by Rebel Hart
So I sped away from campus again.
“What about your classes?”
It was the last of Hannah’s voice I heard. I tore out of the parking lot and skidded onto the road, hearing another car honking its horn as I almost crashed into it. I gripped the steering wheel with all my might and sped toward the intersection, hitting the yellow light just as I careened left. I didn’t know where in the world I was going, but I needed to get away. I needed to get as far away from campus and grades and tests and expectations as much as I could.
And the more campus dimmed in my rearview mirror, the freer I felt. I drew in deep breaths as I drove around town, watching the clock tick past midnight.
I didn’t know what I’d do about Hannah. Or classes. Or Max. Or anything else. One thing was for certain, though. One thing I knew for sure.
However much of Max I was allowed to have, I’d take.
6
Max
I sat on the back porch and let the afternoon sun batter against my body. It felt good, actually. Like sitting in a dry sauna. I’d taken three warm showers already just to try and unlock my muscles. They were tense. Aching. Bruised and battered.
But mostly, they missed Dani.
“Want a beer?”
John sat a glass bottle in front of me and I snickered. I picked it up and took a couple long pulls, feeling it wash down the last of the pain medication that had been lodged in my throat for the past few minutes. I licked my lips and set it down, watching the condensation already rolling down its curves.
Dani’s are better.
“How you feeling?”
I sighed. “As fine as I can feel.”
“How’d you sleep last night?”
I shrugged. “Like shit.”
“So normal.”
I snickered. “Yeah, normal.”
John nodded. “Dani seems nice.”
“She’s a good girl.”
“Doesn’t seem so good to me. Skipping out on those classes.”
I grinned. “She’s got some spunk in her if you give her a chance. Just doesn't know how to…”
“Let it out?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Oppressive parents?”
I shrugged. “Don’t really know.”
“Bad childhood?”
“Again, don’t know.”
“Do you know anything about this girl?”
I know she’s incredible. “She’s smart. Wanted to be a doctor at one point before switching her major.”
“A doctor. Nice. What made her switch?”
I paused. “I’m sure she’s told me, but I don’t remember.”
“Pussy too good?”
I growled. “Don’t you talk about her that way.”
He held his hands up. “Just making a joke. Damn.”
I took another long pull from my beer before I heard footsteps beside us. I whipped my head over and kept the groan to myself. John stood up. I had my hand already gravitating toward the gun on my hip. When Rupert emerged from around the corner of the house, I sighed.
“You almost got shot, you know,” John said.
Rupert chuckled. “I would’ve dodged.”
I snickered. “He is good at missing those flying pieces of metal.”
Rupert smiled. “I take it you’re feeling better?”
He clapped his hand against my shoulder and I grunted.
“Or maybe not. Sorry.”
I sighed. “You’re good. I’m at that part of the healing stage where everything hurts.”
He pulled up a chair. “That’s good. Means your body’s actually trying.”
John cleared his throat. “Want a beer, Rupert?”
He smiled. “Don’t mind if I do. Thanks.”
I held up my bottle. “And get me another.”
Rupert cocked an eyebrow. “You on pain medication?”
John chuckled. “You think he cares?”
Rupert pointed. “I think that girl of his will care.”
I drained the last of my bottle. “Well, she’s not here, is she? So fuck it.”
Rupert chuckled. “Spoken like a man who’s truly taken.”
I didn’t hate the idea. But it did make me bristle a bit.
“What brings you here?” I asked.
Rupert leaned back. “Coming to check up on you. See how you’re doing. Generally talk about how fucked-up things are right now.”
I nodded. “They’re pretty rough, yeah.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I just… got a bad feeling about all of this. Something’s not right. And I feel like it’s closer than we think. You know?”
John set the beers down. “Yeah. I know.”
I reached out and slapped Rupert’s stomach. “Maybe it’s all those deep fried pickles you ate at the bar before the meeting.”
Rupert narrowed his eyes. “Fuck off with that nonsense. And I mean it.”
I nodded. “I know you do.”
“Max, you’re sure your old man couldn’t have had a hand in this? Because you know I don’t trust the bastard.”
I cracked open my beer. “Who said anything about ruling him out?”
John slammed his bottle down. “I did. You know damn good and well Dad didn’t have shit to do with this.”
I thumbed over toward my brother. “He seems to think that if my father was behind it, he would’ve been there.”
Rupert shrugged. “Well, you said there was a fourth person in the car.”
John clicked his tongue. “Dad would’ve had a front row seat to the damn show, and we all know it.”
Rupert took a pull from his beer. “I mean, how close was that car, or whatever? He could’ve had a front row seat from there for all we know.”
“Dad didn’t do this.”
“You got any proof of that?”
I held my hand up. “The two of you can stop now.”
Rupert held up his hands in mock surrender. “Look, all I’m saying is, we don’t rule anything out until we have proof otherwise. Deal?”
I nodded. “Sounds fair enough.”
John shook his head. “I’m telling you, this isn’t Dad. We know Dad. We know his MO. How he works. You know this isn’t him.”
