Chapter 16
Ashley
We arrive at one of my houses on the beach a little while later. Fatigue is kicking in, but I know there won’t be sleep any time soon. Quickshift, Noah, Hotflash and Redline’s cars are in my driveway. I can see them in the living room and dining room through the glass windows encasing my home. Nolan has been caressing my hair the whole way, reassuring me that he’s here and not my imagination. I was shocked as hell when he woke me up in the bunker. Those beautiful brown eyes, watching me. I was ashamed of the events in my life, and I didn’t want to drag him into this mess but once I saw him; I knew I made the right decision.
Rush pulls into my long driveway, up next to the white garage and shuts his car off. He’s watching me in the rearview mirror before he twists around in his seat. His face is tense, and his body is on high alert.
“Are you ready?” Rush asks me gently.
“Yeah, let’s get this over with then I can get some rest,” I respond.
Nolan looks between the two of us. I’m so glad he’s here and I really hope he likes the rest of my family. They’re good people and don’t deserve this shit storm we’re about to enter. I need to explain a few things to Nolan before we go in.
“Can we have a minute?” I ask Rush.
“Sure, I’ll be waiting around the corner.” Rush answers. He gets out of his car and walks around the corner of my house. I can see him pacing back and forth, alert, and aware of our surrounds. I relax a little into Nolan’s chest.
“What’s going on?” Nolan asks.
“These people in here are my family,” I gesture towards the house. “They’ve been here by my side since the beginning. Please go easy on them. There will be a lot of high emotions when they see me. Hotflash, she lives up to her name. She will spew a bunch of mixed Spanish and English words. Half the time I can’t understand what she says. Noah, he's like my little brother, he’s still young and understands a lot of my world, but I try to keep him sheltered from the dangers of it. That’s going to change today. Redline, is a loose cannon. He hated me when he first met me, but when I kicked his ass in a race, he respected me for it. He has his own issues to deal with. His temper can be just as bad as Hotflash but when he’s quiet is when he’s worried. Quickshift is calm and conservative. He’s one that looks out for everyone. The voice of reason.”
“Got it. I have just a few questions before we go in though,” Nolan says.
I turn my face up to him to look him in the eyes. “What?” I ask.
“How bad is this whole thing? I want the honest truth. I have a feeling you’re going to sugarcoat this for them, but I want the raw, undiluted truth. I want to know exactly what happened. I’m sure Rush does too.”
“It’s bad. I didn’t realize how much Shaun hates me until last night.” I answer. A tear slips down the side of my cheek and Nolan gently wipes it away.
“OK, let’s talk with Rush first, then the others.” Nolan responds.
He leans down so our lips are a breath away. His unique woods and leather scent invade my senses and I can’t help but shudder. Nolan gently kisses me and pulls away slightly. I let out a frustrated breath and peer into his honey brown eyes.
“Either you’re going to kiss me properly or I’m not touching you when these guys leave.” I tease him.
Nolan’s pupils dilate, and he swallows hard. His big hand cups the left side of my face and leans in. I lick my lips and his eyes drop to them. There's a stir low in my stomach and my body is vibrating with need. Heat pools between my legs as I watch and wait. I can see the battle raging behind Nolan’s eyes until he finally gives in. He lets out a sigh as our lips finally connect and my whole body is humming with a need I’ve only felt once before and that was the last time we were together. A moan escapes from the back of my throat and my heart’s beating hard in my chest as Nolan’s tongue invades my mouth. His hands drop to my hips and pulls me as close as he can in the small space of Rush’s car. I break the kiss, leaning my forehead against his. Both of us are breathing hard.
“C’mon let’s get this over with,” my voice is husky with need.
He nods his head and shifts his body, adjusting the hard ridge in his jeans. Nolan opens the door and gets out, his body is on high alert and his hand instinctively goes to his sidearm, which I didn’t notice before. Rush notices Nolan getting out and comes up to us. They speak in low whispers before letting me out of the car, they both are scanning the area with cold, deadly eyes. Gone is the playful, compassionate man in a heartbeat. I’m shocked how quickly he can change.
I move to get out of the car, but Rush puts his hands up, stopping me. I can hear Nolan’s phone chirp with a text and he takes it out of his pocket. He reads whatever it is and a scowl forms on his handsome face. Rush gestures for me to get out and I move as quick as I can out of the car and to the backside of my house. I slip quietly into the back door with Nolan and Rush hot on my heels. We’re standing in my enclosed frosted glass back porch which overlooks the back deck toward the ocean. Rush is standing at the windows, watching the beach. Nolan is standing next to me and puts his arm around my shoulders, comforting me.
“Ashley, tell us everything that’s happened before we go inside.” Rush says. He’s still looking out the window as he speaks.
