“What the fuck?” Valor yells out. “See what you fuckin’ did now? Why don’t you just fuckin’ leave? I’m goin’ through Dad’s things. If I see anythin’ I think you’ll want, I’ll put it all in a box.”
Valor leaves me sitting on the floor, surrounded by the debris of our fight. I can hear him talking softly to Savannah and none of the anger I’m feeling is present when he’s with her. Or anyone else from the club. No, all his anger is reserved for me these days. And I completely deserve it.
Leaving my dad’s house, I make my way to Allure. Finding the bottom of a bottle is the only thing on my mind after the altercation with Valor. And getting a few hours of sleep.
4
Annabell
IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT and I have a game tonight. Before we leave for the school, I’m at the clubhouse with Shy to help her cook dinner for everyone. It’s not something she does all the time, but a few times a week she tries to provide the guys a home cooked meal.
I haven’t really been back to the clubhouse since Vault yelled at me in front of everyone. And I never come on Friday’s because I know it’s party night for the guys. I don’t want, or need, to see them in various sexual acts around the clubhouse during a party, but I’m not going to have Shy cook for everyone all alone. It’s not like the house bunnies help her when she’s here. They don’t listen to her at all unless Slim’s around.
We decided since we’d have to leave from here, I should get ready for the game before we came over. So, I’m helping her make baked chicken, potatoes, and corn on the cob in my cheerleading uniform. No one’s said a word to me about wearing it either— they know better.
I’ve got the short as hell skirt on, the matching top, and my white shoes. My warm-up jacket and pants are lying over a chair because I’d be sweating to death in the kitchen with them on. I’ve got my hair up in a high ponytail and the necessary make-up on my face.
Shy and I are laughing and joking around while Kinsliegh and Rayven sit in a playpen playing with their toys. I keep looking at them to make sure they don’t want anything while we’re making enough food to feed an army. These guys sure know how to eat. And there won’t be any leftovers for anyone that’s not here for dinner tonight.
I’m putting the chicken in the oven when the kitchen door slams open. I don’t pay any attention since Shy’s in the room with me. It’s not until I stand up and turn around that I see Vault standing in the doorway. He’s got his arm wrapped around a girl barely older than me who’s wearing almost no clothing. And his face is bruised. He’s been in a fight and I wonder who it was with.
Pain rips through my chest at the sight. I know he’s no saint and he’s had his fair share of women. He’s never thrown it in my face like this though. I’ve never seen him with a single woman since coming to the clubhouse that fateful night.
“What the fuck, Annabell?” he yells out.
I ignore him and move to stand next to Shy. The look she’s throwing at Vault would put him more than six feet under if looks could kill. He’s lucky to still be standing here if her look is anything to go by.
“I’m talkin’ to you, Annabell,” he slurs.
Yeah, he’s drunk again. It’s a daily occurrence for him lately. But I’m beyond caring what he thinks, does, or says. Vault is just someone I used to know. No, I take that back. Vault is not someone I know. Alex is a man I used to know.
“Looks like you already picked your flavor of the minute,” I say cattily.
“You jealous, Bell?” he asks, using a name I used to love hearing from his lips.
“Not at all. You wanna spread your disease around, that’s your decision,” I say.
“What the fuck you wearin’ in here? You know better than to dress half naked when you’re in here,” he says, looking at my outfit. “Or you tryin’ to let one of the brothers pop that cherry for you?”
I’ve had more than enough of his shit. Walking up to Vault, I reach out and slap him. Shock takes over both of us.
“I’m sorry I slapped you, but what you just said is completely uncalled for. How dare you insinuate I’m going to let anyone near me. I’m not a slut like you and your friend here. So, if you don’t have anything else to say to me, I’m sure there’s better things you can be doing with your time,” I say. “Oh, and as for why I’m dressed like this, I have a game tonight, so a lot more than just the members of this club are going to see me dressed like this.”
Turning my back on the man who infuriates me more than anyone else, I barely register his reply.
“Oh, Bell, you forget I’ve already tasted you?” he asks.
