When I'm With You (Little Hollow #2)

by Danielle Dickson

  Her face screws up. “He knew exactly what he was doing! He still took me against my own free will, drugged me, tied me up and stuck me in the back of a van for hours, then willingly handed me over to that psychopath!”

  Her voice rises and cracks as she finishes her sentence. I hang my head, there’s nothing I can say against that. Hell, it makes me want to walk out there and give him what he deserves but I can’t say if I was in his position I would’ve done any different, prospects do as they’re told no questions asked, that’s just club life.

  “Keeley, we need to get you out of here. Can you walk?” She doesn’t move, just stares at me. “Steely?”

  Her bottom lip wobbles. “Please don’t call me that.”

  Whatever we once had, the protectiveness I once felt for her, is still there but I don’t think she feels the same way. How can I expect her to? I abandoned her.

  With shaky hands, she zips up the hoodie and winces as she tries to push herself up the wall into a standing position. I try to help her but she holds out a hand. “Don’t touch me! Please.”

  I grit my teeth as I watch her limp three steps and then stop. I have a primal need to sweep her into my arms and carry her out of here, but I stop myself before I freak her out. She shuffles against the wall toward the door again with a determined expression on her face. Shit! There’s three of us and only one bike. I remember Taz’s bike and the cage outside and rush back in the room for his keys. Finding them in a front pocket, I take a moment to stare at his face, the rage and anger making me want to take it all out on him, but he got what was coming to him already.

  I walk back beside Keeley noticing she has a sheen of sweat across her forehead and I swallow, just watching her sway from the effort has me on high alert. She stops, a bloodied hand braced on the wall, eyes closed, and I catch her in my arms as she falls, wincing slightly as my knuckles ache at the movement. I pick up her fragile body and curl it into my own, ignoring the smell that seeps from her.

  I walk outside and I’m just about to tell Jacques that we need to get rid of Taz’s body, when I hear sirens in the distance. He spins around and gawps at me holding Keeley’s body.

  “Jacques, go!” I shout.

  He shakes his head. “No, you haven’t done anything wrong. If anyone’s staying, it’s me.”

  He squares his shoulders off and for the first time in his life, I see a man standing before me but I still won’t let him go down for this. “As far as they know, you ain’t done nothin’ wrong either, got it?”

  Flashing lights come around the corner and I take a deep breath, pulling my face into a neutral expression, the face I use for the cops. All three cars skid to a stop and six officers jump out and point their guns at us.

  “Stop right where you are and put your hands up!”

  Put my hands up? Are they being fuckin’ serious? I look down at Keeley, she’s looking paler by the second. I continue to walk toward them not caring about my safety. “She needs medical help.”

  “Stop right where you are!” One of them shouts.

  I raise my voice as loud as I can. “I’m not the enemy here. My… friend needs medical help!”

  The cops eye each other and one nods at another. “Do you have any weapons on your person right now?”

  I shake my head, no. “We don’t have time for this, she needs help!”

  Their incompetence is making me angry so I start walking forward again.

  “Take one more step and I shoot!” The one nearest to me shouts.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “This girl is dying and you’re all just standing there watching! Just fuckin’ do something!”

  One of them talks into a radio attached to their chest. “Ambulance ETA; three minutes.”

  I sigh in relief and whisper in Keeley’s ear, “Help is coming, Steely. We’re gonna get you fixed up.”

  Her eyelids flutter. “Hunter,” she says on a breath, then she goes still.

  “Keeley? Can you hear me?”

  I drop to the floor trying to see if she’s breathing and hear the deafening sound of gun going off. Jacques roars out my name and I’m confused until I look down and see blood spreading across my chest, leaving a dark patch against my black t-shirt, but all I care about is getting Keeley the help she needs.

  “Just get her… help.”

  I see her eyelids flutter and hear Jacques shout my name again but it sounds muted, like someone has a pillow over his mouth. I trail a finger down her cheek, then everything goes black.

