18. The devil never wins.
Chapter 18
The devil never wins.
Christian
I n one swift move, I crack the cue ball with the end of my stick, and it slams into the rack with a loud wack. The balls go flying across the table. One solid and three stripes make it into the pockets.
“Looks like I’m stripes,” I say to Chase. He groans because he’s never been as good at pool as me. I’ve beat him three out of the last four games.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” His shoulders sag as I make my next three shots before missing.
“Maybe you’ll catch up on this turn.” I tease, but I don’t smile. I rarely smile for anyone except Amelia.
I glance around to find her still sitting at the table with her friends. Mac won a major race today, so we all came out to Posey’s Lounge to celebrate. This might be the first time in a really long time that all my brothers have been out together at the same time. Even grumpy Warren and Garret came out to join in the fun.
Amelia waves me over to the table as she pushes to her feet.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“I think I’m going to leave. The smoke in here is bothering me.”
The smoke is bothering me too. A drag from a cigarette sounds so good. So far, I’ve resisted.
I pull her close to my side and kiss the side of her head. “Give me a minute, and I’ll drive you home.”
She pats me on the chest. “Nova and Hadley can take me. You stay and have fun.”
“You sure?”
She nods. “I think we’re going to watch a movie. Knowing me, I’ll fall asleep.”
I smile because she’s probably right. This pregnancy has made her exhausted, and she struggles to stay awake past nine o’clock.
“Okay. I won’t be too late.”
She cups my cheeks and gives me a kiss. “Stay as long as you like.”
Then she waves goodbye to everyone as she exits the game room with her friends.
“Man, you are whipped,” Ash teases. I glance over at him. He’s sitting next to Clara, and they’ve been chatting about some book she read. His girlfriend, Andrea, is sitting next to him with her arms crossed over her chest, frowning.
I nod in her direction. “Maybe you should worry about your relationship and stay out of mine.”
He looks at Andrea, and his frown matches hers. “What?”
She huffs and rolls her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
He furrows his brows, clearly clueless as to why she’s upset. He’s hardly said two words to her all night.
“Why does everyone keep calling me that?” He asks, and everyone in earshot laughs, including Clara. He turns to her, his expression shifting from frustration to confusion. “And why are you laughing?”
Clara clears her throat and tries to hide the smile on her face, but fails. “Because your girlfriend is right. You’re an idiot.”
Ash falls back into his chair, clearly not catching on to what’s being said.
Andrea is a nice girl, but she doesn’t fit in with us. Maybe that’s because none of us have really accepted her. She’s not Clara and never will be.
We’ve all seen what Ash hasn’t been able to see in his entire life. Clara has been in love with him since they were kids, but all he’s ever seen her as is his best friend. Even Andrea can see how Clara feels.
“I can’t do this anymore.” Andrea pushes to her feet and shrugs her jacket on.
“Do what?” Ash reaches for her hand, but she pulls away. “Andrea, talk to me.”
“Why?” She snaps. “I don’t even understand why I’m here. All you’ve done is talk to her all night.”
She points at Clara with an angry look on her face. Ash stares at her with a blank expression. He really doesn’t get it. “She’s just my friend. You know that.”
“Yeah, but does she?” The accusatory tone of her voice has the room falling silent.
Clara freezes, her eyes widening in disbelief. In all these years, no one has called Clara out in front of Ash like this before.
Ash furrows his brow and looks at Clara. He stares at her for so long I think he’s finally seeing what we’ve seen for years. But then he busts out laughing.
“What are you talking about?” He looks back at Andrea. His smile is so big it only infuriates her more. “Of course she knows. We’ve been friends almost since birth.”
“Oh, my god.” Andrea rolls her eyes and storms off. Ash grabs his jacket and follows her.
“Andrea, where are you going?” He calls after her.
“Well, that was awkward,” Sophia says.
Clara lifts her glass and smiles. “Good riddance is more like it.”
