From The Ashes (The Knights of Mayhem Book 3) (3 page)

“Hollis, stop. Where the hell do you think you’re going?”  He throws the plastic bottle across the kitchen, making it into the garbage basket on the other side of the room.

“What do you mean?”  I hold the handle of the door in my hand, thinking I might need a fast getaway.  I don’t want him to see how weak and desperate I am for a kind word from him, telling me everything is going to be okay.

“You can stay here tonight,”  he says, holding up his phone. “I called Beeker to come stay with you because obviously I can’t trust you to be alone and I’m sure as hell not taking the chance of leaving you alone in my house.  We’ll figure out what’s next in the morning.”  He points to a door leading off the foyer. “Guest bedroom is that way. You have your own bathroom, towels, everything you should need.”  He starts for the steps. “Oh, there’s DVDs, DIRECTV, all kinds of shit to keep you busy.”  He continues up them two at a time, disappearing around the corner, leaving me alone in his cavernous house. 

Every move echoes and every breath bounces off the cold walls.  The aloneness I had been living with for as long as I can remember, began to sing her witchy little tune in my head.

A few minutes later I hear the faint sound of the shower turning on so I decide to make my way to the guest bedroom.  Opening the door, I know that Roman had no input on decorating this room, but I can see Piper’s name written all over it. I lift the small bag of all the things I own in this world onto the bed, then sit beside it, taking in the perfectly decorated antique blue room. 

The dark wood, four-poster bed is so high that my feet dangle off the sides.  The matching dresser and chest are just as grand.  The perfectly buffed hardwood floor looks to have never seen a footprint until mine, and the rug lying strategically in the middle catches the sun streaming through the matching curtains.

I fall back under the warm sun, letting my eyes close. I don’t know how much time passes before I hear the heavy thud of boots walking across the ceiling above me. I follow the sound until he’s at my door.

“Hollis?”  I raise up from the bed like the dead, looking at the locked door.  I debate on whether or not to answer in hopes he’ll just go away, but his stern voice tells me I shouldn’t rattle his cage.

“I’m coming. Don’t get your panties in a bunch, okay! Geez,” I yell as I stand and walk to the door, flipping the latch and pulling the door open.  The smell of his cologne hits me first, then the sight of a well-dressed, ready for a night out Roman, hits me even harder.  “What?”

“Stay put, and don’t give Beeker any shit.” He looks over my shoulder, “Fucking Piper,”  he says as he barrels past me into the room. He’s apparently seeing her handiwork for the first time, along with the dollar signs that had to have gone along with it.

“How much did she spend on this room?”  I smirk for the first time in a long time. It feels good to see someone pissed at Piper for once instead of me.

“More than she fucking should have.”  He runs his fingers through his wonderful hair, making mine itch to do the same until I come back to myself. This isn’t a cordial visit. 

“You know what, fuck it. Come on, Beeker’s here.”  He storms from the overly decorated room and I follow him out to find a rather stunning man standing in his foyer.  “This is Beeker. He is not here for you to fuck or fuck with—he’s a brother.”

“Of your fake motorcycle club,”  I smart off.

“No thanks to you, smartass.”  He gives me a sarcastic smirk.  “Beeker here is partial to Avery and likewise, so don’t fuck with him. She’ll slit your throat.”  At his harsh words, there’s a softness to the way he says her name, causing something to tug at my heart.

“The pregnant woman didn’t seem to be the throat slitting type.” 

“Piss her off and you’ll see what that pregnant woman is made of.”  I recoil from his comment. He certainly has changed, and I guess I have too.  Gone is the girl that had so much bravado, and in her place is now a meek shell of a woman.  “I gotta go. I may or may not be home, but there’s food in the fridge, I think. Beeker can order you something if not.”  He grabs his keys from the table and walks towards the garage, but not before he goes, he gives me one last look, and then he’s gone.

Chapter Three

Hollis

“So, Beeker, is that your real name?” I’ve never been one to handle silence very well.  I can tell by the way he looks at me that he has the story.

