Revenge is a Dish Best Served Hot

Returning to Jasper

Briar POV

Briar ran and she ran far. Running all the way to her apartment and quickly packing a bag. The bag included her essentials and important documents before she left again locking her house up tight. Then she booked it back to her car and headed out of town keeping her eyes on the rear view mirror for the next one hundred miles. She wasn’t being followed, she didn’t think. Briar also second guessed herself if she was overreacting. Then she thought back to her ex admitting that the club thought she was a threat. These thoughts were constantly on repeat in her head as she drove down the interstate. How dumb she was to get involved with Liam. How was she to know he was in a MC? The man came in by himself every weekend to the diner and ate a burger and fries. Then he told her like halfway into their relationship, huge red flag, but she “loved him.” God she needed something to distract her from her thoughts as she was loosing her mind.

It was midnight when she decided to pull over on the interstate to a decent sized motel when Briar felt she was going to fall asleep at the wheel. She also didn’t have a real set plan on where she was going yet and thought the motel would help her get her bearings.

The room was a waste of money as she only stayed in the room for a couple of hours. Briar took a shower and went to lay down but she was startled awake and after that Briar swore some one was outside watching her so she quickly checked out and got on the road after filling up. Briar didn’t know where she was going, but she was just headed East.

It was five in the morning, just as the sun was starting to break against the horizon that the welcome sign came into view.

Welcome to Jasper. Population of 3,710

Briar never thought in a million years that she would ever return to this town, but apparently she didn’t account for falling for a man that wanted to kill her either.

Sighing heavily as she drove through her old home town that was exactly the same when she left six years ago. Jasper had one main road to get into town and Briar looked as she drove through town. The houses were the same right down to the lawn decorations. She remembered she old Mr. Jenson got the ugly flamingo’s cause he thought it meant he was a swinger. The only thing he got was a buttload of complaints to the sheriff’s office and a visit from her father. Briar smiled as she passed Mr. Jenson’s house and lawn that was now decorated with flamingos. The houses faded and soon she entered downtown. Briar ignored the police station as her eyes drifted to a hole in the wall diner across the square.

Jo’s Diner was the only regret she had when she left this town. Jo’s dinner was ran by the nicest older women, Lucy. Lucy gave her a job when she turned fifteen, first washing dishes in the back and then waiting tables when she turned seventeen. Lucy was the only person in this town other than her mother that made her feel welcomed, loved.

She left that behind when she ran out of Jasper and didn’t look back. Lucy was kind enough to give her a reference for the waitressing job as well as the job she now currently has. Briar owes a lot to Lucy.

The diner was just opening up for the breakfast rush and Briar drove slow so she could try and catch a glimpse of Lucy without stopping her car. The slow drive just cause the few early birds diners to give her dirty looks.

Briar continued driving feeling sad but relieved she didn’t see anyone and continued on down the road.

Parking across the street Briar sat in her vehicle staring at her childhood home. Her father’s car was there and so was a vehicle she didn’t recognize. It could have been anyone’s as it had been six years. The sun continued to rise as she sat and watched her old neighborhood.

Watching the neighborhood come alive, Briar wasn’t sure what her next move would be. Hell she wasn’t even sure what she was doing in Jasper. She didn’t have anywhere to sleep tonight as Briar wouldn’t be welcome in her fathers home unless she was willing to become his caretaker.

Jasper didn’t have a hotel or a motel of any kind. Briar put her head on the steering wheel for not putting any thought into this escape. God how dumb was she? Her life was a disaster.

“Briar?” A man’s voice suddenly called out to her. She looked up in a panic think the MC caught up to her, only to find it was her big brother Eric on the front porch looking at her car. s**t! This wasn’t good either as he started walking toward her. Briar hastily turned on the car, threw it in drive, and hit the gas. She had to get out of there, where she was going, Briar didn’t have a clue.

…

Staring down at her mother’s unkempt headstone filled her with anger. It was clear that no one had been here to visit her mother in years. Briar did the best she could to clean it off as she did what she always did with her mother, she talked.

“I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long, I just had to get away. You know how my relationship is with dad,” Briar said as she cleaned off the moss that was growing. “Karma came for him though, he has cancer himself and isn’t doing well.” Briar dusted off her hands before sitting down. “I got my bachelors degree, like you always wanted for me. It was hard though, but I made it. I work at a lawyers office and I enjoy my job.” Briar looked around before she continued on with the part that hurt the most.

“I had a son, Greyson, unfortunately he is no longer with me…I hope,” tears stung her eyes. “I hope that you are watching out for him up there until I can see him again.” Briar sat for a minute before continuing on with telling her mother about her life.

“I met a man, two men actually. One broke my heart and the other well he has the ability to destroy me beyond anything the first was capable of doing.”

“I won’t,” a deep voice belonging to Axel stared firmly behind her. Briar wasn’t surprised he was here in the slightest. In fact she knew he would come for her. That’s just the type of man he is.

“Mom,” Briar continued talking to her mother as if he wasn’t there. “This man scares me as I have never had some one so attuned to my needs and wants. Some one who has been there for me, even if he is a bit of an asshole. I don’t know what I will do if he decides one day to take that away,” Briar stated. She thought back to her relationship with Liam and while Liam may have loved her he never was able to protect her or make Briar his first priority.

Axel walked to her mothers grave and took a knee.

“Hello Mrs. Temple I am madly in love with your daughter and I have been since I met her. I will spend every day proving to her that I am the man for her. I hope I have your blessing.” Axel finished talking to her mother and then turned to her. while his face was blank it was his eyes that held so much hope and pleading. Briar reached out, just a touch on his cheek, but it was enough for Axel to pull her into a tight embrace.

“When did you know I left?” Briar asked him.

“I’ve been following you the entire time,” Axel told her causing her to laugh.

“Was that you outside the motel?” She asked as she pulled away and he gave her a guilty look. She gave Axel a light slap on his arm,

“That scared me half to death!” Axel pulled her into a deep kiss that made her wet instantly.

“Not as scared as I was when I saw you with a bag heading back to your car,” he responded and then pulled her in for another kiss. Briar felt a little odd kissing in front of her mothers grave when suddenly Axel pulled away and pulled out his handgun. Briar pulled back scared by his behavior.

“Someone is here,” he whispered and Briar shrunk down terrified. Then Axel stood drawing on the stranger, who turned out to be her brother Eric, who also pulled his weapon.