The edge of life: Official cover - coming soon

by Rachael Tonks

  “Well, doesn’t this look fucking cozy,” Ryder bellows, slamming the door behind him. He holds his head up high as he struts toward the table, dragging a chair out and slamming his body down. “You do know she’s underage, bro. You don’t want to add fucking a minor to your list of misdemeanors.” Ryder throws his packet of cigarettes on the table, along with his metal lighter. Lifting his feet up and resting them on the corner of the table, he widens his eyes as he flits them back and forth between Jax and me, waiting for an answer.

  “I thought you had somewhere to be,” Jax replies with a glare.

  “Can’t get the damn thing to start, so I’ve fucking given up. It’ll keep till tomorrow.” Ryder’s hand moves forward, grabbing a cigarette and lighting up. His lips pull together as he takes a huge drag, and I can’t help but watch him, a little mesmerized.

  Jax turns to his brother, pushing his feet off the table. “Can’t you see we’re eating. And really, smoking in Eric’s trailer? He’ll be pissed.”

  “Who gives a fuck? It’s not like that scrawny prick has the balls to say anything to me.”

  “Bit harsh, bro. Remember who brings work our way,” Jax responds through gritted teeth, and I can sense the tension growing between the pair.

  Straightening his posture and leaning forward, Ryder’s features harden and his jaw tenses. “Don’t act like we’re indebted to that guy. I don’t need him, and neither do you. It’s pathetic how much of a lap dog you’ve become.” The nasty bite in his voice shocks me. I sink in my chair a little as I watch this play out in front of me. Racking my brain, I try to think of something to defuse the tension. I step up from my seat and walk over to the counter.

  “Ryder.” I speak loud and clear, drawing his attention. “Would you like some breakfast? We have plenty leftover.”

  “Stack it up, princess,” he sings, slamming his hands down on the table. I pile the eggs and bacon onto the plate and drop it down, along with the cutlery, in front of Ryder. I stop for a second, and holding the table, I lean forward. Ryder turns his head slowly, his dark and empty eyes meet mine.

  “Maybe now this will shut you up,” I say with a cheeky twist of my mouth. Jax lets out a chuckle, and a smug expression spreads across his face. Leaning forward, Ryder presses and extinguishes his cigarette on Jax’s plate. Picking up his fork, he shovels in mouthful after mouthful, barely stopping for a second. Sitting back in my chair opposite him, I can’t stop the grin that tugs at the corner of my mouth. For all his brassiness and aggressive behavior, I see there must be more to Ryder. My eyes meet his, and they glimmer with amusement. There is something about the way he carries himself, his whole “I don’t give a fuck” attitude that intrigues me. I’ve never met anyone quite like Ryder. Whatever it is, I want to learn more.

  “So tonight…” Jax interrupts my thoughts. “What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know. What did you have in mind?” I respond with a glance in his direction. But my attention is drawn back to Ryder. He is glaring. Hard. The dark and menacing look on his face is terrifying, and I feel like it has something to do with what Jax just said.

  “Bowling, movies, whatever you think will be a good distraction.” He smiles. “You don’t have to decide now. Think about it.”

  Ryder lets out a loud cackle, almost choking on his mouthful of food. “Think about it?” He tuts loudly. “Think again, more like. The worst thing you could do is take her somewhere, douche; she doesn’t need to be associated with the likes of us.” He pushes himself away from the table, turns, and storms out the door.

  I look back and forth between Jax and the door, jumping at the sound of the door slamming. I sit there feeling a little dumbfounded and confused once again by Ryder’s erratic outburst.

  Sitting on the edge of my bed with my phone, I nervously dial my friend Cady. I need a friend right now, and I feel like I can’t avoid her any longer. Holding the phone to my ear, I hear it ringing.

  “Hey, babe. Where are you? Are you okay?”

  I let out an audible sigh. “I’ve been better.”

  “Why… what’s wrong?” she asks with unease, and I can’t help but feel touched by her concern. Cady knows me better than any of my friends do, and there’s no way I can lie to her.