“What the hell do you think?” 

He walks past me to the couch, flopping his long frame down on the cushions as he reaches for the remote.  Well, my attempt at diplomacy is shot down in flames, so maybe I should go back to my appointed room and wait for whatever fate the club decides to dish out to me.

I barely make it through the door before I break down, falling to the floor and sobbing hysterically. I cry out my shame, my guilt, and my sadness onto the expensive rug.  When I’m done, I crawl into the shower, wanting to wash away any evidence of ever feeling sorry for myself; letting all the insecurities I’ve been living with glide off me with the falling water to disappear down the drain.

Once the water starts to run cold, I get out and dry off, feeling like a new person.  I’ve decided that I won’t accept defeat anymore, but instead start the journey to becoming the person I want to be. I have this chance and I have to take it, or I’ll be miserable for the rest of my life. It’s time.

I rummage through my bag and hold up my threadbare t-shirts to the light, then I look at my jeans and run my fingers through the holes.  I slump back on the bed, sighing. It’s been so long since I’ve owned anything new. Everything I have is at least a few years old.

Not wanting to think about that right now, I throw on an outfit and make my way to the kitchen to grab something to drink when I hear the soft sounds of Beeker snoring. This is probably the best chance I’ll have to explore Roman’s new life, the one that could have included me if I hadn’t been so selfish. I wonder what kind of woman would steal his heart these days and think of Avery. She’s beautiful and seems so put together, whereas my years of drug abuse have taken their toll, causing me to look years older than I really am. 

I tiptoe up the stairs with the blaring thought that snooping is what got me into so much shit with the club to begin with, but at the moment I’m eaten up with the need to be around his things, since I couldn’t be around the man.

I walk down the hall, letting the smell of him fill my nose. There are three doors off to either side as I pass two on my left and one on my right.  I study each room; all different, but all Roman. Piper had done well with these rooms, none being over the top, just neutral and ...  manly. They’re a stark contrast to the girly, frilly one downstairs, which by his reaction today had not been how he wanted it decorated.

I finally reach the end of the hall, coming face to face with a set of closed double doors and hesitate. Do I really want to know what, better yet, who he’s been with? Hell, maybe he’s already with someone, but I’m already here so I turn the knobs and stop, looking back to make sure Beeker’s not watching me.

With the coast clear, I push the doors open to a sight that makes my breath catch.  The room is fit for a king. The center of the room holds a giant four-poster bed in dark mahogany wood that’s accented by burgundy and tan bedding. A large matching dresser sits along the wall to my left between two large bay windows.  The intricate mirror sitting atop the dresser is smoky with age and reflects the image of the bed. 

I step further into the room, walking around the chest sitting to my right that hides the entrance to the walk-in closet.  The door has been left open and a light overhead showcases his impressive taste in wardrobe.

I look inside and see his clothing, hung and sorted by type and color. His shoes and boots are also lined up perfectly on the shelves. I stroll down the center of the room, gliding my fingers across the clothes, smelling his scent.

Memories that I’ve repressed for so long come back to the surface. No one had ever fucked me like he did—hard, sweet, in public or in his room, on my back, on my stomach. I always loved it when he had me face-down in the mattress to swallow my screams of pleasure as he drove into me from behind.  I feel a shudder roll through my body, the tension building with every thought of his carnal ways.

I see a small ivory box topped with a pink bow sitting on a shelf at the back. I bring myself out of my sexual musings to walk over and pick it up, turning it over in my hand, studying the perfectly wrapped ribbon that meets under the pretty bow. 

Against my better judgment, I slide the ribbon off the side, making the rest fall off in my hand.  I rub the silky material between my thumb and finger, taking in the softness of the fabric.  I lay the ribbon on the shelf and remove the lid, gasping at its contents; a beaded turquoise  bracelet.  I remember it and the day I saw it.  I hold it to my lips, remembering the last day I had spent with Roman. 

