Forsaken - Book 2 (Star Crossed MC Lovers) (8 page)

Chapter 7

Selene

It only took threatening everyone outside my door ten times to get rid of them. Having my room searched like I was a fourteen-year old delinquent was a bit much, but I endured it with as much grace as possible. After they all left, I lay in  bed for hours, thinking about Lucky. I'd gone from laughing to crying so many times throughout the night I was emotionally drained by the next morning.

He was so right for me, and yet that thought alone scared the shit out of me. I needed to remain hard and unyielding to make it through the life I'd been given, but he softened me, made me want to try again. He left me wanting to be playful and have fun.

After lying in the bed far too long the next morning, I finally got up and dressed quickly. My stomach growled in protest, and I realized that I'd forgotten about dinner the night before, seeing that I was sopping wet and half out of it from the burn and cliff diving adventure.

The kitchen was empty, and I was grateful. Usually, it was hard to find a quiet place in the house, thanks to most of my cousins living at the MC headquarters. Being the only woman had a distinct disadvantage, but I kept to myself most of the time, anyway. My father had several maids and sweet-butts that came around from time to time, so the place was clean and most of the men were properly serviced. It was important that they stay that way, too. Aggressive asshole types were bad enough; horny, aggressive assholes? Too much.

I rolled my eyes at the shallowness of my own thoughts and buttered my toast. Someone moved in behind me, and I turned to see my father lifting his hand to the ceiling and stretching. He was such a good- looking man with his dark features and strong jaw line, but no woman in their right mind would haunt much more than his bed, and that was only if he were paying her lots of money.

How mother ever loved you, I'll never understand.

"How did you sleep, butterfly?" He moved toward me, rubbing his hands over my shoulders as I continued to make my breakfast.

"Good. You?" I folded up the toast and took a bite before turning to face him.

"Fine. How is your burn?" He tugged at the front of my t-shirt like I was still ten.

I pulled from him. "Damn, dad. I'm a woman now. Just ask."

"Sorry." He lifted his hands as he took a step back and smiled. "Speaking of you being grown, you know most of the boys here have jobs fixing bikes or working in town. What are you going to do with your time? Idle time leaves room for meanderings of the worst type."

"I'm thinking about applying for the local community college in town. I'd like to get my degree in Biology I think. Maybe go on to pre-med?" I shrugged and took another bite of the toast.

"Really?" Surprise blossomed across his face.

It was a lie, but I'd come to the conclusion that if I was going to have my days to myself, then I needed to set up the scheme. This was it.

"Yep." I moved to the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. "Unless you're not okay with me further educating myself."

"I think it's great. You're already the smartest  of us by far. It's impressive. I like it." He chuckled and wrapped one arm around his middle while brushing his fingers over his mustache with the other hand. "Gives me something to brag about. My daughter... the doctor. I like it, and it will help out here. Accidents happen from time to time, and honestly, I'd rather just set up a lab for you here. That way, we stay out of the eye of the authorities."

I swallowed hard and turned to get a glass. I'd have to divert my lie into something else in the future, but for now, I was going with it. "Yep, but you and I both know that you have the authorities under your thumb. Don't play coy, Dad. It’s not your style at all."

He laughed and walked toward the back door. "This is true. Seems you know me better than I know myself."

"I doubt that. I'm going into town to check the college out. You want to come?" I gave him a hopeful look, fully prepared to blow this thing up to full-scale fantasy.

"Nope. Do what you need to do, and just tell me who to write the check to." He blew me a kiss, and I caught it as he walked out.

Good. Now I could ride my bike in the woods all damn day, and lay by the lake.

Maybe Lucky would be free to join me for a little while.

Only sex... yeah, right.

***

I'd only made it a mile out of town before my phone buzzed. Pulling over I tugged the phone from my back pocket and answered it.

"Selene."

"It's Dante. There's a situation at the arcade in town. I'm headed that way, but your father wants you there, too."

"What situation? I'm busy today." I barked into the phone, suddenly aggravated far more than I should be. Any time spent with Dante meant less with Lucky. Having resigned myself to the realization that I loved him like crazy and couldn't stay away freed something inside of me. It was stupid, and I should have kept my guard up, but the way he made love to me, sweet and slow the day before left me raw, open, needy for him.

