Chapter 13
Asher
Once the door closed behind Evelyn, I spun and snarled, “What the fuck?”
Her face paled, then she held up her hands, and my eyes caught on that fucking gold band I had slid on her finger almost twenty-one years ago.
Evelyn sighed, then met my eyes and said, “I met someone. And we would like to get married.”
I snapped, “Well, that could have happened seventeen years ago if you hadn’t turned into a ghost and made it impossible to fucking find you.”
She winced, then she looked at Stella.
I wouldn’t have made a good mother,” she said.
Stella scoffed, “What you mean is that you weren’t a decent human being.”
“You can say that again,” And then, before I could move around my desk to pull open the drawer where the divorce papers were, there was a sudden quick rap succession of knocks on my door.
I glared at Evelyn, pointed my finger at her, and bit out, “Don’t move.”
Then I moved around her, threw the door open, and growled, “What?”
Stoney growled, “Something’s wrong with Chloe, Pres.” In a split second, I took in his words, and then I was racing around him and headed for my woman.
And when I found her, I felt as though someone had reached into my chest and pulled my heart out.
She was sitting on her ass, her back against the wall, her legs pulled close to her chest, her slight shoulders shaking.
And I knew. I just knew when I got her eyes, I would see nothing but tears in them.
Only two people were to blame for that.
Evelyn.
And myself.
Because I should have hired the best private investigators to find her and paid no matter how much it would cost to get it all done before I dared to let this beautiful woman anywhere near me.
I knew she felt me coming because her head jerked up, and her eyes hit mine; I almost had to take a step back at the torment that blazed in those sage green eyes of hers I adored.
In the next instant, she was using the wall for support, standing up, rising to her full height.
“Tell me,” she demanded as tears trailed down her cheeks.
“Doll Baby, please, don’t do this.” I pleaded with her.
Hoping beyond hope that she wouldn’t walk away from me over this.
But the longer I denied her request to tell her who that woman was, the more I knew.
I knew that she would go.
And then I would lose my reason for breathing.
The reason I got up in the morning.
My very own redemption after a life of pure and utter hell.
“Tell. Me. Who. That. Woman. Is.” Gritting out each word through her teeth while those tears flowed down her cheeks almost had me going to my knees.
I thought about lying to her.
Thought about telling her a white lie.
But I knew that she would see through it.
She knew me better than I knew myself.
So, with everything to lose, knowing this would gut her, yet unable to force a lie through my vocal cords, I said the two words that were going to end us before we even had a chance to really begin, “My wife.”
That was when I watched the strongest woman I have ever met hit her knees and sob.
Broken, painful sobs poured out of her.
And the sight of it wrenched my heart right out of my chest.
Because I was the dumb motherfucker that had caused it all.
At the sounds she was making, I heard boots thundering through the clubhouse, headed in our direction.
But I never took my eyes off Chloe.
My arms moved of their own accord, my hands skimming her skin, wanting, needing to haul her in my arms, bury my face in her hair, and apologize.
But just as she felt the contact of my hands on her, she flinched.
She. Fucking. Flinched.
That was when I heard Priest rumble, “What the fuck?”
Rome grumbled out, “She okay?”
“Co?” my daughter asked.
At my daughter’s voice, Chloe lifted her head.
Tears were streaming down her pale cheeks.
I wanted to pull my gun out and shoot my own fucking self at the sight of those fucking tears.
Chloe looked up at Stella and brokenly asked, “Did you know?”
Stella winced, then carefully, she asked, “Did I know what?”
But before I could get any words out, Chloe did, “That… that your… dad is still… married?”
I watched as my daughter’s heart broke right along with Chloe's as her face crumbled right before my eyes, in a broken whisper, she said, “I’m so sorry.”
Chloe’s breath hitched as she asked, “You knew?”
And all my daughter could do was nod.
As if this situation couldn’t get any worse, my bitch of a fucking wife chose the worst moment in time to walk back here with everyone else.
“What’s going on in here, Asher? Why is our daughter crying, and why is her best friend looking like she got her heart ripped out?” Evelyn asked.
