Chapter 14
14
Cassidy – One Week Later
I smile, looking at Moira as she laughs at the TV. “Promise me you are not fighting tonight, Pez….”
I hear her sigh through the receiver, and as I place the phone between my ear and shoulder, I grab Moira’s bag, put her crayons and coloring book inside, and snap, “Perrie, you got a bruised rib last night! I am telling you now, not as your sister but as a doctor, you are not fighting tonight!”’
“Okay, okay, I promise I won’t fight tonight,” she promises with amusement lacing her voice, and I sigh in relief.
When my little sister cannot handle her emotions, she fights, and I don’t like it, but it’s better than her old alternative. After Dad died, she started cutting, and catching her in the act, I thought I was going to die.
She gets out of her head when she fights, and that’s enough for me right now.
Though, if she’d just speak to Acid….
I hold my phone to my ear and look at Moira, and I swallow hard. I know I have no right to give my sister relationship advice; I mean, I have a daughter with a man who put a gun to my head and has no idea she even exists, but Acid is supposed to be Perrie’s. They were supposed to be a couple by now.
He loves her, and I know she loves him, but he’s had a hard life. You can see it in his eyes, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say harder than what Piston went through, which means he doesn’t think he’s good enough for my little sister, but he is, and I need her to open her eyes.
I clear my throat. “Perrie, have you spoken to Acid yet?”
I hear her growl before she snaps, “Cass, I’m not going to keep having this conversation with you,” knowing exactly where I’m going with this, and I sigh.
“All I’m saying is to give the guy the chance to explain his side, Perrie. What harm could it do?” I say but wince as the words come out. Before she can shout at me, I quickly continue, “You love him, Perrie, you have since the moment he told you where to go all those years ago, and you put him on his ass. He became your best friend, your everything, but he was struggling with things none of us knew, still don’t know, and he loves you too, Perrie; anyone can see it, including you.”
She’s quiet for a moment, and I bite my bottom lip and wait.
Finally, she admits, “I do love him. When we first met, he was so angry. I knew his dad was nasty, and I also knew that’s why he didn’t want to go further with me when I kissed him at sixteen. I knew he had feelings for me, but he’s been trying to protect me from himself….”
“Then why not hear him out?” I hesitantly whisper.
She sniffles. “Because he slept with me, then left me alone, vulnerable, and then slept with Andrea. Even if she is lying about being pregnant, he still slept with her.”
Ah yes, the lovely Andrea, faking a pregnancy like the bitch she is while our mother stands by her.
Perrie isn’t telling the whole truth. I know it, and so does she. The rape affected her more than she wants to admit. I clear my throat and state, “That’s not why you won’t, though, and we both know it. That thing with Andrea, yeah, it’s heartbreaking, but it’s also forgivable; he didn’t cheat, he made a mistake.”
“Cass…” she begs.
I retort, “No. What you went through was horrific, but I’m not going to sit here and allow you to ruin your chance at love.”
She sobs, “What chance, Cassidy? They raped me, tore my innocence, and ensured I could only have sex from behind while standing up, bent over so that no one could grip my hair. I can’t even orgasm. I’m ruined, broken….”
Anger fills me that she believes that, and snapped, “You’re not broken, Perrie, and you’ve already told me that you slept with Acid after your attack. Did his hand go into your hair? Was it from behind?”
I can feel my body vibrate as she admits, “It was on the counter at the diner. I was sitting on it, and his-his hand was in my hair….”
“And you didn’t panic?” I confirm, and she sighs, giving me the answer I want, and I continue, “See. He is your one. You both need to sit and talk, Perrie, and honestly, Acid needs to open up about why he thinks he’s not good enough for you, and yes, that is the vibe he’s giving. He loves you, Perrie, but I think he put you in the friendzone for a reason, and you need to know that reason. Don’t let him push you away, don’t let yourself give in to fear….”
She sighs again and reminds me, “He slept with Andrea, Cass….”
Yeah, I don’t think he did, but I don’t believe Perrie is ready to hear that just yet, so I hum and state, “Yeah, I know, but clearly, that was a mistake, and she’s not pregnant, Piston confirmed that. Don’t let that one little mistake, that bitch, ruin your chance of finally being happy…. I want my sister back, Perrie, and right now, you are cold and closed off, and while, yes, you had every right with everything you’ve gone through, I still want my sister back, and I believe Acid is the solution.”
