He pulled my stool closer to his, tilting me toward him so he could kiss me.
“Didn’t know you had so much sass, but I like it,” he admitted, his forehead pressed to mine.
“You bring it out in me,” I shrugged with a smile.
Chapter 9
The next evening, the club was packed with members and their families. Everyone was there, and at first, I was overwhelmed. Those I hadn’t seen wanted to welcome me home and to meet Maddox.
It was a lot of attention all at once.
In particular, Axel’s brother Ryker wanted to spend time with his nephew. You could certainly see the family resemblance between brothers. They were of similar height and build. Ry’s hair was a bit lighter and his eyes were green rather than grey. In personality, they couldn’t be more different. Where Axel was gruff and serious – most of the time anyway – Ry was a bit of a joker. He liked to lighten the mood whenever possible.
Maddox was passed around like a hot potato and I was moved by this positive change to his life. He’d gone from really only having me, to this large, boisterous group of extended family.
I sat with the girls, congratulating Ettie on her recent marriage to Mack as my eyes swept the space constantly ensuring I knew where Maddox was.
Like Scar and Kat, Ettie had her own battle scars from being kidnapped the previous year. I marveled at the strength and determination of the women around me. It gave me hope I’d get past my own situation and come out the other side better for it.
We’d been hanging out for a few hours when I watched warily as some of the club chicks perused the crowd as though seeking out any of the unattached men. The pickings were slimmer these days and I watched one woman, Bonnie I think was her name, zero in on Axel. My stomach dropped as I watched her approach with a sly smile. He didn’t return it and their conversation was brief as she came flouncing back toward where I was sitting with her friend in tow.
“He didn’t have a problem fucking me a few months ago,” she huffed as she lit a cigarette.
“He’ll come back around,” her friend assured her as they moved out of earshot.
My stomach dropped and heart thumped painfully as I digested her words. Rationally, I knew I’d had no claim on him. But irrationally, the thought of him sleeping with her – especially while I’d been raising our son – well, it just plain hurt. There had been no one who measured up to him in my time away. No one. Obviously he hadn’t had the same problem.
I swallowed hard, surprised at the strength of my response.
“Soph,” Connie interrupted my mental tailspin with a squeeze of my thigh. Clearly, she’d observed the same things I had. “She isn’t anything to him. We all know that,” she assured me.
My cheeks flamed with embarrassment and I nodded, swallowing back tears I had no right to shed. I wanted to get out of there and wished fervently that I could drive. Instead, I settled for moving inside away from the crowd. Kat had Maddox; he was in good hands and I could take a few minutes to collect myself.
I found a comfortable old leather chair that faced one of the windows and sat, trying to pull myself together. I heard the muted hum of everyone talking and laughing out back. It was rare for the inside of the club to be so still and I appreciated the quiet. I breathed in the stale smell of smoke and whiskey, finding the combination oddly comforting.
When Jeb approached, I smiled politely, though I was disappointed to have my time alone cut so short. This was the first time I’d seen him since I’d returned to town.
“Hi, Jeb,” I greeted, surprised he was approaching me.
“Sorry, babe,” he replied simply, his expression grim.
I had only a split second to let out a sharp scream as he placed something over my face. I struggled, my cries muffled as I breathed in the noxious fumes. It was only seconds before I was pulled under.
******
My head was absolutely pounding and my mouth felt like chalk when I started to come around an indeterminable amount of time later.
I heard deep male voices around me as I opened my burning eyes. What the hell had they knocked me out with? And why?
My blurry vision took a minute to focus and I saw that I was in a dimly lit motel room. The shades were drawn so it was impossible to tell what time of day it was. I was lying on the bed unrestrained and shifted slightly, my body feeling stiff and sore.
“She’s awake,” I heard an unfamiliar voice announce as my gaze shot in his direction.
He was an older man with jet-black hair and a goatee. His dark eyes fixed on me as I eyed the ‘Black Riders’ emblem on his jacket.
“Why? What’s happening?” I asked Jeb hoarsely as he sat in a chair across the room.
He gave me a rueful grin. “Gotta get paid,” he shrugged. “We figure your father will pay a high price for you.”
