Chapter Eleven
Victoria
As much as I wanted to stay by Rich's side, I knew I couldn't stomach watching him be cut open. When Leighton directed me to go to Joey, I was relieved. For someone so out of touch with how ordinary people expressed themselves, he seemed to pick up my need for an out without me ever uttering a word. After the things I'd overheard Lacey saying to him, I could almost understand why. If his own sister berated him the way she did, it could only be something she had learned from their parents. My chest tightened at the thought of the sort of damage that kind of upbringing would have caused a child.
Packing away the conflicting emotions vying for my attention, I made my way outside. Joey was on the front porch pacing. The light that spilled from the cabin when I opened the door illuminated the tension in his body, and I could just make out the way the muscles in his jaw clenched. As scared as I was for Rich, I knew what Joey was going through must be several times more intense as Rich's brother.
"Hey." I said softly, slipping into the same headspace I'd used hundreds of times when dealing with women and children at the center.
Joey's eyes snapped to mine, and he huffed out a breath. "Hey, sweetheart."
Moving to stand in front of him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his chest. The tension in his body eased slightly as he relaxed into my hold.
"He's going to be okay," I said, knowing I couldn't really make that promise. "Rich is… Well, he's a stubborn bastard is what he is, but that's exactly why he's going to pull through."
Joey made a noncommittal noise before moving us to lean his back against the porch railing. Neither of us spoke, not wanting to voice our fears aloud. We stayed like that, seeking comfort in each other's arms, the night air thick with unspoken worry and the muffled sounds of movement inside the cabin.
The first scream caused us to jolt apart. Joey stepped toward the cabin door, and I caught his arm, urging him silently to stay. He looked at where I held him, the soft light spilling from the cabin windows casting his face in shadows. The need to go to his brother rolled off him in dangerous waves. If he chose to ignore my pleas, there would be nothing I could do to stop him.
"Don't…" I whispered.
"I can't do this." he said before pulling his arm from my grasp with a pained roar. "This isn't how shit was supposed to go. I can't just leave my brother in there to suffer."
"You're not in any state to help him, Joey." I replied softly, placing my hand on his chest. "If you go in there, what exactly do you hope to accomplish?"
He raked a hand through his hair, tugging at it roughly. "I don't know. Something. I can't just stand here doing nothing."
"Come on," I said, sliding my hand from his chest to take his hand. "Walk me to the lake. Standing out here listening to what's happening inside is only going to tear you up more and there's nothing you can do for Rich right now."
Joey's shoulders slumped forward, and he sighed, letting me gently pull him toward the steps. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I should be comforting you right now instead of you being the one holding me together."
"That's not how relationships work," I said as I continued to lead him toward the lake. "They're not one-sided like that. Besides, it's kind of nice in a weird way to not be the only one losing their shit for once."
We made our way to the lake, walking in silence to the end of the dock before sitting down. Joey pulled me into his lap as he leaned against the wooden post, his legs stretched across the dock toward the opposite post. I pushed away the urge to protest about being too heavy and shifted so that I could wrap my arms around him and lay my head on his shoulder.
"You need a distraction." I said as his arms wrapped around me tightly.
"I don't think I can focus on anything else right now."
I pulled away just enough to study his face. "I know I haven't exactly handled all the craziness that's happened very well, but I do know from my work at the center that distractions can be helpful even when you think they can't."
"I don't wanna burst your bubble, Sweetheart, but I'm not a kid anymore."
"I know, but I didn't just work with the children. The center may be a safe space for the kids of South Sacona, but that's not all it is. My mother taught me that sometimes the best way to help those kids is to help their parents first."
Joey considered my words for a moment before blowing out a puff of air. "Alright, what did you have in mind?"
"Tell me something about your childhood," I replied, relaxing back into him and laying my head on his shoulder again.
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, Az and Craig told me about meeting me at the center as kids and knowing you all pretty much grew up there, I suspect you have a story as well."
Joey chuckled lightly, the sound vibrating through his chest and into my side. "It's ironic that you want to know if I have a memory of you from the center."
"What do you mean?"
"You had a little bit of a hero complex even then." He replied. "The first time we met, you acted first and thought later."
"Don't keep me in suspense." I laughed, poking him in the chest. "Tell me."
