Page 31 of Deadly North
“What do you mean?” I asked, bristling.
“Nah, nothing,” Mack replied. See ya around, G. Come on, Brock, you gonna practice or spend all day talking?”
Brock shrugged a goodbye at me and took off jogging behind Mack. I sent off a mentalfuck youto my brother’s best friend, and left.
The next day in class, Brock acted like we barely knew each other. And it wasn’t long before I found out why. Later, a girl named Lily in my English class came up to me right before the bell rang.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were gay,” Lily said, giving me a wide smile. “Did you ever think about joining the GSA? We meet today after school.”
“What?” I asked, startled. “I’m not gay.”
She furrowed her brow. “Oh, really? That’s not what I heard. And that’s not what’s going around the school.”
At practice the day before, Mack Maxwell had told Brock Tichenor that I was a lesbian. Well, from what I heard later, his actual words were, “She’s batshit crazy. And she’s not really into guys.” As they say, a lie can travel around the world in the time it takes for the truth to put on its pants. By the end of the day, pretty much everyone in my high school had heard I was gay. Given the fact that I’ve always been kind of an alternative chick, it was easy for people to believe, I guess. I wouldn’t have even cared that much, except that that was the end of any hope that Brock would ever ask me out. From that day forward, he never really spoke to me again. Since homophobes aren’t my thing, that pretty much took care of my crush on him. But unfortunately, the chilling effect of that rumor also ended up killing my chances of ever having a boyfriend in high school
So that was the end of my chances with Brock, or with any other boy, for that matter. All because of a thoughtless and stupid prank Mack pulled just to be an absolute dick to me. He never even acknowledged doing it. To this day, we’ve never spoken about it. But now, years later, he just joked about doing it again. Proving that not only does he remember, he wasn’t — and still isn’t — sorry about it.
What seems like a silly high school prank has brought all the hurt and humiliation and insecurity I felt back then rushing to the surface. My stomach is in knots, the same way it used to be when I looked at Mack and realized he just thought of me as a dumb plaything. I was only the stupid sister of his best friend, not good for anything but being the butt of a practical joke. I thought maybe he had changed all these years later. But not enough. Not nearly enough. I can’t believe I ever let my guard down enough to let myself get involved with him. I can’t believe I had sex with him.Twice.
And it’s worse than that.
I can’t believe that it wasn’t just sex for me. I let my heart crack open, just a little bit, and started developing feelings for him again. I should have known better than that. Hell, Ididknow better than that. Mack hasalwaysbeen nothing but King Asshole.
Tedward, who has been sitting next to me as I fall apart, jumps down from the bed. Trotting over to the closed door, he meows at it, then paws at it, as if wanting Mack to come back.
Great. Even my cat, who hates everybody except me, has fallen for Mack.
“Traitor,” I mutter.
15
MACK
Well fuck.
I probably never would have walked away from Gigi without resolving whatever bug crawled up her ass if I’d known that we’d be going on a run the next day before I’d get a chance to talk to her.
I spend the rest of the night partying at the clubhouse with the rest of my brothers — even though partying, in my case, involves getting as drunk as I can to forget about my fight with Gigi. Halfway through a bottle of whiskey, I tell myself that the best way to get over someone is to get someone else under me. But the usual flock of club bunnies that hang around during parties doesn’t do a damn thing for me. None of them look like Gigi, and none of them have her fire or her sexy body. After the second one gives me a lap dance and tries to pull me over into a dark corner, I give up thinking I can replace Gigi in my mind with someone else. For once in my life, I can’t convince my dick to get interested in anyone else.
Early the next morning, I wake up to the sound of pounding. At first I think it’s my head throbbing from this goddamn hangover, but then I realize it’s one of my brothers pounding on the door of the free apartment I nabbed for the night. “Church!” Black shouts. “Get into the chapel, now!”
Fifteen minutes later, all the Bastards are seated around the large oak table in the chapel. Elmo gives the Bastards a status update on what he’s found out about Blaze. It’s pretty fucking disappointing.
“Can’t find his legal name. Can’t find any other aliases. Can’t find where he’s from. Can’t find a legal residence,” Elmo tells us. “The only reason we know he’s a nomad is because of his bottom rocker. Can’t even find what chapter of the Scorpions he came from.
“No one I know knows him. No one outside of the Bloody Scorpions seems to have even heard of him. And except for the times when Mack and Fury have seen him, no one else seems to even recognize the motherfucker’s description.”
“The guy’s like a ghost,” Black mutters.
“Not far from it,” Elmo agrees. “I haven’t had this much trouble tracking someone down like, ever.”
“So, what do we do?” Fury asks.
“Elmo’s gonna keep digging,” Magnus says. “Meanwhile, we got a run to deal with. The next shipment of guns to our friends up in Canada is due to go out. I was gonna send a bunch of us up across the border next week like usual, but with everything goin’ on down here, I don’t wanna be gone that long.” Magnus looks around the table. “With Sturgis starting this weekend, it’s perfect cover for us.”
Norse continues where Magnus leaves off. “We’re gonna ride west in the direction of Sturgis, like we’re on our way to the rally. Hidin’ in plain sight. Our Canadian friends are gonna meet us in a predetermined location in central South Dakota to make the exchange.”
“That’s right,” Magnus agrees. “Elmo’s stayin’ here to keep lookin’ for him. Everyone else is coming on the run. Except for you, Reed.” Magnus turns to him. “You’re gonna stay here.”