Chapter Twenty-Four
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE CLUBHOUSE FELT colder, emptier than usual, even though it was full of the same faces, the same noise. It was like everything had shifted in the wake of last night, and I was standing in the middle of it, trying to piece together how the hell everything went so wrong.
I hadn’t slept or eaten, even though I felt completely empty inside.
Not since Fiona stormed out of my room. Her eyes filled with so much pain and anger that it felt like someone had driven a knife right through my chest. The memory of her face, twisted with betrayal, kept replaying in my mind, and it was driving me insane.
I had to figure this out. I had to know what happened. Because whatever went down in my room last night, it wasn’t right. I knew that much. And if I had any chance of fixing things with Fiona, I needed to know the truth.
I stalked down the hallway, my footsteps loud on the old wooden floor. My head was clearer now, the fog from whatever the hell I’d taken finally starting to lift. I replayed everything in my mind, every detail I could remember, but it was all a blur. Coming back from the stakeout, the headache, grabbing the pills behind the bar... then nothing.
I pushed into the common room, my eyes scanning for anyone who might have seen something, heard something. Devil was talking to Chain near the bar, and I made a beeline for them.
“Bolt,” Devil said, his eyes narrowing as he took in my expression. “You look like hell.”
I ignored the jab, my jaw clenched as I looked between them. “I need to know if either of you saw anything last night after I got back from the stakeout.”
Chain raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing over his chest. “You mean before or after Horse tried to kill you?”
“Before,” I snapped, the irritation rising inside me. I wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “I took something for my headache, went to my room to shower and the next thing I know, I wake up with Jenny in my bed.”
Devil’s expression didn’t change, but I could see the gears turning behind his eyes. He glanced at Chain, then back at me. “We didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, neither did the cameras. You reached behind the bar, shook out some capsules, went to your room, and that was it. What’s on your mind?”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration mounting. “Like I’ve been saying, something’s not right. I don’t remember shit after those pills. And Jenny being there? That wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s no secret I made Fiona mine. Why the fuck would I do that?”
Chain’s eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into his gaze. “You really think she set you up? That’s some brave shit if she did.”
I didn’t know what to think. All I knew was that it didn’t make sense, and I wasn’t about to let it slide. “I’m sayin’ that I wouldn’t end up in bed with Jenny on my own. Not with Fiona here. Not when things are the way they are.”
Devil studied me for a moment, his expression showing something— anger —before he masked it. “You’re convinced she somehow slipped you something? Drugged you to run Fiona off?”
“Maybe,” I muttered, my teeth grinding together. “Or maybe someone else did. I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”
Chain rubbed his chin, considering. “You’re sayin’ you really blacked out and didn’t fuck around on her?”
“Yeah! I wouldn’t fuck around on Fiona!” The words came out forcefully because I knew it was true. “I took the pills, and then... nothin’. Next thing I know, Fiona’s standing there, looking at me like I just ripped her heart out. Plus, a man knows if he’s fucked a woman, I would have had her smell on me... on my sheets. You know what I’m sayin’?”
Devil nodded slowly, his eyes still locked on mine. “I believe you and I’ll have Rune look at the bottle of pills. But if you’re right about this...”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to. If I was right, then this wasn’t just some misunderstanding. This was a crime against the club, a breach of trust—a betrayal—and we hold our own trial.
“I need to talk to Fiona,” I said, my voice tired, as I looked around the common room. “I need to try and work this out.”
“You need to give her space,” Chain cut in, his tone leaving no room for argument. “She’s hurtin’, Bolt. And right now, you showin’ up in front of her is just going to make things worse, not just with her, but with Horse. He’s on a leash, but it’s a thin one.”
I clenched my fists, so fucking frustrated that I couldn’t even defend myself. Every instinct in me screamed to go to her, to make her listen, to tell her that whatever she saw wasn’t the truth. But they were right. Showing up now would only push her further away if I couldn’t explain what happened.
“Fine,” I muttered, the word like ash in my mouth. “But I’m not lettin’ this go.”
Devil nodded. “I’m not asking you to. Because if there’s someone trying to screw with our club, we need to know about it. And we need to shut it down.”
“If she’s a snake in whore’s clothing, we’ll find out,” Chain assured me. “But you know the by-laws better than anyone. You gotta prove it or else you’re just some drunk asshole who fucked around on his girl and got caught.”
“I plan on it,” I growled as I turned on my heel, my mind racing as I headed for the door. I wasn’t going to sit back and wait for Devil to go poking around. Club business with Dragon Fire would come first, as it should, and my problem will take a backseat.
I would prove it to Fiona and when I did, I was going to make damn sure everyone knew it.
As I stepped outside, trying to clear my head. I made my way around the side of the clubhouse, my thoughts still tangled in a mess of what-ifs and anger. And that’s when I saw them.
Fiona and Josie.
They were walking down the gravel path that led around the back of the clubhouse, her hand resting on his arm, their heads close together as they talked. They looked... comfortable. Way too comfortable. And for a split second, something inside me snapped.
I stopped in my tracks, my chest tightening with anger and jealousy as I watched them. It didn’t matter that I knew Josie was just a friend, someone who’d been there for Fiona when she needed support. It didn’t matter that they were probably just talking. All I could see was her hand on his arm, the way she looked up at him with those eyes and that smile that used to be for me.
