by S. Nelson
“Oh, yeah? And what danger is a twenty-year-old kid? Did it feel good to pick on someone seven years younger than you? You’re nothing but a bully.”
“Hey, watch it,” he warned, his nostrils flaring in anger. “I’m not a bully, and you know it.”
“Do I?” Feeling like we were getting off topic, I reiterated my need for him to leave. “You need to go. I don’t want to see you anymore. I can’t take your explosive temper. It’s gonna ruin me.” I had no idea I was even going to say such a thing until the words tumbled out, but there was no taking them back.
I thought he was going to explode again, but instead he looked completely shocked. His stunned expression told me that he really didn’t think there was anything wrong with the way he’d acted. In his mind, he was simply protecting what he thought was his.
Me.
But he was too volatile. I could somewhat handle him threatening Tripp or any of the other club members when he thought they were getting handsy, or flirting with me. They were all equals and could handle their own, to a certain degree; Stone was a trained fighter, so there was only so much fairness to an altercation if he was engaged. But to threaten a twenty-year-old was so far past the line, the line was nonexistent.
“What the fuck do you mean you don’t want to see me anymore?” he asked, his breath seizing in his throat while he waited for me to deliver the final blow. He was shocked and angry, but he was also afraid. I saw the emotion hiding behind his eyes. It disappeared before it battled to the forefront, but I’d seen it.
Calming myself even more because I didn’t want him to think I was spouting off irrationally in the heat of the moment, I inhaled some much needed oxygen and backed up a few paces. “Look,” I started, “we aren’t even a couple. Yes we had fun, but it’s time to end it. You need to find someone else who is better equipped to deal with you and your club life. I’m just not cut out for it. I’m sorry.” Every single goddamn word cut me like a knife. Picturing him with someone else almost made me take it all back right then, but I knew I was making the right decision. I just had to convince my heart of the same thing.
I locked up my emotions so tight I was surprised I was even still able to speak. One tiny crack and I would crumble.
Realizing Stone was too proud a man to beg, I knew he wouldn’t show that side of himself. If it even existed.
“Are you fuckin’ serious, Addy? Just because I confronted him?” He had no clue, and his words only drove home how much he was in denial.
“It wasn’t just that. It’s everything. We can’t ever be together for real, never mind the fact I can’t handle your temper anymore.” Averting my eyes, I declared, “This has to be good-bye. For real.”
An explosion of expletives left his mouth before he stormed out of my apartment, slamming the door so hard behind him I thought he’d splintered the wood. A few minutes later, I heard the roar of his bike, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to the window to watch him leave. It broke me to say good-bye, but deep inside, I knew Stone Crosswell wasn’t good for me.
Any part of me, especially my heart.
Stone
“You’ve been moping around here for days, Stone. What’s wrong with you?” Ryder asked, plopping down beside me on one of the couches in the common room, the beer in his hand almost empty. It didn’t take much to notice he was already on his way to feeling good.
“Fuckin’ nothing,” I grated, my nerves shot to all hell since Addy kicked me to the curb almost a week prior. I blew up her phone for five days straight, even stopping by her place. But she wouldn’t answer her cell or her door. She froze me out, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. My temper was uncontrollable sometimes, but I would never hurt her. I thought she knew that. Was she afraid of me? Of what she thought I might do if I really lost control?
The thought alone made me chug down the rest of my drink, the whiskey burning my throat while it worked its magic of making me numb.
“Fine. Don’t tell me. I’m perfectly content with sittin’ here and gettin’ drunk.” Ryder chuckled and finished his drink, popping the top off another beer bottle and taking a few swigs.
We sat in silence, losing ourselves to the alcohol coursing through our systems. It wasn’t until two days later that I peeled myself off the couch, showered, and tried to make some semblance of my life again.
I vowed to get Addy back, if it was the last thing I did. How? I had no idea.
Marek was still holed up at his place, no doubt trying to repair whatever damage had been done to Sully’s emotional state when she laid eyes on the man who’d raped her. I’d phoned him a few times, but the conversations were always short and to the point.