"Well, I was a pretty small kid." He started with a shrug. "When Rich or the others weren't around, some of the bigger kids liked to pick on me. I lost count of the number of scraps I got into trying to defend myself and prove I could hold my own. I don't really remember what started it that day, but a group of them had me surrounded in the play yard. The guys were inside in the gym and had kicked me out for being a pest."
"I can't imagine them ever kicking you out for that."
"How many sixteen-year-olds do you know that aren't assholes? And me being nine years younger than him, it's only normal he wouldn't want to hang out with me at that age." Joey replied. "It's not unusual for siblings to be tighter as adults than as kids. Anyway, they'd kicked me out of the gym, and I'd gone out to the play yard. Six or seven kids that liked to bully me had me surrounded and I knew I was about to get my ass beat."
"That's horrible." I gasped. "Where was Mrs. McMillan or my mom?"
"Most likely handling something inside. The center didn't have much staff back then and they couldn't be everywhere at once." Joey shrugged.
"So, what happened?"
"Well, I was preparing to defend myself as best I could when this cute little six-year-old you came storming up to the group. You stomped yourself right through the other kids and stood in the center of them with me and demanded to know who was the one that started the shit. I was sure I was about to get beat half to death when you picked out the biggest boy of the group and stood toe to toe with him. You weren't big enough to get in his face, but you gave it your best effort to look big. You started screaming about telling your mother, and he wouldn't be allowed back if he didn't leave me alone and the look on his face said he was about ready to swing on you instead of me."
"Oh my God, I remember that." I gasped. "I was on the swings when I saw them corner you. That boy had just been picking on me before that. When I'd told my parents, my father told me the only way to stop a bully was to stand up to them. When I saw them going after another kid, I just lost it. I don't remember him trying to hit me though. I just remember them running off after I yelled at them."
"That's adorable." Joey said, smiling softly as he tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear. "He didn't get the chance to swing on you because while you were yelling at him, some other kids had run inside to get my brother. Rich was a big guy even as a teen, so was Craig. Az wasn't as big, but he had a mean streak a mile wide. The bullies tucked tail and ran as soon as the guys showed up."
"I don't remember them being there, and I think I would have noticed a group of teenagers swooping in to save the day." I said, searching my memories for Joey's explanation. He chuckled a little, leaning his head back on the post.
"Well, that's probably because they weren't standing there when you turned around. You'd given the classic ‘That's right, you better run' yell, complete with shaking your tiny fist, after our bullies had scattered. Rich had just rolled his eyes and went back to the gym. By the time you turned around and pulled me after you to play on the swings, they were gone."
"You know, my father took me out for ice cream when I came home that day and told him that I'd run those kids off and stopped them from picking on you," I said. "I thought I'd come home the conquering hero."
I got taken by a fit of giggles as I thought back to myself standing up for Joey. I was now picturing a young Rich, Craig, and Az standing behind me, staring down the other kids while I, in my bravado, had thought I'd run them off. This version definitely made more sense than mine. Joey started chuckling, and it wasn't long before we were both laughing so hard I could feel the prick of tears in my eyes.
It felt good to laugh. It probably wasn't as funny as all that, but we'd latched onto the humorous idea like a life preserver thrown out to us in the ocean of tension. After a few minutes, we'd settled down into chuckling quietly before it died off into something adjacent to comfortable silence as we looked out over the lake.
"We should probably check and see how things are going." Joey said after a time, staring at nothing in particular. His mind was already back in the cabin with his brother, and I could hear the concern back in his voice.
"One of the guys will come and get us." I said softly. "I know, I want to be in there too. The doctor needs space to work, and we don't need them worrying over our states while they should be focusing on Rich."
"But–"
"If we were in a hospital, we'd be in a waiting room. Try to think of it as the same thing here… except the view is better and the smell of cleaning chemicals is absent." I offered matter-of-factly. Joey looked at me like he wanted to argue, but instead, he sighed heavily, leaned his head back against the post, and stared up at the sky.
"You're right. You're becoming surprisingly level-headed these days and I don't think I much like it right now." He said, without any malice to his sarcasm.
