Chapter 12
Nolan
Tears are in Ashley's eyes and her warm fingers are running gently across the scars left behind from that torturous night.
"How can you trust anyone after that?" she quietly asks. I kiss the top of her head before answering.
"It wasn't easy, but Izzy helped me trust again. She kept after me, when I moved to Michigan, and finally wormed her way into my heart. She's a light in the darkness. Xavier, Mia, and Izzy all helped me see that there's peace in a world of darkness and I learned to trust again." I answer.
"What happened after you blacked out?" Redline asks.
"I came too, next to a dumpster in an alley, rain pelting my skin causing more pain and washing away the blood. The pain thrumming through my body almost made me pass out again, but the will to survive took over and I crawled my way to the street. Some guy spotted me and ran over to help. I couldn't talk or move anymore. Drained of all my energy, I passed out again. I came to several times in the ambulance and once on the operating table. The doctors had to stitch up the worst cuts and repair the damage done to my muscles. If she would have gone an inch deeper, I wouldn't be here now. I spent several days in the hospital being questioned by detectives. My mother didn't show up once to see me and when they were getting ready to discharge me, my grandfather showed up. He got me my own place to stay away from everyone and hide while I healed." I haven't told anyone how I escaped the gang and I don't know if I ever will. If Switch discovers, he'll kill me for sure. "After I healed, I returned to the apartment Switch lived in and acted like nothing happened. I had no choice. If I didn't go back, then they'd find and kill me. Wrath tried to cozy up to me, but I threw her advances back in her face and only did my job while plotting a way to get out."
"How did you get out?" Christian asks. He's leaning up against the small window, his face is pale from my story.
"That's a long story I don't want to get into. It wasn't pretty, but a few months after the basement incident, I found my escape and took it. I changed my name, got my mother out and left. They had no idea where I went to and that worked to my advantage. As far as they knew, I was dead, and my body was never found." I look down into Ashley's light brown eyes filled with tears. "I understand this scares you and you don't want to let Redline go in, but I think it can work. We need to get inside and I can't do it. Switch still has control over my mind after years of being subjected to his hate. But if I have you by my side, I can fight him and together we can help Redline while he's in there."
"Ok, but we need to have a plan on how to get him out if things take a turn," Ashley responds.
I turn my head and look at our small group. Christian is now pacing back and forth from the window to the small table Ashton is sitting at. Ashton is on his laptop he pulled out, his fingers flying over the keys. Redline is leaning against the wall, lost in his own thoughts and Ashley is still leaning against me. Her hands are soft and warm against my bare skin.
"Redline, we need to find a gym to teach you the basics of being in a fight club. I need to see what you can do and who to match you with." He nods his blonde head, he looks scared, but that's good. He needs to remember it isn't all fun and games in The Circle. "Ash, how long until Rush and the rest of your crew get here?"
"I don't know. Let me call Rush and find out." She stops running her fingers across my skin and I immediately miss her touch. Before she can get her phone out, I pull her against me and my lips descend upon hers. She runs her hands through my hair, opening her mouth to allow me access. Slipping my tongue inside, she releases a whimper I swallow up as our tongues battle back and forth. My groin tightens and my heart stutters in my chest. Pulling away our breaths are rapid against each others lips.
"Hmm, what was I doing?" Ashley asks, trying to get her breathing under control.
"You were calling Rush." I answer with a smirk.
"Oh yeah. You've got to stop doing that." She responds, giving me a wink.
I watch her ass as she opens the door and walks out into the hallway. Closing it behind her, I thank God every day for bringing her into my life and loving me, scars and all. Ashton clears his throat and I drag my eyes away from the door towards his massive frame, sitting at the small table.
"I found us a gym and an apartment to rent right near the Corridore Rosso Gang. They won't know we're there as long as you keep a low profile. Christian and I will work the fighting scene, you stay out of sight and if you go anywhere, disguise yourself."
