“What makes you think I don’t know?” I say in a bored tone, while picking my nails.

“I know you don’t, because you wouldn’t be standing here if you knew what he did. Spike is the innocent one here.”

Innocent? What is she talking about? Cade speaks of guilt, Britney speaks of innocence. Where is the connection?

“Maybe I have a heart and don’t judge. Perhaps you should try it.”

I step past her, but she grips my arm, digging her nails into my skin.

“Britney,” Cade’s voice booms across the room, “get your fuckin’ hands of my woman.”

Britney flinches and drops my arm. She leans in close and whispers, “This isn’t over.” Then she disappears before Cade reaches me.

“What the fuck was that about?” Cade demands as soon as he stops.

“Why don’t you tell me?”

He puts his hands up and indicates that I should let him know what the hell I’m on about.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You told her things you clearly don’t want to tell me. You and Spike…she knows right?”

Cade makes a growling sound and leans close. “Get your shit, and get out to my bike.”

“Stop ordering me around!” I snap, crossing my arms.

“Sugar, what the fuck did I say about games? I don’t fuckin’ play them. You ain’t gonna make a scene about somethin’ you don’t know. Get out to my bike, shut your mouth and we’ll talk.”

“I hate you when you’re bossy,” I say, before spinning on my heel.

“You fuckin’ love me, you moody little shit.”

I am smiling by the time I get out to his bike. He steps up behind me just as I’m reaching for my helmet, and he wraps his arms around my waist, pressing his lips to my neck.

“Love it when you’re so fuckin’ temperamental.”

I grin and turn my head, pressing my lips to his. He spins me around, pressing my bottom against the bike seat, putting himself between my legs. He kisses me with intensity, sweeping his tongue across mine and every now and then, and stopping to nibble on my lower lip. I shudder and press myself against him. His hands wrap around me, and he pulls me as close as I can possibly get. He lets my lips go, and kisses up and down my cheeks until he finds my neck. He nibbles and sucks until I’m panting and desperate for him once more. Damn him for having such a powerful effect on me.

“You going to tell me about Spike?” I murmur against his cheek.

“Yeah, baby.”

I let him set me back and slip my helmet on, and then I climb onto the bike behind him. He speeds out onto the road, and when we go right past his house, I’m confused. Until we pull up at Jackson’s house. A little more of my heart opens up for him in that moment, because out of respect to my dad, he’s taken me home instead of taking me to his house. We climb off the bike, and as soon as he’s taken his helmet off, I grip him and kiss him deeply.

He pulls back after some sweet as hell dips of his tongue into my mouth, and murmurs, “What was that for?”

“For being so damn sweet.”

He grunts. “Fuckin’ sweet, think you got me all wrong, sugar.”

I grin. “No, I think I got you all right, biker.”

Another grunt. “Take me to your room, we gotta talk.”

I do just that. I take his hand, and walk into my new home with a whole new outlook.

My life is finally piecing itself together.

And I couldn’t be happier about it.

CHAPTER 16

PRESENT

“It’s not a pretty story,” Cade says when we’re finally curled in the bed together.

“Mine wasn’t pretty either,” I remind him.

“Sugar, mine’s a whole lot worse.”

“Tell me. I won’t judge you.”

“Don’t be so sure about that.”

I don’t say anything, I just lay quietly. I know he’ll start talking when he’s ready to. He begins speaking in a rough, scratchy tone and I can hear the emotion in his voice. I know why too, because when he tells me his story, it quite literally rips my heart out, stomps on it, and then rolls over it until there’s nothing left but a battered mess. His story, is without a doubt, one of the most gut-wrenching stories I’ve ever heard. It makes my heart ache for him, but not just for him, for Spike too.

PAST

CADE

“We don’t have a choice,” Spike says, pacing the room.

“You can’t fuckin’ leave her in the house, Spike. It ain’t safe.”

He turns, glaring at me. “What the fuck should I do then?”

“Get her outta town. Throw her in the car and get her outta town.”

“They’re fuckin’ everywhere. How the fuck do you think we can get her out?” Spike roars, driving his fist into a nearby table.

“We don’t have a choice. You leave her here, her life is at risk.”

“Fuck, Cade, fuck.”

I walk over, grip his shoulder and jerk him to face me. Spike and I have been friends since we were kids. I know him. I trust him, and right now, he’s in a fuck of a situation. He’s got the biggest biker gang in the state after him, because of a dodgy drug job he did. Then the fucker tried to run, and made it a whole lot worse. Now, he’s in deep shit, and so is his family. This gang, they don’t give a fuck; they will put a bullet in his wife to prove a point. They’re vulgar, rotten and downright deadly.