Tobias (A CURSED BOYS NOVEL Book 1) (17 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TOBIAS

              I've been driving myself crazy for the past few days staying cooped up in my room, but I just can't bring myself to face Willow. I don't remember much about what happened the night I was rescued, but when Tristan told me Willow fed me her blood to save my life, I knew I almost killed her. 

 None of us really knew what would happen if I didn't drink blood to survive; the hunger usually took over before I could find out, but a vampire I once met told me that it would be a fate worse than death.

 My brothers have been bringing me fresh blood bags from town which has helped me recover faster. The first day I woke up after I got home I had already started healing and needed to get my brothers to re-break most of the bones in my body so they could be set properly.

 If you ask me, I’d say they enjoyed it a little too much. Apparently they are taking Willow’s side in all of this and think I’m making a mistake. There’s a good chance they might be right, but I’m not willing to take that risk.

 “We’re going in to town to pick up some things for the girls. Daniel and Jonathan are thinking about going to see Micky too, and I really think you should be there for that.”

 I glanced up at Tristan standing in my doorway. He didn’t need to ask me twice; I was dying to get out of this room. I got to my feet and limped to the door. I was mostly healed but my body was still pretty sore.

 “Let’s get going then.”

 I grabbed a hooded sweater from my closet and pulled it on before following Tristan out of the room. The rest of the guys were already waiting for me downstairs. Colton seemed to be in way too good of a mood.

 I haven’t officially met Willow’s sister yet, but from what I’m told, the two of them are constantly going at it. I’m guessing he won whatever battle they were in this time, since he seemed unable to wipe the smirk off his face.

 Tristan picked up his keys and headed out the door, followed quickly by the rest of the guys. I jumped into the back of the truck and sat between Colton and Jasper.

 The truck roared to life and we took off towards town. As we left I caught a glimpse of Willow standing in her window staring at me. My whole body wracked with guilt at the sight of her. Our eyes met and I looked away from her before I actually got sick. She was a constant reminder of what Alexander did to her, and that I wasn’t good enough to save her.

 “You ok Uncle T? You don’t look so hot.” Jonathan asked.

 “I’m fine.”

 “You didn’t have to come. Maybe you should have rest a little longer.”

 “I don’t need any more rest, and your dad won’t be able to deal with all this on his own.”

 He nodded his head, and then returned to tugging on his fingers one at a time. It was a nervous tick he had developed ever since he joined the military. I’ve not been around them a whole lot since they’ve grown up, but Jonathan's knuckle popping drove Micky crazy and he’d rant for hours on end some nights.

 “Do you think he’ll hate us?”

 I looked up at Jonathan. He was still staring at his feet and tugging on his fingers but I could tell he was beginning to have doubts about going to see his father. I sighed trying to find an answer for him.

 “When your dad got the letter saying you and your brother died, I thought it was going to be the end of him. He broke every chair and table in the bar, and smashed up anything that wasn’t nailed down. Every bottle of liquor, every glass, even the windows! It killed him and I didn’t think he was going to pull through.”

 “So what happened then?”

 “He found a picture of the two of you behind the bar and broke down crying. I’ve never seen him cry a day in his life until that night. He wanted to die because the pain of losing you was too much for him, but he kept on going.”

 “Why?”

 “Because I told him that’s what you would have wanted.”

 Everyone remained silent the rest of the trip. The memory of that night replayed over and over again in my head. Losing his boys broke Micky in ways that could not be fixed. I’m not sure how he’s going to react when he finds out that his boys are still alive.

 We pulled up to Micky’s bar and Jonathan tried to hide his tears by wiping them away. If anyone saw, none of them said a thing about it. Tristan wished us good luck, then took off into town with my brothers to fill Amelia’s shopping list. I looked over at Jonathan and Daniel.

 “Ready?”

 “Ready as we’ll ever be.”

 I nodded my head then walked around the building to the back door with both of them tailing behind me. As soon as I got inside I heard Micky from the bar.

 “We don’t open ‘til nine.”

 “Good thing I’m not here for a drink then.”

 “Tobias, so help me God I’m going to kill you! Where the fuck have you been? Last I saw you there were dead bodies and you-”

 Micky came around the corner and froze on the spot. I watched the color drain out of his face as he tried to make sense of what the hell was going on.

 “The fuck?”

 He backed up as Daniel walked towards him, and ended up tripping over a bar stool. I walked over and picked Micky up off the ground and sat him in a chair. It was going to be a long night that would need a lot of alcohol.

 “I’m dreaming. I have to be dreaming.”

 “You’re not dreaming Mick; I’ll explain everything with a drink.”

 I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain everything; I didn’t even know all the details myself. I can’t remember the night we escaped and we haven’t exactly had a heart to heart since then, and other than the fact that I almost killed the only woman who has ever given a shit about me, no one’s told me anything about that night.

 I watched as everyone stared at each other in silence. No one knew what to do, so I shoved both Daniel and Jonathan towards Micky.

 “Don’t be dicks, go hug your father before he thinks he died and met you two in hell.”

 Both of them moved forward apprehensively, but as soon as they were within arm’s reach, Micky grabbed the pair of them in a bear hug.

 No words were spoken, but the sobs of an inconsolable father filled the air with relief. I think he actually cried harder when he found out his boys were still alive than when he found out they were dead.

 “My boys…”

 Tears were streaming down Jonathan's and Daniel's faces and none of them wanted to be the first to let go. I think Micky was afraid if he let them go they wouldn’t really be there.

