Chapter 30
30
Cassidy – One Week Later
I smile as the brothers lift Killian, now known as Savior, up in the air.
He got his cut today, and Colt begged me to come celebrate, especially since I return to work tomorrow night, after taking a sabbatical.
Having your daughter kidnapped, and then being shot at, only to be pushed out of the way by the man you love, who took a bullet for you, was a lot to deal with, and Dr. Carmichael understood.
“Shotgun, has Prez said anything more about his place in the club?” Dig, a club brother, asks, and I sigh as I place my lips on my snoozing daughter’s head.
I can leave with her for twenty minutes, because that’s when the clubwhores will be taking off their jeans and tank tops.
“He hasn’t said fuck all, but Pitbull, Cannon, and I have all come up with a plan to handcuff him to his seat in church if he tries to hand in his leather. We’ve also called Hammer, and he said to get Cass involved,” Shotgun replies before I feel their eyes on me.
“Eighteen minutes,” I mumble as I side-eye them.
Dig raises a brow at me, knowing full well I heard them, and I sigh before I look toward Colt, who, yet again, is wearing a fake smile. It doesn’t even reach his eyes.
I know I’m partly to blame. For the past week, he’s barely focused on anything other than watching me closely, as if I’d disappear, and I know it didn’t help that I became silent after we slept together in the shower. We dried off, I stitched him up, then went quiet on him.
I’m confused, and I have every right to feel that way.
I love him, there’s no denying that, and I know he’ll leave this club if I say the word; I know the man would do anything for me, for our daughter who he keeps close, just like I know he threatened my mother to leave town, something Perrie told me, but I don’t know how to overcome the past.
I side-eye the men but roll my eyes when I see Pitbull and Anchor now standing next to Shotgun and Dig, all looking at me.
I shake my head at them, look at the clock behind the bar, where Western is serving drinks, and mumble, “Fifteen minutes to go….”
“Cass…” Anchor rasps, and I groan, knowing they want answers but won’t get them from their president.
“Colt Brody,” I say loudly a few minutes later, annoyed with the eyes I feel on me, causing several more eyes to come my way, including Colt’s.
“You ready for us to take her home, Trouble?” he asks with a furrowed brow as he passes his drink to Acid.
I quickly shake my head and say, “No, there’s still twelve minutes left….”
He tilts his head at me while his words float around me—he was going to leave Killian’s patch in party for me. Damn.
“What’s up then, Trouble? You want a drink?” he continues as the brothers look between us like a ping pong ball.
I look toward the men beside me before I look back at Colt and demand, “Are you or are you not hanging up your cut?”
Everyone freezes, but Colt ignores them and asks, “Did they put you up to this?”
I shrug, not denying it, and I answer, “I’m kind of getting fed up with being asked several times a day.”
Colt glares at the brothers, and Anchor lifts his hands in defense and states, “You’re the glue to this club. I mean, look what you’ve just done. You’ve patched in a man you trusted to look after your woman when you couldn’t. you’ve raised the club’s interests and reputation, and let's not forget, you are the person every brother goes to in their time of need….”
Colt growls, “But that doesn’t change things, Anchor, and you know it. Cassidy and Moira come first, not the club….”
Brothers start talking over each other, causing Moira to stir in my arms, and I huff as I try to stand. Canine quickly comes to me and helps me, and I send him a smile as I look around the room. Everyone tries to give their opinion on how to keep Colt as their president, and honestly, it’s amazing to see.
They adore him and look up to him. After spending the first four years of us together, trying to prove himself, he’s created an amazing environment in the years I’ve been gone.
“And you can still put us first,” I say loudly, getting everyone’s attention. I lock eyes with Colt. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with us, because my trust is broken,” his eyes turn sad, “but I know you are not handing in that leather, because it is your life.” I peer around the room. “These men are your family, our daughter’s uncles, aunts, and cousins. Family, Colt, something Perrie and I lost when our dad died….”
He looks down as Piston walks over to me and takes a sleeping Moira from my aching arms. I give him a smile in thanks and then look back at Colt, locking eyes with him. “I love you, Colt. I do, and you know this, and you also know the club is not why I am struggling.”
