I walk out of the bedroom and see the worried look on Jonah’s face. “Have you guys seen Linnea? I was supposed to pick her up from decorating at the school, but they said she never showed up to help them.” I can see this has an effect on Erik instantaneously. Erik shakes his head and asks Jonah, “What do you mean she never showed up? She left here and told me that’s the only place she was going this morning.” Jonah shakes his head at Erik, and you can hear the worry in his voice when he speaks up again. “We gotta fucking find her. Do you think your parents came and got her?” I look over at Erik. My mom may be a bitch on her good days, but his parents, well, mostly it’s his dad, are complete nutcases. “I don’t think so, but fuck if Father ain’t getting more unhinged every week.” I can see he’s about two seconds from freaking the fuck out. Jonah looks like he’s already there.
“Why don’t we retrace her way to school and see if we find anything before assuming it's your parents? The only thing we know is she left here this morning, headed to school, and she never made it. Do you think she would’ve made other plans or decided to go shopping or something?” Jonah growls like I’ve never heard him, and he and Erik both answer, “Fuck no!” We go back and forth for a few more minutes before we head out to see if we can find her.
***********
Hours later, we finally find Linnea. Erik and Jonah rush her to the hospital. Jackson, Wyatt, Mitch, and I take care of the fucktards that did this. No girl should have to go through what they put Linnea through. I have no fucking problem taking care of those fuckers. I can’t imagine how I’d react if someone did that to my sister. Gretta and I might not be as close as Erik and Linnea are, but fuck if I’d let her be physically hurt by anyone.
I get to the hospital and find Erik in the waiting room. I walk over to him. He’s sitting stiff as a board, but looking at his eyes, they’re watery. I sit down next to him, having to will myself to not reach over and grab his hand since we’re in public.
“Linnea going to be okay?” He nods quickly.
“Yeah, Jonah is back with her, and I’m going to go back in a minute. I just had to come out to sign some things for the doctor.” He looks over at me, and I watch him shut down all his emotions. “You don’t need to stay. I’m gonna go back to her room now.”
Excuse the fuck out of me?“I can stay. I can get you anything you need. I—”
He quickly stands up. “I don’t need anything but my sister to get better. Go home, Grant.”
He walks to the doors to the rooms and goes inside. My brain isn’t working. What the fuck just happened? I know he’s understress, and knowing him, he’s gonna blame himself for her deciding to walk to school. He thinks I can just leave and go home? Fuck that.
Wyatt and Jackson walk in through the doors and come over, each sitting in a chair next to me. Wyatt quietly speaks up. “The fuckers are in the shed behind the shop. They won’t be making any noise any time soon.” Good. Jackson looks over Wyatt to me. “You talk to Jonah or Erik?”
I nod and tell him that Erik said she’s gonna be okay. “He also said we should go home, but I ain’t leaving.” Both of them nod in agreement. Jackson, who always swears he ain’t so bright, speaks, sounding a lot older than we are. “Fuck that. We started this club to be a family. Real family doesn’t just go home and go to bed when one of their brothers is suffering. We got two brothers going through some serious shit. We’re gonna sit right here and be available if they need anything. We’re brothers, so none of us have to go through something alone. That’s the whole fucking meaning of the club.”
That’s exactly why we started the club. Family. Family stays. End of story.
CHAPTER ONE
Grant
To say the last few days have been eventful is an understatement. We had all still been at the hospital early the next morning when a doctor came and spoke with Erik, telling him about a bad car accident that had happened on the road coming down from the mountain. Seems his parents were actually coming to the hospital, but there was a terrible accident between their vehicle and a log truck. His fucking crazy father was killed instantly, but his mom is here at the hospital. She’s not gonna make it, but he is waiting for his sister to wake up to say her goodbyes. All I want to do is grab Erik and hug him to me, to have him feel his emotions and know I’m there for him, but he’s withdrawn inside himself. He hasn’t talked to me but for one or two-word answers. He’s spoken to Mitch, his best friend since sixth grade, but he’s basically only said one to two-word answers to him, too. The only ones he’s said more to are the doctors and Jonah. I think he’s only talking to Jonah since he refuses to leave Linnea’s side, so Erik has to deal with him.