Perrie is quiet for a moment before a bang echoes, and Moira screams, causing me to turn quickly. I groan, seeing she’s knocked the dining chair onto her leg.
Dammit, she was just watching TV a minute ago.
Sighing, I say, “I’ve got to go. Just think about what I said, alright? Love you, little sister,” before I hang up and shake my head at my crying daughter.
Rushing over to her, I pick her up as she cries, “Mommy….”
“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’ve got you…” I murmur and hold her close while rubbing her leg as she clings to me, crying.
The thought of her being hurt like my sister was….
I promised I’d stay out of it, that I’d let it go because she got her revenge when she stabbed the Aldo brothers, who raped her, but I don’t think I can; they need dealing with, and they need dealing with now, and there’s only one person I know who will do what I need—it just means going somewhere I never wanted to go to again.
I press my nose against Moira’s curly, dark red hair, and inhale.
Swallowing hard, I whisper, “Mo-Mo, do you want to spend some time with Uncle Tanner?”
Moira nods a little, and I smile as I grab my phone and quickly call him, happy our hours are nearly the same, which means we both have today off.
It’s time I slayed my sister’s demons so she can move on with her life with Acid.
An hour later, I pull up outside the clubhouse gates and swallow hard, my pulse racing because I'm back here again.
The prospect on the gate frowns and walks over as I put my window down.
His dark green eyes look at me suspiciously before he says, “Sorry, love, club parties are not until the weekends.”
That said, he taps the door and goes to walk away. “Perrie Halliwell is my sister. "
He looks at me in shock and stutters, “You, uh, you’re Cassidy Halliwell?”
I nod and say, “I am, and I need to see Steal. It’s about Perrie….”
He nods once before grabbing his phone. He presses something and puts the device to his ear before he says, “Uh, Anchor, Cassidy Halliwell is here….” And I sigh, sitting back in my seat as he listens to what Anchor says before he hangs up and says, “Head on in, love.”
I smile and put my window up as he opens the gate. I drive through, park near the club truck, and then climb out.
With a lump in my throat and trying to ignore how my body shakes, I walk toward the front door only to see Anchor walking out, and my body relaxes.
“Is everything alright?” he questions, and my eyes tear up.
I shake my head and whisper, “No, it’s not, it’s Perrie, and it’s bad….”
He straightens and nods, holding his hand out, and I take it.
I never thought I’d walk back into this building, yet here I am, doing it for my sister.
Anchor opens the door, guiding me inside, and as soon as it slams shut, every eye comes our way. All the brothers quiet at the sight of me, and my skin tightens with fear I try to squash.
Pitbull shouts, “Well, look what the cat dragged in! It’s about fucking time you came home, darling.”
I give the large man a small smile, not looking to where Brute’s blood brother is most likely sitting, and walk with Anchor to the offices, no one questioning why I’m here.
“What the hell is that bitch doing back here?” I hear Faith screech as the clubwhores watch as I walk past them.
I ignore her, and so does everyone else, shocking me a little, but Anchor whispers, “Steal finally put the fuckers in their place where Faith is concerned….”
I swallow, trying to ignore the way my heart flutters at his words because it’s eight years too late. I whisper back, “And why isn’t there a gun against my head right now?”
I feel Anchor smirk as he kisses my head and leads me into the hallway, but he doesn’t answer my question, but he does wrap his arm around me when we turn down toward Steal’s office. My gaze catches the kitchen door opposite the hallway, and I flinch.
“All those times you walked around here with your snobby head held high, thinking you’re better than us, getting in between Steal and Faith….”
My breathing gets heavy with the memory, the pain that shot through me when he shoved his fingers inside me hitting again, but I force it back as we walk into Steal's office without knocking.
“Prez…” Anchor says, but Steal doesn’t look up, continuing to write as he states, “Anchor, I said I didn’t want to be disturbed; I have plans to fucking figure out here.”
Anchor looks at me and smirks, “Oh yeah, what plans are those?”
I frown at him in confusion before shock takes over when Steal says, “Plans on how to kidnap my girl without getting arrested, you know this….”
That little….
