8 Mile & Rion (37 page)

“You did good, Junior,” he whispers. “Won’t be a next time, you’re safe now.”

“I love you, Rio.”

“Yeah Junior,” he says kissing my forehead before standing up and walking away. “I know.”

Then Loyal is there taking Rio’s place.

As they prep me for transport, I feel Loyal’s struggle at his brother being led away in handcuffs. Hard not to be when the man is screaming his fucking head off. When he hides his face in my neck I do my best to hold him. My hand made it to his waist and I anchored it in his belt loop. “Thank you,” I whisper in his ear. “You saved me. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Wasn’t going home without you,” he mumbles. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“First time anyone ever lived after meeting me,” he says more to himself than anything.

Laying my head on his shoulder I tell him the truth. “Funny, I hadn’t lived until I met you.”

“I’ll be there when they take you in but I gotta talk to Rio first. I’ll drive over in my truck.”

“Okay warrior,” I whisper, letting go. The medic said it was time and though I couldn’t see him, I could feel him. He didn’t want to let me go. “I’m okay, Loyal.”

He didn’t say anything more as they took me away.

‘The family you come from isn't as important as the family you're going to have.’

~ Ring Lardner

She may have been okay, but I sure as fuck wasn’t. Rio stayed back with me while they took her to the hospital. The medic said we had time to talk to the cops and settle things here first. He said they would assess her and manage her pain first but I still needed to hurry. Watching her drive off gutted me. My woman wasn’t okay but my next mission was making sure she would be. My body revolted at the idea of walking back into that house. The nightmare may have ended tonight but it wasn’t over. Because I didn’t kill him, she’d have to testify and endure legal bullshit. Then again, my woman was all about the legal bullshit but she shouldn’t have to relive this bullshit.

Entering the room he kept her in, I was grateful she wasn’t able to see it. What I saw here made my blood run cold. If he decorated her apartment in her honor, it didn’t even come close to the wacked out shit I was looking at now. This sick fuck dedicated his life to watching her. Feeling my fists tighten, at that moment I truly regretted letting him live.

“Shoulda killed him,” Rio says joining me. “She ain’t ever gonna sleep knowing he’s breathing. Fuck, I ain’t gonna sleep right ever again.”

“I gave him a second chance,” I tell him turning away. “Everyone deserves one.”

“She got to you too, huh?”

“If you want a spot in her life you’re gonna have to make some changes,” I tell him changing the subject. “This ain’t a competition with you. She loves you, I don’t want to see her lose that, but you force my hand I will step in. She’s your best friend I’m cool with that long as you remember she’s my woman. You get that?”

“I got it,” he says, looking away. “I’ll figure it out, always have.”

“You know what to do,” I tell him, heading for the door. “Gentleman’s choice.”

Climbing into my truck and not looking back, I head to Rion. Whatever Rio does to that shithole is his choice, I had someplace else to be. Besides, that guy had some shit to work through alone and I wasn’t a god damn therapist. Navigating the streets and finding the entrance was all done on auto pilot. Once parked, I put my hands over my face and allowed myself the time I needed to lose it. I could lose it once, but that was it. After that, I had to be strong for her.

A warrior, like she thought me to be.

All that shit changed though, the second I opened the curtain she was behind and saw her in fluorescent lighting. Naked from the waist up the nurse was fucking counting the bite marks while a female cop asked her questions. Watching her answer the questions with a sure voice, I knew out of both of us she was the warrior. Rion went through hell and came out even stronger than she was before because she never admits defeat. Hell, I’m proof of that.

I clung to that when I took the seat next to her and held her hand.

“Are you okay?” she asks quietly once we’re alone. They took x-rays, blood and secured her shoulder all in a matter of minutes. Pain is written all over her and yet she’s asking me if I’m okay.

“No,” I admit. “I ain’t okay, you ain’t okay and this situation ain’t okay.”

“I’m heavily medicated and feeling chatty. Can I tell you something and you promise to listen?”

“Yeah.”

“Sweet sixteen was a busy year for me and Senior, right? Rio shows up angry and needing us, then a few weeks later this kid my age shows up needing us too. He told us his story and like that he became part of the crew. Senior never questioned second chances because he said it took balls to ask for one in the first place. Rio became head enforcer right away because he was older and at that time he needed to work out his anger anyway. Tank was around here and there but it was Henry that I spent the most time with in the beginning.”

“Rion---”

“Let me finish,” she says smiling up at me. “Henry didn’t say much about anything. He went where I went, did what I did and whatever Senior or Rio asked him to do. He wasn’t cut out to collect and instead of firing him he did paperwork or ran errands for my dad. He didn’t have any friends that I ever met and he looked so lost. Sometimes he would open up about things and even though I had no knowledge of his past you could tell he wasn’t a happy guy. We spent a lot of time together but we weren’t what you’d call close. He was pretty shut off. He didn’t interact with the guys, he only spoke to me. They guys let it go and I didn’t think much of it. Not everyone is as outgoing and lovable as I am, you know? The moral of this story is Henry or Honor rather, wasn’t always the man you saw today. I have to believe that or my faith in people would disintegrate.”

