by Erin Trejo
“Headin’ out the gate,” I tell Tic. He nods and Mayhem follows behind me. As soon as I step out and look to the left, my heart stops.
“Cherry!” I scream. I run toward the car, shoving my gun into the back of my jeans. My heart hammers in my chest when I see her face resting against her steering wheel.
“Declan!” Mayhem roars. We tear the door open, and I grab Cherry in my arms, pulling her from her car. I look her over as Mayhem checks her pulse.
“She’s weak, man. Call the Doc, Dec!” Mayhem hollers.
Dec moves to pull his phone out as I carry her toward the clubhouse. What the hell happened to her? Her face is bruised and bloody, but that couldn’t have happened just now, could it? As soon as I step inside, Brooke is at my side.
“What happened to her!” she squeals as I walk past her.
I shake my head, focused on making my way down the hall and into my room, laying her on the bed gently. I begin to pull at her clothes when she groans.
“I’m just checkin’ to see where you’re hurt, darlin’,” I tell her softly. Tears slowly fall down her cheeks as she shakes her head no. I stop what I’m doing, not wanting to upset her any further than she already is.
“Ok. I won’t. I won’t, okay? Brooke’s here. Can she look at you?” I ask needing to know if she’s hurt anywhere else but her face. Cherry doesn’t answer, she just cries harder, ripping my heart into pieces with each sob and tear. I hate to hear her cry. It kills me slowly inside.
“Brooke!” I holler into the hallway. She comes in quickly and looks down at her friend before pulling her eyes back to mine. I shake my head no when I see the tears. Cherry doesn’t need that right now.
“I need to know if she’s hurt anywhere else, and I need you to check,” I tell her. I stand from the edge of the bed and walk to the door. I don’t leave. Hell no, I wouldn’t walk out of here even if my life depended on it.
I stand there facing the door when Declan knocks and says, “Doc’s on his way.” That’s when I hear Brooke gasp. I turn quickly and my heart dies. I take one step closer and see the marks all over her body. Bite marks, hand prints, and other bruises. I open my mouth to say something when Brooke’s eyes meet mine.
“Someone drugged her. She doesn’t use, Nuts,” Brooke says holding Cherry’s arm up for me to see the mark.
I swallow a growl and say, “Go out there with Declan. Tell him what you saw, and let me know when Doc gets here.” My tone of voice doesn’t sound like me. I sound like a monster. A monster that’s on the verge of ripping someone into pieces. I want blood. I want to kill the motherfucker slowly. I want to know who did this to her and why. I sit on the edge of the bed and grab Cherry’s hand in mine. She barely moves, tears still slowly dripping down her cheeks.
“I’ll fix this, Cherry. I don’t know who did it, but I’ll find out,” I vow to her. I don’t know if she heard me or not, but I needed to say it. I will kill whoever did this to her.
“Doc’s here.” I hear Tic say over my shoulder. I don’t miss the gasp that escaped him either. I pull the sheet over her broken body so that no one else can see her. No one needs to see her but me. She’s mine.
“Watch where you look, man,” I growl as I stand. Just as I do, Doc walks in with Brooke and a nurse at his side.
“Clear out guys,” he says.
I take one last look over my shoulder at her and walk out of the room. Anger vibrates my body. My muscles are tense and in need of relief. My heart wants to hold her, but my mind wants blood. I walk out the front door and head out to her car. I want to get it moved before it causes a scene for the neighborhood, but I also want to see if there is anything in there that might tell me where she went. I stop shot when I see Richy is already out here by her car.
“Dec wanted it moved,” he says. I nod my head.
“See anything in there that might tell us where she was?” I ask him. He looks around the car but shakes his head.
“Nope. Not a thing in here. She okay?” he asks, trying to start the car.
“No. She’s not. Her whole body is fucked up. Someone shot her up.”
Richy’s eyes fill with anger, much like mine. His jaw clenches, and he seems to need to need an outlet for his anger. “Let’s move this shit,” he growls when the car won’t start. He puts it in neutral before he climbs out. We both push it back before I get behind it and shove it into the fence.