"Well, I was fairly level-heading before my world got up ended… but, if it helps, once Rich is back on his feet, I'll probably be storming out of the cabin in response to whatever crap he's giving me again and I'm sure you'll be sent to chase me down." I shrugged with a smirk. He snorted and gave my hair a gentle tug.
"Once we're through with all of this, I think we'd both enjoy me chasing you down through these woods."
"We'll just have to make sure it's not on a day that Leighton's sister visits… I feel like that's the last thing any of us will need for her to walk up on." I groaned. "I'm not sure what problem she has with me."
Joey lifted his head and looked me in the eye with a smirk. "She'd have to care about someone to have a real problem with them, and none of us are sure she actually has the ability to care about anything. I wouldn't take it too close to heart."
"She didn't seem to like everyone laughing at her inside. That would make me think she does actually feel things." I said, "What was all of that in there about anyway?"
Joey snickered at my question, making me raise an eyebrow impatiently. "I did promise an explanation, now's as good a time as any I guess." He shifted under me slightly and glanced back up at the cabin. "We met Leighton when the Horsemen didn't even have a piece on the board yet. We were just a bunch of kids trying to figure out the game. I ran into him while I was doing some street job for Az, trying to prove to my brother that I could run with them and hold my own."
"You didn't start the Horsemen with them?" I asked, a little surprised.
"To his credit, Rich tried really hard to keep me out of it. He didn't want me to go down the same road he was on because… well, you don't really need intimate knowledge of organized crime to know it can be blood-soaked and dangerous." His voice turned contemplative as he stared into space.
"I doubt your parents were on board with that." I mused.
"They weren't. I mean, it took me weeks of wearing Az down to get my first job because no one liked the idea.
"I can't imagine it taking Az weeks to do anything . Not if you made it a point to irritate him. He's kind of been snap first ask questions never." I laughed lightly.
"Sweetheart, you might be adept at getting under his skin, but you haven't even broken the record for getting him to explode yet. That belongs to me." He smirked, looking pleased with himself. "But in all fairness, Az is Rich's second in command for a reason. He's only easy to get to when you know how. I was the group's kid brother, no one wanted that for me. When the Horsemen started turning a profit, Rich set our parents up in a nice suburban area. He paid for their house outright, and makes sure they don't want for anything…" His voice trailed off, sounding pained.
"He told me a bit about your mother once… It's hard for me to picture him like that, sometimes, but it's easy to see that taking care of you guys is a priority for him." I said, silently hoping that we could keep his mind out of the cabin. "But I'm not sure… what does this have to do with laughing at Lacey?"
"I'm getting there. Just trying to give you some context," he huffed. "Anyway, I finally got to Az enough that he gave me some bullshit street job. I don't even remember what it was now… the only thing that stuck in my memory is my run-in with Leighton. I think I ended up stepping on his toes for something he was doing. It ended up in a street fight."
"Somehow, I'm not surprised by that at all." I snarked.
"Some things never change, Sweetheart. But back then, Leighton's fighting style was feral, and instinct based. He still is, but he's got some discipline and training now. It was rough, but because he wasn't as skilled as he is now, he was bad about leaving himself open. Eventually we called it a draw because we were both exhausted and bleeding. I'm pretty sure I had a couple broken fingers." Joey stopped and started chuckling, thinking back on the memory. "And the wildest part about all of it, was that as we sat on the curb, he turned to me and offered to share his beer and candy bar. He said I was scrappy, and he liked me. Surprised was a bit of an understatement, but I mean… I was beat up, I wasn't going to turn down beer and chocolate. We've been friends ever since."
I couldn't help but join in Joey's chuckling as I pictured the two boys sitting on a dark street, deciding that they were best friends after beating each other up. Leighton offering him beer and candy was the most 'Leighton' thing I'd ever heard. I had to resist asking again what this had to do with everyone laughing when Rich had used my name when talking to Lacey.
"We hung out all the time, and eventually we kind of took him in. And with Leighton's help, I was able to get my own spot in the group as a Horseman. After a few years, Lacey came looking for Leighton. She's resourceful, so it was only a matter of time from when their parents had tasked her with finding him that she would track him back to us. Leighton, I'm sure you can guess, told her to fuck off and he wasn't going."
"I don't imagine that went over well with her." I surmised.
