Gash (The Skulls #13) Read online

“Give me a second. When I did a search under her name, no apartment appeared. It would have if she bought it or even rented it.” Whizz started clicking, and the speed with which his fingers were moving were giving Gash a headache. The bastard wasn’t even staring at the keyboard but at the screen.

  “Nope, nothing is registered under her name. Only her residence, which is your old address, Charlie.”

  “Charlie?” Gash asked.

  “What about it?” Whizz said. “I figure she and I are going to be good friends.”

  “I don’t mind,” Charlotte said.

  “Lacey’s a bad influence.”

  “I say that every time she rides my dick.”

  Gash glared, and Charlotte laughed. “Is this the whole MC image thing?”

  “You bet. Now, back to crime fighting. There’s nothing here. Rebecca was a poor girl, with a shitty job, and no hope out of her shitty life. Do you have an address?”

  “She wouldn’t remember,” Gash said, pissed that it was another fucking dead end.

  “Actually, I do.”

  “How did you remember that?” Gash asked. “It has been over seven years.”

  “She put the address on the refrigerator, and it’s what I saw for months, and I recited the shit out of it while waiting for the kettle to boil,” Charlotte said. “She was always bragging about how she bagged this rich guy.” She shrugged, holding her hand out. “There’s not a lot to say. Rebecca was easy.”

  “She sounds like a fucking whore,” Whizz said.

  Charlotte gave Whizz the address, to which his club brother whistled.

  “What?” Gash asked.

  “It’s a fucking good part of the city. I’m talking seriously elite, exclusive kind of shit.” Whizz shook his head. “Rebecca may have found herself a sugar daddy, or she was in deep shit.”

  “Deep shit?” Charlotte asked.

  “You get into that kind of apartment three ways. You’re either rich—Rebecca wasn’t. You’re fucking someone who is rich, or you’re a criminal with money, and I’m talking high shit in the criminal world, mafia kind of money.”

  Gash shook his head. “That shit’s not good.”

  “No, it’s not.” Whizz kept on typing, and something red came up.

  Gash saw access was being denied, and Whizz simply kept on whistling while typing away.

  “What’s he doing?” Charlotte asked in a whisper.

  “Nerd shit.”

  She smelled so good, and Gash fisted his hands to stop himself from reaching out to her. What was it about Charlotte that made him want to touch? To caress? To fuck?

  Shit, she was driving him crazy with the need to fuck her.

  He wasn’t some damn stupid adolescent boy who’d never known a fucking cunt.

  Running a hand down his face, he held in a groan as his cock thickened when Whizz whistled.

  “Well, fuck me,” Whizz said.

  Looking up at the screen, Gash frowned. “What is that?”

  “It’s the owner of the apartment. It wasn’t in Rebecca’s name, but whoever that man is, he wanted it kept secret.”

  Gash stared at the photograph of the man, and something seemed oddly familiar about him, but again, he couldn’t figure out what.

  “Who is it?” he asked, then looked toward Charlotte. “Do you recognize him?”

  “Not a clue.”

  Whizz did some clicking. “This used to be Rebecca’s apartment. It’s registered to Rebecca and Jeff, and there is the signature of the deed. The date here is just before the supposed murder and rape, so they didn’t own this for long before you were arrested, Gash.”

  Charlotte moved in closer to the screen. “Enhance his face.”

  Whizz zoomed in and clarified the picture. “That’s Jeff.”

  “That’s not Jeff.”

  “I’m telling you that is Jeff.” She pointed at his eyes. “I won’t ever forget those eyes. Do you have an old image of Jeff?”

  Whizz nodded, clicking away once again. He did some kind of scan, and there it was, a perfect match. “There are some things people can’t handle, and having your eyes changed, clearly was one of his.”

  “Do a complete background check on him,” Gash said.

  “Well this man is not Jeff anymore.” Whizz started pulling up bits of data. “Look, this is going to take me some time to get everything—”

  “Just give me a name, and an address. I can do everything else,” Gash said.

