The days came and went with me staying with Alex. His behavior was surprising, but that was nothing compared to his house. I wasn't expecting something so clean and well put together. It was hidden behind a ton of the trees to the point where even the sun had a hard time shining through the windows. It was right outside of Welch and the further you were away from being in town, the better. Everyone knew that. He'd always been a pretty private person, so I expected nothing less. But I thought about the fact that he must have been pretty lonely considering the fact that the two story home held three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was spotless to the extent of me thinking that he had a housekeeper. Turns out, he was never home enough to even accumulate any dirty dishes in the kitchen. He wouldn't dream of saying it, but I was almost certain that he had OCD.
The downside to being camped out there was how long he'd usually be gone and how stressed out he would be when he returned. He never conducted any of his business there and I could see why. It would have been stupid, messy, and dangerous. You don't shit where you eat and even I knew that.
He'd come in, shower, and crawl in bed next to me thinking I was asleep. I could feel his stress and frustration vanish as soon as his head would hit the pillow and his arm would wrap around my waist. When he was awake, it seemed like he didn't want to talk about it at all, so I didn't make an attempt to pry for information. He always kept quiet and I couldn't deny the fact that it bothered me. There were a few times where I questioned whether or not he was actually doing what he said he was doing. I knew that he could sense the tension and he kept a little distance whenever it was at it's strongest.
The two of us were sitting on the couch with my feet in his lap with neither of us really paying attention to what was on the screen of the TV. I was in a fairly neutral mood. I wasn't pissed off at him, but after two nights in a row of the sun beating him home, I wasn't exactly happy either. He'd been walking around on egg shells because he couldn't tell if I was upset or not. It was almost like he was a little scared, so I just rolled with it. There was no point in clarifying anything if he felt like he was in the wrong about something that would upset me.
"Do you think that I'm cheating on you?" he asked, breaking the silence. I turned my head toward him, cocking it to one side as I stared at him. Honestly, I was a little paranoid, wondering what gave me away or if he could read my mind. This was a brand new experience for me and I never brought up any of my suspicions because I didn't want to sound ridiculous and end up causing an argument. I wasn't even sure that he'd even tell the truth if I did confront him about it.
"No," I lied terribly. "Do you think that I would?" he threw right back at me. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was on to me. I figured that it was best to just come out with it and get it off of my chest while it was still something small. If I didn't, the regret was going to eat me alive.
"I don't know. You're gone a lot and you're pretty secretive. It's definitely a possibility in the back of my mind," I said with a shrug. I noticed him clenching his jaw when I finished giving him my response. He remained silent and looked like he was lost in thought. "Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be reassuring," he said as he dropped his head and looked down at his lap. He was beginning to look frustrated and I wished I would have just kept my mouth shut. "It's just hard being kept in the dark sometimes. It drives me crazy,"I said quickly, focusing on not stumbling over my words. "I can understand that. You're only kept in the dark for your own safety." I was starting to think that he was just using that as an excuse. "You're a lot more fragile than I am." His comment sparked the fire that was about to burn a hole in my chest.
"I'm well aware that you're involved in a lot of dangerous shit. But keeping me in the dark about it is unnecessary unless you're keeping something specific from me. This is what's driven a wedge between us for so long. Don't string me a lot all this time and think that you still have to treat me like just some random girl you're fucking that you just ran into one night," I said firmly.
I could tell that he was holding back the urge to get up and abandon our conversation that looked like it was about to turn into an argument. We both had short fuses and when we blew up, it was an absolute disaster, especially if we were blowing up on each other.
I was now sitting on the couch with my legs curled underneath me with a pretty good distance between the two of us. I should have felt good for speaking my mind and standing up for myself against him for once, but I was nervous. I sat there, picking at the skin around my thumbs while trying to not have an anxiety attack. Any minute now, he was going to jump up and tell me to grab my shit and go just to be done with me until he was in a better mood again.
"You're right. You're the glue that's held my shit together. You're probably the only reason why I haven't been on a killing spree yet," he said sounding defeated. His phone vibrated in his pocket and quickly got up from the couch. My heart dropped. He'd just said something sweet and now he was probably taking off and I wasn't going to see him for the rest of the night. I felt like I'd just wasted my breath and he'd just told me what I wanted to hear so I could change my attitude.
