Chase & Chloe

by Simone Elise

  A grin slipped across his lips. "That wouldn't stop me and you know it."

  I rolled my eyes and went to walk past him when he grabbed my arm. "Come on Chloe, give us a show."

  I may wear short dresses and I may smoke weed but I did not ever do it for attention. I was just living up to my reputation.

  "Let go of me."

  "Or what? You don't have a boyfriend but that could change though." He was hinting, but I wasn't buying.

  "Let go of me, or you will learn the full force of my knee in your balls."

  "Hear that boys, she's talking dirty to me."

  They started circling me, and I was between a wall and Chad. His grip on my arm was tightening to the point it would be leaving a bruise.

  "Let go of me!" I pulled on my arm, but his grip just tightened. It was in situations like this I really realized I was on my own. I didn't have anyone coming to my rescue. I didn't have a knight, I only had myself.

  His friends were egging him on. He was towering over me and it wasn't like I knew how to punch someone. A crowd was gathering around us. Chad was feeling overly confident when his other hand went for my breast.

  I stomped my heel onto his foot, making him curse.

  "What's going on here?"

  Chad's hand dropped from my arm, as if I was on fire.

  "Nothing, Jim." Chad smiled, which made me feel sick.

  "I see you are the center of attention again, Chloe." Mr. Howard gave me a judging look. "Perhaps you should spend more time on your studies than flirting with men. Now everyone, move on." He started waving people away.

  I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to point out I was no match to Chad but what was the point? No one would believe me.

  "I'll see ya later, sweetheart," Chad whispered in my ear and walked off with his friends.

  It made my blood turn cold. Maybe it was fear, or maybe I was just scared of what could happen if I was alone with him and seeing as he was taking every opportunity to try and get a one-on-one with me, it really did scare me.

  I scanned the crowd as everyone parted ways and then I spotted…no, it couldn't be. I picked up my bag and weaved in and out of the crowd. I swear I just saw…Declan. I came around the corner and rounded it, only to see other students and no Declan. Great, now I was imagining Chase's brothers being here. I really was desperate.

  This took missing Chase to a whole new level. Chase. What would he do if he heard how Chad spoke to me? What would he think of how everyone treated me? The biker whore who was also a murderer.

  I guess it didn't matter as it wasn’t like he was around anymore. I had to move on; he would have by now. I was just some stupid girl that took the rap for something he did. I doubted he would be thinking about me like I was thinking about him.

  Chapter 36

  Chase's Point of View

  Remind me again why I was doing this? I huffed, lifting the floorboards with Dan. Renovations. Buying an old house to do up sounded like a good idea as it would keep my hands busy and help me keep a low profile, but this house needed work. A lot of work.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. Considering I hadn't heard from them all day, I was interested in what their excuse would be.

  Oliver's number flashed across my screen.

  "How is she?" was my first question. I had an endless list of questions when it came to Chloe.

  "She's had a rough day." Oliver's voice was smooth, but I could tell he was holding something back, which had me thinking one thing.

  "What happened?"

  Oliver sighed into the phone. "Well, she got a beating this morning. We witnessed it from sitting in the car. She left the house with a bleeding cheek then she did her normal gym thing and was at uni late. This Chad guy needs to be dealt with. Declan nearly stepped in today, but a teacher broke it up."

  "What was he doing?" Did it bother me that some young jerk was hassling Chloe and I wasn't there to deal with it? Yes.

  "According to Declan, he felt her up and then had her pinned against a wall. He was getting physical when Declan was going to step in."

  "Is this the same jerk from their church?"

  "Yep. Same one."

  So there was zero chance Chloe was going to do something about him. She didn't do conflict and she wouldn't be mentioning it to her parents.

  "Get Declan to have a word with him. Did she see him today?"

  Oliver went silent. "Nah, she hasn't changed her routine. We are parked outside the café now."

