Page 17 of Lawless Deception

“I’m good. Just out grabbing some food.”

“At this time of night?” he queries, and as I look to my watch, I understand why. It’s almost one in the morning.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d grab a late-night snack, but I’m going home now.” The lie falls easily from my lips, but it sits like concrete in my stomach. I hate lying to Mitch, and over the last ten years, I can count on one hand the number of lies I’ve told him and his wife, Simone.

Mitch was the cop that found me that night. He’d only been on the job a couple of years, and it was his first homicide. One he’ll never forget. He checked up on me several times after that night, and even drove me to my new foster home. I didn’t last there long. In fact, I didn’t last anywhere long after that, unless you count the back of a police car or holding cell at the station. If people thought I was a troubled teen before that night, they hadn’t seen anything. I was wild and unrepentant in my grief.

“Hey, you still there?” Mitch calls down the line.

“Shit. Sorry, yeah, I’m still here, but I’ve got to go, food is ready. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay, Roxy. Take care.”

“I will, you too. Thanks, Mitch,” I say sincerely. There’s no snark, no attitude, just truthful love and respect for the man that saved me.

Ending the call, I stand and shove my phone back in my pocket before walking to the door. Screw this shit. I’m not sitting here like some fucking loyal dog. My current situation might all be down to Maddox and Zak, but I still don’t take fucking orders and will do this my way. Besides, they haven’t earned anything from me except a nice double plot in the cemetery.

ChapterTen

Zak

Iwake around midday with a banging headache, and I’m not entirely sure how much of that is lack of sleep or down to the vast amount of alcohol I consumed last night. Well, early hours of this morning to be more precise.

After clearing up from the shooting, then discovering that Rox had done her infamous disappearing act, I needed a drink or ten. They went down like a damn dream while Maddox filled me in on his meet up with Bonner. I know he kept something back from me, and normally I wouldn’t be concerned. He’s my brother and though we don’t usually keep secrets, there have been times over the years where he’s omitted telling me certain things. Right now, his silence is a worry.

The flat is silent as I head for the shower. I wasn’t in any state to make it back to our house last night, so I crashed at the flat above Rogue again. Stepping into the kitchen, feeling slightly less hungover, I find a note on the fridge from Maddox letting me know there’s a delivery due this morning. Grabbing a quick breakfast, consisting of burnt toast and a cup of black tea because there’s no milk, I then head downstairs.

The club is darker than usual thanks to the boarded-up windows, and I flip a few lights on as I walk around. There’s a bang at the front door as I dump our glasses from last night in the sink. I begin walking slowly to the door, assuming it’s the delivery, and in no hurry when another bang booms through the empty space. Only this time they don’t stop, and the banging continues becoming increasingly more demanding along with a muffled shout from the other side.

“Hold the fuck on!” I yell as I reach the door, sliding the top and bottom bolts across and pulling the handle. I don’t need to pull very hard. The door practically flies open as a body comes tumbling in with it.

“What the fu—” My words cut off as a groan drifts up from the heap on the floor at my feet, and as they roll onto their back, I see it’s Axel. “Shit, man. What the fuck happened to you?” I say, hooking my arms beneath his and pulling him in the rest of the way so I can close the door. He groans and winces the whole time. Slamming the door shut and locking it, I turn back to Axel, still prone on the floor where I left him. I finally get a proper look at him, and he looks like he went ten rounds with Fury without the gloves. His eye is swelling shut, he has a split and fat lip and a large gash on his temple. His clothes, which are the same ones he had on last night, are dirty and torn, and I imagine the rest of his body looks like his face.

I pull my phone from my pocket and shoot Maddox a message telling him we have a situation and to get back here as soon as.

“Where’s Maddox?” he asks, his voice hoarse. He lays a hand over his left side, grimacing as he tries to sit up, and I step behind him to help.

“He’s out. What the hell happened, Axel?”

“I need to speak to him now.” This time his voice is a little stronger with a demanding undertone.

“Answer the damn question, Axel?” I demand back.

He sighs, swiping a hand over his mouth and wincing as he brushes his split lip. Just when I think he isn’t going to answer me, he speaks.

“What did he tell you about his meeting with Bonner?”

I frown, remembering my thoughts earlier about Mad keeping things from me. “Enough,” I reply, deliberately being vague.

He nods. “So, you know about me meeting Rogers.” His face falls, and I hear him muttering and taking several deep breaths before looking back up at me. I keep my mask in place, not giving anything away. “He knows, Zak. He knows what you’re doing, and he isn’t going to go without a fight.”

Anger sparks in the small part of my brain that deals with emotions, the Amygdala. I may not have finished school or attended often, but I read a lot. I needed something for my brain to focus on, an escape from my memories, the worst ones at least, and reading was it. Most of the guys we know can barely spell their own name let alone read a damn book. I know the process and how the brain reacts to anger, but I also know how to control it, manipulate it to my advantage.

“And how the fuck would he know that, Axel.” I keep my tone measured and calm, hiding any hint of the real emotions flooding my system right now. When he speaks next, his words aren’t a surprise.

He looks straight at me, almost taunting me. “Because I told him, Zak. Me. I fucking told him everything.” There’s defiance in his eyes, but I see the pain of his betrayal and what he’s done too. It’s a shame that neither of those things will keep him alive.

Before he can say another word, my fist connects with his face.

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