The overhead door swung open with a loud scrape along the track. It was dark and initially the only thing that hit her was the metallic smell of fresh blood. Her hand fumbled for the light switch and when she found it and flipped it on, her heart dropped to her stomach.
Every one of the men she loved was slaughtered, beaten and lying lifelessly throughout the garage. Tara's lifeless body lay over the top of Jaxson. Every inch of the concrete floor was covered in blood. She dropped to her knees and wept silently, her mouth stretched in a soundless scream that never came.
She crawled over to her brother, putting her ear to his chest searching for the non-existent heartbeat she wanted to hear. The back of his head was bashed in. She looked down over her own body and realized she too was covered in the thick, dark liquid. It was still warm with the last ounce of life it carried with it.
She looked around in a frantic panic, searching for the one person she needed to find. The blood dripped down her legs, mixed with sweat. Her breathing came in short, labored spurts as she gasped. She turned slowly in a circle until she saw him.
Filip lay across Gemma's desk, his throat slit from ear to ear; his blood pouring out along the desk, dripping slowly to the floor. She threw herself over the man she loved, sobbing uncontrollably and unable to maintain her breathing. Her voice finally returned and she bellowed into the night air; her whole body trembling with fear and pain. Two rough arms wrapped around her and pulled her backward, dragging her away from the scene.
"Bree! Wake up! You gotta wake up sweetie." Kozik pulls me into his arms, rocking me gently. There are hot tears streaming down my face as I finally coax my eyes open. The convulsions and sobs rip through me and it's almost impossible to breath. "It's ok; you're in your room. I'm here with you."
I can't respond and the terrifying images won't go away. I claw at Kozik's chest, pulling him to me.
"Bree ya gotta tell me what to do here. I'm ready to rush you to the hospital." He is scared and I struggle to slow my breathing.
"It was a nightmare. That's all. I'm ok." I finally manage to get the words out of my mouth.
"I'll get you some water." He disappears through the doorway and I turn to dangle my feet off the bed.
The images of the bloody garage fade into my subconscious and the reality of where I am helps to calm my nerves. Kozik is back in just a moment, a tall glass in his hands. The cold liquid easily soothes my raw throat and helps to get my nerves in check.
"Thank you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." I tell him sheepishly.
"It's ok. Are you all right? You wanna tell me about it?" He asks but I'm already shaking my head violently, not wanting to relive that. "What do you need?"
His concerned voice makes me smile a little. He's out of place with all this but still trying. Years ago when we were, whatever we were, he would have taken off at the first sight of feelings. Now he was sitting here, comforting me.
"I'll be fine." I try to reassure him. "You don't have to do anything. I'm not your mess."
His face falls and I realize the way that must have sounded. My hand goes to my forehead and I close my eyes.
"Not what I meant Koz. I'm sorry." I can't stop the trembling in my hands and he notices.
"Want me to stay with you again tonight?" He asks, holding my hands. I pause for a moment.
I know it's not fair for me to need him but I do. I can't bring myself to answer so I nod instead. I stand up and cross to my closet, grabbing out a very baggy pair of sweat pants and toss them to him. He goes to the bathroom to change and I curl up in my bed; taking the spot Filip had claimed for his own. It didn't feel right having anyone else in that place.
Kozik goes through the house, checking the locks and turning off lights before he cautiously crawls into bed next to me. He holds open his arm and I curl up next to his chest. When I close my eyes and fall back to sleep, nothing haunts me for once.
The sound of my door slamming shut in the morning wakes me up. I pop up out of bed, leaving Kozik sound asleep. I grab my robe and rush through my bedroom door, closing it behind me. Tara and Opie are standing in my living room, Kozik's kutte in Op's hand.
"It's not what you think. I had a horrible night; I woke up screaming from a nightmare." Opie stares at me disbelieving but I see recognition from Tara.
"She didn't do anything Opie." She confirms. "It's actually common to have nightmares during pregnancy." He seems to relax a little.
"What's up?" I ask, wondering why they're here.
"Filip is going to visit Jaxson today. I thought maybe you'd want to come to the garage for a bit; show Gemma and dad you're getting better before they bust through your door." He explains. "I'm not saying you don't deserve time off but when I know you're just hiding, it's not right."
Tara agrees with him silently and Kozik suddenly joins us, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He looks uncomfortable at the look my brother was shooting him.
"Morning." He mumbles out the side of his mouth, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You comin to work today?" Opie asked him. I couldn't help but grin at the tone in my brother's voice. He was one step away from cleaning his shotgun at my kitchen table.
"Yeah man. I'll head over there now." Kozik disappears into the bathroom only to emerge a second later, dressed again.
"What about you?" Opie asks, not taking his eyes off the blond man as he makes his way out of the house, pausing to give me a quick hug.
"Yeah, I'll take a shower and go in." I concede, knowing it's not worth arguing.
"Glad to see your feelin better baby girl." Dad put his large arm around me and pulled me in for a kiss.
I could smell the alcohol on his breath and from the way he slurred his words, I knew he was drunk. The stale smell made my stomach roll. Tara noticed the sickened expression on my face and pulled me away.
"Sorry Piney, I need to show Bree something quick." She pulled me outside and the sudden rush of fresh air halts my need to throw up. "Better?"
"Yeah. Thanks." I tell her with a weak smile.
"So you and Kozik?" She asks.
"No." I don't elaborate. She knows enough to trust that's the end of it.
"Have you talked to Filip?" She asked.
"Is Fiona still in town?" I counter, watching the prospects lower a car to the ground willing any emotion to leave my face.
"Yeah, she'll be gone soon." She knows something that I don't and frankly, I don't want to know.
"I'll talk to him when she's back in Ireland; if he doesn't follow her." I tell her before I push myself off the table and walk toward the garage.
Kozik drops off a handful of paperwork to me at the desk and turns to walk away without a word.
"You ok?" I ask, not looking up from my work.
"Yeah, is Opie pissed?" He asks, turning around and leaning against the door frame.
"No, just worried." I finally look up at him as I fidget with the pen in my hand nervously.
"Yeah, me too. What's goin on?" He asks.
"Just trying to get right with this; It's been hard." I gesture around the garage. "I think I just took too much on."
"If that's the story you're sticking with, save it for everyone else who believes your lies." He pushes himself away from the door and turns to walk away. I leap up, racing after him. His angry tone shocked me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I yell across the lot. The prospects watch us from the garage until I shoot them a look.
"You wanna walk around here and pretend nothing's going on with you, do it on your own time. Don't waste mine and everyone else's. Why should we worry about you? You don't worry about yourself and you don't care that we're all worried about you." His outburst shocks me and apparently I'm not the only one. Filip had just pulled his bike into the lot and caught the end of our conversation. Everyone else plays witness to his argument.
"There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine." I try to convince him unsuccessfully.
"If you're so fine, why don't you look at him? Talk to him? He broke you and you can't fucking admit it. Not to yourself and not to anyone else. You've been hiding for months." He lowers his voice and grits his teeth with every word. "You're not fucking fine. You're screaming your lungs out every night, you're in bed all day and when was the last time you ate more than a few bites?"
"What do you want from me? I'm doing the best I can." My words are barely audible
"I want you to be happy again. You're a friend and I care about you but quit lying to everyone, including yourself." He grabs my arms and his face is mere inches from mine. There's something he's not telling me.
Filip walks over and puts his hand on Kozik's shaking arm. The blond stands up and stares at him.
"You fucking idiot. I know what you wanted me to do but do your own damn dirty work." He jerks his arm away and heads to his bike.