“Shut the fuck up, Beau. I’m not fucking whipped like Nix,” I tell him, knowing there is no way I’m fucking getting married wearing one either.
“Yeah, we’ll see, asshole,” he argues, not believing me.
“She has to say yes first,” Brooks jokes but I’m not worried. The woman is so far gone, she wouldn’t be able to say no to me. Even if she did, I wouldn’t accept it. She’s mine and that’s the end of it.
***
“She’s crazy and doesn’t stop. I’m telling you,” Kelly says, sitting in the booth next to Brooks. She came back after dancing with Holly for thirty minutes, leaving her when Holly said she wasn’t near ready to leave the dance floor. I’d go down and find her, but I know she’ll just get me worked up, and I’ll end up dragging her out of here before the cake is even served.
“You learn just to sit and watch,” Kadence says, sitting on Nix’s lap. I can't help the smile that forms on my face. Four months ago this Holly was lost; she walked into the Knights Rebels clubhouse, and I knew I had to help her. Now she’s back to her crazy-ass self, and I couldn’t be happier. Standing, I decide I need to find her and see this crazy woman of mine.
“Where is my wife?” I hear from a familiar voice over the lull of the crowd.
“Oh, fuck.” Nix stands quickly, moving Kadence behind him. I turn and follow his gaze and my stomach drops. Chad fucking Morre. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. “Answer me, you thugs,” he sneers, walking forward. His hair is disheveled, and the dirty clothes hanging off him look like they haven’t had a decent clean in the last week, but most importantly and terrifying, he has Holly in his grasp. The man is bordering on a mental breakdown and there he stands, holding my woman, his forearm against her throat. I’m going to fucking kill him.
“I know one of you assholes took her. I fucking know it. Just tell me where she is and no one gets hurt.” He snatches an empty beer bottle and smashes it down on the railing, breaking the end of it open, glass shards now covering the surrounding area. Holly screams as the jagged glass nears her throat. I step forward, but Beau and Brooks hold me back.
“Let me fucking go.” I try to pull out of their clutches while I search for Jackson. Where the fuck is that asshole?
“Just cool it. Think clearly here,” Brooks warns, nodding over to where Jesse’s closing in.
“You need to calm down,” Nix says, stepping forward, but the crazy fucker slashes out in front of him. “Kadence, get to the back of the room now,” he warns, keeping his wife out of harm’s way.
“I’m not fucking kidding,” Chad threatens, stepping forward and taking a swipe at Nix again. I step up, ready to bring him down, right before I see the tip of the glass pierce Holly’s perfect skin.
“Ahh!” she screams out, her hands going to the fucker’s forearm as blood weeps from the cut.
“Hey, fucker. You better put the glass down before I fucking take you down,” I growl, watching Holly’s expression move into panic mode. Catching Jesse’s attention, we both shift carefully, trying to get Holly out of his hold.
“Come at me, fucker,” Jesse says, taking one step closer and getting his attention off me.
“Stay back,” he warns again. But if he thinks for a second I’m gonna let him hold my woman with glass to her throat, he has another thing coming.
“Look at me, baby,” I call to Holly, trying to keep her here in the moment. Her eyes come to mine, and the panic behind them threatens to ruin me.
“If you fucking hurt her, I swear I’ll reach down your throat and rip your fucking heart out of your chest.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you think you’re going to do. You don’t know who the fuck I am. You don’t know who my father is. This fucking club could be shut down in the next hour. Now, tell me where the fuck my fucking wife is,” he barks, taking a step back as I move closer.
I see Jackson come up the stairs, slowly and unaware of what he’s about to walk into. Gaining his attention, I quietly signal for him to stop. I’m not sure how, but his eyes lock with mine and something passes between us—a knowledge that shit is about to go down, but we need to play it cool.
“Holly.” I search her face, watching fear dance over her features. “Look at me, Holly,” I instruct, the authority of my voice calling her back from the darkness. “Just keep looking at me, baby,” I say, watching Jesse inch in closer. I want more than anything to just go forward, but one slip by that crazed asshole could have him slicing that glass through her neck. And that’s something I will not let happen.
“Don’t listen to him.” Chad pulls her back, digging the glass further into her flesh. “You fucking took my wife. Tell me where she is,” he repeats, pulling her harder against him. But I don’t respond. I keep my gaze only on Holly. I know this is coming to an end, but I can’t control my rage at not being able to help when she is less than ten feet from me.
“Sy,” Holly says. I know she is slipping, but I can’t go to her yet.
“Hold on, baby,” I calm her, and then I see him falter. Next, I see Nix, Beau and Brooks come forward and right as Jesse walks up to him, I give Jackson the go ahead.
“Now,” I shout, instructing Jesse to lunge in from the side, the attack taking him unawares. Spinning around to lash out at Jesse, he loses his hold on Holly. It feels like it happens in slow motion; the broken bottle comes out swinging between Holly and Jesse—Jesse pushing her out of the way and taking a cut to the neck. Then the opposite happens, everything moves fast. The boys jump on Chad while I try to reach for Holly as she loses her footing on the top step. Her hand comes out, reaching for me, but I miss her by an inch as she collides with Jackson and she falls backward down the wooden stairs. Running down after her, I’m left helpless as I watch her fall, tumble and land in a heap at the bottom.