Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
INK
“ I nk?”
“I’d love to stop and chat, darlin’, but now’s not a good time,” I tell Evan as I shut my bedroom door, wincing as it comes out harsher than I intended.
None of this is her fault and she shouldn’t be taking the brunt of my frustration.
“Is she okay?” Evan asks, concern etched in her face.
What a loaded fucking question.
“As okay as she can be.” It’s starting to eat at me that I don’t have all the details of what happened. The bullshit she spewed out has me itching to get a name and address because I know it’s about to get worse. “She’s showerin’ now.”
“Does she need some clothes? I can bring her whatever she needs. I have a ton of stuff at the house I can bring over. Cain keeps threatening to burn it all because our closest is overflowing.”
“I packed all of her shit up that was in her room and threw it in my truck.”
A knowing smirk creeps on to Evan’s face at what’s being said without actually being said .
Sutton isn’t going back.
“Well, let me know if she needs anything or just someone to talk to. I know what it’s like to be trapped with you overbearing assholes.”
“Trapped?” I feign being hurt. “I thought you loved me.”
Evan laughs. “Don’t tell Cyrus, but you’re my favorite. Seriously though, let me know how I can help.”
Jogging downstairs, I find Cain, Hash, and Cyrus hanging around, tension filling the room. I grab a beer out of the fridge behind the bar before joining them, needing something, anything, to take the edge off.
“How is she?” Cain is the first to speak.
“Alright for now. All I got out of her is that some guy came, roughed her up and took off with all of her cash.”
“You think he’s from around here?”
I shrug. “Don’t know. If I had to go out on a limb, I’d say no because I always got the vibe she was runnin’ from somethin’. Seemed like she’s startin’ over.”
“How do you want to play this?”
“What I want to do is go to this piece of shit’s house and haul him back here to the basement.” All three grunt in agreement. “But I’m tryin’ to not lose it completely before she tells me the full story.”
“But it’s not looking good,” Hash comments. He saw me at the motel. He saw the state Sutton was in. He knows exactly what I’m battling right now.
“It’s not lookin’ good,” I agree. “The only thing I didn’t grab was her car. Can one of you take the wrecker and bring it back?”
“Why the wrecker?” Cain asks.
I chug half of my beer before responding. “She said it doesn’t run. It’s an old Grand Am. She was hell bent on getting it fixed herself. I’m hopin’ I can tell her it’s a piece of shit and not to waste her money.”
“Call off the party.” Cain pulls out his phone. “Scotch is at the shop. I’ll tell him to swing by and grab it.”
“Fuck no,” I exclaim. Cain arches an eyebrow at my protest. “ Mean no offense, Prez, but Sutton would be more upset if other people’s plans get cancelled because of her. Party as usual. I’ll get her settled in my room and try to get out the rest of the story tonight.”
“I’ll keep my girl comfortable.” Cyrus winks, earning a smack on the back of the head from Hash. “Hey, what was that for?”
“You think now’s a good time to make a fucking joke like that? One day, someone is going to fuck you up and I’m going to laugh.”
“Guess who lost their backup next time they’re beating the shit out of someone in the parking lot at DD’s.” Cyrus points at Hash. “This guy.”
I roll my eyes.
These two fucking idiots.
Downing the rest of my beer, I head out to my truck to grab Sutton’s stuff and bring it up to my room.
I don’t want to be gone too long in case she’s out of the shower and wondering where the fuck I am.
My brothers would lay their life down for her if I asked them too, but I think meeting them all at once might freak her out.
Last week, I felt like she was finally coming out of her shell.
It was inspiring to witness. I’ll be pissed if she reverts back.
That’s another thing he’s going to pay for.
I remember being able to pack all of my shit into one bag. It was way before the club, almost two decades ago at this point, but times like that don’t ever leave you. It pisses me the fuck off that Sutton has to have those memories too.
She’s light. Light that shouldn’t be tainted by dark.
Which is why I need to keep my distance.
I’m the last man she needs.
“It’s just me,” I call out before stepping inside my room with her stuff.
I was hoping she would be out of the shower by now, but it’s still running. Setting her bags down on the floor, I search through them until I find a pair of pajamas. Grabbing a fresh towel and the clothes I knock on the bathroom door before opening it.
“Sutton? My eyes are shut, but I’m comin’ in to drop some clothes off. Figured you’d want something to change into.”
My heart starts to pound as I hear her sobs coming in quick and violent, sounding almost painful. Consideration for not seeing her naked flies out the door as I open my eyes.
I don’t know a single person in this world that can ignore a cry like that.
Sutton is lying on the floor of the shower, curled up in a protective ball, crying as the cold water pelts off of her. I can feel the cool water temperature from the air that wafts my way as I approach. Her teeth clatter as the sobs continue to rock through her body.
She looks so small and vulnerable. So helpless. Her dead eyes staring off into the distance. I don’t think she even knows I’m standing right here.
This moment feels intimate.
As if I’m witnessing something that I shouldn’t.
I can’t seem to mind my own fucking business when it comes to Sutton.
At least that’s what I’m telling myself as I pull the cheap, clear plastic shower liner back.
