Prologue
The night that changed it all
Tabitha stood in the freezing cold. It had been a week since Simon killed Ryan. A week since he took the gun, pointed it in his face, and didn’t just shoot once, but multiple times.
There was no doubt Devil had arranged for his best friend Dean to come and take him. Lash had sat her down with her father and they’d discussed why Simon killing Ryan was a problem. Their association with the Billionaire Bikers MC, as well as with the law, meant they couldn’t just hide the body. Arrangements needed to be made, deals done. War stopped.
She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced down the street. The text message had been cryptic and had come from an unknown number. She’d known it was Simon. Knew deep in her heart he was coming for her.
They were meant for each other. She stared down at the ring on her finger that claimed her as his.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she thought about everything that had gone down in less than a month. Anthony helping her. Daisy’s arms surrounding her as she tried to sleep. She’d given her best friend a black eye as she’d woken up terrified, and when she’d lashed out, Daisy had no choice but to restrain her.
She hated it.
Hated her life.
The only sure thing for her right now was the message that asked her to be here. The one piece of salvation she’d experienced.
The sound of a motorcycle had her tensing up. She expected it to be Anthony or her nephew Simon, but it wasn’t. It was her man.
He was alone. Gone was the Chaos Bleeds leather cut marking him as one of theirs. In that instant, she knew he was different. Staring at him now, Tabitha knew she’d lost Simon. Lost that part of him that made him part of her.
He turned the bike off and threw his leg over the side, coming toward her. She didn’t move, watching him. Knowing he was different.
She’d heard her family, all of The Skulls talk about killing people. How it changed them, how you were never the same again. She figured they were all trying to sound normal. In their world, killing happened. It was part of who they were. They didn’t run from it. Looking at him now, she knew they hadn’t been lying. They just hadn’t delved into great detail about it.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” she said.
“No, it wasn’t.” He didn’t reach out to touch her.
She was tainted. Ryan had ruined her.
Staring at Simon, she wondered what to do.
There was a distance between them. This had never happened before. She kept on looking at Simon, waiting, but he stared at her.
Then he closed that distance, cupped her face. He stroked her cheeks. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry, but as he stared at her, she couldn’t help it. The pain was too much because she saw past the comfort, the touch. She knew Simon. They’d been kids, nothing more than children, then grew up into teenagers, and now, married, they were not just boy and girl. They were man and woman. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry.”
“You’re giving up.”
“I’m not giving up. I’ll never give up. Not on you.”
“Then don’t go.”
Simon sighed. “I’ve got to go. There’s no way I can stay here, Tabby.”
“Then you’re giving up.”
“I want to kill every last one of them.” He paused. “You see, if I stay here, I want to slaughter them. I want to wipe them out like the Savage Brothers were. If I stay here, I can’t be put in control of what I do.” He took a breath.
She saw it.
The murder.
The rage.
If she begged him, he would stay, she knew that. She’d lose him though. Everything that made Simon who he was would be gone. He’d be on a quest to take on an entire MC club, removing himself from ever becoming the Chaos Bleeds President, taking his father’s place.
“We promised each other forever. That’s the way it has always been right from the beginning.” She couldn’t take it from him. Wanting him with her was selfish. She couldn’t do it. Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek and took a step back.
Inside, she broke apart, shattered. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt. She’d been to hell and back more than once, but she couldn’t handle this.
Simon stepped back.
She kept on looking at him through tears. He was blurred.
He got on his bike and she stood, waiting.
The rain kept on coming. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she stood alone.
Tabitha watched as the car pulled up. The driver’s side door opened and Anthony climbed out. He didn’t grab a jacket. He walked around the car and stood in front of her, waiting.
She watched him.
He didn’t speak.
Anthony never spoke unless he wanted to. She wondered if he was ever tortured, if they would get him to crack, or if he would be a stubborn bastard who refused to budge. He’d probably die silently.
“He’s gone,” she said.
“I know.”
She sniffled. “What do you care? You probably saw this coming.”
“He did what he had to do.”
“He didn’t have to kill him.” She covered her face. “Why? Why did this have to happen?”
She was shocked when Anthony wrapped his arms around her. Out of all the people she knew, he was the last person she expected to get comfort from. “Leave me alone.”
“Not going to happen. You think this is easy for him? He didn’t protect you. He fucked up, and so did I. I should have been here. I should have made sure this didn’t happen.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I … I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“No!” Anthony pulled away, grabbing her shoulders. “Don’t fucking do that. You know what, it’s not my fault, your fault, or Simon’s. It’s fucking Ryan’s. That piece of shit had what was coming to him. Simon dealt him a mercy I never would. If it had been Daisy, I would have stripped him piece by piece, and kept him alive, begging for death.”
“This doesn’t make me feel any better. I don’t want to talk to you. I just want to go home.”
“Then we’ll go home.”
“Take me to Daisy’s.” She pushed past Anthony, climbing into the car. Anthony was a psychopath, no doubt about it. He hid it well, but she knew who he really was, what he was capable of. She didn’t want to be alone with him right now.
He was silent as they rode to Daisy’s. She needed the quiet now more than ever. Rubbing at her chest, she didn’t know how she was going to go on. They were married, a family.
She wiped at her wet cheeks, hating her weakness. She wanted it all to stop.
Anthony arrived at Daisy’s. She climbed out to find her friend already waiting for her. She was unaware of when Anthony had texted her, but she went straight into her friend’s arms. “I’ve got you,” Daisy said.
“I feel like I’m dying inside. I can’t stand it.”
“Come on. My parents are at the clubhouse. They’re still trying to deal with, you know.”
Tabitha covered her face, sobbing.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I … just ignore me. Whatever I say, I just make it worse.”