Desolate Souls (Forgotten Souls MC, #1) (15 page)

“I can give you a lift,” he offers, and I am so tempted. It’s cold out tonight and I’m tired. All I really want to do is go home a soak in a hot bath and climb into bed.

“I’m fine,” I tell him as I turn and resume the trek towards home.

“Come on Alana, don’t be stubborn. It’s cold, late, you’re tired and this isn’t the safest part of town. It’s on my way anyway.”

“How do you know it’s on your way?” I ask, turning to face him once again.

“You work for me, remember? I know where all my employees live,” he explains, making me feel like a paranoid idiot.

“Thanks, but I can manage.”

“You won’t give me an inch, will you?” he says, stepping in beside me as I beginning walking away. “Fine. Misery loves company anyway.”

Five minutes pass, Deuce matching each of my steps, before his intention becomes apparent. “You do realize that I walk home most nights, so there really isn’t a need for you to follow me,” I point out.

“That comes to an end tonight. Beautiful girl like you walking down the streets in the middle of the night is an invitation for trouble. You won’t take me up on my offer, then I’ll just walk you home. It’s simple.”

“Why are you doing this?” I ask, coming to an abrupt stop.

“Because that’s what friends do. Look out for each other.”

“You and I aren’t friends,” I retort.

“Well that ends tonight too,” he says in a matter of fact tone. “And since we’re friends, I’m walking you home. Period.”

I want to argue with him, tell him to fuck off, but I don’t. Deep down I like Deuce. “Fine,” I mutter, before I begin walking again, ignoring the fact that he is matching each of my strides.

After ten minutes of walking in silence, I start to relax. “How long have you known Jax?” I ask out of curiosity.

“Since we were seventeen.” At least Jax had been loyal to someone over the years. “Met in foster care. Been friends ever since.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, fighting back the tears that threaten to follow. Deuce was my replacement. It’s all perfectly clear now, and makes me hate Jax even more.

“How about you? How do you two know each other?” he asks, glancing over in my direction.

“He was placed in the same group home as me,” I tell him, remembering the day I first met Jax. “You mean he didn’t tell you?”

“I figured small talk was better than no talk,” he shrugs. “Actually, I know a lot about you Alana.”

“I’m sure,” I mutter, clenching my fists at my side. That asshole knew what Phil was doing to me and not only did he leave me, he reminisced with his newfound friend.
I fuckin’ hate him.

We continue to walk in silence, neither of us saying a word until we are finally standing in front of my apartment building. “You know you could already be inside curled up in bed if you’d let me give you a ride?” he says, smirking at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He winks at me before turning on his heel and heading back in the direction we just came from.

Shaking my head as I climb the stairs, I take one final glance at Deuce as he walks away, wondering if I should open my heart up to misery once again.

One Week Later

A
s I close the distance between myself and home, my mind is focused on one thing... Alana. She hates me, or at the very least she despises what she believes happened in the past.  I never abandoned her even though that is her reality, and never once did I forget about her. How could I? She was and is the most important person in my life, but trying to convince her of that won’t be easy.

I’ve given her the space she wants, but that is coming to an end real soon. She needs to hear me out, and once she knows the truth, we can mend the damage that was caused all those years we were apart. I will make sure of it.

Then there is the real issue. Paul is nothing but trouble. Alana means nothing to him, no matter how hard he tries to convince me otherwise. He is the reason I didn’t want to go on this run, but Deuce promised to keep an eye on her, and I know he has done just that.

Pulling into the compound, a feeling of dread washes over me when I spot Doc’s car parked near the entrance. It’s been a long time since Dr. Jennings has graced us with his presence, meaning only one thing. Something went down while I was away, something Bones couldn’t handle.

When I push open the front door, I’m surprised to see nothing out of the ordinary. Red is perched at his normal spot at the bar, a beer in his hand and a club whore at his side. Beast is seated next to him, drowning his sorrows in a fifth of whiskey.

I make my way over to where Bones is seated, his eyes focused on Jazz and Desiree as they go down on one another.

“Where’s Deuce?” I ask, causing Bones to tear his eyes away from the action taking place in front of him.

“Jax!” he says, jumping to his feet. “Didn’t think you’d be here this soon. Deuce wanted me to bring you to him as soon as you got here,” he says, motioning towards the office. “He’s waitin’ for ya.”

I nod at him before making my way towards the office. Grasping the knob tightly in my hand, I pause for a moment before turning it and pushing the door open.

“What the fuck happened?” I ask as I enter the room.

He lifts his head slowly, his eyes meeting my own. “We lost Crow,” he says, his voice filled with sorrow. “Heart attack.”

Fuck!
Crow has been a part of the club since before my time. “I’m sorry, man.”

“He and dad were good friends,” he says, his eyes reflecting the pain I know he is feeling. With his dad locked away for life and his mother still behind bars for another ten years, Crow was the closest thing to family he had remaining. “Gonna miss that fucker.”

Crow’s health had been declining for years and we all knew his life was coming to an end, but no one can ever truly prepare for it. “We’ll send him off the way he deserves.”

