuckles down my face.
That’s when I realized something. He was being honest; it was me who was being stupid. “I believe you.”
“Good,” Jesse replied, pushing the hair out of my face. My breathing hitched when he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine with dominance. I kissed him back like it was the last time I’d see
him, which could be possible with the lifestyles we led.
I pulled away after a minute and looked up at him. “I’ve got a question for you.”
“Go for it.” Jesse moved to sit on the sand. I sat down next to him.
“You’re the most well-known criminal in the state, right?” I asked. “So, what I want to know is why you haven’t been caught yet when you’re out here strolling the beach like it’s nothing.”
Jesse chuckled. “None of the cops can prove that I killed anyone. They just assume it because I’m the one who runs the club and a few of my guys have been linked back to a few murders before. They want someone to blame, and they pin it all on me.”
“It’s hard to believe that you cover your tracks so well after all that you’ve done.”
“I’m just that good. Plus, a lot of the people around here wouldn’t even dare to call in and say they’d seen me doing something I shouldn’t be because they’d know I’d be after their asses next.”
I smiled and laid back in the sand. “You’re just that good.”
“You’ve got it,” Jesse replied.
This was crazy, I thought. I was sitting there talking to him when most people would be running for the hills with just one look from him. You could say I was looking at Satan himself if you wanted to go that far.
“Now, I’ve got a question for you,” Jesse said.
“Go ahead. Only seems fair.”
“I’ve heard that you’re living at the clubhouse now. Is that true?” he asked.
“How do you know that?” I asked curiously. First, he got ahold of my phone number, and now he knows that I moved? Stalker much?
“News travels fast around here.”
“Oh yeah, you’re right. Should’ve known,” I said. “And yeah, I’m living at the clubhouse now. Can’t stand my parents anymore.”
“Sounds like every other teen in the world,” Jesse replied.
“You’ve got that right.” I was only eighteen.
Jesse leaned over me suddenly and supported his weight with the palms of his hands. He kissed me roughly, and my hands went up his hair. It wasn’t long before his tongue was exploring my mouth, and I didn’t even try to fight for dominance because we both knew I would lose.
Jesse dropped to one of his elbows and his hand went up under my shirt, almost making me laugh because it tickled. He broke the kiss and was about to start unbuttoning my shirt when a loud siren pierced through the air.
I bolted upright as did he, and we found the source of the sirens immediately heading straight for us. Jesse got to his feet and pulled me up after.
“I think you jinxed us, babe.”
“I’d say so,” I replied nervously.
We took off in a sprint up the beach steps despite the fact bullets were flying at our feet and the cops were telling us to get on the ground.
I screamed as another bullet hit the ground inches from my feet.
“This way,” Jesse said, and I wasted no time running across the street after him. In an attempt to not hit us, a car swerved and hit a tree so hard, the whole car exploded in flames. However, I didn’t have time to sit around and feel guilty about it. After all, the cops were after us and we didn’t know why.
We bolted into a parking lot and slipped behind one of the cars. We both pulled out our guns and silently crouched down, waiting. I was at the front side of the car and Jesse was at the end, peeking around it.
The world hates me, doesn’t it? I stood up just enough to look over the hood of the car and saw two armed cops looking around. Jesse shot them before I got the chance to do anything, so I crouched back down with one knee on the pavement and covered my mouth with my hand.
The window right above my head shattered a few seconds later, and I ducked down as the glass littered the ground. I stood up enough to aim my gun through the window and shot the idiot cop who was standing in the middle of the parking lot like he was bulletproof. I rolled my eyes out of the sheer stupidity. And yet, cops were supposed to be the smart ones. I think not.
I cast a glance at Jesse to see that he was reloading his gun. It was a smart move to bring extra ammo and luckily, I had a couple more rounds myself in my pocket. However, I didn’t need them at that moment.
“More are heading this way. Get ready,” Jesse whispered so quietly that I almost didn’t hear it. Tensing up slightly, I aimed my gun back out the window and shot at two more cops who tried ducking behind the cars immediately. I didn’t even hit them.
Jesse ran behind another car quickly and brought his finger up to his mouth, telling me to keep quiet. The nerves started kicking in without him by my side. I guess that just went to show that I was going soft, thanks to the guys for keeping me under lock and key for so long.
I stood up to my full height and shot another cop over the top of the car, and he hit the ground with a thud. The place wasn’t going to look so pretty in the morning.
