Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
SOFEE
Max’s small body packs quite the punch as she hurls herself at me, and we both tumble off the motorcycle, landing hard on the hot pavement between the bike and my old car. My eyes bulge from their sockets, and I fight for my breath as it’s knocked from my lungs. Somehow, Max manages to cover most of my body with hers as she quickly reaches behind her back, and soon another gun appears inches above my face.
“What the fuck is happening?” I screech, but nobody’s listening as the bullets continue to fly, some slamming into the side of my car with hollow thunks. Windows shatter and explode above us, raining sharp slivers of glass on top of Max and me.
I can no longer see Tatum, but I hear her amidst more popping sounds ringing in my ears from a distance as she crouches down on the other side of the bike with a hiss. I try to push Max off me, but she isn’t budging, her eyes fixed on something in the distance.
“Talk to me,” Max grits out above me before glancing behind us toward Tate. I crane my neck to the side and finally lock my eyes on the purple-haired woman seeking shelter behind my bike, clutching her right shoulder. The sight of blood seeping out from between her fingers makes my breath catch in my throat.
“It’s fine. Get Sofee to the clubhouse, I’ll cover you,” Tatum shouts before lunging onto her belly and firing off more shots toward the old, abandoned building across the street.
My pulse jumps in my throat with each loud pop as Max rolls off me and forces me to crouch beside her. She quickly locks her small hand around my upper arm just as the double doors of the clubhouse swing open, revealing multiple figures in the doorway.
“Sofee!” I recognize Declan's voice just before my panicked gaze locks onto him. He shoves past his brothers in his rush to get to me. My head swims as Max yanks me beside her and pulls me into a sprint toward the open doors and Declan. The sounds of bullets slamming into the pavement behind us have me rushing toward him as if he's my salvation.
How can you feel cross, frightened, and relieved simply from seeing the person who has betrayed you the most?
My eyes may be wide, but I can’t see past my panic as he pulls me to him and covers me with his big body before he ushers me inside. All my brain can register now is the gunfire being exchanged between Tatum and whoever is firing at us from across the street.
“Motherfucker,” a deep voice says before heavy boots pound the pavement behind me as I’m yanked inside the building. “Tate!” I think I hear Liam call. More gunshots ring out as Max and Li run outside to join the firefight. Each shot makes me flinch before big, warm hands cup my shoulders, forcing me to be still. I swallow thickly as Declan’s soft violet eyes fill my tunnel vision.
“Look at me, Brat,” he says and shakes me slightly, bringing my awareness back to my extremities. My hands flex at my side, trying to bring blood back to my fingers. My name badge cuts into my palm. I somehow managed to hold onto it amidst the chaos. I blink rapidly, trying to focus on Declan as the gunshots cease, and then I can hear people running toward us. Boots pound the pavement behind me, driving me to pull out of his hands with a rough jerk.
“Don’t touch me,” I breathe as I step out of his reach. In that instant, his face completely changes. His brows draw together in a broken line as his eyes shimmer with confusion. He scans me from head to toe, his jaw ticking a rhythm. His muscles tense and release, as if he's trying to keep his hands to himself.
Ripping my gaze away from the only man who has betrayed me so thoroughly, I try to find Tatum in the flurry of insanity. Despite being furious with these people, I still have an annoying need to ensure her safety.
The entire MC is accounted for, and it seems that they’re just as surprised by the shootout as I am. Hayden and Max are the last to burst through the doors, swiftly closing and locking the deadbolt. Max keeps her gun aimed at the door while Hayden surveys our surroundings with a cold demeanor I’ve never seen from him before. Cooper, Tanner, and Ace walk in a single file out of the MC room, inspecting what appear to be automatic rifles. With practiced ease, they each turn and head off in different directions. Coop tosses one of the two rifles he’s holding to Hayden before jogging toward the kitchen. Tanner ascends the stairs quickly, his heavy footsteps echoing like thunder rolling over the clubhouse. Ace stands guard at the base of the stairs, his gun held close to his chest, prepared in case anyone were to break in and get past Tanner.
They're covering every point of entry in case someone tries to force their way in.
“I want this place locked down tighter than a nun’s wallet in a strip club. Shit just hit the fucking fan, and we're officially on damage control,” Owen orders loudly as he grabs his phone from his pocket and taps on the screen. He glances up at Declan and then locks his light green eyes on me. His brows furrow for a split second before his expression flattens. If I had blinked, I would’ve missed the look of regret reflecting back at me. But as if he never saw me at all, he glances back at Declan before barking his next order. “Get her on lockdown. Now.”