"One of our dealers was supposed to show up, but I guess he left town. I'll deal with the fucker that didn't show, and you go take a supply to the arcade. You'll be looking for Jamison. He looks like the thug he is... unless you want to put a bullet in the dealer’s forehead. Up to you."

I pursed my lips, not being thrilled about either option.

"I'll take the drugs. Where is everyone else? No one's free to deal with this shit but us newbies? Seems ridiculous." I groaned loudly and hung up, not waiting on a response.

There was no fucking way I was giving drugs to anyone, least of all at a fucking arcade. I turned my bike back toward the house and pushed the throttle to the max. The sooner I could get this little errand over, the better.

Elec was outside as I drove up. He glanced up and lifted his eyebrow as I sneered at him.

"What's got you all worked up?"

"I was on my way to the college, but of course no one can have just one damn day to relax." I got off the bike and walked into the house toward my father's office.

He glanced up as I walked in, but seemed to be tinkering with a pipe of some sort. "The bag’s over there. I'm surprised you didn't take the hit instead of the dealing. I know you don't like drugs much."

"It's the lesser of the evils." I snatched up the bag, not caring much  about him seeing me throw a childish fit. I was holding it together rather well, but he wouldn't think so.

So the fuck what?

I walked out on the front porch, tucked the bag in my back pocket and got back on my bike. My mood had gone so far south there was very little chance of pulling myself out of the muck.

Elec moved in front of me, blocking my path. "Give me two minutes, and I'll get my bike."

"What?" His offer surprised me. "I have to go or he'll have a fucking conniption."

"I realize that, but I'll go with you. Ain't nobody gotta know who handed over the drugs. Just a second, and get your panties out of a wad. You look like a pissed-off child. It's ugly on you." He shook his head at me and walked off.

I contemplated just riding away, but decided that his offer was too good to leave it on the table. He was the craziest of my cousins, but also the one that usually would stick up for me, or help me out if I got in a bind.

He drove his bike up beside mine and nodded. "You take the lead. When we get there, I'll deal with the drugs, but I was never there. Got it?"

"Yep. Thanks." I pulled my helmet on and drove off toward the arcade. The sooner I got this shit over, the better. I was grateful the ride over only took ten minutes. Elec reached for the bag and plucked it from my back pocket and walked toward the game hall like he owned the place.

Everyone moved out of his way, and I couldn't blame them. He had a scar that ran across his cheek, and his eyes were so dark that you could almost see your reflection. To say  he was a scary mother fucker was a vast understatement.

"Where's Jamison?" Elec looked around as some random teenagers made a run for the door.

A lanky white guy stuck his head out from a doorway in the back. "That's me, dude. Come on back."

Elec turned and pinned me with a stare before walking to the bike. I guessed it was my chance to watch and learn, but there was no fucking way I was going to be the one delivering drugs to anyone. I'd seen too many kids in high school seize out over them. I couldn't be involved.

Elec moved into the small office, leaving just enough room behind him for me to slide in. Where I'd have preferred not to, he seemed to expect me to come closer.

"Try the shit and make sure you're good." Elec crossed his arms over his thin chest.

"Right." The guy opened the bag and took out a small white pill, put it under his tongue and stared at us. We waited for ten minutes in an awkward silence. Finally, the guy’s eyes glossed over and he smiled so big that I thought it might crack his face.

"Kick-ass, dude. I love this shit." He chuckled and turned his attention to me. "You're hot. What's your name, baby?"

"Where's the money, James?" Elec glanced around and clapped his hands as if James had only a few minutes to bring out the dough before he lost his life.

"Blue bag near the safe. Count it and get out. I need silence to enjoy this." He chuckled and leaned back in his chair. The guy couldn't have been twenty, but even so, I didn't know him from school or anywhere else. Transient. How the fuck he wasn't shitting himself with someone like Elec leaning over  him was beyond me. Had to be the fact that he was higher than a kite. That would do it every time. That false sense of bravado.

Elec picked up the bag and handed it to me. "Give this to your dad, but hang out here for five more minutes."

