Page 6 of Chains

I’m sitting on the couch with my feet tucked underneath my butt, the long skirt tucked around my legs, shoving chips into my mouth, as the sound of the motorcycle slowly going past the house disappears.

I know the club’s visiting Dallas for the next couple of days, because I’d spoken to Lexie a few times since they arrived. And every night, for the past few nights, I’ve heard a lone motorcycle passing by the house. Thankfully, Caleb had no idea who it was, because if he knew Bodie was riding past the house every night, I would pay the price for it. I wanted to tell Lexie to tell Bodie to stop doing it, but I didn’t want her to think that it bothered me. And there was no way I would tell Bodie myself to stop doing it, because we hadn’t spoken since our run in, in the alleyway last year.

“Was that the cute MC gang member you were with back in high school?” Emma asks, sipping at her red wine.

I planned a girls' night with Emma, my friend from high school, to relax and unwind after a tough week at work, because it had been a while since we had seen each other and I thought it would be nice to catch up. Both of us busy doing our own thing.

I guess the apple hadn’t fallen too far from the tree. I had been determined to only concentrate on the legit jobs after taking over my father’s business. And it had only gone from strength to strength.

Soon after taking over, Kon Sokolov and the Devil’s Carnage approached me to work for them also, I’d reluctantly agreed, telling myself I wouldn’t have to work so closely with Bodie. How wrong I was.

I’d also had kept that bit of information from Caleb, until last year, when he discovered me in the alleyway with Bodie, his arch nemesis. I’d paid for it that night.

I was now regretting my decision in calling Emma, because it seems we’ve just grown apart. Yes, we’re friends, not best friends, like I am with Lexie, who’s the Princess of the DCMC. Not since a few things occurred to warn me she wasn’t best friend material.

She was with me the night I met Chains at the party that long ago night, where she was all over his friend Caleb, my now husband. She’s followed when Caleb and I moved to Dallas, and yes, she’s always been a little ditzy, something I found endearing when we were younger, but now, not so much. Something felt off, even if I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe it was just her work? Though nothing could be as stressful as mine. Dealing with dead bodies day in and day out takes its toll, and I’ve been seriously considering selling up my business and taking a break from it all.

She’s been absent lately, busy with work, and this was a sort of going away get together, as she’s moving to Las Vegas tomorrow for work.

She’s also apparently got a new man, a new older man, she never misses the opportunity to tell me. I’ve never met him, and she’s been very cagey about him. But I thought we should try to get back on track. At least for our last night together.

“Club.” I reply drily, unable to keep the irritation with her out of my voice. No matter how many times I tell her, she still calls them a gang when they’re not.

She looks at me with a tight frown. “What?”

I sigh deeply. “They’re a club, not a gang.” I tell her.

“Whatever.” she replies, gulping down the rest of her wine. I look on in shock as she pours herself another. “Maybe I should see if Chains has room for me on his bike?” She wiggles her eyebrows, and I have the violent urge to hit her with my wineglass for daring to say that in front of me. I force myself to just shrug and pretend her words don’t bother me.

“Lexie and I are going out tomorrow night to a new nightclub that just opened with a few of the other ol’ ladies.” I tell her, changing the subject off Chains.

She pouts. “Pity I won’t be here for that. I bet Caleb will love that you’re defying him.” She replies.

The way she words it makes me feel uneasy, and I can’t help but frown.

“He’s working late tomorrow; I should be home before he even finds out I’ve been gone.” I tell her. Emma’s the only one I’ve entrusted with my shameful secret. And she’s been a vault so far. But I can’t help feeling that something isn’t right, and now I wish I hadn’t asked her over. We’ve grown apart, and I’m almost looking forward to her leaving tomorrow.

“Well, you should have some fun. When’s the last time you guys went out?”

“It’s been a while.” I reply. At least a year, I think to myself. Our anniversary was the last time we’d been out together, and even then, it ended with me getting a beating when we got home because Caleb became jealous when other men would dare to just look in my direction.

I’ve tried to run so many times, but each time he would threaten everyone I cared about, effectively keeping me locked up at home. He’d torture me by telling me when and where he’d seen Chains, how easy it was to kill him if he’d so chosen to do so.

I endured his unpredictable mood swings and constant physical abuse, and the feeling of helplessness was slowly suffocating me.

But, no matter what, I was determined to escape.

At least he let me out of the house so that I could go to work. I should be thankful for small mercies, he would say to me, his words making me shiver in remembered dread.

We sat around talking, eating and drinking for the next couple of hours, and by 1 a.m., I had to put Emma into a rideshare, she would just have to come get her car tomorrow, because I wouldn’t let her drive home drunk.

CHAPTER FOUR

Zoe

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I smile. Dressed in slim leg black jeans and a turquoise-colored off the shoulder sweater, because I knew Lexie was going to pick me up on her Harley tonight, and it was going to be a brisk night. The girl never went anywhere without her sled, as she called the bike.

When she called me a few days ago and invited me out for a girls’ night, I accepted since I wasn’t working that night. A few members of the DCMC would be here in Dallas on club business, so she tagged along to see me. When she asked me where I wanted to go, I left it up to her; but now I couldn’t help the nervous butterflies from flying around in my tummy from that decision.

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