Blade Read online

  With all the violence and the rumors of the MC that took place in that town, of course they would want to send someone there who grew up around it – someone who would know how to work with those people, and someone who wasn’t going to be shocked with what they were getting themselves in to.

  I wasn’t sure I was the right person for the job, but I wanted that certification more than anything. I wanted to get out of the program and move on with my life as my own person making my own decisions.

  It was just three months. I could get through that, forget that it was ever part of the program, and just move on with my life for good. After all, I had already survived a childhood there, so what would be a few more months now that I’d been around the block a few times.

  But, all these thoughts – these doubts I had – flashed through my mind in a matter of seconds. Almost immediately after hearing the news, I recovered from the shock that passed through me and forced a smile that was far brighter than anything I really felt.

  “That sounds great,” I said. “It will be nice to be home again. I’d like to be able to give back to the community where I grew up.”

  It was a lie, of course, but I didn’t want Mr. Boatman to know the truth. He smiled and extended his hand to me. With a firm grasp, I met his gaze and maintained my cheerful smile.

  “I knew you would be right for this,” he said. “You’ll be moving out in a couple days. Get packed.”

  “Thank you, Sir,” I said with another smile. I rose and left, though my mind was spinning and my heart was heavy. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to return to my roots, and I didn’t want to see anyone from that place. It didn’t matter to me what he said – it didn’t matter what he hoped to achieve.

  The fact of the matter was that I knew this was going to be hard. This was going to be much harder than anything I’d done before, and I wasn’t fully convinced I’d be able to handle it.

  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle those people, either. But, the decision was made, and I chose to accept. There was no turning back now.

  Now, I had to go home and pack.

  Chapter 3

  Blade

  If there was one thing I hated more than just about anything in life, it was moving. I hated packing my things and moving them from one place to the next, just to unpack everything again.

  I didn’t like finding a place to put everything, I didn’t like having to decide what was worth keeping and what was worth dumping, and I really hated having to deal with the leftover boxes when I got all my shit out of them.

  Of course, with the other guys in the MC helping me with the move itself, it didn’t take long for me to get all my things out of one apartment and into the next. But, they weren’t about to sit and watch me unpack everything, and I wasn’t going to direct them to put things anywhere, so I was left to unpack and make myself at home alone.

  That was fine with me, too. I didn’t want to unpack everything. This was only going to be home for a few weeks, maybe a couple months, and Jett had set up the lease to only be monthly, so I wasn’t going to get too comfortable. Not to mention, I wanted to keep the bill as cheap as possible, which meant I didn’t want to add any dirt or mess to the bill after the other renters left.

  I had to say, the place wasn’t in too bad of shape when I moved in. I knew I’d be able to personally clean a lot of it without having to hire someone to do it for me. That would cut down on me having to deal with people coming in and taking care of things – and with me having to pay for it, too.

  Jett didn’t care who did the cleaning, as long as the place was ready for new people to move in when I was ready to move out.

  With the boys gone, I set my mind to unpacking the bare minimum I could get away with. I used one of the bedrooms in the three bedroom unit to store the things I wasn’t going to unpack, and the rest of the place was free for me to use.

  At first, I wasn’t going to set up the bed in the second bedroom. It wasn’t as though I planned on having anyone stay with me when I was between places. But, living in the MC taught me there was always a chance for something unexpected.

  When those things went down, we all wanted to be ready for whatever could happen. And, if that meant one of the guys was going to stay with me – or someone who was connected to them – then I wanted to have a place up and ready.

  We did keep one of the rental units open most of the time for a safe house of sorts, just to make sure we had something ready in the event a war broke out with another MC. Or, even if the cops were to get a little too friendly with us, we wanted to have somewhere to go to take the heat off the situation.

  But, in addition to that, many of the MC members also had their houses open in the event something went down. I’d stayed with Jett himself more than once, but now that Callie was in the picture, we knew it was better to work something else out before it came down to that.

  Women might not take the priority away from the MC, but we all knew how hard it was to bring someone into the house when there were already more than one person living there, and we wanted to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

  I unpacked the first box, setting the things on the counter before diving into the second. I wasn’t sure what my method was. Hell, I couldn’t even say that I had a method. But, it was nice to at least see the progress with the empty boxes.

  It would be smart to break them down and keep them so I had them ready when it was time for me to move into my own place, so I folded each one down and put them in the spare bedroom with the things I wasn’t going to unpack.

  I had music streaming through the TV, and every once and a while glanced out the window to the street.

  This wasn’t the kind of neighborhood I would have chosen to live if it was left up to me. It was cute, and there was a heavy family-oriented flavor to it. Not that I was against such things, but it was definitely the opposite of what I tended to manifest.

