“Okay, well, just let me know,” I replied quietly. “Thank you,” I said a bit louder, echoing Bex’s sentiment. “I know this hasn’t got anything to do with you, and I appreciate you doing it anyway,” I blurted quickly.
Asher frowned at me.
“You’re family, Lily. Someone hurts you, they hurt us. We don’t stand for that. Appreciate the sentiment, sweetheart, but it’s unnecessary,” Gage said softly. “Plus, it was gearing up to being another boring Wednesday, I do love a good body disposal.” He winked at me.
Despite the situation, I smiled shyly. “Thanks all the same,” I repeated firmly.
I turned to go to my room, Asher still frowning at me.
I didn’t focus on what the reason for that could be, nor ponder how he could still look hot as anything with furrowed brows. I had a friend to look after.
“I’m thinking,” I said finally.
“About today,” Asher clarified.
“Yes. About your friend shooting someone, and both of you being prepared to kill that someone. No talk of calling the proper authorities was even entertained,” I answered.
Asher sighed and sat up, taking me with him. “You may not have been an Old Lady for three years, but you’ve been connected to the club. You know the way we live our life, our distaste for law enforcement,” he said slowly.
I looked into his clear eyes. “Yeah, I guess it’s different being on the sidelines and having to argue with your boyfriend over not killing someone.” I never thought I’d utter a sentence like that in my life. “It’s a lot to deal with. I’m already trying to pick myself up, this is something that has me in danger of falling down,” I whispered, the truth of my words slicing through my soul. I was still trying to figure out who I was after my mom’s death. Trying to understand whether being a nurse was what I wanted, if being who I used to be was what I wanted. If I did decide being a nurse was what I wanted, I had to study. Hard. I had to work harder to be able to survive. One of my scholarships had been dropped which meant I would need to pick up more shifts. My life would already be crazy. I didn’t need shootings in my living room. I didn’t need Asher consuming me.
His whole body tightened at my words. “I’m here to make sure you don’t fall, babe. That shit, it wasn’t exactly our fault,” he ventured carefully, and rightly so.
I leaned back. “The man getting shot by your brother was not your fault?” I repeated.
“He put his hands on you. Almost killed your best friend. What the fuck did you expect me to do?” he bit out.
“Call the police instead of discussing the dumping of his body?” I suggested.
Asher’s face was granite. “Shit that Tucker’s connected to, means half the police are in his pocket,” he said.
It was my turn to freeze. “What do you mean, shit that he’s connected to?” I repeated. “And how do you know Dylan’s last name?”
Asher seemed to contemplate something before speaking. “Everyone knows the Tucker family, babe. They’re crazy sons of bitches with a lot of money and a heap of power. Crazy plus power plus money means dangerous. Dangerous as fuck to be exact,” he clipped. “His family is into everything. Prostitution, drugs, arms. You name the pie, their fingers are in it.
“Dylan’s rich?” I asked in disbelief “He never even chipped in for groceries when he was here, regardless of the fact he ate everything in sight,” I complained. “What a … dick,” I said finally.
Asher raised his brows in amusement. “I’d say dick is a kind word to call him, though you’re focusing on the wrong details, babe. He’s dangerous. His family is off the charts crazy.” His face turned serious. “The fact he’s been in your presence, in your house without you knowing who he is, what he is,” he grimaced, “fuck babe.” He ran his hand over his mouth.
“Well, I don’t exactly run in those type of crowds, I just thought he was your regular run-of-the-mill douchebag,” I explained, not liking that yet again I was a clueless naïve girl needing to be saved.
Asher’s face softened, as he stroked my cheek. “Of course, you didn’t know, babe, I didn’t expect you to….” he paused, “Bex would have. It’s not a secret, and she does run with those type of crowds, Lily. As much as you wouldn’t like to admit it,” he added, seeing me open my mouth to argue, “she should’ve been smarter,” he said tightly.
I leaned back. “So you’re saying it’s her own fault that she got beaten up?” I asked in a quiet voice.
“Shit no, flower, of course not. The blame for that lies firmly on Tucker’s shoulders. Any man that does that shit is no man…” he paused again, “but she should’ve known the danger in getting involved with a man like him.”