Page 5 of Whispers of Fire

My stranger is sitting on a chair, watching the others, with a drink in his hand. His body stiffens suddenly, as if he could feel my gaze on him, and a small grin appears on his face. I step back and settle in my bed.

My father said that I shouldn't go near these people, but if anything, all I want is to get closer to them.

To him.

Will I be strong enough to stay away from temptation?

I sneak under the covers, listening to the echoes of their voices until I fall asleep, dreaming about my stranger.

Chapter 2

Vox

An angel was watching me all evening, hiding behind her window, thinking I couldn't see her.

Freakin’ cute.

Couldn't help but smile when she took one last look before turning her light off. Since I saw her in the driveway, my body has been hyper-aware of her, like I instantly knew each time she was near by. As if there was a magnetic force pulling me towards her.

As much as I tried to focus on my brothers and their last tales of fights and won bets, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I'm usually into small chicks with a taste for adrenaline and a good time. It's never about having something real, serious, that lasts after sunrise.

Twenty-eight years into this messed-up world made me forget about finding an old lady like some of my brothers. Each girl I came across was either eager to sleep with an MC member or tryin' to secure a decent future.

I had enough on my plate, and becoming somebody else's lifeline wasn't part of my plan.

Losing my family in a car crash at fifteen wasn't on my list of things I would've ever anticipated. Before that crap hit, life wasn't easy. We were struggling to make ends meet with shitty jobs, tryin' to protect my seven-year-old brother, Jamie, from the streets.

We were so damn poor, tryin' to stretch a can of tomato soup for days, takin' cold showers, and fightin' to stay on the right track, surviving and hoping for a better future.

But even with all this crap, my parents were doing their best, and most importantly, Jamie had decent grades at school. Working day and night at the mechanic shop, we would've been able, in a year or two, to find a new place and maybe a better school for Jamie.

We were happy.

But fate had other plans.

The night of the crash tore apart everything I ever had. And the worst part of it is that I lost my brother that day. Jamie was gone, taken from me in a split second of twisted metal and shattered glass.

The evening started innocently enough. My parents, exhausted from another long day of work, decided to take Jamie and me on a rare outin’ at a nearby diner. It was supposed to be a simple family night out, a momentary escape from the relentless grind of our daily lives. On our way home, laughter and chatter filled our old car. Jamie, way too excited, begged to sit up front with Mom and Dad, eager to soak in every moment of our family time together.

In the darkness, a drunk driver swerved into our lane, their headlights blinding us in a flash. The sickening crunch of metal and the screech of tires filled the air as my world was torn apart in fucking seconds.

My parents were gone. And Jamie…

It’s always so fuckin’ hard to remember this.

Jamie was lyin’ motionless on my mother’s lap, his innocent face frozen in a mask I would never erase from my mind.

The aftermath was a blur. Funerals and legal crap all over the place. Losing my family hit me hard and left me shattered.

After that mess, ain't no way I'm lettin' anyone else get close.

Love? Nah, not for me.

Sure, my brothers from the club tried to help. Some say finding a woman again might ease the pain. But I ain't buying it.

Too damn scared to risk that kinda hurt again.

So, I made a choice. Locked my feelings away, buried 'em deep.

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