Page 90 of Road to Absolution

CHAPTER 19

Building With What You’ve Got

Still in backwoods, I was off Ryder property by the time a rumbling black car I knew well cruised up next to me. I didn’t stop my stride. “Not now, Tuck. I need space.”

Out of the passenger window reached a hand and arm I didn’t know, but I liked what he was holding. I grabbed the pack and lighter, quickly pulling out a cigarette, knowing this was a peace offering from Scorch.

Inhaling tobacco—which I had once thought was nasty as fuck—I didn’t stop walking, but finally glanced to my left. Art was in the passenger seat, holding a white cloth wrapped around ice to his mouth. That didn’t surprise me since I caused the busted lips, but him being there at all did shock me.

Looking past him, I wanted to gauge if Tuck-the-Fuck was responsible for this intervention, but that was a big fat ‘no’. Driving with one hand, his other was also holding a white cloth of ice to his mouth.

Still walking, I asked him, “Who clocked you?”

Tuck grumbled, “Diesel said I shouldn’t add coal to fires already well lit.”

That made me smirk. John and Diesel were the only father figures I had.

Art asked, “Can you please get in the car before we get another round of lectures and fists to the mouth?”

Diesel hadn’t completely abandoned me back there. “No.” If Art taking another pop was possible, I was A-Okay with it.

Art quietly said, “She never even kissed me in DC.”

My walk slowed…

He added, “She’s yours. I couldn’t change that then, nor can I now.”

My ego let me stop to rest and enjoy my cigarette, but I still refused to look at him.

He exhaled. “Maverick, I had no control over what happened to you—”

False, fucker. I started walking again.

The car crept forward to catch up after I heard a door open and shut. After jogging to catch up to me, Art walked next to me. “You and I are both being used for a battle that started way before us.”

I stopped and faced him, waiting for more information.

After a curt nod, Art told me, “I’m not an officer, so I don’t have all the answers, but a long time ago, when Legend still held the reins of Steel Stallions, there was a beef of some sort. Justice and I got sucked into it. When the cavalry finally came for us, a shitload of men were killed.”

Art could only have been about twenty-seven while talking to me, so… “How long is a long time ago?”

Massaging his forehead. “Uh… I think I was fifteen.”

“Jesus. You were so young?”

Closing his eyes, obviously not wanting to remember his time while abducted, he agreed, “Yeah. Sucked for a time.” Then his face winced before his eyes reopened. “Uh, anyways, there were survivors within the Hell Furies.” He swallowed. “Including a son.” He blew out a shaky breath, clearly struggling with the details.

I understood that. I didn’t want to talk about my shit either, but at least I had been a grown man. I hadn’t been kidnapped as a young teenager, barely knowing how to use his dick.

“His dads had been killed.” Art dared to meet my eyes.

Blowing out smoke, I asked, “What do you mean ‘dads’?”

Anxiously running fingers through his hair, he replied, “I don’t think he knew which rapist was his true biological father.”

My stomach did a flip. Dumbfounded, I quickly asked, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“His mother was locked in a basement. A certain group raped her regularly.” He shrugged as if that horrid, twisted shit should explain it all.