At the moment, I feel like I could move mountains. The run this weekend doesn’t seem to matter to me anymore. She matters. Only her.
Chapter 20
Cherry
“I said I’m fine. Please just stop,” I cry as Doc tries to get me to talk. I don’t want to talk about it. I vaguely remember Nuts seeing me like this. I think he talked to me, but I can’t be sure.
“Cherry. Don’t do this, honey. Something happened, and we need to know. I know you don’t use,” Doc says.
“I don’t. Can we just do this later please? I have a headache,” I plead.
Doc nods and ushers his nurse out of the room with him. Brooke stares me down and even though I was able to get Doc to leave, Brooke isn’t going to budge.
“Start talking or I send Mayhem in.” She crosses her arms over her chest, and I can’t help but let out a small smile. She always threatens me with Mayhem. He can be annoying as hell.
“There are things you guys don’t know and I don’t want you to. I want it to go away, Brooke. I want my past to stay there. I’m done. Just trust me. I won’t go back there, okay?” I tell her. I’ve tried to make myself believe it, too. I keep telling myself that I won’t go back there, not after this, but what about my mom? Shaking my head, a little, I repeat it in my mind. I won’t go back.
“You might wanna to tell me where that is.”
His voice sends a chill through me. I can’t tell him that. I won’t. He would hate me. I look over and see Nuts standing with his arms over his chest much like Brooke is.
“I can’t,” I say softly. Nuts moves into the room nodding at Brooke. She huffs but leaves us alone, closing the door behind her.
“You are really hardheaded, Cherry. You crash into the fence, you have so many drugs in your system you could have died, and you have bite marks all over your body. Whoever did this didn’t think you’d live. Now I want to know who the fuck it was!” Nuts roars loudly causing me to flinch away.
Tears fill my eyes once more knowing that Justin tried to kill me this time. He left me there to die in my mother’s bed. He did what he did to me in her bed with her lying there passed out. My heart sinks further into my chest as that realization hits hard.
Nuts sighs, running his hand through his hair. I feel so disgusting and useless right now. I want to feel something but what?
“Kiss me, Nuts,” I say through my shaking voice.
He sits on the edge of the bed and looks down at me. He’s the only person that I want to kiss. Justin ruined kissing for me with the way he forces and takes and abuses. It makes me sick to think of kissing anyone, but I don’t feel that way about Nuts. Because Nuts is different, and I know that as bad as it was with Justin, it will be right with Nuts.
“No. I want you to be in your right mind, Cherry. I want to know who hurt you,” he says softly.
I shake my head as I lift my hand to his cheek. “Please. I feel so worthless,” I cry. Tears fall quickly. Nuts sits there watching me before lowering his head to mine. His lips barely touch me, and I shiver.
“You have no idea what you mean to me, Cherry,” he says before his lips claim mine. They are soft and sweet just like I knew they’d be. The way he moves them against mine sends my heart into overdrive. Is this what love feels like? Is this what wanting someone feels like? I’ve never felt this before. I never expected our first kiss to be like this.
Nuts stops kissing me, and I immediately miss the contact. I pull his neck, trying to get him closer to me. With just that little taste, I want more.
“Nuts.” His name leaves my mouth just as he lets out
a growl. My body heats and I know what I want. I want him to touch me. I want him to kiss me and make me feel like I’m cared about. After what Justin has done to me, I want to know that I’m loved and cared for, not just some piece of trash.
“You’re hurt, Cherry. I wouldn’t do that,” he says softly, his eyes burning into me.
“I need it. I need you, Nuts. You don’t understand how I feel,” I beg him. His head cocks to the side as he looks at me.
“Tell me what you feel. Tell me who did this to you,” he practically begs me.
“I feel disgusting. I feel useless, and once you know who it is, you will hate me. Please just give me this. Just one time, Nuts.”
