Wrath (Dirty Soul MC: Long Beach #2)

Chapter 6

“ W here’s Aaron tonight?” I look around the crowded barroom and when I see no sign of him, I can’t help feeling a little disappointed.

“Sticking to his promise by the looks of it,” Alicia tells me, as her eyes drift across the room toward the club member who everyone calls Vike. Alicia’s got the hots for him, anyone can see that.

“I’m just gonna go see if my brother still needs a lift home, later.” She leaves us to head over to where Saul is sitting on the barstool beside him.

“She’s trying to pretend she’s okay but I can tell she’s still hurting,” Peyton sighs to herself.

“Hurting over what?” I figure hearing about someone else's problems will be a welcome distraction from my own. Especially since I haven’t stopped thinking about how incredible it felt to have Aaron comfort me earlier.

“Just before everything happened with my brother and the Reapers, she had a one-night stand with one of the club members.” Peyton looks at me awkwardly.

“Wait, isn’t Saul her brother, I thought all that was off the cards?” I find myself becoming more intrigued. The fact I’m Raze’s sister was always such a big deal to Aaron in the past.

“It is, and I guess Griller will never feel the repercussions of it.” She smiles sadly. “My brother killed him.” She looks down at the table, guiltily.

“What?” I stare back at her in shock.

“He came here to take me, and Griller knew I didn’t wanna leave, so he stopped him.” I can see that Peyton is still hurting too. “He was gonna tell Alicia that he loved her that day. No one knew, but he’d had feelings for her for a really long time. To him, it was way more than just a one-night thing.”

“That's kinda heartbreaking.” I look over to Alicia and can’t help feeling sorry for her. I also get a chilling reminder of how dangerous this place can be, even with my brother in charge.

“Alicia’s feeling guilty because she never felt the same way about Griller. She’s had her eyes set on Vike ever since he and her brother became friends, and that was forever ago.”

We both watch how her eyes keep flicking to him while she talks to Saul.

“And did this Griller know that she was in love with another guy?” I’m really getting invested. Turns out I’m not the only person with a complicated life.

“I think everyone around here knows, except for Vike.” Peyton laughs, but her smile quickly fades, “I guess what they say is true. Life really is too short to hold anything back.” She keeps the sad smile on her face as she glances across at my brother, and when he notices her watching him, he looks so happy as he grins back.

“And what about her and Vike?” He’s busy talking to Dev and Saint now. I can see what attracts her to him. He’s built sturdy and has sharp, handsome features. I figure they call him Vike because his hair is shaved at the sides and worn in a long braid through the middle.

“From what Raze tells me, even if he did, he’d never act on it. He’s the club's treasurer, and he’s all about loyalty.”

“And what about him?” My eyes move to the corner of the room, where another member who intrigues me, is sitting by himself. I’ve not been here long but I’m still yet to hear the guy who’s long, black hair reaches all the way to his waist say a single word. His eyes burn into the table where he’s using the switchblade in his hand to make rivets.

“That’s Tawk, and he’s hurting bad, too,” Peyton clues me in. “Apparently, he had some kinda thing going with Wrath’s sister before Cliff took her.”

“Cliff took Freya?” I check.

“No, Cliff took Willow, the younger one.” What she says shocks me even more. I don’t remember much about the little girl I’d see here from time to time when I visited, but I do remember how protective her mother was over her. Amber was Cliff’s favorite at the time, and she loved her daughter. The fact neither she nor Willow are here anymore has me wondering what happened to her.

“And Wrath is okay with Tawk and his sister being a thing?”

“There isn’t really much he can say, especially not now.” I can tell from the look on her face that she wants to talk about it. I, however, do not. Not until I’ve got everything straight in my head.

“So, Freya…where's she these days?” I move on by asking after Wrath’s other sister, she was around the same age as me, and if I remember correctly, very free-spirited.

“Freya? Apparently, she ran away with the circus.”

“The what…? ” I spit the mouthful of wine, I’ve just taken back into my glass.

“I know how it sounds, but the more I’m learning about Cliff Adams, the more I’m understanding why his kids wanted to be as far away from him as possible.”

“You know what, the whole circus thing doesn’t surprise me. Freya was always the rebellious one.” I shake my head and laugh when I remember the few times we spent together. She was always stealing pot from her dad’s office and sneaking down to the beach to smoke it. I never told Aaron, he had enough to deal with.

“How’s Aaron dealing with all that?” I guess when he chose to leave here he abandoned them as well as me, and that must lie heavily on his conscience. I know he cared about his sisters very much.

“The same way Aaron deals with everything, by throwing himself into the club and keeping himself busy, especially now he’s got you.” She smiles.

“I don’t want to be a burden to him, and I’m not the solution to his problems, in fact, I’m the start of them.” I put on a brave smile when Raze and Ruckus make their way over from the bar to join us then I shake my head when I notice Ruckus is carrying a tray of shots.

“Things are lookin’ far too serious over here.” He places one in my hand.

“Take it steady, remember we need you at the gym tomorrow. 6 am,” Raze warns him.

