“No. Not yet, at least. I’ve been trying to decode the message but nothing makes sense.”
“Kitty wouldn’t steer you wrong Lena. You know that.”
“I know Jared. I just don’t know what it all means.”
“Seems to me she was pretty clear. We need to leave.”
“But why?”
“Who cares?” my brother growled. “We don’t need a fucking reason to shit and get. Someone we trust leaves us a message like that. I think it’s pretty clear. We get the fuck out of dodge.”
That was Jared.
Simple and to the point.
The youngest of my siblings, Jared always lived in a world of black and white. He didn’t believe in anything else. He walked his own path and after what happened to me, his path generally aligned with mine. He was also the only member of our family that I talked to. Not that I wanted to, but because he refused to leave me the fuck alone.
“And go where?”
“I don’t care.”
“It’s not that simple Jared.”
“This club has gone to shit Lena and you know it. Everyone is acting weird. Reaper stays holed up in church. Ghost is running the club. Bullseye is gone. Player and Savage are gone. Now this wedding bullshit. What the fuck is really going on?”
“I don’t know.”
That was the truth. I honestly didn’t know. Not for lack of trying either. I just couldn’t figure it out. It was like someone dumped a massive puzzle in front of me and until I put the pieces together, I was just as lost as everyone else.
“Well sissy, you better figure it out fast or I will go over your head and call in for reinforcements.”
“Not yet,” I said softly, shaking my head. I knew who Jared was talking about. I didn’t want to involve them if I didn’t have to. I knew if Jared made the call, our big brother would come and bring his friends. I hadn’t seen them in seven years and wasn’t ready to forgive them yet.
“He calls you know.”
“Who?”
“Jason,” Jared whispered. “He’s worried about you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“No, you can’t. Not with Ascari looking for you. Jason knows it’s only a matter of time before he finds you. He wants to bring you in.”
“No.”
“Lena,” my brother carefully said, “It’s been seven years. It’s time to forgive him. It’s time to forgive them all.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. They are family. Family fucks up, but we forgive and move on.”
“Move on,” I sneered. “I can’t have kids Jared.”
“Jason didn’t have a choice, Lena. It was either that or let you die. He refused to lose you. They all did.”
“I can’t forgive him. Not yet.” I muttered.
“But you can forgive the bastard?” Jared challenged.