Page 12 of Flame's Fight

“Why didn’t you go with him to the clubhouse?” I ask. “Why did he bring you back here first?”

“Because we were here when Dante called everyone back. I stuck around. Brooke is trying to get some details about Tally’s suspension.”

“What happened?” I have a special bond with Tally that has made me ultra protective of her. When I was a prospect, Dante assigned me to guard her. The killer we were hunting captured her on my watch. The club found her and rescued her in time, but knowing my failure could have cost Tally her life still sickens me. And that doesn’t cover how her reaction to Dante branding me hurt the club. Tally turned her back on Dante. I spoke with her and explained the situation so that when her life was once again in danger, she called the club for help. Now, she’s the perfect Queen for our King.

“Tally’s father showed up at the hospital.” Axel states. I nod because that was what Brooke said when she came to get Axel.

“Right, you were to call Dante and get him down here. Why?” I ask. “Was he threatening her? Does he know about…?” I let my question trail off because I don’t know how much Reaper told Ashlyn about the capture of Standish and his son, as well as Tally’s mother and brother. Ashlyn rolls her eyes at me while Axel shakes his head.

“No, at least I didn’t hear him ask Tally about their whereabouts. He said something about how he never really knew his wife and that her lies cost him his daughters.” Axel says.

“Damn.” I murmur. “So he came here to apologize?”

Axel shrugs. “I don’t know. Tally went off on him. Screamed at him to go away. When she tried to walk away, he grabbed her arm. She decked him.”

I bark out a laugh. “She did? Damn. I know she and the other Old Ladies have been learning self-defense moves from their men, but I wouldn’t expect Tally to punch someone. Evie and Kingsley, yeah, but not Tally.”

“She was pretty pissed off.” Ashlyn chimes in. “Although I don’t think he meant to attack her.”

“He attacked her?” I ask. “Fuck, Dante will kill him.”

Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “Not physically. Verbally. I saw his face after she went off on him. He looked sad rather than angry.”

“He looked terrified when Dante showed up.” Axel says with a chuckle. “You should have seen Dante barge in and take charge. He’s a force.” I share a look with my sister over the obvious hero worshipping between our brother and Dante. Although, I’d be the first to admit that Dante lives up to the hype. “He calmed Tally down and got her father to agree to go back to his hotel. He almost decked the HR guy who was yelling at Tally and threatening to suspend her.”

“I thought you said they suspended her?” I ask Ashlyn.

She shrugs. “He was screaming at her about attacking a well-respected physician and how the hospital has no tolerance for violence. Dante got him to shut up and backpedal, I think. I’m not sure what happens next. That’s why I wanted to stay here and talk to Brooke.”

“What would Brooke know about it?” I ask her.

“She’s friends with the HR guy. She was talking to him after Dante left. He likes her, you can tell by the way he looks at her. That and I heard him agree to talk to her if she agreed to spend her dinner break with him. They went to the cafeteria. I’m hoping she comes here when they’re done.”

I clench my fists at the thought of Brooke eating with this ‘HR guy.’ Who was he and why was he insisting she have dinner with him? I glance at Ashlyn and see she’s watching me with one eyebrow raised. “He’s not bad looking.” She says with a cheeky grin. “He’s not as tall as you, but he’s clean cut, wears a suit and tie. He even styles his hair.” She laughs at my expression.

My hair grows fast and in all directions. Even if I wear a bandana under my helmet, my hair looks like I drove through a wind tunnel without a helmet. She smirks when I reflexively reach for my hair. “Shut up.” I tell her, making her laugh. “Do you think she’s interested in this guy?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “Absolutely not. If she was, she would have jumped at the chance to eat with him. He had to bribe her before she agreed. Brooke loves you. But she won’t keep loving you if you continue treating her like shit.”

My mouth drops open. “What are you talking about? I’ve never treated her like shit.”

“Really? So all those times you hooked up with bunnies was what? Showing her how much you love her?” Ashlyn asks. “Did you think she wouldn’t know?”

I open my mouth and close it. Is that what she meant? Not that she was cheating on me, but that I had cheated on her? I shake my head. I didn’t start hooking up with bunnies until after we broke up. But our hookups weren’t what Ashlyn imagined. I never slept with any of them. Not for lack of trying, but because my dick doesn’t want anyone but Brooke. “I’ve never cheated on Brooke.” I tell her. “Not then and not now.”

“Then what happened?” Ashlyn asks as my brother leans against the wall, as if settling in for a story. I hate to disappoint them.

“I don’t know. I thought we were fine, then one day we broke up.” After telling them about the misunderstanding with Curt, I end the story with her words that day and today. “I apologized, but she won’t forgive me.”

“You don’t remember, do you?” Ashlyn asks me.

“Remember what?” I ask her, because clearly I don’t.

“You don’t remember that you two were having problems before the breakfast fiasco?” Ashlyn asks, continuing when I frown at her in confusion. “Reaper said she hadn’t been returning your calls, and that you were afraid you were losing her. You just didn’t know why.”

I stare at the wall as I recall my conversation with Reaper. It was a week before I suggested our breakfast date. We’d been missing each other’s phone calls and texts. After weeks of being together every day, we started spending less and less time together. I had woken alone again one morning, realizing that I hadn’t seen her or spoken with her in too long. Reaper must have mentioned our conversation to Ashlyn. I’d first mentioned it to Reaper to get his feedback on whether or not I was overreacting.

“When was the last time you were together before she started slipping away?” Axel asks. “Did you guys get into an argument?”

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