Page 21 of Quiet Chaos

Cade scoops me into his arms and carries me to a back room. He lays me down on a bed, wets a towel and wipes my forehead. I’m fearful of what happened, so I watch Cade take over. Gunner comes in with the first aid kit and Cade snatches it from him. His face hovers over mine as he assesses my injury. My body cements and my breath gallops. Being this close to him, I experience a tingly sensation, like when my leg goes numb.

Still close, he presses the towel to my head and says, “Sky, calm down. You’re safe.”

His words prompt the tears to spill down my cheeks. They were hiding during the commotion. Now that things have quieted, they’ve become a stream. He lets out an angry breath,then curls me into his chest. His hand is on my lower back and the other cups my head like I’m a child. Instead of freaking out, I find it comforting. Gunner left at some point, so it’s only us. I’m trying to relax and stop the tears, only they have a mind of their own. This environment is too much. It brings back the days Christoff would get mad at me. Again, I made a poor decision, and this happens. Uncontrollable tremors cause me to grip his vest and tuck my head under his chin.

I’m unsure how long we have been sitting here with no words, but he just holds me and lets me cry. His body is a protective shield. It’s sedating. My muscles slacken, eyes close, and all I want is sleep.

He taps my cheek, “Stay awake, Sky. A doctor is coming to check for a concussion. He’s a club member and doctor who treats the club members and guests.”

Gunner returns with another man, who directs Cade to follow him into a medical room down the hall. It’s large and has several medical instruments along the walls. When he lays me on the bed, I try to get up, but he presses me back down.

The man says, “Sky, I’m Dr. Karl. Do you have a headache, feel fatigued, or vomited?”

“I feel tired.”

He shines a tiny flashlight into my eyes, smiles, and says, “Good. The cut on your head doesn’t look too deep, so I won’t apply stitches, only a covering. What I’d like to do is take a CT scan of your head to make sure you don’t have a concussion. Is that all right?” I nod.

Dr. Karl informs Cade and Gunner they have to leave the room. He moves my head under this large instrument and asks me to keep still. It makes noises, which at first is startling. He assures it’s normal and reminds me to lie still. After a while, he removes me from the machine.

When he’s done, he walks me out to where Gunner and Cade are waiting.

Dr. Karl says, “Everything looks fine. Keep an eye on her for twenty-four hours.” Gunner offers to take me home. Cade glares at him for a moment, then me, and nods.

Gunner puts my helmet on, assists me on his bike, and I wrap my arms around his waist, which is much smaller than Cade’s. He takes his time on the road. I thank him for his help, and he gives a quick hug and takes off.

Armstrong is glad to see me. I put on my pajamas, and it isn’t long until Cade comes home. He asks if I’m hungry.

“No, thank you.”

He changes into a pair of sweats, shirtless again, and makes something for himself. This time, I don’t shy away from his nakedness. I’ve become used to it. He shifts around the kitchen. Cade’s muscles flex and relax with movement. He is one of God’s most beautiful creations.

My mind thinks back to the club. Where did he go? One minute he’s watching me and then the next, he disappeared. His absence made me anxious, especially with the guys surrounding me. I can’t understand why he left without telling me. Maybe he was mad I went. Who was that woman who attacked me? Why did she go after me? My head feels fizzy from all these questions.

Instead of asking myself, I ask Cade, “Who was the woman who attacked me?”

Cade gives me an irritated sideways glance. “She’s a woman I’ve been with in the past.”

I move to the kitchen island. “Why did she attack me?”

His patience is wearing thin. “Jealousy, I guess. I don’t know, Sky. She’s crazy.”

I pause to let him finish making his sandwich. As he takes a bite, I ask, “Where did you go? Why did you leave?”

10

“Creativity is 80% bourbon and 20% ice.” Jack Doom

Cade - September 2019

Sky is full of questions; questions cornering me to answer. When I saw her on the ground at the bar, I swear I wanted to punch someone, and when I saw the blood, killing was more like it. And damn, holding her in my arms felt right. Her petite, fragile body curled into me, and she smells… pure. If purity had a fragrance, it would smell like Sky.

After Gunner took her home, I kicked Josie out of the club and banned her for a month. It’s my club and if I wanted to, I could kick Josie out for good, but that wouldn’t sit well with my brothers. She takes care of their needs. Still, she had no right going straight for Sky, who’s like a vulnerable kitten. For someone who lived a sheltered life, life has tossed her some hard blows.

She’s confusion at its best. I want to take care of her while strangle her for making my head hazy. This beautiful, adorable woman turns my insides into an inferno with a simple smile or glance. I never asked for it. All I wanted was to do the decent thing and not abandon her at the gas station. Now guilt resides in my bones.

But we’re not together. The Pious Princess has once again put me on the spot. Judgment will fall upon me, and I’ll battle my conscience for hours until I convince myself she’s wrong.

My body shifts in her direction, mouth dropping open when she asks where and why I left. How do I respond without sounding like a dick?

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