He’s fine.
He’s taking care of his wife.
He’ll call me soon to discuss our next move.
Only there wasn’t a next move to be had. We couldn’t touch Yanez unless we wanted to bring down Carrillo’s wrath on our club. Marek had fought hard to break us away from the cartel, and I wasn’t gonna let him undo it all with a rash decision.
Again, he was a better man than me, but that was why he was leading the club. He needed to be the better man. For all of us.
“Stone!” Jagger shouted, jogging toward me with a big smile on his face. “Guess what arrived today?” The kid was like a pig in shit he was so happy. He bounced around on the balls of his feet in excitement, and for a brief second his mood was contagious. The corners of my lips turned up slightly, waiting for him to reveal the big surprise. When I cocked a brow, he said, “The cage.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, do you have time to spar with me in a bit? Hawke’s gonna help me set it up. He offered to go toe to toe with me, but you know as well as I do I’d knock him on his ass before he even knew what happened.” Jagger laughed at his own joke, but the fact was, he was right. Hawke could hold his own in a fight, but not against the likes of Jagger. He would be too busy showboating, playing it up for anyone watching, and that’s when the prospect would strike. He was young, and undefeated in the underground fighting world. Surprisingly, it hadn’t gone to his head. Not yet, at least.
He may be a superstar in that world, but he knew not to overstep his bounds in the club. Remaining respectful toward the other brothers, he wanted nothing more than to be fully patched in, but for whatever reason, our prez wasn’t a fan of the prospect.
And it was that very same day that I found out why.
An hour after the ring had been constructed, Jagger and I were both circling each other, adrenaline surging through my veins for the first time in days. I’d drowned myself in alcohol, trying to figure out what to do about Addy, but I had to admit it was nice to focus on something other than my battered ego. And heart, if I was completely honest with myself.
“Come on, old man,” Jagger taunted, a wide smile on his face while he bounced around me. He was doing his best to make me dizzy with his fancy footwork, but he should have known I wouldn’t be so easily distracted.
“Old man?” I’m half a decade older than your punk ass,” I mumbled around my mouth guard, frowning at his audacity. Trying to annoy me was surely on the top of his list.
Both of our hands were taped, but we didn’t wear any gloves. Or nut cups. There were rules, and we trusted each other not to break them.
No hitting below the waist, but everything else was game.
After countless minutes of Jagger pussy-footin’ around me, I decided it was time to make my move. With a quick jab, I managed to graze the side of his jaw before his hands flew up to protect his face. I didn’t blame him, though; he should protect that pretty face of his, unless he wanted to drive away all the free pussy that was endlessly thrown at him. Then again, women dug scars. So maybe I was just tryin’ to do him a favor.
Chuckling at my inner thoughts, I reached forward and threw another punch. He was quicker that time, blocking it entirely, hitting back with a jab of his own and catching me in the ribs.
The guy was quick, I’d give him t
hat.
But while he was talented, I had more experience. I faked another shot, drawing his attention to my left arm. Once I hooked him, I countered with a quick uppercut with my dominant hand.
“Fuck,” he cursed, annoyed at his lack of attention. Come to think of it, he’d seemed a bit distracted when we started, but I thought it was just nerves from his upcoming fight later that night.
“Come on, bro. Keep your head in the game,” I instructed, letting him get in a couple good shots to help fuel his drive.
We went at each other for the next twenty minutes, jab for jab, cross for cross, kick for kick, until we were both sweating and primed for more. I was just about to burn more energy when the roar of a bike drew our attention.
Kicking up loose gravel as he drove through the lot, Marek finally backed into his spot, extending his hand for Sully to find her footing as soon as he killed the engine. What were they doing here? I hadn’t heard a word from him since the last time he’d rushed me off the phone, so to say I was surprised by their visit was an understatement.
Then again, a person can only hole up in their house away from everyone else for so long. Trust me, I knew.