  “Oh Cady, it’s so messed up, so very messed up,” I repeat, biting back the pain boiling its way to the surface. “Dad’s in trouble. We had to move out of the apartment because he said it wasn’t safe there anymore.”

  “Oh my god, Kay, why? I know you asked if you could stay here, but this… I didn’t realize that’s what you meant.”

  “Yeah,” I reply weakly.

  “So where are you?”

  “I’m staying with a friend of my dad’s.” I sigh heavily midsentence. “At a trailer park.” I all but whispers that bit of information.

  “A trailer park?” Cady spits back. “What the…” Her words trail off.

  “Please don’t,” I respond. “This is hard enough as it is.”

  “Why don’t you come over? We can talk things through, see if I can convince my mom to let you stay here. I can’t make any promises, though, Kay. You know how strict she is with me.”

  I hum in acknowledgment down the phone. It is true. Her mom was totally over the top and way too controlling.

  “Give me an hour or so.”

  “Okay. See you soon, yeah?”

  “Bye.”

  Jumping down from the bed, I start to wonder whether I can figure out how the hell to get to her house. I have to, somehow, figure my way out of this run-down area. Convinced there must be a bus somewhere, I push on my shoes, grab the key Eric left for me earlier today, and head out of the trailer. Eric and Jax have finally gone out to do some ‘work.’ I didn’t question it, but I’m thankful to finally have the place to myself. Emerging from the trailer, I scan the area, nervous to come into contact with others who live in the park. The fact of the matter is that I’m ashamed. I never wanted this. I soon notice a woman screaming at her kids a few trailers down, and the sound of multiple dogs barking echoes through the whole park. I can’t help but pull up the hood of my jacket, trying to block it out, and in my own way, hide from the world. Walking fast, I charge out of the park, pushing my hands into my pockets. Head down, I’m determined to get away as quickly as possible. I stop at the entrance of the park, trying to figure out the direction in which we came. It was dark, but I can just about recognize my surroundings.

  I get about a hundred yards down the road before the blast of a horn causes me to jump. I turn to the source of the noise. A motorcycle is right behind me, crawling slowly past and pulling in, just in front of me. I stop in my tracks, scared to walk any closer. I anxiously check over my shoulder to look for an escape route, should I need it.

  The driver props up the motorcycle and dismounts the bike. I nod to myself, realizing exactly who it is.

  Ryder.

  As he removes his helmet, stray strands of hair fall against his face. “Where the fuck are you going in such a rush?” he barks at me.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “I thought your bike was broken?”

  “Don’t avoid my question,” he warns, taking a step closer to me. “This is not the sort of neighborhood where a girl like you should just go wandering.”

  “A girl like me?”

  “Yeah,” he answers almost immediately.

  “But I have to be somewhere. I’m not just wandering, as you put it.”

  “So jump on,” he says, but it’s less like a request and more like a demand. His voice is thick and throaty, the sort of voice you’d associate with a heavy smoker or someone who drinks a hell of a lot.

  Tapping the seat, he widens his eyes.

  “I don’t have a helmet. It’s not safe,” I decline, trying to side-step him, only to find him blocking me when his hand lands heavily on my forearm.

  “Get on the fucking bike, Kailee. I’m not fucking around. Just do it.”

  My whole body trembles as fear courses through m
y every fiber. I’m scared and have no idea how to deal with a guy who exuberates so much power over me. But also a little excited.

  “No,” I spit back meekly.

  “Get on the fucking bike,” he bites out. “Here,” he says before stepping around the bike and into the box fixed to the rear. He reaches in, retrieving a slightly smaller helmet, and thrusts it against my chest. Letting out a little yelp, I reach forward, taking it from him. Sliding it over my head, I just know I won’t be able to argue my way out of this.

  “Where are we going?” he asks in a calmer, more controlled tone.

  “You don’t have to do this,” I interject.

  “Just tell me,” he growls.

