Page 7 of Property of Brute & Axl

We’ve lived outside the law for too long; it’s only a matter of time before one or both of us is caught and either tossed in the slammer or killed. It’s never been a question of if it will happen, more like when. We’ve come to terms with that. Fin might not be as accepting of the lifestyle.

I’ve seen guys crash and burn after falling in love. Some make it work; most don’t. To have an ol’ lady is to make yourself vulnerable, and I never anticipated that. Though from the minute we met her in that bar, Axl and I both knew she was different. That weekend with her was too good for the likes of us. We didn’t deserve the kind of pleasure she brought. The way she laughed when we told her we were a packaged deal because she’d figured that out before introducing herself.

She’s smart. Too fucking smart for Axl and me. But there was something in the way she carried herself. The confidence that she would leave us wanting more. She was right. I think she knew it, too, and that’s why she left us without a word.

We brushed it off as a terrific weekend out of town and moved on, not giving her another thought. At least not out loud. I’d taken on more orders while Axl dove into more bike restorations. Working until we dropped became a regular thing, and I’m not sure about Axl, but Finleigh has visited me in my dreams all too often.

Axl has always been more open about his wants and desires. He mentioned her to me a few times in that first month, but I shut him down every fucking time because I didn’t think I could handle losing her. Now that we nearly have, I’ve changed my mind. Leaving her alone almost got her killed; it’s time to bring her home and protect her.

I quietly enter her room, and she’s covered from neck to toe in blankets, still naked, but without all the monitors and IVs. She comes with baggage, but don’t we all? Keeping Finleigh has become my…our…new priority.

Drawing the privacy curtain across the end of the bed, I drag a chair beside her and sit down. Staring at her tense face, I can tell she’s locked inside a mind tormented by memories she can’t recall.

Gripping one corner of the blanket, I drag it back to reveal her body to me. My eyes lock on her belly and the life she’s creating, wondering briefly if it's mine, Axl’s, or someone else’s before focusing on the rest of her.

I could admire how her curves have filled out more since I last touched her, but I zero in on the injuries. The boot prints on her arms and thighs. The stitches on her chest, arms, and legs. Her bandaged feet. The fresh cast on her arm, because they did have to redo that; thankfully, there was no need to reset the break.

What catches my attention, however, lies between her legs—not the obvious swelling and bruising from being raped, either. Scars blemish the insides of her thighs, nearly covered up by bruising, but clustered and pronounced enough to recognize that they’re older and have nothing to do with her attack.

If I had my guess, it’d be that she was mutilating herself long before we met her. Whoever she was, wherever she belonged, it clearly wasn’t a life she was happy in. She carries pain inside her that flows deeper than what shows on the surface. She’s marked by trauma far more profound than what anyone could understand.

“What the…” Axl enters the room as I continue to study our woman. “Jesus,” he mutters as he steps around the curtain to get a closer look at her damage. “She cuts.” He’s always been observant, so it’s not surprising his eyes land straight on the scars.

“Yeah. Looks like several years’ worth.” And I bet if we were to examine the rest of her body, we’d find more.

“Easy is digging into… Everything about her,” Axl says as he sets the food down on the tray on the opposite side of the bed. “He’ll send her address once he has it. We can figure out how and when to collect her things another time.”

I agree, already thinking about our explanation of all that she’s endured. How we’ll get the detective off our asses so we can bring her home.

“Grabbed some stuff for us, too.” He drops a small travel case in my lap before ripping open the bags of food.

“Thanks.”

Covering Finleigh back up, I accept the burger and fries he hands me before checking my phone to see if there’s been any more orders for me. The calendar is clear, so I block it off for a few days. I’m not sure how long I’ll last before needing a target in my scope again, but I can focus on Finleigh and club business until the time comes that I must shed the world of another life.

Chapter 5

Finleigh

They stayed awake all night. Every time my eyes opened, one or both of the men would be watching me or the door. No one entered my room without a thorough inspection. I suspect they’d have patted down every nurse as well but didn’t because they had been introduced to the overnight staff before yesterday’s shift ended.

I started this morning feeling more rested than I have since arriving, despite being woken at dawn for all the tests they wanted completed before I leave. My hunger returned, too, and thankfully, Brute walked through the door with breakfast in hand as I was coming out of the bathroom. A nurse must help me every single time, and it’s degrading and makes me sick every single time.

They all think I don’t understand the worst of what happened to me, but the agony between my legs tells a story they’re all intentionally keeping from me.

I was assaulted, violated, and raped. Not remembering doesn’t make it any better. The knowledge, the feelings inside my body speak the truth. The physical proof is on the outside. My only path forward right now is damaged and broken.

The swelling is going down, the bruises will fade, and maybe one day my memory will resurface, but it won’t matter because deep inside, I’ll know. Whoever hurt me not only stole my will and memories, but they also stole any innocence and consent I may have been holding onto.

Obviously, I wasn’t a virgin; the two men watching me eat and the baby fluttering in my belly are the apparent signs. However, that doesn’t mean I was sexually wise. It doesn’t mean there wasn’t some sort of ingenuousness left in me. Maybe I still believed there was good in the world. Maybe I lived in lightness. But now, I feel like I’m shrouded in darkness.

“Did you know?” I ask, sipping on the apple juice I was given. Unable to meet their eyes, I pick at the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit.

Brute’s are a mix of thick green grass after a hard rain, so dark and imploring. His stare holds so much anger and more secrets than I’ll ever understand. In contrast, Axl’s are so similar to mine. A hazel reddish-brown mix with flecks of gold.

“About what?” Axl is the one to ask. His voice is hoarse, making the hairs on my arms stand at attention. It’s like a rough caress with good intentions.

“The baby.” Chewing on my lip, I glance up. “You seemed surprised yesterday.”