FIRST CHAPTER - FLAME (#2, FIERCE)
CHAPTER 1
GOOD BEGINNINGS
Autumn
A bright
golden sun blinds us as we wait in front of the prison entrance. The sky is
blue, pink, and red, colored by the radiance of the sun, reminiscent of a
painted canvas. With my hand on my forehead, I stare ahead into the distance.
The dark concrete building sends chills down my spine. Wired fences surround
the premises, an eerie warning to those outside as well as inside.
A gentle
squeeze of my hand reminds me Hunter is here, right beside me. I have nothing
to be afraid of. He cocks his head sideways, looking down at me with an easy
smile on his face. A smile that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Our hands
are clammy, and I can feel him twitch. The fine creased lines on his forehead
show his restlessness. His jaw is clenched and his eyes dart back to the fence,
keeping an eye on the only visible door. Tension ripples off him like fumes
from a stoked fire. He probably can’t wait to see his brother, but at the same
time he seems anxious. Concerned.
His thumb caresses
the back of my hand, a warm, comforting reassurance that everything will be
okay, but I should be comforting him instead. I tangle my fingers through his,
huddling up against him. Placing my head against his shoulder, I take in his
soothing scent. There’s a smile on my face, because even though we’re in a
horrible place, we’re finally doing what Hunter’s been waiting for all this
time: seeing his brother be freed.
A cold
breeze wafts past us. I shiver. I should’ve put on something warmer, but I got
lost in the hectic pace of it all. When Hunter got the call that his brother
was being released, he jumped at the opportunity to pick him up. He didn’t even
want to take a shower before rushing out, which is so unlike him.
I rub my
hands together and cling to myself. Hunter turns around toward me and says,
“You cold?”
“It’s
nothing. Forgot we’re nearing winter,” I say with a chuckle, trying to laugh
off my stupidity.
“Here,” he
says, taking off his coat and draping it over my shoulders.
“But now
you’ll get cold,” I say.
“Nah, I’m a
freaking radiator. You know that.”
“You sure?”
I ask, raising my eyebrows.
He lowers
his. “Keep it on or else …” For a second we just stare at each other, until a
sly grin slowly creeps onto his face and I burst out into laughter. His threats
always make me laugh. Not because they’re funny, but because I love it when he
gets rough with me. They’re more promises than threats. Bad, sexy promises.
When the
door clicks open, our ears perk up like those of a Labrador. The noise immediately
draws our attention. I hold my breath, and Hunter squeezes my hand tight. He
inhales a deep breath when a guy about his size steps out, his blond hair and
rough features reminding me of Hunter. They do look alike. I only saw his
photograph, but it really is striking.
A smile
builds on Hunter’s face, and his eyes light up when he sees his brother
stepping out of the gate. For a moment he’s nailed to the ground as his brother
comes toward us, bags in both his hands. Without saying anything, Hunter lets go
of my hand and starts walking toward him, his pace increasing with each step.
They meet halfway. His brother drops the bags to the ground and opens his arms.
Tears fill
my eyes, but sadness isn’t their cause. Happiness swells inside me. Seeing the
two boys embrace in a manly bro-hug brings me peace. Hunter’s finally got what
he wanted. The look in their eyes is intense, filled with silent, unspoken
emotions. I can tell from a distance. When his brother takes a quick peek at
me, I freeze and blush.
They turn
around and Hunter smiles at me while his brother picks up his bags and walks
after him toward me. Leaning against the car, I try to act casual when they
approach, even though I’m nervous as hell. Goose bumps cover my skin, but I’m
not sure if it’s from the cold or from my anxiety. I want to make a good
impression, but new people always scare me, because I don’t know what they’ll
think of me. Insecure should be my middle name.
Hunter’s
brother comes toward me and drops one of the bags on the ground, holding out
his hand. “Hey, I’m Jessie.”
I shake his
firm, tough hand. “Autumn Blakewood.”
The gleam
in his gray eyes draws my attention like a magpie to a shiny jewel. His
brilliant smile reminds me of Hunter’s, but Jessie’s smile isn’t as cheeky.
From the corner of my eye I can see his arm and shoulder are covered in
tattoos. His hand feels warm and trustworthy, and I feel like I already know
him well enough to relax. Weird. I never experience this.
“So …
You’re Hunter’s girlfriend?”
My eyes
widen, heat flustering me. “Wha—”
Jessie laughs. “Not the talkative type I see.”
