Vicious Desire by Leslie V. Walker

Chapter Twenty-Three

Brendan

I shouldn’t have left her all alone. I knew this could have happen. That he could have come home at any moment. And when the time came, she needed me the most I wasn’t there for her.

Neo and everyone he is working with caused her harm. And no one messes with my family.

When we arrived at my house there was yellow crime scene tape around it making sure no one crosses the line. Some police officers are still here doing their job while some nosy ass people stand, watching like it’s their daily dose of gossip.

I asked if they knew anything about the bastard’s unfair death. I would have loved to make him suffer and force out some answers from him before he left to hell.

We’ve been here for more than thirty minutes and what we got out of everything is Neo must have had a spare key given to him by John, which is what he used to come in. And in the midst of it all, he killed John by stabbing him in the neck while he was in the middle of withdrawal.

But the question still lingers in the air: If John was on their side, why kill him? Clearly, he wanted the same thing as them—power. Money.

“Why do you think he did it? I mean he had an advantage. They could have taken Lillie and used her as leverage but instead they killed the guy helping them. Why the sudden turn of events?” Zane asks.

Were in front of Lillie’s room trying to see for ourselves what happened. “Did she tell you if she heard anything?” Gunner asks closing the door behind him. “No. Nothing.” Zane’s phone rings and he answers it in a flash throwing me a look.

I tighten my fists just thinking about what Lillie went through. “They could have been using him. I mean knowing Uncle John he was going to betray them in a flash and stay with it all and they just couldn’t take the chance,” I say.

Gunner’s eyes go dark, and he nods. “We’ll find out tonight.”

Zane comes back to us with his phone next to his ear. “Jonathan says we have to head to Eastview. Now.”

“What’s going on?”

We have been telling Jonathan to go out there every day to make sure nothing goes south or if he’s seen anything suspicious.

“He said Neo came and started gathering a few of his people and this other guy name Gillian is causing trouble with our guys.” Fuck, not now. I run my hand through my hair looking back at my sister’s room.

This is it, the bait.

“Tell him where on our way,” Gunner says walking down the stairs. Once we get in the car, I receive a text from Rocco telling me it was a go. I close my phone and drive off.

They’re watching us and to get to them we have to pretend were losing.

Pulling in at Eastview hangout, it looks like a scene from black Friday in Target.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Everyone is out of control, fighting, yelling, throwing random stuff at each other.

The guys come out the car with me and Jonathan comes running to us. “Holy shit.” It’s complete chaos here.

“Neo came here and took some men and then all of a sudden this guy Gillian started batching shit and swung at Neo which caused everyone to freak out because Neo was saying how in a few this place will be shit and he would start to be the one in charge. It didn’t suit well for any of them and then one fight led to another. Half of these people are drunk.”

“And where’s this Gillian guy?” We start to walk past the outside bonfire into the fight building.

“He’s inside.”

I nod my head to Zane and Gunner to head inside before me. “You did what I told you?” Jonathon nods showing me it on his phone.

“You have to be quick in there though, because they’ll be waiting for you.” I nod before walking in.

A guy with light brown hair sits in a chair glaring at Gunner. When he sees me, he snaps up. “You, tell your pet dog to back off and let me the fuck out of here. I don’t know what bullshit you have going on with Neo, but I want no part of it.” A smirk breaks free from my lips, and I push a rock with my feet coming to stand with him face to face.

“Is that so?” Stuffing my hands in my pocket, I rock back and forth.

“Yes,” he snaps.

“You hear that, Zane; he wants no part of it,” I say looking up at Zane who comes around him placing a hand in his shoulder. Gillian tries to shove it off, but he just tightens his hold. “If that was true you wouldn’t have ever stepped foot in this place.”

He huffs in a breath controlling his next move, “You do know this was formed without our permission,” Gunner says, which earns him another glare. “I needed the money. I don’t give a shit about this town’s stupid feud. My family needs the money and I’m not about to let them down so we can end up in the streets because of you guys.” The guy has balls and if it wasn’t for what’s going on now and the fact of what’s waiting for me upstairs, I would have taught him a lesson. But he seems like the guy who can hold up shit.

“How about $2k tonight and all you have to do is one small thing?”

He eyes me and I can see he wants to say yes, but is questioning us all, as he should, we shouldn’t be trusted.

“I don’t have all night.”

“What would I have to do?”

“All you have to do is call your little buddy and send him a message for us.”

“What’s the message?” Gillian asks.

“To come out and play.”

Arriving back at the hospital I get a call from Lillie’s social worker, Kacey.

The phone rings in my lap and I stare at it. What if I answer and she tells me my sister has to leave? She won’t be able to stay with me. I can’t have that. I can’t lose my sister too.

“You coming?” Gunner asks looking down at my phone and reading the caller ID. He glares at it. “What does she want? She can’t take her away.”

“She won’t,” I reassure him.

“Go and get them. I’ll take the call.” They nod and leave to tell the others we arrived.

I grab my phone and answer. “What do you want?” I snap getting straight to the point.

“Brendan listen,” she starts, but I cut her off before she gets another word out. I’m too furious at the moment and just the thought she wants to take away my little sister from me has me going mad.

“No, you listen here. She’s my sister and I’ll die for her. I won’t let you or anyone take her away from me. I’m done listening to you, this time she stays with me. I could have left the house with her a long time ago and she would have never gone through what she just had, if it wasn’t for you demanding he owns guardianship. I’m emancipated I could be with her, I’m her family not that bastard or anyone else!”

I tighten my hold on the wheel, my knuckles turning white at the tight grip. After a few seconds past and I am able to get my breathing under control, she speaks, “I’m giving you exactly a week to find someone who is capable of taking care of Lillie until you are or else, she’ll be in the foster care system. So, if I were you, I’d get started now. I can only distract them for so long.”

“There’s no way I can get someone so fast.” I can feel my pulse racing a mile a minute as I watch people walk in and out the hospital. The thought of being able to have my sister within reach of me has hope flaring inside of me.

“Find someone. I like you both and I don’t want you guys separated, but it means you have to start looking. You have a week.”

“Are you fucking with me right now, Ms. Greene?”

“Of course not, it’s literally about one in the morning and I’m tired. I have no time for joking around,” she says with a sigh.

“I just called to let you know. I’ll be messaging you every day; do not ignore me, Mr. Carter.” I mumbled a whatever and we say our goodbyes just when the car door opens.

I turn around on my seat to look at Ayanna who helps Lillie in, “Everything good?”

She nods. “Everything in order.” I wait till everyone is seated before heading out.

Lillie sleeps in the back as Ayanna stares out the window. Rocco and Gunner are in the back with them and Zane in the passenger seat. Low music plays on the radio as I make my way past the forests.

Just as I go to take a right, a loud horn sounds.

Ayanna yelps in her seat when a car comes straight at us, and I swerve left trying to bypass them, but there’s no use when more cars surround us. I press the breaks hard coming to a stop, I turn the wheel to go the other way when another car comes in blocking us from behind.

Everything is silent for a moment. We all don’t move as everyone starts coming out of their cars, slamming their doors shut.

Fuck. Were trapped.

I don’t miss a beat when our doors a swing open Neo front and center taking ahold of Ayanna and yanking her down.

“Miss me?” he taunts.

“Dad?”