Page 11 of Chains

When I woke up next, it was daytime, and I found myself alone. I tried to move, but the pain in my whole body, especially my belly, was excruciating. Tears began streaming down my face as I realized I had allowed something like this to happen to me. I looked around slowly because even moving my head hurt. I looked down at my right fist, when I feel something digging into my skin. Opening my palm, I see the ring that Chains gave me years ago, but without the chain, and frown. Where did this come from? I usually carry it in my bag with me, as I didn’t want Caleb seeing it.

Shaking my head, I focus instead on getting help; for the first time, I take in my surroundings. Everywhere there was blood, and I realize it must all be mine, because there was no one else around.

Seeing my phone laying on the rug underneath the coffee table, tears of relief mixed with pain course down my cheeks. Pulling myself along the floor, it took all of my reserves to reach the phone, the pain almost making me lose consciousness again.

It was difficult for me to see, let alone to breathe. My plan was to call Lexie, but the pain radiated throughout my body, and I was feeling lightheaded when suddenly, I felt a strong need to vomit, which I did, whimpering in relief when darkness finally took me down.

CHAPTER SIX

Chains

I hit the white ball with my pool cue, sinking the blue ball in the hole. Riggs and I have been playing this stupid game for hours now, but all I want to do is go down to the damn club and make sure Zoe’s okay. Lexie promised to call if there was a problem, it’s now passed one in the morning, and she hadn’t, so I’m thinking everything is okay.

Sin and Morgan, two club whores at the Dallas chapter, have been watching us play. Sin has been trying to distract me by spreading her legs and showing me what she’s hiding under her miniscule leather skirt.

I’ve been trying to keep my head in the game, but she’s making it damn hard. Especially for my cock.

Riggs, Tiny, Ky and I have been at the Dallas chapter for the last few days, and Lexie demanded she tag along because she wanted to see Zoe.

And that’s the whole reason I was playing pool with my brothers for hours, because I wanted to know everything that was going on with Zoe myself. Even though I knew she hated my guts. Of course, it wasn’t unwarranted. I’d broken her heart years ago. But I didn’t know any other way to protect her from the life I was living.

When we met, she was in college and I had been a prospect with the DCMC for almost a year. Gunner was still the President, and he’d tasked me with a job, promising me full membership of the Devil’s Carnage MC if I did it.

Of course, I accepted, and that was the whole reason I was at that fucking frat party the night I met Zoe. Gunner wanted me to find out who was supplying drugs to the kids because rumors spread like wildfire that the club had been responsible, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

After my undercover operation ended, I did everything I could to distance myself from Zoe, even though I hated it because I was developing feelings for her. But I couldn’t drag her down with me, and Gunner had promised once I had become a member, I could join the marines and do at least one tour for my country. Something I had wanted to do since I was a kid.

So, I did what I had to do to get her to forget me. By being a total asshole and dumping her via text.

The sound of Lexie’s motorcycle and the SUV that Sage drove coming to a stop at the front of the clubhouse cut my musings short. I knew it was the women, but I still froze and reached for my gun tucked in the back of my jeans.

“Hey, boys.” The tiny pocket rocket sauntered in with her sister, who went straight to her man, Tiny, running her fingers through her windswept hair. I looked across at Riggs and noticed the way his green eyes darkened when Lexie walked into the room. Not sure what he was waiting for. Everybody knew he’s been hot for Lexie for years.

“Why don’t you two just get a room?” I call out. Trying to lighten the mood. Lexie blushed from the roots of her blonde hair to the neckline of her tank top. While Riggs scowled at me.

“Fuck off, brother.” He snarls, but all I do is chuckle.

“How was your night?” I ask casually. Putting away my pool cue and turning to look at her.

Lexie saw straight through me and smirked.

“You mean how was she?”

I ground down on my jaw and fisted my hands at my sides. “Baiting me won’t get what you want. Just fuckin’ tell me.” I growl.

“Hey,” Riggs called out, a murderous look on his face. “Don’t make me forget you’re my brother; brother,” he warned, and I snorted. He could try.

I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. He's hardly able to tell me how to speak to Lexie when he’s virtually ignored her existence since she turned eighteen. But I didn’t tell him that. It would be words we wouldn’t be able to come back from if I did. So, I kept my mouth shut and wait for Lexie to speak.

I silently watch as she hops up on the bar stool, tapping the bar top to get the prospect’s attention. She was getting on my last nerve with her silence, and I was about to open my mouth to give her a serve, but shut it at the warning look Riggs sent me.

“We had a great time. Right up until two guys came up to me when Zoe was in the bathroom,” she began, sipping the juice she orders. It took everything inside me not to shake her like a rag doll. I crossed my arms over my chest to resist the temptation of doing just that.

Shoving my hands in the pockets of my jeans, I nervously paced, getting a feeling what she had to say would be something I didn’t like.

“Who were these two guys?” I demand, fighting to keep my anger in check.

Taking a deep breath, she replies, “From what I could gather, they’re her asshole husband’s friends from work. He had them follow us to the club.”

---