“I know, but I still want to do something good for you. Here, take this, and here is my number.” I write it down on an order sheet for him. “Go back and tell my father Anne didn’t meet you, and you found a new job. Then give me a call, and you can come work for the Angels. They pay more.” I wink on that last part.
“You can’t do this!” Anne screeches.
“But I can,” I tell her.
“I’ll call you later, Miss Schuyler,” Carl says as he smirks at the other woman. “Have fun, Anne.”
As they leave, I shut and lock the door. My wind chimes sound and I smile.
“It’s just you and me, Anne,” I tell her. “Why do you do the shit you do?” I ask.
“The cook is still here. He is going to call the cops on you if you hurt me.” She starts to panic.
I tsk again and shake my head. “No, he’s not. See my cook called in today. And I didn’t call anyone else to take his shift yet, seeing how we are pretty slow.” I wave my hand at the empty diner. I flip my open sign to closed and start walking toward her.
“You’re not going to hurt me. You’re not that type of person, Schuyler,” she says as she tries to backpedal.
“You’re right. That’s why I’m going to call Stanton, and he’s going to come and get you, and he’s going to take you to our Prez.” I shrug as I walk back behind the diner and pull my phone out and call Stanton.
As I listen to the phone ring, Anne gets this twisted smile on her face.
“What?” I ask her
“Your game just ended,” she says excitedly.
Just as Stanton answers, “Hello” on the phone there is a hand wrapping around my mouth, and an arm going around my neck.
“Put the phone down.” His hot breath in my ear makes my heart rate spike.
I put the phone down on the counter and I try not to whimper when he licks my earlobe.
“Anne, pick up her phone and hit the end button, then turn it off so it can’t be traced,” he tells her.
“Sure thing, babe.” She giggles. “I’m a little pissed off, you didn’t tell me about the hired help thing, Nate. It would have been nice to know.” She huffs.
He drags me backward and sits me down on a barstool.
“Well, I didn’t think Miss Schuyler would have bribed them more. I should have known though. She does have her father’s DNA. That’s a move her daddy would have made,” he says in my ear again.
“Fuck you,” I spit out.
His face transforms into a smile of pure evil.
“Tsk, tsk, Schuyler.” His eyes roam my body. “Falling for the bad boy from across the tracks.” He runs his finger across my chest and I smack his hands away.
“Anne, go get me something to tie her hands with,” he tells her.
“On it, baby,” she sings, and runs into the back.
“Why does she keep calling you ‘baby’?” I ask to get his mind off of me.
“Ohh, are you jealous?” he asks excited. “She’s my best kept secret.” He smiles.
“I think I might have some feelings for her,” he adds as he looks me up and down again. “Her body isn’t as good as yours, though.” He trails his fingers across my chest again, and I slap it away once more.
His hand comes out and grabs my throat, choking me. “Stop slapping my hand away, or else I will make this so much worse for you,” he grits out as I try to breathe. He lets my throat go and my hands fly up and rub it while I swallow gulps of air.
“Do your worst. I’ve lived through it once, I can do it again. Except this time, I have somewhere I can take my mind to, to help me escape.” I tell him with all the taunting defiance I can muster.
“Because of that, I’m going to make it that much worse for you,” he starts when Anne comes out of the back with rope she found in the kitchen.
“Will this work for her, Nate?” she asks.
“That’ll do. Tie her hands behind her,” he instructs.
“Is that all you ever do?” I ask her. “Do whatever someone tells you? You’ll never be looked up to, only looked down on. Grow a fucking backbone,” I tell her as she ties my hands. She has done a shitty job, because the rope is already too loose. I can nearly get my right hand free already.
She stands up and dusts her pants off and her eyes meet mine.
“I got the man you kept turning down. That’s all I ever wanted. Everyone was so fucking worried about you. Daddy's princess,” she grits out before she backhands me across the face.
My face throbs where she hit, but I don’t make a sound. My pain tolerance is pretty good, that mixed with my pride. They will never hear me cry out because of them.
