Epilogue Two
YOU KNOW THOSE SAYINGS in life that you think nah, they’re just sayings? I’m starting to realise they came from somewhere for a good reason.
Take this one: Trust no-one. It’s simple, right? Just don’t fucking trust. In theory, it works, but you can’t live life not trusting people, and that’s how people fuck you over, every damn time.
I was happy back at the OG chapter of our club, I was surrounded by friends, and had a fucking great life. Then she came along. I thought she was the one, that elusive fucking perfect woman who’d been created for me.
Instead she was my nightmare. What I thought was love turned out to be manipulation, psychological control, and verbal abuse.
What I thought was forever turned out to be a woman belittling me for being in a biker club, while sleeping with me, and fucking with my head.
Especially when she decided to fake a pregnancy. Fake. A. Fucking. Pregnancy.
I don’t necessarily want kids or not want them, but thinking there was one on the way?
Thinking there was a fucking baby we’d created?
I’d started getting used to that idea. I even fucking started saving up for the things our kid would need.
I even planned to propose to her, even though I borderline hated her at times.
Why would a woman do that, right? Why would she fuck with my brain and my heart like that? Women… I’m fucking done with them.
As part of a biker club, you’d think there were so few of them around that it’s not an issue, but that’s not the case.
Back with the original chapter, they were all pairing off with old ladies, and it was turning into a fucking women’s club, but here?
Here I thought it’d be back to guys only, and no women screwing shit up.
First off, Micro, the fucker, brought Sophie in.
Admittedly that all happened before I switched to the Hampshire chapter, but it’s worth mentioning, because there’s a baby on the way.
A fucking baby. It’s like kicking me in the balls that didn’t produce one, even though I’d started fucking planning for one.
Nobody knew how that got to me, but watching her waddling around with him practically running around her in circles to protect her, really fucking hurt. I’d have been like that. I’d have done anything to protect my woman and child. I just didn’t realise I had neither.
“You okay closing up, man? I’m going to meet Caroline’s mum tonight.”
I hadn’t even realised Harley had come over to lean on my counter.
I was running a spray shop from the back of his bike garage, which was actually fucking perfect.
When he'd offered, I’d been blown away, because he was someone I’d only known since I switched to his chapter. Now he was my VP and business partner.
“Yeah, sure. Is this the first time you guys are meeting?”
He grimaced, dragging a hand down his face.
“Fuck. Yeah it is. Any idea what I’m supposed to do? I’ve never done this. Never been serious enough about someone for it. I feel like a teenager out of his depth.”
I raised an eyebrow as I assessed him, because I could also be a dick at times, and this could be one of them.
“You’re wearing that?”
Harley froze, glancing down at his black shirt and black jeans, with his usual boots.
“Huh? Is it bad? Shit.” He glanced at his phone, checking the time, and groaned.
“What?”
“I don’t have time to get changed, but like, what the fuck should I be wearing for this?”
I let a slow grin creep over my face.
“Actually I was gonna say you clean up real nice, man. You look good.”
“Fucker.” He took a deep breath, clenching one of his fists, and I grinned even wider.
“You gonna punch me, man? You don’t wanna show up with bleeding knuckles now, do you?”
He slammed his fist down on my counter, and I caught my pen as it reached the edge after being jolted into rolling.
“I’ll punch you tomorrow then. Why are you fucking with me, man? You know I’m shitting it. If she doesn’t like me, I mean, what if she doesn’t fucking like me?!”
I shrugged, because the feelings thing wasn’t generally my bag, not since I got my heart ripped out by a real bitch.
“I mean, what’s not to like? You’re clean. You don’t look that bad. You’re pretty inoffensive really.”
He blinked at me for a moment, then flipped me off and spun on his heel to walk away.
“Don’t know why I’m asking your fucking advice. I look pretty inoffensive? Perfect. Thanks a fucking bunch.”
“Have fun!” I called after him as he left, but once he’d left, and I was alone, the emptiness set back in.
Alone. Story of my fucking life these days.
Back at the old chapter, I’d have hung out with Has or one of the others, at least until they all found old ladies, and spent their time with them instead.
