Chapter 14
14
Aurora – Two Weeks Later
“No, no, no, no, no….” I whisper as my car splutters, smoke coming from the hood.
I just dropped Autumn off at Mrs. Andrews's house for the evening. She’s a mom at the daycare center, and her son is infatuated with Autumn. He’s a year older and due to start pre-k, and he begged to have her over for dinner.
I agreed, knowing an evening with Theo before we pick Autumn up at eight would be perfect, but now my car has decided to die—again!
Welp, there goes my plans for a romantic evening….
“Damn, I knew I should have allowed Theo to buy me a car,” I mutter as I put my hazards on and pull onto the side of the road. “Me and my stupid pride,” I grumble, groaning, banging my head on the wheel.
It’s been a year, and yet I still can’t seem to rely on him; my past trauma’s still taking over, blinding me. I think that’s why I haven’t pushed moving just yet, even though we’re married.
I wish I could move on and pretend it never happened, but I can’t.
Sighing, I open the door for fresh air and try to find my phone, ignoring how my belly touches the wheel.
I’m seven weeks, yet I look fourteen.
I swear this baby will be huge—unless I’m further along than the doctor thought.
Finding my phone on the floor, I grab it and bring up Theo’s number, hoping he’ll answer. He told me he had an emergency breakdown, and well, now he has another.
“Stupid car….” I mutter as the phone rings.
I bite my bottom lip as the voicemail hits. I try to call again, but it goes to voicemail again, and I groan.
“Dammit, Theo,” I mutter before bringing up the local garage numbers on my search engine.
He won’t be happy, but maybe he should have answered his phone!
I’m halfway through the number of garages in a ten-mile radius, refusing to call the Devil’s Garage, knowing their club could be affiliated with the Huntsmen, when a car pulls up behind me. A man with dark black hair steps out, along with a woman that looks dressed for clubbing.
I raise a brow at the look he gives her as he groans, “Crystal, get back in the car. It’s bad enough I had to pick your ass up.”
My brows hit my hairline. What kind of woman names her child Crystal, unless….
My thoughts stutter when I notice the man put on a cut, a Devil’s one, and panic hits, my hand going to my unborn baby. Visions of Axe hitting me hard.
The guy walks my way but soon stops when he sees my panic, my hand clutching my stomach, and he puts his hand up and rasps, “I’m not going to hurt you, darling….”
Darling….
Flashbacks intensifies, Axe laying on top of me, squishing me into the bathroom tile floor as he thrusts into my ass, but I blink them away when he rasps, “If you’re not comfortable because, I get it, I’m in a cut, I can get Crystal to stand with us even if she does drive me crazy.”
I can’t help it, I snort, making him smile and call for the Crystal to come over. She happily agrees, and the guy states, “My name is Pitbull, and no, not because I’m a scary motherfucker but because a pitbull bit my ass five years ago.”
I grin wide, my past forgotten momentarily, and comment, “That’s one way to get a road name….”
He chuckles and nods. “My prez got his nickname because a brother tatted a snake on his neck for practice when he was eighteen, and the dude can’t stand them, and Tats because he’s fucking full of them, then there’s Breaker, who, well, liked to break things growing up….”
I laugh when Crystal butts in, “And don’t forget Sniper. He shot himself in the foot when he was eighteen after his brother loaded the rifle up. Never lived it down, though Smokey took the blame for it, and Smokey, well, he smoked like a chimney before meeting his old lady.”
I laugh harder, loving the stories. It’s the one thing I liked about the brotherhood in New York; their road names came from most of their mistakes. For example, Steel, the president, knocked himself out with a piece of steel, trying to do a stunt with a stunt bike, failing epically. He was in a coma for a month—and don’t get me started on Acid.
Damn idiot thought he could be a scientist in lab class only to burn through his jeans with acid.
Pitbull nods with a laugh and admits, “That shit was funny….” He looks at me. “I’m going to look at your car, alright? I promise I’m not going to hurt you, and I know Crystal is a clubwhore, but she’s probably one of the nicest.”
Crystal beams with his words, but I wince and admit, “My husband has done a lot to try and save it, and he’s a mechanic. I think it could be dead. I was just going to call a tow truck.”
He laughs. “Let me guess, you were being stubborn?”
I wince again, looking at him sheepishly, making him laugh louder before he pops the hood. Rounding the car, I think I may be a goner when Crystal furrows her brows.