“Here, here.” Liam lifts his beer and clinks it against her glass.
The low rumble of the bar returns, and I head back to the pool table to take my next shot. Chase’s turn was fruitless. I think he’s already given up on beating me. He’s in the corner, kissing Lina like no one is watching.
I roll my eyes and take my turn. I clear out the table and win the game in a few quick turns. I love to win, but it’s not as fun when my opponent isn’t giving it his best.
I look around at my brothers and huff. All of them, except Liam and Warren, have women in their lives. How did that happen so quickly? I guess when one falls, they all fall.
Another strange feeling tingles in my chest. I rub it, not really sure what it is. But I feel good. I feel happy.
Is that what this is? Happiness.
What the hell is going on with me? First, I feel hope and now happiness.
That should make me feel good, but an uneasy feeling settles over me.
I’m afraid things are getting too good. That usually means something terrible is coming my way.
Liam leans forward on his elbows and stares at Clara. “How do you do it?” he asks.
Several conversations are going on at once, and I’ve no clue what he’s referring to. Apparently, Clara doesn’t know either.
She furrows her brows. “Are you asking me?”
“Yeah.” He takes a pull from his beer.
“How do I do what?” she asks.
“Put up with Ash and his shit?” It’s been about ten minutes since Ash and Andrea left. Liam asked the question that we’ve wanted to ask her for years. As far as I know, no one has ever asked Clara how she feels about Ash. We’ve all just assumed.
“Oh,” she says and stares at her glass like it’s the most interesting thing in the room. “He’s my friend. What am I supposed to do? Just stop being his friend.”
“Well.” Liam tilts his head to the side like he’s thinking. “When you put it like that.”
“Listen.” She adjusts in her seat and tears the napkin under her glass. This conversation is making her uncomfortable. “I don’t know what you all think, but he and I are just friends. That’s all we’ve ever been, and it’s all we’ll ever be.”
“But,” Mac says. “You like—”
Clara holds her hand up to stop him. “Just friends,” she says with a lot more conviction.
Mac holds his hands up in surrender. “Okay, got it.”
“But surely, it bothers you.” Charlotte says. “I mean, you two would make such a great couple.”
Clara shakes her head and stares at the table, avoiding everyone’s eyes. “Nope. He can date whomever he wants. Not my business.”
“But—”
“I don’t want to talk about Ash!” Clara says a little too loudly, cutting Charlotte off. “New topic, please.”
“So …” Sophia drags out the word. “I entered the Cleveland race. Mac and I will both be competing.”
“No way!” Chase beams at her. “That’s awesome. Which car are you gonna drive?”
The conversation shifts back to safer topics, and Clara visibly relaxes. I sit back and listen. Since I don’t follow racing, I don’t have much to contribute. As long as we make money and Grams is taken care of. That’s all I need to know.
“Hey.” Chase nudges my arm and nods toward the door. “I think Edge wants you.”
I look over my shoulder, and sure enough, Edge is staring at me. He points toward the corner of the room, indicating I should follow him.
“I’ll be right back,” I say before I push to my feet and head in his direction.
“We’ve got a problem,” he says as soon as I’m within earshot.
“What kind of problem?” I ask. His grim expression has my defenses on high alert.
“Local one.” He grumbles. “Emergency extraction. Needs to happen right now.”
“Local?” I furrow my brow. “But you don’t do local extractions.”
“I do now.” He sighs. He’s not happy, and from the tone of his voice, he doesn’t have a choice. It’s not like him to allow himself to get cornered into doing something he doesn’t want to do.
“Why?” I ask.
This makes no sense. Edge doesn’t bend the rules for anyone. Bending the rules risks exposure, and no one can know what he does. Too many lives are at stake.
“I promised the kid if he ever called me, I’d help. He called.”
“Okay.” I run my hands through my hair, trying to wrap my head around this. I’m not prepared to leave town. Not even for one day. I promised Amelia I’d never leave her again without telling her why.
