by Simone Elise
I nodded my head, agreeing with her.
“She doesn’t really talk to me anymore. Not since she started dating him. We would always get into a fight about it, so she just stopped talking to me.” Kim looked down. “And I stopped talking to her.” Guilt washed through Kim’s words.
Abby hadn’t just withdrawn from the club; she had withdrawn from her family. Roach knew that. He just didn’t know what he could do to get her back. He was watching his daughter self-destruct. Hell, I didn’t know what to do either to get my Abby back, apart from give her time and stop her from making stupid decisions.
“She will come back to us.” I was saying it, but the pain in my chest that always came when I thought just how much of her I had lost surfaced.
“I’ll try talking to her again. Maybe if I avoid the topic of her boyfriend, she will at least talk to me about the baby.”
“Thanks Kim.”
“Does she know how much you love her?” She looked at me with wonder. “Even though she has put you through hell, you are still for there for her.”
“I’ll have any part of her that I can get my hold on. Even if that means just a small part.” I glanced up, seeing Brad talk to Cameron. We needed to get those bikes done. “I’ll see you later, Kim.”
“Oi Brad, you ready to do those bikes?” I walked to him.
“I’ve been working on my car all day. But if this is your way of asking for help, I guess I can give you a hand.”
I nodded my head and followed him out into the sun. Fuck, it was hot today. Maybe if I kept my hands busy, I could get my mind off Abby and what she might and might not tell Drake.
Chapter 17
Abby
“God, this is amazing.” I dug into the Chinese.
Drake laughed. “You’re acting like you haven’t eaten in weeks.”
I looked at him guiltily. “I haven’t been eating.”
“Abby.”
“Stop with the lecture. I’m eating now, aren’t I?” I stuffed my mouth with more food. God, why had I stopped eating this stuff? As soon as I tasted it, it was like my body had been craving it.
“You are.” Drake looked at me with a smile. “I’ve missed you, Abby.”
“Yeah you too. How are the clubs?”
“Good. Actually earning some real cash.”
“So now is the time I say I need a loan?” I was joking, but the serious look on his face told me he hadn’t realized I was.
“Is that why you’re with that boyfriend of yours? For money?”
I sighed dropping my fork. “No.” I knew he would mention Daniels. Reaper couldn’t possibly keep that to himself. Anyway, I had money. I did get paid for every hit, even though I was doing it for my freedom. Blake still liked me getting paid. “It’s not for money.”
“You love him?”
“I’ve only ever loved one man like that, and you know who that is.”
“Yeah, I saw the ink on your shoulder. But if you don’t love this bloke, why are you with him?”
I could tell Drake the truth. Have one person to know the real reason behind why I was with Daniels. Have one person know I wasn’t with Daniels out of love but out of commitment. Suddenly, I didn’t want to just tell him, I needed too.
“If I tell you, you can’t tell Reaper or Kim or Dad. No one.” Would I regret this? Or get some relief from knowing one person didn’t think I was out of my mind?
He nodded his head and I took a deep breath in. I could trust Drake. I knew that. So I found myself explaining the situation, starting with when Daniels came to me at the hospital.
***
We pulled into the clubhouse. It was late and I still had to get changed. Daniels would be here soon to pick me up.
“So you really don’t love this guy?” Drake said, not turning the car off.
“Nope, but I don’t hate him. He is just doing his job, and he is good at it really. The gang was never more controlled, not even when Damon was leading it.” I ran a hand through my hair, thinking how much I needed a shower.
But really, I was feeling so much more relaxed having one person know the truth. I turned to look at Drake.
“You think I’m weak, don’t you?”
“No. You’re doing this for your dad. You are putting family first. I just don’t like the idea of you running around killing people. How are you getting away with it? It’s been all over the news. I haven’t even been in your town and I know about the killings. They think a serious hit-man is behind it.” Drake looked at me, shaking his head. “If Kade had any idea that they are blackmailing you, he would make sure to get arrested to get in prison to kill Blake.”