“This better not mean I’m losing you to that gym.” Peyton slides her arm around Raze and tucks herself under his arm when he sits beside her. It’s strange seeing my brother be so open to affection. When I first came here all these years ago, he had an old lady, but with Stacey, he was never like this.

Back then I never really liked her, but I came to learn that she wasn’t all bad.

I panicked when I first saw Stacey a few years ago. It was a reminder of how close I was to my past. I’m not stupid, I always knew it was risky coming back to L.A. and being so close to the club, but Laura’s family had no association with bikers or organized crime. I felt safe behind their mansion walls and by the time Mark got me working on sets, I’d let that confidence grow enough to make my move here permanent.

I had a new name, a new background and I wasn’t going to let Cliff Adams, and his club, ruin my chances to pursue my dream.

I noticed the change in Stacey when I took the time to speak to her, the kind that someone can only learn out of heartbreak and trauma. We had that in common along with something else.

We both got out of this town and made a new start on the same night, we were both shown kindness from Jimmer Carson, and we both came back to L.A. different women than the ones who left.

“It’s gonna be tough, but Wrath’s the one who's gonna be puttin’ the work in,” Raze assures Peyton before kissing her.

“Come on, the pool table’s free, let's get there before Trinity and her snakes start using it to spread their legs.” Peyton drags herself away from my brother then, taking my hand, leads us over.

“I’ll play the winner.” Alicia bounces over to join us, and now that I know what happened, I realize that the sparkle in her smile doesn’t spread all the way to her eyes.

“So, what's Aaron gonna be busy with?” I give up on trying to pretend I don't care and get straight to it.

“Are you joking?” Alicia bursts out laughing as she passes me a cue from the rack on the wall. “He’s entering some illegal fighting tournament. Apparently, André’s been trying to fix it up for years, and if Wrath doesn't work his ass off, he’s gonna be in some real deep shit. Saul says André’s been calling up the best of the best to participate.”

“Aaron’s gonna fight again?” I look between her and Peyton in shock. I know how much he used to love learning from Raze when he was younger but to put himself in a tournament with these people sounds dangerous. I don’t like the idea of him being in danger.

“Girl, how else is he gonna buy your business off your ex?” Alicia giggles and the side glance Peyton gives her instantly makes her turn red. “Were we not telling her that?” She bites her lip awkwardly.

“Peyton?” I turn my head and wait for an explanation.

“Raze didn’t want you to worry, and as much as I hate secrets, I was thinking things were tense enough between the two of you.” She looks back at me guiltily.

“Aaron is entering an illegal fighting tournament to get the money to buy my business?” I check that I’m understanding this right.

“Yes.” Alicia leans between us to confirm.

“I won’t let that happen.” I pass Alicia the cue back and head out the door and when Peyton chases after me it doesn’t take Raze long to follow.

“Eden, wait, where ya goin’?” He comes from behind me, grabbing me around the waist before I can make it to the gate.

“I’m going to talk some sense into your stupid friend, which is something you should have done.” I somehow manage to grapple my way out of his grip.

“Eden, I agree, it is stupid, but he’s doing this for you. He wants to make up for what happ?—”

“Stop.” I lift up a finger to silence him. “I don’t want to talk about that…EVER. Aaron can’t enter that tournament. I won’t let him,” I feel myself starting to shake.

“I’m sorry but this is the one thing me and him actually agree on when it comes to you. I’m gonna train him, I’m gonna ensure he’s ready and I’m tellin’ ya, Eden, he will win. He’ll win because what he’s fightin’ for really fuckin’ matters to him.” My brother’s eyes turn soft, but only for a second.

“No.” I shake my head and march toward Alicia's car, praying the keys are in the ignition so I don’t have to use the skills Aaron taught me for a second time in as many days.

“Eden, I forbid you to leave this club.” Raze comes after me, but I get in the car and lock the doors to keep him out. Much to my relief the keys are hanging from the ignition on a fluffy, pink pom-pom, so I start the engine.

“Rocco, close the gate,” he calls over to his prospect and I mouth him a sorry before I press my foot on the gas and speed out of them before he gets the chance.

I know exactly how to get to the houseboat where Aaron lives. The two of us used to spend a lot of time here while he was fixing it up. I always imagined us living here together back then. I liked the idea of waking up every morning to the smell of the ocean and drinking coffee out on the deck with him before work.

I learned very quickly that plans can change, and life can be cruel.

I park Alicia’s car up beside his bike and rush toward his door. There’s loud music coming from the back, but I try knocking anyway, and after a few minutes of waiting I follow the music and storm down to the wharf.

My feet come to a halt when I find him using the pull-up bar, that hangs from his porch roof. He hasn’t got a shirt on; and since he’s got his back to me, I allow myself to appreciate every tense muscle he uses to raise himself up.

Aaron always used to work often, he had an incredible body, and I see now that the years have only made it bigger and stronger.

“Eden!” He looks shocked when he glances over his shoulder and catches me staring. My cheeks heat as he releases the bar and quickly dusts off his hands. “Whatcha doin’ here?” The frown on his face suggests he’s not happy about it, and now that I can see how ripped the front of his body has become, my mouth goes dry and my words disappear.