“I … uh …” I stammer. I feel overwhelmed by his abrasiveness. God, he
reminds me so much of Hunter, it’s freaky.
Hunter steps forward and puts his arm around my waist, pulling me closer
like he’s staking his territory. “All mine.”
I feel almost embarrassed being marked as his publicly like that, but I
have to admit I kind of like it. He’s finally at a place where he can freely
tell the world he’s with me and that I’m his. I love being his.
Jessie winks. “Good for you. You two look cute together. Although, I
must say this is a surprise, Hunter.”
Hunter laughs and shakes his head. “Why? Am I that predictable?”
“No, I’m just surprised she actually wants you as a boyfriend.”
Hunter punches his brother in the shoulder, and I chuckle.
“He’s not that bad,” I say.
Hunter looks back at me, squinting like he’s testing me or something.
“Not that bad, huh? Don’t you mean fantastic?” He wriggles his eyebrows, making
me laugh even more.
Jessie leans forward and whispers into my ear, “I’d watch out with that
one, if I were you. He’s bold and has a tendency to bite.”
Then he opens the door to the driver’s seat and steps inside. Hunter
grabs the two bags lying on the ground, opens the trunk, flings them inside and
slams it shut again. Then he opens the door to the back seat and gestures for
me to get inside like a real gentleman. I’m still chuckling, and yelp a little
when he smacks my ass as I get inside. I don’t want to admit that I like him
being naughty, but I do. The bite is just that little extra I need to make my
life so much more interesting.
Hunter gets into the passenger’s seat and we drive off.
“Feels good to have my car back,” Jessie says, tapping the steering
wheel. “Although this baby has seen a lot of nasty things.”
Hunter snorts. “Obviously. If it wasn’t for the fact that we needed it,
I would’ve dumped it long ago.”
“Hey, the gang brought some good things too.”
He shakes his head. “They’re the reason you were in jail. Nothing’s good
about that.”
“That was partly my own fault. And you got to go to college thanks to
the money.”
“Yeah, well that’s all over too, I guess.”
Jessie briefly glances at his brother while driving. I’m behind him,
trying to pretend I’m not here, because this conversation feels awkward. I
don’t think I’m supposed to be around to hear this.
“What is?” Jessie asks.
“The gang.”
“I’m not sure what to think about that.”
“What?” Hunter spouts. “You’ve got to be kidding me. They were nothing
but bad news. I’m glad I got the leader behind bars.”
“You know he’s not the only one behind this. The gang is so much bigger.
And now they’ll probably go after us.”
“No, they won’t. The police will roll them up for good. Those assholes
are finally getting what they deserve.”
“Dammit, Hunter!” Jessie slams the wheel, and I jolt up in my seat. He’s
just as explosive as Hunter.
“I tried fucking everything to keep you out of this and provide you with
a good future, but you had to go and involve yourself with them,” Jessie says.
“I did what I had to do! You think I wanted to join them? Of course not!
But it was the only way to get you out.”
“I never asked you to get me out!”
Now they’re up in each other’s faces, the car swerving on the road. I’m
just sitting here, cowering in the backseat because I’m terrified we’ll get
into an accident if they keep this up.
“Guys?”
“What?” they both yell, scowls on their faces.
I back away and point at the road. “Traffic.”
Jessie’s eyes shoot back to the road, and he manages to stomp the brakes
just in time. “Shit!”
We come to a screeching halt in front of a traffic light. I barely
manage to stop myself from bumping headfirst into the seat in front of me. With
his hands clamped around the steering wheel, Jessie snorts, and Hunter sighs,
settling back into his seat.
I exhale loudly.
“If I hadn’t joined the gang, you’d still be in jail,” Hunter murmurs,
crossing his arms while staring out the window.
“You could’ve also not joined the gang, like I begged you to, so you’d
be safe,” Jessie says, his jaw clenched.
“I got you out, didn’t I? That’s all that matters,” Hunter retorts.
Now they’re both avoiding each other’s gazes, and I’m left wondering
what the hell happened to that brotherly love they felt only minutes ago. They
must really love each other if they can go from bro-hugs to fighting within
moments, just because they both care too much for each other. Endearing.
“But you’re both safe now. Alpha Psi will cease to exist as a gang,
Hunter will go to college, and you’re out of jail,” I say, trying to talk some
sense into them.
They both throw glances at each other, sighing loudly like neither of
them wants to call it truce. So typical.
“You both wanted the best for each other. That’s something to be proud
of. Don’t fight about it.”