 “I think this calls for a drink.” I said while clearing my throat.

 Before I could even move Micky pulled me into the group hug. I was squished between his large arm and Daniel's head.

 “Guess that’s a no on the drinks then?”

 Everyone laughed before we were finally released. Jonathan grabbed a couple glasses from behind the bar and Daniel picked up a bottle of Jack.

 Micky left his spot on the bar stool to hang a sign on the front door of his pub saying he was closed for the night. When he came back we were all sitting around a table in the center of the room.

 After a couple drinks we all started talking; the boys told us stories about being over-seas leading up to the explosion that supposedly killed them.

 “So let me get this straight, the same fucks who abducted Tobias and his little lady are the ones who blew your crew up?”

 “Yep.” Daniel and Jonathan said together.
 “So now you’re just like he is?”

 “Sort of, it’s complicated.” Daniel said while shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

 “We can’t die, anymore. We will never age, never get sick-”

 “That’s not true Jonathan, you will get sick. And it will fucking suck.” I cut in.

 Everyone looked at me like I had just said the craziest thing in the world. I shrugged it off and poured everyone a round of drinks.

 “So this is a question I’ve been sitting on for about thirty years now. How old are you, Tobias.”

 “A lot older than you, that’s for sure.”

 “C’mon boy, there are no more secrets here.”

 I scratched the back of my neck while doing the math in my head. This wasn’t usually a question I answered.

 “Uh, about three hundred and forty three, I think.”

 The look on Micky’s face was priceless. If he wasn’t sitting down, I’m pretty sure he would've fallen on his ass.

 “Well fuck me! I think I’ll take that drink now.”

 We laughed as Micky hoarded all four shots I poured and downed them one after another. We spent the next hour talking and catching up and Micky still couldn’t believe his eyes.

 I avoided answering questions about what happened to Willow and me while we were locked up, and thankfully no one really pushed for answers.

 Tristan and the others showed up just as we cracked open the second bottle of Jack. They all pulled up some chairs and it turned into a real party. At some point someone turned on some music and everything.

 Colton and jasper were shooting some pool when Tristan finally said it was time to head home before Amelia killed him for taking so long.

 “You guys go ahead; I think I’m going to crash here at the bar for a few nights.”

 “Is this about you avoiding Willow?” Colton asked.

 “I’m not avoiding her.”

 “Bullshit, you haven’t said a word to her since you got home.”

 “So what, maybe I am avoiding her. I can’t stay locked up in my room for the rest of my life. I just need to be away from the house for a few days.”

 “Don’t be so dramatic, go home and talk to your girl.” Jasper groaned.

 “I almost fucking killed her!” I snapped at him.

 “But you didn’t.”

 “But I could have! I wanted too. And there was nothing I could do to stop myself. She deserves better than that and if she had any sense what so ever she would take off, run for the hills and never look back. Just tell her to go and forget me and find peace and have the life she deserves without me.”

 I felt my chest constricting at the thought of her leaving, but I couldn’t be selfish anymore. I kept her from leaving last time and it ended up getting her tortured and nearly killed.

 “You didn’t see her face the day she woke up and found out we left you behind. We did; and let me tell you something brother, there is nothing in this world that girl wouldn’t do for you. Willow would walk through hell and back for you. Shit, she already did and she was willing to do it again to get you home.”

 Everyone nodded in agreement with Tristan, including Micky and his boys. I knew it was true, but I couldn’t accept the fact that I could very well end up being the reason she does something stupid to get herself killed one day.

 “I can’t. No, I won’t put her at risk again. She’s better off without me.” I said through the pain that threatened to choke me, and then walked away from all of them, heading to the spare room upstairs.

 “That’s not your choice to make brother!” Tristan called after me.  

 I paced the small room back and forth while raking my fist through my hair. The thought of actually letting Willow go this time killed me inside, but I was doing the right thing.

 There was knocking at the door, but I ignored it and continued to pace. I growled to myself as the person on the other side persisted.

 “I told you, I’m staying here. Willow is better off without me.”

 “That may very well be the case, but if you don’t open this door I’m kicking your ass out of my bar, boy!”

 I was relieved to hear Micky’s voice from the other side instead of one of my brothers. I pulled open the door to let Micky in.

 “You goin’ to tell me what’s going on with that little miss of yours?”

 “Nothing to tell.”

 “I don’t believe that. I see the way you look at her and the last time the two of you were in my bar you flew out of here like a bat out of hell just to keep her in your life.”

 Things were different then, why didn’t anyone understand that?

 “She nearly died because of me.”

 “You can’t blame yourself for that.”

 “I was the one who almost killed her, so yeah; I can blame myself for that.”

 “That wasn’t you. You weren’t yourself.”

 “You don’t even know me Mick, you have no idea about the things I have done, the people I have killed. I’m no good for her; I’m no good for any of you. I’ll only be here for a night or two at the most, then I’ll find my way out of town.”

 There was nothing but silence for the longest time; I was beginning to wonder if maybe he fell asleep standing, with his eyes open.

 “Listen here son, you’re older than me, but it’s pretty clear as fuck you aren’t wiser than me. I may not know you in the way you think, but I know enough. You brought me my boys. They were dead; you stood at my side at their funeral and now you’ve brought them home to me. You stood at my side through my darkest hours when I had nothing left to live for. You helped me survive the darkest parts of me. Now, I’m going to return the favor.”