“Why the fuck did you threaten Harper with those notes?” Zane whispers.
“She became a problem. Kingsley wouldn’t finish what he started until she was gone. The notes were meant to drive her away. I didn’t think she was as fearless as she is,” she says, crying.
She knows her life is about to end and Brooks will be the one to do it. It’s hard to watch, so I turn away. She fucked everyone in the worst possible way, but everyone in this room loves her. It’s painful for them, but I can’t imagine how it is for Brooks. His wife, the love of his life, did worse than rip his heart out. She destroyed him.
“How could you do this to me Gloria?” Brooks cries out. I close my eyes against the pain in his voice. “You didn’t just betray the club; you betrayed our marriage. Everything I’ve ever done since the day I met you, has been for you. I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive without you, but now I have to.”
I hear the gunshot and my eyes close tighter, tears squeezing through. The sound that Brooks makes will haunt me the rest of my life. It is pure heartbreaking agony. I can’t look, but I hear them rushing to his side.
“Gloria!” he screams.
I’m hysterical at this point listening to it. So much pain that may never heal. I blame my father, even if it isn’t all his fault. Brooks’ life and Shattered Souls are destroyed because of him.
With tears running down my face, I turn around and point my gun at my father. The questions have been answered.
I wipe my tears on my sleeve and stare at his dark, deceitful eyes. “Everything I’ve endured, I’ve endured at your hands. The physical and emotional pain. The scars you’ve given me, both inside and on the surface.” I pull my shirt down, showing the scar he’s permanently caused. “You never loved me, never tried. I was an inconvenience at best, that you used and abused for self-gain. It sickens me to think at some point I truly craved your love and acceptance. That you made me doubt I deserved more. And when I tried to follow my heart, you made it impossible. You forbid me to be with Zane. You tried to kill him and me. All while you were fucking his aunt.”
I laugh looking him straight in the eyes. “The ironic thing is, the Madden I’m with will love me forever. The Madden you were with got you killed.”
I pull the trigger and shoot him straight in the heart. He jerks back in the chair and I watch the blood cover his shirt. I fire two more shots and he’s dead.
I begin to cry, but not for him, for me. There is no more fear, no more pain, no more regret. The monster is slayed, and I survived.
21
Zane
I take a sip of coffee, still unable to sleep. It’s been two days since Brooks killed Gloria and Harper killed Kingsley. The relief I should feel because Kingsley is dead, is overtaken by the betrayal of Gloria. It was something none of us could have ever expected, least of all Brooks. He had to kill the woman he loves and I’m numb for him. I don’t even know how he’s still breathing. Enzo drove him home in the van, I took Harper, Kace took Ivy, and everyone else stayed to take care of the bodies and the mess.
Last night they were all here. There were tears and anger, but we all decided we needed to move on. The only way to do that is for me to talk to Brooks. He hasn’t answered my calls, so I’m going to his house this morning. I’m man enough to know I have a lot to apologize for and he deserves it.
“Hey, baby,” Harper says, walking into the kitchen. She’s got one of my shirts on and it’s hard to focus on anything else.
“Morning,” I say.
She sits down, resting her hand on my leg. “You going over there soon?”
I nod, sipping my coffee. “Yeah, I need to apologize and check on him.”
“Yes, you do,” she whispers.
After she killed her father, I held her for what felt like hours. My shirt was wet from her tears and it was killing me. I lost my aunt and I thought my girl was broken. I couldn’t hold her tight enough. But, when she finally looked up at me, her eyes red from all the crying, she smiled. She told me the tears were for her, not him. That she was crying in relief that it was all finally over. She had no regrets and no pain from her father dying at her hands. She told me that she could breathe, that she felt lighter, and that our future was finally a reality.
When we left that house, we came back here. We cried over Gloria and rejoined over Kingsley. It was the start of our forever. We made love and she didn’t sneak out. I held her all night, watching her while she slept. She truly slept the most peacefully I’ve ever seen her.