And as much as I hated to admit it, he had a point.
“Max, our father’s a monster. Right? Even I get that. But he has lines he wouldn't cross. A man like him still operates on morals. Even if they’re skewed.”
Rupert snickered. “Ashton has no morals.”
John hissed. “He does when it comes to his sons.”
I scoffed. “I beg to differ on that.”
“The garage was a one-time thing. Quit pissing him off.”
Rupert paused. “The garage?”
I eyed John hotly. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
Shock rolled over his face. “What? How the hell am I supposed to know you haven’t told your best bud about shit like that?”
“Tell me what? The hell’s going on?”
I sighed. “Dad sicced a couple of his bodyguards on me in our garage a couple of weeks back.”
Rupert leaned forward. “And you didn’t tell me? The fuck’s wrong with that man? And you’re sitting here thinking he didn’t order some men to jump you? After he did it himself?”
“That’s what I’m trying to say,” I said as I stretched out my legs under the table. “If this was Dad, he would’ve been there. Physically. He would’ve given the order himself. Yes, Dad has a code. And that code is to not kill his sons, but witness their ass-kicking if they need one. This isn’t Ashton.”
John took the reins. “Besides, we need Max. He needs Max. Without my brother, operations takes a hit. Without him alive, there’s no one to hand this club to. He doesn’t have any other sons. Or children, for that matter. Dad wouldn't kill Max. And these men clearly alluded to more coming. Right?”
I nodded. “Right. They’re out to kill me. That, in and of itself, rules Dad out.”
&n
bsp; Rupert didn’t look convinced. “I still think it’s reckless to trust a snake, regardless of whether he’s blood or not. He’s done you wrong before, Max. And apparently recently. A dozen times over in the past, too. Even you can’t deny that. So who’s to say he wouldn’t cross this line for the right price? Anyone can be bought. Your old man included.”
Damn it. Now Rupert had a point.
I ran a hand over my scruffy face and through my hair and leaned back, feeling my spine crack back into place. I closed my eyes, drinking in the sun. I stretched my body until it shuddered. Then I sat upright back in my seat.
“Feel better?” Rupert asked, chuckling.
I ran my hands down my face. “Let’s just finish our beers and order lunch. I’m about to eat my own damn foot, I’m so hungry.”
John sighed. “Why the fuck didn’t you say anything? I could’ve already had something ordered. What do you want?”
“Pizza,” Rupert and I said in unison.
John chuckled. “Fine by me. The usual?”
Rupert nodded. “Oh! But with those cinnamon whatevers this time around. Those fuckers were amazing.”
I sighed. “And extra dipping sauce.”
John scooped up his phone. “Great. Be right back.”
Rupert cupped his hands over his mouth. “And bring more beer!”
I winced. “He’s right there, you idiot.”
John barked with laughter. “Beer. Got it. Hold on.”
As John retreated back into the house, my mind began to wander. Could my own father really be behind all this? I mean, he was a master puppeteer. That man had pulled off some of the most difficult and mind-boggling things in the past to flood his pockets and line ours as well. And if that was true--if my father really was behind this--it would be hard to crack. Very hard. My father was an expert in covering his tracks and pinning shit on other people. He’d risen to the heights of the underworld he held now because of those two reasons. Getting out scot-free and being able to pin it on others when he couldn't.
“Has your father ever put on a hit on someone? That you know of?”
Rupert’s voice jogged a memory that sent a chill down my spine.
“Once,” I said.
“What happened?”
I sighed. “He succeeded.”
“Well, what was it your father wanted? Why the hit?”
My memories pulled me back. “He was making a play for a plot of land. Thousands of acres for him to sell off as he pleased, whenever it was convenient. The owner wouldn't take his offer because they had a ‘bad feeling’ about him.”
“Are you telling me your father had someone killed over land?”
“Not just any land, Rupert.”
John walked back outside with more drinks. “The land he now lives on.”
I looked up at John as he set the cooler of beers on top of the table.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Rupert asked.
I shook my head. “No. I’m not. He had someone killed in order to take that land for himself. Half of the money he has right now came from selling that land off piece by piece to the highest bidder. Our father is smart. So if there is a chance that he’s behind this, it’s because he’s making a play for something.”
John opened the cooler. “And what the fuck does his son have that he can’t just go out and buy? I mean, really. Come on. This is ridiculous.”
I paused. “Thanks. I think.”
Rupert reached for another beer. “Well, let’s play hypotheticals, then. It’s all we’ve got right now, so we might as well.”
I shrugged. “I’m down.”
John rolled his eyes. “This is stupid. I have those pictures, remember?”
I turned toward him. “You got them enhanced and tracked down?”
John paused. “Well, no. But--”
I turned back to Rupert. “Okay. Hypothetically speaking?”
Rupert grinned. “If your father’s behind this, what would be your most prized possession? The one thing you think someone might want to take away from you?”
Dani. “Nothing that’s of any concern to him.”
