Page 51 of Has-Been
“I’m sorry, brother. It was just a… a big deal, that’s all. I feel like part of me is still in that room with her.”
He sat back, roughly scrubbing his hands over his face, before he reached for his coffee mug and cursed when he remembered it was empty.
“Yeah, why don’t we talk about your love life instead of someone attacking our club. How was she, man? Good? Was she sweet and innocent, or was she like a fucking vixen, riding you like a pro?” I dragged him from that chair, and slammed a fist into his face, before I even realised he was baiting me.
He smirked as I released him, then he rolled his neck and shoulders, like the pain had rejuvenated him or some twisted shit.
“Yeah… that helped, thanks, man. I don’t exactly have my old resources to rely on to keep me awake these days.”
“You’re such a prick. I should have realised what you were doing… still, Ice? You ever talk about Elise like that again, and I’ll do more than punch you. Got it?”
“You’ve got itbad. You know Stitch is never going to leave you guys alone right? He doesn’t want this life for her.” Yeah, I realised that. I wasn’t even sure I wanted this life for her. She was in danger now, and that might never change.
The life of a biker always held risk, even as they were trying to take the club in a less criminal direction. It had taken them ten years so far, and there was still so much to do. I didn’t want to derail Reacher and Stitch’s hard work, did I?
I sat back down with Ice, and he went back to his screen.
“This is the only footage we caught of the prick before the cameras went down. The question is how he did that remotely, because I can’t face the idea of there being more than one of them working against us. Suddenly I don’t know who to trust around here, and it doesn’t help when people are sneaking around and fucking people’s sisters.”
“Wait a minute… run that back to where you can see him.”
Ice gave me that glare, the one that says there’s no way I’m about to see something he didn’t, but maybe I had.
“What’s he doing to that bike?”
Ice cursed and leaned closer. “I wish it was like on TV, and I could just zoom in. Whose bike is that?”
It took me a minute, but then I realised which bike it was.
“That’s Torch’s bike. We need to warn him. Where is he right now?”
Ice moved to the live feed, and panned the camera across the row of bikes, letting out a loud curse.
“Out on that fucking bike.”
SHIT.
Elise
Sethtookacalland had to leave, but he pretty much commanded me to lock the door behind him and not let anyone in. Then he hugged me and offered me his puppy dog eyes. They’d always worked in the past, but did he really think they would now?
“I know you think you love him, but please, don’t lock yourself in here with Has. We need to know what’s going on here, and I don’t want you getting your heart broken when you realise that he’s not what he seems. The man has some serious secrets, sweets.”
After he left, I was confused and lonely, and even though I knew I wouldn’t turn Has-Been away, I had to admit I was curious about his ‘secrets’. I wondered how I could even begin to find out anything about him. I couldn’t ask Seth, of course, because he was not only biased against him for some reason, but also because he didn’t want to help us out. I couldn’t ask any of his brothers, because they would all side with their VP, even though he wasn’t the boss of me.
I really wanted to phone Has or message him, but of course Ice had his phone, so I couldn’t risk it. I knew that Ice knew about us, but there was so much going on right now, I didn’t want to add to his burden. I was staring at my phone, wondering if I should ask one of the old ladies to come and have a cuppa with me, when it buzzed in my hand, startling a gasp from me.
H:I miss you, babe. Are you doing okay?
It was him! Of course, the burner phone. I’d forgotten all about it. I sat crosslegged on the bed, and replied, my heart thudding harder in my chest because he’d been thinking of me. He’d messaged me because he missed me.
Me:I forgot you have this phone! I would have messaged you first. I miss you too, and I’m so pissed at Seth.
A few minutes passed, and I got up and went to the window, admiring the day dawning outside. The sky was a lovely shade of peach from this angle, but I wished we were watching it together.
H:He’s just looking out for his little sis, babe. Doesn’t mean he’s right, but he’s not a complete asshole either. Don’t be too hard on him.
And that was typical of Has-Been, wasn’t it? My brother was being a complete dick about us, and he was trying to make peace between us. It wasn’t fair and we both knew it. I wondered if Seth would have reacted differently if there wasn’t some psycho terrorising the club right now. Even though I knew my room was the most secure in the clubhouse, I still felt edgy, but I was the most protected right now, wasn’t I?