Before I can ask him for more specifics, a chair falls over with a loud bang and it distracts me.
“Oh, my god,” someone calls out.
More mumbles fill the room as everyone looks at their phones.
“It’s the Fisher residence,” another person calls out.
I snap my eyes back to Edge, and he nods.
“Fuck,” I mumble. Half the county owns a police scanner. When dispatch puts out a call, everyone knows in a matter of minutes.
“What’s happening at the Fisher residence?” Liam yells above the rumble. He pushes to his feet and crosses the room toward the person who just spoke.
There was a time when Liam and Charlie Fisher were best friends. But they’ve been at odds with each other since Liam’s high school sweetheart, Hannah, married Charlie. It never made sense to me. I thought Liam and Hannah would be together forever. It shocked the hell out of everyone when she announced her engagement to Charlie.
“We better go,” I say.
Liam never got over losing Hannah, and if Charlie hurt her like I suspect, Charlie is a dead man if we don’t get there first.
“Agreed.” Edge heads toward the exit, and I follow. “We’ve got to beat these people there. Do you have your truck?” I nod. “Good. You drive. And drive fast.”
When we pull up in front of Charlie Fisher’s house, it’s eerily quiet. Based on how quickly the news spread across the bar, I expected the driveway to be blocked by cars and lots of flashing lights.
But there’s nothing.
“Looks like we beat the cops. That’s a fucking miracle.” Edge unbuckles his seat belt and hops out the second I throw my truck into park. “Let’s go.”
“Is Charlie still here?” I ask. Edge is moving so fast, I have to run to keep up.
“Yeah, the kid knocked him out. If he comes to before we get them out of here, I don’t want to think about what he’ll do.”
The front door flies open before we even take one step onto the front porch. I freeze when I see Charlie’s son, Cameron, standing in the doorway.
“What the fuck?” I cover my mouth with my hand and run it down my beard and around my chin. “How old are you?”
Cameron stares at me with a fierceness I’ve never seen in a kid before. But it’s not the fierceness that has me stunned. It’s his familiar dark brown eyes and dark brown hair.
“Twelve,” he says with authority. Then he turns to Edge as if I’m not even here. “She’s in the kitchen. It’s bad.”
Cameron disappears around the corner, and Edge follows. I remain frozen, unable to move for several seconds. He can’t be who I think he is. He just can’t.
I finally get my feet to move and follow the sound of voices. I spot Charlie’s body crumpled on the floor in the living room with broken glass all around him. Instead of going to the kitchen, I lean down beside his body and make sure he’s still breathing.
There’re broken shards of crystal all around his body. A few pieces are covered in blood. Cameron hit him hard. If Hannah is in the state I expect to find her, then Charlie deserves the headache he’s going to have when he wakes up.
“Mother fucker.” I push to my feet and kick him in the side. I don’t give a fuck that he’s down. He beat up a woman. As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t deserve to live.
I find Edge kneeling in front of Hannah in the kitchen. Cameron is standing guard next to him like he’s ready to take on anyone who tries to hurt his mother again. It actually makes me smile.
Edge is blocking Hannah from view, and I can’t see how bad it is until I’m standing next to him.
“Fuck me.” I growl and wish I’d kicked Charlie even harder.
“We need to get them out of here,” Edge says as he wraps a bandage around Hannah’s arm. “I don’t think this is broken, but I can’t be sure.”
Cameron spins around and runs down the hallway.
“Kid, get back here. We’ve got to leave. Now!” I call after him.
Edge mumbles something under his breath before he looks up at me. “I’ll go after him. He trusts me. You get her.”
I nod and take his place in front of Hannah. “Can you stand?”
She shakes her head, and that’s when I notice the gash down her leg.
“Goddammit.” I look up at her and she must see the fury in my eyes. I want to gut that fucker open and watch him bleed until he takes his last breath.
“Don’t.” She begs. “He’s not worth it.”