  I knew I didn’t look like I belonged here, and I wasn’t going to do anything about it, either. It was me, I knew, who didn’t fit in, and I was okay with that. The people who lived in this neighborhood were all familiar with someone who was part of the MC, largely because of the fact we had the rentals in the area.

  This wasn’t the only one owned by the club, and we would take turns coming down to check on the units and how the neighborhood was doing from time to time, too. I might not know any of the names or many of the faces of the people who were here, but I knew I didn’t stand out from them as badly as I thought I might.

  I moved on to another box, ignoring the sound of children playing on the sidewalk. I knew there were kids around, and they didn’t bother me. I might want to have some of my own one day.

  There was someone walking their dog in front of the house, and then a few more kids came riding by. It was a regular community neighborhood, and I had a feeling a lot of the people who were coming by the place were just trying to get a better look at the man who just moved in.

  They had seen us moving the boxes through the door, but no one got in the way. I was sure it was clear to them that we had it under control. After all, five guys with boxes in their hands emptying the backs of two trucks clearly showed everyone around the situation was taken care of, so it didn’t even cross my mind as strange no one offered to help.

  But then, there was a knock on the door.

  I sighed. I didn’t want to deal with anyone, and with the work I still had to do that afternoon, I wanted to keep things brief. But, anyone who had been watching the house had to know I was in there, and I didn’t want to be rude. I was just moving into the neighborhood, after all, so there wasn’t any need to be the reclusive one right from the start.

  I answered the door, finding a woman standing there with a pie in her hand and a smile on her face.

  “Hello!” she said with a grin. “I’m Maggie Travis. I saw you’d just moved in, and I was sure you didn’t have time to cook or anything, so I thought I’d bring this over for you.”<
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  She took a step forward, nearly walking into the house. With her low-cut top and heavy makeup, I had a feeling I knew the real reason for her visit. She wasn’t a bad looking woman, either. Probably the kind of girl I would take home from the bar. But, I wasn’t in the mood to start anything, and though I didn’t wish to be rude to the community, I meant to keep things as quiet as possible.

  “I can just put this on your counter if you like,” she said.

  “Thanks, but I got it,” I told her, taking the pie from her. “You really didn’t have to do this.”

  “Well, I thought you seemed alone. If you needed some company, who better than to bring it than me?” she smiled.

  “Thanks,” I said politely. “I appreciate it.”

  “Let me give you a hand,” Maggie tried again, but once more, I stopped her.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I really need to get back to unpacking these boxes. I’ve got some things to do this afternoon, and the sooner I can get these out of the way, the better,” I said. “This pie will be great later, though.”

  Her eyes brightened, and she grinned. “It’s my own recipe. You know, making pie isn’t the only thing I’m good at.”

  “Oh?” I asked, trying not to let the conversation take a sexual turn. I had a feeling that’s where it was heading, and I didn’t want to get into that with her. So, I changed the subject. “Then maybe you can help me.”

  “How?” she asked seductively.

  “What can you tell me about the neighborhood? Anything in particular I should know?”

  She seemed surprised I wasn’t going to take the bait for her advances, but still pleased she was able to help me. I didn’t really care about what was going on around the place, but if it would get her out of my yard, I would entertain her for a moment before closing the door again.

  She gave me a brief overview on most of the people on the street, knowing a lot about everyone. It was clear she was the one who stuck her nose in everyone else’s business, but that was okay with me. I was a private person, and no matter how hard she would try, I knew she wasn’t going to get anything on me.

  “And, those neighbors there,” she pointed to the house closest to mine on the left. “They don’t talk to anyone. Keep to themselves, and that’s about it. I would say they weren’t friendly, but then, I’ve never met them but once so I can’t say.”

  She laughed, and I shrugged. “That’s my kind of neighbor right there.”

  “Well,” she said as her smile faded. “I won’t take up anymore of your time, but I’m glad you like the pie.”

  “Thanks again,” I told her. I knew she was trying to cover the disappointment that her little visit didn’t go any further, but I wasn’t going to say or do anything that would encourage her to come back. I didn’t need romance in my life right now, and I really didn’t need a brief fling with someone in the neighborhood where I was staying for a few weeks.

  “If you need anything at all…” she said, letting the words hang in the air, “Anything, just let me know. I’m around day – or night.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I took a step back and closed the door. It wasn’t really in her face, but it was close, and I hoped that gave her the message. The pie she brought did look good, but I wouldn’t have taken it unless I had to.

  I didn’t need drama in my life. This was just temporary, and I would be moving out of here. Trying to forget about Maggie and the rest of the people outside my walls, I put the pie on the counter and turned my attention back to the boxes.

  “This is only temporary,” I said out loud. It felt better to hear the words, even if I was the one saying them. I wanted to get through this and get to my house where I was comfortable.

  But, in the meantime, I’d have to make the most of this situation and just get through it.

