Rose In Bloom

by Mia Michelle

  I swallow the lump in my throat. He and I both know the other case he’s referring to. Amber had been one of the girls who waited tables at Lucky’s, a favorite bar in downtown Austin. With her long blonde hair, huge tits, and smoking hot body, she’d made every man around her hard. The first time I saw her, I sat there half the night watching her every move as she twisted her sweet ass around the place. A few flirts here, a few grabs there, it didn’t take long that night before we were fucking in the back room of the bar. Addicted, I craved her every day. I knew the bitch liked it when I got rough. Her bedroom was full of kinky shit. The thing is that, as hot as Amber was in bed, she had a smart mouth on her with an attitude from hell to match it.

  Because of that, I had to slap her around to keep her in line and remind her who was in charge. I’ll admit, the last time I laid hands on her, I went a bit too far. But she shouldn’t have been standing at the bar talking to that guy when I came in. She was mine, regardless of her telling me we were over. The cunt had pressed charges against me and slapped me with a restraining warrant. I’d violated it twice, following her around, which got me thrown in jail overnight.

  Despite everything, I couldn’t stay away, landing myself even more charges. The same charges, but now, she won’t be around to testify against me.

  As much as we fucked, it seems I wasn’t the only one she’d been fucking. The whore didn’t even seem remorseful when I caught her leaving the fucker’s house. So, when I confronted her in the guy’s yard, she smiled at me, and I snapped. I gave into my rage and pulled out my Glock, shooting her right between the eyes. Stepping over her lifeless body, I walked inside the house and shot the motherfucker she’d just slept with while he was in the shower. It was such a mess that I’d had to call my brother, Mikey to help me clean it up. Disposing of both their bodies hadn’t been easy, but let’s just say that neither of them will ever be found. Pops had more than made sure of that.

  “I promise, Pops! No more shit!”

  “I love you, kid. No son of mine is gonna sit behind bars if I can do something about it.”

  “I love you, too.”

  He pats me on the shoulder while taking my hand into his to shake. I feel the vial of cocaine slide into my hand.

  “This ought to help take the edge off.”

  “Thanks, Pops. Is Mikey with you?” I ask him, wondering if my older brother had come for a visit, too.

  “Yeah, he’s talking to the commissioner now. I’ll send him back when I leave,” he says, standing from the chair.

  “Take care of yourself, Brandon. We’re gonna get you back home with us before you know it!” His strong arm squeezes my shoulder.

  My father leaves the visiting room, stopping only to shake hands with a few of the officers. Maverick Larson is not someone you want on your bad side. No matter how sketchy his dealings are, he somehow remains a respected businessman here in Austin. A bribe here, a favor there, the man has built an empire around his shadiness. When something goes down, other people do the time for his crimes. My brother and I grew up in the business. I see what happens to people who cross him or rat on him. Problems disappear uncommonly easily for Pops, even if it means killing and dumping said problem in the bottom of a river somewhere. I know, because I’ve done it for him. My time as a bartender at Jaxx’s was a cover to scope out the joint for a place to launder some money. The hot women that work there just happened to be a bonus.

  I spot Mikey as a guard vaguely searches him so he can come in to see me. Obviously, the guard has intentionally turned off the metal detector because I know for a fact that Mikey has a Springfield XDM in a holster on his left side, a USMC KA-BAR neck knife sheathed on his right side, along with a Ruger LC9 strapped to his right ankle. I think my dickhead brother even sleeps with them.

  “What’s up, Lil’ Bro? You all right? Pops said you wanted to talk to me.” My big brother embraces me for a quick hug.

  “I’m hanging in there, Mikey.”

  “Pops is gonna get ya out, Bro. Just give it time.”

  “I know, but I need you to do something for me in the meantime.”

  “Whatever you need, you know that. We’re brothers! I got your back.”

  “I need you to look up everything you can on Sebastian Thorne. Pops seems uneasy about this one for some reason.”