He had taken me down to the open market and we’d spent the day walking hand in hand through the endless rows of booths and vendors, peddling their merchandise.  I had spotted it from a ways off, dragging him with me to look at it. I loved it, but after admiring it for a while, I decided not purchase it. 

I hold it out looking at it now. I can’t believe he’d went back and gotten it for me.  “What did I do?”  I ask no one as tears begin to fall down my face. How could I have done such terrible things to a man who loved me, even at my worst?

Roman

I’ve been sitting on my bike outside the clubhouse trying to figure out how I’m going to explain my way out of this shit.  I take a deep breath as I lift my leg over the seat; no need to draw this out any longer. It’s gonna go down now or later, so I might as well go in and face the fucking music. 

I burst through the door to the usual suspects at the bar, all turning to give me an ‘eat shit’ look.  Piper’s gone, thank God, so it’s just us boys.  I can reason with them—get them to see the reasoning behind my decision.  I need them to understand why I helped a woman who had stolen information from the club that had been used to hurt us. 

“’Bout fuckin’ time you got here, shit-for-brains,”  Leo bellows from his seat at the end of the bar.  Eno’s bartending because Beeker’s babysitting Hollis and the rest of the guys have returned their attention the bottles in front of them.  Cowboy’s the only one missing, which means he must be spending some much needed time with his wife and daughter. 

I hold my hands out to either side. “Hey, I had to make sure the knots were tight enough so the bitch couldn’t get out of them ‘til I wanted her to,”  I say with a smirk.

“You are a sick fuck, Roman,” Dalton throws out at me over his shoulder.  I have a million comebacks, but to think of who he’s doing it with makes my stomach turn so I keep them to myself.

“Whatever, dude. At least I’m not lead around by my dick,” is the safest reply as I walk to the bar.  I look to Eno.  “Give me a beer, fucker.”

“No can do, man. Not until you explain what the hell you did today.”  His demand is met with groans and murmurs from everyone.

“And no you can’t fucking keep her,”  Leo speaks before finishing off his beer.

I can see this is gonna turn into a fight.  “Fuck you, asshole. Who the hell are you to tell me what I can or can’t have?”  I lose myself in the jealousy.  I thought I had a chance with Avery, but she’d fallen for this fucktard Leo, like most women did, killing any chances I ever had with her. 

Leo stands with such force his stool scoots across the floor, tipping over with a dramatic bang.  He comes to an angry stop inches from me.  “Look here, dickhead. I don’t give a shit if she jumped in front of the president to take a bullet. I don’t like the bitch—never have, never will.”

“And I guess you just put a bag over her head in high school the whole time you were fucking her in the back seat of your car?”    Unable to control his shit anymore, he lets his fist fly through the air, connecting with the side of my head.

With the force of his punch knocking me back, I don’t have time to react when he takes me to the ground.  Fisting my shirt, he uses it to hold me down as he lands blow after blow to my face.  I finally kick him off me and roll to stand, spitting blood.  “What the hell is wrong with you, man?” 

He stands and I immediately lunge for him—getting him around the neck—and landing two hard rights to his jaw.  The others just stand and watch, letting us work out our issues.  We all know better than to get in between fights involving one another.

“You fucker,”  He grits out between his teeth as he slings my body into the brick wall, knocking the air from my lungs. 

“Stop, just stop! Both of you,”  Avery yells, making us both freeze.  “Whatever the hell is going on between you two needs to stop, right now.” 

We both release each other and stand like two children being reprimanded by their mother. Dalton goes to stand next to her, draping his arm around her shoulders and points at Leo.  “Leo was kicking Roman’s ass for bringing Hollis back to the clubhouse.” 

She shrugs his arm off her shoulder and glares up at him.  “Really Dalton?” Then her attention is back on us.  “Honestly. There is a better way to work all this shit out without throwing punches.  What is it with you two constantly fighting?  You’re supposed to be friends—best friends—so fix it. Don’t even bother leaving until you do.”  She turns and waves her hand over her shoulder. “I’m going to check on Cal and Emily, then go work on bringing Piper over to the ‘I’m not gonna kill Hollis’ side.” 

