Making the Cut (Sons of Templar MC #1)(34)
I couldn’t deal with this. Any of it. I turned away and ran, ignoring the male shouts behind me. I ran in the direction of the beach, not knowing where else to go. I reached the sand pausing to take off my shoes. I walked until the water was kissing my ankles. I stood, looking blankly at the horizon, a million thoughts running through my head. I must have been here for awhile, because me feet and ankles were numb. But at least I could feel, at least I was alive. Unlike Laurie. I didn’t know her, but she could have been me so easily. Still could be if I didn’t sort myself out. I slowly walked out of the water, choosing not to react when I saw Cade leaning against his bike with his arms crossed, watching me.
I turned my back to him, sinking down into the sand, watching the waves, trying to beat away the demons currently knocking at the corner of my mind.
“She was beaten, savagely, raped, stabbed. Face f*cking tattooed.” Jumbled words from Luke’s short but heartbreaking story rushed through my mind. Beaten. Stabbed. Raped. Sweet girl. Clueless girl. Like me she just fell in love with the wrong guy. Yeah that guy did not kill her, but she would still be alive if it wasn’t for gangs and their f*cking politics. I didn’t react when Cade sat behind me, his powerful thighs coming around either side of mine. Strong arms pulled me to his chest. I sat rigidly, trying to work up the strength to fight him off. Problem was, all my strength was going towards not having a mental f*cking breakdown. It was focusing on what an idiot I was for letting another man so much like the one that almost killed me, into my bed, under my skin.
“Babe.” He murmured in my ear, voice soft. I ignored him and continued looking blankly at the sea.
“Crawford had no f*cking right to talk to you like that, badmouth the f*cking club.” He still sounded soft, he was angry but he was checking that anger for me.
I went as hard as stone. “God forbid he badmouth the f*cking precious club.” I hissed. “Never mind the girl that was murdered.”
At my words, Cade tensed. “You don’t know anything about Laurie, Gwen.” His voice turned hard.
“Yeah, I do. I know she fell in love with a man, a dangerous man, who at the time seemed exciting, made her feel alive. And no matter how dark things got, the love was still there to make it seem light, so she could ignore the signs, the big f*cking flashing red signs that should have made her run the other way. But she didn’t and that got her dead. Raped. Beaten. Dead.” My voice cracked at the end.
I felt Cade flinch at my words, his arms tightening around me. Then I’m in the air, turned so I was straddling him, his hands came to my face.
“Need your eyes Gwen.” He muttered, staring at me so hard I felt like he was staring into my soul.
“Bull loved Laurie, f*ck never seen a love like it. They were the last two people you’d ever think to be together. Him a huge f*cker with tattoos. She was tiny, smaller than you babe, with blonde hair that shone like the sun. Smile, Christ, she had a great smile, made everyone happy just by being around. They didn’t seem like they’d fit, but you saw them together, you knew, they fit perfect for each other, made sense.”
“Cade...” I interrupted, not wanting to hear anymore, but his eyes turned hard.
“I’m speaking now babe, shut it. Wait till you hear the hole f*cking story before you say one more word.” His voice was tight. “We had shit going with another club, not gonna elaborate babe. But that shit got bad, brothers both sides felt the hits. But no women, f*ck, women never see that kind of shit. Until that day. Laurie went for a walk, a walk in the town she lived, place she felt safe, happy. They snatched her right off the street, broad daylight, f*ckin witnesses.” Cade’s eyes turned feral, he was devastated and furious. Of its own volition, my hand reached up to stroke he cheek.
“Soon as we found out, had to lock Bull down. He was ripping things apart, in a rage like I never seen, he couldn’t check it, couldn’t reign it in, couldn’t help Laurie like that. We had boys out looking for her, even got the f*ckin pigs involved, cause we knew what they would do to her. Didn’t help. We got the call, telling us to back down or they’d kill Laurie. We knew they’d kill her either way, these weren’t the kind of guys to just drop her off, unharmed. Minute they got what they wanted they’d put a bullet in her brain. We were in an impossible position.”
I felt the pain in his voice. I immediately knew Luke was wrong, those men did care about this girl, but Luke’s mind was so clouded by hate, that he couldn’t see the love.
“Honey...” I started, but Cade cut me off again.
“I’m speakin babe.” He sighed, looking to the ocean then back at me. “We gave in to those boys, there would have been blood, a shitstorm we couldn’t weather, the town couldn’t weather. We knew either way, Laurie got dead. So we tried to find her, ripped apart the f*cking countryside looking for her. We couldn’t, they dropped her off the next day. Left her alive, barely, they did that on purpose. It was the worst day of my godamm life, seeing that girl like that, seeing my brother, unravel. Life went right out from behind his eyes, he’s empty now. Only way he got through any of it was cause of the club, cause we had his back, pulled him through.” Emotion saturated his voice.
I stared into his eyes, lost for words, fresh tears streaming down my cheeks. Cades thumbs wiped them away. Seeing the grief, the raw pain in his eyes, something in me clicked. This wasn’t Jimmy wasn’t even close. Jimmy’s boys didn’t give a shit about me, didn’t blink as the beat me, watched Jimmy beat me.