Chapter Twenty-Four
I fucked-up.
It hadn’t felt like that in the moment. Addison was driven by her emotions.
Tensions were already running high when Cross and the club arrived.
Had they left immediately, it could’ve been avoided but obviously, Rogue had an agenda.
She was still reeling from her outburst. Usually, she was non-confrontational and could ignore most assholes.
But she wasn’t prepared for Rogue’s level of cruelty. How heartless could one person be?
Still, her actions had caused a domino effect. Addison hadn’t realized it until Rogue mentioned seeing her again. That seemed to spark something in Cross. His features shifted and she recognized the anger right away.
Cross pushed open the steel door that led into the parking lot, holding tightly to her hand.
“You okay to drive? I’ll be right behind you.”
“I’m sorry,” she muttered.
Cross stopped at her car. “For what?”
“Back there.” She gestured to the nightclub. “I could’ve handled it differently. I made it worse, didn’t I?”
Cross grasped her jaw and leaned closer. “No, you didn’t. He did.”
She shook her head, but he tightened his hold. “That’s on him. Not you.”
“He doesn’t think so.” She cleared her throat, inching closer. “That whole see you again comment. That was a threat, right?”
Cross’s jaw squared. “He’s not gonna touch you. I wouldn’t let him.”
So, it was a threat. She closed her eyes and his thumbs caressed over her cheeks.
“Look at me.”
She opened her eyes, glancing up.
“Everything you said was on point. And everyone up there with the exception of Rogue, fucking knows it. Trust me, right?”
She nodded.
His mouth spread into a small smile. “Then don’t worry about him. I’ll handle that.”
Cross wrapped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her against his chest. Wraith had brought Cleo out, but she was carted off to his bike.
The others followed shortly after. They were headed toward their bikes, and she felt the need to apologize.
Not to Rogue. He deserved it, but it had put everyone in an unsavory and dangerous position.
“I’m sorry.”
Ace stopped mid-step, scowling.
“I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Ace smirked and pointed to the building. “Learned a long time ago if you don’t want someone to come for you, don’t be a fucking asshole. Rogue hasn’t learned that yet.”
“Well” —she sighed— “I certainly didn’t help matters up there.”
A flash of softness passed through his eyes. But it was fleeting. He squared his jaw. “That’s what Rogue does. He wants a reaction.”
“And I gave him one.”
Ace glanced up at Cross, grinning. It seemed like an odd response for the situation. “Not the one he was expecting.”
Gent sidled up next to Ace. “I, for one, was thoroughly entertained and would like to invite you to all future meetings with Rogue.”
While she didn’t have much of an affection for Gent, his timing for comic relief was impeccable.
Addison scoffed. “That’d be a hard no.”
Cross snickered, and she glanced up. Rogue’s words had to have hit him hard.
“What he said about the trade…”
Cross shook his head and grabbed the handle of her door. “You okay to drive?”
He didn’t want to have this conversation now. And she’d respect that.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I’ll follow you. We’re staying at your place.” He gave her a quick kiss and walked toward his bike.
Addison gave one final look at The Bowery.
Get me outta here.
****
They’d settled in for the night. Cross would’ve preferred to stay at the club, but he knew she’d be more comfortable at the rental. It had been a chaotic fucking mess with Rogue taking center stage.
He’d expected Cleo to be rocked by Rogue but couldn’t have predicted Addison’s reaction. Even hours later, she was still tense though she hadn’t brought it up again since the parking lot.
He was sitting on the back porch steps smoking a cigarette when she walked out. He scooted over to make room for her, but she walked down the stairs, staring off into the yard. It was fenced in with no neighbors backing up to it. She was looking at a sea of trees and clearly, deep in thought.
He took a drag of his cigarette, waiting on her.
Today had been more than he would’ve wanted her to see.
Cleo was different being with the club for so long.
She didn’t know everything, and Wraith tried to shield her.
But some things were unavoidable. He hadn’t considered all of that with keeping Addison long term.
Cross wasn’t going to let her go now. But this was new territory for him.
For them. He’d be walking a fine line with what he could share and things that were off limits.
Cross took another drag before stomping out the cigarette under his boot. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands.
“I don’t think I’m an even trade.” Her somber tone struck him to his core.
Rogue had done what he did best. He got inside her head. She slowly turned and her expression was riddled with sadness. Fucking Rogue.
“Baby, it’s not about a trade.” When she glanced down at the ground, he called her name. “Addison, look at me.”
She hesitated but eventually, met his stare.
“Everything he said was bullshit. I know it, the club knows it. Even his woman knows it.”
Her eyes widened. “Can I ask you something?”
He gave a sharp nod.
“Did Quinn have something to do with Knox dying?”
He clenched his jaw and dug his nails into his skin. Cross wasn’t ready to dive into all of this tonight. But she deserved some type of answer. An honest one.
“It’s complicated but,” he paused. “yeah, she unknowingly played a part.”
Cross would never forgive Quinn for her role in Knox’s death but it was only fair that he acknowledge it wasn’t done with intent.
“Cleo said the MC and Rogue don’t get along. Is that why?”
“Been bad blood between us long before Quinn came along.” He snorted. “We tolerate each other for the sake of business.”
She raised her brows. “You work together?”
“Sometimes.” Cross cupped his mouth. Here’s that fine line.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Yeah.”
“How does the club make money?” She kicked the grass with the toe of her sneaker.
“We work.”
Her foot stilled, but she hadn’t looked up.
“Doing what?”
“We’re entrepreneurs.”
Her brows dipped, and she glanced up through her lashes. “That’s what people say when they don’t want to tell you how they really make their money.”
Cross smirked. “Yeah.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Is it illegal?”
He was entering murky territory. Lying to her wasn’t an option. It would only last so long before coming between them. But divulging everything the club was involved in wasn’t something he could do either.
“Some of it.”
She bit her lip. “Dangerous?”
“Some of it,” he repeated.
She tapped her chest. “Am I in danger?”
“I’d never let anything happen to you. As long as I’m breathing, you’re never going to be in danger.”
She arched her brow in challenge. “Can’t be everywhere.”
“When I’m not around to protect you, the club will be.”
Addison once again turned around, staring off into the yard. “What kind of future does that look like? I mean, illegal and dangerous. How are we supposed to have a normal life with those two factors?”
“You want normal?”
“I want—” She paused, and her shoulders sagged with her head bowing. He pushed up from the stairs and stood behind her, hooking his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. Addison went willingly, clasping her hands over his.
He brushed his lips over her ear and whispered. “What do you want?”
“I want to be safe.”
“You are safe.”
“I didn’t feel that way today.”
He ground his teeth and inhaled a breath. Promising her that would never happen again would be a lie. He wouldn’t do that. If she wanted a life with him, she deserved to know exactly what it entailed. If she wanted to leave then…
Fuck, no!
He hugged her closer. “Our normal will look different. Our life will be different than most people. It’ll be better.”
She snorted. “Better, huh?”
“I’m gonna make it that way. Give you whatever you want.”
“I want you to come home to me every night. Can you promise that?”
Realistically, no. But no one could. There were no guarantees in life. No one knew that better than Cross. But he could promise he’d do everything in his power to be with her until his last breath.
“Yeah.”
She rested her head against his chest, sliding her fingers over his knuckles, staring off into the yard.
“I’m going to hold you to that promise.”
And I’ll do my best to keep it.