Savage: Iron Dragons MC (14 page)

“That’s good,” Kristina nodded, as she tried to think up a good excuse to vacate the dorm for the night.

“She suggested that you and I find someplace to stay for the night, just until things are sorted out,” Marie said. “We can go to my brother’s place. He and Angela won’t mind hosting us for a few nights.”

“That’s a sweet offer,” Kristina said, trying to keep her face normal. “But this is a long weekend, and I thought maybe I’d take the train to visit my aunt.”

“Your aunt?” Marie said wrinkling her eyebrows. “She lives over an hour away.”

“Yeah,” Kristina nodded. “But she lives by a lake, and it would be the perfect place to relax and unwind before finals week begins.”

“Finals week is still a month away,” Marie reminded her.

“Yeah, but I’ve been promising Aunt Lacey that I’d visit and I never have,” Kristina said. “This gives me the perfect opportunity.”

“I wasn’t aware that you were so keen on visiting your aunt,” Marie said suspiciously.

“Our impending graduation is getting me sentimental for some reason,” Kristina said with a shrug and a smile.

Marie gave her a sideways look and then she laughed. “Ok then… man, you are so weird. I have never known a student to get so… turned around by the idea of graduation.”

“Well… I’ve always been a little weird,” Kristina smiled, relieved that she was getting away with it.

“I guess we should get packing then,” Marie suggested, and Kristina was happy to go along with it. She got out a duffel bag and popped in her jeans, a few tops, clean underwear, and a number of other essentials she assumed she would need. She didn’t think too much about it because she knew she’d be close enough to pop into the dorm whenever she needed something she had forgotten. Once she was done, she swapped out her oversized shirt for a hoodie and popped on her sneakers.

“That was fast,” Marie observed.

“The sooner I leave, the sooner I can make the next train,” Kristina said. “I think it leaves at eight forty-five.”

“I think it’s nine-thirty actually,” Marie said. “You have time.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s eight forty-five,” Kristina insisted. “I’ll just leave a little early just in case.”

“You know you can just check online,” Marie pointed out.

“The internet was down last I checked,” Kristina said the lie coming easily to her.

“Was it?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ve got a book with me, so it doesn’t matter if I’m a little early.”

Marie looked a little confused, but she nodded along. “Alright then, I guess I’ll see you on Tuesday?”

“Yup,” Kristina said, leaning in and giving Marie a quick hug. “I’ll see you then. Have fun at your brother’s. Give your nephew a hug from me.”

“Will do,” Marie said and nodded, as she waved Kristina off.

Kristina waited till the door was shut on her, and then she rushed down the stairs and outside. Keith was already there, parked in a shadowy corner, almost completely hidden from view. Kristina knew that Marie would not be able to spot him if she were to glance out the window. Kristina walked up to him and got onto the bike behind him. They didn’t say a word to one another. Keith waited until her hands were locked around him, and then he took off into the night, leaving the campus behind them.

They rode for maybe fifteen minutes before Keith finally started slowing down. Kristina started to pay attention to her surroundings, and she realized that they were in a somewhat residential area. There were houses lining the pavements and trees that shaded the houses. It didn’t look like a very highbrow neighborhood, but there was a quaint and homey charm about it.

Keith came to a stop in front of one of the smaller houses. It had an arched roof and a fence that looked as though it had seen better days. The house itself looked well taken care of and the front door had been painted a bright red. Keith got off and helped Kristina down, then he grabbed her duffel bag and turned to face her.

“Do you have the note?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kristina said, as she reached for it and handed it to him.

Keith seemed to read it a couple of times before he folded it in half and slipped it into his pocket. His face was hard as stone and the look in his eyes terrified her.

“Keith…” Kristina started to say, but he turned from her and started walking towards the red door. Kristina reached out and grabbed Keith’s hand before he could make it to the door. “Where have you brought me?” Kristina asked.

“This is where I grew up,” Keith replied in a hard voice.

Kristina looked back at the house. For some reason, she couldn’t imagine Keith living there. “You live here?” she asked.

“Not anymore,” Keith replied. “But my mother still does.”

He had brought her to his childhood home. When he turned and walked towards the door, Kristina didn’t stop him. She stood there for a moment taking it in, and then she followed him. He knocked on the door and almost immediately it opened to reveal a petite woman with dark hair tinged with gray and blue eyes that were just like Keith’s.

“Hello dear,” she said warmly. “Come in.”

Kristina hesitated at the threshold until Keith put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her through. The house’s interior was traditional. It looked similar to the house she had grown up in, and that was deeply comforting to Kristina. Somehow she felt as though this linked them in some way. It made her feel as though she and Keith weren’t as different from each other as she had first assumed.

“Why don’t you take a seat, Kristina,” Keith’s mother said, making Kristina turn at the sound of her voice. She spoke as though they were old friends. Her eyes were filled with warmth and comfort. She smiled at Kristina and gestured for her to sit down.

