Desolate Souls (Forgotten Souls MC, #1) (24 page)

I narrow my eyes at him as he bursts out in a fit of laughter. “You are too much!”

I have no idea what is so damn funny, but his reaction brings a smile to my face.

“I don’t want or need your money. Like I said, the place needs a woman’s touch. If you take on the upkeep, that’s payment enough. I don’t have the time to do it myself, and probably should’ve sold it a long time ago, but can’t bring myself to do it.” His eyes glaze over as he speaks, his amusement completely gone. “You’d be doing me a favor.”

“Alright,” I agree, “but only until I can get on my feet. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Alana. I should be thanking you.” With that, Deuce rises to his feet, the chair scraping the floor as he pushes it back. “Let’s get you home so you can start packing your things. Don’t worry about furniture or anything like that. Just your personal belongings. Everything else I have covered.”

I nod my head in agreement, wondering if I am making the right decision. Pushing aside my worry, I rise to my feet and follow behind Deuce, a sense of warmth encompassing me. I have friends now, true friends who want nothing more from me than friendship and it is a good feeling, albeit a foreign one.

––––––––

D
owning my seventh shot of whiskey, I slam the empty glass on the bar before lifting the bottle and filling the shot glass once again. Drowning your sorrows always seems like a good idea in the beginning, but by tomorrow morning, I will be regretting my decision.

“You forget how to use one of these things?” Deuce asks, grabbing my phone off the bar and dangling it in front of my face.

“Nope,” I reply, lifting the shot glass to my lips and chugging it. “How did things go with Alana?” I ask, my voice dripping with pure venom.

“So that’s what this is about,” Deuce says, shaking his head as he takes a seat beside me. “Alexis mentioned you storming out. Don’t worry though, I didn’t tell Alana you were acting like a sulking pussy.”

“Fuck you,” I mutter as I refill my glass again.

“So you’re bailing on her?” Deuce reaches over and slides the now full shot glass towards him, lifting it to his lips.

“I’m stepping aside,” I say, gripping the remainder of the whiskey bottle in my hand.

“And why’s that?” Deuce asks, raising his brow. “Thought she meant something to you.”

“Don’t start with me Deuce. She doesn’t want me. She’s made that perfectly clear.” Why I ever thought anything differently is beyond me.

“She has? Because no one gave me the memo, and they sure as hell didn’t give it to Alana," Deuce chuckles.

“What the fuck are you going on about?” I grumble, not in the mood for Deuce's sense of humor.

"Well maybe if you’d answered your Goddamn phone, you would know the answer to that question," he says, his tone suddenly serious.

"I'm not in the fuckin' mood for riddles Deuce, so just spit it the fuck out!" I shout, my anger mounting.

“Alright, but you ain’t gonna like it. Alana came to the compound tonight,” he begins, and a surge of jealousy rushes through me. I rise from my seat, bowing up at the man I consider not only a friend, but a brother. “Sit your fuckin’ ass down!” Deuce orders, his eyes and tone turning cold as ice. “You bow up at me again, and it will be the last fuckin’ thing you do!”

Taking in a deep breath, it takes every ounce of strength within me not to beat the living shit out of him.

“She was looking for your sorry ass!” he shouts.

“She what?” I ask in disbelief.

“Imagine that!” he says, shaking his head in disgust. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that? And you were so worried about her trusting you again. The problem isn’t her, it’s you!”

I am speechless momentarily, feeling like the biggest ass on the planet. He is right in so many ways. “Man, I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m your brother, you don’t have to say shit to me. Just be glad Alana knows nothing about the way you acted,” he says, slapping me on the back. “Now that you’re over your little hissy fit, we’ve got a problem.”

I’m just grateful Deuce isn’t one to hold a grudge, at least where I’m concerned. “Paul,” I say his name with utter disgust.

“Well since you saw the letters, you know he’s not gonna stop. The good news is that Pat says the state has a good case against him. The bad news is that he’s starting to cooperate with the prosecution and after seeing those letters, I know why.”

“I want her out of that apartment.” Sooner rather than later.

“Already worked that out. She should be packing as we speak.”

“Good,” I mutter, feeling a sense of relief. The sooner she is away from that place, the better. “She’ll be safe at the compound and there’s no way Paul will try to contact her here.”

“Yeah, about that. She was against moving into the compound. Let’s just say Beast didn’t make a lasting impression.” When does he? Beast has as much personality as a brick wall. “But I did convince her to move into my place.”

“What?!” I can’t believe what I am hearing.

“Calm the fuck down. You know I rarely stay there anyway.”

That’s not the point. Even though I acted like a jealous fool only moments ago, I know Deuce would never cross that line. But if she is living in Deuce’s house, I’ll rarely have a chance to see her, except for at Bar None.