How did she know about Chloe?
How the fuck did she know that they were best friends?
Someone’s head was going to fucking roll.
Flo gasped then, “Shit, was that a secret? I’m so sorry. I met Evelyn a few days ago, and I may have said too much. I’m really sorry.”
I would deal with Flo later. She should have known that what occurred in the clubhouse didn’t leave it.
My bitch of a wife didn’t deserve a response, and thankfully, no one gave her one.
My eyes were trained on Chloe, walking slowly over to her, I knelt in front of her. Silently pleading her with my eyes to give me those sage green eyes that pulled me in and never let me go, to look at me.
“Doll Baby, please, just hear me out. Please.”
“Did you make vows to her?” she asked in a broken murmur that had my heart clenching in my chest.
“I did, but baby, please…” I started to say but was rendered speechless when she gave me those eyes I had thought I wanted to see, and then I was gutted when she did.
Pain.
Turmoil.
Hatred.
Fury.
“You owe me a marker, right?” she asked me.
Swallowing down my fear at not knowing what she was going to say, I nodded, “Yes, Doll Baby, I do.”
Evelyn asked, “Why the hell do you keep calling her Doll Baby?’
And that was when Creature rumbled out with his scarred-up vocal cords, “Because the sun rises and sets on Chloe in Asher’s eyes.”
Chloe locked tear-filled eyes with mine and said, “I want you to step back from me, leave me alone, and let me go.”
I shook my head, “Please don’t ask me to do that. Fucking anything but that.”
When she didn’t reply, I said, “I’m on my knees right now in front of you, baby, please, please don’t ask me to do that.”
Brokenly, she whispered, “You’re married, Asher.
I wanted to pull her in my arms so badly, but I didn’t because I knew my woman, and she was that, she would always be that. “Then let me explain the situation.”
Then Evelyn decided to open her mouth and ask, “What situation?”
Standing up, I whirled on her, ready to let loose a string of profanity on her, until I saw that head of gorgeous head of dark hair running around me, around my brothers in the hall.
“Chloe, please,” I said as I started to rush after her until my brothers, my fucking brothers blocked my path.
However, it was Whit who spoke, “Give her a breather, brother. You know who Chloe is. We told you before you made your move that you needed to tell her.”
Stoney stepped around me, “I got her.”
I watched his back until he disappeared out the door.
I locked eyes with Trigger, then I pointed at Flo, “Talk to her before I do. And I let Creature have her.”
Chloe
I knew I was in no condition to drive right now.
In the mood I was in, I was either going to get myself killed or someone else.
That was why I veered around the clubhouse and out back, where I knew no one would be.
But what I didn’t know was that someone had followed me.
I can’t tell you why it hit me like it did. I can’t explain it, no matter how hard I tried, I just can’t.
But I didn’t know that I had said all of that aloud, and neither did I know that someone had been listening to me.
“He’s not mine. I don’t have a right to be feeling this way.” I said as I dropped my head back and took in the night sky.
Not until a voice sounded in the dark, “But don’t you?”
Looking over my shoulder, it was to see Stoney, and to his question, I shrugged. And didn’t even care that he had been listening to me rambling.
I watched as he made his way over to me, took the chair beside mine, and sat down in it, then he said, “Chloe, you and the Pres. have this bond, a bond that none of us could ever even begin to understand.”
I shook my head, “That doesn’t matter. He isn’t mine.”
Stoney winked, “Something doesn’t technically have to be yours for you to feel hurt.”
My head tilted to the side, and I asked, “How so?”
“Pres. has been yours for the longest time. Honestly, I can’t recall a time when he hasn’t been yours. And vice versa. We’ve all seen it. We all know it. It’s why we also run interference with other clubs when they come to the clubhouse, and you are there.”
I thought back on it.
And realized he was right.
Any time a guy came up to me and tried to talk to me, almost all of the brothers at one point or another have come over and guided that guy away.
I always thought it was because they wanted to talk club business.
I narrowed my eyes at Stoney, “Well played.”