“Last night I was feeling cramped and itching to get out. You guys were busy with your own thing, so I figured, if I hide in the shadows, no one would see me. I needed to feel close to my people, reconnect with them even if it was from a distance. When Noah sent out the text, I went. I was sitting on the hood of my car, watching them getting set up for a race when Shaun blindsided me. He snuck up behind me and pinned me to my car. He overpowered me and when I wouldn’t answer his questions, he hit me. The first time it was enough to rattle me. The second time, when I still refused to answer him, it was enough to knock me out. I came to in the back of a van. When the van stopped, Shaun opened the doors with two thugs flanking him from the 38th Street Gang. They had semi-automatic rifles pointed right at me. Shaun said someone was waiting for me and to move it. When we approached a dark entrance, Shaun and one of the thugs went inside and I saw my opportunity to escape. I pulled my knife out of my boot and held it to second guy’s throat. He dropped his weapon and before I could second guess myself, I ran away from them as fast as I could. I jumped a fence and ended up on the other side of Palisades Del Rey where I found a place to bunker down for a little while.”
“What kind of questions?” Rush asked.
“What?”
“What kind of questions did Shaun ask?” Rush asks again. I swallow hard and release a deep breath before answering him. Nolan tightens his arms around me, letting me know he's here. I look Rush straight in the eyes.
“He kept asking me where you were,” I answer.
The color drains from Rush’s face and he sits down hard in one of the wicker chairs I have on the porch. He’s shaking his head and leans forward, his hands are clenching and unclenching in front of him. Something isn’t right. I leave Nolan’s embrace and kneel in front of Rush. I grab his hands and he picks his head up. His eyes are full of fury and hatred as he looks at me.
“Rush, what’s going on? It’s time you explain yourself. You’re not supposed to keep secrets from me.” I say gently.
Rush shakes his head and he glances at Nolan, something passes between them. I snap my fingers in front of his face, bringing his attention back to me.
“No. I’m right fucking here. Whatever bond you two just created is going to stop now. I don’t want to pull the boss card with you, but if you don’t fucking tell me why Reiser is so fucking hell-bent on getting to you I will." I command, in a low, deadly voice. He’s not supposed to be keeping secrets from me. Rush, just like the rest of them are supposed to be honest and upfront about everything.
“Rush, right fucking now." I snap.
Anger and rage fuel my veins from Rush’s silence and I stand up. I pace back and forth in front of him. If I don’t rein in whatever is happening, I’ll have no choice but to backseat him. I stop pacing and glare at Rush. I cross my arms over my chest and he peers up at me, there’s shame written across his face, and pain in his eyes.
“OK, OK, but the others can't know about this. It stays between the three of us. Ash, I’m so sorry you were dragged into the middle of this mess.” Rush takes a difficult breath before continuing. “I ran across some information a couple of weeks ago and thought I could handle it myself. I wanted to see how trustworthy it was before I came to you. It’s going to open some painful memories and I wanted to be one hundred percent sure before I told you.”
“Dakota.” I bark out when he hesitates again, making him flinch. I never use his first name, but I’m beyond pissed he’s skirting around something. “Speak or I will have to backseat you on everything.”
Rush’s eyes grow large and he stands up. He starts pacing back and forth running his hands through his hair. “It’s about what happened at the Palisades Del Rey all those years ago. The night your parents and little brother died."
Rush’s voice trails off and I my heart's beating hard against my chest. My ears are ringing, and my body is shaking. I can’t breathe, spots appearing in my vision, and I’m going to pass out. Nolan leads me to another wicker chair and I sit down hard. I put my head between my knees, struggling to steady my breath. Once I get my breathing back under control, I stare at Rush. He flinches at the cold, deadly look in my eyes.
“What about that night?” I demand.
“I found out that Marcus Dual tried to force your father out of his spot, so he could take over. I didn’t find out if Dual was responsible for the accident, but I found out he wanted to take over and expand his business and your dad wouldn’t budge. He wouldn’t work with Dual and rumors have it, he’s responsible.”
The room starts spinning and my mind slips back to that dreadful night and events leading up to it. Screams pierce my ears and I cover my hands over them, trying to block them out.
I can’t breathe again.
I’m on a verge of a panic attack and being swallowed up by the horrific memories when a pair of strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back to the present. The warmth and comfort soothe me as Nolan’s voice penetrates through the screaming.
“I’ve got you,” Nolan whispers in my ear.
I cling to Nolan like he’s my lifeline. He’s my anchor in this sea of lies and deceit. His hands gently rub up and down my back, his soothing voice stops the screams and I look at him. He’s watching me carefully as I pull myself back together and take a deep breath.
“Thank you,” I whisper. I shift my attention to Rush, who's black eyes are reflecting his own pain and heartbreak. He runs his hand through his black hair again and sits down next to me, taking my hand.
“Ashley, I’m so sorry. Reiser must have found out the same thing I did and wanted to silence me. I knew I should have told you sooner before all of this happened, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want you to go after them without all the facts.” Pain lacing his voice. He grips my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“Did you get all the facts yet?” I ask.
Rush shakes his head, “I keep getting stone walled.”
“Give me the names and locations of everyone you think are involved. I’ll have Ashton Iverson do some digging.” Nolan tells Rush. He holds me tighter and looks into my eyes. “Ashley, it’s what I do."
I nod my head and Rush gives Nolan a list of names. After a few minutes, Nolan stands up and walks out the back door, on the phone with Ashton. Rush and I sit in silence until he comes back in, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
“OK. Ashton's on it and he'll get back to me as soon as he finds something out. Now let’s go inside before the rest of these guys come out.” Nolan says. He’s taking charge and for the first time in my life, I let someone in to help me.