  “I always get my way, sweet girl.”

  “No! Get off me!” I thrash and kick out, but immediately regret it as everything in my body screams at me.

  Hearing something crash to the floor, my eyes spring open, instantly making me shut them again against the bright light assaulting my vision.

  Bright light?

  My breathing starts to become erratic. Think, Keeley, think! I hear a door opening and cower against the soft mattress beneath me, not wanting to open my eyes.

  “Kee?” A choked voice sobs out.

  My eyes spring open, not caring that the light is blinding me. “Sam?”

  She flicks off the light and runs over to me, hugging me fiercely. I don’t care that every bit of me hurts, I’ve been dreaming about this for the last few days that I’ve had to put up with his torture.

  I must be dead, this isn’t real, so I hold on for as long I can until she finally pulls back and looks at me through tear filled eyes. “I was so worried about you, I thought I’d never see you again.”

  I give her a weak smile. “I’ll miss you, I never did tell you how much I love you enough. I hope you know I do though.”

  “I love you too, but what are you talking about?” She says looking confused.

  Tears drip down my cheeks as I look into her eyes. “This will all be over soon so I want to tell you some home truths.” I try to sit up but it’s a huge strain.

  This is my dream, my last moments, it shouldn’t hurt this much! I shake my head and look into her waiting, confused eyes. “I’m sorry I never told you about my past. I was scared you’d see me differently, just like everyone else did. They saw me for who I really am, but you, you looked through all of my bravado and took me in when I needed it the most. I’m so fucking thankful our paths crossed, you’ve made me a better person and I hope you found your happiness, you more than anyone deserves it. I-”

  She puts a finger to my lips and chuckles. “Are you giving me a goodbye speech? Are the doctors telling you something they’re not telling me?”

  She laughs again and I look around the room, realizing for the first time that I’m in a sterile looking room.

  “W… where am I?”

  “You’re not dead, Kee. You’re in the hospital. I’m here, I’m real.”

  She smiles that dazzling smile at me and I take in her serious face, all humor dropped out of it now.

  “Sam?” I struggle to reach for her hand so she helps and extends the rest of the way.

  Tears fall down my face, I’m alive, I made it! But why can’t I remember what happened?

  “It’s me, Kee. You’ve been through so much but they got the guys that did this to you, you don’t need to worry anymore,” she says weakly.

  I squeeze my eyes shut. “Guys? What? It was… it was just the one, my Uncle.”

  She frowns. “Kee, I think you’re having trouble remembering. There were three guys-”

  She stops talking immediately as I get agitated and shake my head furiously, feeling the bandage at the back of my neck rubbing. “No, there was only one.”

  She pats my hand. “Calm down, you’re safe here. Let me go find a doctor and tell them you’re awake, they can explain everything.”

  She looks down at me with a worried look on her face as I cling to her hand.

  “Sam, I know what happened to me and who was there.”

  I shiver as his face lingers in my mind.

  She pats my hand. “I believe you. I’ll go get a doctor, t
hey want to talk to you about… your injuries.”

  Her eyes widen at me as she says it and it confirms that I don’t even want to see myself in a mirror.

  I nod my head as she walks out of the door and I start to feel a panic build up in me. Was there three people holding me captive? Why can’t I remember anything after he forced himself on me? Is my mind blocking everything else out to save me from it all?

  I curl up on my side and let the tears fall.

  A little shake on my shoulder wakes me up and I flinch until I look up into Sam’s smiling face. I try to sit up.

  “Here, let me help,” a deep voice says from beside me and I jump at the sound.

  I instantly relax when I look up and see who it is; Connor. I smile and watch Sam as she looks over at him, pure love in her eyes.

  “Thank you,” I say sincerely, meaning more than for just helping me sit up.

  He nods and smiles at me. “You’re welcome.”

  “No, I really mean it. Thank you for looking after Sam.”