He chuckled, and then he sobered. “Your feelings are your own, Chloe. I will say this: if the situation was reversed, Asher would be feeling the same way as you. I’d put every single cent in my name on that fact.”
Just then, my phone chimed with a text.
Looking at the screen, I asked myself, why was I agreeing to this?
“That him?” Stoney asked.
I shook my head, looked at Stoney, and mumbled, “No.”
Then I looked at Stoney, took in his features, and sighed. I knew he wasn’t going to let me get away with simply saying no.
And the longer we sat there, the longer he stared at me.
My mouth was opening and blurting the words out before I could even stop myself, “One of the women I work with has a son. She’s been on me about accepting a date from him. And well, I guess you can blame it all on a weak moment... but I said yes.”
He stared at me, then tossed his head back and laughed.
I shook my head at him, “It isn’t that funny.” I mumbled.
He righted his head, looked at me, tapped me on my nose, and said, “Oh, but it is. I can tell you this: I don’t think this world has ever seen Asher be a caveman or a Neanderthal, but they are about to.”
And with that, he got up and walked away, all the while chuckling as he did so.
I adored Stoney. I truly did.
There was just something about him.
He was that pseudo-grandfather you never knew you needed.
And when you needed him, he was always there.
***
Just like a certain individual, I wished I wasn’t around...
It’s been thirty-six hours, forty-eight minutes, and thirty-five seconds since the world I knew seemed to exist.
When I saw Pagan sitting on the bench outside my office, I tagged my cellphone, opened the app, and pressed Asher’s name because enough was enough.
He answered in a hopeful tone, “Doll Baby.”
I snapped, “You lost the right to call me that. You should have told me.”
“I know. But fucking hell, Do... Chloe. I couldn’t stay away from you. I just couldn’t.”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now. But you better tell Pagan to stop following me everywhere,” I growled at him.
If anyone else did this to Asher, I knew they would have been acquainted with the pavement in the blink of an eye.
His raspy tone came over the line, and he said, “I can’t do that. Gotta know you're safe and protected, or else I can’t sleep at night.”
I growled at his words, any other day, any other time before I found out he was married, I would have swooned over.
But today was not that day.
To prove that point, I hit the End Call button, put my phone on silent, set it down, and allowed myself a few minutes to deep breath.
Because if I didn’t, I would be crying a-freaking-gain.
Jesus, but just how many tears could one person produce?
Apparently, the world wasn’t through with playing with Chloe for the week.
Pagan didn’t stop following me.
I stubbed my toe when I got home that evening and managed to somehow break the skin when I did so.
Which caused blood to drop on my white carpet.
Oh, and let’s not forget to mention that I forgot to get tampons.
Freaking great.
Good thing I had pads.
So, there was that, I figured.
And I meant it by the world wasn’t through playing with me.
After I used the bathroom, fixed my toe, and spot-treated the blood spots, there was a knock on the front door.
Since my parents were out for a date night, I knew the visitor could only be here to see me.
I sighed, moved to it, and when I saw it was Stella, I dropped my head against the door and sighed again.
She called out, “I know you're in there, Co. Pagan said so. Please let me in. We’ve never gone this long without seeing each other since the second grade.”
And she... blast it all, was right.
Furthermore, I knew she wouldn’t leave until she saw me.
And I was tired.
I wanted to get in my comfortable clothes, grab a pint of ice cream, curl up in my bed, eat my fill, and then pass out.
That was the only reason I unlocked the door, opened it, and moved to the side.
She moved in, smiled at me, with sorrow and regret emanating from her, and then she moved to the couch.
She opened her mouth when she sat down, but I held out my hand for her not to, then moved to sit on the chair opposite the couch.
“We’ve been friends since second grade, Stell. And not once. Not freaking once did you ever tell me that your dad and your mother were married.”
Stella winced, “It was only a formality because she got pregnant with me, Co. I swear to you.”
“It doesn’t matter. Legally, he’s still hers. And when they signed that paper, that also meant vows were exchanged. It didn’t matter if they were voiced or not. Marriage is a big deal.” I told her. And she knew how I felt.