"Get dressed," he said over his shoulder as he continued to text. I was confused with not even the slightest clue as to why he wanted me to get up and function. I was still thinking the worst was about to happen to our relationship and for all I knew, he could have been getting ready to flip the script and throw me out on my ass. "Are you putting me out?" I asked without even thinking. I wore a smirk on my face, hoping that he'd think I was only joking. "Yeah right," he scoffed. The smile he flashed back at me made me feel a million times better. I felt bubbly enough to jump up on my toes to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"Wear something other than pajamas please," he said before I could turn on my heals and prance through the house. I looked past him while he continued to type, taking note of the little bit of sun shining through the window. It wasn't even dusk yet so there was no point in even considering that he wanted me to get ready for date night. "Don't rush. This is just a business meeting," he said nonchalantly as he dropped his phone into the pocket of his sweat pants. He strolled over to where I stood frozen in my tracks. "I don't have to tell you to make an impression," he said with a wink. Almost immediately, my mind started racing in a million different directions. Ultimately, it stopped on the thought that I actually meant something to him now. Maybe he really was trying to change. Maybe he really did love me.
.
.
.
.
"So what the fuck is this supposed to mean? Is she supposed to be the fucking queen bee now?!" Aaron Avery shouted. He had a shitty temper, a fucked up attitude, a loud mouth, and I hated him even more than I hated my cousins. He was one of Anton's closest friends. He was usually the quiet one most of the time, but as soon as he'd open his mouth, anyone could see how much of an asshole he was. Aaron and Alex bumped heads all the time. It was literally like watching two wolves fight over who was going to be the Alpha of the pack. The had a hard time getting along, but he knew that Aaron could be trusted. Out of all of his associates, Aaron was the most loyal and most ruthless. That's what he stood for, not just because he feared for his life like the rest of them. He knew how to move and get shit done with no questions asked. He had a mind of his own that couldn't be persuaded or manipulated and that's what made him so valuable.
"IF I SAY SHE'S THE FUCKING QUEEN, THEN SHE'LL BE THE FUCKING QUEEN!" Alex yelled furiously. I'd opted for a plain black crop top with plain black leggings and sandals with my make up done and my hair pulled up into a sleek bun. I knew that my age was more than likely a regular topic of discussion. Any other time I didn't care, but being presented to his group made me want to try harder to add a few years to my face. I felt like I was being thrown to the wolves, but I had to be ready for whatever they had to say about me.
I didn't get the memo, but they presented in all black as well. That was just about the only thing that made me feel like I was fitting in. I was the only female and I was a minor. Those two facts about me alone would be used in an attempt to scare me off. Alex could tell that I wasn't as comfortable in this setting as he was, so he kept me close to his side. While some were calling him a pedophile on the inside, they were the same ones undressing me with their eyes. He noticed it too and it was obvious that it was getting difficult for him to concentrate.
None of them had expected him to bring me along. Some of them thought that our affair was just a rumor up until this point. Anton and Pash were probably the most surprised. They had the most knowledge about my relationship with Alex and given the fact that they were so close, Aaron and Dominic were probably caught up to speed.
He knew more about most of them than I did and the only reason why he associated with them was because he felt like he could trust them. I felt the exact opposite. Some of them were staring off into space. Some were talking among themselves, giving me the impression that they were plotting. I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that a few of them were waiting for the perfect opportunity to snitch just so they could rob him blind. Welch may not have been good for anything else since the decline in the coal mines, but you could become a millionaire over night with the right kind of drugs. A lot of people were still jealous and bitter that he beat them to the punch a long time ago.
"Everyone knows who their fucking fathers are! Anton and Pash are being watched! Pulling her into this shit is fucking suicide!" Dominic yelled. The look on Alex's face was screaming at him to shut the fuck up.
"She's a child! That's an extra charge you're waiting to catch!" Tony Jones shouted from across the room. Like he had room to talk. He was ancient, old enough to be one of our dad's, and he'd been trying to fuck Brina since she grew boobs in middle school.
"With all the shit going on down south, she's another target, especially if you're parading around like she's a fucking trophy," a guy they called Caesar growled only a few feet away from us. I smirked to myself thinking, 'Why don't we fucking stab Caesar?'
I was beginning to realize that I'd always prepared myself for a moment like this. Sure people whispered, but whispers were only heard when I least expected it. Any other time, their comments would have sliced through me like knives. I couldn't focus on myself. Their bitching confirmed that Alex was practically under attack. It was obvious that they had something to get off of their chests long before I even stepped into the room. He looked like he was about to snap and now I could see why he was always so exhausted when he got home. He was surrounded by a group of bitches and I didn't want him to have to take on all of this alone.