“You will tell me then? You will tell me who hurt you again?” he asks, his voice nearly pleading with me. I nod once before he kisses me gently. His lips slowly move over mine. His hand comes to cup my cheek while the other wraps around my neck. He kisses my chin and moves down my neck. Kissing and licking at every mark that Justin left on my body. I should be ashamed and I am, but Nuts makes me feel special like everything Justin did to me means nothing. He makes me feel loved and cared about no matter how hard it is to accept that.
Nuts pulls the sheet off my body positioning himself between my legs. He still has all his clothes on but I can feel his heat.
“I won’t take you the way you want me to. You’re hurt, but don’t you ever think you’re disgustin’, darlin’. You are beautiful. You are sexy and full of life. You are everything that I want but you won’t let me have. When you are ready to give me what I want, I will take you, all of you. I will show you how perfect you are, but you will let this body heal first.” Nuts press kisses to my stomach and up my chest before lying on the bed next to me. He pulls my body against his and sighs into my hair.
“Sleep, sweetheart. You’ve had a rough day,” he whispers against me. I close my eyes tightly and let the silent tears fall.
Chapter 21
Nuts
Waking up with Cherry snuggled into my chest feels right. She’s in my bed, in my room, and most importantly in my arms. The world could fall apart around me right now and I wouldn’t care. I’m to lost in this moment. Her begging last night nearly ripped me in half. How could she not feel wanted? How could anyone want to hurt her the way they did? I will never understand that. I will never know why a man feels like he has to put his hands on a woman in a violent way to make himself feel more like a man. I press a kiss to Cherry’s temple before she stirs. She wiggles in my arms before her eyes open a little and gaze up at me. I can’t help the smile that crosses my face.
“Mornin’,” I say as she grins at me. The softness in her eyes pulls me in deeper.
“Morning.”
As she gazes up at me a new idea sparks in my head. I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not, but I have it all the same.
“What would you say to a day or two off?” I ask her. She scrunches those pretty little brows at me in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, would you go with me if I get Dec to okay it? Take a break for a few days.” I raise an eyebrow and wait. I watch her eyes fill with tears. I hate seeing them even if they are tears of happiness. She deserves to smile, not cry.
“Where would we go?” she asks after sniffling and regaining her composure. I reach down and run my finger down her cheek.
“I know a place. Take a shower and get cleaned up. Let me go talk to Dec.” I throw the blankets back and climb out of bed before I glance back over at her. Her fully naked body is on full display for me. Every fucking mark. Every bruise. It makes her no less beautiful, but it does pull every ounce of hate from inside of me. Cherry pulls the blanket back over herself quickly as I drag my eyes to meet hers.
“They shouldn’t embarrass you. Whoever did that will pay for it. I don’t make a lot of promises, Cherry, because I know they get broken, but that is one promise I intend to keep.”
Her eyes fill with tears once more, but I just smile at her. She has to know that I won’t let this go. She will see what she means to me one day. Maybe not today but soon.
I close the door behind me before I sigh and lean back against it. I close my eyes as the sound of her cries seep through the door. I want to run back in and hold her. I want to tell her that everything will be okay, but I can’t. She has to be able to work through some of this on her own. She has to be able to move forward and tell me who the hell hurt her. I can’t help her if she won’t let me in.
“I take it that by the look on your face she isn’t doin’ better today.”
I open my eyes at the sound of Declan’s voice and shake my head. “She’s a mess. I want blood, Dec. I’ve never in my whole fuckin’ life felt like this.” I grit my teeth. It’s true.
“Heard that. We all find that point though, Nuts, and usually it’s because of a woman.” He chuckles softly.
I nod my head once before I look back up at him and say, “Wanted to ask you somethin’. I know as a prospect I don’t deserve shit, but I’m askin’ anyway. I want to take Cherry away for a few days. Let her settle down and take a break. Maybe she’ll come around and tell me who did it.”
