Blizzard: (The Brotherhood Journals Book One)

by Jane, Addison

  His large hands held my waist and I begged for him to use them to lift me up and press me against the nearest wall. But that would have to wait. Optimus was here, as well as Judge and his boys, and they were waiting for us so we could discuss what our next options were.

  “Yeah,” I sighed, straightening my shoulders and lifting my chin.

  He smiled. “That’s my little soldier.”

  I felt a sense of pride soar through me as he tugged me behind him and out of the bedroom. My legs were still reasonably shaky. Who the fuck knew that meth could be so strong? How people did it day after day, I would never know. I guess their bodies slowly became accustomed to it.

  He held my hand as we approached what was now a packed full living room. I was slightly stunned at a number of bikers that could fit into the small house Jackie and Judge called home. Some wore the Brothers by Blood colors, others wore Satan’s Sanctuary patches, including Blizzard’s mom, Jackie, who wore her property patch with pride.

  She caught me out of the corner of her eye and immediately weaved through the men toward us. She gripped my shoulders in her hands, her eyes roaming my body as if she was in shock that I’d survived.

  “Thank the fucking Lord.”

  “I’m not sure the Lord’s name is meant to be used next to the word fuck,” Slider, one of Blizzard’s brothers commented sarcastically.

  “What if it’s a holy fuck?” Wrench commented dryly.

  Slider seemed to consider that for a second before bobbing his head up and down. “This is true. I retract my previous statement.”

  “Idiots! My club is full of idiots,” Optimus groaned.

  I watched as Jackie took inventory of my body. I don’t know if she was looking for bruises or injuries, or if she was just looking for confirmation that I wasn’t dead.

  A loud, obnoxious ringtone went off, filling the small space. It took me a minute to realize that it was mine.

  Optimus held up my cell phone as it continued to buzz excitedly in his hand. “It’s been going off continuously for the last hour.”

  “Edge?” I asked with a sigh.

  He nodded. “Text messages, too. Seems our boy is quite concerned about you.” The tone of his voice wasn’t accusing, but there was a subtle question there.

  Why was this guy so worried about where I was? I knew the answer.

  “We talked…” I told the group softly. Blizzard’s hand tightened on mine. I looked up at him and whispered, “It’s okay.”

  “Rose,” Optimus warned carefully. “What did you talk about?”

  “He doesn’t trust his brothers. He’s got an Old Lady back home, and from my point of view, it seems that they sent him on this mission to get him out of the way so she could whore herself around the club,” I explained Edge’s story to them. I felt for the guy. With his entire family part of his club, he felt as though that was his legacy as well.

  Turns out we had more in common than I thought.

  Blizzard scoffed beside me. “He’s trying to get into your pants.”

  I ignored him, instead looking to Optimus for support. “He’s different than them. He feels like he has to be there because that’s his family.” I tapped my chest. “Until recently, I knew that feeling well.”

  “Why are you standing here defending him?” Wrench asked, his eyebrow raised. “Cool, he’s not a bloodthirsty killer that we assumed him to be. Good to know. But he still has the kid locked up there in a room.”

  Wrench was right, he may have his ideas and loyalties all fucked up, but he was still holding her there and it was my job to get her back.

  I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” I held out my hand to Optimus. “Let me text him back, so he stops freaking out.”

  He placed it in my palm, the second he did it began to ring. I hit the answer button quickly and held it to my ear. I turned to look at Blizzard, who glared at me, knowing I was about to do something that was going to make him furious.

  “Hello,” I answered casually.

  “Fuck, Lily. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you since fucking yesterday.” He didn’t sound angry, more relieved.

  “Yeah, well, I was coming down off that shit. I can’t believe you let them shoot me up!” I was angry, this emotion was real.

  He groaned, “Baby girl, I’m sorry. These boys, they don’t fuck around. It was a test—”

  “You test people by drugging them?” I sneered.

  “It’s more to see what they’ll do in order to be part of the club. Look, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting shit to be so strong and it knocked me out. Woke up and you were gone…” his voice turned reticent, “…thought maybe they’d done something to you.”

  I looked around the room that I stood in, all these men—and women—they had complete and utter trust in each other. When you were part of their family, you never had to worry about them going behind your back, or talking shit, or hurting you. Because that’s not what a family was about.

  “Sounds like you need better brothers,” I told him, my voice strong.

  “You’re telling me.” It was with those words I knew he wasn’t committed to that club, and I hoped like hell that maybe one day he would see what I can now see.

  A world outside of your blood and your DNA. A world where you adopt your family and you don’t have to be stuck with the one that God handed you.

  “Can I see you?” he asked. I had to look away from Blizzard as I answered. I knew that he was going to argue, and do whatever he had to do before he’d let me go back to that house. But you know what, I may not have anything left to prove to these people, but I had something left to prove to myself. That I was strong, and that I was selfless enough to risk my life for someone else.

  That was one thing that stood out so clearly to me during the drama with my father and Chelsea. If I had just taken the time to be selfless, I would have realized that Chelsea’s life meant more than my need to feel like I belonged. Her future on Earth meant more than me needing to be told I was loved.

