Explosive (A Bleeding Scars MC)

by McCarthy, Abby

  I was guarded with Charlie; my posture went stiff with her nearness.

  She noticed and immediately scooted further away from me. I watched her from the corner of my eye.

  "Maybe, you don't know. I wasn't sure if Ace told you or not, but Enrico held me and nearly beat me to death, among other things," she spoke quietly, but continued like she needed to let me in. "I remembered hearing you once, and that's one of the main ways they discovered where you were."

  This confession was shocking. I didn't know what to say, so I reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it as a show of solidarity.

  "I'm sorry that happened to you," I finally whispered, feeling an unexpected tinge of guilt that I wasn't able to do anything to stop it. "There were too many girls. It's good you got out, most didn't."

  Charlie just nodded her head like she knew this as well. "I almost didn't. If it wasn't for your brother, I would've died chained to the wall."

  "I am glad he rescued you, then."

  We sat quietly. The conversation we had just had seemed too heavy for small talk. Just as the silence was beginning to become uncomfortable, Gun ran up to the couch and plopped down between us.

  "You're good on your board." It was easy to break the silence with young Gunner in between us.

  "I'm not that good. But the more I practice, the better I get."

  "Yep, Gun. Practice makes perfect." Charlie ruffled the sandy hair on the top of his head. Gun squirmed to get away from his mom.

  I heard raised voices from the hallway. I wanted to see what was going on with Ace and Gunner. A few of the men milling about stopped what they were doing and moved down the hallway towards the muffled noise.

  I began to stand to see what was happening. I had a strange tight feeling in my chest. I didn't want Ace and Gunner to have a problem because of me.

  Gun grabbed my hand this time. "If I were you, I'd leave them alone. They argue, sometimes. It's nothing serious. Dad says, even though it ain't right, sometimes that's how men deal with shit."

  "Gunner Reed, you watch your mouth," Charlie hissed, not amused at all by her boy's language.

  "Sorry, mom." Gunner shrugged and then grabbed a piece of my hair. "Your hair's pretty. It's dark like my mom's, but your eyes look like my dad's." It was hard not to notice how similar Gunner's eyes were to my own, little Gun's too.

  "Hey, do you want to see how good I am at Fortnite?"

  I had no idea what Fortnite was, but the earnest way Gun looked at me, I was quick to say, okay.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ace

  I was irritated. I didn't like the way Gunner was talking to me in front of Alex, as if I'd done something improper. I didn't want her to think that either. Leaving her, even for a minute was hard enough on me, but to know I needed to deal with Gunner's bullshit, was irritating. Gunner was my brother, I loved him. But like all dysfunctional families, I also wanted to beat the shit out of him right about then.

  Shane felt the tension between us. It usually was Shane and Gunner who were close to throwing blows, and I had to intervene. Gunner hadn't gotten close to me; hadn't said anything as we walked down the hall, but the urge to beat the shit out of him was real. I had to take some deep breaths. I didn't need to be fighting with him, but there was no way in hell I was going to leave Alex alone, and if he suggested it, I wasn't really sure what I would do.

  The door clicked shut as we moved into the office. I took a seat behind the desk because that's where I normally did my thing. As I sat, I quickly typed in my passwords on the computer and pulled up multiple screens for surveillance. I knew Gunner and Shane had already sat down, but I ignored them, making sure I had cameras pulled up inside the club, the outside perimeter, and the exterior of my house. I was going to see if I could figure out which Hades was at my home so I could bury the motherfucker.

  Once I was satisfied that I had eyes on everything I needed to, I looked up and met Gunner's eyes. He didn't wait to say what was on his mind.

  Of course not. Always so fucking eager to talk.

  "She's my sister, Ace."

  I didn't respond. I gave him a look that said I fucking knew that.

