Invincible (2 page)

I looked up and Aton stood there,
in
a white suit, black tie,
a
look of disgust on his face.

“
Get him out of here,
”
Aton said.
“
What a goddamn shame.
”

“
Don
’
t take him,
”
I said.
“
He needs help.
”

“
Wes, he needs a hole to be dug,
”
Aton said.
“
It
’
s over. I
’
m sorry. It
’
s just business.
”

It
’
s just business.

Everything was business. Even the family was all about business. They had everything from corporations to politicians in their pockets. If someone didn
’
t do what the family wanted, they killed the person or overtook his position of power.

There was nothing I could do about it.

Aton paid for a small funeral. For the casket, the plot, and the stone. He did it to keep me sane. To normalize Shane
’
s death as though it were some unavoidable tragedy.

I stared at myself in the mirror. I gripped the sink and then felt myself let go. I pulled the sink from the wall and slammed it to the ground. Water shot up out of the pipe as I turned and walked to the bathroom door.

I saw Danny waving at me, wanting me.

I walked the other way.

What the fuck did it matter? I needed whiskey and I needed to visit Shane. I had already fucked the night
…
but the good news?
If everything went as needed, I
’
d be joining my brother in afterlife by morning.

3.

(Rose)

“
When is it ever going to be safe?
”

I laughed and snorted, the wine definitely doing its job. My best friend - or closest thing I could have to a best friend - Macie sat next to me on the couch.

“
You tell me,
”
I said, slurring a little.

“
You
’
re in this, not me.
”

“
You
’
re fucking my brother.
”

“
Only when he chooses me,
”
Macie said and frowned.

She was in love with Luke and I would never understand why. Luke wasn
’
t the kind of guy you liked, or loved. Maybe you just respected him and only enough to just stay the hell away from him.

We were in a cramped apartment above a restaurant. The restaurant was a front for some gambling and dancing that happened in the back room and the basement. Nothing about the place was legal, but the apartment was a great hideout spot. Luke told me to hang here for the night, until the smoke cleared. I had no idea what that meant. Well, truthfully, it meant Luke caused a problem. I just didn
’
t know what kind of problem that was.

At least I had Macie.

And wine.

“
When is Luke going to come back?
”
Macie asked.

“
Take it easy,
”
I said.
“
You know how he is.
”

“
I
’
m kind of eager
…”

“
Ew,
”
I whispered.

I stood up and the room spun.

“
Don
’
t be jealous.
”

I looked back at Macie.
“
First off, I
’
m not jealous of anything. He
’
s my brother. It
’
s just
…
you and him. Together. I can
’
t picture it.
”

“
Oh, I can,
”
Macie said and twirled her finger in her hair.

“
He
’
s
…”
I sighed.
“
You know who he is. He
’
s killed people, Macie. Is that what you want?
”

“
He
’
d kill for me I bet,
”
Macie said.
“
It
’
s hot.
”

No, it
’
s not. You think it is. But it
’
s not. He
’
s really deadly. He used to fight. He gets paid now to protect
…
to steal
…
to kill
…
he
’
s the bad guy! He
’
s the fucking bad guy!

“
What?
”
Macie asked.
“
You
’
re giving me the eyes.
”

“
No I
’
m not,
”
I said.

“
Look, I said you
’
re jealous because I
’
m getting sex and you
’
re not. That
’
s why you
’
re angry right now. Face it.
”

“
Sex? Are you kidding me?
”

“
When was the last time you had sex?
”

“
Why is that relevant?
”

“
Exactly,
”
Macie said.
“
I know you
’
re kind of protected by Luke. It
’
s sexy, really. I mean, not you and him. Just that he would go so far for his sister. It
’
s so manly.
”

I gritted my teeth. It had nothing to do with Luke being a man. Luke needed me and used me. And I did the same for him for my own mistakes that were always looking to take me down.

Bottom line - Macie didn
’
t understand my life. Or Luke
’
s.

“
Don
’
t worry about my sex life,
”
I said.

“
You have no sex life,
”
Macie shot back.

“
Maybe I like it that way.
”

“
Yeah, right. I don
’
t know how you do it. You get to watch those sexy sweating fighters and it doesn
’
t do anything for you?
”

I thought about the guy from the other night. Standing there, facing the wall. His muscles were trapped in my mind. My fingers tingled, along with some other places.

“
Look at you getting red,
”
Macie said.
“
You like it! You like the fights.
”

“
I grew up involved,
”
I said.
“
I have a rule against that stuff though. There
’
s so much money involved, if anything goes wrong, people die.
”

“
What? If you fucked someone and they lost, it
’
s your fault?
”

I nodded.
“
Yeah. Maybe. Depends on who is running the fighter?
”

“
What do you mean?
”

Macie stared at me innocent, brown, doe-like eyes. She really had no clue. She was pampered, spoiled, and thought all of this was a game. I used to think that way too. Until I saw people die. Until my father died. Until my brother started to hold me hostage to make him money. Until I tried to get out of it all and ended up almost dead. Well, I was supposed to be dead
…
and they would find me and kill me.

“
Nothing,
”
I whispered.
“
Just nothing.
”

“
Hey, are you supposed to be drinking wine?
”
Macie asked.
“
I mean, does it bloat you or anything before a shoot?
”

“
I don
’
t give a damn,
”
I said and walked toward the window.