"What? Why?" I glanced back out into the game room to see it filling up with kids. There was no fucking way I was staying in the arcade by myself. If the guy did seize out, I didn't know that the hell to do. I wasn't a goddamn paramedic. "You made the deal, now let’s go."

"No. You make sure he digests it well. If not, call the hospital and split."

"What? Fuck no." I took the money and started for the door.

Elec's grip on my upper arm was tight, painfully so. He growled at me through clenched teeth and narrowed his eyes.

"I did you a favor today. This is part of the fucking deal. Stay here or I'll be happy to tell your daddy what a fake you are." He tugged me closer to him. "Got it?"

I nodded, not willing to push him any further. Nothing good would come of it, and honestly... what could go wrong?

"Fine. Shit," I grumbled and moved back, leaning against the far wall. He left and I flipped him off behind his back, which earned me a few chuckles from the kids just outside the door.

"You're pretty." One of them leaned his upper body into the office and smiled at me. He was missing his front tooth and couldn't have been older than ten.

"Thanks. You're pretty too." I winked and turned back, wanting to check on the idiot sitting at the desk in front of me.

Jamison had his head back, his eyes wide open and staring as he made various plane noises. He turned his head toward me. His eyes rolled back in his head and he started to drool.

"Sick," I grumbled and checked my clock, mentally marking the five-minute mark. I was so out of there the second the time was up. It would go faster if I could just stop concentrating on the fact that it was taking for-fucking-ever.

It wasn't a few minutes later that the large guy dropped out of his chair as his body convulsed frantically. I moved to him and knelt down, rolling him on his side and rubbing his back as fear wrapped tightly around me.

He reached for me, his hands grasping at the air in front of my face, but not grabbing anything.

"Jamison. Hold on. It's alright." I called Elec, not knowing what else do to. I didn't give him a minute to answer before I started to yell into the phone. "He's seizing. What do I do?"

Hot tears burned my gaze, but I forced them back. Now wasn't the time.

Glancing up, I noticed three teenagers standing at the door to the office, one of them sheet-white. He turned and ran as the other mumbled 'fuck' over and over.

"Get out of there, Lena. There's nothing you can do. The drug was cheat. Tainted. Shit happens."

"What?!" I screamed into the phone as I stood up. " I can't leave him like this."

"Your call, but he'll be dead in two minutes." Elec dropped the call, and I did the only thing I knew to do. I tried to help the poor guy, but I had no idea what to do to save his life. I pulled out his cell phone and called 911. When I heard sirens, I looked at the guy.

“Hang on,” I whispered, holding his hand. “Help’s coming.”

He’d be in good hands now. And I prayed to God they could save his life.

Then I ran.

Chapter 8

Lucky

It had been a relatively quiet day, which was a good thing. I was off, and planned to sleep through most of it, and later find my girl for a quiet evening at the lake. Dane's call that Jamison Mills was being taken from Pleasant Arcade to the morgue pulled all of us from our laziness.

"Damn it," I growled and walked out into the belly of the bar at our club house, looking for the others.

A large group of my club brothers were playing dominos while others lay on the various couches, some snoozing, some just watching  TV. I hesitated to bring everyone into the mix because I had no doubt that it was the Black Hearts responsible, but I knew better than to leave without telling them what happened. In their opinion, keeping information was just as bad as lying.. Mine too.

"There's some shit going down at the arcade." I stopped in the middle of the room and glanced around. "I can go take care of it, if you guys want. It's not going to take all of us."

"What happened?" Knife stood up from his lounge chair and pinned me with a hard stare. "Give us the details , boy."

"Drug overdose. Jamison. I'm sure it was Rafael." I shook my head and leaned against the bar..

"They still down there?" Knife asked, walking toward me.

"I don't know. I want to go check things out, though." I slipped my hands into my pockets, tired of their questions and having no good reason to be. I was worried about Lena being involved. I was always worried about her, even over the last year when she wouldn't have shit to do with me.

"The boy okay?" Blade piped up, getting up from the domino table and walking toward me and Knife.

"He's dead, and there aren't any witnesses to what happened. I was going to ride down there with Dane to see what the cops know, and maybe  hunt down a few of the kids that play there all the time. I'm sure someone knows something." I shrugged, wanting badly to ask for the opportunity to take care of it myself, but knowing that it would look a little suspicious.