  “And go in with half the information, and get shot the shit out of?” Whizz asked.

  “Four years I’ve waited.”

  Whizz slammed his keyboard down and stormed up to Gash. “You spent five years in fucking prison. Boo fucking hoo, you had three square meals a day, and out of the five fucking years, I bet you didn’t have to fight every single one of those days. I was trapped, caged up, and fucking tortured for hours. I was taken, Gash. I know that pain. If you think I’m making you wait on purpose, then find someone else. I don’t know you from way back then. I know you now, as my club brother, and a man I’d die for. Give me the night to get every fucking thing you need so you don’t get yourself and Charlie killed.”

  “I’m going to leave you two alone.” Charlotte left the room, closing the door behind her.

  The moment the door closed, Whizz wrapped his fingers around Gash’s neck, and threw him up against the wall. “I was repeatedly raped. My ass ripped open, and I was helpless to fight. Don’t let me make a mistake, and let you walk into the same kind of hell. This is what I do, but it takes fucking time.” There was a darkness, a pain, and a helplessness inside his eyes that made Gash relent.

  “Fine.”

  “You and Charlotte can stay the night. I’ll work through the night to make sure you’re ready to leave.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to do that.”

  Gash gripped the back of Whizz’s neck and pressed his forehead to his. “I’m sorry.”

  “She’s in love with you, Gash.”

  Releasing his friend, Gash shook his head. “She can’t stand me.”

  “There’s more to Charlotte than she lets you see. Give her a chance, and she’ll surprise you.” Whizz turned away and started working on his computer.

  Leaving the room, Gash was kicked in the balls. He cupped his dick and stared at Lacey.

  “Don’t ever put him in that place again. Whizz cares about the whole of the club. His loyalty will get him killed one day. He puts his life at risk every time he digs deep into places he’s not supposed to go.”

  “You didn’t have to kick me in the balls.”

  “I did. You only know one language, and that language is violence. I will protect my man. Charlotte is in the kitchen. I’ve hired her to cook for me. You’ve got a better chance of leaving without food poisoning.”

  Lacey stepped over him and entered the nerd room.

  Fucking bitch packed a punch. Getting to his feet, he made his way back into the kitchen. Charlotte was chopping up some vegetables and gave him a small smile.

  “She got you on kitchen duty.”

  “Told me unless I want takeout, I’ve got to cook.”

  “Angel’s tried teaching her how to cook, but it seems the only thing she knows how to do is her hair.” Gash shook his head. Charlotte didn’t say anything, and kept on chopping. This was what he remembered about her from the past. She didn’t speak unless she really needed to. He’d always tried to make her talk, to bring her out of her shell. “You didn’t scream in there?”

  “Did you get out what you needed to?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then I’m fine with that. You’re the kind of guy who needs to shoot first and ask questions later. That’s up to you.”

  “You think that’s different?” he asked.

  “It’s different to how you used to be.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t the one that went to prison—”

  “Where did you go?”

  “What?” she asked.

&
nbsp; “When I was sentenced, where were you?”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she stopped chopping. “I’m not ready to tell you.”

  “You’ve got something to tell me then?”

  “Yes. I’ve got something to tell you.”

  “Will it make me angry?” he asked.

  She took in a deep breath. “I don’t know if you’ll be angry or if you’ll even care. I’m not ready.”

  Gash nodded. “I’ll stop asking until you’re ready.”

  ****

  Stink watched Sandy cleaning the dishes, and sighed as he leaned against the doorframe. She was always running away from him, and he really wished he knew what to say to her to make her understand he didn’t give a shit what she once was.

  “You’re staring.”

  “I like staring,” he said.

  “It’s creepy.”

  He chuckled. She placed the final plate on the draining board, and dried her hands on a towel.

  “You’re getting the whole stalker image down.”

  Stink shrugged. “I’ve been told to keep your ass safe.”

  “It was over a year ago, Stink. I’m fine, and you don’t have to keep me safe.”

  “The club rules, Sandy.”