Ashley comes back in with a smile lighting up her face. "Rush will be here tomorrow. The rest of my crew needs to stay back in L.A. but he's coming." She looks at Ashton and his face falls for a moment before schooling his features. "Natalia asked me to tell you she'll see you soon, Ashton."
He nods his head and gets up from the table, closing his laptop. "Come on let's get to our new place." His voice is surly and disappointed. I would be too if the woman I wanted keeps skirting the attraction there. I'm still not happy with Natalia, but it's Ashton's life and he likes her, so he can do what he wants.
I grab my bag off the bed and we walk down the dirty hallway toward the elevator. I push the button and wrap my arm around Ashley as we wait. She snuggles into my side and my heart picks up speed. I hope we have separate apartments while we're here. I really need to get inside of her again. The tightening in my jeans is a sign it's been way too long. Her strawberry shampoo penetrates my nose and I inhale deeply as she lets out a soft sigh.
"What are you thinking?" I whisper in her ear.
"That we need our own place," she whispers back.
The elevator dings open and we all walk into the cramped space. The doors close and it groans as it begins our descent.
"I hope this thing holds our weight. It would suck if we all plummet to our deaths in here." Christian jokes.
"Ha-ha. I hate this elevator. It gives me the creeps." Redline says with a shudder.
It finally stops on the ground floor and the doors creak open slowly. Ashton and Christian step out first, their eyes are scanning the whole floor before letting Ashley and me out. When they're satisfied it's clear, they move out of the way. I kiss Ashley on the head.
"I'll meet you outside. I need to check out."
"OK, I'll see you out there." She responds by grabbing my face and kissing my lips gently. Blood thrums through my veins from her gentle touch. She releases me and walks with Christian and Redline out the door and out of my sight.
I hurry over to the receptionist and toss my keycard on the desk with a slap, making the receptionist jump. Ashton is right behind me.
"Checking out already, Mr. Nolan?" It's the same chick from earlier. She licks her lips as she looks up and down, then her eyes fall on Ashton's towering form behind me.
"Yeah, don't need the room anymore," I grunt.
"Bummer, I could have shown you a good time." She snatches the keycard off the counter with a pout and types on the computer. "There, all checked out. Here's your receipt and if you change your mind, my number’s below."
She slides the receipt across the counter and sure enough, her number is written below. I say nothing and hand the receipt to Ashton. He barks out a gruff laugh at the receptionist and crumples the receipt.
"Sorry sweetheart, but my man here isn't interested."
"What about you? You look like you could give a girl a night of pleasure." She says batting her eyelashes.
"Barking up the wrong tree, sweetheart." Ashton throws his huge arm around my shoulders, trying not to laugh. "Ready babe?" He asks in a high pitch voice.
"Yeah," I answer, trying to hold my laughter in at the dumbfounded expression on her face. We turn from the counter and I punch Ashton in the stomach. "Dude, what the fuck?" I ask when we're out of earshot. He lets out a grunt.
"Sorry, she was laying it on thick and made my skin crawl. I couldn’t help but fuck with her." He's not sorry, he's trying not to laugh.
"Just, bro, don't touch me. That creeps me out more than anything.
" I respond with a shudder as we walk out the door and into the bright sunlight. It's warm against my skin and all my worries melt away when I see Ashley. She's leaning against the brick building and has her head tipped back towards the sun, her Aviators are perched on her nose, blocking the light. She looks relaxed and ready. I approach her quietly and settle my hands on her hips, leaning against her soft body. Nibbling her neck, she releases a soft sigh and runs her hands through my hair, pulling me closer to her body. I kiss my way up her neck to her lips. She shudders under my grip and connects her lips to mine. Lust roars through my veins and my cock instantly hardens in my jeans as her soft velvet tongue invades my mouth. Her sweet taste overtakes my senses and I let out a deep groan from the back of my throat, forgetting we're in the middle of the street.
"Guys, we need to get moving," Ashton says behind me.