My eyes went wide. “You can’t tell him. You promised.”
“I’m not going to tell him.” He took my hand. “But I am going to help you get out of this.”
A tear slid down my cheek. “I can’t get out of it. The only way is to finish the list. Which I’m close to doing. Have another one tonight.” The fact I was going to kill someone tonight should scare me. Hell, it would scare the old Abby. But when you are pushed to the breaking point and it comes down to their life or yours, well, it’s easy to pull the trigger.
“You should be more worried about getting caught for this shit, Abby. You would be looking at the death penalty.”
“I know. Which is why I’m giving the baby up.” I knew this would all come around and come back in my face. I was on borrowed time. “You asked me why I’m doing it. There is the reason. I’m not fit to be a mother.” I wiped a tear off my cheek. “Look at me. I’m running around with a gang member, killing people! How can I even consider being a mother? If Kade knew, he wouldn’t be fighting me on it.”
Drake’s hands cupped my face, and he brought my face close to his. “He’d understand, and he’d do everything in his power to stop it. This kid is a gift, Abby, and you are going to be a perfect mother. Look what you are willing to do for your own father. I can only imagine what you would do for your own kid. So don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up on this kid.”
“What if all I’m doing is hurting he or she? I’m killing people, Drake. Every weekend there is a new hit. What if I don’t get it done on time? What if I’m still killing people till I go into labor?”
“How many more people do you have to go?”
“Last time I checked, two or three. But Daniels doesn’t like telling me.”
“We’ll get a number. You are meeting him tonight, right?”
I nodded my head. Wait a sec. “What do you mean we?”
“I’m not leaving till this is sorted. Not till you are free from being blackmailed,” Drake said, so determined. “Now we should really get out because Reaper is glaring at me. Most likely for touching you.” Drake’s eyes flashed to my lips. “Plus it looks like I’m about to kiss you.”
“Well, he should know that wouldn’t happen. You and I never did kiss. We fucked and fought.” I smiled, taking his hands off my face. “Did he ask you to come?”
“Maybe.” Drake winked at me and turned the car off. “Wipe those tears away. If he even thinks I made you cry, I’ll be getting a black eye.”
“I don’t know why he still is so protective of me. Hell, he thinks I’m dating someone else.”
“He isn’t going to give up on you that easy. The man loves you.”
“If he knew what I was capable of. I doubt that love would stay.” I had been thinking lately. If Kade did love me. He loved the old me. The one that would be nervous around him. The one that wasn’t sure of herself. The one that would be filled with terror at the thought of killing someone. The one that spent hours drawing and painting. Not the one that was now considered a professional hit-woman. That filled newspaper titles and headlines.
I was a different woman.
“Trust me, he loves every side of you,” Drake said before getting out.
Was he right? Was that possible? I climbed out of the GT and saw Reaper in the garage. Drake was walking toward his brother. Would he be capa
ble of loving me still, even with my faults?
Who was I kidding? No one could love what I’ve become. Not even me. I don’t think anyone could hate me as much as I hated myself for doing what I’m doing.
***
Reaper
Drake had told me he was back and then disappeared after that, giving me no information on whether he got anything out of Abby. Abby had also disappeared this afternoon. I guess I was busy on the bikes so the afternoon had gone fast.
I was busy lighting a cigarette when my brother whacked me on the back.
“Had to deal with shit at a club. Sorry I couldn’t talk to you earlier. Is Abby around?” Drake looked around the pub.
I shook my head. “Nah, she disappeared right after you.” Half of me thought they had disappeared together just to get under my skin. It wasn’t easy for me to encourage their relationship. Hell, it wasn’t easy for me to encourage any relationship Abby had with another man. Especially when that man had strong feelings for her, which was the case with Drake. He didn’t just care about Abby, he loved her, even if it was just as a friend. Well, I hoped it was still as a friend.
