Brick

“She’s still not answering her phone. I’m worried.” My very pregnant sister-in-law Amelia waddles out on the deck, gives my brother those sad eyes that dare him to challenge her. He won’t. Fucker is whipped. Ball and motherfucking chain wrapped right around his dick.

Zoe was supposed to be here two hours ago for dinner. Another no-show. No call. No nothing. I should go over there and tell her to knock her shit off. Scare the piss out of her with words. She’s twisting Amelia up, who doesn’t need to be worrying about anyone else except herself and the baby.

If Amelia’s stomach gets any bigger, my brother won’t be plucking her cute little ass up outta her chair like he is now to sit down on his lap much longer, because if he does, they’ll both be yelling for help to get themselves off the ground. Amelia is huge and glowing. Even with the sad scowl on her face.

I hold in a laugh as I tip my beer back, my eyes checking out my brother. His sappy ass is always taking the world by the tail and going after what he wants. Bastard. No, make that fucking bastard. I love the guy, though. Regardless if he’s a pain in my ass at times. He’s one of the good guys in this world. Sincere, and that right there makes him the best brother I could ask for.

My main concern right now though isn’t Zoe. It’s the fact that Amelia is frowning when she should be smiling. My brother is irritated when he should be taking care of his wife. Fucking pansy ass over there rubbing the back of his neck like some fucking romance hero. Get your hands on your woman’s neck! Asshole. Rub her down. Her feet are red, swollen and from where I’m sitting they look to be on fire.

Damn. Listen to me thinking all sappy and shit.

The shit her pregnancy has done to her body creeps me the fuck out the more I look at her swollen belly. It doesn't have a thing to do with her being bigger every time I see her. I ain’t never seen anything so cute in my life. It’s her swollen legs, always being tired, snippy, and peeing all the time. That shit would wear me the fuck out.

I’m a cold-stoned dickhead for thinking that way. I can’t seem to help it. The way her body has been stretching like a piece of elastic adjusting to the life inside of her freaks me out even more. I guess it’s Zeke’s medical training that keeps him calm, because I’d be raising hell. I can’t even fathom there’s a human inside her body. My blood. A niece, or nephew. Hot fucking damn. I’m about to be an uncle. Bring it the hell on. Even a heartless son-of-a-bitch man like me can’t wait to spoil my brother’s kid.

Zeke lifts his head, his gaze snapping defensively to mine.

What the hell?

“Maybe she was called into work. Maybe her son is sick. You never know when it comes to Zoe. Quit worrying. She’ll call. She always does.” Not sure who he’s trying to convince; we all know Amelia won’t stop her worrying. It’s her nature. She’s going to be one damn good mother. Makes me grateful as hell to her. So strong. Zeke struck gold with her. He knows it, too. Lucky fucker.

Christ, the way he enables the bullshitting stories Zoe comes up with is enough to make me ill. A fucking spade is a spade, and why not call it out? She ain’t going to call until that dick of a boyfriend lets her. We all know it, and yet here we sit not doing a damn thing about it. And the coward award goes to? I grip the back of my neck in the same way my brother did, trying to release the tension. It’s not working one bit, might, though, if I were squeezing the back of Zoe’s boyfriend's neck. If given a chance, I’ll snap it in half.

Zoe did shit to me I’ve never admitted to anyone. I wanted her from the first day I saw her. Thought she was a spitfire full of life.

Then she started to change, putting on a false smokescreen whenever she came around. I ignored her erratic behavior because the woman is hot. Went on with my life even though my gut kept on telling me something with her wasn’t right.

My fingertips hungered to sink into her hips and pull that hair as I was pounding into her from behind. It was wrong, all fucking wrong to want someone so sweet and kind. But it seems that’s been the motto of my life since day one. I’m on the outlaw side always thirsty for the black, and not the right ways of life. Ain’t never going to change, but it sure as hell would be nice to have some kind of light in my life. Now I’m really acting like my brother.

Zoe is a basket case. She’s strung higher than a kite. Walks around on pins and needles and needs to dump her pissant excuse of a boyfriend. He’s a dick. A low-life soul-sucking jobless weasel who needs his ass kicked. Lazy-ass motherfucker. If she were to get rid of him, then the true Zoe would shine bright. I know it would.

“Let me help you relax, Bluebird.” Zeke lifts Amelia off his lap, stands, places her back on the lounger, and starts to rub her feet. Fucker can read my mind. I oughta pat him on the back or award him a fuzzy, warm-ass feeling shit award.

