Chapter Sixteen
Remi
I don’t say a word when he guides me upstairs. I don’t say a word when he shuts the door behind us, strips down, and slides into bed like it’s any other night. My body is still vibrating with humiliation and rage, but he lies there like nothing’s happened, waiting for me to join him.
I slide under the covers, but when he pulls me to him, I twist away, turning my back to him. He exhales, muttering something before rolling away.
Sleep comes in snatches, broken by flashes of Sasha’s smug face and Axel’s glare. By the time morning light creeps through the blinds, I feel raw and brittle, like one wrong move will shatter me.
Shadow wakes, stretching out as his eyes assess me.
“Shower?” he asks. I shake my head, climbing from the bed and pulling the bag of clothes Lexi gave me closer.
I pull out a pair of shorts and a vest, along with the comfy knickers.
“I can go down and grab the new stuff I got you,” he says, eyeing me cautiously as I forgo the bra and pull the vest on.
“No, thank you,” I almost whisper, heading into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
When I return, Shadow is dressed too. He passes me to brush his teeth, and I take a second to gather myself. Not speaking to him is hard when all I really want to do is curl up in his arms and forget every other problem. But my steely heart won’t allow it.
“Come on,” Shadow says, tugging on his kutte, his tone gentler than last night. It brings me from my thoughts as he heads for the door. “Breakfast will be a good chance to face Axel and smooth this shit over.”
I want to argue, remind him that I was just defending myself and that Axel isn’t my President. But somehow, I think that’ll make everything worse. Plus, the weight of his hand on my lower back is firm, guiding me downstairs whether I like it or not.
The kitchen is busy, the smell of coffee and bacon thick in the air. Axel sits at the head of the table, Lexi perched beside him, chatting quietly. The second I walk in, the conversation dips.
“Sit,” Shadow orders softly, steering me into a chair.
I keep my eyes fixed on the table as he exchanges a look with Axel before he says, “She’s sorry, alright, Pres.”
“She ain’t looking too sorry,” he retorts, and I feel his eyes burning into me.
Shadow nudges me, so I eventually look up, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. “Sorry,” I mutter, my eyes devoid of any emotion.
My stomach knots tighter when another voice cuts through.
“Well, good morning.” Sasha drifts in, her bruised lip carefully lined, her eye shadowed darker than last night. I’d bet money she layered makeup to make it worse. She’s good. Too good. “Will I be getting an apology?” she asks sweetly, her voice pitched just loud enough for the whole room.
Silence falls, and I feel their eyes on me—Axel’s, Lexi’s, Shadow’s. Especially his. Axel gives a nod, a smirk pulling at his smug lips as he waits for me to say the word.
My throat burns, but I grind my teeth, forcing it out. “Sorry.” It’s clipped, bitter, barely above a whisper.
Sasha smirks, satisfied, as Shadow leans in and presses a kiss to my temple. “Well done,” he murmurs, piling toast onto my plate like I’m a child who’s passed a test.
I don’t touch it.
“What are your plans today?” Sasha asks, taking the space on the other side of Shadow. He lifts his toast to his mouth, and she leans over, stealing a bite then laughing like she’s the cutest thing on this earth. All the while, I stare at my plate.
“Nothing much,” he replies.
“Want to come with me to Chaos and Angels? I’m showing some of the new girls around.”
“Not a bad idea actually,” Axel chimes in. “Last night’s takings need collecting.”
I feel Shadow shift beside me. “Is there anyone else free?” he asks.
“Oh, come on, it’ll be like old times,” says Sasha, linking an arm through his. “I might even show you the new outfits. They’re red . . . lacey. Just how you like.”
I push my chair back as I stand, the scraping of the wood on the floor louder than expected. Everyone’s eyes are back on me. “Where are you going?” asks Shadow, also standing. “You haven’t touched your breakfast.”
I head out without a word.
“She’s so moody,” I hear Sasha say. “Moody and violent.”
Shadow catches my wrist seconds later, and I slow to a stop, but I keep my eyes focussed ahead. “Rem, come on. It’s done now. Move on.”
“Let go,” I mutter.
“You can choose to stay mad, or we can have a nice day again.”
I pull free. “I’ll go with mad,” I snap, pushing outside and breaking into the fresh morning air.
It bites at my skin as I round the side of the clubhouse.
I find the old tree near the fence line and sink down at its base, knees pulled tight to my chest. Finally .
. . space. Away from the noise, away from the stares, away from him.
The bark at my back is rough, grounding me as I hug my knees tighter, trying to steady the chaos in my chest. The cool breeze blowing does nothing to ease the heat of my anger.