"No, it didn't. Lacey fucked Rich instead." Joey sneered.
I choked out a laugh of disbelief. "She didn't!"
"She absolutely did. In all fairness to Rich, though, we weren't in a great spot, and he'd been pretty stressed out. From what he told us, he'd come stumbling in from drinking away his troubles at the Spotted Cobra, and she was waiting for him in his bed. Honestly, I can't say I blame him. She's a pretty woman, and she was willing and available… and none of us knew she was a fucking psychopath," he paused. "Well, except L. And I doubt Rich bothered to ask first.
Anyway, this kicked off what's been the last decade or so of him politely dodging her every time he sees her and her trying to get him back in her bed every chance she gets."
"She's still chasing him around after just a one-night stand?" I asked, surprised.
"Oh, no. It happened more than once. But every time it does happen, Rich is down and out, stressed over something, and probably drunk. She's definitely not his type, but I mean… good for Rich I guess, because that's gotta be the best she's had. It's been something like two years, and she's still stuck on him like a stubborn tick that's got its head buried under the skin."
"It's weird to know she's so desperate given how easily she can flip her ‘human' switch." I murmured.
"I suppose bedding four of the five men makes you a better woman." Lacey spoke, startling both of us. "Personally, I prefer my affairs to be one at a time."
I eased myself from Joey's lap and stood up, shoving aside the urge to slap her. She wasn't worth it.
"It's not an affair when all parties involved are consenting." I snarked back.
"Well, maybe not all parties." She scoffed, pretending to study her nails under the soft light the moon provided. "Rich doesn't seem to be falling for you spreading your legs open to anyone who wants to get between them."
I felt Joey's hand on my shoulder as he stood behind me. "Sure, Lacey. That's why it was her name coming out of his mouth earlier and not yours." His tone was stern, icy.
"He's entitled to his mistakes," Lacey replied dryly. "It's my bed he'll be crawling into when he's healed. He has better taste than you and my darling baby brother. Specifically preferring not to bed whores."
The air whooshed out of my lungs, and my thoughts began to race. If she was taking jabs about Rich being in her bed in the future, that had to mean he was okay. Still struggling with the urge to smack her smug smile off her face, I forced myself to speak.
"Are you here to let us know the surgery went well?" I asked, barely keeping the bite of anger out of my tone.
"No thanks to you." she replied, glaring daggers at me. "The doctor is getting him situated to rest now, but he was only ever in this position because of you. If his little lackeys weren't obsessed with what must be a loose pussy by now, he'd never have been injured."
The second of relief of knowing that Rich was okay was replaced instantaneously by a combination of my anger at myself, Lacey's words, and the stress, fear, and worry that had been building since the Gala fire. The flood of emotions snapped my composure like a rubber band pulled too far. My vision narrowed on her, and before I'd even acknowledged the thought, I had one hand tangled in her black hair, jerking her head backward as my other fist collided with her nose.
Lacey screeched and reached her clawed hands out to attack me, but I used one of the takedown maneuvers Az had taught me to take her to the ground. My voice hit my ears as if from a distance as I straddled her and continued to slam my fists into her face until there was a satisfying crunch beneath them. Some distant part of me knew I was overreacting, that this wasn't a normal response, but the more primal drive to snuff out the woman beneath me rode me hard. I barely even registered moving my hands to grip her throat; I was so intent on ending her.
Arms banded around my waist as I continued to hiss and snarl some semblance of words. The sudden pressure of Joey at my back seemed to ease the enraged haze that had taken me over entirely, and I slowly came back to myself. My chest heaved with my ragged breaths, and I became aware of the stinging cuts and scratches that Lacey had left on my face and arms.
"That was hot as fuck." Leighton spoke. "Probably the hottest thing I've ever seen."
My eyes never left Lacey, though I could see Leighton moving toward us in my peripheral. She swiped her hand across her face before gingerly touching her broken nose as she worked to get her feet back under her.
"Agreed." Joey said, his voice was hoarse and husky in my ear. I could feel his agreement pressing against my back.
Lacey stood the rest of the way, turning to face Leighton. "You're going to get this one killed just like the last one. But this time, at least, the bitch deserves it." She hissed, shoulder-checking him as she stormed past him toward the cabin.