  “Woodland Spring Drive,” I mutter through the confines of the helmet. He steps closer, and I freeze, my whole body stiffening. He lifts me effortlessly from the ground, placing me on the rear of the huge bike. A small squeal escapes me as I’m deposited onto the bike. I loosen the grip I didn’t realize I had on Ryder.

  “You’ll have to hold on to me, babe,” he instructs, and I shake my head from side to side.

  “Hold on? I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never been on a bike before.” My words come out in a rush as I panic about being on this huge bike with this equally huge guy.

  “What if I fall off? What if I can’t hold on tight enough? Oh, my god. I’m going to die, aren’t I?” I turn my body, ready to lift my leg over and get off the bike.

  “Stop,” he yells, holding his hand up in front of me. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I won’t let it.”

  “But…” I try to give him more of the five thousand reasons why this isn’t a good idea, but he cuts me off.

  “Trust me,” he says, his eyes narrowing on me. Suddenly, he jumps on in front, reaching around for my hands. “Hold them here.” My arms are pulled around him, my hands resting on his toned torso. My heart beats ragged as I hold on to him like my life depends on it. I turn my head, resting my cheek against his back with my eyes firmly shut. The bike moves as he releases the stand, and the engine hums as he starts the ignition. I try to breathe, telling myself this will be okay. As the bike moves, the motion causes my stomach to dip, and I hold on a little tighter.

  Before long, the motion on the motorcycle comes to a complete stop. I slowly open my eyes, wondering whether he kept his promise of getting me to Cady’s safely. Sure enough, as I blink down hard, I can see through the shaded visor that we are on Cady’s street.

  “You can loosen that death grip now, princess.” He chuckles, and I realize just how tightly I’ve been holding on. He dismounts first then holds out his hand for me to take. I grab it, and he helps me down from the monstrous vehicle. I step down, wiggling my jelly legs, hoping they will hold me up.

  “How did you manage to get it fixed so quickly? In fact” —I purse my lips— “I’m surprised anything’s left after how you battered it this morning.”

  “This is my pride and joy,” he says, patting the seat of the bike lovingly. “That other one is my work bike.”

  I narrow my eyes at him.

  “I keep my personal life and work life very separate. Just the way it’s gotta be.”

  “Sure. I guess it’s none of my business anyway,” I say, handing him back the helmet and moving the few loose strands of hair that have fallen onto my face. “So I’ll just be heading to my friend’s house now.” I clasp my hands together in front of me, waiting for his response. He tilts his head for a second before nodding and holding his hand out to me.

  “Phone,” he demands.

  “Why? What… why?” I repeat in my haze of confusion. But he doesn’t answer. Lowering his eyebrows, he thrusts his hand forward once again.

  “You really need to stop asking questions and just do as you’re fucking told.”

  My mouth parts a little in disbelief, but my eyes are glued to him as he takes a small step closer to me. I can feel my heart’s pace pick up, and I can’t quite decide whether it’s from fear or excitement.

  “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Ryder. I’m not just one of your bimbo airheads you can push around.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about? You haven’t seen me with anyone, so how can you say that?”

  “I can just tell. You… you… have that sort of look about you.”

  “What look?” he asks with a shake of his head.

  “Like you’d only be interested in girls with an IQ of four and the chest size of a house!”

  “That’s a ridiculous statement. Stop being a brat and give me your damn phone.”

  I roll my eyes as I dig into my pocket, retrieving my phone. I push my arm forward, slamming the phone against his chest. He stands in front of me like some damn concrete statue all tense and not flinching at the contact.

  “Thank you,” he says with an ooze of sarcasm. He holds the phone in my hand, tapping away before handing it back to me.

  “There. Not so difficult really, was it, princess.” He holds his hand out, and I snatch back my phone. I look at the highlighted screen to see his name and number stored in my contacts.

  “I’m coming to get you when you’re done. Just call me on this number.”

  “There’s no need, really.”

