Mia
It had been a long night—a very long night.
Even after Wrath came to see me, I was still a bundle of nerves.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to shake the anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach.
The only time it seemed to ease was when I felt Wrath crawl into bed next to me.
Then, and only then, my mind stopped racing, and I could finally relax enough to drift off to sleep.
Sadly, the anxious feeling returned the second I woke up and found myself in bed alone.
I immediately started thinking about the night before.
The pictures. Cody. The gunshots. The all-consuming fear that something might happen to Wrath.
It was all too much. I simply couldn’t stand it for another second, so I got out of bed and went to the bathroom for a shower.
I didn’t have many options for clothes—just a few things I’d saved from high school, so I had to make do with a pair of distressed jeans and an oversized Pink Floyd t-shirt.
Once I was dressed, I brushed the tangles out of my wet hair and started to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
I was just about to open my door when I spotted a note wedged in the frame.
I pulled it out, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw it was from Wrath.
Hey, sleeping beauty. Sorry I couldn’t stay. I’ll be back when I can.
I thought the whole Wrath coming back and getting in bed with me was just my mind playing tricks on me, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.
I slipped the note into my back pocket and headed to get my coffee.
When I got to the kitchen, there was already a pot of coffee brewing and fresh biscuits sitting on the stove, but there wasn’t a soul around.
Even Jasmine and the rest of the club girls had made themselves scarce.
It felt strange being there all alone, so I decided to carry my coffee outside. I walked over to one of the picnic tables and sat under the shade of the towering oak tree, its leaves rustling softly in the gentle breeze. I hadn’t been sitting there long when I spotted Wyatt walking in my direction.
There was sadness in his eyes that tugged at my heart as he sat down across from me.
He had a high-functioning form of Asperger’s which was often a blessing and a curse.
It’s what helped him with all his computer wizardry and just all-around smarts, but it made it difficult for him to communicate, especially when it involved something or someone he really cared about.
I could tell by the look on his face that something was troubling him, so I didn’t push. I simply sat there and waited as he took a deep breath, steeling himself and said, “I don’t have much time... but I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. Really sorry.”
“What exactly are you sorry for?”
“Everything.” He shook his head, and his voice was strained as he said, “I should’ve looked into your boss, but for reasons that make no sense to me now, I convinced myself it wasn’t necessary.
” I could see the anguish etched on his face as he said, “I let Dad down. I let the club, but most of all, I let you down.”
“It’s okay. Really. There’s no way you could’ve known what he was up to.”
“You don’t get it.” Wyatt said, his voice growing stronger, "It’s my job to know.”
“Okay, then we both messed up.” I reached over and placed my hand on his. “But it’s okay. I’m okay.”
“Yeah, but I still feel bad about it.”
“Well, that makes two of us.”
I sighed, then took another sip of my coffee. I looked behind me, searching for any sign of Wrath, but no such luck. Wyatt noticed my searching for him and said, “He’s inside with Dad and the others. He’s probably gonna be awhile.”
“I kind of figured that.”
“I should apologize about him, too.” He ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair and sighed once more. “Wrath is a good guy, and I’ve got no business telling you not to see him.”
“You were looking out for me and for him, too.”
“No, I was being a selfish asshole.” He turned to look me in the eye as he said, “I’m not gonna lie...
It would be easier if you two didn’t hook up.
He’s taking on a tough role with the club, and I meant what I said about the distractions.
It would make it tougher, but it’s Wrath.
If anyone could do both, it’s him. And honestly, it might be the best thing for him. He’d be lucky to have you.”
“Thanks, Wyatt. That means a lot.”
“Well, it’s true. You’re strong and smart.” He gave me one of his goofy grins. “Kind of pretty when you wanna be.”
“Hey.”
“You know I’m just fucking around.” He glanced back at the clubhouse, and after a moment’s hesitation, he stood and said, “I better get back in there.”
“Okay.” I knew it was doubtful that he’d tell me anything, but I had to ask, “So, Garrett wasn’t really Garrett, right?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“And the stuff on his computer, the pictures and stuff, they were really his?”
“Afraid so.”
“Are they what I think they are?”
He didn’t answer my question. Instead, he simply said, “We’re going to take care of it, Mia. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
I nodded, then watched as my big brother started back into the clubhouse.
It seemed strange how much he’d grown over the past couple of years—not just in size, but in every way.
He was now a man, confident and strong, and I did not doubt that he and the brothers would take care of Garrett.
Soon, he’d be nothing more than a memory.
I’d finished off my coffee, so I decided to go back inside for another. I’d just made it back inside when my cell phone started ringing. I grabbed it out of my pocket, and it felt like a ray of sunshine had broken through the clouds when I saw that Darby was Face Timing me.
