Chapter 35
35
Rogue
I haven’t really been breathing this whole time. I only realize that once the gate in the fence surrounding the clubhouse is firmly shut behind us. And it’s not just today, not just since I found out Melody was taken, and not just since the terror of possibly never seeing her again settled in my bones.
I haven’t been breathing right for the past decade. But I can now. That knowing is crystal clear as I help Melody off my bike and pull her into my arms, kissing her deeply and passionately.
The rest of the MC goes inside, some chuckling as they pass us.
“Wow, seems like you sure missed me,” she whispers as I break away from kissing her lips to kiss her perfect, long neck.
“I thought I lost you,” I say and kiss her again. Because I want to and because I can.
And as far as I’m concerned, this is all we’ll be doing for the next few days, weeks, years probably.
Then I remember Blade, and sweet as they are, even Melody’s kisses aren’t driving that terror away.
The parking lot in front of the clubhouse is packed. Meaning everyone got back all right. Thank God for that.
The bar door opens and Alice comes out. Her face is deathly pale, almost as white as her hair and she keeps her arms wrapped tightly around her chest as she approaches.
“Blade?” I ask, and I can’t say anything more than that.
Melody’s eyes are full of concern as she squeezes my hand tightly.
“He’s in surgery,” Alice says. “They’re hopeful he’ll make it.”
“Who’s operating?” Melody asks.
“A Dr. Tanner,” Alice says.
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.
But then she wraps both her arms around my waist and leans on me heavily. “Thanks, but I’m gonna stay right here. And I’m perfectly safe, don’t worry about me.”
She finishes it off by kissing my cheek and I finally wrap my arms around her too.
She beat me to claiming her in front of these guys by doing it first.
“Oh, it’s like that,” Chance says while Hunter just grins.
“Well, you’re in good hands,” Hunter says and claps me on the shoulder. “But you better treat her right, man. Or we’ll be back.”
The rest of the guys second that and I have no doubt they all mean it.
“Don’t worry, I plan on treating her like the queen she is,” I say which earns me and even tighter hug from Melody.
Then they say their goodbyes and leave. But the heaviness in the air doesn’t leave with them.
“Is anyone else hurt?” Melody asks the room at large. “I can check you guys over.”
“A few scrapes and bruises,” Alice answers for all of them. “Everyone who was seriously injured is already at County General getting seen to.”
“Which is maybe where you should go too. Your face is a mess,” she adds, smiling at Melody. Alice almost never smiles. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I do a double take.
“I’m fine,” Melody says and looks up at me. “But we should go there to check on everyone else.”
“I’d like that,” I say, smiling at her.
“The rest of you stay here and prepare in case the Hydras come at us,” I tell them. “I’ll call with news.”
Then Melody leads me back out to my bike. But instead of climbing on, she faces me and wraps both her arms around my waist, looking deeply into my eyes. Moonlight is highlighting her silky hair in silver and making her eyes glow more invitingly than even the ocean glows on nights like this.
“Thank you, Gabriel,” she says. “For saving me. And for everything else.”
“Anytime,” I say, because words fail even me sometimes.
“I mean it,” she says. “And I’m not talking just about today.”
“I was a little afraid you were gonna ride off with those guys tonight.”
She smiles, kinda sadly, then stands on her toes and kisses me gently. Her lips are soft like the touch of a butterfly wing, but they create a hurricane of emotion inside my chest.
“I never belonged with them, not the way I belong with you,” she says. “For the past ten years I’ve just stood on the outskirts of my life looking on. Never really belonging. Never really a part of my own life. But you showed me what I’ve been missing. You showed me that I deserve to be loved. And words can’t express how much I love you.”
I let her go just long enough to brush a strand of her hair off her perfect face.
“You saved me too, Melody,” I say. “I never thought I’d love again and then there you were, taking my world and my heart by storm. And that storm’s not dying down anytime soon. So I might as well just ask you now, no point waiting…”
I pause for effect, then chuckle at the bright expectation in her eyes, and on her whole face.
“Ask me what?” she breathes.
“Melody, will you be my ol’ lady?” I ask.
She grins and holds me tighter. “My, you do move fast.”
“When you know, you know,” I say. “And I’ve known since the first time I saw you. This isn’t moving fast. It’s been a while coming. So, what will it be?”
As if her wide smile and bright eyes weren’t all the answer I needed.
“Yes, Gabriel,” she says. “I’ll be your old lady.”
The words flutter and explode in my chest as I kiss her. All the happiness I couldn’t feel for the last ten years is back, along with all the hope and all the dreams of what could be.
I never thought this day would come. I stopped wishing for it a long time ago. But here it is. Here she is, the woman of my dreams, soft and willing in my arms, tasting like a new dawn, a new beginning, a new life. A brand new forever. The lasting kind.