Always (Wesson Rebel M.C. Series) (18 page)

His eyebrows fly up
with surprise.

I stand in the middle of the room
now, breathing heavily. “He was the one who got patched in. He swore an oath to dedicate his life to this club. I didn’t. Hell, I’m not even an Old Lady. Technically speaking I’m a damn free agent.”

“Don’t you get sassy with me.
”

“You tell me in one breath I’m a grown woman you trust to make her own decis
ions and in the next instant, try to tell me what to do?”

“No, I’m telling you what’s right.”

“For who, Dad?”              

“Pull your head out of your ass and get your shit together. Dallas is the key to this club
’s survival and Danny is living on borrowed time. How long do you think he can hack it before he starts to come apart at the seams?”

“He’s strong.”

“When he wants something, yes. This is going to eat him alive. Can you live with that?”

I glance away, pissed that once again
, it all falls on me to keep everything together. My happiness in one hand and the club’s survival in another. They can’t be balanced. It’s one or the other.
Maybe Dallas had it right when he bailed. Maybe I should too.
The world is falling down around me and I have no one to turn to, because everyone is standing under the same sky. My mind flashes to Houdini. Ira is a Nomad. He comes and goes as he pleases. If I wanted to leave, Ira would take me in an instant. Puzzles pieces connect and I know exactly what I’m going to do. “You know what? You’re right, Dad. I’m not going to leave Wesson hanging. I’ll talk to Dallas.”

He narrows his eyes
at me.

“I’ll get him back here.”

“You sure?”

“Oh,
I’m positive. Leave it to me.” The thought of payback turns me into a bloodthirsty bitch. Two can play the leaving game. I’m sick of being on the losing end of the silent war, our relationship has turned into.

“
Alright, then I’ll leave you to it.” Dad stands from the couch, eyeing me cautiously.

“Daddy, you know I love you right?”

His lips twitch at the corner. “I love you too, Baby Girl.” 

The minute the door closes behind him
, I call Houdini.

“Everything okay?”

“Ira, remember that farm you told me about?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m ready to go for a visit.”

“Say the word.”

I smile. “I’ll be ready to leave in thirty minutes.”

“You sure about this
, Cora? It’s going to piss off a lot of people.”

“Since when have you cared?”

His husky laughs fills me with joy. He’s become my partner in crime. “My sister is going to love you.”

“I hope so.”
I know how much she means to him. I also know how prickly she can be. Though, given their lives, I can’t say I blame her. He’s giving me a place to escape the prison my life has become for a little while. I don’t want to upset his in return.

“I’ve told her about you, hoping she’d warm up to the thoug
ht of company other than me. I-I think she’s ready.”

The way he
’s taken care of and loved her is humbling. I want to help her. “Well ready or not, here we come.”

“She likes kids.”

“It’s just me you don’t know about. Don’t worry about it. I can handle her.”

“I hope s
o. I don’t want to see her waste away out there, Cora.”

Everyone has
read this man wrong. “I’m going to get me and R packed. I’ll see you when you get here.” I walk to the bedroom and think about the text.
This is your last chance, Dallas Wesson.

His words
back are ringing in my ear.
If you run, I will hunt you down and bring you back to me. You’re mine always, Cora.

This time
, I’m running. Are you game to find me? The clock is ticking, Wesson.
I hit the send button and fly through the house like a tornado. 

Ramble On

Rowan

“Hey Cora, what’s going on?” I ask, happy to hear from her.

“Remember when
I asked you if you had my back?”

“Yes.”
I frown and walk away from the bar to the area out front to escape the noise from the party.

“Well
, I hope you meant it.”

“Are you driving right now?”

“Yeah, that’s why I called. I’m going to take a break for awhile.”

“Wait—
what? No, Cora.” My mouth goes dry and my stomach twists itself into knots. “I don’t want to lose you too.”

“You’re not losing me. I’m just taking a breather. I’m calling to give you the address, but it comes w
ith an explicit set of instructions.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’m sure Dallas will be blowing you up soon. If he wants to make this right, he’s going to have to work for it this time.”

“What did you do?” I ask, proud
and worried out of my mind at the same time.

“I left him a message. You guys wanted him back? I’m delivering
.”

“And where will you be?” I shift my weight
, wondering if I should get the boys involved or let this ride.

“On a farm, communing with nature.”

“Bitch please, I’m serious.” I snicker.

“So am I
, hooker. Houdini’s parents own a farm.”

“Fuck me, someone i
s going to die. Please tell me you aren’t fucking blues eyes.”

“Gross.
No, he’s like my brother.”

“So was Danny
, at one point.”