  "She's been through God knows what, at the hands of those sick fucks. What the fuck do you think you're doing? It's clear as fuck to see you got a thing for her. So, you... what... think it's a good time to make a play for a woman who's been through hell. She needs family and time to heal not to be starting some shit with you. I can see it all over your fucking body language that something's going on there. So, I'm asking you, what the fuck?" Gunner's voice was raised.

  I again didn't say anything. I often thought sitting back and listening gave me a better edge. He'd say his piece all of it, and when I spoke, I'd have a clear picture of what his objections were. Everything he just said only pissed me off, though. So, I was waiting because if I spoke too soon, I might snap.

  "Ace, I'm not playing with you, brother. This shit is whacked."

  I was done with his shit. I looked at the screen and saw Alex's body lock up as she spoke to Charlie. I didn't like that. Not one fucking bit.

  "I think I have a pretty big fucking clue as to what she's been through. Enrico was a fucking dog, but you already know that, don't you? Yeah, you might've noticed something between us, and that's because there is something between us. Not you. I'm not going to explain myself to you. I'm not going to ask for your blessing, because you know what brother," I spat the words back at him and rose while I was doing it.

  "There should be no one in the world that you'd trust more with your sister than me. You think on that. You think how you getting in my face after I just killed, however many men getting her back might bond two people. You think I wouldn't handle that with care?" My voice was raised, and Gunner began to stand to meet me eye to eye, but Shane grabbed him by the shoulder and rooted him to the spot.

  "Take his words in. He makes some damn good points."

  My nostrils flared. There was a knock on the door. "What is it?" Shane called out.

  "Everything all right in there?" It was Donnie, and Lord only knew which other brothers were in the hallway trying to hear what was going on to see if they needed to step in.

  "It's fine," Shane said, looking pointedly between Gunner and me. "Isn't it, boys?"

  "I don't fucking like this, Ace. How do you know she doesn't feel some type of obligation to you for saving her?"

  "Nice to know you think so highly of me."

  "Fuck!" Gunner ran his hands through his hair. "It's not that. It's just I saw how Charlie was; how it took a long time for her feelings to work themselves out. I just don't want you to move in a way that will be more than she can deal with."

  "You've talked to her for what? Ten minutes? What makes you think you're qualified to determine what she can and can't deal with?"

  "He's right again, Gunner. You don't know what she's made of yet." Shane paused and rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to make a couple of calls. Get some burgers, brats maybe. We'll keep it small, but I'm thinking, what you should be doing right now, Gunner, is getting to know your sister. Let's cook-out and shit. Have a couple of beers. Get to know her."

  "I don't know, Shane," I interjected.

  "We'll do it at your place, so she feels comfortable. Let's just show her what family is all about. Show her you two dimwits know how to fuckin' act."

  Gunner shot him a glare, then nodded. "You know what? Maybe you're right. Something small, though. Let's just have a normal fucking afternoon before we deal with Hades. Speaking of... you checking the feed Ace? Do you know who it was that came to your house?"

  I sat back down and searched through the feed. It was Gabriel, Hades Runners’ enforcer. I could tell from the feed that he was carrying. That pissed me off even more. Came to my mother-fucking house carrying a goddamn gun.

  "I won't leave her unattended again. You're right, Gunner. I should've called a prospect. Won't make that mistake again."


  We finished up our little come to Jesus. I wasn't really sure Gunner and I had come to an agreement about anything, but it didn't matter. I was going to do what I was going to do, and brother or not, no one was going to fucking stop me.

  I walked into the central area of the clubhouse, and my eyes immediately landed on Alex. She was sitting next to Gun on the couch, and he had a handheld gaming device in his hand. Her brows were pinched like she was trying to figure out what he was doing. Charlie sat quietly, watching the two of them. She stood and walked over to Gunner. "You good?" she asked.

  He nodded and pulled her close to him. "Gun said shit again," she told him.

  "Hey, Gun. What I'd tell you about cursing? Stop saying that shit in front of your mother." Charlie slapped his arm. "Gunner," she scolded. "He's never going to stop cussing, unless you stop doing it in front of him."