“Avery, Hollis is the reason so many people were hurt,”  Leo calls after her, making her stop with her back to us. 

She sighs heavily before turning around.  There’s no kinder person on this planet than Avery Delaney.  Her eyes are warm and motherly as she speaks.  “No, Leo, you and your job were the reason people got hurt.  Hollis just got caught up in the lie, just like everyone else. So, maybe you can all finally see that you made the mistakes and you’re the ones who caused the problems. All I know is that when it came time to do the right thing, I saw Hollis as the one who did it.”

“How the hell can you say that?  You know the story.”  Leo holds his hands out to either side of him, the rest of us not offering anything to their conversation.

“Yes, I’ve heard the story from everyone but Hollis.  What I saw from her was real regret for the things she’s done, so like I said, it seems to me that you’re the ones with the problems, so fix them. I’m so sick and tired of this fighting between us all. I want our family back and I need you to give that to me.”  She walks over and kisses Leo on the cheek and smiles at the rest of us before turning again to leave.

I feel a punch to my shoulder, “Stop staring at her like that or I’ll have to fuck you up again.”  Leo takes a deep breath, letting his eyes wander back to where they had last saw Avery.  “She’s right, boys. Get to the table, now.”  He starts off down the hall and we all follow, but I hang back, still trying to figure out how to start the conversation about how I rescued a kidnapped child and bringing her ex-junkie nanny home with me. 

The fact we’re not a real MC has been known for a long time now, but being military men, we like the formality of it all:  superiors, officers, meetings … it puts us all at ease.  We still work the job but it’s only a formality these days.  We wear the vest and badges, but we’re basically the muscle that busts down a couple or so doors a week, squeeze a few CI’s for information. That’s what our lives are about now. Gone are the days of partying and the revolving door of fine ass women every night.

“Well?”  Leo asks, drawing my eyes to him and the gorgeous black and blue colors forming around his left eye, compliments of my right hook. I feel like the proud father with Leo wearing a shiner my fist created. Fucker deserves it.

I open my mouth to speak when Cal bursts through the doors. He comes directly for me, taking me up by my shirt.  “I should end you for bringing her anywhere near Emily.”  I don’t respond. I’ll let him do what he feels he needs to do to me if it helps get having Hollis here out of his system.

He looks me in the eyes but doesn’t do or say anything. After a few seconds, he lets go of my shirt and shoves me back into my chair.

He walks around the table to his own chair, kicking it out and taking a seat.  He rests his elbows on the table and laces his fingers together—never letting his eyes leave me.  The air is thick in the room and it seems everyone is holding their breath.

I wasn’t expecting him to show up, and I don’t think anyone else was either with having Caden back, but we’re all now waiting for him to speak. 

I should have taken her home first, but I wanted to get Caden to Cowboy and Emily as fast as possible. It’s been over a month and I didn’t want to make them have to wait a second longer to have her back in their arms. It was a ‘damned if I do, damned if I don’t’ situation for me. 

“Why don’t you just tell us what the hell went down today,”  Cowboy demands.

“Well, it started with a phone call …” I begin telling the story of what’s happened over the past two days, keeping the information of Megan’s fate out of the story. I don’t want them to know what Hollis did or what I had done to get Caden home. We broke the law, and I don’t think they’ll be behind the decisions that were made.

“I wanted to get Caden here as soon as possible. I didn’t bring Hollis into the clubhouse—I left her in the truck. So, it’s pretty fucked up that you’re all hot and bothered that I made an agreement with her to get Caden home. If it wasn’t for Piper’s ass, none of you would have ever known she was even here. She has nobody, so I was gonna take her home until I figured something out for her. I did what I hope that in a different situation, you would do for me. What was I supposed to do, drop her off on the side of the road before I got here?”