Last night Nora and my mom were here too, and Harper was the one who comforted them. She steps up even when she doesn’t need to, which makes me love her even more. The strength she’s shown through all this is unreal. She’s going to run this club with me one day, just like we always dreamed.
“Z?” Harper says, pulling me from my thoughts. I look at her and she smiles, a genuine smile. “Baby, you need to forgive yourself. You could never have known what was happening. Tell your uncle how you feel. Admitting you were wrong doesn’t make you a bad person, it’s when you refuse to admit it.”
I squat down in front of her, grabbing her hands in mine. “I love you so much, Harper.”
She presses her lips to mine. It’s soft and sweet, just like she is. “I love you, too, Zane. Now go because I’ll end up keeping you here.” She smiles, kissing me quickly again.
I don’t argue because I need to talk to Brooks. On the ride over the weight of regret weighs on me, but I know Harper is right that I need to forgive myself. That will be easier when I know my uncle forgives me.
I park out front and walk up to the door. I knock, waiting a few minutes. When he doesn’t answer, I try the knob and realize it’s unlocked. I push it open and stick my head inside. “Brooks?” He doesn’t answer so I walk inside. “Hey, are you home?”
“In here,” he says.
I walk into the dining room and his chair is facing away from me. It’s hard seeing him in this house without Gloria. They built this place together. I can’t imagine his pain.
I step up to him and grab onto his shoulder, squeezing it. “I’m sorry, Brooks. I was out of line putting all the blame on you. All my anger was misplaced. I accused you of horrible shit, putting all the accountability on you for everything that was going wrong. I can clearly see now that you did have the best interest of the club in mind. It was me who didn’t. My sole focus was killing Kingsley to keep Harper safe. I was the one who put us all in danger. I take the blame for the club questioning every move made. When you told me months ago that any blood spilled was on my hands, you were right. A lot of people died, and I will take responsibility for that. I’m sorry I accused you of stealing the drugs. I truly am.” I swallow not wanting to talk about Gloria, but I need to. I squeeze his shoulder again before I continue. “Above all of that, I am truly sorry that Gloria is gone. I can’t imagine the pain you are in. You did what had to be done, never question that. But I know it can’t be easy.” I move to stand in front of him and see the tears in his eyes. Fuck. “I’m sorry for everything, Brooks. I know it will take time, but when you can find it inside you, I’d like your forgiveness.”
He presses the heels of his palms against his eyes and roughly wipes away his tears. He looks up at me and nods. “I lost my brother; he was my best friend. He would’ve expected me to look after you a hell of a lot better than I have.”
I shake my head, grabbing a chair. “No, don’t do that shit, Brooks.”
He holds up a hand. “No, listen. I have no blood family left, but you. I’ve treated you as badly as you’ve treated me. It’s a Madden thing,” he says, giving a very small smile. “We have the club, we have Souls, but we also have each other. Your aunt fucked with my head. She really did try to rip this club apart, starting with us. She would feed me bullshit about you going off the handle, or doing the opposite of what I asked, and I believed her. It started the anger between us. No more. I will respect you as my brother’s son, my flesh and blood, and my SAA. Just li
ke I’d like your respect as your uncle, your flesh and blood, and your president.” He grabs my shoulder, his sad eyes searching mine. “I forgive you, Zane. Can you forgive me?”
I grab him into a hug, slapping his back. “Fuck yes.”
“I need to talk to everyone. They need to see that we are good, so that the club is whole again. Your aunt ripped my heart out and that shit is going to take time, but it’s personal. The club is my main focus and I want everyone to know that.”
“Whenever you’re ready, we’ll head to Souls. They are all there anyway,” I say.
He takes a quick shower and I text Harper letting her know how things went. I also tell her I’m going to Souls. I call Kace next to tell him to make sure everyone is ready to be around the table when we get there. Brooks has enough heartache to deal with. He needs our love and support more than ever.
