Jett

14 - Crazy little brother

Jett

“What are you doing out here all alone?”

I smile as my youngest brother slaps me on the back before sitting beside me. “Just thinkin’, Max.”

I don’t know what brought me to my parent’s place tonight. I guess I didn’t feel like being alone, which is laughable when I’m in the backyard, drinking beer alone. Well, I was until Max decided to join me.

Max is twelve, tall for a kid his age, and a skater who never wants to be a biker, unlike VJ, who wants nothing more than to join the Snakes already. The only trouble with that is the fact everyone can see he’s not right in the head.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my brother, but he’s insane. He doesn’t feel a damn thing for anyone or anything. VJ never shows any emotions that would let us know he has a heart somewhere in that cold, hollow chest of his.

Every negative feeling possible, he’ll feel it. He’s possessive, obsessive, quick to anger. He’s fourteen years old, and he’s been in more fights than most grown men. He’s also been sexuall.y active since he was twelve. I shouldn’t know this about him, but VJ sat with Tank and me one night and told us what he’d done.

He was so damn proud of himself.

Tank and me?

We were beyond shocked. We were both sexuall.y active at young ages, but not that young! I’m not sure anyone else I know was either.

I dare not tell my parents about it, and I told VJ to keep his mouth shut too; they’d lock him the fuc.k up if they found out. Not my dad so much, but Mom would kill him.

It took my dad until Willow was almost killed to realize there was something very wrong with his middle son. I don’t believe for one second that VJ found what happened to Willow funny, but the boy was beyond fascinated when he looked at her.

I’ve never before that moment known my dad to strike any of his kids. However, he did that day. He dragged VJ out of Willow’s room and smacked him with the back of his hand right across the face. My dad is a big guy, and any child would have cried out in pain. Not VJ; he just smirked like it was all fun and games to him.

That’s the day my father knew for sure something was very wrong. A few days later, my parents took VJ to see a psychiatrist, who then told my parents, after two months of therapy sessions, that he fully believed VJ to be aggressively manipulative and emotionally detached and that he didn't think VJ was capable of ever knowing the emotion of love.

VJ?

Well, that boy just laughed it off like it was nothing. He told Dad he didn’t care what anyone thought and wouldn’t attend more sessions. If Dad forced him, he’d make everyone sorry.

Mom was so upset by it all. All she wanted was to protect her son. She didn’t want to believe anything was wrong with him. VJ played on this, played on Mom’s emotions, pulled at her heartstrings, and manipulated her into thinking there was nothing wrong with him, which made Mom stop the sessions and just let VJ be.

It was wrong, in my opinion, but he’s not my kid.

“Are you thinking about Maria?”

Max never misses a trick. “Yeah, buddy.” I rub the back of my neck before rolling it. The cracking sound always makes Max gag, which makes me laugh.

“Do you gotta do that? Jesus!”

I laugh loudly.

This kid means everything to me. All my siblings mean everything to me, but Max is like my little buddy. He followed me everywhere when he was a baby. Max loved Willow, but it was me that he wanted to be around a lot. He seems much older than he really is. Old-headed, as my grandmother used to say. He’ll be a good man when he’s older, a better man than me.

“Seriously, though. Do you think you’ll ever get to be in your kid’s life?”

“If I have anything to do with it.” I won’t give up. I can’t give up. The love I feel for someone who isn’t even here yet is out of this world. My whole heart is full.

“You won’t do anything stupid, will you?”

I turn my head to look at Max.

He pushes her long hair out of his eyes. “I know how much it must hurt being pushed out of your baby’s life, but please don't do anything that will get you killed. I need you, Jett.”

I grab the back of his neck and bring him toward me. I kiss his head and let him go. “I’m not going anywhere, Max. You’re too young to understand what’s going on, but I can’t walk away from my child.”

“Or their mother?”

I sigh before taking a chug of my beer. I hang my head as I swallow. “I don’t know what to tell you, Max.”

“The truth.” The truth. I don’t even know what that is myself right now. “Everyone and his dog think you’re doing this because you have something to prove. That you want Maria because you can’t have her.”

“Do they now.” It’s not a question.

Fuckin’ assholes don’t think much of me. Then again, I never gave them a reason in the past to think I could be serious about any woman. But I am damn serious about Maria and our baby.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, Jett. I know you have feelings for Maria. You wouldn’t be sitting alone thinking about her if you didn't. Thinking of ways you can be together. It’s not just for the baby; it’s because you’ve fallen for Maria. That’s why you sneak over the Vidal’s compound wall.”