“This is my mother,” Keith said as an introduction, “Emma.”

“I… it’s nice to meet you… Emma,” Kristina said shyly, as she took a seat and glanced about the room. It looked like any other normal home. There were pictures that lined the table that lay beside the sofa. Kristina caught sight of a picture of Keith as a young boy. He looked so different that Kristina questioned for a moment whether it was actually Keith she was looking at. His face was youthful and open, his smile shone through his eyes, and he looked as though he believed in fairytales. It made Kristina sadder than she could imagine.

“The pleasure’s mine,” Emma replied conventionally, as she took a seat opposite her. Keith stood on the periphery, as though he felt completely out of place with both women in the room. Kristina could sense his discomfort, and she wondered whether it stemmed from her presence or his own doubts and insecurities.

“Has… Keith told you what happened?” Kristina asked tentatively, unsure how much Keith had made his mother aware of.

“He has,” Emma nodded, her tone changing slightly. “I… am sorry for what you have been through.”

Kristina shook her head quickly, worried that Emma might think she was blaming Keith in some way. “No… don’t be sorry. This is no one’s fault.”

Kristina didn’t know how she knew it, but she swore she could feel the emotions wafting off Keith, and she could sense his jaw clench at her words. She wanted to look at him, reassure him in some way, but she resisted the urge, knowing he would turn from anything she said or did at this point.

“You have a nice home,” Kristina said to cover up the awkwardness that filled the room.

“Thank you, dear,” Emma replied. “I’ve lived my whole adult life in this house. Although Keith has tried to move me out more times than I can count.”

Grateful for the excuse to look at Keith, Kristina turned her head in his direction. “You have?” she asked with interest. “Why?”

Keith’s face was cold and distant, and Kristina didn’t miss the glare that he shot at his mother. “I just felt like… she needed a change,” Keith replied. “That’s all.”

“Keith, why don’t you go out and get us all something to eat,” Emma said abruptly as she looked between Keith and Kristina. “I’m hungry and Kristina looks like she could do with some fattening up.”

Keith wrinkled his eyebrows at his mother. “You always have food in the fridge.”

“Today I don’t,” Emma said with finality. “In any case, I’m not about to serve up leftovers to a guest.”

“You don’t have to worry about that Emma,” Kristina rushed to assure her. “I’ll eat anything, really.”

“Be that as it may, I would still like to have something fresh and hot,” Emma insisted. “Chang’s is open. You know what I like.”

Keith sent his mother another glare, but then he grabbed his keys and walked out of the house without any more argument. As soon as the door shut behind him, Emma turned back to Kristina. “Don’t mind him… he doesn’t like to talk about the past.”

“I’ve noticed,” Kristina said with a small past.

“He has sort of a love-hate relationship with this house,” Emma went on without reservation. “It was where he grew up; it was where he was raised. But it was also the scene of so many altercations with his father.”

Kristina felt herself tense. “Keith’s father,” she said slowly. “Keith has never mentioned him before…”

“I’m not surprised,” Emma replied. “Keith doesn’t like talking about him, even with me.”

“He was abusive,” Kristina said, filling in the blanks.

“Yes,” Emma nodded. “My husband was abusive with me…and with Keith. Keith bore the brunt of his anger when he got older. He was always trying to protect me.”

“Oh,” Kristina said with awe. “That must have been a lot… for a young boy to handle.”

“It was,” Emma said heavily. “More than he should have had to handle in the first place. But I was not as strong as I should have been… and Keith suffered for it.”

Kristina didn’t know what to say. She was touched to be taken into the confidence of this woman, whom she had just met, but it also made her uneasy, knowing that Emma was sharing so much of Keith’s life with her. She would have preferred hearing it all from Keith himself.

“I think he wanted me to leave this house because it was tied to so many memories that he just wanted to forget,” Emma went on.

“But you didn’t feel the same way?” Kristina asked with curiosity.

“There are bad memories here,” Emma said with a nod. “But this is where I raised my only child… and I’ve always been a sentimental person. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but I suppose you could say that the good memories have always outweighed the bad ones.”

“That’s a healthy way to look at it,” Kristina smiled.

“I’d like to think so,” Emma nodded. “But I find it’s hard to convince Keith when he’s made up his mind.”

“I’ve noticed that, too.”

Emma gave her a knowing smile. “Keith never mentioned you until a few hours ago when he told me that he was bringing you here to spend a few nights.”

“I’m so sorry to put you out like this,” Kristina said quickly. “I can always make other arrangements…”

“That is not why I bring it up,” Emma interrupted her. “I bring it up because I realize that you and my son have a relationship of sorts?”

Kristina shook her head. “I wouldn’t call it a relationship… we’re friends…”

“You don’t sound sure,” Emma said with raised eyebrows.

“I… guess I’m not,” Kristina said with a sigh. “It’s complicated.”

“Most things concerning Keith usually are,” Emma nodded. “But I do know this much… if he brought you here, it is because he cares for you.”