26. Chapter 25
Crusher
I blink as my wife goes to the dining room, and her words swim in my head.
Twelve K?
“What does she need twelve thousand dollars for?” Cage asks perplexed, completely ignoring the knocked-out woman before us, while my dad complains, “I can’t believe you’ve lived here all along.”
I roll my eyes and say, “Pres, take the bitch to the outhouse. I need a quick word with my wife,” and I step over an unconscious, soon-to-be-dead Roxy, and walk towards the dining area, Crash’s, “Good luck,” following me, and I give him the middle finger, making him chuckle.
I notice Alexiana instantly, her shoulders hunched, a pen and paper in hand, while she stares at the screen. I walk over to her before gently wrapping my arms around her and looking at the screen. A big smile appears, seeing what she’s researching.
“So, this is what you’ll need twelve thousand for,” I murmur as I gently kiss her neck, causing her to shiver against me and even though she probably doesn’t want to, her body melts into mine.
“And more probably,” she huffs, and I sigh because she won’t rely on me for the money.
Fuck’s sake.
“What’s it going to take?” I ask, and she turns her head and raises a brow, and I smile at how unruly her hair is today, making her look so fucking beautiful.
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“For you to accept my help,” I answer her, and she flinches, but I continue, “I get it, it’s hard to allow others to help you.
It’s hard to allow me in after what I did, but surely you can see how much I fucking love you, how much I am trying here,” I press a kiss against her shoulder, “Skating is who you are, baby, it’s who you’ve always been so please, forget about what I did for just a moment, one moment.
Put yourself first because for the past eight years, you’ve been putting our son first and his needs and I’m telling you, book the fucking class, my cards are saved on the laptop, please… ”
I kiss her head and breathe her in before I whisper, “I love you, Alexiana, I’m doing everything that you want me to do, please, do this for me, for our son, be happy with a career we all know you’ll love,” before I take a step back and whisper, “I’ll be back soon,” then storm through the house, passing two prospects cleaning up the blood from that bitch and head towards my bike, feeling very fucking happy that I was already turning into gateway when Knuckles called.
***
Sobbing echoes the walls as I storm into the outhouse and slam the door behind me, gaining everyone's attention, and Roxy, instead of pleading, shakes with fear, already seeing her fate.
No one comes after my wife, and over the years, even before I fucked up, she saw how devoted I was to Alexiana. She knew she took advantage of me twice, she knows I never would have touched her if I wasn’t so fucking intoxicated and emotional.
“Damn, don’t think I’ve ever seen someone sitting in that chair and not plead for their life,” my dad comments as I remove my cut and throw it against the wall, hitting the chair.
I don’t like hurting women, actually, I fucking detest it. This woman though? She took it a step too far all because I didn’t want her, which is so fucking pathetic, and yet the woman I do want is trying her hardest not to want me.
Fuck my life.
“She knows he was never hers,” Cage mentions as I round towards the table and pick up the gun.
As I said, I don’t like hurting women, so I won’t torture her.
“Wait,” she chokes as I bring up the gun and I raise a brow at her last-ditch effort but anger soon shoots as the room tenses when she whispers, “you have a traitor, a brother, he was the one who let me in, the one who took me to the property, I-I, he’s been sleeping with Alexiana’s father, he’s in bed literally with the Chargers, please… ”
Son of a bitch.
“Who?” Cage demands as he takes a step forward while I keep the gun aimed at her head, but I don’t shoot.
She’s telling the truth, I know that for a fact because normally her right eye twitches, it’s her tell, one everyone fucking knows, and she’s keeping eye contact with me.
“Not until you let me go,” she chokes, and I flare my nostrils.
Fucking bitch is bargaining for her life when she tried to kill Alexiana.
“You’re lying then,” Cage deflects, and she chokes, “I’m not, I swear. He’s pissed because he didn’t get the officer role, he’s pissed because his brother had everything he wanted, please, he’s the one who helped me take pictures and change Alexiana’s name on Crusher's phone, please…”
“Uncle Spider,” Bones snaps and Roxy screams, “No!” confirming his thoughts, and that is all I need.
I pull the trigger, one bullet to the head before it drops, and Cage demands, “Brothers, get to the fucking club!”
Everyone listens, and we storm out of the outhouse and towards the clubhouse, anger radiating from all of us.
Spider has always been fucking bitter about Treasure taking the club treasurer position.
The man was amazing with money and raising shit tons for the club, and his son continues his role even better.
If I’m honest, I was always jealous of their relationship and how Treasure was always fucking supportive of his son.
We should have seen this fucking coming, especially when the brothers denied Spider the role, knowing he was shit with money and would have lost everything.
***
“He’s fucking gone!” Killer snaps as we get into the full common room, and I breathe heavy as I put my hands on my hips and shake my head.
Fuck!
“Trick?” Cage demands and he growls, “Fucker has torn all my camera cables…” as he storms out of his office.
Curses echo while everyone looks on in confusion, so Cage explains, “Seems we had a traitor in our club,” causing everyone to tense until he confirms, “Spider has just helped Roxy try and attack Alexiana and has been having sexual relations with a Charger. It’s how the fuckers knew where to find us over the years,” and outrage roars echo, and I take a deep breath.
