Prologue #2
Whoever he’s in with, someone I did at one point believe to be the Cannibals, is paying a shit ton of money so he’ll look the other way. The same people wearing denim cuts like the Cannibals wear, we just don’t have the proof.
“You may know what the club is partially capable of, Jacob, but you have no idea what I am capable of,” I sneer, “Next time you send a druggy to my hospital claiming damaging lies about me again, I’ll grab my scalpel and show you how fucking good my cutting skills are.”
Jacob pales, his blue eyes that match his daughter's wide, while my father does the right thing and keeps his trap shut.
Cynthia clears her throat, and I raise a brow at her seeing she’s still eyeing me up and even though I’ve just threatened her father. She has the audacity to smile and ask, “So, have you decided about the wedding?”
My jaw ticks while my father’s dark brown eyes watch me closely.
I could just kill this fucker and call it a day but then that will just bring more shit to club. Heck, I could just get Dirty to dirt on the fucker, but I know I can’t, not just yet, not with the pictures I’ve received flittering through my head like a bad fucking movie.
“I’ll marry you,” I grit, “in eight months, we’ll hold a church ceremony.”
“Why eight months and not just sign a marriage certificate now?” my dad butts in, and I send him a harsh glare and snap, “Remember who you’re talking to, Canine!”
He flinches back in shock at the use of his road name, but I ignore him and look back at the bitch and state, “No one will believe us if we marry right away, we need to sell it. Eight months!”
Cynthia squeals in delight while Jacob grins and announces, “Pictures,” and the door opens before several people rush in with cameras and notepads, and I swear to fuck I’m going to break a molar at this rate with how hard I’m gritting my teeth.
“Son –” I cut my dad off as I glare at him and sneer quietly, “After this, I want fuck all to do with you,” his eyes widen, “You pushed for this for some fucked up revenge, threatening me, my patch, and now, you’re just a brother, nothing more.”
“Come on, baby,” Cynthia giggles, and my breathing picks up as I storm past my father, shoulder-checking him before standing next to Cynthia, knowing I have a very fucking difficult conversation to have after this, one where I just hope nothing changes afterwards.
Brittany – Age Twenty Four Years Old
I giggle as my phone rings while Rusty, the Labrador puppy that I really want to take home, licks my chin with excitement.
His brown paws flat against my chest as he stands on the exam table, his little fluffy tail wagging, and I grab my phone and without looking at the screen I answer, “Hello,” with a little laugh.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” my dad replies, “You with that secret boyfriend by any chance?”
I snort at the grumble in his voice, the thought of his little girl growing up, having a boyfriend no less, something he tried to ban me from having growing up, ticking him off.
Bobby Hills, AKA, Shadow, a brother of the Rebels MC since he was seventeen years old, can be very scary when he wants to be, but not to me.
To me, he’s my protector and I have had him in my life since I was like two and a half so his scare tactics don’t even affect me anymore and I know for a fact he won’t scare my boyfriend.
Won’t stop him from being upset when he realizes who I’ve been seeing behind his back. Which is why I had been putting off telling him for a while, now though, I want to tell, to get it over with, I just, I have to convince my guy to agree.
“No,” I admit with another giggle as Rusty nips at my chin this time, “I’ve been spending my evening with Rusty, a three-month-old puppy who's come in for a full check-up. His owners should be here soon.” I grin, “Do you think I’ll get away with dognapping him?”
Dad laughs and replies, “I doubt it, sweetheart,” and I huff as I look into the pups dark eyes.
I really fricking want him.
Growing up, I always knew Shadow wasn’t my biological father and that his son, Bradley, AKA Thunder, was not my biological brother but I never lost that familial love for them.
Instead, I honored it because they see me as family and family, that is everything.
They will be so disappointed in me and that’s a hard pill to swallow.
And Mama, she is going to freak…
“When do we get to meet this boyfriend of yours anyhow?” Dad asks, changing the subject back, and I wince as I hear Thunder say loudly, “Yeah, little sis, when? I need to do some grilling…”
I clear my throat. It’s like this every time he calls or if we’re at our family Sunday roasts.
They hate that I’m not bringing him around, that they can’t vet him. My boyfriend and I, agreed to keep us on the downlow, until we figure out where we’re going. It’s going to be a year today and in my mind, he’s my future, my forever but him, he’s still apparently unsure which hurts, a lot.
“Soon,” I lie, and my smile vanishes.
I’m beginning to think he doesn’t see a future with us. I mean, why else would he not know how he feels yet?
God, he hasn’t even told me he loves me yet, while I tell him every single day. All I get in return is a hum. I get it, he’s worried about the fallout, but surely if he sees a future with me, he wouldn’t care, right?
But he doesn’t… the voice whispers, and I clear my throat as dad confirms, “You still coming around in two days to go light a candle with your mama?”
I smile softly and murmur, “Yeah, Dad, I wouldn’t miss it….”
