Freedom

by KC Kean

If only she had known it was us storming the warehouse to save her. It would have saved her a lot more pain— especially the shit with her mother when she managed to get herself back to campus.

  I am in complete awe of Jess right now. After hearing everything she did to survive, managing to fight her way back to campus, to suddenly having to face her mother and Reece on arrival. Not many others here would have handled the situation like she did.

  I want to wash all her pain away, every last drop.

  “It is a regret I will hold forever, but I will make her understand. I need her forgiveness more than anything else,” I mutter honestly. Unable to hold Luna’s gaze, I glance over my shoulder at Aiden, who is already looking in my direction.

  He must see the sincerity in my eyes and the pain in my words because he eventually nods. A sign he understands, and he’ll hopefully help me make this work.

  “I hope that’s true, West, because she deserves the world, and I’m expecting you to fucking give it to her.” I turn back to nod at her as she glances at Aiden too.

  I’m waiting for Oscar or Roman to say something, ruin the moment, while Luna shows her knowledge and acceptance of us right now, but they don’t. Surprisingly enough.

  “She cried herself to sleep,” Luna adds as I run my fingers through my hair.

  Any sleep I was craving has now vanished. I need to beat this sadness and anger out of me, and I have just the place to do it. But I need to see my sunshine first.

  Standing, I squeeze Luna’s shoulder and step around her, letting her make her way to the other sofa and drop down beside Parker. Opening the door to Jess’s bedroom as quietly as possible, I peek inside. I feel someone standing right behind me, and I instantly know it’s Aiden.

  I move into the room a little closer, trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness in here with the curtains drawn. She’s been asleep for hours, and she needs it. Her body needs to heal, and she needs a break from everything going on around her.

  Slowly walking around to her side of the bed, I watch as she sleeps peacefully, like she has no worries at all. It somehow only makes me angrier, knowing she has to wake up to a different reality.

  Stroking a piece of hair back off her face, she flinches slightly, and I pull back my hand, not wanting to wake her. Movement from Aiden catches my attention as he kicks his shoes off and slips under the covers beside her. Taking the spot Luna had vacated.

  Good. I don’t want her to be alone. She deserves at least one of us to be nearby. I nod at Aiden before his eyes close, and he finally relaxes next to her.

  I quietly close the door behind me and look at Kai, who is sitting on the sofa with his laptop still running. I know he’s the one least likely to give me shit like the others.

  “Are you guys okay here for a while? Aiden is going to lay with her.”

  Kai nods, but of course, Roman has to demand information from me. “Why? Where are you going?”

  Sighing, I look to the ceiling as I shake my hands out. “I’m going to join Maverick.”

  “Can I—”

  “No!”

  I know Luna was trying to ask if she could join me, but Oscar convinces her otherwise, and I agree. She’s as tough as nails, but it isn’t for Luna to see or do. This falls to Maverick, and me, along with the guilt we’re carrying.

  I raise my eyebrows at Roman, sarcastically waiting for his approval, and this motherfucker nods like he gives the orders.

  I don’t waste my time or effort correcting his thought process. Whatever little bit of energy I have is needed for one thing and one thing only.

  Helping Maverick destroy Frankie fucking Winters. I want him brought to his knees over and over again. That motherfucker forced Jess to kill a man to survive, and she never deserved to carry that weight on her shoulders. Every cut, every bruise, he will pay.

  Following the steps down to the basement of Ace block, my adrenaline spikes the closer I get to the grunts and sounds of flesh hitting flesh.

  I’ve never been down here before, not even when I was a student, and there must be a reason for that. Probably because it has never had anything to offer me before. It in no way meets the same level of modernization as the rest of Ace, that’s for sure.

  The steps are like stone slabs, the walls just the same. Everything is damp, and the musty smell of mold fills the air. It’s like something out of a horror movie, and that’s before my eyes take in the open space before me.

  Lockers line the outer walls, and a glaringly bright pendant light hangs in the center of the room. But the main attraction is what holds my attention.

