The mumbles from the crowd continued. I should’ve been the one to say that. I should’ve been able to stand up for myself. Maybe if I truly believed in anything I was doing, I would have.
“You know what, guys?” I roared over the crowd, shaking my head. “Not today. Go home. Just… go home.”
There were a few nods, a few pleasantries aimed in my direction, but no one argued. The clubhouse began to clear.
Rocky stood, tossing his arm over my shoulder and pulling me into the corner.
“How you doing, Ry?”
“Been better. Thanks for coming to my rescue back there.”
“I shouldn’t have had to do that. These guys are a bunch of fuckheads sometimes; you know that.”
“Maybe they’re right.”
“No, they’re not right. They’re messed up. Everyone loved your Pops. We’re not handling it well.”
“But they’re not the ones standing in front of a room full of people, attempting to offer guidance.”
“I think you’re still worked up, and I think you’re still going to be worked up for a while. Maybe you should take some time…”
“Absolutely not,” I interrupted him.
“No one envies what you’re going through.”
“I’m fine.”
“And until you can admit that you’re not, you’re going to continue proposing absurdities like that one. And I wouldn’t have said that had I not known you were thinking it at this exact moment.”
While I didn’t want to admit it, I knew he was right. A week ago, I never would have stood in front of these guys, begging for a change.
“Ryan, go for a ride. Clear your head. We won’t get into too much trouble while you’re away.”
“I can’t leave. Not while he’s out there.”
“We can handle it.”
“It’s not about the club. He has nothing against you. It’s me he’s vowed to ruin, Rock. And if it means killing any one of you, he’ll do it. I can’t sit idly by and let that happen.”
“And you also can’t fight with these unhealed gashes in your chest. We need you to lay low. We need you to stay alive. For the club.”
I kicked my steel-toed boot against the wall. It was the exact advice I’d give someone else, but for me, it wouldn’t cut it. Something deep within me knew I wouldn’t be satisfied until I was sure Sean was gone from our lives forever.
I gave Rocky a hug, promising I would take a few days to myself, and made my way to Danny, who was leaning up against the doorframe.
“So what now, Cassidy?”
It was odd to be called ‘Cassidy’; everyone reserved that name for my Pops. While my first instinct was to correct him, I stopped myself: honestly, I kind of liked it. But did I really deserve it?
“Now we go find Sean.”
“So taking time off…?”
“Not until he’s dead.” As I said the words, I started to feel like myself again. I started to feel like the kid who idolized his father’s lifestyle and couldn’t wait to be a part of it. I was excited for the chase. I was excited for the respect. I was ready to kill.
The power rushing through my body as I heard my own threat was something beyond words. I was preparing to end someone’s life. I was going to take pride in it.
Was this who I really was? Had I just been fighting my true nature?
“Okay, man, let’s do it.” His tone was comforting and confident as he patted me on the shoulder. “Where should we start?”
I guess I would answer my own question when I had finally put an end to this whole ordeal.
“Alexandria.”
Grace
I swung open the front door, running directly into Mr. Muscles.
“You’re okay!” He seemed shocked to see me, so much so that he scooped me up in his arms, crushing me into a bear hug.
“Can’t breathe,” I mustered, even though my mouth was buried in his chest.
He set me down carefully. “I’m so sorry. I just thought… well, I don’t know what I thought, but I’m glad you’re okay.”
I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure him out. No luck. “Thanks for the sentiment, but I have to go.”
“No.” He stopped me.
“Fuck this. You can’t be serious? I thought you were on my side.”
“I am, as long as it means you’re safe. I thought I made myself clear: my job is to protect you.”
I was fed up. Had he not realized the transformation I had gone through to get to this point? I rose to my tiptoes and got as close to his face as my mere sixty-four inches would allow. “Then who is protecting you?”
“Okay. Okay.” Aunt Kathryn stepped in between us. “This isn’t doing anyone any good. Muscles, we’re heading to the club. Would you like to accompany us?”
“Why there?”
I jumped back in again, feeling a bout of rage rising in my chest. “That part you don’t need to know.” I ducked under his outstretched arm and continued walking down the porch stairs. “We’re offering for you to escort us. Take it or leave it.”
I was sure Mr. Muscles and Aunt Kathryn exchanged some sort of worried glance, but I refused to turn around. I was on a mission and nothing, not even a man twice my size, would be able to stop me.
As we all piled into the car, Mr. Muscles handed me a letter. I quizzically looked at the paper, then at him.
“I found it on the tire swing.”
Ryan must have left it. “Did you read it?”
“No. I’m not here to invade your privacy.”
No matter how much I wanted to hate him, the man wasn’t all that terrible. It made me feel a little bad that I had snuck out without his knowledge. I must have made him feel like a complete failure.
I turned the paper over in my hands, debating whether I should read it now or save it for later. After a good thirty turns in my palm, I chose the latter. I didn’t want anything Ryan might say to cause me to rethink my attack. I was still dangling, and I couldn’t give myself the option of swinging back to safety. I shoved the paper into my pocket and rested my head against the window. The car roared to life, and we began to pull out of the driveway. While my stomach still sank at the initial rumble of the engine, my reaction was much more subdued. It was a start. One day, I would look back at this whole affliction and see it as nothing more than a dreadful nightmare.
