Page 6 of Gash

Glancing up at him, she took a bite ofher chicken, staring.“So have you.The last time I knew you, youwouldn’t have snuck into my apartment with the intention of killingme.”

“I can’t argue withthat.”

Charlotte twirled her fork on the plate asshe thought about her next question.“Why have you waited solong?”

“Long for what?”

“Looking for them?Looking forRebecca and that … man.”She couldn’t bring herself to say hisname.Charlotte never in all of her life considered herself aviolent person When it came tohimshe wanted to witness his suffering, to belaughing in his face as he took his final breath.“It has beenseven years.”

“I was in prison for fiveof those.”

I was in a mentalhospital, trying to kill myself.

“What about the othertwo?”

Gash sat back, chewing his food.“TheSkulls is my family.It’s the only family that Irecognize.”

“You have morefamily?”

“A brother.I’ve not seen him inyears.To be honest, he’s probably dead.He’s the one I was lookingfor when I was looking for Rebecca.”

“You don’tcare?”

“Like I said, my family isThe Skulls.”

“I never knew you had abrother.”Charlotte found it hard that he didn’t seem to care, butthen she didn’t know his brother.“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.Blood doesn’t makefamily, Charlotte.Actions, loyalty, and love, that’s what makes afamily.The Skulls were going through some serious shit by the timeI was released.Tiny, my club Prez, he asked me to not go looking.I didn’t see a reason to bring more shit to the club.We’re all ina good place right now, and so I’m looking.I want to endthis.”

“That’s a long time towait.”

“I’m a patientguy.”

Biting her lip, she rolled the chickenand bread around her plate.“What happens when we findthem?”

“We kill them.”

“Yes, we will.”She couldn’t lookat him right now.Charlotte couldn’t tell him that when he was ontrial she had been in a psych ward, trying to kill herself at everyopportunity.How could she have helped him when she’d been doped upon drugs to stop her from trying to slit her wrist?Her hungerdisappeared, and she got to her feet, dumping the contents of herplate into the trash.She needed to do something with her hands,and to stop nearly telling Gash about what happened.He blamed herfor not coming forward, and she blamed herself as well.If she’dnot taken that damn promotion, she’d have been here when he wasfirst arrested.She had been thinking of herself, and herfuture.

“You’re coming with me.I believeyou, but I need to get shit resolved.I need both of them to bedead, and gone.”

She gripped the counter,recalling the wayhelaughed at her screams.The way he looked so damn smug whenshe had woken in the hospital to find out what they’d done.JeffWright, the one man she wanted to kill more than anything else inher life.She truly believed she could kill him without care orthought.

“What happens to me after?”she asked.

“I don’t know.That’s up toyou, and if you get cold feet, we’ll handle it.”

“You’ll kill me?”She was findingit hard to not be scared.This Gash scared her and he was nothinglike the man she once knew.This man could easily kill her withouta second thought.

“We’ll have to wait andsee.”

Charlotte stared at him for severalseconds.It may have even been minutes as she looked at the man whohad haunted her dreams for years.She’d once been in love withGash, wanting him from afar.For one night, she’d gotten her dream,only to have it shattered the next morning.It was part of thereason she’d taken the damn promotion, to get away from him andfrom Rebecca.Her heart had been fragile, and witnessing Gash withRebecca had broken a part of her over the days they had beentogether.Whenever she thought of her feelings about Gash, she wasalways all over the place.There was no set feeling.She loved andhated him.He made her sad, angry, and aroused.He was bad forher.

“I’m tired.”She had enough dramafor one night.The best solution was for her to just sleep, and end thisuneasiness inside her.Everything looked better in themorning.

Without waiting for him to giveher instruction, she left the kitchen, and walked the few stepstoward her room.Her apartment was modest, and her only bathroomwas through her bedroom.She closed her bedroom door, which had no lock.Charlotte had learned long ago to not even bother putting a lock onher bedroom door.If people wanted to get into her apartment, theycould get inside without any struggle, and she would be sent to herfate.

Taking a quick shower, shedidn’t take her time, enjoying the peace and quiet.Gash hadinvaded her apartment, and ruined any kind of peace shethought to have.Hernight shirt was hanging on the back of the door, and once shefinished with her shower, she dried quickly, placing the towel overthe radiator, and then getting dressed.

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