“You’ll break. I get it, Brinks. We all get it.” I heard him move to the door, and it creaked open. “We’re brothers, and we’ll never let that happen.”
I waited until the door closed and his footsteps moved away.
My legs gave out, and my knees hit the floor. I buried my face in my hands and couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears cascaded down my cheeks, and I knew they weren’t going to stop. Not for a while.
Until Cora was back in my arms, I was broken.
*
Chapter Ten
Cora
“Get in the bath.”
I lifted my head from the table and focused my eyes on Jenkins standing in front of me. “Huh?” I had been half asleep, zoning out. My mind had been Brinks’ rough voice and the way my name rolled off his tongue.
“Get up. We’ve got company coming tomorrow, and I want you looking good.” Jenkins unlocked the chain from the table and wrapped it around his hand.
I sat up and looked down at the same clothes I had been wearing since I got here. “Showering and putting on the same dirty clothes isn’t really looking good.” I had tried to talk Susie into letting me wear some of her clothes, but she refused. Thankfully, at least she had given me a pack of underwear, so I wasn’t wearing the same pair every day. Granted, I had started showering with my underwear on to wash them and then draped on the heater. “And if they’re coming tomorrow, why am I going to get all dolled up today?”
“Because I fucking told you to shower today. That’s why,” Jenkins growled. He yanked the chain, and the metal cuff bit into my ankle. “And Susie can give you new clothes to wear.”
Susie looked up from the other end of the table. Of course, she was working on her diamond art. “What do you want me to give her?”
“Something that’ll make her look semi-decent.”
I curled my lip and bit my tongue. On normal occasions, when I wasn’t strapped to a table, I looked way more than decent. “I’ll just wash these clothes.”
I didn’t want to look good. I had no idea what Jenkins was up to, but I knew if he wanted me to look good, I wanted to look at the exact opposite.
Jenkins yanked the chain, and I quickly stood. The skin around the cuff was already red and irritated. I didn’t need Jenkins hurting it anymore.
“Fine, fine,” I muttered.
“Clothes, Susie. Put your damn arts and crafts away.” Jenkins strutted over to the bathroom, and I sprinted to keep up with him. “You’ve got half an hour. Make sure you scrub… everywhere.” He pushed me into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind me.
That was fucking disturbing.
My gut dropped at the possible reason why I needed to be clean.
It had been three days since the last time Jenkins had left Susie and me alone. Since then, he had been over by the gun table and on the phone at least four times. I never could make out exactly what he was saying, but it was always a serious conversation.
I hadn’t been able to bathe the last two days, so even though I was sure there was impending doom, the urge to soak myself in steaming hot water was strong.
I cranked on the water and clogged the drain. The tub was half full before there was a light knock on the door and Susie walked in.
“I hope these are okay.” She handed me a stack of clothes. “Jenkins said to make you pretty, but that really won’t be hard.” She smiled brightly.
I wasn’t so sure about that. I set the pile of clothes on the counter and held up the top piece. “Uh, this is what he wants me to wear?”
It was a black shirt with long sleeves. Not exactly what I was expecting when Jenkins said I needed to look good.
“That’s for you to wear after you get out of the shower.” Susie grabbed the next piece of clothing. She held up a black skirt that I wasn’t even sure would cover my whole ass.
“Uh, well…” I trailed off. Susie had been nice to me the past few days, and I didn’t want that to change. I knew I was walking the fine line—she could be nice or go off on me.
“I know it’s short, but you can totally pull it off.” She thrust it in my chest and then grabbed the next piece. “This is one of my favorite shirts. I thought it would look pretty with your hair.”
This shirt was also black, but it had bright, colorful flowers and butterflies on it. Something I would never willingly wear, but since Susie seemed to love it, I wasn’t going to tell her it was ugly as sin. “That’s very colorful.”
That was the best I had, and it was the damn truth.
“I know, right?” Susie gushed. The next piece of clothing she had was a black, cropped jean jacket. At least it would cover most of the shirt.
“Killer,” I laughed. “I would totally rock that any day of the week.”
Susie smiled proudly. “I knew you would love it.”
I grabbed the jacket and tossed it on the toilet.
“Susie,” Jenkins thundered from the other side of the door. “Get your ass out here right now and get started on dinner.”
I rolled my eyes. “Guess you better get out there.”
Susie hesitated, and it felt like she had something more to say to me. Instead, she just nodded and turned on her heel. “Just make sure you look pretty, Cora. I don’t want either of us to piss off your brother.”
She slipped out the door, and I was once again alone in the bathroom.
The tub was almost filled to the brim, and I turned off the faucet. I stripped off my clothes and slowly sunk into the water. It was just as hot as the day Susie had ran my first bath, and it was just as satisfying.
The scorching hot water helped to scrub away the dirtiness I constantly felt.
I didn’t know what was going to happen today. I didn’t know what was going to happen tomorrow.
I could be dead in ten minutes.
The uncertainty was killing me.
Would I ever see the Girl Gang again? They were all crazy, and half the time, I was trying to get away from them, but they were still the best friends I had ever had.