"FUCK IT! RUN ME MY MONEY AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT!" All eyes were on him as soon as they saw that he was significantly agitated. He had his moments where he would get mad, then he would jump straight from mad to murderous and it was like demons had been released from Hell when that happened. No one dared to make a sound and seeing him like this, demanding attention from everyone, made my heart raced. I'd never seen him like this before and it was setting my veins on fire. Now I was glad that he brought me along.
They cowered in fear seeing his chest heave up and down. They had it coming. He was only going to take so much and they were even beginning to stress me out.
"We're going to get caught! What the fuck are we supposed to do if we get caught?!" Caesar barked, "Who's going to pick up all this shit when you go down?!"Alex and I snapped our heads in his direction and his eyes locked with mine. The thirty-something was shook. A few minutes ago, he had no problem being loud and obnoxious. He had no problem asking ridiculous questions just to get under Alex's skin and join the rest of the group in criticizing our relationship. Now, he was shaking like a fucking leaf.
He was silent as more than a few minutes passed with my eyes locked with his. He was sweating and couldn't stop fidgeting. The look on his face was a dead give away that he had been hiding something, but now that Alex was pissed off to the point of no return, he knew that there was going to be blood and he didn't want it to be his.
It was like a light bulb had went off. If they were going to get caught, it was going to be his doing.
"Babe, you've got a mole," I said calmly without taking my eyes off of Caesar. It took him a minute to calm down enough to process what I was saying. I knew that he'd probably end up even more mad than he was before if he found out that there was a mole.
"Huh?!" Caesar yelled trying to sound confused. He was trembling even more and beads of sweat were rolling down his face. "If you can huh, you can hear, motherfucker," Alex growled. He'd taken my hand and we were stepping closer to him. It was going to be much easier to catch him in a lie if we were standing directly in front of him. "Who's a fucking mole?! I'm not a goddamn mole!" he shouted with his voice cracking. It was sad to see a grown ass man acting like a pussy, but I found myself anxiously waiting to see how Alex was going to handle him.
Aaron stood by Alex, just like he always did when shit was about to get messy. He no longer had rage painted all over his face. He was at the point of doing what needed to be done to eliminate a problem and that was even scarier than when he was belligerently waving one of his guns.
"Why the fuck would I go running my mouth?!" Caesar asked. Alex started to speak, but I stepped between them, prepared to point out that he was weak and deliver the final verdict. "Because dumb ass, you gave yourself away when you made the comment about getting caught," I said matter-of-factly. He was staring down at me, trying to look intimidating. "You were the only motherfucker in the room with a guilty conscience."
"Get your bitch," he said, directing it to Alex. "We were all talking about you getting us caught up."
"But you wanted to know what would happen after the fact,"Alex added, confirming that he was seeing what I saw a few minutes ago. Caesar's mouth hung open in shock. Before he could say anything else, Alex yanked me back a few feet and Aaron's fist connected with his mouth, knocking him to the ground.
It didn't stop with one punch. I could hear Aaron's fist collide with his face over and over again with Caesar crying out with every single blow. Anton and Pash were standing next to us, blocking my view. They way that they huddled around me looked like they were actually trying to protect me. Dominic stood by Aaron, always ready to be the one to stop him before things went too far.
He glanced over at Alex wanting him to say the words to pull Aaron off of him. He waited and waited and waited. Even with the sharp copper scent of blood filling the room and Caesar still groaning, he still didn't stop him. I felt a little bit of sympathy for him, but after a second thought, sending his ass to the hospital to live out the rest of his days on a ventilator seemed more appropriate. I small piece of me would be disappointed if I didn't get a chance to make him pay for calling me a bitch.
"Alright, shit. Don't kill him. I didn't come prepare to dump any bodies tonight," Alex finally said.
Everyone stood back as Alex and I stepped over to see what was left of Caesar and I was secretly hoping that there was enough for me to take out of him.
He didn't look like he'd been beaten to a pulp like I expected. Blood poured from his mouth as he pulled himself up on his knees. He was struggling to catch his breath through his broken nose. Both eyes were beginning to swell with small cuts on both cheek bones. What started as caramel colored skin was now forming bruises that were beginning to turn a pretty shade of violet. He was struggling to hold himself up from where he was kneeling, so there was no way that he was going to be able to stand or walk. Alex just made it easier for him by crouching down in front of him.