“Ya good?” he checks, starting to look weirded out.

“No.” I shake my head when, suddenly, I remember why I’m here.

“What's the matter?” He steps closer, and I instantly back away. I can’t let him touch me again. His comfort may feel like it’s what I need, but it’ll only complicate things.

The disappointment in his face takes me back to the night when my whole world changed and I quickly shake those memories away and pull myself back together.

“You can’t enter that tournament, I won’t let you.” I keep my voice stern and my head held high, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach that I get whenever I’m around him. Though the way he strokes his bottom lip with his finger, and grins at me so cockily makes it impossible.

“Ya think ya got a choice on that?” He raises one of his eyebrows.

“Aaron, I’m being serious. I don’t want you to do this.”

“What’s the matter? Don’t ya think I can win?” he asks, and I have to put all my efforts into not glancing down at his body again.

“I never said that, but I know the reason you're entering and it’s stupid. I hurt Mark, and he’s mad at me right now. When things have calmed down I’ll speak to him again. I can reason with him,” I try to sound confident.

“Eden, I’m enterin’ that fight.” Aaron lifts the pack of cigarettes up from the table and slides one into his mouth. “There’s nothin’ you can do or say to stop me.” His stare intensifies, and I decide now isn’t the time to argue. The fight isn’t until next month, that gives me plenty of time to talk him out of this.

“You remember all those times we hung out here?” I look up at the lights that I stapled all the way around the porch roof. “Are they still working?” I smile.

“Light the fuckin’ place up like it’s Christmas, every night.” He laughs as he lights his smoke and tosses the lighter back at the table.

“It was gonna be here, wasn’t it? At least this is always where I pictured it happening.” I think back to all those years ago and how I’d been so desperate for Aaron to be my first. In my mind, there could never have been anyone else.

“Don’t.” Aaron looks as if he’s taken a punch to the stomach as he shakes his head and glances away from me.

“You want the truth about why I came back?” I whisper. I’m not sure what the hell’s come over me, but being here alone with him is suddenly reminding me of all the reasons I feel so in love with him.

“Of course, I do.” His answer comes out so deep and raspy that I feel it in my chest.

Swallowing a little more of my pride, I close the gap between us and take the cigarette from between his fingers. Then, placing it between my lips I take a deep inhale and watch him stare as I blow the smoke back out at him. “I saw you ride past a bar that I was coming out of,” I admit, smiling when I realize how ridiculous it sounds. “You rode past me, and suddenly all those feelings came back as if they’d never been gone. For the first time since…” I close my eyes and stop myself from going back to that night again. “...I wanted to be Eden again. I missed the girl who was in love with you. I missed the girl who wanted to lose her virginity on this houseboat and ride the back of your bike.” I crush the cigarette out in the ashtray beside me and take another step closer. “I missed the girl who you’d try real hard to resist but always gave in to.” I trail my finger over the tattoo on his chest. “That moment when you rode past, despite all she’s been through, I wanted to be her again, just so I could have th– .”

I haven’t even finished my confession before his hand slips behind my head, fisting at my hair and dragging me onto his lips. His kiss is exactly like I remember, deep, possessive, and all-consuming. It feels familiar and comforting, but when I go to wrap my arms around his neck he forces me away.

“We shouldn’t do this.” He stares at me and catches his breath. “You’re never gonna be that girl again, not after what happened. I destroyed you. I made you hate me so much that you wanted me to think you were dead.” He steps back and drops into the chair behind him, sliding his hand over his face in frustration.

“That was over ten years ago, Aaron, we were both so young. Are you really gonna let that ruin what we could have?” I look down at him begging for him to show me some fight.

“Ya know, I’ve spent the past ten years wonderin’ what I’d say to you if I ever got the chance.” He laughs to himself. “This, right here…” His finger flicks between the two of us. “...Is all I’ve ever wanted. But I’ve spent far too long hatin’ myself, and the rest of the world, for me to be good for ya.” He closes his eyes as if this is a realization that he needs to let sink in for himself.

“Aaron, you're a good person. The fact you want to do this tournament for me proves that.”

“I kill people, Eden.” He slowly raises his eyes back up at me and I see the disappointment in them. Is he expecting me to suddenly be afraid of him? “ I torture and kill people. and the most fucked-up thing about it all is how much I enjoy it.” I can see that he’s trying to scare me, but it won’t work.

“Where’s the guy who was begging me to stay yesterday?” I keep my shoulders back, determined not to show him or admit to myself how hurt I am to hear him talk like this.

“He’s right here.” He lets out that bitter laugh again. “He’s here, and he’s a bad person. Believe me when I tell ya darlin’ I’m tryin’ to do what's best for ya.” I want to punch the blank look off his face, but not as much as I want to kiss him back and make him realize why I’m here. My stupid pride just won’t let me.

“I came back here because I was fed up with living a lie. Maybe it’s time you stop living yours too.” I turn around and step back onto the wharf, leaving him to think about what I’ve said.