Page 35 of Tess, Property of Blaze

Blaze

Iwalk out of church and head straight for my room. Tracker stops me just outside the doorway and places his arm on my shoulder. “Brother, I’m here if you need me.”

My eyebrows shoot together and I look into his eyes. I can see worry and determination staring back at me, and I feel a chill run down my spine. I don’t reply; I can’t. I just look back at him and nod my head before I take off toward my room.

Entering, I shut the door behind me and lock it. I don’t want any more interruptions. I need to get this over and done with. I see the folder still on my bed and slowly walk over to it. Rubbing my jaw with one hand, I lift the folder with my other. I can’t go back from this—whatever is in here, I can’t take back once it’s out there. What I want is to throw it in the trashcan and forget I ever asked Tracker for intel, but I know deep inside that it needed to be done, and that I need to read what’s in this file. With a steady breath, I turn and sink down onto the bed and open it.

A picture of Tess is on the top of the page, with details regarding her listed beneath:

Teresa Bronx: Born November 4th, 1994

Address: 2 Lockford Avenue, Los Angeles (CA) 90015

Father: John Bronx, born August 9th, 1966

Mother: Marisa Delguera, born, November 24th, 1976 - deceased November 4th, 1994.

I stare at the date Tess’s mother is listed as deceased and realize with a heavy heart that it’s the same date as Tess’s birthday. But what has me stumbling is Tess’s birth name—Teresa. She’s never mentioned before it’s her name.

I run my hand through my hair and continue reading down the page, and that’s when my stomach falls down to my feet and blood rushes to my head.

Husband to Teresa Bronx: Vincent DeLuca – AKA, Viper — Forseekers Motorcycle Club. Convicted of attempted murder, February 12th, 2018. Released, November 9th, 2018.

My eyes are glued to one word—husband. Husband?What the fuck! My eyes run over that sentence once again. Husband to Teresa….

I slam the folder shut, not able to stomach another word. My hand is shaking as I look down at the folder, and then I throw it across the room. Papers from the file land on the floor, and the picture of Tess sits on top, staring back at me. Taunting me. My breath comes out in fast bursts as I struggle to control myself. Anger like nothing I’ve ever felt before runs through my entire body, and I rub my eyes with the palms of my hands as they blur in anger. I jump off the bed and link my hands behind my head as I pace the room. I feel like a caged animal, ready to pounce as the air in my lungs burns my throat. I drop my hands and search the room. Tess’s perfume sits on the dresser, along with her makeup. Her T-shirt and bra lie across the chair in the corner of the room with her boots sitting under it. Everywhere I look, she’s there. Yet, she’s not mine—she’s been married this whole fucking time.

I picture Tess saying her vows to Viper as she stands dressed in a white dress, looking beautiful, staring at Viper lovingly as she says I do. It hits me then why she doesn’t want to marry me—she’s already fucking married. And what the fuck is she doing here at the Blood Brothers compound? Has she been a snitch this whole time? Did the Forseekers send her in here undercover, to make one of the members fall for her and gives her inside information?

Oh my God, she’s been lying this whole time. She doesn’t’ love me, she’s just acting, and I’m the stupid fucking asshole for falling for her. She knew what she was doing, fuck…. She even slept with me the first night, probably thinking how easy it was to make me fall for her. How could I have been so fucking stupid. I feel deceived, and I feel played. This whole time….

I see red when I picture her in bed with Viper, laughing at how gullible I was. Without thinking, I stride over to the dresser and smash all the items on there with the back of my hand. But that doesn’t mask the anger one bit, so I go wild and lift the dresser with two hands and throw it to the floor. Drawers fly open and clothes fall onto the ground, but I don’t stop; I can’t stop. I want to hit something and someone.

I go to the chair in the corner and lift it, throwing it across the room. Next is the mattress, nothing feels heavy in this moment. I feel like the Hulk, my anger giving me strength. I hear banging at my door, but I don’t open it because I know whoever is on the other side will get the beating of a lifetime. I storm to the bathroom next, and seeing Tess’s toothbrush, hairbrush, and her collection of creams on the counter, I pull back my hand and swipe them all to the floor. Only then do I lean both hands on the sink and let my head drop as I take deep, even breaths. Blood pours from my knuckles from the glass I smashed, and I turn the faucet on and rinse them under cold water.

“Hey, man, open up!”

I hear Tracker yelling out from the hallway outside my bedroom, but I just stare into the mirror, looking over my reflection with disgust. You fucking idiot.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Tess’s Blood Brothers T-shirt that she wears to bed, hanging on the back of the door. I turn to face it, my back leaning against the sink, and my breath catches in my throat as tears threaten to fall. Slowly and steadily, I shuffle one step at a time over to where Tess’s shirt is. With blood still on my hands, I take it off the hanger and bring it up to my face, inhaling her scent. Feeling defeated all of a sudden, I cry into the shirt.

I can hear voices at my bedroom door, and then I hear it—I hear her voice. Tess. I drop the shirt to the floor and storm toward the door. I unlock it and swing it open. When I do, my gaze zones in on Tess, whose standing there with her eyes wide open, her mouth an almost comical O shape. I briefly spot Tracker, Rhyder, Prez, and Hawke surrounding her, but they don’t exist to me right now—the only person who does is Tess, and she couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

Before I open my mouth, Tracker steps in front of Tess and places his hand on my chest, pushing me back.

“Get the fuck out of my way, Tracker, this is not your business,” I growl. I push his hand aside and try to move him out the way, but he doesn’t budge. I look over Tracker’s shoulder and find Tess, her face a mask of confusion.

Large hands grab my face, and then I’m suddenly brought into Tracker’s line of sight. “Don’t do it, man. Not here, not like this.” My chest rises with the heavy breaths I’m sucking in, and my gaze lands on Tracker when I force myself to look away from Tess.

“Get… the… fuck… out of my way,” I snarl, grinding my jaw. But again, he doesn’t move aside.

“Blaze, what’s going on?” I hear Tess ask, her voice on the verge of tears.

With all the strength I can muster, I push Tracker aside, making him fly into the wall. I take the two steps needed to get to Tess and point my finger at her. “You fucking lying bitch, you are gonna pay for this.” I grab Tess by her shoulders and shake her. “What did you think, I wouldn’t find out? Oh, you’re good. Too fucking good,” I say sarcastically, a bitter laugh coming out of my mouth.

“Blaze, please,” Tess pleads as she reaches one hand up and cups my cheek. I pull away from her straightaway, and she stares at me, confusion written all over her face. Suddenly her gaze falls to the folder on the floor, and she catches a glimpse of herself on the page half hanging out. She turns and walks slowly toward the papers before she kneels down and picks it up, scanning it. “You know,” she whispers, defeat in her voice.

“Is that all you can say? I know?” I ask, walking over to her.

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