  He smiles a sweet smile and looks over at Sam with the same look on his face that she had. It makes my frozen heart thaw a little.

  She clears her throat, breaking their connection. “The Doctor came to see you earlier but you must’ve fell asleep when I left. He said he’d come back after five so I guess that’s around now.”

  They both give me a weak smile and I can tell Sam wants to say something but she bites her lip to stop herself from saying it.

  “Spit it out,” I say, making Sam and Connor look at each other.

  He gives a slight shake of his head but she narrows her eyes at him before turning to me.

  “You… you were talking in your sleep.” I dip my head in embarrassment, who knows what they heard. “You kept saying ‘Hunter’ over and over again.”

  My brow pulls down in confusion and a pain in my chest starts to spread upward. Hunter.

  And just like that, everything starts flooding back to me. The second time my uncle forced himself on me and I lay there, emotionless.

  My mom.

  He killed my mom.

  The knife, the blood, the life draining from his eyes.

  I killed him.

  “I killed him,” I say out loud.

  Sam sits on the bed beside me and grabs my hand. “What do you mean?”

  Her voice is precise and careful, like she’s speaking to a child.

  “My Uncle, I killed him,” I say impassively.

  She looks at Connor again with wide eyes and he nods and walks out the room. “Keeley, is he the one that hurt you?”

  I flinch, hurt me? He damn well nearly broke me, but he got sloppy and misjudged me. I look up as there’s a knock on the door and two uniformed cops come in.

  “Would it be alright to have a few minutes while you’re awake?” One of them says.

  I nod slowly. “Sam, can you wait outside please.”

  She squeezes my hand and I hear the gentle click of the door closing behind her.

  “My name’s Sergeant Hernandez, and this is Sergeant Daniels.” Daniels smiles at me and I look from him back to Hernandez. “We were two of the six police officers first on the scene, we’re glad you’re looking better than a few days ago.”

  A few days ago?

  “I’m sorry, how long have I been here for?” I ask.

  Daniels answers. “It’s been four days, ma’am.”

  My breath hitches and I shiver, four days.

  “Before we ask you any questions, we just wanted to let you know that there’s nothing for you to feel unsafe about. All the perpetrators have been apprehended. And you-”

  “Why does everyone keep saying there were more than one? There was only my Uncle, and I killed him.”

  They look at each other. “Ma’am, there was one dead on arrival, and two others. We took one out at the scene and the other was arrested shortly after.”

  No, this isn’t happening! I gag and Daniels grabs a kidney shaped tray from beside my bed and I retch into it, feeling the burning in my stomach and throat as I do. They’ve both turned around to give me some privacy, but turn back as I clear my throat. “You’ve… you’ve got the wrong people, they were there helping me. They saved me. I killed my Uncle.”

  “Just get her… help.”

  My throat constricts and I choke out, “Hunter-” Then the sobs are for a completely different reason, he was trying to get me to safety. “You shot him.”

  Hernandez steps forward. “We were just doing our duty, ma’am.”

  “Stop with the ma’am!” They look at each other. “He was trying to get me help and you shot him.” I stare daggers at them both. “Get out!”

  Daniels holds his hands up. “We still need to take your statement-”

  “Fuck you and your statement, I’ll give it when I’m damn well ready.” My fists flex and the ache in my bones and muscles is more apparent with me being wound so tight. “Get. Out.”

  Hernandez takes a card out of his chest pocket and places it on the nightstand. “Give us a call when you’re ready, we’re sorry for upsetting you.”

  They both give a quick nod and walk out, leaving me in my misery. My body is screaming desperately to hear his voice again. My safety net.

  I crawl under the covers on the tiny hospital bed and cry until I can’t cry anymore. I cry for what we had, and I cry for the person he used to be, the ghost of the memories we once shared playing through my head.

  I wake up alone, just like every other birthday. Only today is my sixteenth birthday. I don’t know why I was expecting it to be any different from any other I’ve had, but I still can’t stop the disappointment from radiating through me.

