Beckett who was standing on my front porch; instead, it was my brother. Suffice it to say, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about seeing him either.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you,” he answered.
“And why would you do that?”
“You need to come to the clubhouse. We’re going into a lockdown.”
“A lockdown?”
“Yeah. It’s where all the brothers and their families come to the clubhouse,” he explained. “Being under the same roof is the best way to make sure everyone is safe.”
Assuming this all had something to do with what had happened earlier tonight, I asked, “Safe from what?”
“I can’t get into all that. It’s club business, Alyssa. That’s all you need to know.” His tone was hurried, like he didn’t want to take the time to actually talk to me, and it was aggravating him that I was wasting time. “Now get your stuff and let’s go.”
“No, Clay. I’m not going.
“What the fuck, Lyssa?”
“I’m sorry. Do what you gotta do and all, but I’m not going to be a part of all that.”
“Have you lost your mind?” He was getting angrier by the second, and I suddenly got why the brothers called him Hyde. My brother had a short fuse, and when things didn’t go the way he thought they should, he’d struggle to keep his rage in check. Tonight was no different. It wasn’t like I didn’t understand why he was so angry. Clay had no idea that I’d seen what had gone down tonight, so he didn’t understand why I was resisting his attempt to help me. “You’re my sister. There’s a chance that you might be in danger, and I’m here trying to make sure that nothing happens to you—just like I always do.”
“I get that.”
“Then why are you giving me fucking lip about it?”
“Because you wouldn’t even be standing here if it weren’t for Satan’s Fury—the very club that you think will keep me safe.” As I stood there staring at him, I was reminded of the moment the light from the car’s blaze shined on his face. My brother, a man who I thought could do no wrong had done the unthinkable. It was easier to believe that he’d been made to do it, that someone or something had forced his hand, and it made me angry to think that the club might’ve put him in that position. That thought led me to say, “The whole thing is crazy. I wouldn’t need to be kept safe if you weren’t with them.”
“Oh, so you suddenly got a problem with Fury?” His green eyes burned with hostility. “Now that’s funny, ’cause you sure as hell didn’t have a problem with them when they were getting you this house and giving you all the fucking furniture you’ve been using!”
“I appreciate what they’ve done, you know I do, but that doesn’t mean I want to be pulled into whatever it is you’ve got going on with them.” I crossed my arms and tried to keep my voice steady. “I’m trying to make a life for myself here ... a life of my own, and I can’t do that when you’re pushing your brothers and your club on me. I don’t want any part of it, and honestly, I want a break from you for a while.”
“I don’t get you. Where the hell is all this even coming from?”
“It’s not coming from anywhere,” I lied. “I’m just telling you that I want a life without any interference from you or your brothers.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“Just go, Clay!” I shouted. “Go live your life, go do your thing, and let me do the same.”
“Fine. You want space? You want a life of your own? You got it!” he snarled, then turned and stormed down the front porch. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing, Sis, ’cause I sure as hell don’t.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I simply closed the door and locked it, then stood there for a moment, listening to the sound of his bike’s engine roaring to life in the driveway. Once it finally faded in the distance, I turned off the front porch light and headed to my room. As soon as I crawled into bed, I pulled the covers over my head and started to cry. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d cried so much. I was just so hurt, so angry, and I couldn’t seem to get a grip on my emotions. I lay there sobbing until I finally ended up dozing off,