Page 9 of Bound by Wreckage
“Why, so he can beat the shit out of you at every turn?”
She casts her eyes down to the floor and grips the cart so tight her knuckles turn white. Her shoulders move up and down like she’s taking deep breaths. Definitely scared.
I gentle my voice. “You don’t have to live like this, Carsyn. Talk to me.”
“Don’t you get it? I can’t. No matter if I want to or not, Nox. I can’t. I have to go before anyone catches us talking.”
I just can’t let her go. There’s something about her that compels me to get closer. It’s not because she’s getting hurt, that’s a given, but it’s the fire I saw in her eyes the other dayat the club. The fact that she isn’t the same girl I once knew. That girl was a spitfire; this one is falling apart before my eyes.
“Meet me tomorrow. Anywhere you can.”
“You know I can’t, Nox. He knows where I am every second of the day.” She lets out an exasperated breath causing the small tendrils of her hair to float up.
“Do you have to go anywhere tomorrow like todaythat he knows about?” I’m desperate to see her again. Every fiber of my existence screams not to give up on her, not to let her escape my grasp. Buck’s a piece of work, that much is evident, but Carsyn, she doesn’t deserve the shit he’s doing. No woman does. Except it’s more than that, even if I don’t want to admit it.
She pauses, then chews on her bottom lip, probably trying to decideif she should tell me or not. Fuck, she just needs to give me an inch here. If I were in her mind, I have no doubt she’s at war with herself. One part of her wanting to see me, the other terrified if she does. I hate this is her life. No one deserves to live like this, but she has to be the one to ask for help. That’s one thing I learned from my sister, Austyn.
Makes me want to go beathis fucking ass.
“At one, I’ll be at the laundromat on Gains. No one will come with me. Bye.” She says all of this in a low mumble, then pushes the cart to the side and makes a break for it. I let her, stepping to the side, and watch her ass swish down the aisle.
I want to see the fire back in her. To see her burn. To see her realize that she can do so much better than this in life.I want her to see that she means something, and I want to get to know her better. Even back in school I knew that she deserved the world. Now, it looks as though the world is crushing her completely.
Rubbing my hand over my face, I grab the food and head back to Ryker.
Tomorrow, I’ll have to have kid gloves on. Fuck if that is the opposite of me.
**
The party is infull swing, and everyone’s here. Music is loud and everyone’s having a great time. Parties are a norm around here, but this one has one difference.
Micah.
Tug and Blaze’s kid is here, and he brought a woman who looks just like Emery with him. He and Emery, my cousin, have a past in that Emery has been pinning for him for years. Yet, he’s a fuckin’ moron who doesn’t see it. Or ifhe does, ignores it.
Case and point—tonight. First, coming to the club after making it clear he considers us beneath him. Second, bringing a woman who looks like a clone of the woman who would give him the sun and stars. He’s a fuckin’ idiot.
Commotion occurs when Emery sits at the bar and Micah walks up. Emery’s hurting, that’s for damn sure. I move closer to hear, but Jacks walksup to Emery, pulls her against him, and leaves the clubhouse with her. I wasn’t expecting that.
Interesting.
“Wow, you really are a douche canoe,” Austyn says to Micah as I get close.
He says nothing, pissing my sister off even more.
“Hey, douche canoe!”
“What the hell’s your problem?” Micah fires back, and I let her take the reins. I could just punch him andget it over with, but this is more fun.
Austyn slides off the barstool to stand in front of Micah, coming up to Micah’s nose. One thing about my sister, she’s fearless.
Her finger pokes Micah’s chest. “My fuckin’ problem is—you come here after years of bein’ gone, talkin’ shit about this club, and bringin’”—she glances over at the Emery clone, sizing her up from head to foot— “herhere when you damn well knew Em would be here, you dumbass.”
“Is there a problem here?” Ryker comes up behind Austyn, putting his arms protectively around her.
Austyn pats his arms. “No, baby. I’m just telling douche canoe here that he’s a moron and if he ever wanted to have something remotely with Emery, he just blew that shit sky high.”
“He blew that shit high a long fuckin’time ago,” Ryker throws in like he’s an expert in the matter, only pissing me off more.
