13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Gage
A fter sliding the weight onto the machine, I sit on the bench and check my phone for the millionth time, but there’s still no reply from Freya.
This is the very reason I never wanted to let anyone into my heart, apart from my brothers.
Because I end up becoming an obsessed weasel, waiting for her to reply, wanting to know where she is and what she’s doing every second of every day.
It’s fucked up.
She’s a grown-ass independent-as-fuck woman who doesn’t need me breathing down her neck.
I drop my phone onto the ground next to me and lie back.
Gripping the metal bar, I bring it, along with the weights, to my chest and back up.
Sweat drips down my head, running over my cheeks the harder I push.
My muscles shake before I place it on the rack and sit back up.
The door to our gym opens, and Lucas struts in, his eyes bloodshot and his white T-shirt covered in blood.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I ask as Lucas grips the bottom of his T-shirt and lifts it over his head before tossing it to the ground.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he snaps, moving toward the weight stand.
“When one of my brothers needs me, I’m there. But you need to let me in,” I say as he stares into the mirror as though he’s looking right through the reflection.
That faraway look in his eye is one I haven’t seen before.
I’m worried about him, but there’s nothing I can say that will change his attitude.
He’s a stubborn fucker like me.
He won’t snap out of this until he chooses to.
I just hope to fuck that’s soon.
“You’re balls deep in the problem I have. Are you going to get rid of her for me?” He looks at me through the mirror, raising both eyebrows.
“Freya’s not going anywhere, and you may hate her now, but she’s not the enemy. You either fix it with her or not—it doesn’t change anything with us.”
Lucas’s eyes turn to slits before he picks up some heavy weights and starts lifting them over his head.
“Fuck off,” he grumbles under his breath, and I ignore him, falling back onto the seat and wrapping my fingers around the metal bar.
He doesn’t mean half the shit he’s saying.
His heart’s been torn in half, and I get it, I really do, but he needs to stop using substances to block everything out.
The sooner he deals with the pain or shoves it into the depths of his soul, the sooner he can move on and step into his role within The Brotherhood.
The heavy-metal guitars from Bring Me the Horizon start blasting from the speakers in the gym, and I finish my workout without another word to Lucas.
I grab a cold towel from the fridge and a bottle of water.
I turn around, and Lucas is running on one of the treadmills against the back wall.
“Meeting in twenty in my office. Be there, or don’t. I really don’t give a fuck,” I say, before walking through the door and into the hallway.
Samson and Zeke have requested an audience—and with Dominic lurking around, I’m inclined to give it to them.
Lucas needs to be there, and in the past I’d have said he will, but the way he’s been acting this last week, who knows?
Over the years, we’ve learned to not feel anything, been molded into soldiers and to live and breathe The Brotherhood.
That comes before all else; we signed away our hearts to it the moment we were born.
I’ve never been in love or ever felt love before her.
My mother never even recognized we were there.
She fled the moment our father died, and I haven’t seen her since.
When my father was alive, he didn’t show any affection toward me or Amirah, just treated us like everyone else in The Brotherhood.
He respected us when we earned it and punished us when we were weak.
I remember when Amirah fell off her bike as a kid and asked for a hug from our father.
He laughed, his hand hitting her face.
I gave her a popsicle after he left and hugged her.
He saw and punished me, leaving me in a dark room for a week.
That day was a cruel reminder to never open your heart to anyone, even your little sister, but Freya has broken down every wall and reached in, grabbed my heart, and taken it.
I fought so hard against the restraints, but in the end, she won.
I get now why my father taught us the way he did, because Freya is a distraction.
She’s all I can think about, and I want to protect her at all costs.
My brothers will always come first, but she’s next.
She won’t ever have my whole heart, but fuck, she’s got half of it—and that’s all I have to offer her.
Shutting my bedroom door behind me, I head toward the bathroom, where I drop my clothes on the tiled floor.
I shower quickly before dressing in black cargo pants and a plain maroon T-shirt.
I hope to fuck that Lucas shows up because I’m done with his shit.
I don’t have time to drag his ass there.
We need to work out how to deal with Dominic, and also how we can tell the people in Daringhood that we’re going to change the way things are done.
We should also probably put it to an official vote—but how can we do that with some of the councilmen still clearly siding with Dominic?
My mind spins.
Fucking hell.
Leading is difficult.
There’s a knock on my door, and I open it.
Amirah stands there in a miniskirt that is way too fucking short and a tight tank top.