“Good, we can talk.” He leaned against the bar. “She told me what’s going on.”
“Well, tell me.”
He frowned. “Can’t.”
“For fuck’s sake, Drake! I didn’t get you to come here, get her to talk, and not tell me!”
“I promised her I wouldn’t, and I think it is best you didn’t know.” Drake popped the cap off the beer. “But I can tell you, you have no competition with this Daniels guy. Abby doesn’t love him. If she had her way, she wouldn’t have anything to do with him.”
“So why the hell is she with him?” Why wouldn’t they tell me? I could bloody well help. “Is he forcing her to be with him?” Was he abusing her? Why the hell wouldn’t she tell me? More importantly, why the fuck won’t Drake? Couldn’t he see it was doing my bloody head in?
“I’m handling it.”
I scoffed. “How?”
“The guy is depending on her, not telling anyone what she is doing. But she has told me. So we are ahead of him.”
“Is it dangerous, what she is doing?” Why did I get the feeling like she wasn’t dancing with fire but was actually burning herself alive?
Drake gave me a look he used to give me when he was little. When he wasn’t about to tell me the answer but at the same time telling me by his expression.
“Fuck me.” I groaned. “Well, you have to stop her.”
“First we have to make herself look after herself more. Did you know she wasn’t eating or sleeping?”
“She mentioned she was tired.” I hadn’t been with her around meals. She was always going out for tea with Daniels, so I just assumed she was eating.
Drake scoffed. “She’s more than tired. She said she hasn’t slept a solid night in months, apart from the night she apparently spent with you.” Drake downed his beer. “Maybe you should sleep with her more often.”
“Already planning on that.” If Abby only slept with me, I was going to make sure we were in a bed together every night.
“And as for the baby.”
“What she talked to you about that?” I hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t even spoken to Kim about it. “How the hell did you get to open up about that?”
Suddenly I was even more jealous of their relationship.
“She thinks she isn’t mother material. Because of what she is involved in.” He looked me in the eye. “She thinks you would think the same if you knew. Which is why I’m not telling you. The last thing she needs is you yelling at her.”
“I’d never tell her she wasn’t fit to be a mother.”
“Yeah well, she is sure you would. And to be honest, given her position, I can understand her point of view.”
“So you’re saying she shouldn’t be a mother.”
“Reaper, I’m telling you that if I don’t help Abby get this situation under control, Abby won’t get a chance to be a mother or not.”
“Let me handle it. Just fucking tell me what she is doing.” I was the Reaper. I could handle it. I’d take all the bad till she was good again. I’d solve whatever situation she was in. Whatever she was doing, I could stop it. Whatever was stopping her from being a mother, I’d fix it.
“Not even the Reaper can save her right now. She’s drowning, and I’m not even sure how I’ll be able to help her.”
I saw Daniels walk into the pub. Fucking great. That meant she was going out with him tonight. My grip around the beer got tighter. What the hell would she be doing tonight?
“Is that him?” Drake whacked my arm, following my eye line.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, that’s her prick of a boyfriend.”
“About time he showed up.” Drake put down his beer. “You got my back if shit gets ugly?”
I frowned. “What are you on about?” But Drake had already taken off across the pub, heading straight for Daniels.
Why did he want to talk to him? Then I realized he wasn’t planning on talking to him when Drake’s fist connected with Daniels’ jaw.
Now that’s my little brother.
Everyone in the bar started chanting as Drake landed punch after punch. A crowd soon started to form around them. Daniels started to fight back, but Drake could handle himself in a fight, always could. Even when he was little. But if he needed me to jump in, I better get closer.
I pushed my way through the crowd just in time to see Drake take him to the ground. Couldn’t help but smirk. He was doing everything I wanted to do to Daniels.
I drank my beer and enjoyed the show. All the bikers were cheering every time Drake landed a punch. I think they hated Daniels nearly as much as me. He was the enemy after all.