  Sometimes you just have to realize that people deserve to live. Everyone deserves the chance to figure out what their future may hold. But if my choices and my actions are going to stop them from getting that chance, then I desperately need to make changes.

  “Yeah,” I took a deep breath. “Will the boys be home?”

  “Nah, they’ve been awake for two days already. They don’t wanna hang out here.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll see you soon?”

  “Half an hour,” I told him. There was a loud smash behind me and I spun to find Optimus and Wrench with their arms hooked through Blizzard’s. They were holding him back, the fire in his eyes almost melted me on the spot.

  “What was that?” Edge asked in concern.

  I looked down at the vase which was shattered into tiny pieces on the floor, flowers, petals, and water strewn all over. “My cat knocked something off the counter.” Tears welled in my eyes as I watched the anger radiating off Blizz.

  “Okay, I’ll be here waiting.”

  I ended the call and let my hands fall to my sides, my phone dropping onto the carpet.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Blizzard roared at me, breaking the silence. The boys held him back, stopping him from rushing at me.

  “I’m finishing this, I’m gonna get her out.” I looked over to where Jackie stood, clutching onto Judge and tears pouring down her cheeks. “I’m going to get her out,” I repeated slowly.

  “Honey, you’ve already done so much. I’m not sure we can ask you to go back there.” She sniffled and Judge pulled her closer with his arm around her shoulders.

  “You don’t have to ask.”

  “Rose,” I stilled at Optimus’ harsh tone. “Now we have details, we can figure out another way to do this. You don’t have to go back in there.”

  Sighing, I stepped forward and stood right in front of the man who’d been the focus of both my dreams and my nightmares for the past few months.

  “I can do this,”
I told him softly. “Let me do this?”

  Blizzard shook off the hands of his brothers, who reluctantly let him go. “You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

  “Not if you’ll have my back.” I held my breath, hoping that the time we’d shared together in my apartment wasn’t just a mirage. He stared into my eyes, and I almost fell to pieces through the silence.

  “Always so fucking stubborn.”

  I couldn’t help but grin as he reached for me and pulled me into the safe embrace of his arms.

  “Another one bites the dust,” Slider began to sing. “Hey Rose, would you like Blizzard’s balls gift wrapped?”

  “Shut up, fucker,” Blizzard growled into my hair.

  I didn’t care, though, I was where I wanted to be.

  From now on, no more nightmares just dreams.

  Sweet dreams.

  I pulled up to the curb outside the Vicious Vultures MC makeshift home.

  The plan was to get Edge out of the house. I needed to turn on the charm and try anything possible to get him out so that the others could get in and get Lane out. With him feeling guilty about what happened it was the perfect opportunity, hoping he would be more willing to do what was needed to make me happy.

  That failing, Judge, and his boys were standing by with another plan.

  Wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans, I inhaled slowly through my nose. I’d been here before but it didn’t get any less scary. These men lived up to their name, they were both vicious and vultures, who took pride in preying on other people who couldn’t protect themselves.

  I thought of Edge. He was so unlike them, I wondered why he felt compelled to do the despicable things that they do if his heart wasn’t in it. But then, I remembered what I’d done in exactly the same situation. The pressure to be accepted had become too much.

  I forced myself out of the car and instantly heard what I thought was a woman screaming. It was coming from the house.

  “Oh God,” I whispered to myself as I took off running for the front door.

  Please let me not be too late.

  I threw the door open, not thinking about my actions, adrenaline running through me.

  “Please, help me!” the young girl was crying out, but when I reached the living room, I couldn’t see her anywhere.

  Edge was there, though, his shoulders were tight and he was hunched over, muttering to himself.

  “What’s going on?” I heaved. He didn’t turn or jump at my presence. Of course, he knew I was there. “Why is she screaming?”

  He didn’t answer me, just continued at what he was doing.

  I took careful steps around the table, trying to focus despite Lane’s cries. I could tell she was in pain. I wondered if there was someone doing something to hurt her, and my heart dropped. Edge was leaning forward, sharpening a knife on an old butcher’s sharpener, the blade slipping with ease down each side.

  “Edge,” I spoke quietly and carefully.

  “She’s been screaming for half an hour. Said she’s bleeding.” His voice was tight but strangely calm. “I checked. She is.”

  I held my hand over my mouth, trying to compose myself before I lost it and did something stupid. “Okay, did they do something to her?”

  He finally looked up at me, his eyes were brimmed red, almost like he’d been crying. It hit me hard, to see a man that seemed so strong, almost broken. “She’s having a miscarriage.”

  “Oh my God,” I whispered. I couldn’t stop myself from shooting around the sofa and heading for the stairs.

  His hand reached out and grabbed my arm, jolting me to a stop and almost making me lose my footing. “She has to stay there, Lily. Those are the orders.” His voice was dark.

  “She needs a hospital. She needs help!”

  He wasn't effected by my words. “The orders are that she stays there.”

  “Screw your orders!” I shoved at his chest with my free hand but he didn't even flinch.

  “Just leave it,” he snapped.

