“Really?”
“And you’re not going to tell me to leave tonight.”
“No?”
“No. You’re going to fuck me while we wait for Lily to leave.”
I should’ve known she’d be watching from the main house. She’s kind of like me in a way, being told nothing, but still knowing everything. All-seeing and all-hearing.
Chapter Ten
Victoria
“Why are we going into town?”
Lockdown is over, but we’re still under certain rules from Cas with our comings and goings. For one, Luca and I are not supposed to be out this late on our own, but when Luca texted, asking me if I wanted to go for a drive, I wasn’t going to say no.
“You’re the one who wanted to come. Just wait.”
Rolling my eyes, I fiddle with the radio and grin when I hear the awesome Janis Joplin’s “Cry” spilling out of the old, tiny speakers.
Turning it up, I’ve barely sat back when Luca turns it off.
“Hey!”
“I’d rather listen to you talk,” he huffs, making me laugh.
I turn it back on, swatting his hand away when he goes to turn it off again.
Singing along, I pat my thighs in time with the beat. Rolling his neck, he side-eyes me, gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turn white.
Not at all bothered, I continue singing, only louder, and undo my belt. Leaning across the bench seat, I shuffle closer to him while singing into his ear, pleased he has no way of escaping me.
“You’re so annoying, you know that?” he nags, fighting back a smile.
Running my tongue along his jaw, I grab onto his bulge and start to sing quietly.
Shifting in his seat, I’m surprised at how well he maintains his focus on the road, even as he hardens in my palm.
“You’re going to make me crash.”
The truck stops, but not because he wants to do something about his hard-on. We’re on a quiet street, somewhere normal people live. Sitting back, Luca grabs my wrist. “You’ll pay for this later. But for now, look over there.” He points to the house at the bottom of the street, not far from where we’re parked. Sliding back to the passenger side, I look at the house, thinking there’s nothing special about it that I can see.
“That’s where Lily lives.”
Unbuckling himself, he scoots across the seat until he’s close enough to breathe down my neck.
Slipping his hand under my top, a growl rumbles from deep inside his chest when he discovers I’m not wearing a bra, and he pinches my nipple. It’s hard to concentrate when he starts talking.
“Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to erase her permanently,” he whispers, his warm breath caressing my skin. He kneads and squeezes, moving from one breast to the other, while continuing to whisper his violent desires to me.
“I hear brothers talking about killing, wondering who has the ability to pull the trigger and who doesn’t. Me? I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot that whore.”
“What’s stopping you?” My voice is breathless, and the need for him to move his hand lower, under my skirt, overwhelms me.
“It’d be too easy. There’d be no long-lasting satisfaction.”
“So? Why are we here tonight?”
“We’re going to fuck with her a little.”
Swivelling around to face him, I’m so turned on, I could combust.
“I think we should fuck around ourselves. It would be very satisfying.”
The corner of his mouth raises, and one of his rare laughs fills the truck.
“You hot for me, Tor?”
“Yes.” My response comes out as more of a hiss.
“Then I believe we’re even. But first, I need your phone.”
Sitting back, he turns off the radio. Handing him my phone, he types in a number and puts it on speaker when it starts ringing.
“Hello, Lily speaking.”
Luca’s eyes darken, which is eerie because they’re too bright of a green to do so. “Why are you at home, Lily?”
“Luca,” Lily snaps. “Leave me the hell alone.”
He barks out a menacing laugh. “The day my mom doesn’t have to see you around will be the day I leave you alone. I gave you twenty-four hours to leave town, and here we are, ten days later, and you’re still here. Did you think I’d forgotten about you?”
“Don’t call here again. I’m hanging up now.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just watch from here.”
Luca ends the call, and moments later, Lily appears in the window, looking up the street until she sees our truck.
Her fear shines brighter than the streetlamp, and Luca laughs again.
My phone rings, and Luca takes his time answering, but puts it to his ear this time and not on speaker.
“You don’t get to give me orders, whore. I’m just letting you know I can get to you wherever you’re in this town. Like I said, leave, and I won’t bother you ever again.”
Ending the call a second time, he tosses me my phone back and starts up the truck and pulls away from the curb.
“I can’t see her leaving because you park outside her house and call her phone.”
Kicking my feet up on the dash, I don’t bother with the radio and roll down my window, letting the late evening breeze whip my hair around my face.
“Start small, Tor, and eventually…”
He doesn’t continue, which frustrates me.
“And eventually what?”
“The last house she lived in, she set fire to it. With her history of keeping secrets from the club, it wouldn’t be difficult to burn this house down with her inside, eventually.”
“Do you hate her that much?”
“That’s the thing, babe, I don’t hate her. I feel nothing when it comes to her. When I think of how she makes my mom feel, there’re no line I wouldn’t cross to make it right. She could be anyone.”
Sometimes his darkness hits me like a bolt of lightning. He can’t be this way because of Sara leaving him. I’ve heard Aunt Alannah talking with Mom, telling her Luca’s emptiness worries her most nights as she falls asleep. But being around him… well, once you get past his bitchy attitude, you conclude that’s all it is—a bad attitude.
