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Chapter Three
There was something seriously fishy going on with this bullshit to do with Anthony DePalma. Nothing was adding up, and we couldn’t for the life of us figure out what this all had to do with Chelsea, and why they were fixated on her and Optimus’ relationship.
Of course, my idiot president was doing what he did best. Pushing her away and causing a rift between them. We could all see it and felt the tension within the club, but he wouldn’t admit it. The guilt he harbored inside him because of his past would continue to drive him to make shitty decisions. And the only thing that would change that was for something catastrophic to happen. Then, it might just be too late to see his mistakes.
I stepped outside onto the patio, needing to desperately stretch my limbs and give my aching eyes a break from the computer. Op had me searching everything and anything I could, to find even the smallest scrap of information that we could use to solve the puzzle.
I was good, fucking good at what I did, but unfortunately, I was one man, and with just me alone searching through file after file and email after email, it was taking far too long.
Spotting Sugar sitting across the yard at a table with Chelsea, I made my way over, enjoying the way the sun beat down on my back after being cooped up in my room for so long surrounded by darkness. My body began to buzz, the closer I got to them. Well, the closer I got to her.
I’d managed to duck out of my room this morning in order to grab some food, catching Sugar in the kitchen, holding a coffee mug in her hands and staring into space. She’d let me know that she was going to approach her parents today, to tell them about Harlyn. But I could tell she was nervous. Sugar knew their reaction wouldn’t be one of joy, but I silently hoped that for her sake it was at least impartial and not aggressive.
Sugar came from money, but you’d never know it. She held herself with strength and poise, but there was nothing snobby or uptight about it. She knew who she was, and she wasn’t afraid to stand up for that fact. She also wasn’t ashamed of the club or the people in it, despite being raised amongst some of the poshest, high and mighty people around.
“How’d the visit go?” Both the girls jumped at the sound of my voice, Chelsea’s hand going directly to her heart.
“Jesus Christ,” she exclaimed, inhaling deeply.
I placed both my hands on the table and dipped my head. Sugar’s lips lifted in the corner as she looked up at me, before turning her attention back to the table in front of her. My cock stirred, I knew she was affected by my presence. The more time I spent around her, the more I caught her shying away from me.
Part of me wanted her to be more forward, but the other part of me liked the way she clammed up when she heard my voice. I knew she was fighting the attraction between us—I should be too. I’d been told to stay away. Optimus had made it abundantly clear to the entire club. But when she was around, it was like fighting a battle I knew I couldn’t win.
“As to be expected. I believe the words ‘disgusting,’ ‘disgraceful,’ and ‘biker trash’ were used.” She tried to play it off like a joke, but by the way her shoulders fell in defeat, I could tell it had impacted her more than she realized it would. “I don’t know why I thought telling them that they had a grandchild would have made them feel any different.”
I clenched my jaw and bit my tongue, knowing that if I started talking that my fuse would light and I’d lose it. She ignored the fury surrounding me as she talked to Chelsea about her parents, and how she became connected with the club.
“These guys, they aren’t fake. They don’t feel like they need to impress you.” She licked her lips, a smile twitching in the corner of her perfect mouth. “They are who they are, and fuck it… if you don’t like it.”
Chelsea laughed and nodded in agreement, and I couldn’t help but smirk as her eyes flicked to mine nervously.
“Ain’t that the truth?” Chelsea laughed.
“So they don’t even want to meet Harlyn?” I asked, my tone clearly laced with annoyance.
A high pitched giggle pulled us all away from the conversation as we watched Blizzard battle with Harlyn over his shoulder, threatening to tickle her if she didn’t give him the location of the ice cream.
“Never!” she cried, laughing even harder
I had to give it to the kid, she had all of us wrapped around her pinky finger. She was an amazing judge of character for someone so young. While Blizzard and Optimus had been the only ones to spend time with her over the past five years, the instant she walked into the club, she knew without a doubt, that she could trust every damn scary biker in the place. She’d become a princess of sorts, and you know what? None of us minded one goddamn bit.
“Harlyn has everything she needs already. It doesn’t matter if they want to meet her or not,” Sugar murmured as she stood up. Her eyes were focused on the little girl that was her world, and quickly becoming an important part of mine too. “She’s happy.”
As she moved past me, heading for the patio where Harlyn and Blizzard continued their epic battle, I placed my hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me, our eyes connecting. I could see sadness within them, an emotion that I’d yet to feel come from her, a woman who only ever exuded excitement and strength. With a simple squeeze of my hand, she dipped her head, acknowledging my show of support before she rushed off calling out to Harlyn across the yard.
“You know Optimus would kill you, right?” Chelsea warned under her breath.
But at that stage, I didn’t even care.
If Sugar needed me, I’d fucking be there for her.
No matter what.
“Some things are worth the risk,” I muttered before turning and walking away.
Yeah, some things were worth the risk. And I knew I was about to throw myself into the deep end of a pool full of shit, yet I didn’t fucking care. If it meant drowning just to keep her afloat, that was exactly what I’d do.
“You got anything we can use?” Op asked as I made my way inside. Op was sitting at the bar, his eyes focused on where Chelsea still sat outside, a soft smile on her face as she enjoyed the sounds of laughter and joy that Harlyn had brought to the clubhouse. It was a nice reprieve from the shitstorm we were currently engaged in.