Would I have a job if I did manage to get out of here? I had two projects that were due last week, and I’m sure my clients were giving me a big F-you since I didn’t come through for them. Was being kidnapped by a psychopath a good enough reason to be forgiven for fucking up?
Would I ever see Brinks again?
I didn’t see any of this coming, and if you would have told me when I first moved into the clubhouse that I would fall in love with the dark, handsome, and quiet one who always seemed to know what you were thinking before you even spoke, I would have told you that you were crazy.
I had seen all of the other girls fall for their guys. Seen each time coming from a mile away. Did I see Brinks and I happening? Hell no.
Was I glad we had? Best thing to ever happen to me.
Now, I just hoped like hell I would get to see his handsome face again.
Gah. I sounded like all of the other girls when they finally realized they were in love.
I ducked my head under water and ran my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t sit there reflecting when I knew Jenkins was just outside with a fucking timer.
I wasn’t going to go through all of the what ifs and oh nos.
I emerged through the water and gasped for air.
I had gotten in my head for a second, and I knew if I stayed there, I wouldn’t make it out of this shack.
Jenkins had tormented and ridiculed me my whole life.
I wasn’t going to let him do it to me anymore. I was going to get out of this shack alive, and then, I was going to turn around and make sure it burned down with him inside.
*
Chapter Eleven
Brinks
“Get in here.”
“I thought you were mad at me.”
Cora cocked her hip out and leaned against the doorframe. “I was. Now I’m not.”
“Oh, really?”
Cora was such a sassy bitch, and I loved it. Earlier, I had given her a hickey, and sh
e didn’t know it until she was back in her room. I got an angry text demanding to know who the hell I thought I was to be marking her like that.
I tipped my head to the side and saw the mark on her neck. “It’s not even that bad.”
She slapped her hand to her neck and glared at me. “I’m twenty-nine, Brinks. Not some teeny-bopper. Contrary to your belief, a hickey isn’t what every girl wants.”
I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into my arms. “Then let me make it up to you.”
She smacked my chest and tried to push me away. She looked up and down the hallway. “What are you doing?” she hissed.
“I just saw my mark on you, and I gotta tell you, babe, it’s fucking hot.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed a handful of my shirt. She pulled me into her room and slammed the door shut behind us. “I thought we both agreed we weren’t going to be traipsing around the clubhouse like two lovesick morons.”
“Pretty sure you just called all of my brothers and your Girl Gang morons.” I chuckled and buried my face in her neck. I pressed a kiss to the hickey and decided I was going to give her a few more in places only she could see.
“No,” she gasped. “They’re not morons, they just…” she trailed off and shrugged.
“Just not you, huh, babe?”
She draped her arms over my shoulders. “I guess I’m just selfish and want to keep you to myself.”
“Is that what we’re going to call it?”
Cora bit her lip and nodded. “That’s exactly what we are going to call it.”
“Then let’s get on with it.” I stepped back, bent over, and planted my shoulder in her stomach. I lifted her up and stalked over to her bed.
“This isn’t the reason why I stopped you,” she laughed.
I tossed her on the bed and folded my arms over my chest. “Then just what the hell were you wanting me for?”
“Uh, well.” She sat back on her elbows and crossed her legs at the ankles. “I thought maybe we could watch a movie or something.”
“I got church in half an hour.” Shit with Bobby was heating up, and Wrecker wanted us all on the same page.
Cora pouted out her bottom lip. “Oh, well, then I guess you better go.”
I stepped back and flipped the lock on her door. “I said in half an hour.”
She licked her lips and uncrossed her legs. “Just half an hour, though,” she whispered.
I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor. “Just enough time to add to your new body art.”
“What?” Cora gasped.
I launched myself on the bed, and she let out a startled shriek.
“Don’t worry, baby, I’ll be the only one who can see them.”
“You’re not giving me anymore hickies, Brinks. Rein in your inner horny high schooler.”
I sat back on my heels. “Trust me, baby. I wasn’t giving anyone hickies in high school.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed the hem of her shirt. “Right,” she drawled. “I find it hard to believe that you weren’t fogging up windows and handing out hickies like they were candy.” She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor next to mine.
“Dropped out when I was fifteen, baby. When everyone was hooking up and fogging up those windows, I was working my ass off trying to afford a place to live.”
She sat up and brushed her fingers down my cheek. “And then you decided to rob a Brinks truck.” Her lips broke into a huge smile, and I grabbed her wrist.
“You’re such a smartass,” I chuckled. I pushed her back onto the bed and covered her with my body. “I never should have told you about that.”
A giggle escaped her lips. “You mean you don’t tell everyone that when you were eighteen you decided to rob an armored truck because you thought you could take one of the guards?”
“A miscalculation on my part.”
“Huge miscalculation,” she smirked. “I don’t know why you didn’t think that there was another guy in the back of the truck.”
I grabbed her wrists and held them over her head. “I was young and dumb. I did drop out of high school at fifteen, baby. I obviously wasn’t all there yet.”
“Obviously,” she laughed. “At least you got a cool name out of it, right?”
