Page 15 of Séance

I rub my chest where she briefly leaned against me, and I swear I can still feel her touch. I didn’t mean to stand so close to her. I didn’t even realize I was leaning forward to get a sniff of her hair. She doesn’t smell like the chemical scent ofperfume like other girls. Her fragrance of flowers and sunshine reminds me of my sister before she died, a time before darkness descended over my world.

Of course, Jameson saw me sniffing her like some freak. I expected him to make fun of me, but he actually looked jealous that he didn’t think of it first. Jaceson noticed as well, and he even shuffled closer, as if he were going to do the same, but he didn’t get a chance.

Poor fuckers.

When she leaned against me, I was afraid to move. Being nearly a foot taller than her and nearly twice as wide, I’m nothing more than a monstrous brute by comparison. She’s so dainty and slim that it’s intimidating as fuck to be in her vicinity, her frame so delicate that I’m afraid even the slightest touch will break her.

Then I caught sight of her bruises, and my rage nearly slipped its leash. The urge to protect her rode me so hard, I barely resisted the urge to wrap my arm around her. The only thing that stopped me was seeing my grease-stained hands and filthy nails. I feel dirty just being next to someone so pure and innocent, worried I might sully her just by breathing the same air.

But maybe I can give her something no one else can—protection.

I silently vow that no one will touch her again, not while I’m around to keep her safe.

Maybe my shady background and brutish nature will finally be good for something.

I didn’t come from money like the rest of the guys. I worked nearly eighty hours a week in my uncle’s garage, trying to earn enough money to pay for college. I’m smart enough to get into the same college as the others, but my scholarships only cover so much. I’ve been working my ass off to pay my own way.

I flex my hands, my sore knuckles aching from the punishment of frequent fights. While they frown on betting on yourself, it’s not illegal. I’ve been picking up more and more matches, but it never seems to be enough.

My body barely has a chance to heal before I head into my next fight. Even now, my ribs throb in protest, my shoulders burn, and my arms ache from being overworked during last night’s fight.

Soon, I’m not going to be able to keep up this punishing pace.

Hicks offered to cover the cost of college, but I refused to accept his charity. While college life isn’t for me, I want the education, so I did accept his offer as a low-interest loan. He called me a dumbass but didn’t force the issue.

I might be a stubborn motherfucker, but I’m not an idiot.

I’m also not ready for the guys to leave me behind yet.

Sure, we’re family, but our lives are vastly different. They are heading for greatness, while the best I can hope for is taking over my uncle’s shop when he retires. It’s a good job, but it isn’t the lifestyle the guys are used to living.

Eventually, we’ll drift apart, and I need to be ready.

“What did Mrs. Killaghan say to you before she left?” Ellis asks, and we all glance at Hicks.

The man doesn’t have many tells, but Hicks has a soft spot for the old bird, even if he denies it. Whatever she said bothered him enough that it caused his legendary control to slip for a fraction of a second, revealing genuine emotions that he normally doesn’t show to anyone. Even with us, he rarely allows himself to feel anything.

I’ve only seen him lose control a handful of times. Though it should be impossible, his rage is worse than mine. Normally, I have control over my anger and can unleash it whenever I want, but not Hicks.

He keeps his bottled up, only releasing it when he fucks or fights. While I might be a force to be reckoned with when I get worked up, Hicks is a beast. Even though I have an extra thirty pounds of muscle on him, it’s a struggle to keep ahead of him in a fight.

“She asked us to keep an eye on Rue.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, worry clouding his green eyes as he gazes over his property. “Mrs. Killaghan only just discovered that her granddaughter existed and she was in trouble. She’s worried that danger might find her again.”

“Did she tell you what kind of trouble?” Ellis inquires, always needing to know everything.

Hicks nods once, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he struggles with his control. He glances at each of us, a fierce expression on his face. “She said Rue doesn’t believe that she will live to reach her eighteenth birthday.”

“What the fuck?” Jaceson and Jameson speak at the same time, murderous rage darkening their expressions.

I don’t even realize I stopped walking until the guys continue without me. “What did you say?”

Hicks glances at me over his shoulder, and I see him struggling with the same rage. “Mrs. Killaghan asked us to keep her safe. She doesn’t think Rue’s father will let her go without a fight. She has lawyers working on the issue, but if we see anything, we’re supposed to call the cops. They have a restraining order against him, but apparently, Rue’s father doesn’t take no for an answer.”

While we each had shitty parents growing up, only my father was physical before he was sent to prison for beating my mother to death. They’ve seen enough of my bruises and broken bones to recognize the signs.

I was a replacement child for my older sister. Sick from birth, she wasn’t expected to live long. We’re considered Irish twinssince I was born eleven and a half months after her. She was showered with love, the bright blonde angel full of laughter and joy, while I was born for parts, a dark-haired brute who brooded too much and never smiled.

I barely reached the approved age before I had my first two surgeries, not to mention multiple bone marrow transplants and hundreds of medical tests, but none of the treatments worked.

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