“I recognize you….” I tilt my head, and she nods. “Yeah, I’ve seen you out and about in town with Sniper, actually. I always looked at you both like you made a good couple; the dude deserves a good woman to help settle him down with, especially being the clubs biggest player, or well, was . He hasn’t touched a woman in over a year, actually. I guess now I know why….” Her words trail off as she looks at me.
I furrow my brows and ask, my heart not wanting to know the truth, “Who is Sniper?”
“The prez’ brother. Dark brown, shaggy hair, dark brown eyes, always has his arm around you protectively. I just figured he’d tell everyone about you when he was ready,” she says, and my heart instantly falls.
He’s brought up the MC many times, and that he had to go to the MC a few weeks ago, and that he’s friends with a brother.
I haven’t met his family or his friends.
Oh God…he’s a brother, isn’t he?
Pitbull rounds the car and tries to start it. It takes a few turns before it comes to life, and he grins. “All done, though, you may want to speak to your husband and give in on getting a new car. I’m all for woman independence and all that, believe me, I have an old lady, but sometimes there are certain things you should just give in on.”
My heart pounds, fear hitting me hard.
Has he been lying to me all this time?
I know I’ve lied to him, but this is different; this is my fear, my trauma….
I nod and rasp, “Thank you. I, uh, can I ask you something?” He nods, wiping his hands, and I suck my bottom lip into my mouth before asking, “Do you know Sniper well?”
He furrows his brows, looking at Crystal, whose eyes are wide in shock, already cottoning on, and he states, “Very well. He’s been my best friend since we were in diapers.”
I nod. “His legal name, is it Theodore Taylor?”
His brows hit his hairline, and he admits, “It is, why?”
Tears instantly fill my eyes, hurt pulling me and I whisper, “Because he’s my husband, and he’s lied to me about who he really is.”
Crystal rasps, “Oh shit,” while Pitbull groans, dropping his chin to his chest in realization, snapping, “Fuck’s sake, Sniper.”
My husband is in an MC, and he lied.
He married me, got me pregnant….
He lied!
Wiping away the tears that have fallen, I ask, “Can you tell me where the clubhouse is, please? I’m guessing he’s not on an emergency breakdown, and is at a club family day that I’m now guessing his prez demanded his presence at.”
He winces. “How uh, how do you know….”
I cut him off and admit, “I grew up around an MC; I know how they work. Now, my husband has lied to me about who he is. He married me, adopted my daughter, and got me pregnant without telling me he was a brother.” More tears fall. "Our whole marriage is a lie.” I take a deep breath and ask, “Which way to the clubhouse, please?”
Pitbull groans again as Crystal wraps her arms around my shoulders and whispers, “You can follow us back, but uh honey, don’t let this destroy your marriage, he, uh, he loves you, I know he does.”
I give her a weak smile. “My marriage was destroyed when he said, ‘I do’, without telling me he’s part of an MC. He knew I want nothing to do with them because of my past, a past I haven’t dared to tell him about.”
She nods, understanding and pain shining through her eyes, and hugs me tight before guiding me to my car.
I climb in and squeeze the wheel before looking at Pitbull.
He looks at me with concern but nods before walking back to his car.
I take a deep breath.
I know I’ve lied too, but mine was because of my trauma, his was just pure stupidity.
I’d take a guess and say he did screw that girl who stopped us in town….
Dammit, now I want to break his nose!
Ten minutes later, a prospect lets us both through the gates, looking at me with a furrowed brow, but I ignore him.
I can feel my heart trying to tear out of my chest, it's pounding that hard.
Pitbull guides me over, and I notice Theo’s bike instantly—only four bikes from the main door of the warehouse building—and I'm hit with horror, realizing he’s a counsel brother.
Every clubhouse is the same. They park in rank, and the fourth is Road Captain, if I remember correctly.
Oh God….
Trying to steady my breathing, I pull up where Pitbull guides me, and get out. Laughter hits my ears, and he gives me a sympathetic smile and rasps, “They should all be in the backyard. I have to go inside to find my woman, but I can take you there….”
I cut him off, saying, “Thank you, but no. I need to do this on my own.”
He nods, then whispers, “Sniper is a good guy. I’ve known him all my life, and he’s been different this past year. Happier, lighter even. Please don’t hurt my brother, my best friend.”
With that said, he turns and walks inside. Crystal goes to follow, squeezing my hand, and I look toward where the laughter is coming from. Taking a deep breath, I place my hand on my growing belly and head that way, my past blinding me.
“You’re mine,” Axe grunts as he thrusts inside me. I wiggle to try and get out of his hold, bile building, which only makes him thrust harder, and I sob, begging him to stop, begging for him to just let me go or at least kill me….
