Chaos
The scene of Shadow rushing into the clubhouse’s common room replayed in my head as I raced to Bianca’s apartment.
I’d been at the clubhouse, trying to find something, anything, to take my mind off Bianca and the silence between us.
I’d been sitting alone, with the guys leaving me to my thoughts, when Shadow ran in.
He came straight to me. I was on my feet before he reached me.
“What happened to her?” I asked. I knew that look could only mean something had happened to Bianca.
“Mishap is headed her way. There’s no other reason I know of for him to go to Sparta than her,” Shadow replied.
“How do you know he’s headed there?” I asked.
“I had this feeling in my gut that has been acting up for the past hour. I don’t know how I knew to check on him.
You know how it is with me sometimes. Anyway, I have trackers on all bikes and vehicles.
You know that. It’s for safety in case someone goes missing.
I checked his, and there it was, headed toward Sparta.
He was coming from the east rather than from Eatonton. Not sure why.”
By then the guys in the clubhouse gathered around us, wearing concerned expressions.
Shadow’s last word barely faded before I was racing for the door.
I heard brothers shouting, but I kept going.
I’d come from town and stopped here first, so my bike was outside the clubhouse.
I was getting situated to ride out when Storm and Ryder came out the door.
They swung onto their bikes without saying anything.
“I got this,” I told them.
“You’re not riding alone. You don’t know where Mishap’s head is these days. You might need us. And we’re pulling rank, so it’s an order,” Storm stated gruffly.
“Thanks,” I said, not bothering to argue when I knew I wouldn’t win. We’d taken off a minute later.
The two of them helped to keep me from riding recklessly. It probably saved my life. When we made it to the parking lot of her apartment complex, I didn’t take time to scan the lot for Mishap’s bike. Maybe we beat him there.
We parked haphazardly, then rushed for her door.
I was bearing down on it, fist raised to knock, when I heard a scream from inside.
Panic surged within me. Instead of knocking, I raised my boot and kicked close to the handle with the full force of my leg behind it.
I heard a crack, then the door burst inward.
I charged inside, ready to kill to protect my woman.
Bianca was at the start of the short hallway leading to her bedroom.
Across from her, on the edge of what was the living room, stood Mishap and a surprise and unwanted third person, Byron.
I ran over and placed my body between them and her.
After Storm and Ryder got inside, they closed the door, and they put themselves between the two men and me. Her intruders stared daggers at me.
I turned to Bianca. She was a little pale. Her wide gaze focused on me. I moved closer, but I made sure not to touch her, even though I was dying to.
“Are you hurt anywhere, Bianca? Did they touch you?” I asked sharply.
She shook her head. “No, they didn’t touch me, but I thought I might be stopped from leaving the room. I told them to leave. And I didn’t let them inside. I thought it was you, and when I discovered it wasn’t, they pushed their way inside.”
The more she explained, the more furious I became. Her ex, I could see him not listening to boundaries, but Mishap was different. Jesus, he had switched fucking personalities. After tonight, the club would have to vote on what to do with him.
“You’re sure you aren’t hurt? I know you’re scared, but we won’t let them touch you,” I promised.
“I swear, I’m unharmed.”
“What the fuck are you doing here? And with him?” Storm barked at Mishap.
“I’m here on family business. It doesn’t concern the club,” her cousin replied.
“I don’t give a goddamn if it is family business. The second she screamed, that said she’s afraid. And it becomes club business not only because you’re involved, but also because she’s Chaos’s woman. The club protects her,” VP snarled.
“She’s not his woman. They broke up. Go ahead, Bianca, tell them. We’re discussing family stuff, and they’re not needed. You screamed without a reason,” Mishap demanded.
There was a small silence before Bianca answered him.
“It’s not family-related talk. I told you it wasn’t happening, not ever. And I asked you to leave. You weren’t. Then you acted as if you were moving toward me, so I screamed. My next move was to run and lock myself in my room while I called the cops,” Bianca said forcefully.
“What isn’t happening?” Ryder asked. He was facing off against Byron, who seemed uneasy. Storm stood before Mishap.
“I came here with Byron to talk sense into her. She’s done with Chaos, and it’s time she went home to her husband. Byron learned his lesson. He’s no longer with that woman. Bianca is still a tiny bit upset that he left her, so she was making us work to get her to come with us,” Mishap explained.
“It wasn’t being a tiny bit upset! He had an affair, hid it for a year, then cruelly walked in and told me he wanted a divorce.
Then he proceeded to tell me all the ways she was a better woman than I’d ever be.
And now that they’re broken up, I’m supposed to forget all that and go back to him?
That’s the most fucked-up thing I’ve ever heard,” Bianca snapped.
“Bianca, proper ladies don’t swear,” Byron said, giving her a disapproving glance.
“Then I’m not a motherfucking, goddamn, cocksucking, he-whoring, son of a bitch lady! All the more reason to leave and not want me back,” she snarled.
Byron’s face turned red as he sputtered. Storm, Ryder, and I all burst into clapping and whistling, which made Bianca’s mouth twist into a smirk.
“You, uhm, ahh, can’t—” Byron said.
“Shut up before I shut you up,” Ryder told Byron. Her ex closed his mouth.
“Bianca, you’re not making sense. You love Byron.
I know he hurt you, but he swears he’ll never do it again.
He needs you at home. Stop this nonsense.
You took the first step and broke it off with Chaos.
Going back to Augusta with Byron is the final step,” her cousin stated with frustration in his tone.
“Who said Chaos and I are through?” she asked.
Mishap blinked, then appeared confused.
“He told everyone that you went off about the tracker, cameras, and the program on your laptop. You told him that you wanted him to leave you alone. No contact.”
