Chapter Thirteen
We waited for over two hours before War showed up.
I only let him get in two hits before I stopped him.
Waverley knew I’d allowed it, so did Mace but he took them both, keeping his eyes on War when he did.
That was what came after War heard everything Waverley had to say, after she’d opened the door to him and he’d almost fallen through it to get to her, picking her up and holding her so tight she had to ask him to put her down.
“The only reason you’re breathing is because she is,” War told him.
“I got that,” Mace said.
“I’d keep quiet if I were you,” I told him, leaning back against the table and crossing my ankles.
“You morons are wasting time,” Waverley said.
Both our heads swiveled to look at her. “What the hell?” War asked.
“I do not want to be anywhere even remotely in the vicinity of those assholes. So can we leave? Please?”
I could tell War was having a hard time not showing his caring side in front of Mace. As soon as he realised he was in here his whole persona had changed. He instantly went from devoted twin to Vice President of a one percenter motorcycle club, right before Waverley’s eyes.
“Fine,” he looked over at Mace. “You gonna be a problem?” He didn’t answer. “Okay, good,” War clapped his hands. “Wave, go open the van, keep a lookout. We’ll get him inside.”
Once it was done, Mace didn’t struggle, we decided War would still drive the van and I’d go on my bike. Mace kept looking at the side of the motel and I took my gun out.
“His bike is round there,” Waverley said.
“Oh, okay. Good, it’ll be a nice diversion when they find it. Maybe they’ll set it on fire.”
“Asshole.”
“A big one,” War told Mace with a cheery grin. Then he slammed the doors of the van in his face.
“You’re both assholes,” Waverley said.
War grabbed her and pulled her into another hug. “I love you,” he told her, pressing his forehead to hers. “But let me do my job.”
She scowled but nodded. As she headed for the front of the van she looked over her shoulder at us. “Our job.”
“Wave,” War groaned. “I love you, I’m beyond thrilled we found you, but get in the damn van.”
“You found me?” she asked incredulously.
“You know what I mean.”
“Just don’t think you can shut me out, I know a whole hell of a lot and you need me.”
“Jesus Christ,” War grumbled.
When they pulled out, I went around back to check the bike, my eyes opened wide as I walked towards it.
It was a fucking nice bike. My bike had always felt like an extension of me and to have it left behind like this would hurt like hell.
Might sound stupid but it was true. The place was pretty overgrown, it didn’t look like people came back here much.
It would take a while before anyone came across it.
I laughed as I went and got back on my own bike. For the first time in days I felt free, lighter. Shit, nothing had changed, we still had the same issues, but she was back. And I would make sure she was always protected.
I managed to get back before them. Fuck knows what they’d talked about in the van but when they did show up, they were irritated with each other when they backed into the garage and both doors slammed.
“You do realize you just spent the last three days tearing shit apart to find her,” I pointed out as he headed into the house.
“She’s being unreasonable.”
“She is right here,” Waverley followed us inside. She stopped dead in the kitchen and looked around, as if she only just realized where we were. The last time she was here was when she helped me get my shit and move it all to Ballistic’s house when we were seniors in High School.
“Yeah, I know, it looks different,” War said when he saw her taking it all in.
Her eyes went straight to me, her brows dipped in question.
“Not the time to get into it,” I said, rubbing the back of my head.
I hadn’t expected both Curtis kids to be here within the space of two days.
Don’t get me wrong, I was fucking glad the three of us were standing here right now, but this place held such bad memories for all of us.
Her eyes softened as War left the kitchen.
“Does anyone know you still own it?”
“You and War,” I said in a voice that let her know that was all I was willing to say.
Waverley rubbed her lips together as she went to look out of the window to the yard. It was dark out, so her reflection was more visible than the actual outdoors. I stared at her through the dark glass, still finding it hard to believe she was standing here, and we were just…talking like normal.
I wanted to ask what happened to her, whether anyone hurt her.
I wanted to know why she was so fiercely guarding a fucking Kingsmen.
And not just any Kingsmen, the VP, the man who held her captive for the last three days.
She had a lot of explaining to do, but first, I wanted to know what’s up with her and War.
“Why are you guys arguing?”