I focused on Jagger once again, but he was still staring after Marek and Sully. Our prez had walked ahead a few feet and was chatting with Ryder, Hawke and Trigger, their faces serious, while Sully hung back for a few minutes. I was about to yell at Jagger to get his head back into it when I followed his line of sight.
He was staring at Sully, a weird look of longing in his eyes as he watched her with an intensity that instantly unnerved me. The way he was looking at my best friend’s wife was haunting. And it was right in that moment that I realized why Marek had a problem with the prospect.
There was no denying it. Anyone who paid enough attention would be able to pick up on it—the guy was horrible at subtlety.
Without warning, I approached Jagger from the side and pulled one of my infamous leg sweeps, taking him down before he even realized his feet had left the ground.
It was quick.
And effective.
Our underground fighting champ hit the mat with a heavy thud, a groan tearing from his mouth and drawing the looks from a few of the guys near the ring.
“What the hell, Stone?” Jagger shouted from the floor. His back twisted off the ground as he prepared to gain his footing. Standing over him, I leaned in close and gave him my best advice. Or warning. I couldn’t decide which.
“You get caught looking at Sully like that again, and I’ll beat the hell out of you myself.” A swift kick to his ribs made my point. I was about to lay into the prospect again, just for good measure, when I saw Addy’s blue Honda pull into the lot. I hadn’t laid eyes on the woman in a week, and the mere sight of her pushed all the emotions I’d buried deep back to the surface with a vengeance.
Standing in place, I watched her get out of her car, take a few steps then wrap her arms around Sully in greeting. My eyes followed every movement my woman made, Yes, she was still my woman, even if she’d kicked me aside. It was a simple technicality.
Adelaide Reins would always belong to me.
My heart leapt in my chest when she turned her gaze to me, but before I could show any kind of reaction, my legs were in the air and I was falling to the mat below. My arms flew out to my sides, trying desperately to grab on to something, but only air surrounded me.
I looked over at Jagger, still lying on the mat, a shit-eatin’ grin on his cocky-ass face.
Looks like he’d used one of my signature moves on me, knocking me on my ass while I was the one distracted.
Well played, fucker.
Adelaide
I knew coming to the clubhouse was going to be a mistake, but I needed to be there for my friend. Marek called and asked if I could swing by and take Sully out for a few hours; he had some club business to attend to and didn’t want to leave her alone.
I readily agreed, the utter concern in his voice sealing the deal for me. Of course, in good ol’ Marek fashion, he appointed one of his men to join us. Tripp. Which I didn’t mind at all because the man’s charm had grown on me. Plus, I could make sure once and for all that he was fully healed. It was touch and go in the very beginning, but thankfully he’d pulled through with flying colors. Even though it pissed Stone off beyond reason, I was happy to check in on my favorite patient.
Standing a few yards away, I briefly saw Stone and Jagger going at each other in a boxing-type ring, which had to have been new because it wasn’t there the last time I was. Berating myself for even being drawn to the infuriating man, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek every now and then.
The man had an incredible body, and watching the way he moved while he sparred with Jagger was amazing. For some reason, they had both been on their backs when I’d first arrived, but for the past five minutes, they were really going hard at each other, throwing jabs and kicks faster than I thought humanly possible. The muscles in Stone’s back flexed and constricted with every punch he threw, his thick thigh muscles holding him in place, waiting for Jagger’s counterattack.
“You ready, ladies?” Tripp called from across the courtyard, striding closer and pulling my attention, distracting me from the rampant thoughts firing off inside my head. The nomad was pretty incredible-looking; add his charm and he was a lady-killer for sure. Too bad I wasn’t interested in him that way. The only man who did it for me was the one fighting close by.
For some reason, I was curious to see what Stone’s reaction would be to Tripp accompanying Sully and me on our little outing. He’d always reacted unfavorably when Tripp was around me before, I wondered if today would be any different. I was the one who told him it was over between us, and after a few days of him calling me nonstop and showing up at my apartment, he’d abruptly stopped.
Did he not care anymore?
Did I care?
Sadly, yes. More than I cared to admit, even to myself.
