Devil's Gambit

Chapter 24

"Just so you know," Lucas began as they drove away from dropping Jonas off at his car. "Axel is waiting up for us. He called me as I was checking you in, and I had to tell him what happened."

Harley sighed, wincing as he shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat. "I don't want to deal with this right now. I'm tired."

"I know. Just let him freak out a little," Lucas reached over to take Harley's right hand, lacing together their fingers as their hands rested in Harley's lap. The car was quiet for a beat, nothing but the soft alternative rock streaming from the radio made a sound in the dark car.

"Can you sleep in my room tonight?" Harley asked hopefully, wanting his boyfriend to comfort him when he felt so vulnerable. Harley would typically call himself pretty independent and capable of self-soothing, but ever since he started dating Lucas, all he craved was his attention and doting.

Lucas smirked, eyeing Harley in amusement before concentrating back on the road. "'Course I will. You think I want to spend a night away from you either?"

Harley shook his head at that, looking out the window to hide his smile. Lucas' own happy expression wavered a little, thinking back on the emotions that ripped through him when he had received the call from Jonas and pulled up to Harley's lifeless body on the ground. He was glad Harley was the one to ask for them to be together, because Lucas didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep without him anyway- not after tonight. Every time he blinked, the image of Harley covered in blood with his shirt torn and his arm bent at an awkward angle made him nauseous, and he wasn't about to let his boyfriend out of his sight for the rest of the night.

The house was mostly unlit as Lucas pulled up the driveway, save for the one window looking into the kitchen being illuminated. Harley sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to prepare himself for his older brother's barrage of questions. Lucas reached out to squeeze his shoulder, and he sought out courage from his calming expression. Harley nodded to himself, climbing out of the car as Lucas stared after him, his hand sliding off of his shoulder and onto the center console. Now to pretend that they were nothing more, and Lucas hated the fact that they had to wait until they were locked away and hidden in the privacy of their own rooms before they could be there for each other. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take, but the fear of Axel's reaction still sat heavily in his mind.

Harley was already climbing up the porch steps as Lucas got out, but he was able to catch up by the time Harley reached the door due to his longer legs. As Lucas was picking out the correct key on his keyring to unlock the front door, it suddenly flew open, revealing Jackie standing in the threshold in a spaghetti strap tank top and sweatpants. Her baby blue eyes immediately narrowed in on Harley's battered face, and then to his arm in the sling, and she gasped as her hand flew to her chest.

"Jesus Christ, Harley!" She exclaimed, stepping aside to usher them in quickly. Harley slinked inside sheepishly, immediately taking notice of Axel sitting at the kitchen table, who shot up as the two men came in, Lucas shuffling in behind wordlessly.

"Harley-" he breathed, taking in his tattered appearance with wide, horrified eyes.

"Yeah. . . I know," Harley huffed, lifting his injured shoulder up slightly before immediately dropping it back down in pain.

"What the hell happened? Who the fuck did this?" Axel hissed, stepping forward as his eyes examined Harley's face looking for answers, before flicking up to Lucas' neutral expression.

"Some guy named Kyle, okay? It happened, I won't go back to Northside, and please don't kill him."

"Kyle? The God damn police chief's son?" Axel exploded in anger, his face growing red. "He'd be lucky if I'd just kill him, I want to beat him within an inch of his life until he begs me for death!"