I feel a twinge of jealousy rocket through my veins. Goddamn, love is all around me. Every fucking where. Zoe could have been it. Even though I knew it wouldn’t happen, I wanted her to be mine, until she walked into Zeke’s backyard with her boyfriend and son. My jaw never fucking drops. I’ve seen and done shit that would escort most to the grave keeper. But seeing that beauty waltz in and learn she’s been brain fucked by a piece of shit nearly took me out at the knees.

She has a kid. A perfect little boy who’s courageous and everything I was once. He has her eyes and carefree laughter, but it was Ricky, whose arm she was on, who made my blood fucking boil. My armor firmly strapped on to stand next to my brother on the most important day of his life, but all I hungered for was to slit that weasel’s throat. He’s hiding something from her. Something big. I know his kind. Slimy like a snake hiding in the grass just ready to strike.

Funny how the woman I thought I wanted was pulling off the grandest ruse of all when I’m left in my tattooed and muscular stature wearing my scars on my motherfucking sleeves. I hate it when people hide shit. Zoe is hiding a hell of a lot of it, right along with her man. While he’s hiding something dangerous, she’s hiding behind him. If I ever find out my suspicions about him are true, I’ll slice his dick off and shove it clear up his fucking ass.

“Saxon.” The familiar baritone voice of my brother drifts through my delusional thoughts. “Saxon, are you fucking hearing me?” No. I’m over here daydreaming about killing someone, asshole.

Zeke’s hands are now firmly wrapped around his wife’s feet. He’s rubbing them like he’s expecting a happy ending. I can’t bust his balls too much because I know all the medical shit that could go wrong is rampant in the back of his mind. I’ve never been prouder of Zeke than I am right now. He discovered something he needed to survive and never let go of it. Fuck, it wasn’t a gray area with Amelia and Zeke; it was black and white boundaries that no one should cross. But my champion, my brother ignored all of it. Fought it hard and beat those damn odds in the head.

“Yo.” I swallow back the remnants of my third beer. I need a lot stiffer shit than this to get me through this evening and chat about Zoe. If she shows.

“Saxon, could you please go over to her house?” Amelia pleads with her aqua eyes pouring out to my soul. Shit.

“And I know you already know where she lives.” Yup. I sure do. I toss the glass bottle into the near trash, listening to the glass pieces shatter.

Bingo! There’s Brick, the sometimes lovable, charming but mostly dickhead piece of shit.

“Saxon, please.”

It’s those two final words that jolt me into action. There are a handful of people who I’d sacrifice everything for. It so happens that Zeke and Amelia fit into that puzzle along with Katch, Caitlin, and Prez, Curtis, and the Hell’s Lovers MC.

“Fuck.” I push off the bar and stand upright. “Whatever, Bluebird.”

The veins in Zeke’s neck muscle tense and pulse. I shouldn’t be an asshole right now; these two have been to hell and back a few times. They need a slice of heaven, not this worrying shit.

“Fine. I’m going. I’ll call you in a bit.” I walk into the house, take a piss, and hit the road on my bike.

“That bastard better not be there. Low-life using, lazy fuck,” I holler out into the night, hit the highway, and park my bike a few houses down the street from her cute little house fifteen minutes later.

“Jesus Christ, every damn light is on in the place,” I grumble as I make my way up the darkened drive.

“Why the hell do I torture myself like this when it comes to her?” Maybe I should stomp my ass in there. Lay the fucker out and run off with her and the kid. It isn’t like I don’t know how to treat a lady right. I do. Just haven’t found one worth treating as mine, is all.

My boots hit the deck and halt me. “The fuck.” The door is slightly ajar. Weird, I think to myself but push it open anyway. Just another sign of this arrogant dickhead and how he treats his woman and child. I know better than anyone about the monsters that are hiding in this fucking city. They’re relentless, invisible, and out to hurt anyone in their way. The kid could run right out. Be gone before anyone knows it.

“Zoe.” I take a step into the house and freeze. The irony why the driveway was blackened out isn’t lost on me.

It’s the familiar metallic smell that slaps me in the face first.

The need to get away without anyone noticing.

Death.

“Zoe,” I holler louder. No response. I take two steps further. My stomach knotting. Something isn’t right here. This isn't good. “Goddammit, where are you?”

Panic sets in as the full picture appears in my view. I place my hands on top of my head and squeeze to a near painful point. This cannot be fucking happening.

Zoe’s lifeless, mangled body lying in her own pool of blood. Her once vibrant eyes cold and dead. I watch all my sins play out in front of me. I kill without thought or remorse, and maybe this is my punishment.