Outside the street was normal. Cars coming and going. The valet guy leaning against the podium. He was the owner
’
s nephew, Marco. Not the smartest guy in the world so they let him park the cars and earn on tips.

There was a thundering boom on the door.

“
Open the fuck up!
”
Luke
’
s voice bellowed.

Macie hurried to jump up.

As I walked by her, she grabbed my arm and told me to wait. She fixed her hair, pulled on her shirt to show more cleavage, and took a deep breath.

I opened the door and Luke came barreling in, still dressed in his fancy suit. Only now he looked a little messy. His hair roughed up, his face white. I thought for a second there was an attack or something but then I saw his eyes.

He
’
d been snorting.

“
Hey Luke,
”
Macie said as she looked at her nails, trying to be casual.

“
Macie. What are you doing up here?
”

“
Waiting on you.
”

“
Let
’
s go then. I
’
ll give you a tour of the kitchen. Private.
”

“
I
’
d like that,
”
Macie said.

Just like that, my
best friend
walked to my brother. She touched his chest and then poked at his chin with her pointer finger. Luke grinned and then smacked at her ass. Macie jumped forward, yelling.

She left without saying goodbye to me.

When the door shut, Luke
’
s smile was gone.

“
I
’
m going to tear her apart.
”

“
That
’
s gross. That
’
s my friend.
”

“
She
’
s not your fucking friend. You don
’
t have any friends. Remember that. You don
’
t get close to anyone. They
’
re all out to use you, Rose. Christ.
”

“
Why am I up here, Luke? I want to go to my place.
”

“
No. I can
’
t have that. Where
’
d you park?
”

“
Marco parked it.
”

“
Eh, fuck. Stupid kid. He
’
s going to get his brain blown through his asshole someday.
”

“
Luke, why are you acting all weird right now? You
’
ve been off for a few days. Ever since the fight
…”

Luke rubbed his nose.
“
Fuck that. Don
’
t worry about that, Rose. You get a paycheck yet from that other thing? That catalog thing?
”

“
Not yet.
”

“
I
’
ll get it,
”
Luke said.
“
I
’
ll send Jimmy and Little Ace down there.
”

“
No!
”
I said.
“
Please don
’
t do that. Don
’
t burn bridges.
”

Luke laughed.
“
I only burn them so I could build them and call them my own. That
’
s how we survive this, Rose. Okay? You just need to hang tight. Play it cool. Yeah?
”

“
You
’
re high, Luke. You shouldn
’
t be on drugs when you
’
re worrying about business.
”

Luke growled and snapped. I should have known he was going to smack me. Maybe I was used to it. Maybe I didn
’
t care anymore. I felt the pain as I went down to the floor. I put one hand down to catch myself, which only ended up hurting my wrist.

“
You
’
re not Ma,
”
Luke snapped.
“
She
’
s fucking dead, just like Dad. They
’
re fucking gone and I
’
m not. I
’
m carrying all this shit on my own, Rose. You don
’
t fucking listen you
’
re going to end up in a hole like them. Goddammit.
”

I stared up at Luke. He was the monster. He was evil. I never needed to look under my bed or in my closet to find a monster.

I kept my mouth shut and waited Luke out.

He adjusted his suit, tugged on his tie, and then moved for the door. He left the apartment and I rubbed my cheek. I climbed to my feet and went to the small kitchen. I grabbed a bag of frozen peas and slapped them against my cheek.

I wanted to run away. For real. That
’
s what I had tried to do before and that ended bad. So fucking bad. I was trapped. The saddest part of it all
…
the pain from Luke was far less than the pain that waited if I really tried to leave.

What I truly wanted
…
what I needed
…
was someone to come save me. To take me. To keep me their secret.

~ ~ ~

“
Are you okay?
”

He started to turn around.

Holy fuck, he
’
s turning around.

The beautifully built back and arms soon became a chiseled chest and stomach. Black hair hiding his face, his head down a little. Veins throbbing from his hands all the way up through his biceps and into his shoulders. A man built through giving and taking punches. A man built through facing fear and death, always coming out on top. Always surviving. Always ready for the next battle.

“
You can talk to me,
”
I said.
“
It
’
s okay. I promise.
”

I stepped toward him. My hands reached out and touched his stomach. He was sweaty, my fingertips twitching. The ripples of muscle that went up and up to a well defined chest. But I kept going. I touched his neck. Then his face. The roughness of his facial hair was like sandpaper to my palms. I kept going even more. My fingers touched his wet hair, pushing it up and out of his face.

His hands then grabbed my waist. A second later, he spun me around and put me against the wall.

“
What do you want?
”
he asked, that growly voice shooting through my heart.

“
You,
”
I whispered.
“
You to save me. To take me away.
”

I started to move his hair back even more. I needed to see his face. To stare into his eyes. To look at his lips before I tasted them.

“
You have no idea
…”

My phone started to ring. I turned my head and saw a nightstand. An alarm clock. A lamp. My phone glowing and vibrating. I looked forward again, wanting to apologize, but he was gone again.

Duh, Rose! You
’
re awake!

I blinked fast and I realized I was in the dark. I was in bed, my left hand dangerously close to my inner thigh.

Was I really just about to
…
?

My phone kept ringing and vibrating.

“
Okay, okay,
”
I grumbled.