Freedom

by KC Kean

  “What did the notes say?” Luna asks, glancing at me, and I swipe a hand down my face.

  “A lot of, ‘keep the fuck away,’ ‘I fucking warned you,’ ‘I’m coming,’” I offer, remembering every word written in black ink that made Jess pale.

  “So, to clarify, you, Aiden, and Maverick have been in a relationship with Jess since The Pyramid? All while she’s getting threatening letters, and some motherfucker from god knows where is linking her to Maverick and taking her to punish him?” She grows angrier the more she speaks, and I can’t offer her any comfort because it’s all true.

  I watch as Roman rubs his hand down her back, trying to soothe her, but it’s doing little to calm her.

  “Why the hell do we not know any of this?” Oscar asks, hurt in his eyes, which is a huge difference from the guns-blazing nobhead from earlier.

  “Because look at what we do,” Luna murmurs, waving her hand between Oscar and Maverick. “She couldn’t tell us shit because we react before we listen.”

  “Well, actually, I kissed her at the party where she wore that sexy blue dress with the crisscrosses at the back. That was probably a week after The Pyramid,” Aiden responds, and Luna just raises her eyebrow at him.

  “So, at the Halloween party…” Luna murmurs, looking straight at him.

  “I was dancing with my girl, yes.” It surprises me that he seems to stand taller, not showing any intimidation by Luna’s stare, and I think it impresses her too.

  “And when I asked Maverick if he could take care of her while I was at The Games?” Well, neither of us can really answer that, but as I turn my gaze to Rick’s, he looks up at Luna from the laptop he’s tapping away on.

  “I was having a hard time dealing with my feelings towards her then. But no way in hell was I letting you go and ask West instead. You asked me first, trusted me, and you were right to do so at the time. I’ll protect Jessica whether she likes it or not, doing whatever needs to be done to keep her safe.” The tension grows around his eyes the more he speaks, but they stay trained on Luna’s. “I will bring her back, and I’ll kill every motherfucker involved. I’m not under any illusion that this isn’t my fault.”

  Luna looks surprised by his raw honesty, and she nods slowly in response.

  “And you?” Luna asks, finally bringing her gaze to mine, but I don’t have a chance to respond.

  “Looking back, probably after you were assaulted,” Kai murmurs, surprising me with his awareness of the current conversation as he continues to click away manically on his laptop. “Jess was running to get your frappuccino, I think, and he looked at her…” He clears his throat, lifting his gaze to mine before he continues. “Like she was his sunshine.”

  I’m floored by his observation of my first real interaction with Jess, and it leaves me speechless. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I look to Maverick. Whose emotions fill the room, a stark reminder of his past, but it isn’t my place to bring it up. I refuse to let him wallow and sink into his own personal hell, even if it means dropping myself in it.

  “I’m petrified something will happen to her, and it’s all because I forced her to run from the party,” I murmur, speaking the truth, and Juliana finally speaks up.

  “I’m so sorry, West, but you said you would tell her. I was excited, and just…” Guilt is etched all over her face, and I can’t help but want to soothe her pain.

  “It’s f—” I try to respond, but I’m quickly cut off.

  “What the hell are you guys talking about, and why did you force her to run from the party?” Aiden growls, his calm persona wholly gone, and I’m not the only one to be caught by surprise with his outburst. His face is slowly getting redder as he clenches his fists.

  “I didn’t. I just... I was trying to do it the right way. There was already chemistry between us, and I wanted it to develop naturally and not feel like a business transaction. I…” Closing my eyes, I try to calm myself down. I know I’m not making any sense, but I would much rather be explaining myself to my sunshine right now.

  “Since we broke the agreement with the Steele’s and Morgan’s regarding Luna and West, a new agreement was required. When you asked to move Jessica into the Gibbs room, and for me to take guardianship of her, it was brought to the table for her and West to be married,” Juliana offers, her voice quiet as the whole room stills at her words, Maverick and Kai included.

