Page 33 of Valley

Silence swallowed my plea.

“Fuck!” I snarled, kicking the wall before stumbling to the bathroom. I fumbled with a bottle of ibuprofen, desperate to silence the throbbing pain in my head. Last night, after seeing Sean and Madeline, I’d stormed back to the clubhouse, drowning in whiskey to avoid beating the shit out of Sean and begging Madeline for forgiveness. Kezia’s ghostly torment reminded me why that could never happen.

Sleeping in this fucking cursed room was impossible. I could switch rooms again, but Kezia would always find me.

She always did.

I turned on the shower, the cold water shocking me into some semblance of wakefulness. I had to take Kezia’s threat seriously. Shadowing Madeline and protecting her from a danger she couldn’t see.

Fuck, I wished there was some magic pill to keep my feelings in check. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stay away from Madeline, needing her in a way that bordered on insanity and obsession.

I loved her, dammit.

I think I always have.

Why did the club have to move me to Twisted Heat, had they not I wouldn’t have fallen into the forbidden trap that was Madeline?

Coffee. That’s what I needed and headed to have a cup or five.

The stale, bitter aroma hit me as I entered the clubhouse kitchen and grabbed a mug. I poured the dark liquid and took a long, scalding drink, feeling it sear down my throat and settle like a rock in my gut. My eyes roved the room, landing on Sean, who was chatting with Adam in the corner. Rage from last night flared up, hot and fierce. That fucker kissed Madeline, and I wasn’t about to forget it.

Clenching the mug, I moved to the table where Player, Patch, and Harker were sitting. Dropping into a chair with a thud, I said, “I got a question about club bylaws.”

“Oh, yeah?” Patch leaned in, giving me his full attention. “What’s on your mind?”

“If I tell a prospect to do something, he should have to do it, right?” I asked, my gaze flicking back to Sean.

“Usually, yeah,” Patch agreed, his eyes following mine. “Why are you asking?”

“I told Sean to stay away from someone, and he refused,” I ground out, jaw tight.

“Who’s the someone?” Player asked, eyebrows raised.

“The blonde,” Patch said, leaning forward on the table. “Is she yours?”

“It’s complicated,” I replied, frustration curling in my gut.

“So no,” Patch said, as I gave a tight nod.

“So, you aren’t claiming this woman?” Player said, looking confused. “And you want Sean to back off?”

“Yeah, I asked him to, and as a prospect, he should listen,” I snapped, irritated that they didn’t understand.

“Let’s break it down,” Patch said. “Are you going to claim her?”

I dropped my head, the weight of the question pressing down. Finally, I sighed and said, “No.”

“Then you can’t stop him,” Patch replied, leaning back with a sigh. “It’s the same situation Leather was in. Either she’s yours, or she isn’t. If it involved him refusing a club-related request, that would be different. Like I said yesterday, if she means something, fix it. If not, move on.”

“Yeah, brother,” Harker said, his tone almost sympathetic. “If you lose her to another man, that’s on you.”

“Sean’s one hell of a prospect and close to getting his patch,” Player added, his eyes boring into mine. “We’re not about to lose him over a woman you don’t want.”

I did want Madeline, but I couldn’t fucking voice it. Instead, I stood, the chair scraping the floor loudly. “I gotta go,” I muttered, throwing a last glare toward Sean, who smirked like he knew exactly what went down.

I would find a way to ruin any plans he had about Madeline. Straddling my bike, the roar of the engine drowned out my thoughts as I sped off to shadow her. My conscience whispered: I’m going to save her from Kezia,but who’s going to save her from me?

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

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