I had every intention of picking her up off the floor, wrapping her in the towel I could find that had the least number of holes in it and tucking her away in my bed with hopes she will finally talk in the morning.
Something on her back has me pausing my mission. Blinking twice, I focus on her spine that’s on full display because I know I’m not seeing what I’m seeing.
Small, round scars run up and down her spine.
Some look more recent than others. The ones that start at the base of her spine look like they happened years ago.
The silvery lines look faded, but there’s no missing that they’re there.
The farther up my eyes trail, the more fresh they get.
I don’t know how I didn’t feel them earlier.
I lean in, eyes fixed on the scars.
Each one is a perfect circle. About the size of a nickel and evenly stacked on top of the next.
Something inside me awakens and stirs. Every trick I’ve taught myself over the years to keep a lid on it since finding Sutton in that shitty ass motel room is a thing of the past because right now all I can see is hunting whoever did this down and inflict the same suffering they gave her.
Except this will be worse.
I’ll make theirs look like a walk in the park. They’ll wish they never fucking met me.
The lid is rocking as the fury bubbles over. A roar leaves my body as I whip around. My fist making contact with the wall behind me over and over again. A loud crack can barely be heard over the noises leaving my body. Drywall falls onto the floor, leaving a hole the size of my fist in the wall.
I can feel the blood pooling between my knuckles and starting to drip down my fingers as I flex my fist.
My subconscious knows Sutton doesn’t need my shit right now. I need to care for her the only way I truly know how, fucking someone’s shit up.
The door to my room opens, crashing against the wall as I prowl out of the bathroom.
“What the fuck happened?” Cain demands, with Hash hot on his heels. Both of their expressions turn lethal as they take me in. My chest is rapidly rising and falling as I try to calm myself down. “Get Evan.”
Hash cast me a concerned glance before running out of the room in search of Evan.
“Talk to me.”
“I don’t fucking know, Prez.” I look around for something else to take my anger out on. I need to throw something.
“Check it,” Cain warns. “She’s still in your fucking bathroom, whether you think she can hear you or not.”
Grabbing the closest thing to me, which happened to be my cologne bottle that was resting on top of my dress, I chuck it at the wall. The bottle shatters, little bits and pieces of glass flying every which way. “They’re all over her fuckin’ back!” I thunder.
Cain moves in behind me, locking my arms behind my body just as I reach for something else to throw. “Get a lock on it or I’ll lock you down,” he threatens in my ear.
I’m still raging when Hash comes back to my room with Evan.
“I’m good.” I try to shrug Cain off, but he isn’t letting up.
“You better stay good, brother. Evan will take care of Sutton. We’ll talk about this shit downstairs. She doesn’t need to see this too.” Cain lets go of the hold he has on me but doesn’t back away.
Evan’s face turns sympathetic as she takes in the war that’s currently going on in my head.
I don’t want to leave her when she’s vulnerable and hurting like this.
I don’t know how she’ll feel about a woman she’s never met before helping her, but Evan is probably the better choice than me right now.
I also know I don’t have a claim on her.
I’m not her man. I’m just the guy that employed her.
“I’ll take good care of her, Ink. I promise. Plus, Hades is the best snuggle buddy,” Evan assures.
Christ.
I didn’t even see the fucking dog come in. Hades made himself right at home on my bed.
“Alright,” I reluctantly agree. “I’ll be back up in a few. If she needs anything, come find me.”
“Go.” Evan rolls her eyes, clearly done entertaining my shit.
Cain slaps me on the shoulder, giving me a shove toward the door, giving me no choice but to leave.
“We got an hour before people start showing up,” Cain says as he relaxes back in his chair. A bottle of Jameson and glasses are already waiting on the table for us. Cain unscrews the top and pours us a few fingers each. “Tell me what the fuck is going on.”
Picking up the glass Cain had just slid my way, I down it all in one swoop.
“She has burns covering her entire spine.”
“What?” Hash pauses with his glass to his lips.
“She hasn’t talked yet, so I don’t know the story, but it looked intentional. Every burn is the same fuckin’ shape, brother.”
“You think someone burned her?”
“That’s exactly what I fuckin’ think.”
What other explanation is there? Sutton isn’t the type to want any sort of self-inflicting pain. Besides, they’re too evenly placed for her to have done that herself. Someone else did that shit.
I’d bet my left nut that it’s the same piece of shit that was in her room last night.
“How do you want to play this?”
“I’m goin’ huntin’.”
The room grows heavy, both Cain and Hash knowing what that means.
After a long moment, Cain asks, “What if that’s not what Sutton wants?”
Is he, of all people, seriously asking me this right now? Like he didn’t lose his ever-loving mind with Evan’s shit.
“After seein’ all of this shit in the last few hours, I don’t know if I got it in me to honor what she wants,” I admit. “Not with somethin’ like this.” Not after I failed on my last promise.
“Find out what’s going on first. I don’t want you jumpin’ the gun and going in blind with no brother at your back. Don’t be stupid about this.”
I grunt in agreement as I pour another drink, downing this one as well before slamming my glass down on the table.
I have a feeling this is about to be a long fucking night.