"Man this storm is getting bad quickly! I need to find a place to stay the night." I continue driving about ten miles an hour. Windshield wipers are on high. I still have a hard time seeing where I was going. The rain is pounding the roof of my car so hard, that I can't hear the radio, not to mention the hail that has started now.
I see a flashing open sign. "Thank you God!" I pull into the parking lot of, what turned out to be a bar. "Oh well, it will have to work. The hail is getting bigger." I grab my bag and umbrella. With a count of three, I open my door and then the umbrella, in one smooth move. I make a run for the door.
It opens easily. The wind almost yanks it out of my hand. I put the umbrella down so I can shut the door against the wind and rain. I try to wipe off most of the rain from my face.
I look around and see nobody. "Is that you, dad? Crow?" I hear a deep, husky voice from behind the bar area.
"Umm, no. My name is Amberlyn Green. I got caught in the storm. Can I stay here until the storm passes?" I replied as I walked slowly towards the bar. I have heard that voice before. But where?
"Do you know the difference between a screwdriver and pliers?" He asked, after a few moments of silence.
I am taken back by the question. What kind of shit is that? "Only a fucking idiot would not know the difference!"
"Great! Hand me the screwdriver on top of the bar."
I still haven't seen him. My guess is that he is laying on the floor. I get the tool and round the long bar. I'm curious as to what he looks like. My guess is he is tall, and muscular, judging by his deep voice. When I round the bar, all I see is long legs, six pack abs, and a waist. He isn't wearing a shirt. What I see is very impressive so far. Too bad I have a boyfriend. "Here you are."
He sticks a hand up for the screwdriver. Then it disappears again. Then reappears. "Pliers."
I hand over the tool. "Can I use your phone? Mine died."
"Yeah, go ahead. You can also charge your phone."
"Thanks! But I didn't get my charger from my car. And I'm not going back out there if I can help it." I dialed Greg's number.
"Hello?" He answered after the fifth ring. He sounded kinda out of breath.
"Greg! It's me. I am stranded in the storm."
I heard another voice in the background. "Come back to bed baby."
"Who is that?"
"Oh! Umm, nobody. Just the tv. So where are you stuck at? I didn't think that this storm would reach Austin yet."
"Is that Amberlyn?" I recognize that voice now. It is my cousin Gina!
"Actually, I'm not in Austin. I'm outside Lake June. At least I think that I got that far." I paused to see what he would say. He didn't say anything, but I heard the sound of lips kissing. "Are you eating something? " I asked to see what he did.
"Oh, umm, yeah I'm eating."
"Not yet, but I have hopes." I heard a whisper as they both chuckled.
"Well I guess that I don't need to finish the drive to your house. Since you are with Gina. I wish you happy."
"Now just a damn minute, Amberlyn! Who said that I was with anyone?"
"I hear her! You bastard! How dare you? I'm not stupid or deaf. So you can go back to her and forget about me! I'm done!" I slammed the phone down into the cradle.
"If he is cheating on you, he doesn't deserve your anger. Show him no emotion. I've learned that it is the best revenge in any circumstance." I jumped at the sudden voice behind me. I turned and saw a walking wet dream. Even though he had put on a tight black tshirt.
He was at least six feet tall and well muscled. Long black hair was pulled back into a single braid. He has a chiseled jawline and thinish lips. What set him apart was the small dimple in his chin. He had lightening bolts tattooed on the right side of his face, from his hairline to his jaw. There was a small hoop in each eyebrow. Both ears had two earrings each, one pair was a Celtic Cross and the other was a hoop. Another tattoo of a Viking ship on his left forearm. He had a dangerous aura about him. He reminded me of someone. It was just out of reach. He also reminded me of Ashton Harris from high school. Man! Talk about missed opportunities! I miss Ashton, but apparently he doesn't miss me. He left and never contacted me again. No note, call, or message! Just disappeared! I step away a few steps. "Call me Viking."
I look into his eyes again. Then I feel mine widen. "Ashton Harris! Oh My God!" I jump into his arms and throw my arms around him. "I have missed you so much Ash!" I cried. All of my feelings are no longer controlled. Only Ash, has ever made me this way.
"I've missed you too Amberlyn!" He wraps his huge arms around me tightly.
All of a sudden, I'm pissed! I push him away and slapped him. Damn, that hurt my hand! "You left me! And you never looked back!" I accused him as I lifted my hand to slap him again.