Declan stands there and watches me. He doesn’t move or say anything. He just stands there making me uncomfortable. Dec runs his hand through his hair before he says, “A lot has changed around here since Blu’s been gone. I never wanted this role back then, ya know? It all seemed too much to deal with. I was happy with my VP status. I can never be him. I would never measure up to what he was. I am trying to take this club in a good direction, man. Some days I think I’m on the losin’ end of that. If Blu was around, he’d tell you to fuck off, brother.” Dec chuckles making me smile before he continues, “But he’s gone and now I have to make things right. If you think Cherry needs it, take her, brother. You’re in charge of her so if she loses her shit, it’s on you.” He grins before slapping a hand on my shoulder.
I watch Dec turn to walk away when I call out to him. “Hey, Dec!” He turns around slowly. “For what it’s worth, you’re doin’ a damn good job, brother. You make this club better in your own way. You aren’t him but you are you.”
The look on his face is priceless. Declan doesn’t say anything, just he nods his head slowly. I watch as he turns and walks away when the door opens behind me.
“That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” Cherry’s voice is a soft whisper but I heard it. I turn to see her standing in one of my t-shirts and a small smile on her face.
“That’s because you don’t know me yet. You will love everything that comes out of my mouth soon enough.” She smiles up at me. “Did you hear the part that I get to keep you for a few days?” I take a step closer to her and watch her smile slowly fade. I lift my hand and trace her bottom lip.
“It’s only a few days. For now.” I wink before pulling her against my chest.
Chapter 22
Cherry
A vacation. That’s something I’ve never had, and to be honest, I’m nervous about. Nuts has been driving silently for a long time which in turn is making me nervous. He made us take Dec’s truck although I really wanted to get on his bike. I have to admit that it’s really sweet the way he’s looking after me though.
“How much longer?” I ask when I can’t stand it any longer. Nuts chuckles before reaching for my hand and dragging it into his lap.
“Are you always this impatient?” he asks playfully.
I smile before inching closer to him. Laying my head on his shoulder, I sigh. “I’ve never been this far from the clubhouse. It’s a little weird for me.” His hand tightens around mine when I say that.
“First time for everything, baby,” he says before turning his head and pressing a quick kiss to my head. There’s so much about Nuts that I don’t know, but the little I have learned intrigues me. He seems to care so deeply yet hardly knows me. I mean of course, he’s known me around the club since he’s been there, but that’s about all he knows. At least I think that’s al
l he knows.
We drive in silence for a little longer when Nuts pulls into a driveway. I sit up anxiously watching where it is we are. The driveway is long and surrounded by some of the prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen in my life. My eyes widen when we pull up in front of what I assume is a house but I really have no idea. It could be a mansion or some kind of hotel. Either way it’s gorgeous.
“Are we staying here?” I ask excitedly. I can barely contain the excitement when he puts the truck in park.
“We’re stayin’ here,” he says with a smile. I nearly jump in his lap to hug him. It’s the most perfect place I’ve ever seen until I look at the stairs leading up to the door. A man and woman stand there smiling out at us. I slowly back away from Nuts and sit back in my seat.
“Who are they?” I ask as I watch the woman wringing her hands in front of her.
“Don’t freak out on me, Cherry. That’s my parents. This is their beach house. They come out here a few times a year.”
His parents? His parents! Oh my God. I’m going to have a panic attack. I can’t meet his parents! His parents live here? What the hell is going on? I can’t make my mind stop spinning. It’s all a big blur. That is until Nuts’ hands wrap around me, pulling me into him.
“It’s okay. They don’t know anything and they won’t ask questions,” he whispers softly into my ear.
My body trembles. With what, I don’t know. It isn’t fear. I don’t fear meeting people. Maybe it’s the fact that they are Nuts’ parents. I’ve never met a man’s parents before.
“They’re your parents, Nuts,” I say softly. Nuts adjusts me so that I’m looking at him. His eyes have softened to pools of silk that make me want to melt into him.
“They are people. They happen to be my parents, but I promise you they won’t make you feel uncomfortable. If they do, we leave. Okay?” His voice holds so much promise but I’m so unsure of all of this.
