Chapter 60 #2
I reach over and take her hand in mine, squeezing it. “After this weekend, I’m pretty sure it’s two clubs that will have your back.”
She squeezes my hand in response and exhales heavily.
“I know and thank you. It’s just the same shit he’s been saying since I dumped him and kicked him out.
He tries to sweet talk me into taking him back and when I don’t or if I ignore him, then he goes on a verbal rant about how I’m nothing without him. ”
By the set of her jaw I know there’s more that she’s not saying, but I don’t press her for it right now. Not with how shaken she is by his message.
“And yes, before you ask, I block his number when I realize it’s him but he keeps sending messages so he must be getting different burner numbers or something.”
“Now I’m kind of hoping we get to get our hands on the fucker,” Loki hisses and secretly, I agree with him.
“I would personally like to make him see the error of his ways.” He twists in his seat so he can look back at her.
“Don’t believe anything that fucker says.
Don’t change who you are to please someone, and if anyone tells you otherwise, then point them out and I’ll kick their ass.
Even if that means you’ll always be a zombie gremlin in the mornings. ”
That last bit gets a huff out of her, but it has the effect I know he was trying to get and a bit of tension leaves her muscles.
She leans her head back against the headrest and turns to look back at me, giving me a smile that I read loud and clear. Both of us like having a brother that looks out for us.
Later that afternoon, I pull the van that Anthony had specially bought for Chris to a stop outside of Chris and Julie’s house and put it in park.
I glance in the rear-view mirror and note Cannon and Atlas parking across the street a bit further back, but still close enough to have eyes on me the entire time.
We all were worried about what Julie would do if she saw the guys with me, and while no one liked my plan, it won out in the end of approaching the house by myself at first.
However, as I get out of the truck, I huff in frustration.
Seems I’ll be having some words with Anthony later about his overprotectiveness because both Cannon and Atlas get out and walk over toward me.
“Don’t get mad,” Atlas starts and then he winces when I turn my glare on him. “Reaper got a lead on something and didn’t want us far from you just in case something went down. We’ll stay out of sight, but we won’t be sitting in the truck like originally planned.”
That pulls me up short. “A lead about what?”
“We’ll fill you in later, there isn’t enough time right now,” Cannon says as he tilts his head toward the house and as I turn, I catch movement behind the curtains.
Nodding, I round the van and walk up to the house like nothing is wrong, however, I continuously scan the area as my mind whirls with what Anthony could have found out. Then I frown as I take in the condition of the house Anthony grew up in.
The decorative stones that I know used to look gorgeous from pictures Anthony has shown me, are now mostly broken and chipped.
Some of them are laying loose on the ground and not along the edges like they’re supposed to be.
The paint is peeling and even I can tell that the roof is in need of new shingles.
My boot catches on the uneven sidewalk, and my frown deepens as I look down at it.
How the hell is Chris able to get around in his wheelchair with the sidewalk this broken and uneven?
I mean, it’s wide, double the width of normal sidewalks so that he’s able to pivot his chair if need be, but how the hell is he able to wheel over this without getting stuck?
Reaching up, I’m about to knock on the door when it swings open and a smiling Chris is looking up at me.
“Chris, it’s good to officially meet you.” I reach out my hand to shake his, not sure if he wants a hug or not. He scoffs, and when he rolls his eyes, he looks just like a younger Anthony. He takes my hand, pulling me down for a hug.
“Christopher! Shut the fucking door, it’s freezing,” a woman yells from further in the house and I narrow my eyes over his shoulder in the direction of the voice.
“Ignore her,” he sighs as he seems to deflate a little, but then it’s gone as he smiles up at me again.
“I’ve been looking forward to this—” he starts to say when hands grip the handlebars on his chair and someone tries to pull him backwards, but he doesn’t move.
I move to step inside but then stop when he raises his hand to stop me, a knowing smirk on his face.
A woman comes into view and she tries again, but when he doesn’t move again, she opens the door further.
Chris scowls up at her and I get my first good look at Julie in months.
It’s obvious that whenever she’s out and about in town she puts on a front, because the woman in front of me is a shell of the woman I normally see.
Worry slithers down my spine when I notice how skinny she’s gotten.
She was skinny before, but this… she is almost so thin it’s unhealthy.
She’s almost skin and bones whereas before, she at least had some meat on her bones.
She had to have been wearing baggy clothes to help hide her thin frame.
Her dark brown hair is dull and limp and she’s wearing ratty old clothes.
I know these could just be clothes she wears around the house, but…
something tells me that isn’t the case. I glance down at her arms and am relieved to see no track marks, but I know that isn’t the only way to take drugs.
“I told you I’m going out with friends today for my birthday. Did you really think that trick would work?” he asks her before pointing down at the brake handles which I hadn’t noticed he’d set earlier.
Julie narrows her eyes at me and her scowl deepens when she sees my cut.
“And I told you it wasn’t happening. Especially not with her and not with them.
I’ve told you a million times that my worthless brother is the reason you can’t walk anymore and you stubbornly refuse to believe me.
You’re barred from contact with her and anyone in the club ever again.
Especially with my good for nothing brother. ”
I cock my eyebrow at her. “Pretty sure Chris gets final say in who he spends his time with now that he’s eighteen.”
“Not while he’s living under my roof,” she sneers and I smirk at her.
Chris tries to hide his smile, probably already knowing where I’m going with this. When Julie notices, her face turns red with anger, and I cut her off before she can unleash more lies and poison.
“It’s not your house.”