He nods his head in agreement, his face solemn. I take that as my cue to give him some time alone. Rising from the chair, I head towards the door, giving him the space he needs.

“She reminds me of Renee,” he blurts out, causing me to freeze. Slowly I turn around, narrowing my eyes at him at the mention of his sister. He hasn’t mentioned her name in years, his attempt at trying to forget the past. “Beautiful inside and out.”

“You’ve been talking to her?” I ask as I cross the room, taking the seat I had just abandoned.

“She was heading home the other night when I was closing the club. I offered her a ride, but she wouldn’t take it, so I walked her home. There’s a lot of pain there, not just because of what Phil Martin did to her. It’s you. She tries to hide it, but it’s there.”

“I know,” I whisper, wishing things had been different.

“She’s still in there, the Alana you used to know, but it’s gonna take time for that part of her to reemerge. It can’t be forced. It has to happen on its own.”

I nod my head in agreement, knowing what he says is true.

“I need you to trust me,” he says, as if that was ever a question. Nodding my head, I silently let him know that will never be an issue, but I can’t help but feel like this means I am losing her. “Don’t look at me that way. I’m not asking you to walk away from her. I’m asking you to trust me to bring her back to you. I know you love her, you always have.”

Letting out a ragged breath, my eyes meet the man I would lay down my life for without question, and for the first time since I met him, I doubt Deuce’s ability. Ignoring that uneasy feeling, I nod my head, putting my trust in him.

I
nwardly seething, I watch Alana as she smiles up at Deuce. Staring at her from across the room, completely unnoticed, I see her entire focus is solely on him, and I don’t like it one bit.

My whole purpose for returning to Langley was to get the dirt I needed to get Jax out of the picture, never once considering that Deuce would be the real issue. In a matter of two weeks’ time, he has managed to move in for the kill. The way he is looking at her sends up all sorts of red flags.

“It’s pathetic, isn’t it?” Trix says, coming to stand beside me.

Trix is not someone I trust. She’s never liked Alana and the last thing I need is to believe anything she says. But she is the eyes and ears of this place.  “Did you need something, Trix?”

“Just wanted to welcome you back. I missed having you around,” she says, smiling up at me.

“Bet you did,” I tell her knowing that Deuce has made the last two weeks a living hell. Deuce hates Trix and has never hidden the fact that he wishes she weren’t around. “What’d he make you do?” I ask, unable to hide my amusement.

“I’m glad you think it’s funny that Deuce tormented your staff while you were away. You know it’s not fair that we get treated like shit,” she says, her voice laced with annoyance.

“Doesn’t look that way to me,” I say, my eyes landing on Alana as she laughs at something Deuce has just said. Immediately my amusement is gone and once again my blood is boiling.

“Well Alana’s always the exception to the rule, isn’t she?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, becoming defensive.

“Just that Alana always gets special treatment, but you already know that. She must have a magical pussy the way all you men bow down to her. First you and now Deuce,” she says looking over in Alana’s direction. “Guess if Jax was here, he’d be getting some action too.”

“Alana’s not like that,” I say, coming to her defense. No matter what Trix or anyone else thinks, Alana is no slut. She only does the things she does because of me, and I hate myself for it.

“Yeah, whatever you say,” she mutters before walking away, leaving me alone to stew over the possibility that I might be wrong.

For the next several minutes, I do nothing but observe Alana and Deuce, watching the way he touches her, the way they both look at one another and cannot help but wonder if Trix is telling the truth. Without thinking, I stalk across the room, stopping only when I am within Alana’s sights.

She turns, looking up at me with those innocent damn eyes and smiles. “You’re back,” she says, rushing towards me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

All anger dissipates in that moment and contentment washes over me as I engulf her in my arms. “Miss me?” I ask as I force myself to step away from her.

“Always,” she grins.

“Well I guess I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Deuce says, taking the hint he is no longer welcome.

“Oh Deuce?” Alana asks, turning towards him.

“Yeah, darlin’?”

“Thanks for everything,” Alana smiles.

“Anytime,” Deuce says, smiling back at her before turning his cold gaze towards me. “Good to have you back, Paul.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, matching his glare until he finally turns and makes his way back to the office.

“I was starting to wonder if you’d decided to skip town,” Alana says, bringing my attention back to her.

“I promised I’d never leave you and I meant it.” I wish I could say I meant those words when I first said them to her, but that would be a lie. I never intended on her staying with me and now I can’t imagine her not being in my life.

“I know, it’s just...” her eyes sadden as she speaks, remembering a time long ago when Jax left her.

“Hey,” I say, moving towards her. “I will never let you go.” She smiles up at me, instantly relaxing, not understanding the depth of my words. “You and me are forever.”

We stand in silence for several minutes, staring into one another’s eyes. “Well I better get ready to go on,” she says, her eyes growing vacant as she speaks.

Without another word, she turns and leaves me standing there watching as she makes her way towards the back of the club, and for the first time I realize how hard it is going to be when she walks away from me for good.