Chapter Fourteen – FelixMichelle
Two weeks after returning from my cabin, I should’ve settled into the flow of things again.
In the past, I was readjusted to the mundane nature of my normal life within three days.
But in the past, my world hadn’t been rocked by a woman who was my polar opposite, yet so perfect for me.
I should’ve rejoiced that I was free of Michelle.
The circumstances had been stressful, and she should’ve been the last person I craved.
But the heart didn’t often care for logic, and mine was no exception.
It longed to be in her presence again, to hear her sarcasm and banter with her, to hold her in my arms and punish her when she got too far out of line.
My cock agreed with the final sentiment. The memory of our fucking never failed to get me hard. Ally had reached out to me to discuss our arrangement, but I’d ended that relationship before it properly started, too hung up on Michelle to want anyone else.
I wondered if she felt the same way, or if she’d scrubbed her mind of me as she resettled into her outlaw life.
Perhaps she’d found comfort in the brute who’d help sweep her away.
Just the thought infuriated me, but there was nothing I could do.
I had no clue where she was, if she was okay, or if she wanted to see me.
So caught up in playing house, we hadn’t bothered discussing what would become of us once we were free from the seclusion of my cabin.
An oversight on my behalf, but maybe an intentional choice on hers.
Ian snapped his fingers in front of my face, brows furrowed as he examined my tight expression. “Earth to Felix. You’ve been glaring holes into the wall behind me for the past twenty minutes. What the hell is up with you? You’ve been off since you got back.”
I sighed, then shrugged. He’d tried to make small talk, but I wasn’t in the mood, just as I hadn’t been during last week’s weekly lunch.
“Just a lot of my mind,” I said simply, my words the truth despite their vagueness.
Mainly, Michelle. I was kicking myself for not at least giving her my number.
“How fucking detailed,” he grumbled, spearing a piece of chicken with his fork.
“Has it occurred to you that I don’t want you to know?”
“Has it occurred to you that I’m fucking curious about what has my best friend in such a slump? Seriously, man, I’ve never seen you so…so distracted.”
I recoiled as if slapped, his accusation offending me. “I’m not distracted.”
“You certainly aren’t present.”
“I’m still getting back into the flow of things. The snowstorm has thrown me off kilter.”
Primarily due to the woman who’d ridden it out with me. Taking things to the next level might’ve been a mistake, because now, she was haunting my every thought.
Ian snorted. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You adapt too quickly to be thrown off your game because of a freak weather event. And your cabin has a back-up generator for your back-up generator, and pipes deep enough to be unaffected by the wintry weather, so your vacation wasn’t that impacted.”
“My food supplies were low, the lights went out, and I couldn’t hunt.”
“Poor you, unable to slaughter innocent animals.”
I scowled at him. “You make me sound like a psycho, when humans have been hunting for meat since our ancestors left trees.”
I enjoyed hunting, yes, but Ian knew that I had rules.
The first was never to kill a juvenile or any animal with its young.
The second was to aim for a quick kill, so the animal wouldn’t suffer.
The third was to never waste the carcass, a practice I abhorred, and the reason I despised trophy hunters.
The meat was prepped for the freezer and used in a variety of dishes.
Bones were used for broth. Pelts and antlers were donated to an array of organizations or sold to artists.
The leftover carrion was placed in a small clearing not too far from my cabin, so the local animals could have a meal, too.
Trees didn’t obscure the area, so raptors could swoop down for an easy meal, scavenging what they wanted until land-dwellers took over the job.
“We’re getting off topic,” Ian declared, as if he wasn’t the one who’d changed the subject. “Tell me what’s bothering you. It isn’t right to keep information from your best friend.”
I hated the guilt I felt at his words, as Ian and I both had our fair share of secrets.
Why he wanted to know this one so badly was aggravating.
If he were a coworker, I’d understand, as it could be argued that my current state prevented me from caring for my patients to the fullest. It’d be a lie, but a logical one. Instead, he was just nosy.
“You’re not going to drop this, are you?” I asked with a heavy sigh.
He grinned. “You know me so well, man.”
“Very well,” I said, taking a moment to consider how to start.
There was no clever way to reveal the information he so desperately wanted to know, so I decided to just summarize the situation.
