Page 12 of Cedar Edge
“Back off Law, this isn’t your fight.” Ace growls.
“The fuck it isn’t.” Dark spots speckle in front of my eyes, the lack of oxygen burning through my body, but I don’t miss theway Law’s hand curls around Ace’s tattooed forearm. “You and I both know this is on ALL of us. We left and never came back.”
It’s the truth and we all hate it. Ace releases me, Law looping his arms around my middle as he holds him gently. Marie’s death was a shock to our system, particularly finding out from my parents who were pissed as hell that we weren’t showing up for the funeral. My apprenticeship in Seattle nearing its end meant I was at the shop nonstop, booked from morning until late into the night. Ace getting dragged to California for a late wildfire that turned into a far larger issue. And then Law wrapping up at the academy.
But none of that would have mattered if we had fucking known what happened. Thea never reached out, Rodger also conveniently never reached out either which was another issue all together. You would think the asshole would have told his only son that his step mother had fucking ODed on drugs.
Coughing, I rub my throat as the air flow moves back through the abused passages. My eyes catch Ace, the apology written all over his soot covered face. “Your dad knows something.” I say, a peace offering if you will.
Ace looks at Law, the two nodding before darkness covers his eyes. “Then let’s go chat with my old man.”
Thea has always been so full of life. From the moment I met her in that willow tree I saw the spark in her that met the very same mischievous spark I have. But it's been a long time and whoever she once was seems to have been swept away. Someone hurt her. And I want to destroy whoever it was.
Glancing at my phone I swipe out of the messages with Ace. He knows something is up but I can’t bring myself to tell him any of this over the phone. Not when I know he’s working hisotherjob. I don’t want to risk his life by distracting him with theknowledge that Thea is here, particularly given I can’t actually provide him with any answers as to where the fuck she’s been.
My mind has gone down every dark path I can think of as to what happened to her over the past year. Every single scenario feels worse than the last one. I’ve never been good with not knowing something and this whole thing makes me feel like my skin is crawling.
I shake my head. Forcing the intrusive thoughts out and refocusing on my phone, navigating my fathers name before hitting call.
“Logan?” The gruff, tired voice of my father makes me wince as I glance towards the clock in the kitchen and realize just how late, or early, it is. In the background I can hear my mom's voice, immediately wide awake. But that’s Tarin Everheart for you, ready at a moment's notice.
“Hey pops.” I say by way of greeting.
“What’s going on?” He asks in a calm steady voice. “Everyone okay?”
“Oh yeah sure, we are all good.” I say hastily. “But I think we are going fishing and wondering if you could come watch the place.” It’s the code we developed long ago, back when he was in the MC and we had to make sure we had a way to communicate without anyone else understanding. As a kid I thought it was dumb but the older I got the more I realized just how important something like this could be, it was life or death at times.
I’m not sure why now, of all times, my brain thinks to use it but something in me screams that until I know exactly who or what she is running from I need to be extra cautious.
I hear the sound of blankets rustling and my fathers deep voice telling my mom to go back to bed as he slides free. In the background I distinctly hear my mother curse at him before my father chuckles. “Sorry to wake y’all.” I offer up.
He snorts. “Logan, you never have to apologize. We’d love to watch the place. I won’t be able to make it up to y’all tonight, not with this storm. I can reassess in the morning though.” He says, voice sounding more alert.
“I understand.” I reply automatically. Even if I hate to wait, I need him to look at Thea as soon as possible. Not just because of the fucking drugs but I know she’s hiding something, I had caught glimpses of scars across her body and my mind needs answers.
“Logan? Is Acey home with you yet or are you meeting him at the fishing spot?” My mother’s voice swims through the phone, crisp and clear as always.
I can’t suppress the laugh that comes from me. Only my mother is allowed to call my boyfriend Acey, in fact, the man practically melts for her. But she has that effect on people. “No ma, he’s still out. He’ll meet me there.”
“Have you told Law about your fishing plan?” My father cuts back into the call.
“Yeah, briefly. But he isn’t clear on where we are going yet. I was hoping he’d make it home tonight so I could fill him in but with the storm, he may be stuck in town.” I look out our window as I say it, the wind still brutally whipping through the trees that surround us as the rain attempts to drown anything and anyone that is out in it. The whole time I was forcing Thea to vomit I had been praying to hear his belt hit the table but the hope dwindled and now, I have no doubt he’s stuck at the apartment above the station.
“I’ll bring some cookies along, the kind Law loves. You let him know.” My eyes roll because this isn’t code, she really intends to bake Law cookies. She’s always been protective over him. Law’s ma was the first to die, I can still remember the way Thea’s mom and my own had cried. The sound was heartbreaking, even at such a young age I knew the loss cut themboth deep. And when Marie died? The light in my moms eyes dimmed to the point of no return, the grief dragging her away from us all until my father forced her to come back.
The bathroom door creaks open, my words are sucked clear from me as I see Thea standing in nothing but a towel. She nervously tucks her hair behind her ear, shifting from foot to foot. My mouth dries up as I watch the water cascade down her collarbone and disappear to the spot she clutches the towel to her chest.
“Logan?” My fathers voice booms through the room, the phone having dropped away from my ear the moment I saw her.
“Sorry, gotta go. Check in with y'all tomorrow.” I respond, hanging up quickly.
“I’m sorry, my clothes are just still soaked...” More than anything I want to rip that towel free of her and worship her body. Show her she never has to be nervous or worried again. I want to see what my tattooed hands look like against her pale skin as they roam over her. I want to watch my fingers disappear into her cunt until she comes apart on them. “Logan?”
I shake my head, chastising myself for the thoughts rolling around in my mind. “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t interrupt, saved me if anything. Pretty sure my mom was about to lay into me.”
She offers me a bright smile and good god if it doesn’t melt me even further because it’s the first true one that she’s given since she got here. It’s pure, not tainted by whatever is haunting her still. She’s fucking gorgeous. A goddess standing soaking wet inmytowel, inmyhouse and about to be inmyclothes.
“I missed your mom.” She says in that same soft voice, shuffling from foot to foot again. The towel slips a bit and I can see the swell of her breasts a bit clearer. My gaze travels over her body and I relish in the way she squirms. She’s not unaffected by my attention and I fucking love that. “Clothes?”