Mitch just walked into the waiting room with coffee for both of us and his ever-present cinnamon toothpick in his mouth. Wyatt and Jackson went home a couple of hours ago to catch a few hours of sleep. We’ve decided to take shifts, so there’s always a couple of us here in case either Jonah or Erik needs anything. He hands me the coffee and sits down. He leans back and starts to speak. “I think the jackass is going to try to push us away, and we can’t fucking let him. We gotta remind him that we’re here for the good and bad and that he’s just fucking stuck with us.”
Damn straight he is. “I think you’re right, brother. He’s going to do somethin’ like that.”
A few hours later, Erik comes out and lets us know that she’s awake and they’re going to take Linnea up to say goodbye to their mom. I can tell he’s been crying, and it kills me to not reach out and touch him. “I think they’re gonna let my sister go home probably tomorrow or the next since she’s awake.” He looks like he’s got a million things running through his mind. “I know Anna’s mom wants to take her home with her to take care of her, but I’m not sure if that’s what Linnea wants. If she wants to be home, I’m gonna look out for her. We don’t gotta worry about the house since it’s the one thing I know Father paid off. I could give two fucks about anything up the mountain. I ain’t ever gonna go back up there, and neither is my sister.”
Jonah comes out a few minutes later to let Erik know that the nurses are getting Linnea ready to go see their mom. He heads back to be with his sister.
Jonah looks at us. “Linnea is gonna be released tomorrow or the next day. Need you two to check on the fuckers we’ve got in the shed. They need to be alive but hurting. Erik and I are both going to want a chance with them.” He sighs and takes a moment to think. “If this isn’t something you’re comfortable with, that’s fine. I know I’m asking a lot of—”
I bump his shoulder to get him to stop talking. “Brother, you know we’re gonna do this with you. What they did…it ain’t right, and you know they gotta pay. Karma’s gonna get a little help this time, and I’m perfectly happy to be there to do it.” Jonah looks over at Mitch, who rolls his eyes at Jonah. “Those aren’t men. They’re scum who the world needs to be rid of. I’m all for helping. We can’t let them continue to breathe and have a chance at doin’ this to some other girl one day.” After a few more minutes of discussion, Mitch and I head out to make sure our current guests stay breathing for just a little while longer.
Erik
It’s been a couple of days since those fuckers were sent to start their eternity with Hel. Mamma passed and was able to help several people with her organs being donated, which is what she would’ve wanted. Linnea is home, though Jonah has crashedhere every night to care for her. I haven’t gone back to work yet, but I will, probably, tomorrow. Linnea insists that she can be by herself during the day.
We’ve decided we’re probably gonna sell the house as neither of us really wants to live here long-term. I can see she’s going to end up going with Jonah, and I have to find a place for myself. Time to make sure I take care of the family I have left. I was sitting at the table this morning when it hit me. I’m the last of our family. If I don’t marry and have kids, our family name dies with me. What I haven’t figured out is if that would be a good thing.
I’ve been avoiding Grant. I know it, and I know he knows it. Fuck if I know what to do. I know my heart and my head are not agreeing, and I don’t know which one is going to win. I can’t keep my father’s voice out of my head, either. I think I’m completely royally fucked.
Grant
I’m done with him ignoring me. First, at the hospital, he barely acknowledged me with a word or two, but I fucking know he was home yesterday when I called, and he didn’t answer. I know he’s been through some horrible shit in the last week and a half, but fuck. He needs to know he can lean on me and that I’m here for him unconditionally. I would’ve gone over first thingthis morning, but my fucking mother was actually awake and demanding shit this morning. Dad had gone to work, and who knows where my sister was hiding this time? I was supposed to have moved out by now, butshefucked that up. I ain’t gonna let that happen again. It’s time for me to leave and not have to deal with her drunk ass every day that she actually manages to be conscious.
I know he’s home alone ‘cause Jonah was taking Linnea to an appointment today. Erik better fucking answer the door. His fine but stubborn ass needs to talk to me. I take a ride and take the long way around town to his place, needing to get my head in the right space and away from the anger my mom always brings out in me.
I pull up in front of Erik’s house. I can see his bike in the driveway. I know he’s home. I park and head up the walk, knocking with more force than probably is needed. A minute later, the door opens, and a glaring Erik stands in the doorway. “Are you trying to fucking break down the door or what?”