I hadn’t really bonded with any of the new club yet, and after nearly nine months there, why the fuck was I holding back? What was I trying to avoid, by keeping to myself and only really associating with Harley or Stag?
Why did I mess with Harley like that when I could have just been nice? It wasn’t jealousy, and it wasn’t because I didn’t like the guy. It was just that hiding behind this asshole exterior was the easiest way to make sure nobody saw what a fucking mess I was beneath it.
I closed up the shop with a few minutes to go, because nobody was even on the street outside, so with my own ride back from Harley at last, after the engine blew recently, I started off on my journey home.
Home was the clubhouse, even though it was mostly a shithole compared to the other chapter.
Beggars can’t be choosers though, right?
The streets were dark, and the air cool and crisp, perfect for late November. Fuck me, we were almost into December, and there were already twinkly lights up all over the place.
I was waiting at the fucking traffic lights heading into the busy town centre, eyeing the rush hour traffic with a grimace.
To avoid the glare from one house that looked like the fucking Griswolds would want it back, I turned my head to the side, and that’s when I saw it.
What the fuck just happened? Did a guy just attack someone?
I left my ride parked at the side of the road, keeping my helmet on, but the visor up, and I strode into the alley ready to beat on some fucker if he’d just hurt someone.
There was definitely whimpering going on, and I heard a guy mutter ‘worthless piece of shit’ as a yelp followed, and then he turned and froze when he saw me.
He looked fairly well dressed, aka too well dressed to be beating on someone in an alley, but the sad whimpering that filled the air was my focus.
As I reached him, I wrapped a hand around his throat and slammed him against the wall.
“The fuck did you just do? You just hit someone?”
I effortlessly held the smaller guy against the wall as I glanced into the dark alcove behind a large metal skip. There wasn’t a person there at all. There was a tiny fucking creature. A dog? I turned to glare the fucker right in the face, tightening my fingers around his throat.
“Did you just kick that fucking dog?”
The man snorted. “It’s just a fucking runty little shit. I’m not wasting money on it.”
What the fuck did he even mean? I glanced over my shoulder again, seeing the dark shape moving slightly on what looked like a fucking supermarket carrier bag.
My blood started to boil in my veins, as I turned to look at him again.
“Was it in that bag?”
He glared right back at me, defiance probably the only thing keeping him from pissing his pants in fear.
“I said, was the dog in that fucking bag? Did you just throw a fucking dog away like trash?”
He tried to shrug, so I choked off anything he was about to say, driving my other fist into his stomach, not giving him anywhere to go as he gasped and choked in a breath.
“Did. You. Hurt. The. Fucking. Dog?”
He started shuddering in my grip. “Rest of the litter’s good. That one’s worthless.”
“So you threw it out? It’s a living fucking animal.”
“Not for long. It’d freeze out here tonight. I’m doing it a favour really.”
Asshole.
“Let me do you a favour instead.” I kept his throat in my hand as I punched him in the face, once, then again, then threw him to the ground, and slammed a boot into his stomach a few times for good measure.
“You’re the piece of fucking shit. You should be the one dying in this fucking alley. I ever see you again, you die. Got it? You speak of me or that little creature there, and I’ll find you. I’ll make you eat your own fucking organs.”
The guy gagged, spitting blood on the ground as he curled into a ball.
“Oi. Look at me,” I waited until he did, and pointed to the patch on my cut, “see this? There’s a whole fucking bunch of us, and we’ll destroy you and everything you care about. You feeling me?”
“I promise! I swear! Wasn’t here. Don’t want… any trouble…”
Good. I spat on him, then turned and crouched by the little puppy.
It really was fucking tiny too. It was lighter brown than I’d realised because of the shadows, with little blotchy patches of grey and white on its face and feet.
The legs were short and dumpy, and the ears were adorable.
One quirked at a different angle to the other.
Big brown eyes blinked at me, as a teeny tiny growl issued from his small form.
“Aw baby. You wanna get out of here and go somewhere warm?” The little cutie nipped my finger, but I managed to pick it up, and tuck it inside my cut. The best thing to do would be to find a vet if one’s still open. God only knows what that fucker did to it.
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