  I shower, get dressed and grab some coffee on the way out the door to school. I’m not looking where I’m going and hit a hard wall of muscle.

  “You should watch where you’re going,” a deep voice says, making the butterflies in my stomach swarm.

  I look up into his swirling brown eyes that are filled with humor. “Yeah? You shouldn’t stand in people’s way.”

  I start to take off down the sidewalk and he runs to keep up with me.

  “What do you want, Hunter? I’m gonna be late for school,” I say irritated, this is the first time I’ve seen or heard from him in two months.

  “It’s your birthday,” he states.

  I roll my eyes and take a sip of coffee out of my flask. “No shit, Sherlock Holmes.”

  He chuckles and cupss my elbow to stop me from walking. “I thought you’d want to do something?”

  I shake his hand off my arm and he follows me again as I walk ahead. When I don’t say anything, he huffs and turns on his heel, walking back the way we came. I fight with myself but my willpower doesn’t equate to much when it comes to him, so I stop and shout out, “What did you have in mind?”

  He turns with a cheeky grin on his face, showing his bright white teeth through his stubble. He knew what he was doing. “The range?”

  I smile wide back at him never being able to stay mad, and nod, school can suck it. We walk back to his house and I jump on the back of his bike, wrapping my arms around his waist tightly as we ride toward the clubs shooting range.

  We stay there until my hands go numb, pulling them into his own, he blows on them to warm them up. “Wanna go grab something to eat?”

  I smile up at him. “Sure.”

  Why am I suddenly feeling really shy with him? I’ve known him all my life. Maybe it’s the way he keeps looking over at me like he wants to say something?

  He takes me to my favorite diner, the one that does the best mac’n’cheese, and we order our usual. The waitress walks away and I shift under the intense stare Hunter seems to have me in.

  I huff. “Have I got something on my face? ‘Cause all this staring is really starting to make me feel like I do.”

  A burst of laughter erupts from his mouth making him sound carefree, but it’s a huge contrast to the expression twisting his features. He looks sad.

>   “Spit it out,” I say, and he raises a brow. “Come on, I won’t bite.”

  He leans forward, elbows resting on the table in front of him. “I have to go away for a while.”

  That’s all he says and I feel a pang in my chest at the thought of him going away again, these past two months have been torture. “How long’s a while?”

  He shrugs. “A while.”

  Indecision is written all over his face, he’s clearly not telling me something. “H, you know you can talk to me.”

  He squares his shoulders. “No I can’t, you’ve been in this life nearly as long as I have. You know the rules.”

  I sit back in the booth and tuck a leg under me. “Yeah, but I’m here anyway. You know I won’t say anything.”

  His face screws up. “Don’t do that, if I could tell you, I would. I just thought I’d let you know I won’t be around for a while. I’m under a lot of pressure at the club being the Pres’ son. It’s not easy, I feel like I haven’t earned the right to be treated any differently but my pop is pulling out the big guns and sending me on big runs already so I can prove myself.”

  He runs his fingers through his shaggy brown hair and for the first time today, I notice how tired he looks. That fucking club! I want nothing to do with it. As soon as I turn eighteen and I have to pick, I’m leaving it behind so fast I’m going to leave a trail of smoke behind me.

  I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and he looks up at me. “Just say it, Steely.”

  I sigh. “You’re not like the others, Hunter. You’re kind, you don’t treat women like objects, and you have this air about you that screams that you’re important. Regardless of what you do or what people think about you, they know it. You have twice as many balls as all of them put together! You’re your dad’s son that’s for sure, you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone.”

  He smiles at me, a genuine smile. “If only everything was as simple as that.”

  The waitress brings us our food breaking the heavy mood around the table, and the conversation turns lighter, but the hint of tiredness never leaves his eyes. He’s only nineteen, he shouldn’t have this sort of pressure put on him already as a new member of the club, but he’s right, being the Pres’ son comes with certain responsibilities.