Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
RORY
My face burned. I was bruising fast, and I had no idea how to fucking hide it from the guys. I’d brought this on myself, and now I just had to deal with it.
I left Tyler’s keys in the kitchen with a note once I’d iced my face for a few minutes, thanking him for letting me borrow it, then I got changed out of my uniform and left on foot before anyone could get home and see my face, heading to the Heights.
I sat at the park for a while until it got dark, stopping at the gas station to buy some snacks when I got hungry.
I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so I was starving.
I’d texted Caden a few times so he knew I was okay and didn’t come looking, and part of me felt hurt by the fact that Skeeter hadn’t messaged me. I knew he felt awful for hurting me, but I honestly thought he would’ve reached out by now.
I snacked as I walked, keeping my hood up and my eyes and ears open for trouble. The Demons might have been gone, but the Soldiers could have been anywhere.
What if they were hiding right here in the Heights?
I walked around for hours, anxiety spiking as I heard a car following me. It was dark, so even if I looked back, I wouldn’t see their faces.
I picked up the pace until I was almost jogging, the car passing me after a second and making me breathe out a sigh of relief. That was until it stopped up ahead and the driver’s door opened, Max stepping into view.
“Where the fuck did you crawl out of?” I asked tightly, knowing I knew the Heights better than he ever did, so if I had to run, he wouldn’t find me.
He looked freshly showered, wearing one of his fancy suits and making me wonder if he’d already shacked up with another rich widow.
“I’ve been around,” he answered, moving towards me and studying my face with amusement. “Finally talked too much shit to that criminal you’re fucking?”
He wasn’t exactly wrong, it had been Skeeter, but I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.
“No. I won in a fight. Made some good money off it too. You should see the other guy,” I drawled, eyeing the car. No one else seemed to be in there, but the car must have come from somewhere. It was a lot nicer than his. “Where’d you steal that from?”
“You think you’re so smart. Ruining everything you touch as always,” he sneered, moving closer to glare at me in the dark, his taillights putting his face in shadows.
“You always played the victim when you were always your own downfall,” I tsked, making him growl.
“Had it all until you started fucking that cunt Josie calls a son. Are you happy now? Living in that big house and driving those fancy cars that were mine?”
“Hate to break it to you, but they never would’ve been yours.
Josie couldn’t marry you while still legally married to Tristan.
You never would’ve gotten a dime. That fancy car I drive is Skeet’s, not Josie’s.
We had a good life until you destroyed it.
We found a trail on Mom, you know?” I said sharply, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed as he stopped right in front of me.
“Or should I call her by her name since she’s not my birth mother? ”
“Who told you that?” he grunted.
“I’ve been asking around. Apparently, she came back to Ashburn after her disappearance because she was pregnant with the kid you forced on her.”
“Someone’s lying to you. You’re so easily fooled,” he scoffed.
“Are you going to tell me what happened then? Where is she?”
“She’s fucking long gone, Aurora. Now you know why she left you behind, she didn’t even love you. Hell, if your real father can’t, did you really think a woman who wasn’t your mother would?”
I ignored him, knowing that wasn’t true.
“Who’s my real mother?”
“You won’t speak about my wife. You have no right!” he barked, moving as quick as a snake as he grabbed my arm to haul me towards the car. “You’re done living the life you stole from me! Get in!”
I struggled, managing to hit him in the face once in my efforts. He backhanded me and kept dragging me, and I remembered the gun down the back of my pants and yanked it out with my free hand, pressing it against his temple.
“I’ll fucking shoot, Max,” I warned, and he snickered, so I switched off the safety, trying to stop my hands from shaking.
He let go and I took a few steps back, keeping it aimed at his head.
“Look at you, thinking you’re playing with the grown-ups,” he said sarcastically, the blood rushing in my ears to the point I almost couldn’t hear him. My heart beat faster as I put my finger on the trigger, knowing this was it. I could finally be rid of him.
“Your sins brought the Devils to town. Hunter Rivera is looking for your head on a platter,” I said, and from the way he blanched slightly, I knew he hadn’t known that.
Sweat beaded on my brow as I focused on his surprised face, and he suddenly chuckled when I couldn’t just kill him.
“There’s so many secrets that you’ll never know,” he stated, taking a step closer. “The only thing you need to know is that your fucked up childhood was all because of you. You disgust me.”
