7. Chapter 6
Psycho – A Week Later
I tap the pad before me, my eyes tracing Ivy’s face that I’ve been slowly drawing the past few years as the distant humming of tattoo guns gently soothes me, something that doesn’t last long, it never does.
Over a week without any contact with Ivy, and I feel like I’m drowning. I tried calling but she’s blocked me which just fucking hurts.
How can she not see I’m doing what is best for her?
I swallow hard and gently trace around her full lips, lips that felt so soft against mine, molding perfectly, sending electric shocks through me.
I’ve barely been at the club, either staying in my room at Dark Angel’s Tats or on my mama’s couch.
I’m not the most liked brother right now, and I can’t really blame anyone. I touched her instead of pushing her away. I allowed the shit to get out of hand knowing we couldn’t be together until she lived and now, I’ve not only lost Ivy but also Venom.
“You mother fucker!” Venom shouts as I walk out of the hallway with a lollipop for Tate, and a fist hits my face, catching me off guard.
I grunt as I bang into the corner of the wall, my ribs taking most of the contact, before he grabs my shirt, brings me forward, and smashes me back onto the corner before his fist hits my face again, my brow instantly stinging.
I hear Tate scream and cry, and my brothers try to pull Venom back while I slowly glide down the wall, not bothering to fight back.
He clearly knows about Ivy and me. Honestly, I deserve worse.
“Knock, knock,” a voice says near my door, but I don’t turn around, recognizing it, knowing it isn’t my next client.
A whole week and the fucker has stayed clear of me, not that I blame him.
Maybe he’s here for round two.
A black eye, cut brow and bruised ribs is letting me off easy, though if the brothers hadn’t held him back, it probably would have been worse.
“How’s Luna?” I ask as I continue to sketch Ivy’s mouth, trying to make sure I get it perfect, and Venom sighs as he walks into my room uninvited.
“Good considering everything that has happened,” he murmurs, and I look out of the corner of my eye to see him eyeing all the tattoos on the wall I have completed.
By everything, he means Luna cutting off her rapist’s dick and forcing him to swallow it, covering his mouth while watching him die and that was after she inflicted all the scars she has onto his body.
Turns out Luna had been sexually assaulted for years and only slept with Blade because she wanted to throw it in the fucker’s face. She just didn’t expect for him to become her salvation before he fucked up anyhow and accused her of being a patch chaser and a traitor.
At the age of thirteen, Luna’s brother’s VP, Brock, had raped her and continued to do so even after she told everyone what he did, none of them believing her, including Axe, the president of the Furies, her blood fucking brother.
For around five, maybe six months Blade has been trying to find her, to make her his despite believing she used him, knowing she was his one, only to see her at a strip club no less working behind the bar where she cracked and admitted to her past, her horrors, then admitted to not only having an abortion because the fucker raped her after she slept with Blade unprotected but that she most likely can’t have kids or carry to full term.
Blade’s been hovering around her since, ensuring her family can’t access her or hurt her while she knows she’s his, no matter the hell she’s been through. while Axe is trying to make things right with his little sister.
Not sure what he thinks will help her forgive him though, the fucker called her a liar and allowed her to be assaulted for years by his own friend.
I nod and reply, “She most likely feels free, something she hasn’t felt in years, which is why she’s not struggling with guilt or with how she killed him. Years of being abused will harden the softest of people.”
He hums in agreement and then asks, “So we’re not going to address the elephant in the room, then?”
Without looking up I retort, “Pretty sure I don’t have any elephant tats on my wall brother but if you want one, I could come up with something.”
He growls, “Fucker, I’m talking about you fucking my sister then fucking Misty three days later!”
What the?
I look up at him in shock, my eyes wide and I ask, “What the fuck are you talking about?”
He leans against my counter, crosses his arms over his chest and scoffs, “Oh so now you’re going to deny screwing my sister huh?”
I frown and admit, “No, I’m not denying sleeping with your sister, it was the best night of my life, I’m confused at the fucking Misty part when I haven’t touched the bitch since before your sister decided to kiss me out of the blue during our game night and I spent all night worshiping her!”
He scrunches his nose up and mutters, “Too much fucking information on my sister, brother,” then sighs as he looks over my features and confirms, “You didn’t fuck Misty on family day?”
I tilt my head and state, “I didn’t. I did however, after a very long shower envisioning a certain black haired beauty, details I will spare you with, walk out of my bathroom fully dressed to a spread eagle Misty trying to get herself off on my bed begging me to join her,” Venom’s jaw tightens, “I chucked her out but ended up getting her makeup all over me with her struggling because I nearly broke her arm. Bitch made me forget Tate’s candy in the process. ”
“Fuck,” he curses and pushes off the counter and turns.