  "How I talk is how I talk. But he'll learn to have a mind about it in front of his momma."

  She shook her head, and my feet became unglued as I stopped staring at Charlie and Gunner, and moved to Alex and Gun.

  "Hey, bud. What are you playing?"

  "Fortnite."

  "This is so strange to me. I've never seen anything like it?" Alex admitted.

  "I have other games too. Have you ever played Grand Turbo?" Gunner looked up at her waiting anxiously for her answer.

  "I've never seen—what do you call them—video games? I've never seen anything like this before.

  "You've never seen a video game before?"

  Alex shook her head. "No, I guess I've been what you might call sheltered."

  I inadvertently admitted a small growl.

  Shane overheard it and slapped me on the back. It was a warning, telling me to keep it in check. "You up for a little company at Ace's house?" Shane asked Alex.

  She looked around, unsure, but her words were contradictory, "Okay."

  I reached down and grabbed her hand. This came so naturally to me like her hand was supposed to be there. It felt so right. “Don’t worry. It'll be small."

  "Cool. Ace's TV’s huge." Gun stood up, jumped on his skateboard, and I heard him shout, "Hey Reggie. Party at Ace's."

  Great! Just fucking great.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ace

  "I thought you said this was going to be small?" I asked Shane as the roar of two more sets of pipes turned my attention to the road where a couple of brothers were steadily parking.

  "It's not a kegger," Shane shrugged as I glared.

  It wasn't that I didn't trust my brothers in my house; it was more that I didn't really like it. People, in general, were not welcome in my space. I did have a killer patio, and I was glad that most of my brothers were outside. It was mid-afternoon, and someone already started a fire in the fire pit. It was not exactly the warmest weather, although we were lucky and the sun was shining, the wind was still cold as fuck.

  I watched Alex chatting with Angie, one of my brother's wives. She seemed confident and poised. She stood tall with her shoulders squared and her back rigid. But what she didn't appear was genuine. I thought about what it was like when we left the clubhouse. She had me stop at a drugstore since I hadn't had a chance earlier because my phone had pinged almost as soon as I’d left the house, alerting me that someone was on my property.

  "I need money to make a few purchases," she explained when I brought her to the drugstore.

  "Babe, pick out what you want, and I'll get it. Trust me. It's not a thing."

  "It's important to me that I have my own cash. Can you do something for me? I have these necklaces that I don't want. I took them because they're valuable. They're worth a lot of money. I'd like to sell them, but I don't know where. Is there a—what do you call it—pawn store?"

  It was the second time today I was made aware by her word choice that she had been kept from so many things. I mean, who's never seen a video game, or a pawn store? I was going to have to handle that with care.

  "You won't get high end from a pawnbroker. Why don't you let me see if I can sell them to a private buyer? You'll get more money from them that way."

  "All right, thank you. In the meantime, can we keep track of how much I spend, and I'll pay you back?"

  "No."

  "Excuse me?" She asked, with a bit of an edge to her voice. I liked the subtle heat in her tone. It made me feel like she had spirit, despite her often composed demeanor.

  "Princess, it means something to you to pay your way. I get that, I really do. But I'm not the kind of man who's going to keep track of every penny you spend and ask my woman to pay me back."

  "Your woman?" She scoffed.

  "You don't get it yet, because you've never been around men like me. My guess? The type of men you've been around aren't men at all. They're cowards and scum, and I wouldn't blink twice, putting a bullet in each and every man who had touched you."

  "And about me calling you my woman? We're working on that. You being mine and me being yours. If you don't want that and we're not on the same page, I need to know."

  She was quiet for a minute, then conceded, "Oh, all right. Buy my stupid make-up and shampoo."

  I smirked, noticing how she didn't deny that she was mine. We might be new and in a complete cluster fuck of a world, but there was no denying that there was something between us.