“Bad example.” She sighs. “Seriously though,
we’re staying with his sister. I need to be away from this, Ro. I’m close to losing my shit and calling it quits. The pressure, the rules, the way I’m tossed aside like I’m a place holder destined to forever hang around, waiting like a little bitch.”

“You were never a little bitch,” I whisper, wanting to sooth
e her. In many ways, she’s been sleeping for a long time. We both have. The men spend a lot of time keeping us out of what’s going on. Now, that it has blown up in everyone’s face, we have to deal. I think of Danny and sigh. The wear and tear on him has him passed out in his bedroom. I’d been chatting up the bartender, Pinky. With her hair the same hue as her name and a wicked sense of humor, I enjoy spending time with her.

“No, but I was,” she laughs, “a
n idiot. I thought because we were in love I needed to hang in here, take it, let it work itself out. Who said love was some magical fix-all? No one with common sense, that’s for sure.”

The anguish in her voice pains me, and I wish I could wrap my arms
around her and hold her close. “It was a different time, Cora. We were like the golden children.”

“Not for a long time, Ro.”

“I know, Baby Girl, but habits are hard to break.”

“Yeah.”

My phone beeps. “He’s calling now, should I answer?”

“No, let that motherfucker sweat it out.”

“You’re kind of sexy when you’re being ruthless,” I say to hide the anxiety spiking. Dallas unhinged is horrible, and with Cora and R gone—it’s going to be ramped up. She’s sending drama our way, but I know she needs this time, so I keep my mouth shut. “So, tell me this brilliant plan of yours.”

“When he gets back,
give him this address.”

“You aren’t worried
about him killing your magical friend?”

She laughs. “No, let me handle that. We need this time away from everything together. I realize that now. He’s always been shit
when alone with his memories.” She sighed. “If we’re going down, it’s going to be fighting.”

“Thank God. I didn’t think you
were going to even try, Cora.”

“I didn’t want to. But R deserves better and s
o does this new baby in my belly.”

“What?
”

She laughs. “Yeah,
and you think you’re surprised.”

The words make my head spin. Another Wesson is going to be brought into the fold. It’s a happy event in lieu of all the tragedy.
“Congratulations, my friend.”
“Thanks—I think.” Her voice wavers, “I’m terrified. I don’t know how this is going to work, when every time I look at him, all I see is pain.”

“We had so much more good than that, though
, Cora. You just need to remember that. It’s time for you and Dallas to get your shit together. Danny and I had our time away, this is yours.”

“You understand,
” Cora says.

“The feeling that
you’re drowning? That all you need is a minute to breathe and figure out who the fuck you truly are outside of Wesson and all the shit that comes with it.”
The way I feel now.

“Yes, that’s it exactly.”

“Run, Baby Girl, and prepare because he’s going to come at you like a bull.”

“I know. I’m ready. This is make or break it time, Ro.”

“I understand,” I whisper. Dallas has taken her through the wringer. I shouldn’t be surprised she’s talking in finalities, but the two of them were like freaking peas in carrots. They just went together.

“Good, make sure he does. I’ll text you the address. I love you
, Ro. Thank you for this.”

“I love you too, Cora. I’m only allowing you the same time we had.
”
I just pray we can hold out that long.

“I’ll be in touch.”
She hangs up.

When the line goes dead,
I know things are about to get worse before they get better. I return Dallas’ phone call.

“Ro.”

“Long time no talk.”

“Don’t fuck with me.
What the hell is Cora up to?” His voice is frantic.

A nasty
part of me wants to fuck with him. He made the wheels grind to a halt and now, we’re all falling under the weight.

“Rowan!” h
e barks.

“She gave you her message.”

“Don’t fuck with me.”

“Don’t take your bullshit out on me.
If you hadn’t left, you wouldn’t be in this position. Get home safe and we’ll talk.”

“At least tell me she and
R are safe.”

His voice broke my heart. “Of course
, they are. You know she’d never risk hurting him.”

“Yeah,
yeah, you’re right.”

“Why
did you leave us like that, Dal?” I whisper.

“I thought I knew, but lately—
I been asking myself the same question. I forgot what was important, Ro. I fucked it all up and now, I might’ve ruined the one thing in my life, I got right.”

His words lessen my anger.
“It’s not ruined. It’s just on shaky ground.”

“Shit, she’s that pissed.”

“She’s hurt. Did you think you could just keep leaving when she needs you most and she’d be fine with it?” I sigh. “You never stop and think about shit, Dallas. You’re all reaction and instant response. You’ve always been that way. You got to get this shit out of your head and your soul, before it ruins everything good in your life. The past has its hooks in you deep.”

