10. Chapter 9
Alexiana
I scrub down the coffee machine while keeping an eye on the time, knowing I have forty minutes until school is out, and I still have to wipe down all the tables and wash everything that has been used today up.
Of course, the dishwasher is broken, and Jarrold is on the second floor screwing one of the cleaners after I turned him down yet again and this is his punishment.
Me, cleaning everything up on my own but the ass has another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to just allow him to get away with this shit.
If my time runs out, I’m leaving the place how it is, there are cameras, so he’ll be on the hook, I’ll make sure of it.
I sigh as I wipe down the counter around the coffee machine before I begin washing up, my mind completely scrambled.
Hayes’ heartbreak still echoes in my head, and I really wish I hadn’t called him, that I hadn’t opened that box.
For eight years, despite listening to his voicemails, I’ve managed to try to live my life, working hard for my son.
I’ve managed to disconnect from him, but my goodness, he sounded so relieved and heartbroken when I confirmed it was me.
But then I heard her, the woman he cheated on me with, even if it was just a kiss and grope, he still touched her, it’s still cheating and not even a week after he chose his club, he slept with her.
He’s been my only since I met him, so sue me, I’m bitter.
If he loved me as he claims, wouldn’t he have stayed clear of her?
Wouldn’t he have respected me more?
And what if there really is another child involved? Could I live with that?
No, I can’t, I just…
My phone vibrates, and I sigh as I look around the rink, my eyes sliding to ice that I know I won’t be able to breathe in today, before I grab my phone from my apron, and I frown seeing a private number.
Everything inside me is telling me not to answer, but I worry that it could be the school, so I answer, “Hello?”
“Is this Mrs. Alexiana Smith?” a man confirms, and I sigh, already recognizing the voice.
“Chief, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I say as I lean against the counter, dropping the cloth on the side while I side-eye the office doorway.
“Kodi gave me your number. How are you doing, sweetheart?” he asks softly, and I swallow hard.
The man, though the only person who knows that Hayes and I are married, is the only one who knows what my home life was really like, who my father is, and who has actually helped me a few times.
“Okay, considering,” I whisper, and he sighs.
“Look, sweetheart, I fuck, you need to come home,” he says right to the point but I shake my head and even though he can’t see me, he calls me out and snaps, “Don’t shake your head at me, missy,” and I snort but he ignores it before he states, “Crusher was shot and crashed his bike.”
My humor at his fatherly tone disappears, and I stand up straight as my heart pounds, and I choke, “What do you mean? Is he okay? What happened?”
“The Chargers were following the club back from a run, and we both know it wasn’t a coincidence that they followed them when Crusher was riding,” he says, and I tremble.
Mom told Dad I was seeing Hayes because I haven’t contacted her, and Dad has targeted him.
“Mom,” I choke, and the Chief hums and says, “Yeah, your mom opened her mouth probably out of jealousy because knowing her, she probably tried to get with Crusher.” He sighs again, “He’s okay, his bike is fucked, and I had to dig the bullet out of his arm at your house, and the side of his body is scraped to shit, but shit Alex, he’s not okay mentally.
It won’t be alright until you return right where you belong.
He didn’t need to fight them sweetheart, he chose to despite not being far from the club, he didn’t wait for backup. ”
“Okay, that does it!” Hayes shouts, and I giggle as I run down the stairs, his loud steps following me.
“It isn’t my fault you haven’t fixed the faucets yet,” I call as I run towards the kitchen, but soon gasp when a strong arm wraps around my stomach, and he growls, “You knew you were turning the hot water, so don’t give me that, the water was so cold, my balls crawled back inside me!”
I laugh at his description, but my laugh gets louder as he tickles me...
“I can’t come back,” I choke as the happier times flash before me, times I wish I could return to, even just for a day, before he broke my trust and my heart.
He knew what happened with my mom, he knew I was closed off, and he chose comfort in someone else.
“Yes, you can,” Chief instantly replies, “and honestly, sweetheart, if you don’t, then I’ll put a high-risk alert out for you, and I’ll come fucking get you myself before he kills himself.”
He hangs up, and a few tears fall as I hear footsteps, and I quickly wipe them away. I shove my phone into my pocket, grab the cloth, and continue wiping down around the coffee maker, my stomach tightening.
He was shot.
He wrecked his bike.
“Seriously, you haven’t finished?” I hear Jarrold complain, and I look his way sharply, giving him a hard glare.
“What did you expect? Cleaning is a two-person job, and you know it, but because I’m a married woman and you can’t stand that I’m not going for your advances, you decided to go screw someone upstairs as a screw you to me.
Do you know what? Now that you are here, you can finish!
” I snap, causing his eyes to widen as I slam the cloth to his chest, and he opens his mouth, but soon slams it shut when we hear, “I think I’m siding with Alex on this one, Jarrold! ”
I turn and notice our boss, Mr. Finley, glaring his brown eyes at Jarrold just as my phone vibrates and our boss glares at me next and demands, “You do not answer that, Alex, I’ve already let you off with that phone call a minute ago because of Jarrold's actions.”
I raised a brow at the man and state, “That phone call was Chief Marshalls from Hill Crest. My husband was in a motorcycle accident. I was actually going to come and speak to you because I’m going to need time off for obvious reasons.”
Crap.
I swallow my gasp at my words, words I didn’t mean to say, but it seems my mouth has a mind of its fricking own.
I can’t go home!
What the hell is wrong with me?
“Oh right, damn, okay, yes, no, you go,” he stumbles just as my phone vibrates again and I frown just as Frankie the receptionist runs into the rink and shouts, “Alex, a shooter at the school,” and we all look her way in shock just as my phone goes off again and I quickly grab it to see several messages from the parents group, several panicked messages.
Oh god.
The school is on lockdown.
There’s a shooter; classes are being barricaded.
There were gunshots!
The shooter is still inside.
No one is telling us anything!
They won’t let us call our children.
It’s Toupee’s wife, he’s been screwing the receptionist!
The shooter is confined to the 3rd-grade halls!
“Oh, Kayden,” I choke before I quickly tear my apron off and run towards the exit, my boss’s, “Keep us informed, Alex,” coming through, and my first instinct is to call Hayes.