It was another quiet ride to the club. Mr. Muscles was driving, Aunt Kathryn was blankly staring out the window, and I was working on my plan. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Sean’s face when I walked into the club, especially after he had made such a point of trying to scare me into a frozen state. He wanted me to stay home until he was ready for me to convince the club of his loyalty. Well fuck you, Sean Cassidy. The tables were turning. Things would be done on my terms now.
A rush of energy and excitement spilled through my veins as we pulled into the gravel parking lot. I pushed the door open even before the car settled into park.
“Grace, what’s the rush?” Mr. Muscles called after me as he slammed the door behind him.
I turned, prepared to answer him, when I noticed Aunt Kathryn had yet to move from the car. Everything came crashing to a halt. “Hold this.” I blindly handed my phone and bag to Mr. Muscles, slid past my bodyguard, and climbed back into the car with Aunt Kathryn. She was pale and immobile.
“Hey.” I placed my hand on hers, warming her icy skin. “Let’s take a second.”
She turned to me, offering up a worried smile. “What are you really doing, Gracie?”
If I stopped to ask myself that question, I might not be able to continue on my high. “I’m taking my life back. You understand that, right?”
“I want to. I really want to be able to understand that, but I can’t stop thinking that there has to be another way. This man, Grace, he’s too much. You can’t take him on by yourself.”
“I have something he wants. He might seem powerful, but I have the upper hand. I’ve been letting him threaten me, but n
ow it’s my turn to threaten him.”
“But aren’t you losing yourself in the process?”
Her question struck a nerve. “What do you mean?”
“This is not you. This has never been you.” She took my face in her hands. “When you were in sixth grade, do you remember those older girls who picked on you?”
“Jessica, Ashley, and Claire.”
“Do you remember how you handled it? Your dad told you to exact your revenge.”
“Ha,” I laughed, remembering the exact conversation.
“Hey Dad…”
“What is it, Gracie?” He sat behind his big wooden desk, sorting through paperwork.
“Am I evil?”
“How could you ever be evil?” He stood. I had caught his attention and he was trying to gauge where I was going with my question.
“Jessica, Ashley, and Claire said that my red hair means I’m evil.”
“Oh did they?”
I nodded.
“Well, you know what we do to those kind of girls?”
“And did you?” Aunt Kathryn interrupted my memory.
“I read them facts about red hair that I had found at the library.”
“Exactly.”
“But Aunt Kathryn, that solved nothing.”
“Did they ever bother you again?”
“No, because Dad made a prospect sneak up on them at recess, and he cut their hair off.”
“Oh God, really?”
“Yes! I have been playing nice too long. It’s time I take matters into my own hands. You know, I may not have always agreed with Dad’s tactics, but man, when push came to shove, he got things done. I need this to be over, so just this once, I’m taking a page out of his book.”
She slowly positioned herself over the center console and wrapped her arms around me. “Your father would be so proud.”
“You mean, he’d be really mad?” I laughed cautiously.
The tension broke, and she joined in my laughter. “Oh, he would be so mad, but after that, he’d be proud.”
A smile spread across my face. “Thank you.”
She squeezed my hands. “Go get him.”
“I am. You coming?”
“I… I can’t.”
I kissed her cheek. “It’s okay. I got this. Why don’t you go make us something awesome for dinner? I’m pretty sure we’ll have some celebrating to do.” I left her with a wink and a smile. While I didn’t wholly believe my success was possible, I needed her to believe it. I needed her to not worry.
We both slid out of the car, and then Aunt Kathryn replaced me in the driver’s seat. I gave her one more hug, and she gave me one more “good luck”. I watched her pull out of the parking lot as I took one last long breath.
Then my phone rang: the phone that I had blindly handed to Mr. Muscles. No one should’ve been calling me, which meant that I knew exactly who was on the other line.
“Give it to me.”
He looked down at the name flashing across the screen. “Ryan?”
Shit.
“Ryan, as in Ryan Cassidy?”
Ryan
“I said give me the damn phone.”
“Grace?” She must not have realized she had answered my call. “Grace?”
“Why the hell is he calling you?”
“How the hell would I know? Let me answer it.”
“You got to be kidding me.”
“Hand it over!”
“Is that where you went, Grace? Did you go to Philadelphia to fuck this guy when I was scouring the state for you?”
It was a deep voice, one I didn’t recognize, and he was not happy. Who was with her? This couldn’t be good. If anyone in her club found out we were still talking, it could start another war.
“It’s none of your goddam business, now give me my phone.”
“It is my goddam business if you’re doing something stupid.”
There was a muffled sound, a clatter of sorts, and then her voice.
“What is it, Ryan?” She seemed exasperated, not happy to hear from me.
“Grace, are you okay? Did you get my letter?”
“Just get to the point and tell me what the fuck you want.”