"Next time you want to make some money, take your ass to the feds and pray that I don't come looking for you. I should kill you for this shit," he snarled. He looked over his shoulder at me and gave me a small smile that melted my heart. "And since your momma didn't teach you to respect women, I'll let Angel Dust deal with you," he said with a smirk. He knew I hated that damn name, but instead of whining and complaining about it, I was about to give into the carnal urge that wanted to see blood.
He stood up and walked over to me. "What's it gonna be?" he whispered with his lips only a few inches away from my ear. It sent a chill down my spine. "Do whatever you want to do to him and I'll clean up the mess," he said urging me to choose his brutal fate. He made me feel powerful, like it was finally our world and not just his with me living in it. He wrapped his arms around my waist first and I allowed his hands to roam all over my body as the minutes of contemplation flew by.
I remembered my little inside joke from earlier and quickly turned around to face him. "Why don't we just stab Caesar?" I said cheerfully. He let out a small laugh as he fished around in his pants pocket to pull out his favorite hunting knife that he kept in it's sheath that he rarely carried with him. He pulled my arms from around his neck. "Because I knew you'd want to start small first," he said with a wink.
He placed the weapon in my hand and I allowed my fingers to curl around the leather. I immediately felt like I was solely operating on instinct and knew what to do and how to do it. Earlier in the night, I was just a child that was going to get Alex caught up, but now, all of them feared me just as much as they feared him. They thought our relationship was only a rumor and I was seen as his weakest link. They automatically assumed that he was a fool for giving me a title and I would be his greatest downfall. Every man in the room held their breath during what was the biggest plot twist of the night.
They feared for Caesar like they never would have imagined as I strolled over to him. I couldn't stand the smell of the blood or how messy it was, but right now I was too pissed off to care. The sound of him calling me a bitch played over and over again in my head.
I allowed my hand to hook around his chin to make him look at me through his swollen eyes. Blood continued to drizzle from the corners of his mouth to where it was beginning to cover my hand. "I'm nobody's bitch."
.
.
.
.
"What's done is done. I'll figure out the rest. Now, step!" he yelled. They stared at us with wide eyes. They all obeyed with none of them wanting to challenge us like Caesar did. They were used to his anger, but they never expected me to slice off a man's bottom lip, even if it was just a small chunk. It sounded brutal when I thought about it, but the fucker had it coming. And just like he promised, Alex cleaned up the mess when I was finished having my fun.
One by one, they remained silent and formed a line as they stacked their bundles of cash in his hand before heading out the door. So much was left for me to process as they all cleared out with Anton being the last. No one made eye contact with me except for him. I stayed glued to Alex's side when I locked eyes with my cousin. "Never thought you'd be the type to settle down, Boss," he said with a smirk. He was talking to Alex, but he continued to stare at me like he knew something that I didn't. It bothered me down to the pit of my soul. It felt like my heart had dropped into my stomach and I was fearing the worst. Anton's gaze became more intense and I placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, giving the impression that I just wanted to be closer to him.
In reality, I wanted to see how he reacted to what Anton said based on his body language. Feeling how tense he was when he put his arm out as a barrier between Anton and I told me that he was definitely hiding something, just like I thought when he asked me about him cheating on me earlier. Anton and I usually despised each other, but we could always read each other like we had our own form of telepathy. The look he gave me before turning to leave told me to dig a little deeper and that's exactly what I was going to do.
Alex slammed the door behind him, leaving the two of us in the shitty hotel room all alone. It didn't smell like what was almost a murder scene.
Before I had the chance to ponder what it was that Anton had given me a tip on, Alex scooped me up in his arms, crashing his lips against mine. "Now do you see how much you mean to me?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear. I wanted to truly feel happy right now, but I faked it because my gut was telling me not to be an idiot for once. "I brought you here to find the traitor and you did that and showed me that you can be cold blooded!" he said with excitement.
I was even more confused and he took note of it. "It takes an outsider to sniff out the weakest link," he said. He sat me down on my feet and hugged me as tight as he possibly could. I wanted to stay focused to avoid getting hurt again, but I could feel a different energy radiate off of him. He'd never been this relieved since we'd gotten closer and something kept telling me that he would finally be able to love me like I wanted him to while something else was tell me not to be a dumb ass.