“I need to get back to my wife, see if she knows anything that could help us find the fucker,” I mutter to Blaze, and he nods, but before I can take a step, my mom stops before us, wringing her fingers, and she asks, “Have you got a minute, son?” like there isn’t brothers losing their shit around her.
I shake my head because I haven’t got time for this shit, and Dad steps up next to us and reminds me, “You always respected your mother, don’t change that just because she couldn’t leave me for what I did.”
“Couldn’t? Or you tied me up until I agreed to stay until Hayes finished high school, knowing I wouldn’t be able to after that long?” she asks with a snip, and I raise a brow because what the fuck?
“Seriously, you tied her up after you fucked her and me up royally? And Blaze?” I confirm, and Dad winces.
“I’ve fucked up a lot over the years…” he mutters, and Blaze grunts, “No shit!” then shoves me towards the nearest table, and I roll my eyes while Trick pats my shoulder in good luck as he storms past us to try to sort out the feeds and Cage gets into damage control.
“Crusher, you’ll let me know what Alex says?” he confirms, and I nod as I take a seat, and he winces seeing my predicament, but instead of getting me out of it, the fucker salutes me and goes with Trick to his office.
Jackass.
“First, I need to know, son, are you hanging up your cut?” Dad begins, and everyone quiets, hearing him.
Awesome.
We should be finding Spider, ensuring our club is safe, our women and kids are safe, not sitting down for a fucking chit chat.
Blaze nudges me, and I sigh, “No, I’m not,” and everyone relaxes behind me. I explain, “My wife is testing me, and if I give up my cut, then I’ve failed.”
Dad nods with relief while Mom looks at Blaze, who states, “I’m not here for any family moments, I’m here for my little brother, that is it. We won’t be having a relationship, and neither will Killer and I. Focus on the son you both destroyed for no fucking reason.”
Dad nods while Mom looks like she wants to ball, and I sigh.
“What is it you needed, Mom? Because, not to be rude, but I need to get to my girl,” I say softly, and she sniffles.
“I miss my son,” she whispers, “I know I stayed with your dad back then, I understand you felt pushed aside, but you’re an adult now.”
“Yeah,” I cut in, “an adult whose wife left him when he cheated on her to run from the pain that his father dismissed him. One who ruined his whole childhood, and showed he really didn’t matter to him, and you stood there and allowed it.
You stood there and said ‘okay’, so what, you’ve fathered another child, and gave him your youngest's spot,” I lean forward and say, “You allowed him to derail my life, then push me aside, you allowed him to get away with being a cheater and an asshole.”
“I didn’t, I tried to leave,” she says, but I shake my head.
“No, Mom, if you truly wanted to leave, just like my wife, you would have left no matter what,” I reply, “Dad chose his,” I give Blaze a wince, and he nods for me to say it, “love child over the son he’s spent years grooming into his role, ensuring he was never good enough.
My fractured relationship with you and him are the last things on my mind, and I’m sorry but I need to get to my wife. ”
“Holding a grudge will eat you alive,” she chokes, not even defending herself.
“I don’t hold a grudge, now, big brother, there does, and I don’t really blame him, but me, I don’t, I just have other priorities right now, Mom,” I say as I stand, and Blaze follows suit, calling me a “fucker” beneath his breath, making me snort, and I walk away from my parents.
I don’t hate them, I don’t, it’s just like what I said to my mom, I have other priorities.
***
“Alex, tell your husband that he couldn’t beat me in the ring,” Blaze states five minutes later as we walk into the house.
Alex looks up from her seat on the couch, and I take a seat beside her, my arm automatically going over her shoulders, and she leans into me, making me relax, and I close my eyes as she replies, “You already know he can’t, you need to let this notion go… ”
Blaze groans while I smile slightly before looking at my wife as I gently tuck her unruly hair behind her ear.
“How long have you known a brother was a traitor?” I ask while Blaze sits quietly.
She winces, “Crap, I knew there was something I was forgetting,” before she admits, “Since I was like ten, way before we got together. I actually walked in on the man thrusting into my father’s ass.
It was fucking sick, and then I’d hear all about your runs, the routes you’d take, and the pickup code words, which I’m guessing was something to do with trafficking kids.
I didn’t know he was still a part of your club until today. ”
I nod and murmur, “You should have told me.”
“I should have,” she agrees.
Angel jumps on her lap, and I scowl at the animal before glaring at Blaze, who is looking at the ceiling like it’s the most interesting thing going, causing my girl to giggle.
“You can’t kill me if she giggles like that!” he states, and I roll my eyes before looking at my wife, who has the biggest grin on her face, and I can’t help but smile in return.
“Do you love me?” I ask, and she tilts her head.
“You know I do,” she replies, and I eye my hoodie on her and nod.
“Then trust, it’ll come back, you just have to let yourself fall so I can catch you,” I say, and Blaze hums in agreement, and my wife sighs.
“I’ve paid for the classes,” she admits quietly while stroking the dog, and I smile.
“It’s a really good fucking start,” I murmur before kissing her head, and I feel her lean onto me just as I hear Blaze mumble, “Yeah, you two are going to be good…”
And I really fucking hope he is right because I can’t live without this girl.