Chapter Twenty-Eight
Carly
Chance sinks into the chair in the corner of the clubhouse and pulls me onto his lap. I let out a squeal and as I turn a playful glare to him, he grins and claims my lips.
“Jesus, it’s getting too cutesy in here for me,” Smith says, looking from me to Ali, splayed out on the couch with her head in Logan’s lap. He curls his lips in mock disgust and I snort as Ali laughs.
“Be careful or you’re next,” she teases and he recoils.
“Now, why the hell would you put that on me, woman? I’ve got too much shit to deal with to meet a woman.”
Ali shrugs, a smile teasing her lips. “I’m just saying.”
“Yeah, well, next time don’t,” he grumbles but I catch the hint of a smile teasing his lips before he turns away. The more time I spend with these bikers, the more I’m beginning to think they’re just big teddy bears. Unless, of course, someone they love is in danger and then, there’s no length they wouldn’t go to.
“So,” I prompt, glancing over at Ali. “How’s wedding planning going?”
She shrugs. “It’s not, yet. Nothing concrete anyway.”
“Except that it is going to happen,” Logan interjects, pinning Ali with a hard stare and she laughs.
“No one ever said it wasn’t going to. Relax, caveman.”
“Now there’s the name we should have given him,” Kodiak says, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s been so quiet that I’d almost forgotten he was here. Guess he’s not much of a morning person.
“I’ll keep my name. Thanks.”
Logan flips him off and Kodiak throws his head back and laughs before turning to me.
“Glad y’all could make it last night. I know it must be hard to get out with what’s going on with your sister.”
I nod, a lump in my throat. It’s been almost a week since I gave Rosie the phone and we still haven’t heard anything from Ivy. My only hope is that she’s okay and looking for her way out. At first, it was hard to leave the house or do anything else but worry but after a little while, life has to start going back to normal… or as normal as it can be right now. I’m always worried about her, but I can’t just sit by the phone day and night, either. It’s been a hard lesson to learn and some days, Chance has to teach it to me all over again but nights like last night help.
The guys decided to throw a little party and sitting around with all of them, drinking beer, I was able to really relax for the first time all week. They’re all so different than I assumed they would be and after spending even a little bit of time with them, it’s easy to see that they really are family. Not that I have much to compare it to but it’s the kind of family I always wanted for myself. I also think it’s telling that I feel more comfortable here in this clubhouse than I do in my own apartment. I’m finally building a life for myself and it’s the one I always dreamed of.
“Yeah, it is but hanging out with y’all definitely helped,” I say and he grins.
“Good.”
“Shit,” Smith hisses as the click of heels on the hardwood floors fills the room. I glance over my shoulder and tense when I see Chance’s ex-wife walking toward us.
“What the hell are you still doing here?” she spits out when she sees me and I roll my eyes. Oh, I’m so not doing this with her. Climbing out of Chance’s lap, I plop down on the couch next to Ali and cross my arms over my chest. She’s Chance’s ex so he can deal with her.
“Why the fuck are you here, Trix?” he asks, standing from the chair and she turns a smile to him.
“I miss you, baby,” she purrs, running her fingers down his chest and I want to cut them off. I’m pretty sure I saw a big ‘ole butcher knife in the kitchen the last time I was here.
“Who is that?” Ali whispers in my ear.
“Ex-wife.”
Her lip curls. “Skank.”
I laugh out loud and Trixie narrows her eyes at me. “I thought I told you to stay away from my man.”
“Yeah, I decided I didn’t want to and last time I checked, divorce papers make him not your man anymore.”
“He’ll always be mine.”
I chuckle as my fists clench. “Yeah, that’s not what he was saying last night when he was balls deep inside me.”
“Oh, shit.” Smith laughs, covering his mouth with his hand.
“Bitch,” she seethes, taking a step toward me and I laugh again. I’m not scared of this trashy hoe and after what she did to me, after what she almost cost me, I’ll happily ram her face into a table a couple of times.
“Enough!” Chance shouts, stepping in front of her. “Even if you hadn’t almost ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I still wouldn’t be yours. You made sure of that by fucking anything with a dick. Our divorce has been final for a while now and it’s time you move on.”
“I miss you, Chance. What if we made a mistake?” she asks, pouting, and I glance over at Ali, who pretends to gag on her finger. He lets out a sardonic laugh.
“The only mistake I made was marrying you in the first place. Leave now, Trixie, and if I ever see you in this clubhouse again, I’ll throw you out myself.”
“Chance,” she whines and he shakes his head.
“Now.” His voice leaves no room for argument and she stares at him for a second before stomping her foot and spinning toward the door. As she marches out of the clubhouse, the guys start laughing.
“Thank God, your taste in women has improved,” Smith spits out in between laughter and I extend my hand for him to give me a high-five as everyone else laughs. Chance sinks into the chair again and holds his hand out to me.
“Will you come here?”
I wrinkle my nose as I stand. “I suppose.”
As I sit in his lap again, he squeezes me tight as I sigh.
“I fucking love you, Princess,” he whispers in my ear and I melt.
“I love you, too.”
He rubs his nose against mine. “I’m sorry about her.”
Before I can say anything else, my phone rings and I pull it out of my pocket, my heart jumping into my throat as Ivy’s name flashes across the screen. It continues ringing in my hand and I just stare at it, my heart thudding in my ear and my breath shallow. Chance nudges me and I glance down at him.
“Answer it, Princess.”
Nodding, I do as instructed and press the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Carly, I need help,” she whispers, her voice full of panic and it snaps me out of my daze. This is it. This is the moment that I’ve been waiting for since I first got that note from her and I need to get my shit together. She needs me.
“Vi, what’s going on?”
“I’m at this restaurant and I slipped into the kitchen to hide from the guards Julian hired. There’s three of them and they follow me everywhere. I need you to get here now.”
I jump up and Kodiak, Chance, Smith, and Logan follow suit as I turn the speakerphone on. “What restaurant are you at?”
“Um… I’m not sure. It’s right by the bridge. He was going to take me somewhere.”