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Chapter Seven

We spent that whole day at Wrench’s property, he helped Harlyn explore the ruins that had been left from the old concrete factory. They scaled the old slabs as Wrench told her all about the history of the place.

Then when the light of the day began to dim, we all crowded into one of the small rooms, watching as the walls became alive with glowing artwork. Names, pictures, sayings—all filled the space, painted with some kind of glow in the dark paint. It was eerie and strange, but I couldn’t help but love the way Harlyn lit up every time Wrench began to explain another piece of writing. She was eager to hear the stories of the people who were not just part of her life, but part of her family now.

Wrench didn’t touch me again, other than a gentlemanly hand on my back to guide me around fallen rubble, or to offer his hand as we climbed and explored. I knew he was trying to behave, knowing that it would have been inappropriate to do so in front of Harlyn, but I found myself disappointed.

Stupid.

The day after our excursion, shit hit the fan. The gym where Chelsea was working was shot up and destroyed. She was lucky to make it out alive. Fortunately, for the sanity of everyone inside the club, it was the final kick up the fucking ass that Optimus needed to realize just how incredibly idiotic he was being and he finally stepped up and claimed his girl. I was happy for him, for the both of them.

I knew people were looking at me sideways, maybe waiting for the point that I would break and try and fight for him. That was one thing that was never going to happen though. We enjoyed each other’s company, but we were young six years ago. I was the young, rich girl that the bad boy wanted to taint, and he was the biker that gave me the escape I needed at that time.

That was it.

I was never the one for him, and seeing him with Chelsea made that so damn obvious. But I was happy that he’d found that one woman who would stand by his side and be the person he needed her to be.

My love for Optimus was vast, he gave me the most precious gift I could have ever received, and for that, I would always love and adore him. He didn’t know it, but having Harlyn had possibly saved my life. There were secrets and lies buried deep within me, ones that he and the club were completely oblivious to, and for now, I’d like to keep it that way.

We would co-parent and love our daughter together, but things for me have never, and would never be any more than that.

During all the ensuing chaos, it had been days since I’d seen Wrench. When Harlyn started asking for him, Optimus had explained Wrench’s abilities with his computer and how he used it to track down people and find information that most other people would never be able to find. That was his superpower apparently.

I couldn’t help but be impressed and also maybe a little disappointed. I enjoyed his company and the way he made me feel like a teenager again. My body warmed when he was nearby, and I couldn’t help but lick my lips as I admired his stature and the way he held himself. The more I watched on, the more I realized that he was quiet, not outspoken like many of the members of the club. Since our day out, he’d spent most of his time locked away in his room, only venturing out for church or for food, and even then his eyes barely acknowledged anyone else in the room.

I reminded myself constantly that he was doing a job, trying not to be disappointed when he didn’t say hi to me or as he usually would, make a point to visit with Harlyn. She was missing her new found friend, but I think even she could feel the tension that had settled in the air and chose to keep that to herself.

The last week or more had been testing, for everyone, but it was obvious that having Chelsea back at the club made everything a little brighter, at least for a few hours before the shitstorm struck again, and this time we almost lost her.

It wasn’t until that point that I realized just how serious things really were. Hearing whispers about the mafia and seeing Chelsea lying in that hospital bed—not knowing whether she would wake up again, wondering whether her mind was too damaged—it hit us all like a ton of bricks.

Me especially, I found myself reaching for a comfort, one that I’d managed to curb so far since being back. The stress and fear set me off, it buried deep in my gut, swirling and tormenting me until I knew I couldn’t make it any longer without a reprieve.

I had to wonder if it was partially to do with Wrench and how he seemed to occupy my mind, or how whenever he was around I just felt… at peace. His promise to not let anything hurt Harlyn or me had really sunk into my bones, and for the first time in forever, I found myself believing his words.

But with his absence, I was weak.

“Are you going up to the hospital today to see Chelsea?” Skylar, one of the club girls asked as I helped her clean up the kitchen after breakfast.

I nodded. “Yeah, Op has already taken Harlyn up there to spend a couple of hours with her. Her speech is almost back to normal, but she’s still struggling a little with the movement in her legs and stuff.”

Skylar’s smile saddened. “I still can’t believe she was nearly gone, I heard the boys say that she actually died more than once. It’s scary.” Her eyes were glazed, almost as if she’d seen a ghost.

Reaching out, I patted her on the arm. “You all right?”

She blinked and shook her head. “Yeah, it’s just hard you know, the thought of losing someone you really care about.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you speak from experience.” I didn’t really know a lot about Skylar. She was a sweet girl, never got in your face like some of the other club girls, and was simply happy just doing what she needed to do to get by. She didn’t speak a lot about her past. All I knew was that her family was extremely religious, but that she didn’t follow those same kind of beliefs.

She swallowed harshly and nodded. “The decision to walk away from my family wasn’t one I took lightly. It wasn’t until I lost the one person who truly understood me, that I realized just how alone I really was with them.”

Skylar’s words were cryptic and confusing, her voice quiet like a child recalling a nightmare they’d had.

“Have you ever tried to reach out to your parents? Like you said, losing someone you love can really open your eyes to the world and show you just what is important,” I explained softly, even though I knew it hadn’t been what happened in my case. My parents were still happy to shun me and pretend I didn’t exist.

She shook her head, looking at me with wide eyes. “No. Going back there… it would be…” her eyes wandered as she tried to find the right words, “…detrimental. My family is here now.”

My heart warmed at her words, I could tell it was a struggle to even think about walking away from her family and starting new on her own. But just like me, we’d both found family here at the club, and that was all that mattered.

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