23. Chapter 22
Knuckles
– Two Days Later
I sigh as I gently run my fingers along my girl’s, and read the text from Cage, tempted to ignore it, not wanting to leave her. She has barely spoken since waking up, since finding out about our baby.
Cage – Emergency church, all brothers! Benny will stay with Kodi.
Fuck’s sake.
“You should go,” my girl whispers, and I look down at her from where she’s leaning her head against my chest, her hand placed over my stitches, where I’m currently playing with her fingers, mainly her wedding ring finger where my name is tattooed.
“I don’t want to leave you,” I admit, and she smiles slightly, even though it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“You haven’t left me since I woke up, and from what I’ve heard, for the two weeks I was in a coma,” she whispers, and I nod, not denying it.
“Because I can’t live without you, Kodi,” I whisper as I gently cup her cheek, running my thumb along her jaw, “I need you like I need air to breathe, don’t you see that?
Those two days I spent ghosting you, I was trying to get my head straight, to finally make you mine, but the longer I was away from you, the angrier I got, because you center me, you calm me. I fucking love you.”
Her eyes brim with fresh tears, and I lean down and press my lips against hers fucking loving the taste of her, hating myself for going so long not feeling them.
“I fucking love your lips,” I whisper, and she smiles, this time, the smile reaching her eyes.
“You’re my first kiss,” she whispers, and I fucking melt and murmur, “Ditto,” as I press my lips harder against hers and she gasps in shock at my admission, and I take my opening and gently shove my tongue into her mouth, tasting her probably for the first time, and I groan at how delicious she fucking tastes.
Kodi grips my cut as our kiss heats up, and my cock twitches, but I ignore it and make out with my girl like we’re teenagers.
Just when I’m about to lie her down so I can kiss her while falling asleep, something I’ve dreamed of fucking doing like a pussy, my phone beeps again, and I groan against Kodi’s lips.
She smiles and murmurs, “Check it,” as she places another kiss against my lips.
I sigh, and I grab my phone from between us.
Cage – Please, brother.
“You need to go,” Kodi whispers just as the door to her hospital room opens and Crusher, Trick, and Benny walk inside.
“Sending the big guns,” I sigh, and Kodi hums as we lock eyes and she gently rubs my bottom lip with the tip of her finger.
“You are still a brother, you need to go, especially with it being an emergency, but I am telling you now, if you climb on that Harley, then I will have your balls,” she whispers, and the men back away slightly while I smirk, knowing she’s not lying and fucking loving her sass coming back.
Someone clears their throat before Trick speaks, “Brother, it won’t be longer than an hour and a half, and besides, Benny wants some time with his sister.”
Benny adds, “Yeah, you’ve become a hog,” and I smile, not even denying his words, while Kodi’s cheeks heat up before I get serious again.
“You’re going to be okay, baby,” I remind her, and she swallows, her throat bobbing.
“I know, it was a lot, you know, but with you, I know I’ll be okay,” she whispers, “You need to go. You’re an officer for the club, they need you.”
I sigh as I message Cage back.
Me – I need a prospect to pick me up. My girl is threatening my balls if I even try to ride.
I press send, and within seconds, Cage replies.
Cage – Tray is already outside waiting for you.
Of course.
I show my girl, and she nods, then she leans forward and presses her lips against mine, and I melt as our tongues touch in a soft kiss that I feel right down to my fucking toes.
Bennys, “Ugh, I don’t need to see that shit,” just hits my ears, and I chuckle against Kodi’s lips, who smiles.
“I won’t be long,” I whisper, and she nods and pecks me one, two, three more times before slowly pulling away.
Huffing, I climb off her bed and say, “I love you,” and she smiles and replies, “I love you too,” and I quickly lean over her and kiss her one more time before leaving the room, knowing if I stay any longer, I’ll refuse to go to church.
***
“On whose fucking vote gives you the right to kick out a fucking club bunny?!” I hear shouted as Trick, Crusher, and I walk into the common room ten minutes later, and I raise a brow seeing Choker, an old generation brother in Cage’s face, while the rest of the brothers stand with furious looks on their faces.
“On my own fucking vote!” Cage growls, squaring up to Choker, whose eyes widen as he takes a step back.
