Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
ROCHELLE
Drifter’s arm is draped over me like a protective shield, the heat from our bodies stifling me but I don’t want to move. I don’t want the realisation of the last twenty-four hours to hit me like a train.
I cried myself to sleep last night, exhausted. And though I don’t remember him coming to bed, it’s nice to wake up to him shielding me, holding me.
I roll over, and he stirs. I kiss him on the nose, and he opens one eye first and then the other.
“Morning, gorgeous,” he says, his voice husky with sleep. “You okay?” I briefly close my eyes so they don’t betray me and give a quick nod. “You remember why I call you Hell?” he asks, moving a strand of hair away from my face.
I allow my eyes to flutter open, trying to avoid his.
“Remember?” he repeats when I don’t answer.
“Of course,” I reply, my voice broken from tears and lack of sleep.
“You are my fire,” he continues firmly. “You burn brighter than the gates of hell. You’re my warrior. You will fight the greatest demons ever put in your path.” A smile tugs at his lips. “You’d give Lucifer himself a run for his money.”
I laugh. “You and him.”
“Don’t I fucking know it.” He grabs my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back.
“We gotta fight this too. Together, okay?”
I offer a watery smile. “Okay.”
There’s a knock at the bedroom door before Red and Bella burst through it. Red has a Costa Coffee cup in hand which she holds towards me.
“We come bearing gifts,” she says, smiling wide.
I take the cup from her, lifting the lid to inhale the roasted beans and caramel. “Oh man, you ladies know me so well.”
I sit on the bed, crossing my legs underneath me. Red sits in front of me and grabs my spare hand.
“Drifter told us,” she says, her voice breaking slightly.
I inhale sharply, releasing it slowly. My eyes fill with more tears. “I promised myself no more tears,” I say, straightening my shoulders.
Drifter’s words play over in my mind. And maybe he’s right. I need to approach this the same way I’ve targeted everything in my life—with strength.
Red smiles, but the concern is clear on her face.
And then her words penetrate my brain, and I frown. “Wait, Drifter told you?” It’s not like him to share anything personal.
“Well, she did have him cornered,” Bella interrupts, throwing herself into the chair in the corner of the room. “You know what she’s like when she gets a bee in her bonnet.”
I laugh. “Do you have a death wish, woman?”
“No, but that fucker does,” Red states, throwing daggers in Bella’s direction.
A look passes between them, and I follow it back and forth with my eyes before asking, “Why, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing,” Red says, but her expression says it’s something.
“Nuh-uh, you can’t make a statement like that and then go silent on me,” I push.
Red stares at Bella like she’s looking for an answer.
“He was in the bar with Siren,” Bella rushes out. “But there was nothing in it,” she adds just as quickly. “He was literally just talking to her, and Red pounced on him.”
“In my defence, I didn’t realise the situation at the time,” Red protests. “I was looking out for you, and then he told me about the test.”
I sit quietly, letting her words soak in.
He keeps telling me it’s nothing, yet he always seems to have her nearby.
I give my head a shake, pushing down the anxiety that thinking about them together causes me.
I have too much going on in my head, and this just adds to it.
“Fuck it,” I say, placing my coffee down and pushing to my feet. “Let’s go out.”
Red claps her hands gleefully. “Really? Girls’ night?”
I nod. “Yep. Get Mumma Bear to watch the kids. Tell them we’re having a movie night in here.”
Bella eyes me suspiciously. “But we aren’t?”
Red and I lock eyes and begin to laugh. She’s such a newbie.
“Nope, we’re gonna get fucking trolleyed,” Red tells her.
“But what about taking one of the men?” Bella asks innocently.
“Fuck them,” I snap. “I think we’re capable of looking after ourselves for one damn night. Besides, they’ll never know. I’ll tell Drifter we’re not to be disturbed. He knows I need it.”
Red bounces up and down on the bed in excitement, but Bella seems apprehensive.
“You’re in good hands, Bella. Have we ever let you down?” I ask, gently rubbing her arm.
She shakes her head then says, “Okay.”
I told Drifter I needed some girl time, and he agreed in a heartbeat. He even brought us a couple bottles of wine and suggested a Netflix night. And when I told him we didn’t want to be disturbed, he didn’t argue.
We listen to music and drink wine as we get ready, and I realise this is exactly what I need to relax and take my mind off everything.
I check my outfit one last time, glancing at the clock to see it’s eight p.m. The low bass from downstairs flows through the floorboards, telling us the men are relaxing for the night.
“This is it, ladies,” I say, picking my heels up from the floor.