Shy gasps and I know I’m going to be questioned about this shit. Vault is making it out to be way more than what it was. We shared a kiss and nothing more.
“You’re right, Vault. And that’s my mistake to live with. I won’t make it again. One little kiss means absolutely nothing to me,” I spew, looking at him. “Shy, can we go now? The house bunnies can do what they’re supposed to do and finish making dinner. I mean, if they’re not all spreading their legs already.”
Yeah, I took a dig at the bitch still clinging to Vault. She’s not even a house bunny since I’ve never seen her around here before. Like I said, she’s just his flavor for the minute. He’ll have a new woman on his arm before tomorrow morning. I know how these guys work.
“Yeah. We can leave. Let me just tell Slim we’re heading out and then grab the girls. I’ll let someone know to come in and finish dinner too,” she answers, walking past Vault without a glance.
I grab my warm-ups and leave. Vault and the bitch are still standing in the doorway as I head to the common room. Valor, Savannah, Killer, and one of the Prospects are sitting at a table as I walk through. I stop at their table to talk to Savannah for a second. She lets me know they’ll be at the game in a little while.
“Oh, Annabell, have you met the new Prospect?” Savannah suddenly asks.
“No, I don’t think I have,” I say sweetly.
I know Vault’s watching us because I can feel his eyes on me.
“Annabell, this is Hunter. Hunter, this is Annabell. She lives with Slim and Shy, but that’s her story to tell. Anyway, Hunter knows Killer,” Savannah tells me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hunter,” I say, holding my hand out for him to shake.
“You too, Annabell,” he replies, a smile on his face.
Hunter is a good-looking guy. He’s got short dark hair, shaved close to his head with eyes so dark they almost look black. Like, Vault, he’s got muscles in all the right places and tattoos covering his skin. Hunter’s got a pierced lip, both ears are pierced, and my mind wanders to what else may be pierced on him. Yeah, he’s definitely nice to look at.
“Well, I have to head out to get to the school. I’ll see you all later,” I say, tearing my eyes from Hunter’s.
“We’ll be there soon. I can’t wait to see you do your thing,” Savannah says with a wink.
“Oh, Valor, when you have some time, can we talk about something, please?” I ask.
“Anythin’ for you, you know that, Annabell,” he answers.
Valor’s face is also bruised, filled with several different shades of purple, yellow, and a light green. It looks like I’ve got my answer about who Vault got into a fight with. The brothers may be twins, but they’re as different as night and day. I used to think Vault was the man of my dreams and he’s now dashing them every second of the day and night with the decisions he’s making.
Valor is the man I thought Vault would be. He’s sweet, loving, caring, and a man who leans on others when he needs the support. Not someone who pushes everyone away at the first sign of heart break or something not going right in their life. Valor is a man of loyalty while Vault is a selfish man.
I make my way to the SUV where Shy is already waiting for me. She’s got the girls in their seats already and Slim’s standing outside her door. They finish talking and I let them have their moment as I get settled in the vehicle next to her.
>
“We’ll all be there tonight, Annabell,” Slim says before walking away from the SUV.
The second we’re through the gate of the clubhouse, Shy lets in about what Vault said in the kitchen.
“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
“What was Vault talking about in the kitchen?” Shy asks, not beating around the bush.
“Not what you’re thinking, Shy. We were sitting outside the house one day and I was talking about the boys at my old school. They used to ask me out all the time and I turned them down. I was called so many names because of it. I’m not stupid though, I know they only wanted to have sex,” I tell her. “Anyway, I was talking about the boys here being the same way. I’ve never done anything with a boy, including kiss. So, Vault kissed me.”
Shy’s silent for a minute. She’s taking in what I’ve said as she pulls into the parking lot of the school to drop me off.
“Annabell, you know you don’t have to kiss anyone or have sex with anyone you don’t want to. Wait until you find the man you’re supposed to be with before you give it all away,” she tells me. “As far as Vault goes, I can’t help you there. None of us know what he’s going to do these days. What I want for you is to kiss the boys who make you feel alive and worthy of sharing that gift with them.”