  Chloe's routine is leaving the house at six, going to the gym and then to university, then either goes back to the gym or goes to that café and stays there until nine forty-five. She walks home, and then the day repeats. If it was the weekend though, she went to church, but nothing ever changes.

  "Hold on a minute," Oliver said into the phone.

  "What?"

  "Isn't that the guy from the gym?" Oliver was talking, but not to me. No, to Marc, who was also in the car. They had paired up together. Declan went to the university and Archie covered church functions. They stayed in the shadows, watching and reporting to me.

  "Who is there?" I was irritated that Oliver had forgotten he was on the phone.

  "That guy from the gym is here and, by the looks of it, to see Chloe." Oliver's attention was back on me.

  "Why would he be there?" I couldn't think of one good reason for him to be there but I knew Chloe was one hell of a reason to be there.

  "Could be by chance. The gym is only five minutes from this place."

  I was getting a strong feeling it wasn't by chance he was there. "Is he going to her?"

  "Yeah, but screwed if we know what they’re saying. Hey, the bug is in Chloe's phone now so you will be able to read her messages, listen to her phone calls, and well, right now you could be listening to what is being said."

  "How?"

  "I put a listening device in it. Think of it as a hearing piece. You can tune in anytime."

  "So, now I could listen to what they are saying?"

  "Yep, and her phone is on the table so you would be able to hear her pretty clearly."

  "Will she be able to tell?"

  "Nope. Her phone lights up when you connect, but that's it. I linked it to your number so when she gets a call, you get notified and either tune in and listen or ignore it. You also get all her messages."

  "Thanks, Oliver." Him being tech savvy actually paid off. All those times he was playing around with our phones. Who knew he was capable of this? I hung up the phone and clicked on the app on my phone.

  Chloe's Point of View

  It was after seven and I was reading a novel I had got from the university. I had a heap of study work to read, but I wasn't interested in it. Instead, I was losing myself among the pages of romance novels.

  I was stirring my coffee, reading, when I felt eyes on me. Looking up, I was surprised to see him.

  "So, you showed up?"

  Jenkins smirked and slid into the opposite side of the booth.

  I put my book down and noticed my phone light up. The book must have touched it.

  "Did you think I'd stand you up?"

  "I don't know. I just didn't expect you to leave your gym."

  "Only for you, Marshall." He picked the menu. "Have you eaten?"

  I pushed my book to the side. Would this be considered a date? I didn't want it to. It was just two friends having tea, right? "Nope, I haven't eaten." Just as I said that, Smith walked past our booth.

  "Hey Chloe, want your usual?" Smith the waiter had stopped with his notebook out.

  Jenkins arched his eyebrows at me, giving me a classic Jenkins expression. He most likely thought I lived here or something. Well, he would be right, I was here every night.

  "Um yeah, Smith. I would like my usual and whatever my friend wants." I reached for my purse and handed him a credit card. "Make sure to tip yourself."

  "As always Chloe, you are too generous. What can I get your
friend?" Smith's eyes went from me to Jenkins.

  "Steak will do and I'll pay." Jenkins reached into his jeans, and I leaned across the small table, grabbing his arm.

  "Please let me, you will be doing me a favor." Spending Joe's money was my only pastime, and I wanted to enjoy it.

  "The bloke pays for the meal."

  "Not when the girl has a platinum credit card, one she doesn't have to pay for." I smiled, letting go of his arm and turning to Smith. "So, that's a steak and chips and my salad. Thank you, Smith."

  He nodded his head while taking our order and then walked off.

  Jenkins didn't look very impressed. He took me as the type of guy that followed rules.

  "Anyway, this isn't a date, remember?" I pointed out and sipped on my coffee.

  "Point taken. What's with you blowing money anyway?" Jenkins looked at me like I was a complete mystery. "Is that your way at getting back at your boyfriend?"

  He was close, too close. It was like a soccer punch to my guts. "I don't have a boyfriend," I muttered, taking my eyes off him and staring out the window. I looked closer and noticed it was my neighbor’s car I was staring at so intensely, or it might not be. I'm sure that there was more than one of those cars in the neighborhood.

