Elena:No. I’m fine, really. I’m just sore, really sore. You’re not a small man, and you’ve proven that. I want to do it again, though. I really want to do it again, and again, and again. Are you coming over tonight?
“What’s going on?” Saint asked, startling her.
She quickly sent the text, and pressed her phone to silent. Turning toward her brother, she couldn’t bring herself to force a smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Do I need a reason to come see my sister?” he asked.
His arms were folded across his chest, and he looked dangerous, but then he was.
“I don’t know. You tell me what has changed?” She chanced a look at him, and hoped he didn’t see that her heart was racing.
“I’m making all kinds of mistakes with you, aren’t I?” He moved away from the door, stepping into the room.
“I don’t know what kind of mistakes you’re talking about.”
“I remember when you were five, and you were trying to ride your bike. Dad, he was busy with the club, and Mom was constantly on the phone to him. I was off doing my own shit. You were alone, and I remember coming home from prospecting for the club, and it was getting dark. You were still on your bike. You refused to wear a helmet as they were all too big for you.” He started smiling. “Your knee was bleeding for falling off the bike, your cheek was bruised, but you just kept on getting back on your bike, riding up and down the path outside of our house.”
She remembered that day. Their mother had refused to help her, Dad was never at home, and Saint was already prospecting at the club. She’d been determined that no matter what she was going to be able to ride her bike by the end of the day. At first she got a few inches, and she’d fall off. Elena had stood up, brushed the dirt off, climbed back on her bike, and started riding again. Nothing would stop her from learning to ride that damn bike.
“I remember watching, and feeling so much guilt. Dad helped me ride a bike, and you were on your own. I made a promise to myself that whenever you needed someone, I’d be there, and I’ve fucked that up, haven’t I?”
“I really don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Exactly. After that day, you were always by my side. I’d take you to school, we’d fist bump, and they’d all leave you alone.”
“Saint’s little sister. No one would mess with me.” She remembered how special she felt every time he took her to school.
“Then Mom decided to be fucking crazy, and take you away. Dad and I, we were so fucking lost without you. We kept calling Mom, and she told us that you were curled in bed, sobbing, that you couldn’t stand to be near us.”
That made Elena look up. “What?”
“Yeah, Mom told us that you’d been begging to leave. You realized what the club was like, and that you were disgusted with who you were related to.”
“That’s not true!” Damn, her mother had been lying at every single turn, and it only made her even angrier. She’d pulled her away from her family, not just her father and Saint, but also from the club. Elena had wanted to be part of the club for so long.
“What?”
“That’s not what happened at all. I came home, and Mom had packed everything up saying we had to leave, that you kicked us out of our house. Not only that, she said that I wasn’t allowed around the club anymore. You were bad men, and bad men couldn’t be around girls like me.”
She saw Saint frown. “Dad didn’t kick Mom out. He missed you, Elena. Fuck, I missed you.”
“I never wanted to be with Mom. Never, and none of you tried to come and get me. None of you knew what she was like. She was crazy!” She pressed a hand over her mouth, and took a step away. Everything that had happened had been because of her mother’s lies. The distance between them was because of their selfish mother.
“What are you trying to say? Did Mom … hurt you?”
She froze, and stared at him. “Why are you here?”
“Why are you always trying to hide? Why are you always trying to lock me out?”
Elena couldn’t do this right now, not with Saint. After his revelation, she felt exposed, open, raw. She went to move around him, but he caught her arm.
“You’re not leaving.” He moved toward the door, and slammed it shut, pressing the lock in place. She was trapped with him, alone in their warehouse, and it scared her. Elena had done everything to avoid being alone with him.
“Who came with you?”
“Ralf is having a private conversation with Sarah, and they’re not going to be disturbed.”
“This is not fair. Sarah doesn’t want to talk to him.”