When I'm With You (Little Hollow Series, #2)(40)

What the hell has he been up to?

We all stand and watch until his eyes roam the room, landing on me.

“‘Sup, bro,” he slurs with a lazy grin.

“Jacques, you alright?” I ask, proceeding with caution.

There’s a look in his eyes I’ve never seen before, one I can’t quite put my finger on.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Pop asks, interrupting us.

I close my eyes and sigh as Jacques throws the bottle back and gulps before answering him. “I’m a big boy now, don’t have to let you know where I am twenty-four seven, pops.” He laughs it off but he’s being deadly serious.

“Pop, I’ll look after him tonight.” I say and he nods. “We’ll continue our conversation in the morning.” I direct the words at Pres and he scowls at me but I ignore him, I’ve got more important things to worry about.

Where’s Jacques been? And who would mess up his face like that?

Whoever it was, I’m going to kill them. Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it.

When I turn to help Jacques to my room, he’s gone. Prospect Whitey points to the back door and I push it open leisurely to find him sitting at one of the benches outside with a bottle of vodka he must’ve snagged on his way out. I sit down next to him and rest my elbows on the wooden top, looking up at the stars.

“It’s a big ass world out there, full of more people than you could possibly ever meet. And you happen to manage to bump into people that would have a problem with you.” I state but he doesn’t say anything. “Where’ve you been, Jacques?” I prompt.

He sways and looks sideways at me but doesn’t say anything. His face is full of anguish, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this, not since mom died anyway.

He looks away and lazily picks up the vodka bottle but I take it off him before he puts it to his mouth.

“No you don’t, I think you’ve had enough.” I state.

His face changes and he seems to sober up a little. “Fuck you, Hunter. You’re not my pop.”

My head jolts back as if he physically hit me. He’s never spoken to me like that in all his eighteen years, and I sure as shit won’t put up with it now. I grab him by his t-shirt scruff and pull him toward me.

“No, I’m not. I’m your brother! Don’t ever talk to me like that again. If I say enough is enough, you fucking listen, got it?”

I’m inches away from his face so I see the telltale sign of the waterworks starting and pull him up and through the side door so no one will see him. I’m practically dragging him as he hangs his head in his hands and sobs, real heart wrenching sobs.

My heart constricts.

Something’s not right.

I get him on my bed and he rolls onto his side, hugging the pillow for comfort. I’m completely out my element, I don’t know what to do, so I just let him get it all out until I hear the sound of soft snores telling me he’s passed out.

I sit on the edge of my bed and hang my head in my hands. Seeing him like that tears me up inside, there’s ten years between us but we’ve always been close. We’ve always done everything together. I’ll get him to tell me what’s up in the morning, he needs to open up to me so I can get to the bottom of this.

Fuck! Has he been in trouble this whole time and I didn’t notice? Why hasn’t he told me?

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He cries and I jump at the noise.

At first I think he’s talking to me until his snores resume. He’s sleep talking. What’s he sorry for? And who is he talking to?

“I had no choice.” He slurs again.

Now I know there’s something up. My knee bobs up and down in an agitated rhythm, I can’t get to sleep in this mood. I don’t want to leave him on his own for too long but I need to get myself a drink to help lull me to sleep. I pull the door shut behind me and walk down the hallway, I don’t hear any noise so everybody must’ve cleared out or gone to bed.

I silently thank Jacques for that one, I can’t be bothered to deal with anyone right now, I can’t answer the questions they’d want to know the answers to. I step behind the bar and add ice cubes to a tumbler, the front door to the clubhouse opens and before I’ve even had a chance to think, I’m ducking down hiding from whoever it is. Like I said, I can’t deal with anyone right now and by the sounds of it, they aren’t in a much better mood than me.

A crash echoes in the empty room as if something has been thrown against the wall, then the slur of curse words come shortly after. I don’t even need to look over the bar to see who it is, the harsh tone of the voice giving him away.

Taz is back with a bang, literally.

He starts muttering to himself. “You need to calm down, Merl, or you’re not going to have a chance to play with your new toy properly.”

The sinister tone of his voice makes me feel uneasy and I don’t think I want to know what or who he’s talking about.

“You’ll have your turn, you’ll finally break her.” He sneers.

What the fuck is he up to?

It’s an unspoken rule that Crows don’t beat or rape women. We may have club broads, but none of them are ever forced into doing anything they don’t want to do. It’s about the only rule that’s still adhered to in this club, so hearing this makes my skin bristle and I’m more determined than ever to lock down this asshole.