I didn’t protect her.
Because Angel told me to stand down.
Because the club needed me.
Because Four needed us.
Because…
Jesus Christ.
I feel like I haven’t had two seconds to think in weeks, everything just kept moving and every time I tried to reach for her, tried to be with her, I got pulled away.
And then Four, and Mara.
Now this.
My head is pounding. All I want right now is five minutes alone with my wife.
Five minutes to beg her to look at me. Five minutes to explain…
Explain what?
“you should ask the last person who was with Mara why she would feel the need to disappear.”
My stomach twists and I pick up the pace towards the stairs, towards Bex.
“I’m going to see my ol’ lady.”
No one stops me.
But I hear someone mutter, “...didn’t think he had one of those anymore.”
A grunt follows. Someone drops a glass, but all I hear is the crack of Razor's hand colliding with her face.
“for one stupid moment… I believed that when I really needed it… You would be there for me.”
It feels like I can’t breathe… I need to see her.
My boots hit the first step and the wood creaks under my weight. I take them two at a time, a sense of urgency filling me now. The hallway above is quiet, doors closed and the lights are low. It’s the kind of quiet that usually settles over the place when everyone’s drunk or sleeping, but tonight it feels different.
I stop outside our door, my hand rests on the handle.
My heart is pounding hard in my chest.
She’s probably furious, probably packing her bags…
God knows she’s threatened to leave before when the club girls pushed too far, when things got a little wild. But she never did.
She always stayed. Because she loves me.
Because we love each other.
Right?
“I don’t want your brand of love or loyalty anymore.”
I take a deep breath, swallow hard, then I push the door open and step inside.