I drag my lips away from Ashley's and rest my forehead against hers. Her rapid breathing floats towards my mouth and I want nothing more than to rip her clothes off and have my wicked way with her.
"We'll pick this up later," Ashley says, breathlessly. I pull her against me to know how hard I am for her and she lets out a little gasp. "Definitely later."
I let go of her hips and we walk hand in hand down the busy street. I keep my head down and try not to make eye contact with anyone passing by us. I feel exposed out in the open and stop under a construction beam when we round a corner. Ashton, Redline, Christian, and Ashley stop with me, giving me a questioning look.
"I feel too exposed." I reach into my duffle bag and pull out my Detroit Tigers baseball hat and a black hoodie. I put the hoodie on and pull the cap down low on my forehead to cover most of my face. "I'm ready."
"Good idea," Ashley says, as she snuggles into my side. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and we walk to the subway station.
Once we're down the steps, into the underground world of trains, bums, and entertainers, Ashley removes her Aviators and sets them on top of her blonde hair, discreetly scanning the people walking past us. Her body is tense under my arms, watching and waiting for something to happen.
We make our way to the dirty platform. There's a woman singing in the middle platform, separating the trains coming and going. She's strumming an acoustic guitar playing a sweet melody that floats off the walls and touches your soul. People walk past, ignoring her or dropping change in the guitar case, but she doesn’t make eye contact as she keeps playing, her head down and her beautiful voice drifts our way.
Vibrations echo in the tunnel and the wind picks up speed, ruffling Ashley's hair around her face. I watch her checking out the people around us. The train comes in and screeches to a halt. The doors open and we get on as other people get off. Taking a seat in the back of the car, I pull Ashley down next to me and hold her close. Ashton, Redline, and Christian all surround us standing up, hanging on the bar above their heads.
"So, what's the plan once we get to the apartment?" Ashley asks.
"We're going to get settled in and then Redline, Christian and I are will scout the neighborhood. See what we can come up with." Ashton answers, looking around to determine if anyone's eavesdropping.
"What are we supposed to do and are you bringing Mia with you?" Ashley asks.
"You're going to stay low and out of sight and no Mia’s staying right where she's at." Christian answers. "I'm going to visit her after our scouting mission and see how she's holding up, then get our SUV and bring it back with all of our stuff."
"I hate being out of the loop," Ashley huffs.
"I can think of ways to keep us busy," I whisper. Ashton grunts and Redline rolls his eyes.
"And that's why we're leaving. The tension in the air is unbearable." Christian states with a smirk.
"Has anyone heard anything about Xavier and Izzy? After hearing your story, Nolan, I'm really worried about them." Ashley says.
"So far, no harm has come to them," Ashton responds.
"How do you know?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Because I have eyes and ears all over this city. Marks and Ramirez flew in an hour ago and they're scouting the area. They've made it into the apartment building where Xavier and Izzy are and planted cameras outside the door and some surveillance equipment around the building. They can't get in though. It's heavily armed with an alarm system and there's always someone guarding the inside of the door. So, we have to tread carefully." Ashton tells us.
"But they've actually seen them?" she asks hopefully.
"Yes. They caught Xavier on camera. He's OK. Only a few bruises, but we need to get inside and get them out. Once Switch realizes we're here, I don't think it'll stay that way." Ashton responds. There's more he isn't telling us. I can see it in his eyes.
The train lurches around the bend and Redline loses his footing. He stumbles forward before straightening.
"Those curves suck," he grumbles.
"Redline, how much do you know about fighting?" I ask.
"I'm pretty good. Never really tested myself, but I've never lost a fight before either."
"How many fights have you been in?" I ask.
"Oh, I'd say at least two." Ashley snorts and Redline narrows his eyes at her. "Hey, I did pretty well holding my own." he protests.
"Yeah you did, Redline. It's just weird. I'm not used to you fighting. You're more like a lover not a fighter, but it's what you want to do. Just please be careful." Ashley concedes.
"I will. Thank you, Ashley."