Throwing an arm over mine and Sully’s shoulders, Tripp gifted us both with one of his signature smiles. I dared to glance over toward where Stone was and saw his entire body tense in anger. But he didn’t say anything, merely glared at me before exiting the ring. I thought for sure he was going to come over and threaten Tripp, but instead he said something to Marek in passing and disappeared inside the clubhouse.
Marek strode our way and slapped the nomad on the back. “Don’t fuck around. I’m trusting you with my wife’s life.” The two men exchanged a look, Tripp nodding when whatever message they’d passed to each other was finished.
I smiled and said, “Hey, what about me?”
“It goes without saying, Adelaide. You’re as important to a certain someone as my wife is to me.” His statement confused the man sent to babysit us, but I knew exactly who he was talking about. What had Stone told Marek about us? I guessed it didn’t matter really, because there was no longer an us. “He’ll watch over the both of you like his life depends on it.”
“Fuck,” Tripp mockingly grumbled. “I had no idea this was gonna be so stressful. I just thought I was hanging out with two hotties, shopping for clothes and shit.” The twinkle in his eye put everyone at ease, even though Marek didn’t want to show as much. He liked the guy, and apparently he trusted him.
When we approached my car, Tripp opened both of our doors before taking a seat in the back. Never in a million years would Stone allow a woman to drive while he was a passenger, insisting only pussies let their women cart them around. Then again, neither one of us belonged to Tripp, so it appeared he didn’t have an issue with me driving my own damn car, or with Sully sitting in the passenger seat.
The day passed quickly. We were gone a little longer than expected. Sully checked in with Marek a few times, nervous he was going to be upset she was taking so long, but her husband assured her it was all right, that he wanted her to have a good time.
I wasn’t sure what was going on with my friend, but she looked distracted and down in the dumps, for lack of a better ter
m. There was only so much we could talk about with Tripp close by, and I doubted she wanted to get into anything heavy with him listening. I promised I would stop by their house in the next few days so we could spend some quality girl time together. Marek would most likely be present but would busy himself in another room so we could really talk.
Sully knew all about me and Stone, just not about the part where I told him I no longer wanted to see him. I wasn’t gonna lie; there were a few times when I had picked up my phone to return one of his many calls, but decided against it. Nothing would change and we would be right back to square one, going around and around until both of us were dizzy.
“So, Tripp,” I started, licking my spoon clean of vanilla and peanut butter swirl ice cream before continuing. “Is there a special lady in your life?” I didn’t know much about the nomad, but the fact he chose to stay at the clubhouse and not go back on the road after his recovery was intriguing indeed. I wondered if he had his eye on anyone local, which would explain his reasoning for sticking around longer than normal.
We were sitting in a local ice cream parlor, our shopping bags resting at our feet while we gorged ourselves on frozen treats. It was obvious Tripp was surprised by my personal question, and a fleeting look of regret crossed his features before he showcased his winning smile. After running his hand through his hair, he flicked his wrist and checked his watch.
“No one to speak of,” he answered. As jovial as he appeared, my probing had certainly put him on edge.
“Come on,” Sully prodded further. “No one at all? Not even someone casual you kind of like?”
Wrapping his lips around his spoon, he winked before pulling the utensil free. “Nope. There is too much pus—too many fine women to ever pick just one.” Shrugging, he said, “It just wouldn’t be fair to take myself off the market.” His smile broadened when he heard us both laugh.
Before either of us could get all up in his business again, he announced it was time to go. The ride back to the clubhouse was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence, so I had no complaints. Pulling into the lot, I killed the engine when I saw my uncle up ahead. I hadn’t seen him in days and wanted to say hello. He was engaged in conversation with Hawke, and God only knew what the two of them were talking about. Hawke was a crazy bastard. From what I heard from Stone, the man couldn’t keep it in his pants. Therefore, his longtime girlfriend, Edana, was forever after him. Why she didn’t just leave him was beyond my scope of reasoning. I would never tolerate Stone cheating on me, even if we hadn’t officially been together.