That seemed a little much, even for her. She wasn’t normally so crass. “Is this for show? For the guy with you?”
“Yes.” Her tone was still harsh, but now I was keen to her intentions.
“I’m coming there.”
“No.”
“Grace, I know I should trust you, but if Sean isn’t already there, I think he’ll be there soon.”
“I can handle it,” She mumbled into the receiver.
I finally lost it. “Fuck this Grace. I don’t know what is going on or what game you are trying to play, but you can’t treat me like this. We’re on the same team. I can’t stand by and let you face him on your own. I’ll keep my distance, but I need to make sure you’re safe, that we’re all safe. This isn’t just about you anymore, so get off your high horse and let me take care of this once and for all.”
“Ryan, no. I don’t want to see you ever again. Stop calling me.”
There was a click, signaling the end of our conversation. Her words were deliberate, they were meant for whomever was standing beside her, but they still stung. The fire inside of me raged at her tone. I never wanted to hear her say those words again.
“You sure you want to do this?” Danny called, coming halfway down the stairs wrapped in a towel.
“Without a doubt. It’s just a feeling I have.”
“I can understand that, but I don’t think Sean is that stupid, man.”
“It wouldn’t be out of stupidity. He’d have a plan. When he wants something, he takes it.”
“All for this girl? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“If you knew her, it would.” Even with how she had been acting lately, that part still rang true for me. All this shit was worth it if it meant I’d end the day with Grace.
He paused, knowing he had lost the battle.
“Touché, man. Let me just throw on some clothes and we’ll ride.”
I stood, meeting him at the base of the staircase. “I really appreciate this, Danny.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“But I need to. You’ve been exactly the friend I needed these past few days.”
He clapped his hand on my shoulder. “I’m happy I could be here for you.”
With that, he took off back upstairs. I paced for a few minutes, attempting to battle back some of my nervous energy. It didn’t help. Scenarios kept playing in my mind. Would I find Sean? Would the Shadows get to me first? Would this all be over soon?
Remembering I had left my keys in my bedroom, I made my way up the stairs, rounded the corner, and headed down the hall. I heard Danny’s voice as I passed the bathroom. I wasn’t one for eavesdropping, but a single word caught my attention: “Grace.”
Who was he talking to and why was Grace a part of the conversation? I stopped in front of the door, trying desperately to keep silent.
“There’s no way to keep him here. He’s downstairs waiting by the door. We’re leaving now, but I’ll give you a heads up when we’re close.”
I stood there, frozen in shock. There had to be another explanation. Maybe I was taking it all out of context. Maybe he was talking to someone in Boston. As the endless possibilities spiraled through my mind, I felt my body go weak. Had I made the wrong decision to trust him? Had he been playing me the whole time? Did Grace know? Is that why she was trying to warn me?
I needed to get out of there; I couldn’t think straight. Just as I went to take a step toward my room, I heard the confirming words.
“As promised, Sean, Ryan and Grace are all yours.”
I had been played. I had opened up to someone and now I was facing the consequences. Grace would have to face the consequences. Grace. That meant Sean was already there. I couldn’t control my anger any longer. As I kicked open the door, I saw a startled and conf
used Danny. I watched as the realization hit him. He had made a mistake. Sean would never forgive him for this.
“Ryan.”
“Fuck you.” With that, I punched him square in the nose, knocking him to the floor.
I turned on my heels, grabbed my keys, and shot down the stairs for the door. He wouldn’t be down for long, and thanks to me, he knew where Grace lived. I would have to beat him there.
My bike sprang to life and propelled me forward. Once again, I was off to Alexandria. Once again, I was off to face Sean. Unfortunately, this time Sean knew I was coming.
Grace
“I said give me the damn phone.” Mr. Muscles was holding it over his head like we were a couple of flirting second graders.
“Why the hell is he calling you?” There was no way he would understand the truth. I couldn’t take the chance of having him run into the church meeting to tattle on me.
“How the hell would I know? Let me answer it.”
“You got to be kidding me.” It had stopped ringing, which meant that Ryan was most likely overhearing the conversation. I needed to put an end to it.
“Hand it over!” I stopped fussing and stood my ground. It was my phone, my call; he would have to give it to me eventually.
“Is that where you went, Grace?” I had never seen so much judgment from one person. “Did you go to Philadelphia to fuck this guy when I was scouring the state for you?”
I guess my secret was out, but if I finagled it correctly, I could still work it in my favor.
I stayed perfectly still. “It’s none of your goddam business, now give me my phone.”
“It is my goddam business if you’re doing something stupid.”
I tried it the nice way; it obviously didn’t work. I shook my head, apologizing for my next move, as my knee jammed directly into his crotch. The shock of pain made him drop the phone. That was one way to get what I wanted.
Satisfied with myself, I put on the character I would need to play so Mr. Muscles wouldn’t get suspicious.
“What is it, Ryan?”
“Grace, are you okay? Did you get my letter?”
I didn’t have time for small talk. “Just get to the point and tell me what the fuck you want.”
Betrayal of Cupids Page 9