Our train slows down and lurches to a stop. Ashley and I stand up and Christian and Ashton are the first ones at the doors. Redline is standing behind us, blocking the other passengers. We shove our way through the doors, past all the New Yorkers, and up the concrete steps, emerging onto a busy sidewalk in the heart of Manhattan. I keep my eyes on Ashton's feet, not raising my head to look around. The scent of exhaust fumes and Italian food fill my nose and my stomach growls loudly. Ashley has her hand in mine and she lets out a small giggle.
"Are you hungry?" she teases.
"For more than food," I growl, draping my arm around her and dragging her close to my chest.
The sun is setting, and the spring air has turned chilly. Ashley wraps her arms around my waist and snuggles closer. Goosebumps break out across her skin and I rub her arms to keep her warm.
"Dang, I should've grabbed a hoodie from my bag before we left," she grumbles.
"I'll keep you warm," I whisper in her ear. She hums her approval, vibrating my chest, and it sends a blast of lust flowing through my veins. "The things you make me feel." I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her tighter.
"That's perfect." She approves.
"Not much further guys," Ashton says over his shoulder.
I sneak a glance at our surrounding and stumble to a halt. My heart beats hard against my chest and it's not because of the beautiful blonde wrapped around me. My body is trembling, and my ears are ringing. Memories are trying to surface, painful and powerful memories. There's a huge brown brick building looming in front of me.
This is where it all began.
"Nolan, are you OK?" Ashley asks. She rests her hands on my thumping heart. "Nolan, talk to me." She pleads.
"I...shit...," Stumbling through my words, I take a deep breath and try again. "This is where it all began." I finally whisper. "Xavier and Izzy are in that building and I can't do a fucking thing about it." Anger replaces the fear as I stare at the apartment building. My hands shake and it's not from the cold.
Ashton slowly walks up next to me with his hand out in surrender. There must be something I'm relaying because he only does that when the demon is trying to take over. I've had it under control for years, except when Ashley's life was on the line and her asshole ex tried to kill her. I clench and unclench my fists. My body's thrumming with rage and the monster I keep under a strict lock and key is trying to surface. I fight it back to maintain control but I'm failing.
"Nolan," Ashley’s voice penetrates through the bloodlust trying to take over. H
er soft hands caress my face gently. "Come back to me. I need you here, with me." She whispers against my lips. I wrap my arms around her and yank her against me. I don't want to hurt her, but I have no control right now.
"Back away," my voice is low and deadly, but my hands grip her hips tighter.
"No," she responds firmly. "I'm not letting you go."
"I don't want to hurt you, but I have no control." I grit out through clenched teeth. The demon is banging against my insides, wanting out. It demands to shatter everything in its path. It needs blood and revenge.
"Yes, you do. Nolan, look at me," She says pulling my face away from the apartment and towards hers, looking at me in the eyes. "You have control. It doesn't own you. You own it. Lock it up and come back to me." I pull her closer trying to fight it. Trying to lock it away. "Ashton, back away, I've got this," she asserts, not breaking eye contact with me.
My eyes leave hers and fixate on the three men surrounding us. Revenge vibrates my bones and I'm close to losing it, losing all control and submitting to the demon. They're closer than they need to be to my woman holding onto me. Black dots appear on the edges of my vision and I take a deep breath, not taking my eyes off them. They’re extremely close and I will wipe out every last person who tries to come near the woman I’m hanging onto for life. I will snap their necks and burn their bodies if they try to touch either of us. Strawberries assault my nose and Ashley keeps talking trying to bring me back, but I can't hear her. My heart is beating rapidly, and I watch the three men back away.
"That's it, now come back to me," Ashley says in my ear, breaking through the ringing. "I'm here with you. No one else. It's just the two of us." She pulls my head back towards hers, forcing me to stare into her light brown eyes. She smiles, and it lights up the world around me. The demon I battle with recognizes her and settles down. I'm now in more control as it let's go of the bloodlust.
Savage Chaos Page 7
