Page 30 of Second Sets Omnibus

You’d think this place would get cleaned every once in a while, but it appears no one has touched the filth in years. Not that I’m a clean freak by any means. Logistically, if they wanted patrons to enjoy their time here more, they’d clean more than once a year.

Kieran’s eyes drift toward the bar again, and he growls, threatening to get up as a man approaches her, and she smiles. Fucking smiles at the guy, and now my best friend is about to lose his shit. His fingers curl into fists at the sight of them.

“Calm down,” I say in a monotone voice, holding back the tension rising in my throat.

River's smile lights up the damn room, disarming every man in a fifty-foot radius. My damn heart thunks against my ribs as she glides behind the bar, taking care of everyone's drink orders.

“I’ll calm down when they stop staring at what’s mine,” he grunts, pouring mouthfuls of beer down his throat.

“Ours,” Rad reminds him with a drunken grin. “You think she’ll let me join you in the office tonight? I can keep her quiet when you rail her from behind. God, just imagine the gag I could make her.” I take a deep breath, trying not to imagine the scene he implanted in my head. But yet, my dick twitches in my jeans, proving he’s very interested in the tiny annoyance named River.

"Ours?” Callum asks, shifting in his seat. A deep red invades his cheeks when he looks between us with uncertainty and a frown.

Oh, Callum. You have much to learn. We may have never shared before, but it’s not something I’m opposed to, especially with her.

“She may be your perfect match, Cally Boy,” Rad barks out, laughing.

Callum licks his lips, staring over in her direction. He takes in every move she makes behind the bar until she disappears into the back. One long breath blows from between his lips, and his brows furrow. The gears in his brain work double time until she emerges from the back again and greets more customers. His body physically relaxes, and a slight grin tugs at his lips. In River’s presence, he seems to unwind from his usually tense behavior. River appears to be the balm that is slowly unraveling our dear Callum.

“That was our game, right?” I ask, taking a sip of my beer. “Make her fall for us and then coax her into talking to her father for us?” I raise a brow at the boys around the table, who stare at me like I’m fucking crazy.

I am fucking crazy. But I'm so goddamn desperate to get out from under my father's clutches. It's bad enough he's financially holding us hostage and taunting us with the means to leave him for good.

But fuck. Maybe we aren’t doing enough. As I stare at the girl working her ass off behind the bar, the realization sinks like lead in my gut. We haven’t resorted to any other measure to get out of our situation. Sure, we could get extra jobs and save up that way. We could pawn our valued belongings–even if my father keeps a sharp eye on all our possessions. We could do so much more than we are. But it seems like every solution we’ve come up with has failed us on every level.

Two years ago, we made a deal. Since most of us are stuck here—Callum and Rad pledged to make the band any spare money we needed while Kieran and I were forced to get degrees. Even if college anchored us to this place with no escape right now, in the future, we’d be out of here with a better future on the horizon. We still have time to make our great escape. We'llbe out of here if only we can last one more miserable year under the same roof as our father. My stomach sinks whenever Nigel Montgomery crosses my mind, bringing me back to the darkest days of my life.

"Emergency services. What is the nature of your call?" asks the woman from the other side.

Every inch of me shakes, jostling the phone against my face. Tears well in my eyes and burn down my cheeks.

"My mommy," I mutter into the phone through a hiccup.

"What's wrong with your mommy?" the woman asks in a softer tone.

"She's not moving. She's just lying in bed there…" I roll my lips together, stepping toward the woman lying in bed. "There's something in her arm," I choke out. "Mommy! Wake up!" I shout, forgetting the phone on the ground. "Mommy!" I cry more, dropping to my knees.

That night the men in white uniforms took her away, and my dad locked me in my bedroom for three days without explanation. I pounded and begged him to come back and set me free, but all I got in return was three meals and water bottles. I wanted my mom more than anything else. I needed to see her and hug her. She had to get okay.

When my dad finally opened my door, it was the day after her funeral.

"You see what happens to bad boys?" he asks, kneeling in front of me with one single rose between his fingers.

"Mommy?" I choke out.

"She's dead, son," he says in a low voice. "You saw what happened?" When I nod, his grin grows across his face, and he nods without further explanation.

The feel of my hair beneath my fingers is the first clue I've zoned out, falling into the terrible tragedies of my youth. Horrific events my father executed under my little nose.Something I had no idea about until I was a teenager. Everything my mother ever owned was burned in the fire pit as he celebrated his win of finally peeling himself away from her. And as for me? I cried myself to sleep every night, earning a beating for every tear I shed. It wasn't until Kieran and his mom moved in that I got a reprieve from his abuse. He only had more bodies to pound his fist into, instead of mine.

I blink when Kieran stares daggers in my direction, burning holes through my head.

“I’m not playing any fucking games. She’s mine,” Kieran says matter-of-factly with a sharp nod, exposing his teeth like he’ll bite me open if I suggest otherwise.

“Share the goods, bro. River is mine too. I want to splash her titties with my cum and…” Rad grunts when Callum puts his hand over his mouth, shaking his head.

The expression lining Callum’s face gives his true feelings away. He didn’t stop Rad because he was disgusted with his overly expressive words. It’s desire sitting in the depths of his eyes when he peeks at her again with interest, not in disgust. Not with the way his blush deepens, if that’s even possible.

Eventually, Callum will decide who the perfect girl is to lose his v-card to, and then he can move on from his embarrassment of sex. Or the opposite sex. Never have I seen a grown man fumble over his words as much as Cal. Despite his good looks, he’s been more reluctant than ever to reach out to women and talk to them the older he gets. I suppose his past may play a part in his decisions.