Page 12 of Hell Bent

“Is this another crazy one?” Player laughed, walking behind the bar to grab a beer.

“Nah, I think she’s level-headed.”

“That’s scary.”

“What the fuck are you saying, asshole?”

“I’m saying you like the crazy bitches.”

“I like sex with the crazy bitches. They’re fucking fun.” Vicious chuckled. Opening his phone, he looked over the information Sherlock sent to him. “Grab me a beer, Player.” He ignored Player grumbling about him wanting information on the girl, then he took the beer and walked off to read over the info.

Dropping down onto one of the leather sofas, he took a pull on the bottle. He would have left the female alone if his brain wasn’t screaming at him to protect her.

All Vicious could think was the brother did not disappoint. Sabine Roussin worked at a small but busy auto repair shop a few blocks from Old Montreal. Her brother had been her only family since the age of seventeen, and there was a ten-year difference in age between them. Children of abusive parents rarely got free, but somehow, things had worked for Sabine and her brother. Until he died recently, leaving her alone. Vicious didn’t know what was worse, losing family you knew or never having a family at all. He’d take never having one. Less heartache that way. Thelast name danced across the edges of his mind. He was sure he’d heard it before, but from where eluded him.

“What is it with you and women in distress?” Player asked Vicious as he dropped down on the opposite sofa, raising an eyebrow as the brother ignored him. “Vicious?”

Looking at Player with a bored expression, Vicious continued to ignore him. He didn’t need to explain himself. He was simply interested in knowing more about Sabine Roussin.

“Before you move on to this chick,” Player tapped a finger on the phone, “you might want to stop fucking the club girls and strippers at every turn.”

“I haven’t been with anyone since the night of the poker game.” Admitting that was hard. “Wait, was I with someone last night?” Vicious couldn’t remember, and that was fucking scary shit.

“Holy shit, what’s wrong with you? You sick or something?” Player asked, laughing. “And no, you were too damn drunk to fuck anyone last night.”

“Shut up, asshole. I’ve been working a lot is all.” He ignored the comment about him being drunk. Vicious knew he’d been drunk by the hangover he had. “Plus, this one right here.” Vicious held up his phone with a picture of Sabine and made sure Player looked at the image. “This is the one I want.”

“Good luck, brother.”

Vicious didn’t need luck—he just needed a way into her life.

Chapter Eight

The day was brutally cold, but no snow had fallen all week. The sun had melted away what was left of the last dusting. Sway stood there staring at Tesh’s coffin. She listened as the priest read from the Bible in his aged hands. He spoke of everlasting life and love so beautiful, she should be rejoicing her brother was in such a place. She wasn’t. She wanted Tesh alive with her.

Harsh October winds reminded her of the bitterness in her heart, the hatefulness that was festering below her skin, whispering to her that nothing beautiful in life ever lasted. It all turned to rot and dust in the end. The first tear fell as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

Staring past the priest, she watched a stag as it walked amongst the tombstones. The animal was the most majestic thing she’d seen in recent years. It moved with ease, making its way through the cemetery. Lost in the movements and beauty of the stag, Sway barely heard the resounding “Amen” and looked back at the priest.

People moved over the frozen ground, making conversations, speaking words about Tesh. How they weren’t surprised that this happened to him. That a fast life always led to an early death. How terrible it was that he’d left his sister to fend for herself. She wanted them to shut up. Most of them didn’t know who her brother truly was. Tesh didn’t live a fast life. He barely got to live at all. Everything he did, he did for them. Her fingers ran over the black glass rosary beads in her coat pocket. She didn’t attend church anymore, but the beads were a comfort thing, something she held onto when nothing else made sense.

Time stood still as she tried thinking of something to say to everyone. Lottie hugged her, trying to get Sway to leave, but she wasn’t ready to go. Not yet.

Everyone who’d attended the funeral started to walk away. Even Lottie was heading to the bar where everyone was gathering to celebrate her brother’s life. Sway wanted to laugh. It wasn’t even the damn place Tesh liked to hang out at. It was a posh new pub, something her brother would have hated.

When everyone was gone, she stood alone watching the tree limbs bend to the will of the wind. They dipped and swayed, sending sounds of rustling leaves across the small rolling hills. The sun was starting to dip. She didn’t know how to do this, how to leave him there. Alone. In the dark.

Tears flooded her eyes. Pressing her fingers to her eyelids, she stopped the tears from flowing. Running her fingers under her lashes, she refused to show any signs she was falling apart. But she was, damn it. Choking down a sob, Sway pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket. She looked at the words on the paper and crumpled it in her hand. “I wanted to tell you words of love, Tesh, but I can’tfind them in me right now. I’m alone and hurt, angry and starving for revenge. When my tears are gone and my head’s clear, I’m going to hunt down every last person who took you from me. And I’m gonna burn them to the ground. When that day’s over, I’ll come back and tell you the words I should say today. But not today.”

In the distance, she saw a woman laying flowers at a grave. She was bent, using a cane for stability. Sway wondered if that would be her one day, coming back to see Tesh. Would it take that long for her to forgive him? Would it take that long for the hurt and anger to fade? She hoped not.

Turning around, she headed for the parking lot. Moving through the tombstones, she thought,for a place full of ghosts, it was beautiful. Vines dotted with tiny flowers barely hung on through the bitter cold. Even in times of grief, some things still clung to hope. Hope they would re-bloom and savour the warmth of the sun once again. It was that kind of hope she would cling to.

Her shoes crunched along the leaf-covered path until she stepped onto the surface of the car lot. Opening the truck door, she climbed inside and started it, put the vehicle into gear, and drove toward home. She didn’t want to celebrate anything with strangers. She most certainly didn’t want to celebrate Tesh’s life. If she did that, it meant he was never coming home. She would never hear the sound of his voice. Never have to deal with one of his moods.

She missed his smell and his horrible cooking. Slamming a hand on the steering wheel, Sway was angry. Nothing could stop that emotion from growing. But, God, how she wished there was someone who could talk her off the cliff.Someone who would hold her through the breakdowns. There was no one.

Wiping away a stray tear, she passed through town. Knowing it was a fifteen-minute walk from her apartment to the pub, she headed home. It was easier to leave her truck there than it was to fight for parking. By the time she parked the truck, she’d run out of excuses why she shouldn’t go.

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