  “Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me?” Luna bites out, rising to her feet, and the anger in her voice has everyone’s backs stiffen. Her eyes burn from me to Juliana to Rafe. “Do you know her mother? Do you know the life she lived before she came here?” Her arms swing out wide.

  “Princess, I agree with what you are saying, but you need to calm down.” Roman’s face is tight as he stares me down.

  “She put her trust in us, and you scheme behind her back. Just like her mother,” Luna mumbles, rubbing her hand on her chest as Roman pulls her back down on the sofa. I don’t know the extent of her issues with her mother, but I will be true to my words and destroy her without any further details.

  “When were you going to share this information with the group, West?” My eyes cut to Aiden, whose tone is as icy as Luna’s, and I don’t know what to say to make it all better.

  Looking down at my feet, I sigh. “It was never my intention to keep people in the dark. I just wanted things to progress naturally. If there was no chemistry at all between Jess and me, I would have gone back to them and said no.” Finding Luna's gaze, I try to show my emotions in my eyes. “But this is real. What we have is amazing and exciting, and I fucking feel alive.”

  It feels like an eternity before she responds. Only the sound of Kai tapping away on the keyboard fills the room. “You fucked up, West. I thought you would have learned from all the secrets you kept from me, but you’ve dug a big hole.”

  “I know,” I whisper, at a loss, starting to pace around the empty space in front of me.

  “This is great and all, a little heart to heart and everything,” Rick grunts. “But she isn’t fucking here right now, and it’s Jessica you need to explain all this shit to, not them.” He doesn’t lift his gaze from the laptop, but his tone leaves no room for argument.

  “We’re ready,” Kai says, turning on the television. “Everyone choose a monitor. We have a lot of different feeds to watch.” Rafe turns one of the laptops around to the group, as does Kai, but Rick just leans in closer to the screen. His eyes are frantically searching for anything at all.

  Moving to stand behind Rick, my fingers shake a little. We’re closer to getting answers, to finding our girl. Aiden comes to stand on the other side of Rick, his hand squeezing my shoulder in support, which means a lot. He’s just learned some information that I omitted, but we are still all here together as one team.

  “Wait, Maverick, what’s that at the top there?” Aiden calls out, leaning over him to point specifically where he means.

  It’s the surveillance feed from outside the Weaponry building. The screen looks almost black, except for the moon’s shine hitting the SUVs blinker. Time ticks by, but nothing changes on the screen until the rear passenger door swings open. The light from the backseat casts a shadow as a woman steps out of the vehicle.

  I can’t make out her features, nothing at all, just her outline. Slowly stepping towards the fire exit that Jess left through, she pulls it open, leaving it slightly ajar as she rummages through the bag on her arm. Turning her phone on, she uses the light to help her search and pulls something small from her purse. Aiming the phone at her hand, it looks like a pill or something, but it's small in her hand either way. This bitch is good at concealing herself in the shadows, making sure her phone doesn’t light her face.

  Suddenly, the door swings open before her, and she jumps in surprise. My heart stops as Jessica steps into view. Her red hair blowing wildly around her face as she steps into the night, but it’s the profile of the woman that holds my attention for a change.

  They talk for the briefest
of moments before she stretches her arm out towards the SUV. The light filtering through from the open door shows the tears streaking down Jessica’s face, and my heart aches for her. Then she’s stepping into the SUV willingly. There is no pushing, or shoving, or fear. Instead, we all watch as Gina Williams, Featherstone’s History tutor, glances towards us in the hallway, ruffling her hair before she cries crocodile tears all over us.

  That motherfucking bitch.

  “I’ll fucking kill her,” Maverick grinds out, and I couldn’t agree more. She has answers to our questions and is a link to Jess.

  “Not if I beat you to it,” Luna hisses, surprising me at my side, glaring down at the monitor too.

  “Find where this little cunt is, right now,” Oscar adds, and for just a moment, it feels good to all be on the same side.

  Aiden

  I somehow find myself in the SUV on the way to the tutors’ apartment complex, which’s just off-campus. The second everyone realized Gina had gotten out of the same SUV that had taken Jess, Maverick and Rafe started yelling orders. And for a room full of notoriously crazy bastards, they actually listened.