  "So who is responsible for redecorating your face every day?"

  "That's called makeup, Jenkins." I attempted to blow over the subject, but the look on his face had me.

  "Bruises, cut lips and black eyes, then there is that massive bruise on your side."

  "I didn't realize I was under inspection when I was in the locker room," I threw at him, feeling uncomfortable about this subject. I had only admitted to one other person that Joe hit me and that was Chase, and that ended so well.

  Jenkins’s blue eyes locked onto mine. "I know what the result of a man's fist looks like. You have to remember I train people to hurt people for a living."

  The one thing I didn't know about Jenkins was that he might keep to himself, but he noticed everything. "Like I said, I don't have a boyfriend."

  "You don't want to talk about this, do you?" He tilted his head, studying me.

  This was my least favorite topic to talk about. "Ask me something else?" I wanted so badly to change the subject off my injuries. My grip on my coffee mug tightened. Please ask me something else.

  "Why do you have an ankle monitor?" He crossed his arms.

  Okay, I didn't really want to answer that one either. "Next question."

  He laughed. “Okay, then, why are you always at the gym by six fifteen?"

  "That’s kind of related to your previous question."

  "Come on, you have to give me something, Marshall."

  "Ask me something else and I promise to answer." Was I going to regret saying that? My eyes took in the details of Jenkins’s tattoo running up his arm. It had a Japanese theme.

  “Okay, then." He leaned forward with a smug expression. "Why don't you have a boyfriend? A girl like you should be taken."

  Was I taken? My heart was still clinging to a chance I would end up with Chase, but that wasn't likely. I knew he would have moved on by now but I was still stuck, really stuck, to the point it hurt to think about him. It hurt not hearing from him and it hurt that I'd never see him again. When it came to Chase, it just hurt. I would take a beating from Joe any day over how I felt when I thought about Chase. At least after he hit me, I recovered, not aching every day for a man that was basically dead to me.

  So, how did I answer that question?

  "I guess I'm still stuck on someone," I forced out, giving very little detail. "And I don't do relationships. Men just lie, cheat, and hurt you." I looked up. "Does that answer your question?"

  Smith came with our orders and placed it on the table. Jenkins was still studying me when I reached for my salad, dragging it towards me.

  When his eyes didn't leave mine, I was waiting for him to hit me up for more detail so when he opened his mouth, I was expecting to be asked who was it, why I didn't trust men and who was it that broke my heart.

  "You should be eating more protein." Jenkins pulled his steak toward him, picking up a knife and fork. "You're too skinny."

  "I'm not a big meat eater."

  "It's good for your muscles and, considering you want to deadlift more, you should be putting energy back into your body."

  "Again, I'm not a big meat eater." I stabbed my salad. I was relieved that the subject had changed and I'd rather the focus be on me not eating the right food than my love life.

  "Supplements. We sell them at the gym and I'll show you tomorrow." He cut up his steak. "You will like them. They're expensive."

  "Well, as long as you charge me double, I'll buy." I smirked at him.

  He chewed on a piece of meat and pointed his fork at me. "You are twisted, Marshall, but I like it."

  "Can I ask you a question?" I moved my salad around.

  "Shoot."

  "Why don't you do girlfriends?" I was really interested in this because a guy like Jenkins seemed to be the type of guy a girl goes after. He was good-looking and owned his own business. He was a real catch.

  He scoffed. "I don't do complications."

  "But you do do women, right? You're not gay, are you?"

  He laughed hard and then there was a smirk on his face. "If I was gay, do you think I'd be bothered being here with you?"

  "Well, you made it clear you weren't here on a date."

  "And you made it clear you don't want a relationship."

  "Yet here we are." I pushed my salad away. "As friends?"