  It’s like a scene from an old school mafia thriller movie. The bad guy is kept in the basement and tortured to the brink of death. We should get copyrights on this shit.

  Frankie is shirtless, pale, and covered in blood. Thick silver hooks pierce his back, near his shoulder blades, lifting him off the floor, and he’s hanging from the ceiling. If I didn’t hate Frankie’s fucking guts, I would cringe at the state of him, maybe even feel sorry for him. But not today, not when it’s the man who laid his hands on Jess.

  For the first time in days, I can feel a genuine smile appear on my face as I take in the scene before me. Deep slices mark the mobster’s upper torso, and the placement almost looks artistic in a deranged way. Maverick has clearly been using Frankie’s skin as his own personal canvas, trying to draw out as much pain from this asshole as possible.

  A pool of blood under his right hand makes me think Frankie is missing a finger or two. The bullet wounds in each of his legs haven’t been tended to since Maverick shot him in the warehouse.

  But it’s not enough. It’ll never be enough.

  Lifting my gaze to Frankie’s face, it’s hard to even recognize him. Blood drips from his mouth, one eye sealed shut with swelling. He tries to shout, but it comes out as a low groan since there’s a gag in his mouth.

  Pleased to see him in such a fantastic state, I turn my focus to Maverick, and I falter. He hasn’t looked in my direction yet, but I heard the sounds of my footsteps echoing off the walls as I made my way down here. The noise doesn’t seem to have gained his attention.

  He’s lost. In his own mind, in tearing Frankie apart, one piece at a time. Approaching them slowly, I watch as Maverick turns to the table beside him, looking over the random tools he has at hand.

  I’m surprised as I watch him lift a wooden baseball bat from the table, feeling the weight of it before glancing back at Frankie.

  “How. Many. Times. Did. You. Hit. Her.” The words barely pass his lips with the way his jaw grinds, his anger uncontrollable as he pulls the cloth from Frankie’s mouth.

  Frankie spits at his feet, not giving Maverick what he wants. All at once, Maverick whips the bat back over his shoulder before swinging it at Frankie and smashing him in the ribs.

  The cry that leaves Frankie’s lips is haunting as he sways from the hooks and chains holding him off the ground. I can’t imagine the pain he is in, and I don’t really care, but the pain in Maverick’s eyes is what causes me concern.

  “You think you’re a ‘somebody.’ Taking and doing whatever you fucking want without consequences,” Maverick growls, getting in Frankie’s face before stepping back and pulling at his hair.

  Anguish plays in his eyes as he still doesn’t see me, and I can tell this is trauma from his past, adding to the distress he finds himself under now. He doesn’t need this. As much as I want to watch Frankie suffer, I refuse to let Rick be tormented by his own demons.

  Hands still in his hair, he turns his back to Frankie, and I hear the name mutter on Maverick’s lips. That’s my sign that enough is enough. I may have wanted to come down here and let Frankie feel my anger, but I’ll have to settle for this.

  Pulling the gun that still sits in my holster, I pull the silencer from the pocket on my leg. Grateful for the quick shower and change of clothing I had while Jess slept. Especially since it gave me more storage space for my weapons, in case they were needed.

  T
wisting the silencer onto the muzzle of my gun, quickly and precisely, without looking, I keep my gaze on the pair in front of me. Knowing Maverick is far enough away, I lift the gun, aiming straight at Frankie, and pull the trigger.

  The tiniest of whistles sound as the bullet meets its target, instantly taking the life from Frankie.

  Maverick whirls around in my direction, the bat pointing in my direction, but I lower my gun and remain calm.

  A quick glance at Frankie, and he turns back to me with rage covering his face. “Why the fuck would you do that?” he growls, his breathing coming in short rapid puffs as he lowers the bat at his side.

  “Because this is clearly leading you down an old path, and you’re not thinking clearly. So, your pain outweighed his.” It’s as simple as that. He put the bullet through Gina’s skull earlier. This makes Frankie’s death mine. “This is what we do, Rick, we protect each other, and we take care of what is ours.”

