“Fuck you,” she sobbed.
“In another lifetime maybe we could have been something good together,” I replied, and her subsequent scream made my nerves spark with life. I kissed the back of her neck again.
Because yeah, in another lifetime maybe we could have worked.
Maybe.
But this wasn’t that lifetime.
Thiswas our now.
Thiswas our fate.
“Please,” she begged, salty tears spilling down her cheeks. “Please.”
I pressed my nose to her hair and breathed her fear in.
So much fear it made my head spin.
It was delicious.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against her hair, the silky strands pressing against my lips. “I’m fuckin’ sorry, Penny.”
~ 17 ~
Fighter
“Good to have you back, brother.” Gauge patted my shoulder and pushed a whiskey toward me. “Shit’s been happening that I should fill you in on as soon as possible.”
I raised an eyebrow as I picked up the glass, throwing the whiskey to the back of my throat in one hit. The door to the clubhouse swung open and Rider stormed in, heading toward Hardy’s office. His long strides and heavy footsteps filled the space and we all sensed the impending doom that his anger would bring.
“Later,” Gauge grunted, slipping off his stool and heading over to Rider. “Brother, calm the fuck down.”
Rider swung back, the veins in his arms popping as his hand curled into a fist. Gauge grunted as Rider’s fist hit him square in the face, and he stumbled back a step before righting himself. Blood trickled out of his nose and down over his lips and teeth. He swiped at it with his hand, sucking at his teeth before glaring at Rider.
“You get that one for free,” he snarled. “Out of motherfucking respect.”
“Respect?” Rider snapped, his eyes flaring. “Out of fucking respect, brother? So we’re talking about respect now, huh? So where the fuck was your respect when Hardy was fucking up this club?”
Gauge squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Nothing’s fucked up.”
“Everything is fucked up!” Rider roared.
I’d never seen the man so angry, and I readied myself to feel the brunt of his anger soon enough.
“Things aren’t always as simple as you think, Rider!” Gauge argued back.
“She was a civilian, motherfucker! We don’t touch women, kids, civilians. You can gut and gun down every other fucker that screws this club over, but the others are off fucking limits. You fucking know this!” Rider raged. “Why would you go against the code? Does it mean fucking nothing to you?”
And he was right.
We all knew it.
But when your prez gave you orders, you followed them. Sometimes without question. Sometimes with trepidation. But he was your prez, and you respected him enough to believe that he had everyone’s best interest at heart.
Hardy’s door opened and he filled the space, a cigar hanging from between his teeth like he was Al Capone and had no fucks to give. He reached up slowly to pluck the cigar out as one of the club bitches slipped past him, slapping her ass like his brothers weren’t ready to go to war against each other. The club bitch giggled and kept on walking, and his gaze followed her ass until she was out of shot before turning his attention back to Gauge and Rider.
“You two assholes wanna keep this private shit private, or do I need to bust some heads open?” he drolled.
