Chapter 18
Crusher– Three Days Later
I eye the prospects loading up the Dark Angels’ van with the couple thousands rounds of ammo and a few hundred guns that we just picked up from the Cartel.
I refuse to take my eyes off them while trying my hardest not to let my anger spill out.
It has been uncontrollable for the past three days, since I got off shift to find Trick waiting for me at the fucking motel.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I climb off my bike, eyeing my wife and son’s motel room, my back fucking killing me.
I just got off of a twelve-hour shift, spent five of that at a pile-up half an hour out of town, and I really want to see my fucking girl and kid. I don’t have time for whatever Trick needs.
I need to get her to stay.
“They’re gone,” Trick sighs, shocking the shit outta me before I shout, “What the fuck do you mean they are gone?!”
“Kayden is safe to travel, and after I said shit I shouldn’t have said, shit I know for a fact you are going to kick the shit outta me for, she left.
Not before her mom had a go at her for whoring herself out to biker scum – her fucking words – and leaving her in the lurch.
The bitch smacked her,” Trick grunts, “And who the fuck is her dad?
Because brother, I think you are only half the reason why she won't come back here, he is the other half, something about him being a murderer.”
I blink and then blink again because shit, that is a lot to unpack.
I’ve gone from anger, to fury, to confusion, back to fury again.
“What did you say to her?” I decide to start with, and he winces as he rubs the back of his neck, and I narrow my eyes.
What the fuck did he do?
Clearing his throat, he admits, “Basically accused her of keeping your son from you and being petty for still being hurt after so long for what you did.”
Son of a…
“I’m going to kill you,” I say completely calmly, and he takes a step back with a wince and reminds me, “You love me, remember, I’m your family, not by blood but family nonetheless, and I was fucking frustrated, alright?
I know it was wrong, believe me. I fucking stopped myself from saying more nasty shit, but she already realized what I was going to say, and honestly, brother, everything you have tried she’s shoved down.
I had had enough and just wanted her to snap the fuck out of it, and fuck, I felt completely guilty.
Even worse really, considering Kayden told her he hated her when she said they were going home before I snapped so she was already upset and I just wasn’t thinking brother, I’m sorry. ”
I slowly close my eyes. My girl lives for our son, I have realized that, so him saying that shit probably destroyed her.
Trick sent her over the edge, especially when he knows what I did is something hard for her to forgive, fuck, I doubt Clark would ever forgive him if he did what I did, and he knows this.
“And her mom?” I ask.
“She lost it with her, and she snapped when Alex tried to walk away from her. I threatened her, shoved her against the wall, but you know your girl, she’s all fucking heart.
She told her mom to get it together and to get rid of her father, and then they may be able to talk.
I saw the look in Alex’s eyes, she was basically saying goodbye to her mom.
She doesn’t think she’ll kick her dad to the curb. ”
“You do a check on my wife?” I confirm, and he nods.
“Her father isn’t listed,” he sneers, before he admits, “she’s also taking an accounting class, basically bankrupting herself for a career she has no interest in. Math was always her weak point, and she's up to her eyeballs in debt.”
I take a deep breath before looking at the motel to control my anger, then looking back at him.
“I’m on the next run, and we’re meeting Blade right outside of Rose Hill, so I won’t be coming back.
I need to see Alexiana, we need to talk because I’m not doing this shit anymore.
I want my wife back, even if it means doing what Cage suggested in church.
Send me the details on the debt, I’ll pay them off and drop that fucking accounting class.
She was meant to be skating and skating she will be doing.
Cage mentioned Drew’s idea about Alexiana teaching, and I think it is fucking perfect,” I walk over to my bike and say, “Meet me in the ring tomorrow!”
Trick groans, but I ignore him as I start my bike up and clench my jaw.
Alexiana is done fucking running, and it’s time she told me about her past, a past not even Blaze knows because apparently her dad was never there. And when he was, he wasn’t allowed around when he was home.
Freckles, you better get ready, because I know where you are now.
“Why is he glaring at us?” I hear one of the prospects ask, and I clench my jaw as Tray grunts, “Just do your work, trust me, you don’t want to anger him right now, he makes Knuckles look like a kitten with his anger.”
