13 Rounds (3 page)

~~~

The coffee shop is pretty dead.

Ryan is the back doing inventory and I’m putting the finishing touches on Lara’s iced coffee while she waits at the counter.

“It was just a nightmare, Lee.” Lara says as I walk over to her and slide her iced latte across the counter. She picks it up, bites down on the straw with her teeth, sipping on it.

Sometimes on her break she visits me at work. She’s still working at the perfume store and I like that we work in the same vicinity. I like that she comes to visit me. And I’m sure she likes coming to see me for the free drinks.

“I know,” I tell her. “I know, but it’s still disturbing.” I’ve heard that dreams can be some kind of subliminal message. Part of me believes in this. Once, when I was younger I had a dream that I was going to ace a spelling test and wouldn’t you know, a week later I got that A. “I think it just bother because what if he’s dreaming about me dying every time he has a nightmare?” That’s got to mean something, right?

Lara shrugs. “Honestly, I wouldn’t even worry about it. You’ve got enough going on.”

I know she’s right. On top of my new and mysterious relationship, I’ve got drama at work with Ryan. Ever since my birthday he’s been adamant on giving me all of the shitty shifts. Of course I don’t tell Sean this, mainly because I know what the end result would be.

Ryan losing a couple teeth.

Maybe acquiring a black eye.

A few broken bones.

I go on, “Sometimes I wonder if he’s involved in something bad.”

Lara gives me an odd yet wary look. She lifts an eyebrow. “Who Sean?” Her voice goes up an octave.

“No,” I roll my eyes and say with sarcasm, “the postman. Have you not been listening to a thing that I’ve said?”

She removes the straw from her mouth and purses her lips. Her eyes flash irritation and I think that maybe I should have cooled it on the smart-ass comment. “Of course I was listening  and do you know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think you’re being completely and absolutely ridiculous and worrying about all of this for nothing. You’re only stressing yourself out more.”

“You’re right,” I agree.

She is right about the whole nightmare thing. But when it comes to the things I know Sean is hiding from me, that’s a different story.

And what scares me is that I don’t know how much more of that I can take.

Chapter 5

~Connie~

The sun sat high in the sky shining vibrantly. The powder blue, cloudless sky-line stretched on for miles and miles.

These were the type of days where Connie enjoyed taking a brisk walk. You see, he needed the walk. He needed to be outside. To feel the sun rain down on his pale skin. To feel the cool breeze as it whipped through the trees and washed over him. More than anything he needed the walk because had a lot on his mind and he needed to clear his head.

As if that was a simple task.

There was too much confusion going on within the brotherhood involving the alleged rat.

The dirty, stinking, female rat.

Over the past week, he’d sent Aidan to the abandoned warehouse basement of where was keeping her to question her. At least several times. Connie had to give it to her, if she was a male she’d make an excellent addition to the brotherhood because the bitch was tough. Aidan got nothing from her.

She wouldn’t budge.

Not a peep.

This led Connie to question his judgment of Teagan Reilly. What if he had been wrong? That was a difficult question for him to absorb because he was never wrong.

Never.

When he got a particular gut feeling he acted and his gut never led him in the wrong direction.

He shook his head and rounded the corner, stopping directly in front of Seany’s condo. He had Aidan drive him to Sean’s neighborhood purposely, hoping that maybe he’d be able to catch the boy-o so that they could have a little chat. But when he knocked, no one appeared to be home. It was then that he decided on the walk and thought he’d wait around a bit and that maybe Sean would be home when he was finished.

His thoughts shifted back to Teagan as he approached the black Lincoln parked diagonal to the four-plex. She had been threatening that Sean would snap if he ever found out that Connie had taken her. Connie knew this was true. Brotherhood or not, Connie knew where Sean’s true loyalty lied and that was with the only, living blood relative he had left.

It was until he tapped on the roof of the town-car and Aidan opened his door that he caught sight of the boy-o walking into the four-plex holding the hand of an attractive little number.

And Connie was dead set on finding out just who that attractive little number was.