Then my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I freeze. My heart stutters.
Unknown number.
I already know who it is. My hand shakes as I swipe to answer. “What?” I snap, my voice hoarse.
“You sound cranky, sweetheart,” comes the smooth drawl. “Rough night?”
My stomach flips, bile rising. “What do you want?”
“What I’ve always wanted.” His tone sharpens, all trace of amusement gone. “My twenty grand. Time’s ticking, Remika. Tick, tock.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, pressing my forehead to my knees. “I don’t have it.”
“Not my problem. You’ve got until the end of the week. After that,” he lets the silence hang, thick and threatening, “things get messy.”
Desperation claws through me. “I know where you can get money,” I blurt, my pulse hammering. “The Demons still have last night’s takings at Chaos and Angels. Thousands. More than enough.”
For a beat, there’s silence, and then he laughs. A cruel, amused sound that makes my skin crawl. “Cute. Really. But useless.”
My grip tightens on the phone. “Why?”
“Because you owe me, not them,” he says, his voice low and cold. “You get me the money, Remika. You. I don’t give a fuck about the Demons or their takings. This debt has your name stamped all over it, and until I get paid, you won’t breathe easy.”
The line goes dead, leaving me clutching the phone like it might burn a hole straight through my palm.
The leaves rustle, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance up to see a small brunette edging closer, a soft smile on her lips as she lifts her hand in a wave.
“Hey, I’m Rue.”
“Remi,” I mutter, still reeling from the call that’s been clawing at my head.
She gestures to the bench. “You mind if I . . .?” I shake my head. She slips into the space beside me, easy and unbothered. “I’ve seen you around,” she says after a moment.
“Don’t get used to it,” I mutter. “I’m leaving.”
Her brows lift. “Oh? How come?”
I huff out a humourless laugh. “Axel hates me, for a start. The club girls are sharpening their claws. And Shadow . . .” My words trail off.
Rue tilts her head, studying me. “Are you and he . . .?”
“It’s nothing,” I cut in quickly, shrugging like it doesn’t matter. “Just a good time.”
But the way her gaze lingers on me, gentle, steady, makes me feel like she sees right through the act.
She glances back towards the clubhouse, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“I’m with Atlas.” My brow creases, and she adds quickly, “Big guy, covered in tattoos. Works in the garage.” A soft laugh escapes her.
“Have you been together long?” I ask, more to fill the silence than anything.
“Not really. A few months.” Her smile softens, turning inward. “It’s weird. I was happy being single, didn’t need anyone. Then he came along, and suddenly, I’ve got this whole family wrapped around me. It’s everything I didn’t know I wanted.”
The word ‘family; burns the back of my throat. It’s everything I know I want, and everything I can’t have.
I push to my feet, brushing imaginary dirt from my jeans. “I should probably go pack or something.”
Her eyes follow me, careful now. “Yah know, I get it. Hot guy, surrounded by women . . . it’s a lot. But I’ve seen the way he watches you.” She hesitates, then says softly, “I really think he’s crazy about you. Don’t be too quick to give up on him.”
A bitter laugh escapes before I can stop it. “I didn’t give up on him.”
Shadow
I watch her from the bed, arms folded behind my head, as she moves around the room. She’s jumpy, restless, still pissed at me. She picks up the tatty clothes she came with and heads for the bathroom.
“Why do I get the feeling this is about to end in another argument?” I ask, my tone easy, casual.
“It doesn’t have to,” she says without looking back, leaving the door ajar.
I catch her reflection in the mirror as she starts pulling off my shirt and reaching for those old clothes. “What are you doing?”
“Changing.”
“Why?”
She sighs, heavy enough that I can hear the weight of it.
She braces her hands on the sink unit, her head hanging like she’s carrying the whole damn world.
“I always cause trouble,” she says finally, her voice soft, defeated.
“And I’ll do it here. Axel’s going to kick me out. It’s just a matter of time.”
“So, I’ll buy us a house,” I shoot back with a shrug, like it’s nothing. Because to me, it is nothing.
Her shoulders hunch tighter. “It’s all so easy for you,” she whispers, and it twists something in my gut.
“Look,” I say, swinging my legs off the bed and shoving my feet into my boots. “How about I do this run for Axel, then we go grab some food and talk about it properly.”
“I’d rather not.”
I stand, towering in the doorway until she lifts her head and meets my eyes in the mirror. “I was asking to be polite, Rem,” I tell her, my voice low, firm. “You’re coming.”
I point to the bag with her new stuff. “Put something on that’s suitable for the bike.”
“Why don’t you go do the job and come back for me after?” she shoots back, arms folded.