Page 38 of Dark As Coal

Chapter 9

Coal

Two weeks and five days, that’s how long since I've felt dead inside.

To be honest, I forgot what that felt like.

Felt it for thirty-four years, all up until my eyes landed on my soul, shining her light at me from a hospital bed.

I wish I was one of those who could forget everything and anything after they’ve gotten so drunk they can’t tell their ass from their elbow.

Sadly, I wasn’t like that.

After being unable to fall asleep because flashes of the pain on her face kept me awake.

Being woken in the middle of the night, not from nightmares from my past, but the real visualization of those tears streaming down her face, I was a grumpy fucking bastard.

It took me two days to get my head back to right.

Four days for me to come to grips with what I had done.

Six days for Asher, Rome, Pipe, Piney, and even Priest, to talk some sense into me.

But never was I far from Adeline, unless we had mandatory church, or I needed to make a run when nobody else could do it.

Which included sleeping outside on Adeline’s front porch with just my bedroll.

However, I had to go on a short run for the club, so I was late in getting myself into position so she wouldn’t see me when she walked out of her house to check her mail at five forty-five.

But it wasn’t her usual outfit I saw her in, no, in this outfit, she looked like she was about to go out. And I knew it when she climbed into her car and left.

I got pissed the fuck off. I was tired. I wanted to go to sleep.

But I couldn’t fucking do that because she wasn’t at home, and she wasn’t safe.

It took until I realized I had zoned out before I realized I lost sight of her taillights, and by the time I got on my bike to follow her, I had no idea where she was headed to.

But I would find her.

But…. After fifteen minutes and no such luck, a thought occurred.

Ten minutes later I stormed into the clubhouse, my eyes taking in the scene, and the moment they landed on the one other person Adeline was close to, I stalked her and asked, “Where’s Adeline going?”

And the words that fell from her mouth… it took everything I had to not let the monster out, “Oh, she’s on a date.”

I felt air filling up my lungs, “Where?”

“Umm, Coal, I think it might be best if you let this…” I growled.

She did what I wanted her to do. And that was to shut the fuck up.

I growled again, “Where?”

She sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and said, “They are at Luciana’s.”

I stalked out of the clubhouse, not bothering to stop when Asher called my name.

I made it to my bike, fired it up, and then sped out of the clubhouse.

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