Once he’s ready, we head to the club. For the first time in years, we walk in together. It definitely gets everyone’s attention. I tilt my head, silently telling them all to follow us to the table. Without hesitation they all do.
We sit down and I light a cigarette. Everyone is asking Brooks how he is, but he tells them all to sit. He clears his throat and looks at me. I nod, letting him know he’s got this.
“I appreciate everyone’s concern. What happened with Gloria will haunt me the rest of my life. She betrayed me and all of you. So, when you ask how I am, I’m fucked up. But, that’s my personal life. As far as this club, I’m here. This is my focus and making sure we are whole again. Zane and I talked this morning. We have forgiven each other, and we’d like you all to forgive us too. We both did what we thought was right at the time, not realizing the destruction we were causing. We talked it out and we are good. I’m sorry if I made you question my leadership as your president, but that was because of Gloria. She did some fucked up shit and because I loved her, I believed it all.” He lights a cigarette and continues, “In order for us to move on, we need trust. So, I need to know, as a club, do we all trust each other?”
“Fuck yes,” Kace says.
“Without a fucking doubt,” Riley replies.
Porter, Alex, Finn, and Enzo all say the same. I can feel it in the air. The tension is gone. The anger is gone. The hate is gone. We are whole again.
“Great, because we need to focus all our attention on Souls Two. Which I’m going to let Zane talk about,” Brooks says.
I laugh and pull out my phone. “This is gonna sound like I’m pussy whipped but let me call Harper.” Everyone laughs and begins to talk while I wait for her to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey babe. How fast can you be at Souls?”
She laughs and I hear Ivy in the background. “What do you need?”
“We need to talk about Souls Two. Can you get here and meet us at the table?”
She laughs again and I can’t help but smile. She is so much happier, which makes me happy. The door opens and she walks in. “I’m here.”
“Damn, is that what it’s like to be dick whipped?” Riley jokes.
I laugh, throwing my lighter at him. “Shut the fuck up.”
Harper sits down and begins to tell us about her plans. She’s so damn smart and creative. I love watching her control the room. It’s hot as hell. She goes through every detail and I’m sold. It all sounds amazing.
“There’s one more thing,” she says, glancing at Riley. My brows dip, but she continues, “I’d like to hire Ivy to work for me. Help me with the construction and when it’s done help with paperwork.”
We all look around but turn to Brooks for the final say. He rests his hands behind his head, leaning back in the chair. “Your plans are perfection and I have no problem with you hiring Ivy, as long as everyone else is good with it.”
Of course, no one has a problem with it, so Brooks gives her the phone numbers of contractors and she is busy taking notes.
“Thank you all for giving me this opportunity. I will not disappoint you,” she says.
No, she won’t, that I am positive of.
It has been the busiest, craziest, most wonderful six months. Tonight, is the grand opening of Souls Two. Harper has busted her ass and it shows. The shitty warehouse is now unrecognizable. It looks like it was always this high-end looking strip club. It fits so perfectly in this area. She’s been doing a lot of advertising and the crowd outside proves it.
“Fuck,” she says.
I turn around seeing her fumble with napkins. I laugh, walking toward her. “You know you’ve hired people to do that for you.”
“I know, but handing over control isn’t easy for me,” she says.
I grab the napkins from her, handing them to a waitress walking by. I pull her to me and kiss her soft red lips. “You can hand over control with no problem, babe.”
She laughs, but I see the heat in her eyes. My hands wander over her body, as I build my nerve. She looks incredibly sexy tonight. Her hair is curled, her makeup is dark and seductive, and the tight black strapless dress she has on makes my dick hard. Her red lips match her red heels, which is exactly how she decorated this place. It’s all black and red, sexy and alluring, just like her.
“Harper, we have like ten minutes,” Ivy yells across the room.
“Shit,” she kisses me quickly and pulls away. “Let’s go. Girls get on stage, bartenders get to the bar, waitresses, you better have a working pen. Be kind, be curious, and be sexy as fuck.”
Fuck she’s hot when she takes control. I glance over at Kace and he grins. I head over to him and sit down, grabbing the shot he passes me.