I quickly answered, and my entire mood lightened the second I saw her face and Susana’s pop up on the screen. “Hey, guys! What’s going on?”
“We were just about to ask you the same thing,” Darby sassed. “Mom told us you were at the clubhouse and that something had happened with your boss, but she didn’t really know anything more than that. So, what’s going on?”
“I really don’t know.” I wasn’t sure what I could and couldn’t tell them, so I did my best to keep it simple. “I think he might be involved with something bad, but the guys are looking into it.”
“So, what are you gonna do now?”
“I guess I’ll stay here until the guys give me the okay to leave.”
A smirk crossed Darby’s face as she teased, “A little quality time with your honey-boo-boo.”
“Honey-boo-boo?” I laughed. “Seriously?”
“Okay, Mr. Smexy in Leather.”
“He’s been pretty busy with the brothers.” I walked into my room and closed the door. “You know he’s the club’s new enforcer.”
“Woah.” Susana pipped in. “When did that happen?”
“A couple of days ago.”
“And your dad?”
“He’s been ready to step down for a while.
” The thought made my chest tight. My father was the enforcer long before I was even born.
It was hard to believe that someone else was in that position, even if it was Wrath.
At the same time, I liked the idea of my father finally taking a much-deserved break.
Knowing they’d understand better than anyone, I added, “You know the club means everything to him. He wouldn’t have left the position unless he really thought Wrath could handle it. ”
“Well, of course.” Darby glanced over at Susana. “It’s just gonna be hard to see Stitch as anything but the enforcer.”
“I don’t know. I think it might be easier than you might think.” Susana gave us one of her silly grins. “Wrath’s not only hot. He’s kind of badass, just like Stitch.”
“You’ve got a point there.” Darby turned her attention back to me as she said, “Speaking of Mr. Badass, how are things going with you two?”
“Pretty good, I guess.”
“Pretty good?” Darby fussed. “That’s all we get?”
“Yeah, we want all the juicy details,” Susana pushed. “Don’t hold out on us.”
“I don’t know. There’s not much to tell.” I had to bite back my smile as I told them, “I mean, other than the fact that I got in a fight with his neighbor and almost got arrested.”
“What!”
“Yeah, not one of my finer moments.”
“Girl, you better get to talking...”
“Okay, okay.”
I sprawled across my bed, and for the next hour, I told them all about the past couple of weeks.
It’s hard to describe how much I valued my friendship with Darby and Susana.
They had been there for me through thick and thin, offering their support, laughter, and a listening ear whenever I needed it.
Just being able to talk to them could get me through the worst of days, and today was no different.
Darby batted her eyelashes and smiled as she teased, “Mia’s got a boyfriend.”
“She’s got a Wrath, and from the sounds of it, that’s even better.”
“I think you guys are jumping the gun a bit. I really like him and I’m pretty sure he feels the same about me, but I don’t know. He hasn’t really said the words if you know what I mean.”
“I get it, but I don’t think he has to say the words for this to be something.”
“I agree. This is probably new for him.” Susana’s smile faded as she said, “Come to think of it, I don’t remember Wrath ever having a girlfriend or whatever. Not even when we were younger.”
Darby thought for a moment, then added, “Yeah, now that you mention it, I don’t think he’s had a girl stay the night at the clubhouse, like ever... I mean, he’s been with girls, lots of them. We all know that, but...”
“Can we not talk about the other women he’s been with.”
“But wait. You didn’t let me finish,” Darby argued.
“I was just gonna say that he’s never let anyone stay the entire night in his room until you.
I know that the first time probably doesn’t count, but he didn’t make you leave.
A-nndd, he’s had you over to his place enough for his little neighbor friend to get pissy about it. ”
“Guys, seriously.” While I appreciated them trying to ease my mind, I wasn’t in the right mindset for hashing through every detail of the time Wrath and me had spent together, so I said, “You are the best, but I’ve had about all the Wrath talk I can take for the day.”
“That’s okay. We get it.” Darby gave me a warm smile. “Just know we’re here if you need us.”
“Yeah, and you better call us the next time something like this happens.”
“You got it. Thanks, guys.”
I laid back on my bed, and my mind immediately drifted to Wrath.
My heart swelled as I envisioned a future with him.
So far, things with him had been better than I could’ve ever imagined, so I had every reason to believe that things would continue to be great.
I could really see us building a good life together—a home filled with love and laughter, lazy mornings in bed, and late afternoons by the fire.
But I wasn’t na?ve enough to think it would be all butterflies and rainbows—not with a man like Wrath and not when he was Satan’s Fury’s enforcer. It would be tough, very tough, but at the end of the day, I knew if we had each other, then we could get through anything.
It was that thought that would help me get through the days—because they were the toughest of them.