~~~

Teagan’s stomach howled out pains of hunger. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything. Either that or she thought her mind was truly beginning to play tricks on her.

She knew with certainty that the last time she had anything to drink was over 24 hours ago. Aidan had come to question her for what was at least the fourth time that week. As he poured the water into her mouth and she choked it down she cried out, “Help me.” She coughed as the cool liquid coated her raw throat. “Help me.”

Aidan had brought with him a flash-light and when he grazed the beam across her face she could see the pained look on his. She knew that he wanted to help her. She knew from the kindness that he showed her when he came to question her that he didn’t approve of what Connie was doing to her. “Please, Aidan,” she’d begged him. “Please.” If she had been unbound she knew that she would have hit her knees and clutched his leg. That’s how desperate she had become. Never, in a million years did she think she’d ever resort to begging, but desperate times call for desperate actions.

It wouldn’t have been any use anyway because the only answer Aidan had for had been, “I can’t.”

Teagan knew deep, down in her gut that that was what he’d say. She knew he wouldn’t cross the king-pin of the brotherhood, especially if he valued his life. And it was at that exact moment that all hope for her seemed to blow out the non-existent window.

Suddenly she started to feel dizzy. She started dry heaving. All of her strength was gone. All of the fight in her had vanished. Now, all she had left was uncertainty because she didn’t know when or if she’d make it out of the situation alive.

Chapter 6

~Sean~

After last night, it makes me pretty fucking happy that my day has gone smoothly.

First training, then lunch with Murph. It was nice to see the big ol’ bastard. I feel like we haven’t had the opportunity to see in each other in months. Well, sit downs don’t can’t. There was one a week ago, but neither one of us really got the chance to catch up.

And I wouldn’t even consider it a real sit down. It was basically an hour of Connie raving about the Italians still continuing to hoard our turf. I guess some things never change.

What I did enjoy about chatting with Murph was that he told me he’s got himself a broad.

“What’s her name?” I asked him. The big bastard’s face got all red and he lowered his eyes when he said, “Marie.”

I gave him a right jab in the arm and laughed. “And she’s what’s good? Right O’Fallon?”

Murph just shook his head and pursed his lips. The truth is, I’m happy for the big lug. He’s one of those people that always goes out of his way for everybody else and it’s nice to see people like that find the happiness they deserve.

We made some more small talk while chowing down on some burritos then I left to pick Hadlee up from work. This is a constant battle between us.

“I don’t need you to drive me!” she’ll insist. “I can drive my damn self to work!”

“I’m driving you,” is what I always respond with, “end of story.” The truth is I don’t demand to drive her because I’m trying to keep her from doing her own thing, I drive her because of that slimy prick of a boss she has. He’s always grabbing at her and trying to flirt with her. Even in front of me.

I tell you what, it takes everything in me not to get out of my car and punch that fucker in the jaw. By the time Hadlee gets into the passenger seat, I’m clenching my jaw and cracking my knuckles. There have been a few times where I commented, “You know, they don’t call me Right-Hook Reilly for nothing.”

Hadlee just shakes her head, lets out a breath and answers me with, “Control your temper.”

She’s so calm about it. You’d think that everything she’s been through that she wouldn’t be. Honestly, she’s the only reason why I do control my temper. If it was up to me, that mother-fucker Ryan would have been knocked out cold at least a dozen times already.

She laces her fingers through mine as we walk toward the condo.

My breath hitches.

I stare at her as vibrant smile spreads across her lips.

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get sick of looking at her. Sometimes I wonder if the love I have for her will fade. Somehow, I doubt it. Out of all the women I’ve been with she’s the only one I’ve ever said those three monumental words to. And I can’t help it if she puts my mind in a whirl.

Makes my heart beat a little faster.

Sets my soul on fire until it’s so engulfed flames that I’m almost ashes.

We’re about twelve feet away from the glass doors when I hear it.

“Boy-o!”

Fuck.

My spine stiffens.

