Chapter 18
Chloe
Since I hadn’t spent time at my apartment, and since Stella was getting a little weirded out by the loving we were doing, we all agreed that since Asher had paid for the apartment, Stella would move into it.
But I should have made time to talk to her.
And I mean really talk to her.
Which was why I had planned for something tonight.
Therefore, before Asher headed out to meet someone, I leaned up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his, then I whispered, “Will you stop by the store on your way back and grab some Hershey’s chocolate for smores?”
He winked down at me, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Damn, Pres. The little lady has your balls in her pocket.” Stoney guffawed.
Asher grinned down at me, “Yeah, she sure fucking does.”
And with that, he pressed a kiss to my nose, then headed out to his bike.
I sighed as I watched him walk through the clubhouse, almost every female’s eyes watching him.
A few licked their lips, some melting visibly.
And I snickered, that man was all mine.
I didn’t have a freaking thing to worry about.
After a few hours, we were all huddled around the fire pit; I had just roasted a marshmallow when I leaned in and said, “Okay, time for you to talk to me.”
Stella looked at me and said, “What about?”
I ate my marshmallow, then I said, “About what’s been bothering you. I’m always here, Stella.”
She sighed, looked around, and said, “Can we go somewhere private?”
I looked around and then nodded.
I stood and then reached for her hand to help her up.
Then we walked into the clubhouse and to the media room.
Thankfully, since we were basically the only two who used it, it was empty.
I closed the door, flipped the lock, turned to her, and then, as I did, I watched as tears trailed down her cheeks.
My heart stuttered, my feet were moving, and thankfully, I caught her as she started to lose her footing and maneuvered her to the couch.
I was running my hand through her hair, rocking her back and forth, waiting.
Then, finally, when hiccups appeared, she whispered, “Kyrian’s wife is pregnant.”
I nodded, “I know. I’m so sorry, Stella.”
She whimpered, “He did the same thing my dad did. He married her because she got pregnant.”
I nodded. “He’s a good man, Stella.”
That made her cry even more.
I didn’t know what to say to her.
What could I say?
That she could do better?
That would make me a hypocrite.
That she was better off without him?
Stella felt the same way about Kyrian that I did about Asher.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed until I noticed that she had cried herself to sleep.
And since half of her weight was on me, I didn’t dare try to move.
Instead, I fell asleep right along with her.
Neither one of us heard the key in the lock, nor did we feel blankets being thrown over us.
And we didn’t see Asher settle his big body in the chair opposite the couch and fell asleep.
All because he would be damned if he ever slept in another room without me.
***
It was finally Friday, and it was almost time to be off work.
I wasn’t sure what was going on with my body, but it was off.
I honestly felt like I was coming down with the flu.
Everything hurt.
And I meant everything.
My boss even took pity on me and sent me home early.
After I grabbed my things, I got in my car and tagged my phone.
I pulled up Asher’s contact and pressed dial.
His voice came through the line a few seconds later, “You okay, Doll Baby?”
He hadn’t wanted me to go to work today because he knew how badly I felt.
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me, then I said, “Boss sent me home. Where are you?”
“Clubhouse. Got a few things to do. You want to come here or go home.”
I wanted to wrap myself around his body and never leave it, which was why I said, “I want you.”
I heard his smile in his tone, “Then come to the clubhouse, Doll Baby.”
Half an hour later, I was sitting in his lap, curled into his chest, after I had taken some cold and flu medicine, he had someone go grab me.
His fingers were running through my hair, and I started thinking about what I wanted my wedding dress to look like when suddenly my thoughts were gone when I heard Stoney mutter, “What the fuck?”
I looked at him, then looked at the woman who was dragging a little girl behind her.
But what shocked me, and everyone else, was when Creature stood up, then stormed over to the woman, backhanded her so hard, she let go of the little girl, then dropped to her knees.
And even more, what shocked me and everyone else was when Creature knelt in front of the little girl, wiped her tears off her cheeks, and rumbled out through his messed up vocal cords, “What’s wrong Shortcake?”
The little girl sniffled, then said, “I tripped. Ripped my new dress. Mommy got mad at me. My knee hurts, Creat.”
My jaw dropped when Creature nodded, then lifted the girl in his arms, turned his head and looked at Ox, and said, “You end that bitch, or else I will.”
And with that, Creature walked into the clubhouse with the little girl in his arms, her face pressed into his neck.
I jerked my head and looked at Asher, “Who was that?”
He looked down at me and lowered his tone, “Ox’s on again, off again, fling. He tried to end it with her, but she got pregnant. Brenda is a bitch. That little girl is Natalie.”
I shook my head, “How come I’ve never met either of them before?”
“Because Brenda refuses to come here to get back at Ox. Like I said, off-again, on-again type of shit.”
After all of that, the medicine kicked in, and I fell asleep.
It wasn’t until hours later when we were getting in line to make our plates, that I heard Asher roar, “What the fuck?” as he shoved me behind him while cops poured into the clubhouse.
My eyes flew in every direction, trying to take everything in that was happening.
But what shocked me even more was when Creature stood up, then walked to the cops, turned, and put his hands behind his back, then looked at Asher.
“You keep her safe. She’s mine.”
Asher’s body was tense beneath my fingertips.
But I watched as Asher nodded.
We all knew who Creature was referring to.
Thankfully, Natalie wasn’t here to see any of this.
It wasn’t until the lawyer that the club used relayed what had happened.
Apparently, Brenda had been beating on Natalie. And Ox refused to do anything about it.
So, alongside Brenda, went Ox into a shallow grave.
The club had few laws.
But hurting kids was one of the biggest.
One week later, we sat in that courtroom as Creature was sentenced to twenty-five years without the possibility of parole for killing two people.