“You know she is playing you.”
My gaze snaps in his direction, my anger spiking again. Stepping to him, his lips tilt up at the corner, showing he is not afraid of me.
“You don’t know shit. She was beaten to a fucking pulp, brother. No faking that.” I point to the room she is in.
“Are you sure? She won’t look at you, played the guilt card pretty damn heavy. Blames you and the club, then cries so you feel like shit for what she went through.”
“Fuck you, Savage.”
“I would let you in a heartbeat, brother.” He winks. “I have seen this shit before. Women doing crazy shit to get what they want.”
I grit my teeth, then look over my shoulder into the room to see Bolt checking her face. Valarie bats his hands away, and Bolt holds his hands up in a surrender motion.
“I am fine. It doesn’t hurt that much,” she bitches, her tone stronger than it was second ago.
“Told you. Faking it,” Savage calls as he walks away, into church, but stops before he enters the room “She was spotted sitting in a car outside the garage yesterday. Think on that.”
His words feel like a slap, but I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. With one more look into the medical room, where Val is still not letting Bolt treat her, I rest my hands on my hips. I tilt my head back, eyes closed, and blow out a frustrated breath.
“Why can’t life be fucking simple?”
Dropping my phone into the box by the door, I enter church, where everyone is sitting around waiting for me. I take my seat ignoring the looks from Savage, and Target, who are watching me closely.
Biting my thumbnail, I wait for Pres to start; the bang of the gavel on the table makes my heart jolt in my chest.
“Alright, we need to get more information out of the girl; there is more to this shit she is saying. I’ve seen women play men to get what they want for years, and it never ends well for them.”
“We don’t know that,” I snap.
“Brother, you are too close to this chick. She knows how you are— the guilt trip showed us that. Do not say shit,” Racer snaps when I go to speak. “She is to be watched at all times while she is here. I do not want to find her skulking around the room, looking for anything or planting shit.”
“You don’t know if that is the reason she is here. For fuck’s sake, Pres, he beat the shit out of her. You saw her.” I point to the door.
“But why? From what we have seen and heard, she is in deep with the crew, Crash. With her close to the top of the food chain with them, there is no need for them to beat her now.”
I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. His words make me think.
Fuck, he has a point, I know he does. The rational side of me knows he is right, but there is a part of me that is clinging to the fact that Valarie would not play me like this.
“She wouldn’t play me.”
“She would if it helped her find out what we know about her and the crew she fucking runs.” This comes from Rogue.
Flame and Forge nod in agreement, and it pisses me off.
“Fuck.” I scrub my hands over my face, suddenly feeling tired.
Things were fucking peachy a few days ago. I got to fuck my girl for the first time, the garage was running smoothly, and now my girl is fucking ghosting me, and my brothers are thinking that a beat-up ex-girlfriend is a fucking plant in the club.
Bolt comes into church, his face bright with anger.
“She won’t let me touch her. Thinks I am a fucking old pervert and I might plant a chip on her or something. She is fucking crazy.” He looks at me when he sits in his seat. “Sorry, brother, but that is not a scared woman.”
“I bet you go in there and she acts all shy and scared again,” Savage throws out.
“Keep an eye out for her crew around the clubhouse and the streets. Crash, you are on Val watch. I do not want her left on her own.”
I nod. Fuck, I need to try and get ahold of Stevie. She is ghosting me and I have no fucking idea why.