  She sighed again. “I’m thinking of going back to my own place.”

  He tensed up. Sandy was a doctor, and she had been part of the club who’d had it rough several times. She had stopped screwing the single brothers years ago, but there was a time she’d screwed everyone. He’d never taken a taste of what she had to offer even though he always wanted to. Instead, he kept his distance, watching from afar to make sure no one claimed what he’d known from day one was going to be his.

  “You’re leaving the club?” Stink asked.

  She moved toward him, standing right in front of him, and he got the scent of cinnamon that always seemed to cling to her. Sandy was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was in her late thirties, and a doctor. He knew without a doubt that she could do so much better than him.

  “I think it’s time that I moved on.” She touched his cheek. “I’m not an old lady, and I’m no longer a club whore. I’m nothing.”

  Cupping her cheek, he pressed his head against hers. “You’re everything, baby.”

  She chuckled. “You could have fucked me years ago without any kind of commitment, yet you didn’t even give me a chance.”

  “I knew from the moment I first saw you, you’d be different.”

  “Stink, you deserve better.”

  He took hold of her hands, staring down at their hands, touching, together. “I don’t give a fuck who you’ve been with before. I know what I want, and I know I can make you happy. The past couple of years, you’ve been happy. I’ve made you happy.”

  “There hasn’t been any sex between us.”

  Stink pressed her up against the nearest wall, trapping her hands in his. “Do you really think it wouldn’t be epic between us?” He held both of her hands within one of his, and started to caress the tips of his fingers down her arm, across her breast, and down to cup her pussy. “I can show you how fucking epic it can be between us. If you think for a second that you know anything about me and what I’m capable of, think again.”

  “The club is not my home.”

  “We’re your family, and I’m your guy. I’m not going to let you go without a fight. You belong to me.” Slamming his lips down, he claimed hers, letting her know without a shadow of a doubt that he was the master of her.

  Chapter Five

  “This smells good,” Lacey said.

  Charlotte turned to see a young girl following behind Lacey. She offered them both a smile, unsure what to say.

  “Oh, shit, Charlotte, this is my daughter, Sally. Sally, this is Gash’s friend, Charlotte.”

  “You cook?” Sally asked.

  “Yeah, it was a condition of staying the night.” Charlotte frowned, looking between the two.

  “Cool, we don’t have to worry about takeout. Dad doesn’t like to hurt her feelings, but Mom can’t cook. I’m going to go and do homework.” Sally kissed Lacey’s cheek, and headed out of the kitchen.

  Lacey looked ready to cry.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “I, erm, I can’t have kids, and being able to adopt Sally, and now she’s calling me mom—it’s a dream come true.”

  “Did you adopt her at a young age?” Charlotte asked. Her own heart was breaking over the child she had lost.

  “No. It was only a few months ago to be honest. Sally fought us both at the beginning. Whizz told me she was acting out in case we sent her back to her foster home.” Lacey took a seat.

  “You wouldn’t do that?”

  “I know it’s strange, adopting a kid that will probably be going off to college, but I saw Sally, I saw how broken she was, and I just knew I could help her. Whizz and I, together, we could help her. We’re not perfect ourselves, but we make a good life.”

  “You make a good team.”

  “I like to think so.”

  “Will you adopt more?”

  Lacey sighed again. “I hope so. We’ve spoken to Sally about it, and she doesn’t mind. We’re looking into adopting once everything settles down at the club.”

  “I hope Gash and I are not a problem—” Before she could finish saying anything more, Lacey held her hand up.

  “No, you’re not a problem. You’ll come to learn in the MC life, it’s always hectic and chaotic, but there are moments where it’s peaceful. You’ll learn to embrace those peaceful moments, and be happy about it. You and Gash are more than welcome here. I just wish I could have made you something delicious to enjoy. I’m not exactly good in the kitchen.”

  Gash chose that moment to enter the kitchen. He stretched out his muscles, and Charlotte couldn’t help but stare at his hardness. His muscles were so big and thick, and she felt like a complete girl just looking at him.