“You really think I’m still the problem here?” I laughed dryly, not lowering the gun.
“You are. You fucking ruin everything, Aurora. You took everything from me, so I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your fucking life suffering for it.
She died giving birth to you, and I was left with a child I never wanted in the first place!
” he spat, and on the next step he took, I fired a shot.
It skimmed the side of his head and made him curse, the loud bang echoing through the street. I saw some curtains move in the house close by, and I did the only thing I could think of.
I fucking ran.
Max was cursing me out as he jumped back in his car to follow me, but I risked it as I jumped a fence and ran through someone’s yard, thankful that there wasn’t a dog waiting to tear me to shreds.
I ran through yards and side streets until I couldn’t run anymore, finding myself at the local pool.
Making my way around to the side of the fence, I found the hole I’d made in it a long time ago and slipped through, moving to the edge.
I kicked off my shoes and rolled my pants up to dip my feet in, the cold water making me shiver as I pulled a chocolate bar out of my pocket to eat, taking in the familiar sounds.
I smelled smoke, telling me something was already on fire in the Heights, and the sounds of cars revving, music, and even a gunshot. Most people would hate those sounds, but they just felt like home to me.
Footsteps sounded behind me after a while, and I had my gun in hand within seconds as I turned to aim it at the person sneaking up on me, finding Slash there with a smirk on his face.
“Didn’t you learn not to do that already?”
I lowered it, my heart pounding as I realized it had been stupid to sit with my back to the hole in the fence.
What if Max had found me?
I’d been living in a cushy lifestyle for too long if I was forgetting to keep my eyes on all entry points, let alone if I’d been so zoned out that I hadn’t heard the Mustang pull up in the parking lot.
“Cracking jokes already? You really are a monster,” I chuckled, eyeing him as he toed his shoes off and rolled up his jeans before sitting beside me.
“I’m not making a joke. You really can’t do that shit again. Skeet’s still fuming in the office, and since he can’t check on you, I said I would. Show me,” he murmured, reaching out to touch my face. I pulled back for a second before sighing and letting him.
His fingers were warm as he held my chin gently, tilting my face towards him and pulling his phone out for better light.
“Nothing’s broken,” I confirmed, his finger brushing the tender spot near my eye.
“Doesn’t mean he doesn't feel like a piece of shit for it.”
“He could've let someone else do it.”
“You know he held back or you would’ve had a broken face. If you think someone like Matteo wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to beat you bloody, you’re stupid. Did you ice it?”
“A little. How did you find me?”
He was quiet for a moment as he finished studying my face, then he dropped his hand and put his phone away.
“Your phone’s on. I can track it.”
“That doesn’t give you a precise location though, does it?” I asked dryly, and he gave me the side-eye.
“No, but considering where we are right now, there’s only so many places I figured you’d be in the pinged location.”
“Won’t you get in trouble for coming to find me?”
“Only if they find out. Everyone’s out on jobs, and I had to handle a meeting with Hendricks since you ruined it earlier today. I was heading home and figured I’d come find you to make sure you’re okay.”
“I fucked up with Diesel today, and then fucked up again with Skeet,” I said softly, staring at the water as I moved my feet back and forth.
“You did.”
“Can I fix it? With D?”
“He’ll be mad for a while, but he doesn’t hate you.
He wanted to check on you too. You need to avoid the Shed again for a while.
Today was more like a warning. If you lose your cool like that again, it will be a lot worse.
Don’t put Skeet through that again.” He paused for a second, reaching out to take my hand. “Don’t put me through that again.”
“Do you see the irony in all of this? You spent forever wanting to hurt me,” I tried to joke, but he scowled.
“You’re not funny. Is that all you brought with you?” he asked as he motioned to my phone, wallet, and gun that were on the ground behind me now.
“Yeah, why?”
“Just checking,” he said before giving me a light push, a shriek leaving me as I fell into the cold water.
“You’re so dead!” I exclaimed as I surfaced, swimming towards him.
He was laughing, and he held out a hand to pull me out, so I made sure to drip all over him once I was out, glaring down at him as I stood to wring out my clothes.
He stood beside me, my mouth going dry as he started stripping down to nothing, his fingers tugging at my wet clothes.
“Care to join me for a swim?”