He grabbed my wrist. "The first one was a freebie. Do it again and I will retaliate. Calm down and we'll talk."
I see the hand print on his face. I almost feel bad. Almost. He left when I needed him the most. He sat me at the bar. Then poured me two fingers of whiskey. Then poured the same for himself. "I didn't leave you and not look back." He started. "I knew everything that happened."
I gasped. "So you know that coach Thomas raped me?" I asked incredulously. He winced as if in pain. "You did! And you did nothing to help me!" I cried.
When we were in the eleventh grade, Ashton caught coach Thomas having consensual sex with a cheerleader in his office. Ashton beat the shit out of Thomas and was expelled indefinitely. Nothing happened to coach Thomas except a ninety day suspension without pay. Ashton disappeared a couple months later. I never heard another word from him. We had been best friends with benefits. I didn't want more at the time. He did, but played by my rules.
"Oh I did something alright. When I found out that he grabbed your ass in the hallway, I paid him a visit and beat his ass again. He didn't have the flu the last two weeks of school. He had broken bones that I gave him. When he raped you?" He paused as he refilled his drink and downed it. "I paid him another visit. One that he didn't survive. So don't assume that you know what I did, or didn't do."
He was a hard man now. Gone was the young carefree guy that I gave my virginity to.
"Why didn't you come back to me?"
He cocked a smirk. "You were apparently through with me. Before the end of the school year, you were with Jacob Townsend. I was just a distant memory."
"My father said that I should forget you. That you would end up killing someone and end up in prison for life. Mother agreed with him and made me go out with Jacob."
"Well now you can go tell daddy the truth. I have killed a man. A man that hurt his daughter! Your precious daddy tried to get me put in prison. The judge gave me a choice. Prison, or the military. I chose the Marines. Where I killed many more bastards. Your dear daddy should be so very fucking proud of himself. When you see him again, tell him hello for me."
I sat there trying to figure out if he was lying to me. I heard his phone ring.
He checked his phone and took a deep breath, let it out and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey my little sweethearts! How are you this evening?" He said in a very cheerful, pleasant voice. I was jealous of who ever it is that he is talking to.
"Oh honey, this storm is not going to hurt you. Mommy and daddy will always protect you."
"Shorty, listen to me. Ok? You are safe. Just don't try to get mommy or daddy out in this storm. Even gpa and uncle Car, are staying out of the weather."
"Feel better now?..... Good! Tell daddy to tell you all a story. And I'll see you tomorrow. Ok? I love you sweet cheeks! Good night!" He hung up.
"Why didn't you call me? I tried calling you for weeks." I asked quietly.
"Your dad said that if I so much as looked at you, that he would send you away. Lock you away without friends or family. I couldn't do that to you. Of course he said that before he had me beaten and left for dead."
I gasped. "Daddy would never hurt anyone!"
"I showed up to see you. I was going to tell you that I wanted a real relationship with you. I had a ring and everything. He had me taken off the porch by two men. They took me to the old mine fields. Do you want more details? It wasn't a pretty sight. When Cr.. Carlton and dad found me..... I was bloody from the whip and your dad's knife. I had several broken ribs, broken bones in both arms, broken neck, nose, and cheek." He pulled off his shirt and turned around. I saw all of the scars. On his lower back, I saw my dad's initials. Forever carved into his back.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry Ashton! I never knew! I promise! I never knew!" I cried so hard. The torture that he suffered because he wanted me. Once again I felt ashamed! Only after he was gone, did I realize that I needed him as a mate.... for life.
"Its nothing. In the past. I'm over it and moved on." He poured another, fuller whiskey for himself. "You still use the iPhone?" I nodded. "There's a charger over there. Feel free to use it." He pointed to the end of the bar, by the wall. His phone rang again as I stood to plug my phone in. "Yeah!"
"Nah, I'm good. I'll probably get some work in later though."
"Just stay with dad. He may need to stand on your back as you float out of the house if it floods." He chuckled at his joke. As did I. The brothers have always been close. It is something that I always wanted.
"Actually, I'm not alone. You'll never guess who blew into the bar..... Amberlyn Green!"
"Yep!" He popped his 'P'. Which means he wasn't too happy about my present location and wasn't trying to hide it.
"Yeah well, I couldn't shove her back out into the storm. I will deal."
I went to the bathroom as the brothers talked. They didn't need me to talk. My mind was still reeling from what Ashton had told me. The pain in his past must have been agonizing!