Page 6 of Ever After Between the Lines (Montgomery Ink Legacy)

Chapter Five

STONE

The sun warmed my face as I looked up into it and let out a deep breath.

It had been a long day on-site, and I was exhausted but still revved.

I needed to head home, shower, and then I was going to meet with Sarina.

Somehow she had taken me back. It wasn’t as if we had forgotten what had happened, but maybe we were just figuring out who we could be now.

I liked working for the Montgomerys. They were good people, took care of their crew, and didn’t mind that I couldn’t tell them everything.

Maybe it was because I figured a few of them had secrets of their own, or had been through shit the same as I had.

But they didn’t ask questions. Everything was above board and legal, because hiding from the Kingdom didn’t happen.

I knew they knew where I was, but they hadn’t come for me yet.

So that was something I would eventually have to deal with.

The Montgomerys didn’t mind that I didn’t answer their questions. They appreciated the fact that I did good work and was doing my best to learn.

They did care that I didn’t have a truck or vehicle, but between walking, and the city’s mass transit, I was making do.

I had never not had a bike or a vehicle. I had always had something. It had been a point of pride for me.

I had left my bike back at the Kingdom, and when I had come here, I had sold the car Arlo had given me, not exactly legal since the car hadn’t been in his name either, but it had worked.

The place hadn’t asked questions, and I hadn’t volunteered anything. I’d gotten the money I needed to get my life started, as well as any money I had on hand, and that was it.

That meant I didn’t have a vehicle, I had a shitty apartment, but I was saving.

And, if I was honest, I felt like I was also taking advantage of the fact that Sarina let me stay over.

Her sublet was small but fucking nice.

She had made a life for herself, and I was grateful for that.

If anyone had needed a new way to live, a new focus, it was her.

And she was making it happen.

I was so fucking proud of her.

I knew she was working too hard, and while I was too, I didn’t want her to have to.

Maybe I could figure out a way to help her. To make it so she didn’t have to work as hard. Not that I figured she’d let me help her. She was so goddamn stubborn, but then again, I wasn’t that far off.

That’s why I hadn’t taken the ride offered when Storm and Wes Montgomery, two of the family members that owned the company, had offered to drive me home.

They didn’t need to see where I lived, even though they had the address.

I didn’t need to see the pity on their faces.

And frankly, I didn’t need the charity. I liked them, but I didn’t know them.

I needed to do this on my own, even if I might be making a mistake.

I had made enough mistakes in the past, didn’t want to make any new ones.

I turned the corner, my thoughts on what my next step would be when I heard it.

A single booted foot on gravel, one that shouldn’t be there. Because nobody had been following me, I had been alone, and yet the hairs on the back of my neck were rising.

I turned and ducked the fist in the nick of time, but missed the man behind me.

“The King sends his regards,” a muffled voice whispered into my ear, and then the fight was on.

Someone grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me backward. I stumbled a bit, catching my balance, and stuck my elbow out, hitting the other man in the chest. He moved back, and I punched out, slamming my fist into the mouth of the other man.

It was the Rook and the Knight. They had come for me. They wanted me.

Fuck. I’d been too complacent. No, I hadn’t been able to hide entirely, as you couldn’t hide from the Kingdom, but they’d still found me. I didn’t even have a fucking weapon on me because I didn’t want to carry.

But I knew they wouldn’t care. I only had my small knife, not even a true weapon, and it wasn’t going to be enough. And I couldn’t reach it with my hands pinned behind my back, eerily reminiscent of the last time this had happened and I had watched Jeremy die.

Rage filled me at the thought of Sarina being in that position this time instead of Jeremy. I would never forgive myself if she got hurt. I couldn’t let them find her. I couldn’t lead them to her or have them know that I was close to her again.

I tried to get away but froze as the feel of a blade nicked at my neck.

“I wouldn’t move, boy. You never know how clumsy I can be.”

“Fuck you,” I grumbled, knowing if they were going to do it, they’d have already killed me. They were just waiting. For what, I didn’t know, but it had to be something. They wanted me, and now they were going to get me.

I just couldn’t let them have Sarina.

“You shouldn’t have left. The King wants your head, and he gets what he wants.”

“I’m not your fucking pawn. I never have been.”

“Really? Because you never moved up in the ranks. Never had enough dick to make it happen.”

I snorted. “You don’t want to hear about my dick, boy.”

“That what you’re going to go with? Well, too bad you’re going to die out here all alone. Kind of sad, really. Then again, you always were. Couldn’t keep your woman, couldn’t keep your friends or family. You already have one foot in the grave, Stone. You shouldn’t have run out on the King.”

“Fuck. You.”

I spat out the words, blood seeping from my cut lip, as the Knight hit me again and again, the Rook holding me back.

I couldn’t do much, not with a knife at my throat, but I knew they couldn’t kill me, not here out in the open.

At least, that’s what I’d hoped.

“What the fuck is going on?” a familiar voice called out from a passing truck. The tires squealed as the brakes slammed, and then the Knight cursed under his breath.

“You’re lucky this time, boy,” he spat, literally spitting in my face.