"Sounds like the same old shit," Animal grumbled and leaned back in his chair, losing his grip and falling backward. He rolled over and jumped up like his ass was on fire.

Forever the comedian.

Several Wolves chuckled, but the rest were focused on me, forlorn looks on their faces. None of us much like old Jamison, but to see anyone lose their life to bad drugs was a tragedy  we were working non-stop to avoid. The fact that it was drug-related meant that  Rafael and the Black Hearts were involved. We were almost forced to step in, regardless if it was our job or not. We were good with that, though. That's what the Stone Wolves were all about. Keeping peace and security. When our efforts failed, as they'd done that day, we stepped in to clean up the mess and lay a staunch warning on everyone involved.

Rafael needed his ass kicked or his knees broken. We were moving closer to making it happen without an inciting incident. He'd done enough in the past to send us full force after him.

"You and Dane go then, but call if you need us." Knife moved back to his chair and sat down. "I want a full report on anything you find out."

"Of course." I turned and jogged toward the door, tugging on my jacket and letting out a shaky breath. Something told me  Lena was involved. I wasn't sure why; maybe it was just a wayward feeling. Or maybe it wasn’t.

***

After checking out everything with Dane, I parted ways from the cops and drove down Old Mills road, looking for a few of the hoodlums that I knew would have been in the arcade when Jamison lost his life. Everyone was scared of the Delgados, and most likely wouldn't say a work to anyone, but Kent was one of the boys I'd saved from a few ass-whoopings back in high school. He owed me.

I pulled up to his house, turned off my bike, chained it up and walked up to the porch. A pretty, older woman opened the door just before I knocked.

"Well, hi there." She gave me a sweet smile and stepped out on the porch. "Something I can help you with, sir?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm looking for Kent. He's an old friend from school." I slipped my hands in my jeans pockets as a shiver raced across my spine. I'd have many a woman eye-fuck me, but this one wasn't  shy about it. I was scared for her. If she knew Selene Delgado was my woman... she'd turn her head quick and never look my way again.

"Sure. Hold on, handsome." She turned and leaned into the house, lifting her butt as if I wanted a better view of it.

I turned and walked back down into the yard, moving over to my bike and putting my phone to my ear. I mumbled some useless information, not talking to anyone, but not wanting to get into another conversation with the woman. No need to hurt her feelings.

Moments later, Kent came walking down the stairs, his eyes cast toward the ground. The slight rounding of his shoulders and pale appearance left me with no doubt. He'd been there when Jamison had died.

I put the phone in my back pocket and watched the woman go back into the house.

"My sister wants to know if you're seeing anyone." He nodded back toward the house, but his tone told me he was forced to ask.

"Yeah, I am." I brushed the back of my hand past my nose. "I'm here to talk to you about what happened to Jamison at the arcade today."

"No clue what you're talking about, Lucky." He shrugged and gave me a look that was filled with defiance.

"Of course you do. Speak up now. You know I'll not be doing anything that would get you in trouble. I'm just trying to find out for the Stone Wolves who did this shit." I pressed my hands to the seat of my bike and tried to relax. The kid was fucked up enough. He didn't need to feel the tension rolling off of me, too.

"You know who did it, and I ain't about to rat them out. They’ll slit my throat, rape my momma and sister and kill them, too. Fuck no. It ain't happening, Lucky. Don't ask that shit of me, man." His lip started to tremble and I let out a long sigh. I didn't need to put him in the position I was putting him in, but fuck... I needed to know if Lena was there.

Just ask her, you dick.

"Alright. I'll leave you be, but the sooner you guys start sticking up for yourselves, the more they'll back off." I pulled on my helmet, knowing  my words were useless. Rafael Delgado had everyone so fucking scared of him  there was no use trying.

He wasn't a man of words, but of action.

"Men don't stand up to them, Lucky. They end up dead... seizing on the shit they're selling."

"Jamison died because he stood up to them?"

Kent shrugged. "Don't know. Just speaking universal truths."

"Alright, man." I pulled my phone from my pocket as the kid walked off, and  texted Lena. She didn't respond, but I knew without a doubt that if she had been in the middle of the shit, she'd be in one of two places. With her grandmother, or out at the garage, waiting on me.