The prospect's face pales, and I hold in my smirk.
The fucker is right, they don’t want to anger me right now because I’ll crush before I think.
We have a traitor, that much is real, meaning everyone is under suspicion until we find out who. My wife is still refusing marriage counselling, claiming Kayden is too unwell to leave alone, pissing me the fuck off.
I spent two hours in the ring with Trick while Clark watched, making sure I didn’t kill him, but understanding he fucked up, and my anger is still tearing through me.
Alexiana isn’t to blame for why I missed out on seven years with Kayden, Roxy is, Mom slightly as well. She never told me about the phone call she fucking answered but had no right to.
“Did you speak to your mom?” Cage asks as he stands beside me alongside Blade, and I grunt, “Yeah,” then explain, “She said I was in the ring when my phone rang, and the caller ID said stalker, which is why she answered. Roxy or whoever was working with her had access to my phone and changed my wife’s contact name before changing it back, so I didn’t get suspicious.
Though how they knew to change it, I don’t fucking know, unless it’s what they did every time I was in the ring. ”
“I must admit, I’ve never seen a patch chaser go to these kinds of lengths before,” Blade mutters, and I nod in agreement.
“She’s giving more crazy vibes now than patch chaser,” Cage states, “She wanted you in high school, had you once and instantly claimed you as hers, and that was it. Anything that got in her way became a target. Something is telling me she has no idea you married Alexiana because your wife would have an even bigger target on her head, and I’m concerned for Kayden because we can’t find this bitch. ”
“Venom has been helping Trick but fucking nothing, it’s like the woman is a ghost,” Blade grunts, and I take a deep breath, knowing if Venom, their tech guru and our tech guru, can’t find her, then she’s got help.
“The Chargers, they have to be the ones helping her, maybe she promised to help take down our club so they can continue trying to kidnap kids, or she offered them a certain child,” I say, and both men tense in understanding, and I say it out loud, “What better way to get revenge than to sell the club's SA’s child?”
“It won’t fucking happen, we won’t let it,” Blade snaps, and I nod in thanks before Tray shouts, “All done,” and I look at Cage and say, “Right, I’ve got to get to my family, they’ll be at the rink, you good here?”
He nods as Blade states, “Flame will take your place escorting the brothers back with your goods, just in case that fucked up group attacks.”
“I appreciate it,” I say as I fist bump him, and Cage asks, “Does she know that you’re the reason she gets to skate for free?”
“Nope, and she won’t find out just yet, just like she won’t find out that her accounting class has been dropped and she is no longer in debt until she’s back home where she fucking belongs,” I mutter, and he laughs.
I paid her boss fifty thousand to not only increase her paycheck by five dollars an hour but also allow her to skate whenever she wants.
He was all too happy to oblige, especially when I mentioned he’d get that monthly until she leaves, and now the fucker is hoping she’ll stay, which isn’t going to happen.
Cage’s idea is looking more and more appealing.
***
I walk into the rink ten minutes later, fucking happy that the drop off was close to town. Walking towards the double doors, my body already humming from being this close to my wife.
As soon as I walk through the doors, I pause, seeing my son standing next to the barrier, and I fucking melt at his small smile as he watches his mama spin on the ice, looking magnificent, her hair down, flowing around her, her face soft.
Fuck she’s amazing, and fuck, I was an idiot back then.
Ever regretted something and wished you could take it back? Because I know I do.
“Are you supposed to be skating?” I hear snapped, and I turn to see the preppy jackass from the hospital scowling at my wife. I narrow my eyes at the fucker and his stupid slicked back hair.
Alexiana doesn’t answer him, instead, she twirls on the ice, then skates backwards before doing some fancy jump thing that has our son cheering, and I grin widely at his pride for his mama.
I’ve spoken to him every day the past three days, he’s been struggling with his sleep, dreaming of the woman going for him again.
He mentioned seeing someone which kind of pissed me off slightly because she’ll send our son to see someone professional, but she won’t see one with me, and my boy has expressed his guilt over telling his mom he hated her.
