As I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, I had a hard time wiping the smile off my face. I wasn’t sure if what Brooks and I had done was a good thing or a bad thing, but I knew it made me happy inside. I hadn’t felt this wonderful since before Gage had gotten killed. But the small voice at the back of my mind hounded me.
You said you were done with all this.
I turned onto my side and closed my eyes. I knew I made myself a promise after I buried my husband that I’d never step foot back into this life. I didn’t agree with it, I didn’t like it, and I didn’t enjoy the danger that came with it. And now, I’d been completely dragged back in. I rolled over onto my other side as my guilt swarmed over my happiness and fears. Tears rushed my eyes as I thought back to my encounter with Brooks and how I practically begged for it.
“I begged for my husband’s best friend,” I whispered.
I sat up in bed and wiped away my tears. The guilt ate me alive and I knew I couldn’t stay at the clubhouse a second longer. Not with the memories etched all over this place. I knew Brooks simply wanted to look out for me, but this was all too awkward and too confusing.
So, I wiped my tears away and slipped back out of the bedroom.
I didn’t hear much noise despite the fact that I knew they were all having a meeting. Probably about me, and what to do about my staying here. I didn’t care, though, because I knew the hallways of this place like the back of my hand. Gage and I had christened every single one of them at one point during a particularly long spell of us going without seeing each other, and the memories made me smile.
I inched my way down the back hallway and approached the side door, only to be met with a voice outside.
And the voice sounded angry.
Chops?
I paused at the door and heard his curt voice. My gut clenched as my teeth ground together. I wasn’t sure what the hell it was about this man, but he rubbed me the wrong way. I knew he was the president of this club now, but he always struck me as nothing more than a pathetic little weasel. I tried to ignore his conversation as I waited for him to come back inside. Because once he slipped in, I could slip out. But the anger in his voice captivated my attention.
And what I overheard was gut-wrenching.
“No! Of course, they didn’t go for the fucking idea, asshole,” Chops hissed.
I furrowed my brow as he tried to start up another sentence, like someone was flagrantly cutting him off. Or telling him to shut up. But all too soon, he was back at it again. And it kept me rooted beside the door.
“I told you, these guys are a bunch of pussies. Always have been. No, no, no, I’ve got this and you know it. Don’t go questioning me just because the first plan backfires. That’s why we’ve got, like, thirty fucking plans intact. But Plan B requires him. You know that.”
Him? Who the hell was “him?” Who was this asshole talking to?
What the fuck is going on?
I slowly turned around and got onto my knees. I crept upward, wanting to peek over the edge to see if he was physically talking to someone outside or not. My hands slid up the wall. I held my breath as I peeked over the edge. But when I did, I didn’t see anyone outside.
Until a voice emanated behind me.
“Scream and you’re dead,” Chops murmured.
I held my breath and yelped with my mouth shut as something hard and cold pressed against my back.
“Now, you listen closely, Mrs. Gage: I don’t know what you heard, or what you think you heard, but if you open your mouth to anyone about anything you just witnessed, you’ll have to deal with me. Understood?”
I swallowed hard. “Understood.”
He cocked his gun. “With a bit more oomph.”
I drew in a deep, quivering breath. “I understand. I won’t say a word.”
He pulled the gun away from my back. “Great. I’m glad we’re on the same page. Now, keep those pretty little eyes of yours out the window or the fate that’s going to befall you will be worse than what your cute little head can imagine. Got it?”
My lower lip shivered. “Got it.”
He whispered in my ear. “Good.”
When he kissed the shell of my ear, I jerked back. I threw myself to the floor and he chuckled at me before shoving my legs out of the way with his feet. He closed the door and locked it for good measure, then shook his head at me as if he were scolding a little child. He pointed down the hallway I came up from, like he knew exactly the trail I had taken, then turned his back and started down the hallway.
And as I scurried into the corner, curling my legs up to my chest, I wondered if I should mention any of this to Brooks.
