Chapter 20 Blood and Destruction
BLOOD AND DESTRUCTION
IZZY
I pull up outside the Kings of Anarchy clubhouse.
I can’t lie. I’m a nervous wreck. It’s Friday night and Caleb isn’t expecting me until Saturday.
The entire trip here, I kept second-guessing whether I should have told Caleb that I was coming in earlier.
I just wanted to surprise him, so I decided not to.
I’m just praying that’s not a mistake. I know he had a meeting about an alliance tonight.
Still, if nothing else, I can hang around in his room at the club until he’s free.
I take a shaky breath and let it try to steady me. It doesn’t really work.
Tonight is the night that I’m going to tell Caleb that I love him.
From there, I’m also going to confess that my hospital evaluation wasn’t just good.
Nope, it was great. It was so much better than I expected that I felt comfortable letting Blake know I’m thinking of transferring to St. Lutheran Hospital in Tennessee.
I was hoping he’d help me with the paperwork and a personal recommendation.
My gamble paid off. When Blake heard the hospital name and knew he couldn’t talk me into staying at UK, he called the head of trauma surgery at St. Lutheran, who apparently, he was friends with through his own residency at Vanderbilt Hospital.
It was all such a coincidence that I kind of feel like it’s fate—as if Caleb and I are meant to be.
To make it even better, there is actually a residency placement available.
Blake said a couple of residents had to resign because of a personal scandal.
He didn’t actually explain what happened, but there were enough hints to make me understand the residents were having sex in a patient’s room while the patient was downstairs for a CT scan.
The bad news was that the patient came back earlier.
The worse news was that the patient in question was the hospital director’s wife.
Purely on Blake’s verbal recommendation, the woman offered me the residency.
She was even nice enough to put the job on hold to give me time to talk it over with my family.
I’m excited to tell Caleb all about it. I’m pretty sure he’ll be happy, but I think this is the first time I’ve ever willingly put myself out there for a man.
That’s probably why I’m so damned nervous.
I get out of my car and lock it up quickly, pushing the fob into my pocket.
I look around again. This place is definitely packed.
There’s probably a huge party inside. I frown, rubbing my forehead.
I contemplate leaving and getting a hotel tonight. I can call Caleb to come to me.
Instantly, I’m pissed at myself. My parents and BB would be disgusted with me. I’m not someone who’s afraid. I face life—I do not run from it. With that thought, I pull my phone from my pocket and call Caleb. It rings twice when he picks up.
“Yo,” he says, sounding irritated.
Before I can speak to find out what’s wrong. I hear a woman’s voice that is entirely too close to him. “Come on, Candyman. Hang up. I’m dying to have you inside me again. I’m too worked up to wait.”
My stomach drops. Hell, it feels like I’ve been stabbed with a serrated blade that’s been heated in a forge. I imagine dying couldn’t be any less painful. A sob escapes me before I can stop it.
“Isolde?” he asks, sounding panicked. “Shit, I didn’t read the Caller ID.”
I laugh, the sound bitter to my own ears. “I bet.”
“Baby, don’t hang up. It’s not—”
I end the call before I can hear more lies.
Then, I look at my phone, checking to see where Caleb’s—the cheating bastard—location is.
It’s not a big surprise when I realize he’s right here at the clubhouse.
My worry and nervousness are gone. Now, I’m just a woman seeing the man she loves fucking around on her.
I’m going to systematically cut him out of my life.
Part of me wonders if I should leave now, but I know I need to see it firsthand. I guess I’m a masochist.
I walk over to the club entrance. There are two guys at the door. One is wearing a cut that has a prospect badge. Luckily, I know the second one. Savage has been to Beau’s body shop before.
Seeing Savage upsets me. If I was going to fall in love with a biker, why couldn’t I fall in love with him?
Caleb had told me that Savage fell in love with a woman who chose someone else over him and has lived like a monk since.
The bastard had told me the whole story, disgusted with Savage for pining over a woman who chose a club president over him, just for the supposed prestige.
I found it touching that Savage cared about this woman so much that he didn’t immediately try to find someone else to warm his bed.