  He turns his back to me, pulling on his helmet before jumping back on his bike. I look at the phone in my hand and back at Ryder. Why would this guy go out of his way to do this for me? And why is he being so damn bossy? I make my way across the road and watch as Ryder speeds off down the road. I walk a few yards down Cady’s street before I make it to her house. I’d been here a thousand or more times, but I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy this time.

  I had this.

  I had a lovely home in a good area, but I never realized just how lucky I was. Until now. When all I had was lost.

  I walk toward the picture perfect house. The lawn is green and well maintained, and it’s everything a family home should be. The door opens suddenly, taking me by surprise. I look up to see Cady’s beautiful face smiling widely at me. Her dark hair frames her round face. Cady has a uniqueness to her look that is hard to describe. Her petite stature and small button nose make her look much younger than her years.

  I rush forward at the same time as she does, meeting somewhere in the middle. I hold open my arms, and she embraces me tightly. It’s so good to have her hold me, to be here with her after the last couple of days.

  “Oh Kay, girl, how are you?”

  I purse my lips together, shaking my head lightly. I want to say something, but I feel the tears beckoning, and the last thing I want to do is break down on her doorstep. I can feel the tears building in my eyes, and I know that Cady sees.

  “Come in. We can talk inside,” she says, grabbing my hand.

  “Are your parents home?” I ask cautiously.

  “Not yet. They’ll be back a little later,” she says, closing the door behind her. “I’ve been so worried about you.” She shoots me a sad smile.

  “I never meant to worry you. It’s just been a really rough few days.”

  “Let me get you a drink, and you can tell me everything. We’ll work this out, girl, don’t you worry.” She leads me into the kitchen, reaching into the refrigerator and grabbing a can of soda.

  “You’re good with soda, right?” she asks.

  “Sure,” I say, grasping the can from her outstretched hand. I slide onto the barstool against the island located in the middle of the huge kitchen. Cady sits on the stool beside me, and I begin telling her the whole story of how my dad got into trouble and how I have been forced to move to the damn trailer park. I watch her face as she reacts to me retelling the whole disastrous story.

  “Oh Kailee, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe this is happening to you. I just wish I could do something to help.”

  “Me either,” I say, sniffling back a tear.

  “But the guys you are staying with sound… err… interesting?” she says with a mischievous smile and a lift of her brow.

&n
bsp; “Oh, the twins.” I sigh. “They don’t live in the same trailer, but one of them pretty much spends all his free time there. He seems nice; the other one is a little crazy.”

  “Crazy?”

  “Totally. In fact, I nearly fell through the floor when he told me who they are.”

  “What do you mean?” she asks with a puzzled look on her face.

  I lean in, not sure why I feel the need to whisper it, but I do. “They’re the Blackheart twins,” I say, pulling back to see her reaction.

  “Shut. Up,” she says dramatically, holding her hand up in front of me. “You canNOT be serious.”

  “Deadly,” I say, widening my eyes. “And in all honesty, a small part of me is terrified, but beyond all else, they intrigue me.”

  “You really need to be careful around them, Kailee. They are serious criminals. You’ve heard all the stories about them, right?”

  “I know what everyone says about them, but surely, they’d be in prison if they were that bad.”

  “Or maybe they are so smart they outwitted the cops. They may even have connections in the right places. Anything’s possible, Kay,” she says, pulling the can to her lip and slurping loudly.

  I chuckle to myself. It feels good to be here with her and be able to open up to her, tell her what I’m going through, and know she understands.

  “So, I spoke to Mom,” she says with a sigh; her shoulders slump, and I just know from her body language it isn’t going to be good news. “She said you can stay here one night each weekend, but that’s the best I could do Kay. I’m so sorry I can’t offer you more.”

  “That’s okay. You don’t need to apologize; your mom doesn’t owe me anything.”

  “I know, but we’re best friends, and I want to be the one to help you, to make this whole shitty situation better. You deserve that, at least.” She reaches out, taking my hand in hers. “There’s only one way to go now, Kay. And that’s up. Things will get better, I promise.”