I phoned Les.
“Hey,” I said.
“What’s up?”
“That thing that crawled away earlier. Well, it came back,” I said.
“That was unexpected.” Les sounded hesitant. “Do you need a hand?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
I waited and watched Kyle continue to bleed. When I heard a knock at my door, I jumped. How long had I been standing there?
“Yeah?” I called, realising suddenly that I hadn’t given any thought whatsoever to what would happen if anyone other than Les showed up.
“I’m freezing,” Les replied.
I let him in. We both stood and looked at Kyle.
“Well you got him,” Les commented.
“I did.” I nodded as I rocked on my feet.
“You don’t seem like the type to have a gun,” Les said conversationally.
“Random thing to say.” I rubbed my jaw as I watched Kyle. “But no, I don’t like them.”
“Lucky shot then.”
“Not for Kyle,” I muttered.
“True.” Les snorted out a laugh. “Ok, I guess we can move the body.”
“We can?”
“Not you. I’ll call a friend.” He grinned at me. “This can be my last day on the old job.” He pulled out a cell phone. “Don’t worry, this is not new to me. Go to bed. You won’t even know I’m here.”
What a truly terrifying thought.
One month later
I was at Shadow’s and Maria’s visiting my nephew. They were chatting in the background as I held their son. I still had moments of disbelief that I was sitting here, that we had all made it through the last few months.
Les had called his friend as I had stood at my window as they cleaned up and I’d watched a police car pull up in my street. I’d thought I was done for, and then had watched in wonder as the two cops walked up to Walter’s front door. He had called the police to tell them he had been cleaning his firearms because he couldn’t sleep due to his arthritis and had accidentally set one of them off. He hadn’t checked the chamber from last time he had fired it at target practice.
The old man had covered for me. I had been right. There was no way the sound of a gun going off in my house hadn’t been heard in the dead of night in my street. Walter had been waiting for some sort of trouble to follow me home, confirmed when he had seen a person go around the back of my house just before I got home that night. Then he had made the call when he saw me open the door to Les, after the gun went off.
He got a friendly warning from the cops after they checked all his permits. I would be indebted to him for a long time. Not that he would hear of it when I thanked him, he had told me I was a fool for not checking the house. He had also taken the gun back off me, told me I wasn’t ready for it yet. I didn’t argue with him; I was glad to be rid of it. Shadow was right, my kind of fights were settled with my fists.
The tragedy of such a long-standing bar of Boulder burning down on Christmas day had been tragic for about five minutes. The fire at the bar had been contained; no neighbouring properties had been harmed – it was considered a miracle. Especially considering the meth lab they found in the basement and the half-charred body of one Kyle Marshall. I didn’t know how Les had pulled it off and it was one of the few things in life I was going to be very happy never knowing.
With Tommy’s demise, there was suddenly an opening in the market, but before Gregor’s new employer Carlos could even make a move, Malcolm swooped in. It was almost as if he had inside knowledge that something was happening. As a result of his successful takeover, he was content to leave me and my fights at the Warehouse alone. I wasn’t a fool though. The Warehouse attracted a certain clientele. I knew Malcolm would be back wanting to capitalise on that opportunity to circulate his product through my fights. If I was honest, I was lucky we had managed to avoid it for so long, I would need to continue to be vigilant to avoid it for longer.
The aftermath of Tommy’s passing and Malcolm establishing himself more fully in his market, didn’t mean things were easy for me. I had my fair share of trouble to sort out. Guys who usually worked for Tommy who were suddenly out of a job, came looking to settle a score. They didn’t usually come looking twice. Sometimes they only wanted a good word put in with Malcolm, I didn’t play that game either, but depending on who it was, I sometimes sent them Skinners way. My relationship with Skinner stayed as it always was. I rented the Warehouse from him, at the very least, I had to keep on his good side – or him on mine – it depended on how you looked at it.
Gregor opted to go work with his cousin, his cousins’ boss wasn’t entirely happy that he lost out on the Boulder market. I think he blamed me. He was right too, and I wasn’t losing sleep over it. Trey was now doing resprays himself, he had a good steady hand.
With Tommy dead, mom had considered coming back to Boulder. I had been honest and told her that being related to me could still put her and Alicia in too much danger. They had opted to stay where they were. The good news was they no longer had to live like fugitives, which meant they could visit, and I had a sneaking suspicion that they wouldn’t stay away for long.
I had received one call from my brother – he had tracked our dad down. The old man was still a drunk but was teaching him how to be a mechanic. Jay had lost Gerry somewhere around Austin – I didn’t think it was much of a loss, I don’t think Jay did either. He knew to stay away still; my temper hadn’t cooled any towards him and I didn’t want him back here. Maybe standing on his own was best for him. My old man was still unreliable; Jay could only count on himself. Maybe this would be the making of him. I wasn’t counting on it, and I wasn’t usually proven wrong, but time would tell.
Things were finally settling down. That moment of normality that I had fleetingly glimpsed all those months ago was finally a reality.
