Page 37 of Valley

“Well, I know Asher Collins, and he won’t soil his precious name by admitting he was even in the club,” I replied firmly. “And he’s still going to get his, but word is he left town.”

“I figured there was some personal shit involved,” Snipe said, pushing off the wall. “Just make sure whatever happens is far away from this club.”

“You know it,” I smirked, watching him walk away. My eyes swiftly swept the room, not pausing on the stage. Once you’ve had a taste of the purest diamond, nothing else will do. These women were cheap imitations, false gold.

I fucking missed her.

The night wore on, each minute amplifying the unshakable sense of wishing Madeline was here. The neon lights of the strip club painted everything in garish, artificial colors, and the bass of the background music pounded in my chest. I leaned against the wall, watching the crowd. Their eyes never strayed from the strippers, who performed with eyes devoid of sincerity or emotion.

Not that it mattered. These men weren’t here for emotions; they were here for tits, ass, and whatever form of sex they could buy on the side.

Finally, the night ended, and I headed to Madeline’s place. The place was dark, the silence almost oppressive. My chest tightened with each passing moment as I stared at her darkened windows, wishing I was in bed with her right now, holding her tight as I made love to her over and over.

Defeated, I turned back to the clubhouse.

The party was in full swing as always. Laughter sounded through the corridors, filled with familiar faces; my brothers in arms who’d seen hell and high water with me. The smell of alcohol and smoke was thick in the air, mingling with the scent I had known my whole life. It never changed.

Not wanting to face my ghosts, I sat at a table, drinking and playing cards, drowning my problems in alcohol until I was drunk.

Tracy was there, her eyes watching me from across the room, her lips teasing a smile as she raised a bottle of beer in my direction. She was trying hard, but tonight, her flirtatious glances were less inviting. Madeline’s absence had left a void that Tracy couldn’t fill. It was the same as the strippers at Twisted Heat, comparing darkness to the sun.

“Cheer up, Valley,” she drawled, sliding onto the chair next to me when the game ended. Her perfume, a floral scent, wasn’t the sweet smell of Madeline’s perfume, again reminding me she wasn’t what I wanted.

“You’re not gonna sulk all night, are ya?” She nudged me with her elbow, her eyes sparkling mischievously under the harsh lights of our clubhouse.

I responded with a smirk, though my mind was miles away. “I’m too drunk to do anything.”

She grinned wide, and I found myself drinking even more, trying to drown out thoughts of Madeline in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Hours blurred together; laughter grew louder, and the alcohol kept coming.

Tracy stayed close, her face swimming in my vision as I tried to focus. As the night wore down, she got closer, her laughter loud over the thumping rock music. My senses blurred with each passing moment, and I wondered when the fuck I would pass out.

Tracy leaned into me, her hand tracing lazy patterns on my thigh as she whispered into my ear, “I can make you forget her.”

My head spun, and I shook it, trying to clear my vision. “There isn’t enough whiskey in the world to make me forget Madeline, soyou’resure as hell not going to do it,” I muttered, pushing up from the table and heading outside, hoping the night air would clear my head.

I leaned on the wall and groaned, seeing Tracy had followed me out. “Leave,” I growled, wanting to be alone.

“But, Valley,” she whispered, her voice barely audible amid the loud laughter and music coming from the clubhouse. “Don’t you feel anything for me?”

“I do feel,” I admitted quietly. “But not what you want me to. It was just sex.” I gave a small shrug. “My body needed to fuck, and that was all... a release.”

Her face crumpled slightly, her disappointment clear. She looked away, focusing on the night sky. The crack of balls breaking apart sounding sharply in the night air, mirroring the fracture spreading across Tracy’s face with each passing second.

“Madeline...” She began hesitantly, but stopped herself, a misplaced mix of defiance and resignation flashing in her eyes.

“... has my heart,” I finished for her, too drunk to shut the fuck up instead of telling her things that were none of her business. “She’s what I want, Tracy. That isn’t gonna change.”

I saw a flicker of something in her eyes as she heard the firm resolution in my words. She nodded slowly, blinking back a sheen of moisture. A bitter smile played on her lips as she pushed away from the wall.

“Thanks for being honest, Valley,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She took one last glance at me before turning and disappearing back inside.

Left alone, I stared into the dark, wondering how my simple life had gotten so complicated.

My fingers traced the worn patches on my vest, moving over familiar names and symbols etched into the fabric. My mind drifted back to Madeline, and I let it. I slid down the wall, my back against the building, legs stretched in front of me.

The night wore on, fading into the early rays of dawn. The laughter died down, whisky bottles emptied, and one by one, bikers trickled out until only a few remained. In the night’s silence, sleep finally took me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

---