Chapter 10
CHAPTER
TEN
Abyss
“Infuriating, aggravating, stubborn woman,” I mutter as I stalk away from the woman who’s consumed way too many of my thoughts since she walked through the door of Anarchy Ink.
I know what her fucking tattoo means. I know she’s got secrets she’s not willing to share. I also know that I’m patient enough to wait until she’s ready to talk to me about them.
Because she’s the one. I knew it the day she opened her mouth and asked for a job. The zap of electricity I felt when she shook my hand hit me hard.
Now, I just have to convince her.
Challenge motherfucking accepted.
As I work, thoughts of her consume me. I know she needs patience and understanding, so I know I’ll have to make some changes.
Because of my background, I tend to take what I want, which is why I’ve asked Shelly out so many times.
Today, I thought she was going to say yes, but she said no once again.
Once the day finally ends, I clean my station and head out to the clubhouse.
Right now, I don’t have a home of my own since I’m single, but I know that if things eventually go the way I want them to, I’ll need to live somewhere else.
Granted, I’ll still have my suite at the clubhouse, but that’ll be used for those nights when we party a little too much.
Shower done, I’m about to head down for some dinner, a few beers, and maybe a couple of games of pool when I decide to do a little bit of sleuthing on the computer.
Sitting at my desk, I turn my laptop on and wait for it to start.
I may not have the skills that Nerd has, but I’m able to maneuver around enough to find shit.
I type Shelly’s name into the search bar and within seconds, several articles pop up.
Opening the first one, I start to read and my heart shatters at what she went through.
I know I heard what she said to Beth, but seeing the pictures of the vehicle, as well as the report itself, all I can think is that Shelly is strong as fuck.
Two drivers died in a three-vehicle crash that happened Sunday in Frisco.
The people who died were identified as 28-year-old James McAdams and 27-year-old Anthony Bauer, both from Frisco. They were in separate vehicles.
The crash happened near Main Street and Boulevard around 5 p.m.
The road was closed for about 6 hours.
Troopers said the driver of a Hyundai Elantra, driven by Bauer, struck the front of a Chevy Suburban, causing the Suburban to leave the roadway and flip multiple times.
Bauer’s vehicle, meanwhile, then ended up hitting another vehicle, a Toyota Pathfinder. That collision sent the Pathfinder off the right shoulder and caused it to roll over, ejecting the driver, Alistair Collins.
Both Collins and McAdams were pronounced dead at the scene.
McAdams’ passenger, Shelly Adcock, whom troopers said was 8 months pregnant at the time, suffered serious injuries.
She was transported by LifeFlight emergency helicopter to Frisco General.
Adcock’s unborn baby, a little girl, did not survive the accident.
Stay tuned for updates.
“Fucking hell,” I growl. “This isn’t a molehill, it’s a fucking mountain.”
While there are more articles, I close out of my laptop, my mind on what Shelly went through. I suspect she was inside her truck with her dead partner, while dealing with the pain of her own injuries. I’d noticed a slight limp, but it doesn’t always present itself unless she’s tired.
As I head downstairs, I decide that Fireball will be my drink of choice tonight. Because the images burned in my brain have me wanting to get on my bike and head to her house, which isn’t something I need to do right now.
“Thinking you’ve had enough, brother,” Rio says.
“Naw, need another one,” I slur out, tapping the top of the bar. “Give me ‘nother,” I growl at Mongrel, who’s manning the bar tonight.
Rio shakes his head and I watch Mongrel put the bottle back before he replaces it with an unopened bottle of water. “Come on, Abyss, whatever’s eating you isn’t gonna be helped with a hangover the size of the Grand Canyon. Let’s get you to your room so you can get some sleep.”
“She’s never gonna say yes,” I mumble, my words a bit clearer but not by much.
“Who isn’t gonna say yes?” Rio asks as he props my arm across his shoulder to hold me steady.
“Shelly.” This time, my voice is barely above a whisper.
How can I have such deep feelings for her when we haven’t gone out? I haven’t kissed her, had her writhing beneath me, none of that yet, and she consumes practically every waking moment.
“Give her time, brother. She’s got demons.
Don’t know what they are, just know they’re there and you’ve got the patience to wait, Abyss,” Rio counsels as we make it to my room.
“Get some Tylenol in you and get your head down,” Rio instructs.
“Tomorrow’s another day, brother, and things will look a lot different then. ”
“Fucking hope you’re right, brother,” I reply as I stumble to my bathroom to take a piss then grab some painkillers. “Appreciate the help.”
“Always got your back, Abyss,” Rio states. “Good night.”
“Night, brother.”
“Fuck,” I rumble, my mouth feeling as dry as the Sahara Desert, despite the three bottles of water I drank throughout the night. Rolling out of my bed, I make my way to my ensuite bathroom and when I see how bad I look, I start my shower then take a piss before stepping into the hot stream.
Long moments pass as I allow the water to flow over my body, waking me up and helping the last of the headache dissipate.
It’s been quite a while since I drank as much as I did the night before, and I’m paying for it today.
I don’t bounce back like I did when I was younger, that’s for damn sure.
It’s also why I usually stick to only a few beers and stay far away from alcohol.
After last night, I suspect that I’ll never willingly drink Fireball again.
Once I’m done, I brush my teeth and then walk back into my bedroom naked in order to get dressed.
My day-to-day wardrobe doesn’t really change—boxer briefs, jeans, a T-shirt, socks, my boots and of course, my cut—but as I put my clothes on, I briefly wonder if Shelly struggles trying to figure out what to wear every day.
Most women do and I’ve known a few who will try on and discard multiple outfits before they’re finally ready.
She doesn’t really strike me as one who vacillates over her wardrobe, though, as most of the time, she wears jeans and a top.
Sometimes, it’s a T-shirt, sometimes, it’s a flowy, flowery thing.
But regardless of what she comes into work wearing, she always looks good.
I briefly wonder what she’d look like all dolled up in a little black dress, with heels and her hair all done up. That’s a hope for the future, though.
When I get downstairs, I see that Constance has a buffet put out so I quickly load up my plate and then find a table to sit at so I can eat breakfast. I’ll still grab danishes because we all need sugar from time to time.
“How you feeling this morning, brother?” BamBam asks as he and Livy sit down, Theo on his hip. “Heard you kept Mongrel busy.”
“Y’all gossip more than a group of women,” I grouse with a smirk. “Feeling okay, even though I sure as fu-heck don’t bounce back like I did a few years ago.”
I had switched what I wanted to say because even though Theo isn’t talking yet, I don’t want his first word to be ‘fuck’ although it’s still a possibility since he’s part of a biker family. I see Livy’s grin when she realizes what I’ve done and wink at her, causing BamBam to growl.
“Settle yourself, big man. Hey, I have a great idea,” I say, smirking. “You can probably finance Theo’s future education if you go ahead and set up swear jars on the bar. You know there are some brothers who won’t be able to keep from cursing. Might as well take advantage of it, right?”
BamBam bursts out laughing as he nods. “Might not be a bad idea. We’ll say a buck a word, which means we’ll probably be able to send him to fucking Harvard by the time he’s old enough to go.”
“That’s a dollar,” Livy teases. When he looks at her, brow raised, she smiles at him. “Might as well go ahead and get it going, handsome.”
Laughing, I pick up my empty plate to take it to the kitchen so I can head into the shop. My work here is done.