Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
AYDA
The sun was high in the sky, and the leaves were finally starting to fill out on the big tree, the breeze rattling them as it rolled over the open space.
It had been twenty-four hours since we’d had Sutton get Helen the hell out of Babylon, and not one of us who knew about Owen had been able to relax.
Just knowing the rat bastard was lurking around corners, looking for something to feed right back to the people who hated Drew and the club the most…
it made me feel violent. Trying to keep ourselves acting like we didn’t know was proving to be harder than I’d ever imagined.
Understanding that I needed a break, Drew had suggested the one place in Babylon that Owen wouldn’t accidentally stumble upon.
Pete’s Tree.
Being out here in the open while Drew was lost in his memories made me feel like there were miles between us, and the shit that seemed to surround us constantly these days.
I found it hard watching the other guys talking to Owen like there was nothing wrong.
To just smile as they slapped the traitor on the back and laughed and joked with him.
It was even harder to watch Tate and Rubin throwing questions about the inner workings of a V-twin engine at him.
Picking at the long grass, I threw a couple of strands at Drew who had his back against the bark of the tree, his eyes distant. When those blue-green eyes fell on me, I smiled and pulled my legs closer to my chest so I could rest my chin on my knees.
“Please tell me this is hard for you as it is for me. That you want to wring his weasel neck every time he pops up around a corner looking like he’s supposed to be there.”
Drew had one knee raised, his arm hanging limply over it while his other hand rested in between his legs. For a moment, he just stared at me. “What do you think, Ayda?”
“I think that was a stupid question on my part,” I huffed out, my eyes rising to the canopy above us. “I think that if you didn't have a plan, he’d be dead already. He just makes my skin crawl.”
“If you knew the things I was thinking, the way I was imagining killing him, you’d never look at me the same way again. Fuck, I want to make him bleed so badly. And he will.”
I rolled to my knees, shuffling close enough that I was between his legs, my hands resting on his knee and thigh.
“I was lying in bed this morning, and… well, I was thinking the same thing. If you could see inside my mind…” I shook my head again.
“What does it say about me that I want to see him bleed, too?”
Drew’s hands slid up my thighs, his eyes finding mine above him while his palms rested under my ass cheeks and he tugged me closer. “That you love me and you’re officially as fucked up as I am?” He raised a brow and tried to hold back that arrogant smirk of his. He failed.
“I don’t think you’re as fucked up as you think you are. I think you’re human. You want to protect the people you love. The only difference is, you’re willing to do anything to make that happen, and in this world of ours, that’s not the wrong answer.”
“Know what I think?”
The hand on his thigh moved up just an inch, and I smiled, watching the color of his eyes shift subtly.
He pushed his chin forward, bringing his lips impossibly closer to mine so I could feel the twitch of a smile beneath the stubble that teased me. “I think I’m a lucky son of a bitch to have someone like you who makes the things I hate most about myself seem like things that are easy to love.”
I closed that small gap between us, my mouth pressing against his with enthusiasm.
My teeth sank into the flesh of his bottom lip for only a moment before he gave me what I wanted and growled, allowing me to take from him more deeply.
Drew was intoxicating to me. Even in the most inappropriate moments, I would often find myself daydreaming about times like these, when we were utterly alone and free to exercise any desires we had.
I had a lot when it came to this man. He was my only escape now.
“I love everything there is to love about you,” I told him quietly.
“Yeah, you do.”
“Even your cockiness,” I huffed, pressing both of my lips to his bottom one.
“And especially my cock.”
“That’s a given.”
He brought his hands up to my back, trailing them up each side until he had his arms hooked under me, palms resting on my shoulders.
He pressed his forehead to mine, taking another one of those moments he seemed to savor so much these days as his eyes searched mine.
“Shit’s about to get really real, darlin’.
I know you’re ready for it. I know you can handle yourself.
I know how strong you can be, but I need you to promise me one thing. ”
“I’ll promise you anything, except staying behind. I can’t do that.”
“You know, sometimes you really need to stop trying to guess what it is I’m about to say. I promised you I wouldn’t leave you behind again. I meant what I said. Try again,” he said softly.
“I had to cover all bases,” I said in the same quiet tone he’d used. “I’ll do anything for you. Tell me what you need.”
He shook his head. “Anything covers it. You’ve made your promise now. I’ll hold you to it.”