“He won’t let me see Connor,” she turned to me, her arms folded, looking like she was about to challenge me too if I had anything to say. Which I did.
“He’s right, you can’t. It’s not safe, Wave. We just got you back, we’re not risking you again.”
“I need to know he is okay,” she said then quietly added. “It’s my fault.”
I went to her and put my hands on her upper arms, forcing her to look up at me. “None of this is your fault. You hear me. He would hate it if he knew you were thinking that.”
Her lip trembled and her eyes darted away. She didn’t believe me. Typical Waverley.
“Are we okay?” she asked, after a long moment.
“Of course,” I said, tilting her head so I could see her eyes. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Because…you went after Declan. I was upset, and said some things that you might have-”
“Whatever that was, the feelings I had, the way I reacted, none of that matters, not anymore.”
“But you did have those feelings, I hurt you.”
I scratched the back of my head. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to have this talk, but I didn’t want her to believe I felt anything less for her, than I hoped she felt for me.
“You didn’t. You spent the last year with him,” I blew out a breath, deciding to be honest. “I was jealous, plain and fucking simple. I’m not anymore.
I know what I want and I’m not afraid to fight for it. ”
She stared at me, her eyes misty but I could see everything she felt for me in that look. The girl she was before all the shit between us happened. Standing here in my childhood home, surrounded by all of those memories of us.
“What’s that?” she whispered.
“I’ve set everything up, help me get him inside,” War walked past us completely oblivious to what was going on between me and his sister.
I brushed my thumb over her lip as he went straight outside to the garage. “Once we get through this, we’ll all go to Connor. I promise. But right now, we have more important shit to handle.”
I turned to go help War, but she stopped me, going up on her toes, she pressed her lips against mine. “I’m sorry.”
I cut off any more of that bullshit, kissing her again. Fuck this felt good, having her in my arms. I backed her up to the kitchen counter, gripping the back of her neck and tilting her head the way I wanted it. She clawed at my cut and moaned.
“Fucks sake,” War appeared in the doorway. “You can get to that shit later. Hustle, out here, now.”
I laughed against Waverley’s lips, and she scowled at War, but I gripped her ass with both hands, gave it a squeeze and then walked out of the kitchen to get Mace into the house.
He didn’t fight with us, his bonds had gotten lose but he kept his arms behind him.
War wasn’t so gentle and may have elbowed him where he’d been shot.
He’d bled more through the t-shirt. It did need looking at.
Medic could handle it no problem but until we got what we wanted, I was sure War planned to withhold any help.
Mace winced as we towed him along but remained stoically silent. Waverley wasn’t impressed when we dragged him inside though. She followed us into the living room.
“Is this really conducive to a two way conversation,” Waverley said, coming further into the room.
“This isn’t a conversation, Wave,” War told her. He gave me a look. I knew what he wanted me to do, but I didn’t think Waverley would go along with it.
“Well, he’s in pain, he still needs a doctor, or another pain pill at least.”
“I’ll get right on that.”
“Warren, stop being a prick.”
“You haven’t even begun to see what kind of prick I can be,” he said, his voice low and dark.
Waverley actually recoiled from him. This wasn’t the Warren she knew, this was War.
“Mace and I are going to have a brief chat, alone,” he held up a hand when she started to protest. “There are things he and I need to talk about before we get into what is going on with you and mom.”
“You promised,” she said, her eyes flitting anxiously from War to Mace. I stood behind her ready to, though not wanting, to have to restrain her.
“Wave, I need ten minutes with him. I promise there won’t be a mark on him.”
“Oh, okay, you want me to just pop out for a stroll.”
“Fucks sake,” he groaned. Mace looked around at all of us and I straightened up, not liking him seeing this. Or one of Waverley’s stubborn ass moments.
“Not leaving,” she crossed her arms. “Deal with it. Besides, I had a conversation with Danica, so I already know all the shit you think you’re keeping from me. And more.”
War looked at me over her head. We weren’t going to tell her anything we knew.
We wanted to know what he knew. I gave an imperceptible nod, it wasn’t worth the argument.
But it was his choice. He’d have to tie or lock her up to keep her out and, neither of us would do that to her after what she’d been through.