Page 18 of Hendrix

Reaching the top of the hotel, I headed toward my suite, unlocked the door, and slipped inside. My hand reached for the lamp at my desk and I sank into the chair while pulling my cell phone from my pocket.

Swiping my fingertip across the screen, I did the same thing I did every night before I slept; I went to my camera roll and slowly swiped through the fourteen images contained there.

Everything I had left ofher.

Long, silky red hair, the color of burnt copper, shone in the early morning light. Every time I’d wake, my fingers would automatically lift to run through those tresses, and I’d marvel at their satin-like smoothness. There wasn’t much in life I loved more than Anna’s hair; it was stunning. Laughing, tawny eyes flecked with green as bright as the finest jade gazed up at me, and I felt my heart contract painfully because I knew the light in those orbs shone on another man now, brightening his world the same way they used to brighten mine.

But what could I do?

The day Anna Bouchard left me, she took my peace of mind with her. She once said to me I’d regret pushing her away, and I knew even then she was right. But I had no idea how much the regret would eat away at me.

I was clueless to the fact that her tawny, hazel eyes would still gaze into mine every night, and the memory of her long, copper hair sweeping across my skin whenever she was close would torture my fucked-up soul.

And the saddest thing about it all was that I had nobody to blame but my own damned, stupid self.

CHAPTER FOUR

HENDRIX

My cell phone rang the next morning as I was leaving my suite. Balancing my laptop under my arm, I pulled it from my pocket and checked the caller ID before clicking on the answer icon and shoving it between my chin and my shoulder.

“Yo,” I answered, pushing my key into the hole to lock the door. “To what do I owe the honor of listening to your sweet, dulcet tones so early in the mornin’?”

Cash’s chuckle filled my ear. “Need a favor.”

I reached for my cell before I dropped the fucking thing and was forced to pay out another two thousand green for a new one, seeing as Colt would pitch a bitch fit if he ever had to deal with any device that wasn’t top of the line and expensive as all fuck. “Course you do.”

“Hate to ask this,” Cash declared. “But Fender needs a fresh change of scenery.”

Without hesitation, I gave him a one-word answer. “Done.”

“Doncha wanna know the score?”

“Don’t care,” I replied, heading for the top of the stairs. “Made a promise when all that shit went down with Ashley that he’d have a home with me if he ever needed it. I meant it.”

Cash paused briefly before muttering, “Feel like I’ve failed him. Thought when he and his kids came back into the fold I could work with him and get him to a place where he was at least content here with us. Needless to say, I couldn’t.”

“Not your fault,” I murmured back as I descended the staircase. “I guarantee that every time our brother walks into that bar, all he sees is her. There’s nothin’ you can do or say to take away that pain, Cash. I know you feel a certain responsibility; I do, too, but we never murdered Fender’s wife. We can help him here. If there’s one thing my club’s good at dealing with, it’s past trauma. Fender will be too busy to think by the time I’ve finished with him. Got an auto shop that needs setting up from scratch, and he’s just the man for the job.”

“Our brother will need help with his kids,” Cash reminded me.

“So, he’ll get it. We’ve got club kids here; plus, Carina and Giselle live on-site. She’ll happily add to the brood, and Gigi will love more kids around to run riot with.”

“Sounds like just what they need.” Cash sighed audibly. “Fender’s stuck in the past, but the kids aren’t. They need to move on, but their dad’s holding them back with his own grief. A change of scene will help, and Fender needs to be thrown in at the deep end and be forced to become a dad again. He changed and turned dark. The way he is now ain’t good for ‘em.”

“Ashley’s death changed him,” I explained wistfully. “Look at how it went down. When the woman you love dies violently, it fucks with your head, especially when all you’ve ever wanted is to protect her.”

Cash went quiet for a moment. “Sorry, dude. Didn’t mean to rake up bad memories.”

“It’s okay,” I assured him. “I’ve come to terms with what happened to my wife. I know it took a while, but I finally saw how much it was holding me back. It was a long time coming, but I had no choice but to deal. I was drowning in it, especially after Anna ended things...” My voice trailed off, and I cleared my throat of the emotion building in it, then forced out, “...especially after Anna.”

There was another pause, then Cash announced, “That’s the other thing I need to speak to you about. Word on the street is that he’s not the great guy everybody thought he was.”

My eyebrows drew together. “Who? Fender?”

“Anna’s ol’ man,” he corrected. “He’s a dick by all accounts. Tristan went to visit her a few months ago and wasn’t happy with what he saw. Apparently, it’s gotten worse for her recently.”

I reached the bottom of the stairs, and my feet faltered as I felt my gut pang. “Is she okay?”

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