  She bought more make-up than I thought she would ever use, and once we were back at the house, she showered. When she left the bathroom, she had on a full face of make-up.

  I didn't like it. Not that she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, she was, but as I watched her talking with some of the various members or their wives in my MC, I couldn't help but feel like the make-up was a mask and the fact that she felt like she needed it, irrationally angered me.

  So, I was on edge.

  I didn't want to share her attention either, which also didn't make a whole lot of mature sense, but there was something about this woman that could make me lose my goddamn mind.

  "The first set of burgers are done," Knuckles hollered, setting down a tray filled with meat. "Donnie's got brats and dogs going now." Knuckles and Donnie were always the ones to grill. When it came to food, those two knew their shit. They could make the simplest of foods taste incredible.

  Charlie made a large tray of mac and cheese, and Angie made a massive bowl of pasta salad. A few other women brought some store-bought desserts. It looked great, so I knew I needed to get in there quickly. These men could eat.

  Tired of watching Alex from across the room, I moved to her, grabbed her hand, and said, "Let's get some food before it's gone."

  "It was nice to meet you, Angie." Alex smiled as I ushered her into the kitchen, grabbing paper plates for both of us. "You, too," Angie called out.

  "There's a lot of people here," Alex said quietly, so that only I could hear.

  "Do you want me to kick them out?" I was dead serious. Why I went along with Shane's idea, Lord only knew. It was like he could ask me to do anything, and I would, without even questioning it. I should've questioned this.

  Alex could see how serious I was by the steely look in my eyes. We moved up in the small line, and I grabbed some plastic utensils for both of us, handing her a set.

  "Everyone is having a good time. Why would you kick them out?" I didn't answer, I just glared at the crowd in my kitchen. I got why Shane thought my house would be good. This way, Alex could meet people, and she wasn't in an unfamiliar place. Gunner grabbed a few plates and walked up behind us with Gun on his heels.

  "How ya’ doin', Alex?" Gunner asked gently.

  She turned to him, looking mildly shocked by his soft tone. She quickly schooled her features. The more I watched her, the more I realized how guarded she was. She didn't want anyone to know what she was feeling. She may have thought she was a good actress, but I was beginning to see that there was a whole lot more to Alex than I ever could've imagined.

  "I'm good, thank you. this is nice. And thank you for sending him after me." She motioned to me, and a lit
tle bit of pride swelled in my chest.

  "He's one of the best men I know. I knew if anyone could get you home and safe, then it would be him."

  I made eye contact with Gunner. His words to his sister were a form of an apology. We wouldn't talk about it again. Emotions were high, but in the end, I knew he'd see what I saw. If there was ever a perfect woman for me, it would be Alex.

  It hit me at that moment that maybe we were more similar than I'd realized. We both had endured. We both had been tortured, and we both have a guard up that's not so easily taken down.

  I watched Alex, even though we were now in front of the food, and the line was long behind us. Her eyes closed briefly; she turned her head away from Gunner and mouthed the word home, as if tasting it on her tongue before she'd actually spoken it. Maybe she needed to learn this was all real and that we would do anything to make it that way for her.

  We got our food, but she put so little on her plate, I added a few additional things. I wanted her to eat. I wanted to take care of her. I'd never really taken care of anyone before, but Alex made me really want to.

  "Let's go out back," I suggested, then called out to Gunner and Gun, "Meet us outside."

  "Yeah," he said as he helped Gun load food onto his plate. Gun was old enough to do it himself, just not quite tall enough to reach everything.

  I grabbed a couple of folding chairs that I had in a red bag on the hook by the back door. My patio was large. It had huge slabs of blue dyed, stamped concrete with a built-in fire pit in the center of it that was large enough for big gatherings but still looked cozy. I also had a huge grill-top that ran off a gas-line. It made grilling easy, and that's how I liked things. I had plenty of patio furniture, but with everyone here, I was glad I had back-up chairs.