Hold on… Did he call me babe? He fucking did. I’m too busy having a meltdown at the term of endearment that I miss him driving past the turnoff for the club.
“Where are you taking me now? Have someone else on your shit list?”
Ignoring me, he simply answers, “I’m taking you home.”
“But I thought—”
“What have I told you about thinking or speaking?”
This time, I ignore him, replacing my disappointment with a coy smile.
“I would’ve thought you’d want to relieve yourself after our little mishap earlier?”
“You’re so considerate,” he snorts. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll have a cold shower.”
“Such a waste,” I sigh, making him chuckle.
It’s been nice hearing him laugh tonight, but come tomorrow, I doubt I’ll ever hear it again.
He pulls over at the start of my driveway, where my dad’s motorcycle is parked next to my mom’s car.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” I dare ask as I open the door.
“I have no idea. Night, Tor.”
Jumping down from the truck, I slam the door shut and head inside. I don’t look back, because I know he won’t be watching.
“Is that you, Victoria?” Mom calls out once I’m inside.
“Yeah.”
Plodding through to the kitchen, I find Mom sitting on Dad’s lap, and I thank my lucky starts that I didn’t arrive five minutes later. My parents aren’t like most. Their love for each other is still as strong as when they first got together, and they don’t care where in the house they get jiggy with it if they think they’re alone.
“Where have you been? It’s getting late.”
“I was out with Luca.”
Dad
frowns.
“What business have you got with him?”
Oh, you know, fucking him and wanting him to fall in love with me. Just the usual.
“He’s my friend, Dad. I don’t know why you’re so surprised, seeing as we’ve known each other our whole lives.”
And if I have my way, someday, he’ll be more than my friend.
Chapter Eleven
Luca
I round the corner on my way to find a working lighter when I find Victoria leaning against the wall, her hair hanging loose down her back. She has no flowers tucked between the strands today, nor any braids. The wisps brush along the bottom of her back, and I imagine wrapping it around my fist and pulling it as she bends over.
Blinking, the images fade, replaced by Sara’s fragile smile. But even that image disappears when I remember Tor singing in my ear while rubbing my dick. It’s getting harder and harder to remember Sara’s face. It’s getting hard, full stop, because of Tor.
Stepping in behind her, I push up against her without moving her forward. “Come to my room.”
“Hold on. I want to see how this plays out.”
“What’s going on?” Not that I particularly care, but whatever it is, it’s standing in my way of getting my dick sucked.
Sliding my hand down the back of her skirt, I cup her pussy from behind and tease her entrance with my finger. Arching her back into me, she widens her stance.
“Zach’s having a go at Slade,” she breathes. “Did you know Slade isn’t his real dad?”
“No.”
And I don’t give a shit, either.
I slip a finger inside her as the fight between father and not-really-his-son grows in volume, and my finger slides in and out of her swiftly. Adding another finger, she clenches around me and I whisper, “Don’t make a sound.”
My fingers work faster, and her head falls back on my shoulder, her chest rising and falling fast.
Her body trembles against mine, right on the verge of coming on my fingers, when the sound of a body hitting the floor has me looking up to see my dad’s the one lying in a heap.
My body freezes.
Sparky is the first one at his side. Victoria starts to inch forward, but I wrap my arm around her waist, stopping her from going anywhere. We’re in the shadows of the bar, and that’s where I want to stay.
“Go get Alannah,” Slade orders Zach, who heads for dad’s office, running right past us. But he won’t find her in there. She’s over at the main house.
I zero in on Dad, or what I can see of him with Sparky kneeling beside him, obstructing my view.
The air seems caught in my chest, forcing me to take one shallow breath at a time.
I don’t know how much time passes, but he doesn’t get up.
Mom finally rushes into the bar with Zach on her heels, shouting,
“What happened?”
“He just fell to the floor, and he hasn’t come around. There’s an ambulance on the way,” Sparky tells her.
“I don’t understand… What caused him to fall?”
When Sparky just stares at her, she snaps, “Tell me!”
“He’s sick, Lana. Real fucking sick. And now you know.”
My heart beats erratically in my chest, and I tighten my grip around Victoria. The anger I’ve held for him over the last few weeks still boils, but it all feels confusing to me right now.
“Know what? I don’t know a fucking thing!” Mom yells at him.
I should go to him. I should drop to my knees at Mom’s side and comfort her in some way.
“He’s got lung cancer.”
The room goes silent. I can’t hear anything but the pounding in my head.
Cancer.
No, he can’t have cancer.
Slipping my hand out of Victoria’s panties, I back up, knowing I should go to my dad, but I can’t stop myself from backing away. As soon as the side door comes into view, I duck out into the sun, which doesn’t seem so bright anymore. The truck is where I left it last night, and I’m behind the wheel before I make the choice to leave. Once the engine ticks over, I slam my hand in frustration against the wheel. The passenger door swings open, and Victoria slams it shut after jumping inside.
