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Fuck. What the fuck is going on?
“That Roc?” Dario questions.
“He’s on his way,” I say, my gut screaming that something isn’t right. I can’t get my mind off Teagan. The woman has really dug her way deep inside of me.
The door opens and Rocco and Jade walk in, both of their faces filled with anger. “Your woman,” Roc growls. “She’s the reason this shit is happening.”
“What shit?” Dario asks, coming to stand beside me.
“The poisoning at the wedding, the shooting at the apartment, and the shooting tonight. It’s not you they’re after. It’s Teagan.”
My blood runs cold at his words. No, there’s no fucking way anyone is getting to her. Fuck no.
“The fuck?” I snarl. “Why? Why the fuck are they going after my wife?”
“I can answer that,” Jade says. “The day we went wedding dress shopping, a car tried to run her over. I pulled her out of the way, and she didn’t seem to realize it was aimed at her. Just as she had no idea the champagne poisoning was.”
“You never fucking said,” I hiss. Had she informed me about the car, I’d have known that someone was after her, which means I’d have had more men on her, protecting her.
“I spoke with Portia on the way back here, after that asshole told us who he was after, but failed to give up who sent him. Portia told me about the conversation Teagan overheard,” Jade begins. “She was in a diner when two men walked in. She doesn’t know who, but she couldn’t help but overhear the men plot to kill someone. Portia didn’t know all the details, but she did say that Teagan didn’t get a great feeling about the men, and that the looks they gave her let her know they knew she listened.”
I run a hand through my hair. Fuck. If they saw her face, they’ll want her dead to keep their secret. But the question is: who the fuck is after her? “The boy said the man who hired him had a gold ring stamped with a G on a black background.”
Rocco’s eyes harden. “If that’s the case, then the men she saw were our men.”
“Elio, there’s something I have to tell you,” Jade says, and her voice is low, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You were right. I did meet Teagan before the day of your engagement. I met Teagan the night we found Chloe in the Dirty Demons’ clubhouse.”
I stare at her, knowing there’s a lot fucking more she’s not telling me.
“Kelvin and Pyro went to the basement to get Chloe. It’s dark and disgusting down there,” she begins. “When Kelvin was leaving the room, he noticed someone by the stairs. He left it, as they needed to round up the Demons, but he came to me, and we both returned a while later. God, it was awful,” she breathes. “She was tied to the wall, completely naked, and she was wearing a collar. They hurt her so badly.”
I turn on my heel. I’ve heard enough. Fuck.
“I need to get home.” I don’t wait for Rocco to agree. I move quickly, my feet hitting hard against the floor as I run out of the house. I need to get to Teagan. I need to make sure she’s okay. Fuck. I should have had men on her, should have known that something wasn’t right.
I climb into the driver's seat as Dario slides into the passenger one. “She’s going to be okay,” he tries to assure me.
I put my foot down on the accelerator and shake my head. No, she’s not going to be okay. I can only imagine what the fuck she went through, and even then I doubt I’ll be close. Christ, I’m a fucking asshole. I’ve treated her like shit since I met her. Things are finally starting to make sense. The way she’s so withdrawn, the way she just takes everything and doesn’t say anything. How she retreats into herself whenever I’m angry.
Christ, I’m a fucking asshole.
I drive like a madman to get to her. I have so much to say and yet so many questions. The moment I pull into the drive, I’m out of the car and running into the house. Dario stays outside, no doubt waiting for Rocco and Jade to arrive. I move through the dark house and toward the bedroom.
There’s a little lamp on. The bed is completely empty, except for a note on the pillow. A sickening feeling hits me as I reach for it.
Elio,
My entire life, I’ve felt useless. I’ve felt unloved, and I’ve felt alone. Then you pushed your way into my life, demanding revenge for something I never did. Something I knew nothing about. And you made me marry you.
You were my first kiss—did you know that? Since the age of eighteen, I’ve been used and abused. People have taken from me. I thought maybe with you it would be different. You gave me pleasure, but that pleasure was the only one I’d ever get.
I tried so damn hard to hate you, and I do, but I also fell for you. I was a naive girl who somewhat believed that being married would take me from the hell that lived inside of me for years. But it didn’t. Instead, I lived a different hell. One where I was still used and abused, just differently this time.
Have you ever felt like you’re all alone, and no matter what anyone says to you, you don’t believe it or you just can’t bring yourself to care if it is true or not? Have you ever felt as though you just need to end it all because you’re so tired of fighting every single day?
I have. While I lived in that clubhouse, it was all I wanted. I wished for death so many times. I fought so hard, Elio. I fought every single day to stay alive, with the hope that someday, the pain and suffering I felt would be a thing of the past. It’s not. Instead, the despair I feel is worse. The darkness is stronger this time. I’m so tired of fighting, Elio. I can’t do it anymore.
I feel helpless, and no matter what I do or say, I’ll never be enough. I’ll never matter to anyone. It’s something that I’ve realized. I’m not good enough for you. I’m not good enough for Portia. You’ll both be better off without me.
