Chapter 14
Declan
I hardly slept. The night blurred into early morning, and now the soft glow of the sun breaks through the curtains, casting a golden hue across my bedroom. The room is quiet, peaceful. Something I don’t experience often.
Lena lies beside me, sound asleep. She hasn’t moved an inch all night. Her breathing is even, soft. My hand continues to trace slow, lazy circles on her lower back beneath the oversized shirt she’s wearing.
God, she’s beautiful. Ethereal in the morning light. And somehow, she’s here. Not because I forced her into hiding for protection. Not because of duty or obligation. She’s here because we finally gave in to all the tension, all the looks, all the things we never said but always felt.
And the sex, holy fuck. It wasn’t just good. It was soul-shattering. I’ve never come undone like that before. It felt like something inside me ripped open, spilled out, and pieced itself back together in a way I didn’t know I needed.
Maybe it was years of buried feelings finally clawing their way to the surface. Or maybe we’re just that fucking good together.
Either way, the second my lips touched hers, I knew there was no going back.
And now, lying here, reality slowly pressing in, I have no fucking clue how this is going to work. If Wesley ever finds out, he won’t just be pissed. He’ll fucking kill me.
But after last night, after being inside her, feeling her body beneath mine, hearing her moan my name, I can’t walk away. I won’t.
I can’t let her go.
And I can’t let Wesley find out.
Not yet.
Unfortunately, that fantasy dies a little as my phone buzzes on the nightstand. I ignore it and I watch her.
Lena stirs beside me, a soft sigh leaving her lips as her eyes flutter open. I smile as she stretches slightly, turning to face me.
“Morning, beautiful,” I whisper, brushing her hair from her face.
She smiles, her lips brushing against mine in a gentle kiss. “Morning.”
“You working today?” I tug her closer, and she rests her hand on my chest, her fingers splayed out like she’s claiming the spot.
“I am,” she says, lifting her eyes to mine. “What about you?”
I thread my fingers into her hair, gently stroking her scalp. “Gotta head to Twisted Souls. Some club business I can’t ignore.”
Her smile falters. Barely. But I see it.
It’s a flicker. A twitch in the corners of her lips. But it hits me like a sucker punch to the gut.
I sit up, pulling away from her warmth. Crossing my arms. Guarding myself. “Second thoughts in the light of day?”
She doesn’t deserve the bite in my tone. Not after what we shared. But fear and vulnerability are cruel.
“No, Declan. I’m not,” she says, sitting up beside me. She adjusts the shirt she wore to bed, my shirt, the sleeves falling over her fingers. “Are you?”
She won’t look at me, her fingers fiddling with the edge of the blanket like it’s the most interesting thing in the world.
“I don’t do things that require second thoughts.” I try to slow my heartbeat, but I can still hear it pounding in my ears. “So why did your smile disappear when I mentioned the club?”
She rests her head on my shoulder, her hand finding mine and lacing our fingers together.
“I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember, Declan.
Through the good, the bad, the darkest shit in my life.
I’ve always wanted you. I tried to fight it, drown it, ignore it.
But it never went away. I’ve done a lot of things I regret in my life, but last night? That wasn’t one of them. That was real.
It was everything. And I’m scared I’m going to wake up alone in my bed and realize it never happened.”
She kisses my shoulder, leaning further into me.
“I don’t feel guilty that you’re Wesley’s best friend,” she says softly. “But I know you do. That’s why my smile slipped. Because I know you’re going to see him and it’s killing you inside.”
I wrap my arm around her and press a kiss to the top of her head.
“You’re right. I care what he thinks. And it’s not about whether he approves or not. He’ll be out for blood if he finds out.”
She giggles and shakes her head. “He needs you too much to kill you. He’ll probably beat your ass, but he won’t kill you.”
I grin and flip her onto her back, pinning her arms above her head. “You think he can take me?”
She tilts her head like she’s considering it. “Hmm…”
I grab both wrists with one hand and tickle her ribs with the other. “You seriously need to think about it?”
She squeals, laughing and squirming beneath me. It’s pure. Light. For a minute, it’s like the world outside this bed doesn’t exist.
“No! No, definitely not. He definitely can’t kick your ass,” she laughs breathlessly.
Then my phone rings again. Reality slams back in like a freight train.
It’s Hux. I have to answer.
“Hey,” I say, sitting up and rubbing a hand down my face.
“We’re meeting around the table in thirty,” Hux says.