“She did good, brother,” he says, looking around.
“Yeah she did,” I quietly say, focused on watching her.
Riley sits down, laughing. “Look at Brooks flirting with that waitress.”
Brooks will never get over Gloria, but he needs someone. Even if it’s just for fucking around with. He never cheated on Gloria, not once, so he’s a bit out of the game. We’re constantly teasing him about it, which is usually met with a middle finger.
As the night gets underway, I watch everyone having a good time. The drinks are flowing, the crowd is large, and the girls are sexy. Harper has had a smile on her face the entire time and I’m done waiting.
I stand up and slap Kace’s shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Fuck yeah,” he yells.
I laugh walking toward Harper. She’s talking to Ivy and I grab her hand. She turns around and I smile. “Let’s go.”
She laughs looking around. “What? I can’t leave, Z. It’s the grand opening.”
I pull her to me and press my hard cock against her. “Everything here is under control. I need some time with you.”
Her beautiful blue eyes search mine. She looks around, biting her lip. Her eyes glance to Ivy who gives her a nod. “Okay, baby.”
Hand in hand we walk out to my bike. Even in her tight dress, she has no problem getting on. I peel out of there and when she realizes where I’m headed, she tightens her hold on me. As always when she’s on the back of my bike, we get there too fast.
I park my bike and my heart is slamming in my chest. I’m not a nervous guy, but right now I’ll admit I am. I help her off the bike, keeping hold of her hand. We walk to our tree and she stops short when she notices. I look down at her and smile. “Come on, babe.”
She lets me lead her to the blanket that is laid out, surrounded by flickering candles. It wasn’t easy getting this set up, but I wanted this to be perfect.
“Zane, it’s unreal,” she whispers, looking around.
My heart feels like it’s about to explode as we step onto the blanket. I glance over at our initials carved in the tree and find my resolve. I drop down to one knee and she covers her mouth.
“I told you some things stand the test of time and our love is one of them. I knew even as a kid that you were the one for me. Everyone thought it was some bullshit teenage crush that would fade, but I knew they were wrong. I’ve loved you from the
day I was lucky enough to meet you. It hasn’t been easy, it hasn’t been without destruction, and it hasn’t been without fear. When I thought I was going to lose you after you got shot, my world crashed around me. I couldn’t breathe. I need you, babe. You’re the reason my heart beats. Harper Kingsley, will you marry me?”
She’s got tears running down her beautiful face as she shakes her head. “Yes, oh my God, yes,” she cries out. She drops to her knees and I pull her against me, crashing my lips to hers. She moans when our tongues touch. I grab onto her hair, deepening the kiss. Her hands are all over me, trying to pull off my clothes. Never one to disappoint her, I break the kiss, but never break eye contact. I pull off my shirt and her eyes greedily take in my body. I quickly remove my jeans and boots. Her fingers are trailing lighting over my chest making my dick painfully hard.
I reach over and pull her dress off her. I growl when I see she’s only wearing panties, but not for long. I lay her gently onto her back, sliding them down her silky legs. She’s never looked more stunning than she does in this moment. The candles and moonlight bouncing off her naked body as she waits for me. I remove my boxers and kiss a path up her legs to her wet and inviting pussy. I push her legs apart, crashing my mouth to her. I kiss, lick, and suck on her until she is squirming beneath me. I bite down on her clit but continue to move up. My tongue drags up her stomach and I stop to worship her tits. I show them the same attention, sucking, kissing, and biting.
“Oh Zane, please,” she cries out.
I continue to drag my tongue up her chest to her neck where I kiss and suck just where I know she loves it. Her legs are wrapped around me now as I move to her ear. I nip it and say, “Please what, babe? Tell me what you want.”
My hand slips between us as I rub her dripping cunt. She cries out as her nails dig into my back. “Fuck me, I need to feel you inside me,” she all but screams.
Redemption (Shattered Souls MC Book 2) Page 18