  You’re a woman.

  He was much bigger now than he was seven years ago, and back then he’d been ripped.

  Charlotte, stop it. You’re not seriously thinking about a guy being ripped?

  “Showing off, are we?” Lacey asked.

  Gash lowered his arms, which she found disappointing.

  “We know you’ve got the muscles and the hot body. There’s no need to brag.” Lacey rolled her eyes and jumped out of her chair. “I’m going to go and check on Whizz and Sally. Don’t fight, kids.”

  Charlotte chuckled. “I like her.” She spoke once Lacey had left the kitchen.

  “She’s interesting.”

  “You don’t sound like you believe that.”

  He laughed. “What can I say? She’s a little eccentric for me. Whizz loves her, and yeah, that bastard didn’t really smile for a time when I got out.”

  Charlotte had seen the scars on Whizz’s face, and even the ones on his hands. She knew all about scars. The last thing she would do was stare at someone with visible marks on their body. She had her own scars, and not all of them were on the outside of her body. There were some on her wrists and on her body where she’d gotten desperate. Her scars were deep within her heart, and she hoped that helping Gash would ease the pain that was always there, making it hard for her to breathe at times.

  Staring at the chicken stew, she looked at the red sauce, which reminded her once more of blood. Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she moved to the pantry and found some dried pasta to cook.

  “What put that sadness in your eyes, Charlotte?” Gash stood behind her. She hadn’t even heard him move. His hands gripped her hips, and she closed her eyes. Charlotte loved his touch, always had, and it had been her downfall.

  “I told you I’m not ready.”

  “Did Jeff hurt you?”

  Opening her eyes, she turned off the tap, and moved out of Gash’s arms to put the pot on to boil.

  She went to tuck some hair behind her ears but paused when s
he realized her hair was up in a ponytail.

  “Did he?” Gash asked.

  Staring at him, she nodded. “Don’t ask me how he hurt me, but he did.”

  “Okay, why did he hurt you?”

  Licking her lips, she took a deep breath. “When I came back home, you had already been arrested, and the evidence had been building against you. The moment I heard what was happening, I tried to put a stop to it. I wanted to help you. I know you’re not a rapist. I know you’re capable of murder but not a jealous murder. Jeff and Rebecca were there at the apartment, and let’s just say they made sure you were already sentenced, and I wasn’t in a good enough state of mind to help you.”

  “There are a lot of holes in that story.”

  “I’m not ready to tell you those holes. Maybe one day I will be.” He was going to find out the truth. Jeff would laugh in his face, and it would blow up. Charlotte’s heart started to race, and everything fell away. Why was she hiding her secret? What did she have to gain from it? Gash would forever be doubting her, and the only way for him to realize she was on his side, was by giving it to him straight. “Actually, you know what? I’m tired of hiding this. Remember you asked if there was a woman who used to visit our apartment?”

  He nodded.

  “You remember fucking a woman, right? You were drunk? That woman was me, Gash. Yeah, that’s right. You fucked me. We had sex together, and the next morning, you didn’t even remember it. I figured I’d just forget about it, too. I got this big promotion at work and was asked to go to England for a business meeting, and while I was away, that was when you were arrested. When I finally got home, I suspected I might be pregnant because I’d been off my food and everything. I took a test, and I found out I was pregnant.” She saw she was shocking him, and it was tearing her apart talking to him. But this had to be said. If she didn’t, Jeff would spill the truth, and the last thing she wanted was for that fucker to ever think he had any more power over her. “You didn’t use any protection during the time we were together. We were pregnant, and I was going to tell you once I helped testify on your behalf. I wanted you to be involved, and I knew it was going to be a challenge to make you realize that we had slept together. Jeff and Rebecca were there. They saw the test that I had taken, and they knew I was going to the cops to give my testimony. I was stupid, and I told them I knew you were innocent. To cut an even longer story short, the night you were accused of committing the murder, you were with me. I remember the day because it was the best day of my life. I knew without a doubt you couldn’t have done it. Rebecca was framing you.”