  He doesn’t utter a word as he tries to calm himself, and I stand in the same spot, not wanting to antagonize him any more than he already is.

  It feels like an eternity before he swipes his forearm across his face and clears his throat. “Is she awake?”

  “She wasn’t when I left her sleeping beside Aiden.”

  He nods in response, his eyes finally settling on Frankie’s lifeless form, hanging before us.

  “Sick fuck kept calling Jessica his ‘little bee.’ Didn’t even care when I cut him repeatedly or chopped off his fingers.” His voice is hollow, the adrenaline slowly leaving his system as he starts to mentally crash at the sight before him.

  Slightly hunched over with hooded eyes, I’m surprised he hasn’t passed out.

  “Do you want to go and clean up, be fresh for when Jessica does finally wake up? I’ll take care of all of this here.”

  “Yeah,” he murmurs, slowly walking towards me. When he gets within arm’s reach, I pull his arm, encouraging him to stop. He looks defeated, relieved, and tired all at once.

  “If you need to talk, do so, to whoever feels like the right person. Don’t let it eat you up from the inside, Rick. She needs us at our best, especially right now. You left before she dropped another bomb earlier, but you’re not ready to hear it in this state.”

  I expect him to push, to know what I’m talking about, but he doesn’t. He pats my back and heads for the stairs.

  Mindlessly, I detach the silencer from my gun as I step towards Frankie. As his dead body swings lightly in the air, I stand right in front of him. I want to drench him in gasoline and watch him burn, but this isn’t the time or the place.

  “You will be the last person to ever lay a hand on what’s mine. Anyone else who tries will find themselves right alongside you.”

  Aiden

  Jess's breath fans across my face as I lay as close to her as possible while trying not to disturb her. My hand gently resting on her waist is our only connection. I don’t want to accidentally knock her in anyway.

  She looks so peaceful, like a sleeping angel, with her eyelashes brushing against her swollen cheeks and her wild red hair framing her face.

  Jess has been asleep for almost twenty-four hours, and as much as her body needs it, she also needs some water and food. Maverick and West crawled in behind me for a few hours earlier, not wanting to rustle the bed on Jess's side.

  They looked freshly showered, which I was completely thankful for since I knew they had been with Frankie, and I was sure they wouldn't have left that room without being covered in blood.

  When I woke again, West and Maverick were back out in the lounge preparing for classes. We'd already agreed Jess wasn't going to be attending any lessons today, but it would only draw more attention to her if tutors were missing as well.

  So, Maverick would teach his Combat class as usual, and since West didn't have a lesson on Mondays, he was taking care of Frankie’s dead body. Which still sends a shiver down my spine. As much as Frankie deserves it, the thought of a dead body casually being disposed of makes me queasy.

  Not that anyone on campus really knew about us all. But with Gina dead too, and Reece fucking Wicker being Reece fucking Wicker, who knows what gossip might be making its rounds once all the details come to light.

  So many dead bodies in such a short amount of time. But they all deserved it, including those back at the warehouse working for Frankie. Especially the life Jess took to survive.

  I'm so proud of her fighting spirit, for never giving up. This is exactly why I think I love her. No, not think, I know I do. It's an unconditional burning in my chest for her. An emotion I’ve never felt towards anyone but my sister, except a completely different type of love all at the same time.

  I won't tell her yet, though. I know how her mind works. She'll probably think up some excuse about it being out of pity because she's injured, and that would be as far from the truth as possible.

  Jess gives me everything I want out of life and things I didn't even know I needed. It’s like following a map without directions, but I know I'm on the right track.

  Stroking my knuckles down her cheek, I force myself to wake her. Otherwise, I'll lay here drowning in my own thoughts and blurt the words right out.

  I watch as her eyelids flutter open, her ocean blue eyes taking a moment to adjust to the natural sunlight filtering into the room.

  "Good morning, beautiful," I murmur, smiling softly.