  “Why? Maybe you need to let this one go, Brandon. Pops ain’t gonna like you fucking with this guy again.”

  “I got my reasons. Just do it.”

  “All right.” He sighs and throws his hands up. “I’m on it, Bro.”

  Pushing away from the table, he stands and embraces me again, this time shoving a shank in my hand.

  “Watch your back, Brandon.” Nodding, he walks out of the room. The guard doesn’t bother searching me, which is standard protocol for inmates after visiting hours.

  I’ve had a long time to think about what I am going to do to Sebastian Thorne. He has no idea whom he messed with when he fucked with what is mine. Skylar belongs to me. She just needs a little reminding of that once I get out of here.

  No one says no to Brandon Larson.

  No one.

  Lucas

  I didn’t sleep last night. Sitting here in the home that was supposed to be ours is fucking depressing as hell. I don’t give a fuck about the house, but what it represents cuts into my soul. This place had been meant to represent a life together. Now it’s a shell that only serves as a reminder of how empty I feel without her. Twenty-four hours ago, she had been mine, or at least I’d convinced myself of that. I have every right to be angry with her for breaking my heart, for choosing Sebastian over me, but I’m not. The thing is that I don’t think I can ever be angry with her. I love her too damn much.

  Did she ever intend to hurt me? Of course not. That girl is one of the most caring people I have ever met. Hurting me had been the last thing on her mind. She had warned me from the beginning that she didn’t think she could love again. I wanted to believe that I could change that. I had thought if she only had a little more time, she’d see that I would never hurt her. For months, I’ve watched her struggle to do the right thing, even when it killed her inside. I’ve witnessed her fight to get her life back, and I’m damn proud of her for doing it. I know she loves me. Of that, I am absolutely certain. But I don’t think she was ever in love with me. It’s always been him. Even though I was the one to wipe away her tears and hold her when she cried, Sebastian has never left her heart. I understand that kind of love because it’s how I’ve felt about her from the very beginning. Since I first laid eyes on her, she has owned me.

  Walking into the kitchen, I toss the empty whiskey bottle in the sink and grab my keys off the counter. Regardless of how much I hurt right now, I have to see her. I need to make sure she is all right. I know she still isn’t well, and going through what she did yesterday certainly isn’t healthy for her or the baby. Putting this talk off won’t do either of us any good, but she needs to know how I feel. You can call me a scorned lover if you will, but I know Sebastian Thorne is up to something, and I intend to bring him down for it.

  Months ago, I paid a little visit to Thorne Enterprises when I knew Sebastian was out of town. Even though he and I have our obvious differences, we still conduct business with one another. Since it isn’t unusual for someone in my office to need relevant documents, no one blinked an eye when I entered their archive department. The best way to see if someone is hiding something is to look through his finances. Since I deal with handling most of that, I know for a fact that it isn’t in anything I have seen from the time I have been working with him. This would be something much older than that. Secrets are usually paid for in cash so they will remain just that… secrets.

  I spent hours in that room looking through box after box of documents and ledgers. It wasn’t until I reached the back of the room that I noticed a box marked Final Documents. Curious, I removed the lid and began looking through the contents. I found several ledgers dating back from September 2005 to mid-
2006. At first, nothing about these ledgers seemed out of the ordinary until I saw one particular name that struck a chord – Maverick Larson. Maverick Larson, AKA Austin King Pin, and father to Brandon Larson, the guy who had tried to rape Skylar. Quickly adding up the figures, in less than six months, Sebastian’s father had wired more than two million dollars into several offshore accounts. Since the accounts were private, the ledgers were no business of mine. But I had a gut feeling that the box held far more information than a few transactions, so I took it with me.

  Once I got back to my apartment, I spent hours analyzing every possible sheet of paper and figure. In the end, I came up with absolutely nothing.

  Regardless, it’s all just too coincidental that Maverick and Alexander would have dealings of some sort. Maverick Larson is trouble, and no one double-crosses him.