“Ivy thinks I fucked Misty, doesn’t she?” I confirm, and he turns his head slightly to look at me and nods, and I nod back, not surprised.
Am I disappointed that she thinks that low of me? Yeah, we’ve been best friends for years, but she’s allowed her mind to conjure up shit, it also explains why she wasn’t there when I walked back out with Tate’s Candy. My body felt her after I followed the bitch out but couldn’t the second time.
I mutter, “Good,” causing him to turn to me fully, his cheeks reddening with anger.
“ What the fuck do you mean good? She’s hurting Jax!” he shouts, and I wince at his truth.
I don’t want to hurt Ivy, but I won’t hold her back.
“She wants out of Rose Meadow, Cale,” I remind him, and he curses again before stating, “She only wanted out because she thought she couldn’t watch you sleep around. She’s in love with you, and we both know that isn’t the whole reason why you’re pushing her away. You won’t hurt her, Jax.”
I shake my head, look back at the sketch before me, and mutter, “You don’t know that.”
He chuckles darkly and states, “I do know it because you have me in your corner,” I look at him, “You have Blade, your mama, my mama, fuck, even my dad. We won’t let you slip, and the fact that you think you will proves how much you love my sister.
You’re willing to hurt yourself to protect her because of the shit we’ve seen growing up but brother, you are hurting her anyhow. ”
I look down hating that he’s seen through me but tense when he adds, “She’s seeing someone.
Mama accidentally let it slip this morning,” my breathing picks up, “She’s smitten brother and I have to tell yah, if anyone should be with my sister, it should be you and I never should have fucking told you otherwise. ”
He walks over to me and squeezes my shoulder as he eyes the drawing on my lap and he mutters, “I never should have fucking hit you. We’ve grown up together and for as long as I can remember you and Ivy have been inseparable.
I’m sorry, Jax, I truly am, and I’m sorry that I’ve blocked you out this week when I knew you were struggling to breathe without her.
” He takes a breath and then orders, “Claim her before it’s too late. ”
Venom walks out without another word, and I take deep breaths before I decide to tear the room apart.
I can’t fucking claim her, he knows this.
I won’t be my dad and more importantly, I won’t hold her back because no matter what he says, she hasn’t told me New York was a way to hide from me with other women, she hasn’t admitted it.
“Yo, Psycho, your next client is here ,” Gray, our receptionist, shouts and I take another deep breath before shouting back, “Send him through.”
I stand, putting my shit away, before grabbing the tablet to show Grant what I’ve come up with for his back tat, the large wolf coming into view.
“Mama,” I say loudly as I walk through the front door of her one-bedroom apartment she’s renting from the club.
“In the kitchen, sweetheart,” she replies and I walk into the kitchen to see her cooking her famous beef roast. I go over to her, kissing her cheek before leaning against the counter and crossing my arms. I eye Dad, who is eyeing me back with a raised brow.
“Back again, Dad,” I comment, and he hums, looking over my features.
Since I admitted to sleeping with Ivy, and Mama decided to stay here for my sake, Dad has been hovering.
He wants Mama back, and I’ll admit, he stopped fucking the clubwhores, I just don’t know if he’s too little too late by like nine years.
Mama has dated even if she still loves the idiot and hasn’t managed to move on, but she’s also putting herself first now.
“See Venom today?” he questions, and I sigh.
“Of course you sent him my way,” I mutter, and he shrugs.
He reminds me, “You two are best friends, all your generation is, and you need him right now.”
I nod and confirm, “You know Ivy met someone then?”
Mama looks at me in shock while Dad winces and says, “I’m sorry, son.”
I shrug, “It’s probably for the best, Dad.”
A hard smack makes contact with my bare arm, and I flinch back, rubbing it and snap, “Mama, no more hitting me with the spoons, we’ve been through this!”
Dad snorts but tries to cover it with a cough while Mama just smirks and states, “Then stop saying shit I don’t like!”
I roll my eyes as Dad laughs, and she sighs, “It isn’t for the best. You and she together are what is best, and I get it.
You have watched brother after brother cheat and lie to their women, expecting them to stay around, but you’ve also seen the women, like me and Clara, leave.
Don’t underestimate Ivy, not to put you in your place if you even check another woman out, something we all know you won’t do because you are head over heels for her.
Most importantly, sweet boy, don’t underestimate yourself, believing you’d follow in your father’s footsteps. ”
I look down while Dad flinches at Mama’s words, and Mama mutters, “Sorry,” and I look up to see Dad send her a little smile as a moment passes between them.
I want Ivy, I do, I’ve never denied that, even to Mama and Dad, but can I get over the fear of hurting her to give her the life she deserves.
Can I claim and drag her away from the life she’s trying to build?
Or do I leave things how they are, not fight like she wanted me to, and see how the future goes?