Page 501 of The Tempted

“Blackie,” she called out.

Fucking hell.

My hair fell over my eye as I turned my head and glanced over my shoulder at her.

“Thank you for not taking it back,” she said hoarsely.

I narrowed my eyes in confusion, thought about asking her what she meant by that but left it alone, letting us both hang onto the dream of Leather and Lace for a little while longer.

I turned around, walked out the door, closing it behind me before I banged my head against it.

Give me a dire situation, a rival club looking to fuck with my brothers and I’ll take every one of them out. Give me a motherfucking gangster and let me bring him to his knees. Give me an addiction, and I’ll function. Give me a shitload of grief and I’ll push through it. Give me a tombstone with my wife’s name and I’ll bring flowers every Saturday.

Fuck, give me Jack in the middle of a debilitating breakdown and I’ll bring him back.

But don’t give me this.

Don’t give me Lacey.

Don’t make me want to do right by her when all I know is wrong.

Don’t give me Lacey when I’ll never be able to keep her.

Me: One.

My Maker: Too many to count.

Today I won the battle.

I was the one in control.

Not my mind.

Not Blackie.

Just me.

Just my heart.

Have you ever wanted something so badly? Have you ever been one of the lucky ones to get the one thing you want more than anything? It doesn’t matter how it comes to you, how it finally becomes yours, all that matters is that it did. You don’t get to bask in the glory because someone or something quickly tries to take it from you.

My maker has been taunting me since I left the Satan’s Knight’s clubhouse, filling my head with all the things Blackie probably came here to say.

He doesn’t want you.

He used you to forget.

He doesn’t really see you.

He told you what he thought would get him laid.

He didn’t know you were an inexperienced virgin.

He’ll never look at you the same.

He will say it was a mistake.

He’s going to tell you it should’ve never happened.

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