Desolate Souls (Forgotten Souls MC, #1) (16 page)

Two Weeks Later

“W
hat?” I ask, staring at Deuce in disbelief. Of all the scenarios I pictured, this one never crossed my mind.

“It’s not confirmed, but I’d say Spyder’s right on the money.”

Shaking my head, I try to grasp what he is saying, but can’t. “We have to get Alana out of there.”

“In due time, but not a second before. If Paul had plans for Alana, he wouldn’t be keeping her around. We go in guns blazing, who knows what he’ll do.”

I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. The sooner Alana is away from Paul, the better. “So I’m supposed to stand by and watch the girl I have loved for as long as I can remember slowly dwindle away at the hands of that fuckin’ monster? I can’t do it! I won’t do it!”

“So what do you suggest? That we just snatch her up one night and bring her here?”

“If that’s what we have to do to keep her safe, then yeah!”

“Listen to yourself, man! Alana still fuckin’ hates you and you want to drag her away from the guy who, in her eyes, saved her? How you think that’s gonna work out?”

I let out an exasperated sigh, hating that he is right. If there is any chance that Alana will allow me back into her life, it will end right then and there. “So what am I supposed to do then? He is destroying her Deuce, and I can’t let that happen again.”

“I know,” he says, looking at me with a pain in his eyes I’ve never seen. “When you and I met all those years ago, we instantly connected. I knew I had found not just a friend, but a brother. Alana means the world to you, and because of that, I was willing to do whatever it took to help her. That was before I even met her. Now that I’ve spent some time with her, I can promise you that I would lay down my life for her. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s family, and that’s what family does.”

“So what do we do?” I ask, feeling just as helpless as I did so many years ago when I discovered the truth.

“We take small steps instead of giant leaps. Alana is just starting to trust me and if I blow that, we’re through. But in time, she will have complete faith in me, just like you did, and then we’ll work on repairing the damage Paul’s done to her. You have my word.”

His words mean more to me than he could ever realize. There was a time when all I had was Alana, but that has all changed. I am part of a family now, one that will take Alana into the fold and give her what they have given me. For years I have regretted what happened, wishing I could go back and change things. Deuce has always told me that things happen for a reason, and I finally understand what he meant. There is no going back. Nothing about the past can be changed. Alana was brought into my life to give me hope. At my darkest hour, Deuce came into my life and with his help we ended one nightmare. Together we will end another.

Fate has brought Alana and I back together because that is where we belong. No one knows what the future holds, but I know without her, mine will be meaningless.

One Month Later

“O
K, I take it back,” Deuce says, chuckling. “Not everyone can play miniature golf.”

With my hands on my hips, I narrow my eyes at him, feigning annoyance. Inside, I am laughing as hard as he has been for the last hour, and it’s such a good feeling. “I told you I suck at these things.”

“Darlin’, suck doesn’t even begin to describe what I have just witnessed.” He bursts out laughing, something that is becoming a common theme with him.

“Then next time let me choose an activity that I am actually good at instead of just planning these little outings without even consulting me.” I roll my eyes at him as he roars with laughter, finding my suggestion even more humorous. “There are things I’m good at, you know?”

“Of that I have no doubt,” he says, holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, darlin’. It’s just that I’ve never seen someone launch a ball quite like that.”

Shaking my head, I let out an exasperated sigh. I’ll admit, miniature golf turned out to be a huge bust. So did bowling, and I won’t even mention our day at the arcade. “At least give me credit for trying,” I argue causing his laughter to die down.

“I give you all the credit in the world, Alana and I can’t tell you the last time I had so much damn fun,” he says, making me smile.

“Thank you,” I whisper, blushing. It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun too and I hate that it is coming to an end.

When Deuce first asked me to go out, I thought he meant a date. I vehemently refused, wanting no part of it. I can still hear his laughter when I told him I had no interest in dating him or anyone else. My anger quickly turned to embarrassment when he explained what his true intention was.

“You got it all wrong, darlin’. I wasn’t asking you on a date. First of all, I don’t do the whole dating thing. And trust me, I’m not lacking in the pussy department,” he laughs, causing me to turn a bright shade of red. I start to walk away, completely mortified by my assumption. “Where are you going?” Deuce asks, gripping my arm.

I immediately jerk away from his hold, looking back at him in complete terror. “Don’t touch me,” I whisper, feeling like the wind has been knocked out of me.

“I’m sorry,” he says, holding his hands up in defeat. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him, even though I’m not. The exact moment his hand grasped my arm, memories of the past flooded me, something hard to erase. I begin to walk away again, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible.

“Wait a minute,” Deuce says, following behind me. “I think you misunderstood me completely.”

“And how is that?” I ask, turning to face him once again.

“Just because someone asks you out doesn’t mean they want in your pants. Don’t get me wrong. You’re a beautiful girl, and I would love to dote you around town, but not like a piece of ass. I like you Alana and I just wanted to get to know you outside the club. I think both of us could use a friend.”

I stare up at him in disbelief, not knowing if I should take his words as a compliment or insult. “Friends?” I ask, as if the word is foreign to me.

