Chapter 16 #2
He nods, eyes fixed on the doorway. “I heard two other bikes with him.”
Dax moves around the bed, pulling the rickety chest of drawers off the wall and closer to the bed. He takes me by the hand, silently directing me to crouch behind it. Here, I’ll be further away from the doorway.
When he turns away, I squeeze his hand, begging him to stay.
He gives me a sympathetic look and leans down to kiss my forehead. “It’ll be okay,” he whispers. “Just stay here. No matter what.”
I tremble at the implication of his words.
He frees his hand and walks away. From this crouched position, I can see past the doorway and into the next room. Dax flexes his hands and cracks his knuckles.
Loud voices boom their way inside. I cringe as heavy footsteps quake their way into the decaying home.
My eyes stay on Dax. His stance broadens, watching the newcomers enter.
With their backs turned to me, I have a clear view of three Scorpion leather jackets.
My heart squeezes and, for a moment, I forget how to breathe.
“Hi, baby bro,” Dax’s brother says with a menacing undertone. “What are you doing?”
Dax swallows hard, watching the three men loom closer.
Lance shoves Dax hard. “Answer me.”
Dax leans forward, rubbing his chest and coughing hard. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Lance, I…”
Lance holds Dax up by the collar of his T-shirt. “What have I told you about coming here?”
Dax grunts. “Don’t.”
Lance smirks, letting him go. “Correct. So, why don’t you listen?”
Dax stumbles to keep his balance. I rise to my knees, ready to step forward and help him, but he subtly lifts his palm, signaling for me to stay put.
“Boscoe and Stitch noticed your bike,” Lance says, nodding at the two other men. “You have them to thank for the drop-in.”
“We saw an extra helmet on the handlebars,” says the older, more rotund man with a long graying beard. “You got someone here with you?”
When Dax stays silent, Lance shoves him again. “Boscoe asked you a question.”
Dax winces, leaning to one side. I hug myself, assuming they hit his bruises.
Lance dominantly leans over Dax. From this angle, I glimpse the large tattoo across his neck. “Hugo told us you were with some pretty little thing from Victoria Falls.”
The third man, Stitch, who’s bald and skinny, grunts and spits on the ground. “Yeah. What’s a dog like you doing with someone like that?”
“Unless.” Lance stands tall, stepping back from Dax. “Are you doing some recon for us, Dax? Is she worth something?”
“What? No.” Dax forces himself upright. “I’m not with some rich girl. How would that even happen?”
“Then who’s here with you?”
“Who else would I be with?” Dax says it like the answer should be obvious. “Stella’s only a few houses up, and here we can get some privacy. Well, that is until you all showed up.”
“You want me to believe Hugo would let his niece ride around with some baby’s-first-scooter helmet?”
“It was just something she had with her. She’s not even here anymore. She’s gone back home. Guys, you ruined the mood.”
Lance rushes at Dax, pinning him against the wall. Dax groans, grabbing his side.
“No,” Lance says authoritatively. “How about you be straight with me?”
Dax grunts, sucking in a breath to get through the pain. “About what?”
“About the bust-up you had with McCoy.” Lance broadens his stance as he looms over his brother. “That was over some girl, wasn’t it?”
“Why do you care?” Dax asks through gritted teeth.
“You’ve been MIA,” Boscoe says, crossing his arms like a sheriff waiting for a crook’s confession. “And when you do come back to the clubhouse, you make another excuse to leave.”
Stitch sniggers, bobbing his head up and down. “Probably out, licking his wounds.”
Lance steps away from Dax. “No, he took care of McCoy. Bro, I’ve seen the look in your eyes.”
A scowl crosses Dax’s face. “What look?”
Lance closes in on Dax, tapping his open palm against his cheek. “You’re being secretive with me.” Lance pulls back, letting out a throaty chuckle. “Although, I guess that’s what you do. Isn’t it, baby bro? You keep secrets from me.”
Holding his ribs, Dax pulls himself off the wall. “I’m still with you, aren’t I?”
Lance stomps a foot forward and whacks Dax in the gut. As Dax doubles over, Lance holds him up, growling, “You’ve never been with me.”
I shudder in my crouched position. A bead of sweat runs from my hairline and drops between my eyebrows.
“You want to know what look you give me?” Lance’s menacing tone freezes my blood. “It’s betrayal. Just like when you helped Mom take off.”
Lance holds Dax by the scruff of his hair. When his fist winds up, everything plays out in slow motion. I blink hard, unwilling to see Dax get hurt again.
“Don’t!” I scream, springing up in plain sight.
Lance turns to me and drops Dax, who stumbles forward.
“Well, well,” Lance says with a vile grin. “Look who came out to play.”
With my heart pounding to an aching beat, I move toward the doorway, very aware of every eyeball following my movements.
Dax puffs out air, forcing himself to stand. “Stay away from her.”
“What’s that?” Lance says, whipping around to his brother. He plants his hand under Dax’s chin, pressing his thumb and fingers into Dax’s cheeks. “Leave who alone? Or has Stella had an upgrade?”
“I’m sorry. It was my idea to hide,” I say in a shaky voice. “I’m not supposed to leave my house. I’m grounded.”
Lance releases Dax as he, Boscoe, and Stitch throw their heads back in laughter.
Adrenaline races through my body, ignoring the men and keeping my sights on the only person I care about. Dax stares at me with mournful eyes. I know he wishes I’d stayed hidden, but how could I let the abuse continue?
Boscoe folds his arms over his round belly. “So, who are you? Miss Hide-and-go-seek?”