A wave of nerves swells inside my chest as he turns his back to us. His boots thud heavily against the hardwood floor as he strides toward his sleeping quarters, bringing the phone up to his ear. I have no hope of hearing his hushed conversation as he disappears down the hallway with determination in each step.
Ignoring the worried look from Declan, I hear a pained hiss to my left and spot Liam squatting in front of Tatum at one of the tables. His big hand holds her forearm just above a fresh laceration. Blood seeps from the wound as he inspects it with a softened touch.
“Just a graze from a ricochet,” she pants as she tries to shrug him off. “It’s nothing.”
Liam’s gaze hardens as his hand tightens around her bicep. “It’s not nothing, Mama . Now, hold still.” His voice is deep with annoyance, but I can tell by the rigidity of his back that he’s more concerned than anything else. I swallow thickly as I pull my eyes from his back and settle my gaze on my hands instead. I can’t watch the tenderness between them without my anger and grief consuming me.
I feel my shoulders climbing up to my ears with each passing second as I look at the fake ID badge in my hands. Declan’s gaze burns a hole into the side of my head. My own smiling picture on the forged piece of plastic mocks my loosely held, self-imposed composure. I was just shot at; I deserved the right to come a little unglued right now. But still, I hold my tongue.
That is, until Declan lays his hands on me again.
His calloused fingers caress my bare shoulder as his warmth surrounds me, the sensation making me want to lean into the touch and soak in his comfort. I long to sink into his warmth, to return to a time before he left me in that apartment where I uncovered the truth about so many things. Back when I believed our connection was genuine, not built on some big secret that still remains hidden from me.
But you can’t go back.
I shrug off his touch and force myself to meet his gaze. His eyes twinkle with unspoken questions as his lips part slightly. His anxiety is palpable, pouring from him in suffocating waves and mirroring my own distress.
“Come on, it's not safe here,” he says in the softest tone I have ever heard him use. My nose curls in disgust as he tries to wrap his arm around me. I slap it away and step out of reach.
“No shit,” I bark with a forced laugh. “It's not safe out there or in here. In fact, I'm not safe anywhere you are apparently,” I scoff, contorting my face into a menacing scowl. His frown deepens as he struggles to comprehend my words.
I shake my head and glance back down at the badge in my hand. “How could I be safe around someone who has done nothing but lie to me for…” I trail off before taking a deep breath. I return my gaze to him as I breathe out. “You know what?” I laugh. “I don't even know how long it’s been.”
My lips curl into a sneer as I bend the plastic between my fingers so harshly that it has no other option but to snap under the pressure. The cracking noise fills my ears as the small black wire inside the fake badge reveals itself. A hush descends upon the room, and my breath falters at the sight of it. Even though I knew it was there, it still hurts to see the embodiment of Declan’s deceit.
I suck in a calculated breath before looking back up at him. “How long exactly have you been spying on me, Declan?” I snarl before tossing my ruined badge in his face.
The fake ID smacks him on the chin before it falls to the floor in two jagged pieces beneath his feet. I keep my stare locked onto his, anticipating the moment he abandons the act and confesses that this was all some sort of sick fucking game for him.
But that moment never comes.
Instead, I watch as his nostrils flare and his eyes narrow briefly. The room around us goes completely still as everyone seems to watch us with bated breath. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions in check until I taste the metallic tinge of blood on my tongue. Still, my vision becomes watery as I try my hardest to maintain my composure. Declan keeps his dark eyes fixed on me as his shoulders grow more tense with each passing second.
“I wasn’t spying–” he tries to explain, but I cut him off with a humorless laugh. His hands clench at his sides as if restraining himself from reaching out to me again.
“Right,” I scoff. “If you weren’t spying on me, then please explain why you have an app on your phone solely dedicated to watching and listening to me without my knowledge, Dick ?” I bite out, relishing the way his eyes flare. I step closer to him now, letting my anger drive each and every one of my actions.
“I was protecting you,” he grits out from behind his teeth. His jaw tightens as I step into his space. Craning my neck to maintain eye contact with yet another overly protective man in my life, I let my rage consume me entirely.
“Certainly not from you,” I growl before poking his chest with a hard finger. The vein in his neck bulges with each shallow breath he takes. Still, I forge on. “So please, tell me. What did the pathetic little female need protection from?” I ask, searching his eyes for the answer. “What have you been hiding from me, you sick fucking bastard?”