I growled, and then the Rook let me go, the knife easily tucked away in his pocket.

They ran, Wes and Storm coming at me. “What the fuck? Stone? Dear God. Come on, let’s get you to the hospital.”

I shook my head, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I’m fine. They didn’t break anything.” I winced, rubbed my side.

“At least they didn’t rebreak my ribs.”

“Jesus Christ, Stone.” Storm shook his head. “You need to see someone.”

“I can’t. You know why.”

They might not know the details, but they knew why. I had kept my secrets on purpose. So I wouldn’t go anywhere, but I was damn grateful to see Wes and Storm right now.

“Are they going to come after you again?” Wes asked, his hands on his hips as he glared in the distance.

“I don’t know. They should give me space, but hell, I just don’t know.” I let out a breath, defeat lying heavy on my shoulders. “I won’t come back to work. I won’t put your family in jeopardy.”

Storm frowned. “That’s not what we said. We’re worried about you.”

“What about your family?”

“They didn’t jump you on-site. They jumped you around the corner because you’re walking home alone. We just won’t let that happen again.”

“What do you mean? You’re going to fight back whoever tries to jump me?”

“No, we’ll just make sure you’re not alone.”

“And for how long?”

“Till they give up? We don’t know,” Storm growled. “It’s not like this is something we’re used to, Stone.”

“I figured that. You guys shouldn’t have to deal with me.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with this either. It looks like you’re trying to start a new life with your girl out here.”

“I’m not a good man, you guys.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I never have been. Maybe I’m just getting what I deserve.”

“Well, that’s just a crock of shit,” Wes added. “You got out. You do good work here. And while I don’t want to hurt anyone, I don’t want you to get fucking hurt.”

“Well, they found me anyway.”

“Did you use your real name on your paperwork?”

I nodded. “They’d have found me no matter what. Might as well not get you guys in trouble.”

Wes and Storm met gazes and nodded tightly.

“I know someone that can help,” Storm added, and my brows raised.

“Excuse me?”

“He’s a friend of the family, at the other part of Montgomery Ink.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Best not to ask questions. We’ll see what we can do to make sure that they know you’re off-limits.”

“What kind of shit do the Montgomerys get into?” I asked, blinking.

“As I said, don’t ask questions.” Storm shrugged, and I looked between the twins, wondering what the hell I had gotten into and why I felt oddly safe.

“Now get in the fucking truck, and we’ll take you home.”

“Can you take me to Sarina’s instead?” I asked, my voice low.

“Need to check on her?”

“Yeah. And just, well, you know.”

“We do,” Wes whispered under his breath, and I got in the back of the truck, wondering how the hell I had met these people and how my life had turned into this.

They dropped me off in front of Sarina’s building, and I said my thanks, wondering if I would see them again. They said they had people to help? Maybe. Or maybe I had gotten a concussion, and I was dreaming all of this.

Nobody gave me a second look as I walked up the stairs, and I didn’t know what to think about that, but I ignored it.

My lip was bloody, I knew I would end up with a black eye, but I didn’t look too bad, I figured.

I had tried to clean myself up in the truck, but in the end, Sarina would know exactly what had happened.

I should have just gone home. I shouldn’t show her this again. What the hell had I been thinking? Maybe I had gotten a concussion.

I turned on my heel to walk out and the door opened and Sarina’s voice soothed my soul.

“Stone? What happened?”

I turned, swallowed hard. “I should go home.”

“They found you,” she whispered, before she tugged on my wrist and pulled me inside. She closed the door behind her, locked the three deadbolts, and put her hands on the door, shaking as she rested her forehead on the metal.

“I shouldn’t be here.”

“Did they follow you?”

I shook my head, winced. “I don’t think so. Wes and Storm scared them off.”

Her eyes widened as she looked at me.

“Sarina,” I whispered, and swallowed hard.

She moved forward and cupped my cheek, her gaze filling with tears.

“You’re hurt. They found you.”

“I’m fine. They jumped me, but I’ll be more careful next time. Or, I don’t know, Sarina. They’re always going to be there. There’s no hiding.”

“I know, I’ve always been on the lookout, same as Rebel. There’s no living your own life if they don’t want you to.”

She tugged me to the barstool and then pulled out an extensive first aid kit.

“This brings back memories,” I said softly.

Her lips quirked into a sad smile. “I know. We’ve done this before. I did this for my father. My brother. I watched them die, Stone. I watched it all. I don’t know if I can do it again.”

She reached out, wiped the blood from my lip, and then cursed.

“We can fix it.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. But I’m not that man anymore. You’re not that girl. We’ll find a way out. We’re already halfway there.”

“Halfway there, and yet it seems like we have so much further to go. I can’t watch you die, Stone. I can’t have our past come back.”

I tugged on her arm and pulled her close to me, holding her as tightly as I could without hurting either one of us. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, what we can do. I’m never going to let them hurt you.”

“What if we don’t have a choice, Stone?”

I swallowed hard, but I didn’t answer. Because I would die before I let them hurt her, or I would kill anybody who got too close.

What was another mark on my soul, after all?