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“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Now I know why you left her in that shit hole. You just don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself.” He gets up and storms off.

Dot walks over and snatches the bottle away. “Get your shit together, motherfucker.”

I ignore him and wheel myself away. None of these fuckers get it. I push myself into the hallway and past my father’s office to one of the empty rooms that has now been converted into a room for me because I can’t get upstairs to my actual room.

Just as I reach for the handle, my father steps out of his office. “Lick, just the person I wanted to see.”

“Oh yeah, you want to rag on me too?”

He folds his arms over his chest, letting me know he won’t take my bullshit regardless of what I have going on.

“Right, sorry.” The apology tastes bitter on my tongue. Part of me is so fucking angry at him. If he’d have dropped the band from touring sooner, like I wanted, none of this would have happened. Even as the anger simmers to a boiling point inside me, I know it’s not justified. I’m just angry at the goddammed world.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. “We’re getting visitors in a couple of weeks from the Chaos Demons MC.”

I frown. “I didn’t think they had any UK chapters.”

“They don’t. A couple of them are flying out to do some business and scout out potential properties. Nothing is set in stone right now, but Jameson told them we’d be hospitable, and we will.”

There is a threat in his voice that my attitude has been noted. Though I’ve been given some leeway, I’m dangerously close to being sanctioned for it.

“I’ll be on my best behaviour.” And though it sounds flippant, I’m serious. I won’t fuck shit up just because karma decided to make me its chew toy.

“Good. I want you in on the meet-and-greet. I know Birmingham like the back of my hand, but not so much when we get further afield. You, however, have been all over, so you might be able to shine some insight into areas they’re looking at.”

I nod and wait. When he doesn’t say anything else, I open the door to my room and look back at him. “I’ll be here, and I won’t embarrass you.”

“I never thought you would.”

His words mean more to me than he knows. Right now, I know I’m fucking up left, right, and centre. The thing is, just because I know I’m on a downward spiral, doesn’t mean I have the fortitude to stop my descent. Hell, at this point, I don’t think I can even slow it. They say the thing about hitting rock bottom means you can only go up, but I’m still free-falling with no bottom in sight.

“Dinner later?”

“Sure.”

I hate how stilted it is between us, but I don’t have any idea how to fix it.

“Alright, get some rest. When do you have physio next?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I’ll take you.”

“I can⁠—”

“I’ll take you.”

I swallow and give in with a nod. He’s gonna do what he wants anyway.

With a sigh, he leaves, and I wheel myself into the room, manoeuvring the chair so I can close the door. I head to the desk where I have another bottle of whisky and crack the lid off the bottle. I drink down a few mouthfuls before wheeling myself over to the window. I stare down at the lot where my bike is parked, in full view of me, making a fucking mockery of the whole situation. I take another swig and wonder if I should sell it. If I have to look out of the window every day and see it, knowing I’ll never be able to ride it again, it will slowly kill me.

I don’t know how long I sit there, sipping my whisky, watching the world idle by, when I see the gates open, and Emma walk in.

“Fuck!”

She’s come by every day that I’ve been here, bringing home-baked goods and little gifts that show she’s thinking of me. Each one flays me open. Most of the time, I’ve been able to avoid her, but the guys are getting sick of giving her the runaround. With me being a dick to everyone, I’m out of favours to call in. Seems my luck has run out.

I drink her in, knowing she can’t see me from here, and feel my dick start to harden in my pants. I look down at it in surprise. So, it’s not fucking broken then. But it might as well be, if it’s hard-wired for the one woman I can’t have anymore.