  Had Sebastian’s father paid him off for something? Had Alexander paid him for a job he had no intention on anyone ever knowing about?

  I’d taken the box of documents back, but kept the ledgers with me. As long as I had Skylar, I never thought I’d need to press this issue any further. But now, I know they hold the key to bringing Sebastian Thorne to his knees. I just need to ask her one more time if she knows what he is hiding.

  When I turn on my phone, I see call after call from her and Kylie. I know I shouldn’t, but I listen to the messages.

  Message 1-Kylie: “Lucas where the fuck are you? Call me back!”

  Message 2-Kylie: “Okay, Lucas, I get that you are upset, but call a bitch back, please!”

  Message 3-Kylie: “LUCAS! DAMN IT! CALL ME!”

  Message 4-Skylar: “Lucas, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. God! I need to speak with you. Please call me back. Please!”

  Message 5-Skylar: “Lucas, please. I am so sorry. I know you hate me, but I need to know you are all right.”

  Message 6-Kylie: “Seriously Lucas, you need to talk to her. She’s extremely upset you won’t return her calls.”

  The messages continue the same, all the way to the last one.

  Message 10-Kylie: “I hope you are dead in a ditch somewhere, because if you aren’t, I’m going to fucking kill you when I see you. CALL ME!”

  Spotting Kylie in the hospital waiting room, I prepare for the verbal lashing I am about to get.

  “You are so fucking dead! Why the hell didn’t you call me back?”

  “I needed to do some thinking, Kylie.”

  “Please talk to her, Lucas. She is beside herself with grief of what she has done. You and I both know she never meant to hurt you. She cried all night long.”

  “Where is she?” I ask, prepared to be told she is in Sebastian’s room. There is no way I am going in there right now.

  “I made her go downstairs to get something to eat. I just came up here to get her phone.”

  “I’ll take it down to her. She and I need to talk about things anyway.”

  “I’ll be up here if you need me. Oh, and Lucas?”

  I turn and face her.

  “I’m sorry. I know you are hurting right now.”

  Nodding, I continue downstairs to the cafeteria. Scanning the busy room, I find her sitting in the far back corner. She is propping up her head with both hands, staring down at the tray of food in front of her with her shoulders slumped. It looks like she hasn’t touched a bite of it at all. Hesitantly, I move to where she is sitting and gently shove the tray of food back towards her. Slowly, she raises her head, and I see how exhausted and miserable she looks.

  “Lucas,” she whispers. Tears fill her eyes.

  Not able to bear another moment of seeing her like this, I sit beside her and take her into my arms.

  “Shh. Don’t cry, Skylar.”

  “How can you say that? I’m a horrible person to do this to you. You must hate me.”

  “You are not a horrible person, and I can never hate you, baby. Even after everything, I still love you, Skylar. I always will.”

  “But how? Look what I’ve done. I never meant to hurt you again, Lucas. That is the last thing I would ever want. I do love you, Lucas, just not-“

  I interrupt her. I know it hurts her to say the words, so I say them for her.

  “Just, not like you love him. Right?”

  “Yes,” she sadly replies.

  “So how is Sebastian?” I ask, trying to sound concerned when I’m not.

  “He is sleeping. The doctors think he might be able to be released in a few days if he keeps improving.”

  “You need to eat something, Skylar.” I shake the tray in front of her to get her attention.

  “I know, but I’m not hungry. Don’t worry. I drank some juice earlier. I promise I will eat something later.”

  I take her hand in mine, savoring the way her soft, warm hand feels. I don’t want to let it go. I can’t bear for him to be the one to hold this hand, to hold her.

  “Skylar, I need to ask you something, and I need you to tell me the truth, all right?” I ask her.

  “Of course, Lucas. What is it?”

  “What did you forgive him for? In order for me to make peace with this, I need to know what he did to you all those months ago.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t talk to you about that. It’s private, and I need to keep it that way.”