Hunter grumbles, frowning.
“Please,” I add.
It’s silent for a while. They both stop talking, and even sighing,
although that almost makes me think they’re just holding their breaths to go at
it again. It’s the most uncomfortable silence I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ll be
glad to get out of this car once we get to our destination. Wherever that is.
Hunter never told me where we’re headed, and as I was too caught up in our
plans, I forgot to ask. Getting his brother out was our goal, and now that we
have him, I have no clue what we’re going to do.
After a while, Jessie breaks the silence. “Look. I appreciate you
getting me out of jail, all right? I just didn’t want you to have to go through
what I did just so you could free me.”
Hunter looks him in the eye, and they stare at each other for a few
seconds. “I get that, I really do, but I wasn’t going to let them take you away
from me. No way.”
Hunter looks down at the carpet flooring of the car. “And I’m sorry I
fucked everything up. That I screwed up in college. That I accepted the deal
with Agent Williams to get you out. I infiltrated Alpha Psi, but did a lot of
horrible things to gain their trust. I’m sorry for everything, but I had to do
it. I needed you back,” he says.
It breaks my heart hearing him say that, because I know how much he went
through for his brother. How much he was willing to sacrifice for him.
Jessie reaches for Hunter and pats him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry you
had to go through all that just for me.”
They smile at each other, and I can finally relax again, knowing they’ve
settled their squabble.
“I won’t fail you again, I promise,” Jessie says.
“You didn’t fail me. You did everything for me. That’s why I needed to
do this. I wanted to make you proud of me, but getting you back was more
important to me. You’re the only one I have.”
Jessie smirks. “That’s not true.” He cocks his head and gazes at me for
a second. “You have her, too, now.”
A flush spreads across my cheeks, and I freeze. “What?”
Hunter laughs. “Hmm … you’re right.”
I just smile a cheesy smile at both of them.
“Well, I’m just glad to have you back,” Hunter says, grabbing Jessie’s
arm.
“So am I, little brother, so am I.”
“So, where are we going?” I ask, to change the topic so they won’t argue
anymore.
Jessie and Hunter look at each other, and Jessie shrugs. “Home, I
guess.”
Rubbing his temple with his fingers, Hunter says, “I’m not too sure
about that.”
I lean forward, but Hunter turns his face away from me. I swear, I
thought I could see him blush.
“Why not? She’s your girl, right?” Jessie asks.
Hunter clears his throat while I suck on my lip. I’m not sure what
they’re talking about, but I’m dying to find out.
“You can’t keep pretending forever. You’re gonna have to show her one
day.”
“Show me what?”
Hunter sighs. “I don’t know …”
“Oh, c’mon. The house is not that bad. Besides, she doesn’t seem like
all those other girls you used to hang out with.”
Now Hunter’s sinking back into his seat like he’s ashamed. I’m making
faces just from the thought of seeing him hang out with other girls.
“Yeah, well that’s all in the past now,” he says, swallowing.
I’m relieved, but I’m intrigued, too. I want to know where they live,
and now that they’re being so reluctant, I’m even more interested in seeing it.
I wonder why Hunter doesn’t want me to see. What’s he afraid of?
“I want to see where you live,” I say.
Hunter bites his lip.
“Please?” I say, pouting at him. He bursts out in little chuckles and
reaches for my face with his index finger, gently caressing my cheek.
“All right.”
Jessie laughs and scratches his beard. “Can’t wait to see this happening.”
“What?” Hunter snaps.
“Don’t mind me. I’ll just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.”
Hunter punches his brother against the shoulder. “It’s your fucking
fault our house looks like that!”
“Hey, I’m a busy man, I have a job. Or … had.”
“So? That doesn’t mean you have to live like a pig, dude.”
“What can I say? I’m a dirty man.” He wriggles his eyebrows, just like
Hunter always does.
I snort. “You two are more alike than I thought.”
“Hey!” Hunter says, poking me.
“See? Even she can tell. You’re a pig too. You’ll feel right at home.”
“It is my home, fuckwad. You just turned it into a dump.”
“It’s not my fault you can’t keep your clothes in one pile!”
Hunter gapes at him. “I’m always cleaning your shit, and you know that.”
Oh, here they go again. I roll my eyes and groan. I wonder if this is
normal for them. It probably is, but I guess that’s a good thing. It means I
have nothing to worry about, because they still seem like best buds. Those two
will be A-Okay.