Which was why I still don’t understand how she could know that, know everything about me, and ever think I would be okay with being with someone who was someone else’s.
Stella nodded, “I know that. But in Dad’s heart, where it matters, he’s yours. He’s been yours since our seventeenth birthday.”
I narrowed my eyes, “What are you talking about?”
She nodded, “Dad and I talked. And I mean, we had a long talk, Co. Dad told me that he started noticing things about you at our sixteenth birthday party. And by the time you were seventeen, he felt as though someone had reached inside and pulled every organ in his body out. And that happened every single time he fucked someone else because he felt like he was cheating on you. Cheating on his heart.”
She kept her gaze locked with mine as she continued, “After the third time it happened, he didn’t do it again. He hasn’t been with another woman in years Co. Think about it. Dad doesn’t lie. Dad doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He’s blunt. We’re twenty-one now, Co.”
I shook my head, “While that’s nice to hear, it still doesn’t negate the fact that he’s married.”
She shook her head, “So, you're going to miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to you and break my dad’s heart.”
I got it.
She was loyal to her dad.
I couldn’t fault her for that.
But I couldn’t fault her for breaking her promise to me.
And I told her as such, “Do you remember when we watched, Diary of a Mad Black Woman ?”
She looked confused for a moment, and then she nodded. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“I asked you to make me a promise. Do you remember?” I asked as I looked at her.
Her eyes widened, and then I watched as shame colored her features, “Yeah.”
And that promise consisted of if I ever let a man step out on me for any reason or make me the other woman, then I wanted her to get me as far away from that man as possible.
I smiled sadly, “I need time to forgive you. I still love you. But I need time.”
She shook her head, “But why will you offer that to me and not Dad? That I don’t understand.”
I felt the tears coming, and I tried to fight them, “Because you only hurt my feelings. What he did... he ripped my heart out and crushed it with his boot.”
Stella didn’t say anything to that.
No, she knew me.
She knew that once I made my mind up, I was done.
That was why I sat there as I watched Stella walk out of the house.
Only then did I get in my comfortable pajamas, grab the ice cream and a spoon, and curl up in my bed, and yes, I ended up crying myself to sleep.
The only good thing to come from all of this was that I got a raise at work, which allowed me to move out of my parent’s house.
All the while I moved, I ignored the men on the bikes who tried to step in and help the movers I had called.
Each one of them, before they gave up trying to help, shared some words with me.
All of them consisted of Asher was a dumbass. But he tried to end things with her before he pursued you. Give him credit, Chloe.
In my head, I knew they were right. But my heart... well... it didn’t agree.
Three days later, when I went to pay my rent, I smiled at the landlord and gave her my name and apartment number.
She typed it into the computer, read something, and then looked at me, “You're good.”
I tilted my head to the side, “Sorry?”
“You're paid up for the next year, Hun. You're good.”
“I don’t understand. I haven’t even paid this month’s rent yet. How am I good?”
She lifted a brow, then looked back at her screen, “Says here that a payment was processed for twelve months of rent paid the day after you signed your lease.”
And that was when it hit me: that fudge stick of a man.
“Can you tell me who paid it?” I asked through gritted teeth.
When she said his name, I growled, thanked her, and stomped up to my apartment.
... Perhaps this was immature of me, but I didn’t care.
I told him to leave me alone and to let me go.
But could that man do that?
Apparently freaking not.
So, that was why I found myself packing up all my belongings, calling a moving company, and out of that apartment in four days.
The new place I moved to was on the other side of town, but I was still smart and thinking. It was still in Zagan MC territory.
See, I wasn’t stupid.
Immature maybe.
But not bloody stupid.
I had just walked into my apartment after a long day of being on my feet when my phone rang.
I pulled it out of my bag and checked the caller, and then I narrowed my eyes.
I still hadn’t gotten control of my temper and what I wanted to say to him.
So, that was why I silenced the call and then dropped my phone back in my bag.
Kicked my heels off and made myself something for dinner.