“It's not a compound.” I laugh. “And you shouldn’t know what I get up to, Max.”

How the fuc.k does he know this?

“Whatever. My point is, baby or not, there’s no way you’re reckless enough to risk your life to sleep with Maria now and again.”

I almost choke on my damn beer!

What the hell?

“I know you’re not that stupid, Jett. You wouldn’t leave us like that. Maria means something to you. She’s in your heart, and you don’t know how to deal with it yet.”

“Got all worked out, huh, little brother?”

Max smirks at me while nodding his head. “I know you, Jett. Nothing anyone says will stop you from trying to be with Maria. Just be careful, okay? Remember that you have a big family who loves you and needs you. We’re all here for you, Jett. We always will be.”

This fuckin’ kid talks too much sense for a child. He also knows how to pull on my heartstrings.

“Don't worry, Max, nothing will happen to me. I promise.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can't keep.”

I roll my eyes.

I love VJ, but he’s not yet learned the concept of sparing other people’s feelings. He’ll out you even for a little white lie, then repeatedly question why you’d do such a thing in the first place.

VJ is already almost six feet tall and is already gaining muscle. He’s a lot like I was at his age. He’s a Jackson, all right.

VJ drops down on the grass, his knees against his chest and arms around them. He’s watching us with fascination. Dark blue eyes looking back at two sets of sky-blue eyes.

Dad swears blind that VJ’s eye color reflects the monster within him. Each of us, apart from Sophie and Willow, have light blue eyes like our father. Sophie’s are green like Mom’s, and Willow’s are hazel like our grandmother’s.

Then there’s VJ. Dark blue eyes, a sinister smile, and evil on his mind. This boy will hurt you however he sees fit, and he’ll think nothing of it. He’ll get away with it, too, because he’s just that damn smart. It isn’t normal for a kid who isn’t even fifteen yet to know how to get away with evil deeds.

Roman always laughs and tells us how VJ will be a great asset to the club when he’s of age. Dad disagrees and swears blind that the kid could be our downfall. If Dad has his way, VJ will never be a Snakes Henchmen.

I can see both sides of the coin. Either VJ will be the craziest, most loyal biker out there, or he’ll get himself and the rest of us killed.

I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

“Why don’t you just take off with her? Get a hacker to tap into Vidal’s security system and knock out the CCTV. Sneak into his house while everyone is asleep, end Vidal, take your girl.” VJ shrugs like what he said is normal for a kid his age.

“Don’t be so stupid!” I hiss in anger. I don’t want VJ thinking things like that, let alone saying them! “There are bigger factors involved, and I’m not talking about any of them with my little brothers!”

“You need to lighten up. Go sneak over that wall and fuc.k your girl before her husband gets his hands on her.”

I fist my hands so tightly that my knuckles pop from its force. I would never hit my little brother, he’s a kid, but he’s a tactless little cunt.

“You watch your damn mouth, boy. Don’t push it, VJ.”

“I’ll say whatever the hell I want. While you’re sitting here drinking beer and talking to Max about how you want to stay in your kid’s life, Maria is in her room counting the seconds until she marries some other asshole. Either do something about it or let it go. Either way, you’re turning into a jerk.”

“Why, you little...”

“VJ!”

I’m fuming. I’ve never wanted to punch the little shi.t as much as I do right now! I watch the little shi.t smirking at me, ignoring Dad, who must have come out just in time to hear what VJ just said. He’s pushing my buttons to see how far he can go before I snap. This is what he does. This is how he gets his kicks. Not with me, he won’t.

I get out of my seat, toss my beer bottle in the trash, and leave. I don’t say anything to anyone. I need to get out of here. There really is something fuckin’ wrong with me if my little brother can get to me like this.

What the fuc.k is happening to me?

I feel like I’m going insane. I need to speak with Vidal. I need to appeal to him in any way I can.

How will I get near him?

I guess Hammer is my only hope.

* * *

“I've never asked you for a thing in my life, but I’m asking you now. Help me, Hammer. Help me stop this wedding.”

Hammer raises his eyebrow at me from his seat at his dining table. I knew I’d find him at home. Willow has been a little unwell the past few days, and Hammer has been caring for her. I got here ten minutes ago and went straight in with what I needed from him.