I stare at her, not liking one bit what she said. Charlie Fisher doesn’t deserve to live. But she’s right. If I kill him, I’ll be the one to suffer.
For the first time in my life, I’ve got something worth living for. I can’t jeopardize that.
“Wrap your arms around my neck, then I’ll lift you up.”
She lifts one arm easily, but I have to help her lift the other one. There are so many bruises on her body. There’s no way he gave her all those tonight.
When I slide my arms under her legs, she cries out.
“Mom!” Cameron yells from down the hallway. I hear the pounding of his feet first, and then he’s right by my side. “Don’t hurt her.”
“I’m not trying to kid, but I’ve got to pick her up.”
“Cam,” she says. His name is so quiet it’s as if speaking is a struggle for her. “It’s okay. I trust him.”
“Mom.” He reaches out and gently places his hand on her arm. “I’m sorry.”
“Not … not your … fault,” she says right before she passes out against my chest. I adjust my hold on her, doing my best not to cause her more pain. Though I suspect she’s not feeling much now that she’s out cold.
“Let’s go,” Edge says when he enters the kitchen. He slings a large duffel bag over his shoulder and heads toward the front door. Cameron takes one more look at me before he follows.
As soon as Edge steps outside, I hear a car door slam. Edge drops the bag and takes off in a sprint. When I step outside, I understand why.
“You can’t go in there.” Edge pushes against Liam’s chest, refusing to let him pass. My brother looks over his shoulder and makes eye contact with me. All I see is rage in his eyes. If he’s heard anything about what happened here tonight, he’s ready to kill Charlie too.
Life drains out of him when he sees who I’m holding. Fear, anguish, and pain consume him, and he falls to his knees.
“Hannah!” He cries, and I’m gutted.
In all my life, I’ve never seen my big brother cry. I’ve seen him angry and sometimes sad, but not once has he shed a tear. I always suspected he still loved Hannah. And now I know the truth. What I don’t understand is why he let her go to that asshole. Especially if my suspicions regarding Cameron are true.
Edge leans down and grabs Liam’s arm, forcing him to look up at him. “She’s alive, but we gotta get her out of here.”
“I’ll take her,” he says, but Edge shakes his head.
“You can’t.” Then he lets go of Liam and picks the duffel bag up and heads to the truck. “Let’s go!” He calls out. “Now!”
Cameron springs into action and rushes off the porch where he’d been waiting next to me. Liam must not have noticed him until now because when his eyes land on Cameron, he pushes to his feet and blocks his path.
“Cameron?” He says his name like it’s a question. They lock eyes. Cameron looks pissed while Liam looks confused. I’m guessing this means he didn’t know who Cameron really was.
“Well, fuck me,” Warren says when he stops next to Liam. “He looks just like you.”
Liam shakes his head. “This can’t be. She promised me he wasn’t mine.”
“Fuck you,” Cameron says as he pushes past Liam, knocking him to the side as he does.
“Cameron.” Liam calls out, but Cameron doesn’t stop. He jumps into the truck where Edge is waiting with the door open. Edge crawls in next. That’s my cue. It’s time to get out of here.
Moving as quickly as I can, I carry Hannah to the truck and pass her off to Edge. Once he’s secured her in his arms, I shut the door.
Liam rushes to me and grabs me before I can round the truck and get in. “Please. Where are you taking them?”
I squeeze his arm and do my best to reassure him. “Somewhere safe. Charlie will never hurt her again.”
“Is he my son?” he asks, looking past me to where Cameron crawled into the cab of my truck.
“I don’t know, but he sure as hell looks like you.”
Before he asks me anything else, I push past him and run to the driver’s side. The distant sound of sirens suggests the cops will be here soon. We can’t be here when that happens.
“Get the fuck out of here.” I yell at him. “They can’t find you here.”
Then I hop in my truck and punch it in reverse. I don’t know if my brother listened to me, but I saw Warren grab Liam and drag him to their car before I drove out of sight.