“Yeah. You know, two people that have something in common enjoying time together. It could be fun.”

“What do we have in common other than this place?” I ask, looking at the club that surrounds us.

“I guess I have the advantage here. We have more in common than you might think.”

I didn’t know how true his words were until I gave him a chance, and he hasn’t let me down. He too knows all about loss. I remind him of his sister, an honor I don’t take lightly. And he has upheld his promise to me, never making Jax a topic of conversation. I have gained a new friend, one that has never asked for anything in return.

“Let’s go grab some lunch,” Deuce says, bringing me out of my daydream. “Pizza or burgers?”

“Pizza,” I tell him, smiling broadly.

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I
can’t help but laugh as the waitress walks away from our table. “Unbelievable,” I giggle, shaking my head at Deuce.

“Told you I wasn’t hurtin’ when it comes to pussy,” he chuckles, his eyes leaving mine for a brief second to stare at the girl’s ass as she makes her way into the kitchen.

“I could’ve been your girlfriend for all she knew,” I say as I lean back in the booth, smiling over at him. Deuce is an extremely good looking guy, the problem is that he knows it and so does everyone else.

“Did it bother you?” he smirks. He’s an attention whore and makes no bones about it.

“No,” I tell him honestly. I like Deuce, but definitely not in that way. “We’re just friends, remember?” I say, smiling at him.

He nods his head in agreement. “Damn! And I was hoping you’d fall madly in love with me,” he chuckles. He looks over at me and smiles for a brief moment before his face grows serious. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.

“Why do you do it? You’re a different person when you are away from the club. I see how that spark in your eyes disappears the moment you walk through the door. You hate being there, so why do it?”

His question is a valid one, but I’m not sure I want to answer it. He wouldn’t understand. “It’s complicated,” I manage to say.

“I’ve got time. So spill it. Why are you doing something you despise?”

I let out a ragged breath. “There aren’t many options,” I tell him truthfully.

“There are lots of options for a young, pretty girl like you. What did you do before you started dancing?”

“This is all I’ve ever done,” I admit. “It’s all I’m good at.”
Except for sex.

“I don’t believe that for one minute. You are one hell of a dancer, and the main reason the club is doing so well, but you don’t enjoy it. And yeah, I know you’re making the big bucks, but you are capable of making just as much by doing something that doesn’t make you hate yourself,” he says, his tone filled with sincerity and concern.

He sees it.
I never had to say a word and yet he saw it in me. “How?”

“How do I know you hate yourself? Because I’ve been there. That look in your eyes is a familiar one, the same look I carried around for many years.” There is honesty in his voice mixed with pain and I know he is telling me the truth.

“What happened?” I ask, unable to stop myself.

“I told you that I lost my sister, I just didn’t tell you how. Her name was Renee. She was three years older than me and had been seeing this guy. He seemed like an alright fellow. Turns out he was one hell of an actor.” I can see the pain in his eyes as he speaks. “He raped and then killed her,” he says, his voice filled with finality.

“I am so sorry,” I tell him as I reach over and cover his hand with my own.

“I blamed myself for not protecting her, for not realizing what a monster he was. I wanted revenge, to make him pay for every ounce of pain he inflicted on her.”

I swallow hard as I watch his eyes turn cold. This is a side of Deuce I have never seen before and hope never to again. “Did you...?” my voice trails off. I am unable to say the words that are on the tip of my tongue, afraid of what his answer will be. I can see Deuce as a killer, and although the thought frightens me, I can understand why he would have gone to such lengths.

“No, I didn’t kill him. I wasn’t given the chance. My father took him out. And you know what happened? They locked him away, my mother too, for doing the right fuckin’ thing.”

I can’t even imagine what he must have felt. Losing his sister and then his mother and father, all because of one heinous act. One man had destroyed an entire family in the blink of an eye.

“My mom and dad were the only family I had besides the club. I felt alone, and because I had no immediate family, I was thrown into foster care and that’s when I met...” his voice trails off, refusing to say the name I have forbidden him from speaking.

“Jax?” Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment or maybe I’m just curious, but I sincerely want to know their back story.

“Yeah,” he whispers.

“It’s OK if you say his name,” I reassure him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the waitress approach. As she places the pizza in between us, neither of us utter a sound.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asks, her eyes solely focused on Deuce.

“No, we’re good,” he says, reaching for his wallet. He pulls out two twenties and passes them to her. “The rest is yours. Don’t bother us again.”

As she takes the money from his hand, she looks quickly over at me and then back at Deuce before leaving us alone.

“Jax was my first real friend,” he begins, a story that sounds all too familiar. Jax was my first friend too. “When we met, I saw the same pain in his eyes as I did my own. When I discovered the source of it, I knew our meeting each other had a purpose. You were that reason.”

I lower my eyes as he speaks, knowing deep down that he knows the truth about me. I am ashamed of my past, and mortified that Jax would reveal it to him. “He told you?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

“He loved you Alana. Truly loved you and still does. He never wanted to leave you, he wanted to save you.”

I lift my head at his words, narrowing my eyes at him. “How can you honestly believe that?”