“You had it made!” she screeches. “I had to kill, fuck, and manipulate my way to your spot,” she seethes.
“What a shitty spot to sell yourself out for, too,” I say laughing at Nate. “When he gets you so hooked on heroin, you can’t depend on anyone but him, remember – that’s the life you chose. That’s the life you’ve killed for. Fucked for. Manipulated for. Sold yourself for.” I spit out blood from my mouth where she hit me. Just as I raise my head, she swings out again and hits me again.
I groan and laugh at the same time.
“You stupid bitch! He won’t do that to me because I’m his ol’ lady!” Her crazy is starting to show and I laugh harder.
“Obviously, you haven’t been fucking watching anything other than the long list of people you have to fuck to get to where you want to be. He gets everyone addicted. That’s what he fucking does. That’s why I said no to him and my father.” I see her wheels turning. “Because, I mean, yeah, he is hot, but come on, girl. He’s fucking crazy, and he wants everyone to have to depend on him. That ain’t gonna include me.” I spit more blood.
“Alright, girls. That’s enough gossip right now. It’s time to get down to business.” He cracks his knuckles. “Anne, sit down, baby. Let me show you what happens when people say no to me.” He chuckles.
He walks up to me and grabs the front of my shirt and pulls me forward, making me stand up off the barstool. He rips my shirt open and trails his fingers over my chest again. I grit my teeth and look forward. He walks behind me and pulls me to his front. His hands slide down my arms and when they get to my waistline, he yanks my jeans down. I grit my teeth and keep my face straight, and I focus on the wall of windows.
“What do we have here?” he asks as he pulls out my twin blades and looks them over. “Still deadly with these, I assume, so we better put them over here where you can’t reach them, yeah?” he says as he places my blades on the counter.
He walks back behind me and as his arms go to grab my chest, Stanton walks out of the kitchen. His gun is drawn and he has it pointed at Nate’s head.
“Well now, look who joined us for this show!” Nate exclaims and his grip tightens on me.
“I’ll snap her neck, Stanton. Put the gun down, and sit over there and I will make sure she walks out alive when I’m done,” he says as he nods his head to the table where Anne is sitting, picking her nails in boredom.
“Maybe we can have a go around while they do, Stanton. I’ve always wanted to take you for a ride,” she purrs and my blood boils hotter.
“He won’t fucking touch you, you cunt,” I grit out at her.
“Why do you like him so much anyway?” Nate grumbles. “It’s his fault I’m even here right now. His junkie mother owes me money, and since she didn’t pay, here I am, taking my payment the way I want,” he tells me, his mouth too close to my ear.
“The fuck you are,” Stanton says as he pulls the trigger.
I am sprayed with the blood from Nate’s head and I hear Anne gasp. Her eyes turn deadly as she pulls out a knife aimed for Stanton. T comes through the back door, surprising Anne. That gives me the extra second to rip my hands out of the loose rope, and rush to the counter top. Grabbing my blades, I fling them both to her. One hits her chest, and the other, her neck. Stanton turns around to look at her and turns back around and his eyes are wide l
ooking at me.
“Damn, sweetheart. You weren’t kidding when you said you were good with knives.”
I sob as I take the few steps that separate us. I throw my arms around him and he picks me up at the waist and my legs go around him. The tears start to flow into his shoulder and I don’t even try to stop them.
“Shh,” he says as he rubs my back in small circles and rocks me from side to side. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
I laugh and sob at the same time as pick my head up. I put my hands on his face and shake my head.
“It’s not him I am worried about. I saw her with a knife, coming toward you. The man I’m falling in love with was nearly stabbed,” I say with a shaky voice. “I am just happy you’re okay. I’m not worried about me.”
His lips come crashing to mine and when he ends the kiss, his eyes roam my face.
“How did I get so lucky to find someone like you? Someone who loves me as much as I do her?”
My heartbeat is racing and the tears start to flow again.
“You love me, too?” I whisper, not wanting to take away from the moment.