“And I’m sure she’s gonna discover that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to the place. And it just so happens that I know a damn good handyman,” he says, as if reading my mind. “I have a feeling you’ll be seeing her on a regular basis.”

“Thanks man. I owe you one.”

“You owe me more than just one. Just name your first born after me and we’ll call it even,” he smirks before walking off, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Two Months Later

“I
’m coming!” I shout as I run towards the door. Through the frosted glass insert on the front door, I see Jax standing on the porch, his fist raised to pound on the wooden barrier once again. Unlatching the dead bolt, I jerk open the door. “You’re early.”

I stare up at Jax, his eyes wide. “Do you always answer the door like that?” he asks, eying me up and down.

Glancing down, I can’t help but smile. Clad in only a towel, Jax is definitely getting an eyeful. “You’ve seen me in much less,” I begin. “And you were banging on the door like the place was on fire.”

“Yeah, but... Alana you have to be more careful,” he says, looking at me with concern in his eyes. He cares about me, that is apparent, but then again he always has.

“Don’t worry, I saw it was you,” I say, trying to ease his mind. The fact is that I’m not very careful, but the only two people who ever come here are Deuce and Jax. “Give me a few minutes to finish getting ready,” I tell him before heading towards the bedroom.

As soon as I step inside my room, my nerves begin getting the best of me. The time I have spent with Jax over the last few months has been the best of my life. It is as if nothing has changed between us, except there are no monsters lurking in the corners. It is just him and me, the way we always intended. The only difference is we are older, and there is no denying how we feel for one another – just like Deuce planned all along.

Deuce tries to act innocent in all this, but I’m not stupid. Inviting me to live here was his way of letting Jax and I reconnect. My first day in this house, the refrigerator stopped working. The next, it was the dryer. Each day that passed, something new happened requiring the perfect handyman to come in and save the day, and of course that person would be none other than Jax. Mighty convenient that Deuce was unable to fix a single thing. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past Deuce to deliberately break each and every item in this house, so long as the outcome was the same. Jax and I rekindled a friendship I had long given up on, and for that I will never be able to repay Deuce.

Jax has told me on more than one occasion how he feels about me and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same. To hear him say he loves me is like a dream come true, and I want so much to say the words in return, but I’m afraid. If I dare utter those words, what will happen? Will I lose him forever? Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach, but somehow I manage to swallow the bile that rises in the back of my throat.

I will not let my emotions get the best of me, not now. Tonight is our first official date. What’s even more pathetic is that in all honesty, this will be my first date ever. How many people can say that they waited until they were turning twenty-three to begin dating? I could let this bother me, but instead I focus on tonight. I will not ruin it by letting my insecurities get the best of me. I want to enjoy this time, treasure every second with him before it all comes to an end, which ultimately it will.

Rushing over to the dresser, I pull out a pair of denim shorts and a tank top. Jax has assured me that tonight I should dress casually and comfortably. In other words, be myself. After quickly dressing, I decide to put on a touch of makeup. The only time I ever wore makeup was when I went onstage, never seeing the need to use it any other time. Tonight I am making an exception. I want to look and feel pretty for a change.

I take one last look in the mirror, pleased with my appearance. My hair is down, falling in soft waves past my shoulders. The blue tank top I am wearing combined with a touch of eyeliner brings out the blue in my eyes. Reaching down, I grab the lip gloss off the vanity, applying just a dab to complete my look for the evening. Taking in a deep breath, I make my way towards the door.

When I step back into the living room, I find Jax seated on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the television. He turns the moment he hears me enter, his eyes lighting up. “Alana,” he whispers, the sound of his voice making me weak in the knees.

“You said I should be comfortable,” I say as I come to a stop beside the couch. “Is this alright?”

He nods his head as he rises from his seat. “You’re perfect,” he says, causing me to blush.

Although I never tire of hearing him utter those words, it still has an effect on me. “Thank you.” I look over at him, taking in the sight of him in his ripped blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt, fitting him like a glove. His dark brown hair is mussed, looking like I’ve been running my fingers through it for hours, a look that suits him. Topped off with his leather cut, he is perfect in every way. “You haven’t mentioned where we are going.”

“Tonight, I want to give you a glimpse inside my life as it is now. We’re going to the club.”

I freeze at his words, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. I have only been to The Forgotten Souls compound once and I didn’t make it any farther than the front gate. Meeting Beast has left a lasting impression on me, one I have no desire to repeat.

“Don’t look that way, Lana. They are my family. You’ll be safe there.” His words put me somewhat at ease, but I cannot help but feel hesitant. “You already know Deuce and you’ve met Spyder.”

“No I haven’t,” I reply. If I had met a man named Spyder, I would never forget it.

“You talk to him almost every night,” he chuckles. “Although you call him Rick.”

“Rick?” I ask in disbelief. “Alexis’ Rick?”