The unthinkable happened next, and I was really kicking myself for not watching my back. A cop snuck up on me and knocked the gun from my hand, and my back was pressed against the vehicle as he pointed a gun to my head.
“Get on the ground right now, or I’ll put a bullet in your skull!” he demanded. He sure wasn’t messing around.
I started to raise my hands and got on my knees when, all of a sudden, Jesse snuck up on the cop and pointed a gun at the back of his head. I rose and stayed where I was. The guy’s face was priceless.
“You tell all of your little buddies to back the hell off right now, or you’re dead along with every single one of them,” Jesse whispered to the guy. I looked around in confusion until I noticed half a dozen cops were pointing their guns at us.
“I’ll just shoot her then,” he falteringly responded.
“Really?” Jesse asked, amused.
“Then I guess we’ll all be dropping like dominoes, literally,” I told the cop. The nerves suddenly left me and confidence replaced it.
“Fine, fine!” the guy yelled. “Back off, guys. Go back to the station.”
“We’re not leaving you,” a muscular large black man told him.
“Do you want to live?” the guy asked. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll meet you guys back at the station.”
Something told me that not a single person believed what he said, but nonetheless, the other officers backed off.
“Hey!” Jesse called out suddenly, stopping everyone in their tracks. I was about to ask him what he was doing but he spoke before I could.
“If any of you say a word about this to anyone, I’ll personally come down there and burn the police station to the ground,” he threatened, “with all of you in it. Are we clear?”
“That’s pretty bold, Jesse,” a skinny young officer replied.
“It’s pretty bold that you’re questioning it,” I spat.
“Fine,” another spoke. “If our man comes back to us alive, we won’t say anything. We won’t even come back after you.”
“Good answer,” Jesse replied. They then turned and left us standing there. Jesse still kept his gun firmly pushed to the back of the officer’s head, and the officer kept aiming his right between my eyes.
His hand started to shake, and I cocked an eyebrow. “You’re not really cut out for this, are you?” I asked, taking a step closer.
“Don’t come any closer,” his voice cracked and his hand started shaking even more.
My eyes met Jesse’s, and in an instant, I smacked the gun out of his hand. I let out a loud, panicked sound and fell to the ground as a shot rang out. My hands moved to the wound above my ankle. That didn’t go as planned.
Jesse knocked the guy out with the back of his gun and fell to his knees in front of me. “You’re going to be fine.”
A sob broke from my lips, and I didn’t even try to stop it. It hurt like a bitch, let me tell you. The blood seeped through my fingers, and I couldn’t stop it.
“Shh, sweetheart,” Jesse consoled me and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Throw
your arm around my neck. I’ve got you.”
I did as he told me to and yelped when he dragged us off the ground. That just made the pain worse. “Looks like I’m going to have to carry you back to the clubhouse. If I try to go back and get my bike, I’m sure I’ll get caught. I bet there’s a load of cops at the beach.”
“You can’t carry me all the way there!” I shook my head.
“Sure I can. It’s what, two miles? I’ve got you.”
And he did it. I tried to fight with him the whole way by telling him I could walk on my own, but we both knew I couldn’t. He was a trooper for sure.
“You can’t come in here,” I muttered weakly as we stood in front of the clubhouse.
“Sure I can. What are they going to do?” Jesse asked.
“I don’t know. Shoot you, maybe?” I said, leaning my head back against his chest. My arms were firmly wrapped around his neck, but it didn’t seem to bother him.
“Not if you tell them not to.”
I sighed. There wasn’t any use fighting with him. He’d always win, and I wasn’t in the mood anyway. “Fine, let’s just get in there. I think I’m about to pass out.”
Jesse turned his back to the doors and pushed them open. I heard the clicking sounds of guns before I saw them. “Put the guns down,” I ordered them. Jesse wasn’t even paying attention to it. All he was worrying about was putting me down.
“What the hell happened, and why are you touching her?” Ryder shouted.
“Ryder, it’s okay. I got shot and he happened to be around,” I lied. “Go get the first-aid kit, please.”
I saw Liam rush off, and Ryder just stood there glaring. “He just so happened to be around, huh? So why would he help you?”
“That’s the question of the day.” Jesse put me on the table and propped my leg up with a chair. It wasn’t the best arrangement but it worked. It also gave easy access to whoever was going to remove the bullet.
“You’re going to explain this later,” Ryder warned.
I didn’t even bother replying. There was no point because it wouldn’t change anything. Jesse gave me one look and started towards the door, but I stopped him. “Don’t go, please?” I begged.