Rupert sighed. “Just play the game. Come on. What’s the most prized thing you own? The most expensive thing you’ve got?”
I shook my head. “The only thing I can think of that’s changed recently is Dani. But she’s not even that big a part of my life. Just some girl riding around with me.”
John pointed. “And attending meetings now.”
Rupert nodded. “That’s a hell of a step.”
I shrugged. “I can’t blame her. Dani’s the one that found me after I was jumped. She wanted to come along and make sure I’d be okay.”
John grinned. “Sounds a bit more than ‘just some girl.’”
Rupert chuckled. “Same thing I was thinking.”
I felt my face turning red. “Fine. Say my father wants Dani. Why?”
I didn't like how close to home this conversation was turning. Especially after the incident with my father that essentially put Dani on his shitlist. But as we all looked around the table, no one could really give me an answer as to why my father would want Dani. Or even want her targeted just to remove her from my life.
Dad did mention you were distracted.
I shook my head. “Let’s just sit tight until John can do what he does best with those images. Those insignias are all we’ve got right now. There’s no use in drumming up anything else like this, especially when we’re talking about some innocent girl.”
Rupert furrowed his brow. “What aren’t you telling us?”
I snickered. “You really want to know?”
John nodded. “It would be nice.”
I licked my lips. “If Dad’s behind this somehow, he wouldn't be after a person. He doesn’t give a shit about people. He only cares about what he can own. What he can claim as his own. Like his property. Or his money. Or his sons.”
John snickered. “Good point.”
Rupert propped his feet on the table. “So where does that leave us, then?”
I sipped my beer. “I think we’re coming at it from the wrong angle.”
John cocked his head. “How do you figure?”
I chugged the rest of it down. “If I can figure out what the hell is being targeted in my life--other than myself--that will tell us whether or not this is Dad. He’s got very few things he treasures. But if we can figure out what this person is after--other than my death, of course--that might help us backtrack and figure out who the hell is at the helm of all this.”
Rupert nodded slowly. “Shift the focus. I can get behind that.”
I pointed at my brother. “Which means we need those pictures and anything you've got on them A.S.A.P.”
John cleared his throat. “I’ll get on it big-time after lunch.”
I set my drink down. “Good.”
And before anyone could say anything else, I heard the doorbell ring from inside. Signaling pizza, more beer, and the eventual need to work.
After a nice nap, though.
My body needed a fucking rest.
7
Dani
My eyes began wandering away from my textbook and over to the wall. And as I stared off toward the middle of the library, my thoughts wandered back to Max. My afternoon classes had been brutal. It was all I could do to focus in my lectures and take decent notes. I was so mentally fried by the time my second class was over that I had to take a nap before coming to the library to study.
And I still wasn’t getting much done.
What has this man done to me?
I was worried about Max. I’d sent him a couple of text messages when I got up this morning, but I hadn’t heard back from him. No phone call. No text reply. Nothing.
It had me very worried.
“Come on. Be there,” I murmured.
I pulled my phone out of my leather jacket pocket and swiped at the screen. I had plenty of messages from Hannah. Memes. Pictures. Random shit she’d heard throu
ghout the day. Nothing from Max, though. I cleared it all out. Everything from Hannah. The one missed phone call from my mother. Just to make way for when Max got back to me. I didn’t have the capacity to speak with my parents right now. They’d hear the worry in my voice and my mouth would start running off at the first sign of them inquiring about my life. And I sure as hell didn’t have the need to speak with my roommate right now. Especially since she practically chased me out of the dorm room last night.
I hadn’t come back until I knew she was good and asleep.
Which wasn’t until about two in the morning.
I kept thinking about Max’s injuries. How beaten he had been. The blood. The pain. The way he grunted every time he moved. The man needed a doctor’s watchful eye. He needed a hospital, for crying out loud. I wasn’t even sure he’d called the doctor he told me he would. For all I knew, his brother was playing doctor and feeding Max his own necessary pain medications.
I’d never seen anything like that before.
You’ve never seen a fight in your entire life, Dani.
I picked up my highlighter and uncapped it. I had to stay focused. I had to get my mind back on track. There were videos of the lectures I’d missed posted online, which meant I had to dig out my headphones. I’m sure there were various things I needed to jot down. Things I needed to highlight in the book. And I was prepared for that.
But as I rummaged around in my backpack, I couldn't find my headphones.
“Shit,” I hissed.
“Sh!”
I whipped my head up and saw the librarian staring at me past her circular glasses. She had a mean glare on her face and her lips pursed into a tight pucker, staring daggers at me as if I’d just set off a bomb in the middle of the place. I nodded at her and silenced my movements, carefully moving my stuff in an attempt to find my headphones so I wouldn't have to go back to my dorm room just yet.
But they were nowhere to be found.
Seriously?
I closed my textbook in front of me and shoved it into the worn-out bag I’d had since my freshman year of high school. I stood up, sliding it over my shoulder to make the trek back to my dorm room.
And hopefully, encounter a more cheerful Hannah.