“True, I did find out about that and requested he leave me alone, along with the rest of the club, so that I could think without distractions. He has done that. But to be honest, I’ve thought about it, and it’s you I should be the most pissed off at,” she flung back at Mishap.
“Why the hell would you be upset with me?” he asked incredulously.
“Why? Because they made the suggestion, didn’t they? They put it out there.”
“Yeah, so,” Mishap replied.
“So, they only recommended it. You agreed, then gave them my key so they could enter my home without my permission. I have no doubt they deferred to you, as my relative, on whether it should be done. You said yes. So, you bear more responsibility for it than anyone else does, even Chaos.”
I admit, I was stunned that she said that. It made it sound as if she wasn’t as angry with me as she had been, but I refused to let myself feel hope. Even though she thought this way, Bianca had remained silent for days.
“I can’t believe you! Everything was going great, and then you moved here, and now my club is angry with me. You think it’s a good idea to fool around with one of my brothers. And when your husband comes to take you home, you refuse!” His attitude changed from somewhat angry to almost livid.
“I’ve heard enough bullshit. One more time. Bianca, do you want them to leave?” I asked.
“Yes, I want them to go and not to come back. Byron, I want you to listen and hear me this time. I’m never, ever fucking coming back to you. Even if you were the last man on the planet and we were asked to repopulate it, my answer would be hell no.”
Ryder chuckled. “I think she made that very plain. Alright, you’re out of here. Let’s go.”
There was mild protesting from her ex, but he was easy enough to make move when Ryder mean-mugged his ass. Mishap argued with Storm. I thought I might have to help VP physically toss him out, but in the end, Mishap left, and he wasn’t happy about it.
I watched Bianca’s body sag when they were out of sight.
Taking a chance, I placed an arm around her and led her to the couch.
She slumped on it. I went to the kitchen and got her some water.
I handed the glass to her. She gave me a thankful smile as she drank half the water.
By the time she stopped drinking, Storm and Ryder had returned.
“Are they really gone?” she asked.
“We watched them leave. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t return the second we go,” Storm told her.
“And since Chaos broke your lock, you can’t stay here until it’s fixed, Bianca,” Ryder added.
“Unless you allow one of us to stay with you,” Storm tacked on.
I knew what they were doing. They were trying to get her to stay at the compound, preferably with me, in the hope it would repair things between us. I would love it, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen.
“Guys, I agree she can’t stay here tonight. I’ll fix it first thing in the morning. For tonight, it’s up to you where you stay, Bianca. I’m not leaving until you’re safely tucked somewhere for the night,” I informed her.
Bianca sat there, saying nothing for almost a minute. She stared at the water glass in her hands. Finally, she raised her head and answered.
“Thank you for coming to rescue me. I do appreciate it very much. I hope you don’t think I’m rude, but Ryder, Storm, would you please leave? Chaos and I need to talk, and we don’t need an audience.”
My heart sank. She was about to strike the final blow and make our separation permanent.
My eyes stung, so I blinked a few times to make them stop.
I stood there while my brothers said goodbye to her, smacked me on the back, and gave me looks that screamed, Good luck.
They pulled the door closed. I stood there, not knowing what to do or say.
Getting down on my knees probably wouldn’t fix anything.
“Cash, I want you to sit. I’m not sure how long this will take.”
Slowly, I eased myself down into the chair that was angled toward her on the couch.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, Lioness. The floor is yours. Say anything you want. I know I broke your trust, and you feel violated. I’m so damn sorry. I am.”
“Let me first say thank you for coming here and taking care of my cousin and Byron. I don’t know what is wrong with Mishap. It’s like he’s had a brain transplant or something. But it confirmed that he was the one who got Byron here that first time.”
“You don’t have to say thank you to me, Bianca. I will always be here to help, regardless of whether or not we’re together.” I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.
She studied me before she responded. “You actually mean that.”
“I do.”
“Why? Why would you come near me if we’re not together? I hardly think whatever future woman you have in your life would like it.”
“First of all, there won’t be another woman in my life. Secondly, I’ll do it and watch out for you because I love you. Even if we’re apart, I want you safe and happy.”
She twisted her hands, dropping her gaze, then bringing it back up.
“I’m confused, Cash,” she whispered.
“Confused about what, baby?” I asked.
“You, us, the club. I feel as if I was betrayed, yes, and in a way violated, but then I see you guys do something like this, and I can see what having those safeguards in place can do. Although, if you took all of them away, how did you know Mishap was here?” Her eyes narrowed at me.
“It had nothing to do with us spying on you. It was the tracker on his bike. Shadow had a funny feeling in his gut, so he checked the program that shows our trackers and saw that your cousin was heading this way. There was only one reason to come here, so I came to make sure you were okay, and the other two insisted on riding along.”
“Your trackers?”
“Yeah, all of our bikes and other vehicles have them. It’s a precaution taken in case something happens. One of us disappears. Unable to reach someone. You’re broken down in the middle of nowhere, and your phone died. Or we’re run off the road and are lying in a ditch.”
“God, don’t say that about the ditch. So, you track everyone. It wasn’t just me.”
I heard the speculation in her voice.
“Yes, we do. It’s a precaution. And it’s for other reasons.
Some of the other clubs we’re friends with actually put trackers in themselves, their partners, and kids.
Before you think that’s terrible, it has helped us find old ladies who have been taken.
And when you do some of the things we do, it’s smart to be cautious. ”
“What kind of things do you do?” Bianca asked.
Here it was—time to tell her that her suspicions about our club were true. I’d decided yesterday that if she allowed me to speak to her again, I would tell her everything. I knew she wouldn’t turn us over to the police or tell anyone.