I squeeze Hadlee’s hand. I stop walking. She comes to a halt beside me. “Sean, what’s the matter?” she asks. There’s only one person who calls me boy-o and that’s Connie. “Sean, is something wrong?” she probes again.

I can’t tell her. I don’t want her to know anything about Connie except that he’s like a father-figure to me.

I can’t tell her about the brotherhood or the drug running or anything else involving that part of my life. I know there’s probably a big part of her that resents me for keeping quiet about so much, but what she doesn’t understand and what she’ll probably never understand is that I’m doing it to protect her.

Connie’s footsteps are closing in on us.

Panic grasps my insides and latches on for dear life.

I keep my eyes glued to the pavement, refusing to turn around and look at Connie. I release Hadlee’s hand, place my left hand on her shoulder and push her towards the door. “Get inside.” I make sure my voice is low because I don’t want Connie to notice that anything is up, even though he probably already does. That asshole doesn’t miss a fucking thing.

I glance up at Hadlee out of the corner of my eye. She’s wearing a puzzled look and I continue to shove her gently in the direction of the door. “What? Sean,” she pauses, “I don’t understand.”

I put a little more force into my voice, “Just get inside.”

“Sean—I.”

“Get inside!”

With that she leaves me on the sidewalk. When she gets to the door she glances at me from over her shoulder. “I don’t understand.”

“Just go to your old condo,” I tell her. I give her an urgent look then watch as she obeys, walking through the door and scurrying down the hall.

She knocks on the door and the second the door opens and she walks inside I can feel him behind me.

Hovering.

“Who’s that lovely little lady friend?” His accent rings out on the word lovely and I cringe before turning to face him.

I take a few deep breaths, wipe my face clean of any kind of emotion. Then I throw my shoulders back. “Just a friend,” I say non-chalantly.

“Just a friend?” Connie eyes the glass doors then focuses on me. He’s not buying it. I have to up my game.

I nod toward the door smirk. “Yeah, you know?” I shrug. “The hit it and quit it type.”

“Right.” His expression changes and I’m hoping that he buys what I’m fucking selling.

Chapter 7

~Hadlee~

Lara sets a cup of coffee down in front of me then pulls out a chair and sits down next to me. I cup the mug with both of my hands. “Lara, I don’t know how much longer I can take this,” I mention. My eyes water up and I squeeze them shut, holding back the tears. “The secrets…the lies…it’s all too much. I can’t handle it.”

I open my eyes and notice the intense look on Lara’s face. Her eyes sweep over face like she’s examining me. Hard. It’s like I’m a math problem and she’s trying so hard to find the answer. Then she rubs my forearm lovingly, a faint smile on her lips. “Lee, sometimes some things are just better left unsaid.” There’s a tenderness in her tone that I truly appreciate in this moment. She shrugs. “Maybe he has a really good reason for keeping things from you.”

The look on my face twists from hurt to anger. I can’t believe her. I can’t believe her. She is my best friend. She’s supposed to be there for me. “Are you taking his side?” There’s a vehement tone in my voice that I can’t hide.

She looks at me with shock etched into her soft features. “Are you serious right now? Are you even listening to yourself?” She shakes her head, sits back in her chair, and folds her arms across her chest. “I can’t believe you just accused me of that.”

“Well that’s what it sounded like to me,” I snap.

She continues shaking her head. “All I’m saying is that maybe there’s a reason that’s much bigger than you and him. Maybe that’s why he’s so secretive about everything. Did you ever think of that? Hmm, Lee?” She leans forward, resting her arms on the table.

No because that doesn’t matter.

A reason bigger than me and him should not matter.

“I don’t expect him to spill the beans on every portion of his life, Lara. All I want from him is something. Anything. Even if it’s a minor detail, I’d be completely content with that.” He gives me nothing… Well I take that back, I do get ‘don’t worry about its’ and ‘nothing.’ I’ve always believed that you can’t have a decent, lasting relationship built on secrets and lies.

I hold back words that I know need to be said, but I don’t want to say them. Just thinking them makes me eyes start to water again and a deep, plunging, throbbing pain punctures my heart.