16. Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Freya
A n hour earlier
My foot connects with a rock, and it skitters over the road, bouncing along until it stops.
People walk around me, but my thoughts are a million miles away from here.
Images fill my mind of the needles and drugs covering our table and my mother staring at them like they were a lottery ticket.
A way out for her.
I was there to stop her this time, but what if next time I’m not?
What if she tries again later tonight?
I tried to get her to come with me to the meeting, but instead, after I’d taken the drugs and flushed them, she said she wanted to sleep it off, and I sat with her till her eyes closed.
Sobriety is up to her.
I can’t make that decision for her.
If she chooses them again, I’m done.
I can’t go back there.
With Alec gone, it’s too much to watch my mother drain everything away again.
She’s been clean for two weeks now, which is the longest stint she’s had since I can remember.
I’d hoped she’d keep going, but now I’m not so sure.
The restaurant we were at the other night for the meeting comes into view; one of the workers is pulling chairs out to the front patio.
I peer through the window and freeze.
My heart beats faster, my stomach drops, and I want to flee, to run, but I can’t.
Lucas is sitting at the bar with a glass in his hand .
.
.
and what the fuck?
Mia’s leaning in closer and closer.
Her hand rests on his thigh, and my hands begin to shake.
Red-hot anger courses through my body.
What the ever-loving fuck?
She’d better remove her hand, or I’m going to lose my shit.
Though Lucas may hate me right now, he’s still mine.
Touch what’s mine and you die.
I’ve never really understood that popular trope until this moment.
Watching Mia touch, laugh, and flirt with someone who’s mine?
I want to kill her, to storm into the restaurant and slam her face down on the bar.
Laugh as blood spills from her broken nose.
I don’t understand her.
She was supposedly in love with my brother, and the second he died, she moved on to Dominic.
Now that he’s God knows where, she’s all over Lucas?
Fuck.
I take a couple of steps back and look around before picking up a large rock from the curb.
My chest rises and falls to the beat of my heart as my fingers close around the rock.
I move toward the window, watching as Mia pushes off her chair and leans in closer to Lucas, as though she’s about to kiss him.
My hand continues to shake, and without another thought, I take a step back and launch the rock straight at the window.
It shatters into a thousand little pieces, just like my heart, and the broken glass falls to my feet.
Lucas jumps up, shoving Mia away; she falls on her ass and cries, but he ignores her.
He grabs his gun, aiming it toward the window, straight at my heart.
His stormy brown eyes clash with mine, and I glare at him with so much anger and heartbreak.
His face twists from shock to understanding, yet he doesn’t lower his gun, and I don’t want him to.
Anything to prolong this connection between us.
He moves through the restaurant in long, powerful strides until he’s right in front of me, his shoes crunching against the shards of glass.
I move forward, closer to him, and he shoves his gun into the front of his pants.
“I’m not wasting a bullet on you,” he says.
He reaches out, and I don’t move a muscle.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and a shiver runs down my neck.
Memories flood my mind of how good we are together—how he tastes, of how soft his lips are, moving against mine.
Fuck.
No, I can’t.
Fuck.
How could he think about kissing someone else?
“You move on quickly,” I say, raising an eyebrow just as Mia walks over, her high heels crunching in the glass.
She wraps an arm around his chest and leans into his ear, whispering something I can’t hear.
My own ears ring loudly, piercing my soul.
I take a step backward, and Mia pulls back.
She looks over at me, the corner of her mouth lifting.
“He’s mine. Back off,” I growl, and Mia opens, then closes her mouth.
“I know,” she replies, but her expression is still smug.
What’s she doing, then?
My hands clench against my legs before I shove them into the pockets of my shorts.
I’m done.
I want to punch that smug look off her face, but then she’ll have won.
Lucas doesn’t break eye contact with me.
“It’s not—”
I bolt.
“Freya, wait!” Lucas yells down the street, but his voice floats away on the wind.
My feet hit the road, my heart burning with a thousand tiny flames.
Lucas can hate me all he wants.
I keep running until I reach the dirt track that leads up to the town hall.
Cars are lined up everywhere.
I stop and lean back against one of the cars, an old Ford with rusted-out rims.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket and my stomach twists.
Another message from the unknown number.
Unknown: Peace or war?
Make sure you’re at the town hall and don’t be late.
Bring your little hood rat friends.
It’ll be a date.
My fingers tighten around my phone.
Anger boils up from within, and I hastily type a reply.
Me: Who the fuck are you?
I’m so fucking over this stupid asshole, hiding behind a stupid screen and sending cryptic messages.
I’ve got enough shit to deal with besides solving these riddles.
Three dots appear, then disappear.
After a minute, I give up on waiting for a response, shoving my phone back into my pocket.
Who could be sending these messages?
Who’s dumb enough to spend their time fucking with me?
I have no idea.
But, as much as I hate to admit it, the sender has a point.
I’ve already asked Kai to come here tonight, but what if this is a big chance for him to speak his mind—to let the boys know what he’d like to see for the Hood?
What if this is a way for Kai to see the boys are more than the arrogant assholes he takes them for?
I glance at my watch.
The meeting isn’t for another ten minutes.
I quickly text Hazen, letting him know I’ll be late, then I call Kai.
The line keeps ringing and ringing.
“Don’t tell me you’re calling to try and convince me to come to the hall, because that would be a waste of precious time.” He knows me too well, and the corner of my mouth lifts slightly.
“You sure you don’t wanna come? It’ll be fun.” I lean even more heavily against the Ford, the early evening air cool around my shoulders.
“Ha! Hanging around with a bunch of rich snobs who measure their dicks against one another isn’t really my idea of fun.”
I chuckle.
“Met someone who knows you earlier. Some junkie told a homeless guy not to mess with me because I’m ‘Kai’s girl.’” I try to make light of it with my tone, but a needle of worry pricks at me.
“Are you starting something with The Brotherhood?”
Kai sighs.
“You know me, Frey. I never strike first.”
“You’re not answering the question,” I press.
“Look, maybe a lot of the Hood have been coming to me, asking questions, and I’m suggesting answers. But I’m not some leader. I’m not like your guys.”
Not yet , I think, but I don’t say it.
The line goes silent for a couple of seconds.
“Got anything else on your mind, or should I hang up already?”
All humor dries up.
He’s pulling away and I hate it.
All I want is for everyone to come together, to put an end to this divide between our town and create equal status.
As much as I want it, I know it’ll never happen.
The Brotherhood won’t allow it.
“Freya, I’m here for you. You can talk to me if you need,” he says, his voice gentler now, and I can’t help it.
I spend the next twenty minutes filling in my best friend on what happened with Mia and Lucas.
“My only piece of advice, coming from someone who doesn’t and never will have a girlfriend? Leave now while you can, and your heart will be safe over here.”
I take a moment to mull over his words.
“It’s too late for that.”
“You’re gonna have to choose us or them—and soon.”
The line goes dead, and I rest my head back against the car, releasing a heavy sigh.
He’s right; I’ve already got my answer.
I’ll fight for Lucas until he’s mine again.
More cars come down the road.
A familiar red Range Rover drives past, and I kick off the Ford, following Gage’s SUV.
He parks just outside the town hall, and Lucas exits the vehicle first, his blond hair catching in the streetlight.
He turns around.
Our gazes clash like a lightning bolt breaking between us.
Anger emanates from every muscle in my body.
I storm closer to them, ready to tell him he can’t treat me this way before a deafening boom rips through the air.
Red-hot flames kiss my skin.
Smoke dances all around me.
I fall forward, landing hard against the ground, and everything goes black.