“I do and I didn’t want the first time I tell you that to be surrounded by death, but I would give my life for you, Schuyler. I have all kinds of instincts telling me what I should do right now,” his voice is raspy.
“What are they telling you to do right now?” I ask as I run my fingers through his hair.
“That I need to get you the fuck out of here, and back home so I can make sure, with my own eyes, you are alright,” he growls out, while looking around at the mess.
“Call the Avengers and I will call Sabrina to tell her not to come in today. We will close up shop and head out. I also need to change my shirt, and wash this blood off my face.”
“Will you get in trouble for shutting this place up for the rest of the day?” he asks.
“I’m the supervisor, of course, I won’t.” I wink at him as I pull out my phone to shoot Sabrina a text.
I walk to the door and tape a note on it, saying we are having cash register issues, and to come back tomorrow. When I turn around, Vice is ending the call, and he makes his way to me.
“When I got your call and I heard his voice tell Anne to end the call…,” he trails off.
“Shh, Vice. I know. I’m okay. Take me home, and see for yourself,” I tell him.
“I plan to. However, first we have to make a pit stop,” he grumbles as we walk out of the diner.
“What the hell…?” I trail off as I see blood spots on the sidewalk.
We follow them as I see Carl lying on the ground bleeding out from his stomach.
“Oh my God, Carl!” I gasp out. “Vice, we have to call someone. He’s only hired help. He’s not a member. Nathan must have gotten him.” I panic.
“Hold on, Schuyler. I’ll get him help,” he says as he pulls out his phone.
My hands are on Carl’s stomach and his eyes flutter open.
“Miss. Schuyler, I’m sorry. He came out of nowhere. Billy got free. He was able to run”, he coughs out.
“Shh, Carl. We have help coming for you,” I tell him.
“Doc, we need you at Schuyler’s diner. It’s a friend of hers,” Vice says into his phone.
“How long until he gets here?” I ask.
“He’s right around the corner.”
“Thank, God.” I breathe as I hear footsteps running to us.
“Who is this?” a tall blonde guy asks. His arms are huge. And his blonde hair is shaved on the sides, but long on top.
“It’s a friend of Schuyler’s,” Vice answers before the blonde turns his blue eyes to look at me.
“Hi, Schuyler, I’m Doc Doug. I’m a member of the Angels. I can help your friend, but do you know what happened?” he asks me.
“He was stabbed,” I tell him, my hands still holding Carl’s wound.
“Okay, I’m going to cut his shirt open, then I want you to remove your hands, but not until I say, okay? It looks like you have enough pressure to stop the wound from flowing.”
“Okay,” I breathe, not knowing what to say.
He takes his scissors out of his bag and cuts Carl’s shirt down the front. He has a huge chest tattoo of a graveyard, and there are four tombstones with initials on each of them.
“Carl, you still awake?” I ask him.
“Still here, Miss Schuyler.”
“Carl, I’m going to give you a shot. It’s a strong drug that might knock you out. But I’m going to need to stitch this up, and I don’t want to cause you any more pain than I have to, alright?” .
“No drugs,” he coughs out.
“Carl, it’s going to hurt like a bitch,” I hiss.
“I don’t care. With all due respect, Miss Schuyler, I’ve been clean for five years now. I won’t relapse because of this,” he pushes out.
I suck in a breath and tears prick my eyes. “I understand,” I tell him, looking at his chest piece.
“Alright, Carl. Deep breath, because she’s right—this is going to hurt like a bitch,” Doc Doug says.
“I’m ready.” He nods.
Doc Doug pushes the needle into his skin and Carl doesn’t even make a sound. He never flinches, and his eyes never close. He takes the pain like a shot of whiskey, straight with no chaser.
When he finishes, we help him up and we get him into Doc’s truck.
“I’m going to take him home so he can rest up some,” he tells us.
“Thanks for coming, Doc.” Vice hits his knuckles on Doc’s.
“Always, brother,” Doc replies as he gets into his truck and leaves.
I rest my head on Vice’s chest and blow out a breath.