  Around her eyes is a new shade of purple, with a smattering of blue for good measure. Two shiny black eyes, a busted lip, and additional bruising to her cheeks leave little of Jess's face untouched, and my heart aches for her.

  It must hurt. She winces as her tongue drags over her dry bottom lip. An instant reminder to herself that what she went through wasn’t a dream and is sadly her current reality.

  “What time is it?” She asks, her voice rough from sleep. I can’t tear my eyes from hers. Laying beside her while she rests doesn’t compare to being in her presence when she is awake. The room instantly feels lighter.

  “It’s a little after nine.”

  “Wait… In the morning?” Propping herself up on her pillow, she frowns at the window as if the amount of sunlight will tell her the truth.

  “As in twenty-four hours since you first laid down? Yeah.” Her eyes attempt to widen comically, but the swelling prevents it, making her cringe once again, and I hate it. I hate a playful moment being stolen from us.

  “How did I even sleep that long?” She groans, lowering herself back down as she throws an arm cautiously over her eyes.

  “Your body needs to heal, Jess. We weren’t going to stand in the way of that.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, I place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “We want you to eat now, beautiful. It’s the only reason I’m allowed to wake you.”

  She rolls her eyes at my wink, throwing the cover off as she swings her legs over the side of the bed. I jump from my side and rush to her, but she waves me away with her hand.

  The sunlight peering through the window draws Jess’s gaze to her feet, illuminating the cuts and bruises there too, and her eyes darken.

  “You’re home now, Jess. Everything is going to be okay,” I murmur, rubbing her arm, but it doesn’t seem to comfort her the way I intended.

  “How can it be okay, Aid, when my mother has my father somewhere, and Reece can hold the whole situation over my head?” A heavy sigh passes her lips, and I can feel the weight of the world resting on her shoulders from here. “If I don’t do as they say, they will hurt my father. He risked a lot, getting me out of that house at the beginning of the semester and bypassing my mother to let Juliana become my guardian. I cannot leave him at her mercy.”

  I understand her point completely, but I have no idea how to make it all go away for her. We obviously need to find her dad, but yet again, that isn’t really my area of expertise.

  “We will figure it out together, with Juliana and Rafe. Okay?”

  Squeezing her hand, she returns the gesture, but I know from the s
adness in her eyes that it isn’t as simple as it sounds.

  “And what do I do about Reece? He isn’t going to just go away.” Grief burns her eyes as she mutters his name.

  “You don’t need to worry about that.”

  Frown lines instantly pop up between her brows as she stares at me. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “West and Maverick are taking—”

  “No. No way. Those two will just kill him, and my mother will do the same to my father before I even get a chance to search for him.” Wincing through the pain of rising to her feet, she pushes through, releasing my hand as she swipes her hair off her face.

  Jess’s raised voice has the door swinging open behind me. “If he’s upsetting you, Jess, just say the word, and I’ll get rid of him.”

  Roman. I scoff at his threat as he tries to look intimidating in the doorway. This asshole doesn’t know shit. If he thinks I would just leave, he is truly mistaken.

  “Thanks, Roman, but he isn’t. This whole fucked up situation, and the fact I have to sacrifice my own happiness to save someone, just weighs heavy on me.”

  Her words stun me. ‘Sacrifice my own happiness.’ What does she mean by that? She can’t mean me, right? Or the others?

  “Beautiful, we—” A shake of her head cuts of my panicked words as my heart pounds in my chest. I can feel it. The rejection that sits on the tip of her tongue. It’s right there, and even she can’t bring herself to say it.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Luna asks from behind me, concern and interest laced in her voice. I finally turn to the door to see her standing beside Roman, with the other Aces hovering behind her.

  I can’t answer her question because I really have no fucking clue. I turn back to Jess, watching as she stares at her feet, trying to find the strength she needs to break my heart.

  “Jess, before you—” I grit my teeth as she cuts me off again. I can feel my neck turning pink with the stress of the situation and bottling up my emotions.

  “I need some space to figure this all out.” Her words are cold and emotionless, her gaze focused at her feet.