She wisely keeps her mouth shut, and the engine finally fucking starts. I drive until I reach the town’s border and I pull over. Needing to do something, I jump out, leaving the door open, and punch the side of the truck over and over.
“You shouldn’t have left, Luca.”
Tensing my jaw, I manage to stop myself from snapping at her, and instead murmur, “Just let me think.”
All the anger I’ve thrown at him, and he’s been sick this whole time? Why didn’t he tell us? Or, at the very least, tell Mom? More secrets that’ll hurt her, and now he’s dying. Perhaps he would’ve told us sooner if Lily hadn’t dropped the daughter bomb. Just another reason to want her gone.
My phone rings, but I don’t bother to answer it. It’s Victoria who climbs down from the truck and digs it out of my pocket.
Before she can answer it for me, I snatch it from her hand and see Leo’s name flash across the screen.
I hit accept and press it to my ear.
“Where are you?” he bellows down the line, but he doesn’t wait for an answer. “Dad’s sick. He collapsed at the club, and he’s on his way now to the hospital.”
He tells me as if I don’t already know. But then again, he wouldn’t know that I know. I ran off.
“Get to the hospital. I’ll wait for you out front.”
He hangs up, and instead of backing off, I move into action. Tor shuffles back into her seat when I climb behind the wheel, keeping quiet as I drive—too fast—back to the club.
Pulling up to the club gates, I keep the engine idling.
“I don’t mind coming with you if you want me to,” she offers.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll come find you later.”
This seems to be the right thing to say, because she leans over, kisses my cheek, and says, “Your dad is one of the strongest men I know. He’s going to get better.”
I appreciate the thought, but cancer doesn’t see strength. It rips apart anyone standing in its path.
Once her feet hit the ground and she closes the door, I pull away and head straight for the hospital. My dad better fight, because I can’t lose him. I can’t let him go when he thinks I hate him.
Leo is waiting under the awning at the hospital entrance with a lit cigarette in his hand, but he isn’t smoking it. He’s staring at it like he only now realises how harmful they are to a person’s health.
When he sees me, he drops it to the ground and grinds it out under his boot.
“You got here fast.”
I smirk, telling him, “I didn’t hang around for the stop lights.”
“Come on. Mom texted me where to go once you got here.”
I expect the waiting for news to be painstakingly long, but once we reach Dad’s room, we find him awake, with Mom sitting at his side.
He doesn’t smile, nor does he try to get up, he’s so physically weak. I stay by the door as Leo drags a chair from the corner and to his bedside.
“You must’ve known your secret would come out. Why would you keep that you’re sick from us?” Leo asks.
Mom’s holding Dad’s hand, her thumb rubbing small circles against his palm. She too has forgotten her previous pain and anger toward him.
“I only got the results back last week, and I didn’t want to worry any of you, at least not until I knew more.”
“This is why you’ve not been smoking, isn’t it?” Mom inquires.
I remain quiet, but it’s me he’s staring at.
“I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure you would.”
“You are my dad,” I huff.
That gets me a smile, and my shoulders relax a little.
“You know, you three are the most important people in my life. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for any of you, but…”
“Bu
t you have a daughter too,” Mom whispers.
“Yeah. Lily can go fuck herself, but none of this is Harper’s fault.” He looks between Leo and me. “She’s your sister. I want us to get to know her. She and JJ got married, so she’s going to be around for a long time.”
They got married? When the hell did that happen?
“Dad, I’m good with her. She doesn’t bother me.”
Of course she doesn’t bother Leo. My brother has more on his mind than some new family member.
“And you, Luca?” The hope in his voice irritates me, but for the sake of keeping the peace, I nod, choosing my words carefully. “I’m fine with Harper.”
I have no desire to promise the same for her mother, and I don’t think he’d believe me if I did.
“I start chemo soon, and when I’m done with the first cycle, we as a family are going to Mercy, and I’m going to bring her home with us. I want her to be a part of our family.”
It’s all well and good that Dad wants to fetch his daughter, but Mom hasn’t said a word yet about it.
“How do you feel about this?” I ask her, as no one else seems to be.
“Like your dad said, it’s not Harper’s fault. When we’re in Mercy, you’ll both show a united front, and hopefully one day, it’ll be genuine.”
And like that, shit has been declared, sorted, and expected to be followed through.
Chapter Twelve
Victoria
The rain is beating against my window, keeping me from sleeping, and it’s how I hear the first creak of my window opening. Sitting up, I reach down to the side of my bed for the baseball bat my grandpa put there a couple of years ago for this very reason. Taking a deep breath, I ready myself to scream for my dad when Luca comes through the window and falls onto my floor. It’s a little after two in the morning, and everyone in the house is asleep. The twins are at the club, and Grandpa is at his place. Putting the bat back on the floor, I jump out of bed to help him—not that he needs it.
“What are you doing? My dad will shoot you if he catches you in here.”
“Please. The most he can do is go whine to my dad about me being in his daughter’s room, and my dad won’t give a shit as long as I don’t get you pregnant.”
His Twisted Heart : Sons of Lost Souls MC Series Book Nine Page 7