“Yeah, but I think I could have done without the attempted robbery charge and five years in prison.” Not the proudest moment of my life, but it was something I learned from. There were always two armored guards in a truck and stealing shit wasn’t worth it. If I didn’t earn it, then it wasn’t meant for me.
“Just think, though, I would be calling you Robert right now.”
I abruptly let go of her wrists and placed my hands on her stomach. “What did I tell you about saying that out loud?”
“Don’t do it, Brinks. I didn’t call you it. I just said it,” Cora warned.
“Same thing,” I growled. “You never should have told me you were ticklish, baby. A bastard like me will use that against you every chance I get.” My fingers feathered over the skin of her stomach.
She clenched her teeth. “Stop.”
I dug my fingers into her soft flesh. “Stop calling me Robert, baby, and you won’t have to continually go through this.”
She glared at me and tipped her chin up definitely. “Whatever you say, Robert.”
“Oh,” I chuckled, “Now you asked for it.”
“Bring it, numbnuts.”
My eyes popped open, and the dirty ceiling came into focus.
“Yo, numbnuts.”
I rolled my head to the side. “What the fuck are you doing in my room?”
Boink stood in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. “Watching you sleep hump your blankets.”
I shot up and tossed the blanket on the floor. “I wasn’t fucking doing that.”
In about five minutes, I would have been. I was constantly dreaming about Cora. Most of the time, it was just memories playing over. The thing of it was that it felt real. Each dream was like Cora was with me. She was touching me and teasingly calling me Robert.
I’d kill to hear her call me Robert one more time.
“Shit is supposed to be going down today. Wrecker wanted me to let you know.”
I jumped out of bed. “What do you mean?”
Boink shrugged. “As of right now, there isn’t anything to tell, but Wrecker wanted you to know.”
“He wanted me to know that there isn’t anything to know?” I grabbed a shirt off the floor and pulled it over my head. I hadn’t talked to Wrecker much since we had our yelling match in the garage. I knew he understood what I was feeling, but I still felt that he could be doing a hell of a lot more.
“Look, we all know you’re dying for any word on Cora. Get your ass up. I’ve got a good feeling that things are finally going to start going your way.” Boink pushed off the door and headed toward church.
I pulled on a pair of pants, used the john, and headed straight for church. The last update Wrecker gave us was he didn’t know when things were going to happen. Obviously, that must have changed overnight.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Wrecker and Pipe were in their usual seats. Wrecker’s phone was on the table, and Pipe was kicked back in his chair.
Pipe raised his cup of coffee to his lips. “Nikki ran to get bagels and shit.”
“Alice is trying to talk me into calling the baby Kramer.” Wrecker drummed his fingers on the table. “Kramer Carmichael Bloom.”
Pipe cringed. “Is she looking for the kid to get the shit kicked out of him when he starts school?”
Wrecker shook his head. “Sure fucking seems like it.”
“That mean you’re having a boy?” Pipe sat up. “Last Nikki said was you guys didn’t want to know.”
“We don’t know. That’s the thing. She keeps coming up with all of these crazy boy names, but for all we know, it’s a girl and we’re not gonna have a name.”
I blinked slowly. “
Boink said shit was going down.”
“Not what I said.” Boink pushed past me into Church and sat down in his chair. “I said shit was going to happen today. I didn’t say shit was happening right now.”
“I’ve got food.”
I stepped to the side, and Nikki walked in with two large boxes and a plastic bag hanging from her arm.
“Hell yeah.” Pipe rubbed his hands together and jumped up to take the boxes from Nikki. “Thank you, baby.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and opened the first box.
“I heard there were bagels in here.” Alice and two of the girls walked in.
“I thought we were having a meeting,” I grunted.
Wrecker grabbed Alice around the waist and pulled her into his lap. “Nothing to tell right now. Might as well fuel up and be ready for whatever is to come today.”
Nikki turned and handed me a huge bagel with a wad of cream cheese between it. “Eat this. I promise it will make things better for a few minutes.”
I grabbed the bagel and fought the urge to tell her that the only thing that was going to make me feel better was having Cora back. “Thanks,” I grumbled.
The rest of the girls and guys piled into church and devoured the bagels.
“So, this is what you guys do when you yell church?” Raven asked around a mouthful of cream cheese.
“Babe,” Clash mumbled.
“This isn’t church,” Wrecker explained. “Didn’t call a meeting or anything. You guys just happened to hear Pipe and me talking and decided to have fucking brunch in here.”
Alice looked over her shoulder at Wrecker. “Looks like you’re really fighting us being here.” She wiped cream cheese from his beard. “You just had a little something there, babe. Must have been when you were trying to kick us out of here.”
Wrecker growled and grabbed her bagel from her hand. “Sass, woman. Pure sass.” He chomped down on the bagel and ripped off a huge bite.
She grabbed it back from him and shoved it in her mouth. “Don mesh wit da prognt led.”
Wrecker tipped his head to the side. “I don’t even know what you just tried to say.”
“Don’t mess with the pregnant lady,” Wren clarified. She motioned between Alice and herself. “I’m in agreeance with her.”
Fallen Lords MC: Books 7-9 Page 33