“I met Stella and Hugo yesterday,” I admit. “I’m Sasha. I just didn’t want to be seen in town because my parents are way too strict.”
Boscoe holds his round belly, which jiggles while he laughs. “Look at that. Dax did get himself a pretty little thing. What’s the plan? Trying to corrupt the good girl?”
“I’m not trying to be bad,” I yammer as my knees knock. “Can you just let us go so Dax can take me home?”
Lance grins at me, tilting his head. “And where’s home?”
“Give it up.” Dax groans. “She’s not one of those rich kids. She lives in Victoria Falls but is barely middle class.”
Lance’s muscular arm tenses as he grabs Dax’s neck. “Bro, you need to pipe down.”
I gasp, shooting my hands over my mouth. Shivering, I let out a muffled, “Let him go.”
Stitch moves toward me, grabbing my shoulders and tugging me forward. I squeak, tripping over my feet, and repulsed by his touch.
Lance releases Dax, narrowing his eyes at Stitch.
“Want me to deal with her, boss?” Stitch asks, his boney fingers digging into my shoulders.
“Since when do I want you to deal with anything?” Lance says bluntly. “Let her go. In what world would someone important lie for my brother? She’s just another little girl wanting daddy’s attention.”
Stitch grunts, shoving me away. I gasp, falling to my knees.
Lance grabs the scruff of Dax’s hair again. “You get out of this house. You hear me? If I find you here again, I’ll burn it to the ground.”
Lance steps away, whistling at the other two men. “Move it. We’ve got things to do.”
The three men stomp out of the house. Each step ripples the floorboards with aftershocks.
Dax slides down the wall, and I scramble to my feet in an effort to get to him.
I skid on the floor and crouch in front of him. “Dax! Are you okay?”
He coughs, winces, and holds his side. “Yeah. Just gimme a minute.”
“I’ll call my driver to take you to the hospital.”
“No. No way,” he says adamantly. “No hospital.”
“But you’re hurt.”
“There’s nothing for them to fix,” he argues. “I just keep getting hit in the same spot. It’ll heal.”
“But Dax, your health issues are more than just bruises.”
His eyes fill with pain as he whispers, “Please don’t go there.”
I bite my lip as despair washes through me. “Okay. Well, we need to get you out of this place.”
“I have to go back to the clubhouse,” he says regretfully. “It’s my only option besides sleeping outside somewhere.”
I caress the side of his face and shut my eyes with a sigh. “No, it isn’t. You’ll come back to Ashworth Estate with me. I’ll take care of you.”
Dax pulls away, but I hold the sides of his face, bringing him back to me. “Your father won’t want me there.”
I stare into his disillusioned eyes. “No, it’ll be fine.
I’ll explain that you’re hurt and have no place else to go.
” I exhale slowly, running the back of my hand against his cheek.
“More importantly, I’ll tell my father how much you mean to me.
You’re amazing, and there’s no way he can turn you away. ”
Dax’s smile curves to the side. “Someone’s feeling optimistic.”
I take my hand from his cheek and gently touch the space around his ribs. “How are you feeling? Will you be okay to stand? Are you breathing okay?”
He winces, scooting his legs closer to sit up. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Been through worse.”
My heart hurts, watching him take his time to stand. I get up with him, keeping my hands on his sides.
He laughs quietly. “It’s okay. I won’t break.”
I let out a nervous laugh, instinctively running a finger under my eye, and it catches something wet. I sniff back a tear and force another laugh. “Yeah, I know. You’re Mr. Tough-guy.”
Dax takes my hand and kisses the tear-stained finger. “I’ll be okay because I have you.”
Trepidation spirals in my gut. When Dax releases my hand, I swallow hard and reach for my bracelet.
My mouth falls open when all I feel is skin.
“Oh my gosh, where is it?”
Dax narrows his eyes. “What?”
I look around the space. “My bracelet. I don’t have it. They couldn’t have taken it, could they?”
Dax leans against the wall, craning his neck. “If it’s not here, maybe you dropped it at the mall?”
“No, I remember touching it when we were on the bed together.” I swallow hard, feeling every jerk in my stomach. “Crap. I can’t have lost it.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t panic. We’ll find it.”
I shove him off me, pacing across the room. “Oh my gosh, where is it?”
“It’s over there.”
I turn back, finding Dax holding his ribs and pointing at a spot two feet away from me.
I spy a shiny gold chain on the dusty ground and sigh. “Oh, thank goodness.” I bend down and collect it. “Sorry for getting so anxious.”
Dax shrugs. “It’s okay. It’s your favorite.”
“It must’ve come off when Stitch grabbed me.”
“That guy is gonna pay for laying a hand on you.”
I clasp the bracelet around my wrist and make it back to Dax. “He didn’t hurt me.”
Dax’s jaw flexes and his knuckles crack. “Still didn’t give him the right to touch you.”
“At least they’re gone.” I pan over his hunched position against the wall. “Will you be able to ride back to Victoria Falls? Ashworth Estate is another twenty minutes past town.”
He frowns, shaking his head. “Nope. You’ll have to take us there.”
I choke. “What?”
He cracks a smile and throws an arm around my neck. He tousles my hair and then kisses the top of my head. “I’m just playing. Your face was priceless.”
I slide his hand off my head. “It’s bad enough what the helmet does to my hair. Don’t you wreck it too.”
He laughs. “You seriously need to chill. I don’t think there’s a scenario where you’d actually look bad.”
“You don’t need to keep flattering me,” I tease. “I already said you could move in with me.”