I glance in the rear-view mirror for the hundredth time. It’s been five minutes since we passed the line of cop cars heading toward Hannah’s house, and so far, no one is following us.
I’d be relieved if I knew for sure that Liam and Warren got out of there. Until then, I can’t relax.
“She needs a doctor,” Edge says. “She should have come to by now. This cut is too deep. She’s gonna need stitches too.”
“Do you have someone in mind?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He pulls his phone out and flips through his contacts.
“Just tell me where to go,” I say.
“The cabin. The doctor can meet us there.”
I take a deep breath, regretting that I didn’t have this conversation with Edge sooner. “Amelia is there.”
I feel Edge’s eyes on me, and I glance in his direction. I can’t interpret his expression.
“Do you trust her?” he asks.
“With my life.” I don’t hesitate.
“Okay.” He turns back to his phone. “Then I trust her too.”
He hits a couple of buttons and then holds his phone to his ear.
“Hey,” he says after one ring. “Need you ASAP. Can you meet me at the pin I’ll text you?”
He pauses while whoever he called responds. “Maybe fifteen minutes.”
Another pause. “Stitches for sure. There are some deep cuts. Maybe some broken bones. I can’t tell.”
He pauses again. “Don’t know. She’s passed out right now.”
There’s another pause. This pause is longer than all the others. I can’t tell if it’s because the doctor is talking or checking on something. “Yeah, bring it all. She’s in serious pain. Thanks.”
Then he hangs up. Hits a few more buttons on his phone, then it dings with an incoming message. “The doctor will be at your cabin in ten.”
An ache filled moan escapes Hannah as she lifts her head. “Cameron,” she cries out.
Cameron reaches around Edge and rests his hand on his mom’s shoulder. “I’m right here.”
“Okay.” She falls against Edge’s chest and relaxes. She takes a few deep breaths before she looks over at me and I meet her gaze. The look in her eyes tells me all I need to know. Cameron is Liam’s son.
Tears well up in her eyes and a sob escapes her.
“Mom!” Cameron launches forward. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m fine.”
“Does this mean he can’t ever hurt you again?” he asks. For the first time since meeting him, he sounds like a scared child. He’s been so strong, and now his vulnerable side is coming out.
Instead of answering him, Hannah cries harder.
Edge turns around and faces Cameron. “That’s exactly what this means. Your dad will never lay a hand on your mom again.”
Cameron goes quiet. A few minutes pass before he finally responds. “He’s not my dad.”
I look over my shoulder and he’s slumped over with his head in his hands. “Do you mind elaborating on that?”
Cameron shrugs. “That asshole isn’t my dad.”
“Cam, don’t.” Hannah cries.
Cameron ignores her plea. “That's why he beats her. Or at least part of the reason. Because I’m not his son.”
I huff and beat my hand against the steering wheel. “This is not your fault, kid. Charlie is a sick man. He beats your mom because he’s weak. It has nothing to do with you or who you are.”
I glance over at Hannah, and she’s staring at me like she doesn’t know what to think. Then she mouths the words ‘thank you.’ I nod and turn my attention back to the road. The turn to my cabin is coming up soon, and I can’t miss it because I’m distracted by this new revelation. I have a twelve-year-old nephew.
We remain silent for the rest of the drive. Every few minutes I hear a sniffle come from Hannah, but otherwise she seems to have relaxed.
When I pull up to the cabin, I throw my truck in park and stare at the man standing on my porch next to Amelia.
“You called Aaron?” I ask through gritted teeth. Amelia’s brother is the last person I expected to see here.
“We can trust him.” Is all Edge says before he opens the door and crawls out.
“He’s a Koch,” I call out.
Edge turns to face me and stares at me like I’m an idiot. “So is Amelia.”
I huff. “Yeah, yeah. Point taken.”
“Hey,” he says, his voice firm and authoritative. “I trust Aaron with my life.”
I nod. I may not like it, but if Edge trusts him, then I have no choice but to trust him too.