“Aaron, can you please tell my wife she is being unreasonable?” Shadow demanded of me, once again pulling me back to the present. I looked up from holding the baby and stared at Shadow.
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying to me, because my nephew…is boxing.” I made googly eyes at the baby. “Yes, you are. Yes, you did, you boxed with Uncle Aaron.”
Maria walked over to Shadow. “I don’t understand how this incredible tough guy becomes such a ridiculous sap whenever we put our son in his arms.”
“He’s adorable.” Shadow smirked.
“He is adorable.” I picked up the baby and bounced him on my knee.
“He means you, dumbass.” Maria snorted.
I covered the baby’s ears. “Do not swear in front of AJ.” I glared at her. “You’re a terrible mother.” She threw a diaper at me.
I cradled my nephew. I didn’t give a fuck that he wasn’t a blood relative. He was mine. Baby Aaron Matthew Jackson. Born on Christmas day, nine pounds eleven ounces. I still didn’t know how Maria was walking. I personally, was ignoring his middle name and was calling him AJ. Shadow resisted for about an hour before he caved. Maria was proving more difficult; she’d bend – I knew she would. The woman loved me; even if she had ever doubted me before, I had sealed the deal when I had kept her husband from the fighting.
I had kept them all from the fighting, while I had taken care of the fallout.
On that front Shadow had taken longer to calm down. For almost two weeks he didn’t say a word to me. I wasn’t even allowed to see the baby. Which was just uncalled for – I had to sneak in to see my nephew. Then I had to sit through a very long conversation about trust and boundaries and friendship. Maybe it was brotherhood? I had tuned out. In the end, I just allowed him to punch me, several times. He felt better – sometimes violence was the answer.
“Aaron!” Shadow called.
“What?” I had been rocking AJ as I reminisced.
“The christening on Sunday, tell Maria she can’t invite Daisy if Trey is going.”
“Why?” I glanced back down at the baby.
&n
bsp; “How are you so blind?” Shadow shook his head at me in wonder. “Trey and Daisy slept together! Then he slept with her sister… or something.”
“Hmmm?” I glanced at him before returning my attention to play with my nephew. “Wait, what? Daisy has a sister?” AJ gurgled and I looked back down at him again.
“Leave him be, he isn’t even listening,” Maria scolded softly with a chuckle.
I left them a few hours later after I had bathed AJ. Grinning in recollection at the baby, I parked on the street. I growled at the winter storm that kept me from my driveway. It kept returning every few days and dumping more snow. Enough was enough already.
Once inside I shrugged off three outer layers – coat, jacket and hoody followed by boots. Shaking my head from the cold and any wayward snow, I turned and froze.
“How are you here?” I asked.
Lela was standing in my living room, nervously wringing her hands.
“You didn’t change the locks?” she answered. Her hair was slightly longer. She was wearing a cherry red sweater and black jeans.
“The spare key’s here.” I pointed to the rack.
“I got a spare of the spare,” she admitted as she bit her lower lip.
“Sneaky.” I couldn’t stop the small smile.
“That’s me.” She took a step forward.
“I don’t understand why you’re here.” I shoved my hands into my back pockets.
I saw her glance away then she looked back at me. “You don’t?”
“Well you sent quite a few texts.” I moved from the door. It was cold there. “You know the ones. I’m a bastard. You hate me. I used you. I had a black heart. No, black soul? Dark heart?” I rubbed my jaw. “There were a few, they began to get mixed up.” I shrugged.
“You didn’t text me once.” Her voice was full of hurt.
“No. Not much to say after that.” I smiled mockingly as I moved into the kitchen. Past her. So close. “I’d offer you coffee, but…I don’t have milk.”
“You didn’t even say Merry Christmas? Or Happy New Year?” She was behind me now, having moved into the kitchen.
“Well my Christmas wasn’t that merry, and I didn’t give a fuck if your new year was happy.”
“Wow. You’re…”
I turned as she wiped her eyes.
“God,” she said. “You don’t change.”
“No.” I crossed my arms.
Lela nodded. “I don’t know why I’m here.” Her voice was low and husky.
“Then you should go.”
“I should?” Her eyes met mine.
“You should.” She looked so pale, I noted. “Does daddy know you’re here?”
“Yes, he isn’t happy about it. You really got Colton to lay it on thick.” Her tone was accusatory. I held her stare. She sighed and looked away. She glanced back at me. “I start a new job in February.” A small smile.
“That’s good.” It was my turn to look away.
“It’s in Denver.” My eyes flicked to hers. “An art gallery.” Her hands wrung.
I got a beer from the fridge. “Denver?”
“Yeah. It’s a small gallery but quite exclusive. The owner’s a little bit eccentric.” She laughed softly. “You’d absolutely hate him.”
“That why you take it?” I took a pull of beer. The wave of jealousy I felt at seeing her smile about this guy, almost brought me to my knees.
“No!” She shook her head in frustration. “This isn’t why I’m here.”
“Why are you here?” I leaned against the kitchen counter.
“I’m visiting my mom. I’m actually staying there for a few days,” Lela said as she stood across from me.