“I know Shy. I’m not going to do anything I’m not ready to do. And trust me, I’m not ready at all,” I let her know.
“Annabell, you know Slim’s told all the guys at the club they’re not to touch you, right. That includes Hunter,” she tells me.
I look at her for a minute. While I shouldn’t be surprised that Slim’s warned the guys away from me, I am. I’m not his blood and I want to be able to date whoever I want. This sucks.
“I get it, but I’ll be talking to Slim about this. I don’t want to be limited,” I tell her, getting out of the car and walking toward the school.
True to their word, the entire club showed up. Even Vault was here. They sat in the bleachers right behind the cheerleaders. I could feel more than just Vault’s eyes on me throughout the entire game. The only relief I felt was when we were in the middle of the field for our half-time routine. We were far enough away I didn’t mind the prying eyes from the club being on us.
As soon as we were back at the fence, Shy, Slim, and a few others were standing there waiting for me. I grabbed my water bottle and took several gulps while making my way over to them. Shy wraps me in her arms and tells me how good I’m doing while Slim stands next to us.
“Annabell, you’re good. Better than I thought with all the yellin’, jumpin’, and other shit you gotta do out here,” Slim admits.
“Hey, Annabell,” Hunter says, walking up to the fence with two trays.
He’s got several drinks on one tray and food on the other tray. Always doing work for the club as a Prospect.
“Hey, Hunter. Hard at work?” I ask, a smile on my face.
“Always,” he replies with a smile of his own.
Before anyone can say a word, Vault is calling out for Hunter to bring his stuff to him. Yeah, he’s trying to cockblock the Prospect at a damn football game. What I do and who I talk to are none of his business. He can kiss my ass as far as I’m concerned.
“Shy, where are the girls?” I ask, noticing they’re not here with them.
“At the clubhouse with the house bunnies. Since there’s no guys there, Slim told them to watch the girls so we could have tonight. It’s our date night,” she answers, cuddling up to her husband.
“And you’re at a football game? That’s not a date night,” I respond on a laugh.
Shy goes to respond, but my coach is calling for us to get back in formation as the football teams begin to make their way back onto the field. I offer up a smile, set my water bottle down, and get back to focusing on the game. Not on the man who’s occupied my thoughts for so long. Or the Prospect who is beginning to occupy my mind.
We ended up winning the game. It was a good night full of laughter, excitement, and doing something I never thought I’d do again. The only dark spot is going home. Shy rode here on the back of Slim’s bike and now I have to figure out how I’m getting home. Usually, I’d be on the back of Vault’s bike, but I don’t want to ride with him.
The choice is taken out of my hands when Slim leads me to one of the SUVs the club has. Hunter is driving and takes me home following all the bikes to the clubhouse. I head straight to bed after washing the make-up off my face and changing into my shorts and tank top.
My thoughts are mixed up of Hunter and Vault as I drift to sleep. When I finally let sleep claim me, Vault’s face is the last I see.
5
Vault
EVERY SINGLE DAY I seem to spiral farther down the rabbit hole. Slim pulled me aside after hearing I tore into Annabell when I was drunk before her game and grounded me. I’m not to leave the clubhouse until further notice. He did nothing but piss me off. So, if I’m not allowed to leave, I’ve been drinking from the time I wake up until I pass out again.
No one wants anything to do with me, except for the house bunnies. I should be upset I’m pushing everyone away, but I don’t care. I’m over this shit and I just want to leave here. I want to be away from Valor, the guys in the club who knew my dad, and the numerous reminders of the man I miss more than anything. My heart breaks every second I’m awake and sober with the knowledge he’s not on a run or just off somewhere. He’s never coming back and I need to get over it. At least, that’s what everyone keeps telling me.
Well, there’s no limit for grieving. I’ll take as long as I fucking need to and I’ll do it in the way I choose. No one has any right to tell me how to get over the loss of my father. They may have known the brother who was in the club, but he’s my dad and they’ll never know the memories Valor and I have with him. Of the men he wanted us to be because of the way he raised us.