“Sofee,” Liam says behind me, but I shake my head, cutting him off.
“Stay out of this,” I snap, but in true Liam fashion, he flat-out ignores my protests and steps up to me anyway.
“This wasn’t Declan’s doing, it was mine,” he admits, and I feel my blood drain from my face. He steps between Declan and me, forcing me to meet his gaze as he pushes me back a few steps. His brown eyes, twin to my own, crinkle around the edges. His brows are drawn together, lips pulled tight. Shifting on his feet, he confesses to the sins he has committed against his sister.
“I fucked up,” he shrugs regretfully. “And you’re in this situation because of me. Your house burning down was no accident.”
His revelation smacks me in the face and steals my breath. I keep my eyes fixed on him even though all I want is for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. He worries his hands in front of him before tucking them into his pockets.
“I made an enemy, and he vowed to take his revenge on you, sis. He’s the one who burned down your house, hoping you'd disappear within the flames. That’s why I asked you to stay here. That’s why we have been keeping tabs on you. None of this is anyone else’s fault but mine,” he admits.
“No,” Tatum’s refute draws my attention and has me watching her as she steps up to my brother’s side. She grabs his hand in hers and stares up at him. My chest tightens as she continues. “ We made an enemy,” she says before breaking her stare with Liam and meeting mine. Her lips twitch as she looks at me with such pity in her eyes, I can hardly bear it. “This was just as much my idea as it was your brother’s. You can’t just blame him for this.”
“You think I only blame him?” I blurt out with a huffed laugh. The moisture in my eyes finally breaks free, leaving wet trails down my cheeks even as I smile ridiculously at the woman I once considered my friend. “I blame all of you,” I say, flinging my arms wide. I catch Liam’s gaze again and point my finger in his face. “This is my life!” My chest heaves with sobs I can no longer contain. “I’m the only fucking person in this room you should have told about this. But you all decided to hide it from me and hoped I wouldn’t find out.”
“I didn’t think you could handle it,” Li admits as if his confession will soothe the rage burning hotly in my veins.
“And that’s the real problem isn’t it,” I cry. “You thought your baby sister was too fucking delicate to handle the goddamn truth!”
I never thought it possible to feel my heart fracture. But in between my quick, shallow breaths, I feel it shattering in my chest. Hear it cracking into a million little pieces. My lungs expand to the point of bursting as if they’re trying to cling onto what remains of the ruined, barely beating remnants.
“ La Mia Alba ,” Declan’s softly spoken words compel me to look at him again. He steps around my brother and into my space once more. His hands grip my forearms and climb until he's drawing me toward his chest by my upper arms. My own anguish reflects back at me in his dark eyes.
“No,” I breathe and push at his chest roughly. He loses his grip, and I stumble back, barely managing to stay on my feet. Hardly able to see past my tears, I back up toward the stairs. “You’re just as bad as him,” I gasp, trying desperately to catch my breath.
My heel snags on Ace’s boot, nearly causing me to fall on my ass and adding to my humiliation. Thankfully, he reaches out and steadies me. I glance up into his deep-set, dark eyes. “I can’t let you go up there right now,” he says, his voice filled with sympathy. “If the shooter tries to break in upstairs—” his voice trails off.
His brows furrow as he swallows thickly and studies my watery eyes. I’m not sure what he finds, but the softness I see reflecting back at me makes me think he's taking pity on me. “The MC room,” he says quietly as if he sees my need for escape. “Windows are bulletproof in there.”
I nearly laugh at the implications of that statement. When did my life become so goddamn dramatic?
Giving him a short nod, I turn to walk toward the club meeting room with as much dignity as I’m able to salvage. Declan staggers forward as if to grab me again, but I hold my hand up to stop his advance. Tatum and Li stand back, but I can feel both of them watching us with more than a mild curiosity. I keep my eyes trained on the man who delivered on his promise. He has thoroughly and completely ruined me beyond the point of repair, and I’m the idiot who let him do it.
Correction. Begged for it. Like a desperate whore.
“Sofee, please,” he begs, his voice rumbling deep in his chest.
Ignoring him, I quicken my pace toward the MC room. But even as I pass the bar and step past the threshold, I still feel him right behind me. Quickly grabbing the door, I attempt to slam it shut. I need to distance myself from him, but he doesn’t seem to grant me that small comfort. He forcefully wedges his boot in the doorway, causing the door to rebound violently, slamming into the wall with a loud rattle.