Anchor's body shakes with silent laughter as I cross my arms over my chest and snap, “I’d like to see you fucking try!” causing Steal’s head to shoot up in shock, his eyes wide.
I raise a brow at him while Anchor kisses my head and states, “I’ll stand outside the door so I can escort you back out when you're finished,” then leaves us to it, shutting the door behind me.
“Seriously? Kidnap? You really think I’d go quietly?” I growl, and the ass grins with a shrug, then sits back in his chair.
I will my eyes not to look down his body, or my mind to go back to the point where I slowly slid down his member while I rode him on that same chair.
He murmurs, “I forgot how beautiful your hair looks down, and the fact its longer just makes you even more beautiful….”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not here for you to catalogue everything that’s different about me.”
He nods. “Then why are you here? Not that I’m not happy you’ve come to me, because I am, but I thought this would be the last place you’d want to….”
I swallow hard, my head automatically turning toward the door, knowing the kitchen is not far from here, before turning back to Steal, who sits forward with concern. “I want you to kill the Aldo brothers.”
Shock overrides his features.
“I don’t want any questions,” I tell him, “I just want you to do it and do it fast, but make it hurt….”
He clears his throat. “The fact you’re asking me this, knowing your beliefs, I know they did something unforgivable. I’ll do it.” I sigh in relief until he says, “On the condition you have dinner with me….”
I shake my head. “I didn’t come here to negotiate, Steal.”
He nods. “I know, but if you want me to do it?—”
I cut him off and state, “You will still do it,” he raises a brow at my confidence but I continue, “And not just because I asked you despite the crap you put me through,” he flinches, “but because it’s for Perrie, and that girl….” My eyes tear up. He stands but I put my hand up, not wanting him to touch me. I rasp, “She needs this— I need this. I can’t tell you what they did because it means breaking her trust. Heck, my being here is borderline breaking it as it is. Kill them, or I will, because I’ve already got blood on my hands.”
That said, I turn and open the door, where Anchor pushes off the wall instantly and wraps his arm over my shoulders. I bury myself in his chest, but when we get into the mouth of the hallway, and my eyes go to the kitchen door again.
“I’ve fucking wanted you for years….”
I blink, trying to clear the memories I’ve worked so hard to forget, but as we get into the common room, Faith asks, "Did you really think he’d take back a murderer?”
Bitch….
I pause, causing Anchor to stop and wait as I turn toward the bitch wearing way too much makeup for the middle of the day, and state, “Have you stood guard for any more of your old fucks while they assault people?”
Everyone looks at me in shock while Faith pales, and I smirk, “Your time’s ticking, bitch, because, how I see it, karma is out to get you.” Her cheeks redden. I grin. “Tick tock….” I notice Steal standing in the mouth of the hallway, looking at me with pride, but I narrow my eyes at him only for him to smirk at me.
Faith screams, “Why is no one sticking up for me?”
I turn toward the door and Anchor puts his arm back around me.
“Probably because you're more clubwhore than club family at this point with the number of brothers you’ve bedded, including the ones old enough to be your grandfather….”
I see the clubwhores all nod at me, clapping, and the brothers laugh, which is definitely odd, considering they all wanted my head four years ago.
Shaking off the weird feeling, I allow Anchor to walk me to my car, where I kiss his cheek. I climb in my car, but before I can shut the door, he grips it and asks, “When are you going to hear him out?”
I swallow, and grip the steering wheel, then I admit, “I don’t know if I want to.”
He hums. “You do want to; you're just scared. Face your fears, Cass, because you are one strong woman. What you did in there is proof of that.”
That said, he kisses my head and shuts my door as my heart pounds.
I’m not strong. I used to see Brute most nights after I killed him, and I’m lying to Steal. Don’t get me wrong, leaving, or pretending to leave, was the right thing to do; I got my career, my safety net with Tanner, and I got to grow as a person instead of being unwanted. But it doesn’t change the fact Steal has a daughter he has no idea about, and it doesn’t change the fact he held a gun to my head and, for years, put his club and ex fuck buddy before me while she created lie after lie, pitting everyone against me.
Shaking my head, I start my car and reverse out of my spot. My eyes catch Steal standing in the doorway with Anchor, who is holding his arm, and the first tear falls as I drive out through the open gate.
As much as my heart wants that man, my head wants to continue putting myself first.