  Not only was I nominated to help hunt down Gina, but I was also made the designated fucking driver. My poker face must be fantastic because apparently I’ve remained the calmest and most collected, and they need that trait in at least someone. While on the inside, I’m having a complete emotional breakdown.

  One minute I’d been sitting with Trudy, watching as my girl circled the room, taking care of everyone else but herself. I was desperate to grab her by the waist and place her in my lap, wanting to give her the attention she deserved, but I respected her need to tell Luna after tonight. Then it all went to shit anyway. Luna knows, and under the worst circumstances because some fucking wannabe mobster laid his hands on Jess. We need to find her. ASAP. But none of this is my area of expertise.

  So, I’ve spent the night standing helplessly, waiting for direction. My comfort zone is drugs, sex, and parties.

  Fun.

  None of that knowledge is required right now. This means I have to remain calm and trust in those around me who have skill sets much better suited to these circumstances. I’m not afraid to admit I’m scared or that panic is scorching my veins as it takes over my body. But I know they all care for Jess as much as I do, so the end goal is all the same. We just have different roles to play. Whatever gets her home and safe is all that matters.

  My knuckles are white as I grip the steering wheel, while my foot is like lead on the gas pedal. I’ve heard a few curse words at the way I’m taking the corners, and Roman is holding on to the oh-shit-bar above his head, but no one utters a word of complaint.

  West is in the passenger seat, tension rolling off him in waves, while Luna, Maverick, Oscar, and Roman sit in the back. Rafe, Kai, Parker, Bryce, and Juliana are all still in Kai’s room. Scrolling through all the surveillance footage they can get their hands on, and they’ve even set some kind of tech up, so when this fucker Frankie Winters calls again, they will be able to trace the call.

  I can hear them murmuring in the back, but I’m too focused on the road to insert myself in the conversation.

  “I think Jess was about to tell me about you guys earlier today,” Luna mutters, and the thought of it alone has my heart rate picking up. She’s mine, and I want to show her off to the world.

  “She probably was.” Maverick sighs. “It was Jessica’s choice to keep it a secret. She thought you had too much already going on in your life to deal with her drama too. Add to the fact some shithead has been taking his big brother act to the next level, and here we are.” His dig at Oscar is apparent, but one of us had to say it. Now that they know about us, things are going to have to change with his shit. Because we will get her back, and he isn’t in control.

  “Don’t fucking start that…” Oscar starts to retaliate, but Luna’s voice cuts him off, and I’m surprised by how softly her words are spoken.

  “That’s enough, Oscar. Your big mouth seems to have caused enough trouble. I understand the overbearing need to protect her. We all know this world isn’t for her, but look at what has happened. She couldn’t even be open about any of this. Her mom has dictated the shit out of her life already. Jess doesn’t need us continuing that in her mother’s absence.”

  Glancing in the rearview mirror for a brief second, I see Maverick look at Luna with his eyebrow raised. But there is an element of respect in his eyes, and it’s probably because she managed to shut O’Shay up.

  “We’ll discuss this more when we have her safe and back home,” Roman grumbles, and I’m glad he said when and not if we get her home. Everyone remains silent as I get us to the apartment building, and I barely put the SUV in park before everyone is stepping out, heading straight for the elevator.

  The second we’re all in, Maverick slams his palm against the button panel, and the doors close. The walls are made of mirrors, making the small space feel more open, yet with the six of us in here, it still feels like a dark, cramped cave.

  “We storm the room. I want Gina so scared she’ll likely piss her pants. We need to get every single detail from her, and I want to fucking know why she fucking assisted them in grabbing Jess,” Oscar says calmly, but the venom in his words is clear. Hmm, I like the level of care he has, that they all have.

  “Can you at least just tell me how old you are?” Oscar continues, staring out of the corner of his eye at Maverick, who rolls his eyes so hard in response, he reminds me of the Undertaker wrestler, his eyes entirely white.