  “Why, Skylar? Why can’t you tell me? Secrets like that will destroy you. I won’t let him do that to you again.”

  “I can’t, Lucas. Things in the past are usually best kept in the past. He lied to me, and I lied to him. We’ve forgiven each other, now it’s time to leave the past in the past and look to the future.”

  “But Skylar, I-”

  She stops me. “Please Lucas. If you love me like you say you do, like I know you do, then please, don’t ask me about that again.”

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, I pull her against me and breathe her in. I don’t know when I will be able to hold her in my arms again. She isn’t going to like me for what I am about to do, but I am doing it for her own good.

  “I just want you to be happy, Skylar. I won’t lie to you. I want that to be with me. I don’t think you are making the right decision, but I know you will only realize that by following your heart. You need to know that, no matter what happens, Skylar, I will always be here… always.” Standing, I smile and she stands with me, wrapping her sweet arms around me.

  My angel.

  “Thank you, Lucas, but I know I am making the right choice. I love him. I want you to be happy, so please don’t wait on me. Sebastian holds my heart and he always will.”

  “I’m letting go for now, but I’m not going anywhere, Skylar. Please take care of yourself. If you need me anytime, day or night, you call me. Understand? I don’t care where I am or where you are, I will come to you.”

  “Goodbye, Lucas.”

  Fuck, those words hurt like hell. I will never bring myself to say those words to her.

  “I love you, Skylar,” I reply, releasing her from my hold and walking out of the cafeteria. I have one stop to make before I leave.

  With Kylie heading downstairs to check on Skylar, I make my way down the hall. Glancing through the window in his door, I study him. Mr. Almighty and Powerful looks weak and vulnerable lying there in the bed. Maybe I should pity the bastard for what he’s been through, but I don’t. He is going to answer some questions for me once and for all.

  His eyes open when he hears the door shut behind me. At first, he looks stunned, but then again, I think part of him was expecting this.

  “Come to finish the job?” he spits hatefully at me.

  “Save it, Thorne. We need to talk.”

  “Talk about what? You and I have nothing to say to one another.”

  “Oh, I believe we have lots to discuss.”

  Scooting up in the bed, his face winces with pain, but he continues speaking. “Spit it out, Lucas. What do you want?”

  “You know what I want.”

  “Well, you can’t have her. She is mine.”

  �
�Funny thing is that, up until yesterday, she had been mine.”

  “She never was yours in the first place. If you think for one fucking minute that you are going to win this one, you have another thing coming, Drake. That girl is my fucking life. I’ll die before I let her go again.”

  “What are you hiding, Sebastian? Whatever it is, I plan on finding out. You can’t make her keep secrets for you.”

  “You don’t know what you are talking about, Drake. She and I have no secrets between us.”

  “I came here to give you the chance to tell me on your own. I won’t give you this chance again.”

  “Fuck you, Drake. Get the hell out of here, and mind your own goddamn business for once. If you come near my girl again, I will end you. Is that understood?”

  Laughing, I look back down at him. He doesn’t scare me one fucking bit.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a bit scared. Maybe you doubt your own words just a bit there, mate.”

  “Get out!” he shouts, and I turn to leave.

  “This is far from over. In fact, I’d say we’ve just begun.”

  As I exit the hospital, I begin making all the necessary arrangements for my return to Austin. I hate to leave her, but right now, I need to attend to urgent business, business that will hopefully answer some long awaited questions of mine. As I settle back into my car, I make the one phone call I have waited for all this time.

  “Maverick Larson.” His powerful voice echoes into my phone.

  “Mr. Larson, this is Lucas Drake. I need to speak to you about a personal matter.”

  “I’m an extremely busy man, Mr. Drake. Perhaps, if you make an appointment, we can find some time in the next few weeks.”

  “It’s in regards to Sebastian Thorne, Mr. Larson.”