I'd try the garage and then Grandma's. Surely she hadn't gotten herself wrapped up in something so heinous. If she had, I was sure to find a broken woman. Lena was a Delgado by blood only. There was no way she would be down with someone dying because of her father's drugs.

That I knew from experience.

***

I found her bike parked outside of the garage I'd bought for the future, and my heart fell. She had to know  I would be involved in the cleanup and investigation. Someone from the Wolves was always brought in to help, especially when drugs were involved.

Pushing the door open, I spotted her sitting at my desk, her face in her hands as she wept. I hated Rafael Delgado more in that moment than I had my whole life. He was tearing her in half, and the sorry mother fucker was doing it on purpose.

I wanted to comfort her, to calm her down, but I couldn't. She needed to first come to terms with the fact that her actions lead to someone dying violently on the floor of a children's arcade. I knew she knew how bad it was. I could hear the agony in her cries, but comforting her would only validate the fact that things would get better -- and they wouldn't-- at least not until she forced them to.

"Lena," I spoke softly, but stayed by the door.

She jerked her pretty head up, her dark mascara tracing lines down her perfect cheeks. "I didn't know. I had no clue that the fucking drugs were laced."

I nodded. "But you gave them to Jamison because you were good with him getting illegally high?"

"Don't you go getting all high and mighty on me, Lucas Morrison. You have no idea of the world I live in. It's filled with monsters and bullshit promises, and death!" She screamed the last bit at me, and all the reasoning in the world couldn't have held me back.

"You're right. I have no clue, baby." I moved across the room and stopped in front of her, pulling her up and tightening my arms around her. "I still can't condone what happened, Lena."

"I know that. I don't either. Elec gave him the fucking drugs. I was told to stand there and make sure he was alright." She let out another painful sounding sob.

"Why didn't you call that cops? 911?"

“I did! I called 911. And I stayed with him until I heard the sirens right outside the house.”

I brushed her hair back and pressed my lips to the top of her head as she shook. The situation was fucked up. It would have torn me in half to see someone have a drug-induced seizure, much like it had the first day I'd joined the Wolves as a prospect. The memory of watching that boy lose his shit right there in front of me rolled over me. My stomach turned, and I swallowed hard, hoping like hell I wasn't going to have to excuse myself to throw up. Lena needed me. I could deal with my own fucked-up memories later.

It took a few minutes for her to respond, but she finally seemed to get a bit of air into her lungs.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, tears running down her face.

I closed my eyes and let out a slow breath. I knew she was a good woman. The situations she was put into were impossible, and yet it would have to be her decision to rise above it all and strike back.

"Did you call the cops?" I murmured softy against her hair.

She jerked back and glared up at me. "No, I didn't call the fucking cops. I'm one of the bad guys, remember? We go to jail."

I moved back, letting her go as she stomped around the garage, yelling about how unfair life was and what a villain her father was. I slumped down in the chair and just watched her. She lived a life that few of us would survive, and yet I knew she could do it if anyone could.

"What the fuck are you staring at?" she asked before her face crumbled into sadness again. She pressed her hands back to her face and screamed a few times.

I got up and moved toward her, offering my body as comfort, but it didn't seem to help much.

"I want my grandmother." She pressed her face into my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Can you take me over there?"

"Of course. Let me pull your bike in here and then we'll head over there. I'm going to stay the night with you. Is that alright?" I brushed her tears away as she glanced up at me and nodded.

"Yeah, I don't want to be without you."

I leaned down and kissed her softly. "Then you won't be."

She pulled me back as I started for the door. The earnest look on her face seared into my memory.

"I didn't mean to do anything to Jamison. I would never hurt anyone, Luck. I'm a monster like my father, I guess." She glanced toward the ground, and I could sense regret all over her. It didn't fit her persona at all, but getting involved in the intimate workings of her father's shit left her very little in the way of choice.

"No." I moved back and pressed my hands around her face, forcing her to look up at me. "You're nothing like him, but you'd better realize that he's going to consume you unless you get out. Dane and I are working on a plan to take him down, Lena, but we're missing the main piece of the puzzle."

"What's that?" She lifted to her toes and kissed me softly.

"You, baby. It's you."