  His eyes ran over my face, lingering on my cheek. He frowned for a moment and then the corner of his lips twitched up. "With benefits, if I get my way."

  I met his steady eyes and a grin captured my face. "I'm not that easy."

  "Good, cause I like a challenge."

  "Well, you will have a tough one because like I said, I'm still…"

  "Hung up on someone, I know, but half the fun of getting over someone is the people you meet along the way."

  Was I getting over Chase? Was this a step towards getting over him? I looked at Jenkins. No. No, I wasn't, not even close. Chase had put a brand on my heart and it was like it was only beating, waiting for him.

  I took a sip of my cold coffee. "I guess time will tell, right?"

  Chapter 37

  Chase's Point of View

  Patience. I was known for having it. Having to help Mom bring up my siblings, I was used to tantrums and the limits being tested. Being a President again gave me patience. I was forced to deal with men stepping outside the lines, again testing me to see what they could and couldn’t get away with so I considered myself a man with patience.

  But, when it came to Chloe…

  My patience was overstretched, and I knew this was going to be a marathon, but I was wanting it to be a sprint.

  "Okay, what did that wall do to you?" Dan came down the stairs with a cigarette in his mouth, seeing my handiwork. Did this wall have to come down? Yes. I was making it open living, but I was taking my frustration out on the wall with a sledge hammer.

  "I told you I was ripping it out."

  "Yeah, but at three in the morning?" Dan looked at me as if I was insane. He crossed his arms, reading me. The one downside to having brothers and sisters is they can tell when something is wrong. "This is about Chloe and the guy, isn't it?"

  Dan had heard everything I had listened to, and yes, he was right. It was all about Chloe.

  "You heard him." I put all my weight behind my next swing of the sledge hammer, and the bricks came crumbling down.

  "Yeah, and I also heard her say she was still hung up on someone." Dan walked towards me just as I went to swing the sledge hammer again, and he grabbed it. "Come on, Chase, she won't be getting over you that easy. She took the rap for murder for you, remember."

  "Yeah, she did, but now, as far as she knows, I've moved on!"

  "Then call her
and remind her that you are still in the picture."

  "I can't."

  "You can."

  "It might ruin the plan." Then again, the aim of the plan was to get Chloe to be with me. What happens if she moved on and the last thing on her mind is me?

  "Just call her as a friend. Remind her." Dan whacked me on the shoulder. "Don't put it off. Now stop smashing things and let me get some sleep."

  I wiped the sweat off my forehead and dropped the sledge hammer. Maybe Dan was right. Maybe I should call her. I pulled my phone out and scrolled down to her number. What would I say? I couldn't darn well tell her on the phone I was coming for her and I couldn't tell her not to be with anyone else, not when she thought she was facing a future without me.

  I put my phone down on the bench and walked to the fridge. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Whichever way I take, I was going to face challenges so should I deal with my jealousy and trust that she hadn't given up on me yet? Or should I call her and remind her I was in the picture?

  I cracked open a beer, taking a few large gulps. No, I shouldn't call, I had to trust her. I had to trust she could hold out. I was putting everything I had into getting her back. I had taken a break from the brotherhood, which was never heard of. It was blood in or blood out, not take a break whenever you feel like it, but I had to. I owed Chloe, I wanted her back and I wanted her more than I wanted my charter.

  So, if I wanted her this bad, I had to trust she felt the same and could last the distance.

  And if she did fall in love with someone else, I'd be the first to know and I would let her go. With that decision solved, I picked up my phone and headed for bed.

  Declan's Point of View

  I was known for busting jaws before asking questions. Out of all us brothers, I was the one with the short temper. The boys would often test me on it, seeing how far they could push me and, right now, my temper was at its limit.

  I spotted him walking with his friends, acting as if he was top shit. I might not be as big as my brothers, but I made that up in strength and this Chad guy was going to feel the taste of my fist in his mouth.

  I stomped on my cigarette and headed towards him. If he knew what was good for him, he would take my warning and back off.