Chapter 2
Axel
Why did I allow my brother, Pitch Black, to talk me into a road trip up to the Devil’s Riot MC clubhouse to see his sister and Harlow?
Probably because it was the time of year I don’t like to be around anyone.
The day my life changed, and I broke the one promise I swore I’d never break.
Unfortunately, my head at the time wasn’t in the right headspace.
Not after getting shot and nearly dying.
I figured I would have lost her regardless if I’d died, so I made Faith leave me.
When I got home from the hospital and saw her phone sitting on the bed, I lost it. Told myself it was for the best but I knew it wasn’t. Faith was my fuckin’ life and I’d destroyed it by telling her we were done and that she needed to get the fuck away from me.
With the shit we’d been handed at the time I thought it was for the best. Shouldn’t have done it and every time I thought about finding Faith I chickened out. I know I’m not good enough for her and she’s probably got a fuckin’ great life now.
Though I figured by now she would have served me with divorce papers in order for her to be with another man. The thought of her with someone else sickens me.
Since it wasn’t just Pitch Black and I on this trip we decided to stop for the night once we hit North Carolina. With all the bullshit Tyres and Brake dealt with recently they decided to come along with us as well as Fuse.
After dinner we checked into some motel and decided to go to the strip club we’d seen coming into town.
We’d been in the crowd watching the girls on stage when one of them caught my eye.
I noticed she didn’t mingle in the crowd trying to get men to buy lap dances off of them.
No, she stayed in the back. I don’t know what it was that caused me to do it but during her last set, I spoke with Lawson, the owner of the joint, who came over to introduce himself when he heard we were here.
I asked him if I could get a lap dance from the woman.
He’d immediately informed me she was unavailable, but as everyone knows money talks.
I offered a grand for her to give me two songs.
Fucked as it may be, she resembled my wife.
A woman I haven’t seen in four fuckin’ years.
Now here I sit arms stretched out across the back of the couch facing the beauty and fuck if I don’t get an inkling in the pit of my stomach; however, I ignore it as she turns around. Her eyes widen as if she knows me or some shit.
The song had started the woman seemed to be frozen in place as she stares at me before she shakes her head and darts out of the room like her ass was on fire.
What the fuck?
Guess I’ll keep my grand then.
“Sorry about that,” Lawson states as he comes in the room at the same time I stand up and straighten my vest.
“It’s all good. Was worth a try. She’s a beauty,” I state, with a grin, ignoring the inkling that something with that woman wasn’t right.
“Yeah that Glacier is. She is our best dancer here. I better go see if she’s good. I’ll make sure my guys give you a full refund as well as give you drinks on the house once you get back to your table,” Lawson declares, reaching a hand out to me.
Taking it, I shake his hand. “Thanks, but I think I’ll just get my brothers and head on out. Ugh, I guess tell your girl I didn’t mean to scare her,” I mutter.
“I’ll let her know,” Lawson grins as he steps back and leaves.
Making my way back to the front where my brothers were sitting, I find them grinning at me.
“That was the quickest lap dance in history,” Brake says, his lip tipped up at the side as he grins at me.
“Shut the fuck up. Bitch freaked and ran before it even started. Come on let’s go,” I state, still standing.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go myself,” Fuse mutters strangely.
“I gotta say that one stripper looked familiar,” Tyres declares after downing the rest of his beer.
“She did, I just can’t put my finger on it,” Pitch Black says.
“She looks like Faith,” I grumble before stalking away.
Is this what I’ve come down to? Finding a woman who looks like my wife and trying to get a lap dance from her? I’m fuckin’ pathetic if that’s the case and need my head examined.
It’s not like I’ll ever see the woman again unless I look her up and that’s something I’m not going to do. I hurt her by demanding she leave. I might have been able to fix things back then but too much time has passed and I’m to fuckin’ stubborn to even cross that bridge.
Outside, I head for my bike ignoring my brothers’ banter when something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.
Tilting my head, I notice it’s Lawson and the chick I’d wanted to give me a lap dance.
The two of them stop at a car near the end of the parking lot and the woman reaches up and whips what I’d figured was a wig off her head.
I didn’t expect to hear the tears even from here.
“It was him, Lawson. How did he find me?” she cries.
Wait a minute that voice, I know it.
“Brother, come on,” Fuse calls out.
“Hang on,” I call out as I take a step forward in the direction of the woman.
At my voice she twists her head and thanks to the streetlight it’s confirmed.
Faith.
My wife.
She’s working in a strip club.
Fuck.
Before I can call out her name, she hurries into her car and darts out of the parking lot. Shit, it’s the same fuckin’ car I’d bought for her when I was nineteen. At the time it was all we could afford, and I intended to give her a new one the night everything went to shit.
I stare at Lawson as he approaches me.
“You Alex?” he asks cautiously.
“Yep.” I don’t even bother asking him how he knew. He seemed to be close to Faith and I’m curious to know just how close.
“Should fuckin’ beat your ass for what you did to her, but she’d kill me if I did. All I can do is tell you don’t go down that road unless you intend to do something about it that heals the pain she carries with her.” Did he really just say that.
“So, you and her . . .” Lawson shakes his head stopping me from saying anything further.
“That woman, she doesn’t want no man. Hates working here. But here she gets the flexibility she needs and the protection I give her. Faith is family and I’ll again repeat I should fuckin’ beat your ass,” Lawson sneers.
Well fuck.
Now what do I do?