“Got it.” I hang up and turn to Lena, already hating the distance starting to build again. “I’ve gotta head out.”
She nods, sliding to the edge of the bed and stretching her arms above her head. “It’s fine. I need to get home and shower before work anyway.”
“You’re still at Jeanne’s family store, right?”
She nods again, grabbing her clothes off the chair. The curve of her body as she bends is enough to make me reconsider going anywhere.
“Yeah. It’s boring as hell, but I get a discount, so…”
“What would you rather be doing?”
It’s been so long since we talked like this. Really talked. I was so focused on forgetting her, on burying every piece of her, I forgot to pay attention to the little things that made her her.
She shrugs, tugging her jeans on. “Not worrying about money.”
There’s something in her voice, quiet, raw.
“I’d rather be living off a trust fund,” she adds with a forced laugh. “Think my parents have one stashed somewhere?”
I open the drawer and pull out the cash she tried to leave behind.
“Here. This is yours.”
Her eyes narrow when she sees it. Then they flash with anger. “I’m not a fucking whore, Declan.”
“Excuse me?”
“You sleep with me, and now you’re handing me money. That’s what a whore gets.”
I toss the cash on the bed. “It’s your fucking money, Lena. I’m not paying you. I’m giving it back. I’ve never paid for sex, and I sure as hell wouldn’t start now. If you think that little of me, you don’t know me at all.”
She exhales, dragging a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, okay? I just don’t like taking money. I never have.”
“I’m not giving it to you. It’s not mine. You left it, and I’m putting it back where it belongs.”
She steps into me, wraps her arms around my waist, and rests her cheek against my chest. My arms wrap around her instinctively.
“I know who you are, Declan. Better than anyone. How about we use it for dinner? Until it’s gone.”
I chuckle, the tension finally slipping away. “Deal.”
The scent of cigarettes, leather, and burnt coffee hits me the second I step through the doors of the Shattered Souls clubhouse. It’s familiar. Comforting in a way. But today, it’s not enough to settle the unease churning in my gut.
I spot Hux first, already seated at the head of the long wooden table in the war room.
His presence is solid, immovable, like a mountain that’s seen too much shit to be rattled by anything anymore.
His arms are crossed over his broad chest, and his sharp blue eyes lock onto me the second I walk in.
There’s a flicker there, curiosity maybe, or suspicion. Fuck if I know.
Kaden’s next, lounging to Hux’s right. Our VP is the kind of guy who could smile while gutting someone, and you’d still think he was the nicest fucker in the room.
Right now, though, he’s not smiling. His gaze drags over me, and his brow lifts slightly, like he knows I’ve got something to hide.
Probably does. Kaden’s good at reading people. Too good.
Wesley’s across the table, leaning back in his chair, boots propped on the edge.
He’s got that same cocky grin he always wears, but I know him.
That grin’s a mask. He doesn’t miss a fucking thing, especially when it comes to people close to him.
And I’m close. Too close. My stomach knots just looking at him, because he has no idea I spent the night with his sister.
That I’ve finally taken the thing I’ve wanted for years. That I’m never giving it back.
Lex Hayes is next to him, always calm, always watching. He’s a ghost in the room most of the time, quiet, calculating. There’s a darkness to him I’ve never fully understood, and I’m not sure I want to. He nods at me in greeting, and I nod back, trying to play it cool.
Elias Stoll is the last to join. He drops into the seat beside me, tattoos peeking from under his shirt sleeves, jaw locked tight. The kid's got something to prove. He always does. He's loyal as hell, though, and fearless, which makes him dangerous in the right or wrong hands.
We’re all here now. The core of the Shattered Souls MC. Every one of us with blood on our hands and demons in our rearview.
Hux clears his throat and sits forward, the room going still.
“We’ve got an issue,” he says. “The underground fight scene is getting sloppy. Too much heat, too many eyes. We need to tighten it up, or pull the plug.”
I shift in my seat, leaning forward. “We pull the plug, we lose the income. A big chunk of it.”
Kaden nods slowly. “He’s not wrong. The bets, the fighters, the draw, it keeps us running. Especially when Twisted Souls has an off night or two.”
“We could tighten the circle,” Lex suggests, his voice smooth but deadly serious. “Make sure it’s invite only, not just word of mouth.”
“I like that,” Elias says, fingers drumming against the table. “We weed out the rats that way. Keep it clean.”
“And what about Jason’s father?” Wesley asks. “He’s gonna be asking questions.”