  That was the only way this would work.

  Chapter 4

  Alexis

  “That’s the last of it,” I said as I handed my brother the box from my car. “Just put it wherever in my room, and I’ll take care of it later.”

  “As you wish, your majesty,” came the sarcastic reply.

  I bit my tongue. So far, I felt like I had a huge rock in my stomach, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through the next few months. It seemed ever since Mr. Boatman told me I was coming home, things had gone from bad to worse.

  I wanted to believe they had chosen to send me home for the reason of me being the best choice they had available. After all, they knew Fallen Hills could be a rough place, and I was good at my job.

  Of course, I knew it wasn’t anything personal. It couldn’t be, after all. They had no idea the childhood I’d endured here. They didn’t know my mother was a drug addict or that my brother was an asshole. They didn’t know about the hole in my life my father left.

  They didn’t know about any of that. In fact, all they knew was that I was from Devil’s Hills. They didn’t even know I had vowed with all I had in me to never come back. I had made that promise to myself the day I packed my bags and left for medical school.

  Yet here I was – unpacking my bags and moving back home.

  It wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I wasn’t supposed to be living with anyone, in fact. But, one thing after another went wrong, and Mr. Boatman told me the day before I was set to come home that the place the company had for me had fallen through, and I had to find somewhere else to stay.

  Of course, I wanted to point out he was the one who should fix this since I was the employee, but I knew we had to work as a team. And, since I was from the town, he readily assumed I had somewhere else to go on short notice.

  I hated he was right.

  It was just a quick phone call to my mother, and well, she agreed to let me stay with her for a few months. I didn’t want to, and from the sound of her tone, it didn’t appear to me as though she wanted me to, either.

  But, it was only three months.

  Anyone could get through three months, right? If I had survived my childhood here, and I had already braced myself for spending the time in town anyway, what difference did it make if I was sleeping in my mother’s house? I told myself.

  Sure, that house was bound to bring up a lot of bad memories for me, and I knew it would be hard for me to face her after all this time, but again, I had been through Hell in life and had survived to tell the tale, I could do it again. As much as I didn’t want to, I could do anything for just a few short months if it meant I was going to end up better for it in the long run.

  So, that was the plan.

  I would be moving into the house I grew up in with the woman who raised me, and I hoped to God I would be able to tolerate it. I wasn’t sure how I would manage, but I knew it would happen.

  That was part of the job description, after all. I signed up to fight through the hard times, and I didn’t intend to back out of anything now. I could make this work. Then I would be on to bigger and better things, and I’d forget about this place for good.

  Who knew? This might be the best way to prove to my mother I could still rise above the start I got in life, and I was doing better things for myself than she would ever do for me. I knew it was petty of me to cling to such resentment toward her for so long, but I also hated the fact she had chosen cocaine over me for most of my life.

  I wanted her to see that I had become successful without her, and I hoped it might be enough for her to really get her shit together and start living a decent life herself. From what Chad had said, it seemed that she had had been doing better. But, I rarely spoke to him. He held a level of resentment toward me for leaving, too.

  With a sigh, I closed and locked the doors to my car before following him back toward the house. I had yet to go inside. I was putting it off as long as possible, so I had been leaving the boxes by the door, letting Chad come down to grab them before disappearing back inside.

  Now, there wasn’t any putting it off longer. I had to start unpacking. After all, I’d have to face the music soo
ner or later, and whether I liked it or not, this was going to be my home for the next three months.

  I walked through the door, hoping against hope things would be better than they had been when I left.

  But all hope faded at the sight of my mother sitting on the couch, staring out the window as though she was the only person in the room.

  “Hey, Mom,” I started. “I didn’t even know you were here.”

  “Of course, I’m here,” she barked. “Where else would I be?”

  “I just thought if you were here you would have come out to say hi to me.” I looked around the room, trying not to judge the fact it was filthy in the house. There were clothes, dishes, and garbage thrown everywhere. It was impossible to tell what was meant for the trashcan and what was just left on the floor.

  “What’s all this?” I asked as I looked around. “I thought you said you were doing better.”

  “I’m fine,” she barked at me. I fought the urge to sigh. I didn’t want to argue with her, but the fact that she kept the house the exact same way she’d been keeping it my entire life bothered me. I knew nothing had changed, and I felt Chad had lied to me about her progress.

  “She’s fine,” Chad said, as if on cue. “Leave her alone and get your shit unpacked.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” I shot over my shoulder. “You said Mom was doing a lot better, but she doesn’t look sober to me.”

  I’d turned my attention to him and lowered my voice as I followed him through the hall and toward the staircase.

  “Mom’s her own person, and she can make her own decisions. It’s not my job to babysit her just because you ran off and got yourself a fancy job. You know there are still people here who could have used your support,” he announced.