Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Elaina
Iwas alone in the room when I woke up. The blanket Alejandro had used the night before was neatly folded and draped over the back of the couch, and the pillow he’d taken from the bed the night before was back in its rightful place, smelling exactly like him.
My belly swooped at the scent—something woodsy and masculine. And expensive.
But that wasn’t surprising. The man clearly had expensive tastes.
Slipping out of bed, I padded barefoot to the bathroom.
After brushing my hair and washing my battered face, I tied my hair up into a messy bun with the hair ties that’d been left in the bathroom for me.
I made sure the door to the room was locked before I changed into the leggings and long-sleeve shirt that’d also been left for me.
After sliding my feet into the flip flops I’d been gifted, I drew in a deep breath and forced myself to leave the room.
I wasn’t too keen on running into Joey. He didn’t seem to like me much, so I didn’t understand why he’d opened his clubhouse to me and Alejandro and his team of bodyguards and soldiers. He’d been so quick to leave my presence last night—as if the mere sight of me burned his eyes.
Though this was supposed to be a safe space, I wasn’t sure how safe it’d be for my mind if this was how staying here was going to be.
The clubhouse was quiet when I emerged from the hall.
The only people in the main room were Alejandro and Miguel, who were both sitting at a table, and a woman with dirty blonde hair who was basically a feminine version of Joey working behind the bar.
A scar sliced through her face, running from her eyebrow to her cheek, and her nose was a little crooked—as if she’d had it broken once before.
She looked up at me as she wiped at a glass, removing the water spots from it.
“I’m glad the clothes fit,” she commented.
“Uh, thanks,” I managed. Looking away from her because I didn’t want to seem like I was staring, I made my way over to the table where Alejandro and Miguel were seated.
They were bent over Miguel’s tablet, but when I dragged out the chair, they both looked up and gave me their attention.
Gingerly sitting down since my body was still so sore, I quietly asked, “Where is everyone?”
Alejandro tipped his chin in the direction of the hall Joey had disappeared down last night. “Chapel,” he informed me. “I expected you to sleep longer.”
I shook my head. “I’ve always been more of an early riser.
” Though that was mostly due to me being afraid to sleep while everyone else was awake.
I was at my most vulnerable when I was sleeping, and vulnerability would get me raped and assaulted back in my father’s club.
And on the streets, it was just me against the elements and the people.
Sleep was a rarity when I was on the run.
“Always been an early riser or never felt safe enough to sleep comfortably?” Miguel boldly asked, not seeming to care about boundaries.
I scowled at him. He chuckled and focused back on his tablet.
Alejandro’s gaze bored into the side of my face, but when I refused to look at him, he turned back to Miguel, the two of them going back to discussing whatever it was they’d been talking about when I interrupted.
I didn’t bother listening. Whatever they were talking about was none of my business.
A plate of food was suddenly set in front of me—scrambled eggs, heavily buttered toast, and bacon—along with a cup of coffee. I looked up at the woman who looked eerily similar to Joey. “Oh, uhm, thank you…”
“Jessie,” she supplied. “I’m Joey’s twin.
And you’re welcome. Eat up. You need some meat on your bones.
” And with that, she walked away as if what she said couldn’t have been offensive in the slightest. But she wasn’t wrong.
I was malnourished and too skinny. But food hadn’t been a priority for me when I was running for my life and my freedom.
Silently, I dug into the food, the aroma making my stomach growl.
I was halfway done when men suddenly filed out of the chapel and flooded the main room.
A couple of men headed to the bar to bother Jessie.
Ink went right around and dragged her into the kitchen.
The sound of her calling him a “fucking asshole” was cut off when the door shut behind them.
Joey dragged out a chair, along with a man I hadn’t met yet, and they sat down. Joey looked at me and then at my plate of food. “Good to see you eating,” he gruffly said, then abruptly dismissed me. I blinked at his rudeness but brushed it off, reaching for my coffee.
The guy I hadn’t met yet held his hand out to me. “Whiler,” he said, an easy smile tilting his lips. “I’m Joey’s Sergeant at Arms. Wish I was meeting you under different circumstances, but glad to meet you anyway.”
“Elaina,” I said quietly, avoiding his hand. I wasn’t a fan of touching people I didn’t know. Thankfully, he didn’t take offense to it and just dropped his hand back to his lap.
“Wanted to run something by you,” Joey said to Alejandro. Alejandro arched a brow at him. “We want to get close to the Outlaws, right?” A cold shiver raced down my spine at the mention of my father’s club, and just like that, I lost my appetite. I set my fork down and pushed my plate of food away.
Catching the move, Alejandro looked at me, frowning. “You need to eat,” he said quietly, his voice stern.
“Not hungry,” I muttered. I pushed back from the table. “And quite frankly, I don’t want to be present as you four discuss my father and his fucking club.”
Joey looked up at me. “You sure you don’t?” he asked. “Because this pertains to you, Elaina. This ensures your freedom.”
I shook my head. “I frankly don’t care what your plans are,” I told him, tipping my chin up, feeling oddly defensive at his questioning.
My chest was tight, and I just wanted out of that room before I had a panic attack in front of everyone there.
“I want no part of them. You just let me know when I’m completely free, and I’ll be out of everyone’s hair. ”
Turning on my heel, I began to walk away, leaving my food and coffee behind. I would have taken it to the kitchen, but as far as I was aware, Jessie and Ink hadn’t emerged yet, and I wasn’t interested in walking in on whatever it was they might have been doing.
“Let her go,” I heard Alejandro tell him.
I headed down the hall, and as soon as I was inside the room, I slid down the door and settled on my ass on the floor. Tucking my head between my knees, I forced myself to draw in slow, deep breaths.
I was safe here. I knew that. Joey may not like me being here, but he’d made it clear he would protect me.
And I understood men like Alejandro to know he’d do whatever was necessary to protect his three-million-dollar investment.
Whether he actually let me go after my father and the trafficking ring he was involved in was taken care of was yet to be seen, but I wasn’t bothered with that right then. That was a problem for future-Elaina.
Current Elaina just wanted a moment to fucking breathe.
And not panic at the mere mention of her father.