Page 21 of Viper
I wipe my cheeks and answer, “A subpoena…”
“What?!” he shouts, and I move the phone from my ear in shock before putting it back as he demands, “Who in the fuck is suing you, Lake?!”
I sniffle and admit, “Vanessa Chillis.”
“Trisha’s mama?” he confirms, and I mutter, “Yes,” and he curses up a storm before banging echoes in my ear, and I slowly close my eyes.
He didn’t get one. She’s just suing me, the woman who was in charge of CPR.
“I don’t want you to worry about this,” Callum snaps, “She doesn’t have a case, her daughter was never going to survive, and honestly, I think her problem is more due to the fact she wasn’t able to pull her daughter back in time before the car hit her. The judge will throw the case out.”
I sniffle and nod even though he can’t see, and he says, “I don’t want to see this make you hesitant about your job either, you're one hell of a good EMT. You’ll make an amazing doctor. That woman, while yes, is grieving, is being selfish, so don’t you dare allow this to make you second-guess your career path, got it?!”
“Got it,” I whisper, and he sighs, “Good, now, you still going tonight?”
I sniffle and admit, “I don’t know.”
He growls, “You need him. Go speak to him, get everything off your chest. You miss him, Lake, and honestly, you don’t have to go to the club to be with him.”
“He slept with my mother, Callum,” I remind him, and he clears his throat.
“Don’t shout at me for this, but it was before he met you, Lake,” he says softly, and I flinch, knowing he’s right.
I’ve been holding onto it because I knew I had no right to be mad at him for keeping the fact that he’s a brother from me.
Growing up Dad expressed how the brothers didn’t trust women.
Callum continues, “Not everyone kept such a tight hold of their virginities, sweetheart, and I get it, it wasn’t something you planned, but he had a life before you. You can’t keep punishing him for his past, and sweetheart, you know why he kept the fact that he was a brother from you as well.”
His mama was a patch chaser.
“Go get your man back,” he demands gently, and I sniffle as I squeeze my eyes tight, my tears falling, wondering if it’ll be a good idea because honestly, we’ve felt over since that day in the diner when he freaked seeing me with Ivy and Hudson.
***
I flinch as Cannon swings a fist at Jaylen’s face and connects with his jaw, his head moving sideways with the force before he gets a kick to the gut, and I look away, squeezing my eyes tight as the crowd roars in displeasure, their favorite getting his butt kicked.
I snuck in here without being seen by any club member twenty minutes ago after Callum spent an hour convincing me to do this, to fight for the guy I fell in love with.
I’ve never been to a fight before, he never let me, and now I understand why. But when Ivy let it slip that Jaylen was fighting tonight, I couldn’t help myself. I told Callum, and he encouraged me to come, to show Jaylen that I want this, that I want to fight for us despite the hurt and pain.
I look again when the crowd shouts in outrage again to see Cannon punching quickly at Jaylen, who takes it but is bent forward a little, his body bruised, and my heart races.
Why isn’t he fighting back?
“Fucking hit him, Viper!” I hear yelled, and I turn my head to see Venom and Blade shouting along with some other brothersI’ve seen but not spoken to before. I look back at the stage as the crowd cheers to see Jaylen hitting the guy continuously, his face like thunder but full of determination.
Men shove into me in excitement as blood spurts out of Cannon’s mouth and my stomach tightens when his opponent sways on his feet. Jaylen takes a step back before twisting to the side and kicking him in the face, and Cannon falls backwards, knocked out.
The crowd goes crazy, jumping around, bashing into me even more, while Jaylen stares at his opponent, not celebrating, and fear rushes through me.
His face is bloodied and bruised, his hands fisted before the ref grabs his wrist and pulls him towards the crowd, lifting his hand, which of course makes the crowd get louder.
He doesn’t smile, he doesn’t show any emotion.
Where’s the man I fell in love with?
My tears build seeing he’s nowhere to be found, yet I knew that already though didn’t I? I mean the man who claimed to love me would never call me a whore or a patch chaser.