“Can we go home yet?” I ask.
“Not yet, we have one pit stop to make,” he says before he kisses my temple.
“Where’s that?” I ask with a groan.
“To the lockup. It’s time I ghost my mother,” he replies with strength.
Chapter 13
"What am I supposed to do!?" I bellow. "Yell until I'm blue in the face? Tried that. Beg and grovel? Done that. Plead with you? Been there. Berate you? Tell you you're worthless? Covered that. Tell you how much I love you? How much I miss who you used to be before you let this... let this fucked up addiction eat the soul you used to have?" I end on a humorless laugh.
I stand there staring at her and shake my head sadly. My chin drops to my chest and I breathe out a breath of defeat. The hand holding mine squeezes and I look over at the angel who walked into my fucked-up life. The angel my life has tarnished. No matter her history, my life has darkened hers. My stomach revolts at even the idea, let alone the fact.
"Stop," she whispers. "No matter what, I stand next to you. And if you can't do this anymore, say the word and I'll stand in front of you until you can start again."
I have no idea what I did to deserve Schuyler. I don't know if it's the world paying me back for the fucked up family I got, or if I did something else to deserve her.
I blow out a breath, not of defeat, but strength.
"Mom, every single time you fuck up, you call me. If I ignore you, you call my brotherhood. This is the last time. I'm finished. As much as it rips me up, I can't let your chosen lifestyle hurt Schuyler anymore. Your life choices—"
"You're going to choose this little bitch over your own mother?!" her screeches interrupt me.
All the guilt I was having for cutting my mother out vanishes. All the sorrow in this moment is replaced by bitterness and clarity.
With a smirk, I tilt my head. "First off, don't ever disrespect her like that again. Secondly, like you have room to talk. You chose your drugs, your pills, and your bottle over me, time after time after time. Just like you did Lexi. She moved across the country to get away from you, and your bullshit ways of bringing everyone around you down. Not anymore though." She tries to interject, I raise my hand while shaking my head. "I'm not choosing her over you. I'm choosing me, Mom. I'm choosing happiness. I'm choosing life."
> I turn on my heel with Schuyler's hand in mine, and walk out of her cell doors. I nod my head to the sheriff on duty and I ignore her yells, leaving her there, behind me. Once we are out of the holding cells, I turn and punch the wall.
"Fuck!" I roar.
Schuyler wraps her arms around my middle from behind. She grabs my wrists and pulls them to my chest, squeezing me, holding tight.
"Shh, baby. Shh," Schuyler whispers.
I sink to the floor, mourning the loss of my parent who is physically still alive, but has mentally been gone for far too long. Breathing deep, my chest rises and falls with each deep breath I take. With the woman I still don't deserve, sitting on the floor, letting me have this moment of weakness and sending me strength, I remember.
I chose myself. I chose happiness. I chose life.
***
We get to my house and I just want to lay down with her and make sure she’s okay, and worship her for being my strength back there.
I lead her down the hall to my bedroom. I sit down to unlace my boots and she kicks off her flats and walks to my bookshelf and looks at my collection.
“Is this your sister?” she asks pulling out a book.
“Yes, ma’am,” I tell her as I stand up and walk over and grab another one of her books. “I’ve bought and read every single one of these that she’s put out.”
My finger grazes the cover of the one I’m holding.
“I’m sure she is happy to have her brother support her like that.”
“Ehh... She doesn’t know.” I shrug.
“Will you tell me about her and why she doesn’t know that you are proud of her? I can tell, the way you’re looking at her books, the pride is shining bright in your eyes.”
“Where have you been my whole life?” I smile at her as I put the book down and pull her into my chest.
“Just waiting for the right moment to meet you.” She snuggles into my chest and I exhale a breath.
I pick her up by the waist and carry her to my bed. I lay down with her still on top of me and put one of my arms under my head.
“Where do I start with Lexi?” I wonder out loud.
My Vice: Fallen Angels MC (Fallen Angels MC Series Book 1) Page 9