“That is against the rules, not unless she…”
Cage cuts him off and finishes, “Unless she abused a brother or caused an act of treason to not be welcome here any longer!”
My dad tilts his head at me as Trick stands next to me, and my dad questions, “And what exactly did my son's mom do wrong, Cage?” not taking his eyes off me, suspicion lacing his eyes.
Shit.
Understanding hits me as Cage’s nostrils flare, but instead of letting him explain, I finally open my mouth.
“How about locking me in a cabinet for hours upon hours when I so much as breathed,” I boom, and several eyes come my way in shock.
“What?” Dad chokes as he stumbles back.
“Belt beatings,” I say as I lift my shirt and show off my scars that the tattoos couldn’t hide, causing everyone to freeze, and I put my shirt down and continue, “How about starving me? How about accusing me every day of being a failure for not getting your patch? How about being forced to watch her be screwed not just by the brothers but also drunks and druggies at her apartment?” Striker looks away, and I finish, “All my life, that is what I had to deal with until you, Father, wanted me to stay at yours at five years old. Not because you wanted me, no, you just wanted to ensure your heir to your role within the club knew respect and discipline. You were never even home, I had to fend for myself.”
I look around the club before locking eyes with Cage, who confirms, “I kicked Barbie out this morning, told her we knew how she treated you and how she wasn’t welcome. She looked ashamed and didn’t put up a fight like the brothers currently are.”
The brothers flinch and look away, and I shake my head.
“So, this is what you’ve taken me away from my girl for?” I confirm with a bite, but Cage shakes his head.
“No, I took you from your girl because I know you’ve only got your toes left in with the club, that you are ready to hand in your cut,” he admits, and everyone looks my way in shock before an uproar echoes, several refusals.
I shake my head and mutter, “I’m not doing this, I need to get back to my girl,” but my dad snaps, “You are fucking doing this!”
“Why?” I ask as the club quietens, “We can’t change the past, everyone in this room has treated me like shit, like the unwanted brat conceived by a trapping.
I’ve been put through hell growing up to the point I don’t even want to be here anymore and the only reason why I joined, why I took the officer role is because you threatened my gym, Dad, that I bought.
I’m not a kid anymore, I’m an adult who has just watched the love of his life, a woman he couldn’t claim because he was too fucked up in the head and needed to be punched at every night just feel something, nearly die, this club isn’t even on my radar right now.
Honestly,” I sigh, “my place in the club is up in the air and now I need to decide if I’m going to bring my girl to the house built on this property, a house most of you in this room tried denying me to build to begin with or if I’m going to find somewhere else to live with her.
I don’t know if I can continue to protect a club that never protected me when I needed it the most, an innocent child. ”
I turn and walk past a shocked Crusher and Trick while the brothers roar out in anger and pain, but I ignore them and leave the clubhouse, not sure if I’ll ever return.
Maybe I do need to find a new place.
***
I walk into my girl's hospital room twenty minutes later, after dodging several pushy nurses and speaking with her brother, who got called out on a job. I frown when I see her bed empty, and a little bit of panic begins to build before I hear a sniffle from the ensuite bathroom.
“Fuck,” I breathe as I put a hand on my chest to calm the fear that just swallowed me fucking whole and take a deep breath before I walk over to the open door.
I freeze as I see Kodi staring at herself in the mirror, her shirt – my shirt – gone, only wearing a pair of panties, tears trailing her face.
Fuck.
I will my cock to stop getting hard, but the fucker doesn’t listen, he doesn’t understand the pain in our girl's eyes.
She’s ashamed of herself and I know that feeling all too well, it’s why I had my scars tatted over.
Swallowing thickly, I slowly walk up behind her, and then gently run my hands from her hips and around her stomach before pulling her back against me.
She sobs, “I’m ugly,” as she eyes all her scars, but I shake my head at her.
“Nah, baby, you are fucking beautiful, and my cock agrees,” I whisper as I press my hardness against her ass, so she knows I mean it. She gives me her weight, and I press my lips against her neck, holding her tightly.
“Beautiful and all fucking mine,” I rasp against her skin, meaning every word, and I hold her as she sobs, promising to never let this woman fucking go, and honestly, if leaving the state is what she’s now going to need, then I’ll follow her.
Fuck everyone else.