Page 73 of Rogue

Melody nods. “He’s one of the best trauma surgeons in the country. Blade’s in good hands. Let’s go check on him.”

She squeezes my hand again, her eyes big and full of compassion. Like the ocean on a warm summer day. I’d love to just swim in the ocean of her eyes for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t even have to breathe.

“Some of the Devil’s Nightmare MC guys are here,” Alice says. “You should talk to them.”

“They’re here?” Melody breathes, sounding surprised and ecstatic at the same time.

A twinge passes through my heart and it feels a lot like jealousy. I don’t ever want to share her with anyone. But those guys are her guys. From before. I’ll always have to share a part of her with them.

“Let’s go in,” I say, my voice hard and toneless.

She keeps hold of my hand as she leads us inside. I wish she wasn’t walking quite so quickly. I wish there wasn’t quite such a spring to her step. But mostly I just wish we were still alone and kissing.

The bar is packed from one end to another, but the crowd parts as we enter.

“Melody? You’re all right?” Hunter, the son of Devil’s Nightmare MC president Cross, says as he sees her. He starts walking towards her and I let go of her hand so she can meet him halfway.

They hug, and she assures him she’s fine, that it’s all over and the guys who took her are punished.

I recognize two of the guys with Hunter—Jax and Chance—they were here just two weeks ago. But there are ten more Devils with them that I don’t know. They all encircle Melody. I walk over to the bar and pour myself a large double whiskey, hoping it’ll chase away the bitter taste of seeing them all so happy together from my mouth. She’s mine. And I’m not letting her go easily.

“It was all a trap,” Melody tells them. “They wanted to use me as bait to lure you into a trap and kill you.”

Chance scoffs. “What else is new?”

No one else finds that funny.

“But it was a false alarm, because Rogue came to my rescue,” Melody says.

She turns to me and gives me the sweetest, prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. It’s almost enough to chase away all the bitterness clear from my chest.

“Edge wanted to be here with us,” Hunter tells her. “The only reason he’s not here is because I made him stay behind.”

“Edge isn’t in jail?” Melody asks, her eyes brightening up.

“We got him out,” Chance tells her. “That’s why we’re all down here.”

Great. Now all the bitterness is back in my chest and then some. Edge is the guy who murdered the trucker who caused the death of her family. How can I even compete with that? Going by the happiness that alighted in her eyes when she heard the news that he’s not in jail anymore, I’m thinking not.

I down the rest of my whiskey while she expresses that happiness in words too. But then I can’t just watch as they all encircle her, some smiling at her way too lewdly for my taste as they tell her how happy they are that she’s all right. So I walked over. But before I can wrap my arm around her to make sure they all know she’s taken now, Alice intercepts me.

“We got the trucks with the women out, but Clive and some of those Hydra guys got away,” she says. “We should prepare for an attack.”

Hunter turns to me. “You went after Clive again?”

“Yeah, but the slimy bastard keeps slithering away,” I say.

I like Hunter. He’s the one who told me where I can find Angel’s killer without wanting anything in return. And it’s a debt I’ll never be able to repay. But I’d still prefer it if he cleared out with his guys now so Melody and I can start the rest of our lives together in peace.

“Don’t worry about him. We’ll take care of it from here,” Hunter says, his voice hard and sharp at the same time. “He’s still got something that belongs to my wife.”

“You and that woman of yours got hitched then?” I ask. “Congratulations.”

He grins. “Thanks. It’s been a while coming. Now all that’s missing is her engagement ring, which Clive took from her.”

He turns to Melody. “We’re just gonna go deal with this and then come back to take you home. It’s not safe for you down here on your own. Not with all this shit happening. Sorry.”

She smiles, her face turning even brighter and happier than it was. The bitterness caused by seeing it is an actual physical pain in my stomach now.

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