That should be me.
The thought tore through me like a hot sword, sharp and cutting, leaving a raw, open wound in its wake. I didn’t have a right to feel this way, not after what she thought she saw. Not after the way I’d failed to explain myself— couldn’t explain myself. But it was there, a dark, seething jealousy that burned through every logical thought.
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to march over there and pull her away from him. My feet started to do just that before a hand on my shoulder stopped me.
“Don’t do it,” Mystic said from behind me. “It’ll only make the dirty river muddier.”
Fuck! I turned away, my jaw clenched so tight it ached, my hands shaking with the effort to keep from doing something stupid. “I’m taking a ride in the wind,” I snarled, heading for my Harley.
I needed to find out what had happened. I needed to fix this mess before I went fucking crazy and did something I couldn’t come back from.
But right now? All I had was the hollow ache of loss and the sick feeling in my gut that told me I was watching the woman I cared— loved — about slip through my fingers.
And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
THE BAR WAS a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, the kind where people went to forget. The kind where no one asked questions, and no one gave a damn about who you were or what you wanted. That suited me just fine. I was there for one reason, and one reason only—to figure out how the hell I was going to get Fiona back.
It was becoming harder than I anticipated; I had made some connections this afternoon that should solve my money flow problem. Thanks to Fiona, I knew I wouldn’t have a job to go back to. The insurance company I worked for warned me if I wasn’t back at my desk on Monday, then don’t bother coming in on Tuesday.
She is ruining our perfect life, and I was going to make damn sure she never forgot that.
I took a seat at the bar, ordering a drink and letting my eyes sweep the room. The place was full of the usual types—people with more baggage than bodyweight, drowning their problems in cheap booze. None of them mattered to me. I was here to think, to plan. To figure out my next move.
But then I saw her.
She was sitting a few stools down, nursing an empty whiskey glass. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the glass like it had personally offended her. I recognized her from the biker clubhouse—one of the loose women who hung all over the scum, fucking them like whores straight out of Babylon. I didn’t know her name, but I knew enough.
I moved to the stool next to her, sliding onto the seat with a casual ease. “Buy you a drink?”
She looked up, her eyes sharp and assessing as they raked over me. “Depends on what you’re after. A drink don’t equal a fuck.”
I smirked, signaling to the bartender, trying to keep the disgust out of my face. Fuck her? No way, my dick had some standards. “No catch. Just thought you looked like someone who could use a drink.”
She watched me for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure, honey, why not? Whiskey, neat.”
The bartender poured her drink, and I watched as she took a sip, her eyes never leaving mine. She was sizing me up, trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted. She was smarter than she looked.
“Why are you staring at me like that? You some fucking weirdo?” she said after a moment, her tone cool and detached.
I arched an eyebrow. “You’re popular with that biker club, always there.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her back stiffened. “Who are you?”
I smiled, taking a slow sip of my drink. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the clubhouse. There’s someone there I’m interested in... my wife .”
She tilted her head, her eyes widening, studying me. “You’ve been keeping tabs on Fiona.”
It wasn’t a question, and I didn’t bother denying it. “I love her, and I know if I just had a chance to talk to her, we could work everything out.”
Her eyes glinted with something dark that looked a lot like hatred as she smiled and asked, “And what exactly are you planning to do about it?”
I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. “Whatever it takes.”
She considered that, her gaze never wavering. Then she leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial tone. “You know, I think we might have something in common.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
She swirled her drink in the glass, a sly smile playing on her lips. “We both have a score to settle. You want Fiona back, and I want someone back she stole from me.”
My interest piqued at that. So, she did hate Fiona and had her own bone to pick. That made things even more interesting. “I’m listening.”
She leaned back, her eyes gleaming with a cold satisfaction. “I can help you get Fiona alone. All you need to do is be ready to take her back when the time comes.”
“And why would you help me?” I asked, my voice low and cautious. I had to be careful. “What’s in it for you?”
“Revenge,” she said simply. “And when she’s gone, things will go back to normal in the clubhouse.”
I watched her, weighing her words, trying to get a read on her. She was dangerous, that much was clear. But she was also useful. And if she was willing to help me get Fiona back, then I was willing to let her play her little game.
“What kind of plan do you have in mind?” I asked, keeping my voice level, my eyes locked on hers.
She smiled, a cold, calculating smile that would freeze a normal man, but I’m no normal man. “It’s fucking simple and should be no problem for you to whisk the little bitch away.”
I listened to her idea, considering it. It was risky, but it had a certain appeal. If it worked, I’d have Fiona back where she belonged. Just the thought of it made my blood heat with satisfaction and anticipation.
“And what about her dad and that asshole she’s been fucking?” I asked, my tone hardening and my fists clenching just thinking about them. “They don’t let her out of their sight.”
“That’s the beauty of it,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “They’ll never see it coming and by the time they do, it’ll be too late. You’ll have your precious little wife back.”
I liked the way she thought.
Ruthless.
Cold.
Just what I needed to get this done.
I held out my hand, sealing the deal. “Alright. You’ve got yourself a partner.”
She took my hand, her grip firm, her eyes gleaming with triumph. “Deal.”