“He fucking took you,” I growl fisting her sheets. “He hurt you. I ain’t claiming that piece of shit as blood.”

“Yet you gave him a second chance.”

“After what he fucking did to you I shouldn’t have--” she cuts me off by placing her hand gently over my mouth.

“But you did,” she whispers. “I’m not excusing him, Loyal. Not even close. He’ll be held accountable for his actions. I want to know that after this we’ll both sleep at night putting him and this stupid bet behind us.”

“Do you get it was my fucking brother that did this to my woman? The woman I love? The only fucking woman crazy enough to love me back?”

“Yes I get it,” she says wincing as she tries to move her arm again. “Although, let me remind you that you weren’t a factor when this started. You also are not to blame for any of his actions either. The odds of him being the man responsible as well as the man we were searching for as your brother is almost too much to comprehend. But, his actions were his own. I’m here, Loyal. I’m still your woman and you’re still the only man I’ve ever loved. We need to get through this together, tell me you get
that
.”

“I get it,” I whisper releasing the sheets and clutching her hand again.

“I love you, Loyal,” she says, closing her eyes to sleep. “Did I tell you how proud of you I am? If not, I just did. The Marines saw what I see. A bad ass warrior. The Marine’s loss was my gain. I’ll heal up just fine, and then I want a rematch on the quads.”

Watching her drift off, I prayed she healed fine. But even if the body heals her mind will never be the same. She lived the nightmare, I just put an end to it but it never disappears.

Christ, we’ll be in therapy for ever because of this shit.

‘Hope you got a strong stomach.’

~Loyal

Over the years I’ve seen some shit.

There wasn’t much that shocked me. Acts of kindness shocked me more than acts of violence. Human beings were capable of all sorts of shit. But nothing and I mean nothing will erase the beating I witnessed Loyal put on Honor. Rion being unable to see it was a blessing. The damage that guy can cause with his bare hands is almost unbelievable. In seconds, he not only put his brother down, he left permanent damage behind. Without breaking a sweat or his stride he knocked him out fast as to not stress her out further. After that, he broke both of his arms, dislocated his shoulder and probably busted all of his ribs too, if I had to guess.

Eye for an eye.

Loyal told me when we pulled up,
hope you have a strong stomach
. After this, I knew I didn’t have the stomach for this shit, but he clearly did.

After getting stitched up and signing myself out, I stood just outside her curtain and listened to her declare her undying love for him. She didn’t love him a little bit, she loved him fully and he loved her too. I always wondered what her love would feel like, but it was clear I’d never know for myself. Thing was, he deserved to have her. I knew he’d protect her with his life and I had to be good with that.

I’d come back here to check on her and let her know I was fine. When she asked Loyal about my condition, where I was and when she could see me I was shocked he was cool about it. Guess when you got love like that you ain’t gotta worry about a piece of shit like me ruining it for you. He promised her she could see me once she was settled but that wasn’t going to happen.

Now that I know she’s going to be okay, it was time for me to go and stay gone. Watching those two fall harder for each other every day wasn’t something I was strong enough for. She’d probably want kids too and my heart tightens knowing it won’t be with me. I wasn’t gone long but while I was, I did some serious soul searching and couldn’t figure out if I loved her or was
in
love with her. I just knew because of him she wouldn’t need me anymore and I couldn’t handle it. She’s been my focus for so many years that I was without direction now. Stepping away from the curtain, I let one tear fall. Swiping it away, I walk towards the exit and hail a cab home.

When my phone rings and I see the number, I slide it to answer. In under thirty seconds I made a decision that would alter the course of my life. My past just offered me a job, easy money and I took it. All these years for Junior, I stayed straight. But thieving never left my blood. It was who I was and without Junior to call me on it, I decided not to fight the pull anymore.

He didn’t bother with explaining the terms and they didn’t matter. The price tag mattered, fifty grand mattered. I didn’t even hesitate before saying, “Consider it done.”

Climbing in the cab, I instruct the driver to take me to my place where I’d pack up quickly and leave to catch tonight’s ferry. If she ever found out she’d be disappointed but like all things Junior, she’d forgive me. This was about me now that she was finally safe. It was time to get back to doing what I did best.

Taking what didn’t belong to me.

‘All my life, my heart has yearned for a thing I cannot name.’

~Andre Breton

Since being home, Loyal has been on full alert and it’s mostly adorable. It’s the constant ‘you wanna talk about it’ bullshit that’s pissing me off. No, I didn’t want to talk about it because I’ve accepted it and was trying to move on. No, he wasn’t to blame and it was ridiculous to think that he was. No, I didn’t want another vanilla protein shake either because they’re disgusting. He can’t just sit down and talk to me; he’s pushing me for a reaction he simply isn’t going to get. Honor/Henry was fucked in the head, got it. Now let’s make out.