Now I understand the real reason why Caleb didn’t agree.
He was disappointed that Savage wouldn’t fuck anyone that offered—like he does.
The asshole.
“Hey Savage, can you take me to Caleb?” I ask as I approach him. The lighting here sucks, so I don’t know if he can see the pain on my face or hear in my voice that something is wrong. If it’s my face, he sees my damn tears that I can’t really stop. So fucking embarrassing.
He grunts, putting his arm on my lower back. He looks at his buddy and mutters, “Back soon.” Savage is indeed a man of few words. Any other time, I’d find it hilarious. Right now, nothing is funny … everything just hurts.
He guides me into the club. There is indeed a lively party going on with half-naked women everywhere, loud music, smoke, and lots of talking and laughing.
I barely give it more than a passing glance.
I just want this pain to end. I’m thankful when we finally go down a small hall which is darker and quieter.
Savage takes me to what I assume is Caleb’s room.
It’s all I can do not to jump when he bangs on the door. You can hear Caleb yelling inside, but the sound is muffled. The walls are cinder blocks, and the door must be heavy-duty metal because nothing is distinguishable. Heck, the asshole is probably moaning while he’s fucking his whore.
When he doesn’t answer, I refuse to wait.
I reach out to see if the door is unlocked.
Just my luck—and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad—it opens.
I step in before Savage can stop me. What I see guts me.
My stomach churns and I fight the urge to collapse on the floor.
I try to control myself. It’s not as horrible as I had imagined.
I figured I’d catch him rutting some bimbo.
I mean, I know how he likes to climb over you and slam into you repeatedly, showing his dominance.
I used to love it. Now, I just feel disgusted.
Caleb’s standing at the foot of the bed in nothing but a towel.
His hair is wet from a shower. The whore in question is sitting on the edge of the bed, completely naked, her legs open and bent, offering him everything.
I suppose to further entice Caleb, the bitch has her fingers rubbing her pussy.
I swallow down the bile threatening to come up.
Instead, I stomp over, grab the bitch by her hair, bringing her face up.
She screams and before she can touch me with her disgusting fingers, I draw my fist back and slam it into her nose, knowing that will give me the most bang for my buck.
“Isolde,” Caleb says. I feel his hands on my stomach, trying to pull me away from his whore.
I don’t let that happen until I’m sure the bitch’s nose is broken and bleeding.
She screams holding her face with blood spurting everywhere.
I take a second to enjoy her pain as she falls back on his rumpled white sheets on the bed.
Sheets that are quickly being stained with her blood.
I whirl on the man who has destroyed me so fast that if I wasn’t so angry, it would make me dizzy. “Don’t touch me,” I hiss.
“Baby, it’s not what it looks like.”
“Really? Because it looks like the man who told me he loved me and wanted no one but me, was half naked in front of his bed while some fucking club whore was completely naked on his bed giving him a good show. Tell me, asshole, how could I misunderstand that?”
“Damn it, Isolde—”
I don’t want to hear his bullshit excuses.
There’s nothing he can say. Before he can even try, I bring my knee back and nail him in the twig and berries.
He goes down at once, holding his family jewels, and gagging as his body heaves as if he’s going to vomit.
I find myself thankful that BB taught me just how to inflict the most damage with one move.
“Consider that our official breakup, motherfucker. I never want to see you again,” I growl. I run out, swearing to myself that I’ll never talk to him again. I leave Caleb still writhing in pain.
I hear him yell for someone to stop me, but he’s too damn late.
I’m running for my life, and I don’t stop until I get to my car.
I have it started and peeling out quickly.
I look in my rearview mirror and see a few men staring at my car.
One of them is Caleb in a white towel. He recovered too damn quickly.
I wish I could have another shot at permanently deballing him.
I push him out of my mind. I need to concentrate on getting back to Kentucky.
Once there, I’ll stay at my friend Michelle’s dorm.
She’s on a break because of a family member’s cancer diagnosis.
I’ll be safest there right now. Caleb won’t know to look for me, and that’s all that matters. I never want to see him again.
Ever.