  I’m not sure if he plans to respond, but the elevator doors open, and the question is forgotten as I follow the others out into the hall. The cream walls and oak wood doors seem a lot bleaker than the nicer design on the floor where Maverick lives. West comes to a stop outside the door furthest to the right, and Roman is quick to stand in front of him, pounding his fist into the door. It feels as though the whole corridor is shaking with the power behind his knock, but it’s still not enough for Maverick, who pulls Roman away.

  Roman’s eyes are like thunder as he whirls around to glare at Maverick. But he isn’t paying any attention to him. Maverick’s focus is on the door as he lifts his leg and smashes his foot into the wood, right by the lock. My eyes widen as the wood splits, and the door falls open with a bang. Any other circumstance and my dick would be hard from all this manly, alpha shit right now.

  Maverick’s foot returns to the floor, and he’s instantly striding inside, yelling out. “Gina? Where the fuck are you?” I hold up the rear as I follow the others inside, fully aware that they’ll be the ones handling this situation.

  Casting my eyes around her apartment, it’s quite cozy for a psycho bitch. It’s open-plan, like Maverick’s, just smaller. The television is on, commercials are playing on the screen, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate sits on the dining table that splits the kitchen and the lounge area, so she’s definitely here. Just as Maverick starts to head for the bedroom, Gina steps out of the bathroom. Gripping her bathrobe tightly, I watch as the color drains from her face as she sees us all standing in her space.

  She doesn’t get a chance to question why we are here before Roman is coming up beside her, doing some magic shit with his arms and legs. The next thing I know, he’s sitting on a chair at the table with her in his lap. His arms are laced through hers, holding her arms behind her back as his legs twist around Gina’s and the chairs. He has her pinned, even though he is beneath her. The squeak leaving her lips is the only sound she can seem to form, and the way her eyes dart between us all shows how scared she is.

  I hear a soft growl pass Luna’s lips at the sight of another woman on Roman’s lap, especially with it being this woman, but it looks like he’s using a simple and effective restraining tool. So, she doesn’t make him stop. The love in his eyes as he glances at Luna, only softens his current seating arrangement.

  “West? What … What are you guys doing here? Have you found the student?” Gina tries to keep her voice
calm, but the fear jitters through in her words.

  Glancing around at the others, trying to gauge who’s going to make the first move, I’m surprised to find them all trying to control themselves. Even my fists are clenched at my side. Wanting to hurt a woman has never registered in my brain before, but she played a part in all of this, and she’ll get what’s coming to her.

  Oscar has his hand on Luna’s shoulder, offering her support, and I’m impressed to see his focus is on her and not the rage we’re all battling with. While West looks like he’s vibrating with anger as he glares at Gina.

  It’s Maverick that steps towards her, grabbing another one of the white wooden chairs, turning it around before planting himself right in front of her and Roman. I can’t stop myself from floating closer to him, and West does the same. The three musketeers, but like a modern version. The three suckers. Red’s three suckers. Yeah, I like it. Fuck. I shake my head, focusing on the present, but when I worry, my mind becomes consumed with what it is I’m worried about, and right now, that’s Jess. My beautiful girl.

  Gina’s gaze searches around all of us, but they eventually settle on West, waiting for him to respond. Taking a closer look at her, I can see she’s trembling. Little black reading glasses are perched on her nose, and her blonde hair is scraped back in a ponytail, nothing like the woman who lied to us earlier. It seems her confidence has gone. Good.

  “I’m not going to repeat myself, Gina. I ask that you answer honestly. A lie or silence will result in Luna slowly pulling you apart, piece by piece until we have the truth.” Maverick’s words are quiet, dark, and filled with venom, leaving no room for question, sending a shiver down my spine.

  This is where the difference between Featherstone’s bloodline blocks and skill sets shines through. Everyone in this room, except Gina and me, are trained to another level. Every one of them has completed The Games, except Maverick. I don’t actually know if he has.

  She doesn’t stand a chance.