Page 10 of Bound by Vengeance
My phone pings with a text.
Carley: I want to party.
Me: And …
Carley: Pick me up.
Me: And do what with you?
Carley: Take me to the clubhouse, idiot.
I chuckle, sending her a text about the party coming up and that I’ll pick her up for it. My cousin got out of this cult life a couple of years ago and looked me up. It took her a while to get her head on straight after being with all those fuckers for so long, but she’s adjusted well and loves to party.
Personally, I don’t give a fuck. She wants to screw my club brothers, so be it. At least I know she’s safe.
Funny how life decides to toss shit in your face, but keeps right on moving. At least Carley was able to shake it off her and live a life that she wants. It’s my job to make sure Breanna gets that chance too.
I’ll do whatever it takes for family.
C H A P T E R F O U R
“That goes in my bedroom,” Emery directs her brother and my older cousin, Deke, in our new apartment. Buzz and Breaker, who are techy kings, came in and did their thing, then taught us how to work the system. We have remotes on our phones and everything. Neither Emery nor I can see the cameras, but we know they’re here.
The entire time we’ve been moving, all I’ve gotten out of Deke is a grunt. One was when he got here, acknowledging my existence. At least there’s that, even if it’s not much.
Pulling him aside and talking to him is a must, but not with all these people around. Love my family, but some things are better left unknown. Some things, you take to the grave.
I haven’t talked to Deke since it happened, and I feel guilty for that. He blames himself for the fucker coming at me, but that’s just not the case. He doesn’t need to hold that burden; the asshole who hurt me does. He’s one of the few I truly trust, and his avoidance hurts, but I have no one to blame but myself.
“How much shit do you need?” my oldest brother Cooper asks, carrying one end of the couch.
“Yeah, there’s, like, two other couches down there. Where’re they gonna go?” my twin brother Nox says from the other end of the couch. Got to love brothers. Or, at least their strong arms.
“Let me educate you. This is a couch, the smaller one downstairs is a loveseat, and the other is a recliner. They aren’t all couches.” I point to where the piece needs to go, and they set it down not so gently.
“Let me educate you.” Nox leans in threateningly, not that he scares me, though it would to normal people.
I just stop myself from the eye roll.
Being twins, we have a special connection, yet he gives me shit whenever possible. It must be in the brother rulebook or something.
“I don’t give a flyin’ fuck what’s what. Once this shit gets up here, I’m out.”
I tap the side of his face. “Aw, love you, too, baby brother.”
“By one fuckin’ minute! And you still bust my damn balls about it,” he gripes, but he’s not pissed. It’s something we joke about regularly. I was born before, yes briefly, but it counts, and holding it over him is for pure entertainment purposes.
“Nice goat.” I move my hand back and forth in the air next to me like I’m petting a goat at my feet.
Cooper chuckles. This is an inside joke between the three of us and our parents. It’s a play off the got your goat saying that I heard growing up from my grandpa, Pops. Whenever any of us snags the other in a verbal blow, we make a deal about it and say nice goat.
“Fuck off,” Nox says with a smile then heads back out the door.
Looking around at our new place, I take in the light cream walls in the wide-open space that is the kitchen, living, and dining areas. The recessed lighting along the ceiling adds to the warm feel. There is no fireplace, which in Georgia, who needs one? Though, there is a very large balcony off the living room area where we can fit a couple of chairs for relaxation.
When we first walked in, it was pretty bland, but now, with our things coming in and getting placed around the room, it’s coming alive.
Mine and Emery’s parents show up and help out, but I specifically asked that no one else from the club come. It’s not that I don’t want to see them. It’s just the questions they are dying to ask. Moving on is hard enough with all the bullshit that could come along with it.