“I don’t know if I can. I ran to get away fr
om it, but it lives inside me. I don’t want it to spread to them. They both deserve better.”

I want to tell him he’s not Rule
, but I know it’s not my place. “If it hasn’t so far, why would it now?”

“Don’t you know the older you get
, the more you become like your parent? And look at me about to step up into his shoes.”

“Oh
, get off the pity train, Dallas. We’re all dealing with the bad shit and the fall out. You should be here with us.” I dare him to deny it.

“Maybe. Look
, I’m going to get back on the road. It’ll take me two days to get back.”

“Be safe
, you asshole.”

Dallas
snickers. “Yeah.” He hangs up.

I
clutch the phone tight in my hand, praying Cora knows what she’s doing and this can be fixed. The four of us are a carefully constructed balancing act and it has become quite clear, we don’t function as well when we’re separated. I turn to look at the club. I need to tell Danny. The thought of waking him fills me with guilt. Things are changing yet again, and he’s going to have to hang on a bit longer. I’m not sure what’s going on with the club, but I know it’s breaking him down. He’s afraid of fucking things up by making the wrong decisions. I can hear him mumbling about it in his sleep
.
He’s drinking more and more, while getting rough around the edges.
Get her fast and hash this shit out, Dal. We’re all depending on you more than you know.

Danny

I open my eyes and I know instantly there’s no way I’m not going to get back to sleep. We’re talking about the payback. The subject makes me wary. I don’t think we can afford to start a war. I love my dad, but I think his death was blowback. We were doing a hit and he got caught in the crossfire. It’s the way of things. True revenge would be finding the person who delivered the shot and bleeding them. No one else see’s it that way.
At lease they’ve agreed to wait a few more months.
Rowan is snuggled against my side. But even her warmth isn’t enough to bring my comfort. I need something stronger for that.

I ease out of bed, careful not to wake her. She’s watching me like a hawk lately. It tightens the noose
around my neck a little more. I run my hands through my hair, yank on my boots and lace them loosely. I can hear the party outside. It’s wound down, but still going and I need to be a part of something that’ll take my mind off everything.

“P!” t
he cries greet me as I walk down the hall.

It’s a rush. I can see why s
ome people live and die for it. I nod my head and make a beeline for the bar, ignoring the whores trying to catch my eye.

Crystal
is working. She smiles at me as I take a seat. “The usual?”

“Think I need something stronger.”

She bites her full bottom lip and studies me carefully. “I’ve got something to help you relax, if you don’t mind a little recreational fun.”

“I’m game.”

A smile curves her lips upward. “Meet me out back?”

I nod.
The last thing I need is people to see me leaving with her. I’d never do Rowan dirty like that. I let time pass before I get up and bum a cigarette from a prospect. I’m smart enough to cover my tracks. I’ve seen too many people get caught up in my lifetime to not know how to play the game. I head out back.

Crystal is leaned against the back wall in the shade. I walk over and she offers me a small joint. “This
should hit the spot. It always calms me down when I need a stress reliever.”

I
take the hand rolled cigarette from her. Breathing the smoke deep, I hold it for a minute before I exhale. The green is potent and ten minutes later, I’m in a state of bliss. Suddenly, all the pressing shit doesn’t matter. I glance down at Crystal.

S
he laughs. “Yeah, you’re feeling it. I can tell.”

“What?” I ask.

“You look chill. I haven’t see you like this in a long time,” she says.

“Yeah, shit has
been a little complex recently.”

“I can im
agine it would be.” Crystal nods her head. “You ever need a friend I’m here.”

I know I’m high as a kite because I smile and nod
back, instead of telling her to step off.

Crystal is
pretty cool, honestly. She’s not a whore, just someone who works for us. She used to bartend in a popular bar, then dad scooped her up. Made her sign some paper work and put her on the payroll. She was worth every penny and didn’t make the old ladies feel threatened, because she had a legitimate job.

“I’m going to head back in now. Gotta earn my check.”
She tamps the hand rolled cigarette against the wall, slips it into her small purse and makes her way back inside. I lean against the wall and close my eyes, enjoying the buzz. The door swings open and I look up lazily.

“Where the fuck is my woman?
”

My eyes go wide at the sight of Dallas standing in front of me. There are circles under his eyes. He has a full grown
beard and I almost didn’t recognize him. I wipe my eyes and blink.
What the fuck was in that weed.

“Danny.” His voice is terse and full of sm
oke and gravel. “What the fuck—are you high?”

I nod dumbly.

“Just perfect!”

“Are you really here right now?”

“You want me to lay your ass out to prove it?”

I shake my head.
It’s Dallas all right.
“What? Where—?”