Free Behind the Tears (Behind the Lives) by Marita A. Hansen

family.”
    “Yeah, man, no worries, it wasn’t your fault, it was Carly’s,” Len babbled. “All’s good between us.” His gaze moved to Ash’s right, his expression changing from fear to anger in an instant. “You bitch!” Len screamed. “Wait ’til Deano hears what you did!”
    Carly screamed back, the two having a yelling match.
    Ash put a hand to his head, then hollered at the top of his lungs, “Shut the fuck up!!”
    Both Len and Carly went quiet.
    Ash pointed the gun at Len again. “You make sure Deano knows nuthin’ ’bout my involvement or I’ll come after both of you, cos I don’t want that jealous shit threatening my brother again.”
    “Dante has got nuthin’ to do with this,” Len said.
    “Deano will use this as an excuse to get back at him, so ... do you understand?”
    Len nodded. “Yeah, no worries, all’s clear. This is Carly’s fault, not yours or Dante’s. You weren’t even here; I didn’t see you at all.”
    Ash lowered the gun and pulled out his phone, quickly pressing his boss’s second-in-command’s number. Saul answered after a few rings. Ash relayed what had happened, relieved when Saul said he’d take care of the situation. Ash hung up and pocketed the phone. “Saul will be sending someone over to help you,” he said to Len. “He told me to drop Carly off at the hospital, cos he doesn’t trust you two to be left alone together. So, if you have any issues take it up with him, but be clear, he has stated his men will also come after you if you go near my family, and they’ll make you wish you chose a bullet instead.”
    “Yeah, yeah, I understand,” Len said, nodding so hard Ash thought the guy was going to lose his head as well as his mind.
    Ash’s attention snapped to the sound of a car. “Gotta go.” He took off, praying that it wasn’t the cops. He exited out the back, almost falling over the steps as the two little kids appeared in front of him. They squealed and disappeared around the side of the house. Ash followed until he neared the front, then flattened his back against the wall. He peered around the corner at the street, relieved when he only spotted Dante’s car. He double-checked all was clear, then moved out, still aware that someone could be watching him from one of the surrounding houses.
    “Dante!”
    Ash turned around, remembering he was supposed to take Carly to the hospital.
    She stopped in front of him, looking more excited than scared, again her reactions odd, considering her bloodied and smashed up face. Wishing he didn’t give a fuck, he indicated at the Holden. “Get your kids in the car,” he said, not wanting the little ones around when Craven’s men showed. He wasn’t sure what they would do to Len, the guy having caused trouble too many times before.
    Carly hollered at the boy and girl. The kids ran for the car, their angelic faces still scared.
    Ash fended off Carly as she tried to help him through the gate. “Stop touching me, I’m fine,” although he didn’t feel it. His vision may have cleared, but his head was hurting like a bitch. He pressed the alarm, trying his best to ignore the chatter of the kids and Carly as they got into the car. He slid behind the wheel, just wanting to go home and sleep for five hundred years.
    Carly smiled at him as he started the engine. “I knew it was you, Dante. You’re such a tease. And stop looking so worried, everything will be okay.”
    Ash ignored her and headed for the hospital, knowing that things were far from okay.
     

 
     
     
    7
    Corey
    Corey peeked through his curtains, wishing Sledge would get home. He’d been lying on his bed since Sledge had left for the interview, replaying over and over what had happened earlier. Even though Sledge had been nice, he was afraid his mate would eventually suss out what a fraud he was. He couldn’t handle losing Sledge’s friendship, because if he did, he wouldn’t care what the cancer did to him, because his mate was his