  “She could die! Then what are you going to do? Offer Judge his daughter’s dead body in return for his land?” The words came out before I could filter them, and I knew right away that I was in tremendous trouble.

  His grip tightened and he held me as he stood slowly from his seat, his knife still in his opposite hand. “How the fuck did you know that?” he roared, drowning out Lane’s whimpering cries for a brief moment.

  I was scared, completely petrified, but I refused to cower and let another innocent girl get hurt. “Let me go, Edge.” I tried to force my voice to sound deep and fierce, but even I could hear the shake in it.

  He moved around the sofa until he was standing directly in front of me. “You with them?” he demanded.

  “No…” it wasn’t a complete lie, “…are you ready to let her die? Because that’s gonna be on you. You know that, right? The club isn’t going to protect you when the police show up and you’re the only one here.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “You have freaking neighbors! I could hear her screaming from outside. You think they aren’t going to call the police?” Trying to reason with him was just wasting my time. I needed to do something and I needed to do something now.

  Lane screamed and for a second he turned his head toward the stairwell. I thought about the training I’d done with Rico and Angelo. I twisted my body under the arm which held me, causing his grip to slip. As I had my back to him I raised my leg and with all the strength I could muster drove my heel down on top of his foot. Lucky for me, he wasn’t wearing his hard motorcycle boots or it wouldn’t have worked so well.

  I dived away from him as he screamed out in agony. In the scuffle, he managed to clip my forearm with his knife and I cried out in pain. He hunched over, growling about his foot. It was actually like watching a cartoon, it was that ridiculous.

  The good thing about being in a house owned by criminals, they always kept weapons just lying around. From the position I was lying, I could see a metal baseball bat underneath the sofa. I had to lay down on my stomach to reach for it, but as I did, I felt him grab a hold of my waist and begin to pull me out. The second I was free from the sofa, I turned my body and swung.

  I was a sporty kind of kid. Hence, why, I ended up getting into sports therapy and nutrition. I knew my way around a bat and ball and I didn’t hold back. I hit him right in the side of the head, and he went down hard. His body landed next to me and his head bouncing against the wooden floor.

  He was out like a light.

  I dropped the bat and lay back, attempting to control my breathing.

  “Help me!” Lane’s voice shocked me back into action. I knew that if I didn’t get her to a hospital soon, then she could get, very sick, very fast.

  “I’m coming!” I yelled, scampering across the floor and pulling myself up on the couch. I was feeling a little lightheaded and when I slipped slightly on the floor, I knew it wasn’t good. The cut on my arm was a deep gash, and it was bleeding profusely.

  I held my hand over it as I hauled ass up the stairs.

  Don’t pass out, don’t pass out.

  “Lane?” I called, looking at the group of doors that came off the landing at the top of the staircase.

  “Here! Please.” My phone started buzzing in my pocket and I pulled it out as I searched around outside the room Lane was in for a key.

  “What?” I whispered harshly.

  “They’re coming back, Rose. You’ve got about five minutes,” Optimus’ voice was hushed. They were waiting not far away, ready to sweep in, when and if, needed.

  “I need you guys, now.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Edge lost it on me, I hit him with a bat. Lane’s having a miscarriage, I think. She needs to get out, but I can’t find the key,” I said it all in such a hurry I hope he, at least, understood a couple of words.

  “Fuck! We’ll be there soon. Find that fucking key.”

  “Hello?” Lane’s voice was so quiet. It was
trembling.

  Trying to act like I was calm I asked her, “Honey, do you know where the key is to the door?”

  There was a sniffle. “They all have one.”

  “Okay, I’ll be back in two seconds. Don’t worry, help is coming.” I didn’t wait to hear her response, dashing back down the stairs clumsily, I stumbled at the bottom, throwing myself to my knees next to Edge’s still unmoving body.

  “Keys, keys, keys,” I muttered to myself as I patted him down. There was a large chain connected to his belt loop. I pulled on it, dragging his wallet and his keys from his back pocket.

  Fortunately, they clipped right off.

  Thank God for at least one thing going right today.

  I forced myself to my feet again, the ability to walk straight now becoming a little harder. I wondered how much blood I’d lost so far.

  I started on the door with the first key, jiggling the handle but with no luck.

  When it finally popped open on the sixth or seventh try, I almost sunk to the ground in relief. I gripped the doorframe and a beautiful small girl popped her head around the corner. She was bent over and clutching her stomach, but you could tell she was relieved to see anyone but those assholes.

  Grabbing her hand, I pulled at her. “We’ve gotta go.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” she whimpered fighting against my eagerness. I looked down at her pants and they were stained a dark red all around her crotch.

  That’s when I heard the rumble of motorcycles in the distance. Lane’s eyes widened in fear. I tried not to mirror her expression, not knowing if these were our boys or theirs.

  “We have to go, Lane, now.” I needed to be strong for her, I needed her to feel like someone was in control of the situation.

  She nodded apprehensively but came with me as I pulled her down the stairs. “The kitchen, it has a back door,” she said before she let out a loud cry and fell to her knees, pulling me down with her. We both stumbled the last few steps. I landed on my arm and I held back an agonizing cry.