CHAPTER EIGHT #2
And neither will the memories.
KADE
I down the whisky in one go. It’s a double, and it burns all the way down, settling like fire in my stomach. Good. Maybe the pain will drown out the other kind tearing through me.
“I need a favour,” I say, staring straight ahead at the bottles behind the bar because if I look at Jimmy’s smug face, I’ll lose my nerve.
“Depends,” he drawls, amused already.
I drag a hand down my jaw, feeling every hour of the last few days sitting under my skin.
Coming here was my last option, and I hate that it’s come to this.
I don’t run in these circles anymore. I don’t want his help.
But I can’t get through to Eden, and I can’t fix what I don’t understand. I’m out of my mind with worry.
“I’ll agree to the extra drops,” I mutter.
His grin spreads slow and wide. He’s enjoying this far too much. “I thought you were against heroin.”
I say nothing as the barman tops up my glass. Another double. The whole bar reeks of deals and danger. It’s the kind of place where you can find a man for any job, clean or dirty, for the right price. Exactly the place I swore I’d stay away from.
But Eden’s slipping through my fingers, and I’m desperate.
“Can you help me or not?” I snap.
Jimmy lifts a brow, pretending to think. “Of course. What is it you need?”
I exhale hard. This feels wrong. It is wrong. But so is watching the woman I love fall apart and not knowing why.
“Someone to follow Eden,” I say. “She’s not acting right. She won’t let me in. Something’s going on, and I need to know what.”
Jimmy’s smirk twists. “You think she’s got someone else?”
My jaw flexes. I swallow the anger with the whisky. “Let’s hope not,” I mutter darkly. “For his sake.”
Jimmy chuckles, leaning back in his seat like this is entertainment. “Okay. Consider it done.”
“She can’t know,” I warn.
He laughs outright. “What do you take me for? I know a guy. She’ll never know she’s being watched.” The idea of it turns my stomach, but not knowing is worse. “Are you ready,” he asks, eyes glinting, “in case it’s bad news?”
I nod, draining the glass until it’s empty. “I want to know everything.”
EDEN
A few days have passed since the night everything fell apart with Kade.
He’s been sleeping in his office ever since, keeping his distance, avoiding my eyes, avoiding my presence, and I can’t blame him.
He doesn’t understand what happened, and I won’t explain.
I can’t. But the gap between us just keeps widening.
Only Martha and Fern know the truth. And judging by Fern’s determined expression as she walks into my portacabin, she’s here to push it again.
She holds out a pre-packed sandwich. “You’ve lost so much weight. Eat,” she orders, pressing it into my hands.
The club has a yard a few streets over, and my tiny portacabin office sits right in the middle of it. I used to love this place, the quiet buzz of the business, the organised chaos of deliveries and jobs. Now it just feels like a hiding spot.
I open the chicken salad sandwich and take a tiny bite. It tastes of nothing. I’ve dropped a stone in a matter of weeks. Too much for someone who barely had weight to lose.
Fern exhales sharply. “I was thinking, you don’t want to tell Kade. Fine. But how about I tell him?”
I put the sandwich down immediately. “No.”
Fern stares at me, and I know she’s close to losing her patience. “You’re ruining your relationship as it is,” she says. “At least give him an explanation. Diesel says he’s out of his mind with worry. He’s making stupid decisions, he’s messing up, he’s—”
“And how will he be when he finds out the truth?” I cut in, voice shaking. “You know exactly what he’ll do, Fern. He’s kept the club clean for years. He’s built a life away from all that. If I tell him, he’ll kill Liam.”
“Good!” she snaps, fury blazing in her eyes. “He DESERVES it!”
“And what trouble will that bring to the club? To all of you?” My voice cracks. “I will not be the reason Kade goes back to that life. And I will not be the reason he takes a life.”
Fern shakes her head, almost vibrating with anger. “You know, he’s not some sweet, fragile saint, Eden. Before you came along, Kade was one of the most brutal men in the club. None of them have clean hands—not a single one. And getting rid of Liam wouldn’t keep any of them up at night.”
“I said no,” I whisper. “Please. Just let it go.”
She huffs and folds her arms. “Fine.” But her voice drips with frustration. “I take it things are magically going back to normal then?” she says bitterly. “You and Kade? Back to how you were? Since you want to ‘move forward’ so badly?”
I nod, staring down at my notebook and twisting the corner until it nearly tears.
“So he’s back in your bed?” she pushes. “You’re trying for a baby again?” Another nod. Fern’s eyes go cold. “Liar,” she snaps.
My head jerks up.
“I saw him asleep on the couch in his office last night,” she says, her voice sharp with hurt and anger. “Don’t lie to me to keep pretending you’re okay. If you’re so determined to forget what happened, then at least fix things between you.”
Her words echo in the tiny office.