“You need to change,” I snap, before brushing past her into the hallway.
“Piss off,” she huffs, walking in step with me.
“What do you want, Amirah?”
“Can you just stop for a second, please?” She grabs my hand, and I slow my steps before stopping.
Pulling free of my grasp, she crosses her arms over her chest.
“Now that you’ve taken over, I want something to do within The Brotherhood. Like a job.”
“No,” I reply.
I shouldn’t need to remind her that women aren’t allowed any role within The Brotherhood.
It’s just how it is, and I don’t want Amirah getting too close to the action.
She’s better off hidden away in her room; at least she’s safe there.
“Gage, hear me out. I’m good at managing people. I can help if you just give me something to do,” Amirah protests.
I roll my eyes.
“Go paint your nails.” She’s being a little brat.
She has everything she could ever want.
“I’m capable of this—I’ve got something going on,” she says, and I shake my head.
What could she possibly have going on?
A plan for a pyramid scheme with one of those makeup companies?
“Yeah, whatever little fashion show you’ve planned, just do it away from me.”
She scoffs.
“It’s more than that. I—”
I raise my hand to stop her.
“Look, Amirah, can we discuss this later? There’s a heap of shit I’ve gotta deal with first. Okay?”
Her eyes fall to the ground before she lifts them again and nods.
She stalks back toward her room and slams her door.
The rattle echoes through me.
I hope to fuck she drops this, because I can’t deal with her being bratty.
Between loose-cannon Lucas, Dominic, and the changes to Daringhood, I’ve got too much shit to deal with.
Heading downstairs, I’m met with voices carrying through the hallway just outside my office.
I open the door and Lucas is standing by my desk with a glass between his fingers, still in his gym shorts, sweat dripping down his bare chest.
Fucking hell.
Hazen is resting back in one of the chairs, staring daggers at Lucas.
Samson and Zeke are sitting next to Hazen, Samson watching Hazen and Lucas closely.
“Clean yourself up,” Hazen snaps, and Lucas flips him off.
I shut the door behind me and Hazen looks over.
“Some hood rats broke into one of my car dealerships last night,” Samson says.
“What’d they take?” I grit my teeth.
Fuckers.
“Nothing. My security chased them off, but it’s the principle of the matter. They’re getting more brazen every day.” Samson shakes his head.
“And you want to give them a tax reduction?”
“Not just him. We .” Hazen emphasizes the word, gesturing to myself and Lucas.
“We’re a team.”
“And though it’s frustrating as shit”—I fucking hate people trying to take what’s ours—“they didn’t know we were planning this reduction. Maybe this will result in less break-ins.”
It better.
“What’s the plan?” Samson asks, getting straight to it.
I move behind my desk and fall into the chair, and Zeke sits up straighter.
“We need to have a town meeting to announce the money we are going to put into Daringhood and what we expect from them moving forward,” I say, and Samson grunts.
“If you’re really going ahead with this, then just send out a mass message to everyone in the Hood. We don’t need a fucking meeting with the filth,” Samson says, and I shake my head.
“No. If we’re doing this, we want to make sure they see it’s a genuine offer coming from us. We want to open communication between us and the Hood—treat them with a bit of respect. Bring them together and give them a little rope,” Hazen says, before I even have the chance to open my mouth.
“He’s right. If we’re going to grant them this honor, it’s better to get the credit in person. Maybe some of their women will be feeling especially grateful,” Zeke agrees, running his fingers through his dirty-blond hair.
Samson pushes to his feet.
“This is a bad idea. You give them a little, they will push for more. If Dominic was still in charge—”
I slam my fists on the desk, interrupting him.
“Enough. It’s done. Remember your place, Samson,” I growl, and he pinches his lips together.
Lucas laughs, bringing the glass to his lips, and I look away, not having the patience to deal with him.
“What did Dominic say to you last night?” Zeke asks.
“Don’t worry about Dominic. You pledged your allegiance to the new leaders, us , not Dominic,” I say, and Hazen stiffens.
Zeke nods.
“What do you need?”
“Get the town hall ready. Send out a text message to all residents about the mandatory meeting tomorrow at seven.”
Samson and Zeke nod before leaving and shutting the door.
I fall back into my chair, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Well, that’s settled, then,” Hazen says.
“This is either the stupidest fucking plan we’ve had or the best.” Lucas chuckles, and he’s right.
I hope to fuck this goes to plan and those in Daringhood show up and are fucking grateful for this.
If not, then I’m done playing nice.