“Ihate you,” she said, her breaths coming quickly.
“Yeah yeah, most women do.” Iheld her gaze. “Ineed to go, Jolie. Ineed to go and Ineed to speak to my prez and then I’ll be back and you can hate on me some more if you like. Idon’treally give afuck. But what happened just then will never happen ever again. It was afucking mistake that we need to imagine never happened. You feel me?”
Igritted my teeth and released her, my muscles tense and waiting for her to lash out at me again, but she just glared up at me, hate pouring from her. Jesus Christ, did she hate me.
“You think you’re so special,” she seethed.
“Not really,” Igrunted.
Her hands balled up as another flurry of fists landed on my chest and stomach, one finally connecting with the wound in my side. Ilet out aroar of pain that stopped her in her tracks and she stumbled away from me, breathless, guilt and anger flushing her features as Igripped my side.
Iglared at her, my teeth gritted in pain, before turning and leaving. Iheaded into the house and then took the stairs two at atime so Icould quickly change my jeans before heading out front to the guys.
Outside, Max and Thomas were waiting, alongside two other younger guys, who Ipresumed were the two prospects that Beefcake had sent to take over. They looked young, like sixteen or seventeen but their bikes were big and shiny and worth asmall fortune. Iscowled harder, because the younger prospects were always worse. Cocky little bastards who thought they knew everything and didn’tlike taking orders. Icould only hope that Beefcake and Greasy got them under the thumb quickly.
Max stood up as Idrew close, his gaze holding mine and never once drifting to Thomas, though from the shifty looks the other guys were giving him, Ihad no doubt that Thomas had already said something about me and Jolie. My anger ignited but Iheld it back as Istormed past Max and right up to Thomas. His eyes widened as Ilifted aheavy fist and punched him in the center of his face. Blood exploded from his nose, splattering his cheeks and dripping onto his T-shirt, and Thomas staggered back with astartled cry of pain.
He tripped over his own feet and ended up on his ass, staring up at me with wide eyes and blood pouring from his nose. Max stood watching silently while the other two prospects snickered, but none of them said anything.
Ikicked aheavy boot into Thomas’sside and he cried out again before scrambling backwards to get away from me. Max came to my side and placed ahand on my chest and Iside-eyed him. He didn’tneed to speak for me to get what he was saying, and Ihated that Iagreed with him.
Pointing afinger into Thomas’sface, Idropped to my haunches and glared at him. “Itold you to keep your mouth shut.”
“Idid!” he squealed, and his high-pitched tone and the outright lie made me want to smash his face in even more.
Istood back up, knowing that he couldn’ttake any more. He was never right for this life, and if his whisperings about my indiscretions hadn’tproven it, his outright lie just had.
“Go home, Thomas, you’re done,” Igrunted, and turned my back to him.
Isaw the surprise on Max’sface but he hid it just as quickly as it came. When Iglanced at the other two prospects Isaw them both grinning from ear to ear like this was the funniest shit they’dseen all week.Thiswas why they’djoined an MC. They wanted the fights and the bloodshed, the right to beat down on another man if they wanted to. They wanted power, not brotherhood. Or maybe they just didn’tunderstand it properly yet, but someone needed to tell them—show them—before they got too wrapped up in the fighting and the fucking and they never got to the heart of what it was all about.
“You two,” Isaid, pointing to them both. “Names, now!”
“Gauge, sir, can Ijust…” Thomas stuttered from behind me.
“Fuck off, Thomas,” Ireplied without turning to look at him.
“I’mRoyce and this is Nik,” the little punk in front of me said. He was tall and lean, with clear skin and blond hair. There was acocky smirk on his face that said he hadn’tever wanted for anything in his life. If it hadn’tbeen for his blond hair and his blue eyes that shouted motherfucking Hollister model, it would have been for the fact that he’dbeen born into money and no doubt went home to someone cooking his dinner and amaid cleaning his tighty whities each night.
“Wipe that look off your face, Richie fucking Rich, before Iwipe it off for you,” Igrowled, cracking my knuckles.
He dropped his smile but the cocky defiance remained in his eyes. Nik snickered next to him, but Royce’sgaze stayed firmly on mine. Little punk was going to learn the hard way that you don’tsquare up to me.
“Sir, Gauge!” Thomas said, scrambling back up to his feet and pushing to stand in front of me. He shoved Richie out of the way and Richie’ssmirk came back like ahundred-watt light bulb. He shoved Thomas hard in the back and Thomas stumbled into me.
“Isaid, fuck off home, Thomas. You’re done!” Ishoved him away from me and he bounced into Royce, who pushed him into Nik, who pushed the little bastard to the ground.
Nik wasn’tsmirking or grinning, but there was adefinite gleam in his eye at the thought of violence. Warning signals were popping up all over for these two kids. Because that was all they were—kids. And kids who hadn’tever been told no were the most dangerous kind.
Thomas was crawling toward me, tears streaming down his face, when Royce raised his foot and kicked him in the ribs. Thomas cried out in pain, his gaze pleading with me to stop them. He groaned and curled in on himself as he was kicked again and again. After the third kick Iheld up ahand to stop Richie who,veryreluctantly, stopped.
Icrouched down to Thomas, who was openly sobbing and bleeding now, but when he looked at me, his expression was still filled with hope. Hope that I’daccept his apology. Hope that he’dbe forgiven. Hope that it was all amistake and we could carry on like nothing had happened. But that wasn’thow shit worked.
“Please, Gauge, this club is everything to me…” he sobbed, and Ialmost felt sorry for him.
“The MC is about brotherhood, Thomas. It’sabout trust and loyalty. About someone always havin’ your back and vice versa. It’sabout having integrity and being ready to go to war for your brothers. You have none of those qualities.” Istared at him, feeling no remorse for cutting him loose. Shooter would be pissed, and in fact so would Max, because it meant double the workload and no patching in for him just yet, but Thomas was no good for this life. Afact that Ihad known for awhile but hadn’ttaken action upon. “If Ican’ttrust you to keep your mouth closed, how can Itrust you with my life? With my brothers’ lives?” Istood back up.
“But…but this is all Ihave!” he pleaded on his knees.
“Then Iguess you don’thave anythin’ left, son.”
With me, there were no second chances. Not ever. Second chances were what got you killed. My own brother would vouch for that if he were still alive.