Someone pushed past me and as soon as I felt her touch on my arm, I knew it was her.
Abby was wearing a strapless white dress and heels. The ‘Kade’ on her shoulder standing out. She had her hands on her hips, watching the fight. She wasn’t stopping it. She ran a hand through her long blonde hair and I didn’t stop myself from moving forward, placing my hands on her tiny stomach and pulling her back to my chest.
“Your boyfriend isn’t much of a fighter,” I yelled in her ear over the noise of the chanting and the fight.
She didn’t pull away. Instead she pushed back into my chest, resting her head against me. “Any chance you will break it up?”
“Nah babe.” I kissed the back of her head. Did she feel how perfect this was? Why did she have to leave with him?
“Well, I have to. We are already running late.” Her hands ran down my arms. God, her touch did crazy things to me. Don’t do it, Abby. But just as I thought it, she pushed away from my grasp.
“Drake, get off him,” she yelled down at them. “Seriously, now!”
She would end up getting hurt. I’d have to break it up. Even though I didn’t want to. I handed my beer to Brad.
“Hold that, would ya?”
“You aren’t going to break it up, are you?” He looked at me, annoyed. “Come on, Reaper. It should be you doing that.” He pointed at them.
“Yeah, it should be,” I grunted. He had no idea how much I’d love to lay into Daniels. I moved around Abby, who was still yelling at them, and grabbed Drake by the shoulders, pulling him off Daniels.
Drake still wasn’t giving up on the fight. Whatever Abby had told him was enough for him to let his temper roar.
“CALM DOWN!” I yelled at him and pushed him back.
“Drake, I told you not to get involved.” Abby snapped at him. “This is getting involved.”
“That fucker has to realize there are consequences to what he is doing,” Drake roared and went to lunge for Daniels again. I blocked his path.
“I think you’ve proven your point, little brother.” I calmly stood in his way. He had no idea how proud I was of him right now.
“Daniels, get up.” Abby turned her attention to her boyfriend.
“Who the fuck was
that?” Daniels snapped at her. I didn’t like the tone he was using at her.
“A friend. Now we should go.” Abby went around the bar and pulled out her holsters and guns.
“Why the hell do you need that? If you’re going out for tea?” It was my turn to snap at her.
“Like I said, Reaper. I like my girls loaded.” Daniels taunted me.
“I’m coming,” Drake said in between taking heavy breaths
“What, for dinner?” Abby frowned at him, pulling her holsters on. “Why?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
It was like they were having a silent conversation.
“It’s just dinner, right?” Drake threw at her. And why was I getting a feeling it was a whole lot more than just dinner?
“He isn’t fucking coming.” Daniels pointed a finger at Abby. “You know we have a busy night and don’t need company.”
“He knows.” Abby looked at Daniels calmly. “So he can come. After all, it is just dinner.” She dragged out the word dinner and then looked at Drake. “You loaded?”
Drake shook his head, and Abby pulled a gun from her holster and handed it to him.
“Well, you are now.”
“Abby,” Daniels started, but Abby was giving him a look to shut up.
“Daniels, he is coming. Make a big deal out of it and I’ll cancel tonight altogether.”
“You know very fucking well it took me months to get us this opening. So you canceling isn’t happening.”
“Then it sounds like Drake is joining us.” She glanced at me. “Thanks for breaking them up, Reaper.” She turned back to Daniels. “Let’s go.”
Drake put the gun in the back of his jeans and winked at me. “I’ve got this.”
I watched them leave. Brad handed me back my beer.
“Don’t know how you don’t punch that man’s skull in,” Brad said while everyone else went back to what they were doing. “Seriously, if your little brother can take him, you can.”
Brad was right. I shrugged my shoulders. “You got any plans tonight?” I knew I was going to spend the night coming up with theory after theory of what Abby was up to. Best if I kept busy.
