A thunderous rumble shook the glass panes, and she scrambled out of bed and ran over to the window. Several motorcycles roared into the parking lot. The men all wore black leather and the sun bounced off the chrome, creating beacons of white light. When the men turned off their engines, stillness crept back in. She watched as the men dismounted and walked into the building. She tried to see if she could spot Rock, but he was not among the group of bikers.
Walking back to the bed, she saw her phone sitting on the nightstand. With trepidation, she turned it on, a series of beeps assaulting her ears.
She had numerous calls and texts from Frederick, one or the other coming through every fifteen minutes practically the whole night. Guilt washed over her as her chest tightened. She knew Frederick was probably beside himself with worry, and he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. After all, he’d helped her so much; an explanation from her was merited. It wasn’t his fault that she couldn’t fulfill the agreement, that Rock had reentered her life. Fate had decided it, and who was she to argue with such a power?
She picked up her phone and began to text him when it rang. It was Frederick. Exhaling a long breath, she picked up.
“Where the fuck are you? Do you know how worried I’ve been about you? I called the police, the hospitals. Fuck, pet, how could you let me worry like this? Why didn’t you answer my calls or texts?” He sounded so worried and upset that she cursed herself for being so selfish.
“I’m sorry, Frederick. I needed some time by myself. I’m exhausted and I need to think.”
“Where are you?” A hard edge had crept into his voice.
“I’m safe. You don’t have to worry.”
A long pause ensued and his anger radiated through the phone, curling around her neck and squeezing it. “You need to come home. Now.”
“I can’t just yet,” she whispered.
“You’ve made your point, pet. You’re throwing a tantrum, and I find it childish and distasteful. If I’ve been too hard on you, you should’ve told me. You know you can talk to me.”
“I used to be able to, but over the last year you’ve become too possessive and it scares me.”
“We can talk about it. Everything I do is because I love you. You know that, right?”
“Sometime it’s too much.”
“How can love ever be too much?”
“When it suffocates and swallows up who I am. I miss who I used to be.” Her voice hitched.
“You miss the confused, broke, sniveling coward who couldn’t even figure out how to make a go of her life? Think about what you’re saying, pet.”
“I have to go, Frederick. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Are you with the biker?”
“What? No. Of course not.”
“You better not be or else I’ll have to do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life. You knew what my conditions were and you agreed to them. Now you’re breaking them, and innocent people will be a part of the fallout. You’ll have their blood on your hands. Don’t be foolish, pet. You and others have so much to lose if you leave me.”
His words chilled her bones and she shivered as his subtle but powerful threats weaved around her, choking all the breath from her.
He snorted. “I think you understand, pet.” The phone clicked off and she stood there staring at it for a long time. She knew what he was capable of, and there was no doubt in her mind that he would make good on his threat. She couldn’t let it happen; she had to do something about it. One thing was certain—going back to Frederick wasn’t an option. She’d have to figure out how to stay one step ahead of him.
She rubbed her pounding temples with her fingertips.I’m going to have to ask Rock to help me without him knowing why. How the hell am I going to do that?Clotille knew Rock didn’t trust her because she’d abandoned him when he needed her the most, but she’d had no choice at that time. What he hadn’t known, hadn’t wanted to hear, was that she’d let him in her heart, and that had never faltered. Even when she’d married Luc and knew she’d shattered Rock’s heart, she’d loved him. Life was hard and she’d had to play with the cards it had dealt her, knowing Rock would never have understood that.How could he? He came from a different background from me. I was expected to behave and live in a certain way. The only person who could’ve supported and saved me was locked up in prison, hate and rage clouding everything in his life. I didn’t know what I was doing, and I fucked up big time. That is my private hell, just like his is the image of his murdered mother burned into his brain forever.
She’d need a lifetime to correct a decade of mistakes and secrets but she’d have to try, even if she died doing so.
***
Banger stood silentin front of the brothers, muscles and veins straining against his skin, his lips pulled back and baring his teeth. His icy blue gaze bored into Rock, whose shoulders slumped as he braced himself for the rage his president was ready to unleash on him.
“What in the goddamned fuckin’ hell made you think it was a good idea to bring the rich fuck’s wife to the Insurgents’ clubhouse?” His face was mottled, and he clenched and unclenched his hands.
“She’s not his wife,” Rock said.
Bones whistled softly under his breath. “Wrong fuckin’ answer, bro.”