He keeps his eyes connected to mine, and I know he can sense the sincerity because he sighs, “Okay.”
“Okay,” Savior says next to him, raising a dark brow at him.
Colt shakes his head and confirms, “I won’t hand in my cut." The club jumps up, cheering, and Colt says loudly, “But you all need to convince my girl to stay.”
Piston nudges me, and I look at him. He gives me a small smile and asks, “Can I take her home? She can stay the night with me and Nat, help feed the baby in the morning, and maybe you and Steal can really talk….”
I wince and say, “I don’t know?—”
He cuts me off, “I know you're scared about leaving her, but I also know you and Steal need to hash things out. You love him, Cassy, and you two have the kind of love everyone would dream of. Moira will be safe with me, and you know it.”
He gives me puppy dog eyes, and I roll my eyes, but nod. He grins, then mumbles, “I’m so going to be the favorite uncle,” before kissing my head and walking out the front door, making me smirk.
I look back to Colt, who frowns as Piston takes Moira. It’s not just me that has struggled to have her out of our sight. I sigh, throw my hands up, and state loudly, “Okay, tops can come off….”
The clubwhores all cheer, but I narrow my eyes as Ginger goes toward Anchor, seductively taking off her top. He sees her coming and quickly dodges her, going round the table, and I nod, happy.
Heaven never came to the club much, and no one knows about her son apart from Colt and me. I am fully aware that Anchor hasn’t signed their divorce papers and fights with her in court every four months when she tries to get the judge to approve without Anchor’s signature. I watch him stay true despite knowing his wife is trying to date and failing because he keeps sabotaging them.
I know she does love him, but like me with Colt, she doesn’t trust Anchor.
Shaking my head at Ginger's look of anger, I walk over to the bar. Western gives me a grin and, without asking, slides a Coke my way.
“Thank you,” I mumble, and he sends me a wink as the party starts behind me. I try to ignore the urge to run after Piston and grab my daughter as I sip my drink.
“It’s a party, and yet you look miserable…” a voice says from beside me, and I gasp and turn.
“Tanner,” I squeal and throw myself into his arms, not caring about Colt seeing, and the immature side of me is hoping he’s getting pissed.
Tanner hugs me tight before I pull back and ask, “What are you doing here?”
He grins. “I met a man, and it turns out he’s a brother in the club…Shotgun?”
I look around him and make eye contact with Shotgun, who tilts his head at me. I point at him and warn, “You hurt him, then it’ll be you I shoot next.”
He grins as a few brothers who heard me chuckle, and I look back at Tanner.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?” he asks, and I shrug. “You know, so and so." He doesn’t smile, and I sigh. “I’m okay. I'm still processing, though. On the bright side, Mom’s left New York.”
Again, he doesn’t smile, instead, he pulls me into his arms, and I go willingly, but just as I wrap my arms around his waist, I hear a loud growl and a bang, but I don’t move, instead I mumble, “Please tell me that was Colt leaving in a huff?”
He chest rumbles with a chuckle as he confirms, “It was…. You going to forgive him yet?”
I pull back and look at him as Shotgun comes and stands beside him.
“A part of me wants to,” he nods, and I continue, “but the other part is screaming at me to pull back and put myself first….”
“But isn’t you being with him putting yourself first?” Shotgun intervenes, and I look at him. He gives me a kind smile, his pierced cheekbone moving as he speaks, and says, “You being with him won’t be for him but for you. Set boundaries, give him a timeline to prove himself, but don’t make yourself believe being without him is doing something for yourself when you love him.”
I swallow hard, hearing his words, and I know they’re true.
I’m scared….
I take a deep breath, kiss Tanner’s cheek, and then Shotgun’s, before mumbling, “Thank you.”
When I look his way, Canine nods to the hallway. I smile as he says, “Make sure he works for it, Cassy.”
I walk through the rows of people getting it on, trying to avoid looking at Savior getting a blowjob from Candy, and quickly rush into the hallway.
When I get to Colt’s door, my palms sweat, my heart pounding.
I’m still confused, but I also know I can’t have a life without him. If I could, I would have moved on years ago, right?