He cried for an hour on the phone the evening they arrived back here, and I felt fucking helpless.
“Alex!” the man snaps, and I open my mouth to snap back at him, but my son beats me to it and growls, “She has permission, and she is clocked off! Leave my mama alone, Jarrold. She doesn’t want you, it’s my daddy's name on her wrist, not yours!”
Well shit, I couldn’t have said it better myself, other than knocking the fucker out.
Jarrold’s face reddens before he snaps, “Your daddy –”
I cut him off and announce, “Is right here, so watch what you fucking say to my son,” and Alexiana snaps, “Language, Hayes!” and I smirk as she skates up to the boards while Kayden looks everywhere but at his mom because the boy wants to laugh.
I swear, her nickname for him is spot on.
Even when he doesn’t mean to, the boy has trouble following him everywhere, including dropping half his lunch tray on a nurse in the hospital.
I think that one may have been on purpose, she was flirting with me despite me showing her my ring tattoo, and my boy did not look impressed.
Jarrold swallows hard as he takes in my cut before he mumbles, “I need to get to work,” and I snort as I walk over to my son, who is rushing my way.
He throws his arms around my waist, and I kiss his head before mumbling, “Go get your stuff ready, I’m going to convince your mom to let you go on my bike,” and he grins wide before rushing to a table near the back, and I look at my wife, who looks concerned.
“Will he be safe on the bike?” she asks cautiously instead of saying no, and I smile as I lean on the barrier, taking in her freckles that I love so fucking much.
“He will, I’ll protect him with my life,” I swear, and she takes a deep breath as if letting the icy air fill her lungs, to help her decide. To decide if she trusts me enough with our son on my bike, and when she nods, I’m both proud but also disappointed.
She trusts me with Kayden, just not with her heart anymore, and that is one fucking hard pill to swallow.
“You didn’t wait until I’d finished work before leaving town,” I mention because the woman has refused to speak to me. She would put Kayden on the phone for past three days. She stiffens before she clears her throat, hoping I wouldn’t notice how tense she just got.
“I needed to get home,” she lies, and I hum and confirm, “So it wasn’t because your mom had found out you were in town?”
“Damn, Trick,” she mutters, and I tilt my head at her.
“Talk to me, baby,” I whisper, but she shakes her head.
“There’s nothing to talk about, you’re here to spend time with your son,” she replies hastily, and I clench my jaw to stop myself from snapping back.
“I’m here to win my wife back as well,” I say calmly, despite feeling anything but, and she shakes her head again, and I swear my patience is fucking thinning.
“It isn’t going to happen,” she says, and I quickly reply, “Therapy could help…”
“No, it won’t help, and I refuse to do it. I don’t care that the judge is in your pocket, I won’t let him or anyone else, including you, bully me into sitting in some room with a stranger!”
“Why fucking not?” I snap back, finally losing my cool, and she glares at me before seeing Kayden waiting near the door for me.
“Okay, first of all, language, Hayes, or I swear I will start calling you your road name!” she snaps, and I suck my lip ring into my mouth to stop my smile before she states, “Because it's all fake!
It'll be someone on your side who will try to make me believe I was in the wrong to run away, who will try to get into my head because they are in with the club!”
Shit, I didn’t think she’d know that.
“I have seen right through your plan, and I’m sorry, but you are not going to get away with gaslighting me because of what you did.
You broke me, you broke us…” Wiping away a fallen tear roughly, she chokes, “I’ll go get my shoes,” then skates away from me before I can even open my mouth, and instantly, I fucking hate myself.
I didn’t want to gaslight her, I just wanted to prove to her what happened would never happen again, that I fucking love her, even after all these years, I wanted her to finally open up to me.
Swallowing hard, I shove off the barrier and walk over to my son who is looking at me with anticipation and I force a smile and ask, “Who is ready for their first motorcycle ride?” and he cheers making my smile more authentic and I grab his bag before following him out of the arena knowing my wife will follow in a second.
Once she’s composed herself because I’m such a dick and I know she’s going to hate me even more.
I only have one more plan left before I go with plan C, formerly known as Cage’s plan – tying her to the bed after I knock her out and take her home.