“Good, sweetheart,” Dad replies, “I’ll let you get back to Rusty, just uh, no puppy napping please, I don’t want to explain to my club that I need their help bailing out my daughter for dognapping.”
I hear Thunder laugh his ass off in the background, and I chuckle.
That would be interesting, for sure.
Mama and I, we don’t have anything to do with the club, we don’t speak to them or even smile at a member if we see them in the street. My dad’s orders supposedly, though I know it comes from her.
They know Shadow has a wife and a kid he adopted, but respect him enough to stay clear of us.
My biological father was a police officer, a good one, and he loved Mama and me with everything in him.
He was her childhood sweetheart, together since eighth grade and married her as soon as they graduated but unfortunately he was gunned down when called out on a 911 dispatch.
His killers were never found and while I know how much she loves Shadow, she will always hold love for my dad.
“Alright, sweetheart, love you,” Dad says, and I smile and reply, “Love you too, Dad,” as Thunder shouts, “Love yah shithead,” and I laugh as Dad scolds, “Don’t call your sister a shithead,” as he hangs up.
“I feel sorry for whoever ends up with him,” I say to the puppy who yips.
I giggle as I stroke his head before a loud screech of “No” echoes, making me jump just as the receptionist, Harper, storms into my exam room. I raise a brow at her as she paces while running her manicured nails through her light blonde, brown hair.
Why she’s in here, I don’t know. We don’t really get along to be honest, and that is mainly because she couldn’t pass her exams to become a veterinary nurse, while I did.
The practice, Wincher Vets, offered her a receptionist job while she studies, and she tries again. However, she hated that I got the nurse role, a position she had been bragging about getting in school.
Did I mention I spent years in the same class as her, being bullied?
“I cannot believe this!” she snaps, and I raise a brow and ask, “Believe what exactly? And why are you in my room?”
She glares at me, her hazel eyes full of hate as she snaps, “I need to cool down somewhere, Shitney!”
Okay then, I see were back to the nasty name calling.
I widen my eyes at the puppy before smiling as I stroke his head again.
I really, really, want to dog nap him…
“I cannot believe he’s off the market,” Harper frets, “I’ve wanted him for years, fucking years, and he’s taken, the president of the Rebels is taken.”
I look at her with shock, my eyes wide, my mouth open a little.
How did she…?
Just as I begin to think, Harper growls, “Look, Shitney, look at this,” as she shows me her phone screen, “She isn’t even pretty!”
I ignore Harper as my eyes take in Doc, my boyfriend for the last year, posing in a picture with his stoic look, his arm wrapped around Cynthia Smith, the senator's daughter, with the headline, ‘Wedding bliss for the senator's daughter and Dr. Conners, the president of the Rebels MC.’
All air leaves me as complete pain fills me along with confusion.
A year, a whole year wasted…
I thought maybe he, oh god.
Guess he really didn’t see forever.
My chest tightens as Rusty whines, licking my chin and I swallow hard and mutter, “I’ve got to put Rusty back in the crate until his owners show,” and I pick the puppy up and turn, walking out the room, leaving a seething Harper to stare at a picture she has no idea just ruined my whole world and suddenly, love doesn’t exist.
All the little touches, the talks, the laughter, the happiness over the past year flood back to me.
Was it all a lie?
Has he been seeing her this whole time?
Is that why he didn’t want to tell the club? To tell my dad and brother about us?
Was I just a game to him?
My mind is spinning as I walk into the back, nausea hitting me as little barks and whines hit my ears along with meows. I don’t miss the tingling sensation or Doc leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches me intently.
Guess he’s come to tell me about his engagement, I think bitterly.
Now I know why he didn’t want to tell my dad about us. He just wanted a taste of the forbidden fruit.
I don’t acknowledge him, I don’t need to.. There isn’t anything to say as far as I’m concerned, not anymore.
I could ask him if I was just a game to him, I could ask him if he just laughed every time I told him I loved him and didn’t return those feelings, but what is the point?
I smile softly at Rusty as I place him in his crate, and he whines when I shut it, sliding the latch across just as Doc murmurs, “I was hoping to tell you before anyone else,” clearly sensing I already know.
Normally, I’d walk into his embrace and breathe in his spicy cologne with a hint of antiseptic from the hospital.
Normally, I’d be wrapped up in his embrace, clinging to him even with a puppy in my arms but not this time, nope, he’s engaged, my boyfriend, the love of my life is marrying someone else.
My heart physically hurts, and I shake my head before turning and walking back to the reception area, knowing he won’t follow before I begin hitting him.
“Please let me explain, Tinkerbell,” he pleads, but I ignore him and walk out of the room, adamant to never speak to that man again.
He can go back to his fiancée, and I’ll pretend we never happened, that he hadn’t just torn my whole world apart while regretting ignoring my dad’s warnings about being around the club.