Chelsea

She laughed and wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me a little tighter. “I think I was your slap in the face.”

I chuckled. “Whatever you’re talking about, I’m sure you were more like a kick in the balls.”

There was a sharp pinch in my side, cutting off my laughter. “Woman,” I growled in warning.

“Asshole?” she said, fluttering her eyelashes as she looked up at me.

I felt a buzzing in my pocket and pulled out my phone. “Saved by the bell.”

She rolled her eyes and untangled herself from me. “Sure.” I kissed her cheek before darting out the nearest door and holding the phone to my ear.

“Yeah,” I answered. The caller ID had come up private, but I knew who it was. I’d been expecting their call.

“You’ve got ten minutes to get here.” That was all that was said before the line went dead.

I headed straight back inside, weaving my way through people. I found Kit and Tally at the pool table. Harmony would be heading home with them tomorrow. I had no doubts that Kit was itching to have her back in Troy, even though he’d been understanding about her reasons to stay for so long. Blizzard stood off to the side silently, but his head perked up as I approached them.

I placed my hands on the table, halting their game. “You boys sober enough for a ride?”

Kit tilted his head at me curiously. “Yeah.”

Tally gave me a nod and Blizzard stepped closer. “I’m coming.”

I frowned at him, nodding to the bottle in his hands. “How much of that, you had?”

“Barely anything. Tastes like shit,” he snorted, placing the bottle on the pool table. I eyed him suspectly but eventually nodded.

I glanced over at Chelsea as they followed me out the doors. She was laughing, still at the bar with Harmony, Ham, and Slider.

“You tell Chel we were leaving?” Blizzard enquired as we threw our legs over our bikes.

“This won’t take long.”

I revved my engine and tore out of the compound, barely missing Camo as he pulled open the gates.

It didn’t take us long to get there. We pulled up to the building and shut our bikes off. Kit looked over at me with trepidation. “Bro, a little warning would’ve been nice.”

I climbed off and headed for the alley that ran down the side of the building, my brothers following closely but nervously behind. I cracked my knuckles.

“Are we about to get in a fight? Coz I have a date with fucking twins tomorrow night,” Tally groaned.

“Women love that shit. They can tend to your wounds.” Kit laughed.

“Hey yeah! Good point.”

“We ain’t fighting,” I told them as we came to a large roller door. I banged on it.

“Damn,” he grumbled. It was only late afternoon, but the air around the place was silent. “You think you could just hit me once? Maybe give me a little black eye?”

I heard a slap and Tally mutter ‘ouch’ just as the roller door began to wind up.

The person behind it wasn’t exactly someone I wanted to see, but he’d organized this for me so I had to give him that. Deacon stood in front of me with his arms folded across his chest. He didn’t speak, just tilted his head indicating I was to follow him. We didn’t have to go far to find the cell door that we were looking for.

“You’ve got five minutes. Then you need to be gone.” Deacon turned and walked away again.

Fine with me.

“This who I think it is?” Blizzard asked, suddenly perked up.

I nodded. “They’re taking him away tomorrow. This is our only chance.”

“Fuck yeah.” Blizzard bounced on his feet and rolled his neck.

I pushed the unlock button for the cell door, and Kit and Tally stood outside while Blizz and I stepped in. The bastard looked up at me and even though he tried to hold a blank stare, I could see the panic hit his face.

“Marco DePalma,” I spat. He stood slowly, his height nowhere near mine. “You know, I’m not too fond of men who beat on women.”

I took a step closer, Blizzard, right at my side.

“My Old Lady almost died because of you,” I growled, feeling the impact of my words. She’d almost died. Almost gone forever. I cracked my knuckles again. “I thought it only fair I return the favor.”

I walked up to the gates of the compound. Whether they’d let me see her was a bit of a hit and miss, but I had to try.

The two prospects stepped forward as though they were cutting me off. One was on his cell phone, talking quietly as he eyed me approaching.

“Hi...I was wondering...if I could um...talk to Chelsea?” My feet scuffed the pavement. I had betrayed these people and put all their lives in danger.

They were well within their rights to tell me to fuck off and I fully expected it. But I owed them an apology and I was determined to give that, no matter what they did to me.

I wasn’t even sure I knew what to say to these people.

I’m sorry my father murdered your parents and framed the club? I’m sorry I tried to lure you to your demise?

Anyway, I put it, it was useless. They’d hate me and I didn’t blame them one bit.

The gates creaked open moments later and my heart skipped a beat as he stepped out.

Blizzard.

His eyes were filled with hate, but even then I couldn’t help but admire the man that he was. Tall, light hair, his chin and jaw square and covered with a light shade of stubble.

“Didn’t do enough damage already? Back for more?” he spat, his words completely full of disgust.

I cringed and took a deep breath. I just needed to get the words out. Just say my piece and then I could walk away.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, hanging my head. My hand was in a cast, I rubbed at it unconsciously. It was a reminder of the mistakes I had made. “I...I just came to apologize.”

“Because that makes it all okay, right?” he growled. “Chelsea only just got out of the fucking hospital. We almost lost her. She can’t even walk or talk right. It could take months for her to get back to where she was.”

I felt ill. No one had been able to tell me how she was, and my cousins, Gio, and Rico, wouldn’t let me go up to the hospital to see her. I swallowed back the tears. If she couldn’t walk or run then how can that affect her career? I’d done more than just hurt her. I could have possibly fucked up her entire life.

The wind whipped around me and I shivered.

“I shouldn’t have come,” I whispered, turning away.

Blizzard laughed, but it wasn’t in amusement. No. It was dark and condescending. “You play the victim well. We all believed it. Chelsea was ready to throw down for you … so was I. But it was all fucking bullshit.”

I spun to face him, the anger inside me flaring. “I was a victim! Don’t stand there and think because of all this that you know what I’ve been through, the shit I’ve fought through. You have your family, Blizzard! You have a clubhouse full of brothers and people who’d stand beside you in the blink of an eye. I had no one—”

“You had me,” he yelled, stepping forward and pounding on his chest with his fist. “I was there, Chelsea was fucking there. We had your back, and you still turned around and fucking played us.”

“I had no choice,” I cried, my body ached and I wanted to crumble to the ground and cry.

“We all have a choice,” he said sternly, his voice now cold and void of any emotion. “You made yours.” He spat on the ground. It was like just being in my presence left a disgusting taste in his mouth.

I cried. I stood in front of him and bawled my Goddamn eyes out, and all he did was stare me down. Like it didn’t affect him in the least.

He was so cold.

Gone was the man who’d pushed his way into my life, making me dream of something better. Gone was the playful sparkle that I’d once seen in his eyes when he’d told me he wouldn’t give up until I was his.