Chapter Twenty Six
Kolter
Itry to open my eyes, but my eyelids feel so heavy. Christ. My chest hurts like a motherfucker. Did I wipe out last night?
What’s the last thing I remember? I rack my mind, but it’s a total blank. I feel hungover, like I got into a fight and lost bad.
A soft voice echoes from a distance, and I do my best to focus on it. The more I do, the clearer it becomes until I can make out every single word.
“Kolter? Kolt, can you hear me?” she asks.
“Peaches,” I murmur as the fog begins to lift.
I finally manage to open my eyes, and I’m confused to find myself in my bunk room at the clubhouse. I’m even more confused to see Naomi sitting in a chair beside me with bloodshot eyes and tear-soaked cheeks. Instantly, I’m on edge and push myself to sit up—or at least I try to. A sharp pain rips through me, and I wince and grip my chest.
What the fuck happened?
“Are you okay?” Naomi asks, her face filled with concern.
I take a few deep breaths, attempting to collect my thoughts—and then everything comes rushing back. Her phone call. The shootout. Searing-hot pain ripping through me. My sight slowly fading, sounds turning muffled until there was just… nothing.
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” I ask, my gaze moving over her carefully.
She nods. “I’m fine. I was so worried about you. I thought I lost you,” she chokes out.
I shake my head, pulling her towards me despite the pain that burns through me. “Shh, hey. I’m fine. I’m here. I’ll never leave your side, Peaches. You’re gonna have to throw a hell of a lot more than that my way to get rid of me.”
Naomi lets out a choked laugh that sounds completely miserable. I hate seeing her like this, and I do my best to wipe her tears away as fast as they fall.
“What happened? Was everything… cleaned up?” I ask carefully.
Naomi nods. “Ace and Bones went out there and, I don’t know, did whatever they needed to. They came back and told Matthew it was sorted.”
I nod. Good—that’s good. The last thing we need on top of everything else is an investigation, though I can’t believe no one called the cops given all that gunfire. Maybe they were just slow to arrive, and Bones and Ace beat them there.
“He’s been nice enough?” I ask, alluding to my father.
Naomi needs no explanation. Instead, she nods. “Actually, he’s been really kind. He was worried about you.”
My brows furrow in disbelief, but I don’t argue. Instead, I wrap my arms around her tighter, pressing her to me so I never forget what it feels like. Fuck, it’s been a while since I came that close to death. It’s humbling, awakening and makes me grateful for everything I have. Every moment, every second with her is a blessing I don’t intend on wasting.
When Naomi helps me up, she asks me what I need. Truthfully, the only thing I want is to get the hell out of here. I know why those guys followed her, I know why they chose to target her and I know exactly who ordered it.
The mafia doesn’t take kindly to betrayal, let alone theft, and that’s exactly what we did. Thanks to my father, we stole from them—stole their shipment right in front of their faces and were then forced to kill them to survive it.
Of course they followed me after that. Probably followed a lot of us. They followed, they watched and they found my weakness. Fuck if they didn’t almost take her away too. I’m not sure she realizes how close to death she really was. She’s too focused on me; she’s missed the bigger picture. Her involvement with me has put her life in danger, and as selfish as I want to be with her, I can’t help but feel like I have to let her go.
The instant those big, beautiful eyes land on me, though, that plan is obliterated into a million pieces. I can’t live without her, not anymore. Not ever again. Even if that means we both fall from my selfishness, at least we’ll have one another. Forever.
I’m surprised to find my father seemingly waiting outside my room. Even more surprised when he says I should take a few days of rest away from the club. I should be relieved, but I just feel on edge. Trauma, I suppose. I’m conditioned to only expect the worst from him, after all.
It does catch me off guard how morose he seems. He apologizes for making the choices that led to this, though he doesn’t go into further detail in front of Naomi. He doesn’t need to, though. I understand what he means, and I’m fucking shocked.
He doesn’t say anything beyond that. He just nods at the two of us and heads into the back. Bones follows him a moment later, clapping my shoulder on the way past—his version of,I’m glad you didn’t die, kid.
I don’t hesitate a moment longer, despite the growing crowd of people who begin asking me questions, checking in or wanting details. Instead of acknowledging any of them, I take Naomi’s hand in mine, and we head out the front door.
Naomi drives us home in her car, her expression turning pained whenever her gaze is drawn to the dried blood on the backseat. My dried blood.