"Oak," as I say his name it comes out soft yet it's filled with fear. Not from him, but because of not knowing what Steven has up his sleeve. "What are we going to do?"
His jaw flexes again as his finger twitches against my lower back.
With a voice that is chilling, dark and lethally calm he declares, “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
Oak
“You don’t think he. . . ?” Her voice trails off, horror filling the absence.
I grit my teeth, my molars grinding to the point where they ache. Fury hardens my veins like ice.
My hold around her body becomes impossibly tight. She doesn’t wince nor does she complain. As if this woman hasn’t already proved she’s been made for me, she burrows herself deeper, getting as close to me as she can get.
“I think Steven will do what ever it takes to keep you under his thumb,” my answer is vague but in reality, if one is to dive deeper they can see the hidden meaning.
Grace stares up at me horrified. On a breath that sounds haunted she asks, “You really think he gave her the drugs?”
“Think about it, Grace,” I say to her lowly, “do you really think that would be out of character for him?”
She closes her eyes in a moment of defeat. When she reopens them I see the pain swirling in the blue depths of them but I also see the disappointment and the disgust. “How can anyone do such a thing?”
“Not all men are good.”
“I know that,” she replies torn. Her heart wants her to believe one thing while her mind is telling her another. Logic vs emotion. A war that will never be won. “I’ve always believed that our mistakes don’t define us. That we as humans can grow and better ourselves. But this. . .” Her voice trails off again. It’s as if she’s trying to understand the failure of humanity. Unfortunately I’ve seen it too many fucking times. “This can’t be redeemed, Oak.”
“No, it can’t,” I agree with her and I know it breaks her heart to hear it. “Redemption isn’t for everyone. He’ll never be one of the good ones, Grace, but you already know that.”
She swallows. “I know,” she repeats, this time heavy-heartedly. Her eyes glisten like diamonds and as beautiful as they may be I hate seeing them shimmer. “You think living all my life in Hollows Point I would be used to seeing the failures of humanity. And it’s not like he was ever good but this. . .” Closing her eyes a single tear drop falls. I collect it with my thumb before it continues it’s descent down her cheek. “I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault.”
Pinching her chin between my pointer finger and thumb I force her to look up at me. Her eyes are welled with unshed tears and I can see the blame in them. It’s something I won’t allow. I’ve let it destroy me; I’ll be damned if I let it destroy her.
With a voice that’s hard as steel I tell her, “You are not to blame.”
“But-”
I pinch her chin harder, knowing the bite of pain will reach her even if my voice can’t. “You aren’t. And if I hear you blame yourself one more time your ass will be so red that you won’t be able to sit for days.”
Her pupils dilate as she inhales a sharp breath. “Okay.” Her voice is huskier. And I’m grateful my little threat has distracted her.
“Good girl,” I praise her before planting a hard kiss on her lips.
Releasing her chin but not releasing her from my hold I keep one arm wrapped around her. Inside my cut I pull out my phone and call Pax.
He answers on the first ring. “How’s Grace doing?”
I glance down at her. Her head is nestled below my chest, her body more relaxed against my own. “She’s strong,” I tell Pax proudly, “and she has us and the rest of the club to support her.”
“She’s family, we have her back no questions asked,” he says, voicing his support.
“I need to know,” I ask him lowly, cutting straight to business, “did you find anything on him?”
Pax blows out a breath and I can’t tell whether if it’s good or bad. “I found some things, yeah.”
“Like what?”
He blows out another breath and I know what he’s found he doesn’t like. “I had to dig pretty deep. Whoever this fucker knows he had them do a deep cleaning to get rid of shit.”
“What did you find?”