“You can’t just shut me out. You need to talk to me,” he growls and grabs my wrist. I yank it out of his hand and whirl on him. Stepping into his space, I try to intimidate him with my fiercest scowl.
“Oh,” I nearly laugh despite the anguish and fury swirling in my gut. “Everyone has shut me out, kept me ignorant this whole time, but somehow it’s not fair when I do the same thing to you? The only thing I need is for you to get the fuck away from me.”
“No, I said I was done running,” he murmurs.
“I said things too, Declan,” I shout up at him, my voice breaking with the strain. “A lot of things that I didn’t believe until this moment,” I bite out. “I’ve said this regularly since the day I first met you.” My voice trembles despite myself. “But I need you to hear me now and believe me when I say it this time. Because this time, it’s said with every honest fiber in my being, right down to the core of my goddamn soul.” My voice wobbles as I strain to keep my tremors at bay. Declan’s jaw tightens and loosens rhythmically, bursting at the seams with anxious energy.
I fight the urge to clutch my chest as a harsh sob is ripped from me against my will. All the color drains from his face as his whole body goes still. I steady my glare and stiffen my back, letting him see all the rage and hurt writhing in my soul.
“I hate you, Declan Morelli,” I mumble the words that are formed from hate but taste like love.
“No,” he breathes.
I say nothing, keeping my glaring eyes glued to him as if that will help my point sink in. He may not want to believe that I want absolutely nothing more to do with him now, but he will.
He shakes his head violently. “No,” he repeats. And again, I stay silent as more tears of anger flow down my cheeks. His violet eyes shimmer with unhashed emotion, allowing me to see his disbelief. He shakes his head again as if denying a silent conversation he was having with himself before he rushes me.
His hands fly to my face, and I have no hope of fighting him off before he slams his lips to mine. He kisses me as if my lips are his one and only salvation. I push at his chest, trying to fight the swell of need filling my gut. The need to find comfort in the arms of a man I hate.
The only man my foolish heart has ever fallen for.
“No, no, no,” he murmurs against my lips in between kisses. “Not when I just— not when we—” he trails off as he pants above me. “Please don’t do this, La Mia Alba ,” he pleads with the broken pieces of my heart, wrenching a strangled cry from my throat.
His hands grip the sides of my head fiercely as I try to pull him away from me. It doesn’t matter how angry I am with him or how much he has devastated me. If he keeps holding me like this, I’m going to fold like a cheap suit and let him back in. And that’s not something I can allow.
Maybe everyone really is just waiting for the moment they can fuck you over after all.
I bare my teeth as another sob is ripped painfully from my chest. I wrap my hands around his wrists and try to pull him away from me.
“I’m not doing anything, Declan,” I whisper. “You did this.”
“Liam, no!” Alarm bells ring in my mind as I register Tatum’s panicked voice somewhere in the distance.
“Sofee—” Declan tries to speak, but his words are cut off as he is yanked away from me.
My breath leaves me in a rush, and I stagger back as he’s thrown heavily to the floor. My ass knocks into the club table behind me, stopping my stumble as I catch sight of my brother looming over my enemy. I slap my hand over my mouth as Liam grips Declan’s vest and yanks him up halfway to meet his fist.
The sickening crunch of Liam’s fist slamming into his jaw makes my stomach flip-flop. My brother's face is a mask of rage as he beats his best friend until blood is leaking from his mouth and nose. Declan glares up at his attacker and catches the next fist in his hand just as Tatum rushes into the room.
“Stop it!” she screams. Liam ignores her and growls as he starts dragging Declan out of the MC room.
“You’re fucking my sister?” he shouts before landing another blow to his nose.
I should say something, try to intervene, and explain. But, for the life of me, I can’t muster the will to speak up and stop this useless fight. I’m too broken to fix other people.
“Sofee,” Tatum says as I turn my back to the fight and face the window. It’s still bright and sunny outside, so at odds with the suffocating blackness that’s settled over my mind.
“Go away,” I mutter.
“Sofee, plea?—”
“Go away!” I shout but refuse to face her. Tatum says nothing as the sounds of bottles breaking echo on the other side of the one-way mirror. My shoulders climb to my ears as the silence between us stretches. Finally, her footsteps register as she slowly leaves the room. No more words are exchanged as the door quietly clicks into place, and I can breathe again.
Silent sobs wrack my body as my knees weaken, and I sink to the floor in a heap, finally allowing myself to fall apart. My vision swims as I stare out the bulletproof window, letting everyone’s betrayal harden my shattered heart.