No, I’m not a man who’s making my dad very proud right now. If he’s watching over me, I’m sure he wants to come back and kick my ass for the way I’m acting and treating everyone. Especially Annabell. But he’s not here and can’t come back so I have nothing to worry about. I’m going to keep doing me until I can’t anymore. Until I hit rock bottom and need to do something to pull my ass back up.
Walking into the common room, I grab a bottle of Jack and walk back toward my room. I don’t want to sit where anyone can see me or run into the house bunnies. I’ve already kicked one out of my room and I’m not about to have a turn with anymore. With every single woman I bring into my room, guilt, remorse, and hate fill me. I shouldn’t be doing this shit to Annabell. It’s not right.
It’s also not like Annabell could give a fuck. I’ve seen the way she looks at our newest Prospect, Hunter. She looks at him the way she used to look at me— like he’s hung the moon and stars and she’s waiting to be old enough for him. Annabell will be eighteen soon and that’s all I was waiting for. Now, she wants nothing to do with me and I don’t blame her one bit.
Cracking the top of the bottle, I toss it somewhere in my disaster area of a room and take a long pull from the bottle. I let the alcohol burn its way to my stomach and warm me from the inside out. Since losing my dad and pushing Annabell away, I haven’t felt warm at all. It feels as if I’m constantly freezing and there’s nothing I can do to get warm again. The only thing that even starts to make me feel something other than anger and regret is Jack, my new best friend.
Thoughts of Annabell fill my head as I turn on the music and continue to drink. Let You Go by Machine Gun Kelly blares in my room. I picture Annabell when we first saw her with those assholes and how she meekly climbed in the van. Of her wearing my long as fuck sweatshirt and talking to Slim like she wasn’t scared out of her mind, like she wasn’t trading one hell for another. Then my thoughts turn to Annabell sitting on the porch of Slim and Shy’s house the day I kissed her. The sun was shining from behind her and made her look like an Angel on Earth. Blonde
highlights were brought out in her hair and her face looked so serious as she told me she’d never kissed anyone.
The only thought I could think of was being her first kiss— her first everything. I brought her face to mine and kissed her the way a man kisses someone he’s in love with. As I did it, I knew there was no going back and I shouldn’t be doing it, but I couldn’t stop myself. Her lips were the softest I’d ever felt against mine and she tasted of cherry candy and something all her. I had to force myself to go slow and not overwhelm her.
Before I know it, the bottle of Jack I brought in with me is gone. I toss it on the floor and make my way back to the common room. I’m stumbling about and I know I don’t need another bottle considering it’s still early in the day. Hell, it’s early enough all the men are at work and most the house bunnies are still recovering from the night before. I pull another bottle from the shelf and sit on one of the couches in the common room. No one’s here to bother me anymore so I should have some peace.
As I start drinking the second bottle, one of the house bunnies comes out and sits down next to me. I’m seeing two of her and don’t know which one is sitting with me now.
“Hey, baby,” she purrs, running her hand up my leg toward my cock.
I don’t bother responding to her, there’s no need. She lets her hand stop on top of my hardening cock still encased in my jeans from the day before. I lick my lips and set the bottle down. If she wants to take care of me, who am I to stop her?
“Take my cock out and suck it,” I tell her, relaxing back against the couch.
She does as I say and pulls my zipper down after unbuttoning my jeans. I close my eyes as she slides her mouth down my cock and back up. After several minutes of her doing this, I pull her off. The bitch has no clue what she’s doing with a dick in her mouth.
I’m sober enough to pull a condom from my pocket as she watches me. I grab her hip and slide her over so she’s straddling my legs and pull her down on my length. Instead of making sure she’s ready for me, I just slide into her. She moans out my name and I tell her to shut up. I don’t want to hear her voice. In my head, I’m with Annabell because it’s the only way my cock will stay hard.
Twisted Steel: An MC Romance Anthology Page 11