“What makes you think I want my sister with you?”

“I didn’t want you with my sister, but I said nothing because it’s what Willow wanted.” I hiss, causing him to raise his eyebrow with a smirk. I sigh. “I know you pretend not to give a damn about Maria, Hammer, but you’re not that fuckin’ heartless. She’s terrified. She doesn’t want to marry this guy.

“I’m not saying I’m the best man for her, but she’d be safe with me. She’d be happy. So would our baby. Are you honestly going to sit back and allow another man to raise my kid? To let Draven push me out or even kill me to keep me away from Maria?”

Hammer shifts in his seat, eyes narrow as he stares me down. He’s not saying anything. I’m fuckin’ desperate here! Hammer is my last hope. I can’t go to Vidal myself because he’d never see me. He’d have me killed before I got through the damn gates. Even if I snuck in through Maria’s window, he’d kill me. He’s just the kind of bastard who’d make her watch too.

“I don’t know what you expect me to do, Jett. You think I haven’t spoken to Draven about this? I have. Plenty. Nothing will change his mind about this.”

“Whatever you did to make him let Ghost go, to let him and Avery be together, do that. Do anything!”

Hammer pulls in a deep breath. “It won’t work, Jett. This isn’t like Ghost and Avery. You went after Maria, knowing who she was, knowing the hell Ghost went through, and you didn’t care, and why didn’t you? Because you thought with your dic.k as always.”

“Fuc.k you, Hammer!”

He’s right, though, I did think with my dic.k. I saw Maria, wanted her, and I had her. I didn’t think of the consequences; all I thought about was fuckin.g her all night long. She was so beautiful that I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t even think about what it would mean for Maria if anybody found out she’d been with me.

I’m an awful person. I know I am.

But do I really deserve to be cut out like this?

Maria is a good person, a sweet, strong woman who doesn’t deserve to be forced into a loveless marriage because of me, and this is because of me. No, I didn’t hold a gun to her head and force her to come with me that night. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. However, the fact remains that I should never have so much as stood beside her.

I could have chosen any woman there that night; it didn’t have to be Maria. But I’d be a fuckin.g liar if I said she wasn’t the most beautiful woman there that night. That smile of hers and the way she smelled drew me in, and I was hooked.

“No, fuc.k you, Jett! You think I want to see my sister married to a man I know is no good for her?”

“Don’t even pretend like you give a fuc.k about her, Hammer. You’ve done nothing but push Maria away and treat her like shi.t since the day you met her!”

We’re both out of our seats so fast I don’t know who got to their feet first. We stare each other down, nostrils flaring, anger rising. The last thing I want is to fight with this man in his own home, but I won’t be lied to! He doesn’t care about Maria. He’s probably bending Draven’s ear to ensure he follows through with this fuckin’ wedding!

“What the hell is going on in here? Noah’s in the house!”

My sister is right; there’s a baby in the house. I would never do anything to scare him, but I’m angry and feel like I’m being backed into a corner. There’s nothing I can do to stop this wedding, and it’s killing me.

I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. I can feel my heart crushing inside my chest, and I don’t like the feeling one little bit.

“I’m sorry, you’re right.” I smile at Willow. “I shouldn’t have come. I’ll go now.”

“Wait,” She takes my arm. “I know you’re hurting, but don’t think, for one second, Hammer isn’t on your side. We all are.”

Whatever she says.

“Stay away from Maria, Jett. Don’t go sneaking over there to see her again.”

Is there anyone who doesn’t know what I’ve been doing?

“It’ll only be a matter of time before Draven finds out. When he does, nothing anyone does will save you.”

I kiss my sister’s cheek and leave. I can’t deal with anymore tonight. That’s why I ignore Hammer and whatever he says right now. I need to go get fuckin’ drunk. So drunk I forget Maria Vidal and the fact she’ll never be mine or that I’ll never so much as kiss my own child’s head.

Then, when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll try again to make someone listen to me and help me stop this madness. If that doesn’t work, then... I have no fuckin’ idea where I’ll go from there.

Don’t give up, Jett. Remember what Apollo taught you. Never give up. Only losers and pussy.s give up. You’re a Snakes Henchmen, and a Snake never gives up!

Giving up is not in my blood. And not seeing Maria is not an option. I have to be near her. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. I crave her like a junkie craving smack.

God help me.