“I came across a woman who’d been shot and nursed her back to health.
Turns out she was the president of the Kansas City Royal Harlots, and we began a relationship until her club and the Bastards tracked her down and swooped her away.
I haven’t heard from her since, and I’m curious about her whereabouts. ”
Ian blinked once. Then blinked again, his jaw going slack. If I were in a better mood, I might’ve found his expression comical.
“You’re…you’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” he finally managed.
If only I were. It’d be so much easier if Michelle weren’t the cause of my stupor.
“Unfortunately, I’m deadly serious. Worst of all is how much I miss her.”
“You can’t be serious,” Ian said, disregarding what I’d just said. “You judged one of my clients just for having a Bastard as a baby daddy, and you’re telling me you had an entanglement with the president of their sister organization?”
I considered his words, then nodded. “That about sums it up, Ian.”
“Nah, man. That shit is too unlike you. Were you sober?”
“Why the fuck did you ask me if you wouldn’t believe my goddamn answer?” I barked, his shock going from mildly amusing to supremely annoying. “Unexpected shit happens, Ian.”
“There’s unexpected, and then there’s outlandish.
I mean, you stumbling across an injured woman?
Very plausible. That woman being a criminal?
Shocking, but believable. You fucking her?
Insane, for so many reasons, but alcohol and loneliness could explain it away.
But you falling for her? Completely out of character.
Did you slip on the ice and hit your head while you were away?
” A single glower was enough for him to raise his hand in surrender. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“I have fucking feelings, Ian. I’m capable of falling for someone.”
“Something I have yet to witness.” He leaned forward, pushing his plate aside so he could rest his elbows on the table. “I mean, do you miss her, or the thrill of fucking somebody like her?”
My eyes narrowed. “What the fuck do you mean, somebody like her?”
“Don’t play dumb.” When he spoke again, his voice was lowered. “A criminal.”
“She’s more than that.”
He leaned back in his chair, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Fuck me. You really did fall for her. This is…wow.”
“You’re acting like I just confessed to a felony.”
“That’d be less shocking.” I flipped him off. He shrugged. “Hey, I’m just saying. What do you even know about her, besides how good her pussy feels?”
My growl surprised us both. “Show some fucking respect.”
“What’s her favorite color?” he asked, instead of acknowledging my command.
“Purple.”
“First pet?”
“A raccoon named Patches.”
He blinked. “Uh, what?”
My lips twitched into a smile. “I had the same reaction.”
He shook his head, then continued his line of questioning.
“What’s her Zodiac sign?”
“September 18 th is her birthday, so a Virgo.”
He hummed in consideration, eyeing me as he brainstormed more questions.
“Is she from here?” he asked after a moment of silence.
“No. She’s from Memphis. Downtown to be exact.”
“What’d she wanna do as a child?”
“Engineering.”
It saddened me that she hadn’t gotten to live out her dreams, yet a selfish part of me was happy that her life’s path had led her to that forest. As traumatic as the situation must’ve been for her, it led to me discovering the most interesting woman I’d ever encountered.
Ian opened his mouth, but I held up a hand. “Enough, Ian. My lunch break is almost up, so I don’t have time for you to interrogate me about Michelle’s life.”
“Michelle,” he repeated. “Pretty name. Is she hot?”
I scowled at him. Digging in my pocket, I produced my portion of the bill in cash, threw it onto the table, and walked out, Ian’s snickers echoing behind me.
I was full of nerves as I waited for Felix to return.
Finding his practice had been laughably easy.
All it took was a quick Google search of his name and location, and I had the address of his office.
I’d arrived minutes after they’d reopened from their lunch break, but Felix was still absent.
Convincing his staff to let me wait in his office had been impossible, so I sat in the waiting room, my leg bouncing as I anticipated his return.
Would he be happy to see me? The way we’d parted had been less than ideal, and club business had prevented me from seeking him out sooner.
The revelation of Fendi’s betrayal, which led to her death and my injuries, came with messes to clean up.
The Bloody Femmes that she’d aligned with to take me out and reclaim her presidency had skipped town.
Finding those cunts had become top priority, now that I’d purged the three bitches who’d conspired against me with Fendi.