“Well that’s fantastic.” I finished my beer. “Is there anything else you needed here?”
She shook her head slightly. “No.”
“Ok then – if I can have the spare of the spare and any other spares, that would be great.” I held out my hand.
“Ok.” She went over to her purse which I hadn’t even noticed and rummaged in her bag. I ran my eyes over her ass. Not so scrawny anymore. She looked good. She looked fucking perfect.
She placed the key on the counter, ignoring my hand. I smirked as I opened another beer.
“I guess I should call a cab?”
“Absolutely,” I agreed as I drank quickly.
“Ok.”
I finished beer number two and debated opening number three.
“Maria called me about the baby.”
“That’s nice.” Beer number three it was.
“It’s nice that they called him Aaron.”
“AJ,” I corrected.
“Oh. Ok.” Her hands wrung again. “You know, I don’t know why you’re so mad at me.”
“Are you fucking serious?” I demanded.
“Yes!” she snapped. “You dumped me! You double crossed me!”
“Are you out of your mind? Wait,” I looked her up and down. “Are you high?”
“Oh, you complete bastard.” She grabbed her coat and pulled it on, grabbing her purse. “You’re right, I do hate you. I always hate you.” She spun and headed for the door.
I let her go.
In true Lela style, she slammed it behind her. It made me smile. I finished beer number three.
Then I smashed the empty bottle off the wall. That didn’t alleviate the frustration I felt inside at seeing her, so I smashed another empty bottle off the wall as well.
The door opened and there she was. She came back in, crossing the wooden floor in her boots. Her arms wrapped around me and I pressed my head into the crook of her neck as I folded her into my arms.
“I love you Aaron,” she whispered into my ear. “That’s why I’m here. I love you and I want to come home.”
I pulled her closer into me.
This fucking woman.
“Then come home.”
She pulled away from me slightly as she looked up at me.
“You really mean it?” she asked.
“Shut up.” I kissed her like I couldn’t breathe. I ripped her clothes off her like a man possessed. I have no recollection of a cab turning up for her. I only know that I made sure she was never leaving me again.
Three months later…
“How was work?” I asked as Lela came through the door.
“People are stupid.” She huffed as she kicked off her shoes.
“I know.” I ate a cherry tomato as I watched her struggle with her bag, her coat and her shoes.
“Do I look like I’m showing to you?” She stood straight and I grinned.
“Baby, you’re five months pregnant, of course you’re showing.” Her dress was floaty but unless you were stupid – and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Lela’s boss was fundamentally stupid – you’d be able to tell that it was more than just her carrying a little extra weight.
“You do know you have to tell him.” I ate another tomato.
“Yes!” she snapped as she walked over to me. “But he just annoys me so goddamn much now, I’m waiting to see who gives in first.” She picked up a tomato before I could remind her that they now made her nauseous.
She spat it out.
“Why would you let me eat that?”
“Because I live to torment you?” I suggested as I handed her a bottle of water.
“Well that’s true.”
I kissed her. She resisted. I kissed her more. She relented. “You have to tell him before you have my baby, Lee.” I said, looping my arms around her and calling her my new nickname for her. I wasn’t allowed ‘Brat’ anymore – not that I had ever been allowed ‘Brat’, but I compromised, because after all, she was going to be the mother of my child.
“I know and I will, right after the idiot recognises that I’m not leaving you for him and I’m having your baby.”
“Tell me again why I can’t kick his ass?” I nuzzled her neck.
“Because he’s my boss.”
“Tell me again why I can’t buy the a
rt gallery, so he’s no longer your boss?” I kissed her jawline.
“Because I’m pregnant and there wouldn’t be anyone to run it while I’m on maternity leave, looking after your baby.” She giggled.
“Tell me again when you started having all the answers in this relationship?” I grinned as I bit her earlobe.
“When I fell in love with your dark heart and you fell in love with mine.”
If you enjoyed this book, it would mean so much if you considered writing a short review and posting it on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub or anywhere else you wanted to share your love of this story and all places books!
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Thank you for reading ‘Dark Heart’.
Eve xx
In August 2018 I started – properly – writing Indian Summer. In January 2019, I self-published my first book. I didn’t know then, that in April 2019 I would be writing the acknowledgements for my second book. I don’t think anybody involved in Indian Summer really knew this was going to happen.
Thank you to my readers! For the people who have messaged me to say they loved my book, who asked for more – your support, your kindness, your absolute enthusiasm, your encouragement has meant so much and is quite honestly, really needed some days. You genuinely don’t know how much a simple post in the reader group, or a tag on a thread means to me and if it involves a coffee meme – you know you’re talking my language. So, to all of my readers, thank YOU for the support, you made this book happen.
To my family – I love you. Thank you for being understanding as I disappear for weeks, as I balance my day job and writing. To my mum and sister, even though you are absolutely without a doubt the most impatient readers ever… thank you for your support, encouragement and love. To my dad who will now have read two romance books in his life, both of which are mine, you’re simply the best dad ever.
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