Red does the same, but Bella eyes us with confusion.
“Do we now not wear our shoes when we go out?” she asks.
Red and I exchange a look then burst into a fit of giggles. I link arms with Bella and pull her towards the door. “You have so much to learn.”
I push the door open as quietly as I can, peeking out to check the coast is clear. When it is, I motion to the ladies to follow, and we tiptoe towards the window on the far side of the corridor.
Bella’s eyes widen as I open it. “You want me to jump out that fucking window?” she whisper-hisses.
Red chuckles. “Yes.”
“It’s cool. I used to sneak out this window often as a kid so my dad wouldn’t catch me. There’s a ledge, just lower yourself onto it,” I explain.
Bella scoffs, then her mouth drops open. “You’re serious?”
“Deadly. Come on, you’ve got this,” I say, checking below in the courtyard to make sure nobody is out there. “Coast clear.”
I pull myself up through the window and lower myself down onto the ledge. Red passes down my heels, sniggering like a drunken teenager. I place all the heels on the small roof before lowering myself down into the courtyard. Bella goes next, following Red’s directions whilst I keep lookout.
Once we are all down, we climb the back gate then slide into our heels before flagging down a passing cab.
It’s a short half-hour drive before we pull up outside a nightclub, and all three of us file out the back.
The second we step inside, I’m smiling. The low lighting and thumping music washes over me, reminding me how much I’ve been craving this, yearning to be normal for a few hours, to let loose.
No talk of babies, no grumpy bikers whispering about club trouble, and best of all, no fucking Siren.
Red waves her arms in the air, her slender figure swaying between people as she glides towards the bar.
“Drinks?” she shouts over her shoulder.
I grab her hand, nodding. Bella follows closely behind, looking around like a frightened rabbit.
“Stop worrying, we’re fine,” I shout over the music.
“What if they find us?” she yells back.
I’ve never been one to follow the rules—not when I was the VP’s daughter and certainly not now—so I shrug dismissively.
As we approach the bar, the volume of the music seems to be a little quieter.
Bella dips her head nearer. “You’re not worried?”
“I couldn’t care less,” I retort. “Now, who’s for shots?”
Bella rolls her eyes but grins, and Red rubs her hands together. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”
She leans over the bar to get the barman’s attention, and as he approaches, she says, “Three fireballs, please.”
I laugh. “This shit’s about to get messy.”
We’ve been dancing for what feels like hours and my feet are beginning to ache, so I slide my heels off and plop myself in one of the booths by the bar. I lie back across the bench seat, my arms sprawled over my face. The room is spinning, and my stomach is churning, making me regret the vodka.
“Come on, lightweight,” Red groans, leaning over to grab my arms.
She tries to pull me to stand, but in her intoxicated state, she topples, landing on top of me in a fit of giggles.
After a few seconds, she pushes to her feet and glances over her shoulder. Her entire expression changes, and her body stiffens like she’s suddenly on high alert. I slowly push to sit, a ball of dread circling in the pit of my stomach.
Before I can register the fact that she’s face-to-face with one of the Steel Delinquents, she’s already closing the small gap between them, squaring her shoulders like she’s about to fight.
Shit. I jump up, making a grab for her arm, but she shrugs me away.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” she seethes, her nostrils flaring and her fists balled tightly by her sides. He towers over her, but she doesn’t seem to care. She places her hands on her hips, and I know she’s about to start yelling.
“Well . . . well . . . well. Look who we have here.” His lips curl into an unfriendly smile.
“Fuck you,” Red spits.
I glance at Bella, whose eyes are wide in panic. Her eyes meet mine, and she mouths the word, ‘Fuck’.
“You can’t just grab a woman’s arse,” Red screeches, jabbing her finger into his chest.
He glances down at it, the smirk spreading over his face.
“Oh, darlin’, you have no idea, do you?”
I grab hold of her arm again, this time a little more forcefully, and her head snaps to look at me.
“What?” she hisses.
“It’s time to go,” I demand, my eyes silently pleading with her.
She drags her eyes back to him. “You’re fucking lucky.”
He throws his head back in a laugh that’s loud enough to send a shiver down my spine. It’s not friendly—it’s anger laced with disbelief.
“Bye, darlin’,” he hisses, waving as I drag her away, closely followed by Bella.
“Are you fucking mad?” I hiss through gritted teeth.
Her eyes widen in disbelief. “He touched my arse.”
“He’s a fucking Steel Delinquent,” I yell.
I pull out my phone and dial Drifter. He picks up on the second ring.
“Hell?” he answers, sounding confused.