Taking a deep breath, I walk into the room, shutting the door behind me before I spy Colt’s form, sitting on the bed, a picture frame in his hands.
“I get it, I fucked up. I put my club first, making you, not even second best, but last in my priorities. I held a gun to your head. I hurt you, but I honestly thought we could sort things out.” He looks at me. “I get you moved on with your life. I know you had to see that bitch for years, hearing her rub our past relationship in your face, day in and day out, but I just…fuck, Cass, you inviting the guy I lost you to into my home, around my family….”
Absolute pain radiates from him and, worst of all, defeat…. I wanted to hurt him, but not like this.
“I didn’t invite Tanner,” I admit.
He shrugs. “He’s still here, though, isn’t he, for you?”
I smirk. “No, he’s here for Shotgun.” Colt furrows his brows. I grin. “How did it feel, Colt, to believe the woman you loved may have been having sex with someone else?” His eyes darken but widen when I state, “Tanner is gay, and I have relished how much it has pissed you off, thinking I moved on when, in reality, you have been the only person I have ever been with.”
Slowly, Colt places the frame back on the bedside table, and then stands, before stalking toward me, but I don’t move, and I don’t even flinch as he grips my hips. Instead, I jump up, wrap my legs around his waist, and welcome his lips against mine as he slams my back against the door, my hands going into his hair.
He breaks the hard kiss, looks into my eyes, and demands, “One chance,” as his eyes race between mine. “Give me one more chance to prove myself, to prove to you that you and our daughter come first, and if I fuck up, I’ll buy you a fucking house myself.” He kisses me gently. “Just one chance, Trouble, please. You stayed celibate for a reason, just like me, please…I need you.”
My eyes tear up as the big bad president begs for a chance, and I don’t have it in me to say no because Shotgun is right.
Walking away is not putting myself first, instead, it’s tearing us both to shreds.
I give him a single nod, and his body deflates against me as his lips touch mine.
I whisper, “I swear, Colt, you better not hurt me again.”
He murmurs, “Never, Trouble. I love you….”
My tears fall as I admit, “I love you, too,” and he kisses me hard, his tongue wrapping around mine, and I moan, squeezing my legs around his waist before he pushes off the door with me in his arms.
Colt breaks the kiss and throws me on the bed, making me gasp and giggle, and he grins wide before pouncing on me, lifting the maxi skirt I’m wearing and gripping my panties.
I gasp. “Colt, they were my favorite pair.”
He grins and promises, “I’ll buy you ten more,” before he kisses me again, tilting my head to deepen the kiss as his tongue enters my mouth.
I feel him move between us before the tip of his member is at my entrance, and he thrusts hard. I break the kiss, gasping at how full I feel as his face nuzzles my neck.
He licks and sucks on my skin before rasping, “I’ll take it slowly later, but right now, I can’t hold back.” He pulls out then thrusts hard and fast, hitting the magic spot deep inside me.
I grip his hair, and he looks at me as we make eye contact—and that does it! My belly tightens as he places his forehead against mine grunting, “Come for me, Trouble….”
And I do. The corner of my eyes darken as my body tenses up, before wetness spreads between us. He groans, dropping his lips against mine as he stills, coming inside me.
Colt kisses me gently as he moves his hands up my body, gripping my tank top and lifting it. He breaks the kiss as he takes it off me. We lock eyes as my hands go to his cut, and I push it down his arms.
“I hope you're not tired, Trouble, because we both know our daughter is safe, and I’m about to spend the whole night showing you how much I’ve missed you,” he says as I place the cut beside us and remove his t-shirt.
“I missed you, too,” I admit as I throw his shirt, and grab his hand and kiss the tattoo on his ring finger. His eyes soften as he leans down and kisses me with such passion that I feel it deep in my bones.
He starts moving his hips again, making love to me and doing as he promised; showed me exactly how much he missed me until we both pass out at three in the morning, only to be woken up by our girl five hours later.
I know we have a lot of trust issues. I know he hurt me, but I know giving him a chance is something I’ll regret if I don’t.
I hope I’m not making a mistake….