“Then I’ll also promise you everything as well as anything.”
Drew’s sigh released a low moan of approval in the back of his throat. “Works for me.”
I smiled against his lips, my body pressing against his needing to be closer to him.
“Can we just stay here?” I asked. “Even if it’s just for tonight. Just you, me, and the stars.” I paused and lifted my hand to the bark by Drew’s head. “And Pete, of course.”
He blinked up at me. “Just for tonight.”
“It’s a good start, don’t you think?”
“Sounds like a good way to start tomorrow.” He smiled.
I pressed my lips against his again, not so desperate this time, just hungrily, my hands cupping his jaw as I slowed and rested my lips against his, my eyes still closed as I let the world carry on around us.
“I love you.”
“I love you,” he mouthed silently against me.
The rest of the world ceased to exist. All the bad thoughts, the talk of revenge, the people who had betrayed us, the people who would pay—they weren’t there then.
It was just Drew, me, and the stars. But as with all glorious things, it didn’t last, and Drew’s phone was soon vibrating in the pocket that rested between us, pulling his attention away as he huffed and reached inside his cut for it.
“Rubin?” he answered in a way only Drew could get away with answering, his eyes focused on mine.
“Drew?”
“That’s who you called, kid.”
“Shit, wait a second.” I could hear everything Rubin was saying as Drew held the phone between us, never looking away from me. A door seemed to shut wherever Rubin was before he came back to the call, a little breathlessly. “Remember that thing we talked about?”
“I do,” Drew answered calmly.
“Well, I might have the first bit of info for you.”
Drew’s brows rose slowly. “I’m real interested to hear it.”
Rubin sighed heavily, the nerves and tension rolling off his every breath. The kid was about to betray his father. A father he didn’t get along with, sure, but a betrayal of blood was still a betrayal of blood, no matter who that blood belonged to.
“My dad is, apparently, arranging a surprise public speech tomorrow in the center of Babylon.”
“What for?” Drew frowned.
Papers were being shuffled, and pages turned. Whatever Rubin was doing, he was doing it away from prying eyes, and it was something that could potentially get him in trouble.
“A lot of this stuff is in some kind of encrypted code, I’m sure of it, but I’ve heard some things over the years.
Things I probably shouldn’t have heard. If I’ve understood this correctly, he’s publicly announcing his plans to agree to the sale of some land in the next two years.
Land that’s previously been protected or owned by someone or something else.
” Another round of papers being shuffled before Rubin’s voice came even closer to the speaker.
“He’s planning on only a few people being there.
People who already know about the sale so there won’t be many there to protest—if any at all. ”
“Doesn’t he have to go through some kind of public notice period for that shit? Weeks? Months?”
“You’re saying that like you think he follows the rules.”
“Good point.” Drew groaned, shuffling back and sitting upright, effectively forcing me to sit back and just look at him.
“I guess he thinks he can just put it out there once and then sweep it under the carpet?” Rubin offered, making his suggestion sound like a question. He was seeking approval of some sort from Drew, the reverence clear in his voice even when he was panicked.
“If he’s looking to do that, it means that land is worth a shit load of money to someone. Probably him.”
“Maybe.”
“You any idea of where this land is?”
Rubin took a moment until he finally hissed with a little victory. “Shit, yeah. Here… there’s a line here that mentions the land around the junction of southwest county road thirty-one fifty, and southwest county road thirty-one sixty.”
Drew’s face fell instantly, all the color draining away as he held my gaze and tightened his hand against me, his fingers digging into my flesh.
“Rubin?” he breathed.
“Yeah?”
“Repeat that location for me.”
“The land around the junction of southwest county road thirty-one fifty, and southwest county road thirty-one sixty.”
For a moment, I was at a complete blank.
I wasn’t sure why all the color had drained from Drew’s face.
I couldn’t understand the sudden violence that had wiped away the man who’d just looked at me like I was the only thing in the world.
It was only the second time Rubin had said the cross junction that everything clicked into place.
I looked out over the field we were sitting in the middle of, and I watched a pickup roll down thirty-one sixty in the distance before turning onto thirty-one fifty and begin heading toward us.
The junction was here.
Pete’s tree was where they planned to build whatever monstrosity they wanted to build.
And this was another strike of the sword in the battle we hadn’t even realized we were a part of until it was too late.