I blink, trying to stop the tears from falling.
I can’t be involved with another MC; I can’t have another child I may not look at with love like I thought would happen with Autumn, I just can’t.
Swallowing hard, I storm into the club's backyard only to come to a stop; men and women in cuts all talk and laugh, and kids run around happy. I look around before my eyes latch onto Theo, grinning. Hurt instantly pulls me.
He’s wearing a cut with a counsel patch—an officers patch.
He lied to me, he?—
My anger takes hold, and I shout, “You lying motherfucker!”
Every eye comes my way, but I ignore them as Theo’s widen in shock. The urge to vomit hits hard.
He really did lie to me. He married me on a lie.
That mother….
“Firecracker,” he says quietly, his voice cracking, panic etching his features, but I scoff and storm toward him as some woman stands next to him like a momma bear.
Long black hair and piercing brown eyes.
His mother. I scoff. Of course, she’s not on a fucking cruise!
God, I’m such an idiot….
I point at the man I gave my heart to, my trust, my flipping body—willingly—something I’ve never done before, and snap, “You’re a lying piece of shit!”
His mother steps forward, anger in her eyes, sticking by her lying son “Who the fuck do you think you are coming in here and talking to my son that way. Patch-chasing whores are not welcome here, so why don’t you turn your ass around and fucking leave!”
I chuckle. Patch chaser, ha! You’ve got to know he’s a brother first, don’tcha think?
I wasn’t one a few years ago, and I’m not one now.
Theo turns and glares at his mother, making my heart melt a little while shocking everyone around him, but my head stays on point. I smirk at the woman who dared call me a patch chaser, a title that makes me want to vomit.
I state, “My name is Aurora Taylor, his wife.” The woman’s mouth drops, and I continue, “I’m also pregnant with his child.”
Theo steps forward, getting my attention, while his mother has gone white. His throat bobs, and he rasps, “Rory, Firecracker, I can explain.”
I scoff, “Explain what exactly, Theo? Or should I call you Sniper ?”
He growls and points at me. “I never want to hear that come out of your mouth, I’m your fucking Theo, and you know it!”
I shake my head, tears building.
He’s not my Theo. If he were, then he would have told me the truth. Honestly, I’d probably still have given him a chance because he wormed his way into my heart and my daughter’s.
I allow him to see my pain, my tears falling, and I rasp, “I told you how I felt about MCs, I told you I never wanted to date a brother, let alone marry one. You lied to me. You married me knowing I didn’t know who you really were, your true identity…you knocked me up.” I sniffle, the hurt of my past mixes with his lies. I continue, “You made me fall in love with you, you made Autumn fall in love with you, encouraged her to call you daddy, and yet you lied to me.”
Theo fists his hands. I can see he’s struggling not to come toward me, but he knows he’ll be ball-less if he does right now.
God, how can I trust him?
Sniffling, my fears overtake me, and I whisper with absolute truth and pain, “I want a divorce.”
His momma takes a step forward. I can see fear in her eyes, but Theo pulls her back into a man’s arms, a man with my husband's features. His dad.
Theo points at me with determination and snaps, “If you think I’d allow you to divorce me, then you’ve got another think fucking coming. If anything, baby, I’m moving you out of that apartment and into my house here on club land. Autumn’s room is already set up for her, and so is the baby’s.”
The fucking gall. I scoff and shout, “You lied to me, Theo, lied ! I want nothing to do with you!”
He smirks, making me narrow my eyes as he states, “I did what I had to do so I didn’t lose the woman I love.”
I huff and ask, “Love, huh? What about your brother’s ex, who you said you never screwed?”
He drops his head, muttering, “Fuck,” and I raise a brow. I fucking knew it; he did screw her. Shaking my head, I state, “You love me so much you even lied about screwing her. Go back to your clubwhores because we’re done!”
That said, I turn and push past a prospect who came after me, and I head to the parking lot, determined to try to figure out my life and where I go from here.
I love him so much, but he lied. I know he doesn’t know about my past, but that’s something I have to build to speak about. It’s different. This is his life .
God, I was held captive for a year by someone I trusted.
What Theo did was wrong on so many levels….
Wiping my tears, I climb into my car, noticing Theo rushing after me. I hiss, and start my car, happy the shit box started, and spin out of my spot and off of the club grounds.
“Rory!” I hear Theo shout, and my sobs hit me hard as I put my foot down on the peddle, going toward Mrs. Andrews's house, needing to collect Autumn.
He lied…lied…