7. Havoc
Havoc
Aimee’s eyes widen as she lowers the gun. Any lingering rage or annoyance washes from her expression, and for the first time since I saw her a few weeks ago, she resembles the girl I remember.
“I thought—” Aimee takes a step forward and freezes. “Oh my god. I shot you.”
“You barely grazed me.” I lift off the wall, still holding my arm. “I’ll be fine.”
My arm stings, and it hurts like hell, but the pain is nothing like actually taking a bullet. This one ripped off a layer of skin at most. Thankfully, Aimee has shit aim in the dark because it could have been worse.
I take another step toward her, and she rolls her shoulders back, gathering her composure. I’m getting used to the walls she has erected around herself, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t frustrate me when they return so quickly in this moment .
“You should have announced yourself before bursting up the staircase.” She lifts her chin when I stop in front of her.
Such a little firecracker.
I can’t help but grin.
“Are you blaming me for getting myself shot?”
She shrugs. “You can’t just barge into someone’s house in the middle of the night and expect nothing to happen.”
“Technically, it’s my house.”
Aimee’s eyes narrow, and her lips form a firm line. But she doesn’t argue because I’m right.
“Are you okay?” I take another step, and it puts us closer than we’ve been in years.
Aimee must notice it too because she drops her gaze and steps back. “I’m fine. They left before you got here. I’m guessing the club was notified when the alarm went off?”
I nod, stretching my fingers.
They still ache from how hard I was gripping the handlebars.
Racing to get here as fast as I could. Dreading what I might find if I were too late.
I should have known better than to doubt Aimee’s survival instincts.
Especially after she protected Reagan from the Iron Sinners when they were locked in cages beside each other.
“Are you okay?” Aimee’s gaze skips to my shoulder.
When they return to mine, I’m struck by the fact that she still cares.
“I’ll be fine. Patch will fix me up when we get back to the clubhouse. But we’ve gotta get out of here.”
“I’m not— ”
“You’re coming to the fucking clubhouse with me, Aimee. And I don’t want to hear shit about it right now.” I grip her chin with my bloody hand, not thinking.
A crimson trail smears across her beautiful skin, but she doesn’t flinch.
“I’ve been patient with you. The club’s been patient with you.
But tonight, you being here was a liability for all of us, and I can’t put you or my club at risk like that.
So you’re coming with me until this is resolved.
It’s the easiest way to protect you from them without stretching ourselves thin. Understood?”
A war rages in Aimee’s eyes as they flick between mine. Thankfully, she doesn’t argue.
My thumb brushes her chin, just below her full lower lip, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close we are. How familiar she feels. Of how she still smells like jasmine and a future I once saw for myself. One that stretched so far out of reach.
Except now, here she is, standing in front of me.
I’m tempted to lean in and finally taste what could have been.
To steal the kiss she never gave me.
To put myself on the line.
Instead, I step back, releasing her chin, leaving blood-smeared fingerprints on her beautiful face.
“Let’s go.” I turn before I do anything stupid.
And even though I don’t hear her immediately follow, I continue down the staircase because no one can get to her now. Twisted Kings surround the house. She’s safe to gather her things .
“What the fuck happened to you?” Steel notices the blood on my shoulder, and his tone draws Chaos and Soul’s attention.
“She thought I was one of them.” I shrug. “At least she found use for the gun I left her.”
Soul bursts out laughing. “Aimee shot you with your own gun? I told you not to get that fancy new haircut when we were in LA. Even your girl doesn’t recognize you.”
“I’m not Levi’s girl.” Aimee stops at my side with a bag thrown over her shoulder.
I didn’t hear her walk up, but when her arm brushes mine, I’m itching to pull her closer.
“As for the haircut…” Aimee’s gaze slides from Soul to me. “It’s fine. But now you know better than to storm into a lady’s house in the middle of the night.”
Something close to a smirk lifts the corner of her mouth as she brushes past Soul and Chaos. It’s fucking stunning, but I’m the only one who notices because Soul and Chaos are too busy laughing to see it.
At least Steel keeps his amusement to himself.
“The Iron Sinners cleared out before we got here.” Steel confirms what I already knew. “Ghost will run through the footage and touch base with us in the morning. I’m guessing Aimee finally agreed to stay at the clubhouse?”
“Reluctantly.” My gaze drifts to the front yard, where she’s standing off to the side to avoid the club. “I’ll get her settled—”
“I could help get her settled if you need Patch to stitch you up really quick.” Soul watches Aimee .
And even if his comment makes me want to cave his face in, I know he’s just fucking with me to get under my skin.
“I’d say I’ll fuck you up if you lay a hand on her.” I clap Soul on the shoulder. “But the girl is fully capable of doing that herself.”
Which is one more reason I’m so damn obsessed with her.
At the west edge of the Twisted Kings property line sits the neighborhood—a collection of houses for members who have families.
Steel and Legacy spend most of their time there, and Ghost is planning to build something for him and Luna soon.
The neighborhood is a convenient way for the club to protect their own, while separating family life from the parties that rage at the clubhouse.
I’ve never wanted a house in the neighborhood myself. Never had a reason for it and never cared to be that separated from anything happening at the club. But as Aimee stops in the doorway to my room at the clubhouse, I wish I had something more to offer her than this cramped space.
“Sorry for the mess.” I kick a shirt out of her path, realizing what a disaster my room is.
“It wouldn’t feel like your room if it wasn’t messy.” She looks around. “Remember that truck you used to ride around in? ”
“Only because you wouldn’t get on the back of my bike.”
She shakes her head, but she knows I’m right.
Aimee always refused to ride on the back of my bike when we were younger.
She said it was for safety reasons, but I saw through her excuses.
Aimee was worried about what would happen if her father caught her because, as free-spirited and strong-willed as she is, he was always her weakness. Much like the club is mine.
“You can have the bed.” I tip my chin at it. “The sheets are clean.”
I hate that I need to say that.
Even more, I hate that she doesn’t so much as react.
It’s not like we’ve ever been anything more than friends. And I don’t owe her anything when she was the one who disappeared. But I can’t help the guilt that swells when I consider all the things I’ve done over the years in her absence.
“Where are you going to sleep?” Aimee tosses her bag onto the bed.
“Legacy never uses his room at the clubhouse unless he and Reagan are having a night out. He’s fine with me crashing there for now.”
“I can always stay in Legacy’s room so I don’t kick you out of your space.”
“It’s fine.” The thought of Aimee staying anywhere in the clubhouse that isn’t my room feels wrong. It’s already hard enough to let her out of my sight after what happened tonight.
“You’re probably tired, so I’ll let you get some sleep.” I clear my throat. “But tomorrow we need to talk. ”
“About what?”
“You know what.” I sigh. “I get you don’t want to let me in, but I can’t help you if you don’t.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Really? Because seven Iron Sinners showed up at your doorstep tonight. Titan doesn’t put his best men on a mission that doesn’t mean shit to him.”
Her jaw ticks at his name.
“I’m not judging. I just need to know what I’m stepping into here. What kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into—”
“I didn’t get myself into shit.” Her tone is ice-cold.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I hold my hands up, treading carefully. “But you need to set your stubbornness aside for five seconds and realize I’m just trying to help.”
Tears paint a glassy sheen over her eyes, but she blinks them away.
“Please, Aimee.”
She doesn’t meet my stare as her lips press tight. But she nods once, letting me know she at least heard what I said.
“I’m right next door if you need anything.”
Aimee nods again, but her mind is somewhere else. Somewhere I don’t know if I can reach after whatever Titan has done. And I can’t wait to make him pay for that.